Aug 19 2025

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Book Review: Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #1

Genre: YA Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive. –Goodreads

The Review:

When I first found out that one of my all-time favorite YA authors (if you haven’t read the Naturals series yet, do so) was coming out with a series about a competition to claim an inheritance involving fun mysteries and puzzles along the way, I was beside myself with excitement.

This book came out in 2020… What the heck took me so long to give this series the attention it deserves?! There are a bunch of reasons… a book crisis… poor decisions… I don’t wanna talk about it. But my point is that I should’ve been first in line at the bookstore to pick this up and had it read the day of release. Actually, I think I did buy it on release day, so I get a pass there. Anyhow, this is my second read through of this first book (the first was in 2023) with the intent to continue on, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

First of all, I’m a bit enamored with the author. She has a PHD in psychology from Yale and teaches psychology and professional writing at the University of Oklahoma (I need to move there so I can take her classes). I love the combination of these two worlds – writing and psychology. Her depth of knowledge of how the human brain works play a strong role in her books, everything from creative problem solving to criminal motives. And what’s particularly exciting about this series is that she’s actively playing with the sorts of things in books that really appeal to our brains as readers – things that spark excitement. So this series in particular is filled with a ton of what I can only describe as book candy. Things that are so fun to read about that they keep you hooked from start to finish. Everything from the plethora of puzzles to formatting – with very short chapters to make you feel like you’re flying through the book – is designed to keep you engaged. It’s so cool! And so intelligently done… I’m now an even bigger fan than I was before.

The majority of the delight to be had in this book is within the inheritance games themselves. There are a bunch of rotating mysteries of which you find out a little more about with each chapter. It is incredibly satisfying to see a character solve a puzzle, and what was left unsolved has me ecstatic to dive into the next book asap. Maybe I did myself a favor by waiting until most of the series was produced before diving in, because now I can binge read!

During this most recent second read, I remembered a great deal about what happened and “whodunnit,” if you will, which left my brain a little more time to nitpick. The only thing I find myself slightly dissatisfied with is the main characters taste in boys. We have four eligible and interesting Hawthorne Brother choices, and yet our main character, a smart girl in her own right, gravitated towards the ones who have red flags all over them. Seriously, so many red flags. Don’t touch that situation with a ten foot pole! But then again, no drama, no book, so whatever. But even as it stands, I’m of course tuning in to see which one she picks.

All I can say is, I’ve stalled long enough, and now I am so excited to be finally getting into this series in earnest!

Recommendations: If you love YA, you’ve probably already read this (if not, get to it!). If you used to love YA but the stories have gotten a bit tiresome and repetitive, try this series or The Naturals, and I think it’ll go a long way in reinvigorating your sense of excitement for the genre. If you haven’t tried YA, this might be a good series to taste test the genre with. If you don’t like YA, thanks for making it this far in my review.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Tracey, Dagmara, Poochtee, and Kinsey! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Jul 15 2025

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Book Review: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Title: Great Big Beautiful Life

Author: Emily Henry

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years–or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century. When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game. One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over. Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication. Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition. But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room. And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it. –Goodreads <-omg you don’t even have to read the book if you read this massive overview.

The Review:

This was an ambitious Emily Henry novel that hit different notes than her previous books. Overall, I found it a wild success, even though it didn’t quite give me that same “fix.“

I can see why this book was chosen for Reese Witherspoon’s book club because it was written more like a literary fiction with the romance as a supporting plot driver. It contained a story with a story that was woven throughout the chapters giving the book multigenerational vibes and a lot of additional points of interest. I usually struggle with stories within a story, often caring less about what’s going on in the secondary storyline and feel impatient to get back to the main point of the book. I felt that on occasion here, but ultimately Henry is such a brilliant writer that she managed to make me care about everything (eventually).

The real test was whether or not that story with a story ultimately worked to support the main plot between the love interests. I had doubts even though I shouldn’t have – Henry has more than earned my trust by this point and yes, it delivered in an incredibly satisfying way.

So because the book was written well, I thought it ended amazing, and it kept me hooked the entire way through, I’m rating it highly. But there’s just a piece of me no matter how obstinate that wishes even more time had been spent with the main characters. Because everything was so well woven together and dependent for that payoff, I thought the craft elements were brilliant. But if my main draw to the story was the relationship dynamic between the two main characters, I felt the story within a story a major buzz-kill when things mattered most. It broke up their relationship momentum and made me feel much more disconnected during “important“ moments than I have with previous books.

