whatsheread's reviews
2190 reviews

Book 15 in the In Death series, PURITY IN DEATH by J. D. Robb, is another stellar murder mystery. Better yet, we see several relationships evolve and get to ponder several morality questions that cause tension between Roarke and Eve.

I'm always impressed by how well Ms. Robb balances developing her characters while progressing the story. In PURITY IN DEATH, she uses a mysterious group enacting vigilante justice to force Eve and Roarke to discuss deeply held beliefs that oppose one another. Unlike in previous installments where the couple would argue and fume at the other's stubbornness, they show real emotional growth and relationship maturity. Sure, they still argue. They wouldn't be a couple if they didn't have arguments. Still, it was nice to see them come together to discuss their different viewpoints and to have them listen to each other. 

Even better, we get to see both their reactions to Mavis' news, which seriously was the highlight of the entire story. In a novel that includes serious discussions of who gets to determine guilt and whether vigilante justice has any place in a lawful society, Eve and Roarke's reactions to Mavis' news provide a much-needed comic moment.

Ms. Robb and her In Death series continue to fascinate and entertain me. The crimes Eve must solve are always engaging and difficult to guess in advance. The growth of Eve and Roarke's relationship is just icing on the cake.

Tahereh Mafi is a hit-or-miss author for me, and her This Woven Kingdom series is proving to be the same. I loved the first book but slept through the second one and didn't miss anything doing so. Although I started reading it with trepidation, the third book in the series, ALL THIS TWISTED GLORY, was a pleasant surprise after the snooze fest of a sequel. 

ALL THIS TWISTED GLORY finally moves the plot forward in a way the second novel did not. There is some action to spice up the drama. Even better, there are some answers to questions we have had since book one. Ms. Mafi also uses book three to build the scaffolding for future books in the series. In general, there is much better pacing and an actual plot to this third installment, something I feel was sorely missing in the previous one.

This is not to say that ALL THIS TWISTED GLORY did not have issues. It did. My biggest head-scratcher this time is that there is no such thing as a tepid emotional response in any of the characters. Every character's reaction is so extreme and overwrought that it becomes laughable. This is particularly true with three major players, Alizeh, Cyrus, and Kamran. I don't know if my reaction is due to my own cynicism or if others will find the paroxysms of emotion that those three characters experience almost all the time as ridiculous as I did. All I know is that by the end of the book, the highly wrought emotional states of those three had me rolling my eyes so hard they hurt. 

I enjoyed ALL THIS TWISTED GLORY enough to want to continue with the series. There are certain events I want to see how they play out. And I definitely want to see Alizeh step up and start calling out the extreme gaslighting almost everyone around her does to her. I also hope that Ms. Mafi plans to end the series sooner rather than later. I don't think I could handle another installment where almost nothing happens. 

THE TAINTED CUP is the latest novel by Robert Jackson Bennett. Not only is it the first in a new trilogy, but it is a complete departure from the types of stories Mr. Bennett previously published. As it retains the fantasy elements that are the hallmark of his stories, THE TAINTED CUP is a murder mystery told as only Mr. Bennett can. 

Much of the pre-publicity reviews describe THE TAINTED CUP as a Holmes and Watson-style detective story. Mr. Bennett does list Sherlock Holmes as an influence. And yet, I have the impression that the murders in THE TAINTED CUP are only half the story. Many of Mr. Bennett's previous stories are complex. They tend to feature seemingly separate plots that come together uniquely and unexpectedly. THE TAINTED CUP doesn't appear to have those multiple plot lines. The total focus of the story is Din's and Ana's investigation. However, I suspect that book two might have a trick or two in store for readers.

One of the things Mr. Bennett does so well is build new worlds. In fact, he might be one of the best at it among fantasy writers. His worlds are so different and yet so alive. This new Empire is no different. Mr. Bennett has thought of everything, from the style of food to religion to dress, and he does so in a way that is not boring. There are no long passages of description. His method of world-building relies on the narrator's knowledge and observations, making it integral to the narrator's development. 

