5 stars I received an ARC of this book, the final installment of the Kingdom of the White Sea trilogy. To be honest, I think it could have been broken into more books, as each one is quite long. I highly recommend reading them back-to-back because, after several months, I had forgotten the names of some of the characters. This book would benefit from having the same list found at the beginning of book one. Although the author has been living with these characters and has grown to know them intimately, most readers are also reading other books in between and could benefit from a refresher after some time has passed. Having the list of characters and relationships listed again at the beginning of each sequel would be very helpful for readers like myself. I even looked online, thinking the list might be available on her website, but I couldn’t find anything there. As mentioned earlier, this is the conclusion of the series, and as such, it ties up all loose ends. It also leaves open the possibility of further adventures with some of the characters. Whereas the other books were filled with adventure and building the foundations for the characters, this one focuses on the growth of those characters—emotionally, physically, mentally, and so forth. The relationships between the various characters have changed with the deaths and disappearances of those who had been close to them. Some deaths are especially heartbreaking. They learn things they didn’t know about themselves and persevere despite tragedy and hardship. Every significant character experiences a hero’s journey. It’s hard enough to create a compelling story for one character, but to do so for so many is truly astounding. Sarah Cradit uses the skills she honed through her Crimson and Clover series to weave a supernatural and otherworldly fantasy that is immersive and, unbelievably, plausible. There is just enough familiarity to make the reader feel like he or she could be a part of this world. And there are so many moving parts! I’m in awe of her ability to keep it all straight and keep the story moving forward at a pace that is perfectly geared toward compelling the reader to keep reading as she switches from one character to the next. If I had to compare the series to anything else I have read, I would choose The Lord of the Rings series. It is a story that will live on in my memory, even if I do forget some of the names. Overall, this is one epic read, with a compelling story and engaging characters, and I highly recommend it. July 30, 2021
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5 stars Wow!! This is one of those books that I finish reading and find I have to let it percolate a bit before beginning to put my thoughts in order to offer a review. Now, first off, let me tell you, this is supposed to be the final installment of this series. But it simply cannot be! I want more! There are a few things immediately apparent about Autumn Birt’s writing. First of all, she is a minimalist. She uses as little punctuation and as few words as possible to relate the story. This last fact, alone, makes it remarkable that this series is so long. There are no filler words lengthening the story. Occasionally, I found the wording of sentences a bit disorienting because I really like commas (because they tell me where to pause). For me, it takes a little more brain work to digest this writing. Another thing that is undeniable about her writing is that she is a professional when it comes to world-building. Whatever worlds she is creating, they are rich with details that appeal to all of the senses and they are memorable and easy to visualize. Physical sensations are one of the things that speaks to me as a reader, so the sections that described these feelings were especially powerful, like when she describes “...a day so sweltering in heat and humidity that skin felt like too much to wear.” I’ve experienced a few days like that myself. Descriptions of the bodily perceptions associated with travel through gateways and through time were particularly well-done, with a consistent impression that this travel was not exactly enjoyable. Adahy: “He grabbed onto the railing as what should be up twisted sideways, and the ground simply ceased to be.” Later: “Adahy forced the words out into air that felt like jelly.” And yet later: “The pressure changed, and Adahy felt like he dropped to his knees though he still stood next to Raven. Instead, his consciousness looked upward from somewhere near his midriff. And then he plummeted into the ground itself and spread out.” And at last, he “rose back into his body with the sickening feeling of falling skyward that ended with a drunken stagger.” Meanwhile, October experienced time travel in her own way. One day, she encountered a particular crossing “that felt like a step to the side that squeezed you through a funnel that inverted your inside and outside for a moment.” And Diva encountered “magic that made (her) feel like she was being pulled