a little too blah blah-y. I bet a full quarter of this book was just Adrian/ Greg and\or Sam/Bo trying to protect each other and getting mad at each oa little too blah blah-y. I bet a full quarter of this book was just Adrian/ Greg and\or Sam/Bo trying to protect each other and getting mad at each other for putting themselves in danger. kind of annoying. but if you like the BCPI series, it's worth reading....more
I feel fairly certain now that KC isn't going to resolve this love triangle until the Very Last Book. If she drags it out that long and doesn't end itI feel fairly certain now that KC isn't going to resolve this love triangle until the Very Last Book. If she drags it out that long and doesn't end it with Cassie and Pritkin living happily ever after in domestic bliss, I'm going to freakin' lose my shit....more
Loved this book. Malkom may be my favorite hero so far, and I loved the way Cole wrote their relationship. I felt that the previous book in t4.5 stars
Loved this book. Malkom may be my favorite hero so far, and I loved the way Cole wrote their relationship. I felt that the previous book in the series was just the h/h fighting their attraction the ENTIRE time, while in this one it didn't take too long for them to know they wanted to be together, but there were real obstacles in their way. Which doesn't mean that one way is better than the other, just that I appreciate that Cole mixes it up. Regin's book is next, and while I'm a little disappointed that her HEA is not me because I have a huge crush on her, I otherwise CANNOT WAIT to read her book!...more
So this was the second book by Cameron Dane and from this series that I tried to read. The first one, Falling, really bugged me. I pretty much hated iSo this was the second book by Cameron Dane and from this series that I tried to read. The first one, Falling, really bugged me. I pretty much hated it. This one did not elicit such strong feelings. Aside from the fact that I still think Cameron Dane has the subtlety of a sledgehammer, this book was okay. There was nothing really wrong with it but it just could not hold my interest. I kept wanting to read other things and thinking "Damn, I really need to finish Knowing Caleb..." And then I thought, "Wait - why do I need to finish that?" I decided I don't....more
Entirely too long. I just don't have any more hours of my life to devote to this book. (I promise I read more than half.)
Do you like books where the bEntirely too long. I just don't have any more hours of my life to devote to this book. (I promise I read more than half.)
Do you like books where the bad guys are super evil and the good guys are super good and say all the right things and do all the right things all the time? Do you like books where the dialogue doesn't quite sound the way people really talk? Do you like m/m books that give you glimpses into the sexist m/f relationship from a previous book in the series? Do you like cowboy/ranch themed books with a ridiculous paranormal twist?
I do not. This was given high ratings by several of my goodreads friends, people whose opinion I really trust and usually agree with, so I'm not quite sure what happened here. And I mean, it wasn't wretched. It just didn't strike me as having the depth or dimension that I'm looking for in a book.
And I would like to state for the record that Montana is not just one big ranch. ...more
I enjoyed this book quite a bit but it took me forever to read for some reason. I'm hoping it suffered a little from "1st in a series" syndro3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book quite a bit but it took me forever to read for some reason. I'm hoping it suffered a little from "1st in a series" syndrome and the rest will pick up a little bit.
Jill is a Hunter - she keeps her city safe from demons, aka hellbreed. But in order to be the best Hunter she can be, she has made a deal with the numero uno demon in town. He lends her extra strength, power and uber fast healing ability in exchange for a couple hours a month of her time. He has a bit of a masochistic streak.
Bodies are piling up around the city, some of them cops, and Jill has to figure out what's going on. Pretty basic urban fantasy premise, and it never broke any molds. What's enjoyable about the series is Saintcrow's writing, and I anticipate that there's a lot she could do with this series.
This one fell short a little bit though, and here's why.
