Pop Culture Breakdown: 4 shots

Rating

Synopsis: The Presidential Campaign Trail, 2012: A political operative and a volunteer are brutally murdered while caught in a compromising position. Written in their blood on the wall of the crime scene: IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK.

And with that, a centuries-old horror known only as the Boogeyman returns to taunt Nathaniel Cade, the President’s Vampire. Against the backdrop of the 2012 presidential race, with the threat of constant exposure by the media, Cade and Zach must stop the one monster Cade has never been able to defeat completely. And they must do it before the Boogeyman adds another victim to his long and bloody list: the President of the United States himself.

The Good: This book was crazy good, between Zach's personal life and the big evil that has risen again. Seeing the president on the road, campaigning for reelection, with Zach and Cade at his back for protection was really fun. The Boogeyman is a high concept villain that really works well, both here in the story and as a mythology that could work on its own in the world, explaining all the supernatural evil we've seen in movies and books. I can't even put into words my reaction to the end of this book. It was, just, wow. It's actually frightening what may come in the next book.

The Bad: Someone returns from the dead and it's unnecessary. They become central to a plot that could have been managed without them. In an effort to explain how they are alive, there are some weird twists that do nothing but bog down the current story.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham

Storybook Love by Bill Willingham

2004, Vertigo

Series: Book 3 of Fables

Rating

Synopsis: In the Fables' world, there isn't a lot of happily-ever-after to go around. As refugees from the lands of make-believe, the Fables have been driven from their storybook realms and forced to blend in with our gritty, mundane reality.

But that doesn't mean they don't have any room for romance—or the pain, betrayal and jealous rage that go along with it. In fact, love may be blooming between two of the most hard-bitten, no-nonsense Fables around. But are they destined for happiness— or a quick and untimely death?

The Good: A couple of really interesting story lines going on, with the four separate stories told as a collection instead of an ongoing story. I always love Bigby and Snow working together and this volume spends some real quality time with them. We get to see a lot of Bluebird, and while not a fun character to follow, it certainly is revealing. Both Jack's and the Lilliputians' stories are flashbacks, giving a great look at the histories of these characters.

The Bad: There seems to be a sad case of "one step forward, two steps back" going on here that I rather wish the author had decided against.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

The Walking Dead, Vol. 23: Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman

Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman

2015, Image Comics

Series: Book 23 of The Walking Dead

Rating

Synopsis: The new era of peace and prosperity is interrupted by a new type of enemy. One that travels amongst the walkers. One that will turn whispers of their appearance to screams.

The Good: Crazy people. It's always crazy people. Whether it be the Governor or cannibals or Negan, at the root of it all is just people who mentally can't handle the world as it now is and act out in ludicrous ways. This new threat is no different, other then there is a whole hell of a lot of them. This new brand of crazy is unlike anything we've seen before and that makes this volume completely worth the read.

The Bad: We seem to be going from Carl being a reckless child to being a irresponsible teenager. He's gone from attempting to protect his friends and family is dangerous ways to doing whatever his hormones dictate. I suppose it was to be expected, but one would hope that growing up in this post-apocalyptic environment, a boy in his position would have developed better priorities. Never underestimate Carl's ability to find the most inappropriate way to deal with something.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer

The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer

2013, Grand Central Publishing

Series: Book 2 of Culper Ring

Rating

Synopsis: From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, there have been more than two dozen assassination attempts on the President of the United States.

Four have been successful.

But now, Beecher White -- the hero of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Inner Circle -- discovers a killer in Washington, D.C., who's meticulously re-creating the crimes of these four men. Historians have branded them as four lone wolves. But what if they were wrong?

Beecher is about to discover the truth: that during the course of a hundred years, all four assassins were secretly working together. What was their purpose? For whom do they really work? And why are they planning to kill the current President?

Beecher's about to find out. And most terrifyingly, he's about to come face-to-face with the fifth assassin.