into her navel while her back expanded to fill the sky.” One of the things that was hard to understand in previous installments of the series was why Adahy didn’t go back to October after she worked so hard to save his life. In this one, we find out why and it made me see Adahy in a completely different light because I realized that it really bothered him that he couldn’t. He kept his distance from October because he knew something about the future and Raven had warned him against it. The author describes how a banshee affected humans, who could “barely hear” it. “But they could feel it. It itched like spiders of worry crawled over their skin, as if the ground were ready to open and swallow them whole.” Ewww! One of my favorite characters in all of fiction is Bramble. His complex personality is a contrast of light and dark and the juxtaposition of these opposing qualities makes it possible to love and fear him at the same time, or as October observes, you love him until you want to kill him. His physical description is wonderful, but this book focused more on his personality, of which this is just one example: “...the brownie burst into a growling chant with a few notes that fluttered into something near birdsong… if a bird were drunk or terrified.” Every description of Bramble, whether he was being overly exuberant and drawing blood as he hugged his friends or being mischievous and causing trouble, made me love him more and wish for my own Bramble in my life. No review would be complete with a word on Sgleo, who seemed like a victim when he was introduced in book one. He transformed over the course of the series until he became a narcissistic megalomaniac with no redeeming personal qualities. Finally, Leanag had an encounter with him in which she experienced his “cold gaze of a hawk that she wasn’t sure was hungry,” and realized, “This aloof cold reminiscent of a distant star as it ate its planets was Sgleo’s true heart.” At that point, it was easy to understand why the previous Dark Fae Queen had put him in an iron sleep. It was hard not to root for his downfall. The ending was action-packed and, at times, overwhelming. If I were tasked with writing this, I would find the thought of trying to describe the climax of the story so overwhelming, I would completely botch it. This author handles it like a champ, describing the events in such great detail that I felt I could see what was happening (mostly). If I’m being honest, it was very complicated and I had to go back and reread a few sections. And then, I kept wishing I had misunderstood something, even though I knew I hadn’t. It’s not a shock, but I had hoped for something happier. I’ve become addicted to the HEA, and this story doesn’t exactly offer that. It doesn’t follow the expected formula, offering the Hollywood ending, and perhaps that makes it better, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting to change it. Regardless, I cannot recommend this series highly enough. And I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed there will be, at least, an epilogue. July 23, 2021 5 stars I had a lot of trouble empathizing with Michael who is a rotten bastard of a person. Karma, of course, was likable and attracted people to her like flies on honey. All of this author’s heroines are spunky and sassy, but Karma is in a class of her own, adding incredibly courageous to the list of qualities she has. I found it easy to empathize with her and understand her actions, even when she waivers in her animosity toward Michael. As usual, the story is told from alternating POVs in first-person present-tense which drags the reader directly into the action and makes everything feel more urgent. Michael is sent to kill Karma as payment for a debt owed by her father, but when he sees her, he realizes she is the woman from his dreams and he decides to take her instead. He will not allow himself to feel anything for her and claims he has only decided to marry her to facilitate a business relationship with the Seven. Where have we heard this trope before? Meanwhile, Karma fights her growing attraction for Michael because she recognizes how twisted it is that she would fall for her kidnapper. I think one of the things that was most well done in this book was the depiction of Karma’s internal conflict between her attraction for Michael and her fear of him. She constantly struggles to tamp down on her empathy for him by reminding herself that he is the “monster” who kidnapped her. She tries to fight her own predilection toward the “perverted” things he likes, until eventually, she decides she is no longer going to deny who is. But the denouement of her struggle is best exposed when she literally reaches for his hand as she runs from him. Because the reader has been privy to her thoughts and feelings, her reaction makes sense and the reader feels sympathetic to her plight. Karma’s character is really well-developed and it’s easy to understand her. On the other hand, Michael