Killing Rocks by D.D. Barant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


GiGi was so right! Killing Rocks was excellent! I am on a roll with good books again! This story is quite original with its own spin on alternate worlds and the supernatural. This is 3rd in the series and it just shows that the story is getting better and better as each new installment gets added.



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Mad Skills by Walter Greatshell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really am not just an easy grader. I tend to pass over books that I know or think I will not like. The ones that get 3's or less are the ones that surprised me somewhere after I started them. Honestly, I thought this one did that. I stopped reading it 1/3 of the way through it. I read the one review on Goodreads earlier today to see if I was just not giving it a fair shake. I saw two other numerical reviews without any data to advise why they gave it a 5. I was going to start another book after my raid on the bookstore earlier today. I also have another book going on Kindle right now. But, I gave it another try this evening just to be sure and continued where I left off and was floored. The action was there. The surprise was there and my beloved technology was in there. Great book!



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A Discovery of Witches: A Novel by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was lucky enough to win one of the advanced reader copy versions of Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches, to be released in 02/2011. When I completed the first chapter and woke up the next morning I decided that I had to write my thoughts for the review as they occurred. One of the things that crossed my mind when I first heard about this book was wow. This book is written by a scholar. I researched the author via her university home page because I was curious about her background. When I finished the first chapter I was still in the wow stage and my thoughts were; this is a bridge between scholars and great urban fantasy writers. I love when I get to have both! I wish as a techie scholar I could combine my two loves of computers and urban fantasy. This book was everything I hoped it would be!
I read this slowly despite how I typically devour most books. With some books I slow down intentionally because I realize that I do not want it to end quickly. A Discovery of Witches is that type of book. It is the type of book you develop a relationship with as you read it. I think that there will be people that will fall in love with it as they read it just as I did. I hope that even those that feel that it may not be for them still find something that they can take from the book. It is very intricate. The story is well developed, extremely well written and the characters are very well developed. But, it was not a quick read for me because, I did not want it go fast. For me it is a book that you spend time with and do not forget the places it takes you as the characters are being drawn. The history it discusses is thought-provoking. One of the things I liked was how Diana developed with regard to her powers and her family. Politics were a strong part of the story. With regard to the politics one of the most intriguing things I found was who is involved in the politics. I am trying to keep this review spoiler free. But, as the blurb on the back states we have multiple beings involved in this book and they have a very long history with each other. One of the things that make this book so amazing is the historical backdrop for all of the creatures. I found myself looking forward to learning more about all of the beings. I really look forward to more written by Deb Harkness. I had a hard time deciding how to end my review but it does not spoil anything to shout; “I can’t wait to see what happens next”!




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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I just finished this book. I thought to wait until tomorrow to give my review. But, as I was getting to the end of the book I thought about what it took for me to read it. When I read the synopsis on the back at the bookstore I thought, this is going to be good. I put it on the shelves with the hundreds of others in my to be read library and there it sat. The second in the series came out and the ratings were great and I felt like I had to move on it so I could see what the second book in the trilogy had in store. I started the first chapter and thought oh no I see where this is going and I am not in the mood for it. But, I could not have been more right and more wrong. This book is full of magic. I do not mean in the sense that the players in the book use magic. I mean in the sense that I had trouble putting it down once I put aside my fear of how it might end. I was drawn to this book every free moment. I even had to find the author on Twitter so I could see what else she was writing about. I have to say that I am glad I gave it the chance it so very much deserved and it will stay in my library.



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Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After reading the end of book 2 in the Jane True series I was a bit worried about how things would go. I am not a fan of the love triangle and I was worried that this was where the story was heading. I will not go any further into that so that there is no spoiler. I was happy to get a hold of the book before the official release date. It was well worth it. I loved watching Jane grow mentally and physically, though her conversations with her libido happened a bit often, they were quite humorous. There were some hard truths and painful experiences and the introduction of new characters. It was great to see growth in other characters that we have come to love and especially the chance to learn more about Julian. The action scenes were good and there were curve balls thrown in there as well. I cannot wait to see where those curve balls lead in the next book. Though I liked book 2, I was not as fond of it as I was of book 1. I can happily add that book 3 was great and I liked it more than the first 2 books showing a continual growth in the characters and the story. It is great when a storyline does not drag on for the entire series, but, there is a natural growth or progression for the story and characters.



