Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Published 2015, Grand Central (November)
Stars: ★★★★★

A full review will be posted closer to release date, but I have to say...

OH. MY. GOD.  That ending was exactly what I WANTED.  I AM FLOORED.

Bring on book #16 asap, Preston/Child.  There's a reason Pendergast has been one of my top favorite series for over a decade... it's because Preston/Child know just how to play with your emotions, when to hold back, and when to let all hell break loose!

While it's not my favorite book of the series (that title still belongs to Cabinet of Curiosities, one of my favorite books of all time), it is one of my absolute favorite endings/cliffhangers of the entire series!!!

Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark

Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark
Published 2015, Elewyn
Stars: ★★★☆☆

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like the characters of Sara Wilde and the Magician.  I feel like this book filled in a little of the backstory that I needed it to, and it introduced some new characters that will provide some good interactions in futures stories -- Brody, Nikki, the Devil, the High Priestess, etc.

I had FUN with this book, but I had a serious problem with it -- it felt UNFINISHED.  It didn't feel like there was a complete story, but instead was comprised of mostly character development and getting everything into place for future books.  I appreciate the world-building, but I needed it to have that story -- which in this case seemed to be the missing girls, who turned out to be a plot device and the last 25% of the book was more setup, rather than a big explosive finish leading into the next book's story.

Overall, I'd read another, to see what happens with Sara Wilde and if all this setup was worth it.  I'd give it that shot because of the snarky awesome-sauce that is Sara.

The Harvest by Chuck Wendig

The Harvest by Chuck Wendig
Published 2015, Skyscape
Stars: ★★★★☆

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy for an unbiased review.

What a trilogy!  Lots of twists and turns, and quite a few things going the exact opposite of the way I was anticipating -- which I love!  While it's fun to figure things out early sometimes, it can also be annoying to constantly be guessing and getting everything right.  Where's the fun in never being shocked?  Well, this series did that for me.  While there were a few things that played out just as I expected, there were others that played out in entirely the opposite way I forecasted.

I'm a little sad it's over, to be honest.  I actually cared about these characters and their fight to change their world.

Thanks Chuck.  Your books always entertain me!

Blightborn by Chuck Wendig

Blightborn by Chuck Wendig
Published 2014, Skyscape
Stars: ★★★★☆

Thanks, Netgalley, for giving me this great Chuck book in exchange for an unbiased review... though it's hard to be unbiased when Chuck is so awesome!!!

Seriously, this one kicked it up a notch... actually, way past a notch.  Our heroes and heroines got deeper into trouble, a few new characters were introduced, and some allegiances changed back and forth a few times.

This series is proving to be further and further from being what I thought it would be, based off my pre-judgments and the cover (strictly sci-fi, if you were wondering), and is turning out to be a handful of genres deftly joined into a fantastic world.

Book three is next up (okay, at the time of this, I'm a quarter of the way into book three already).  Let's see if the end of the trilogy is as explosive as the end of book two.

Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig

Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
Published 2013, Skyscape
Stars: ★★★★☆

First, thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the Trilogy for review.  Not only do I get to read the whole thing and provide my unbridled opinion on it, but I get to do it for CHUCK books!!!  (Check out his Miriam Black series if you want a prime example of awesomeness.)  So thanks Netgalley. Other than these review copies, I got nothing in return for my review (well, maybe some satisfaction from reading a great book!)

Chuck's world this time is far from that of Miriam and her darkness.  It's a bright land of... corn.  Corn everywhere. As far as the eye can see... corn.  Not just any corn, but corn so GMO'd that it's barely edible and can move on its own.  Add yet another creepy level to the already creepy endless cornfield.  Yikes.

The Heartlanders live on the surface of the planet, tending the out-of-control kudzu-like corn and providing labor and supplies to the Empyrean, the rich people who live above in giant flotillas in the sky.

Enter Cael and his friends.  They're scavengers, trying to find anything they can to sell and provide for their families and their town.  But that's all about to change...

This book is drastically different in tone from Chuck's other works.  It's YA for one, but it's also a big story -- overall, the first one points the way towards what I think will be a revolution and a change in the status quo of Cael's entire world.

