Smokin' Hot Saturday Guest #Review for MAD ABOUT MOON by @Melissa_Foster on tour with @BeckValleyBooks

NEW RELEASE........

Fall in love with Jed and Josie in this emotionally captivating, sexy standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. The perfect love story for those who enjoy fiercely loyal and insanely sexy alpha heroes, smart, sassy heroines, strong family bonds, bikers, babies, and more! 

Can true love strike twice in one lifetime? 
Josie Beckley refuses to believe there is a limit on happiness. A decade after she escaped her abusive parents and lost touch with her siblings, the death of her husband leaves her and her son homeless. But Josie has never been one to wallow in sadness, and when she takes a chance on reconnecting with her siblings, a sinfully handsome bright light from her past shows up and offers to help her find a way out of the darkness. 

Most people wouldn't see Jed Moon as someone to look up to. He's been in and out of jail and has lived a less-than-stellar lifestyle. But years ago one woman saw through his bullshit, and he's never forgotten her. Now she's back in his life, and as a prospect for the Dark Knights motorcycle club, Jed promises to keep an eye on the sassy, sexy single mother who has never stopped lighting his fantasies on fire. 

Jed and Josie's combustible connection is stronger than ever. Having Josie and her son in his life brings out all of Jed's protective instincts-and visions of a future he never imagined having. But when a shocking revelation knocks the insatiable lovers to their knees, it forces them to make choices that could change their lives forever.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

#Review COURTING DARKNESS by Robin LaFevers @RLLaFevers w/ @RockstarBkTours #Giveaway 5 Stars

Squeee!!!  I am a huge fan of His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers... and we have a NEW installment with Sybella and a new character... Genevieve!

And I got to read an early copy!!  Check out my review!

Book #Review: COME FLY WITH ME by @JaneYolen @Heidieys @NGKidsBks

Book Review - Come Fly With Me

To celebrate the release of Fly With Me by Jane Yolen, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Adam

Stemple, and Jason Stemple, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content

from the Yolen-Stemple family plus 5 chances to win a copy!

Book Review: TEXT DON'T CALL by @INFJoe An Illustrated Guide to the #Introverted Life #Interview @TarcherPerigee

Have you noticed how our culture values extroverted characteristics? The misconceptions about introverts are endless - "anti-social, cat-people".  HA!

This colorful guide by INFJoe, the cartoon persona of artist and introvert Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, addresses these "truths" in a way that is easy and fun to read.

If you have ever wondered if "introverted" fits part of the description of YOU... or if you suspect some of your friends may have this (totally awesome) characteristic, this book is a quick, easy read that is memorable long after you've finished it.

Text, Don't Call:

An Illustrated Guide to the Introverted Life

by INFJoe

Published by TarcherPerigee Paperback

August 15, 2017

Introversion is "in." But there are still many misconceptions about introverts in the world. They're shy. Anti-social. They don't want to have close relationships. They're all cat people. They don't like big parties (okay, that last one might be true). 

INFJoe, the cartoon persona of artist and introvert Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, is here to set the record straight. Filled with charming comic book style illustrations, this book provides invaluable insights into the introverted life with plenty of humor and wit. Full of moments that will make introverts say, "That's so me!" as well as helpful tips on surviving at parties and in the workplace, Text, Don't Call is the perfect gift for your quiet friends, or the extroverted ones who could use some help to better understand the introverts in their lives.

Amazon - Goodreads - Powell's Books - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository

This illustrated guide validates and encourages those who feel out of place in a high-energy world. This book educates their extroverted counterparts about what it truly means to be an introvert and eliminates the negative connotations attached to it. 

• Communication differences between introverts and extroverts
• How to survive parties and holidays
• Learning your stimulation comfort levels to avoid burnout
• Ways to recharge when you're feeling peopled out.

Navigating our extroverted world as an introvert can be difficult, discouraging, and confusing. Aaron Caycedo-Kimura highlights the ways in which introversion should be celebrated with humor and wit. This guide is for any introvert who treasures peace and quiet and for extroverts looking to understand more about their quiet friends.

MY REVIEW:

You may have picked up some of my enthusiasm as I attempted to share the promotional materials that came with this book I received in exchange for an honest review.  Yeah, I love it.

For one, it did not take long to read. In a world where our TBR piles are mile-high, a quick illustrated guide like this simply hits the spot. There's plenty to think about as the words and illustrations cover the various aspects the author wants to portray, but it's so readable.

Next - I get it. I snorted multiple times outloud, sometimes laughing outright. "Yep, that's me!" I saw myself, sure... but I also saw how and why my daughter is locking herself away in her room after school, regrouping after being around so many people all day. After I made that connection, it dawned on me that 100% of my family has some level of introversion. This picture, above, on the back cover is a picture of my house at the end of the day. We're all doing things, our own things, next to each other and that's plenty "together" enough for the lot of us. Hilarious.  

Finally, I found ways I need to adjust. Even though I am an INTJ myself and value introversion in general, I had still fallen for the attitude of pushing for more interaction in my family. The way this Guide presents the idea of PROTECTING introverts from over-stimulation really makes sense. In fact, it finally feels like "caring" to make sure my loved ones get their time to recharge. I had not realized I was feeling guilty for not pushing them for more family time at night, when what they, just like me, really need is some quiet time NEAR each other. Who knew??

Pretty monumental for such a quick read. I highly recommend this for all introverts AND extroverts. Don't just accept yourself... extend this care and acceptance to those around you. Learn to spot other introverts and enjoy them, just the way they are!

INFJoe is the nom de cartoon of artist Aaron Caycedo-Kimura. Aaron drummed his way to The Julliard School in New York City via the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He created INFJoe during a creative rut in 2012 and discovered the incredibly receptive introvert community. He and his wife Luisa live in Connecticut, where they plan to birth as much art as possible. 

Follow INFJoe on Twitter @INFJoe, Instagram and Facebook @infjoecartoons. 

CONVERSATION WITH AARON CAYCEDO-KIMURA 

1. You dabbled in music, painting, poetry, and now you're an author and illustrator. What was your inspiration for writing and illustrating Text, Don't Call?

