The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such a unique concept, and was pulled off superbly too. It's a mystery that must be solved by Aiden, who relives the day of the murder 8 times by waking up each day in the body of a different witness. If he doesn't solve the mystery in 8 days, he'll have his memory wiped and repeat the loop. He has no memory of his own life or why he's there, and he also has rivals who are trying to get the answer first, which adds another layer to the suspense.

The story isn't told in a completely linear fashion, so not only are you piecing together the clues from different perspectives of the day, but you're busy keeping track of the movements of each of Aiden's 8 hosts.

It does feel a lot like Ground Hog Day, but here the previous days are not wiped out. Aiden has to work around his other selves and avoid undoing what he's done in previous hosts or contaminating their timeline. This was so much fun, and happily the potential time travel paradoxes remained consistent.

It may sound complicated, but it was so well written that I was never bored or lost, just completely absorbed by the layers of the puzzle before me. The ending had a great payoff with some turns I didn't expect. Once all was revealed, I was satisfied by the final picture. Wonderful!

The Shadowy Horses - Susanna Kearsley

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shadowy Horses was another quick, enjoyable read by Susanna Kearsley. It's not a time-slip like the others that I've read, but more of a contemporary ghost story, although it's really not what you would call a chilling one. I expected a bit more of an eerie, Gothic atmosphere, and got more Scottish flavor instead (which is really not a bad thing).

The story centers on an archaeological dig in an old fishing town where a mad old scholar believes he's found the final resting place of the Roman Ninth Legion. I enjoyed the details of the dig and the cast of characters involved. I even liked the romance aspect of it. All-in-all, it was just the kind of escape I was looking for at the beginning of my summer holidays.

Fate's Edge - Ilona Andrews

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I'm really behind on writing reviews lately. I want to get this one out there since I've already finished the last book of the series, so I'm going for the random bullet point method.

Things I liked:

• The humor and fun of having a conman and conwoman as protagonists.
• I really enjoyed the heists.
• Kaldar is such a loveable rogue. There's plenty of witty dialog in the middle of serious jobs.
• Jack and George have large roles to play. I like how this series has romance, but also has side characters to help balance things out.

Reasons why Bayou Moon is still my favorite:

• I missed the Edge. This one takes place more in the Broken with just pockets of the Edge. I found the setting was much less rich as a result. I never thought I'd miss a swamp, but I did!
• I also missed the larger clans, the wider world of characters.
• Religious fanatics are not my favorite topic in the world.
• I still prefer William, the brooding changeling, to Kaldar the rogue.
• Cerise is way more dangerous with a sword than Audrey. Audrey is a talented thief, but she doesn't kick butt quite as well.

I've really enjoyed this series! It's such an interesting world. I'm sad that there are only four books. Maybe one day they'll change their minds and come back to it.

Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Quick thoughts here, since I probably won't bother to do a full review. I liked this better than the first. It was another quick read. There was less slow, Southern charm and humor, less of a chick-lit focus on hair and clothes and working in the bar (although that's still in there).

Instead, there are two mysteries in two locations, and we get more exposure to the worlds of vampires and shape-shifters, and I finally got to know what the fuss about Eric is all about - or at least I'm starting to get it. So far, there are at least three love interests for Sookie, and at this point I believe she's with the wrong guy. Not that Bill isn't... nice, but she has way more of a connection with both Sam and Eric than Bill. Bill is still really generic, other than being super protective.

I'm having fun with this series, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants to take things too seriously. Or to anyone who objects to a lot of romantic elements. Sookie is in the midst of multiple romances, that's one thing for sure.

Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked Bayou Moon better than On the Edge for some reason. I think one reason may be that the hero was not a blonde, Norse god, good-guy type. Yes, I prefer the damaged, brooding hero, slightly unstable but with a good heart, who deserves a chance at happiness and can also seriously kick butt when needed. What can I say? William made a much more interesting story than Declan, in my opinion.

