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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
A Court of Blood and Void is the first book in the War of the Gods seres by author Meg Xuemei X. It is also my first book that I have read of Meg's, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Some parts I completely, completely loved but there were a few things that irked me. We will get to those things later on, but let's start with what I loved. I loved the set up of the series. I really loved that. The plot of this book is excellent.
We start out by meeting Cassandra, whose own mother has kept her locked up in a cage for her entire life. This has obviously shaped a lot of Cass' personality. But she is being told that she is locked up because she is going to become some sort of big bad monster which will bring the end of the world. But soon she is rescued and thrust straight into running for her life.
The world in the War of the Gods series is already a scary place, with the Gods having brought down half of earth and they are slowly taking over other realms as well. And we have no idea where Cassandra actually fits into anything. Her four rescuers seem to think she will be a big savior, but her mother thinks she will be the cause of the realms destruction. For most of the story, we don't have too much information to go on. We are flying blind just like Cassandra. In some ways, I really liked this approach. it helped me connect with Cass. I was getting answers at the same time she was. No one knows exactly who or what she is, but we do know one thing. She is very, very powerful. Throughout A Court of Blood and Void, we watch Cass come into her own and come into her powers. And I am sure we have not even begun to touch on the full extent of her potential. She is one bad MF-er. And I am so, so excited to see where the book is going to go next.
Another part of the story I loved was meeting the four guys. we get to know Lorcan and Reysalor the best because we see them throughout the entire novel. We only get to meet Alaric and Pryder 80% into the story, so I will hold out my opinion of them until after I read the next book. I really liked all of the guys. In fact, I think I liked them all more than I liked Cass. Shhh I know. I don't mean that she was awful, but she is an acquired taste. I get why she is so forceful and bratty and pig headed...really I do. She has been imprisoned her whole life. But she def had a few unnecessarily selfish moments that seemed immature to me and rubbed me the wrong way. Which brings me to the other thing. I wish she was older. They say she is 15, but because she is not human she reached full maturity at 9 and she is really somewhere around 23. But still. I wish she was older than 23. I think that may tie directly into my immaturity issues. I don't want her to lose any of her fierceness, but I would love to see her become a little more reasonable as the books go on.
But other than that, I loved everything about this novel, and I am so beyond excited for the next installment in this series. If you are a fan of mythology, this is going to be a great series for you to check out. It is full of steaminess, epic fights (which are only going to get better) and a really great plot.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
A Court of Blood and Void is the first book in the War of the Gods seres by author Meg Xuemei X. It is also my first book that I have read of Meg's, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Some parts I completely, completely loved but there were a few things that irked me. We will get to those things later on, but let's start with what I loved. I loved the set up of the series. I really loved that. The plot of this book is excellent.
We start out by meeting Cassandra, whose own mother has kept her locked up in a cage for her entire life. This has obviously shaped a lot of Cass' personality. But she is being told that she is locked up because she is going to become some sort of big bad monster which will bring the end of the world. But soon she is rescued and thrust straight into running for her life.
The world in the War of the Gods series is already a scary place, with the Gods having brought down half of earth and they are slowly taking over other realms as well. And we have no idea where Cassandra actually fits into anything. Her four rescuers seem to think she will be a big savior, but her mother thinks she will be the cause of the realms destruction. For most of the story, we don't have too much information to go on. We are flying blind just like Cassandra. In some ways, I really liked this approach. it helped me connect with Cass. I was getting answers at the same time she was. No one knows exactly who or what she is, but we do know one thing. She is very, very powerful. Throughout A Court of Blood and Void, we watch Cass come into her own and come into her powers. And I am sure we have not even begun to touch on the full extent of her potential. She is one bad MF-er. And I am so, so excited to see where the book is going to go next.