Text, Don't Call began back in January 2013 when I created my online persona, INFJoe, and began posting cartoons on the Internet. Growing up as an introvert and, in particular, an INFJ (my Myers-Briggs type) was incredibly difficult for me. With these cartoons, I wanted to encourage others like me who were feeling odd or out of place. Since the online series was so well received, I decided to put a printed collection together to reach a wider audience. I want as many introverts as possible to know that they are not alone and that introversion is not a defect, but rather a matter of natural wiring. 

2. Where do you get the ideas for your illustrations? 

The ideas come from my life, the experiences of other introverts, and sometimes just crazy stuff I dream up. Some of my family members and friends appear in my book, either as caricatures or as the inspirations behind some of the illustrations. And of course, my wife and I are sprinkled in there as well. 

3. Introverts tend to be very private people. How has it been sharing yourself through your online cartoons?

It's not an easy thing just to put your artwork out there for all to see and judge. But someone once told me that an artist isn't an artist unless he or she takes the risk and joins in the conversation. however, I've been extremely fortunate that my work has been well received. I thank and appreciate all the online readers of INFJoe Cartoons. Also, not only is it artwork, but much of it is the ups and downs of my life and the blessings and curses of my personality. It may seem uncharacteristic for an introvert to "extrovert" themselves on social media, but I share these things in order to connect and encourage others. INFJs (my Myers-Briggs type) are very relational. I really enjoy interacting with my online readers.

4. Have you learned anything about yourself while writing this book?

I learned that I could draw a pretty convincing fish.

5. Do you have any words of advice for fellow introverts who may feel misunderstood by family and friends?

Introvert on! Be your introverted selves. Know that you're not alone, that your'e in good company. It's good to educate those around you about introversion, but realize that some may just not get it. Bottom line, what's most important is that we understand, accept, and appreciate ourselves.

6. What do you want readers to take away from Text, Don't Call?

For readers who are extroverts, I hope this book will help give them insight into the introverts in their lives. For fellow introverts, I hoe this book will make them laugh, validate and encourage them.

Amazon - Goodreads - Powell's Books - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository

LOVE! #YA #Fantasy MUST-READ Memories of Ash by Intisar Khanani on #Giveaway tour with @XpressoReads My 5.5 star Review & an Excerpt

Title: Memories of Ash
Series: The Sunbolt Chronicles, Book Two
Author: Intisar Khanani (http://booksbyintisar.com)
Cover Designer: Jenny Zemanek (http://www.seedlingsonline.com/index2.php#!/HOME)
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: May 30, 2016
Publisher: Purple Monkey Press
Price: US $3.99 (eBook), US $TBD (paperback)

In the year since she cast her sunbolt, Hitomi has recovered only a handful of memories. But the truths of the past have a tendency to come calling, and an isolated mountain fastness can offer only so much shelter. When the High Council of Mages summons Brigit Stormwind to stand trial for treason, Hitomi knows her mentor won’t return—not with Arch Mage Blackflame behind the charges.

Armed only with her magic and her wits, Hitomi vows to free her mentor from unjust imprisonment. She must traverse spell-cursed lands and barren deserts, facing powerful ancient enchantments and navigating bitter enmities, as she races to reach the High Council. There, she reunites with old friends, planning a rescue equal parts magic and trickery.

If she succeeds, Hitomi will be hunted the rest of her life. If she fails, she’ll face the ultimate punishment: enslavement to the High Council, her magic slowly drained until she dies.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17969479-memories-of-ash

Purchase Your Copy of Sunbolt Here:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble |  Apple  |  Kobo 

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters.

Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.  Intisar's current projects include a companion trilogy to Thorn, following the heroine introduced in her free short story The Bone Knife, and The Sunbolt Chronicles, an epic series following a street thief with a propensity to play hero when people need saving, and her nemesis, a dark mage intent on taking over the Eleven Kingdoms.

Website: http://booksbyintisar.com 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/intisar_Khanani 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BooksByIntisar 

Review

I think I love Intisar.

Seriously. I could just wait around at her feet for the next drop of writing she wants to share with us and devour it before it is published and then hunger for more of her writing until she can produce some more. It's a little embarrassing.

I loved Sunbolt and Memories of Ash did not disappoint. Hitomi is still the amazing character she ever was, full-fleshed, strugglingly-real-live, breathing person that I wish I could meet some day. She gambles and sometimes the odds fall in her favor and sometimes they don't, which is so realistic, it keeps me on the edge of my toes.

In the excerpt below, she made a quick decision while fleeing this mage and basically finds herself in the fire instead of the frying pan... only the mage she's fleeing has also joined her and, as you can see, does not have her best interest in mind. Ha.

I also like this excerpt because of the voice in her head. In this scene, it is as confusing as it seems, but in a spoilery-ish hint at awesomeness to come, this voice is a well-known, feared & beloved character from the first book making a rather ominous appearance in her head.  WHO THINKS OF THIS KIND OF STUFF?!

Not only are the twists and turns unpredictable and fun, there is this HEA flavor that tastes a bit like resignation, but helps me, the reader, accept some awful choices and hope for the best. That hope just keeps flowing - a trickle to a steady stream.

I like this story in a 5.5 Stars sort of way. I can't wait to read it again and I will treasure it for many more re-reads to come. Just as soon as I have another volume to the story, Intisar. It is coming soon, right?

Excerpt

“It needs a meal,” the mage says, voice rasping, “and it won’t be me.” He yanks me off balance. I cry out, jerking away from him and lashing out with my glowstone. I manage to smack him hard across the face, but then his boot comes between my feet. For a sickening moment I teeter on the edge of the stairs.

Get back!

I barely register the words ringing in my mind before the mage shoves me, hard. I swallow a scream, throwing my arms up to shield my head as I fall. I slam down the stairs, bouncing toward the mass of tentacles.

Feet first—get your feet first!

I follow the shouted advice mindlessly, twisting my body as I come to a stop amidst a tangle of three or four great tentacles.

Don’t move.

Someone is talking inside my head, and it’s not me. Somehow, that’s almost worse than lying surrounded by the talons of a nightmare monster. Almost.

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

• a Kindle Fire (or $50 GC for international winners)

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/420b392212/

My #BookReview of Uprooted by @NaomiNovik - What a great surprise!!

I love a good library find...

