What a wonderful debut. Kyra, Tristam, Flick, James, Pashla - all wonderful new characters to get to know. I enjoyed the setting, the story, the twists. The side characters that really give the story strength to move forwards with their loss (Bella, Martin) were well placed and used. The pacing was great and I really didn't want to put the book down. I think the biggest thing that was missing, for me, was the base emotional draw - even during the saddest parts, I never felt like I wanted to cry. And I'm an emotional person. It didn't make the experience less, it is just the one thing that prevented it from being a full 5 stars. I also enjoyed the "love" blossoming between K and T. It was a bit cliche, of course, but understandable. I do appreciate the way it ended though - unresolved, unexplored - as it would most likely have had to be. It was cliche, but not unreal or over the top, so I respect that. It will be interesting to see what happens next, especially with the Demon Riders, the Council/leaders in Forge. I look forward to reading the next one.

So much happened in this book - and it all hits hard, a punch in the gut. First, I loved the way the book was set up - we followed a main few characters, interspersed with histories of all the other characters they meet along the way. It was the perfect way to introduce the many types of backgrounds that people have, backgrounds that you cannot see just by looking. That lack of insight applies not just to "Americans," making snap judgments about immigrants whose stories they have no idea about (many just as a reaction to other things out of their control, like Garret Miller). But also within the immigrant community, the already marginalized people, and how lack of knowledge and empathy for others can cause even more prejudice, like everyone's reactions to Maribel and Quisqueya and Rafa's judgments on the "Arabs" for 9/11. Beyond that, this is just an explorations of lives and experiences. A study of what people will do for their families and children, to find a "better life." This is particularly poignant in light of how we are now reacting to the Syrian refugee crisis - everyone should have to read this book, or something similar, in order to introduce even a sliver of understanding to their reactions. The hardships, faced on so many levels, even though they are thoughtfully portrayed here, are still just the surface of what this, and other, immigrant populations feel every day. I respect what the author has done, trying to elucidate and spread these experiences to a wider audience. Also, I think the central story, Maribel and Mayor, was sweet - and as if this book didn't already tackle enough difficult topics, the incorporation of the treatment of developmentally disabled people is added in. And though I do not have much personal experience there either, I feel like I felt many of the daily frustrations experienced there as well, both for the individual and the family. Although I feel like saying I enjoyed this book would be disingenuous, since I feel like that is just saying I was entertained for a few hours by other's plights, I do feel that my time spent reading this was well spent, and enlightening. I'd like to thank the author for what felt like a truthful presentation. And I can only hope that as we start to realize that the "paradise" we would like to see our country as, and what perhaps it may seem like to others, is one day more reflected in the reality of the daily experience here.

This was a great follow-up to Midnight Thief. I was glad to see there was another one, as I felt the first left some open ends that I wanted to see tied up. And this novel did so wonderfully! I really enjoyed reading the further development of all the characters we were introduced to in the first book, particularly the acceptance of each character for their own faults and those of their friends. I liked the larger role Flick played in this book - in fact I think he may have been the secret linchpin character and I think he filled the shoes magnificently. His relations with the Demon Riders, and Adele, were perhaps slightly too scripted, but I sometimes don't mind a happy ending for everyone. Kyra and Tristam played out in a not entirely unexpected way, but it was well written. I would say Kyra's past, and the way things played out there, were also a bit predictable. But again, the author pulled it together smoothly. I particularly liked the way James' story ended and the final favor Kyra owed him with Darylene. All in all, though nothing was out of the blue or fully original, the author did a great job with the sequel - I don;t really think it could have been done much better.

I really enjoyed this read. This is a topic I've never really read much about and I enjoyed it immensely. A great fictional "retelling" of Margaret Mead's story - of course romanticized. The love triangle situation with Nell, Fen, and Bankson was very well developed - in fact, I think it's even more developed than the characters themselves. It's an interesting method of character development, where you learn more about them from how they relate to other people than from themselves. The little back story we got on each was insightful as well. I liked Bankson as the narrator, being both an insider and an outsider (to the relationship) made his perspective unique. Also, the snapshot of anthropology at the time was something new for me. The views on hands off observation versus in depth participation are intriguing, and something that I think various fields still struggle with today. The idea of the Grid and the interest in role reversals and female sexuality spoke to me particularly, as they can really relate to my field of study. The awakening of female sexuality is such an underexplored topic, from her time and still now, and reading it's budding start here (both in Nell's life and for the women in the tribes being studied) was fascinating. I think Euphoria lives up to the hype. The story was beautifully told and the air of art and mystery in the writing really set the mood for the plot. Very complex exploration of the familiar and unfamiliar.

