Suz's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:39:56 -0800 60 Suz's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg My Vampire System: Book 1 58663827


Humans who had hidden in the shadows for hundreds of years, people with abilities.



Some chose to share their knowledge to the rest of the world in hopes of winning the war, while others kept their abilities to themselves.



Quinn had lost everything to the war, his home, his family and the only thing he had inherited was a crummy old book that he couldn’t even open.



But when the book had finally opened, Quinn was granted a system and his whole life was turned around.



He completed quest after quest and became more powerful, until one day the system gave him a quest he wasn’t sure he could complete.



"It is time to feed!"

"You must drink human blood within 24 hours"

"Your HP will continue to decrease until the task has been completed."]]> 439 JKSManga _ Suz 0 4.32 My Vampire System: Book 1
author: JKSManga _
name: Suz
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: to-read, _audio, litrpg, ya, scifi
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God Hammer (Demon Accords, #9)]]> 26013912 13 John Conroe Suz 4 _audio, urban-fantasy
Not bad. I enjoyed seeing more interaction between Chris' group and the Declan group. The end felt a bit like the set up for the next book but not frustratingly so.

]]> 4.44 2015 God Hammer (Demon Accords, #9)
author: John Conroe
name: Suz
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/05/04
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: _audio, urban-fantasy
review:
3.5 stars

Not bad. I enjoyed seeing more interaction between Chris' group and the Declan group. The end felt a bit like the set up for the next book but not frustratingly so.


]]> <![CDATA[Life Goes On (The Kurtherian Gambit, #21)]]> 38589884 It is finished... Sweat dripping off her brow as the threads started long ago start to fuse together.

It’s time to make plans, hide the truth, and get the HELL off her throne.

But, how to accomplish creating a Federation, when those coming together want to gut her Empire?

Anyone who understands the Queen Bitch, knows she won't accept that condition without a fight.

However, to accomplish meeting her love again in a system far away, she will accomplish the impossible.

Her eyes start to glow red.

No one will stop her from getting back to Michael.

Grab Life Goes On and complete the massive story today!



]]> 284 Michael Anderle 1649715889 Suz 3 _audio, urban-fantasy, scifi
Overall kinda fun, but certainly not the end of the series.

Merged review:

It had a few chuckle out loud moments but overall I thought the reunion scene, which is also shown in the series about Michael, was a bit anticlimactic and... immature.

Overall kinda fun, but certainly not the end of the series.]]> 4.53 Life Goes On (The Kurtherian Gambit, #21)
author: Michael Anderle
name: Suz
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/11/20
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: _audio, urban-fantasy, scifi
review:
It had a few chuckle out loud moments but overall I thought the reunion scene, which is also shown in the series about Michael, was a bit anticlimactic and... immature.

Overall kinda fun, but certainly not the end of the series.

Merged review:

It had a few chuckle out loud moments but overall I thought the reunion scene, which is also shown in the series about Michael, was a bit anticlimactic and... immature.

Overall kinda fun, but certainly not the end of the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Born Into Flames: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Reclaiming Honor, #5)]]> 35621168 Out of the shadows and into the fire.

When Valerie and Robin head north to take on an army of post-apocalyptic pirates, the deadly duo find themselves on a thrill-ride of air-ship battles and full-on assaults against pirate strongholds.

Her friends back in Old Manhattan discover an attempt at mutiny, while Sandra learns that being an expecting mother doesn't mean she has to stop kicking ass and taking names.

Everyone must step up their game, or be consumed by the flames of this new world.

�

Justice Is Calling is part of The Kurtherian Gambit Universe.


]]> 226 Justin Sloan Suz 4
Better. Or I'm getting invested in the characters, but I do think it was better than its predecessors.

I have to admit that there is so much action in these that I lose my attention to the story during the action and end up missing things and have to go back to see what I missed.



Merged review:

3.5 stars

Better. Or I'm getting invested in the characters, but I do think it was better than its predecessors.

I have to admit that there is so much action in these that I lose my attention to the story during the action and end up missing things and have to go back to see what I missed.]]> 4.37 2017 Born Into Flames: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Reclaiming Honor, #5)
author: Justin Sloan
name: Suz
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2018/06/26
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: _audio, dystopian, scifi, urban-fantasy
review:
3.5 stars

Better. Or I'm getting invested in the characters, but I do think it was better than its predecessors.

I have to admit that there is so much action in these that I lose my attention to the story during the action and end up missing things and have to go back to see what I missed.



Merged review:

3.5 stars

Better. Or I'm getting invested in the characters, but I do think it was better than its predecessors.

I have to admit that there is so much action in these that I lose my attention to the story during the action and end up missing things and have to go back to see what I missed.
]]> <![CDATA[Magical Midlife Dating (Leveling Up, #2)]]> 55004317 She must learn to fly, but can she withstand the allure of the handsome new teacher?

Book two in the Top 10 Kindle Store and internationally best-selling series by USA Today best-selling author K.F. Breene!

The decision has been made. Jessie has taken the magic and all the weird that goes with it. Including wings.

There's only one problem - she can't figure out how to access them.

Through a series of terrible decisions, Jessie realizes she must ask for help. Gargoyle help.

But she could've never predicted who answers her call - he's an excellent flier, incredibly patient, and a good trainer. He's also incredibly handsome. And interested.

Maybe flying isn't the only thing she needs help with. Maybe she needs help getting back on that saddle, too, emerging into the dating pool.

Except, the new gargoyle is also an alpha, just like Austin, and the town isn't big enough for two.

Turns out, flying is the least of her problems.]]> 10 K.F. Breene Suz 4 _audio, pwf, urban-fantasy 4.04 2020 Magical Midlife Dating (Leveling Up, #2)
author: K.F. Breene
name: Suz
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/09/08
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: _audio, pwf, urban-fantasy
review:
Hysterical. I really like these characters, too.
]]> <![CDATA[Fall with Honor (Vampire Earth #7)]]> 2326185 336 E.E. Knight 0451462106 Suz 3 _audio, scifi, dystopian


Merged review:

Nice to see them win some and I was happy to see An-Kah's return even if it's fleeting.]]> 3.93 2008 Fall with Honor (Vampire Earth #7)
author: E.E. Knight
name: Suz
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/20
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: _audio, scifi, dystopian
review:
Nice to see them win some and I was happy to see An-Kah's return even if it's fleeting.



Merged review:

Nice to see them win some and I was happy to see An-Kah's return even if it's fleeting.
]]> <![CDATA[The Silicon Mage (Windrose Chronicles, #2)]]> 176267
Nevertheless, she had to save him. Suraklin was planning to gain immortality by placing his mind in a computer that would get its power by draining the life-force from all on both worlds, dooming everyone to eternal misery and hopelessness. And only Antryg was strong enough a wizard to challenge the Dark Mage.

Once again, Joanna dared the fearsome tunnel through the Void, praying desperately that Antryg still lived and that she could find help to free him. If not...But she refused to think of that.]]> 338 Barbara Hambly 0345337638 Suz 0 3.96 1988 The Silicon Mage (Windrose Chronicles, #2)
author: Barbara Hambly
name: Suz
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: _audio, fantasy, urban-fantasy, dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Judgment Has Fallen: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Reclaiming Honor, #3)]]> 34307664
But not always for the better. Some love her, some hate her, but the one thing that is causing the city problems is Valerie herself. As a lightening rod, she needs to get out of the public's eye and allow the emotions to cool without her presence.

Whether she wants to, or not.

Trusting her friends, she drops back to the shadows to deliver the Justice Michael demands.

Why?

Because Judgement Has Fallen, and even the deep, dark places are going to realize they are not safe.



Judgment Has Fallen is part of The Kurtherian Gambit Universe.

** As noted in other series set in the Kurtherian Universe, there IS cursing in this book, occasionally, it's funny, too. **

Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:

First Arc

Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)
Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) Kneel Or Die (07)

Second Arc

We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)
Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)
Don’t Cross This Line (14)

Third Arc (Due 2017)

Never Submit (Jan) (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)
Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)
Life Goes On (21)


**New Series**

The Second Dark Ages

The Dark Messiah (01)
The Darkest Night (02) Mar 2017
Darkest Before The Dawn (03) July 2017
Light Is Breaking (04) Nov 2017


The Boris Chronicles
* With Paul C. Middleton *

Evacuation
Retaliation
Revelation Dec 2016
Restitution 2017


Reclaiming Honor
* With JUSTIN SLOAN *

Justice Is Calling (01)
Claimed By Honor (02) Jan 2017


The Etheric Academy
* With TS PAUL *

ALPHA CLASS (01) Dec 2016/Jan 2017
ALPHA CLASS (02) Feb/Mar 2017
ALPHA CLASS (03) May/June 2017



Terry Henry “TH� Walton Chronicles
* With Craig Martelle *

Book 1 � Nomad Found (Out)
Book 2 � Nomad Redeemed (Jan 2017)
Book 3 - Nomad Unleashed (2017)
Book 4 - Nomad Supreme(2017)



SHORT STORIES

Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)
You Don’t Mess with John’s Cousin

Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)
Bitch’s Night Out

Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 03 (13.25)
* With Natalie Grey *
BELLATRIX


Anthologies

Glimpse
Honor in Death
(Michael’s First Few Days)

Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge
Tabitha’s Vacation]]> 230 Justin Sloan Suz 3 4.40 Judgment Has Fallen: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Reclaiming Honor, #3)
author: Justin Sloan
name: Suz
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2018/06/22
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: _audio, scifi, urban-fantasy, dystopian
review:

]]> Bound By Law (Vigilante, #3) 40535350 An old ally owed debts and obligations
A new mission to bring light into darkness

In the aftermath of the destruction of the Cadre’s main base, there was a period of quiet in the Solar System. Now, however, pirate attacks are on the rise again. When the Cadre ambushes a medical convoy under the protection of Brad Madrid and the Vikings Mercenary Company, the attacking warship turns out to be of a type and class the pirates should never have come into possession of.

The Cadre is no longer limited to pirate corvettes and scratch-built destroyers. Somehow, they’ve come into possession of a modern fleet of warships no one outside the Commonwealth should possess.

Brad Madrid owes the Agency and the Commonwealth his allegiance and his life. So when Kate Falcone calls on him to help seek out the Cadre’s new shipyard, he answers without hesitation. Their investigation, however, will draw his mercenary company into a newborn conflict unlike anything he’s ever faced before.]]> 287 Glynn Stewart Suz 3 _audio, scifi, space_opera
Merged review:

I don't really have much to say about this one. It's good enough to read the next one but not gripping.]]> 4.36 2018 Bound By Law (Vigilante, #3)
author: Glynn Stewart
name: Suz
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2018/11/27
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: _audio, scifi, space_opera
review:
I don't really have much to say about this one. It's good enough to read the next one but not gripping.

Merged review:

I don't really have much to say about this one. It's good enough to read the next one but not gripping.
]]> <![CDATA[Dragon Hero (Riders of Fire, #2)]]> 42426143
Tomaaz doesn’t believe in dragons, until the dragon queen abducts his twin sister, Ezaara. When she goes missing, his parents reveal dangerous family secrets. That night, his father is wrongly imprisoned while his mother heads deep into Death Valley to atone for a dreadful crime.To make things worse, an army of bestial tharuks attacks his village. No one is prepared. Torn, Tomaaz doesn’t know who to save. Should he rescue Pa from prison, help the villagers, or follow Ma into enemy territory? Or should he save Lovina, the abused daughter of a traveling merchant?Tomaaz has to act fast, because Commander Zens and his clone armies are marching through Dragon’s Realm. Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern and Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle enjoy Riders of Fire.If you love epic coming-of-age fantasy, heart-pounding adventure, true love and dragons, Dragon Hero � Riders of Fire is for you.

Start your adventure now! Scroll up and click to read today!

Riders of Fire - YA epic fantasy 1: EzaaraBook 2: Dragon HeroBook 3: Dragon RiftBook 4: Dragon StrikeBook 5: Dragon WarBook 6: Sea Dragon

Riders of Fire Dragon Masters - YA epic fantasy 1: Anakisha’s DragonBook 2: Dragon MageBook 3: Dragon SpyBook 4: Dragon Healer

Riders of Fire Dragons - Prequels1. Bronze Dragon (free novelette)2. Ruby Dragon (short story)3. Silver Dragon � free novelette only at EileenMuellerAuthor.com]]> 368 Eileen Mueller Suz 3 _audio, fantasy
I rated down because the end is not an ending, it's just a shitty place to stop the story that feels a lot like a contrived hook to sell the next book. I always rate down for those as I don't appreciate marketing manipulation in a thing I have purchased. Instead of my hearing a "thank you for your patronage" I hear "buy the next one or fuck off." It seems an incongruous way to attract more business. I used to give single stars for them. Perhaps I have mellowed over time. I will never like non-consensual titillation and I am never titillated into spending money. I already bought the third audiobook or I probably would have stopped here because of that ending.

Still hoping to see YA characters walk into adulthood. The story is great but I wonder if she's got an adult (not necessarily sexual but simply older characters) version.

I should probably stop trying with YA.



Merged review:

I would have given this four stars as a rate-up from about 3.75, in spite of the mostly-improper use of "nauseous" where "nauseated" was best. It's a pet peeve that is so often done incorrectly that the incorrect way has become correct due to language slippage/evolution; but it's enough to take me out of a story. Being in a male teen's head instead of the female teen's head this time around gave us more relationship angst than I expected, but ok. It was nice to get a second go-round of a teen finding out that dragons are real and the world isn't how they've been told. Tomas is a good, if young, character. Again with this installation of this series the author has made a believably young adult main character (much to my personal chagrin).

I rated down because the end is not an ending, it's just a shitty place to stop the story that feels a lot like a contrived hook to sell the next book. I always rate down for those as I don't appreciate marketing manipulation in a thing I have purchased. Instead of my hearing a "thank you for your patronage" I hear "buy the next one or fuck off." It seems an incongruous way to attract more business. I used to give single stars for them. Perhaps I have mellowed over time. I will never like non-consensual titillation and I am never titillated into spending money. I already bought the third audiobook or I probably would have stopped here because of that ending.

Still hoping to see YA characters walk into adulthood. The story is great but I wonder if she's got an adult (not necessarily sexual but simply older characters) version.

I should probably stop trying with YA.]]> 4.44 2018 Dragon Hero (Riders of Fire, #2)
author: Eileen Mueller
name: Suz
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/12
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: _audio, fantasy
review:
I would have given this four stars as a rate-up from about 3.75, in spite of the mostly-improper use of "nauseous" where "nauseated" was best. It's a pet peeve that is so often done incorrectly that the incorrect way has become correct due to language slippage/evolution; but it's enough to take me out of a story. Being in a male teen's head instead of the female teen's head this time around gave us more relationship angst than I expected, but ok. It was nice to get a second go-round of a teen finding out that dragons are real and the world isn't how they've been told. Tomas is a good, if young, character. Again with this installation of this series the author has made a believably young adult main character (much to my personal chagrin).

I rated down because the end is not an ending, it's just a shitty place to stop the story that feels a lot like a contrived hook to sell the next book. I always rate down for those as I don't appreciate marketing manipulation in a thing I have purchased. Instead of my hearing a "thank you for your patronage" I hear "buy the next one or fuck off." It seems an incongruous way to attract more business. I used to give single stars for them. Perhaps I have mellowed over time. I will never like non-consensual titillation and I am never titillated into spending money. I already bought the third audiobook or I probably would have stopped here because of that ending.

Still hoping to see YA characters walk into adulthood. The story is great but I wonder if she's got an adult (not necessarily sexual but simply older characters) version.

I should probably stop trying with YA.



Merged review:

I would have given this four stars as a rate-up from about 3.75, in spite of the mostly-improper use of "nauseous" where "nauseated" was best. It's a pet peeve that is so often done incorrectly that the incorrect way has become correct due to language slippage/evolution; but it's enough to take me out of a story. Being in a male teen's head instead of the female teen's head this time around gave us more relationship angst than I expected, but ok. It was nice to get a second go-round of a teen finding out that dragons are real and the world isn't how they've been told. Tomas is a good, if young, character. Again with this installation of this series the author has made a believably young adult main character (much to my personal chagrin).

I rated down because the end is not an ending, it's just a shitty place to stop the story that feels a lot like a contrived hook to sell the next book. I always rate down for those as I don't appreciate marketing manipulation in a thing I have purchased. Instead of my hearing a "thank you for your patronage" I hear "buy the next one or fuck off." It seems an incongruous way to attract more business. I used to give single stars for them. Perhaps I have mellowed over time. I will never like non-consensual titillation and I am never titillated into spending money. I already bought the third audiobook or I probably would have stopped here because of that ending.

Still hoping to see YA characters walk into adulthood. The story is great but I wonder if she's got an adult (not necessarily sexual but simply older characters) version.

I should probably stop trying with YA.
]]> Ezaara (Riders of Fire, #1) 42232155 In Lush Valley, it’s a crime to even talk about dragons�

When Ezaara meets Zaarusha the Dragon Queen, she’s swept up in a blaze of color and they imprint, forming a deep bond. She must give up her home and family to become the new Queen’s Rider. Ignorant and unprepared, how can she possibly succeed?

Luckily, she has a dragon master � although rumors say she might be better off with the enemy.

Plunged into a world of cutthroat politics and traitors in every shadow, who can Ezaara trust as Commander Zens and his army of bestial tharuks march closer, razing villages and enslaving the people of Dragons� Realm?

What personal price must Ezaara and her Dragon Master pay to save their people?

]]> 382 Eileen Mueller Suz 3 _audio, fantasy
I have heard a lot of comparison's with McCaffrey's Pern and, while I think this is a good dragon story in its own right, it doesn't hit my radar like Pern. But I did enjoy it enough to see how it progresses and how the MCs mature. I must confess a lifelong fascination with the notion of dragon riding and telepathic/empathic bonds with dragons so I'm kinda the target market, if not for the YA bit. Perhaps she will mature quickly. :) In a perfect world.

Merged review:

This is a 3+ with potential for me. Full disclosure - I am not a huge fan of YA and the MC in this is a very believable young adult. If you like spending your time in the head of a smarter-than-average teenager then you may enjoy that more than I as this is a competently executed trope in this instance.