Uprooted
by Naomi Novik

I found this treasure at the library, heavily loaded with quotes from raving reviewers & authors I admire on the back cover. It's one of the best ways to find a good read, I think. No online research, no friend's recommendation, just the stumbling upon potential treasure in the middle of abundant rows of books.

I liked the first paragraph, “Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes..." and I liked it even better when I finished the story after Agniezka's nagging question of "why?!" was answered.

Agniezka totally rocks. She's unpretentious and knows what she likes. She's one of those people who should be the secondary character rather than the main character just because she's so accommodating. Her frank acceptance of life and herself and her situation leads to spontaneous action. Where I would think something to death before doing it, Nyeshka just jumps in and tries something.

This is emphasized all the better with the Dragon's scowls. He is hardly the best person to be a hero, either. He's reclusive to a fault and the opposite of wonderful Agniezka. Where she kicks off her shoes to feel the dirt under her feet, he flicks a speck of dust off his stiff, pressed clothes. Where she follows her heart and desire for people and community, he tolerates interactions if his attempts to put people off fail. Agniezka grows used to him and comes to understand and appreciate him. It's a gradual process that caught me off guard as I was dragged through her feelings almost unwillingly. Lol.

The nemesis is the best part in the book, though. You know when evil/bad/wrong is just awful so you hate it? Well... take that strong antipathy and then add perspective/understanding/heart. It's an awful mix that is just so darn realistic, it's irritating. Don't you find that you would rather not know too much about someone you hate just in case you couldn't hate them anymore? I don't ever remember feeling that way quite so strongly while recognizing that everything just won't be right if I sit/live/dwell/simmer in hate. Again... Agniezka.

I'm not surprised by the number of good reviews. I have to review the story well, too. But I did struggle a few times. Not... not when the book was in my hand, mind you. If/when I was reading, I could NOT put it down. But when I thought over what I'd read... remembering what scene I was picking the story back up in, sometimes I was squeamish, to put it gently. If you've read it, just picture this book as a movie... and imagine explaining to your spouse why you liked it so much while bodies pile up or one of the horrors from the forest is dripping saliva on you. See what I mean?  More than a few times I would hide behind the couch to watch scenes that can be felt approaching just by the moments of calm.

That's some skill, I say. Good writing skill. 5 Star skill.  Memorable world and memorable characters with a story that lingers long after the final scene. I'm not sure I want to visit Agniezka, honestly. I think I'd be quite terrified of her world and herself and her Dragon... and everyone else. But I'm quite gratified that I saw how things came about. I'm thrilled that so much happened in ONE BOOK when every story seems to come in 3's and 4's nowadays, b/c it's no less epic than those.  I am pretty sure I'll crave it again some day and wonder what world or what character it was that made me feel this way as I try to remember what book it was. Not that Uprooted isn't an appropriate title. It is. But this book is much, much more than roots, too. 

Love? Hate? Argh!! Fire Falling by @EliseKova - my (emotional) book review

Fire Falling
by Elise Kova

Love-Hate... Love-Hate?  Love-Hate. LOVE-HATE!!

I'm pretty divided about this second volume in the Air Awakens series by the (potentially) totally awesome Elise Kova, whose imagination and writing style just sucks me into the story so I'm committed whether I like it or not.

Aldrik wrestles with himself, showing glimpses of awful past and bad habits... he is also realistically someone who is BAD as in not-good, but who is real and still clings to his belief in what is right somewhere buried deep inside him.

Vhalla grows in confidence at a realistically fast clip. She grows into her magic and fills her trekking boots while finally accepting her own heart and his. I like her friendships and I love-love her grip on her emotions.


I also like Vhalla's friends and the traveling and the romantic tension.

I could've strangled Aldrik and Vhalla a few times over their are-we/aren't-we back and forth, not to mention this looming THING called "next Emperor", which is honestly impossible to navigate around. The current Emperor, good ol' dad, is simply awful and selfish and cruel, which makes me squint at Aldrik wondering if some of his slowly-reavealing bad layers go deeper than we all hope they do. His dad is rotten to the core, so what hope do we have that Aldrik can avoid the spread of rottenness completely?

Then the Emperor pulls a fast-one, which I'll just have to leave that vague because now I'm getting into spoilers, but isn't he always "pulling fast ones"? So he remains within his stinky character and compromises our characters...

And then the author has the gall to end the book where she does. And frankly, I'm still fussing inwardly over the ending and re-writing it in my head... because as far as I'm concerned, it was a fatal ending that set the characters on paths they may not be able to recover from. Ever. And I'm not sure I can talk with Ms Kova unless she can redeem them and there's no way we will have this resolution any time soon. So I'm UN-friending Elise Kova until #4 comes out, just in case.

Very grudgingly I admit that she did something right since my emotions are completely wrapped up in the characters' success/failure, but I still think she might have accomplished the same result with a little more hope and a little less fatalistic-ness.   Just saying.

I'll give this story 3.85 Stars b/c I cannot bear to give it 4, yet, and I cannot imagine re-reading this part of the journey (5), but, as I keep hinting, maybe I just need some more resolution. If I was me reading this review, I would tell myself to wait until the final book comes out and read them altogether at once for the best impression. That is, IF Ms. Kova pulls off the impossible. I'm skeptical enough to tell myself to stop after the first book if she doesn't.

We shall just have to see.

Loving Air Awakens by @EliseKova #BookReview

Have you read this one, yet?  GO GET IT!!!!

Air Awakens
by Elise Kova

I found this book while searching for good Indie romantic fantasy titles. I love the idea that Vhalla Yarl works in a library. And she's good at it, reading more than allowed and all the good stuff people who work in ancient libraries should do.

I really enjoyed Vhalla's character, too. She's smart... not entitled, not awe-struck, not ambitious... she's humble and I loved her room with the rock walls. I could picture myself living in that old stone castle looking with longing at the itty-bitty window. I related to Vhalla and my only complaint was that I heard her first and last name together so often that the odd name stuck in my head.

Aldrik enters the scene, slipping through a back-door by surprise. He's the "un-cool" heir to the empire, dark, brooding, frightening. If he has a heart, he buried it deeply years and years ago. I loved him immediately and even more when Vhalla finds him working in the rose atrium. It was a scene straight out of Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter where the beast was slightly more human and the girl a bit more feisty.