While THE TAINTED CUP may be a murder mystery, it wouldn't be a novel by Mr. Bennett without his fantasy elements. In this story, he presents us with the leviathans, mysterious monsters who come from the ocean and try to force their way onto the land, devouring everything in their path. No one knows much about the leviathans or why they try to push themselves on land every year. But they have found a way to use the leviathans' biochemistry to create enhancements that will make someone stronger, have heightened senses, or remember everything they see and hear. It's a wild, weird world, but thanks to Mr. Bennett's world-building, it is one you understand and would recognize. 

The murder mystery aspect of THE TAINTED CUP is clever without being impossible. While I can see why people may compare Ana and Din to Holmes and Watson, I think such comparisons are also to the story's detriment. They aren't the same. Din is not a sidekick responsible for sharing Holmes' exploits with the world. Din is an investigator like Ana, albeit with much less experience and a memory enhancement that has him remembering everything. Ana is brilliant and quirky, but she cares about Din too, looking to teach and guide him as much as protect him. 

Then there is the gender dynamic at play. Ana's behavior and lack of social niceties are nothing more than the quirks of a brilliant older lady. The same behavior in a man would result in some form of reprimand or even punishment by his superior officers. So don't be fooled by those who compare Ana and Din to Holmes and Watson. Yes, there are superficial similarities, but the differences are what make THE TAINTED CUP so good. 

I love Mr. Bennett's writing. No matter how fantastical they are, they are so vibrant. The little details he adds build his fantasy worlds so clearly and so realistically. I've wanted people to discover Mr. Bennett's stories for years because they are so good. Hopefully, THE TAINTED CUP and his foray into traditional detective stories will finally expose new readers to this wonderful author. 

AN EDUCATION IN MALICE by S. T. Gibson is one of those novels that other people adore, but I did not. In fact, while many of the pre-release reviews are very favorable, I have several issues with the story. While one or two issues does not preclude me from enjoying the novel, when combined they do. 

My biggest beef with AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is that I never felt like it was a sweeping romance. Obsession, yes. Lust, most definitely. A romance for all time, most definitely not. If anything, I liken Laura's fascination with Carmilla to nothing more than her first taste of the forbidden fruit. She comes from a small Southern town; she's sheltered and pious. She never used the word lesbian to describe herself, and she is only beginning to understand her sexual proclivities through exposure to erotica in the school library. Laura has a crush. It is not love everlasting.

For Carmilla, I believe her attraction to the pure and pious Laura has less to do with lust and everything to do with Laura's infatuation. Carmilla is a young woman who was essentially abandoned by her parents. Her flight to St. Perpetua is, if anything, more a desire to prove that she doesn't need her parents anymore. In Laura, she finds a level of unwavering adoration she never received from either her parents or De Lafontaine. Laura is safety, nourishment, and love.  

As for De Lafontaine, I would be remiss if I did not discuss the mental and emotional abuse she heaps on Carmilla and, to a lesser extent, Laura. De Lafontaine may be teaching her students to become better poets, but that does not excuse her cruelty or the mind games she plays with them. It is nothing more than someone with power subjugating the powerless to her whims. With Carmilla, this even extends to a physical relationship. I find nothing about De Lafontaine and her relationships with the two girls to be sexy or romantic. 

At one point in time in AN EDUCATION IN MALICE, one of the characters discusses LOLITA, a novel released thirteen years before the happenings of this story. The character goes on to discuss how much she enjoys LOLITA and does not understand why people vilify Humbert Humbert. This scene, even though I can't remember if it was Laura or Carmilla who was narrating at the time, should be a red flag that she has a skewed perception of adult-child relationships. I also think it is a red flag as to the type of relationship De Lafontaine has with either girl. 

A minor issue I have with AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is the fact that while narrated by Laura and Carmilla, their voices are too similar. I would lose track in the middle of a chapter and have to flip back to the chapter beginning to remind myself who the narrator was. There is nothing to separate either girl from the other. Both have obsessive personalities, albeit fueled by different desires. Even though Carmilla is almost five years Laura's senior, she is every bit as childish and naive as Laura. The two should not be interchangeable, and yet they are. 