The Good: This series isn't my normal type of thing, but the books keep dragging me in. This time, a serial killer is going around assassinating priests, in the same style as past presidential assassinations. The history of it was intensely fascinating. We see these past presidential deaths first-hand in the book, which is newer to most than it really should be. We're usually taught about Kennedy and Lincoln but often American educations neglect details from the assassinations of Garfield and McKinley. The book is very suspenseful and quite surprising at times. It took a little getting into, but after the first couple chapters, I flew through the book.

The Bad: More and more, I'm finding it hard to believe that there is a shadow organization that would rely so heavily on a man who is clearly mentally unstable. I don't doubt the shadow organization. I doubt that they would be so invested in an institutionalized man who is clearly schizophrenic on top of other mental issues. Wouldn't they find someone a bit more reliable to, um, rely upon?

Monday, February 8, 2016

The Good, the Bad, and the Witchy by Heather Blake

The Good, the Bad, and the Witchy by Heather Blake

2013, Signet

Series: Book 3 of A Wishcraft Mystery

Rating

Synopsis: Darcy Merriweather is Enchanted Village’s newest resident Wishcrafter—a witch who can grant wishes for others. But as Darcy prepares a celebration for a magical florist, she discovers that every rose has its thorns…
When magical florist Harriette Harkette decides to throw a lavish eightieth birthday party for herself, she hires Darcy’s Aunt Ve’s personal concierge service, As You Wish, to plan the soiree. But turning eighty isn’t all Harriette is celebrating—the Floracrafter has recently created the midnight black Witching Hour rose, the first all-natural rose of that color.

Darcy works hard on planning an extravagant celebration that will make Harriette feel like the belle of the ball. But when cake delivery boy Michael Healey—a former employee at Harriette’s greenhouse—is found dead, the celebration takes a turn. Now Michael’s ghost has imprinted on Darcy, meaning that they’re bonded until she can untangle the thicket surrounding his murder—and what exactly it has to do with the Witching Hour rose….

The Good: Amusing, as the series always is. The introduction of the possibility of ghosts was interesting, though I'm glad it seems to not be a permanent addition. In this instance it was very helpful in giving emotion to the case Darcy found herself in the middle of, as well as giving her a very good reason to continue her involvement. With all cozy mystery series, the romance is slow going. But, what I especially like about this series is that there are real obstacles that come up that warrant the snail's pace. Issues that make sense and need to be dealt with.

The Bad: Flowers. Meh. I don't read gardening themed cozy mystery series, although there are a few out there, because I have no interest. The mix of magic made it tolerable, but I was lost for the most part whenever it came to the Floracrafters.

Friday, February 5, 2016

San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant

San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant

2012, Orbit

Series: Novella from Newsflesh

Rating

Synopsis: It was the summer of 2014, and the true horrors of the Rising were only just beginning to reveal themselves. Fans from all over the world gathered in San Diego, California for the annual comic book and media convention, planning to forget about the troubling rumors of new diseases and walking dead by immersing themselves in a familiar environment. Over the course of five grueling days and nights, it became clear that the news was very close to home…and that most of the people who picked up their badges would never make it out alive.

The Good: This novella was rich with geeky splendor. Set at the 2014 Sand Diego Comic-Con. A bulk of the main characters are Firefly fans selling merchandise at the con. Another main character is the star of a hit sci-fi show, fictional but seeming to more than mildly resemble Katee Sackkoff (the actress who played Kara Thrace on BSG), but that could just me my own interpretation. Taking us back to the first major outbreak of the zombie apocalypse that is in full swing during the Newsflesh trilogy, trapping us in the convention center as first of the zombies come and begin to multiply (as they are wont to do). This was an amazing, fun story that added little to the Newsflesh world, but was still a super fun experience.