Another part of the story I loved was meeting the four guys. we get to know Lorcan and Reysalor the best because we see them throughout the entire novel. We only get to meet Alaric and Pryder 80% into the story, so I will hold out my opinion of them until after I read the next book. I really liked all of the guys. In fact, I think I liked them all more than I liked Cass. Shhh I know. I don't mean that she was awful, but she is an acquired taste. I get why she is so forceful and bratty and pig headed...really I do. She has been imprisoned her whole life. But she def had a few unnecessarily selfish moments that seemed immature to me and rubbed me the wrong way. Which brings me to the other thing. I wish she was older. They say she is 15, but because she is not human she reached full maturity at 9 and she is really somewhere around 23. But still. I wish she was older than 23. I think that may tie directly into my immaturity issues. I don't want her to lose any of her fierceness, but I would love to see her become a little more reasonable as the books go on.
But other than that, I loved everything about this novel, and I am so beyond excited for the next installment in this series. If you are a fan of mythology, this is going to be a great series for you to check out. It is full of steaminess, epic fights (which are only going to get better) and a really great plot.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Two Dark Reigns is the third book in the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake. The Three Dark Crowns series is a young adult fantasy series that I freakin' love! Full disclosure, I binge read this series and it is currently all I can think about! I need the next book fiercely. Three Dark Crowns is a series that is darkly addicting and I want more more more. I will say, I am very glad that I read this series back to back because this world is vast and complicated and reading the books one right after another helped me pick up on many world and characters nuances that I am sure I would have missed out on if a year of more had passed between my readings of book 1, 2, or 3.
This review is nearly impossible to do without spoilers but because I don't want to ruin anything for you, I will talk in general about what I like about this series. To do that first, I will give you a brief background of the set up. The Three Dark Crowns series is set in a world where each generation a set of triplet princesses are born. Each of the triplets possess a form of magic and when they turn 16 they will have to battle it out with their sisters to see who will become queen. And yes, the series is just as dark and twisty and crazy as that sentence leads you to believe. Personally, I love how deliciously dark this series is, but it is something to be aware of. This is a dark fantasy series. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Two Dark Reigns picks up right after the second book, One Dark Throne and immediately we are thrown into action. I flew through this book so quickly, partly because I how much I love the story but also because this novel is so action packed, there really wasn't a dull moment. Kendare Blake is so excellent at weaving a story, and writing compelling characters that make you feel a whole range of emotions. Some characters I loved and some I loved to hate, but they all made me feel something.
If you are a fan of the first two books of the series, Two Dark Reigns will be right up your alley. It is an excellent continuation and the ending made me actually itching for the next book. I have no chill with this series! But if you are new to the series and you are a fan of excellently crafted dark fantasies with compelling complex characters and fantastic storytelling, you need to pick up this series. Three Dark Crowns is a favorite of mine for sure!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Two Dark Reigns is the third book in the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake. The Three Dark Crowns series is a young adult fantasy series that I freakin' love! Full disclosure, I binge read this series and it is currently all I can think about! I need the next book fiercely. Three Dark Crowns is a series that is darkly addicting and I want more more more. I will say, I am very glad that I read this series back to back because this world is vast and complicated and reading the books one right after another helped me pick up on many world and characters nuances that I am sure I would have missed out on if a year of more had passed between my readings of book 1, 2, or 3.
This review is nearly impossible to do without spoilers but because I don't want to ruin anything for you, I will talk in general about what I like about this series. To do that first, I will give you a brief background of the set up. The Three Dark Crowns series is set in a world where each generation a set of triplet princesses are born. Each of the triplets possess a form of magic and when they turn 16 they will have to battle it out with their sisters to see who will become queen. And yes, the series is just as dark and twisty and crazy as that sentence leads you to believe. Personally, I love how deliciously dark this series is, but it is something to be aware of. This is a dark fantasy series. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Two Dark Reigns picks up right after the second book, One Dark Throne and immediately we are thrown into action. I flew through this book so quickly, partly because I how much I love the story but also because this novel is so action packed, there really wasn't a dull moment. Kendare Blake is so excellent at weaving a story, and writing compelling characters that make you feel a whole range of emotions. Some characters I loved and some I loved to hate, but they all made me feel something.