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Masques (Sianim, #1) by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed Masques which is saying a lot since I am new to the high fiction genre. One of the things I liked the most is the way the friendship/relationship between Wolfe and Aralorn developed. There was a pace that respected all that Wolfe had been through and it was refreshing to see it not take over the book. I also enjoyed reading about all of the mythical characters and how the author introduced her own mythical characters. I read Patricia Briggs' comment that it was her first book she ever wrote and though she polished it some without making major changes, she felt it was not as good as her more recent books. I think it is good and I would not say it is not as good as her recent works. I would say it shows that she was a gifted storyteller from the start.



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Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow! I thought I can never read a pure science fiction fantasy book. I don't like made up worlds. I love urban fantasy because it puts the fantasy into our world. But, the cover drew my attention in the bookstore. I bought it and kept putting it off. Finally, I started Cold Magic this week and was absolutely floored. Not even halfway through the book I sought out a website for the author hoping she was active on Twitter so I could hear more about the future of the books. 50 pages left in the book and I became desperate to know when the next book would be released. What happens to Cat? What happens to Andevai? I need to know these things. This book is amazing. The characters are exceptionally well developed. There is political intrigue, mystery and thrilling displays of supernatural power. Even now I find myself flipping back to things I read to re-read them. I am anxiously waiting for the next installment in The Spiritwalker Trilogy.



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Deception by Lee Nichols

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book started slow for me. It had a purpose though and it filled it. It was heavier and more full of intrigue than I thought. But, I absolutely could not stand the ending. Not that it was not good. Just the method is one that I dislike. It was full of mystery, I'll give it that. It served the purpose that I wanted, a quick, good read.



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Indulgence in Death (In Death, #31) by J.D. Robb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book as I love them all. There was a bit of deja vu to 2 previous books in the series. But, since this is number 31 or so in the series it would be hard for the author not to cross her own path. She did put enough fresh, new aspects in for the investigation to keep it exciting. What really struck me with this one was the barbs and witty banter really increased in this book to the point where I was laughing out loud.



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Venom by Jennifer Estep

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am in Montego Bay and only had 2 books with me. This was my last book. I tried to take my time but assassins will not be denied. This book continues the head rush and major love fest I have for this series. Family dynamics, serious history came into play and our favorite Spider did NOT disappoint. I cannot wait for the next one. Umm, exactly when will that be Jennifer Estep?



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Coronets and Steel by Sherwood Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great book! I truly enjoyed it. This book was very rich in history. I have had a hard time investigating regular fantasy books. One thing that I have loved about Urban Fantasy is placing the fantasy in our world allowing me to get a good picture of places and things in the story. It allows me to picture myself seeing the story unravel in person. One thing about Coronets and Steel that I loved was the feeling of regular fantasy in the middle of an urban fantasy. The story was tightly written with a few occasional editing snafu's. But, they did not take away from the story. The introduction of a different type of supernatural story seems to be on the horizon and I really look forward to the next in the series.



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Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great addition to the series. I enjoyed seeing more of Ethan and Lena. I do find myself wishing something different happened regarding the introduction of the new librarian. She was a great addition to the characters. I am not at all in love with the new penchant for love triangles in a lot of the books so I'm glad to see characters who made a choice and stood by it and protected it despite the obstacles. Great twists with the regular characters too and I loved seeing more of the town history, Ethan's family, and underground life in the book. Looking forward to the next installment.



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Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Excellent book! I wish I had something new to add to the great reviews other than to say the book is great.



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Siren Song by Cat Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This sequel did NOT disappoint. I absolutely loved it. Political intrigue and cool supernatural powers abound. Some unexpected changes for sure! I'm in Montego Bay and sitting oceanside reading it and could not put it down until I finished it! Now I can go back and mention a few things that I liked about Siren Song. I like the main character. She is strong but not so much so that she makes you dislike her or not care about what happens to her. There were quite a few surprises and turns in this book and it was quite interesting meeting the siren side of her family. I like that she is just not suddenly full of powers and able to take down anyone and that we actually get to see Celia grow in this series.



