The nitty-gritty: A promising start deteriorates into some very odd plot choices and pacing issues, although I adored the author’s atmosphere-infused writing. Have you ever read a book that started out strong—I’m talking five-star strong—but later deteriorated into a much lower rating? Well unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to me with The Ancestor, I’m very […]
The nitty-gritty: I loved the moody, dangerous quality of these stories, but both endings left me confused. Demain Publishing’s Short Sharp Shocks! is a series of short horror fiction by various authors, and I was recently offered a review copy of their most recent release by Mike Thorn. Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation is […]
The nitty-gritty: I adored the magic system in this story, but I wasn’t as excited about the plot. I have such mixed feelings about this book, which makes me a little sad. From the moment I saw the magical cover, I knew I wanted to read The Gossamer Mage, but I have to admit I […]
The nitty-gritty: A story with a fascinating premise that is heavy on philosophical musings, this one just didn’t work for me. This is my first Karen Lord book, and I found out after I finished it that it’s actually set in the same world as Redemption in Indigo. I’m wondering if I might have connected […]
The nitty-gritty: Although atmospheric and well written, Five Midnights just didn’t provide the suspense and horror I was hoping for. Five Midnights didn’t quite live up to my expectations, although there were elements that I really enjoyed. But some elements just didn’t mesh for me and I ended up feeling ambivalent at the end. However, […]
The nitty-gritty: A mixed bag of both thrilling tension and a slow, ponderous beginning, The Luminous Dead worked on some levels but failed on others. This is a hard review to write. On one hand there are things about The Luminous Dead that I loved, elements that the author did really well. But on the […]
The nitty-gritty: A fantasy with lots of potential that felt more “middle grade” than “young adult,” Fire & Heist had some fun moments but ultimately disappointed me. I had heard all sorts of good things about Sarah Beth Durst’s The Queens of Renthia series, and so I was eager to check out her latest, a young […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of over-the-top slasher action with a very thin plot, this ended up being surprisingly entertaining. This isn’t my first Gretchen McNeil book, so I had an inkling of what I was going to be in for with her latest, #murdertrending, and in that respect, it did not disappoint. This book was so over-the-top […]
The nitty-gritty: A story full of great ideas that really shined in some parts, but unfortunately needed more polishing and editing to make it a standout debut. I was intrigued by the idea of Smoke Eaters, a story about a special crew of firefighters with the ability to withstand dragon smoke and slay dragons. And […]
Sparked started out very strong, and I really enjoyed the first half of the story. But unfortunately, around the halfway mark, things started to go downhill for me, and it ended up being a typical YA paranormal that reminded me of so many other stories I’ve read. Which is sad, because I’ve had great luck […]