And I think the journey is going to be a good one, especially if it's half as fun and easy to tear through as this book one of the trilogy.

Trust No One by Paul Cleave

Trust No One by Paul Cleave
Published 2015, Atria
Stars: ★★★★☆

Netgalley provided me with a copy of this book for reading and review purposes.  My review is unbiased and based strictly upon my opinion of the quality of the work.

After much pondering since I finished yesterday, I've settled on some feelings.  For most of this book, I was entirely certain it would be a five star read.  The concept was awesome, the cover was gorgeous, the writing was convincing -- seriously convincing. Alzheimer's is a scary disease.  It eats away at who you are, slowly killing you while leaving you alive.  This book does an amazing job of providing some level of feeling that people who have this terrible sickness must go through.  Sure, it's probably not all medically accurate... but it's a thriller.  And it really works for the narrative.  It allows us to question as much as the protagonist does, while knowing bits and pieces more than he does because we remember things from his journal entries that he no longer can recall.

I guess what killed that fifth star for me was the ending.  An understandable but heartwrenching twist totally irked me.  Everything had built up just the way I was anticipating... and those last few pages just ripped my proverbial feet out from under me.  The ending made sense, and was almost necessary... but it tore my heart out. 

Crossed by Eliza Crewe

Crossed by Eliza Crewe
Published 2015, Independent
Stars: ★★★★★

Wow!  This one is chock full of twists and turns!!! Every time you think you've got it nailed down how it's going to go, the story takes another sharp turn... even straight into Hell!

Meda yet again proves to be one of the best YA-esque protagonists in the genre, with her not-so-good-girl attitude, spunk, and snarky wit ruling the narration.  Jo proves for the billionth time that she's not all talk, but isn't phased by hard choices.  Chi remains the lovable, heroic, stupidly reckless and hopelessly hopeful Crusader.  Some other characters make returns in this book, which ties up a lot of loose ends.

I've heard rumors that this *could* be the last Meda book.  Say it ain't so, Eliza! SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!

Another solid entry in the Soul Eater series.  Tied up enough that it's believable as a series ender, but left enough potential threads that Crewe could return to it if she so chooses (and she'd better so choose, so help me Meda).

If I had more than five stars to give, this series would get the extras.

The Tournament by Matthew Reilly

The Tournament by Matthew Reilly
Published 2015(US), Gallery
Stars: ★★★★☆

Matthew Reilly is really good at thrillers.  Like, super fun, crazy explosions, fast pace, unbelievable yet unputdownable thrillers.  But then I attempted to read Troll Mountain, his foray into fantasy.  No thanks.  Not so good.  So when I saw that Reilly had branched out into historical fiction and mystery, I was a little concerned... but since I love Reilly's work (other than Troll Mountain, ick!), I had to see if this would be any good.

And it was.  I loved the characters of Bess and Ascham, and there were plenty of murders and lots of intrigue to keep it entertaining.  I'll give it four stars, with the missing star because of the convoluted solution.

All in all, a strong entry by Reilly into the historical mystery genre.  Much better than I had expected, considering Troll Mountain's blah-ness.  (Did I mention I really didn't care for Troll Mountain at all???)

Thanks Netgalley for this review copy.  I've provided my honest opinion, and gotten nothing other than the ARC in return.

The Undying Legion: Crown & Key #2 by Clay and Susan Griffith

The Undying Legion: Crown & Key #2 by Clay and Susan Griffith
Published 2015, Del Ray
Stars: ★★★★☆

In exchange for an unbiased and honest review, Netgalley gave me this ARC.  Thanks, Netgalley!

It took me a while to get into this one.  Not because of the book itself, but because for a week or so I was in a serious reading slump.  I just had no motivation to read (or do much of anything else). 

I picked this one back up yesterday after the off and on, a bit here and a bit there reading for a week or two, and tore into it.

These books are just pure unadulterated fun.  I mean seriously, the Skin of Ra in this one? So creative!

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll stop before I get too wordy, but the magic, the villains, the fun steampunk, even the slightly cliched/trope characters are just loads and loads of entertainment.

