The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2011, Harlequin TEEN

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Synopsis: To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase - a half human, half fey slip of a girl - smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
 
With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end - a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.
 
To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Good: Ash in the forefront. Ash and Puck, traveling together. Ash and Puck dealing with their shared past and current situation with Meghan being a distant character, unable to get involved in the boys issues. I loved the trek, the challenges Ash had to face, everything that lead back to Meghan. Everything, except . . .

The Bad: There is a significant problem with the resolution Ash's major issue in this book. He wants a soul. He must earn a soul, as he is fey and they don't have souls. Souls are a purely human thing. The fey DO NOT have souls. Therefore, Kagawa's plan on how Ash obtains a soul is impossible. Without giving anything away, all I can say is it does not work. You can't say fey's don't have souls of there own and then go the route the author went here. I don't know, maybe she didn't realize went against everything she had previously stated. Or maybe she meant for some exception to that rule. Either way, it kills the power behind stating that souls are not something the fey possess. You can't have it both ways and it absolutely ruined a perfect book for me.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

1999, William Morrow Paperbacks

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Synopsis: Hopelessly crossed in love, a boy of half-fairy parentage leaves his mundane Victorian-English village on a quest for a fallen star in the magical realm. The star proves to be an attractive woman with a hot temper, who plunges with our hero into adventures featuring witches, the lion and the unicorn, plotting elf-lords, ships that sail the sky, magical transformations, curses whose effects rebound, binding conditions with hidden loopholes and all the rest.

The Good: I haven't enjoyed Gaiman's books as of late. I've enjoyed a few, but on the whole, I tend to hate his stories. I went into Stardust with nothing short of dread in my heart. I dragged my feet the whole way into this book, pushing it off time and again. Turns out, I didn't hate it. It's a fun, lightly written, fairy tale full of dark things. Decent characters and an easy to follow plot made the book very readable and not worthy of the near insurmountable hesitation on my part.

The Bad: Who does Gaiman write these books for? Books like Stardust and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I mean. They're obviously children's stories, with their basic vocabulary and fairy tale/fable/moral story vibe. They're even presented as such, with big fonts and widely spaced letters. Except the situations faced soon turn darker than your average third graders taste. They're clearly written for adults, but adults with limited vocabularies and bad vision? It bugged me the entire time I read Stardust.

Red, White, and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth

Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth

2012, Putnam Adult

Series: Book 3 of Nathaniel Cade

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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.

Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham

 Storybook Love by Bill Willingham

2004, Vertigo

Series: Book 3 of Fables

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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.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

2005, HarperTorch

Series: Book 2 of American Gods

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Synopsis: Fat Charlie Nancy's normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn't know his dad was a god. And he never knew he had a brother.

Now brother Spider's on his doorstep -- about to make Fat Charlie's life more interesting... and a lot more dangerous.

The Good: Well written, in a technical sense. Managed to read it and understand the basic story line.

The Bad: I really liked American Gods, which lead me to believe I would enjoy this sequel. Except Anansi Boys isn't a sequel as much as a novel that exists in same universe as American Gods. It's a companion novel at best. Different characters. Different mythology. Just the basic theme of gods walk among us. Sometimes. And a focus on trickster gods. I knew nothing about the African trickster god Anansi going in. I'm not sure if that helped or hindered me, because I couldn't care about these characters at all. The book dragged and dragged and was finally, mercifully over. I'm beginning to believe that no matter how much I enjoyed American Gods and Good Omens, Neil Gaiman isn't the author for me.

Taken at Dusk by C. C. Hunter

Taken at Dusk by C. C. Hunter

2012, St. Martin's Press

Series: Book 3 of Shadow Falls

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Synopsis: Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she's meant to be with--and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she's about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it's not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different--and more astonishing--than she ever imagined.

