Review: Shattered Bonds

Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Faith, you've done it again! A culmination of so many storylines, this book might have become my favorite in the series. It's got depth and darkness and light and hope and grief and connection. It's got a big bad that's actually pretty damn terrifying. It's got lots of twists and turns. It's got lots of emotion and heart. Most of all, it's got Jane truly recognizing, on a deep soulful level, what's most important - the bonds she has forged with the people and creatures that have become her Clan, and similarly, accepting *who she is*, every single aspect.

While the title of this book is Shattered Bonds, don't let that fool you into thinking that Legs will be alone. Change, reforging, making something stronger is the name of the game.

There were quite a few emotional moments, but one that really stood out to me was a moment between Jane and Beast. It hit me really hard, and was absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful. Might have been my favorite moment of the series.

I really adore this series (and its spinoff, Soulwood) but if you've not read it, please start at the beginning with Skinwalker. Trying to jump in on this one will just spoil things and devalue the emotional payoff that comes with the events of a long-term series. HIGHLY recommended. ALL THE STARS.

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Review: Lucky Break

Lucky Break by A.M. Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy this series. It's fun to read about sexy cowboys falling in love with each other. :) I love being able to see all of the characters from the past few books interacting in this one, building lives with each other and their respective partners.

Overall, these fluffy MM romances with a little bit of realism (tragic events in this one, sadly) usually just make me happy and ease some stress. Though to be fair, there isn't TOO MUCH realism... I mean, really, a whole ranch full of gay and bi men? Also, if that IS a real thing, can someone point me in the right direction? I need to book a week vacation there. :)

Highly recommend this series for those who like MM romance and like to escape a little... especially with cowboys. :)

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Review: Tower of Dawn

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every act of kindness has an effect, stirs and causes a ripple on the waters of this world. Don't ever underestimate how even the tiniest of them can change the world.

While I'm particularly glad that I didn't have to wait years in between books (because I waited until the whole series was out), I don't think I would have been upset with this one not picking up following the cliffhanger of the last after I'd finished this one. Fantastic!

Maas' books are un-put-down-able!

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Review: Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck--Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by James C. Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the lessons this offered, but it felt a little... "toot my own horn" at the beginning, and it kind of turned me off a little. The historical examples, especially those involving the South Pole expeditions and the IMAX trip to Everest, were interesting reads.

3.5 stars, really.

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Review: The Furies

The Furies by Katie Lowe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

Not entirely sure how to write a review of this book. On the one hand, it delved deep into human relationships and how twisted they can be, and how dark and damaged people can become. It was vivid and complex in its portrayal of broken people doing breaking things to other broken people. In that way disgustingly and exceedingly successful. On the other hand, though, not a single character was likable. I couldn't root for any. Even the one that the author kind of made me want to cheer for... yeah, well, she ripped that little bit of redeemable quality right out of the character.

I'm still not quite sure if the supernatural part was real or not, and I both hate and love that about the book. Almost everything about this book was lukewarm (beyond the depths of dis-likability of the main characters) or left unsure or hanging.

Mostly, there was one twist I didn't expect (and if there wasn't actually any supernatural, then it wasn't a twist at all) and that, coupled with how well the author managed to make complex, deep characters, left me with a middle of the road, "liked it" three stars.

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Review: Rosemary and Rue

Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors. I make no secret of that. She's prolific, she's friendly, and her books are kickass. I love the October Daye series, but I've only read it once all the way through. I've been meaning to get around to a reread for a while, so what more perfect way to do that than with the 10th Anniversary edition of book one? Right?!

The main story is the same as the original publication. It's not the best in the series, but it does set up one of the most interesting Urban Fantasy worlds out there, and lays the groundwork for some really cool storylines and some great characters. Definitely worth a read - this series really comes into its own in book three, one of my favorite books, not only in the series but in general.

The best part was an added novella, only available currently in this 10th Anniversary edition. Strangers in Court was a Pre-Rosemary and Rue TOBY story! We've seen the history of this world in many of Seanan's short stories, but we finally get to see a glimpse of Toby before the events that led to Rosemary and Rue COMPLETELY UPROOTED her world. Pre-fish, y'all.

Highly recommended... HIGHLY.
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Main review to come upon release.

The main novel was a reread for me - and was awesome! My first reread of the series, this time knowing everything that's coming!

The bonus novella was the real icing on the cake. Finally a pre-fish Toby story! :)

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Review: Imaginary Friend

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

I can't believe I didn't DNF this one. It was over 700 pages, and at least half of that could have been edited out to tighten up the plot and get to the action faster. There was a lot of repetition, and seriously, there were multiple climax points of the story. The "big final battle" happened three or four times. Much of the story never made sense, and if it was allegorical, well, it didn't really do well on that front either.

Overall, I was invested in a handful of the characters, so I stuck it out for them, but I didn't much enjoy the book. It was a rambling, poorly plotted, "trying too hard to write a Stephen King-esque epic horror fantasy and not succeeding," confusing mess of a book.

I hate giving poor reviews of novels, but alas, I promised honesty. I can't really say I recommend this one much at all.
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Review to come upon release, but honestly, this was too long, very weird, rambling and poorly plotted King-wannabe type story. I can't believe I didn't DNF it, honestly.

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Review: The Library of the Unwritten

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I'm really glad I didn't DNF this book. It was slow starting and took forever for me to get invested, but I feel like that was probably more a *me* issue than a *book* issue, so please take my average rating and review with a grain of salt.

What an original concept! It was quite a ride, and the idea behind it all - that there is a library in the afterlife where those books and other art projects that never get finished reside - is really unique. Add into it the imagination that went into bringing them to life, the muses, the Damsels, the different afterlifes and characters, and you had a pretty good book.

I'll consider reading the next one, and hopefully be pleasantly surprised to find that my slow investment and boredom at the beginning *were* just my mood and not the book.

Recommended with the warning that the first half might be a little slow to get going and hard to get into.

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