Oh, and Cerise is another strong heroine who can keep up with the butt-kicking and lead an entire clan of Edgers into either food or war as needed. I really liked her, too.

I felt much more comfortable with the Edge in this one. I got the hang of the world after the first book, and I decided it's really cool. This one takes place much deeper in the Edge than the previous book, so there are no trips to Walmart (bonus!). At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like a setting entirely in the swamp, but it was so unusual that it ended up setting this book apart from pretty much any I've read. It added a vivid layer to the world-building that enriched the whole story.

Although the Romance element was still very strong, the Paranormal / family feud aspects easily held their own, and the people in the world were wonderfully varied. I love it when side characters add flavor instead of being generic. I enjoyed so many of the Mar clan, and the villains were so... gross! This definitely has its share of gore, as I'm coming to expect from the Ilona Andrews team.

I admit, I was a bit irritated with the ending. I think it could have been much stronger if it didn't take a Romance-complicating turn that was really not necessary. It felt contrived, as that kind of plot device usually does to me. I had forgotten I was reading a Romance until that point. Oh well.

This series still offers some of the best Paranormal Romances I've read - there's much more to them than the Romances. Everything combined to make a rich and layered story, full of swampy, Edgy atmosphere, family humor, magic and dire battles. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

On the Edge - Ilona Andrews

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



What do I say about this book? First of all, I liked it. I stayed up late to finish it. It was an interesting mash of things - small-town Walmart scenes with a main character who's just scraping by, alongside some pretty cool magic and fun side characters. I don't normally enjoy reading about children, but the two in this book are great. I love that they also take an active role instead of being part of the scenery that is Rose.

So, the Paranormal part of this I really enjoyed. There was quite a bit of gore in there, as well as an interesting magical premise. That made this a bit different for what is mainly a Paranormal Romance - it was probably one of the better ones I've read.

But, that is where I come to the downside. This is definitely a Paranormal Romance, confirmed by the fact that book 2 switches POVs to a different couple. So know that going in.

The romance was just OK. It didn't annoy me, so that's a plus. But it was very much a standard romance with a heavy focus on the physical attraction. When the guy is described as having chiseled features and rock hard muscles, etc., etc, ... the descriptions had my eyes rolling several times. At this point in my reading life, I'm kind of over this type of stuff. By the time all the descriptions of his physical attractiveness were out of the way, I think the guy's name should have been Thor. Except he wields swords and knives and not a hammer. Still.

Luckily, he is not just a physical beast, even though the romance focuses heavily on the physical attraction. I did end up liking him by the end, and he does prove himself in other ways to be the kind of guy Rose should be falling for.

If you like romances, you'll probably like this. If not, you might find it a bit much at times. But I found the rest of the story to be entertaining enough that it didn't really bother me too much.

Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Dead Until Dark is a quick read if you want something quirky and full of the mundane alongside the paranormal. It's also most definitely in the Paranormal Romance category - I would not call this Urban Fantasy at all. It's really like chick-lit with vampires and a serial killer. Even though it's called a mystery, no one is really figuring anything out about the murders. They just keep piling up (which at least kept things a bit interesting). Otherwise, the plot consists mainly of Sookie working at the bar, Sookie getting dressed and putting on make-up, and Sookie getting to know her new vampire boyfriend. It is a humorous Southern small-town vignette with some zany paranormal thrown in, and I thought it was fun (well, except for the clothes and make-up, which I just kind of skipped over).

BTW, I can't believe Stephenie Meyer really never read this before writing Twilight. Almost immediately after meeting Bill (the vampire), I was having déjà vu. Twilight is way sappier and has even less plot, and is absorbed with YA concerns like high school, but totally feels like fan fiction for this. There are so many echoes of one in the other, down to the fact that vampires have a glow and old-fashioned manners and are trying to live peacefully among humans. Sookie even has mind-reading abilities!

This book has humor, though, and the romance is more mature. Sookie has qualms about her boyfriend's methods of survival and his ethics, and she is not obsessed with him. The romance is OK - there's not a whole lot of tension there. I actually found myself more interested in Sam as a love interest and I don't normally go for the 3rd string guy in a love triangle.