I have heard a lot of comparison's with McCaffrey's Pern and, while I think this is a good dragon story in its own right, it doesn't hit my radar like Pern. But I did enjoy it enough to see how it progresses and how the MCs mature. I must confess a lifelong fascination with the notion of dragon riding and telepathic/empathic bonds with dragons so I'm kinda the target market, if not for the YA bit. Perhaps she will mature quickly. :) In a perfect world.]]> 4.24 2018 Ezaara (Riders of Fire, #1)
author: Eileen Mueller
name: Suz
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/11
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: _audio, fantasy
review:
This is a 3+ with potential for me. Full disclosure - I am not a huge fan of YA and the MC in this is a very believable young adult. If you like spending your time in the head of a smarter-than-average teenager then you may enjoy that more than I as this is a competently executed trope in this instance.

I have heard a lot of comparison's with McCaffrey's Pern and, while I think this is a good dragon story in its own right, it doesn't hit my radar like Pern. But I did enjoy it enough to see how it progresses and how the MCs mature. I must confess a lifelong fascination with the notion of dragon riding and telepathic/empathic bonds with dragons so I'm kinda the target market, if not for the YA bit. Perhaps she will mature quickly. :) In a perfect world.

Merged review:

This is a 3+ with potential for me. Full disclosure - I am not a huge fan of YA and the MC in this is a very believable young adult. If you like spending your time in the head of a smarter-than-average teenager then you may enjoy that more than I as this is a competently executed trope in this instance.

I have heard a lot of comparison's with McCaffrey's Pern and, while I think this is a good dragon story in its own right, it doesn't hit my radar like Pern. But I did enjoy it enough to see how it progresses and how the MCs mature. I must confess a lifelong fascination with the notion of dragon riding and telepathic/empathic bonds with dragons so I'm kinda the target market, if not for the YA bit. Perhaps she will mature quickly. :) In a perfect world.
]]> No Return (Jeroun, #1) 15817069
Under the looming judgment of Adrash and his ultimate weapon—a string of spinning spheres beside the moon known as The Needle—warring factions of white and black suits prove their opposition to the orbiting god with the great fighting tournament of Danoor, on the far side of Jeroun’s only inhabitable continent.

From the Thirteenth Order of Black Suits comes Vedas, a young master of martial arts, laden with guilt over the death of one of his students. Traveling with him are Churls, a warrior woman and mercenary haunted by the ghost of her daughter, and Berun, a constructed man made of modular spheres possessed by the foul spirit of his creator. Together they must brave their own demons, as well as thieves, mages, beasts, dearth, and hardship on the perilous road to Danoor, and the bloody sectarian battle that is sure to follow.

On the other side of the world, unbeknownst to the travelers, Ebn and Pol of the Royal Outbound Mages (astronauts using Alchemical magic to achieve space flight) have formed a plan to appease Adrash and bring peace to the planet. But Ebn and Pol each have their own clandestine agendas—which may call down the wrath of the very god they hope to woo.

Who may know the mind of God? And who in their right mind would seek to defy him? Gritty, erotic, and fast-paced, author Zachary Jernigan takes you on a sensuous ride through a world at the knife-edge of salvation and destruction, in one of the year’s most exciting fantasy epics.]]> 292 Zachary Jernigan 1597804568 Suz 3 _audio, fantasy
There was too much exposition in this book to keep me engaged, until the last 10% or so of the story when the characters were allowed to have more than a line or two of dialog.

It's an interesting premise, the living gods and how they interact with the populations they claim. I wasn't crazy about the delivery, though.

Merged review:

2.5 to 2.75 stars

There was too much exposition in this book to keep me engaged, until the last 10% or so of the story when the characters were allowed to have more than a line or two of dialog.

It's an interesting premise, the living gods and how they interact with the populations they claim. I wasn't crazy about the delivery, though.]]> 3.67 2013 No Return (Jeroun, #1)
author: Zachary Jernigan
name: Suz
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2017/06/01
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: _audio, fantasy
review:
2.5 to 2.75 stars

There was too much exposition in this book to keep me engaged, until the last 10% or so of the story when the characters were allowed to have more than a line or two of dialog.

It's an interesting premise, the living gods and how they interact with the populations they claim. I wasn't crazy about the delivery, though.

Merged review:

2.5 to 2.75 stars

There was too much exposition in this book to keep me engaged, until the last 10% or so of the story when the characters were allowed to have more than a line or two of dialog.

It's an interesting premise, the living gods and how they interact with the populations they claim. I wasn't crazy about the delivery, though.
]]> <![CDATA[Executable (Demon Accords, #6)]]> 28166715 11 John Conroe Suz 4 _audio, urban-fantasy
This one had several moments that lost my attention. However, the introduction to a new character is appreciated, even if it is a teenager (which is not my preferred protagonist). I like the possibilities that these new additions to the cast of characters represent. I also like the notion that this male protagonist is seen by many of his peers (the ones that are more villianous) as breeding stock. It's a fine turn to an over worked trope in this genre.

There are times in this series when something so very cliche comes out in the narrative that it makes me wonder if it's proof that the narrator is really a man, or if it's so cliche that it's proof the narrator is really a woman pretending to be a man. I haven't investigated the author well enough to know either way (at all, really), but sometimes I do find myself wondering.]]> 4.05 2014 Executable (Demon Accords, #6)
author: John Conroe
name: Suz
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/05/01
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: _audio, urban-fantasy
review:
3.5 stars

This one had several moments that lost my attention. However, the introduction to a new character is appreciated, even if it is a teenager (which is not my preferred protagonist). I like the possibilities that these new additions to the cast of characters represent. I also like the notion that this male protagonist is seen by many of his peers (the ones that are more villianous) as breeding stock. It's a fine turn to an over worked trope in this genre.

There are times in this series when something so very cliche comes out in the narrative that it makes me wonder if it's proof that the narrator is really a man, or if it's so cliche that it's proof the narrator is really a woman pretending to be a man. I haven't investigated the author well enough to know either way (at all, really), but sometimes I do find myself wondering.
]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Suz 0 to-read 4.18 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Suz
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Sorceress Comes to Call 209076690
A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic

Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms, and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend—unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia’s mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away on Falada’s sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia’s mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.

Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.]]> 12 T. Kingfisher Suz 0 to-read 4.04 2024 A Sorceress Comes to Call
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Suz
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heretical Fishing: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself]]> 216357787
Fame? Fortune? Power? He had enough of all that in his old life. Discovering forbidden fishing techniques and petting every cute animal that comes within scritching distance? Now that’s a good time.

Unfortunately for Fischer, cosmic forces rarely care for mortal feelings. He’s hounded on all sides by inept cults, conspiring nobles, and more magical misunderstandings than those of a preteen relationship. Even his dutiful pet crab is firing energy blades like an anime antagonist.

So grab your fishing rod and a good snack, and pet your dog for me. The catch of a lifetime awaits!]]> 24 Haylock Jobson Suz 0 to-read 3.91 2024 Heretical Fishing: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself
author: Haylock Jobson
name: Suz
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wandering Inn: Book 14 - Hell's Wardens (The Wandering Inn, #6, Part 5)]]> 219079964
A [Mage] team from Wistram Academy is dogging Pisces, Ceria, Ksmvr, and Yvlon's steps, with revenge in mind. However, adventurers must work and the Horns have been called on as security for an ambitious building a road past the Bloodfields towards the rest of southern Izril.

There is more to the world than just Liscor, however. Players of Celum are coming to Invrisil with a splash. There are [Knights] from Terandria roaming around Izril after their battle with the Witch of Webs, and they have heard tell of a mysterious slayer of Goblins. Throw in Foliana, Three-Color Stalker hopping about her day, and there are endless opportunities for chaos. But with fun and excitement always comes danger.

The Bloodfields spread like a stain upon the land, and few who enter ever survive. The Horns of Hammerad don't plan on entering or getting into more trouble. However, even the monsters on the edges of the Bloodfields are a cut above the rest. Whether or not they triumph or perish to their rivals, to cowardice, or their foes...

The Bloodfields await.]]> Pirateaba Suz 0 to-read 4.61 2024 The Wandering Inn: Book 14 - Hell's Wardens (The Wandering Inn, #6, Part 5)
author: Pirateaba
name: Suz
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)]]> 218258751 The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive—the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare—and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide—Adolin in Azir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah in Thaylenah. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiant killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.]]> 63 Brandon Sanderson Suz 0 to-read 4.15 2024 Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Suz
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Borders of Infinity (Vorkosigan Saga, #5.3)]]> 5073782 [Publisher's Note: The Borders of Infinity was originally published as a stand-alone novella in the anthology Free Lancers in September 1987. It was then included in the novel Borders of Infinity (October 1989). For the novel, Ms. Bujold added a short "framing story" that tied the three novellas together by setting up each as a flashback that Miles experiences while recovering from bone-replacement surgery. Fictionwise is publishing these novellas separately, but we decided to leave in Ms. Bujold's short framing story for those who may also wish to read the other two novellas (he Mountains of Mourning and Labyrinth).]
Locus Poll Award Nominee]]> 84 Lois McMaster Bujold Suz 4 _audio, space_opera, scifi 4.25 1987 The Borders of Infinity (Vorkosigan Saga, #5.3)
author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Suz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2019/11/28
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: _audio, space_opera, scifi
review:
Great collection of short stories about Miles. Bujold manages to put a lot of story into her novellas. I don't think the framing story always worked smoothly, but I appreciated the effort.
]]> <![CDATA[The Starlight Witch (Witches of New York, #1)]]> 62706328 Finding my husband in bed with another woman was not how I planned to start my day.

Or homeless the next minute. And broke.

So, when a job comes my way from The Twilight Hotel—a paranormal hotel in midtown Manhattan that serves as a sanctuary and residence—I take it.

Cue in tattooed, sexy as sin, grumpy restaurant owner Valen, who can’t do drama or high-maintenance women. The problem? He’s cruel and dangerous.

And he’s hiding something.

Rumors arise of a dark spell that would mean the hotel's closure, and I don’t know who I can trust. Do I have what it takes to fight this new evil? We’ll see.

Brace yourselves. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.]]> 310 Kim Richardson Suz 0 to-read 4.14 2022 The Starlight Witch (Witches of New York, #1)
author: Kim Richardson
name: Suz
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)]]> 22895268 Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness's enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew's ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches - with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 24 Deborah Harkness Suz 4
I must say, however, that this has been a joy to listen to for the first time. Doing so has recaptured that "reading for the first time" feeling that I used to think you could only get once and now has me determined to revisit beloved series that I have not previously listened to.

]]> 4.08 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Suz
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2018/01/05
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves:
review:
I'm still good with my original assessment of 4+ stars from my first read through.

I must say, however, that this has been a joy to listen to for the first time. Doing so has recaptured that "reading for the first time" feeling that I used to think you could only get once and now has me determined to revisit beloved series that I have not previously listened to.


]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)]]> 22724766 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 592 Deborah Harkness 0698163478 Suz 4 historical, urban-fantasy
It closed the trilogy up well, though.]]> 4.01 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Suz
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/08/17
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: historical, urban-fantasy
review:
I really enjoyed this a lot, and my first reaction is to give it five stars but I'm not exactly sure why, so before I put it on my favorites shelf I'm going to think about it for a while. When I return for a better review, if ever, I'll reconsider the 4/5 star thing. For now let's call it a 4.25ish.

It closed the trilogy up well, though.
]]> <![CDATA[Vampire Knight, Vol. 7 (Vampire Knight, #7)]]> 18917454 Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

]]> 208 Matsuri Hino 1421544679 Suz 4 4.21 2007 Vampire Knight, Vol. 7 (Vampire Knight, #7)
author: Matsuri Hino
name: Suz
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2013/01/10
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)]]> 33225152 A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.

Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch, Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm War. But while she is the absolute spitting image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is a treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

As evil looms on the horizon and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of survival may be among the most unlikely band of rebels…if only she can find the courage to trust those she’s been taught to fear.]]> 605 Laurie Forest 1488015392 Suz 0 to-read, fantasy, ya 4.25 2017 The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)
author: Laurie Forest
name: Suz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: to-read, fantasy, ya
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heart of Steel (Iron Seas, #2)]]> 11535555 introduced the gritty, alluring adventure of the Iron Seas. Now, Meljean Brook returns to the world where nanotech fuses with Victorian sensibilities—and steam.

As the mercenary captain of Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.

Treasure hunter Archimedes Fox isn't interested in Lady Corsair—he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she's no easy conquest.

When da Vinci's sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco—and straight into their enemy's hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart.]]> 236 Meljean Brook 1101545674 Suz 4
There's just enough heat in this edition, with the consummation leaning to tease and denial far longer than is common in this genre, to satisfy the romance readers; but plenty of action, adventure, and story to satisfy the fantasy readers.

I really love this series.

***
I have a beautiful, signed, ARC of this and the text is so small I'm not sure I can read it. I'm going to try, though; but my headache may prevent completion.

Whether I can get it read or not, I thank Ms. Brook for sending it to me. It's lovely.]]> 4.08 2011 Heart of Steel (Iron Seas, #2)
author: Meljean Brook
name: Suz
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2011/11/22
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: pnr, steampunk, urban-fantasy, arc
review:
A strong 3.5 stars. This is the second self contained (THANKS BE to the goddess of NO CLIFF HANGERS) swashbuckling adventure set in the vibrant and engaging steampunk world that Meljean Brook has created in her Iron Seas series. Are you tired of "kick butt" heroines who whine, are too stupid to live, can't get past their baggage, or have emotionally unavailable bitch confused with strong? Well, you get none of that here! Capt. Corsair, Yasmeen, is a kick butt heroine who has been hurt and is reluctant to give too quickly, but not so reluctant that she can't see a good thing when it's in front of her and has proven itself time and again.

There's just enough heat in this edition, with the consummation leaning to tease and denial far longer than is common in this genre, to satisfy the romance readers; but plenty of action, adventure, and story to satisfy the fantasy readers.

I really love this series.

***
I have a beautiful, signed, ARC of this and the text is so small I'm not sure I can read it. I'm going to try, though; but my headache may prevent completion.

Whether I can get it read or not, I thank Ms. Brook for sending it to me. It's lovely.
]]> <![CDATA[Wasteland King (Gallow and Ragged, #3)]]> 28064189 The thrilling conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow's dark fantasy series where the faery world inhabits diners, dive bars and trailer parks.The plague has broken loose, the Wild Hunt is riding, and the balance of power in the sidhe realms is still shifting. The Unseelie King has a grudge against Jeremiah Gallow, but it will have to wait. For he needs Gallow's services for a very delicate mission -- and the prize for success is survival itself.In order to save both Robin Ragged and himself, Gallow will have to do the unspeakable. . .]]> 352 Lilith Saintcrow 0316277908 Suz 2 urban-fantasy
I have to be honest, this series confused me. I wanted to love it, and I do love Saintcrow's prose, but the story itself fell pretty flat until the very end, then it was pretty much just disappointing.

The series read like a 3 book chase scene written in descriptive style that felt expository. In general I didn't understand what motivated the characters other than revenge for one character and compulsion for two others, and I had no clue what they were trying to achieve throughout the entire series until the very end.

If you're looking for a happy ending, or any shipping, it ain't happenin' here.

I do love the way Saintcrow crafts a sentence, but I needed more substance from this series, and less disappointment from this book.]]> 3.99 2016 Wasteland King (Gallow and Ragged, #3)
author: Lilith Saintcrow
name: Suz
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2016/08/09
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
2.5 stars

I have to be honest, this series confused me. I wanted to love it, and I do love Saintcrow's prose, but the story itself fell pretty flat until the very end, then it was pretty much just disappointing.

The series read like a 3 book chase scene written in descriptive style that felt expository. In general I didn't understand what motivated the characters other than revenge for one character and compulsion for two others, and I had no clue what they were trying to achieve throughout the entire series until the very end.

If you're looking for a happy ending, or any shipping, it ain't happenin' here.

I do love the way Saintcrow crafts a sentence, but I needed more substance from this series, and less disappointment from this book.
]]> Lord's Fall (Elder Races, #5) 15840461 Before she met Dragos, half-human/half-Wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now she's mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyrs' frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners--in more places than just the bedroom.
In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the Games heat up, Pia's negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear...
]]> 305 Thea Harrison 1101611995 Suz 4 pnr
With this book I enjoyed revisiting Pia and Dragos and seeing how they are learning to be together as a team. I like the way Harrison weaves elements of the other stories in the series together without ever making it critical that you have read them or without making you feel worn out from all the rehashing to bring the reader up to date. She's smooth and seamless in that regard. I adore that a foundational plot device in this book started several novellas ago but if you haven't read the novellas it won't matter. If you have then you'll maybe get that slightly smug sense of "being in the know."

The thing I liked most about this book is that EVERYONE in this book grew, even the folks who were newly introduced. I like seeing much beloved characters developing rationally and moving forward rather than one or two tropes being what carries an entire story over and over.

This book wasn't as light hearted as Oracle's Moon (book 4) and at this juncture I think Oracle's Moon is the pinnacle of the series. Dragos is such a severe character, though, it would be hard to really embrace him as a primary protagonist and have it be as light feeling as Oracle's Moon did.

There is an AWESOME reveal about Drago in this book! But if you blink you'll miss it.

Thea Harrison sets the standard for paranormal romance.]]> 4.33 2012 Lord's Fall (Elder Races, #5)
author: Thea Harrison
name: Suz
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/11/15
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: pnr
review:
I adore this series. In my opinion it's the way PNR should be written. That is to say, plenty of smokin' hot smexy but it's not the alpha and omega of the story. The focus on the relationship, which is a defining cornerstone of any "romance" genre hinges on growth and problems that seem to me to be more than just manufactured angst, so any angst that is a by product seems natural and not forced. And, for me perhaps the most important part of any romance book, there is as much of an interesting plot that isn't about the romance but may have an impact on it as there is romance itself. Thea Harrison is a consummate artist in putting these ingredients together and her Elder Races in an enjoyable, engaging ride.

