Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Review: Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh


Archangel's Light
(Guild Hunter #14)
Nalini Singh
Release: October 26, 2021
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Nalini Singh returns to the world of the Guild Hunters for the most highly anticipated novel of the beloved series—a love story so epic it’s been half a millennia in the making…

Illium and Aodhan. Aodhan and Illium. For centuries they’ve been inseparable: the best of friends, closer than brothers, companions of the heart. But that was before—before darkness befell Aodhan and shattered him, body, mind, and soul. Now, at long last, Aodhan is healing, but his new-found strength and independence may come at a devastating cost—his relationship with Illium.

As they serve side by side in China, a territory yet marked by the evil of its former archangel, the secret it holds nightmarish beyond imagining, things come to an explosive decision point. Illium and Aodhan must either walk away from the relationship that has defined them—or step forward into a future that promises a bond infinitely precious in the life of an immortal…but that demands a terrifying vulnerability from two badly bruised hearts.

Review:
This may be the first review where it has taken me months and several rereads to write. It was hands down one of my top five most anticipated books of 2021. I have been waiting for this book from the moment Illium and Aodhan appeared on page together. I can't tell you how long I have been shipping them together but I do know that it has been a long time. When I first heard that this book was going to feature them, I may have squealed very loudly in excitement at work. Then we got this gorgeous cover art that I want to have a print of to hang on my wall next to my fave artwork of Charles and Anna Cornick. Once I was approved for the eARC, I read the whole book in one sitting the same day I was approved.

The thing is this book was not what I was expecting. That's not unusual because I can rarely guess what's going to happen in a Nalini Singh book. I'm not going to lie. I was a bit disappointed after my first read through. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad. This book introduced a plotline and a new character that I am intrigued to see what happens in future books. And I adored seeing the flashbacks of tiny Aodhan and Illium and the genesis of their friendship. But it wasn't the romance I was expecting and hoping it would be. After a lot of thought and a couple of rereads, I decided that that was an okay thing.

This book is a very slow burn romance so if you're looking for a hot and steamy m/m romance this book isn't it. But what it is is a very intimate look at a friendship that has spanned centuries and many trials and how they have always been together. After my reread, I came to love this story immensely as we got to see glimpses of Sparkle and Bluebell that I never knew I needed. We finally get the story behind Aodhan's aversion to touch and how he went missing until he was found by the Seven. And that story broke my heart. We even got the story of Illium's fall from Illium and Aodhan's POV and it was heartbreaking as well.

These two characters have a lot of baggage and we know from previous books that they are have hit a rough patch in their friendship. The more I think about the more this book the more perfect it becomes. I can now see Nalini's genius in writing this slow burn of a romance. And every time I reread it this year, I was left with the feeling that this is just the start of their story. Hopefully, we'll get at least another book featuring these two where we can see their romance really take flight and get some steamy bits. I'm really hoping that the next book in this series is about Aodhan and Illium again so I can get more of the romance. Or at least have them be a prominent part of the next book because I NEED to see how Elena, Raphael, and the rest of the Seven react to this romance.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley


    
  5 / 5 Stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
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Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Release Day Review: Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs


Wild Sign
(Alpha & Omega #6)
Patricia Briggs
Release: March 16, 2021
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Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear — before it's too late — in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.

In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left everything they owned behind. Fearing something supernatural might be going on, the FBI taps a source they've consulted in the past: the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. But Charles and Anna soon find a deserted town is the least of the mysteries they face.

Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous — and it has met werewolves before.

Review:
Disclaimer: This review will be spoiler free, but does reference events in previous books in both the  Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series. If you're not caught up on either series, I recommend this reading order provided by the author on her website.

Every year one of my most anticipated books is the new Patrica Briggs Mercyverse book. I'm so excited that this year's book is back to Charles and Anna and I am here for it! I have missed Charles and Anna and their crazy adventures keeping the werewolves (and by extension, humans) safe. This newest installment in the Alpha & Omega series was a ride! 

I thought to read a couple of chapters before bed and the next thing I knew it was 2am and I had finished the entire book. I should know better by now than to start a Patricia Briggs book before bed because once I start reading I can't stop. And let me tell you that once you start Wild Sign you won't want to stop till you run out of pages and even then you will want more.