Now all this isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book. I actually really did. There was enough other stuff in there for me not to feel like it was 'just a romance.' I was in the mood for something romantic and silly and quick, and the combination of Southern humor, vampires, gruesome murder, and romance was fun. But I might have gotten impatient if I were in a different mood. The chick-lit feel is not something I can go for very often. I do think I'll read the sequel when I know I'm in the mood for this kind of humor again. I'd put it in the same category as a Meg Cabot book - it had the same light-hearted appeal.

Review: Emerald Green

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was another fast and entertaining read, but Gwen kept crying all the time, and the ending kind of fizzled out. On top of that, the romance is hard to swallow - undying love in less than a week! And the entire trilogy takes place in only two weeks. I tried to ignore these things, but they would crop up and distract me. Not bad for YA, but it definitely feels like YA.



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Review: Ruby Red

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Ruby Red is the first in a YA time travel trilogy that is really more of a contemporary paranormal set in London, and otherwise similar to other YA paranormals in tone (high school, parents/family, mean girl, quirky best friend, etc.).

It's also very short - only 200 pages - so it really just felt like a setup. I was frustrated at the end, realizing I'd just read an introduction and would have to read the next book to get anywhere with it. But I decided to continue on since this one was so short and fast to read, and it didn't drag even though not much has happened yet.

It is definitely YA-ish in tone and depth. It's not very sophisticated, and has a lot to do with mean family members and other stuck up people (ones I'm seriously hoping get what's coming to them), and Gwyneth trying to find out the truth about a world that has been hidden from her for her whole life. Now she's suddenly part of it but they are still not telling her anything.

The time travel parts are regrettably few and short, although the concept is interesting (they talk about it quite a bit, but don't actually do it much). I hope there will be more time spent in other time periods in the next book.

There's a bit of romance, too, but it came out of nowhere, so I wasn't that convinced. I think it probably should have waited until later in the series but they had to make something happen in the first book. Oh well. At least it was a fast read, and kept me somewhat entertained for an evening. My hopes are all on book two for some real development in all areas.



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Review: Poison Princess

 

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Poison Princess is the first of a trilogy (update - the series ended up being many more books than three), with the last book coming out in January. It starts out with every YA Paranormal cliche in the book. 

Evie is a popular cheerleader with a football player boyfriend, trying to decide if she should sleep with him or lose him (the romance is definitely more on the mature end). She has a female best friend that she texts while watching their favorite tv show, and an overprotective mother. Enter mysterious bad boy on a motorbike who ends up being her reluctant partner in history, and the stage is set! 

Thankfully it doesn't continue this way. The paranormal aspect is that Evie has terrifying visions and has spent the summer in an institution being brainwashed and drugged out of them. She's trying to get back to her normal life, but now that she's home, the visions are getting worse. And, intriguingly, growing things seem to respond to her. 

 If you're about to turn away from this book based on the high school romance description, stop for a minute. The first hundred pages show this familiar scene, but this is not just a Paranormal Romance, it's a Dystopia. Everything changes in a flash. The beginning is there to show you what is lost when the apocalypse hits. The rest of the book is dark, violent, and full of confusion, desperation, and death. And yes, romance as well. 

 After the apocalypse, Evie remains soft and naive, and frustrating at times. She still fights the visions and doesn't want to learn what they show her. She can't take care of herself and doesn't really try to learn. However, she does start to change by the end. Romance is a big part of it, but although physical attraction is there from the start, it's more about the changing perceptions of two very different people, which I liked. And there is more to the story than that. Evie is trying to figure out what she is and what role she's supposed to play. It's clear from her visions that she has a role because of powers she doesn't understand, and that there are others like her out there, the Arcana. 