With this book I enjoyed revisiting Pia and Dragos and seeing how they are learning to be together as a team. I like the way Harrison weaves elements of the other stories in the series together without ever making it critical that you have read them or without making you feel worn out from all the rehashing to bring the reader up to date. She's smooth and seamless in that regard. I adore that a foundational plot device in this book started several novellas ago but if you haven't read the novellas it won't matter. If you have then you'll maybe get that slightly smug sense of "being in the know."

The thing I liked most about this book is that EVERYONE in this book grew, even the folks who were newly introduced. I like seeing much beloved characters developing rationally and moving forward rather than one or two tropes being what carries an entire story over and over.

This book wasn't as light hearted as Oracle's Moon (book 4) and at this juncture I think Oracle's Moon is the pinnacle of the series. Dragos is such a severe character, though, it would be hard to really embrace him as a primary protagonist and have it be as light feeling as Oracle's Moon did.

There is an AWESOME reveal about Drago in this book! But if you blink you'll miss it.

Thea Harrison sets the standard for paranormal romance.
]]> <![CDATA[Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)]]> 37864158
“Fun, terrifying, hilarious, and brilliant.� —Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper and Star Last Shot

“[C]rafts a powerful and fiercely personal journey through a compelling postapocalyptic landscape.� —Kate Elliott, New York Times bestselling author of Court of Fives and Black Wolves

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the rez, unraveling clues from ancient legends, trading favors with tricksters, and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive.

Welcome to the Sixth World.]]> 263 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534413510 Suz 4 urban-fantasy, dystopian
In spite of it taking me so long to finish I did enjoy it quite a bit. The time I spent reading it was because I am, once again, in a place in my life when the only time I can actually read (instead of listen to) a book is when I lay down and then I promptly fall asleep.

I like the end-of-the-world scenario in this, and I like the way the native Americans bounced back so well and why. It's an ugly, gritty world that Roanhorse has made, with multi-layered characters and horrifying monsters, but it's one in which I look forward to spending more time.]]> 4.10 2018 Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: Suz
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/07/29
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy, dystopian
review:
4+ stars

In spite of it taking me so long to finish I did enjoy it quite a bit. The time I spent reading it was because I am, once again, in a place in my life when the only time I can actually read (instead of listen to) a book is when I lay down and then I promptly fall asleep.

I like the end-of-the-world scenario in this, and I like the way the native Americans bounced back so well and why. It's an ugly, gritty world that Roanhorse has made, with multi-layered characters and horrifying monsters, but it's one in which I look forward to spending more time.
]]> <![CDATA[The Shattered Court (The Four Arts, #1)]]> 23621369 First in a new fantasy series from the author of the Novels of the Half-Light City.

Entangled in a court ruled by tradition and intrigue, a young witch must come to terms with newfound power and desire—and a choice between loyalty and survival.�

The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practicing the tamer magics of the earth—ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden.

Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed—or perhaps cursed—with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown.

Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.�
]]> 336 M.J. Scott 1101631724 Suz 3 fantasy
The entire book is world building, character introduction, and conflict set up. In fact the book ends at the beginning of the real story, I think.

I liked it well enough that I will probably read the next one, but if it ends on a total fish hook for the next book the way this one did I'll probably abandon it.]]> 3.97 2015 The Shattered Court (The Four Arts, #1)
author: M.J. Scott
name: Suz
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/27
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: fantasy
review:
I liked it well enough although I didn't care for the ending.

The entire book is world building, character introduction, and conflict set up. In fact the book ends at the beginning of the real story, I think.

I liked it well enough that I will probably read the next one, but if it ends on a total fish hook for the next book the way this one did I'll probably abandon it.
]]> <![CDATA[Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse, #12)]]> 13618490
Now it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.]]> 335 Charlaine Harris 1101580712 Suz 3 urban-fantasy
I felt like a good deal of this book was watching Sookie do things like cook dinner, go to the library, go grocery shopping, pay bills, do taxes, etc. While there was more story in this book than the last two, it still felt a bit like filler to me. It was a bit like a cameo walk-through show in that we got to hear from a lot of older characters that we hadn't heard from in a long time, albeit mostly in passing. That aspect felt a lot like tying up the series, or preparing to.

I have to admit that I'm really sick of the unresolved relationship stuff, too. There are no resolutions in this book in that regard. It was better than the last, but I didn't close the book feeling satisfied. It was just "ok."]]> 3.98 2012 Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse, #12)
author: Charlaine Harris
name: Suz
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2012/05/07
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
Better than the last few offerings but the end was perilously close to cliff hanger without actually being one, at least in regards to the relationship aspects of the long arc. Disappointing, given that I've just ranted about the tendency in UF for authors to write cliff hanger endings on the second to last book to try to pre-sell the last book and I've given Charlaine Harris as an example of an author that doesn't write cliff hangers.

I felt like a good deal of this book was watching Sookie do things like cook dinner, go to the library, go grocery shopping, pay bills, do taxes, etc. While there was more story in this book than the last two, it still felt a bit like filler to me. It was a bit like a cameo walk-through show in that we got to hear from a lot of older characters that we hadn't heard from in a long time, albeit mostly in passing. That aspect felt a lot like tying up the series, or preparing to.

I have to admit that I'm really sick of the unresolved relationship stuff, too. There are no resolutions in this book in that regard. It was better than the last, but I didn't close the book feeling satisfied. It was just "ok."
]]> <![CDATA[Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark, #7)]]> 8146620 433 Kresley Cole 1416583548 Suz 3 pnr 4.35 2009 Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark, #7)
author: Kresley Cole
name: Suz
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: pnr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Little Street Magic (Discord Jones, #6)]]> 27882221
The psychic PI has had enough, and vows to take control of both her life and job—even while her visions are becoming as intense as her relationship with Logan.]]> 183 Gayla Drummond 1516341368 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
I really like this series. They are too long to be called novellas and a bit shorter than the average current UF series novel, but they go down as quickly as novellas.

While Discordia does have a touch of the "special snowflake" trope happening, it's framed in such a way that it's not intolerable or intrusive. It's also another one of the things that is slowly being revealed as the series goes on. One of the things that I love about the series is that Cordi is always growing and learning, there is always character growth for herself and many of the secondary recurring characters.

The stories are engaging, fast paced, and there is just enough romance and smexy to know that it's there but not so much to wonder if this is actually a romance rather than an urban fantasy.

This addition to the series was no exception to the previous ones. I look forward to these books. I consider the series one of my finds of the year.

Merged review:

4+ stars

I really like this series. They are too long to be called novellas and a bit shorter than the average current UF series novel, but they go down as quickly as novellas.

While Discordia does have a touch of the "special snowflake" trope happening, it's framed in such a way that it's not intolerable or intrusive. It's also another one of the things that is slowly being revealed as the series goes on. One of the things that I love about the series is that Cordi is always growing and learning, there is always character growth for herself and many of the secondary recurring characters.

The stories are engaging, fast paced, and there is just enough romance and smexy to know that it's there but not so much to wonder if this is actually a romance rather than an urban fantasy.

This addition to the series was no exception to the previous ones. I look forward to these books. I consider the series one of my finds of the year.]]> 4.25 2015 A Little Street Magic (Discord Jones, #6)
author: Gayla Drummond
name: Suz
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/11/25
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
4+ stars

I really like this series. They are too long to be called novellas and a bit shorter than the average current UF series novel, but they go down as quickly as novellas.

While Discordia does have a touch of the "special snowflake" trope happening, it's framed in such a way that it's not intolerable or intrusive. It's also another one of the things that is slowly being revealed as the series goes on. One of the things that I love about the series is that Cordi is always growing and learning, there is always character growth for herself and many of the secondary recurring characters.

The stories are engaging, fast paced, and there is just enough romance and smexy to know that it's there but not so much to wonder if this is actually a romance rather than an urban fantasy.

This addition to the series was no exception to the previous ones. I look forward to these books. I consider the series one of my finds of the year.

Merged review:

4+ stars

I really like this series. They are too long to be called novellas and a bit shorter than the average current UF series novel, but they go down as quickly as novellas.

While Discordia does have a touch of the "special snowflake" trope happening, it's framed in such a way that it's not intolerable or intrusive. It's also another one of the things that is slowly being revealed as the series goes on. One of the things that I love about the series is that Cordi is always growing and learning, there is always character growth for herself and many of the secondary recurring characters.

The stories are engaging, fast paced, and there is just enough romance and smexy to know that it's there but not so much to wonder if this is actually a romance rather than an urban fantasy.

This addition to the series was no exception to the previous ones. I look forward to these books. I consider the series one of my finds of the year.
]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow Reader (Shadow Reader, #1)]]> 12188405 320 Sandy Williams 1101545283 Suz 2 urban-fantasy, tstl
The bad news - the protagonist is a 26 year old virgin who apparently has mega magic but can't defend herself so has to be rescued from pretty much everything. She's spent 10 years, that's right - 10 YEARS, necking with a guy who's told her "we can never be together" out of one side of his mouth while macking with her every chance he gets out of the other side of his mouth. Enter (very early on) the third point of the triangle who proceeds to abuse her, use her, even slits her throat, and all the girl can think is "but he's so hot."

The book is about a love triangle with two arrogant assholes and the pitiful over grown little girl with abandonment issues who can't leave them alone. Because, you know, they're so hot.

There were several plot holes big enough to drive a truck through, but it's ok because, you know, they're so hot.

The protag learned a few things by the end of the book, but it was painful to wade through to get to that point. It was like reading a 13 year old's diary.

I'm not feeling the love that this book got from so many others. I found it banal and pedestrian.]]> 3.67 2011 The Shadow Reader (Shadow Reader, #1)
author: Sandy Williams
name: Suz
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at: 2011/12/14
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy, tstl
review:
The good news - it doesn't end on a cliff hanger although it leaves enough unresolved that it could be a series. The world is fairly interesting and the conflicts across worlds, races, and classes was engaging with a twist here and there.

The bad news - the protagonist is a 26 year old virgin who apparently has mega magic but can't defend herself so has to be rescued from pretty much everything. She's spent 10 years, that's right - 10 YEARS, necking with a guy who's told her "we can never be together" out of one side of his mouth while macking with her every chance he gets out of the other side of his mouth. Enter (very early on) the third point of the triangle who proceeds to abuse her, use her, even slits her throat, and all the girl can think is "but he's so hot."

The book is about a love triangle with two arrogant assholes and the pitiful over grown little girl with abandonment issues who can't leave them alone. Because, you know, they're so hot.

There were several plot holes big enough to drive a truck through, but it's ok because, you know, they're so hot.

The protag learned a few things by the end of the book, but it was painful to wade through to get to that point. It was like reading a 13 year old's diary.

I'm not feeling the love that this book got from so many others. I found it banal and pedestrian.
]]> <![CDATA[The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, #3)]]> 15872438 A war to the death.

Empress Adele has launched a grand crusade against the vampire clans of the north. Prince Gareth, the vampire lord of Scotland, serves the Equatorian cause, fighting in the bloody trenches of France in his guise as the dashing Greyfriar. But the human armies are pinned down, battered by harsh weather and merciless attacks from vampire packs.

To even the odds, Adele unleashes the power of her geomancy, a fearsome weapon capable of slaughtering vampires in vast numbers. However, the power she expends threatens her own life even as she questions the morality of such a weapon.

As the war turns ever bloodier and Adele is threatened by betrayal, Gareth faces a terrible choice. Their only hope is a desperate strike against the lord of the vampire clans—Gareth’s brother, Cesare. It is a gamble that could win the war or signal the final days of the Greyfriar.

The Vampire Empire trilogy rushes to a heart-wrenching conclusion of honor and love, hatred and vengeance, sacrifice and loss.]]> 374 Clay Griffith 1616146753 Suz 5 steampunk, urban-fantasy
Negatives? The vast majority of the book was about the war and planning the war. The epilogue-explanation ending felt a bit rushed. We don't get the disposition of the vampires in Paris and other parts of Europe and are left to assume that dealing with them is still to come. The same could be said for the Americas and Asias.

I would have liked a bit more personal peek into the consummation of the relationship, I certainly waited patiently enough for it and felt a bit cheated when it was handled in a fade-to-black reference.

This story is epic fantasy wrapped in a slightly steampunk/ vampire/ magic wrapping. But it's epic fantasy for sure.]]> 4.20 2012 The Kingmakers (Vampire Empire, #3)
author: Clay Griffith
name: Suz
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2012/09/11
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: steampunk, urban-fantasy
review:
Solid 4.5 stars. An overall satisfying end to the trilogy although I could continue to read about the protags and their world. These characters certainly captured me.

Negatives? The vast majority of the book was about the war and planning the war. The epilogue-explanation ending felt a bit rushed. We don't get the disposition of the vampires in Paris and other parts of Europe and are left to assume that dealing with them is still to come. The same could be said for the Americas and Asias.

I would have liked a bit more personal peek into the consummation of the relationship, I certainly waited patiently enough for it and felt a bit cheated when it was handled in a fade-to-black reference.

This story is epic fantasy wrapped in a slightly steampunk/ vampire/ magic wrapping. But it's epic fantasy for sure.
]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key, #1)]]> 23460383 They are the realm’s last, best defense against supernatural evil. But they’re going to need a lot more silver.

As fog descends, obscuring the gas lamps of Victorian London, werewolves prowl the shadows of back alleys. But they have infiltrated the inner circles of upper-crust society as well. Only a handful of specially gifted practitioners are equipped to battle the beasts. Among them are the roguish Simon Archer, who conceals his powers as a spell-casting scribe behind the smooth veneer of a dashing playboy; his layabout mentor, Nick Barker, who prefers a good pub to thrilling heroics; and the self-possessed alchemist Kate Anstruther, who is equally at home in a ballroom as she is on a battlefield.

After a lycanthrope targets Kate’s vulnerable younger sister, the three join forces with fierce Scottish monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane—but quickly discover they’re dealing with a threat far greater than anything they ever imagined.]]> 322 Clay Griffith 0345539516 Suz 4
My review posted today at and here on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ at Edens Bookshelf.

When my friends at Edensbookshelf asked if I was interested in reviewing an ARC of the newest urban fantasy offering from Clay & Susan Griffith, I squealed an enthusiastic “YES!� I am admittedly an ardent fan of the Vampire Empire series and hoped for a new series from these authors that I would enjoy at least as much as I had it. I was not disappointed in the first offering in the trilogy. In fact, I had no time to consider comparisons as I read because the world, the characters, and the story swept me up and carried me away.

The Shadow Revolution is set in Victorian London and features a gritty, slightly steampunk landscape in which the worst of the worst have been unwittingly released from imprisonment in the Bastille when it was stormed and are now, apparently, looking to recreate their niches and dominance in the world. But these are no ordinary bad guys, these are magic practitioners and monsters so vile they were long secreted away in the Bastille, locked away for so long they had come to be considered myth by most. Rather than spending much time in world-building the book jumps right into action, monsters, and magic use in the very first chapter. Be prepared because the monsters are decidedly nasty, the bad guys are exceptionally inventive, and the results are quintessentially macabre. Don’t be disheartened by all this nastiness, however, because the good guys are all slightly broken in their own unique ways, well-meaning, and very good at what they do. More, they are each endearing in their way and even the grumpiest of them will draw you in and make you their friend, rooting for their victory. There are a few who will leave you wondering what they are about, though, and a few that will break your heart such that you will keep turning the pages needing to know what will happen next.

The primary protagonists, Simon Archer and Kate Anstruther, are both a bit unusual for the time period. Simon, a bit more typical of the times, poses as a rake to hide his magical abilities from society at large and from other magic practitioners. Kate, a “modern� woman that has found herself the matriarch of her family, is less concerned with the opinions of society than with caring for her family, doing the right thing, and facing whatever comes. The daughter of a renowned explorer she is not only an accomplished alchemist but also a surprisingly competent fighter. The two meet in this, the first installment of the trilogy, and after a bumpy start find that circumstance and their own attractions bring them together. Those of you who wish for immediate romance won’t get it here, but those of you who are quite happy with a slow burn romance will find Simon and Kate’s blossoming relationship compelling. The relationship does take a distant back seat to the rest of the story and is more alluded to than actualized, leaving one with the sense of more to come.

At first blush it seems that the fight will be against werewolves, but I assure you that is just the tip of the iceberg. Kate’s younger sister is kidnapped and the process of trying to rescue her peels back a story that gets increasingly macabre and shudder-worthy as it is revealed. These are not romance hero monsters.

Things that stood out for me over and above the story, and perhaps a bit in comparison to the Vampire Empire series, is that the story brought you along and allowed the world to build as the story did, rather then spending any significant amount of time in world building alone. Also a stand out is that there was character growth even in this, the first book of the trilogy, with characters brought to face personal misconceptions and practices that may have previously stunted their growth. They are forced to stretch beyond their comfort zones to achieve their goals. I think it only fair that I tell you I am currently reading book 2 in the series and, happily, this is a trend that continues even with the captivating secondary characters.

I did not want to leave this world and these characters when I closed this book. Those of you who know me know that I have been called sensitive to cliff-hangers. It’s true, I loathe them. I can not tell you that all things are resolved in this entry to the series, but I can tell you my wish to stay in the world had more to do with just enjoying the immersion and wanting more of it than it did with the parts of the story that are ongoing. Even though the book ends knowing that it is just the beginning of the conflict and many crises from the book do not get resolved, there is still a satisfying and tightly written end to the book arc that did not leave me feeling as if I had been toyed with. Further, I was joyous to learn the entire trilogy is set to be released within a two month period. Book 1 is set to release on June 2nd, book 2 is scheduled for a June 30th release, and book 3 is set for release a month later on July 28th. Who can complain about near instant gratification?

Bottom Line: This is very nearly a perfect urban fantasy with a splash of steampunk. You won’t want to leave the world either.]]> 3.56 2015 The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key, #1)
author: Clay Griffith
name: Suz
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/04/20
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy, steampunk, horror, historical, arc
review:
4.5 stars

My review posted today at and here on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ at Edens Bookshelf.

When my friends at Edensbookshelf asked if I was interested in reviewing an ARC of the newest urban fantasy offering from Clay & Susan Griffith, I squealed an enthusiastic “YES!� I am admittedly an ardent fan of the Vampire Empire series and hoped for a new series from these authors that I would enjoy at least as much as I had it. I was not disappointed in the first offering in the trilogy. In fact, I had no time to consider comparisons as I read because the world, the characters, and the story swept me up and carried me away.