All this to say that I did not enjoy AN EDUCATION IN MALICE. I could not stomach the relationships between De Lafontaine and the girls. Neither could I believe in the grandiose love story that others describe it to be. I see it as more of Laura's coming-of-age story than a romance, and that's if I am generous. If asked, I would say AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is about two naive and lonely girls who choose to be in an abusive relationship with an adult before they find solace in each other. Neither girl matures or shows growth at the story's close. It is a Lolita-type novel with a paranormal element, which only serves to muddle the story and the relationships even further. 

Why others are giving AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is beyond my understanding. Perhaps I read it when I was in the wrong frame of mind. I might be reading too much between the lines. I could even be interpreting the story in a way the author never intended. I only know why I didn't like it, and I hope your reading experience is much more enjoyable than mine. 

REUNION IN DEATH by J.D. Robb is the fourteenth in the series. As with the previous thirteen books, it provides another opportunity to see Eve Dallas face her fears and embrace her emotions. And, while the idea of one of Eve's former collars coming back to exact revenge may sound familiar, her response to the threat this time is quite different.

One of the best parts about REUNION IN DEATH is that it occurs around Eve and Roarke's first anniversary. Despite an ongoing murder investigation, Ms. Robb takes the time to show her heroes taking the night off to celebrate and reflect. It is a beautiful scene. More importantly, it shows how much they've grown over the past year. 

Another scene of note in REUNION IN DEATH is Eve's trip back to Dallas. Here, Ms. Robb is delicate, showing Eve confronting her past and remembering hidden memories without delving into specifics. We feel Eve's emotional state more than we get the details of what happened to her. It is one of the most difficult scenes to read but one that is very necessary for Eve's well-being. 

Julie Dockport, as Eve's nemesis in REUNION IN DEATH, is a great foil. Her toxic femininity is downright scary. Even better, however, is how well it showcases the idea that our past does not have to define us. Given her past, Eve could have gone down a very different path than the one she chose, and the same holds true for Julie. 

As always, Susan Erickson is a delight to listen to. As I've said before, by this time, she is Eve Dallas for all intents and purposes. I don't think I could watch a movie or TV show of the In Death series (should they ever choose to make one) simply because her voices are the characters. No actor will ever be able to match Ms. Erickson's performance.

I know I say this in every review, but I feel that REUNION IN DEATH is the best book in the series to this point. Between the trip to Dallas, their anniversary, and some of the smaller but still vital scenes between Eve and Roarke as they maneuver their way through another dangerous confrontation with Eve's foe, I suspect REUNION IN DEATH contains some of the most important events in Eve's growing humanity. 

THE LONG GAME by Ann Leckie is the last of the entries in The Far Reaches collection. I wish I could say that I saved the best for last. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. In my opinion, THE LONG GAME was the weakest of the bunch.

I never quite got the point of this short story. The narrator is an alien, an insect-like being. It appears this Narr is unique in that only they can see the larger picture regarding organizing the workers and finding a more efficient way of working. We learn little about the humans colonizing Narr's planet. While this could be problematic, like any colonization of one species, Narr seems to like the humans. 

The one issue Narr has is when they discover the idea of death. It is a foreign concept, and Narr spends the rest of the short story trying to figure out what it means and how to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible. And that's all I could figure out. 

I recently had a discussion with my family that I read to escape. I don't look for motifs, themes, allegories, and such. I feel that THE LONG GAME is one of those short stories that is nothing but allegory. If it is, I only see it as a story about an alien who discovers the concept of death with a sneaking suspicion that it is about that on the surface only.

As one of my favorite authors likes to remind her readers, no one can write a novel from an alien's point of view because we are not aliens. Anything written from that point of view will sound human because that is the only experience we have. Such is the case with Narr. He doesn't sound like an alien. He sounds like a child who is capable of describing his growing awareness.

THE LONG GAME was disappointing only because I left it for last. Among six very different stories, I believe it was the weakest one. Not only did it not touch on space or space exploration, it is the only one told from an alien point of view, which is an impossible feat. Add to that the impression that there is greater depth to this story than I could ascertain from it, and the whole thing is a study of missed opportunities.

There is no doubt that EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED, Jay Kristoff's sequel to EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE, is my number one most-anticipated novel for 2024. After having read the first four hundred pages of it, there is good reason for me to feel this way. If those first few hundred pages are anything to go by, EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED is going to be even better than the first book. 

EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED has everything we loved about the first book - action, adventure, deathly situations, snark, anger, mistrust, revenge. Yet, this time around, we see a softer side of Gabe. This time around, the killer interacts with children, and every time is as heart-wrenching as the first, knowing what he lost. 

For someone who has never had children, Mr. Kristoff captures the immense love, fear, and frustrations that mean being a parent, and he imbues Gabe with all of it. The scenes where Gabe is doing his best by Dior are bittersweet and yet so touching. He has the best of intentions, no matter how gruff he is. In fact, his harshest moments come from a place of love and fear. He might profess to be anything but a hero, but his interactions with Dior prove that there lies a hero's heart underneath that bitter exterior. 

Because we now know that no one is safe, Mr. Kristoff uses this knowledge to make the battle scenes petrifying. It seems like every battle is just a little more dangerous, and Gabe and his band need to defy ever-increasing odds. Even though we know he survives - because he is still telling his story to his captors - it doesn't stop those scenes from being gut-clenching in intensity.

EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED isn't more of the same either. Sure, Gabe is still a captive of the Chastain kith. Yes, he is telling the story of the Grail. Yet, we are so much more in the know now, and that sense that Gabe is biding his time (Patience) is even greater. 

Plus, Mr. Kristoff shows us a different side of Jean-François. Not only do we get to see how he whiles away his time, we also get a glimpse into his mind. Through him, we see his Mistress and learn some of his motivations. This added insight also changes the dynamics of the story. For the first time, we get to see things from the enemy's perspective, and that knowledge makes them just a little more sympathetic. 

Plus, the sneak preview of EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED ends with one hell of a surprise - one that has the potential to be a game changer. It was a frustrating place to end the preview, but it's brilliant too. While our wait is less than it was a year ago, there are still too many weeks left before EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED's publication date!

JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH is Nnedi Okorafor's submission for Amazon's/Audible's The Far Reaches Collection. As for its place among the other stories, it is middle of the road. With too little focus on space or space exploration and too much focus on interpersonal relationships and sociology, Ms. Okorafor's short story did not resonate with me.

When any story opens with the presentation of a new form of space travel in which the ship is genetically matched to its captain, I want to know as much about this ship as possible. What happens with the genetic matching? How does that impact the spaceship? What happens to the captain? There are so many angles to explore here. Ms. Okorafor chooses not to explore any of those. Instead, her story focuses on the 7 days out of a ten-year experiment in which the few captains of these new ships get to meet up and see another human face-to-face for the first time in 5 years. This means that JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH is really a novella about a sociological study instead of being about space. 

Unfortunately, I didn't want a sociological study. Of course humans who have had no physical contact with anyone for five years would have some psychological issues. There are no surprises here. Even our heroine conducts herself questionably from a moral perspective but logically under a physiological one. 

I wanted JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH to include more science fiction. I want to understand how the Miris work, how they interface with their owners/captains, and how the captains influence their ships. I want to know how the genetic bond that connects them affects the owner. Moreover, I want to know what the purpose of this experiment is. They are to be in their ships for ten years. Why? What are they supposed to be doing? Answers to all these questions would help provide context for when the Miris and their owners meet up. 

Délé Ogundiran does a fine job with the narration. It is not an easy job because there are seven distinct voices to narrate in addition to the various AI/computer voices. The seven captains come from all corners of the world and vary in age, gender, and upbringing, further complicating the job. It is a task that Ms. Ogundiran accomplishes quite well. I found her voice pleasant to listen to, with clear delineation between the characters. 

Alas, Ms. Ogundiran's performance was not enough for me. I finished JUST OUT OF JUPITER'S REACH with disappointment as well as a sense of an opportunity lost. I understand that any discussion of space travel needs to address the psychological impact of such travel on humans, which is what Ms. Okorafor is doing here. Unfortunately, the allure of these genetically matched ships proved too distracting for me to be able to focus or appreciate the story Ms. Okorafor had to tell.