1. As mentioned above, this didn't really tread any new ground. 2. It was a little melodramatic. Everyone around Jill seemed to need years of therapy after seeing a glimpse of the stuff she dealt with, and she was constantly swallowing back bile and trying not to throw up, or she was shaking or having some over the top physical reaction to everything. I get that this was dark and it was meant to show a much grittier side than a lot of the lighter, more funny urban fantasy I've been reading, but after awhile I wanted to smack Jill and tell her to grow up already. 3. There is a hint of a romance, and it's interesting for what it is, but it was so underdeveloped it may as well not have been there at all. I know absolutely nothing about this guy that Jill was suddenly all interested in. If you're going to toss in a love interest, you could try to make him interesting instead of just sticking him in there because you think you need one. This book would have been just as good if he had been eliminated entirely. Hopefully he'll have more to do in future books.
I did enjoy this book and despite it's faults, I think it's a promising start. I'll definitely be picking up book 2 soon. Hopefully it can build on what's there and go somewhere good. Book 2 will be a deal breaker....more
This series is really starting to straddle the line between urban fantasy and just straight fantasy, so I shelved it as both. But I love it - I love tThis series is really starting to straddle the line between urban fantasy and just straight fantasy, so I shelved it as both. But I love it - I love the epic feel of it and the way the scope is broadening. There are no bad characters in this series - everyone is engaging and well drawn, and the plot is unpredictable and never boring. Very little black and white, tons and tons of gray.... pretty much a perfect UF series and now I have to wait forever for book 3. What am I going to do?...more
Sorry. I just don't like Cassandra Clare's writing. The general plot line and characters seem original, but the more I delved in the more I saw archetSorry. I just don't like Cassandra Clare's writing. The general plot line and characters seem original, but the more I delved in the more I saw archetypes. So-and-so is "this kind" of character, and "this kind" of character would say "this type" of thing. This is a scary scene, so one of the characters should say this type of thing, and then this type of creature should appear. It just felt very contrived. I like the story, and I like Clary and Jace (when I can get beyond all the "funny" things Jace says because he's supposed to be snarky), so I'm planning on continuing the series. But it will take some fortitude and a lot of skimming....more
Review to come... turns out I have a lot to say and it's turning into some kind of massive term paper. There will be editing and revisions and the likReview to come... turns out I have a lot to say and it's turning into some kind of massive term paper. There will be editing and revisions and the like. I hope everyone's waiting with bated breath....more
Whew. As usual, what a ride! This review is probably going to mostly be a response to a lot of the other reviews I have read of this book. I was surpriWhew. As usual, what a ride! This review is probably going to mostly be a response to a lot of the other reviews I have read of this book. I was surprised by the mediocre-to-poor response this book received. I loved it!
It seemed like most people's complaints fell into two categories: The break-neck pace, and Cassie's intelligence. So to respond to issue 1, I have two points: A. This is what the series is. It has always been this way. You're just figuring this out now? (See my roller coaster analogy in my review of book 3. This turned out to be a bit more literal in book 4.) B. I think you may be taking this a little too seriously. I think these books are so cram packed full of action and adventure partly because Chance is such a skilled writer and can get away with it, and partly in parody of the genre. I'm pretty sure she's doing it on purpose, people. It's meant to be entertaining. You're meant to feel dizzy and exhausted at the end, and I think you're meant to laugh a little and say "Whoa, that was insane. And maybe a little ridiculous." It's part of the fun. It's meant to be just a little over the top. C. Turns out I had a third point - there were actually about two pages (almost a full day for Cassie) where all she did was sleep, play poker and swim in the pool. This is actually more downtime than we've seen in the other three books combined.