The Good: At the last moments of the third book in the series, we finally learn what Kylie is. Pretty much. It's not like we got a clear definition, but at least we have a label of sorts. It's unexpected (because, I assume it's a completely made-up by the author thing, but I could be wrong), but it's something. We get some real action and some real life and death stuff, there seems to be a definite upping of the ante. Kylie now has a direction to focus in so there is real hope for faster paced plot progression in the future. I hope.

The Bad: Kylie needs to swear off dudes. She's an awful person when it comes to dating. It's not that she can't decide between the two guys, it's that she gets one and then only wants the other. Then she gets the other and only wants the first one. And because of this manufactured boy drama, she can't be bothered to spend her time alerting adults to her issues, learning how to harness her abilities or protect herself from danger. The world revolves around her easily-bored heart and it's one of the single most annoy things I've ever read.

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

2007, Speak

Series: Book 1 of Sweep

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Synopsis: Something is happening to me that I don't understand.

I see things, feel things in a new way. I can do things normal people can't do. Powerful things. Magical things. It scares me.

I never chose to learn witchcraft. But I'm starting to wonder if witchcraft is choosing me.

The Good: I really enjoyed how the writing was inclusive and accepting of everything, without having to make a big deal about anything. Wiccan religion, lesbian aunt, teen sexuality, whatever. All part of the story, not issues that have to be addressed and dealt with. Beyond the magick themes of the book, the mundane high school life felt accurately portrayed. It wasn't washed-clean of normal teen activities, nor overly hyped to make things more scandalous than in reality. 

The Bad: Bree, the best friend, is certifiably crazy. Like dangerous, obsessive, not a person you should associate with, crazy. Beyond angsty teen, in love with random boy issues, she's constructs a fantasy where the boy wants her back and progresses to destroy her relationship with Morgan in the process. It's dangerous to portray this type of behavior as anything other than being in desperate need of psychiatric help. Wicca was portrayed in an odd mix of by-the-book instruction and outlandish power. The author focused on making sure the details were explained well and factually, then immediately twisted the practices in an attempt to make the main character seem special. It was weird and just felt off.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

2010, Disney Hyperion

Series: Book 1 of The Heroes of Olympus

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Synopsis: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids”, as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea — except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

The Good: When I first heard of this series, I had wondered how Riordan wold make it work after bringing the Greek gods to life. I couldn't see how it would possibly work, as the mythologies are so interrelated. I shouldn't have worried. If I know anything by now, I know that Riordan has an uncanny ability to make world work within one another. That he can take something as huge as an entire cultural mythology and make it work in relation to our world. If he can do that, of course he can mess Greek and Roman mythology into something connected, yet existing outside one another. Going in, I at least thought I knew how Riordan would portray his hero Jason. I was wrong there as well. Jason isn't another Percy Jackson. He's someone else entirely and his journey seems to be working out in an wholly different fashion. The continuation of Camp Halfblood didn't seem all that possibly when the Percy Jackson series ended, but again, I was wrong. Riordan continues the world he created, yet makes it more - adding to it in unexpected ways and only enriching it. Fans of Percy Jackson will be blown away by this series if this initial book is any indication. I plan on devouring the entire thing at once.

The Bad: Not a thing.

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

2010, Roc

Series: Book 1 of Alex Craft

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Synopsis: Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say.

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around...

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life...and her soul.

The Good: I started reading Kalayna Price when I first started blogging. I devoured her Haven series (and am still desperately awaiting book 3) and promptly bought Grave Witch when it was released. Popped it on the shelf and literally forgot I owned it, for well over 5 years. What an epic misstep on my part. Urban fantasy is my most loved genre and Price never fails to hit all the right buttons for me. Grave Witch lives up to everything I had hoped for and more. Alex has some necromancy witchcraft abilities going on, rents her home from the fae, has been ousted from her family for her abilities, the grim reaper lurks about (and is something of a friend) and she's got some budding romantic stuff going on that doesn't overtake the action filled mystery she's involved in. I found myself completely thrown off-kilter numerous times, never seeing any of the big reveals coming. Everything in this book is pitch perfect and I will definitely be obsessing over the rest of this series. I think it's safe to say that Kalayna Price has cemented herself as one of my go-to authors.

