TL;DR: This was like… 75% fillerSource: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Vassa gets kidnapped and we get a lot of filler before a bang of an ending.Characters: Vassa looses a lot of her kickassery in this and we don’t get nearly enough Reid time. I couldn’t stand most of the other characters (Roman).Setting: A... Continue Reading →
Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado
TL;DR: A coming of age story for two very different characters.Source: Netgalley, thank you to the publisher! Plot: One part revenge, one part politicalCharacters: A bit on the standard side for me, but not bad.Setting: A lovely setting, but I don’t know if I could clearly visualize a lot of it.Fantasy: I generally enjoy a... Continue Reading →
Something Wicked by Falon Ballard
TL;DR: A lot of work on the sex, not so much on the actual plot.Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: There is an attempt at a political engine here, but I think the story was written for the sex and the characters.Characters: These two read identical in their voice. They had different ideas and... Continue Reading →
The Dungeon Book (As Told by Cornelius the Skull) by Gareth Hanrahan
TL;DR: A super fun little adventure. I really enjoyed this. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Bait has to figure out how to live in two worlds. In the Dungeon or beneath? Characters: We’re being told this from a third perspective so not super deep but still lovable. Setting: I loved the Dungeon. I... Continue Reading →
March’s End by Daniel Polansky
TL;DR: An ambitious mix of Narnia, The NeverEnding Story, and really any contemporary story. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: A family balances normal life and struggles with ruling a fantasy world. Characters: There are SO many here, even for me there were probably too many. Setting: I loved the idea of the March,... Continue Reading →
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
TL;DR: A deeply disappointing sequel. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Immediately after book one, and we quickly find out nothing was free will? Characters: For such fierce characters in book one these three felt so drab and dull. Setting: The city just sat there. It felt like a prop. Other parts of the... Continue Reading →
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
TL;DR: An incredible debut, I don’t understand how this doesn’t have more hype. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Sebastian tells us the story of a great love, and tragedy in his long history. Characters: I loved all these terrible and wonderful people. Setting: This was beautifully written. It felt cold, wet, bloody, all... Continue Reading →
A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo
TL;DR: A particularly hard hitting volume in a fantastic series. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: This takes place on Chih’s first journey out to collect stories where they are working in a seaside town being swarmed with refugees. Characters: We get to see a different, much less confident Chih here which was different... Continue Reading →
The Mayor of Noobtown by Ryan Rimmel
TL;DR: Perfect for more Gaming style fans of LitRPG. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Jim gets struck by Truck-kun (iykuk), and wakes up in a world of stats and classes. What’s a man to do? Characters: We have a simple cast in this first book but I really liked Jim and see a... Continue Reading →
The Price of Redemption by Shawn Carpenter
TL;DR: If you want an old fashioned Naval fantasy this is it. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: A young woman ends up assisting in a job to capture a warship. Characters: I really enjoyed everyone here, especially our flawed main character. Setting: This is the strongest part of this. So much boat jargon... Continue Reading →