If you are a fan of the first two books of the series, Two Dark Reigns will be right up your alley. It is an excellent continuation and the ending made me actually itching for the next book. I have no chill with this series! But if you are new to the series and you are a fan of excellently crafted dark fantasies with compelling complex characters and fantastic storytelling, you need to pick up this series. Three Dark Crowns is a favorite of mine for sure!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco is such a fantastic story. It is the type of book that has you excited from the very first page until long after you have finished the last page. It is the first book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and I hope this is one long series, because I can already tell I am never going to get enough of these books. (and curse me and my researching ways...I just discovered from goodreads that the 4th book will be in the final book in the series, and now that I have read books 2 and 3 I am mourning that fact!)
Stalking Jack The Ripper, we meet our heroine, Audrey Rose. I really liked Audrey. She is a strong young lady, and I could totally relate to some of her eccentricities. I get what it is like to truly enjoy something that most people just don't get. Audrey loves working with her uncle in his lab, in a time where it was unheard of for women to work on cadavers and dissections and some of the more grotesque sciences, Audrey ate it all up! I really enjoyed her character as well as the host of other characters we meet in Stalking Jack The Ripper, like her uncle, the detective, her brother Nathaniel, and her uncle's apprentice, Thomas. I thought the whole cast of characters was great!
And I loved that the subject of the first mystery was the infamous Jack the Ripper. I love books surrounding Jack the Ripper because most of us are already at least a little familiar with his tale. Plus, I love a London setting. I won't say it was the most surprising uncovering of the killer ever, but I don't care one iota. Because I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of this book. I really and truly loved it. I have read it two times now (which is a lot for a murder mystery, since I already knew all the twists and turns when I picked it up the second time) and I enjoyed it every bit as much the second go around as I did the first time. Which says a lot about the quality of writing and story telling in Stalking Jack The Ripper. If you have not yet read this book or this series, it is one you do not want to miss out on!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco is such a fantastic story. It is the type of book that has you excited from the very first page until long after you have finished the last page. It is the first book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and I hope this is one long series, because I can already tell I am never going to get enough of these books. (and curse me and my researching ways...I just discovered from goodreads that the 4th book will be in the final book in the series, and now that I have read books 2 and 3 I am mourning that fact!)
Stalking Jack The Ripper, we meet our heroine, Audrey Rose. I really liked Audrey. She is a strong young lady, and I could totally relate to some of her eccentricities. I get what it is like to truly enjoy something that most people just don't get. Audrey loves working with her uncle in his lab, in a time where it was unheard of for women to work on cadavers and dissections and some of the more grotesque sciences, Audrey ate it all up! I really enjoyed her character as well as the host of other characters we meet in Stalking Jack The Ripper, like her uncle, the detective, her brother Nathaniel, and her uncle's apprentice, Thomas. I thought the whole cast of characters was great!
And I loved that the subject of the first mystery was the infamous Jack the Ripper. I love books surrounding Jack the Ripper because most of us are already at least a little familiar with his tale. Plus, I love a London setting. I won't say it was the most surprising uncovering of the killer ever, but I don't care one iota. Because I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of this book. I really and truly loved it. I have read it two times now (which is a lot for a murder mystery, since I already knew all the twists and turns when I picked it up the second time) and I enjoyed it every bit as much the second go around as I did the first time. Which says a lot about the quality of writing and story telling in Stalking Jack The Ripper. If you have not yet read this book or this series, it is one you do not want to miss out on!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Man, oh man do I love the Stalking Jack The Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco. Every single book is interesting on its' own, but together this is a world and characters that I simply cannot get enough of. They are the type of books that has you excited from the very first page until long after you have finished the last page. Escaping from Houdini is the third book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and this is a series that I would recommend reading in order. They follow the same set of characters on a series of different cases. The first book involved the Ripper Murders, the second book dealt with Prince Dracula and now we are in Houdini's midst, and I have to say I am a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco's writing and her world building/story telling ability.
