Review: Burn Bright

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Patricia Briggs is one of my favorite authors. She consistently produces top-notch books, both in her Mercy Thompson series and in this one, the Alpha & Omega series, which is a spinoff of Mercy's stories and intertwines back and forth.

This novel picks up right around the events of the most recent Mercy book, Silence Fallen, and follows Charles and Anna as they handle some events surrounding the wildlings of the Aspen Creek pack. To me, Briggs is at the top of her game when she's writing Charles and Anna stories. I'm not sure what it is, but just like with Faith Hunter and her Jane Yellowrock series and Nell Ingram spinoff, as much as I love the main series, the spinoff set in the same world really works for me in a much deeper and more satisfying way. I think I just love the connection between Charles and Anna and their wolves and how they balance each other out.

As many of you may not know, Briggs lost her husband unexpectedly in early 2017, and this is the first book she's published since losing him. This book was very clearly influenced by this loss, and focuses heavily on the bonds between mates - Hester and Jonesy, Charles and Anna, Bran and Leah, even Asil and Wellesley and their lost mates. She also dedicated the book to her husband. It was an amazing book, and such a fitting tribute to the man who was, in fact, her own mate, and she couldn't have done a more beautiful job. "But that is the dual gift of love, isn't it? The joy of greeting and the sorrow of good-bye." ~from Patricia Briggs' Dead Heat, the prior book in this series.

If you haven't picked up Briggs and her Mercyverse, you're doing yourself a disservice. Start at the beginning and lose yourself in the beautiful, heartbreaking, heartwarming, deep world that Briggs has created. You won't regret it. (And if I may offer a tidbit of advice, follow this reading order: Moon Called, Alpha & Omega [short story], Cry Wolf, Hunting Ground, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, River Marked, Fair Game, Frost Burned, Dead Heat, Night Broken, Fire Touched, Silence Fallen, Burn Bright)
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Review to be published on release date... but I will say, this book was a very fitting and beautiful tribute to her husband, Mike, who passed away in early 2017, and of course, another strong entry into the Charles and Anna series (which I love so much!)

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Review: Tricks for Free

Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors. Seriously, she's on my auto-buy list. I love the worlds and characters she creates.

Incryptid is one of those worlds, and I struggle with deciding if it is my favorite or if October Daye is. Every time I read one of the books in either series, I decide that one is my favorite Seanan series. Then I read one in the other, and change my mind.

Tricks for Free picks up with Antimony's story, following the crazy events of Magic for Nothing. There is a shorty included that takes place in between the two novels, but I read that last year when it was a Patreon story, and I highly recommend reading that one first, since it takes up the story immediately while Tricks for Free's narrative starts a few months later.

Antimony has been on the run, and found her way to a theme park (of course!), hoping to hide from the Covenant in the crowds. But of course, Seanan never lets her protagonists' plans work out like they expect, so hijinks ensue. We did see some returning characters, both expected and unexpected, and made a few new friends along the way.

I'd like to say I was satisfied with this one. I loved it, but it wasn't, and doesn't ever seem to be, enough. I'm already ready for the next book -- supposedly "That Ain't Witchcraft" starring Antimony again!* -- and can only hope that the next October Daye book's release (usually a fall thing) can tide [Luidaeg joke!] me over until I can get my next Seanan fix.

*After this, Seanan has mentioned the next two will be Sarah (Imaginary Numbers, Calculated Risks) and then ALICE (Spelunking through Hell: A Visitor's Guide to the Underworld)!!!!
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Review to be published on release date... but damn, I need news from her that we are getting more and who the POVs will be!

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Review: Red Sister

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I don't usually enjoy much high/epic/dark/true fantasy, what with urban fantasy being my fantasy of choice, but occasionally I break outside my box and take a shot. I got an ARC of book two for this one, so I figured I might as well attempt book one... and it blew me away. Lawrence has created a relatively easy to understand world that still has depth and mystery. He's introduced us to a cast of characters both diverse and detailed and full of vitality and personality. He's brought forth a really neat magic system slightly reminiscent of a Sanderson magic system (maybe not quite as deep as a Sanderson one).