is a sadistic dominant (who occasionally exhibits a glimmer of humanity) but doesn’t go as far as I feared he would. He has a line he won’t cross and one of the things he will not do is rape Karma. In fact, he won’t have sex with her until she begs him for it. So, although he is domineering and inflexible, with no discernible sense of humor (which I hope will change later) and definitely pushes the envelope in terms of talking dirty and getting in her space (sexual harassment—check), and although Karma sees him as a monster (a Beast to her Beauty—his nickname for her), he is not one to force himself sexually, which is a relief because there’s no danger of triggering any readers. Except those who may be triggered by a kidnapper who is constantly trying to seduce his victim. Oh, and lest I forget, he has a fascination with knives and that is disturbing. Ultimately, this is a story of some extremely conflicted characters placed in unusual circumstances and experiencing some unexpected and complicated emotions. As the editor, I have to admit I’m not quite sure how I feel about Michael at this point. I want to find something likable about him, but it’s hard. Karma, on the other hand, is an inspiring and memorable character and it’s easy to empathize with her and root for her. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. July 20, 2021 4 stars As is often the case with L Steele’s billionaires, Michael is an anti-hero and it’s difficult for me to imagine caring about him, much less liking him. He’s cold-blooded and sadistic, and even if there are reasons for it, it doesn’t make it easier for me to feel any empathy for him. Karma is introduced in this book, but not by name, and not in real life. It’s more of a teaser than anything else. I edited this very brief introduction to Michael Byron Domenico Sovrano, Capo and son of the current Mafia Don. July 19, 2021 5 stars This is a great second installment to the story of Della, the witch-wolf hybrid, and Malone, her wolf and alpha. Ertha, the coven leader, and Kieran, Malone's enemy from a rival wolf pack, are in league to bring down Della, her brother Drake, and Malone's pack. Action scenes are clear and riveting, while intimate scenes between Della and Malone are tender and build their relationship, creating a strong alliance and understanding. Della slowly wins over the loyalty of the pack and even makes a few friends. Malone shows that he is strong and dominating, yet fair and compassionate. They are both likable characters and I was happy to see them growing to trust and respect one another. The book ends on a brief respite between battles with a larger one on the horizon, to be addressed in the next book. I'm looking forward to it. July 17, 2021 5 stars This anthology is worth reading for Back to You, Love on a Summer Night, and Every Sweet Regret, each of which earns 5 stars from me. Sugarcoated and Mr. Dirty earn 4 stars. I couldn’t finish Wild Child or Dare to Resist, so I’m giving them 1 star each, because I can’t give them 0. Keep reading for individual reviews. 7-3-2021 Back to You - Kimberly Kincaid 5 stars When it comes to anthologies, I expect some of the books to be good and some not so good, but I rarely expect one to be as lengthy and well-developed as this one is. The characters are multifaceted and realistic while the plot is quite believable. I don’t have much medical expertise, but the realism was such that I felt like I could be reading the script for a medical drama with the level of detail offered. I feel I can safely assume the author has some experience in the medical field because she managed to explain things clearly without being condescending or overly simplistic. The love story between Charlie and Parker is relatable and sentimental. It’s relatively predictable, but that’s how you get a happy ending. There were a few clever lines that made me chuckle, like this one: “Karma hadn’t so much bitten him in the ass as it had shanked him and left him to bleed out on the linoleum.” And I loved the description of a guy “who held a cup of soda big enough to do the backstroke in one hand and a cheese Danish the size of a football in the other.” At one point, Charlie is described as “a great, big indecision casserole.” It was prose like this that kept me engaged and enjoying the story. 