The Shadow Revolution is set in Victorian London and features a gritty, slightly steampunk landscape in which the worst of the worst have been unwittingly released from imprisonment in the Bastille when it was stormed and are now, apparently, looking to recreate their niches and dominance in the world. But these are no ordinary bad guys, these are magic practitioners and monsters so vile they were long secreted away in the Bastille, locked away for so long they had come to be considered myth by most. Rather than spending much time in world-building the book jumps right into action, monsters, and magic use in the very first chapter. Be prepared because the monsters are decidedly nasty, the bad guys are exceptionally inventive, and the results are quintessentially macabre. Don’t be disheartened by all this nastiness, however, because the good guys are all slightly broken in their own unique ways, well-meaning, and very good at what they do. More, they are each endearing in their way and even the grumpiest of them will draw you in and make you their friend, rooting for their victory. There are a few who will leave you wondering what they are about, though, and a few that will break your heart such that you will keep turning the pages needing to know what will happen next.

The primary protagonists, Simon Archer and Kate Anstruther, are both a bit unusual for the time period. Simon, a bit more typical of the times, poses as a rake to hide his magical abilities from society at large and from other magic practitioners. Kate, a “modern� woman that has found herself the matriarch of her family, is less concerned with the opinions of society than with caring for her family, doing the right thing, and facing whatever comes. The daughter of a renowned explorer she is not only an accomplished alchemist but also a surprisingly competent fighter. The two meet in this, the first installment of the trilogy, and after a bumpy start find that circumstance and their own attractions bring them together. Those of you who wish for immediate romance won’t get it here, but those of you who are quite happy with a slow burn romance will find Simon and Kate’s blossoming relationship compelling. The relationship does take a distant back seat to the rest of the story and is more alluded to than actualized, leaving one with the sense of more to come.

At first blush it seems that the fight will be against werewolves, but I assure you that is just the tip of the iceberg. Kate’s younger sister is kidnapped and the process of trying to rescue her peels back a story that gets increasingly macabre and shudder-worthy as it is revealed. These are not romance hero monsters.

Things that stood out for me over and above the story, and perhaps a bit in comparison to the Vampire Empire series, is that the story brought you along and allowed the world to build as the story did, rather then spending any significant amount of time in world building alone. Also a stand out is that there was character growth even in this, the first book of the trilogy, with characters brought to face personal misconceptions and practices that may have previously stunted their growth. They are forced to stretch beyond their comfort zones to achieve their goals. I think it only fair that I tell you I am currently reading book 2 in the series and, happily, this is a trend that continues even with the captivating secondary characters.

I did not want to leave this world and these characters when I closed this book. Those of you who know me know that I have been called sensitive to cliff-hangers. It’s true, I loathe them. I can not tell you that all things are resolved in this entry to the series, but I can tell you my wish to stay in the world had more to do with just enjoying the immersion and wanting more of it than it did with the parts of the story that are ongoing. Even though the book ends knowing that it is just the beginning of the conflict and many crises from the book do not get resolved, there is still a satisfying and tightly written end to the book arc that did not leave me feeling as if I had been toyed with. Further, I was joyous to learn the entire trilogy is set to be released within a two month period. Book 1 is set to release on June 2nd, book 2 is scheduled for a June 30th release, and book 3 is set for release a month later on July 28th. Who can complain about near instant gratification?

Bottom Line: This is very nearly a perfect urban fantasy with a splash of steampunk. You won’t want to leave the world either.
]]> Frost Moon (Skindancer, #1) 19452111 228 Anthony Francis 1935661078 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
Strong female protagonist that is well written but not invulnerable or bitchy. She's smart and smart mouthed but not as tough as she could be and she knows it and is working on it. Or at least she figured it out in this book.

Several of the secondary characters I was resistant to liking but inevitably did. The author won me over with them.

I enjoyed references to Atlanta and look forward to seeing more of it.

Most of all I like what I see of the world so far. It was obviously a world introduction and those are always a little bumpy, but this world building went down easy. I'm psyched for the next book.]]> 3.87 2010 Frost Moon (Skindancer, #1)
author: Anthony Francis
name: Suz
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2015/06/10
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more of this series.

Strong female protagonist that is well written but not invulnerable or bitchy. She's smart and smart mouthed but not as tough as she could be and she knows it and is working on it. Or at least she figured it out in this book.

Several of the secondary characters I was resistant to liking but inevitably did. The author won me over with them.

I enjoyed references to Atlanta and look forward to seeing more of it.

Most of all I like what I see of the world so far. It was obviously a world introduction and those are always a little bumpy, but this world building went down easy. I'm psyched for the next book.
]]> <![CDATA[Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, #1)]]> 15999312
Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.]]> 448 Bec McMaster 1402270283 Suz 4 pnr, steampunk, historical
There were a few romance tropes that were bothersome -

- virginal, plucky heroine whose pride is her downfall. If she would just allow herself to be saved by the hero all would be well

- conflict that is at least in part carried and/ or paced by the hero and heroine refusing to talk to each other

- first coitus at slightly past the half way mark in the book (typical for virgin heroines, often happens just before the half way mark for non-virgins)

I did like the way the author worked in a bit saving by the heroine, and I found myself both looking forward to the next book and chagrined that the primary protagonists in it will be secondary characters from this book - I want more of the primaries in this book!

The next book begins about three years after this one ends and the preview hooked me. I'll be reading it when it comes out.]]> 3.98 2012 Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, #1)
author: Bec McMaster
name: Suz
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/12/21
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: pnr, steampunk, historical
review:
4 to 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this. The world building was vividly dark and gritty, the characters easy to know and feel connected to, the story other than the romance was engaging. I did figure out the who-dun-it twist fairly early on but even so the way McMaster used the mystery to help build the world and lore was well done and the resolution to the conflicts were gripping.

There were a few romance tropes that were bothersome -

- virginal, plucky heroine whose pride is her downfall. If she would just allow herself to be saved by the hero all would be well

- conflict that is at least in part carried and/ or paced by the hero and heroine refusing to talk to each other

- first coitus at slightly past the half way mark in the book (typical for virgin heroines, often happens just before the half way mark for non-virgins)

I did like the way the author worked in a bit saving by the heroine, and I found myself both looking forward to the next book and chagrined that the primary protagonists in it will be secondary characters from this book - I want more of the primaries in this book!

The next book begins about three years after this one ends and the preview hooked me. I'll be reading it when it comes out.
]]> <![CDATA[Gunpowder Alchemy (The Gunpowder Chronicles, #1)]]> 22837890 In 1842, the gunpowder might of China’s Qing Dynasty fell to Britain’s steam engines. Furious, the Emperor ordered the death of his engineers—and killed China’s best chance of fighting back�

Since her father’s execution eight years ago, Jin Soling kept her family from falling into poverty. But her meager savings are running out, leaving her with no choice but to sell the last of her father’s possessions—her last memento of him.

Only, while attempting to find a buyer, Soling is caught and brought before the Crown Prince. Unlike his father, the Emperor, the Prince knows that the only chance of expelling the English invaders is to once again unite China’s cleverest minds to create fantastic weapons. He also realizes that Soling is the one person who could convince her father’s former allies—many who have turned rebel—to once again work for the Empire. He promises to restore her family name if she’ll help him in his cause.

But after the betrayal of her family all those years ago, Soling is unsure if she can trust anyone in the Forbidden City—even if her heart is longing to believe in the engineer with a hidden past who was once meant to be her husband�

Includes a preview of the second book in the Gunpowder Chronicles.]]> 287 Jeannie Lin 0698135334 Suz 0 to-read 3.63 2014 Gunpowder Alchemy (The Gunpowder Chronicles, #1)
author: Jeannie Lin
name: Suz
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #4)]]> 6520995
Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he’s found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back. But even her love may not be enough to save him.]]> 482 J.R. Ward 1101128550 Suz 5 urban-fantasy, pnr
After uncountable re-reads (I am so grateful that GRs has instituted the multiple readings tracking) I can still say that the scene where Marissa lays it on the Princeps Council is still my favorite in the entire book. It's a brief thing, and she serves it up cold, but it's bomb.

*
Yet another re-read unexpectedly happening while doing file maintenance on my library. Butch's book was never my favorite, how ever will I get through V's book without re-reading it, too?]]> 4.37 2007 Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #4)
author: J.R. Ward
name: Suz
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2017/07/14
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy, pnr
review:
July 11, 2017 re-read

After uncountable re-reads (I am so grateful that GRs has instituted the multiple readings tracking) I can still say that the scene where Marissa lays it on the Princeps Council is still my favorite in the entire book. It's a brief thing, and she serves it up cold, but it's bomb.

*
Yet another re-read unexpectedly happening while doing file maintenance on my library. Butch's book was never my favorite, how ever will I get through V's book without re-reading it, too?
]]> <![CDATA[The Blood Gospel (The Order of the Sanguines, #1)]]> 17232380
An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators--Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist--are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.

But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb's sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ's own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. The enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.

From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.

Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ's own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.

In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened--until now.]]> 501 James Rollins 0062235753 Suz 0 to-read 4.15 2013 The Blood Gospel (The Order of the Sanguines, #1)
author: James Rollins
name: Suz
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lord Gray's List (The London List, #1)]]> 17252086
The creation of Evangeline Ramsey, The London List saved her and her ailing father from destitution. But the paper has given Evie more than financial relief. As its publisher, she lives as a man, dressed in masculine garb, free to pursue and report whatever she likes--especially the latest disgraces besmirching Lord Benton Gray. It's only fair that she hang his dirty laundry, given that it was his youthful ardor that put her off marriage for good...

Lord Gray--Ben--isn't about to stand by while all of London laughs at his peccadilloes week after week. But once he discovers that the publisher is none other than pretty Evie Ramsey with her curls lopped short, his worries turn to desires--and not a one of them fit to print...]]> 337 Maggie Robinson 0758279183 Suz 3 historical, romance
The author made use of a greater than average vocabulary, which I enjoyed very much. I did occasionally find a turn of phrase here and there decidedly anachronistic, though.

Still, the characters were likeable and the set up was fun if not entirely believable.]]> 3.52 2012 Lord Gray's List (The London List, #1)
author: Maggie Robinson
name: Suz
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2014/05/15
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: historical, romance
review:
Cute. Light and fluffy, which I was looking for. Although there were some editing mishaps here and there it wasn't frustrating over all.

The author made use of a greater than average vocabulary, which I enjoyed very much. I did occasionally find a turn of phrase here and there decidedly anachronistic, though.

Still, the characters were likeable and the set up was fun if not entirely believable.
]]> <![CDATA[Crucible Zero (House Immortal, #3)]]> 24668128 The national bestselling author of Infinity Bell returns to her “fresh and unique�* world where the truce between the ruling Houses has shattered and chaos now reigns. Only one woman has the power to save the world—but she could also destroy it...

Matilda Case never thought of herself as a hero. But because she is galvanized—and nearly immortal in her stitched, endlessly healing body—she doesn’t have much of a choice. Even if she doesn’t want to save the world, she’s the only one capable of traveling in time to do so.

But her rescue attempt hasn’t gone as planned. She’s stuck in an alternate universe, and her world is in danger of disappearing. Worst of all, an unfathomably powerful man who can also travel through history doesn’t want her to put things to rights. He’s willing to wage bloody war to stop Matilda, unless she surrenders control of time to him.

Now, with the minutes ticking, Matilda must make impossible decisions, knowing that one wrong choice will destroy her—and any chance of saving everything she loves...

*A Book Obsession]]> 368 Devon Monk 0698140249 Suz 4 fantasy, scifi
I have to admit that I found the time travel aspects of this story confusing for a good portion of the story, at least until I was well into this last book. I am not sure how much of that can be attributed to the distractingly unsatisfying endings and then waiting between books or how much of it was just that it's tough to make time travel coherent. Paradox and all that.

I'm not sure I could have jumped into a new time and just immediately started loving everyone in the now that I'd watched die in the then. That said, it was nice to see the new people come around to Matilda and to watch the new Matilda having such an affect on the new world.

Also, sometimes feel good endings can cover a multitude of sins.]]> 4.34 2015 Crucible Zero (House Immortal, #3)
author: Devon Monk
name: Suz
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/09/11
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: fantasy, scifi
review:
My four star rating is for both this book, which was a satisfying ending to the trilogy, and for the series over all. However, I do not recommend the series for someone who isn't ready to read the trilogy as the first and second books both have heinous, horrible endings that just kind of stop as you're moving into the next phase of the story. They felt like cliff hangers to me, and they felt manipulative. Now that the series is complete those nasty endings can be ignored.

I have to admit that I found the time travel aspects of this story confusing for a good portion of the story, at least until I was well into this last book. I am not sure how much of that can be attributed to the distractingly unsatisfying endings and then waiting between books or how much of it was just that it's tough to make time travel coherent. Paradox and all that.

I'm not sure I could have jumped into a new time and just immediately started loving everyone in the now that I'd watched die in the then. That said, it was nice to see the new people come around to Matilda and to watch the new Matilda having such an affect on the new world.

Also, sometimes feel good endings can cover a multitude of sins.
]]> Deadtown (Deadtown, #1) 10239537 If you were undead, you'd be home by now...

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders-but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.]]> 338 Nancy Holzner 1101159677 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
Anyway, the world building is good here. It's a different world in that the lore is well laid out and believable with just enough of the things we'd expect to create comfort and just enough new things to lend interest. The secondary characters began to fill in and most of them I'm looking forward to seeing in future books, even the ones who are a bit annoying.

The book arc was nicely resolved and there were set ups in the world building for several different ways that a long arc could go. There is a triangle developing that I'm not enamored about but at this juncture there is no massive angst about it so I'll carry on.

Sex factor of less than 1.0. It could have had a bit more heat.]]> 3.55 2009 Deadtown (Deadtown, #1)
author: Nancy Holzner
name: Suz
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2012/08/04
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
Strong 3.5 stars. This is a pretty good story. The heroine is strong although she seems to put up with a lot of garbage from the folks she cares about. I'm still undecided if that makes her the strongest of the bunch of if that's going to turn out to be her baggage, some unresolved need for more connections or something.

Anyway, the world building is good here. It's a different world in that the lore is well laid out and believable with just enough of the things we'd expect to create comfort and just enough new things to lend interest. The secondary characters began to fill in and most of them I'm looking forward to seeing in future books, even the ones who are a bit annoying.

The book arc was nicely resolved and there were set ups in the world building for several different ways that a long arc could go. There is a triangle developing that I'm not enamored about but at this juncture there is no massive angst about it so I'll carry on.

Sex factor of less than 1.0. It could have had a bit more heat.
]]> Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) 24685115
Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.]]> 526 Pierce Brown 0345539850 Suz 5 scifi
But I waited to start it and now that it's complete I'm glad I waited.

]]> 4.57 2016 Morning Star (Red Rising, #3)
author: Pierce Brown
name: Suz
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/23
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: scifi
review:
I think this trilogy is the best story and characters I've read in a long time. I'm glad I waited to read it when the series was complete, though, because the endings of 1 & 2 would have bothered me if I'd had to wait.

But I waited to start it and now that it's complete I'm glad I waited.


]]> <![CDATA[The Cogsmith's Daughter (Desertera #1)]]> 27208144 In a desert wasteland, one king rules with absolute power and unquenchable lust, until one woman risks everything for vengeance.

When Aya Cogsmith was a teenager, King Archon executed her father for treason. Orphaned and destitute, Aya turns to prostitution to survive and spends years dreaming of vengeance. So, when a mysterious nobleman asks Aya to join his coup against the king, she agrees—even though it means risking her life.

In this tyrannical kingdom, adultery is punishable by death. For years, King Archon has entrapped his wives in the crime, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Aya must seduce the king and expose his criminal behavior, without getting herself executed in the process.

Will Aya avenge her father’s death? Or will she become King Archon’s next victim? Join her quest for revenge and read The Cogsmith’s Daughter today.

–â¶Ä“â¶Ä“â¶Ä“â¶Ä�

Packed with all the court intrigue of The Tudors, The Cogsmith’s Daughter marries steampunk styling with a ravaged dystopian world. It is the first novel in the Desertera series.

Other books in the Desertera series:
The Courtesan's Avenger (Desertera #2)
The Tyrant's Heir (Desertera #3) ]]> 302 Kate M. Colby 0996782516 Suz 4 dystopian, fantasy, steampunk
I'm feeling a bit torn about this book. It took me more than half of it to really get completely immersed in it, mostly because of a lot of implausibilities that could perhaps be attributed to youth in the MC and, at least in part, because the world building pace was a bit slow. After the half way point the story really started to progress, but the climax happened pretty quickly and the end felt abrupt, and although it wasn't a cliff hanger it did leave me feeling like I have to read the second to get the rest of the story - which always frustrates me a bit.

]]> 3.99 2015 The Cogsmith's Daughter (Desertera #1)
author: Kate M. Colby
name: Suz
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/10/04
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: dystopian, fantasy, steampunk
review:
3.75

I'm feeling a bit torn about this book. It took me more than half of it to really get completely immersed in it, mostly because of a lot of implausibilities that could perhaps be attributed to youth in the MC and, at least in part, because the world building pace was a bit slow. After the half way point the story really started to progress, but the climax happened pretty quickly and the end felt abrupt, and although it wasn't a cliff hanger it did leave me feeling like I have to read the second to get the rest of the story - which always frustrates me a bit.


]]> <![CDATA[The Providence of Fire (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #2)]]> 22745352 The Providence of Fire is the second novel in Brian Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, a gripping new epic fantasy series

The conspiracy to destroy the ruling family of the Annurian Empire is far from over.

Having learned the identity of her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace in search of allies to challenge the coup against her family. Few trust her, but when she is believed to be touched by Intarra, patron goddess of the empire, the people rally to help her retake the capital city. As armies prepare to clash, the threat of invasion from barbarian hordes compels the rival forces to unite against their common enemy.