Honestly, in this first book, Aldrik is PERFECT. Unapproachable with bare moments when his heart is visible before hiding behind a thundercloud again. I thought he was one of the best guys in literature EVER. Read this book just to meet him. It's worth it.

The world is big and bright and beautiful... touchable. Magic is unique, inherent in some people, randomly gifted and feared by the rest of the population. Vhalla's magic is the most feared, of course, and as she grows into accepting it... she is burdened with quite the destiny and lack of choices. I loved the grit and solid reality. I really loved this book.

Still, I gave it 4 stars. Sometimes Vhalla floats along the current of whatever is happening without using the brain she obviously has. Sometimes Aldrik forgets he's beastly, darn it. As for the world... if magic hits people randomly, how come more of them haven't learned to tolerate it? "Random" includes people already well-loved, sprinkled everywhere. Yes, I liked the story, but I also corrected a few things in my own imagination that did not help me when I read along further in the series. *sigh*

Don't listen to my lil' fuss, though... go get this and READ IT!!!  The author threw this delicious piece of art onto paper and self-published it and do we not need to celebrate such awesomeness?!  Oh, yes we do!!

Fav ReRead w/ meandering thoughts on: Sunshine by @RobinMcKinley

The very best stories are different when you re-read them. The thrill of anticipation and the fear of what will happen next are (somewhat) shoved aside to make way for things like Writing Style, Complexity of Plot, Muli-level Characters.

2008 Paperback. Chained to the wall where it all starts.

Sunshine
by Robin McKinley

Robin McKinley's writing style is a little tricky to read quickly, anyway, but her stories are complicated enough and the danger is so real and BIG that I always want to. (Read quickly.) Even this pass, my 4th or 5th re-read of Sunshine, found me squirming to skip ahead a paragraph or two in places. Sometimes I went back to enjoy every delicious word and sometimes I shrugged and leaped ahead further.

One of the items I love in this story is how Rae has two loves, maybe a little like Aerin in The Hero and the Crown. She has one love that grounds her and is too nice to not love and one love that is completely impossible, incompatible. She dedicated this book:

"To Peter,

my Mel and my Con wrapped up in one (slightly untidy) package. 

Hey, am I lucky or what?"

Of course, she is lucky to have them both in one person... I say "is", present-tense, even though Peter has recently passed on. Present tense because he lives on in stories like Sunshine or in memories, if you don't believe in the after-life, which, God-fearing, fantasy-lover that I am, I most definitely do.

2003 Hardcover

When Rae loves Constantine, it's a Beauty-and-the-Beast scenario at its finest. The beast, in this case, is not lovable and often Rae/Sunshine startles when she sees him do something very vampire-like. It creeps her out and it's so realistic. I love every scene between the two of them most. The push-pull dynamic of how they learn about each other and accept each other (or are repelled by each other) is amazing.

I should say something about Mel, I suppose. He's a cool "bad boy" biker with wizard-y tattoos and secrets he never shares. He's far from boring, but next to Con, he's a cute bunny rabbit.

2010 Paperback

Rae Seddon, known to all as "Sunshine", is all kinds of complicated. Her passage to self-discovery starts in Sunshine and is quite harrowing. She has so much more to learn about herself and her family and all her acquaintances, family and friends.  Maybe that is what makes this book so awesome... 400 pages is an introduction to a whole new world with a lifetime left to the imagination. It ends satisfyingly like only Robin McKinley can do it, a colossal grand finale. But the end is not The End... it's more like "And that is how this super-famous person you've heard so much about had her beginning", or something.

This is partly because so many things are left unfinished. Maybe they're little things, but still. Does her eyesight settle? Does she learn to use her new vision or does she figure out how to tune it out?  I say she learns to use it, like recognizing demons and everything else, 'cause that's so cool. There's her job at Charlie's and everyone she'll see in the morning. How much will she share and how much will she not share?  I say she finds some way to share a little extra with Mel and the weres that regularly eat there, like Maud! And she works with the SOFs more and learns how to coordinate with Pat and the other good (blue) guys. I'm not sure whether I want the goddess of pain to be promoted out of town or not, she's so deliciously rotten. I think Con should remain a secret, though. Maybe they could use Sunshine's magical inheritance as a cover for Con's help in finding and destroying the darkness that will take over the world in less than 100 years.

2014 Kindle

One thing I never accepted in the first 4 times I read the book is that Sunshine is not just the ante-vampire, she acquires darkness, a dark-self. I love it when she describes her self-awareness moments:

My sunshine self, my tree self, my deer self.... my dark self.

I accepted how wrong and twisted "dark" is, how vampire-ish and how anti-human-ish, but I somehow missed how Sunshine recognized a dark aspect of herself that was wrong to that same degree. *shiver*  The idea is so big, really. The concept of seeing myself and the parts of me that are NOT OK and recognize them as my own without being able to make them Ok.

I can just feel the deep breath, inner-alignment of multiple aspects of self. It makes me want to know what bits would be me and wonder whether I could accept darkness in myself as part of what makes me... me and able to do everything I need to do. The question is a big one after reading Sunshine and feeling how dark and wrong the darkness is. I'm not sure I'm grown up enough to do that, yet.

Paperback 2003 showing THE house at the lake. Yikes!

Of course, all of these covers fit the story very well, but my favorite is the paperback listed first. That's what my well-worn copy that I keep as a treasure on my shelf looks like. And I don't wait for sick days to re-read it, like Rae saves her favorite worn paperbacks.

This re-read was prompted by Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani. The scene where Hitomi is chained inside a tower room with a Breather (who is worse than a vampire or almost as bad as Robin McKinley's vampires) and how she discovers her own magic to escape and how the Breather reacts to being rescued... oh yes, it was sweet enough and close enough to Sunshine to have to stop everything and go back to where I felt that way first.

Unbound by @KHurleyBooks - My Review on Colorimetry

Oh my...

Unbound
by Katherine Hurley

Everything is out of control before this story begins and the lines between who is right and who is wrong and how far the leadership on all sides is willing to go just blurs. I can't talk about this book without spoiling something in the previous two, so beware.

I thoroughly love this dive into the grey area of real power. The leader of a city or people group has big decisions to make that will effect so many others. There is no answer that is purely right or a choice that will result in no death, so who is willing to go the furthest for their cause?  Who will be able to live with themselves afterwards?

Anyone who has had some authority has bumped into this, but the author expands the idea until thousands and hundreds of thousands are effected. The stakes are too high for anyone to back down. In fact, the one who is willing to risk the most seems like they will have the only chance at success.

Yet somehow Astarti and Logan maintain themselves with honor. In fact, they learn to let go of bitterness that could infect their decisions even though it is a painful process, like prying fingers one at a time off of the only control they feel they have.  My favorite scenes are the ones where they open up to each other and allow themselves to trust and let go.  I'm not sure I've seen bitterness and letting go of it so well portrayed anywhere.

Very realistically, the bad guy turns out to be human (or close enough) all along. The fathers who hold too much of the power are also vulnerable and I held my breath with the world waiting to see what they'll decide.

You shouldn't get to read this one until you've read the first two. It's only fair.  And this one's worth reading, so... there you go.

If I found fault, it's only that everything explodes right off the edge of reality this story balances on. Somehow the author made me feel that zipping along energy lines or riding tree/wind currents was completely natural. My neighbor may be able to do it and I just didn't know it. But when it gets to the flow of time and creation of everything... that feel of "this is real" slipped through my fingers. I lost my personal grip and was left watching the big light show.  Everything was grand and awe-inspiring enough, I just didn't feel as sold on all of it and I was quite committed, believe me.  I don't want to take anything away from it because all the pieces were necessary for that scene, THAT scene... you'll know when you read it. There's one scene that is THAT ONE and it's only possible because of all the nearly-unbelievable other stuff. In the end, worth it, totally, but I do hope that Katherine will take the time to drag my emotions through all the dirt again in future books.

Oh, yes, I'll read anything Katherine Hurley writes, by golly. I'm sold.

4 Stars for this one and the series all together may stay at 4 or grow to 5 if I find I cannot help but return and re-read it.  No doubt the reading experience would be completely different now that I know... just the way I like my library. Complex and satisfying.

Chains of Water and Stone by @KHurleyBooks my review

Chains of Water and Stone
by Katherine Hurley

This transitional book actually caused me pain. Don't read this review if you haven't read the first book since there are some spoilers that cannot be helped.

Belos, as I have already celebrated in my review of The Griever's Mark, is the awfullest breathing being I've read about in some time. He out-does himself when he gets his hands on Logan, who I also mentioned is/was emotionally unstable already.  At this point, I'm questioning Belos' intelligence. It's possible he's just a maniac with a death-wish. And I am certain I don't like torture in general and I detest it in detailed specifics. So... much of this book went beyond gritty for me into the realm of feeling like there was blood stuck to my hands as I read it.

Ok... that's dramatic, isn't it?  Well, it was much too realistic and I really got into the whole thing and it was NOT pleasant.

Astarti felt trapped in this second book instead of competent. The story pulls away from her mind to welcome Logan's POV, as well, and I resisted. Old-school sci-fi fantasies were delivered in 3rd person and I grudgingly resigned myself to accepting the familiar distance.  It was frustrating, though, since the two characters go through so much and their emotions swing on a huge pendulous as they adjust to their growing relationship.

This book is really two stories in one... there's a big break in the middle where I found some relief before launching into part 2. But mostly I wanted to deny a lot of this book as "wrong". Torture leads to issues and the action doesn't pause long enough for anyone to find healing. Questions are raised regarding fathers for both of them and no answers are neat -n- tidy.

And please, what is Astarti doing at Logan's feet on the cover?

I suppose Logan took the stage in this volume, but I still got most of my info from Astarti and was, frankly, frustrated. I wanted MORE inside their head and emotions, which I had before. I also wanted the answers they were searching hard for and I began to wonder if the hope I was grasping for was too HEA for this series.

I'm pretty sure I gave this book 4 stars because I didn't want to eat or sleep or take any breaks while reading it, which is fantastic. But... how frustrating!!  So many things are held just out of grasp. There are too many secrets, either to protect or evade or just due to plain ignorance. Thank goodness book #3 was out before I read this one.  Hello!!! Can you imagine?  If you love the first book, definitely read this one. But have the final at your fingertips, too, and just clear your reading schedule 'til you get through all of 'em.

My review: The Griever's Mark by @KHurleyBooks

I love this series...

It's gritty, dark, viper-fast and larger than life.  If you like fantasy and are ok with fade-to-black adult romance and rather a lot of violence... this is a great choice.  If you enjoy different cultures, Greek gods or dominant personalities, this series is a must-read.

The Griever's Mark
by Katherine Hurley

After completing the series, I am now certain that I enjoyed this first book best.  I was introduced to this amazing world where people can disappear from the physical world into a buzz of energy and zip along energy lines to reappear somewhere else. How flippin' fantastic is that?!

This is also where I met Astarti, who is absolutely amazing. She is one of the most in-depth, evolving characters I've read in fiction.  I would be terrified to meet her in real life. I'd literally be dumb-struck in awe and real fear. Watching the story unfold from within her head?  I felt that awesome and did not want to put the book down.

Belos is also frightening. He is so evil and so powerful and has a kick of intelligence and common sense that just makes him one of the great all time horrific bad-guys. Like, he could win awards for being awful. Naturally, Belos is Astarti's pseudo-dad.  Her first great move is to consciously resist his dynamic pull into evilness to decide that she chooses mercy and kindness instead. She makes mercy look... like a conscious decision achieved at great price. Knowing how much she will have to pay for her actions, she still chooses to follow her own heart and Belos is the shadow that makes her choosing so amazing.  He's so rotten.

Logan appears in this first book, too, as a splatter of an accidental force of pure WOW! I was astonished to discover later that this first impression is real, true & accurate. He really is a force of WOW! Not like all these heroes in stories that discover their own awesomeness and fall into greatness... no. He's like so WOW! that he trips over himself and no one else knows what to do with him either. Their attempts to contain and understand him warp Logan (very realistically) into something of an emotional mess.

With all these strong characters and more on the horizon, not to mention this incredible world where trees are alive with energy that flows in a current you can take a ride in (Oregonian heaven), this book was a delight for me. In a white-knuckled, wide-eyed, mid-gasp sort of way.

I can't help but love the cover, too. My impression of Astarti, who quite obviously is featured with her energy weapon, is not quite so... um... dramatic, but I can imagine her energy and personality would hit as hard and with as much attitude as the artistic model.

