whatsheread's reviews
2190 reviews

COURT OF WANDERERS is a satisfying conclusion to an entertaining duology. I appreciate Mx. Chupeco’s fresh take on the vampire myth. The spice level is lower than I expected, but I appreciate the tact and humor of certain bedroom scenes. The mystery remains intriguing until the end, and there is plenty of action to engage the mind. The redemption arcs for various characters are also good, nothing too ground-breaking but satisfying nonetheless. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a different vampire story with minimal spice. 

Book two in Olivie Blake's The Atlas series, THE ATLAS PARADOX, is a bit of a paradox itself. While the story picks up shortly after the events of the first book and spans the initiates' second year at the Society, there isn't much in the way of action. And yet, despite the lack of action or significant plot development, the story grows ever more complex. 

In my notes, I describe THE ATLAS PARADOX as a cerebral novel, maybe even more than the first book. In that, we were still meeting the characters, learning the world of the Society, and discovering this world's magic. In THE ATLAS PARADOX, we need none of that, and Ms. Blake wisely does not include any of it in her sequel. Instead, we get 400 pages of astrophysical theories, telepathic scenes, and dream hopping, all to explore what it means to have power and what changes having power will bring to someone.

While I am not a fan of any book that requires me to interpret what I read, I enjoyed every last page of THE ATLAS PARADOX. I might not have understood half of it and am still fuzzy on what certain characters can do, but the story is like a dream. In saying that I mean that the story feels very nebulous, very ethereal, as if you aren't supposed to understand all of it but rather pull out the salient points and learn from them. I enjoy these characters, none of whom are enjoyable, and all of whom suffer from narcissism and neuroses. 

The idea we are left with as THE ATLAS PARADOX ends, that people in power or who have power will never do the right thing for the greater good, is a chilling one. At the same time, you don't have to look hard or long to find examples that fit this narrative in real life. And, just like in real life, it is difficult to discern the Big Bads in THE ATLAS PARADOX. Personally, I find the morally gray ground of the novel fascinating; I am excited to see how Ms. Blake brings it all together. 

The final novel in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, THE LAST OLYMPIAN, is everything a final novel should be. There is no build-up because Mr. Riordan took care of that in the first four books. Neither does he make readers wait for the promised battle. He doesn't add any last-minute characters. Instead, we have nonstop action and the unveiling of long-held secrets.

Even better, Percy finally shows some of the maturity I would expect to see from a teenager who was forced to grow up at a young age. He is clever with his battle tactics, compassionate where necessary but brutal when needed. After feeling like Percy sounded too young and naive in books three and four given his experiences, it is a treat to get a glimpse of what Percy would be like as an adult. 

I'll also say that even though I wasn't a huge Percy and Annabeth fan, the ending of THE LAST OLYMPIAN was adorable. Mr. Riordan handled the awkwardness and Percy's nervousness with delicacy and just a slight touch of humor. I imagine there was more than one child who used those scenes as motivation for their own awkward romantic encounters. 

There is no doubt that THE LAST OLYMPIAN is the best book in the series. It contains within its pages everything I was hoping to see in previous books culminating in the battle for Olympus. I thought the battle scenes to be well-written, detailed without being graphic, and touching on fallen comrades and foes with the appropriate level of gravitas. While Mr. Riordan sets up the next series with a well-timed prophecy, I consider my time with Percy Jackson and friends at an end, with a final book that provides enough closure to satisfy me.

Book nineteen in J. D. Robb's In Death series is VISIONS IN DEATH. As usual, Eve must solve a heinous crime while balancing her life as a billionaire's wife. This time, the murderer hits a little too close to home, and Eve has to rush to find the killer before he attacks another person she loves. 

Some of Eve's cases have been terrible but not disturbing. In VISIONS OF DEATH, the murders are awful, made worse by the fact that Eve meets with a psychic who relives the murders in detail. If Ms. Robb was writing these books today, this one would definitely have a trigger warning at the beginning. 

What eases some of the trauma is watching Eve learn what it means to have friends and what it means to be a friend. Intimate dinner parties, saying yes to a friend's request for help, and sharing your most private secret - these seem like such easy things, but for Eve, they are monumental steps forward. 

Susan Erickson remains one of the best narrators. In the last book, you could tell she suffered from a cold because her character voices were off. Roarke's Irish lilt wasn't quite there. Peabody's voice was lower. In VISIONS IN DEATH, she recovered from whatever was ailing her, and everyone sounds like they should. 

Nineteen books in, and Eve Dallas' story keeps getting better. I love seeing her grow as much as I enjoy the reminders of how much more she needs to heal. (The scene with Mavis asking Roarke and Eve for a huge favor is particularly entertaining.) The murders in VISIONS IN DEATH are just as fascinating and disturbing as the first few. I can't wait to see what is next!

Book four of Rick Riodan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH, takes one final step toward the final battle between the Olympians and the Titans. As with the previous books, the fact that I am not the target demographic is loud and clear. As Percy ages, the disconnect between my experience raising teenagers and Percy as a teenager grows ever larger. At the same time, as the buildup towards the ultimate battle increases, I can't help but wonder if the finale will be worthwhile. 