I love our main character, Audrey Rose. She is a strong young lady, and I could totally relate to some of her eccentricities. In this book we get to see some of the more complicated and nuanced layers of Audrey's personality. Though I didn't enjoy all of the individual decisions she made, I can appreciate the young woman that she is. I really enjoyed her character as well as Thomas. And I still loved the two of them in Escaping from Houdini but I really loved the whole carnival theme and I especially loved that this book took place on a ship. It added to the mystery knowing that every suspect was on board the ship the whole time. I have to admit that I thought Houdini would play a bit of a larger role in the overall story, but the carnival was so interesting in and of itself that I didn't notice how little we saw of Houdini until I was practically done reading the book. I was that into the storyline.
If you are a fan of murder mysteries with wonderful writing and really interesting, compelling characters, the Escaping from Houdini and the Stalking Jack the Ripper series as a whole is one you do not want to miss out on. I have loved every single book, and I am already ready for more. Kerri Maniscalco really is a master story teller. I already know I will be reading anything she decides to write in the future. She has a fan in me.
Please note: I read an ARC version of the book and some of the plot details may have been changed in the final version.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Man, oh man do I love the Stalking Jack The Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco. Every single book is interesting on its' own, but together this is a world and characters that I simply cannot get enough of. They are the type of books that has you excited from the very first page until long after you have finished the last page. Escaping from Houdini is the third book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and this is a series that I would recommend reading in order. They follow the same set of characters on a series of different cases. The first book involved the Ripper Murders, the second book dealt with Prince Dracula and now we are in Houdini's midst, and I have to say I am a huge fan of Kerri Maniscalco's writing and her world building/story telling ability.
I love our main character, Audrey Rose. She is a strong young lady, and I could totally relate to some of her eccentricities. In this book we get to see some of the more complicated and nuanced layers of Audrey's personality. Though I didn't enjoy all of the individual decisions she made, I can appreciate the young woman that she is. I really enjoyed her character as well as Thomas. And I still loved the two of them in Escaping from Houdini but I really loved the whole carnival theme and I especially loved that this book took place on a ship. It added to the mystery knowing that every suspect was on board the ship the whole time. I have to admit that I thought Houdini would play a bit of a larger role in the overall story, but the carnival was so interesting in and of itself that I didn't notice how little we saw of Houdini until I was practically done reading the book. I was that into the storyline.
If you are a fan of murder mysteries with wonderful writing and really interesting, compelling characters, the Escaping from Houdini and the Stalking Jack the Ripper series as a whole is one you do not want to miss out on. I have loved every single book, and I am already ready for more. Kerri Maniscalco really is a master story teller. I already know I will be reading anything she decides to write in the future. She has a fan in me.
Please note: I read an ARC version of the book and some of the plot details may have been changed in the final version.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Apollo is Mine is the first book in the Harem of the Gods series by Mila Young. This is the first book I have read from Mila, but it certainly won't be my last. I think you guys all know by now that I am a sucker for anything greek mythology related. And when you combine that with my love for a swoony romance, well, you pretty much have a Michelle approved hit on your hands. Which is exactly what I found reading Apollo is Mine. I loved this novel and I am already itching for the next book in the series.
The set up of the series is super interesting to me. This book is set in modern times. Zeus has given Elyse Lowe and her whole family line some of the Gods abilities. They are given those abilities to help fight monsters and demons on earth. Elyse is the last remaining member of her family, so the task of fighting all of these monsters now falls on her shoulders. That is such a huge responsibility, I can't even fathom it. But Elyse does not back down from anyone or anything (a bit of her hubris perhaps?) but she is a warrior through and through. Zeus appoints Heracles to be her trainer. Honestly, he is the one t character that surprised me the most. We meet lots of Gods in this story and I expected to like all of them, but I really expected to love Heracles. I mean, he is the one that was in Elyse's corner first. But he was kind of disappointing to me. I felt a huge disconnect from him. But luckily, he is the only character that I felt that disconnect from.