Ruins by Joshua Winning

Ruins by Joshua Winning
Published 2015, Peridot Press
Stars: ★★★☆☆

Ruins is the sequel to Sentinel, and is the second book in the Sentinel trilogy.  While it does suffer a little from "second-book-itis," it's a solid addition to the series.  It builds on the mythology set forth in the first one, develops the characters further, and goes on a roller coaster ride of events that lead up to a destructive finale... all to set up book three.  The end left a few things hanging, set up a few threads for the trilogy ender, and had a fun twist or two.

All in all, a solid book.  Good pacing, fun storylines, entertaining characters.  I'll definitely finish the series.

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

Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters by John Birmingham (DNF)

Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters by John Birmingham
Published 2015, Del Rey
Stars: ☆☆☆☆☆ (DNF)

 I'm just not going to be able to finish this book.  I've read around 20%, and I can't find a single thing redeemable or potentially redeemable about the main character, and the gratuitous abuse of crude humor and curse words, which isn't a problem for me in general, is so beyond excessive that it's disgusting... and borderline "trying too hard."

It's a shame really, because the concept is an awesome one -- beefy guy, rough around the edges, rugged, messy life, forced into being a hero when a bunch of monsters spring up from under the sea.  Unfortunately for Dave Hooper, I won't be there for his adventure nor for his path to becoming a real hero.

I think what really turned me off was the comment in the first chapter, about the three things he tasted when he burped up the night before -- liquor, snack food, and lady parts.  But it was much more graphic in description than that.  I gave it a few more chapters, but had to DNF.  Just wasn't for me, with the MC as a racist, a misogynist, a homophobe, a deadbeat, a potty mouth, a druggie, a tax evader, an adulterer, and all around gross.  This author seems to be seeing how much he can get away with, and it doesn't work with this reader.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this galley.  Wish it had worked more for me.

Moseh's Staff by A.W. Exley

Moseh's Staff by A.W. Exley
Published 2015, Curiosity Quills
Stars: ★★★★★

Many thanks to A.W. Exley and Curiosity Quills for an early edition ARC for review.  My review is unbiased, honest, and unabashedly fan-boyish. :)

Anita has done it again, and sadly, for the last time, at least when it comes to the deliciously sexy and devilishly fun Artifact Hunter series.  This book provided some necessary closure to a few long-standing storylines, in addition to leave a few tidbits and hints for future events... which are great in case she ever decides to pick back up and write more in this awesome steampunk fantasy series.

Cara and Nate are in a pickle... a frozen pickle.  London is in a deep freeze, a cold snap the likes of which no where in the world that usually has changing seasons has ever seen.  Even the Thames is completely iced over.  People are losing their livelihoods, or worse, their lives, as the never-ending winter takes its toll.  Cara and Nate try hard to get at the root of the problem, and along the way, find old issues with their respective nemeses, the Curator and Inspector Hamish Fraser, coming to a head.  Can the two use their mystical, physical, spiritual, and loving bond, along with their family of blood relatives, more-friends-than-employees, and even a dragon to get to the bottom of their woes and save London from reaching the frozen point of no return?

Anita has set up some awesome storylines that lead to this book... Fraser's loss of his love and desire for vengeance, the Curator's obsession with Cara, Cara's family history... and she ties everything together masterfully.

This series was my first ever steampunk series, and I've come to love it.  I'm sad it's over (maybe just for now???), but look forward to reading anything else that pours out of Anita's fantastical and deliciously dirty mind.

Sentinel by Joshua Winning

Sentinel by Joshua Winning
Published 2013, Peridot Press
Stars: ★★★☆☆

Thanks to the author Joshua Winning for providing a review copy of this book one after I was approved on Netgalley for book two, without realizing it was a book two!

So, we all know that YA is chock full of "something happens, teenager learns they don't know their world, find out they're special, etc" type books.  And yes, this is one of them.  It's a trope that will be hard for the book universe to ever shake, because young adults love that potential destiny feeling, that maybe one day it could happen to them.  It's a fun and easy way to tempt them to read, and as an adult reader, you can either accept it, or you can whine about it.  Me? I'll accept it.  I'm a grown man with boring job, and a relatively unexciting life, so I'm all for getting my fun and adventure where I can find it.