The Bad: It's a novella, when it really should have been a full novel. It has more than enough plot and action to fill a full novel. I'm not a fan of novellas to begin with, but this one clearly had all the makings of something more.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

2012, Harlequin HQN

Series: Book 10 of Fool's Gold

Rating

Synopsis: The unrelenting cheer in Fool's Gold, California, is bringing out the humbug in dancer Evie Stryker. She learned early on that Christmas miracles don't happen, at least not for her. And this year seems like no exception. An injury has forced her to return to the family fold, no matter that they're estranged. She won't add to the awkward scenario by being seduced by the bad-boy charms of her brother's best friend, the last man she should ever want to date. Even when she's recruited to stage the Fool's Gold winter festival, she vows to do as promised, then move forward with her life anywhere but here.

Jaded lawyer Dante Jefferson is getting used to the backwater town he now reluctantly calls home, but the pounding of little dancers' feet above his temporary office is more than any man should have to take! When he confronts their gorgeous teacher, he's unprepared for the attraction that sears him down to the soul. Evie is his best friend's sister--off-limits unless he's willing to risk his heart. Dante has always believed that love is the most dangerous force in the universe, but that was before he had to reckon with the magic of a certain small town, where miracles do seem to happen..

The Good: I fell behind in this series and spent far too much time away from this cozy little town I love. What a wonderful time to come back to it, with a Christmas themed story. Evie was a natural choice for the female lead, having introduced her, a little, in a previous novel. Dante was a little more surprising as the male lead, but they worked together perfectly. Evie and Dante's fears were both understandable, if not completely relatable. The Christmas setting made the entire story a lot more festive and upbeat than their romance would have been alone. Beyond their relationship, it was absolutely wonderful to see Evie interacting with her family, building those relationships for the first time, as well as seeing both Evie and Dante become real, included members of the community.

The Bad: I disliked the turn towards the end of the novel before the inevitable happily-ever-after. Mallery has a nasty little habit of making her male leads act in an unnecessarily cruel manner out of fear of commitment before realizing there is no fighting true love. It happens really often. I find it hard to believe that all these men use this same juvenile tactic and that they are always forgiven for it in the end. To the point where the other townswomen who've gone through it in their own relationships will get together with the hurt woman and laugh about their own miserable experiences. Once, sure. Twice, okay maybe. An entire town full of women who take back purposely hurtful men like it's some sort of right of passage, um, no.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

2006, Dark Horse Comics

Series: Book 1 of Serenity

Goodreads / Amazon

Rating

Synopsis: Here's how it is -- in a universe filled with hearts and minds as cold and dark as the reaches of space, one small Firefly-class starship named Serenity takes its ragtag crew of mercenaries, outlaws, and fugitives in search of a job, any job, that'll earn them enough cash to afford that most elusive commodity -- peace.

The Good: Those Left Behind is pretty much an episode of Firefly, just in graphic novel form. It comes chronologically after the end of the show and before the movie. It doesn't do much to move from A to B, especially in regard to where we find some of the characters once the movie begins, but it is a start in the right direction. The art is pretty impressive. The characters are immediately recognizable. Wash is a little weird, in an unexplainable way, but you definitely know who he is. Overall, it's a wonderful return to a world we love.

The Bad: This graphic novel was a bit short, story-wise. It was physically short as well. It's weirdly less tall than any other graphic novel I've read, making the pages hold less content than usual. The main problem is the story isn't important, Nothing new and different happens.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The Walking Dead, Vol. 20: All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman

All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman

2014, Image Comics

Series: Book 20 of The Walking Dead

Rating

Synopsis: The biggest storyline in Walking Dead history starts here! It's Rick versus Negan with a little help from everyone else!

The Good: A whole lot of action going on here, as there should be during a war. Rick has a surprisingly decent plan, especially surprising when we know from the last volume that this isn't a war they were actually prepared for before Rick went rage crazy. Negan is pushing himself to all new levels of skin-crawlingly disgusting yet still pretty hilarious. I have no idea how AMC is going to be able to portray him on the show at all, he's not even close to appropriate for TV, even cable TV.

