Rag and Bone Author: KJ Charles Title: Rag and Bone Series: A Charm of Magpies; Rag and Bone 2 Genre: Historical Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://kjcharleswriter.com/charm-of-magpies/ Summary: It’s amazing what people throw away… Crispin Tredarloe never meant to become a warlock. Freed from his treacherous master, he’s learning how to use his magical powers the right way. But it’s brutally hard work. Not everyone believes he’s a reformed character, and the strain is putting unbearable pressure on his secret relationship with waste-man Ned Hall. Ned’s sick of magic. Sick of the trouble it brings, sick of its dangerous grip on Crispin and the miserable look it puts in his eyes, and sick of being afraid that a gentleman magician won’t want a street paper-seller forever—or even for much longer. But something is stirring among London’s forgotten discards. An ancient evil is waking up and seeking its freedom. And when wild magic hits the rag-and-bottle shop where Ned lives, a panicking Crispin falls back onto bad habits. The embattled lovers must find a way to work together—or London could go up in flames. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I haven't yet had the chance to read the rest of this series, but I hoped when I picked this book up that it wouldn't matter. Rag and Bone is a full-length side story that is set in the same amazing world as the other books, but with different main characters. Luckily, I was right. Rag and Bone no doubt draws heavily on what has happened in the previous books. There were references to things that happened that I had no idea what they were talking about, and some of the main characters from the other books in the series do have cameos, but the plot, the magic, and the love story are all completely autonomous. However, this is the second book in this side story. The first, A Queer Trade, was originally published as part of the Charmed and Dangerous anthology (review to come) and to understand much of Rag and Bone you do need to read that one first. The most fascinating thing about this book is the magic. Crispin was once a practitioner of dark magic, but is trying to go straight by learning how to do magic lawfully. His attempts continue to fail and when push comes to shove he falls back on his blood magic. Charles gave form to the magic both as a substance that can be used, but also described how Crispin personally saw it. That insight was emotional, physical, and magical all tied together in a way that made me wish as hard as Crispin that he could figure it all out. Every single moment of the book was expertly woven the exact same way, with each character's emotions battling fiercely with everything that was happening to them. I also really appreciated how much diversity this book embraced. One of the main characters is black, there are Jews involved in the governing of magic, there are class differences, and even different types of romantic pairings. It was all handled perfectly with an eye kept to the historical times, yet with a care that showed how little it mattered that those differences existed to the people that mattered. I thought it was as beautifully crafted as the rest of the book. Maggie's Recommendation: I loved the magic and the emotional weight each character brought to the book. I also really appreciated the diversity the book embraced. Recommending this book is therefore easy to do.
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Tangled Threads Author: Jennifer Estep Title: Tangled Threads Series: Elemental Assassin 4 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/books/tangled-threads/ Summary: I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings. But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past — or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur — or die trying — because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling … or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead … Maggie's Review:
The saga continues in Tangled Threads. Gin, the assassin known as Spider, has set herself up on a quest to destroy Mab Monroe, the evil fire elemental that controls the city through death and fear. It isn't easy to get access to Mab herself, so Gin is killing off ranking members of Mab's organization in the hopes that it will weaken Mab enough to create an opening. Mab decides to strike back by hiring an assassin to find and kill Gin. I liked that the ensuing fight wasn't just about knives, blood, and magic. There was hard learned strategy involved that showed just how much Gin is continuing to grow as a person and as an assassin in each successive book. I also enjoyed how Estep managed to weave Gin's sister into the plot, creating an interesting personal dynamic for Gin that added to the layers in the battle. My only fear with this plot line is how it has the potential to be repetitive. I felt a little of it in this book, because Gin has already fought an assassin to save herself and those she loves from Mab's machinations in a previous story. I'm worried that in the next book, Gin will go after yet another flunky hired by Mab in what could become an endless cycle of each book taking only a single step towards Gin's final goal. Yet, at the same time that fear isn't stopping me from continuing with the series. When I finished Tangled Threads I immediately went to find the next book and will start reading it as soon as I'm finished writing this review. Estep has so far been able to skirt the line of repetitiveness that I'm worried about, so I'm very hopeful that the next book will continue to thrill me. Maggie's Recommendation: I continue to recommend this series and each book in it. Every single book improves slightly and this one showed off how much Gin has learned to fight with magic and intelligence against her enemy. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Author: K.M. Penemue Title: King of Diamonds Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Three Petals On the Publisher's Website: https://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books... Summary: Rhen makes his living two ways: performing card tricks for passing crowds, and thievery. Every four years, Vis-a-Vis, a four day festival, celebrates life and happiness, where all classes can be equal behind their masks. It's a prime opportunity for thieves, but Rhen's plans change when Lelan, his former lover, says they need to talk. Though still feeling bitter with Lelan for leaving him, Rhen agrees, because if there's one thing he's good at, it's playing the odds. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I liked this story, but I didn't love it. The beginning scene is probably one of the best scenes I've read in a while. The description of Rhen's emotions and his slight of hand ability with the card trick, as well as the reaction of the little girl he was tricking and the crowd he was performing for was excellently written. Even the moment when Lelan appears and the tone of the story changes was wonderful. I really liked reading it. However, after that scene the story went downhill. For the rest of the book I felt like I was missing a prologue. There is so much history between Lelan and Rhen that I was only given glimpses of, including what sounded like a truly dramatic breakup two years prior, but those glimpses were not nearly enough for me to actually understand and appreciate this story about their reconciliation. I would have preferred to have both parts of the story to read so the impact of the ending really hit home. Instead I was only halfway invested, which detracted form the story a lot. The short story format gave the book an easy to read feeling that worked with the simplicity of the plot, but I can't help wishing that there was more depth and therefore a longer story. I kept waiting for something to happen. I was given a wonderful scene with Rhen's slight of hand abilities, so I know he's an accomplished thief and card sharp. His abilities are used again briefly at the end, but I really feel that a lot of potential for some very interesting scenes with him was squandered. Maggie's Recommendation: I do recommend this story. It was short and well written, with some very interesting scenes of thievery and slight of hand. The story did need more depth and perhaps a prologue to allow the emotional impact to really set in for the reader, but overall I did enjoy reading it. Last Dragon Standing Author: G. A. Aiken Title: Last Dragon Standing Series: Dragonkin 4 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://gaaiken.com/books/last-dragon-standing/ Summary: I know what they see when they look at me. The charming, soft-spoken dragoness bred from the most powerful of royal bloodlines. A disguise stronger than any battle shield that allows me to keep all suitors at tail’s length. A technique that’s worked until him. Until Ragnar the Cunning, handsome barbarian warlord and warrior mage from the desolate Northlands. Unlike those who’ve come before him, he does not simply submit to my astounding charm and devastating smile. Instead, he dismisses me as vapid, useless and, to my great annoyance, rather stupid! Yet I’ll allow no male to dismiss me. Soon he’ll learn my worth, my many skills, and the strength of my will. For this one challenges me enough to make me want to ruthlessly taunt him, tease him and, finally, when the trap is set, bring him to his knees. Maggie's Review:
When I learned Keita was the main character of this book, I became concerned. Aiken has an unfortunate habit of allowing a touch of ludicrousness into her stories and in previous books Keita was as idiotic and vapid as any of Aiken's worst characters. I had to remind myself that every story in this series is gradually improving, so Keita couldn't be too obnoxious. I am so glad I was completely proved wrong. Aiken's best improvement in this book over the previous ones in the series are her characterizations. Keita has always acted dumb and rude to the point that her siblings and parents would be happy to toss her off a mountainside. It turns out, Keita was acting, fooling most of her siblings with the facade as she worked as a spy and assassin to keep the dragon throne safe from all harm. She completely snowed Ragnar with her act. One of the most interesting parts of the book to read was his eventual realization that Keita is much more than what she appears. That slow build allowed for a real romance to grow between them as Ragnar becomes willing to accept that Keita has much more depth to her and Keita realizes that Ragnar is intelligent enough to have figured out her game. Unfortunately, my biggest disappointment in this book was all of the plot outside of the romance. Multiple characters are having foreshadowing dreams of a fearsome army coming to kidnap Annwyl's children and much of the book is spent preparing for them, yet when they arrive (spoiler alert!) there's a brief and bloody battle and then the enemy pledges their undying loyalty to Annwyl. It was unbelievably anticlimactic. The rest of the buildup to a great war the Iron dragons are preparing to wage against the Fire dragons was pushed to the next book in the series, leaving no conclusion to the overall plot in this book. Without the romance to give this book some structure and closure, I don't think I would have enjoyed this story at all. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, so look for that review soon. Maggie's Recommendation: I still recommend the entire series and as it has to be read in order I suggest you read Dragon Actually first. This book showed off Aiken's skill with crafting her characters, but fell a little short on plot. I'm looking forward to reading the next book soon. Cast in Honor Author: Michelle Sagara Title: Cast in Honor Series: The Chronicles of Elantra 11 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://michellesagara.com/books/cast-in-honor/ Summary: In the aftermath of a vicious battle between darkness and light, the city of Elantra has emerged victorious. But Shadows continue to haunt every corner of its streets… Elantra stands strong, but countless numbers of Hawks, the city’s staunchest protectors, were lost in the brutal attack. Humans, Barrani, Aerians, Leontines — none of the races emerged unscathed from the defense of the city. Homes were lost, families were scattered…and the outcast Barrani Lord Nightshade is missing from his castle in the fiefs. Yet as the chaos surrounding the battle begins to wane, Private Kaylin Neya’s duties must resume, despite her grief. Called in to investigate a triple murder in a quiet part of town, Kaylin and her companions are soon embroiled in a case that is anything but routine. Evidence of the deadly Shadows that still threaten the city leads to hints of ancient, forgotten magics…and everything can be traced directly to Ravellon, the heart of the Shadows and the darkness they contain. But it is there that Lord Nightshade will be found — if he still survives. Maggie's Review:
I finished reading this book, closed the cover, and realized I was utterly and completely confused. However, I wasn't the only one. Kaylin, the main character, is also completely confused. It barely took a moment of thought to realize that my confusion didn't stem from poor writing or from lacking explanation, but rather that the concepts and the magic involved defy explanation. Kaylin couldn't find words to elucidate because there were no words. Instead, Sagara relied on the strength of her writing to give this inability one hundred percent believably. I have a feeling I will understand more of what occurred after two or three--or ten--rereads. Lord Nightshade has gone missing, but it is not Kaylin that is searching for a reason why. A rip has opened in the time stream and a creature of Shadow has slipped through. It is the Shadow that wishes to save Lord Nightshade before the entire city is utterly destroyed. Kaylin's attempts to understand the Shadow--a man that would normally be her enemy--and also understand the time paradox he represents are what kept me so enthralled. The intricacy required to keep that delicate balance throughout the book without delving into the realm of unbelievability was so well crafted. It felt like each word and sentence in Cast in Honor was placed specifically where it was in the story for a very important reason, which resonates perfectly with the theme of the series. My only disappointment with this book was the plot. An Arcanist that wants to magically find the secret to immortality and accidentally causes a cataclysm that will destroy the city has already been done before in the series. At the same time, the element of time and the experience Kaylin gained from fighting the previous Arcanist lent a layer to the story that gave it enough uniqueness that I honestly didn't realize I was reading a very similar plot line until the end of the book. After eleven books in the series, I didn't know if Sagara would ever delve into the two creatures in the world whose culture and abilities hadn't yet been outlined: the Aerians and the Shadow. I was very happy to see hints of both in this book and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series where I believe there should be more information about them. Maggie's Recommendation: If you haven't yet read this series, go pick up Cast in Shadow, book one, right now. I highly recommend every book, including Cast in Honor. While I did find this book confusing and will need to happily reread it a couple more times to actually understand everything that happened, I really enjoyed the story overall and am absolutely looking forward to the next book. RavenhearthAuthor: Lotus Oakes Title: Ravenhearth Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Publisher's Website: https://lessthanthreepress.com/books... Summary: In a world covered by a deadly miasma, humans survive by way of the protection of powerful mages known as Keepers. In the town of Ravenhearth, the Keeper requests a companion from the village every ten years. What happens to them after those ten years, no one knows, for none has ever returned. Ash is a young orphan who dreams of learning magic. When the newest request for a companion arrives, he volunteers. But when he arrives, he finds a place nothing like the fearful whispers shared around the village. Instead, he slowly grows to be a part of the close-knit family of the Keeper's castle—and falling for Giles, the butler of Ravenhearth, instead of the Keeper he's been sent there to attend. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ravenhearth is a story about a young man trying to find himself in a crazy world. As the only orphan of the town, Ash lives a difficult life. He jumps on a chance to go to the castle and learn magic. However, the Keeper that rules the castle and the town is a mysterious cloaked man that Ash rarely sees. He instead learns magic from Giles and slowly begins to fall in love with him. I really enjoyed seeing Ash's growth through the story from a young man desperate to find a place for himself in the world to a much stronger man trying to keep those he loves close. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Ash's eyes and learning as he learned about the Keeper and the dangerous miasma that covers the whole world. The other characters in the castle were just as interesting, if a bit strange, and watching Ash interact with them was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. My only disappointment was that I kept waiting for any plot to happen. There is so much potential in this book. I thought Ash would learn magic and then go on a journey to help fight the miasma, or to defeat an evil wizard using the miasma for terrible spells, or that his mother's ring that he wears around his neck would prove to be significant in some way that would send him on an epic quest. I kept waiting for something to happen, but more plot never came, and I was honestly starting to get bored with the story halfway through. I couldn't figure out why Oakes needed to write yet another scene where Ash is learning magic with Giles or sitting with Giles drinking tea. It almost felt monotonous in comparison to the epic journey that I was certain had to be coming soon. I was about two thirds of the way through the story before I realized that I was missing the plot entirely. This story isn't a build-up to a magical adventure, it's exclusively a love story. Every scene Oakes put in served an important purpose to further that plot until I was rooting for Ash to win the battle for the heart of the man he loves. Yes, I would have preferred the epic magical journey to save the world, but I really, really liked the love story that emerged instead. Although I haven't seen any evidence to suggest Oakes might write one, this book needs a sequel. I want to read the epic journey that I missed out on as well as learn whether Ash reaches the future he was hoping for at the end of the story. Maggie's Recommendation: If you're looking for a wonderful love story, I highly recommend this book. The plot was engaging and the characters were very interesting. I did miss there not being an epic magical journey to save the world, as the book implies, but the story's focus on the romantic relationship was very well done. Ink Mage Author: Victor Gischler Title: Ink Mage Series: A Fire Beneath the Skin 1 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: http://victorgischler.blogspot.com/ Summary: In the first installment of the A Fire Beneath the Skin trilogy, the city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has ever made it across the Long Bridge or penetrated the city’s mighty walls. Even when a powerful invading army shows up at the gates, the duke and his daughter, Rina Veraiin, are certain that it poses little threat. But they are cruelly betrayed from within and, in a horrific spasm of violence, the city is brought to its knees. With the help of her bodyguard, Kork, the battle-trained young Rina narrowly escapes the slaughter and makes her way to the lair of an ancient sorcerer—the Ink Mage—who gifts her with a strange, beautiful set of magical tattoos. Now a duchess in exile, Rina sets out on a quest to reclaim what is rightfully hers, aided by a motley assortment of followers who will help her in her cause—some for noble reasons and others for their own dark purposes. With the enemy’s agents nipping at her heels, Rina must learn to harness her new and startling magical powers if she is to assert her rightful place as ruler of Klaar. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Saying this book started slow is a bit of a misnomer, yet it is the exact impression I got while reading it. The initial scenes are action packed: there's an invading army to run from, sword training, preparations for war, and finally the battle alluded to in the summary. I took me a while to figure out why scenes that should have hooked me were unable to: everything lacked emotional weight. When Tosh, a soldier, is running from the oncoming army and sees two of his fellow soldiers cut down, his only concern is that he forgot his cloak and was cold. He's fleeing for his life, not just bringing an urgent message of invasion, but I got none of the fear, horror, or even plain concern, from that scene. That is only one example from this story of places where emotions were cut away from the characters, leaving them feeling like hollow shells instead of real people. The characters by themselves were interesting, but when they all came together I quickly realized that they were all the same type of person with different outer appearances. The soldier, the princess, the bodyguard, and even the stableman were all cut from the same cloth. I found them all to be exceedingly selfish, egotistical, and often vapid. I can understand Rina acting like a spoiled brat for much of the story--her life of privilege at least gave her character those stereotypes to fall back on--but Tosh whining about not being given a feather bed after his hard ride to deliver the urgent message or the stableman complaining that he had been put to work gathering laundry because he had been caught during an idle moment didn't fit with the characters they were supposed to be. The constant barrage of selfishness from every single character was grating and made the story almost painful to read. I did think the world building was very interesting. The invading army versus the lands being invaded were well crafted with a good amount of detail to bring both sides of the war to life. I also really enjoyed the magic, but I wish there had been more of it in the beginning instead of first learning that magic exists in the world when Rina has to run for help. There was no buildup or foreshadowing. However, there was so much foreshadowing