Review: Obsidio

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I. LOVED. THIS. TRILOGY.
Wasn't sure I would. but i did....

Read it. AIDAN DEMANDS IT.

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Review: A Beautiful Corpse

A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After the fallout from the first book, Harper McClain has spent the last year rebuilding her life, and focusing on her crime reporting career. But a murder closer to home will drag her back into the limelight and test every ounce of grit and gumption that she's got.

This book was great! Harper was just as interesting a main character as in the first book, but having gotten to know her in the first book left this one with plenty of room to develop her more deeply, rather than having to introduce her and set everything up. She's kickass and brave and determined to find the truth, and I adore her character, even when she's making big mistakes!

Daugherty's writing is spot on as well. The story didn't feel too extraneous, and the only times it felt drawn out were the times it was *supposed* to feel that way - when Harper is struggling for leads and desperate to weed out the truth. It really helped me lose myself into her world and her life.

The twists in this one aren't as big as in the first one, but the story is solid, and the path to get there is zig-zaggy enough to keep the readers on their toes.

Plus, the ending - more about the mystery of Harper's mother's murder (when Harper was a child) - really left me excited about the prospect of more. Definitely think it's going to be an agonizing wait... *sighs*

Highly recommended to lovers of mystery/thrillers... but read book one first. :)

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Review: Verses for the Dead

Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now THAT was a Pendergast book. I loved the last book, because, well, I love anything Pendergast, but let's be honest here... it felt a little like a retooled previous entry in the series. This one, on the other hand, was a top notch return to form. One of my favorite of the recent volumes in the series. Highly recommended.

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Review: The Stranger Diaries

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Elly Griffiths writes some great books. I love her Ruth Galloway series, and I've started her Stephens and Mephisto series (though I've got to catch up on that!). Her work always has great characters and a deep, dark mystery, and this standalone is no exception. I really enjoyed this one, maybe even more so because it was a standalone, so it felt like everyone was at risk, as opposed to a series where you know, at the very least, that the main character is pretty much safe the whole time, even when they're in "danger."

The Stranger Diaries had some excellent twists and turns, multiple murders, and a very intriguing murderer reveal. I *did* guess the murderer correctly, but it was really just a whim I had that turned out to be correct. I think most people will probably be questioning up until the reveal.

Highly recommended, great mystery, excellent characters, and really good atmosphere. :)

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Review: Wild Country

Wild Country by Anne Bishop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anne Bishop has really outdone herself with this one. I adore her series, The Others. The first five books take place in Lakeside and are some amazing books. I was so sad when I heard that Simon and Meg's story were done, and then elated to hear that she was going to continue the series with books set in other locales around the world she'd built, with different casts of characters. I enjoyed book 6, set in Sproing, and really liked the characters there, but book 7 completely knocked it out of the park.

This one is set in Bennett, near Prairie Gold, and if you remember the events of the other 6 books, the Terra Indigine and the Humans First and Last movement's clash reached a tipping point in that area. This is the rebuilding book, and the stakes are very, very high. The cast is different from that of book 6, so I'm hoping we'll get to see the Sproing residents again some time in the future, but I really, REALLY want a follow up to this one. I really like the characters in this one, and the setting, and the events of this book really build a bond between reader and cast. She might move on to another town in the next book, but I hope we'll get more visits to Bennett in the future.

Honestly, though, as long as she keeps writing stories set in this world, I'll gobble them up like candy no matter the setting or cast of characters.

Highly recommended (but read the rest of the series first if you haven't yet)!

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Review: That Ain’t Witchcraft

That Ain’t Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seriously, thanks. Because WOW. Seanan is just a master of her craft. She threw some huge curveballs into the storyline in this one and the risks paid off! I'll spoil as little as possible, but I have to say a few things to get my feelings across.

First, I adore Annie and her friends. I'm sad this is the last Antimony book for now. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about Sarah's two books coming up next, but I really like Annie's sarcasm and wit, and I like Sam and Cylia and Fern as well. I'd really like to see when Annie returns home, dragging her ragtag crew behind her. Maybe we'll get to see that one day.

Second, I really like how Seanan has made the Covenant a huge force to be reckoned with but not always the villain of the story. Even when they're not the main bad guy of the story, she reminds us they're there, and is building towards a huge finale in the long run.

Third, I love the world-building. The cryptids, the magic, the ghosts, the crossroads, I just love this world. It's urban fantasy at its best.

One major complaint: I need the Aeslin mice! Luckily in this one, we get to hear a little catechism of the Aeslin mice, even if we don't get to see them.

So if you haven't read this series yet, pick it up. And try to read as many of the shorties in between books as you can because they're all fantastic AND they develop the characters more. If you have read it, then this installment will definitely be worth your wait. :)

HAIL SEANAN, THE PROLIFIC WRITER OF WORDS AND THE STORYTELLING PRIESTESS.

(PS - for everyone who reads the audio book, this one has a short story at the end about Alex/Shelby/Sarah and the Gorgons. It's a MUST READ.)
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Review to come upon release... but dang, I don't want to wait another year for more Incryptid.

Sarah's up next with Imaginary Numbers.

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Review: The Malta Exchange

The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, provided in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Steve Berry and his Cotton Malone series. It's in my top favorites. Sadly, to me, this entry fell short of Berry's usually high standards.

It wasn't the plot that fell short, as the plot was a really entertaining one. Papal conclave, secrets that could devastate the church, twisty betrayals and double agents... all check. Sadly, the big twist was predictable, and I saw it coming from the moment they introduced the second character involved.

Also, Berry usually excels at weaving the history lesson into the story in a way that doesn't feel like an infodump or a lecture, but in this one, it felt very "plot point/action moment, long history lesson, plot point, long history lesson, plot point, long history lesson"... just alternating between the two, rather than weaving them together.

Cotton and Luke didn't feel as deeply developed as they usually do, Stephanie was barely in it, and Cassiopeia wasn't in it at all.

It had its strong points as well, though. The history was fascinating. The locale and details of the church's history on the island of Malta was very interesting, and was definitely a cool concept for a book.

I just feel like, overall, it wasn't as cohesive or developed or well-woven as his books usually are, so I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up.

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