There are a few issues I have with THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH. All of them revolve around Percy. For one thing, Percy is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. You can summarize most of his adventures as a complete lack of situational awareness on his part. Combine that with his inability to understand context clues, and it's a miracle he is still alive. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he always goes on his quests with other people, he probably would be. 

Then, there is his relationship with girls. Percy, in THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH, is fifteen years old. Those hormones should be surging, or at least beginning to surge, through his body. Yet, he doesn't express anything towards Annabeth or Rachel other than platonic friendships. I get him not understanding Annabeth's jealousy or Rachel's discomfort at being the third wheel, specifically because he is a fifteen-year-old boy, and they are always clueless about girls. But the books are too chaste for the characters' ages. Once again, I wish Mr. Riordan had aged up the narrative as the characters get older. 

Those issues aside, THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH isn't my favorite. The reason for going into the labyrinth is vague. There is a lot of talk about how easy it is to get lost or to go crazy in the maze, but Percy and Annabeth have no difficulties finding exits when they need them. I hoped we would learn more about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, specifically why she can see through the Mist so clearly. Unfortunately, she's merely a secondary character who is little more than a human labrador retriever. It's all a little too convenient. Then again, it is a book for kids. 

I am glad THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH is the last book before the finale. I don't think I could handle any more quests or battle prep. If I saw more growth in Percy, I suspect my feelings would be different. Instead, I feel that books one and three are the same. While book two and THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH are also quests, the fact that they are not cross-country journeys makes them different. Through it all, Percy remains the same eager, reckless, and clueless demi-god. 

Thankfully, Jesse Bernstein's narration improves. He's still not the best narrator. His other voices sound more like a father altering his voice when telling a story to his kids and less like a professional actor with a penchant for different voices. However, he brought back Percy's combination of sarcasm and cluelessness that make him the enjoyable character he is. 

I didn't hate THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH, but I didn't truly enjoy it either. I think this series is better read with large swaths of time between each book. It prevents you from noticing the similarities between each book and the lack of character growth. Instead, after four books read within two months, I'm ready to find out how it all ends. 

THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT by Carissa Broadbent brings you more vampires, and I am once again thankful that vampires are popular again. These are proper vampires - beautiful killing machines who look at humans the way we look at cows and not a sparkle in sight. There are three sects of vampires, each with a different power. Magic exists in this world, and goddesses grant favors. I am in love!

Nestled among them is the very human Oraya. How she comes to live among vampires, not as food, but as a princess, is only a fraction of the story. THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT occurs many years after Oraya's adoption, but Ms. Broadbent allows us to experience Oraya's life growing up in a vampire court through interludes, short chapters that begin each section. Not only do we get insight into Oraya's past, but we can also see where Oraya's youth and innocence helped form her current opinions and loyalties. 

All this comes into play as Oraya participates in the Kejari, a once-every-two-hundred-years contest among vampires. What follows is your typical storyline wherein Oraya partners with another vampire who just so happens to not meet her expectations. The Kejari itself is exciting and suspenseful, even if it is a bit predictable. The sparks occur in the last few chapters as Oraya and her partner reach the final battle. The truth will out, and the consequences are spectacular.

While I didn't find THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT as compelling as Fourth Wing, I still had a lot of fun reading it. Scary vampires, political intrigue, lots of secrets and deliberate misdirection, and one lone human, fierce and every bit as lethal as the vampires that surround her - there is a lot to love here. The ending upset me if only because I didn't share her feelings about what happened, an attitude I suspect Ms. Broadbent deliberately sought to make her readers feel. With the final book in the duology set for a June 2024 release, we don't have to wait long to find out the rest of Oraya's story. I can't wait!

A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE is the final novel in Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy. As with the previous two books, it lives up to its name for romance and tragedy. It is the fairy tale you never knew you wanted. 

In A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE, there are no real surprises. The story follows along the lines you would expect from a fairy tale. Evangeline has to fight a little harder for her happy ending, though. She does this through some actual character growth by developing a backbone and eliminating her penchant for being a victim. Since the lack of spine and a tendency to listen to the last person who spoke to her were my two biggest issues regarding Evangeline's character, these were two developments I was glad to see.

Because A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE is not all kisses and hugs, I have issues with the portrayal of curses in the story and the liberties Ms. Garber takes to make each curse fit her story. You see, in A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE, Jacks' curse is for eternity. Yet, curses like Evangeline's memory loss or Apollo's hunter's curse are not quite as strong. It doesn't make much sense because fairy tales taught us that curses are not easy to break. Yet, in Evangeline's world, some are easier to break than others. To me, this has all the trappings of convenience. 

Still, I'm willing to overlook that convenience to say that A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE is a true fairy tale. A princess must overcome evil to obtain everything her heart desires, and she does just that. For me, it was an excellent palate cleanser after the excitement and tension of previous books. The story asks nothing of its reader other than to sit back and enjoy the prettiness of it, and sometimes that's the best thing of all.