The Bad: War means people will die. That should be heartbreaking. Except it really isn't when you can't remember who any of these people are. Minor characters die here, but it's more distracting than emotional when you have to stop and think who they are. It's not that their unrecognizable, but people start meaning a whole lot less when there are so many characters now. It really makes a reader miss the good old days when there was a core group and that was who you cared about and focused on.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The Walking Dead, Vol. 19: March to War by Robert Kirkman

March to War by Robert Kirkman

2013, Image Comics

Series: Book 19 of The Walking Dead

Rating

Synopsis: Rick. Ezekiel. Gregory. Negan. Each man holds the fate of their community in their hands... and WAR is on the horizon!

The Good: I would really enjoy a graphic novel that was all Negan, all the time. A large amount of readers seem to have a problem with his near constant use of profanity. I find it to be realistic. We all know someone who uses the f word a minimum of three times per sentence. It's part of his personality. To write him as a cuss free psychopath would take away from the his character development. With Ezekiel, we see another form of surviving society - a kingdom with a ruling king. I liked seeing this because it makes sense that the societies that came after the zombies would vary greatly. Not everything would be a Ricktatorship, so why not a monarchy of sorts.

The Bad: Rick isn't cut out to be a leader. We've seen it time and again. He's never been able to handle his own son, never mind keep the peace within the group. Now he's gone all rage-filled crazy (not for the first time, either) and starts a war (again) that his forces have little chance of winning (much like last time). He just plain lacks diplomacy and shouldn't have the authority to put people in the situations he routinely does.

Monday, January 25, 2016

The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After by Robert Kirkman

What Comes After by Robert Kirkman

2013, Image Comics

Series: Book 18 of The Walking Dead

Rating

Synopsis: Following the events of "Something to Fear," Rick and the other survivors start their new life under Negan and the Savior's rule...but not everyone agrees to go along. Also, who is Ezekiel? And why does he have a tiger?

The Good: Negan's absolutely more vicious than the Governor, and infinitely more entertaining. He's psycho quality crazy and it's surprisingly hysterical. He's positioned himself as lord and master of his own uniquely off-kilter society, one that I couldn't get enough details about. This story arc is quite possibly Kirkman's finest.

The Bad: The most unbelievable thing in this entire series isn't the zombies or even the pet tiger introduced in this volume, it's that Carl has managed to survive past the first few days of the zombie apocalypse. He just refuses to listen to any sort of authority, refuses to stay in a relatively safe environment and refuses to use any type of common sense. Carl is no longer a child. He should absolutely know better. He should be dead fifteen times over by now. He's annoying and almost always puts others in danger when they are forced to rescue him from whatever stupid position he's put himself into. Good, smart, useful people keep dying. Why can't Carl die? We know Kirkman has no qualms about killing off kids, so why are constantly subjected to Carl's idiocy?

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

2012, Del Rey

Series: Book 5 of Downside Ghosts

Rating

Synopsis: A DEADLY HIGH

Magic-wielding Churchwitch and secret addict Chess Putnam knows better than anyone just how high a price people are willing to pay for a chemical rush. But when someone with money to burn and a penchant for black magic starts tampering with Downside’s drug supply, Chess realizes that the unlucky customers are paying with their souls—and taking the innocent with them, as the magic-infused speed compels them to kill in the most gruesome ways possible.

As if the streets weren’t scary enough, the looming war between the two men in her life explodes, taking even more casualties and putting Chess squarely in the middle. Downside could become a literal ghost town if Chess doesn’t find a way to stop both the war and the dark wave of death-magic, and the only way to do that is to use both her addiction and her power to enter the spell and chase the magic all the way back to its malevolent source. Too bad that doing so will probably kill Chess—if the war doesn’t first destroy the man who’s become her reason for living.

The Good: Definitely better than the last book. The constant mentioning of Chess's drug use finally has a point beyond reminding us that she's an addict. Maybe, possibly, please let it be, the issue of Chess's drug addiction and the way it effects her life will actually be dealt with. At least we've reached a point where it's escalated enough that something has to give. The stakes seemed well above normal in Chasing Magic. Every part of Chess's life could come crashing down with a tiny misstep. The only thing remotely solid is Terrible and even he can only take so much. Lots of tension leasing up to some amazing action.