And one more thing that didn’t quite land was the whole “we can’t be together because of some stupid arbitrary reason“ component to the book. I don’t have a lot of patience for stuff like that. Emily Henry handles tropes like that better than any other author I’ve read, and I realize that the tension of the book was completely reliant on it, but I tend to prefer different relationship-dynamic structures. That one is more a personal gripe than any knock on the quality of the story, but it was just enough to make me feel like this particular contention point was my least favorite of Henry’s that I’ve read.

Conversely, I think Alice and Hayden were among my favorite characters that I’ve read so far from the author. I didn’t find either of them relatable in the slightest, but I did find them equally charming, realistic, and just downright fun to root for. It might be recency bias, but I think of all the couples that I’ve read about, this is the one I’d be interested in spending more books with. I really liked them.

Overall, if you’re not super into contemporary romance yet, but like your literary fiction, this is an excellent crossover and I think a good introduction into Emily Henry’s works. If you don’t give one wit about literary fiction, but want to try a fun, contemporary romance, pick a different Henry. All of us Henry fans will tell you we liked different books the most. My personal favorites were Beach Read and Book Lovers (…and People We Meet on Vacation, lol). She’s my favorite author in the genre, her books are absorbing and totally addicting, and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Tracey, Dagmara, Poochtee, Kinsey! <3

by Niki Hawkes

May 27 2025

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Book Review: Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Alien Clay

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Series: N/A (…yet)

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: They travelled into the unknown and left themselves behind . . . On the distant world of Kiln lie the ruins of an alien civilization. It’s the greatest discovery in humanity’s spacefaring history – yet who were its builders and where did they go? Professor Arton Daghdev had always wanted to study alien life up close. Then his wishes become a reality in the worst way. His political activism sees him exiled from Earth to Kiln’s extrasolar labour camp. There, he’s condemned to work under an alien sky until he dies. Kiln boasts a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem like nothing seen on Earth. The monstrous alien life interacts in surprising, sometimes shocking ways with the human body, so Arton will risk death on a daily basis. However, the camp’s oppressive regime might just kill him first. If Arton can somehow escape both fates, the world of Kiln holds a wondrous, terrible secret. It will redefine life and intelligence as he knows it, and might just set him free . . . –Goodreads

The Review:

Alien Clay contained concepts I’ve read before, but as it was done with Tchaikovsky’s usual flair, it felt original.

The beginning presented a plethora of compelling questions, and half the fun of the book was finding out answers to most of them. Granted, the plot wasn’t nearly as dynamic or complex as the beginning teased it could be, but overall it had more satisfying discovery moments than not.

What struck me most about Alien Clay were the odd (and varying degrees of successful) writing choices. It felt like an experimental book – containing everything from odd jumps in the timeline to breaking the fourth wall. When the latter happened it knocked me back completely, making me start questioning everything… and it kind of pissed me off. This is the book in which I discovered I’m not at all comfortable with even a perception of an unreliable narrator, which is news to me. While it certainly made for an interesting read, it didn’t do a lot to make the story cohesive.

So we have odd, experimental writing, and a plot that felt just on this side of disjointed… but only barely. At least it was memorable. But unfortunately it also led me to stop caring entirely about certain plot points as we kept switching gears. At the very least it made a great Buddy Read book because it generated a lot of discussion.

What can be celebrated, as with most of AT’s works, is the abundance of xenobiology. The flora and fauna were stellar -> every bit as exotica and exciting as the cover promises. I was wildly impressed at the ocean-modeled symbiotic nature of this world and wish I could read more.

All things considered, this lands just in the upper half of AT works, as far as I’m ranking them. Not my favorite, but nowhere near the worst one.

Recommendations: If you love great alien flora and fauna, this was a totally engaging and fun scifi jaunt. If you’re new to Tchaikovsky’s works and want to dive into the best first, start with Children of Time or Guns of Dawn (or even Ogres).

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Tracey, Dagmara, Poochtee, and Ene! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Mar 17 2025

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Book Review: A Practical Guide to Conquering the World by K.J. Parker

Title: A Practical Guide to Conquering the World

Author: K.J. Parker

Series: The Siege Trilogy #3

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Overview: This is the true story of Aemilius Felix Boioannes the younger, the intended and unintended consequences of his life, the bad stuff he did on purpose, and the good stuff that happened in spite of him. It is, in other words, the tale of a war to end all wars, and the man responsible. -Goodreads

The Review:

I’m so glad I read this trilogy. The first book was the strongest, but there’s so much good stuff in the rest of it that I still recommend the entire thing highly.