DIVIDED IN DEATH is J. D. Robb's eighteenth book in the In Death series. There is the ubiquitous murder mystery Eve must solve, and Ms. Robb even adds a little spy thriller to the plot. But I will remember DIVIDED IN DEATH as the one where Roarke learns the art of compromise. 

Every book to date sees Eve or Roarke losing a little more of their rough edge, which is a fabulous thing to happen and one of the main reasons why the series is so compelling. Sometimes, the changes are slight, and sometimes, like in DIVIDED IN DEATH, the characters take a huge step forward in healing from past trauma. Roarke is that character this time, and his struggle to let go of his anger and need for vengeance is powerful. After all, that anger and the doling out of revenge is who he is. 

At the same time, we see Roarke struggling to make peace with certain knowledge, Ms. Robb captures that sense of loss when a good relationship turns upside-down. At times, watching Eve muddle through that pain and loss is more troubling than her recovered memories. If you are an Eve and Roarke 'shipper, DIVIDED IN DEATH is a tough read. 

The spy plot in DIVIDED IN DEATH, however, is so much fun. It adds another level of complexity to the murder. Not only that, but it allows Ms. Robb to speak her mind about the NSA and certain powers it can use in the name of protecting the country. Now that the NSA is over twenty years old, we can say that in some regards, what Eve rails about has come to pass. Hopefully, the rest will remain fictional. 

DIVIDED IN DEATH is another strong novel in the series. We see some excellent growth in the characters. At the same time, we continue to see Eve and Roarke demonstrate and overcome marital difficulties. With the addition of a spy plot and corporate espionage, DIVIDED IN DEATH becomes more than your average murder mystery, and I loved every second of it.

If you are like me and delayed reading FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros because it was THE It book last year, do yourself a favor and read it. Now. Not only does it live up to the hype, it exceeds it. I finished the book in twenty-four hours, and it has been years since I've done that. I regret only that it took me so long to read this masterpiece. 

Since finishing FOURTH WING a week ago, I've been trying to determine one area of weakness because no book is perfect. Except, FOURTH WING may be perfect because I can't find fault in anything. Violet and the other characters are great, with strong development where necessary. The story itself is unique and fascinating. Ms. Yarros builds the world of Empyrean and its war college so well that it requires no effort to picture them. 

The slow-burn romance in FOURTH WING is one of the slowest of slow burns, and the tension is nigh unbearable. But once those sparks finally meet, watch out. The romance is everything you could ever want in an enemies-to-lovers story and everything you never knew you wanted. Somehow, Ms. Yarros manages to keep up the "will they or won't they" tension until the very end, and everything about that tension is magic. Your head will explode, you will get the best butterflies in your belly, and you will never look at your significant other in the same way again. 

And the dragons! The dragons! The story would not be the same without the dragons. They are the heart of Violet's story after all. But the dragons in FOURTH WING are unlike dragons in other stories I've read. They have personality while still being terrifying, and deadly while also providing comfort. Plus, you have to appreciate any entity so willing to put puny humans in their place. They are at the top of the food chain, and they make sure everyone remembers it. They take the drama out of human interactions and distill them down to their basic elements. I don't know how she does it, but the FOURTH WING dragons are so real and so worth everything Violet endures to become a rider.

After finally discovering the magic of FOURTH WING, my biggest dilemma now is whether to read the second book in the series or wait a little longer. It appears The Empyrean series will consist of five books when Ms. Yarros finishes, and we don't even have a publication date for book three yet. On the one hand, I want more of Violet, Xaden, and the dragons more than I've wanted anything in a long time. But the wait for book three might kill me. In the meantime, I'll just urge everyone and anyone to read this fabulous book if you haven't already. It just might be bookish perfection.

One would think that a novel about Death and Fate would not be romantic, and one would be wrong. Adalyn Grace proves how romantic Death and Fate can be in FOXGLOVE, book two in her Belladonna trilogy. 

The introduction of Fate as the third angle in a Death and Signa love triangle is a clever plot twist. Fate's addition to the story forces Signa to examine her powers and her feelings, something few heroines of YA fantasy romance novels have the opportunity to do. Through this self-reflection, we see Signa develop into a formidable character. She is stronger because of her self-awareness and less compliant with societal pressures. 

Fate's insertion into Signa's story has additional consequences for the other characters, particularly Signa's cousin Blythe. It is so much fun discovering how similar the girls are in feistiness, determination, and cleverness. Blythe is a character I grew to love as I learned more about her. Given the ending of FOXGLOVE, I am particularly eager to see how Blythe's story proceeds in the finale. I have a feeling it is going to be a blast. 

FOXGLOVE hits all the right notes for me. There are great characters that continue to develop. The pacing has the perfect balance between action, reflection, and description. Its mystery kept me guessing, and the story's conclusion was satisfying while making me eager to read more. Plus, it is romantic without annoying plot devices like miscommunication to create unnecessary drama. FOXGLOVE is an excellent example of why I can't seem to quit the YA fantasy romance genre. The genre is just too strong and enjoyable to ignore!