Charles and Anna are brought in to investigate the disappearance of an entire town that just happened to have been built on land that belongs to Leah, the Marrok's mate. And Tag gets to tag along for the ride and what they discover is that everything is not what it seems around the empty town of Wild Sign. I loved seeing how far Charles and Anna have grown into their mating and their love for each other! But what I wasn't anticipating was how fun it was to watch them interact as friends with Tag! It's a side of both dominant wolves that we don't often get to see. And they meet up with some of Tag's old friends who made me yell "NO WAY!" at my kindle.

This far into the series I don't want to say too much about the plot because so much is spoilery especially after the betrayal in Burn Bright. The mystery in this book was intense and I had to know what would happen next. I wasn't able to guess any of how it ended. The most exciting thing about this book is that we learned more Leah's backstory and it was so much sadder than I anticipated. Y'all! It made me cry. We even got to learn how Leah and the Marrok became mated.

I know this book just barely came out but I'm dying to get my hands on the next one after that ending! I need to know more! This is hands down my favorite Patricia Briggs book published in the last few years. It was a roller coaster of emotions and I kind of want to reread it again even though I just finished it. And that cover! It is absolutely gorgeous! 

The events in this book have consequences for both series and I'm intrigued to see what it does to this world. I think it's really going to shake things up.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley


    
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Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Review: Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono



Kiki's Delivery Service
(Kiki's Delivery Service #1)
Eiko Kadono
Release: July 7, 2020
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Nostalgic fans of the Miyazaki film and newcomers alike--soar into the modern classic about a young witch and her clever cat that started it all!

Half-witch Kiki never runs from a challenge. So when her thirteenth birthday arrives, she's eager to follow a witch's tradition: choose a new town to call home for one year.

Brimming with confidence, Kiki flies to the seaside village of Koriko and expects that her powers will easily bring happiness to the townspeople. But gaining the trust of the locals is trickier than she expected. With her faithful, wise-cracking black cat, Jiji, by her side, Kiki forges new friendships and builds her inner strength, ultimately realizing that magic can be found in even the most ordinary places.

Blending fantasy with the charm of everyday life, this enchanting new translation will inspire both new readers and dedicated fans.

Review:
One of my favorite Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli movies is Kiki's Delivery Service so when I saw this new translation up on Netgalley I just had to request it. Y'all! I loved it so much! It was absolutely magical! This book differs from the movie but still has the same understated level of delightful whimsy. Reading it gave me the same joy as when I first saw the movie even though they are different. Like with Howl's Moving Castle, I think this is one of those cases that you can appreciate and love both for being different.

But when it comes down to it, they both are really a heartwarming story about growing up and the difficulties that come with it. It's about a witch striking out on her own for the first time with her talking cat. We watch Kiki start her business and use her ability to fly to make deliveries. She may be magical but she's still an ordinary girl besides. We see her deal with the worries and disappointments that life can bring. And we also get to live her joys with her and get a chuckle seeing her grapple with the realization that someone may like her like her for the first time. I loved Jiji's sarcasm and I lived for their comments!

The story is a short one where each chapter had an episodic feel to it. But I was utterly charmed for the whole of the book watching as Kiki finds her place in her new town. And I loved how it kept This translation is actually the first book in a series and I really hope that the publisher decides to translate the rest because I really need them in my life and on my shelves. 

I ended up reading this one to my nephews and introduced them to the movie for the first time after. They loved it as much as I did and keep asking when we can read more about Jiji and Kiki. I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a great middle grade/YA fantasy book for all ages.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley


    
  5 / 5 Stars


Recommended for fans of:
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Release Day Review: Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh


Archangel's Sun
(Guild Hunter #13)
Nalini Singh
Release: November 24, 2020
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A horrifying secret rises in the aftermath of an archangelic war in New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s deadly and beautiful Guild Hunter world...


The Archangel of Death and the Archangel of Disease may be gone but their legacy of evil lives on—especially in Africa, where the shambling, rotting creatures called the reborn have gained a glimmer of vicious intelligence.