The Bad: Deep down, Chess hates herself. This has become more and more obvious over the course of the series. Either it stems from her addiction or is the root cause of it. Since we haven't gotten more than bits and pieces of her life before the series started (all of which sounds horrendous and gives credence to the root cause theory), we basically left guessing. Either way, her self-hate leads her to be self-destructive and and near-constant bemoaning of how she's worthless. Not worthy of the Church's trust or Terrible's love. Not worthy of anything except an addict's death. It's a downer, obviously. She's impossible to like at this point. While a seemingly accurate look at the inner monologue of an addict, it's a hard and often unpleasant read.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

2011, St. Martin's Paperbacks

Series: Book 3 of Lucy Valentine

Rating

Synopsis: "Exposed" by a Boston Herald reporter, Lucy Valentine is suddenly the talk of the town. Long back-story short: Even though the rest of her Valentine ancestors were blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, Lucy's only special power lies in her ability to find things. This skill has proven quite a blessing for those who come to her matchmaking agency in search of finding their long-lost loves. Now that Lucy's secret is out, she has more new clients than she knows what to do with. But soon a certain man of mystery steals Lucy's spotlight…

No, it's not Sean Donahue, the sexy fireman-turned-private-eye who's stolen Lucy's heart. It's a masked man in a cowboy hat, dubbed "The Lone Ranger," who's been throwing handfuls of cash across the Common. Now all of Beantown's abuzz. Can Lucy unmask the mysterious money man, track down all her clients' old flames, and turn up the heat on her love life? Absolutely, positively…

The Good: I love Lucy. Her family is a riot and her relationship with Sean makes for compelling reading. More than that, I am really enjoying seeing Lucy come around on Preston and getting to see the reporter has more going on personality-wise than what has been aggressively on the surface. Lucy spends a lot of time doubting if she's doing the right thing with her case and her ability to find someone in this book and I felt that was wonderfully genuine. You get the feeling she cares about her clients much like readers care about her.

The Bad: The Lone Ranger mystery was fairly obvious. I figured it out way too early in the book and that kind of killed a lot of the intended suspense. While not the focus on these books, I would really like to see more actual matchmaking from the matchmaking business.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

2010, Ace

Series: Book 4 of Kate Daniels

Rating

Synopsis: Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren't for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose.

Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle - especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community. When she's called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers that there's a new player in town. One who's been around for thousands of years - and who rode to war at the side of Kate's father. This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time Kate will be taking on family.

The Good: Yay! We are finally digging deep into the mystery that is Kate's lineage. With details and repercussions. And a clear risk of being outed to the world. And she's not running away. I loved the mystery. The plague-like elements mixed with magic were amazing. I had no idea where things were headed. I can't express enough how much I love when Kate has to deal with Saiman. His pot stirring could keep me entertained forever. Magic Bleeds was action heavy and took the overall story places I hadn't even considered possibilities. Definitely a wild ride. The setup for the future may prove to be just the thing to build Kate into the strongest version of herself.

The Bad: The romance between Kate and Curran is infuriating most of the time. It's like watching a pair of never-been-told-no kids throw hissy fits over the stupidest things. Their reactions are mind-boggling. Readers know neither has actually had a happy, monogamous relationship with someone who could be considered their equal and, yes, that could explain away a majority of the absolute lunacy we see between Kate and Curran. That doesn't excuse them from learning from the first misstep and evolving into romantic partners that can actually relate to each other in some sort of adult manner.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs

Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs

2015, Bantam

Series: Book 18 of Temperance Brennan

Rating

Synopsis: For every case Temperance Brennan has solved, there remain innumerable unidentified bodies in her lab. Information on some of these is available online, where amateur sleuths sometimes take a stab at solving cases.

