amanda_readingnwritinglife's Reviews (180)

On the one hand, yes.  These books are basically about mysteries that need to be solved.  But there is always something deeper and more heartbreaking at work in them.  This one is more personal than the others because this murder is someone Charlotte is close to, or rather is connected to someone she loves.  Do not jump into this series right here.  You will be lost on a lot of points and none of the connections will be as stable as they should be if you've been with them from the beginning.  That being said, this is a murder mystery and Charlotte has to do more acting and pretending in this one than in any of the others so no one finds out that Mr Sherlock Holmes is actually a woman.

 Caldwell, NY and the Black Dagger Brotherhood will always hold a special place in my heart. No matter how tense or sometimes scary these books get, there is always something so comforting and relaxing for me about being in this world. These books have been with me longer than my children have been alive (and they are almost all grown) ;) I love this next generation, and I love seeing my old favorites come back and make appearances in these books in different ways. There isn't any point in my telling the premise of this story except to say, go back and start at the beginning. Yes, it is worth it. 

I've read this book at least once before, maybe twice, and I've seen the movie, so I didn't expect anything new.  I enjoyed it just as much as the other times.  It's just a good book about family and friendship and sacrifice and redemption.  Overall, a great short novel.

 This didn't seem like it followed number 1 at all. I think this could've been the start of this series just as easily as the first one. Anyway, I loved the mystery and how all the loose ends and strings were left dangling for a long time and not quickly tied together. I will continue with this series and I can't wait to learn more about Kay and all the connected characters. 

 I wasn't satisfied with the ending of this book, but I am ready to read the next one! :) I really liked how real the characters felt and the fact that they dealt with good and bad things within themselves. Bones was pretty much too good to be true, but that's usually what is expected in a romance partner. I would've loved to have this in multi POV, but I'm getting used to most of these being written in 1st POV. Overall, it was good and I will be reading book 2. 

 This was the most goofy and wholesome book I've read from Sanderson. When you read the description, you don't get that as much, but when you read the author's note at the end, then it makes sense. Especially when you know that this book was written to entertain his wife, so I think it's tailored to her reading preferences and not something that should/would appeal to a wide audience. I think since it was inspired by The Princess Bride and told in that kind of whimsical narrative, that if that is something you like, you will love this book and if that's not something you like, you may struggle with this one. I loved Tress, but more than that, I loved the crew. I really like how Sanderson does characters, and he did not disappoint in this one. I can't wait for the other secret projects. Starting with something so unusual for him has me really looking forward to what's coming up next. 

 The characters in this book were so well done. I'm always first drawn to a story because of the characters and then the rest of my enjoyment grows from there. These characters were so wonderfully flawed and so multi-faceted that I just couldn't wait to keep reading to find out what would happen with everyone. We follow a few characters through this novel and I loved them all. We have the fallen and disgraced for military commander who has now returned because of a murder that he wants solved. We have his assistant/best friend who is dealing with her own family drama as a bastard child and trying to help solve the murder, and then we have a glass worker who is developing a new technology that will change everything forever. This was all just wonderful. I will definitely be picking up book two when it is released. Since this is my first McClellan book, I'll be heading over to another series while I want for book two to come out. Highly recommend for anyone who likes epic fantasy. 

 This picks up right after #3.  I'm not sure if it's me or graphic novels in general, but I'm having such a hard time keeping up with what's happening in each of our locations in these volumes.  I love the main storyline with Tad and I pretty much know what's going on with him, but I just read the synopsis of this over on Amazon and I was thinking something completely different than what they say about one of the side plots, so maybe I just can't follow these very easily.  I've preordered them all on kindle, but I'm definitely going to buy the bind up when it comes out and get them all in physical form to read again. 

This book picks right back up with all the characters we met in book one.  I loved Amari just as much this time.  I really enjoyed the plot of this book and I had a great time reading it.  I did find my mind wandering in some places, and I'm not sure if that is a me problem or a pacing problem with the book.  I loved the ending and the things we learned about the lore of the world.  Just a great, fun middle grade read.  I will definitely be continuing with this series.

This one was just brutal!  TWELVE girls murdered and hidden inside the walls of a building.  I really liked that we got to meet new people at the police station who work with bones and facial reconstructions and things like that.  I hope we get to see them again in another book.  It's getting closer to Christmas and I love that.  I love how slowly this series moves.  I'm getting closer and closer to being caught up and I'm going to be really sad when I have to wait with everyone else to get the next book. :)  Just a wonderful series overall, and I'll continue to read them as long as she's writing them!