It is up to Titus, archangel of this vast continent, to stop the reborn from spreading across the world. Titus can’t do it alone, but of the surviving powerful angels and archangels, large numbers are wounded, while the rest are fighting a surge of murderous vampires.

There is no one left…but the Hummingbird. Old, powerful, her mind long a broken kaleidoscope. Now, she must stand at Titus’s side against a tide of death upon a discovery more chilling than any other. For the Archangel of Disease has left them one last terrible gift…

 

Review:
I will say now that if you're not caught up on the series, stop reading this post now. There will be spoilers for Archangel's War ahead. But man! Oh, man! This book was good and literally the most unexpected storyline I would never have predicted. 

After the last book, I was curious to see where Nalini Singh was going to go with this series after the events of this last story arc wrapping up with the big showdown between Lijuan and Raphael. The big bad may be gone and the Cascade over but there is a lot of clean up to do now that the war is over. The whole world literally is devastated but more areas need help than others.

Every time I learn there's a new Guild Hunter book coming out I try to figure out if it will be about Elena and Raphael or one of the Seven. I had made bets on it being another Raphael and Elena book after the last book but I couldn't have been more wrong. I for sure didn't see the Hummingbird getting her own book at all even though I have been curious about her story since she went to New York to visit Illium. 

The Hummingbird is one of angelkind's treasures and a truly neutral party. But she is broken and has been lost in the fog of her mind for centuries. Being appointed as the Guardian of Lumia and the repository of art found there has been slowly bringing her out of it and into the real world. She is picking up the pieces of herself and learning how to be Sharine again. And being sent to help Titus clear his territory of the Reborn and the other messes Charisemnon left behind is just the thing she needed to do that. 

It was delightful watching her come into her own and going from this slightly fragile person to a strong fighter who knows her mind. I had always wondered about how she became how she was as the Hummingbird and I was a bit heartbroken for how hard her life was. I'm not completely sold that she had to lose herself in her mind but I will accept it.

As for the romance, I would never had paired her with Titus in a thousand years but it worked so well! When I learned this book was about Titus too, I was so excited! I've loved what bits and pieces we've learned about him as the series progressed and I couldn't wait to find out who this warrior archangel with the booming voice was! I really enjoyed him as a main character and I kind of liked seeing him get a kick in the butt from reality because of his stereotyping of the female gender as a whole was so wrong. It took Sharine coming on the scene to adjust his way of thinking. 

I really enjoyed their banter and how they slowly came to care about each other as they worked together. It's definitely a slow burn as they learn to look past their preconceived notions about each other. I will say there were a few instances where I thought Sharine didn't treat Titus right but it didn't take away from the story too much. It takes most of the book for really anything romantic to happen. I won't say anymore about how that happens except that I loved how willing Titus was to wait for Sharine to be ready to be his. It was everything!

I will say that this book was not my favorite of the series but I still loved it. It would actually work as a good entry point for a newbie to come into the series. What I'm really excited about is that this book is that bridge book that is starting to set up a new arc for this series and I'm excited to see where that new batch of stories takes us. 

I know I've said this with each of the last few books in the series but I seriously can't wait to see who the next book is about. I really want it to be Illium's book and I really want it to be him and Aodhan paired together. I don't think we'll get it because it's looking like Nalini is starting to set up Aodhan with someone else. Which is kind of disappointing because I really do feel like the whole series has been setting everything up for the two friends to end up together. Anyways, I think we're getting closer to either of them having their own book and I'm so beyond ready for it. I know I'll probably love whatever Nalini decides to do with their stories but I'm still going to keep my fingers crossed over here until we see how everything shakes out.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.


    1/2
  4.5 /5 Stars
 
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Saturday, September 26, 2020

Review: Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews


Emerald Blaze
(Hidden Legacy #5)
Ilona Andrews
Release: August 25, 2020
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As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart. 

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.

Review:
Every time I pick up an Ilona Andrews book I know I'm in for a ride and that I'm more likely than not going to love it a lot. And holy cow! Emerald Blaze was one heck of a ride! It's been over a month since I finished the book and I'm still reeling from all the twists and reveals! And I'm having problems putting my thoughts about the book in a coherent fashion to write a review without it being me all-caps yelling GO BUY THIS BOOK NOW AND THANK ME LATER! It was just so good!

