The Flux was everything I'd hoped for after reading Flex and more. The exciting conception of Magic and flawlessly executed characters return and are strengthened as Steinmetz delves deeper into the world and its possibilities. The characters face new challenges, and they grow and change in their relationships and personally. I was never broken out of the story to question the author's decisions, and instead was the best kind of complete immersed in the fast paced, and yet incredibly thoughtful plot.

I continue to be enthralled by this series, despite some things that still irk me. This one has a significant advantage over its predecessor: girls. So many glorious girls! Can't say much more because I need to go read the third one right now.

This book had too many "why is this happening??" moments that pulled me out of the story. And the big reveal didn't live up to my hopes for it, although it was fairly consistent with my expectations. There are a lot of mysteries in this series and it would have been amazing if they all came together in a satisfying explanation, but that just didn't happen. In fact, it was kind of a mess.

While the characters and concept of revival remain compelling, the plot of Lost Souls was significantly less exciting than Reviver. Most of the mysteries were resolved by the close of the previous novel, and the sequel didn't add enough new questions, or resolve the few things that had been left unanswered. I guess this isn't unreasonable for the second book in a trilogy, but this book felt like it just followed the pattern of the first book, making everything feel predictable.

I'm a big fan of Elmify and loved Emma Mills' novella A Fool's Paradise, so I was so so so excited to hear she was publishing a novel. A few pages into First & Then, I was thinking about how this is exactly the book I just don't much enjoy reading (YA romance with no sci fi or fantasy elements.) Eventually though I was completely caught up in the lives of these characters and the delightful story that unfolded. Devon, Foster, and their host of friends and classmates were well crafted, even when they were so frustratingly flawed. The rapport the characters had with one another, whether their relationship was that of long time best friends, friendly acquaintances, or familiarly faced strangers rang true to the high school experience in a way a lot of books don't nail nearly as well.

I really loved this book! It was exactly what I wanted to read, a fun and engaging premise with added mysteries and a kick-butt protagonist. Celaena is strong and capable, she's also totally full of fluff. But instead of annoying me, which maybe this should have, I just found her endearing.

This book made me cry on chapter three? Emotionally gripping, I had a hard time putting down this clever mix of simple human brutality woven with mystical elements, and peopled with rich and complex characters. I didn't totally buy into the love square mess in the romance department, but there's so much I loved about this book even as it brought tears to my eyes with such atrocities.

This book has a wildly interesting setting, but the plot didn't fully live up to my expectations. I would love to read more about the worlds and their magics and how they're bound together and distinct, more about their history, and even more about these characters. Kell and Lila were interesting but I craved a greater depth to their stories and their motivations. I want to read the next book from this series because I feel like this was such a small story compared to what is possible from its building blocks.

Still conflicted about this series. On the one hand, this book continues to be more engaging and exciting than the last, definitely the best by quite a bit. However, often the female characters feel more like plot devices than complete characters, as Dresden's motivations rely on ways women in his life have been hurt. I felt like some of the women in this book were well done though, and I continue to want to read more about Dresden's exploits.

This was my favorite Dresden book so far. I feel like some of the patterns of the first two books were subverted and the conflict felt larger and less predictable. In other ways there was a big thing that I saw coming a mile away and I really did not want it to happen but it did. It was better than I feared though, which was slightly redemptive.