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Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really do not know how many stars to give this. I was really enjoying it. I thought the storyline was sad and beautiful. It had some original material in it. But, I am seriously torn about what to do with this rating. Typically I do not rate books that I do not like. But, I cannot say I did not like it. I enjoyed it but hated the ending is the best way to put it. Is it fair to give a bad rating because I disagree with how a book ended? Most likely not. Personal preferences should not cloud how I judge whether it was well written or not. So, in an effort to judge the book on its storyline and how well it was written I will say it is a good read. I will say that readers that enjoy romantic endings will love it. Though it did not fit with my taste. It was nicely done for the genre it was intended. I will call it a book that each person has to read for themselves and judge for themselves and say that I don't believe it is one you should judge by others' ratings.



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Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and seemed real and Alex is definitely someone I want to get to know better. I did think of something I realized was not answered and wonder if it will be answered in the next book. I am not feeling verbose these days so my reviews are suffering. But, I can say I can't wait to read the next book!



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Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This 2nd in the series was so good! I found myself on Scott Westerfeld's website searching for scraps of information about Goliath. The adventures that Dillan and Alec get into are amazing. The Darwin beasties are fun and make this series stand out. I cannot even remember everything that I forgot about what I learned in my history courses but I am kind of glad that it is not in the forefront of my memory so I do not spend a lot of time poo-poo'ing the things that are not fact. When I was reading Leviathan I spent more time looking things up on the Internet because I could not remember if some of the things actually happened or were just great additions to the story. I only did that one time with this story.



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Virals by Kathy Reichs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book! I was worried that the author would have trouble breaking away from the Temperance Brennan character after so many years focusing on her. But, I really loved the Virals crew, story and Kathy Reichs take on supernaturals.



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Afterlight by Elle Jasper

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm not sure how I rate this book. I enjoyed it though it feels like it may be heading in a direction I won't like. I loved reading about Savannah, GA. The descriptions were vivid and I could picture all of the squares and the moss from when I visited 2 years ago. Choosing a rating feels like it might not be fair since I cannot choose 1/2 stars. I can say that I thought this was going to be more urban fantasy than paranormal romance. The book was not shelved yet when I picked it up so I had no idea what section it came from. The bookseller retrieved it from the back. I liked it enough to finish it when I have had 4 false starts due to my current reading mood. Absolutely no reflection on the books. I am in a very peculiar reading mood right now and this has never happened to me so I hesitate to give a rating other than to say it was good enough for me to finish it and that is saying a lot right now.



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Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have a hard time reviewing this book. It felt as if someone other than Melissa de la Cruz wrote this book. I couldn't finish it. I made it through 70 pages and just could not finish it. The conversations between Schuyler and Jack did not feel natural to me. They seemed forced and syrupy and very different from when they spent time alone previously and knew they had feelings for each other. I have not decided how I will proceed with the future books in the series yet.



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The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was lucky to obtain a copy of the ARC on this first in the new series. It was great. I loved the introduction to different supernaturals and the slow introduction to a new set of characters in a great new environment. I don't want to give anything away so I'll wait until it is released before I say more. Suffice it to say Kelley Armstrong is like an alchemist with gold.



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Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As much as I loved this book I let myself worry and fret over things I saw tweeted over the last few weeks. They were not spoilers but, they were expressions of feeling evoked by the reader. Those still affect how we react to a book. As I read the book I worried about whether me being behind on the Mortal Instruments series was going to affect my reading this book since it was a prequel. It did not! Phew! Onto my thoughts about the book. As usual I will not post a description of the book since the blurb can be found on Amazon or another bookseller site. I will say that I found the characters well developed and the insight into each of their backgrounds was very well written. There was enough to make me want to know more and enough to make me have strong feelings one way or the other for each of them. The plot twist was excellent! I do not always try to figure out what will happen in a book. But, sometimes I may stop and say, "I see where this is going". When I did that with this book I can honestly say that I was truly shocked and eager to get to the finish line so I could see what else the story had in store for me. I look forward to reading the next installment!



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The Candidates by Inara Scott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Does it seem like I always give 5 stars? Ha! I am on a roll with the great books! I really liked this book. It fit right what I needed it to fit. There was intrigue, mystery, a bit of action. What I enjoyed most is the building of the world where Dancia lives including her family, town, friendships and Delcroix Academy. I seem to really be enjoying the whole academy school fantasy sub-genre (Is that a sub-genre? Maybe it should be.) I am looking forward to the next installment in this series so much that I searched for the author on Twitter and signed up for her newsletters.



