Jan 13 2024
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Book Review: A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

Title: A Time of Dread

Author: John Gwynne

Series: Of Blood and Bone #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: A race of warrior angels, the Ben-Elim, once vanquished a mighty demon horde. Now they rule the Banished lands, but their peace is brutally enforced. In the south, hotheaded Riv is desperate to join the Ben-Elim’s peacekeeping force, until she unearths a deadly secret. In the west, the giantess Sig investigates demon sightings and discovers signs of an uprising and black magic. And in the snowbound north, Drem, a trapper, finds mutilated corpses in the forests. The work of a predator, or something far darker? It’s a time of shifting loyalties and world-changing dangers. Difficult choices need to be made. Because in the shadows, demons are gathering, waiting for their time to rise… –Goodreads

The Review:

A Time of Dread helped take the edge off my Faithful and the Fallen hangover… but it wasn’t the same.

I mostly like the premise that’s providing the backbone of this trilogy. It was a creative way to put a twist on things that happened in F&TF without repeating elements. And I especially like the duality of the “villain” in that I can’t tell for certain who’s evil and who’s not. It’s giving me a stronger drive for answers than the original four books, which is always fun.

I’d also say this trilogy is starting out a lot more accessible, with considerably fewer POVs featuring younger characters. If not for the typical Gwynne brutality I’d have thought this one was written for a younger audience.

The characters are great – all fiery and driven and not afraid to do hard things. A with any spinoff or next-gen continuation, it’s probably impossible to have an identical experience of latching onto characters (usually I fall in love with the first cast and never look forward) but their charm makes these new characters hit some of the same notes. At least they’re as good as they can be without actually BEING Corban and Cywen.

The book was probably good enough to warrant a 4/5 stars, but something about it or my mindset while reading it kept me feeling detatched. Because of my experience with F&TF and the Bloodsworn Saga, I know what a 4 & 5 star Gwynne feels like, and I definitely didn’t connect with this one as much as those. 3 stars it is.

Recommendations: for the love of all the book gods, don’t pick this up until you’ve read F&TF! This is a next-gen continuation set about 100 years later and it contains ALL THE SPOILERS. Also… read F&TF if you haven’t already. It’s a brilliant classic-feeling fantasy written with a modern voice and pacing. Superb! The jury is still out on this one.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 21 2023
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Book Review: Bride of Death by T.A. Pratt

Title: Bride of Death

Author: T.A. Pratt

Series: Marla Mason #7

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Marla Mason has been a mercenary, chief sorcerer and protector of an entire city, and an occult detective, and now she’s a goddess of Death… but only part-time. She gets to spend six months a year living as a mortal woman on Earth, and she’s decided to devote those months to hunting monsters for fun and personal redemption. Armed with axe and dagger, with the living severed head of her worst enemy in a birdcage for a traveling companion, she sets off by motorcycle into the American Southwest on a journey of self-discovery and other-destruction. -Goodreads

The Review:

I always enjoy a good Marla Mason novel – it’s nice to get that snarky fix every so often. I love Marla. She’s a very unconventional character, especially as an urban fantasy heroine, and is most pointedly NOT a nice person (it’s part of her charm). Her “unlikable” profile and generally low BS tolerance gives her great anti-hero vibe I’ve not yet seen done better in this genre.

I found myself slightly unsatisfied with the direction Bride of Death took when compared to the first few books in the series. Some of the reasons this series is among my favorites are those early expansive culture-building within Felport and the well-developed and complex cast of characters. I really didn’t get much of either from this book. I also thought the character went through some weird changes and shifts in mindset that didn’t feel totally consistent with character. But I guess who am I to judge if even a fictional character wants to “do better.”

Overall, I think the first books that went through a trad house were a lot more streamlined. These self-published ones are taking already weird story elements to the ridiculous and sometimes downright stupid realms that I feel are a disservice to the series. Even so, I loved those first books so much that I’m committed to reading to the end eventually. And there are a couple of unresolved plot points that I’m eager to see resolved.

Recommendations: If you like Urban Fantasy and are in the mood for something wildly unconventional and creative, the Marla Mason series is a great pick. Especially the first five or so books. The jury is still out on these remainders…

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 16 2023
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Book Review: System Collapse by Martha Wells

Title: System Collapse

Author: Martha Wells

Series: Murderbot Diaries #7

Genre: Cheeky Science Fiction

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse. Everyone’s favorite lethal SecUnit is back. Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize. But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast! Yeah, this plan is… not going to work. -Goodreads

The Review:

I always love returning to Murderbot’s POV.

After Fugitive Telemetry was released (which bounced back to an earlier timeline in the series), I was worried we weren’t going to get any more storyline beyond Network Effect (the full-length novel). But there IS more! It’s right here!

… and it was just okay.

Truthfully I thought System Collapse dealt TOO much with the after-effects of the events in Network Effect and didn’t have as many compelling plot-advancing events as in previous books. It mostly read like a transition story… which I guess is the typical use for novellas in large series, but I’ve come to expect more impact from Wells’ shorts. This one didn’t quite stack up.

It still had the same great inner monologues and sarcasm from Murderbot. And I especially loved the passages of It trying to process Its FEELINGS from the events in NE. Introverts around the world can unite behind Murderbot as a character. Wells understands social awkwardness on a deep level and it has been a joy to see that celebrated in this series. The crew around Murderbot were also great, although I still struggle to keep all the humans straight, even after recently rereading All Systems Red where I was actively TRYING to distinguish between them. Regardless, it’s the machines and computers who are the most vibrant, anyway, and those entities were in full swing in this installment (sometimes literally).

Overall, I’m tickled to be back progressing Murderbot’s story, even though this one felt more tangential. The setup is now presumably all in place though, so I’m expecting a banger of a next novel.

Recommendations: if Murderbot has been missing from your life up to this point, your FOMO should be hard. It’s sarcastic, action-packed, reflectional, and too much fun to handle. Read it.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

Thank you, TOR Publishers and Martha Wells for the chance to read and review an early copy of System Collapse!

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 14 2023
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Book Review: Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill

Title: Of Blood and Fire

Author: Ryan Cahill

Series: The Bound and the Broken #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the south squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving—a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries. There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.
He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will. -Goodreads

The Review:

If classic fantasy is your main jam, you’re primed to like this a little more than I did.

My experience with this was rough. I started the book with a lot of enthusiasm, finding it easy to get into the flow of the story. It was fairly typical classic fantasy with overly drawn-out beginning chapters reminiscent of WoT. I kept waiting for it to sweep me away on that rolling hype train… but it never quite got there. Add to that several blatant deus ex machinas early on (which effectively removed all the high stakes from the story), and I found my enthusiasm waning. It eventually became a struggle to finish.

Great care was taken early on to highlight people and things that had no bearing on the rest of the book. Meanwhile, the important stuff (a mf DRAGON) was often brushed over so quickly that I kept having to backtrack to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Several scenes were vague and felt more like afterthoughts than fleshed-out scenes. I had more of a moment with the description of a townswoman early on than I did with the (mf) DRAGON. I look to the storyteller to show me what to focus on, but here it seemed as though many things were included for the sake of being there rather than because they added value.

While the pacing of the story had a nice flow, I finished the book feeling like I didn’t get enough substance out of book to justify the page count. There weren’t a lot of plot points and the ones that were there didn’t stick with me much.

Overall I wish I’d liked it more.

Recommendations: Pick this up for a classic fantasy kick and the promise that the series gets better with each book. I’m not sure I’m going to make it that far, but those who have seem to love it. Incidentally, once I finished writing my review I scanned through a handful of people I follow on GR and all the ones I saw loved the book more than me. All of them. Alrighty – take my review with a grain of salt. :)

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 9 2023
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Novella Review: The Law by Jim Butcher

Title: The Law

Author: Jim Butcher

Series: Dresden Files #17.4

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Not every danger comes in the form of a mega-threat like a Titan. Some predators are a lot cozier… more personal. When one such creature threatens an independent tutor, Harry Dresden must shake off the blood and dirt of his most recent battles and rise to the occasion, even when it turns out that the new predator is far more dangerous and connected than first appearances would suggest. -Goodreads

The Review:

An enjoyable short, even if not particularly memorable.

What it did well was give us a check-in on Dresden’s well-being after the events in Battle Ground. It was nice to be back in this world as we wait patiently for the next book. And there’s even a new character (a lawyer) whom I hope we see again.

Butcher himself narrated this short, something I cringed at when I heard about it initially, yet he actually did a decent job with it. Better than at least 80% of the author-narrated audiobooks I’ve tried (and probably better than a portion of the “professionally” read ones too… nice). Truth be told, had I not been informed it wasn’t Marsders I’m not totally sure I would’ve noticed the change (as I’ve read the last few physically).

Recommendations: if you’re a Dresden fan up to date with all his writings, enjoy this snack novella. If you haven’t done any of the short stories yet, this is not one of the stronger ones. And for the love of books, don’t read this one unless you’ve read Battle Ground – MAJOR spoilers.

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by Niki Hawkes

Nov 7 2023
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Book Review: Magic in the Blood by Devon Monk

Title: Magic in the Blood

Author: Devon Monk

Series: Ally Beckstrom #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 1/5 stars

The Overview: In the second book in Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series, when the police’s magical enforcement division asks Allie to consult on a missing persons case, she finds herself drawn into an underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic. Working as a Hound—tracing illegal spells back to their casters—has taken its toll on Allison Beckstrom. But even though magic has given her migraines and stolen her recent memory, Allie isn’t about to quit. Then the police’s magic enforcement division asks her to consult on a missing persons case. But what seems to be a straightforward job turns out to be anything but, as Allie finds herself drawn into the underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic. -Goodreads

The Review:

This was almost a DNF… and it probably should’ve been, given I didn’t get any value out of forcing myself through it.

I have masochistic tendencies (and unrelenting optimism) when it comes to Urban Fantasies. I’ve been rewarded by persistence often enough not to discount any series in the genre that doesn’t immediately make a good impression. To boot I’ve read Monk’s Ordinary Magic series and the first of her Age of Steam and liked them… so I know she has the ability to really work for me.

But even given all it’s concessions, thus far Magic in the Blood has been one of the weakest UFs I’ve ever read.

This second book was a TAD better than the first one, if only because it had more of a plot and the heroine was a smidge less brain-damaged (harsh), but even so, there wasn’t enough going on to keep my attention.

For starters, the “hounding” magic still hasn’t been well-established yet, nor really contributed in any meaningful way. It’s an interesting premise, but feels very underdeveloped. The mystery plot is similar, having good basics, but didn’t offer anything beyond that. I finished the book a month ago and really can’t tell you much on recall. Whether that’s because it was uninteresting or I was just too disengaged to care, it’s hard to say, but either way that’s not ideal.

And then there’s the love story.

One of the worst I’ve read. And that includes a handful of trashy paranormal romances. The biggest problem is that engaging with the love interest given the context of the story was the stupidest thing the main character could’ve done. The total lack of common sense made her instantly unlikable and immediately stole credibility from her perspective. That foolishness follows into this second book to a lesser degree, but it’s still a negative factor. I also don’t like the poor execution of craft behind it. This is the only book I think a love triangle may have actually helped, as it would’ve deflected attention from the only male candidate how little the MC trusted him. I suppose some people might enjoy reading about a reckless love life, but it just doesn’t work for me. The facade of “the main character thinks he’s untrustworthy and working with the enemy, but also thinks he’s hot and wants to date him anyway” is a thin one and easy to see through.

Oh yeah, and the dialogue back and forth between them was immature and unrealistic and felt totally out of place given all the “sinister” things happening around them.

I didn’t not like it, Sam I am.

Yet I may, MAY still read the next one in a few years when I’ve nothing else pending in the genre, just to be contrary. After all, I do really like some of her later works… maybe this one gets better. XD

Recommendations: Unless you’ve read everything else in the urban fantasy genre, skip this series for now. Try Ordinary Magic instead.

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by Niki Hawkes