It's the search for answers and the dangers of the new world that drive the plot. I think if you can get through the highschool-ish start, this is a really good intro novel. It kept me reading until late at night. The idea of the Arcana is interesting, and Evie begins to grow a spine towards the end, finally exploring the strength of her powers. I'm looking forward to seeing what she becomes - hopefully a force to be reckoned with. It was just starting to really get going at the end, with enough of those answers and a nice cliffhanger to make me want to pick up the next book. My hope is that book 2 keeps ramping up the tension and action. We'll see what happens.

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Review: The Key

The Key by Marianne Curley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was an entertaining end to the trilogy. The two POVs offered in this book are Matt and Rochelle. They aren't my favorite narrators out of the lot. I kind of missed the characters from the two previous books, but I can see why the focus shifted to these two.

There's not a lot of time travel since the conflict comes to a head in the present. I didn't really miss it that much, though, since this series has never really spent much time on the actual time travel.

I tried not to get hung up on a couple of things - insta-love abounds in this one even more than the second book, and the big question of who the traitor is gets out of hand. I felt like the various suspicions, while creating suspense and drama, were also unrealistic and caused a lot of unnecessary grief. All they would have had to do was remember the actual prophecy to help them narrow the field... just saying. But I suppose you have to have a story, right? And it did keep me guessing.

Just a quick heads-up for those of you who think you're on a lighthearted adventure where all ends well. This ended up being more tragic than I expected - not everyone survives. But I was ok with the ending for the most part, probably because the POV shift made me not care so much. There was plenty of suspense and danger throughout, and it was a lot of fun to read.



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Review: The Dark

The Dark by Marianne Curley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked this one so much better than the first. It continues on a year after the events of the last book, but gets right into the action. It really never stops. I'm glad I continued with the series.

This entire series has a huge case of insta-love, though. Everyone seems to have a soul mate, and the way they discover their soul mate is by being unable to look away from each others' eyes when they first meet. When I read the first book, I thought it was going to avoid this kind of thing - but it turns out the two who would have fallen in love otherwise weren't soul mates, so they didn't.

This series was a lot of fun, just not without its flaws. And at least it gets away from high school and teenage drama after the first book.



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Review: The Named

The Named by Marianne Curley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




The first half of this book was just like all the other YA paranormals that I’ve grown so tired of - teenagers in class, passing notes, grumpy teachers, girl & boy working together, one with a crush on the other. Depressing home lives, parent and sibling issues, blah blah. Not a lot actually happens at first, but I could see where it was going and was quickly falling into eye-rolling mode, fighting boredom and frustration. How many times have I seen these clichés play out by now?

When I picked this up, I really thought it would be more about time travel adventures. Although the Named are guardians of the timeline, this story is more about the guardians in the present than what they do when they travel to the past. The teenagers are in training (very vaguely described aside from repeated mention of parent and sibling problems caused by the two spending time together), and the focus is not enough on their lives as guardians, at least at first. Irritated at being sucked into another one of these sorts of books, I forced myself onward, prepared to skim if necessary to finish this thing.

Then something changed. I’m not sure exactly when I stopped having to force myself to read. Probably about the time high school dropped out of it and we actually got past the training and into the missions (yes, this does happen!). Then there were a couple small events that challenged my sense of knowing exactly where it was going, and then stuff started happening and I got interested and then - then the end. Just as it started to get up to speed, it ended, and now I’m going to have to read the next one. I sincerely hope I don’t have to wait through another half book of the daily lives of teenagers before things get interesting again. Please no more high school. If we can stick to the business of the Named, I’ll be happy.



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Review: Strange Sweet Song

Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



50 pages in, and I don't care. I get the point that Sing really wants to sing Angelique and be the best of the best as an arriving Freshman at an elite academy. I really get it. That's about all I get so far. Aside from a mysterious character who showed up on the roof, there's been nothing else except for talking about auditions. Another YA paranormal that spends too much time on schoolgirl rivalries, and it looks like infatuation will be part of it as well. I'm sure something interesting will happen with the Gothic theme and the monsters in the forest, but I'm also pretty sure it's going to take a lot of wading through the other usual stuff to get there. I've decided not to do this to myself anymore. I think I'm done with this genre.