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Face Off by Mark Del Franco

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow, that is my first thoughts on this book. It certainly fulfilled my desire for more on the Fae. It had politics. Boy, did it have political intrigue, more on Fae culture (according to this author's imagination). I love Laura and her role in the courts. I love how this author depicts the history of the Fae and their interaction with the United States government. I would love to see more on the past before they came to be in the United States, but, I know that would be difficult because the protagonist's history does not predate the coming to the United States. I wish these books in this series came out more frequently.



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Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I barely have words for how much I loved this book. I have already gone to the author's site for any hint of sequels. Any chance there will be 3 in the year like some of the other series. The story line, original. The characters, their pasts, and their current situations are detailed and extremely well written. I wanted to take my time with this book so it would not be over. It felt like the ultimate find for an urban fantasy fan. I am truly excited about this series and cannot wait to see what comes next in The Shadow World series.



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Chosen by Jeanne C. Stein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am so torn on this. There is a reason why all of my reviews look like I love everything. I just do not like giving negative reviews at all. Anything less than 5 feels negative to me. I will refrain from giving a synopsis of the book since that can be obtained from Amazon. I will say it is a fast read and I finished it in one day. I was eager to see what happened next in the Anna Strong story. There was a very strong start and the pace was pretty fast. But, midway through the book it felt like someone else picked up the story. It felt rushed. What should have been a very sad moment towards the end did not feel that way because everything felt rushed and as if I was missing part of the story. I am not sure what happened and I do not recall the previous books feeling like this. I am still interested in the story, just a little confused.



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The Osiris Ritual by George Mann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a good follow-up to The Affinity Bridge. There are some aspects that troubled me, not with the writing, but, with content. But, that is my own personal preference and I will not let it taint my comments about the book. The depth of the characters is extremely well done, though I would like to know more about Ms. Hobbes' parents. Each time you think there is a singularity to the motives of Newbury and Hobbes, and really every other character in the book, you find that there is duplicity everywhere. It is intriguing and I cannot wait to find out what happens now that more secrets have been revealed. I did not feel as much of the immersion into the Victorian era as I did in the first installment. Not that it was not there, just that it was overshadowed by the characters, their decisions and actions.



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The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It seems that I am on a roll and love all of the books that I have been reading lately. I liked The Affinity Bridge enough to go out and buy the next installment, The Osiris Ritual, with 20 pages left. I am typically not typically a reader of books that considered historical in the time frame. But, Gail Carriger has gotten me hooked on the Steampunk sub-genre of urban fantasy. George Mann has taken this genre and made it his own. Newbury and Hobbes, the key people in this series, are great. They each have their secrets, or so they believe. Queen Victoria is a force to be reckoned with in this series and I cannot wait to jump into this next one.



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Blameless by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Gail Carriger's Alexia Tarabotti series NEVER disappoints. I absolutely loved this book. It was fresh, funny, and full of action and a great follow-up to Changeless. There was mystery, intrigue and enough catalysts to start me on my countdown to Heartless. The descriptions of the trek across different countries pre-automobile were great and exemplified how wonderfully the author does with "steampunk". I was never a historical book reader. But, I have fallen in love with this series. I even bought the audiobook of Soulless just to hear the voice interpretations with the accents. Character development was awesome and the surprises thrown in there just made this book even better.



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Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book filled a craving to read more about the Fae and Lee Carroll's interpretation of these supernaturals was great! I loved reading more about New York and The Cloisters and the descriptions of the different New York areas made Black Swan Rising an amazing Urban Fantasy adventure. I was quite worried by one of Garet's decisions and I had to stop and ask myself, is this really how the typical person would behave. When I decided that most likely it was, especially given her past experiences, I could move forward, wishing that we did not make such rash decisions, but, knowing that we do. I look forward to the next installment in this turbulent series.