We get to meet Hades, Apollo, Ares and Zeus (momentarily) in Apollo is Mine. And actually, I have listed them in my order of preference. I seriously love Mila Young's Hades. He is so intense and he really matches Elyse well. I also love Apollo, but that's not surprising because he is an easier character to love. I didnt' really get to know Ares much in this one, so my opinion on him is still to come, but I am the most interested in seeing more Hades in the next book. (And Poseidon)
The coolest part of this novel is the Death storyline. I can't wait to see how that plays into the larger plot of the series. Bottom line- if you are a fan of Greek mythology and of a sexy romance featuring a kick butt warrior heroine and lots of Greek Gods (literally) then this is going to be great series for you to check out. I loved the first book and I am super excited to read book two!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The set up of the series is super interesting to me. This book is set in modern times. Zeus has given Elyse Lowe and her whole family line some of the Gods abilities. They are given those abilities to help fight monsters and demons on earth. Elyse is the last remaining member of her family, so the task of fighting all of these monsters now falls on her shoulders. That is such a huge responsibility, I can't even fathom it. But Elyse does not back down from anyone or anything (a bit of her hubris perhaps?) but she is a warrior through and through. Zeus appoints Heracles to be her trainer. Honestly, he is the one t character that surprised me the most. We meet lots of Gods in this story and I expected to like all of them, but I really expected to love Heracles. I mean, he is the one that was in Elyse's corner first. But he was kind of disappointing to me. I felt a huge disconnect from him. But luckily, he is the only character that I felt that disconnect from.
We get to meet Hades, Apollo, Ares and Zeus (momentarily) in Apollo is Mine. And actually, I have listed them in my order of preference. I seriously love Mila Young's Hades. He is so intense and he really matches Elyse well. I also love Apollo, but that's not surprising because he is an easier character to love. I didnt' really get to know Ares much in this one, so my opinion on him is still to come, but I am the most interested in seeing more Hades in the next book. (And Poseidon)
The coolest part of this novel is the Death storyline. I can't wait to see how that plays into the larger plot of the series. Bottom line- if you are a fan of Greek mythology and of a sexy romance featuring a kick butt warrior heroine and lots of Greek Gods (literally) then this is going to be great series for you to check out. I loved the first book and I am super excited to read book two!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Holy Cow, the Last Magician was utterly fantastic! The Last Magician is a young adult fantasy novel by author Lisa Maxwell. It is the story of Esta, who is a Mageus with the ability to time travel. Esta uses this time traveling ability to steal magical artifacts. This aspect of the story reminded me of the show warehouse 13, which many of you know I really love! There is a small dose of romance, but the real star of this book was the plot. It took me a good 3 chapters or so to get into it, but after that I was hooked. I loved all the detail and background information we get early on. It does take some time for all of the information to build, but once it does we are off on a fast paced, intense adventure with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. The last Magician was a real winner for me!
One of my favorite things about Lisa Maxwell's books is her wonderful atmospheric writing, and just like her previous novel Sweet Unrest, The last magician was a wonderfully rich atmospheric read. Esta goes back to the year 1902 to steal the oldest recorded book of magic. Does that not sound like an amazing plot for a story?? Well, it is! This novel took me on a magical adventure. It was so easy for me to get swept up in the pages of The Last Magician.
I read this book in one sitting. It is one of those novels that you get so sucked into that when you finally come up for air, you have lost all concept of time. I thought I would sit down and read for maybe an hour or so, and before I knew it, it was several hours later and I had flipped the last page. I am already itching to dive back into this world. The second book, The Devil's Thief releases in October 2018 and that cannot come soon enough. I need book two right now! I want to see more of Esta and Harte's adventure's.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
One of my favorite things about Lisa Maxwell's books is her wonderful atmospheric writing, and just like her previous novel Sweet Unrest, The last magician was a wonderfully rich atmospheric read. Esta goes back to the year 1902 to steal the oldest recorded book of magic. Does that not sound like an amazing plot for a story?? Well, it is! This novel took me on a magical adventure. It was so easy for me to get swept up in the pages of The Last Magician.