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Review: Everneath

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was beginning to think I had moved beyond being able to enjoy the YA Paranormal genre, but Everneath is actually one of the better ones I’ve read in a while. I will admit I’m past being able to relate even remotely to high school drama, dances, curfews and the idea of parents who still tell me what to do (maybe even to the point of nostalgia). But the selling points for me were the modern take on the Persephone myth and the romance, which was neither insta-love nor a real love triangle (although there is a 2nd guy in the mix, I didn’t see him as a real option).

The story starts in the middle, after Nikki has already paid the price for her disastrous choice to go to the underworld. We see the fallout of her decision, and flash back to the (stupid) reasons she made it. Now she’s hoping to put her old life back together and somehow avoid the ultimate fate that awaits her - the closing of the trap she’s already triggered.

As with many of these Paranormals, once I looked back I couldn’t point to a whole lot that actually happened (because a lot of it is at school or a dance or doing other high school-ish activities), but there were some tense moments towards the end of the book, and I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel and seeing where this one is headed.



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Review: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This definitely felt like Twilight for adults to me. It's not just the taboo, over-protective, sophisticated, you smell too good to me, vampire romance. It's the slow focus on 'getting to know each other,' with food and wine, yoga and car rides. The family introductions, learning of old secrets, the fact that vampires don't just drink human blood and can go out in daylight - all of it was reminiscent of Twilight.

What was different was the mostly European setting (a bit more fitting than Washington for vampires), the atmosphere of historical discovery, and the fact that Diana is a witch from a long line of witches who refuses to do magic. She is also a historian, an alchemical scholar. When the focus is on the mystery of the manuscript she is studying, you can feel the history and smell the musty libraries. There's a depth to the ages and a background of centuries that make this something different.

If only it wasn't soooo long, and those interesting historical discoveries not so few and far between. It's about 600 pages, and maybe 20% of it is the interesting stuff or actual action breaking into the ordinary days. The rest of it is lengthy conversations over wine and tea, and the minute details of everything that Diana encounters or thinks of during her day. The details do provide quite a vivid picture of the scenes, but often it was too detailed, which was distracting and I found my mind wandering.

I'm in a bit of a conundrum because of the 20% that was interesting. I want to know what happens with the book and the magic and the fate of all creatures. Unfortunately I know that there are two more books just as long with just as much extra padding to slog through if I'm going to persevere to the actual happening. And most irritatingly, this book ends on a cliffhanger so that I have no closure at all. I may be forced to read the sequel for that reason alone.



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Review: The Book of Lost Fragrances

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



First of all, I hate it when I think there are 50 pages to go and it ends up being a Glossary. I turn the page and - oh no, that was the end! It totally messes up the level of commitment left over.

In spite of feeling like there should be more, this was an evocative, sensuous read. Looking back, I would rate the suspense story as a 3, but the language was thick with such vivid scenes that I felt it was more as I was reading. From the mouth-watering scent of Parisian bakeries to the stench of death in the catacombs, the descriptions are lush.

It is full of scents and elusive memories, echoes of past times and lost loves. Coupled with the mystical experiences of scent and memory, the modern-day struggles of the Tibetans and their reincarnated lamas become much more than political. The mystery and intrigues surrounding an ancient Egyptian artifact coalesce in Paris, a city with layers of history. This is a mesmerizing tale of suspense brought to life by the intricacies of perfume.



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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: 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: Hallowed

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



As with the first book, this is one of those that is interesting while you're reading it, and then looking back you realize that nothing really happened, and there's not much substance. It's a page-turner trick - it's easy to turn these pages. But afterwards - mostly forgettable.

There's even less to this one than there was to the first. There's no real purpose to figure out anymore. Although the visions continue, they are about something else now, and it's just a sad waiting game and then grief. Beyond that, it's love triangle drama. Pretty typical for a teen paranormal romance, I suppose. Somewhat entertaining, but leaving me wondering if that was really 'it'.



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