One day, Tempe gets a call from Hazel “Lucky” Strike, a web sleuth who believes she’s successfully connected a body in Tempe’s lab to a missing persons report on an eighteen-year-old named Cora Teague. Since the bones in her lab do seem to match Cora’s medical records, Tempe looks into the case, returning to the spot where the bones were originally found. What seems at first to be an isolated tragedy takes on a more sinister cast as Tempe uncovers two more sets of bones nearby.

When she then learns that the area is known as a viewing point for a famous unexplained light phenomenon with significance for a local cult, Tempe’s suspicious turn to murder by ritual sacrifice—a theory thrown into question when Hazel herself turns up dead.

Still reeling from her mother’s diagnosis and the shock of Andrew Ryan’s potentially life-change proposal, Tempe races to solve the murders before the body count climbs further.

The Good: Speaking in Bones is a really wonderful mystery, covering some things Tempe hasn't previously faced. She finds herself looking into a cold case at the request of a web sleuth. Of course, she has no idea what a web sleuth actually is, which introduces the reader to an entire corner of the internet that most are unaware of. Given Tempe's ignorance on the subject, the ins and outs are described in a very elementary fashion that readers will understand regardless of age or tech savvy. What I really enjoyed here was how the characters are finally growing out of their original molds. Most obviously, the huge changes in Slidell. If he can change, it damn near proves anyone can.

The Bad: The problem with long running series is that they generally don't follow real time. Fans of this series have been reading about Tempe and Ryan for a good 18 years. How much time has passed in the series? Maybe a couple of years. So when Tempe has doubts about Ryan's proposal, it's hard to understand. To us, they've been together longer than most married couples, even with their constant on-again, off-again. You have to take yourself out of the story to understand her hesitance, which completely removes any tension that may have built while awaiting her final answer.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

The Curse of the King by Peter Lerangis

The Curse of the King by Peter Lerangis

2015, HarperCollins

Series: Book 4 of Seven Wonders

Rating

Synopsis: THREE BATTLES
Thirteen-year-old Jack McKinley and his friends have already defeated the Colossus of Rhodes, visited Ancient Babylon, and outfoxed legions of undead all to recover three of the lost Loculi. But if they don’t unearth the last four Loculi soon, the powers that made these victories possible will overwhelm the Select—and destroy the world.

TWO RIVALS
Not only do Jack and his friends have to battle these seven ancient wonders, but they also have to contend with the Massa, who have taken over the Karai Institute and convinced Marco to switch sides. Outnumbered, underequipped, and growing weary, Jack, Cass, and Aly soldier on to find the long-lost Statue of Zeus.

ONE ENEMY
But as time is running out, our heroes must confront gods, relive old battles, and face down their greatest enemy yet—their destiny. Old enemies become new friends and sudden victories turn to certain defeats as the time nears for everything to change. The stakes grow impossibly high in this latest adventure from master storyteller Peter Lerangis.

The Good: The character interaction was magnificent in this installment of the series. More than anything, the kids just being together was the most entertaining aspect of the book. A lot of surprises in this book, more so than any other so far. The Curse of the King was an emotional book, something I wasn't quite expecting. Very fast paced, a lot going on, but easy to follow.

The Bad: I mentioned the parents in my review of the last book. They remain beyond belief. I also would have liked a bit more focus on the Statue of Zeus. It is the main goal of the novel and was very much relegated to the background for the majority of the book.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Wicked Games by Sean Olin

Wicked Games by Sean Olin

2014, Katherine Tegen Books

Series: Book 1 of Wicked Games

Rating

Synopsis: To all the locals in the small beach town of Dream Point, Carter and Lilah seem like the perfect It Couple-but their relationship is about to brutally unravel before everyone's eyes.

Carter has always been a good guy, and while Lilah has a troubled past, she's been a loyal girlfriend for the last four years. When smart, sexy Jules enters the picture at a senior-year bash, Carter succumbs to temptation. And when Lilah catches wind of his betrayal, she decides that Jules needs to pay.

By the end of the summer, the line between right and wrong will be blurred beyond recognition. Blood will be shed. Nothing in Dream Point will ever be the same.

