Review: Cold Iron Task

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Cold Iron Task. Below is my honest review.

If you haven't read the famous Jim Butcher's son James' urban fantasy series, you should pick it up. This is book three in the Unorthodox Chronicles, and it's worth the read. He definitely inherited a bit of his dad's talent in regards to creativity and worldbuilding. I can see a lot of Jim's earlier books in James', and can see an upwards trajectory for his skill.

This installment shows us a new side of Grimsby's relationships - mutual trust, respect, and Grimsby truly feeling like he has friends. Mayflower's going through the wringer, and this time Grimsby gets to be true support for Mayflower, Rayne, and even Wudge.

I really enjoyed the way this one shakes out, and the amount of growth Grimsby has shown.

Definitely recommend this series for Urban Fantasy fans.

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Review: Cold as Hell

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of Cold as Hell. Below is my honest review.

I absolutely love this series. So much that I don't even know if I have words to express just how much I love it. The setting, the characters, the atmosphere, the mysteries... Armstrong is a master class author.

Highly recommend picking up this series (though be warned, this one is a few books into a followup series to the first series, Rockton, and as such, certain aspects of character/setting history are spoiled for those who haven't read the rest).

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Review: The Medici Return

The Medici Return by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for a pre-release copy of The Medici Return by Steve Berry. Below is my honest review.

It's wild how active Cotton Malone is for a man his age. Oh wait, I can't recall his exact age because he seems to be stuck in his late 40s/early 50s! lol

Anyways, on to the good stuff. The Medici Return was one of those "gotta prove there is a legitimate heir" kind of treasure hunt book, and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I also really enjoyed learning more about the Medicis and the history of a lot of regions of Italy.

I do think one or two of the twists were pretty predictable, sadly, and I wasn't a fan of the bad guy. He felt very... stock villain-adjacent? Either way, the journey itself was a romp through Italy and even included a horse race!

Overall, four stars. Still a great series, just not my favorite of the bunch. Recommended for fans of history and thrillers, Dan Brown fans, etc... but be warned, this is book 19. There's some character history here that you're missing if you start here.

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Review: All Better Now

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the early copy of All Better Now. Below is my honest review.

Every time I pick up a Neal Shusterman novel and tear through it, my first thought is "why haven't I gone back and finished reading his entire catalogue yet?" This one was no exception.

It was a lot of fun (for us, the readers, at least) and had a lot to say in the way of social commentary regarding public health, and also carried an interesting message about how we've allowed pure unfettered capitalism to use negativity and hate and pessimism to drive us to a consume consume consume mindset.

Definitely recommended for Shusterman fans and YA readers.

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Review: The Bones Beneath My Skin

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin. Below is my honest review.

While this book has been released previously, Tor is rereleasing it as part of its contract with TJ Klune, and I'm here for it. The new cover is great, and the book itself is absolutely fantastic.

It's sort of a discussion on what it means to be human and what the connections between us really mean, a story of found family and a story of love and forgiveness, both for others and for yourself.

Highly recommended read.

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Review: The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the pre-release copy. Below you'll find my honest review:

Not gonna lie, for the first 40% of this book or so, I found the main character absolutely insufferable. It dragged for me because I didn't like him enough to want to keep going. But the premise was intriguing enough, and the side characters/love interests were pretty good, so I pushed through. I'm glad I did, because eventually, the main character actually starts to GROW as a person and it was a joy to "watch" the process.

It was also really cute, and wasn't smutty at all. Just adorable high school nerdy gay kid finding himself and his first "love" while learning about life and relationships of all kinds. Quite a chaste book, but perfect for YA readers.

Definitely recommend. I'd read something else by the author in the future, for sure.

Four stars!

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Review: At the Bottom of the Garden

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and RHPG- Ballantine Del Rey for the pre-release copy of At the Bottom of the Garden. Below you'll find my honest review.

I've never read Camilla Bruce before, but the description for this one jumped out at me as a good Halloween-season read, so I requested an ARC. I'm so glad I did!

I loved the characters, all of whom had some interesting depths to plumb and all of the POVs had a distinctly different voice, which isn't always the case in books with rotating POVs.

I absolutely loved the strange powers and the ghosty things in this one too! I really don't want to spoil much, but I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the supernatural, magic powers, and people getting what they deserve.

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Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Below you'll find my honest review.

A witchy book was a perfect "get in the Halloween mood" read! Hendrix is one of my go-to authors for great horror books, and this one was absolutely one of his best ones yet.

The characters developed really well, and the witchy bits were so much fun (for us, the reader, but not always for the MCs!)

I think the best part for me was the setting. He really built up the world perfectly - from the Home, to the staff, to the witchy lady, to the other girls, to the atmosphere of the time - it just all felt so immersive and on point.

And just as importantly, he nailed the connection from actual horror elements with the horrors of reality, per usual, this time in how women, especially girls, are treated in the real world and in the case of pregnancy outside of marriage.

Top notch read, highly HIGHLY recommended.

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Review: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear. Below is my honest review.

I hated knowing what was coming (thanks, Beneath the Sugar Sky) because I really loved Nadya and the turtles in her true home world. I really would have liked a little more depth (pun) of plot for this one, as it kind of felt incomplete to me. But I really really really really loved the turtle Drowned Girl world!

Highly recommended, especially if you keep up with the series. It's a fantastic series.

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Review: No Place Left to Hide

No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the pre-release copy of No Place to Hide by Megan Lally. Below is my honest review.

I really enjoyed Megan Lally's last book, That's Not My Name, and so I knew when I saw this one that I had to get my grubby little hands on it.

This one is similar to That's Not My Name in that it's about teenagers, involves some dark situations, and has some major twists. While That's Not My Name took place over time, this one takes place over the course of an evening, with some flashbacks to build suspense, context, and the origin of the mystery.

Honestly, it's rare nowadays for a twist to really get me, so I was pleasantly surprised that while I guessed one of the twists, I got slammed head-on with a bigger twist that I did NOT see coming.

Highly recommended for fans of twisty YA mysteries. Definitely worth the read.

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Review: Velveteen vs. The Early Adventures

Velveteen vs. The Early Adventures by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for the advanced copy of this serial collection. Below is my honest review.

Finally, a chance to catch up on Velveteen's adventures! I have hardcover copies of the first three collections, but they're rare and limited print, so they're packed up in protective covering with all of my special books. I didn't want to mess them up! So when I saw this on Netgalley, I knew I MUST have a copy to read. It's one of the few Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant works I haven't touched before now.

I really liked Velveteen, but some of the side characters really caught my fancy - especially Tag, Victory Anna, and the Princess. I really like the concepts behind so many of the power sets, and they were a lot of fun to read.

Looking forward to more!!

Recommended for fans of McGuire/Grant, superpowers, comic books, and serial stories.

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