This was a great YA novel. I make the specification of YA because, while I have read some YA genre books that are just awesome compared to all books, this one was more just awesome compared to other YA books. I enjoyed the story a lot. The base in a little bit of history and a little bit of myth, but not so much that you feel it's taken too far past reality, really appealed to me. The phrase "death's handmaiden" is one of my new favorites, actually. But the setup, the idea of the convent, the eventual disillusionment that humans can infallibly speak for the gods and the black/white view of vengeance - all that was incredibly well developed. I enjoyed the romance piece (a staple for all good similar YA novels), though I'll be honest, it was a bit too obvious and not as deeply developed as Ismae's "coming of age." Plus, Duval is one of those characters that you can't help but recognize is too good to be true, too honorable to be real. But in considering that learning to share her heart with a god and a man is part of that, I acknowledge the growth there as well. Also, as a side tidbit, I enjoyed that Ismae's "love," if you will, was an antidote to Duval's poison. I see what you did there. I was also a little bothered by the training to kill/killing pieces - it is clear that the author had the least amount of experience here - 3 years is really not enough time to make anyone a competent anything, much less an assassin, especially (as with these women) they are mostly starting with no experience. They had a lot of cool stuff to use, like medieval James Bond tools, and of course the element of surprise as women were likely unexpected as killers in this era, but really it just wasn't completely believable. A women with a couple years' experience going after a man trained since birth as a knight/fighter - not likely to be a successful long term strategy. A bit of suspension of disbelief is required to get through this detail and more on through the rest of the story. The feminist in me both really liked and hated this view on women's strength - giving them a chance to fight back and defend themselves is wonderful, but the need to pose as whores or use womanly wiles to do so, as well as hardening their hearts to ALL men, is a bit short-sighted and demeaning. I respect what the author was going for though. All in all, a great start to a trilogy that kept me up late wanting to see what happens next and I am excited for the nest one.

This was a much darker follow-up to the first book in this trilogy. A more personal, intimate journey. And the author did a much better job with this one - either the first novel helped her stretch her writing wings and the experience helped her take it further here OR this is more the type of novel she was meant to write. Sybella is a haunted narrator, for while a few bad things happened to Ismae and her fear of what could happen was strong, all that she feared actually happened to Sybella, and worse. I felt like I believed Sybella more than Ismae, as a character - her inner struggles (while at times worded in a somewhat trite manner) rang more true with overall feeling - her concerns, fears, hidden softer feelings, etc. were all heartbreakingly more real. I thought the relationship written between her and Julian, while horrible, was begun in mutual need and fear and I liked both how it developed and played out throughout the novel. The closure on that relationship was the saving grace for the characters and the story itself. The struggles of the Duchess and Brittany progressed as well, but as more of a background concern in this more character driven plot. The place that Sybella and Beast fill for each other and the story is necessary and I enjoyed it. Perhaps it was to quick/obvious from the start, but it developed more realistically that Ismae and Duval's, perhaps in part because of the darkness they shared. I liked the connection between the two of them outside their own (with Alyse, etc.) and enjoyed the self-recognition of the "jokes" the gods play sometimes, for otherwise it would have seemed to machinated to be believable. I am very glad that D'Albret is more or less gone as a character, because he truly made me sick to read about - especially in the final straw that caused Sybella to flee and end up at the convent. I liked the symmetry, though it was expected, when Sybella sees Mortain like Ismae did and finally understands her own important, but different purpose. Along those lines, the continued self-serving story of the Abbess and the Convent was a good carry through and I hope their perspective and story is rounded out in the last novel, for while I understand the role they play and it's necessity, I also do not like the way the play themselves after "saving" these girls. It'll be interesting to see where that goes. And to round out, the idea of different narrators like this is great. It really breathes new life into the story and doesn't require the normal "relationship angst" that one usually finds in the middle novel of a trilogy so that the romance piece doesn't get tired/old.