The Good: I loved that Wicked Games pulled no punches. Lilah is mentally ill and goes off the deep end in a skincrawling fashion. She takes every scorned woman impulse and just goes with it, consequences be damned. Carter is obviously torn between caring for Lilah and wanting to escape her choke him with her love impulses. Carter makes stupid mistakes while dealing with a mentally unstable person and things escalate in a terrifying fashion. Lilah was scary, like really genuinely scary.

The Bad: Some of Carter's mistakes were understandable, but others were unrealistic and obviously used for plot progression only. His complete denial of possible danger towards the end of the book is absolutely impossible given what he's experienced up to that point.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

The Tomb of Shadows by Peter Lerangis

The Tomb of Shadows by Peter Lerangis

2014, HarperCollins

Series: Book 3 of Seven Wonders

Rating

Synopsis: Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones in the New York Times bestselling adventure Seven Wonders! The Tomb of Shadows is the third in a seven-book series by master storyteller Peter Lerangis. This sequel to the bestselling Lost in Babylon and The Colossus Rises chronicles the adventures of Jack McKinley and his friends in a life-or-death race to the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. In the rubble of this Wonder of the Ancient World, they have to face down their own demons and engage in an epic battle with foes long gone. But when promises are broken, blood is spilled—and the Select are left with no choice but to destroy the one thing that might have saved them all.

The Good: Right on par with the previous books in the series. Adventure, lots of action, lots of intrigue and never knowing who to trust. A good, fast paced read with great characters and a little education thrown in - this time with the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. Excellently written and destined to wow middle grade readers.

The Bad: Kids aren't going to care (I'd imagine), but Jack's parents in these books are beyond unrealistic. Mom's been making choices that are suspect since he was a baby and Dad is irrationally helpful to his cause. All of this is supposedly due to his ticking time bomb of genes, but would parents really blindly flail all over the place in the hopes that someone else may have an answer? Especially if this bending over backwards to find a cure took them away from the child they were trying to save in the first place? Or worse, enabling his repeated attempts to risk his life for a chance you have no reason to believe in?

Monday, December 21, 2015

Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs

Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs

2014, Bantam

Series: Book 17 of Temperance Brennan

Rating

Synopsis: Unexpectedly called in to the Charlotte PD’s Cold Case Unit, Dr. Temperance Brennan wonders why she’s been asked to meet with a homicide cop who’s a long way from his own jurisdiction. The shocking answer: Two child murders, separated by thousands of miles, have one thing in common—the killer. Years ago, Anique Pomerleau kidnapped and murdered a string of girls in Canada, then narrowly eluded capture. It was a devastating defeat for her pursuers, Brennan and police detective Andrew Ryan. Now, as if summoned from their nightmares, Pomerleau has resurfaced in the United States, linked to victims in Vermont and North Carolina. When another child is snatched, the reign of terror promises to continue—unless Brennan can rise to the challenge and make good on her second chance to stop a psychopath.

But Brennan will have to draw her bitter ex-partner out of exile, keep the local police and feds from one another’s throats, and face more than just her own demons as she stalks the deadliest of predators into the darkest depths of madness.

The Good: Bones Never Lie revisits a suspect from the 7th book in the series, Monday Mourning. Anique Pomerleau was never caught and I love that we get to see her back on Tempe's radar after almost a decade (in our time, not hers). My heart broke for Ryan as he hid from the world in his own mourning. The on-again, off-again disaster that is Tempe and Ryan is at its uncomfortable peak here. After previous books, we finally get to know Tempe's mom. She's a hell of a character and I hope to see here for a good long while in the series.

The Bad: The red herrings were glaringly obvious as such. Probably not a huge issue to the casual mystery reader who hasn't built up a tolerance to that sort of thing, but someone this far into a series is going to quickly realize that obvious clues and suspects offered up early on are only meant to mislead and automatically ignore them - thus sort of pointing the reader right towards the real ending to soon.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Visions by Kelley Armstrong

Visions by Kelley Armstrong

2014, Dutton

Series: Book 2 of Cainsville