Unknown to Adare, her brother Valyn, a renegade member of the empire's most elite fighting force, has allied with the invading nomads. The terrible choices each of them has made may make war between them inevitable.

Between Valyn and Adare is their brother Kaden, rightful heir to the Unhewn Throne, who has infiltrated the Annurian capital with the help of two strange companions. The knowledge they possess of the secret history that shapes these events could save Annur or destroy it.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 737 Brian Staveley 1466828447 Suz 0 epic, fantasy, dnf Tabled for later. 4.12 2015 The Providence of Fire (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #2)
author: Brian Staveley
name: Suz
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: epic, fantasy, dnf
review:
Tabled for later.
]]> <![CDATA[The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3)]]> 44159810 From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes the thrilling conclusion to the Printz Honor–winning series Arc of a Scythe.

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.]]> 637 Neal Shusterman 1481497081 Suz 4
Interesting wrap to the series. The book as a whole felt a little... scattered. Much of what happened in the book seemed to me to come from left field.

All that said, it was an engaging and novel approach to the close of the story.]]> 4.35 2019 The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3)
author: Neal Shusterman
name: Suz
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/11/26
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:
3.5

Interesting wrap to the series. The book as a whole felt a little... scattered. Much of what happened in the book seemed to me to come from left field.

All that said, it was an engaging and novel approach to the close of the story.
]]> <![CDATA[The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)]]> 18652711
Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments...and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction--and a soul-shattering test of love....]]> 281 Gena Showalter 1426850816 Suz 3 pnr 3.92 2008 The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Suz
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: pnr
review:

]]> Stray (Shifters, #1) 8141064
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays--werecats without a Pride--constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever--and whoever--I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays--'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them....]]> 400 Rachel Vincent 1426853955 Suz 2 tstl, urban-fantasy
TSTL just doesn't cover it. It was like watching the literary equivalent of a 20-something doing a 12ish foot stomp for most of the book. Until the end, which she screwed up, there was nothing redeemable about this girl, in fact I thought she was pretty insufferable.

At the end I began to believe perhaps she had grown a bit and was seeing beyond her own narcissistic reality and stepping up to give a damn about something other than her adolescent rebellion, but then she screwed the pooch by totaling messing up a plan that a lot of people put trust in her to execute and nearly getting herself killed over being upset in the moment over something. So the growth? Not as much as I'd hoped.

There is a love triangle in this books that I'm told carries throughout the entire series. Points off for that stupidity trope, too.

If you took away the sex (which isn't very much at all) and toned down the violence this would be a YA book. An insufferable heroine YA book.

Because she did grow and I'm told by reliable people that she continues to throughout the series, and because the story did get more interesting than just her being stupid, I am going to read the next. Pray for me.

]]> 3.70 2007 Stray (Shifters, #1)
author: Rachel Vincent
name: Suz
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at: 2011/12/20
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: tstl, urban-fantasy
review:
2.5 stars. They say three stars is "I liked it" and I have to be honest and say the thing I liked most about it throughout was bitching with my book lover friends about how stupid this protagonist is. Had it not been for them, and the fact that pretty much everyone I know that has read this series say they get better, I probably would not have finished this book or pushed through to where it does get better. For more than 3/4 of the book I had a serious hate on for the protagonist.

TSTL just doesn't cover it. It was like watching the literary equivalent of a 20-something doing a 12ish foot stomp for most of the book. Until the end, which she screwed up, there was nothing redeemable about this girl, in fact I thought she was pretty insufferable.

At the end I began to believe perhaps she had grown a bit and was seeing beyond her own narcissistic reality and stepping up to give a damn about something other than her adolescent rebellion, but then she screwed the pooch by totaling messing up a plan that a lot of people put trust in her to execute and nearly getting herself killed over being upset in the moment over something. So the growth? Not as much as I'd hoped.

There is a love triangle in this books that I'm told carries throughout the entire series. Points off for that stupidity trope, too.

If you took away the sex (which isn't very much at all) and toned down the violence this would be a YA book. An insufferable heroine YA book.

Because she did grow and I'm told by reliable people that she continues to throughout the series, and because the story did get more interesting than just her being stupid, I am going to read the next. Pray for me.


]]> <![CDATA[Stone Guardian (Entwined Realms, #1)]]> 18159095
Well, not normal for everyone. Larissa Miller may have been born after the Great Collision, but as a history teacher who lives in the human-only city, she has never come into contact with any other race or species, nor has she wanted to. Her life is as ordinary as it gets - that is, until one day she walks out of her apartment and is attacked by a mob of Zombies, only to be saved by a Gargoyle.

Gargoyles trust no one outside their Clan, but due to a cryptic prophecy, Terak, Leader of the Gargoyles, has been watching over the human woman for months. While he can find no reason why the woman has been singled out, something about her stirs every protective instinct within him. When the attack confirms that the threats against her exist and are real, he convinces Larissa that though their races have never been allies, the best chance of discovering why she has been brought into his world is by working together.

In the course of their investigation Terak becomes entranced by his little human. But when he discovers why Necromancers want her and the great reward that awaits him if he betrays her, he must choose between the welfare of his Clan and not only Larissa’s life, but the fate of this New Realm as well.]]> 382 Danielle Monsch 1938593057 Suz 0 pnr, urban-fantasy Review to come. 3.81 2013 Stone Guardian (Entwined Realms, #1)
author: Danielle Monsch
name: Suz
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2013/08/19
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: pnr, urban-fantasy
review:
Review to come.
]]> <![CDATA[Your Wicked Ways (Duchess Quartet, #4)]]> 8910943
But instead of a prince, she finds only her own volatile, infuriatingly handsome...husband, Rees, the Earl Godwin. They'd eloped to Gretna Green in a fiery passion, but passion can sometimes burn too hot to last.

But now, Rees makes her a brazen offer, and Helene decides to become his wife again...but not in name only. No, this time she decides to be very, very wicked indeed.]]> 384 Eloisa James 006179676X Suz 3 historical, romance
This is the first Eloisa James I've read. I was importing this series into my calibre collection in the hopes of reading it from the beginning and I got side tracked by this, the currently last book in the series, while doing some routine formatting.

My first impressions are that Eloisa James' writing is well above technical standard for the genre and historically quite interesting. I think it's just unfortunate that, with my first sampling of James' work, I found the primary protagonists quite unlikeable. I was also so personally repulsed by the heroines' willingness to debase herself into a horrible and humiliating situation that I was not gratified when the "light of a less judgmental reality" was shined on the situation. I felt as if it diminished the humanity in the secondary characters that it was meant to reveal and showcase.

The scandalous Earl was meant to seem a cad and Ms. James achieved that quite successfully, so much so that by the time there was the slightest suggestion that he might be redeemable I didn't really care. He was ultimately redeemed but the entire experience left me feeling a bit resentful that he didn't suffer more before he got his HEA. He certainly deserved to be tormented for a while. Still, by the end my heart was beginning to warm up, even if I was reluctant to allow it to do so.

I did enjoy some of the secondary characters a good bit, though, and found myself hoping that the villain of the piece would be the hero of the next book, if there were ever to be more books in this series. I'm thinking probably not, given how old the series is. Also to Ms. James' credit was the refreshing tactic of writing the hero as a virginal sexual bumbler rather than as either an experienced rake or a bright and shiny orgasm machine right out of the box.

I am hopeful that other offerings by this author will bear out more likeable characters and believable stories.

]]> 4.15 2004 Your Wicked Ways (Duchess Quartet, #4)
author: Eloisa James
name: Suz
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2012/12/13
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: historical, romance
review:
3 to 3.5 stars.

This is the first Eloisa James I've read. I was importing this series into my calibre collection in the hopes of reading it from the beginning and I got side tracked by this, the currently last book in the series, while doing some routine formatting.

My first impressions are that Eloisa James' writing is well above technical standard for the genre and historically quite interesting. I think it's just unfortunate that, with my first sampling of James' work, I found the primary protagonists quite unlikeable. I was also so personally repulsed by the heroines' willingness to debase herself into a horrible and humiliating situation that I was not gratified when the "light of a less judgmental reality" was shined on the situation. I felt as if it diminished the humanity in the secondary characters that it was meant to reveal and showcase.

The scandalous Earl was meant to seem a cad and Ms. James achieved that quite successfully, so much so that by the time there was the slightest suggestion that he might be redeemable I didn't really care. He was ultimately redeemed but the entire experience left me feeling a bit resentful that he didn't suffer more before he got his HEA. He certainly deserved to be tormented for a while. Still, by the end my heart was beginning to warm up, even if I was reluctant to allow it to do so.

I did enjoy some of the secondary characters a good bit, though, and found myself hoping that the villain of the piece would be the hero of the next book, if there were ever to be more books in this series. I'm thinking probably not, given how old the series is. Also to Ms. James' credit was the refreshing tactic of writing the hero as a virginal sexual bumbler rather than as either an experienced rake or a bright and shiny orgasm machine right out of the box.

I am hopeful that other offerings by this author will bear out more likeable characters and believable stories.


]]> Riveted (Iron Seas, #3) 15984041
Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on the airship Phatéon, flying from port to port in search of her sister and longing to return home . . . but that home is threatened when expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard.

Determined to solve the mystery of his own origin, David will stop at nothing to expose Annika’s secrets. But when disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, their very survival depends on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam . . .]]> 413 Meljean Brook 1101611359 Suz 4 steampunk, pnr I enjoyed the juxtaposition between sociological views in our world and the corresponding views in the Riveted world, and especially appreciated the "love is love" message that was very clear yet not too preachy.

The steam and mech tech is always fascinating in this series. It usually sets my imagination flying in a way that reminds me of my early days reading Heinlein. In the first book in this series I found the tech and the sociological aspects of the world building to be quite dark and gritty. I'm not sure if I've just grown accustomed to the world and therefore don't find it so jarring or if the books have changed and lightened up a bit.

I think perhaps the difference is that in the first book all the enhanced individuals were that way by force, by an enemy that had stolen their free will and turned them into a hive mind, but the subsequent books have been about people getting along in the aftermath of that, learning to adjust to a world with that tech but free will intact or restored. Maybe what I found gritty and dark was the enforced collective consciousness, not so much the enforced tech.

Either way, this is a world that I enjoy exploring. Brooks' romances are engaging enough to keep you interested and rooting for the protagonists but not so sappy to make you think you are reading the book in spite of the romance, and the stories the romances are wrapped in are always way above average and engaging in their own right.

4 to 4.5 stars.]]> 4.07 2012 Riveted (Iron Seas, #3)
author: Meljean Brook
name: Suz
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/01/06
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: steampunk, pnr
review:
The thing I enjoy most about this series is that it's a very well balanced mix between the romance and actual story. The stories are usually swashbuckling adventure jaunts within a rich and engaging steampunk alternative history Earth. This book, Riveted, was no different.
I enjoyed the juxtaposition between sociological views in our world and the corresponding views in the Riveted world, and especially appreciated the "love is love" message that was very clear yet not too preachy.

The steam and mech tech is always fascinating in this series. It usually sets my imagination flying in a way that reminds me of my early days reading Heinlein. In the first book in this series I found the tech and the sociological aspects of the world building to be quite dark and gritty. I'm not sure if I've just grown accustomed to the world and therefore don't find it so jarring or if the books have changed and lightened up a bit.

I think perhaps the difference is that in the first book all the enhanced individuals were that way by force, by an enemy that had stolen their free will and turned them into a hive mind, but the subsequent books have been about people getting along in the aftermath of that, learning to adjust to a world with that tech but free will intact or restored. Maybe what I found gritty and dark was the enforced collective consciousness, not so much the enforced tech.

Either way, this is a world that I enjoy exploring. Brooks' romances are engaging enough to keep you interested and rooting for the protagonists but not so sappy to make you think you are reading the book in spite of the romance, and the stories the romances are wrapped in are always way above average and engaging in their own right.

4 to 4.5 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children, #3)]]> 35042084 A stand-alone fantasy tale from Seanan McGuire's Alex-award winning Wayward Children series, which began in the Alex, Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning, World Fantasy Award finalist, Tiptree Honor List Every Heart a Doorway

Beneath the Sugar Sky, the third book in McGuire's Wayward Children series, returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children in a standalone contemporary fantasy for fans of all ages. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the "real" world.

When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can’t let Reality get in the way of her quest � not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.)

If she can't find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn’t have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquainted with quests...

A tale of friendship, baking, and derring-do.

May contain nuts.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 174 Seanan McGuire 0765393573 Suz 0 to-read 4.04 2018 Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children, #3)
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Suz
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1)]]> 17984141 I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.]]> 370 Marie Lu 0698171721 Suz 4 fantasy
I liked it well enough but if you need a feel good ending you won't find it here. The entire thing was tragic.

And the epilogue is just a set up for the next book. It's not a cliff hanger, but it's a superfluous marketing gimmick.

]]> 3.86 2014 The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1)
author: Marie Lu
name: Suz
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2014/11/30
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: fantasy
review:
3.5 stars.

I liked it well enough but if you need a feel good ending you won't find it here. The entire thing was tragic.

And the epilogue is just a set up for the next book. It's not a cliff hanger, but it's a superfluous marketing gimmick.


]]> <![CDATA[Death's Lover (Eternal Lovers, #1)]]> 18467122
Cian knows Eve is special the minute they lay eyes on each other. He's a supernatural being with a dangerous duty, and being seen is not part of the job description. But when he meets the kind, beautiful Eve, all the rules go out the window. Now that his superiors have gotten wind of it, he has a wicked enemy on his tail. Yet all he cares about is loving her, protecting her-and finding the right time to tell her his dark and terrible secret, a secret that threatens both of their lives . . .

90,000 words.

Previously published as The Witching Hour]]> 311 Marie Hall 145554986X Suz 0 pnr, to-read 4.01 2012 Death's Lover (Eternal Lovers, #1)
author: Marie Hall
name: Suz
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: pnr, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[King of the Road (Brotherhood of the Wheel, #2)]]> 39694425
At home in Lenoir, North Carolina, Jimmie and his squire Heck find themselves drawn into an all-out war between two competing biker gangs. One is led by a rival biker in possession of new found supernatural allies and the other is an all-female werewolf pack.

Meanwhile, Lovina is drawn into a missing-person case that leads to a Pennsylvania trailer park seemingly haunted by killer clowns.

One way or another peace must be maintained and the many roads of America must be protected. But it might just cost the Brotherhood their souls if they aren't careful.]]> 378 R.S. Belcher 0765390175 Suz 4 _audio, urban-fantasy
I liked this one even better than the first, and I love that Belcher is starting to give us a glimpse of a longer arc. I also love Bronson Pinchot's narration and voice acting, although I wish he wouldn't whisper with some of his breathier voices. His voice is so deep that when he whispers my poor ears can't hardly hear it unless I have earbuds in. That said, I don't think I'll ever be able to get my head around the character with the Scottish brogue/Hillbilly accent. I'm not sure how Pinchot manages it, but he carries it off quite well.

The story is excellent.]]> 4.37 2018 King of the Road (Brotherhood of the Wheel, #2)
author: R.S. Belcher
name: Suz
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/12/14
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: _audio, urban-fantasy
review:
4+ stars

I liked this one even better than the first, and I love that Belcher is starting to give us a glimpse of a longer arc. I also love Bronson Pinchot's narration and voice acting, although I wish he wouldn't whisper with some of his breathier voices. His voice is so deep that when he whispers my poor ears can't hardly hear it unless I have earbuds in. That said, I don't think I'll ever be able to get my head around the character with the Scottish brogue/Hillbilly accent. I'm not sure how Pinchot manages it, but he carries it off quite well.

The story is excellent.
]]> <![CDATA[Magic Binds (Kate Daniels, #9)]]> 28550026
Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this�

Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar�

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules�

--penguinrandomhouse.com]]> 333 Ilona Andrews 0698136780 Suz 5 urban-fantasy
Suffice to say that not only do we get the wonderful world that Ilona Andrews has built, with its different magic system and lore, and the action one would expect from this series, but in this book we get to see a lot of character development across multiple characters, much of which is completely unexpected.

I won't say any more because I will spoil it. But this book will grab you at the start and shake you all the way to the end.]]> 4.64 2016 Magic Binds (Kate Daniels, #9)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Suz
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/20
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
There aren't enough superlatives for me to review these books.

Suffice to say that not only do we get the wonderful world that Ilona Andrews has built, with its different magic system and lore, and the action one would expect from this series, but in this book we get to see a lot of character development across multiple characters, much of which is completely unexpected.

I won't say any more because I will spoil it. But this book will grab you at the start and shake you all the way to the end.
]]> <![CDATA[Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson, #9)]]> 25752072 Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who...always remains true to herself� (Library Journal). Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?
]]> 350 Patricia Briggs 0698180917 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
I enjoyed this entry in the series. It seems that Adam and Mercy's bond grows stronger all the time, both of them growing and learning to be more open with each other. I liked the snarky kid that isn't, well eventually I liked him.

Most of all I enjoyed the movement on the "fae war" front. I have to be honest, this hasn't felt like much of a war yet. But this entry did focus on it a good bit.

It will be interesting to me to see what comes of the Columbia Basin Pack's autonomy from Bran and the rest. In time.]]> 4.55 2016 Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson, #9)
author: Patricia Briggs
name: Suz
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/14
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
4.5 stars

I enjoyed this entry in the series. It seems that Adam and Mercy's bond grows stronger all the time, both of them growing and learning to be more open with each other. I liked the snarky kid that isn't, well eventually I liked him.

Most of all I enjoyed the movement on the "fae war" front. I have to be honest, this hasn't felt like much of a war yet. But this entry did focus on it a good bit.

It will be interesting to me to see what comes of the Columbia Basin Pack's autonomy from Bran and the rest. In time.
]]> <![CDATA[Death's Rival (Jane Yellowrock, #5)]]> 12889903
For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to a war declaration, Leo knows his rival is both powerful and vicious, but Leo’s not about to run scared. After all, he has Jane. But then, a plague strikes, one that takes down vampires and makes their masters easy prey.]]> 338 Faith Hunter 1101596546 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
I'm getting pretty tired of her being involved with impossible guys, though. This book added a new one to the mix and brought the other two back (when I thought one of the other two was gone). Although I've always been a big Bruiser fan and this book had lots of him in it I can't say that I enjoyed his interaction that much. It's abundantly obvious that he can't ever make her his priority and I'd like to see Jane have someone in her life that puts her first. She's never had that and deserves it. Leo and Bruiser and Katie pissed me off enough to want them all staked.