As far as Cassie being "dumb as a box of hammers" as one reviewer put it: I don't really know how to respond to this, other than just to say that I disagree. I don't get that impression. I have read more than my share of TSTL heroines and I just don't think Cassie is one of them. She's leaps and bounds beyond Rachel Morgan in this area, if you ask me. I've never gotten the impression that Cassie was dumb. I actually like her a lot. I felt like she was a bit bland and one dimensional in book 1, but by book 2 she had become a very dynamic and interesting character. One of my favorites, in fact. She makes mistakes like anyone would, but I don't think she makes a disproportionate amount of stupid decisions. She's been thrust into a very overwhelming position with zero preparation or training. She has no idea what she's doing, and the people close to her (ahem, Mircea) won't tell her what's going on in order to protect her. Another reviewer brought up the end of the book with the big "what's going on" reveal and used it as evidence of Cassie's dumbness that people had to explain this to her. Well, 1. This needed to be explained to the reader. I for one hadn't figured it out (I barely had time to try) and 2. It was hardly overexplained. Cassie understood immediately, and at the same time as Pritkin, I might add. He hadn't figured it out either. And it wasn't pages of people having to drill something into her head. It was just the big end-of-book reveal that every book has to have, and was done to exactly the right extent.
So basically - a great book in what's turning out to be a great series. Plenty of action, plenty of funny, a little bit of sexy. It's great.
If anyone would like to get into a Mircea vs. Pritkin debate with me, feel free to comment. This is an excellent love triangle, and one I'm hoping to see a resolution to soon! Or at least some kind of development that will provide some satisfaction. It doesn't have to be a concrete decision, just... something. Throw me a bone, Karen!
I am really enjoying this series. Karen Chance starts out every book by tossing you onto a roller coaster somewhere in the middle of the ride4.5 stars
I am really enjoying this series. Karen Chance starts out every book by tossing you onto a roller coaster somewhere in the middle of the ride. There's no sitting down, waiting for the safety bar to be lowered, and then slowly being taken to the top of the first peak. You're tossed in right in the midst of the action. She then lets you ride it through several peaks, valleys, twists and turns, flipping you upside down, then sideways, then right side up again, and then abruptly tosses you out before the end, and says "see you in the next one!" Leaving you dizzy and a little breathless. But it's a great ride, full of great characters in a whimsical, imaginative setting. It's funny, and it's serious. It's sexy, and it requires you to pay attention. It's near perfect.
There is only one thing I don't really like about the series, and it's kind of odd to say I don't like it because it's pretty much what the whole series is about... but I'm not the biggest fan of this particular theory of time travel. I grew comfortable with the time travel that I read about in the Outlander series, or in The Time Traveler's Wife, or that we've been learning about during the 5th season of Lost, namely: "What Happened, Happened." You can't change the past and if you go back in time and do something, then that was what always happened. In Chance's books, you can change the past, and it's Cassie's job as Pythia to protect the timeline from meddlers. This leads to a lot of confusion, I think. I mean, we've all heard of the butterfly effect. I have to imagine if you went back in time and merely spoke to one person, that could change the timeline in gigantic ways you never would have anticipated. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it, and how Cassie hasn't somehow prevented her own birth by now or caused a world war or something, with all the mucking around she's done in the past. But if you don't think about it too hard and just go along with it, it's a really great ride. And Chance has definitely done a fantastic job of building up a very compelling potential love triangle... Mircea or Pritkin??? I know I have my preference, but I honestly can't see where Chance is going to go with it, and I can't wait to find out.