I think I gave this story 4 stars on Amazon initially, but I must admit to loving it a full 5. *sigh* No chance of forgetting it, either. Ever.

My 4.5 Star Review: Dark Deeds by @MichelleDiener #SciFi

Dark Deeds
by Michelle Diener
Content: Adult fade-to-black romance, some violence, tons of action and quick wit.
4.5 for Pace, Action, Characters, Resolution, General Awesomeness

I really enjoyed Dark Horse and Michelle took me right back into that amazing world with tall, stunning non-elves and sci-fi creatures right out of one of Star Wars' Cafes. Earthlings are beautiful to the Grih and Grih are smoking hot to Earthlings. I sincerely hope we are in for a third stand-a-lone because this world totally rocks and these characters are sooooo fun.

Once again a very smart person is plopped down into a very nasty situation and she works her way out by using her brains. I love the thought process... "Are these good guys or bad? They don't look scary, but who knows?" Followed by "Does it really matter? Let's take a chance and see what happens."

My lil' summary happens very near the beginning of this book and sets course that changes Fiona's chances almost scene by scene.  I love the way the author grabs what is decent about human compassion and gives me someone who isn't afraid to use it in weird circumstances. Then there are characters that recognize the intelligence and wisdom and respond to help (or hinder) and the whole thing just snowballs 'til I could not put the book down much to my family's dismay.  (Dinner? Who needs dinner when there's a good story to be read?!)

I did not think that Dark Horse could be improved upon, and although I'm giving this book a 1/2 star less, it's only because I've caught on to the author's genius in this series and I'm waiting with fingers drumming for another one. Dark Deeds gives a little peek at the precarious place this third person may have found herself. There is a good chance another thinking system is involved and what will happen when there is more incredible thinking spaceships that have their own agenda instead of blindly obeying the bad guys, hm?

Also... an awful lot of people - well, not people - die. Explosions and suffocation... a trail of dead follows Fiona and I couldn't quite close my jaw to enjoy all of the story as much as I might've.  I mean, these may be bad guys, but their sentient something-or-other's who may have families and stuff. I mean, I am one of humans who likes the good choices being made, so what about saving some of them?

At least Dark Deeds gets to know another type of those faceless terrorists, giving the story more depth and the fight more worthy.

I'm all in for #3... with talking Macaws and all. Bring it on!!!

My best reading of 2015 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I can't believe it is already 2016. The past year was so jamb-packed full of living that I could be considered a "rare siting" on my own blog. Like Big Foot almost. "Does this blogger exist? It is rumored that she does, but nobody's seen her in 2015, so maybe not!"  Lol.

It's a good think I noted some of my reading on Goodreads otherwise I wouldn't remember what I read this year.  Sheesh. Unfortunately, I did not keep up with my reviewing at all. Mostly I was just working, if you must know. Plain ol' boring working 40 hrs a week with moments in transit where I forgot where I was and missed my train stop completely because my book was so good.  :-D

You want to know which books are that awesome, right?

I like to read series and twice this year the final book in a series made me zippy back and read the entire series from start to finish again. The first was AC Gaughin's retelling of Robin Hood.  There is so much revealed in each book in the series that after the 3rd, going back to the beginning is like reading an entirely different set of books. LOVE THAT.

 

The other ENTIRE SERIES that I re-read in its entirety is McFarland's Dragonsworn series. I'm not even sure why I love these so much. There's something about Kai, specifically, that I just really like. Not to mention, there's insta-love and an author who says "NO!!" and finds a way for the main characters to get around their chemical attraction and find true love despite it.

So... both of these books have spit-fire characters. That might have been my "thing" in 2015.

I also loved Dark Horse by my fav author, Michelle Diener. It made me want to read traditional sci-fi again, which I haven't picked up in ages. The winner in this story is the main character again. There's some romance, but the main focus is surviving and being intelligent and getting out of a weird situation... getting out and making it awesome.  :-D  Loved this book.  Of course, the next one is just out and I'm blitzing about it all week while I read it.  :-D  YES!!

I also loved Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which is all about characters and plot twists and stuff. So, yeah, it fits well in my year of awesome books.

The book I anticipated reading the most this year was Winter by Marissa Meyer, like everyone else. Lol. And it didn't disappoint. It's a very, very big book and the first 160 pages just set the scene, but then the slippery slope of "too exciting to put down" just picks up speed. I'm sure everyone's read this (how could you not?!?!) but I have to put it down as one of my favs of the year even if that's true.

Lemme check out my reading device... if I wasn't checking books out from the library this year, I read them on my big, fancy phone (not totally new or totally big, but still.. it holds Kindle and Nook books!! Hundreds and hundreds of books everywhere I go!! Yes, I'm still thrilled about that.)

Did these two come out this year?  Both of these I pre-ordered on my Kindle phone so that I could read them the very moment they were available. I can't believe these were also in 2015:

I think Maas is my new favorite author and I'll pre-order anything she wants to write. I'm not surprised I didn't review either on Goodreads. Books by Sarah J Maas climb under my skin or fit so naturally in my reading library that I consider them additional limbs. I find that I don't even recommend them to other readers and certainly not relatives because what if you didn't like them? I'm not sure we could still be acquainted.

So those were the BEST of 2015 for me. I really don't want to rank them, they're all just awesome and made the year memorable for their own reasons.

You want to know some funky disappointments?  I don't want to fight with anyone and I certainly don't want a broken nose, or anything, but I started reading the Harry Potter series and got bogged down in The Goblet of Fire. So I did make some progress, but after awhile it seems like capers mesh together and there's no romance, for cryin' out loud.  I think I had to read an adult romance after 3 Harry Potters. Something too hot to admit to reading, like Dark Deceit by Lauren Dawes. That really helped balance me out.

I tried Prophecy by Ellen Oh and it's ok for me, but not as fun as I would like it to be based on the premise and stuff. Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne with the cool panther girl didn't rock my world like I'd hoped. Siren's Fury actually made me mad. One of the oddest let-downs for me was Sentinel by Armentrout. I'm a fan of her writing in general, but I've never enjoyed the Covenant series much and I'm still stuck mid-way through Sentinel. One more... Servant of the Crown by McShane has everything I could possibly love and I want to love it badly, but... I suspect the author is trying to drive me insane before she resolves things (kind of) and I decided I am tired of panicking. I couldn't not-finish the first book, but I will keep my distance from the next one.