Nona is kickass. The characters aren't all who you think they are. Some have hidden wells of strength. Some have secret motives. Some have depths beyond their shallow exterior.

Wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book, and now I'm glad I picked it up. Book two ARC on deck for March, and now I'm super excited about it. :)

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Review: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three stars for the first half: very little action, lots of worldbuilding, and very intriguing and scary world

Five stars for the second half: finally stuff going on, more development of characters, and more scary world

Averaged to four stars.

I really can't say anything that hasn't been said about this book already. It's scary, and it's relevant, and it's possible. My husband and I would be hung as Gender Traitors... if we got found out before we died helping the ladies to freedom. I'm not sitting on my ass during that shit.



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Review: Sparrow Hill Road

Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with a review copy, only asking for an honest review in exchange!

Seanan sure knows how to pack a punch. Many of these short stories leave you feeling sad for Rose Marshall, hitchhiking ghost. Many of them leave you hoping that if these ghost roads are real, that Rose Marshall is real too and out there helping ghosts move on and getting rid of old haunted roads.

But mostly, they leave you wishing Seanan would continue the story. :) Luckily for us, she IS continuing the story in The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, coming in July 2018!!! So excited!

I can't wait to see if any of our favorite Incryptid characters make a guest appearance, but mostly, I'm ready to see Rose finally defeat the obnoxious, evil, dastardly Bobby Cross!

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Review: The Highly Sensitive Person in Love: Understanding and Managing Relationships When the World Overwhelms You

The Highly Sensitive Person in Love: Understanding and Managing Relationships When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I got a few things out of this, but the spirituality was a little distracting, and there was very little actual direction. "Make sure to avoid doing this or change this habit" but no "here's an effective way to break this habit."

I learned a few things about myself as an HSP and HSS, so there's that.

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Review: The Storm King

The Storm King by Brendan Duffy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Penguin/Ballantine for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Storm King was a strong sophomore run from Brendan Duffy, and was a mystery/thriller with bite. Some have been comparing his atmosphere to Stephen King, and I can totally pick up on that vibe. You've got the small town where bad stuff went down. You've got the adult coming home to said small town, years later, and meeting up with old friends and enemies. You've got flashbacks to when they were young and all the bad stuff was happening. You've got explosive climaxes and bitter but hopeful denouements in all the story threads, past and present. I can totally see King as an influence.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Once I got past the first bit, it really picked up and I read the last 70% or so in one sitting. Seriously, couldn't put it down. The short chapters really made that "just one more chapter" problem I have even worse. I think it was well-plotted, the solutions and storylines made complete sense and worked with the story, and the characters were deep and developed and brought to life on the page.

When it comes down to it, I have two major issues with the book. To start, the first few paragraphs almost made me put the book down. From the perspective of a teenager, it felt off-kilter and forced, with all the "big words" that teenagers (and most non-reading adults) wouldn't use, and definitely wouldn't think about while playing baseball. It's a minor issue, but it was jarring and weird and turned me off. I'm glad I pushed past it and kept reading, because if you ask those around me while I was reading it, I was complaining about it... loudly.

Secondly, I felt like the reveal of the killer and the killer's identity was kinda meh. Where it went from there was super-effing-creepy, and there were hints leading up to the reveal dropped into the characters' shared histories, but I was kind of hoping for more when I read so many jaw-dropping reviews of the novel.

When it comes down to it, the book was great, and I can't praise the atmosphere and setting that Duffy has created enough. He did an amazing job making me feel like I was there... like the Lake was a part of me, like it was a part of the characters. He developed his characters and unraveled and rewove his plot with sophistication and ease.

I'll definitely be checking out his debut, which I missed (House of Echoes), in the future, and keep an eye out for future books by the guy. Four "Just June" stars.

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