Review: Forest Born

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I enjoyed all four books of the Bayern series in a casual sort of way. Each of them started out as 3 star reads but ended up as 4 stars once I looked back. They were a bit slow to get through in parts, but somehow the endings always pulled things together and won me over.

The series started out with a fairytale retelling in the Goose Girl, but then moved into pure high fantasy in the sequels. They are all set in the same world, loosely connected by the rotating main characters who are all friends, and each book reveals a different sort of elemental magic (air, fire, water, earth). They are really more like companion novels so I didn't feel in a big rush to read them all at once.

It wasn't until this last book that I realized there's a larger connection between them - and was pleasantly surprised. Seeing how this book ties all of them together makes the series feel much more cohesive. Now looking back, the others become fuller somehow. Plus, I got a bigger payoff for reading this book than I expected from a standalone-ish companion novel.

In this last book, I started out really not liking the main character, Rinna. Yet again, it felt like a 3 star book that I'd have to persevere a little bit with. I knew it was on purpose, but it still made it hard to identify with her at first. But as Rin found her way, I really ended up liking her. Her process of self-discovery is so entwined with the plot that I can't really say any more, but it ended up being worth a little patience for me.

The part that did suck me in from the beginning was the magic, which this time involves trees. (I love books that involve trees and woods for some reason.)

I also liked that all three girls from the previous books played a large role, and that their friendships were an important aspect of the story. They still felt like individual characters, not just like cardboard cut-outs with the same name that get referred back to but don't feel real.

Each of the previous books included a minor, sweet romance. Definitely not the main focus of the story, but only where it fit. This book really doesn't have any romance at all - it just doesn't have a place in Rinna's story yet and so it's not forced to be there. I do recommend this whole series for YA Fantasy readers who don't want heavily romance-focused plots.



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Review: Boundless

Boundless by Cynthia Hand

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I felt dragged to read this against my will, because I hate leaving things unfinished. Now I have tidied up another series and can put it behind me. Luckily since I'd gotten past book two, I found this one was worth finishing just to read how it ends. I can't help thinking that it would have made a better story if shortened into one longer novel instead of broken up and spread out.

Boundless was much better than the middle book of the trilogy - it's not just teens talking and feeling (but that's still a big part of it). Something actually happens - all the promised action that we've been waiting for, the war between dark and light angels arrives. It's not on the large, apocalyptic scale that I expected with the word 'war' in the description. It's more like a personal fight. Still, this is the part that I kept reading for, and I was happy enough with how it went.

On the teen drama side of things, which still takes up much of the book, Clara, Angela and Christian are all in their first year of college, and the love triangle is on-going with Tucker. I really don't care for love triangles since I have a hard time with a girl who can't make her mind up and strings guys along. I'm not sure what I think about how it was resolved, but I've decided I don't really care. I have a feeling there's going to be a spin-off series for the person left hanging, but I don't think I'll be reading it. This is finished enough.



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Review: A Study in Silks

A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A Study in Silks is still lingering in my mind. It ended up having depths to it that I really didn't expect from a historical mystery/romance. Often even when I enjoy a book, it's easy to move right on to the next one, but this is making me pause for a moment to absorb it all. I'm so thankful that I don't have to wait a year for the next two books, since they are all being released this year.

It's an intriguing mix of my favorite genres and this time I feel the mix worked really well. It has historical mystery, romance, and fantasy all mixed with Steampunk - a genre I'm beginning to explore.

The mystery is only a part of the whole, and isn't in the typical mystery style. Answers are revealed to the reader when the viewpoint shifts instead of when the heroine, Evelina, discovers them (and there are multiple viewpoints). At first I wasn't sure how I liked knowing more than Evelina, but it ended up having complexities that took me by surprise, avoiding easy answers and pat endings.

I should mention now that this is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, and Evelina is the niece of Holmes. Enter murder in the respectable home where Evelina is a guest, and the underbelly of Victorian London takes on a new aspect. I'm not sure how well the Sherlock portion is done since I'm not an Arthur Conan Doyle aficionado. Without having a real frame of reference for the legend, I can't judge. But I can say this was a great story and his part was only a sliver of the whole.

The Fantasy and Steampunk version of London is very well done. I felt like it all fit together very well. Magic is pitted against Steam, and Steam against traditional political power. This is a dangerous mix in a city choked by the monopoly of Steam Barons, with Evelina caught in the thick of it, in danger of her own magic being exposed at every turn. Solving the murder could unravel everything. This makes for a much more dangerous London than we normally get.

With all the investigative drama and danger going on, Evelina is still a young lady in her first London season. She is a heroine who doesn't quite fit the social scene, having grown up in a circus and possessing outlawed magic. I was sure the romance was going to be typical 'regency' style courtship and manners (which was part of it), and it seemed ready to develop into a typical love-triangle debacle as well. But I was pleasantly surprised that even the romance didn't turn out as shallow as I feared. I'm ready to find out what happens next!

I'm trying to think if there's any reason I shouldn't give this 5 stars since I don't want to hand them out lightly. But for me it was the combination of favorite genres done well, it was entertaining, and didn't live down to my jaded expectations. I'm feeling generous.