I like the new guy well enough but feel pretty neutral about him over all. We'll see how it develops. I found his younger brother to be a more interesting character.

The end left me wondering if the series was going to go in a new direction, as the entire book seemed to be moving towards, of if it was going to slide back into the same format-becoming-formula of all the previous books.

Either way, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Quite possibly the best in the entire series so far.

Merged review:

Strong 4 to 4.5 stars. There was a lot of personal growth for Jane in this installment, which was my biggest complaint with the last one. She's rediscovering who she is and how that relates to the world. I liked that a lot.

I'm getting pretty tired of her being involved with impossible guys, though. This book added a new one to the mix and brought the other two back (when I thought one of the other two was gone). Although I've always been a big Bruiser fan and this book had lots of him in it I can't say that I enjoyed his interaction that much. It's abundantly obvious that he can't ever make her his priority and I'd like to see Jane have someone in her life that puts her first. She's never had that and deserves it. Leo and Bruiser and Katie pissed me off enough to want them all staked.

I like the new guy well enough but feel pretty neutral about him over all. We'll see how it develops. I found his younger brother to be a more interesting character.

The end left me wondering if the series was going to go in a new direction, as the entire book seemed to be moving towards, of if it was going to slide back into the same format-becoming-formula of all the previous books.

Either way, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Quite possibly the best in the entire series so far.]]> 4.31 2012 Death's Rival (Jane Yellowrock, #5)
author: Faith Hunter
name: Suz
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/10/30
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
Strong 4 to 4.5 stars. There was a lot of personal growth for Jane in this installment, which was my biggest complaint with the last one. She's rediscovering who she is and how that relates to the world. I liked that a lot.

I'm getting pretty tired of her being involved with impossible guys, though. This book added a new one to the mix and brought the other two back (when I thought one of the other two was gone). Although I've always been a big Bruiser fan and this book had lots of him in it I can't say that I enjoyed his interaction that much. It's abundantly obvious that he can't ever make her his priority and I'd like to see Jane have someone in her life that puts her first. She's never had that and deserves it. Leo and Bruiser and Katie pissed me off enough to want them all staked.

I like the new guy well enough but feel pretty neutral about him over all. We'll see how it develops. I found his younger brother to be a more interesting character.

The end left me wondering if the series was going to go in a new direction, as the entire book seemed to be moving towards, of if it was going to slide back into the same format-becoming-formula of all the previous books.

Either way, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Quite possibly the best in the entire series so far.

Merged review:

Strong 4 to 4.5 stars. There was a lot of personal growth for Jane in this installment, which was my biggest complaint with the last one. She's rediscovering who she is and how that relates to the world. I liked that a lot.

I'm getting pretty tired of her being involved with impossible guys, though. This book added a new one to the mix and brought the other two back (when I thought one of the other two was gone). Although I've always been a big Bruiser fan and this book had lots of him in it I can't say that I enjoyed his interaction that much. It's abundantly obvious that he can't ever make her his priority and I'd like to see Jane have someone in her life that puts her first. She's never had that and deserves it. Leo and Bruiser and Katie pissed me off enough to want them all staked.

I like the new guy well enough but feel pretty neutral about him over all. We'll see how it develops. I found his younger brother to be a more interesting character.

The end left me wondering if the series was going to go in a new direction, as the entire book seemed to be moving towards, of if it was going to slide back into the same format-becoming-formula of all the previous books.

Either way, I enjoyed this book a great deal. Quite possibly the best in the entire series so far.
]]> Bloodstone (Deadtown, #3) 12044372 337 Nancy Holzner 1101544341 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
In the last book I said that the long arc was resolved with the destruction of a nemesis and a new bad guy was set up. I was wrong. This long arc was a continuation of the previous arc although the focus of the arc shifted a bit. Props to the author for making the shift seamless and natural.

There were several places in this book that I thought people explaining things to each other was a bit too reliant on the "tell instead of show" but what was conveyed in those spots was a significant amount of information that could have feasibly taken an entire book to "show" so although it did stick out a bit I have to say that over all it was a pretty good way to fill in what could have been huge gaps in story, and in the process it opened up some history that was interesting and fattened up some recurring characters, too.

The ending was perfect. The story line has plenty of long arc room left to continue on, but the book arc closed in a tidy and satisfying way. I have no complaints with the ending at all.

This was a good entry in the series.]]> 3.95 2011 Bloodstone (Deadtown, #3)
author: Nancy Holzner
name: Suz
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/09/05
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
This is really good and consistent series. The world is engaging even if the zombies are a bit fluffy and funny. I'm still pleased that the triangle trope that was developing in the early books was resolved in the last book and remained so into this book, with the romantic relationship continuing to blossom and strengthen without it being too much of a focus of the story.

In the last book I said that the long arc was resolved with the destruction of a nemesis and a new bad guy was set up. I was wrong. This long arc was a continuation of the previous arc although the focus of the arc shifted a bit. Props to the author for making the shift seamless and natural.

There were several places in this book that I thought people explaining things to each other was a bit too reliant on the "tell instead of show" but what was conveyed in those spots was a significant amount of information that could have feasibly taken an entire book to "show" so although it did stick out a bit I have to say that over all it was a pretty good way to fill in what could have been huge gaps in story, and in the process it opened up some history that was interesting and fattened up some recurring characters, too.

The ending was perfect. The story line has plenty of long arc room left to continue on, but the book arc closed in a tidy and satisfying way. I have no complaints with the ending at all.

This was a good entry in the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark, #1)]]> 14731827
Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation-or her ultimate damnation?]]> 452 Gena Showalter 1459233182 Suz 3 pnr
Be that as it may, by the end of the story I was still rooting for the couple and most of the secondary characters. They are all delightfully damaged heroes with deep seated neurosis, traumatized in heinous ways, all waiting to be saved by the loves of their lives which they aren't even aware can exist yet. I'm sure Showalter will make sure that it is a series with something for everyone in her imitable paranormal romance style.

****
Not off to a good start with this ebook. I'm in forced margin hell with poor formatting. HELLO! I use an ebook because I need large fonts! With these forced margins I get 2 to 3 words on a line and the rest is WHITE SPACE! Stop forcing your printed page requirements on your ebooks, publishers!]]> 4.10 2012 Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark, #1)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Suz
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2012/07/03
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: pnr
review:
3.5 Stars. There was a noticeable absence of some of the more infuriating genre tropes, like the tstl heroine and denial-as-plot-device, for example. Those weren't there and for that I am grateful. The heroine is quite likeable, in fact. Plucky and brave she is. I wondered how one could manage to be so traumatized in an ongoing fashion and manage it. I didn't warm up to the hero until well passed the half way mark, he was just an ignorant asshole until he got his ah-ha moment, and he was dense enough that it took several of them. I have a difficult time figuring out how a being could be several thousand years old and this narcissistic, it doesn't promote empathy in me.

Be that as it may, by the end of the story I was still rooting for the couple and most of the secondary characters. They are all delightfully damaged heroes with deep seated neurosis, traumatized in heinous ways, all waiting to be saved by the loves of their lives which they aren't even aware can exist yet. I'm sure Showalter will make sure that it is a series with something for everyone in her imitable paranormal romance style.

****
Not off to a good start with this ebook. I'm in forced margin hell with poor formatting. HELLO! I use an ebook because I need large fonts! With these forced margins I get 2 to 3 words on a line and the rest is WHITE SPACE! Stop forcing your printed page requirements on your ebooks, publishers!
]]> <![CDATA[Cosmic Powers: The Saga Anthology of Far-Away Galaxies]]> 32052490 A collection of original, epic science fiction stories by some of today’s best writers—for fans who want a little less science and a lot more action—and edited by two-time Hugo Award winner John Joseph Adams.Inspired by movies like The Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars, this anthology features brand-new stories from some of science fiction’s best authors including Dan Abnett, Jack Campbell, Linda Nagata, Seanan McGuire, Alan Dean Foster, Charlie Jane Anders, Kameron Hurley, and many others.]]> 320 John Joseph Adams 1481435035 Suz 0 to-read 3.78 2017 Cosmic Powers: The Saga Anthology of Far-Away Galaxies
author: John Joseph Adams
name: Suz
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wicked as She Wants (Blud, #2)]]> 15769987 The second book in the darkly tempting Blud series, featuring a vampire princess who embarks upon a dangerous journey to claim what is rightfully hers.

When Blud princess Ahnastasia wakes up, drained and starving in a suitcase, she’s not sure which calls to her more: the sound of music or the scent of blood. The source of both sensations is a handsome and mysterious man named Casper Sterling. Once the most celebrated musician in London, Sangland, he’s fallen on hard times. Now, much to Ahna’s frustration, the debauched and reckless human is her only ticket back home to the snow-rimmed and magical land of Freesia.

Together with Casper’s prickly charge, a scrappy orphan named Keen, they seek passage to Ahna’s homeland, where a power-hungry sorceress named Ravenna holds the royal family in thrall. Traveling from the back alleys of London to the sparkling minarets of Muscovy, Ahna discovers that Freesia holds new perils and dangerous foes. Back in her country, she is forced to choose between the heart she never knew she had and the land that she was born to rule. But with Casper’s help, Ahna may find a way to have it all�.]]> 384 Delilah S. Dawson 1451657927 Suz 4
My apologies for not reviewing this in full. It's an excellent book and I was too ill to get the review out.

***
Watch for review to come on Blog.]]> 3.80 2013 Wicked as She Wants (Blud, #2)
author: Delilah S. Dawson
name: Suz
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/04/12
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: pnr, steampunk, urban-fantasy, arc
review:
4.5 stars.

My apologies for not reviewing this in full. It's an excellent book and I was too ill to get the review out.

***
Watch for review to come on Blog.
]]> <![CDATA[Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #10)]]> 4924617 444 Laurell K. Hamilton 1101146338 Suz 5 4.13 2001 Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #10)
author: Laurell K. Hamilton
name: Suz
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free]]> 6567678 NATIONAL BESTSELLERThe three Great Premises of Idiot · Any theory is valid if it sells books, soaks up ratings, or otherwise moves units· Anything can be true if someone says it loudly enough· Fact is that which enough people believe. Truth is determined by how fervently they believe it With his trademark wit and insight, veteran journalist Charles Pierce delivers a gut-wrenching, side-splitting lament about the glorification of ignorance in the United States. Pierce asks how a country founded on intellectual curiosity has somehow deteriorated into a nation of simpletons more apt to vote for an American Idol contestant than a presidential candidate. But his thunderous denunciation is also a secret call to action, as he hopes that somehow, being intelligent will stop being a stigma, and that pinheads will once again be pitied, not celebrated. Erudite and razor-sharp, Idiot America is at once an invigorating history lesson, a cutting cultural critique, and a bullish appeal to our smarter selves.]]> 306 Charles P. Pierce 0767932080 Suz 0 to-read, nonfiction, politics Looking forward to this. 3.90 2008 Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free
author: Charles P. Pierce
name: Suz
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: to-read, nonfiction, politics
review:
Looking forward to this.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bloodline War (The Community, #1)]]> 20410704
THE BLOODLINE WAR is a dark paranormal romance, containing profanity and some adult situations.

A car accident changes everything for Dr. Toni Parthen. Her computer hacked hospital blood test confirms she’s the carrier of a gene that’s the key to salvation for a unique race of human beings. Abducted from her hospital room to a secret, underground community, Toni is asked to do the unthinkable: procreate with a man from a race called Varcolac—a species that must consume the blood of other humans to survive. Then bizarre turns dangerous, because a new, mysterious enemy also wants her special DNA, and Toni finds herself in the middle of an all-out war to possess her.
It’s the job of Jacken Brun, leader of the Warrior Class, to keep the captured women safe from a demonic race of humans who rule a neighboring part of their underground world. His challenges multiply when Toni inflames the women into mutiny, and then there’s his biggest problem…his growing desire for the infuriating woman herself. Afflicted with a dark genetic makeup, Jacken can never be with a woman. Until Toni uses her scientific ingenuity to find a way for her and Jacken to be together. But then the new enemy faction unearths Toni and drags her to their hidden lair, where they’ll inflict an unspeakable cruelty on her to gain access to her valuable genes.
It will take every warrior skill Jacken owns to save the woman he loves, but only if he can find her in time�.

~ Great paranormal romance, vampire romance, Gothic, military romantic suspense, brotherhood of warriors, alpha males!
]]> 402 Tracy Tappan 0991261313 Suz 3 pnr
It was ok. It wanted to be original but suffered from a "breeding program" story line trope. As might be expected that trope is riddled with women being kidnapped, women being considered chattel, women being raped (or attempted) ad nauseum, and of course the inevitable Stockholm Syndrome that is presented here as the "heroes" finally waking up to their ill conceived ways and redeeming themselves.

It wasn't poorly presented at all. In fact it was fairly well written and I MIGHT read the next two just to see how the long arc goes - eventually.

But the "women abducted to be used as brood mares" thing is not my cup of tea.

ETA: All the accents on the names is an insipid device. My reader didn't like half of them so I was forced to guess what the author meant to name people.]]> 4.21 2013 The Bloodline War (The Community, #1)
author: Tracy Tappan
name: Suz
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/28
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: pnr
review:
2.5 stars

It was ok. It wanted to be original but suffered from a "breeding program" story line trope. As might be expected that trope is riddled with women being kidnapped, women being considered chattel, women being raped (or attempted) ad nauseum, and of course the inevitable Stockholm Syndrome that is presented here as the "heroes" finally waking up to their ill conceived ways and redeeming themselves.

It wasn't poorly presented at all. In fact it was fairly well written and I MIGHT read the next two just to see how the long arc goes - eventually.

But the "women abducted to be used as brood mares" thing is not my cup of tea.

ETA: All the accents on the names is an insipid device. My reader didn't like half of them so I was forced to guess what the author meant to name people.
]]> <![CDATA[A Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2)]]> 50097510 421 Evie Dunmore 0349424128 Suz 0 historical, romance, to-read 4.12 2020 A Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2)
author: Evie Dunmore
name: Suz
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: historical, romance, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Earl's New Bride (Daughters of Amhurst Book 1)]]> 26136984 No woman dared to love him...

England, 1819

The Earl of Amhurst has returned to his estate in search of a wife and, more importantly, an heir. Simon Devere isn't interested in some comely, simpering creature. A beautiful woman only brings heartbreak and ruin, and Simon's disfigured visage is proof enough of that. No, he wants a wife who is unattractive and undesirable-and the homelier, the better.

But nothing about Lady Henrietta Beauchamp is homely. She is lovely and sweet... and struggles to mix with polite society when she would so much rather have plants for company. And yet Simon is her only hope for keeping Plumburn Castle in her family's possession. Even if it means marrying a man she doesn't love.

It's an impossible and unlikely match... unless this awkward beauty can bring hope back into a solitary beast's life.

]]> 216 Frances Fowlkes 1633753980 Suz 3 historical, romance
The secondary plot didn't actually ramp up until 2/3 through the book, so there was a lot of repeating the angst going on to that point.

The HEA was nice, though.

I read it as a palate cleanser and it was fine for that.]]> 3.74 2015 The Earl's New Bride (Daughters of Amhurst Book 1)
author: Frances Fowlkes
name: Suz
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/09/12
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: historical, romance
review:
A light and fast read. It could have been more closely copy edited. The story was a bit insipid, with the primary protagonists both suffering with nearly debilitating angst regarding the sources of their low self esteem.

The secondary plot didn't actually ramp up until 2/3 through the book, so there was a lot of repeating the angst going on to that point.

The HEA was nice, though.

I read it as a palate cleanser and it was fine for that.
]]> <![CDATA[Wondering Sight (The Extraordinaries, #2)]]> 32978677
Humiliated, Sophia returns to London, but Lord Endicott follows her, intent on making her life increasingly miserable. Furious and desperate, Sophia takes the only course left to her: she sets out to discover Lord Endicott’s criminal enterprises, to expose him as the fraud he is and bring him to justice.

Sophia’s allies are few, but loyal. Cecy, her best friend, supports Sophia in her quest, while her cousin Lady Daphne, an irrepressible Extraordinary Bounder, is always ready for a challenge that will strike at Lord Endicott’s heart. And always watching her is the mysterious Mr. Rutledge, who claims to be interested in Sophia’s friendship—and possibly more than that—but who has an agenda of his own.

But as Sophia delves deeper into prophetic Dreams, Cecy and Daphne begin to fear for Sophia’s health and sanity. Driven to collapse by her frequent Dreaming, Sophia is forced to reevaluate her motives: does she want Lord Endicott brought to justice, or is it revenge she seeks? As Sophia draws closer to the secret of Lord Endicott’s criminal enterprise, a counterfeiting ring, his torment of Sophia increases, until the two are bound together by their respective obsessions. Though Sophia insists she is in control, her friends fear she is turning into the man she most hates.

Sophia’s Dreams and Visions are leading her to just one place: the destruction of Lord Endicott. But the cost of her vengeance may be too high—and may demand the sacrifice of her own life.]]> 392 Melissa McShane 1620076551 Suz 0 3.71 2017 Wondering Sight (The Extraordinaries, #2)
author: Melissa McShane
name: Suz
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: to-read, historical, fantasy, steampunk
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Burn Bright (Alpha & Omega, #5)]]> 36194120
They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn...]]> 336 Patricia Briggs 0698195833 Suz 4 urban-fantasy
I don't understand the broo-ha-ha about Bran that people are freaking out about. First, these are fictional characters. Second, if you absolutely can't force yourself to remember that these are fictional characters then let's discuss how women/girls were treated when Bran was raised - what? 1000 years or so ago. I assure you that being attracted to a teenager was not untoward back then. In fact, giving a girl a say in who she will marry when she hits puberty was uncommon. So Bran sending Mercy away when she was a teen because he might have been attracted to her was far from the worst thing he could have done. As for the situation with Leah, Bran tries to let the pack manage itself as much as possible and I can certainly understand why. He also has to deal with his own wolf, who chose/accepted Leah.