That being said, this book has a pretty interesting new idea.  It's no JK Rowling, but honestly, who's going to be able to reproduce that?  It is, however, a really fun concept.  There's a secret world, hidden under the thin surface of reality, in which Sentinels guard the world from dark forces... but the dark forces have been quiet for so long that the Sentinels got a little complacent, and while the darkness was quiet, it wasn't gone -- it was slowly seeping its way through the barriers between worlds, scheming, and plotting.  And now it's time for those plots to come to fruition...

I think my biggest problem with this book was the insanely slow pace.  Don't get me wrong, there's action -- and it's often -- but the plot itself doesn't move forward all that much in this book.  It suffers from "Setup Syndrome," in which the author has such a big concept to push that the framework takes a while to assemble.  But, the world-building was done well, so it wasn't a huge problem or anything that made me enjoy the story any less.  I can appreciate a slow burn as long as it's headed somewhere.  And if the end of this book says anything, it's definitely headed somewhere.  I'll definitely read book two, and if that one picks up the pace, I'll finish the trilogy.

Lois Lane: Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction by Gwenda Bond

Lois Lane: Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction by Gwenda Bond
Published 2015, Capstone
Stars: ★★★★★
 (Prequel short story for Lois Lane: Fallout, just released)

Thanks for Netgalley for providing a review copy of this exclusive short story prequel in exchange for an honest review.

This mini-novella gives a little background information and sets up the storyline for Lois Lane: Fallout by giving us a sneak peak at Gwenda Bond's take on the famous female love interest for Clark Kent/Superman, this time imagining her as a teenage Army brat with a penchant for Nancy Drewing, snark, and putting her foot in her mouth.

"Who even asked you?"
"No one... Unfortunately for you, I've always been on the nosy side."
 
Essentially, she's the perfect YA version of the young woman who's going to end up at the Daily Planet as a tour de force of reporting glory, and I can't wait to see how her move to Metropolis and getting a full length book will work out.  Guess I'll have to pick up a copy of Fallout and find out, eh?

(I also loved the hints at other DC characters, like Lois' General father, her sister Lucy, and a certain bumbling geek with secrets.)

The Shadow Revolution: Crown & Key #1 by Clay and Susan Griffith

The Shadow Revolution: Crown & Key #1 by Clay and Susan Griffith
Published 2015,Del Ray
Stars: ★★★★☆

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Seriously, thanks.

Like my first status update on Goodreads for this book said, I have two words to describe this book: "hell" and "yes."  This book was a complete and utter fun-tastic bookgasm of action, adventure, and magic.  Like steampunk? It's got a bit of that.  How's about urban fantasy? That's in the mix.  Love a little magic?  Prepare for lots.  Enjoy supernatural creatures, insane asylums, creepy ass experiments, alchemy, explosives and firearms, betrayals, redemptions, twists, turns, revelations, snarky male leads and kickass female ones, or a great supporting cast?  Well, welcome to the world of Crown & Key, where the pace is fast, the women are fiesty, and witty repartee abounds. It's kind of like an HP Lovecraft or a Maplecroft (by Cherie Priest) had an illicit affair with a Dresden Files or a Hollows and birthed this love child.

Not to say the book is perfect.  The characters are developed enough to carry the story, but not as much as I wanted -- they intrigued me and I wanted more.  Thankfully there are more books forthcoming.  Also, the villains certainly could have used some extra fleshing out.  Overall, a solid romp that falls firmly in the FUN column.  If you want a fast, fun, quick read that's chock full of urban fantasy and gaslight steampunk, this is your book.  Do yourself a favor and get this one, going in ready to have a little fun. :)

Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

Day Shift by Charlaine Harris
Published 2015, Ace Books
Stars: ★★★☆☆

Thanks to my good friend Jessica from Rabid Reads who let me read her book swag ARC.  This review is honest and unbiased.

Charlaine, you naughty minx, you've done it again.  You've made me wish I lived in Midnight, Texas.  Regardless of the weird stuff that goes down in Midnight, I want to live there.  The people seem so nice and everyone is tightknit.  Just think it would be a fun place to live!