The Bad: Not a thing.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 4: Welcome to the Team by Andrew Chambliss

Welcome to the Team by Andrew Chambliss

2013, Dark Horse

Series: Book 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 9

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Synopsis: Buffy is unwillingly recruited by the demon Illyria and a mystical council to take down the Siphon—for good. He is on the loose again, and a danger to all remnants of magic! Meanwhile, back home the loss of magic has begun to affect those closest to Buffy.

The Good: Xander makes you care about Dawn. That's what we remaining skeptical fans have needed since the moment Dawn appeared in the series. A reason to care about her. She's grown up some, but she's still, at heart, the annoying little sister we all wish had never been introduced. Her relationship with Xander is the only thing that makes her likable, but at least we have that now. Xander is still full of his flaws, the one character that never evolves past his episode, always reverting back to default mode come the next. This graphic novel stays true to that, as annoying as it may be. We see him once again contemplating questionable things based on emotion over logic.

The Bad: The artwork is getting laughable. I mean, look at that cover. Clearly Buffy. Clearly Xander in black and white at the bottom. Obviously the artists have a grasp on what the characters are supposed to look like. Then on the inside we get rushed cartoony nonsense that barely resemble the characters. I couldn't identify Buffy in more than a few panels. Xander is slightly better, but the eye patch is a pretty big tip off. Judge for yourself.

Not good.

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

2012, Del Rey

Series: Book 5 of Downside Ghosts

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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.

Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane

Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane

2012, Del Rey

Series: Book 4 of Downside Ghosts

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Synopsis: READING, WRITING, AND RAISING THE DEAD

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

The Good: Terrible thoroughly proves why he should be everyone's favorite romantic partner. His love for Chess seems to know no bounds. The action and mystery in this book are awesome. Stacia Kane writes the way I think and I love that. Certain quotes speak to me in a way that makes me want to embroider them on a pillow, or at least paint them on a mug or something since I'm not the decorative pillow type.

The Bad: I've said it before in reviews of this series, but it needs to be repeated. Readers DO NOT need to know every single detail of everyday actions. We don't read about every time someone in a book urinates and we definitely don't need to read about every single time Chess takes drugs. Mentioning it 20 or more times in the course of a single day is overkill. We get it, she's an addict. It's a basic body function to her at this point. Telling us every time she procures drugs, every time she takes drugs and every time she thinks about taking drugs is THE most boring thing imaginable. It's not reinforcing the idea that she's an addict. 4 books in, we know the extent her addiction effects her life. Now it's just filler and annoying. It makes it extremely hard to get into the book and often pulls me right out of the action. Seriously, enough is enough. If it isn't effecting the plot in some way, it should be edited out.

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

2010, Harlequin Teen

Series: Book 3 of Soul Screamers

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Synopsis: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else…

The Good: Tod is becoming a much more compelling character. He seems to be growing into his role and becoming a better person, in sharp contrast to his brother. I really enjoyed the Demon's Breath/drug angle of the book and how that played out with involving the students at Kaylee's school.

The Bad: Kaylee conveniently forgets crucial details on a regular basis. It drags the books out, ridiculous when they're so short as it is. Any reader even halfway paying attention will notice completely remember these things and grow increasingly frustrated throughout the book. And then there's the whole boyfriend hiding things from her. Unforgivable things. Add that to the fact that the characters continue to hide everything possible from the adults in their lives for no good reason other than "parents just don't understand." Except, these parents would completely understand and help. Yet, let's just screw ourselves over and go completely unprepared into mortal danger time and again because parents are dumb or whatever. Maybe this thing resonates with teen readers, but as an adult with the ability to judge the parents on their previous reactions to situations in the series, these kids are coming off as complete idiots begging to be killed.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

 The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

2009, HarperCollins

Series: Book 2 of Darkest Powers

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Synopsis: My name is Chloe Saunders, and if you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl - someone normal.

Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment - not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends - a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch - and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

The Good: Kelley Armstrong is a strong writer and it consistently shows in her books. Her characters are engaging, her word choice on point, always. There were a few surprising twists, enough to make the book worth the read if you enjoyed the first in the trilogy.

The Bad: There was a significant falloff of personal enjoyment reading this one from the first in the trilogy. It clearly suffers from middle of a trilogy syndrome. It's hopelessly cliched, completely predictable with the main character "on the run" in an attempt to discover the truth of her situation. We've left the carefully constructed setting setup in the first novel and are now running blind in the world not knowing who to trust. I could be describing almost any random middle of a trilogy book here and that's a huge problem for this book and YA trilogies on the whole.

Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 2: First Night by Joss Whedon

First Night by Joss Whedon

2009, IDW Publishing

Series: Book 2 of Angel: After the Fall

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Synopsis: What happened on the very night Los Angeles went straight to hell, the incident that ended the Angel television series with such a shocking cliffhanger? Why did the team go their separate ways? And how did Connor rise up to become one of Hell's greatest champions?

The Good: The TV show ended on an epic cliffhanger, where the surviving characters were poised to enter what seemed to be a battle to their deaths. This volume finally answers the question of who survives and how. This alone makes the volume a worthwhile read.

The Bad: Instead of following Volume 1, this goes back to where the show ended. It's what all fans want to know, but making the series out of chronological order is annoying. The artwork is spotty, in relation to the characters. This cover is supposed to be Wesley. You can see that's what they're going for, but cover art is generally perfectly identifiable and this just isn't. The characters in the panels are even less identifiable and it leads to confusion at inconvenient times in the story.

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

2010, Ace

Series: Book 4 of Kate Daniels

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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.

Angel & Faith Volume 4: Death and Consequences by Christos Gage

Death and Consequences by Christos Gage

2013, Dark Horse

Series: Book 4 of Angel & Faith

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Synopsis: Delve into Giles's darkest days when a demon from his past - as the wild youth Ripper - reemerges in London. Eyghon's appearance gives Angel the opportunity he's been waiting for: capturing the final piece of the late Watcher's soul. For Faith, emotions run high after her Slayer comrades lose one of their ranks and discover Faith's longstanding relationship with public enemy number one, Angel. They'll use this information to their advantage - kill him or use him to resurrect their dearly departed friend. Needless to say, neither option goes according to plan when Slayers start turning into zombies!

The Good: This volume was amazing. Definitely the best so far. A look back at Giles dark past is always a good thing. I love how these graphic novels revisit smaller aspects of the TV series, like in this volume with Eyghon. It makes perfect sense that he would tie into Giles' soul, but his place in the story is rather unexpected. Spike and Angel together is a pleasure, as always. I am really enjoying where this volume has the story heading and can't wait to see how they wrap the season up.

The Bad: Not a thing.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones

2012, St. Martin's Press

Series: Book 4 of Charley Davidson

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Synopsis: Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there’s no avoiding her destiny.

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above...or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. But the more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved.

Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

The Good: Every single thing about this book was a surprise. That's a shock in itself, as I've long known to expect the unexpected when reading this series. Twists galore, some more important than others. I can honestly say that I was caught off guard a minimum of 8 times while reading this book. I've always loved Charley, but here we get to see an other side of her which fleshed out the character in a way I hadn't even known was needed. Reyes was frustratingly sexy, as always. I'm especially enjoying watching Charley's family dynamics evolve. This was a spectacular addition to the series and I can't wait to see what's next.

The Bad: Not a thing.

The Curse of the King by Peter Lerangis

The Curse of the King by Peter Lerangis

2015, HarperCollins

Series: Book 4 of Seven Wonders

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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.

The Tomb of Shadows by Peter Lerangis

 The Tomb of Shadows by Peter Lerangis

2014, HarperCollins

Series: Book 3 of Seven Wonders

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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?