A wonderful wrap-up to this trilogy. Again, I really enjoyed that this book was narrated by someone new - keeping things fresh an interesting and allowing each of the other girls' stories to maintain the closure given to them earlier. Looking first at the historical setting, I appreciate how Anne's story and the plight of Brittany were wrapped up - both staying more or less historically accurate while allowing the magic and fantasticism of the novels to break through in a guiding role. Annith's story, both personally and of love, were enjoyable to read. They gave closure to herself and to the readers, bringing to the forefront the problems of the convent and their "interpretation" of Mortain's will. Also, bringing an end to not only the present issues, but also the historical and mythological ones, Annith and Mortain's (Balthazaar's) love story is the ideal one to end on. It was perhaps too contrived, similar to the others, but was expected at this point. And really more explainable than any of the others, since when it started, one party was a god, presupposing more all-knowingness from him. Abbess's story and Annith's past was not entirely unexpected, but there were some extra tidbits rolled in that made the reveal interesting still. And the motivations of the Abbess were ones that do invoke some sympathy and her punishment was fitting. It was also refreshing for Annith's history and love to be different from Ismae's and Sybella's and not too easily fall into the type-casting that it could have from their proceeding adventures. I am happy with the endings of all the characters as well - they found their partners and their callings, but that they will split was a nice touch and not too "happily ever after." I wish, for personal reasons (this type of god/woman is one of my favorites to read about), to have seen more of Arduinna's daughters and for Annith to have spent more time with them, but understand that how things fell out were better for the plot. I also appreciate that the author realized that not all loose end's were tied up (as in, what becomes of Julian and the other hellequins, what will the daughter's of Mortain do/serve now, etc.) and addresses it in a realistic way - the future is not all known, but will be dealt with as it comes. It is also a cool way to address how much the new Church is overtaking the previous gods (Mortain's mortality means what was once his domain now moves to something else). All in all, a very successful trilogy that kept my interest and had me invested, and I am happy this is what I started off my 2016 with!

I know I liked this book, but I cannot decide what I think about it. This is definitely a story that requires thinking on the part of the reader though. I really enjoyed the use of, well I don't really know what the device would be called, but essentially the opposite of fore-shadowing...past-shadowing, perhaps? In any case, it was surprising how much more difficult it was to piece together a story line when the past is revealed a little bit at a time, instead of the other way around. Such a creative way to tell the story. It also added to the mysterious, artsy attitude of the story, because at times, I got just as lost in the plot as I feel like some of the characters got lost in Laurelfield. It made the story seem, so, just, tangible...like I could reach out and touch the characters and sympathize with them because we were all experiencing that same feeling. The quirkiness of this story, it's setting and characters, and the way it all comes together moving into the past, is marvelous. The gritty realness that you get buried in as a reader, it's really something.

Today was a snow day. So I read this book. It was a wonderful, fast, perfect escape for a snow day. Really well developed world and setting, based a little bit on ancient Egypt, it does a great job pulling from some of the most interesting aspects of that time period and culture, as well as bringing in the mystical elements attributed to that time. And with a little added pinch of extra magic, an intriguing foursome of religious leaders, a corruption of the religious hierarchy, and some fun extras ('Nandi) this made for a great story. I also really enjoyed some of the relationships that were explored, particularly the one between Najiri and Ehiru. I love how strong their bond was, how intense the love, that I really felt it. And the gradual admission of it, for both of them, I respect the author for her ability to create something so realistic. All in all, a great creation of a world, a belief system, characters, that I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in on this snowy, freezing day.

A lovely follow-up to the first book in the Dreamblood duet. 10 years have passed, which means we can have fun revisiting older characters, but the story really focuses on new ones. This was a much darker story than the first. And the issues explored were, while still societally ingrained and systematic, much more feminist focused. The main character, Hanandi, was fighting to gain respect in the man's world of the Hetawa (even with Mni-inh's support) and then struggling to accept the sensually "feminine" side of herself that was more respected by the Banbarra (re: Yanassa's education/mind-opening advice). Her internal struggles against the rigidity of her past, the awakening of her own desire, and her need to compromise between the two was fantastically played out. I enjoyed the reappearance of Najiri and Sunandi. And I thought Wanahomen was a really nicely developed character. He struggled with everything that he had experienced and, while coming to terms with his father's crazy side in the end, held all the rage/frustration only to be expected based on his POV and experiences. The way he and Hanandi brought each other out of their different, but parallel, shells was well done. The story of Tiaanet and Tantufi and what they suffered was horrific, heartwrenching, and what made this plot so dark. The fact that a child suffered so much that her nightmares could kill others is a terrifying and heartbreaking situation. It was a phenomenal exploration of "evil" since the dream killed, which is of course wrong, but for the person behind it to be so helpless and innocent...it makes everything so much more deep and complex. And the "fight" in the dreamland between Hanandi and the nightmare is a beautifully played out rendition of what happens when we react and blame the bearer of bad tidings, and punish them, instead of finding and attacking the source - it makes the situation worse, it creates corruption in the person who would be good, it pushes the person who most needs saving farther and farther from it, and allows the real evil to continue it's work. A society that can allow that to happen, no matter how "peaceful" they claim to be, is not what they think they are. This is a fantastic exploration of inner demons, as well as what feminism and chauvinism really mean. And I can't say that I wasn't happy to see a "happy" but realistic ending after such a draining story (and here I refer not just to this one, but to the sorrow Najiri faced at the end of the first book as well). I applaud the author and definitely plan to read more form her!