Unfortunately for Harris, she didn't nail it this time around.  Perhaps some of the myriad loose ends she left hanging were for book three.  If so, that's fine, but some of them felt completely ignored at the end of the book.  Left there dangling, really.  And that "dramatic" but not so dramatic scene at the end to connect with the hold-ups she'd been dropping hints about through the book didn't work for me.  Felt rushed, forced, and sloppy.

Overall, I loved the addition of some more characters from Sookie's series.  I wish that the two characters had bigger roles, especially the one who had the teeny tiny role.  You'll know which one that is when you read it.  I don't want to spoil any of it.

I really liked getting a little more background on Olivia, the Rev, Chuy, and Joe... but I wanted more growth in Lemuel, Fiji, and Bobo, and even Manfred as well.  And we got absolutely NO character development or background for Madonna and Teacher, which is disappointing too.  Harris can't keep leaving little hints that Midnight is special and everyone is there for a reason and then give us NO tidbits or teasers or information on these characters.

As a whole, I was very entertained by this book.  I pretty much always am when Charlaine is writing it.  But it wasn't her best work, considering the relatively obvious mystery solution and the sloppy addition of more storyline threads and very little character development in general.  I'll definitely still read the third one, as I like this multi-verse that she has created but it definitely won't be one of those "GOTTA HAVE IT NOW" books.

Undertow by Michael Buckley

Undertow by Michael Buckley
Published 2015, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group
Stars: ★★★★☆

Kind thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this for review purposes.  It was much appreciated!

I sink down farther, completely submerging myself. It's down here where I feel the most safe, where the headaches retreat, where the roar of the water drowns out the thrum.

Lyric Walker is different.  She hasn't always known, but she knows now.  Her family lives in the Coney Island "Zone"... a place cut off from the rest of the country because of a big event... yeah, not a war... not a bomb... not a chemical spill... but an INVASION.

I open the first book in the stack on my lap.  It's called Caps for Sale. This was one of my favorites when I was small.  (me too!!!)

You see, there are other races on our planet.  And they came from the sea, covered in scales, in slime, in ooze, in shells, in claws.  Now the ones that are here are sharing the Zone with the humans who lived there already.

Suddenly, I am unleashed. I am energy...  I let loose everything I've been holding back for three long years.  

 But not all of the humans are willing to share.  Lyric, her family, and her friends are caught in the middle.  And a tidal wave of crazy is about to hit the shores and change Lyric's life, and the lives of everyone she cares about, forever.

No more hiding. No more keeping my head down. I am Lyric Walker... I am a wild thing.

YA books are usually hit or miss for me, but this one hit the mark... dead center!  It's got a really cool concept -- merpeople of all shapes and sizes, rising out of the sea and having to deal with the humans.  It's got a potty-mouthed, flawed, strong yet vulnerable main character, a great bestie, a fun "guy friend" trope, and a lot of action.  Seriously, it's a fast read - a speed boat read in a genre full of paddle boats and canoes.

My favorite part: The Snark.  I love when authors and their characters have a bad case of The Snark.  I am just a fan in general of snarkiness.  Sure, it can be annoying at times -- when it's directed at you -- but I love it anyways!

Some examples of the snarky writing style:

He's also got on running shorts that have never been used for their intended purpose. If anything, they should be called "sitting around leering at teenage girl" shorts, or "practicing being a sociopath" shorts.

The old woman's face puckers, and she sticks out her tongue to lick her lips. I swear it was green. I bet it's forked. I bet she can smell with it.

It's called a selfie. It's what people who are in love with themselves do to keep themselves busy. You can't really be an American teenager if you aren't willing to take one of these a couple dozen times a day.

I can't help it. A stream of curse words sprays all over him. I unload every frustration and bad thought I have ever had about him, multiply them by a thousand, and top them with colorful metaphors and emasculating insults. To put a period on it, I pull back and smack him right in the face.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this book.  My only gripe is the stereotypical teenage love story, which is done better than many -- I mean, there are obstacles that actually make sense in this one.  It just felt a little bit too much like almost-insta-love, and the character of Fathom just isn't fleshed out enough to make him as lovable as Lyric, Bex, or Shadow. Four out of five stars.