Really Short Reviews: Immortal Vegas and Railroads

Born To Be Wilde
(Immortal Vegas #3)
Jenn Stark
Release: February 24, 2016
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The past has a way of catching up with you.

If there's one thing that Tarot-reading magical artifacts hunter Sara Wilde has never been able to track down, it's the truth about her own past. But now a powerful new threat to the psychic community will take Sara back to where it all began: the last job she worked with Officer Brody Rooks as "Psychic Teen Sariah," the job that destroyed her life and sent her on the run. Because the enemy she fled all those years ago has returned... with a posse of demons as his personal entourage.

Worse, Sara's infuriating mentor, the dangerously seductive Magician, is pushing her to stretch her abilities and explore the very deepest reaches of her magic. But every demand draws her further into the spell he's weaving around her. And every challenge tests her vow to keep him at arm's length.

From the glittering chaos of Las Vegas to the Lost City of Atlantis, Sara must risk everything in a quest for vengeance that grows darker and more twisted with every step. To succeed she'll have to face the truth about her past, her abilities...and the impossible, unstoppable attraction she has to the Magician. A truth that will reveal her ultimate role in the war on magic.

Life is full of surprises when you are Born to Be Wilde.

Review by Rose Red:

This book has the same action-packed adventure that the first books in the series do but it also revealed a lot about Sara's past and I found it intriguing! There are a lot of similarities between who Sara Wilde is now and who Sariah Peltier was then. It was also interesting to learn more about Sara's history with Detective Rooks. I also loved that Sara gets sent to Atlantis in this one! Bravo, Jenn Stark. Bravo!

Aside from the action and exotic places in this series, I love how Sara's personal relationships continue to revolve while not taking over the story. Sara's still the independent woman we met in the first book but just slightly more entangled in the world of the Connected. Sara has undergone a lot of character growth in the last couple of books and her understanding of herself and her relationships with others has only improved.

All of the characters in this story are awesome and the Arcane Council members are downright fascinating! I definitely like some of them more than others but what I loved most about this book is how much page time The Magician got! This book seems to be a pivotal turning point in Sara and his relationship and I'm intrigued to see the outcome of some of the decisions that were made in this installment.

Overall, the series keeps you on your toes and I can't wait to see what happens next!

ARC provided by the author.

   

  4 / 5 Stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark
Wilde Card by Jenn Stark

The Emperor's Railroad

(The Dreaming Cities #1)
Guy Haley

Release: April 19, 2016

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Global war devastated the environment, a zombie-like plague wiped out much of humanity, and civilization as we once understood it came to a standstill. But that was a thousand years ago, and the world is now a very different place.

Conflict between city states is constant, superstition is rife, and machine relics, mutant creatures and resurrected prehistoric beasts trouble the land. Watching over all are the silent Dreaming Cities. Homes of the angels, bastion outposts of heaven on Earth. Or so the church claims. Very few go in, and nobody ever comes out.
Until now…

Review by Rose Red:

This is one of the more brilliant novellas that Tor.com has published recently! I liked it. It was a unique dystopian story that enthralled me like no dystopian has in several years. The worldbuilding was the best part for me! It's a post-apocalyptic landscape with zombies and a dragon! And this dragon is on Smaug's level of scary, creepy dragon.

I enjoyed the fact that the story was told from the perspective of twelve year old Abney. It was definitely a new angle to the whole traveling to get to a better place with avoiding all the things that can kill you trope we see in a lot of dystopian fiction. Abney is still a child and his fear comes through in the writing as he and his Mom make their way to the cousin's house in Winfort with the help of a knight. I'm intrigued by Quinn, the mysterious knight who provides his services for reasons unknown.

I think that while this story was good at the novella length, it would have been even better as a full-length novel. I'm intrigued enough that I want more stories in this world and I kind of want them now. My curiosity knows no bounds. I'm really excited for the next installment of this series because it has more Quinn in the spotlight!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

  1/2

  3.5 / 5 Stars!