Really really amazing! This, I would say, is just as good as the first one and even a little bit better than the 2nd. I still LOVE Jamie and Claire and I cannot get enough of them. Their love has been all over Europe and has now spread to the Indies islands. The adventure and love is enough but with the added "magic" thrown in to this one, it was just that much better. And I cannot wait to follow their story into the Americas. Plus, I do love Fergus and am pretty fond of Young Ian now too.

As always, Gabaldon delivers. I held off just a bit in starting this one because, honestly, I really am not a fan of American history. The "New World" stuff was a bit overdone for me in elementary school. However, the lure of more Jamie and Claire eventually got to me and I'm glad I gave in. The second quarter of the book, which sets up Bree's jump back in time and Roger's "betrayal" as well as follows the original settling of J and C in the backwoods of NC dragged just a little. But the second we find out that Bree is in the past, and Roger sets to follow, I literally couldn't put the book down. Plus, the involvement of Stephen Bonnet was particularly interesting to an adopted Carolina girl. The twists and turns and the way the author manages to keep all the parts of the story together in the present (even though parts like Black Jack Randall are so distant now...and could so easily be left in faded memory) is amazing. And though I was loathe to share J and C with anyone else, I am enjoyed B and R's story as well. And as always, I love young Ian. I'm ready for #5!

One of the reader reviews on the back of this book says "This novel stretches the boundaries of contemporary literature. It is a gifted writer's love affair with the language." I couldn't agree more. And to that end, as a love affair of sorts, I believe it should have been kept a private one. The sentences were beautiful in this book, each passage was gorgeous even. I wrote many of them down to come back to. But as a 750 page novel, that many beautiful sentences is more that I am interested in reading. And, I felt like at the end (the last 75-100 pages) things just got a bit choppy - they lost to beauty and flow and became almost staccato - for a book that's biggest pro is language, I was disappointed in that transition. The characters were rich and full and I wanted so badly to be more involved with them, but I just couldn't be. There was a language block here that was hard to pass through for even the more experienced readers - and it kept me out. I respect what Helprin wrote, but I cannot honestly say I understood it. I feel like the story was supposed to represent something larger, to be something larger - similar to a 100 Years of Solitude-like epic story - but it always felt just beyond my grasp. If that's what he meant to write, then he nailed it. But my inability to hold onto the meaning translated into a need to slog to get through the book. I'm sad about it, to be honest, but this book just wasn't what I wanted it to be.

I thought this was a wonderfully written time-period piece. I actually debated over whether it counted as historical fiction or contemporary, but something had me leaning towards contemporary, so I went with it. I feel like I fell completely into NYC at the end of the Depression Era. The characters were beautiful and, to my best knowledge, believable. I felt like their struggles, on whatever different levels they occurred, really presented well. I loved the Tinker and Anne Grandyn story line - I really didn't see it coming and was pleasantly surprised when it came clean. Wallace was amazing and lovable - and of course was written to be. Eve and Hank played their roles to perfection. And of course I have a soft spot for a young(ish) female character whose interest is one of her primary characteristics, so that was a lovely bonus. The literary references were fun to spot as well. I always feel like I'm on a scavenger hunt with books that do that, and I enjoy the feeling. And really the 110 rules of civility from George Washington, the thread that tied the book together, was a device used the way it should be - present, but not overwhelming. All in all, a fun read with a good bit of character.

As always, Gabaldon does not fail to please. I loved everything about this 7th book in the Outlander series. Jamie and Claire are absolutely perfect and their story is mesmerizing and full of love and adventure. I love Young Ian as well - and was excited for how much his story progressed here, as well as the chance for them all to go back to Lallybroch and see his family (and excited for Jenny's return as a major character too!). I enjoyed following William as well, and his and John Grey's increased roles in the story (and am excited to see where it goes in the next one, based on the ending). Bree and Roger's story from the future was well done as well - and I'm excited to see where their cliffhanger story ends up also. I never want to put these books down and really, this one was no different. I think that's clear based solely on the number of times I've said "excited" in this review. The characters and plot remain rich and full and I just love the world and the story Gabaldon brings to life!