The writing voice and style choices are always what strike me first when I start a Parker novel, convincing me it’s written by someone who knows all the rules masterfully enough to break them with flair. Everything from the construction of the series as a whole to certain ways he drops in backstory – it’s all so good I feel like I need to read it again to pick up on the even subtler things I missed. Add to all of that a deeply funny infusion of dry humor, and you have novels that fire on all cylinders in my wee brain.

Felix’s story was interesting, cleverly written, and abundant with “keep reading to find out more” mechanisms that had me engrossed. Each MC POV so far has had a particular talent that lends itself to the plot, and Felix’s eclectic ones were especially fun, adding a nice variety to the story.

One of the most compelling things about this trilogy was finding out how he was going to tie the whole series together. Books 2 & 3 start out seemingly unrelated, but slowly start to show their connections. I will say the way in which they relate ended up being a bit looser than I was hoping for, but ultimately the journey of discovery was worth the effort.

Also did I mention it was funny? Perhaps not quite as funny as the first book, but overall I’ve read this entire trilogy with a constant edge of amusement (kind of like with a Pratchett book, only darker), which is a big part of why I enjoyed it so much. I genuinely can’t wait to read more from this author. Consider him a new Obsessive Bookseller favorite!

This is one of those series you read for a certain vibe/mood, and I’m hoping to find more of this specific craving in his other works (good thing he has so many!). Another good comparison is that it reads like a more jovial version of Abercrombie. Who knew grimdark would end up being the types of books that tickle me the most? Maybe it has something to do with the contrast of so many darker moments making the smidgen of light and hope shine through all the brighter. Or perhaps I just relate to it more – when everything’s gone to shit, you may as well laugh.

Recommendations: read at least the first book, Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, as it’s the strongest (and I think it would be just fine as a stand-alone). However, if you’re even a fraction as delighted with it as I was, I think you’ll like the rest of the trilogy too. But seriously that first book -> a must read!

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

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by Niki Hawkes

Jan 1 2025

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Book Review: Charon’s Claw by R.A. Salvatore

Title: Charon’s Claw

Author: R.A. Salvatore

Series: Neverwinter #3, Legend of Drizzt #25

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Drizzt draws his swords once more to aid his friends. His lover, Dahlia Sin’felle, can speak of nothing but the moment she will face the Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni once again. Drizzt has already followed a trail of vengeance beside Dahlia. Can he justify one more battle to settle a grudge he does not understand? Artemis Entreri too seeks vengeance. He offers to aid Dahlia in her mission to destroy Alegni. But Charon’s Claw, Alegni’s sentient sword, dominates Entreri’s movements—if not his mind. And then there’s the way Entreri looks at Dahlia. Can Drizzt trust his old foe? -Goodreads

The Review:

I kind of hated this book. And have kind of hated this entire set.

Hated.

I’ve read over twenty books with Drizzt so far and seriously – everything through Ghost King has been superb (assuming we’re giving Icewind Dale a pass). Neverwinter has felt directionless. Aimless. Lacking in any sort of purpose… boring? Which granted is in line with the transitional state of the main character and is probably partially intentional, but that does not mean that I have to enjoy reading about it. Thank goodness for those Drizzt interludes, is all I’m saying.

That leads well into the most prominent problem: not enough Drizzt. Only 20% Drizzt and a whole mess of dozens and dozens of villains with limited shelf lives. What little there was of Drizzt progressed the plot in a meaningful way, but did I really need to slog through 300+ pages for such a small amount of actual story?

What’s left felt like filler plot. Within the prologue and the first couple of chapters, Salvatore introduced over a dozen villains I needed to keep track of if I had any hope of following the plot. Problem is, it’s a Drizzt book. The 25th fricken Drizzt book. And you know most of those villains are going to wind up cannon fodder. So ultimately, having to commit to memory all of those characters felt like a colossal waste of my reading time.

On top of all of that, there’s a new character in this set whom I don’t like even a little.

Those are very specific reasons why Neverwinter has been less than successful for me. I’m really hoping to like the final book more. I was averaging a book or two per year in the Drizzt world until I hit Neverwinter, and it has taken me half a decade just to read the first three. And I still have one more to go!

Recommendations: as I mentioned, everything up to and including Ghost King has been superb – highly recommended (starting with the Dark Elf Trilogy)! It’s only in this Neverwinter set that I’ve personally become grouchy and dissatisfied. Here’s hoping the next set is a better return to form on all of the Salvatore/Drizzt greatness I’m used to. EDIT: I’ve started book #4, the Last Threshold, and it’s SO MUCH BETTER. Finally.

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