The Gathering Storm (Crown of Stars, #5) - Kate Elliott

The Gathering Storm by Kate Elliott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Gathering Storm seriously cut into my reading stats for the year! At almost 1000 pages, it took me a month to read (I did take a break around the middle). This series has definitely reached sprawling epic category. But if you like this kind of thing and have the patience for it, it's really brilliant. Not enough people know about this series.

There are a lot of characters and timelines to keep track of in this book. I'll admit to being a bit fuzzy on some of them, and on their locations at times. Travel through the crowns means that months and sometimes years pass in days for some characters, and it can be hard to keep track of who is when and where. That didn't really bother me, though, since it is all about moving players into position for the anticipated cataclysm, exploring varying goals for the event.

I am still enjoying many of the points of view, but there are a few that I find myself wishing would hurry along. Zacharias, the self-proclaimed coward of an apostate monk. Ivar and his band of heretics. Strong Hand, who is just so inhuman that I have a hard time relating to him or caring about his Eika empire consolidation. But I'm sure that'll be important at some point.

I do know some readers don't have the patience for such a character-driven story, but I still find myself savoring it. The world feels so real, and the characters are finely nuanced. The character development is a real strength of this entire series. You never know how fortunes are going to change in the blink of an eye, and how a character will react to their new circumstances. It's just so well done - great writing and insights into human and non-human natures.

One character in particular who I thought was fairly static was transformed throughout this book and their growth ended up being pivotal. And Alain - poor Alain just goes from misery to misery on top of being back in his native time and losing that other life (which I'm thankful gave him a reprieve for at least one book). I hope things start looking up for him now because he's suffered more than enough.

But most importantly, the moment all of this maneuvering is aiming at does finally arrive! The cataclysm occurs, and although I won't tell you whose plot succeeded, I can tell you that destruction on a massive scale was inevitable either way. I can't wait to see what happens In the Ruins because nothing will be the same. Except for human nature with all its resilience, its hope, and its less admirable qualities.

Murder on Bank Street - Victoria Thompson

Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Murder on Bank Street, we finally find out who killed Sarah's husband. These are not the most complex mysteries, but are perfect for a quick weekend read after a hectic and draining week, and do offer some surprises. The familiarity is comforting, and I like to see how the relationships develop, and I like that there are different types of relationships that are explored. Although, this is possibly the slowest developing romance I've ever read, and I'm really impatient for that to finally happen! At least there was just a fraction more between Sarah and Malloy than in the last couple of books or I might have thrown something in frustration. I almost did after the final scene, which was not at all satisfying enough. :)

I like how the side characters are getting more involved, but missed Sarah's strength and involvement in this one. Instead, Maeve becomes a more important character and really takes center stage, and I like the direction it seems to be taking with her. The Pinkerton detectives are another interesting development that I hope the series continues to explore. I've been wondering how this series could stretch on as long as it has, and maybe it has to do with expanding to other characters. I'm still perfectly happy to keep going and find out.

But once Sarah and Malloy get together, it had better be worth the wait - and on the page - or I really will throw something.

To Defy a King - Elizabeth Chadwick

To Defy A King by Elizabeth Chadwick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. I didn't like this as much as the others in the series, partly because there were so many characters that I didn't like - it's during King John's reign, so I guess you have to expect some of that. Chadwick got me feeling angry about lots of characters - King John, of course, and his nephew, Ida's son, but also Roger Bigod, who really disappointed me. I thought he was made of better stuff after quite liking him in For the King's Favor. Now that I look back, I realize there were hints in that book of who he would become.

I also felt Mahelt's frustration at her powerlessness in the face of men, her isolation from her family, and her struggles to meet the very different expectations of her marriage family. I liked that she didn't give up in spite of everything, and didn't lose her spirit. Not for lack of being squashed! It was realistic for her time, but I don't have to like it.

The other reason I didn't like this as much is that Mahelt's viewpoint was really limited. She wasn't able to take as active a role in the Bigod family as her mother did in the Marshal household. Much of the real action took place either by messenger, or in her husband Hugh's point of view, which was still peripheral. I'm glad I had read The Scarlet Lion because the central events were more directly explored there from William Marshal's point of view.

Heir to Sevenwaters - Juliet Marillier

Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was not quite as good as the books of the original trilogy, but that's such a high standard to meet. I still couldn't put it down. Sevenwaters is the same magical place, but this time a new foe appears, and another daughter of Sevenwaters rises to the challenge of defending her family and loves. I can't wait to see where the next one takes it all.

4.5 stars?

A Breath of Frost - Alyxandra Harvey

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Fantasy of Manners, that sub-genre that blends Jane Austen-ish social settings and romance with a magical version of the 19th Century. A Breath of Frost introduces a Regency world with a magical society hidden beneath the surface of all the polite society balls and soirees. Three cousins, debutantes, discover that magic is part of their heritage, and begin to learn about this world. And it's kind of strange.

Familiars that jump out of their witch's chests, gargoyles that animate to protect (or attack), portals to the underworld, earthy magic made with rowan berries, protections of salt and iron, stags in the forest, shifters, blood magic and evil warlocks back from the dead. This is not your average magical London. Or YA novel.

It did take me a while to get used to the strange assortment of magic and to the rules of the hidden society. But once I got into it and understood how things worked, I was intrigued, and I enjoyed the next book more.

Unfortunately, the publisher decided not to publish the third book, but the author kindly wrote a novella to bring closure to the series so don't let that stop you. There aren't enough of these types of stories out there, so if you enjoy Fantasy of Manners like I do, at least give this a try.

In A House Made of Bones and Teeth - Alyxandra Harvey

In A House Made of Bones and Teeth by Alyxandra Harvey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm so thankful to the author for wrapping up the Lovegrove Legacy. Since the publisher dropped the series, this novella resolves the cliffhanger at the end of book 2 very nicely. It really reads like an extended ending for that one, the action and intensity continuing without pause. I'm mostly satisfied, but I wish there were more!

I find myself wondering what we're missing since we didn't get a full length novel. What was Penelope's story going to be? There are a couple of characters that have slightly loose ends, too, even though the main story is all there.

I do also wish there were at least one more chapter in the aftermath of the battle. I needed to see everyone dealing with what happened and finding each other. In the turn of a page, it went from intense and desperate end of the world to the distance of an epilogue showing years in the future. My emotions are still trying to find their way back down!

I'm really bummed that the publisher didn't give us a chance to get a full book 3, but since the main story is wrapped up in this novella, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the series to anyone who enjoys Regency-era novels tossed with Fantasy. This Fantasy is full of strange magic of salt, earth and metal, and is centered on three fierce cousins, debutantes who - you guessed it - defy convention, but with a unique set of talents that made it seem fresh. I wish I could read more.

Vicious - V.E. Schwab

Vicious by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was a point when I almost turned away from Vicious. Given the title and what had happened so far, I had a sickening feeling that it was about to devolve into a grimdark-style, twisted killing spree. Don't get me wrong, there's a high body count. But it didn't end up being hollow and bleak as I feared. Somehow there's enough humor and good that I felt there was hope - not a grimdark feature at all. The side characters and the cool powers really made the book, even though they didn't show up until about half way through. With a nail-biting showdown, in the end I actually enjoyed it. Perseverance can have its rewards sometimes!