I read this book in one sitting. It is one of those novels that you get so sucked into that when you finally come up for air, you have lost all concept of time. I thought I would sit down and read for maybe an hour or so, and before I knew it, it was several hours later and I had flipped the last page. I am already itching to dive back into this world. The second book, The Devil's Thief releases in October 2018 and that cannot come soon enough. I need book two right now! I want to see more of Esta and Harte's adventure's.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
*Note: this is the second book in a series that should be read in order. If you are new to this series,
check out my review on the first novel- The Last Magician HERE
The Devil's Thief is the second novel in the Last Magician series by Lisa Maxwell. I loved the first book in this series so much. I thought the Last Magician was utterly fantastic! And I have to say that the sequel, The Devil's Thief completely lived up to my expectations after the first. I might have even liked more than the first book! In case you are new to the series, The Last Magician is a young adult fantasy novel by author Lisa Maxwell. It is the story of Esta, who is a Mageus with the ability to time travel. Esta uses this time traveling ability to steal magical artifacts.
The Devil's Thief gave me all of the characters that I loved from the first novel, and we get to meet some more as well. I really liked seeing the cast expanded, and some of the secondary character storylines were actually great as well. But of course the main focus is still Esta and Harte, and here we have a world fair setting. To be honest, I totally loved this setting! Lisa Maxwell is a master world builder. She has this incredible ability to transport the reader to a place and time. She made me feel like I was at that St. Louis World Fair. And when you take that ability and combine it with magic and time travel and heists. I am so in love with this series. I feel like it was written just for me! And the romance was kicked up a notch in this book as well, which I really loved.
This series reminds me of the show warehouse 13, combined with X-men like magicians and a dash of Ocean's 11. It's just so, SO GOOD! Just like book one, I read this book in one sitting. And that is saying something, because The Devil's Thief clocks in at about 700 pages. But it is still one of those novels that you get so sucked into that when you finally come up for air, you have lost all concept of time. I thought I would sit down and read for maybe an hour or so, and before I knew it, it was several hours later and I had flipped the last page. I am already itching to dive back into this world. I am so excited to see where Lisa Maxwell is going to take this series next. I know one thing, I am ready for more Esta and Harte!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
*Note: this is the second book in a series that should be read in order. If you are new to this series,
check out my review on the first novel- The Last Magician HERE
The Devil's Thief is the second novel in the Last Magician series by Lisa Maxwell. I loved the first book in this series so much. I thought the Last Magician was utterly fantastic! And I have to say that the sequel, The Devil's Thief completely lived up to my expectations after the first. I might have even liked more than the first book! In case you are new to the series, The Last Magician is a young adult fantasy novel by author Lisa Maxwell. It is the story of Esta, who is a Mageus with the ability to time travel. Esta uses this time traveling ability to steal magical artifacts.
The Devil's Thief gave me all of the characters that I loved from the first novel, and we get to meet some more as well. I really liked seeing the cast expanded, and some of the secondary character storylines were actually great as well. But of course the main focus is still Esta and Harte, and here we have a world fair setting. To be honest, I totally loved this setting! Lisa Maxwell is a master world builder. She has this incredible ability to transport the reader to a place and time. She made me feel like I was at that St. Louis World Fair. And when you take that ability and combine it with magic and time travel and heists. I am so in love with this series. I feel like it was written just for me! And the romance was kicked up a notch in this book as well, which I really loved.
This series reminds me of the show warehouse 13, combined with X-men like magicians and a dash of Ocean's 11. It's just so, SO GOOD! Just like book one, I read this book in one sitting. And that is saying something, because The Devil's Thief clocks in at about 700 pages. But it is still one of those novels that you get so sucked into that when you finally come up for air, you have lost all concept of time. I thought I would sit down and read for maybe an hour or so, and before I knew it, it was several hours later and I had flipped the last page. I am already itching to dive back into this world. I am so excited to see where Lisa Maxwell is going to take this series next. I know one thing, I am ready for more Esta and Harte!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs