Tag Archives: book review

Mar 16 2013

Coming Soon: Magician’s End

may 14, feistTitle: Magician’s End

Author: Raymond E. Feist

Series: Chaoswar Saga #3

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: May 14, 2013

The Overview: Discover the fate of the original black Magician, Pug, as prophecy becomes truth in the last book of the Riftwar Cycle. (Yup, that’s the entire overview. Dun dun DUUUUN!)

Nik’s Notes: I’ve long considered Feist my favorite author… at least up until the last year or so, where I’ve discovered a couple I like even more. In any case, he definitely makes my top 5, and I use it as my go-to when recommending books to people. Whether you’re new to fantasy or have been reading it for years, these should be on your must-read list! I am sad that the saga is finally coming to an end, and can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every single last book thus far. I guess I’ll just have to go back and reread them (right, like I’m actually going to have time to do that with my colossal TBR pile! One can dream, though….). 

Mar 15 2013

Book Review: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

aaTitle: Dark Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #3

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.

The Review:
I have been praising this series like there’s no tomorrow, and I am sure some of you out there are weary of my gushing… brace yourself for just a little more: I love this series and the overall idea behind it. Every time I pick one up, I know I’m in for a great story and fun characters. Interesting enough, I think this book was my least favorite so far. I genuinely hope that it doesn’t mean the series is in a decline (which I sadly felt happened to the House of Night series around book six), and that this one is just a fluke. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a 4/5 star book; it just didn’t have the same impact as the first two.
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Why was this one not as good? I think it had to do with predictability. While the other two were delightfully obvious in where they were going, this one took great care to hit you over the head with dozens of hints. The first couple had me thinking, “Hey, I might have this figured out.” The next several that follow took away the fun of me feeling like I was smarter than the average bear. I kept waiting for a plot twist, because things can’t possibly be that straightforward, right? Well, you’ll just have to read to find out whether they were. :P
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So aside from the fact that it wasn’t quite as good as the first two, I still devoured it and will be picking up the next one soon. I did find it to be the most heart-wrenching one yet, which is an excellent point in its favor and really bodes well for the sequel!
Other books you might like:
  • The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
  • Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast
  • Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
  • Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
  • Wicked Lovely  by Marissa Marr

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5

Mar 14 2013

Out This Month! (Noteworthy Releases March 12th – 31st)

Here’s a look at what’s coming out between now and the end of the month! I meant to post this at the beginning of the month. In any case, there are some really good books on the horizon! 

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Mar 13 2013
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Book Review: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

a1Title: Cry Wolf

Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Alpha and Omega #1

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’s learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life. Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna’s inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all the pack…

The Review:

As the first full-length novel of Anna and Charles, I thought this was an great companion story to the Mercy Thompson series. Briggs is one of my favorite authors, and I haven’t met anyone yet who hasn’t liked her works. As spinoff novels, the Alpha and Omega series expand the story of Mercy’s adopted werewolf relatives. While these books have relatively little to do with Mercy, they still makes the world she lives in more rich and vibrant, and gives us behind the scenes look at werewolf pack politics – which I think is going to be relevant in upcoming novels.

I enjoyed Cry Wolf but not as much as I thought I would. It reads more like paranormal romance than an urban fantasy, which means we got great character development and inner dialog, but not a whole lot of action. While I like Anna and Charles, and enjoy reading about their developing relationship, I missed that fast-paced event-driven writing that made the Mercy books so fun. Not that stuff didn’t happen, it just wasn’t the focus. This is not a failing on the author’s part, either. I remember reading somewhere that she had intended this book to be more in the romance genre than fantasy, and I think it’s great she was able to exhibit both types of storytelling so well. For that matter, her pure fantasy books (Masques and Dragon Bones) were also great books within their genre. 

Overall, I’m glad I read this one, and will definitely be continuing on with Hunting Ground and Fair Game. For those of you who haven’t read this series yet, I’d recommend you start with the novella Alpha and Omega found in the anthology On the Prowl or sold separately as a digital copy. 

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

  • Stray by Rachel Vincent
  • Blue Moon by Lori Handeland
  • How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
  • Dark Lover by J.R. Ward (Which I didn’t care for, but it’s considered the uber-paranormal romance and everyone else seems to friggin love it)
  • Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

a1 a2 a3 a4 a5

Mar 12 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday! (3/12/2013)

a111Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish book blog. Since I love lists and talking about my favorite books, I decided to join in the fun. This week’s topic:

Top Ten Books At The TOP Of My Spring 2013 TBR list!

(drumroll please)

#1 Pure: I came across this book by accident while researching upcoming releases (I found the second one, Fuse, and was intrigued). Now I can’t wait to read it, and am hoping it’s as good as it sounds.

#2 Frost Burned: for as long as I’ve been blogging about the release date for this one, I should dang well be reading it soon. I just have to finish Fair Game first….

#3 Fragments: Partials was one of my favorite reads last year, and I am stoked to pick up the next one. I have no excuse why I haven’t read it yet.

#4 Eve & Adam: K.A. Applegate is the reason why I am so passionate about books. I was so enthralled with her Animorphs series as a kid that its sparked the obsession that I’ve built a career off of. Grant is her husband and the author of the popular Gone series, so I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing book (I hope).

#5 Dragon Keeper: The ending of Fool’s Fate was so profound that I needed a few months to let it sink in. Now that I’m done reeling, I’m finally ready to begin Hobb’s latest series. This is going to be so, so good!

#6 The Way of Kings: No matter what circle I’m in of book lovers, they all seem to agree that this is by far Sanderson’s best novel. Having read everything else he’s got (and loving it all) I am super eager to see for myself what all the hype is about. I have been recommending this to people without having actually read it – that is a mark of my confidence in my peers’ reviews. 

#7 Kushiel’s Scion: Kushiel 1-3 knocked my socks off, and this second trilogy following Imriel is going to be just as good – I can feel it! I tend to pick these up only when I need that guaranteed good read fix (this is why I am so far behind).

#8 Beyonders: I admit I tried this one already and put it down. Although Fablehaven is my favorite young adult series (besides HP), I just couldn’t get past a hippopotamus’s mouth as a magical portal. I’ve resigned to overlooking that the second time around.

#9 Spirit War: I loved the first three books in this series, and remember every detail vividly over a year later. These characters, this magic system, and this author are amazing!

#10 Stardoc: I find the idea of intergalactic medical care oddly fascinating, and I’ve been trying to get this one picked for my monthly Your Pick for Nik! feature. Alas, it hasn’t received a single vote, and I’m pretty sure I’ve nominated it the most times (figures). Come on, people! It promises so much world-building awesomeness how can you resist?

Of course, making this list I remembered half a dozen other books I really want to read… oh, the hardship. What about all of you out there? What are your top TBR books?

Mar 11 2013
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Your Pick for Nik! (Book Club) – Hounded Update!

Book #1

Book #1

Now that we’re a couple of weeks into March, I thought I’d take time to give some early feedback on this month’s book. In case you missed it, our selection was Hounded by Kevin Hearn, an urban fantasy about a Druid hiding out from ancient enemies in Tempe, Arizona. 

I’m not very far along yet, maybe 75 pages or so, but it’s shaping up to be an excellent read! Don’t believe me? Just skim through the first page or two, and you’ll have a good inkling as to why I’m enjoying it so much. Hearne has a cheeky voice, but doesn’t overdo it to the point where the writing sounds cheesy. Right now it is definitely exceeding my expectations!

Positives:

  • World-building: Hearne brings in a lot of celtic lore, but does so in a way that’s fun to read. The magic system also intrigues me… I think it might be my favorite element of the story so far.
  • Characters: I know who I’m rooting for and against right away, and there’s a good sidekick to boot!
  • Originality: a Druid as a main character for an urban fantasy isn’t very common…
  • Voice: I like the tone he sets early – it makes the main character incredibly likable.
  • Pacing: Good, but it’s still too early to tell.

Negatives:

  • Writing: at this point, I am enjoying the voice but there was one incredibly blatant info dump which could’ve been  incorporated a little more smoothly with some drop-in back history.
  • Romance: I realize it’s a bit early to tell for sure, but right now it looks like there’s going to be an abundance of sex (non-graphic), and little in the romance department. I realize there’s a time and a place for everything, but I think a love interest would add to the suspense of the entire novel (if done in a subtle way); raising the stakes, and all. Personal preference.

Anybody else started it yet? Thoughts?

There are going to be 9 Iron Druid novels total, and here’s a look at what’s available so far:

For tidbits about the series, check out Hearne’s website (www.kevinhearne.com). It’s pretty interesting.

For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I nominate titles from my TBR list and YOU choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me! A review and discussion for Hounded will take place March 29th, so there’s still plenty of time to pick it up if you want to join in!