about the bridge that I felt like I was getting beat over the head with it. The balance was way off in this book. Maggie's Recommendation: I didn't particularly enjoy reading this book. I thought that every single character's personality was a carbon copy, the character's themselves lacked emotional weight, and the foreshadowing to portend what was coming was off balance. I therefore can't recommend this book. What A Dragon Should Know Author: G. A. Aiken Title: What A Dragon Should Know Series: Dragonkin 3 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://gaaiken.com/books/what-a-dragon-should-know/ Summary: Only for those I love would I traipse into the merciless Northlands to risk life, limb, and my exquisite beauty. But do they appreciate it? Do they say, “Gwenvael the Handsome, you are the best among us-the most loved of all dragons?” No! For centuries my family has refused to acknowledge my magnificence as well as my innate humility. Yet for them, and because I am so chivalrous, I will brave the worst this land has to offer. So here I stand, waiting to broker an alliance with the one the Northlanders call The Beast. A being so fearful, the greatest warriors will only whisper its name. Yet I, Gwenvael, will courageously face down this terrifying…woman? It turns out the Beast, a.k.a. Dagmar Reinholdt, is a woman-one with steel-gray eyes and a shocking disregard for my good looks. Beneath her plain robes and prim spectacles lies a sensual creature waiting to be unleashed. Who better than a dragon to thaw out that icy demeanor? And who better than a beast to finally tame a mighty dragon’s heart? Maggie's Review:
This is my favorite story in the series so far. What A Dragon Should Know had plenty of dragons, but it also had humor and a love story that really was believable. I enjoyed reading it a lot. This book focuses on Gwenvael, a dragon that is happy to admit is a complete whore. He doesn't like that his reputation makes his family distrust him, so when Queen Annwyl asks him to complete an important task he is eager to prove his worth. The woman he meets on his task is known as The Beast, a fearsome person that doesn't immediately fall in love with Gwenvael's looks like the rest of the women in his life. His attempts to woo her finally teach him humility and teach her to trust in the rest of the world around her. It was a really interesting plot overall. Lightning dragons and the people living in the north are the focus of this story. The main character dragons are all fire dragons in that they breathe fire and come in many different colors. On the other hand, lightning dragons all control lightning and are the color purple. They also live in groups under a chieftain, meaning there are many different leaders for each individual group of dragons. The fire dragons live in family groups and are ruled by a queen. There is more evidence of how well-developed the dragons of Aiken's world are and this story set up a future romance where the lightning dragons will return and hopefully reveal more of their culture. There is also a lot more information given about the gods of this world. I thought it was a little too easily explained away that Dagmar, The Beast, can see and converse with all the gods, but her interaction with them helped to explain why the dragons are the way they are. Aiken also skipped over the stories Gwenvael heard that led him to believe the Beast was a fearful man, so the scene where Dagmar is first introduced didn't have the impact it should have. A little more detailing overall would have helped elevate this story. I also thought some of the plot was too simple. I knew what was going to happen throughout the entire book, although the twist at the end was an interesting touch. To reach five petals this story needed a bit more depth to really satisfy me. However, every book I've read in this series has gotten progressively better. I therefore have high hopes for the next one. Maggie's Recommendation: I do recommend this book, but this series must be read in order so read Dragon Actually first. This book was the best one so far. I liked that the lightning dragons were given more characterization, but I wished there was more depth to the plot. I will absolutely be reading the next book in the series. Tournament of Losers Author: Megan Derr Title: Tournament of Losers Series: None Genre: Fantasy Pairing: M/M, Bi Rating: Five Petals On the Publisher's Website: https://lessthanthreepress.com/books... Summary: All Rath wants is a quiet, peaceful life. Unfortunately, his father brings him too much trouble—and too many debts to pay—for that to ever be possible. When the local crime lord drags Rath out of bed and tells him he has three days to pay his father's latest debt, Rath doesn't know what to do. There's no way to come up with so much money in so little time. Then a friend poses an idea just ridiculous enough to work: enter the Tournament of Losers, where every seventy-five years, peasants compete for the chance to marry into the noble and royal houses. All competitors are given a stipend to live on for the duration of the tournament—funds enough to cover his father's debt. All he has to do is win the first few rounds, collect his stipend, and then it's back to trying to live a quiet life... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Rath is a guy just trying to get by, but every time he thinks he's starting to get ahead something happens to knock him back down. When he owes a considerable amount of money to a man who will kill Rath if he's not paid, Rath knows the only way to save himself is enter the Tournament of Losers and get far enough to earn a stipend that will save him. What he doesn't expect is to have fun at the tournament and maybe fall in love as well. This was a great read and I loved every moment of it. Rath's characterization was beautifully constructed. He was completely believable and I felt his struggle to keep his head above ground even as everything appeared to be working against him. The love story was also very interesting. Rath meets a noble that he knows he shouldn't be falling in love with, but he can't help himself. The difficulty Rath had reconciling his feelings with the divide between classes was very well written. The only issue I had with this book was the predictability. I guessed who Tress was within about five minutes of meeting him. I also knew who the villain was and who was going to have to die for Rath to find happiness. I would have liked a few surprises or a twist I didn't see coming, but at the same time every aspect of this story was so well written that I couldn't take off any petals for it. I knew who Tress was, but the big reveal that wasn't at all surprising also wasn't boring. Derr managed to keep my interest anyway, which shows amazing talent. However, I do have to say that overall this story only received four and a half petals. I rounded up to fit in my petals system because I enjoyed reading the book so much, but there were a few plot holes that I did have to score down for. The first one was Rath's obliviousness. He is given gold and purple flags during the maze challenge--the colors of the royal family--yet is shocked when he is placed in the royal tournament. Also, he knows Tress is a noble participating in the noble side of the tournament, yet when every single noble except Tress is paired off with the commoner half, Rath doesn't stop to think about why that might be. Spoiler alert! Only the prince is left, but Rath still wasn't able to put two and two together. Rath very clearly isn't a stupid man, so it didn't make sense to me that he wouldn't have at least suspected Tress' true identity. Those issues felt a little nitpicky to me, which is why I only took off half a petal. Tournament of Losers deserved a five star review anyway. I will be rereading this story again before my access to it via Netgalley ends. Maggie's Recommendation: Derr writes books that appeal to anyone that likes the fantasy genre and Tournament of Losers is no different. The plot was exciting and the characterizations engaging. I really enjoyed reading this book and absolutely recommend it. Cast in Flame Author: Michelle Sagara Title: Cast in Flame Series: The Chronicles of Elantra 10 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: None Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://michellesagara.com/books/cast-flame/ Summary: ANY DAY THAT STARTS WITH DRAGON ARGUMENTS IS GOING TO BE BAD. Kaylin returned from the West March in one piece. Now that piece is fraying She’s not at home in the Imperial Palace — and she never intends to be. All she wants is normal garden-variety criminals and a place of her own. Of course, normal in her new life involves a dragon as a roommate but she can handle that. She can’t as easily handle the new residents to the city she polices, because one of them is the outcast Barrani Nightshade’s younger brother. On a night when she should be talking to landlords in perfectly normal buildings, she’s called to the fief — by fellow Hawk and sometime partner Teela. A small family disagreement has become a large, complicated problem: Castle Nightshade’s latent magic is waking. And it’s not the only thing. Maggie's Review:
When I was young and just discovering how much I loved to read, I had a serious inability to put down a book until it was complete. I would get so hooked, I would forget to go to sleep and then spend the next day or so as a zombie. That was extremely counter-productive to my math scores, as I tended to sleep through that class most often. It took me years to learn how to stop reading at a reasonable hour in order to get a full night's sleep and therefore function properly the next day. However, every once in a while I find a book that tosses all of that hard work aside. I read Cast in Flame for the third time in order to write this review and I wasn't able to put it down until I finished reading it at two in the morning. This book, and quite honestly this series, are simply that good. Cast in Flame continues the ongoing saga of Kaylin's adventures as she works to keep her home safe. This book focused on tying up lose ends from some of the previous books. She rescued two Barrani who she needs to help find their place in the world, she needs to find a new home after her previous one was destroyed, and she needs to return to work again after her long absence. This book also served to slowly introduce the next book in the series. Yet, despite being about five hundred pages of filler, I couldn't put Cast in Flame down. Kaylin's loose ends are unbelievably interesting, which shows just how talented Sagara is. I think what really made this book for me was the characterizations. Every single character is unique and interesting. Even the way each character interacts with the other characters was interesting. Kaylin is the main character, but I still feel that I know as much about every character in the book as I do about her. Maggie's Recommendation: I recommend this book and this entire series. It's probably one of the best written series I've ever read and Cast in Flame only serves to emphasize that point. Despite the fact that the book felt like filler, it still manages to easily keep my attention no matter how many times I've reread it. |
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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