Review: Angel of the Overpass

Angel of the Overpass 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.

Rose Marshall is an intriguing character. She's been dead for decades, but she still has an afterlife. And the beast of a man who forced her from the daylight into the twilight's debt has come due. Because of the events of Annie's books in the Incryptid series, particularly 7 and 8, there's a huge vacuum in power in the land of the dead that has left Bobby Cross in a precarious position. And unfortunately for Rose, she owes some powerful beings some favors for the things they've helped her with before, which leaves Bobby's destruction up to her.

One thing I always love about Seanan's books is the depth of her characters, and Rose is certainly deep. This is just book three of the series, and we know an awful lot about her. Even more importantly, because of this depth, we've seen Rose's choices and rooted for her, not realizing that every choice she's made has led her down this path. It'll be interesting to watch how these choices and this path forward change her story, and I'm totally there for it.

Highly recommend, but please start with book one... and maybe read up through Incryptid 8 at least, if you've not read that series. It's not entirely necessary, but this will spoil that a bit.

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Review: Million Dollar Demon

Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Absolutely fantastic entry into the Hollows series! Vampire leadership in the US is sending Constance to fill the power vacuum, and boy is she a nutter! She's evil and vile and an all around awful character, and a great antagonist. She's the perfect foil to Rachel, as they're both really powerful and have people around them supporting them, but both use their power differently and keep that support around through wildly different means.

But it all boils down to one important detail - they can't both live in Cincinnati. That would just be impossible. And Rachel won't leave without a fight.

One thing I've said since the beginning of this series is that Jenks is one of my absolute favorite literary characters of all time. That still remains true. He's only a few inches tall, but he's a giant of a hero. He's brave, loyal, honest, and strong, and I adore him!

There are a few threads left dangling, as with any good series, but I'm really excited to see where the new paths take us - as long as some of those threads are woven back in soon, because I need some answers on two of the big ones.

Highly recommended, but start at the beginning of the series. Not a good entry to start the series.

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Review: One Last Stop

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a story. This book was a roller coaster, and I loved every second of it. The dips, the turns, the surprise loops, the beauty of a love story that was never supposed to be.

Very few books have ever made me feel the love through the pages so deeply. I literally wept for the last 15% of the book - happy tears, sad tears, heartbroken tears, elated tears, every single emotion under the sun tears.

I'm not sure there are the right words to recommend this book highly enough. So just read it.

Every single freaking star.

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Review: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Slightly better than the first. At least this one felt like a more cohesive plot. Was it my favorite book ever? Nah. Was it the worst book ever? Not even close. I've heard the third is much much better, so here we go.

Also, chapters are good things, Sir Terry. But I can appreciate the symbolism of not having chapters and just being one journey the whole way through. I guess.

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Review: Yes, Daddy

Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Massive trigger warnings for this one. MASSIVE.

This book was insanely fucked up. But it was compelling. And it does shine a light on some serious issues in a fictional setting that have some applicability to reality.

I felt really bad for the main character. He does make a lot of bad decisions, but he jumps from one brainwashing/control situation after another.

I'm not sure I liked it. I'm not sure I didn't like it. It was a hard to put down book.

I really have no idea how to rate it.

If you have a strong constitution and can handle a long list of potential triggers and some serious darkness, give this book a shot. It was well-written and, like I said before, very compelling. It made you want to keep reading. It made you want to know what was going to happen. It made you root for the victims, even when they were making bad decisions. It made you hate the abusers. It made you keep reading, knowing what was going on, seeing all the little steps the abusers were taking to isolate the main character and entrap him.

This book won't leave you happy. It's a rough, tough, heartbreaking read. But it's a good book overall.

3.5 stars rounded up.

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Review: Up in Smoke

Up in Smoke by Annabeth Albert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin's Carina Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've really enjoyed Annabeth Albert's Hot Shots MM series. Hot firefighters? Check. Relationship goals? Check. Light easy escape reads? Check.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't my favorite. The author's notes afterwards indicate that this is the last in the series, and it was sort of a weak entry to end the series. I loved Brandt. I loved Shane. I loved their chemistry. But my biggest issue was that the book dragged an extra 40% because they tiptoed around their feelings and just wouldn't say anything. I felt like there was a lot of filler just to meet a page goal, and that some tightening up of the plot and relationship progress would have made it a better book.

It was also a a little sad, the whole story with Jewel and Shelby, and with as much tension was created by the looming threat of Shelby's return that didn't payoff with the eventual return and easy-out ending.

I still enjoyed the book, and I really loved the first three in the series, so I'll still recommend Hot Shots!

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Review: Gilded Serpent

Gilded Serpent by Danielle L. Jensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for providing me with a review copy in exchange for nothing more than an honest review. It is most appreciated.

That being said, I'm also a little mad that you provided me with this review copy... and now you're making me wait an entire year to get more of this story... after that ending! Book torture is the cruelest of all tortures, I think!

Just kidding (mostly). To be honest, this book was fantastic. We get a lot more development of character relationships in this book, and we get to see that not all of our main characters are perfect. We see the ugly sides. We see the amazingly strong sides. We get to see what some of them do when thrown into completely new situations, cut off from everything they know. While much of this book was moving the chess pieces to where they needed to be for the final tale, it was done in a way that led to all of this development, growth, and revelation - an indication of Danielle Jensen's writing talent.

And we get to see the setup to what is now one of my most anticipated books of next year. It's going to be a wild ride, and I am totally here for it. If I survive the book torture waiting until then. :)

Highly recommended, but please start with Dark Shores and Dark Skies first.

5 Stars Marked by the Gods
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I am not pleased to have to wait a year for the last book. Or longer. Omg please don’t be longer than a year.

Anyone know how to bribe an author? :)

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