Welcome

Welcome to my train of thought. Just a warning, there might be turbulence. I'm a little eccentric, but hopefully you'll find something here that'll make the crazy worth it. Stay tuned for book reviews, ramblings on random things, and all sorts of stuff that tickles my fancy. But keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times. My brain is a scary place!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Review: Nice Guys Bite

Nice Guys Bite Nice Guys Bite by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a cute little side-story, set in the holiday season, and involving one of the newest cast members in the Elemental Assassin series.

It was highly entertaining to see inside the mind of Silvio, but it was a little bit disheartening to see that behind his facade of togetherness, he's hurting and broken inside.

Luckily for our protagonist, he's joined one of the best "chosen families" in all of Urban Fantasy.

The little lingering potential thread of hope at the end was especially heartwarming.

Thanks Netgalley and Jennifer Estep (for posting the Read Now link on her facebook!) and the publisher for this review copy. The only thing I got out of it was the free read, in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Review: The Hatching

The Hatching The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seriously, it's fall here where I live, which means leaves are falling or already on the ground, which means that when the wind blows, they bounce and flutter and, dare I say, skitter across the street and the sidewalk... and now, thanks to this book, every time I hear something make a noise that could be construed as such, my brain instantly jumps to OMG INVASION OF THE KILLER SPIDERS!

Excellent book - it's written like a movie. Big cast, lots of locations, viewpoints from all over - and it's extremely fast-paced and easy to read quickly.

Just beware, these spiders will get inside your head, tie their webs around your brain, and leave little eggs, waiting to hatch and feed off your fear.

*shudders*

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Monday, November 28, 2016

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So glad I reread this one - perfect time, having just seen Fantastic Beasts recently and getting to refresh my memory on some of Dumbledore's childhood, Grindelwald's history, etc. :)

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Friday, November 25, 2016

Review: Angels' Flight

Angels' Flight Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed these four short stories that provided a little history into some great characters and showed time periods outside of our main storyline.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Review: Conspiracy of Ravens

Conspiracy of Ravens Conspiracy of Ravens by Lila Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As you may know from my review, I *LOVED* Wake of Vultures, book one in this series about the Shadow. This installment, Conspiracy of Ravens, hit me in a lot of the same feels, but this time, it felt a little less polished. The plot took longer to spool up to where the action would really start -- the first 50-60% of the book was strictly traveling to the location where the main plot would actually begin to create the real action. This book had a lot more setup, creating some new threads for future books, and adding some new characters into the mix, so I understand why the plot had to take a back seat for part of the book, but I feel like it could have been done more seamlessly, rather than taking a long meandering approach to getting where they needed to go so they could do what they needed to do.

Nettie finally helps clear up my confusion of which pronoun to use, accepts herself as a himself (and an itself, but no spoilers from me on that one!), and begins to live as Rhett, and his life gets infinitely more interesting in this "episode" of The Shadow. He starts to discover the joys of intimacy, and a love tangle appears. Yes, I say tangle, because there are just too many potential threads to lay out into a shape that makes sense LOL. Oh, and

The urban fantasy/historical fiction blend still really works for me, making the west into the Wild West, and being easy on brain's imagination gears.

Now begins the long wait for book three, some time in 2017 *hopefully*...

Final verdict? Great book, one less star than book one because of the slow plot advancement for the first 50-60% of the book, so four feathers, err, stars. :)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Friday, November 18, 2016

Review: Archangel's Heart

Archangel's Heart Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another excellent entry in what overall is an awesome series (at least one was kind of a dud to me).

I love the history we get in this one, and I love the "locked room" or "bottle episode" feel of the book, especially after the storm hits and the plot comes to a head in Lumia.

Mostly I loved that this one had tender moments that felt realistic, and not the overly obnoxious and flowery-described sex of so many of the other books. As Nalini Singh has toned that down a little as the series progresses, the books get so much better as we go along.

Tis a shame now to be caught up with the series and have to wait... Now I understand how our group of heroes and heroines must feel as they wait, wait, wait for Lijuan's rising.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Review: Crash and Burn: A Sigma Force Short Story

Crash and Burn: A Sigma Force Short Story Crash and Burn: A Sigma Force Short Story by James Rollins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kowalski's always fun to have around, and I liked getting to see a little character growth in Seichan as well.