In my browsing I found one more delight that is worth mentioning. I'm rather worn out on the fairy world and wasn't too thrilled when I saw what this book was about and then absolutely loved it:

Naturally this book fits nicely with my kicka** characters of 2015. Aileana is super-great and I look forward to reading more of this series. Mid-June 'til the next comes out? Seriously?  Ridiculous. I hate waiting.

5 Star Review: Six of Crows by @LBardugo w/o spoilers!!!

Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo

New fav of 2015.

Leigh Bardugo's writing wraps around my brain like a comfy blanket. The words disappear and I just breathe the story. I was almost irritated with the exciting action because it made the pages fly by too quickly. I read the story slowly over a week during my commute to and from work and each time I picked it up, it was like snuggling back into the story.

The story takes place from all 6 crow's perspectives, which took me a bit to get used to, but they were all my favorite character eventually. In that way, it reminded me a bit of the ol' A-Team. Only better.

The A-Team

Kaz is the fearless leader with surprising twists leaving everyone guessing, including his crows. He's a disturbed individual with some nasty haunting memories. I know him, pity him, fear him & respect him, he's that vibrant... or shadowy, more like.  Brilliant.

Jasper is the funny guy who means well. I would swear he's got ADHD... he's hyperactive and easily distracted. He's more comfortable in the middle of a gun fight than anywhere else and he doesn't miss his target. I love his history, too... I also pity him and I'm cheering him on. He needs to face himself and his past.

Nina is dreamy... like my kind of dreamy... gorgeous, confident WARRIOR!  :-D  Trained as a Heartwrender, her country, Ravka, comes first. She makes me the most nostalgic for Bardugo's previous series, since this takes place around but not in Ravka.

Matthias would be the Nordic version of Mr. T, I suppose, but with more grumpiness and an overpowering sense of right/wrong. He would cut off his own hand for a cause he believes in. He and Nina have some history... but their loyalties make them enemies. The resulting tension is delicious. 

Wylan is downright hilarious. He's like the bumbling failure that has talent his own self-esteem won't recognize. His history is important and probably the most filled with spoilers, so I'll leave it out. I will say, though, that he can take something apart, figure out how it works and then put it back together however he wants to make it do whatever he needs it to. Genius in very deep disguise. Lol.

Inej is my favorite character otherwise known as "The Wraith". She is the one I got to know first and I am head-over-heals in love with her sneaky abilities. Trained as a gymnast, she's the best thief in the slums and she faces the greatest heartache, loving someone who might not be able to allow himself to love back. Her character doesn't waiver, though, watching with open eyes and heart. I love her.

Ellen Baldwin's Review

It resolves beautifully, btw, except for one detail that sorta sets us up for the next book and all those lingering emotions from everyone (assuming they all make it, which I'm not saying they do). "It" is an awesome heist. There are moments of "what?!" throughout, but at least I felt consistently left in the dark and double-questioning things, so I was ready to trust and read on even when things didn't make sense. Just, go get it already. Buy a hard copy for your library. I picked it up at the library, so I'll get the delight of purchasing and re-reading. :-D

5 Stars with enthusiasm

My 4.5 star #bookreview of @CHMcFarland 's Soul of Smoke

Ha!!  Totally loved it.

Soul of Smoke
by Caitlyn McFarland

My "Aha!" moment reading this book was when Kai Monahan pulls out Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight.  Kai's personality is a lot like Lessa's... and there just never was enough Lessa for me. The main kicker is a bucket-load of attitude (that fits well, of course, and isn't overly whiney), a huge destiny and an extra dose of back-peddling or running the other way.

I am not opposed to insta-love situations, but it is irritating that if someone is going to magically fall in love with someone else they automatically lose a connection to logic or forget to ask "why am I going along with this?" That kinda makes me feel like we're a bunch of humanoid beasts with raging instincts that take over whether we like it or not. So... insta-love with a great big "NO WAY!" really hits the spot. I agree with Kai. Just because we got something going on does not mean I'm sold with the idea. Convince me first!!

Meanwhile there's all that awesome romantic tension and it is soooo great. Seeing this book listed in the New Adult section was also an "Aha!" moment for me, too. This is the genre at it's best for me, loaded with potential rather than too much description. I have a decent imagination and I'm ready to use it, thx.

This book has a complete story and an entire cast of incredible characters... all of which I'm invested in. Kai has a great best friend who finds herself in an even bigger pickle than Kai and I love how she takes life on head-first.  The dragon community is beautiful and arrogant and also loaded with faulty characters with wide ranges of goals. Everyone is intelligent and unique and way too fun. Kai's best friend might be the best character of all, the smooth bard. *shiver* But no one is safe and even if the story is complete-ish, I wanted to throw a mini-fit when I reached the end of the book only to find the next two are scheduled to be released rapid-fire, 3 months apart.  I immediately pre-ordered book 2.

I'm docking the story .5 point for institutional stuff that is not a big deal the first time through. There's a good chance I'll re-read this book and the series and I'll be sure to change my rating if I love it more instead of less.  Regardless... read this book even though the 3rd won't be out 'til December. I don't want to be alone in my keening, craving huddle of emotional mess.  Join me!!

Review: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson #BookReview

The Heart of Betrayal
by Mary E. Pearson

Click on the cover or title to see details about the book at Goodreads. I'm cuttin' my time on this review by skipping good blogging steps.  *sigh*  Sacrifices.

This book totally ROCKS.

The end.

:-D  Well.... to clarify, Pearson writes very intelligently and The Kiss of Deception was actually full of deception... like who exactly is who?  I had to double-check and make sure the author deceived me on purpose and was quite delighted to find out she had. I took this title quite seriously and wondered who all would be betrayed by whom and was I on the list, too?!

Good question.  Thinking of that theme, this book could be used in literary circles, like school, or something. It's so rich with it. Everyone is betraying everyone but... Lia and Rafe are in enemy territory and really know almost nothing about each other, so their budding romance is bound to hit some bumps. Kaden has a heart and he's nudged to life, questioning things he's acted upon in the past. That Venda leader dude? The Komizar?  One of the greatest bad guys EVER.  Oh, he's creepy and much to intelligent and powerful and dynamic and devious... and self-serving.