Okay. Let's try to get all my fangirling into a review that makes sense. 

Y'all. I'm just going to come out and say it. I think I love Catalina more than Nevada. And not just by a little bit and that's saying something because I love Nevada a whole lot. They are two very different characters and that is even more emphasized in this book when more context of what happened when Catalina became the Head of the House. I like how Gretl put it in her review on the VBC blog; one of the big differences between the two sisters is that Nevada is always after immediate results while Catalina is in it for the long game. And holy crap! Is Catalina in for the long game! I was blindsided by so many reveals in this book that it's making me want to go back and reread the whole series over to see what I missed in the previous books. I love this series so much!

This book was full of the trademark action scenes and compelling mystery that comes with reading an Ilona Andrews book but it felt way more emotional to me. Our characters aren't the same as when we saw them last in Sapphire Flames. Both Alessandro and Catalina have grown leaps and bounds and have changed for the better I think. She's grown into her ice queen head of house badass persona and Alessandro has been seriously humbled and isn't the same cocky guy from the last book. I'm loving them being together more and more! 

As I said, this book was an emotional one for me. I was close to tears in a few places and not just because I was laughing so much. Honestly, I felt wrung out from the whole roller coaster ride this book was when I finished it. There's just so much that was done so incredibly well in this book that I could extol how wonderful it was for hours. But one of the things I loved the most in this was how the big bad was approached! I would have never in a thousand years been able to see that coming and it worked so freaking well into the story.

I don't know what else to say except "Go read this series if you haven't yet!". It's full of magic, action, and mayhem all centered around my favorite, snarky fictional family ever. I can't wait to see what shenanigans that Catalina, Alessandro, and the Baylor Clan get into in the next book! I will be eagerly waiting for it over here in my little corner of the internet. You know what? I'm probably going to need to reread the whole series a few times before the next book releases to past the time and to prepare myself. I'm not ready for the end of Catalina's story quite yet.


    
 
Book #48- City Lane (Sun)- Read a book on one of UTC/PLB's recommendation lists

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Thursday, July 16, 2020

Short Novella Reviews: Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders and In the Vanishers' Palace


Of Dragons, Feasts, and Murders
(Dominion of the Fallen #3.5)
Aliette de Bodard
Release: July 7, 2020
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From the author of the critically acclaimed Dominion of the Fallen trilogy comes a tale of dragons, and Fallen angels—and also kissing, sarcasm and stabbing.

Lunar New Year should be a time for familial reunions, ancestor worship, and consumption of an unhealthy amount of candied fruit.

But when dragon prince Thuan brings home his brooding and ruthless husband Asmodeus for the New Year, they find not interminable family gatherings, but a corpse outside their quarters. Asmodeus is thrilled by the murder investigation; Thuan, who gets dragged into the political plotting he’d sworn off when he left, is less enthusiastic.

It’ll take all of Asmodeus’s skill with knives, and all of Thuan’s diplomacy, to navigate this one—as well as the troubled waters of their own relationship….

A sparkling standalone book set in a world of dark intrigue.

A Note on Chronology
Spinning off from the Dominion of the Fallen series, which features political intrigue in Gothic devastated Paris, this book stands alone, but chronologically follows The House of Sundering Flames. It’s High Gothic meets C-drama in a Vietnamese inspired world—perfect for fans of The Untamed, KJ Charles, and Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves.

Review:
I enjoyed the heck out of this novella! I'm going to be honest. I haven't read the series that this novella belongs to but I was assured that it could standalone. And while I think it did a good job of that, I feel like I could have appreciated it more if I'd read the original series. I still loved it a lot though! 

I found the worldbuilding and characters in this to be intriguing! It was nice reading a story set around an established married couple especially since their dynamic can be summed up as the murder husband and the bookish one. Want to take a guess about who saves the day?

