Empty Vessels Author: Meredith Katz Title: Empty Vessels Series: None Genre: Paranormal Pairing: Poly (M/M/M), Bi Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://meredithakatz.wordpress.com/books/ Summary: In the aftermath of a terrible accident, Keith is left with anxiety and depression. He's also left with psychic powers, a ghost following him around, and the unwanted knowledge that not everyone in the world is human—some are something other. In the midst of all this turmoil, it's the ghost, Lucas, who becomes his closest friend. But when Keith starts having prophetic dreams about horrible monsters hunting Others down, he can't remain uninvolved anymore. Against his better judgment, and with Lucas's support, Keith begins to pursue the truth of what's really out there, what sorts of people they are, and what his own role could be in this strange new world of spirits and monsters. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Keith has had a difficult time lately. His life was saved in a car accident, but he's now haunted by Lucas and suddenly has magical powers. It's been difficult to cope and most people around him think he's crazy, but he is coping. At least, until a dream about terrible monsters attacking the supernatural community embroils him in the fight to stop said monsters. This book was a page turner. I had to keep reading to know what was going to happen next until suddenly the book ended. I was very disappointed to learn this book wasn't going to be part of a series because the magic, the characterizations, and the romantic relationship were all so interesting that I couldn't help wanting more. Katz managed to balance a human with magical powers, a ghost, and a stag all interacting together. This included their various quirks like the stag being vegetarian, the ghost not being able to sleep, and Keith having to deal with college tests. It all came together really nicely in a way that was completely believable. I do admit that the villain of the story could have used a touch more depth, but aside from that I had no complaints. Maggie's Recommendation: I had trouble putting this book down, so of course I have to recommend it. The plot, characterizations, and romantic relationship were all crafted into a beautiful story that kept my interest until the end.
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Shatterglass Author: Tamora Pierce Title: Shatterglass Series: The Circle Opens 4 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: None Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.tamora-pierce.net/books/shatterglass/ Summary: Kethlun Warder was a gifted glassmaker until his world was shattered in a freak accident. Now his remaining glass magic is mixed with lightning, and Tris must teach him to control it (if she can teach him to control his temper first). But there's more at stake than Keth's education. With his strange magic, he creates glass balls that reflect the immediate past and expose the work of a murderer. If he can harness his power properly, he'll be able to see the crimes as they take place. Keth and Tris race against time, and the local authorities, to identify a killer who's living in plain sight. Maggie's Review:
Tris, like her siblings, is out traveling the world with her mentor. She's exploring the glass making district of a new city when a strange spell catches her eye. The spell leads her to Kethlum, a glass maker having a little trouble not blowing things up, and suddenly she has a student. Except, her student's penchant for destruction is the least worrying thing going on in the city and Tris just got embroiled in it. I admit that Tris has always been the kid I identify most with in this series, which is likely why I like her story the best. She's got so many different facets to her personality and to her magic that she's always felt much more real than her siblings did in the first few books. Now, in this book where she is the star, I was rewarded with even more depth to her character. I love rereading this story because of that. However, what really awed me about this book was the world building, which has always been Pierce's strongest ability. There's so much stuffed into the pages of this one book, including an entirely new culture Tris is trying to figure out where caste and luck of birth mean so much more than merit. The policing system combined with the religious beliefs were so interesting and detailed it honestly felt real. All Pierce needs to do is write Tris' next story and I will be a very happy reader. Maggie's Recommendation: I recommend this entire series, but definitely this book in particular. Tris' character and the world building have so much depth and detail that it's a wonderful read no matter how many times I pick it up. Blood Visions Author: L.J. Hamlin Title: Blood Visions Series: Visions 1 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.ljhamlin.com/ljs-books/ Summary: Private detective Ronan Bayne is a former cop who now runs his own agency specializing in all things paranormal. After several women go missing, and the cops and FBI are equally frustrated and at a loss, Ronan is called in to see if he can find answers they can't. After waking up from a terrible vision of a girl, darkness, and blood, Dustin tries to go to the police but to no avail. But on a visit to the crime scene, he crosses paths with Ronan. Reluctantly, the two men join forces to locate the missing, but both the case and the partnership prove to be more complicated than either man expects... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ronan is a private detective hired when a number of women started going missing under mysterious circumstances. Given his specialty is magical cases, he knows he's the best option to find the answer. Then he meets Dustin, whose visions might be the key to solving the mystery, but who might also distract Ronan and leave them all dead instead. Overall I liked this start to a new series. Dustin's visions and abilities were interesting and I liked seeing how he and Ronan, a regular human without any special abilities, were able to work together so seamlessly. Their characterizations just worked and that made the book that much more enjoyable to read. I didn't appreciate the overall plot. I won't go into too much detail to avoid spoilers, but every conclusion they came to and every step forward they made in solving the mystery was a bit of a stretch for me. Even Ronan's being hired by the police didn't quite work. Given the police were forced to ignore magic's existence, I just don't see them reaching out to Ronan even thought Ronan is friends with the chief. There needed to be something more in the world building that allowed for all the stretches to work. Maggie's Recommendation: I really liked the overall characterizations, but I felt that much of the plot wasn't believable. Still, I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and that is why I do recommend it. Alpha and Omega Author: Patricia Briggs Title: Alpha and Omega Series: Alpha and Omega .5 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://hurog.com/books/ Summary: Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help. Charles Cornick is the son — and enforcer — of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf — and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate... Maggie's Review:
Anna is suffering as a newly created werewolf in a pack that hurts her. Still, when she learns of an injustice committed she can't help calling for help. Except, when Charles appears, Anna doesn't know whether she'll lose her heart or her life first. When I first picked up this story when it came out a few years ago, I didn't know what to expect from a Briggs short story. I definitely don't regret taking that chance. Out of all of Briggs books, this one might be my favorite. This story has a ton packed into a few short pages. There's drama, and love, and an evil scheme, and it all flows together almost seamlessly. I have reread this story at least a dozen times and I know I will read it again a dozen more. The best part of it is that this story is so wonderful it even spawned an entire series. If I had one complaint about this story, I would have to say it's far too predictable. I could see where Anna and Charles were headed from the very start and I figured out the true bad guy the second they were introduced. However, the predictable plot doesn't diminish from the excellent characterizations and the expansive world building, which is why I still really enjoy reading this story. Maggie's Recommendation: I know sometimes readers don't want to pick up a short story in a series until after they've already fallen in love with the rest of the series, but this story is different. A, it's essential to understand what's happening in book one. B, it's just that good a story. That is why I recommend it and the rest of the series. EmbraceAuthor: Megan Derr Title: Embrace Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M, Poly (M/M/M) Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://maderr.com/?page_id=31 Summary: Centuries ago, humans and vampires lived alongside one another, sometimes hostile, sometimes peaceful—but always tense. Eventually, that tension tipped too far, and now vampires are few in number and known only as Pets, kept by the wealthy as intimate companions, most of their history lost, the rest shrouded in mystery. Aubrey has returned home after spending many years away, though he is reluctant to live once more with his estranged father, his mercurial cousin, and the memories of his murdered mother. The very last thing he wants is the Pet given to him as a welcome home gift, a practice he has long despised and wants no part of. But Ruthven is like no Pet he's ever encountered, and only the beginning of the secrets Aubrey slowly begins to uncover... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Aubrey has never wanted a Pet, but after returning home from being away at school for a few years, his father gifts him one. Yet, Ruthven is unlike any Pet Aubrey has encountered before and the secrets Ruthven and everyone else in the household are keeping might destroy them all in the end. I first read this story years ago. I bought it during LT3's earliest years (I actually have it in print), and at the time I thought it was completely indicative of LT3's work: It was in desperate need of better editing, which LT3 struggled with their first few years, but had a sweetness and charm to it that had me hooked regardless. It wasn't, however, indicative of Derr's work of the time. Derr was publishing light and fluffy romances that were heavy on the characterizations, but very light on plot. (Please don't take that as a complaint, because it's not.) Her books from that time are still very enjoyable, but they don't have the level of depth, nor the sheer brilliance of the twists and turns of her more recent ones. Embrace, on the other hand, did have plot and some very interesting twists. I honestly feel like Embrace was a gateway book that allowed Derr to blossom from good to great. There was so much potential in Embrace, particularly in the plot, but at the time it felt unfinished. Derr hadn't completed her transformation just yet, so there were still weaknesses in Embrace (which I won't go into detail here in order to avoid spoilers). Needless to say, I've always hoped Derr would republish and would clean the story up in the process. Unfortunately, the ARC I received was an exact replica of the original story. What this means to me is that Derr will likely clean up the missing words and improper grammar before it is officially published, but nothing substantive will be added. That said, the story is still very enjoyable. Watching Aubrey try to figure Ruthven out, Stregoni and Gilles' interesting courting, the mystery of the Pets, and the secrets everyone is keeping, definitely kept my interest. Overall, I had a good time rereading this story, and that's what really mattered to me the most. Maggie's Recommendation: The reprint appears to be completely unchanged from the original, which is good because I did enjoy the original story, but is also bad because none of the issues were solved. I still liked the overall plot and the characterizations of this story, so I do recommend it anyway. |
Magnolia's Reviews
Maggie reviews paranormal and fantasy novels and novellas. She also interviews authors and hosts giveaways. Archives
April 2018
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