No, it's not a Harry Potter rip off, but if anyone tells you they're not similar they're lying. It's not a plot-point-for-plot-point thing, or a charaNo, it's not a Harry Potter rip off, but if anyone tells you they're not similar they're lying. It's not a plot-point-for-plot-point thing, or a character-for-character thing, it's an overall vibe thing. It's not quite as well done as Harry Potter, but HP fans will enjoy this series. It was a bit disjointed but overall a very enjoyable story. I'm looking forward to reading the next one....more
The problem with writing a book in the first person is that the reader only gets to know what the main character knows. Therefore, if you wan4.5 stars
The problem with writing a book in the first person is that the reader only gets to know what the main character knows. Therefore, if you want your reader to know something, the narrator either has to know it, or find out during the course of the book. When your book is based entirely upon the premise of that main character being held captive and isolated, this can be a problem. Elena has been kidnapped, but Armstrong apparently felt that the reader needed to know where and why she was being held. Her solution was to have Elena's captors really want to be her best friend, and to take her on guided tours of the facility, tell her exactly what their goals are, introduce her to all the other captives, invite her to help with work in the infirmary, etc... That was the only real problem with this book. It was an obvious narrative device that made me scoff a few times. Would it have been so bad to keep the reader in the dark with Elena? Draw out some of the tension? I was also a little irritated by Elena's complete, almost intentional density. Really, Elena? You really can't possibly fathom the existence of other supernatural races, even after the scads of evidence you have been presented with, and knowing that you yourself are a creature that the rest of the world believes to be a myth? REALLY? Gah. But otherwise, a great book. Kind of a slow start for me, but by the time things got rolling, the pages were flying by. It may not seem like a unique premise in the grand scheme of supernatural media, but to be honest, it really was different from any other urban fantasy I've read. It was refreshing. Having Elena stuck in captivity could have gotten tedious and boring, but Armstrong kept it pretty lively and readable. It was very uncomfortable in places, but it all ended well. And it piqued enough interest in me as far as the characters of Paige, Savannah and Adam to not mind continuing to Dime Store Magic even though I know there will be no Elena and Clay....more
Slow start. The first half had me wondering if I would be able to finish, and fairly certain I would not be reading any further installments. My generSlow start. The first half had me wondering if I would be able to finish, and fairly certain I would not be reading any further installments. My general impression was that it was not in the least bit original (characters or plot), and any parts that were were both A. completely minor and inconsequential and B. either boring or flat out eye-roll-worthy. (i.e. all vampires have red hair? ugh.) I also found Sabina to be a flat, urban fantasy stereotype of a stubborn, borderline TSTL "chick-in-leather" with no personality beyond what had been borrowed from other books in the genre. And there was a character/plot line that I found to be a shameless rip off of Katie MacAlister's Aisling Grey series. (Even if it wasn't intentional, it was just all too similar for my tastes.)
Thankfully, the second half was better. There was a twist that genuinely surprised me, and while most of the conclusion was predictable, it was at least exciting. The pieces of world building that I had rolled my eyes at in the beginning were slightly less pervasive. And the "Aisling Grey" aspect toned itself down as well.
I still maintain that Sabina is a rather cardboard cut-out of a heroine, but at least she's not super annoying, so I can get beyond that if the story's good. Her 'romantic foil' Adam is, like Sabina, not at all original, but he's pretty likeable. And I'm curious to see where the story goes.
Bottom line: Not my favorite, and if you've read a lot of urban fantasy you'll see that this is "just another", but it has its good qualities. I will probably keep reading....more
Whew. Poor Cassie - that girl needs a nap more than anyone I've ever met! I read a review on Chance's web site that said something along the 4.5 stars
Whew. Poor Cassie - that girl needs a nap more than anyone I've ever met! I read a review on Chance's web site that said something along the lines of this series sort of poking fun at the genre a little bit, and I think that's true. There is so much non-stop action in these books it gets a little ridiculous. But man is it fun!
I was not fully convinced by the first book of this series. I liked it, but it had a lot of issues and so I wasn't compelled to pick up book 2 right away, I waited awhile. Well, this book was leaps and bounds ahead of book 1. All of the problems there have been fixed. This book was exciting and action packed, but never (well, almost never) confusing. It was pretty easy to follow, and Cassie felt a lot more like her own character and not a bland composite of other urban fantasy heroines. The pace was break-neck, and fun to read. It was fairly easy for me to just go along for the ride and not feel the need to flip ahead to see where things were headed, which I typically have a compulsion to do.
And my has she done a makeover on the character of Pritkin... I was vaguely intrigued by him in book 1, but he has made the complete transformation into full on hottie and ambiguous hero. I'm very excited to see where that goes.
I'm not quite ready to give this book 5 stars, but if the next book stays on this same track, I think this series will move into "favorites" territory.
Nichole (DirrtyH)
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