So my husband picked this book out for me as a gift after I told him I had read Pride and Prejudice from a Mr. Darcy POV and liked it (I decided to go ahead and try it, since the spin-offs of old classics are getting ever more popular, and was glad I did so). He did a lot of research and said this one had gotten the best reviews. And boy, I can see why. I have always been a sucker for Jane Eyre - I love how much love is in the story, rising above all obstacles and physical concerns. I feel like it's very raw and real but also almost unattainable at the same time. I felt like, reading through this tale of Mr. Rochester's life (from is perspective), he just really came to life. The fullness of his decisions, his dilemmas and his eventual bliss were portrayed wonderfully and, although I am not a man and can only really resume here, quite realistically and reasonably. This novel really just made the original Jane Eyre that much fuller (especially as it provided much more information and background on characters like Bertha, Grace Poole, Dr. Carter and then further explored the life after marriage, with children between Jane and Edward) and, if possible, more perfectly romantic. I enjoyed every second of the reading, even through the tears, and give this particular "fan fiction" (if you will) a full BIG 5 stars.

So this is the first book I have ever won from a Goodreads giveaway! Woohoo! I went in really excited because I have always had a soft spot for a "good villain" main character. And Lynch did not let me down. Locke was a fantastic lead and the story was fun and well created from beginning to end. I usually lump everything I think into one long paragraph when I write reviews, but there are a lot of things to say here, so I'll bullet point:

- The Gentleman Bastards is the BEST name for a group of thieves. I enjoyed their brand of thievery as well, more involved than your common pickpocket. Along with that, the "interludes" with flashbacks to their training with Father Chains were always well placed and the anecdotes well picked. I honestly enjoyed those almost as much as reading the story in present time. It is also a great character development device, as was used to potential.
- The humor. I love a book that makes me laugh, even though the story and the characters are real and dramatic. Lynch nailed the humor.
- Sabetha. I have never before read a novel where a character never once makes an appearance...how original! And intriguing. It really is the thing pulling me towards reading the next one, more than anything else. Locke hasn't seen her in 4 years and STILL hasn't ever been with anyone else. I can't wait to hear more about that storyline.
- The Grey King. The Falconer. Nicely written as far as bad guys go. I was creeped out by them and the bondsmage (as a representation of them as a larger group) was a great character. I do hope to read more about them as well in future books. Cutting off the fingers/tongue. Smart! I will say, revenge is always a perfect motivator, and was well used as a device in this book, but for some reason, the Grey King's story fell just a little flat for me. I wanted a little something else to make his story more compelling than anyone else who ever had a friend/family murdered. That the Berengais twins were his sisters...cool reveal! I hadn't guessed.
- The Spider (and, I suppose, all the nobles) played their parts well. I was so glad she was a woman!
- CALO, GALDO, and BUG. HEARTRENDING. I mean seriously, they all died?!?!?! It happened so fast. I was so attached. And I loved Bug. I cried. I want to hate Lynch for doing it, but it was exactly what the story needed. But STILL! And the offering that Locke pulled off, at the end, of the boat full of the stolen money...that was exactly right. I hadn't even considered that's what he was doing. And it left me feeling so much better about their deaths...satisfied somehow. More than the death of the Grey King, that's for sure.
- At times, the descriptions of the city and it's sections got a bit verbose. Beautiful imagery. Truly. But I think they needed to be cut just a little bit shorter. I ended up skimming large parts of it. Except the parts about the Elderglass. Coolest substance ever. I want some.
- I do believe Lynch fell into the classic trap of: the main characters get beat up and suffer through so much and yet absolutely will not die. Just, borders on the unbelievable is all.
- The story as a whole, the little details, and how everything came together in the end, was just plain nicely done.

While this was not the best fantasy I've ever read, it was really entertaining from start to finish and kept me interested and got me to care. I would definitely recommend it.

