Review: Small Magics

Small Magics by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I was going to save Magic Tests for when I got through Kate #5 on my reread of the series (I'm currently on book #3), but I was so close to finishing this little anthology that I couldn't resist just finishing. :)

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Review: How to Hang a Witch

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really feel like this was more of a three star book in that I enjoyed it but wasn’t wowed by it, but I loved the author’s message, though presented in a cheesy manner, that kindness is one of the most important choices we can make. The book was predictable but still fun, and overall, the kindness message made me bump it up half a star and thus, 3.5 stars rounded up.

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Review: The Echo Killing

The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. Harper McClain was a great character, damaged enough to be "interesting" but really strong, smart as a whip, and highly entertaining to watch do her thing. The secondary characters were pretty good too, but Harper was definitely a powerful main character.

The mystery itself was a good one. I will admit, I solved the murder (or at least guessed the identity of the murderer) near the beginning, but not all the details. As the story came together, I started to sway in my opinion, so good job by Daugherty on sending enough mixed signals to make the mystery work harder. I don't think everyone will get the killer's identity, but it was just a gut feeling I had. Honestly, being proven right just made me enjoy the book more, especially because of the author's path on getting to the reveal.

Glad this one is going to have a sequel. It left enough open for another book at minimum, and I want to know more... and spend more time with Harper.

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Review: Mine to Possess

Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this one, but not as much as the rest of the series so far. I wasn't a huge fan of Clay or Tally, so that probably marred my reaction a bit. But it progressed the main storyline along nicely, so that was entertaining. :)

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Review: Reflections

Reflections by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really need Amazon Serials to pick up another installment. Such a cool world and a great cast of characters... I need, at the very least, a real and satisfying conclusion that ties everything up :D

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Review: The Girl With All the Gifts

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm not a huge fan of zombie literature, but this one was pretty good. Carey does a fantastic job of making you care for this ragtag group of survivors, especially Melanie.

Not sure how I feel about the ending -- it felt necessary but also maddening and heartwrenching and almost a little bit hopeful. I just feel pity for one specific character in the end.

Overall, wasn't a "really liked it" and wasn't a "didn't like it" so three stars.

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Review: Lake Silence

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Berkley/Ace/Daw and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'd like to start with a cheer! I am SO glad that Anne Bishop was able to continue writing in the world of the Others. The first five books are stories surrounding Lakeside and involving Simon Wolfgard and Meg Corbyn, cassandra sangue. And they're fantastic. Book six, Lake Silence, picks up with a new set of characters in a new area of the world. This time, we're following a regular human, Vicki DeVine, who just happens to get thrust into the limelight in the small town she moved to in order to start over. Her abusive ex-husband left her some seemingly worthless property in the small town of Sproing as part of the divorce, and she has moved to the Jumble to fix up the cabins and get it ready for visitors. Little does she know, she's about to be embroiled in a battle for the future of the town between the Others and a shady group of sociopathic ambitious business people.

The cast of characters was great, but it did take some getting used to after five books of Lakeside and falling in love with that cast.

I won't spoil any more, but it's a great expansion of the world we've experienced for five prior books, and the characters are entertaining. A few of them felt a little like carbon copies of some of the first series' characters, but as they go along, they get more fleshed out.

All in all, I'm excited about reading more in this world, and can't wait for what comes next for Vicki and friends.

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