The mystery was intriguing and filled with murder which I'm kind of here for. I immediately went and bought the first book of the trilogy after finishing this novella because I have an unholy need to learn more about this world as well as Asmodeus and Thuan and House Hawthorn. This story just upended my reading plans and I'm not even mad about it.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

   
  4 / 5 Stars




In the Vanishers' Palace
Aliette de Bodard
Release: October 16, 2018
In a ruined, devastated world, where the earth is poisoned and beings of nightmares roam the land...

A woman, betrayed, terrified, sold into indenture to pay her village's debts and struggling to survive in a spirit world.

A dragon, among the last of her kind, cold and aloof but desperately trying to make a difference.

When failed scholar Yên is sold to Vu Côn, one of the last dragons walking the earth, she expects to be tortured or killed for Vu Côn's amusement.

But Vu Côn, it turns out, has a use for Yên: she needs a scholar to tutor her two unruly children. She takes Yên back to her home, a vast, vertiginous palace-prison where every door can lead to death. Vu Côn seems stern and unbending, but as the days pass Yên comes to see her kinder and caring side. She finds herself dangerously attracted to the dragon who is her master and jailer. In the end, Yên will have to decide where her own happiness lies—and whether it will survive the revelation of Vu Côn’s dark, unspeakable secrets...

Review: I’m always here for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Make it a queer version of the story and I’m definitely going to read it.

This one turned the fairy tale on its head a bit but the bare bones were there under the story. Plus the beast is a dragon and a woman! The worldbuilding is intriguing and dark and the "Beast's castle" is a setting full of WTFery. I loved that this was a f/f romance! But the romance was just a small portion of the story and features characters who identify as bi, lesbian, and nonbinary and are characters of color. This novella explored what means to be family and had an awesome mother and child dynamics on multiple fronts.

Also, the writing is beautiful and adds so much to the atmosphere of the book. I’m slowly making my way through all of Aliette de Bodard’s work and all of it has been fantastic so far! This is my favorite story of hers so far though.

   
  4 / 5 Stars

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Friday, March 20, 2020

Review: Smoke Bitten By Patricia Briggs


Smoke Bitten
(Mercy Thompson #12)
Patricia Briggs
Release: March 17, 2020
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Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman.
My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I’m going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill–until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything–even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won’t, can’t, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

Review:
Guys, there's a reason I eagerly anticipate the new Patricia Briggs book every year. They're awesome and so bingeable! I love so many things about the Mercyverse and Smoke Bitten once again reaffirmed why all over again.

Mercy is Mercy. I can't begin to explain how much I love her as a character! She's down-to-earth while being sneaky. I can't help but feel sorry for the Columbia Basin Pack sometimes. With each new book, I look forward to her snark and her outlook on each troublesome situation she gets into. And our little coyote keeps getting into trouble.

One thing I love about this series is how the world is always evolving and changing. Ever since Mercy claimed the Tri-Cities Area, they've encountered so many different creatures. Volcano gods, walking sticks with minds of their own, and black witches are all in a day's work for Mercy and her pack. But something is coming and the pack might not be strong enough to overcome it.

I never know what a new Mercy book will bring and Smoke Bitten delivered on that. I was constantly trying to guess what the heck was really going on. Things haven't been the same since they fought the witches in Storm Cursed. Mercy's marriage is having problems. Wulfe is being creepy and stalkerish. The neighbors are dead. Something is taking bites out of the werewolves. There's drama and a whole bunch of other stuff is about to hit the fan.

I couldn't stop reading once I picked this book up. I love romance but I have a hard time reading books with relationship angst and issues among established couples. The author handled the relationship portion of the plot with such deftness that I wasn't annoyed at the story. And what a story it turned out to be! This book throws reveal after reveal at you and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It's a classic Mercy book for you.

I loved all the interactions between the pack and the other major players in the story. Things are happening that are going to have a huge impact on the Mercyverse soon and I can't wait to see how things are going to play out. This book has a lot of the Pack and a lot of Ben in it and I adored that about it!

I have so many theories about where things are going and I'm going to have to wait to see how things play out. Now I just have to wait another year for the next one. I can wait patiently for it, right? If you're trying to decide to read this newest addition to the Mercyverse, just go get the book. It's totally worth it for the snark and banter alone!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

    

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