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Review: Wake of Vultures

Wake of Vultures Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stinkin' loved this book. Clearly, as I gave it five stars, so that's obvious. And normally my reviews don't get all analytical or deep, but because this book tackles so much and does it really, really well, I feel like it deserves some praise and a little bit deeper of a review.

This book is set in the past - the late 1800s Southwest, to be exact -- but its message includes some highly relevant subjects. Sure it's a fantasy take on the famous western "Cowboy and Indian" tales and games we used to play as kids, down to the small desert towns, saloons, and badged rangers, but it's so much more than that.

Okay, yeah, a lot of this "more" is because it's got magic mixed in, which is honestly one of the only reasons I'd give a western book a chance -- not a big fan of the genre in general -- but the biggest "more" of Bowen's work is the intense level of diversity she has included. Her main character is not the typical "cowboy hero" or "native who has a heart for all people." She's dark, gritty, and a loner by nature. But then the "modern" issues enter the picture (I use quotes there because, well, these issues have long been a part of the human experience, but archaic thinking and religion and most cultures have tamped down things that are different for as long as the world has memory) - gender identity, self-acceptance, race (mixed, even!), and sexuality all play a vital role in the development of our heroine/hero. Nettie Lonesome is a half-black, half-Comanche badass. She just doesn't know how badass she is at first. She starts the book virtually as a slave to the couple that "adopted" her, not knowing her past, and getting by, unhappy. She's not comfortable in her womanhood, and feels more comfortable in her own skin by living as a man. So as time goes by, her choices lead her to join the Rangers (who fight monsters of the actual variety) as Rhett, not as Nettie, and the story leads us to a final conclusion against a brutal, vicious monster AND through a journey of not only self-discovery, but of a deeper understanding of a world she thought she understood, but barely knew.

I struggle with knowing the correct pronoun to use, because the author herself uses "she" but Nettie's compatriots think she is (and therefore refer to her as) a man. So I'll just put my little apology here, and end with the following plea:

If you're comfortable with all those "today topics," give this book a shot.
If you're NOT comfortable with all those "today topics," give this book a shot.
If you want a good historical urban fantasy, give this book a shot.
JUST GIVE THIS BOOK A SHOT.

Can't wait for book two.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

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Friday, November 11, 2016

Review: Archangel's Enigma

Archangel's Enigma Archangel's Enigma by Nalini Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My favorite of the series so far. I just loved Andromeda so much! Of course, Naasir is lovable too.

I do wish I had understood the point of the Grimoirr. Lol did I miss something?

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Thursday, November 10, 2016

Review: The Operator

The Operator The Operator by Kim Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Much more solid book than #1. Less confusion going back and forth between who was betraying whom, and the plot felt like it had more framework. This one makes me really excited to read book three, and hope for the return of some specific characters - like Harmony, in particular, who was an excellent addition to the cast. I like her spunk!

I received a copy of this book in advance in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read it!

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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Review: Archangel's Shadows

Archangel's Shadows Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Ash and Janvier's book!

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Review: Curse on the Land

Curse on the Land Curse on the Land by Faith Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you've never picked up Faith Hunter, stop right here, go to Amazon or Book Depository or your local bookstore and BUY SOME FAITH. Seriously, you won't regret it.

In this second installment in the Soulwood series, Faith seamlessly blends her magical world with some crazy creepy real science, and it succeeds on every level. Plot twists galore, lots of character development, betrayal, and lots and lots of GOOP.

And in Nell, Faith has found an amazing voice. Nell is such a deep character, and I love seeing the world from her perspective. As much as I adore Jane, I feel this deeply rooted (PUN!) connection with Nell, and hope her series gets to stretch to the lengths of Jane's.

Please, do yourself a favor and pick up the Soulwood books. Reading the Jane series is recommended, but not required.

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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Review: Archangel's Legion

Archangel's Legion Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the battle in this one -- it was the most interesting part, other than the character growth in Eve, Illium, Aodhan, and Naasir, to name a few.

Overall, a good read, even with the glaring deus ex machina ending.

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