HEARTSONG by T. J. Klune is the third book in the Green Creek series. I discovered this series last year, as Tor opted to rerelease the series with new covers. The first two books in the series, WOLFSONG and RAVENSONG, are among my favorite books of last year. Now that I read the third book, I know the series will be among my favorite series of all time. 

With every book, Mr. Klune manages to rip out my heart and crush it, and I keep returning for more. His ability to put into words the longing, the loneliness, and the fears of his characters is breathtaking. He makes you understand what it means to be overwhelmed with emotion because he overwhelms you with emotion. It doesn't matter if you are reading Ox's, Gordo's, or Robbie's story, you are right there with them, feeling the brutality of their grief, the magnitude of their anger, or the bottomless depths of their loneliness. The experience is unforgettable.

Robbie was never my favorite character in the first two books. He was too eager to please, too ingratiating. Now that I've read HEARTSONG, I understand why he is that way, and it breaks my heart. His past is tragic. Instead of letting it make him bitter, he retains an innate optimism about others that is quite sweet. 

One of the best things about HEARTSONG is that I was not expecting any of it. The beginning threw me for a loop because I didn't understand where it fits with the previous stories. Once I understood what was happening, Mr. Klune had me. I was 100 percent vested in Robbie's story, for all its pain and longing.

HEARTSONG is one of those rare novels I could not stop reading until I finished it. I grumbled at my husband when he came home and started telling me about his day because I wanted to keep reading. I went to bed early so I could read without interruptions. The few times I set the book aside to be an adult, I could not stop thinking about it. I wanted nothing more than to go back to Robbie and to feel his pain and confusion.

What makes the Green Creek series outstanding is not just because the stories break your heart. They do that repeatedly, and you don't even mind because the experience of reading the books is so beautiful. For all the painful emotions of anger, loss, betrayal, and loneliness within the pages, however, there is also this profound sense of love and family. That unconditional love and acceptance that is the pack is overwhelming and wonderful. You want nothing more than to find your own Bennett pack to feel such intense belonging and contentment. It truly is a remarkable reading experience. 

HEARTSONG rereleases on 30 January 2024, and I urge you to read the series. Few stories capture what it means to love and be a family so purely, so beautifully. Each book is an emotional roller coaster with the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but it is worth the tears and heartbreak. It is rare to say that a book or even a series is life-altering, but I believe the Green Creek series, including HEARTSONG, is life-changing. 

THE INVOCATIONS by Krystal Sutherland is on many a reader's list of anticipated reads for 2024, and I understand why. With the synopsis describing a story filled with witches, curses, and the occult, it's difficult to ignore. Unfortunately, I wish I had ignored the hype and left it alone. If I had, maybe then my last book of the year wouldn't have been so disappointing. 

To me, falling asleep while reading is the number one indicator that I am not enjoying a story, so I knew I was in trouble when I was falling asleep while trying to read THE INVOCATIONS. It doesn't matter how awake I was when I picked up the book, my eyes got heavy after only twenty minutes. 

There are several reasons why I struggled. For one thing, even though we have three different narrators, there was almost no difference in their voices. I struggled to keep the three girls separate in my mind and often had to flip back to remind myself who was telling the story. Even now, I still find it challenging to identify any major differences. All three are young, damaged, and in toxic situations. Sure, one has a leg rotting from the inside out, one is almost feral, and one is in the throes of grief, but there isn't much else to differentiate them. They are, for all intents and purposes, the same. 

Then, I didn't find the murder mystery very compelling. The big reveal is less a surprise and more an inevitability. The fact that only the girls could solve the mystery is laughable. If anything, it feels like a plot point for a novel written in the early 2000s. Young adult fiction, in general, has come a long way from when all the adults were worthless or nonexistent and only the teens could resolve issues. Unfortunately, THE INVOCATIONS resurrects that particular plot device. I feel it does the story a disservice too.

Much like most of 2023, my last book of the year was not very good. THE INVOCATIONS is a forgettable story in which the demons aren't scary, the mystery is anticlimactic, and the main characters are so similar as to be interchangeable. I can see it being more popular than it warrants because of the buzz it is already receiving. But for me, THE INVOCATIONS is a book I will gladly set aside as the calendar turns to a new year, and I hope the books I read next year will be much better.