Which brings me to a short list of stuff I really enjoyed:

Everyone's character is deep, complicated and either develops or is uncovered gradually. This is so purposeful, that it creates tension in the story. What decisions will be arrived at that will change other events in motion?!

The action is zippy. Yay!!  The danger is real (although it is an odd adjustment to start a story in a life-threatening place... took me a bit to wrap my head around that.)

I'm out of time to say more... I have NO CLUE if this book could stand alone. I am not interested in that, actually. This is a series for the bookshelf, though... I reserved a copy at our library, so now I feel a bit lost that I don't own it already. I'll be sure to acquire the entire series... 'cause YEAH I'll be reading the next book. (There'd better be a next 'cause things need to continue a tad.) I'll be reading it the day it releases if I can't get my paws on it earlier.  :-D

5 Stars. A delicious full cup o' stars for this book. READ IT!!!!

5 Star Review of Dark Horse by Michelle Diener

Dark Horse
by Michelle Diener
ebook, 468 pages
Published June 15th 2015 by Eclipse
I love this story. It's refreshing. Fast-paced. Loaded well-described, vivid sentient beings.

I think part of the sweetness is where the story begins. We could have been dragged through the abduction-torture stuff, but we're plunked right down in the middle of the rescue with all of that nastiness already experienced, analyzed with vengeance pending. The lion, honestly, is a great argument point, revealing a tons of the developing character of Sazo and Rose McKenzie's life view.

We could've asked Rose "How's life?" and received a mopey, heart-broken, homesick, bitter response. She really could've replied that her life totally sucked. Instead I got the feeling through-out the entire book that she'd see the flip-side. Like, "Hey, my partner totally rocks even though he is a little high maintenance," and "Look! a planet I can breath on. Nevermind the deadly creatures. I can go for a walk! On a planet!" and "These aliens are sooooo huge and scary, but hey, they have awesome Legolas ears. Go Tolkien!"

Rose makes the story for me. Well... and the setting. With the other species and the thinking computer.

Bonus: The title is very, very appropriate. :-D

Hang on, looking over what I've written I could give the impression that this story skips through a field of flowers. So... lemme clarify. This is correct if you add terrifying monsters, powerful political maneuvering, unpredictable bad guys (and good guys, for that matter), and a white-knuckled, can't-put-it-down pace.

Did I forget to mention the captain?  *ahem*  There's also romance and an adult moment that's more fade-to-black than explicit, but still quite adult. There's definite attraction-at-first-sight and Dav and Rose meet early on. What I liked even better is the growth of friendship and attraction, the emotional scenes (Rose has every right to break down after holding it together that long and how kind of Dav to be available to comfort!), the growing distrust, the tough choices and the depth of understanding. They're so smart!! And non-mopey!!  *sigh*

So there you go. 5 whopping stars. This is a keeper for the bookshelf to re-read regularly. Fans of Michelle Diener's work might appreciate that I loved this book as much as The Emperor's Conspiracy, which was a year's best pick for me.  Even if you're not into sci-fi (what?!) this is a movie-like adventure/romance in the stars.

Amazon

Review: Siren's Fury by Mary Weber

Siren's Fury 
by Mary Weber
Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: June 2nd 2015 by Thomas Nelson / HarperCollinsReviewed copy provided by publisher through NetGalley

There are things I love about this book:
 - The cover.  That's gorgeous.
 - The author. I'll explain.
 - Vivid writing. Visual, graphic, startling.
 - Cast of characters. Unique, diverse.
 - World building. See "writing" and "characters" and put them in a large setting where referencing a map is unnecessary even when traversing lots of territory.

My impression of Siren's Fury:
  I wanted to strangle most of the things I love about this book.

I kept reading all 352 pages of this book because I trusted the author.  That scene in Storm Siren where Nym and Eogan go to the Valley of Origin. It's like a nugget of beauty and direction and core values that I could grasp hold of with both hands. I am/was/am committed to these characters and this author.

However, I have never wanted to stab the person I love (Eogan) in the back so badly and I'm having trouble forgiving the author for making me feel that way.  Yes, I mean kill him. Dishonorably.

Because... losing Colin in Storm Siren is traumatic and makes each death real. There are no faceless masses in this story. Somehow each person has become a real person whether I see them live or not or even know their story. So close to real life.  I could not accept that one person's life justified the death of any/so-many of those non-faceless masses.  I could have lived with myself-as-Nym through this book if I would've used the knife at the beginning of the book and condensed the series to 1.2 books. Yes, knife to kill. Dishonorably.

Feeling that way, each step in this story was agony.

I decided it was rather like other middles where darkness appears to triumph and your soul darkens by wallowing in their long victory. Like The Empire Strikes Back. Whoever says that's their favorite movie out of the original 3 Star Wars movies?  It's not a fun movie. The good guy is down and the bad guys triumph.  Or The Two Towers is a good example, too. Especially since the bad guys in Siren's Fury are shrouded whispering nasties made of piece-meal body parts from people and terrifying creatures.

Yeah, that's the other thing that was hard for me to stomach. Visiting a witch. Swallowing a spider. I'm not really spoiling anything by saying that and I wish I knew it was coming to brace for it.  Eeeeeewwwwwww. Mary Weber infuses darkness throughout the story in a fantastic killing spree and inside our fair hero. Makes me want to puke just thinking about it.

This book feels like horror.

Will I read the next one?  Oh yeah - absolutely - are you kidding me?!  I made it all the way through Siren's Fury and anyone who wants to withhold the final chapter from me would face some of my own fury. I still trust the author, although I'm quite bruised from this book. I will never forget the characters and I desperately need to be reminded of the love and purpose we're fighting for and why it's better than having just killed my-as-Nym true love.

How many stars?  3.5-ish.  The writing is 4.5 for me, beautifully vivid. The pace of the story is 4 stars. It keeps moving. But me reading it waffled between 2.5 and 3 stars for literally dragging my feet. I really prefer more hope and romance or just not wanting to kill my true love. Or how about a little more reminder as to why I even love him more than all the people getting slaughtered around me and walking around with zombie body parts?  I don't remember how he's so much more uber-awesome than anyone else and I really needed to remember.