I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway. Here are my thoughts:

This book could have been, if not great, at least much better. Unfortunately, it fell very flat for me. I very very much dislike the trend of poorly written YA novels. Just because they are meant for a younger crowd, doesn't mean that they should be written as if the reader is stupid. The author here clearly felt that if she didn't tell the reader absolutely everything, they wouldn't get it. Apparently the "show, don't tell" mantra was not quite as important in her 9th grade English curriculum as it was in mine. The dialogue was stilted, with characters saying things out loud that they never would in life. You can get a sentiment or feeling across with words without the need to spell it out... And the inner monologue from the main character was horrific. If a cute boy looks at her sideways and she blushes, no need for her to explain that to herself in her head. She gets it. The reader gets it. That benefits no one - mainly it's embarrassing for everyone.

As far as the story itself, it had some promise. Typical YA fantasy/apocolyptic setup, but that's what's in now. And I do enjoy them... But this one seemed a little too all over the place. The angels, the political intrigue from their end (which, what?), the human resistance, the weird science experiments (both razor teeth children and larger scorpion inside-sucking out guys - I mean really one of those is enough and even then, why?) and literally no explanation of anything. I do realize this is a trilogy, but I'll be honest, I'm not sure I can see where it could possibly go. Also, what the heck is with the mom? It's like by being paranoid she takes on weird powers...I'm pretty sure she should actually be long dead. And I'm sure the disappeared dad will show up somewhere later - I can only imagine that will be melodramatic. But the relationship between Penryn and Raffe, the fallen Watchers and Raffe's role there, the underlying mystery reason for the Angel's invasion and, possibly even some angel politics and philosophy about the existence of God - those really did have promise. And I did like the ending. The strange wing transplants and Raffe thinking Penryn is dead - I think that was all very well done and truly did leave me wanting to see what happens. Which based on my reaction to the first 7/8 of the book is quite impressive.

All in all, I would say if you are looking for a damn good YA fantasy/sci-fi involving angels and demons on both Earth and in other realms, skip this one and go read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. It has everything this one does, but much, much better. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Well, I'm a huge fan of vampires. So when I caught a glimpse of this title on the library shelf, I grabbed it without question. And I definitely wasn't disappointed. This was a great work of fan fiction, a spin off of Stoker's famous Dracula. It has all the same dark Victorian drama, but with some added magic, some new characters, 21st century sex vocabulary, and a whole lot of feminine power. She took a book and an era that majorly squashed female sexual appetite and made it the focal point of this version of the story, told by by Mina herself, in which she and Dracula are immortal soulmates, destined to be together forever but constantly torn apart within each lifespan they live. I really enjoyed this book as the somewhat lowbrow fiction, dark chick-lit summer read that I was looking for. And though in my heart I wanted Mina to make the other decision at the end, I can't hold that against the author or the book overall.

I picked up this book because a friend of mine who teaches high school biology said it had been making the rounds in her class. She was going to read it (she likes to keep up with the new, popular YA) so I figured I'd join. I do like a good YA novel. Well, this isn't normally one I would have chosen - I enjoy the dystopia thing that's going around, but for some reason this one just didn't strike my fancy off the bat. After reading, I have to say the same thing. It wasn't bad - a very interesting concept. And creepy really. Particularly the chapter following Roland through the unwinding process - super creepy. Disturbing. And the idea that something this horrible could be agreed upon by warring groups just because it TECHNICALLY compromises their positions is horrifying. I can only hope nothing this drastic would ever happen. It's heartbreaking how many parents and caregivers could sign papers to "unwind" a child because they are difficult. In any case, it was an enjoyable read - a nice little love story that was present, but not overwhelming. And I did like the different angles. Not just Connor as the hero, but Levi's story. How he became who his was, how he made his decisions, and the role his actions will play in making change. It's a great awareness on the part of the author that one hero cannot make ALL the change, not in real life. Also, the Admiral's story was a pretty solid side plot. In general, it was a well done book. I do think it fell into some of the YA traps - a bit choppy at times, more telling than showing (though better than some other ones I've read), and really just surface character development instead of really delving into them. But overall not bad - it just wasn't for me.