Finally, and this is the big one, I will never understand people who attempt to impose contemporary morality on elder fictional characters and then freak out when they don't fit. Why even read about a character from a time before your own if you can't deal with changes that are that significant? I have no issues with a person stating "this is not for me" and then leaving it alone. Please do, in fact. But whinging because an author hasn't written a fictional character to suit every single reader, every single perspective, and every single personal morality is more than a little narcissistic.

/end unsolicited rant]]> 4.53 2018 Burn Bright (Alpha & Omega, #5)
author: Patricia Briggs
name: Suz
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/26
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
I thought this was as good as any of the previous Alpha & Omega books by Briggs, perhaps better than a couple of them.

I don't understand the broo-ha-ha about Bran that people are freaking out about. First, these are fictional characters. Second, if you absolutely can't force yourself to remember that these are fictional characters then let's discuss how women/girls were treated when Bran was raised - what? 1000 years or so ago. I assure you that being attracted to a teenager was not untoward back then. In fact, giving a girl a say in who she will marry when she hits puberty was uncommon. So Bran sending Mercy away when she was a teen because he might have been attracted to her was far from the worst thing he could have done. As for the situation with Leah, Bran tries to let the pack manage itself as much as possible and I can certainly understand why. He also has to deal with his own wolf, who chose/accepted Leah.

Finally, and this is the big one, I will never understand people who attempt to impose contemporary morality on elder fictional characters and then freak out when they don't fit. Why even read about a character from a time before your own if you can't deal with changes that are that significant? I have no issues with a person stating "this is not for me" and then leaving it alone. Please do, in fact. But whinging because an author hasn't written a fictional character to suit every single reader, every single perspective, and every single personal morality is more than a little narcissistic.

/end unsolicited rant
]]> <![CDATA[Reaver (Lords of Deliverance #5; Demonica #10)]]> 17998164 "Wild, wicked, and wonderfully imaginative!" -Sylvia Day, New York Times bestselling author

The Demonica series returns....

WARRIOR OF HEAVEN



Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he's agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before . . . to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.

ANGEL OF HELL



Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she's doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan's lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld's darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel's blood . . .]]> 400 Larissa Ione 1455526967 Suz 0 to-read, pnr Dec 17 4.47 2013 Reaver (Lords of Deliverance #5; Demonica #10)
author: Larissa Ione
name: Suz
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: to-read, pnr
review:
Dec 17
]]> Rogue (Shifters, #2) 8141067 400 Rachel Vincent 1426853947 Suz 1
I think I may have read one book that was worse this year, but this is a close second.

I do not feel compelled to continue this series while there are more interesting things to be involved with. This is like reading bad young adult angsty bullshit that is made "adult" with the addition of a bit of sex (in this case a veritable territory-marking fuck - he could have just urinated on her and accomplished the same thing) and some descriptive violence.

This is truly one of the worst series I've ever tried to read. Maybe I will come back to it, some day - when I'm really bored.]]> 4.02 2008 Rogue (Shifters, #2)
author: Rachel Vincent
name: Suz
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2008
rating: 1
read at: 2011/12/25
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: urban-fantasy, tstl, cliff-hanger
review:
Cliff hanger type set up for next book. Series should be renamed Dysfunction Junction. Faythe is still too stupid to live and it's used as a plot pacing device. Any movement in EVERY relationship in the series is based on emotional dysfunction and drama. The only tension that was in this drab book was the emotional over reacting in the romance. Faythe once again made everything worse, and put everyone in more danger, because she prefers to avoid seeing or speaking about reality until she is forced to.

I think I may have read one book that was worse this year, but this is a close second.

I do not feel compelled to continue this series while there are more interesting things to be involved with. This is like reading bad young adult angsty bullshit that is made "adult" with the addition of a bit of sex (in this case a veritable territory-marking fuck - he could have just urinated on her and accomplished the same thing) and some descriptive violence.

This is truly one of the worst series I've ever tried to read. Maybe I will come back to it, some day - when I'm really bored.
]]> <![CDATA[Have Stakes, Will Travel (Jane Yellowrock, #4.5)]]> 15986286 Have Stakes, Will Travel, readers get a chance to go deeper into the thrilling world of skinwalker and vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock.

In “WeSa,� the Beast who lives inside Jane watches as her hunting grounds become prey.

In “Haints,� Jane and her best friend, witch Molly Trueblood, are hired to investigate mysterious paranormal phenomena—and the evil they find brings a new meaning to the words "haunted house".

“Signatures of the Dead� tells the story of the vampire massacre that made Jane Yellowrock a household name.

And in “Cajun with Fangs,� Jane makes a new friend who turns out to have old enemies, and finds herself drawn into a vicious blood feud, fueled by dark magic and ancient grudges.]]> 143 Faith Hunter 1101611669 Suz 4 urban-fantasy, short
Two of the shorts were from Molly's perspective and it was nice to get to know her better. I think it will fatten the Jane stories for me.

The last short was from Jane's POV, occurring between books 4 & 5. It's nice to see Jane find another way.

Merged review:

4 short, 3 new. A nice addition to the series. One of the shorts is from Beast's POV from the hunger times. The writing was a little disjointed but it was very short and conveyed beasts' thinking adequately.

Two of the shorts were from Molly's perspective and it was nice to get to know her better. I think it will fatten the Jane stories for me.

The last short was from Jane's POV, occurring between books 4 & 5. It's nice to see Jane find another way.]]> 4.29 2012 Have Stakes, Will Travel (Jane Yellowrock, #4.5)
author: Faith Hunter
name: Suz
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/10/28
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: urban-fantasy, short
review:
4 short, 3 new. A nice addition to the series. One of the shorts is from Beast's POV from the hunger times. The writing was a little disjointed but it was very short and conveyed beasts' thinking adequately.

Two of the shorts were from Molly's perspective and it was nice to get to know her better. I think it will fatten the Jane stories for me.

The last short was from Jane's POV, occurring between books 4 & 5. It's nice to see Jane find another way.

Merged review:

4 short, 3 new. A nice addition to the series. One of the shorts is from Beast's POV from the hunger times. The writing was a little disjointed but it was very short and conveyed beasts' thinking adequately.

Two of the shorts were from Molly's perspective and it was nice to get to know her better. I think it will fatten the Jane stories for me.

The last short was from Jane's POV, occurring between books 4 & 5. It's nice to see Jane find another way.
]]> Divergence (Foreigner, #21) 51479929 The twenty-first book in the beloved Foreigner saga continues the adventures of diplomat Bren Cameron, advisor to the atevi head of state.

The overthrow of the atevi head of state, Tabini-aiji, and the several moves of enemies even since his restoration, have prompted major changes in the Assassins' Guild, which has since worked to root out its seditious elements—a clandestine group they call the Shadow Guild. With the Assassins now rid of internal corruption, with the birth of Tabini's second child, and with the appointment of an heir, stability seems to have returned to the atevi world. Humans and atevi share the space station in peaceful cooperation, humans and atevi share the planet as they have for centuries, and the humans' island enclave is preparing to welcome 5000 human refugees from a remote station now dismantled, and to do that in unprecedented cooperation with the atevi mainland.

In general Bren Cameron, Tabini-aiji's personal representative, returning home to the atevi capital after securing that critical agreement, was ready to take a well-earned rest—until Tabini's grandmother claimed his services on a train trip to the smallest, most remote and least significant of the provinces, snowy Hasjuran—a move concerning which Tabini-aiji gave Bren a private instruction: protect her. Advise her.

Advise her—perhaps. As for protection, she has a trainload of high-level Guild. But since the aiji-dowager has also invited a dangerously independent young warlord, Machigi, and a young man who may be the heir to Ajuri, a key northern province—the natural question is why the dowager is taking this ill-assorted pair to Hasjuran and what on this earth she may be up to.

With a Shadow Guild attack on the train station, it has become clear that others have questions, too. Hasjuran, on its mountain height, overlooks the Marid, a district that is part of the atevi nation only in name—a district in which Machigi is one major player, and where the Shadow Guild retains a major stronghold.

Protect her? Ilisidi is hellbent on settling scores with the Shadow Guild, and her reasons for this trip and this company now become clear.  One human diplomat and his own bodyguard suddenly seem a very small force to defend her from what she is setting in motion.]]> 352 C.J. Cherryh 0756414326 Suz 3 _audio, scifi
I can't say that I hated this one but when I heard the narrator say "Epilogue" my thought was "finally."

I think Cherryh is building to expanding the world considerably, but the world building and slice of life stuff, which she's usually exceptionally good at, isn't as engrossing as usual for me. My life is upside down at the moment, so it's entirely possible it's me.



Merged review:

3+

I can't say that I hated this one but when I heard the narrator say "Epilogue" my thought was "finally."

I think Cherryh is building to expanding the world considerably, but the world building and slice of life stuff, which she's usually exceptionally good at, isn't as engrossing as usual for me. My life is upside down at the moment, so it's entirely possible it's me.]]> 4.33 2020 Divergence (Foreigner, #21)
author: C.J. Cherryh
name: Suz
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/11/03
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: _audio, scifi
review:
3+

I can't say that I hated this one but when I heard the narrator say "Epilogue" my thought was "finally."

I think Cherryh is building to expanding the world considerably, but the world building and slice of life stuff, which she's usually exceptionally good at, isn't as engrossing as usual for me. My life is upside down at the moment, so it's entirely possible it's me.



Merged review:

3+

I can't say that I hated this one but when I heard the narrator say "Epilogue" my thought was "finally."

I think Cherryh is building to expanding the world considerably, but the world building and slice of life stuff, which she's usually exceptionally good at, isn't as engrossing as usual for me. My life is upside down at the moment, so it's entirely possible it's me.
]]> Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1) 11201920 397 Richelle Mead 1101535547 Suz 0 Aug 23rd 4.22 2011 Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1)
author: Richelle Mead
name: Suz
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: pnr, to-read, ya, urban-fantasy
review:
Aug 23rd
]]> <![CDATA[Scandal Wears Satin (The Dressmakers, #2)]]> 13563092 From the Journals of Sophia A dress is a weapon. It must dazzle his eye, raise his temperature . . . and empty his purse.

A blue-eyed innocent on the outside and a shark on the inside, dressmaker Sophy Noirot could sell sand to Bedouins. Selling Maison Noirot's beautiful designs to aristocratic ladies is a little harder, especially since a recent family scandal has made an enemy of one of society's fashion leaders. Turning scandal to the shop's advantage requires every iota of Sophy's manipulative skills, leaving her little patience for a big, reckless rakes like the Earl of Longmore. The gorgeous lummox can't keep more than one idea in his head at a time, and his idea is taking off all of Sophy's clothes.

But when Longmore's sister, Noirot's wealthiest, favorite customer, runs away, Sophy can't let him bumble after her on his own. In hot pursuit with the one man who tempts her beyond reason, she finds desire has never slipped on so smoothly . . .]]> 0 Loretta Chase 0062098241 Suz 4 historical, romance
Maybe I just don't expect to take this genre too seriously to begin with, maybe it's my inexperience with it that predisposes me to enjoy it. Maybe it's that I was fortunate enough to start with top shelf authors in the genre out of the gate but this is my third Loretta Chase book and they've all been light, fun romps. I liked that the heroine is the brains between the two and that the hero prefers his aptitudes to be understated, it made it more fun and it also helped to facilitate the the conclusion with the mother - a hold over from the first book that might have been a difficult plot point to otherwise mend.

I liked it, it was fun. Loretta Chase makes me laugh and gives enough of a story around the romance and smexy to let me fool myself into thinking I'm not just titillating myself.]]> 4.15 2012 Scandal Wears Satin (The Dressmakers, #2)
author: Loretta Chase
name: Suz
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2012/07/07
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: historical, romance
review:
I really enjoyed this book! It's total fluff but for some reason I laugh a lot when I read Loretta Chase. Even when her characters are intentionally obtuse it's not as frustrating as I usually find that kind of thing.

Maybe I just don't expect to take this genre too seriously to begin with, maybe it's my inexperience with it that predisposes me to enjoy it. Maybe it's that I was fortunate enough to start with top shelf authors in the genre out of the gate but this is my third Loretta Chase book and they've all been light, fun romps. I liked that the heroine is the brains between the two and that the hero prefers his aptitudes to be understated, it made it more fun and it also helped to facilitate the the conclusion with the mother - a hold over from the first book that might have been a difficult plot point to otherwise mend.

I liked it, it was fun. Loretta Chase makes me laugh and gives enough of a story around the romance and smexy to let me fool myself into thinking I'm not just titillating myself.
]]> <![CDATA[Bring On the Night (WVMP Radio, #3)]]> 8703847 356 Jeri Smith-Ready 1439163499 Suz 4 urban-fantasy, music 4.10 2010 Bring On the Night (WVMP Radio, #3)
author: Jeri Smith-Ready
name: Suz
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2013/05/16
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: urban-fantasy, music
review:
4 to 4.5. Excellent! Not only a good UF story, AND a good romance with well done sexy times, but also a fantastic leap in the development of several of the characters. Not a cliff hanger but certainly left me wanting more.
]]> <![CDATA[Wicked as They Come (Blud, #1)]]> 12381720 The first in a steampunk paranormal romance series in which a woman is transported to a world filled with vampires and magic. When nurse Tish Everett forced open the lovely locket she found at an estate sale, she had no idea she was answering the call of Criminy Stain, from the far off land of Sang. He’d cast a spell for her, but when she’s transported right to him, she’s not so sure she’s ready to be under the spell of another man. If only Criminy wasn’t so deliciously rakish� Half the inhabitants of Sang are Pinkies—human—and the other half are Bludmen, who in Tish’s world would be called vampires. But they don’t mess with any of the bat/coffin/no sunlight nonsense. They’re rather like you and me, just more fabulous, long living, and mostly indestructible—they’re also very good kissers. But when the evil Mayor of Manchester (formerly Bludchester) redoubles his efforts to rid Sang of the Bludmen once and for all, he steals Tish’s locket in hopes of traveling back to her world himself for reinforcements. Criminy and Tish must now battle ghosts, sea monsters, wayward submarines, a secret cabal, and thundering Bludmares to get the locket back and allow Tish to return home…but has she found love with Criminy? Could she stay in Sang forever?]]> 418 Delilah S. Dawson 1451657897 Suz 5 urban-fantasy, steampunk, pnr
*
March 27 - recommended by Cat Russell.]]> 3.63 2012 Wicked as They Come (Blud, #1)
author: Delilah S. Dawson
name: Suz
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2012/04/07
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: urban-fantasy, steampunk, pnr
review:
4.5 Stars - This is more fantasy than romance, but the romance is definitely in there. I really loved it, but I'm thinking I want to write a more detailed review so for now I'm just rating. More to come - I think.

*
March 27 - recommended by Cat Russell.
]]> <![CDATA[Etched in Bone (The Others, #5)]]> 30749074 New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop returns to her world of the Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shapeshifters and vampires far more powerful than themselves�

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness�

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave]]> 407 Anne Bishop 0698190459 Suz 5
This is one of those worlds that is so original that by the time the book is over I don't want to leave the world. I always feel that way about the books in this series.

It's a strange and wonderful and scary world.

Arrrooooo!]]> 4.53 2017 Etched in Bone (The Others, #5)
author: Anne Bishop
name: Suz
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2017/03/08
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves:
review:
Excellent wrap to the Meg arc of this story.

This is one of those worlds that is so original that by the time the book is over I don't want to leave the world. I always feel that way about the books in this series.

It's a strange and wonderful and scary world.

Arrrooooo!
]]> <![CDATA[My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers, #1)]]> 49570497 desperate wallflower. To save her family, she'll do anything. Luckily, she has the perfect plan...

She’ll impress the ton by simply announcing she is engaged to the reclusive and mysterious Duke of Thornton, Alexander Masters, and secure strong matches for her sisters. No one has heard from the duke in years. Surely he’ll never find out before her sisters� weddings, and she can go back to her own quiet life.

Soon, though, everything is out of control. At first, it’s just a few new ball gowns on the duke’s accounts. Then, it’s interviews with reporters eager for gossip. Before she knows it, Katherine has transformed herself into Kitty Danvers, charming and clever belle of the ton—with everyone eager to meet her thankfully absent fiancé.

But when the enigmatic Alexander Masters suddenly arrives in the city, dashing and oh so angry, he demands retribution. Except not in the way Katherine expected…]]> 344 Stacy Reid 164063746X Suz 0 to-read 4.26 2019 My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers, #1)
author: Stacy Reid
name: Suz
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Medusa Uploaded (The Medusa Cycle, #1)]]> 36443389 Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport offers readers fast-paced sf thriller on the limits of power and control, and the knife-edge between killing for revenge or a greater good.

The Executives control Oichi’s senses, her voice, her life. Until the day they kill her.

An executive clan gives the order to shoot Oichi out of an airlock on suspicion of being an insurgent. A sentient AI, a Medusa unit, rescues Oichi and begins to teach her the truth—the Executives are not who they think they are. Oichi, officially dead and now bonded to the Medusa unit, sees a chance to make a better life for everyone on board.

As she sets things right one assassination at a time, Oichi becomes the very insurgent the Executives feared, and in the process uncovers the shocking truth behind the generation starship that is their home.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

]]> 297 Emily Devenport 1250169321 Suz 4 scifi
]]> 4.06 2018 Medusa Uploaded (The Medusa Cycle, #1)
author: Emily Devenport
name: Suz
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/06/04
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: scifi
review:
I enjoyed this and look forward to the next. It's a space opera, but the social set up is interesting. I also think that the long arc hasn't been completely revealed yet.


]]> Certain Dark Things 29858641 Welcome to Mexico City� An Oasis In A Sea Of Vampires�

Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is busy eking out a living when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life.

Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, must feast on the young to survive and Domingo looks especially tasty. Smart, beautiful, and dangerous, Atl needs to escape to South America, far from the rival narco-vampire clan pursuing her. Domingo is smitten.

Her plan doesn’t include developing any real attachment to Domingo. Hell, the only living creature she loves is her trusty Doberman. Little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his effervescent charm.

And then there’s Ana, a cop who suddenly finds herself following a trail of corpses and winds up smack in the middle of vampire gang rivalries.

Vampires, humans, cops, and gangsters collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive?]]> 336 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 1250099099 Suz 0 to-read 3.73 2016 Certain Dark Things
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Suz
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Night Broken (Mercy Thompson, #8)]]> 18371985 #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series has been hailed as “one of the best� (Fiction Vixen). Now, Mercy must deal with an unwanted guest—one that brings a threat unlike anything she’s ever known.

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from her new boyfriend. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s ex is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.]]> 353 Patricia Briggs 1101638834 Suz 5 urban-fantasy, arc
One of the better installments in the series, I think. The baddies were creepy bad, the LOLs were more abundant than usual in recent installments, we got a bit of Stefan and a bit of a reveal on the Stefan front that hopefully will see more development in future installments, and several different twists to pack dynamics that have potential as secondary story lines going forward as well as some of the fae interaction.

Oh yeah, and the ex-wife was very easy to hate just fervently enough to make you think if she'd just go away you could probably pity her and leave it at that, but as long as she was around you just wanted to throttle her.

I was hooked. An excellent read. If there was any feedback it would be MORE STEFAN but I like that character and would like to see it developed more. These stories are becoming more multi-layered as the progress. For a while I wondered if perhaps it was time to lay it to rest but this installment suggests there is still a lot of story in there.]]> 4.57 2014 Night Broken (Mercy Thompson, #8)
author: Patricia Briggs
name: Suz
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2014/03/06
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: urban-fantasy, arc
review:
4.5 to 5 stars.

One of the better installments in the series, I think. The baddies were creepy bad, the LOLs were more abundant than usual in recent installments, we got a bit of Stefan and a bit of a reveal on the Stefan front that hopefully will see more development in future installments, and several different twists to pack dynamics that have potential as secondary story lines going forward as well as some of the fae interaction.

Oh yeah, and the ex-wife was very easy to hate just fervently enough to make you think if she'd just go away you could probably pity her and leave it at that, but as long as she was around you just wanted to throttle her.

I was hooked. An excellent read. If there was any feedback it would be MORE STEFAN but I like that character and would like to see it developed more. These stories are becoming more multi-layered as the progress. For a while I wondered if perhaps it was time to lay it to rest but this installment suggests there is still a lot of story in there.
]]> <![CDATA[The Guardian (Dream-Hunter, #5; Were-Hunter, #9; Hellchaser, #4)]]> 11424195
Seth's time is running out. If he can't hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn't been able to break the god in his custody. Then there's the beautiful Dream-Hunter She isn't just guarding the gates of Olympus—she's holding back one of the world's darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...]]> 353 Sherrilyn Kenyon 1429995653 Suz 0 pnr, to-read ]]> 4.42 2011 The Guardian (Dream-Hunter, #5; Were-Hunter, #9; Hellchaser, #4)
author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
name: Suz
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: pnr, to-read
review:
Nov 1. "Coming Fall 2011, The Dream-Hunters are going into the Nether Realm to free D'Alerian (they hope)..."

]]> <![CDATA[Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)]]> 13628244 The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger � a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.]]> 359 Jay Kristoff 1250017912 Suz 0 Sept. 18th 3.84 2012 Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Suz
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: fantasy, steampunk, urban-fantasy, to-read
review:
Sept. 18th
]]> Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day 31370600
But something has come for the ghosts of New York, something beyond reason, beyond death, beyond hope; something that can bind ghosts to mirrors and make them do its bidding. Only Jenna stands in its way.]]> 192 Seanan McGuire Suz 4
Then the end turned me inside out.

Yeah, she did that.]]> 4.07 2017 Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Suz
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/03/11
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
review:
I was going to three star this as being good but not really singing to me.

Then the end turned me inside out.

Yeah, she did that.
]]> <![CDATA[The Winter Long (October Daye, #8)]]> 20945704 368 Seanan McGuire 1101601752 Suz 5 urban-fantasy Well that was a game changer! 4.47 2014 The Winter Long (October Daye, #8)
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Suz
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2014/09/06
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
Well that was a game changer!
]]> <![CDATA[Everdark (Dark Ink Chronicles #2)]]> 11053909 325 Elle Jasper 1101515430 Suz 0 tabled4cliffhangers 3.71 2011 Everdark (Dark Ink Chronicles #2)
author: Elle Jasper
name: Suz
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: tabled4cliffhangers
review:
Shelved until series ends for cliff hanger ending.
]]> <![CDATA[Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels, #10)]]> 36030579 Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can't-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series.

Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world.]]> 352 Ilona Andrews 0698136829 Suz 5 urban-fantasy
I'm glad there is more of this world to come in Hugh's trilogy, and I'm hopeful they will find new stories to tell in this world. I am attached to the world and the way they tell stories about it.]]> 4.67 2018 Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels, #10)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Suz
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/08/30
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: urban-fantasy
review:
Excellent, but it didn't feel like a wrap. Rather, a pause between breaths.

I'm glad there is more of this world to come in Hugh's trilogy, and I'm hopeful they will find new stories to tell in this world. I am attached to the world and the way they tell stories about it.
]]> Bloody Rose (The Band, #2) 35999388
Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.

When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It's adventure she wants - and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

It's time to take a walk on the wyld side.]]> 560 Nicholas Eames 0316362522 Suz 0 to-read 4.27 2018 Bloody Rose (The Band, #2)
author: Nicholas Eames
name: Suz
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate #1)]]> 33846708 The Black Tides of Heaven is one of a pair of standalone introductions to JY Yang's Tensorate Series. For more of the story you can read its twin novella The Red Threads of Fortune

Mokoya and Akeha, the twin children of the Protector, were sold to the Grand Monastery as children. While Mokoya developed her strange prophetic gift, Akeha was always the one who could see the strings that moved adults to action. While his sister received visions of what would be, Akeha realized what could be. What's more, he saw the sickness at the heart of his mother's Protectorate.

A rebellion is growing. The Machinists discover new levers to move the world every day, while the Tensors fight to put them down and preserve the power of the state. Unwilling to continue to play a pawn in his mother's twisted schemes, Akeha leaves the Tensorate behind and falls in with the rebels. But every step Akeha takes towards the Machinists is a step away from his sister Mokoya. Can Akeha find peace without shattering the bond he shares with his twin sister?]]> 258 Neon Yang 0765395401 Suz 0 to-read 3.78 2017 The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate #1)
author: Neon Yang
name: Suz
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wake of Vultures (The Shadow, #1)]]> 25109276 "Wake of Vultures will kick your a** up one page and down the other." -- io9
Nettie Lonesome dreams of a greater life than toiling as a slave in the sandy desert. But when a stranger attacks her, Nettie wins more than the fight.
Now she's got friends, a good horse, and a better gun. But if she can't kill the thing haunting her nightmares and stealing children across the prairie, she'll lose it all -- and never find out what happened to her real family.
Wake of Vultures is the first novel of the Shadow series featuring the fearless Nettie Lonesome.
The Shadow seriesWake of VulturesConspiracy of Ravens]]> 374 Lila Bowen 031626430X Suz 0
FAIL.

No rating because there is no way to rate "the ending ruined an otherwise great book."]]> 4.02 2015 Wake of Vultures (The Shadow, #1)
author: Lila Bowen
name: Suz
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2016/03/24
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: fantasy, western, cliff-hanger
review:
I was really enjoying this book. It was gritty and, despite being chock full of every supernatural critter known, original. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the western genre but it was excellent. I would have given it a solid 4 plus stars but the ending was horrible. Insulting. Everything I abhor about fish hook endings. Oh, the book arc is closed up nicely and if they had ended it there I would have been perfectly satisfied. But instead it ends with the MC doing something that either kills her or transforms her irrevocably, the end. No, it doesn't tell you which or how it goes. [spoilers removed]

FAIL.

No rating because there is no way to rate "the ending ruined an otherwise great book."
]]> Unchained 40968943 ER nurse Erin Hamilton expects just another busy night shift…until she finds a gorgeous stranger vandalizing the hospital blood bank. Though her logic tells her to turn him in, she’s pulled by stronger and unfamiliar emotions to protect the man who seems oddly infatuated with her scent. Chemistry sizzles between them, but Dante, plagued by nightmares of his time in captivity, fears he won’t be able to control himself…especially when he discovers a secret she doesn’t even know she’s hiding.]]> 317 Helen Hardt 1642630136 Suz 1 pnr, urban-fantasy, dnf 3.75 2018 Unchained
author: Helen Hardt
name: Suz
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: pnr, urban-fantasy, dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, #3)]]> 7021986 465 Jim Butcher 1440653909 Suz 4 urban-fantasy, _audio
Everything I've heard about this book is accurate. This felt like a real turning point in the series so far, to me. The characters, both primary and secondary, and the world, filled out a considerable bit more. But more than just the characters was the plot. This story was truly action packed, convoluted with plenty of surprises, and in ways both positive and negative it was heart wrenching.

The set up for a longer arc occurred at the end of the book but I wouldn't call it cliff hanger at all. It was a glimpse of what could be if the reader moves forward without leaving me feeling as if there were bits I didn't get.

From everything I've heard not only is this book the place where the series picks up, but the books going forward just keep getting better. I'm hopeful, and hooked! ]]> 4.22 2001 Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, #3)
author: Jim Butcher
name: Suz
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2012/02/03
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: urban-fantasy, _audio
review:
I started out reading this and picked up the audiobook narrated by James Marsters when I was at about chapter 10.

Everything I've heard about this book is accurate. This felt like a real turning point in the series so far, to me. The characters, both primary and secondary, and the world, filled out a considerable bit more. But more than just the characters was the plot. This story was truly action packed, convoluted with plenty of surprises, and in ways both positive and negative it was heart wrenching.

The set up for a longer arc occurred at the end of the book but I wouldn't call it cliff hanger at all. It was a glimpse of what could be if the reader moves forward without leaving me feeling as if there were bits I didn't get.

From everything I've heard not only is this book the place where the series picks up, but the books going forward just keep getting better. I'm hopeful, and hooked!
]]> <![CDATA[Forged in Fire (The Vessel Trilogy, #1)]]> 22431094 Genevieve Drake has never been the helpless kind of girl, has never needed to be rescued. That is, not until her twentieth birthday when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley and a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.

The hot guy? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons. Now her guardian, whether she likes it or not.

But she’s seriously beginning to like it.

The dude choking her? One of many demons from the underworld trying to abduct or kill Genevieve. As the prime target of the demon prince, Danté, she has no problem accepting Jude’s protection.

Why Genevieve? She’s a Vessel, one born to serve the Light but can be corrupted and used as a weapon for darkness. She had no idea this world even existed. Now, she just wants to survive it.

]]> 318 Juliette Cross 1619224917 Suz 3 pnr, urban-fantasy, new-adult
This was more romance than urban fantasy, and the story is a set up for titillation through denial. There was a lot of obsessing about the hero, and there was a lot of angsting over wanting and not having, and there was a lot of "everybody wants her and nobody can have her" tropes.

What there wasn't was copulation.

I'm not a fan of Judeo-Christian dogma story lines and the occasional throwing in of Greek or Roman mythology didn't alleviate the trope.

I got pretty tired of how many times the girl had to be saved from almost being murdered before she got on board with the "let someone guard me" thing, too. Someone who refuses to be "baby-sat" because demons are repeatedly trying to abduct or kill her is someone who is too stupid to live.

It was ok. Other than the frustrating tropes the rest of the story has potential. I'm very much put off by the notion that not being a virgin means you're dirty or spoiled or ruined and this story relies heavily on that.

I'm not sure I'll read the next one. I liked it ok, but it had more tropes that I dislike than I am usually willing to deal with. The technical aspects of the writing were solid, though. There were no major typos and grammatical errors, nor were there places where the concept wasn't communicated cleanly. I just didn't care for the plethora of tropes that should make it YA.]]> 3.73 2015 Forged in Fire (The Vessel Trilogy, #1)
author: Juliette Cross
name: Suz
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/02/13
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: pnr, urban-fantasy, new-adult
review:
2.5 stars

This was more romance than urban fantasy, and the story is a set up for titillation through denial. There was a lot of obsessing about the hero, and there was a lot of angsting over wanting and not having, and there was a lot of "everybody wants her and nobody can have her" tropes.

What there wasn't was copulation.

I'm not a fan of Judeo-Christian dogma story lines and the occasional throwing in of Greek or Roman mythology didn't alleviate the trope.

I got pretty tired of how many times the girl had to be saved from almost being murdered before she got on board with the "let someone guard me" thing, too. Someone who refuses to be "baby-sat" because demons are repeatedly trying to abduct or kill her is someone who is too stupid to live.

It was ok. Other than the frustrating tropes the rest of the story has potential. I'm very much put off by the notion that not being a virgin means you're dirty or spoiled or ruined and this story relies heavily on that.

I'm not sure I'll read the next one. I liked it ok, but it had more tropes that I dislike than I am usually willing to deal with. The technical aspects of the writing were solid, though. There were no major typos and grammatical errors, nor were there places where the concept wasn't communicated cleanly. I just didn't care for the plethora of tropes that should make it YA.
]]> Dark Days (Black London #6) 19954990 DARK DAYS
Caitlin Kittredge

Jack Winter and his girlfriend Pete Caldecott have encountered a lot of strange creatures in the Black—primordial demons, hungry ghosts, witch hunters, and the Prince of Hell himself, Belial. When Belial asks Jack for one last favor to help him keep his throne, Jack may have finally met his match because Belial's rival is something that no one—human or demon—has ever seen before�

There's a revolution brewing in Hell, and Jack might be the only one who can stop Belial's rival from ripping a hole between the Black and the mortal world—a catastrophe that could be worse than Armageddon. But to win, Jack will have to do the one thing he swore he never become a servant to the Morrigan, and risk losing everything he knows and loves…including Pete.]]> 300 Caitlin Kittredge 1466834188 Suz 0 urban-fantasy, to-read April 30 4.06 2013 Dark Days (Black London #6)
author: Caitlin Kittredge
name: Suz
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: urban-fantasy, to-read
review:
April 30
]]> <![CDATA[Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, #5)]]> 11498826
Then magic rears its ugly head when Lake Michigan turns black. The mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows a panic is coming. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for both the vampires and humans.]]> 352 Chloe Neill 1101545666 Suz 3 pnr, urban-fantasy
There was a bit of "can't see what's in front of her face" as plot device in this one, too. It was understandable but only to an extent.

It was a quick and easy read, but I'm not in love with this series anymore. Call me disenchanted, but I feel like I'm watching Chloe Neill turn into KMM (Karen Marketing Maven). I already find myself thinking "I remember when" about Chitown Vamps.

]]> 4.10 2011 Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, #5)
author: Chloe Neill
name: Suz
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2011/11/02
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: pnr, urban-fantasy
review:
It just felt poorly paced. The book was slow until the last two chapters then it was very rushed. As if the entire book was build up for the last few chapters that contain both a resolution and a kind of cliff hanger.

There was a bit of "can't see what's in front of her face" as plot device in this one, too. It was understandable but only to an extent.

It was a quick and easy read, but I'm not in love with this series anymore. Call me disenchanted, but I feel like I'm watching Chloe Neill turn into KMM (Karen Marketing Maven). I already find myself thinking "I remember when" about Chitown Vamps.


]]> <![CDATA[Darkwind (The Starchaser Saga, #1)]]> 53746998
But when Cistine is captured by an outlaw and his band of cutthroat warriors, she finds a more deadly adventure than she bargained for - and a greater power within herself than she ever knew.

Swept up in the unpredictable tide of a tenuous and shadowy political climate, a ruthless land governed by the stars, and the unexpected revelations that come from her mysterious new companions, Cistine must learn how to fight, how to lead...and above all, how to trust herself.

If the young princess can't be forged into a fighter, then her kingdom will fall.]]> 460 Renee Dugan 1733925570 Suz 0 to-read 4.30 2019 Darkwind (The Starchaser Saga, #1)
author: Renee Dugan
name: Suz
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, #1) 9447554
But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.]]> 404 Meljean Brook 1101444088 Suz 5 pnr, steampunk, urban-fantasy
What a wonderful start to a very rich and multi-layered new steampunk world! The book read like an urban fantasy story for the first half of the book, setting up the world and the lore and the alternative history. The second half of the book was full of action, adventure, swash buckling, air shipping, automata using, bad guy beating, all obstacle over coming romance.

At first the hero was difficult to like, but as the world filled out and my connection with the society, which was healing from 200 years of subjugation and near total cultural decimation, deepened I began to understand that the hero wasn't unlikeable so much as just clumsy. He had no frame of reference from which to work. The same could be said, in different ways, about the heroine.

This series is definitely added to my list of series I follow.

.

****
My first Meljean Brook. It's also the first in a series of what is currently only one. Steampunk, PNR, UF. Let's see what all the hoopla is about. :) I was going to read Heku series next, but there are seven of those and I need a break, a smutty break. Maybe this will be just the thing. READING!]]> 3.99 2010 The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, #1)
author: Meljean Brook
name: Suz
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2011/03/14
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: pnr, steampunk, urban-fantasy
review:
4.5

What a wonderful start to a very rich and multi-layered new steampunk world! The book read like an urban fantasy story for the first half of the book, setting up the world and the lore and the alternative history. The second half of the book was full of action, adventure, swash buckling, air shipping, automata using, bad guy beating, all obstacle over coming romance.

At first the hero was difficult to like, but as the world filled out and my connection with the society, which was healing from 200 years of subjugation and near total cultural decimation, deepened I began to understand that the hero wasn't unlikeable so much as just clumsy. He had no frame of reference from which to work. The same could be said, in different ways, about the heroine.

This series is definitely added to my list of series I follow.

.

****
My first Meljean Brook. It's also the first in a series of what is currently only one. Steampunk, PNR, UF. Let's see what all the hoopla is about. :) I was going to read Heku series next, but there are seven of those and I need a break, a smutty break. Maybe this will be just the thing. READING!
]]> The Silvered 16146594 459 Tanya Huff 1101597593 Suz 0 to-read 4.17 2012 The Silvered
author: Tanya Huff
name: Suz
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>