**Received free arc for review.

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Review: Endgame

Endgame by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Endgame is a satisfying conclusion to the Grimspace series. The whole series ended up being different than I expected, not having one epic story arc with a cataclysmic ending. By the time I reached this book, I understood that better.

The entire book takes place on one planet again, involving the long struggle for freedom for the natives of La’heng. I have to say that although I missed Grimspace and some of the crew from the past, I was still captured by this story. I love Jax's relationship with Vel, and the way she continues to mature (finally!) in her relationship to March, as well as others. As Jax matures, the combination of desperate action, friendship and loss makes this war feel real.

I'm happy with the ending, but I wish there was more. Since it's not an epic with a final goal, there could be room for more someday - right? I'll miss this world and these people.



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Review: Timeless

Timeless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was worried as I reached the halfway mark that Timeless was going to end up being incredibly witty but with far too much detail about parenting and not much action at all. It did pick up eventually, and there were even a couple moments when I feared that it was all going to end horribly. The last hundred pages rescued this from being a disappointing ending to an enjoyable series, so I am fairly satisfied - and in some aspects surprised at how it all turned out.

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Review: The Crown Tower

The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The Crown Tower is an enjoyable glimpse into the past of The Riyria Revelations. Not only do we get to see how Hadrian and Royce meet up, but we also learn more about Gwen, which was a pleasant surprise. She is one character who never had the spotlight in earlier books and I always wanted to know more about her.

I have to say this moved slowly, especially at the beginning. The element of surprise that I enjoyed so much in the original series was less apparent - of course, because this is a prequel and I already know the outcome. It could be different if this is your first Riyria book. But although knowing their history removed some of the element of discovery, I loved having the chance to go back to this world and to unveil some of the mystery of Hadrian and Royce. It made me miss the other characters that won't be appearing in the prequel, but it's full of adventure, and I can't wait to see where the next books takes us.

I wouldn't say the Crown Tower ends on a cliffhanger, but it ends at the beginning, if that makes any sense. It was really fun to live through "the forging," but now that I've experienced the legendary heist, I don't know exactly what will happen next. I need the sequel - good thing it's coming out tomorrow.

I don't recommend reading this without reading the original series first, because you'll miss references and might not know why you care about the characters. I think you'll come to care regardless, but it might feel a bit slow for a while. Once you've read the original series, you'll be happy for any crumbs you can get from this table and find this a treat that leaves you wishing for more.

**So excited to receive free arc for review!



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Review: The Crown

The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I started out reading The Crown on my phone, since historical fiction is often slow enough for me to read it gradually. About half way through I abandoned that plan, and finished it up in a couple of evenings instead. Enough said.

I really enjoyed the details of life in the priory combined with the mystery, which finally truly surfaced halfway through. What I liked best about it is the way I really felt the impact of Henry VIII's war on the Catholic church at the level of the people tossed around by it. I love it when historical fiction deals with the smaller people. Somehow it's more interesting to me than reading about kings and queens, it's less predictable because I don't already know how it has to end, and the details of daily life are fascinating. The characters felt so real to me, and it brought the time period alive. I love it when historical fiction doesn't turn out to be dry as dust!

Believe it or not, there's a little bit of romance, too, even though the characters are mainly nuns, novices, and friars. It was just enough not to feel out of place in the setting, and it added complexity to the struggles of the characters who really believe in their vows of chastity.

I can't wait to read more about them!



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Review: Aftermath

Aftermath by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 3 of 5 stars





Aftermath ended up being a lot different than I expected, although it was true to its title. With the cliffhanger at the end of the last book, I fully expected the war with the Morgut to be ongoing - it seemed like an epic kind of war that was turning out to be the point of the whole series.

But no, by the time we find out what happens to Jax, everything has changed. In a kind of 'I really hoped this would end up better,' jarring way. If Killbox had been the end of the series, I believe it would have had that epically amazing ending that I felt was coming but didn't get. Now with two books left in the series, where does it go from here? What is bigger than the Morgut invasion?

I'm still not really sure what this was about. Plot-wise it's a mixed bag with a couple of important events, but nothing you could call 'the climax.' Mostly I think it was about Jax trying to live up to her promises and figure out what to do next. Maybe it's setting up the last book in some way that I can't picture right now, but this entire book felt more like a wrap-up chapter for Killbox.

One thing I can say, this book took me by surprise a couple times, but mainly because the shifts were random. And it still was a decent read. I'm curious to see where it goes. I do hope the end of the series is more... momentous.



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Review: Killbox

Killbox by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



And this is the reason I wait for an entire series to be released before I embark on it. You never know when an author is going to leave you hanging at the end. What a cliffhanger! I am so, so glad the next book is already out.

This installment takes a while to get warmed up, but once it gets going, all hell breaks loose. It's war now, and the scale is exploding. I've gone from learning to care about a small crew of a rogue ship to fearing for their lives as the fate of all known races takes priority. This series is definitely more than a futuristic romance even though it started that way. Although the romance is there, it's not the whole story. Love and true friendship are precious when everything is falling apart, and you feel that in this book while you experience everything falling apart and have no idea how they're going to make it - and who won't.



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