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Afterlife by Merrie Destefano

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book and I am totally floored by it. It went beyond anything I could even imagine. It was urban fantasy based in a place I love to read about, New Orleans. But, this New Orleans is a futuristic one where life and death are completely turned on their ears. Where cats are not the only ones with nine lives, if you choose that path. (Not a spoiler because it is in the description on the back of the book. If fictionally questioning God's plan is offensive to the reader then this book may not be for you, unless you see it as just that, fiction. But, if you don't have to suspend belief in what is important to you to enjoy a book, then this book is a MUST READ. To say it is original is an understatement. It challenges you, makes you think it is going to turn left, then suddenly turns right. It grips your emotions and makes you fear for the characters because you care so much for what happens to them and about the choices that they make. I have to buy the official copy of it for my library because it is a must keep.



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Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. It had a different feel from the other Tate Hallaway books that I've read. She had a different spin on vampire life and history. It was nice to see more of the parent/child relationship in a young adult book where a lot of them now have the young adult off on their own for various reasons. I often thought of the other series as a little more light stories. This one felt slightly darker and it was interesting to see the growth of the main character. I look forward to seeing more about Ana and her relationships with not only her family but also her friends and schoolmates.

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When Blood Calls by J.K. Beck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was asked to read this book prior to its release and give a review. I was so excited at the prospect at my first official review after rolling out my new blog, that I did not investigate what it was about. I decided the title said it all.When I read the first chapter I thought "oh no I am in deep trouble. I agreed to review this and I hate reading books with legal proceedings as the backdrop." I had two more false starts and on the third one I said to myself "no you agreed to do this read the book and be honest with your how you felt."I just finished it and I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised! The legal proceedings were original, not overwhelming and the interweaving of urban fantasy into that part of the story captured my attention. I also was worried when I read the publisher blurb that said the book was a combination of dark paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I am not a big fan of paranormal romance. But, I have read one or two because the subject captured my interest. When Blood Calls has interesting characters and a mystery that kept me up reading late. I almost took it with me to a cookout just so I could see what would happen next. I loved seeing new paranormal creatures and a nice spin on not only the legal system, but, also "inter-species" relations. I am happy I overcame my initial reaction and was introduced to this enticing new world.

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A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I bid on the book at an auction for diabetes earlier in the Spring. I was truly excited to have a chance to see it before the U.S. release in 2011. I truly loved this book. Kat is extremely feisty and headstrong. She is precocious and sometimes makes you wish you could reach out and grab her around her neck. But, I love their family connection and watching them learn about their family history. The period descriptions and the expectations of how women, even female children are interesting. The family dynamics which involve the blending of families is amazing. I look forward to the next installment of this book!

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City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


City of Ghosts was awesome! I love this series. Chess, Terrible and, even Lex never disappoint. There were a lot of twists in this book. Each book adds something amazing to this story. The world that Stacia Kane is dark and extremely well-built. City of Ghosts had this build up that made me not be able to go to bed without seeing the explosion and resolution at the end. The supernatural elements are original and the characters are growing and I look forward to seeing everyone in the next book!

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Divided Souls

Divided Souls by Gabriella Poole

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love this series so much I could not wait for this installment to come out in the U.S. I had to order it and have it shipped from the U.K. The concept has a good spin on the supernatural students studying at an academy. The characters are written with extreme, multifaceted depth for multiple reasons that involve the premise of the series. This installment makes you run the gamut of emotions as you go into the world of the Darke Aacademy.

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The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa




I enjoyed the politics and the discussion about the different parts of NeverNever. The royals never fail to entertain. I was not in the mood for the love story portion of the book. I cannot say I enjoyed Meghan's point of view throughout the book. But, I always enjoy reading about Ash and Puck. They make the story for me. Also, there was one new character introduced that I absolutely loved and hope to see more of in future books.

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Ratings Thoughts Continued

After the last book I read I decided that I would not post numerical ratings. This is the one activity I dislike the most when I make purchases on Amazon. I do not mind letting Amazon know how a vendor performs through comments but, putting a grade on it is what I do not like. I think comments have more value and depicts what I liked and why and what I disliked and why. Now, mastering the art of critiquing work and not the author.

Rating System Contemplation

I am having some trouble coming up with a rating system. I tend to have a hard time giving negative reviews or low ratings. It is only MY opinion so I guess that tends to take away some of the sting. When I think of a committee reviewing my dissertation and possibly not allowing me to have my PhD I tend to feel like hyperventilating. I mean it is only the culmination of many years of work and a multitude of thousands of dollars that have been invested. I imagine a book author feels the same way. I do not want to ever be the cause of others not trying a book because it fell short of my expectations.