Tuesday, December 11, 2018

WICKED SAINTS by Emily Duncan



Wicked Saints

(Something Dark and Holy #1)



I loved the world and the magic system and the monster boy. Speaking of the monster boy... This book reads like a love letter to the Darkling, and I'm totally on-board for that. I just wish the story didn't feel so familiar. Yes, the magic system is unique, and I really enjoy how Nadya accesses her powers and communes with her Saints, but, at times, the story started to feel somewhat derivative. And by somewhat, I mean a lot. The parallels... If this series ends the same, I'm gonna be mad, y'all. 

But, back to the beginning. The first scene is action-packed and still manages to introduce the characters and give a good feel for their personalities. I was totally hooked. I wanted that pace to continue, but, alas, things slowed down. Don't get me wrong. There are a few more action-y moments, but they're interspersed with some down time.

So the middle sags a bit. It does build toward something. However, the thing we are promised does not materialize on the page, which, not going to lie, was disappointing. Then there were unlikely alliances that seemed way too easy, cemented by a pivotal character who feels very cliche. The pacing at the end picks up speed a lot, so much so that I'm still not entirely sure about everything that happened. There were a few stream-of-consciousness sections that I legit skimmed. Sorry. I kind of got what the author was going for, but there wasn't enough on the page to really make sense of it. 

Mostly, I think my biggest complaint was that I didn't feel immersed in the story or the characters. We're told stuff, but not really shown that much. The author just sort of skims the surface and there were plenty of moments when I wanted to see things fleshed out better. That said, there's plenty of room for more development in the next installment. Yes, I will be reading it. I'm curious to see where this goes. Some of my favorite series started off slow for me, so I'm giving this one the benefit of the doubt. 
ating: *** (3 stars)

* I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher. This in no way influenced my review. 
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RATING SCALE: 
 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 
 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 
 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 
 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.
 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.
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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recommendations in my comments. Comments make me smile. And if you review books too I'd love a link to your blog! :
You can find me on twitter: @ChellyPike and find more reviews here: https://chellywrites.blogspot.com.
And, if you want to, feel free to press that follow button. :D
Happy reading,
Chelly

Monday, December 10, 2018

THE DIRTY ONES by J.A. Huss


The Dirty Ones


Thursday, October 25, 2018

HUNGER MOON by Alexandra Sokoloff



Hunger Moon

(The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #5)



Thursday, October 18, 2018

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden



The Bear and the Nightingale

(Winternight Trilogy #1)

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind--she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed--this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales. 

What I thought: 

I love fairy tales, and this one is dark and twisty, and there are so many stories within the story. This book is so immersive. The world is so well drawn and equally as fascinating. I loved, loved, loved Vasilisa. I adored her relationships, especially with her brother. 

There's a juxtaposition of the new Christian God against the old gods, which is first highlighted by Vasilisa's nurse's stories and her devout brother, and then amplified by her father's new wife and the priest against Vasilisa's wildness. There's a constant tension built in by the harsh wilderness, their remote location, and the bitter, killing cold. 

I loved the themes here and how the narrative brilliantly weaves together so many familiar tropes all the while making them seem fresh. 

I'm definitely a fan of this series and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a lushly rendered fantasy world. 


Rating: ***** (5 stars)


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RATING SCALE: 
 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 
 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 
 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 
 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.
 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.
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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recommendations in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) And if you review books too I'd love a link to your blog! 

You can find me on twitter: @ChellyPike and find more reviews  here: https://chellywrites.blogspot.com.

And, if you want to, feel free to press that follow button. :D

Happy reading,
Chelly

Thursday, October 11, 2018

THE LOST SISTERS / PICTURE PERFECT COWBOY / TESS OF THE ROAD


The Lost Sisters

(The Folk of the Air #1.5)

This series is amazing. Read it. That's an order. It will ruin you.    


Picture Perfect Cowboy

(The Original Sinners #10)

by 
Jason "Still" Waters' life looks perfect from the outside—money, fame, and the words "World Champion Bull-Rider" after his name. But Jason has a secret, one he never planned on telling anybody...until he meets Simone. She's the kinky girl of his dreams...and his conservative family's worst nightmare.

"Picture Perfect Cowboy" is a standalone erotic romance from Tiffany Reisz, set in her bestselling Original Sinners series.

What I thought: 

I really enjoyed the beginning. I love the way Tiffany Reisz creates such fleshed out, real-to-life characters. I wanted to love this story, but something was missing. 

The tension that kept me flipping pages in the beginning fizzled out. There wasn't enough conflict to keep the story moving forward and things started to feel repetitive for me. 

If you're in it for the steamy sex and the HEA, maybe this book is for you. If you're in it for the depth of story usually found in Ms. Reisz's books, maybe skip this one. 

Rating: *** (3 stars) 

*I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher. It in no way influenced my review.
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Tess of the Road

(Tess of the Road #1)

*I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher. It in no way influenced my review.

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RATING SCALE: 
 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 
 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 
 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 
 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.
 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.
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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recommendations in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) 
You can find me on twitter: @ChellyPike and find more reviews here: https://chellywrites.blogspot.com.
And, if you want to, feel free to press that follow button. :D
Happy reading,
Chelly

Monday, October 8, 2018

WONDERBLOOD by Julia Whicker



Wonderblood


Eerily disturbing. 

Gruesomely believable.  

This book is beautifully written and a little bit haunting. I love how much this story made me think. 

It definitely falls into the literary category, in that it's character driven, which made the action, at times, feel... I hesitate to say slow, so maybe just not fast. 

There was a lot of weird. In a good way. This was the most imaginative take on dystopian that I've read to date. Brilliant and evocative. 

I will be thinking about this one for a long time. 


TW: There are a few triggers throughout, but nothing really graphic on the page, so keep that in mind.