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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Review: Archangel's War

Archangel's War by Nalini Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

THIS BOOK IS INSANE.

Seriously, chaos. War comes to the planet, and the characters we've come to know and love have to fight to save their world. Like, the WHOLE world.

I don't know how to write this review without spoiling anything, and as this book is a COMPLETE GAMECHANGER for the series, I don't want to spoil even a little bit for you.

There was a little monotony in the battles in the second half, but all in all, great book and an excellent installment in the series. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book... which is hopefully the book I've been waiting for.

Highly recommended with one caveat - read the rest of the series first, if you haven't.

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Review: When Did You Last See Your Father?

When Did You Last See Your Father? by Jodi Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun little adventure in framing an asshole... in Leon's POV. Love.

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Review: Sword and Pen

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so sad that this series is over. What a fun and fantastic world that Rachel Caine has created! She's got a handful of deep characters that I've grown to care for, and now, they'll have to live on through rereads I guess.

Sword and Pen is the final book in the Great Library series, and it goes out with a bang! Character growth, plot twists, major events, Indiana Jones-esque tombs, and evil villains all abound in this one, and the war for the sanctity of the Great Library escalates into an all out war with the dethroned Archivist and the nations that see an opportunity to take control. Embattled on all sides, our crew must fight with everything they have to not only see the Great Library remain to live another day, but for it to be reformed into the shining beacon of hope and knowledge that it once was.

If you haven't read this series, you should definitely pick it up. I highly recommend it. It's fun, exciting, and extremely entertaining. Five stars!

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Review: The Unkindest Tide

The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

LUIDAEG! LUIDAEG! LUIDAEG! Everyone shout it with me!!!

(Now, ask yourself... were you pronouncing it correctly as "loo-shack"... or incorrectly as "loo-ee-day-g"... or struggling to pronounce it at all?)

Yeah, Antigone of Albany, the sea witch, Cousin Annie, the Luidaeg is my favorite character in the October Daye series, and this one has SO MUCH LOOSHACK that I can't function! We get to see deep into her soul!!!

Okay, enough fanboying. I absolutely loved this installment in the Toby series. Multiple firstborns, good old fashioned murder (yikes, poor victim), political posturing involving arrests and undersea rescues), and most importantly LOTS OF FAMILY. Lots and lots and lots. And mostly, that's Toby's adopted family - the family of choice, the family of people who come together and create a bond of family that isn't there because of blood or birth, but because of as conscious choice to love. The best kind of family.

Also, did I mention, this one is set out on the seas? Like a pirate adventure? YASSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Apparently, I love Toby and the Luidaeg so much that I have to ramble and fanboy and squee.

There's also a short story/novella at the end from Raj's POV, totally worth reading. 4 stars for that.

5 stars! READ TOBY!

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