7-8-2021 Sugarcoated - Erin Nicholas 4 stars This was a cute friends-to-lovers romance with smalltown-boy-makes-it-big-and-becomes-a-billionaire thrown in for good measure. Aiden and Zoe have been friends forever, practically siblings. Zoe takes over the family bakery and makes it her own. Meanwhile, her older brother Cam and Aiden, along with a few other college friends, create a wildly successful video game and become billionaires. Because Zoe owns a bakery, Buttered Up, and because Aiden and his friends have decided to purchase a local business specializing in mass-produced snacks, Hot Cakes, there’s lots of sweet innuendo and fun with frosting. The reader is introduced to Zoe’s group of friends and Aiden’s group of friends/investors with the obvious intention of creating a series of romances featuring each of the characters. They’re fun characters so I have no problem with that. In fact, Erin Nicholas does an impressive job of piquing my interest and making me want to read more about them. Wild Child - A Soul Sister Novel - Audrey Carlan 1 star I couldn't finish this one. I felt it was poorly-written and conceived, not to mention a romance between an FBI agent and a victim of an ongoing investigation was absolutely unprofessional. There were trite statements, grammatical errors (“I'd have it no other way.”), grammatical errors (“Her and Rory will be here this evening.”), unimaginative phrasing (“My sister smiled softly, her entire face softening at the sign of my savior.”), and plot points that just didn't make sense. Why was Simone struggling to survive with multiple jobs while her "mama" said there was plenty of room for her to stay there and her sister was a state senator? Meanwhile, she and Jonah act like love-struck teens. The whole thing was just ridiculous. 7-10-2021 Dare to Resist - Dare Nation Novel #1 - Carly Phillips 1 star Sorry, I got about one page into this before I gave up in disgust. It felt like reading from the POV of a serial sexual harasser and I had no interest in that. Yuck. Love on a Summer Night - Zoe York 5 stars I read this book a few years ago and loved it, as I have loved every book from Zoe York. This anthology is worth it, just for this book. 7-11-2021 Every Sweet Regret - Lexi Ryan 5 stars I absolutely loved this story of Stella and Kace. Reading it is effortless and the story is packed with well-developed and engaging characters. There are absolutely no loose ends when you reach the end of this one because Lexi Ryan addresses every relationship and how it affects Stella and Kace. The plot is long and involved and the pacing is perfect. There is one particular character who struck me as especially funny and the definition of a “character.” Smithy is a good-natured bartender/owner who seems clueless, but actually is very observant. He will joke about anything and is happy to make a spectacle of himself. During a party, Kace says, “My attention is pulled off Dean when I spot Smithy sauntering across the yard, sucking on a Popsicle in the most lascivious way. I blink, and he winks at me. Because that’s who Smithy is.” There’s a wonderful description of heartache that differs from the usual: “My internal organs feel like they’re rearranging themselves. My stomach is where my lungs should be, and my lungs are all twisted up with the shattered bits of my heart that have been festering low in my stomach.” Truly, I think this anthology is worth the price for the book alone and I will be looking for more from Lexi Ryan. 7-12-2021 Mr. Dirty - Nana Malone 4 stars This book was enjoyable, but I hate romances that base the conflict on an easily explained misunderstanding. It was obvious that Nathan and Sophie were going to fall in love, and their friends could see it pretty clearly too. Still, Sophie allows a misunderstanding to drive her away from him, and her best friend advises her, multiple times, that the best way to get over a guy is to get under another one. Even though Sophie insists she doesn’t want to do that, Gemma thinks she knows better so she calls another guy who has expressed interest in Sophie, forcing her to meet him. As the saying goes, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” Meanwhile, Sophie refuses to talk to Nathan even though he repeatedly tries to explain to her what happened. Gemma makes some passing comment that doesn’t make sense about Sophie’s father, and in the midst of her angst over losing Nathan, she runs into him, and this man who has had little to do with her life suddenly offers her the wisdom she has needed to get past her issues with Nathan. C’mon. I liked much of the book, but parts of it were just silly and annoying. July 12, 2021 3 stars This is the final book in the Maxence and Dree saga, and it ends with an intro to the next book—about Max’s friend from Le Rosey, Tristan “Twist.” I never thought I’d give one of Blair Babylon’s books anything below a 5-star rating, but this one just didn’t thrill me like the others. Partly, I think it’s because I had trouble understanding the whole Dominant masochist dynamic. More than that, though, is that I didn’t feel anything for Max or Dree. This made me feel like a voyeur observing an intimate (and to me, dysfunctional) relationship without having the necessary connection to the characters to do so without judgment. Now, the first two books managed to tap into my emotions in regard to Dree and Max, but for some reason, this one left me feeling disconnected. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that I respect Blair Babylon so much as an author, and if I didn’t want to find out what happened next, I’m not sure I would have finished reading this one. I’m not going to go back to read to see if the style changed from one book to the next. I can only say that this time the writing was more clinical and less emotive. There were a few poetic descriptions, but these were limited to visual descriptions of people, and in that regard, there were many noteworthy ones. My favorite was the description of a woman named Mairearad: “She looked like she might be a monochrome picture of a white person except for her vibrant red lipstick. The effect was almost vampiric.” Emotional descriptions were less frequent and consisted mostly of feelings of losing oneself within the other person. Conversations between Dree and Max were sweet and sometimes droll. There’s a Mel Brooks reference, where Max said, “It’s good to be the king,” as he lifted an eyebrow and grinned at Dree. That made me chuckle. Other conversations were heartfelt and earnest, and I believed that they loved one another. There are the expected anti-fascist references to go along with a monarchy and Max’s desire to turn it into a democracy. Marie-Therese, Max’s cousin, attempted a coup, and Arthur, who is well-versed in these things, says: “Her primary mistake was walking in with them. Most dictators whip their supporters into a frenzy at an off-site location and then set them loose to do their dirty work. They don’t care what happens to the poor slobs who support them after they’ve used them. Dictators despise their followers and milk them for the power and money they can suck out of the masses.” Later, Max observes, albeit in his thoughts: “When treason is not punished and stopped in its tracks, it is only a dress rehearsal for a larger attempt at overthrowing the government.” These are the phrases that will stick with me most from this series and are worth sharing. July 6, 2021 4 stars I received an ARC of this novel from a new-to-me author, and I hope to read more of her books. In fact, I plan to apply to be a part of her AR team. Told almost entirely from the POV of Grace Baxter, a young woman who runs from her home when her father betroths her to a monster, this book follows her onto a royal navy ship, where she is presumed to be a young man (15 years old). The story is immersive and vividly portrays the life of a sailor until, as one would expect, her subterfuge is revealed. Despite her ability to do all of the things every other sailor does, she is now shielded from work and treated like the “lady” she is. Unfortunately, this means she is often bored. The acting captain of the ship Discerning is Seamus Fitzwilliam. Because Grace met him previously through her uncle, who was a decorated navy man himself, she does her best to avoid his detection. Naturally, once Grace is discovered, Seamus takes her under his protection because he feels he owes it to her uncle, who once saved his life. A good portion of the sailors on the ship want Grace to be removed post-haste because she is certain to bring bad luck. As it turns out, she kinda does. At any rate, Grace and Seamus spend time together and realize how well-matched they actually are (even though she has a tendency to act before thinking and has a short fuse), and they fall in love. They commit to one another, but as every villain is expected to do, the monster reappears before Seamus and Grace can find their happiness together. For a while there, I had trouble understanding whether Grace and Seamus actually cared for one another beyond feeling a physical attraction. There’s a lot of talk about duty and the reader is led to believe that Seamus proposes to Grace simply because he feels this will offer her the most protection. I’m not sure what pushed their relationship into the territory of love rather than just respect for one another. Grace is, understandably, hesitant to give up her newly found independence, but Seamus assures her that he sees women almost as equals. It’s still early 1800s so we can’t really ask for more than that. Seamus is so reserved and out of touch with his feelings that even the reader has trouble comprehending his degree of tendre for Grace. I couldn’t help but feel that a bit more exploration of his family and his early experiences could have shed some light on his reticence to express his feelings. Similarly, I knew Grace’s parents were self-absorbed and uncaring but didn’t understand the full extent of it until the end. The story is well-told and riveting, with lucid descriptions and emotional connections. I found myself completely involved in the drama and worrying about Grace and Seamus. As I got closer to the end, I couldn’t put it down. I was slightly annoyed that there were some loose ends, but then I realized there is a sequel. The book does not end on a cliffhanger, thankfully, but there are a few things of lesser consequence that are not completely resolved. Overall, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. June 30, 2021 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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