Review: The Hellion

The Hellion by S.A. Hunt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I do feel bad that S.A. Hunt's series seems to have stalled out due to the bugbears of low sales and difficulties in her life (she'll occasionally vent about those on Twitter), and even more so that it took me this long to finally read her third novel. That said, though, I did get the feeling that this one may have been affected by the troubles in Hunt's personal life, coming off a little wheel-spinny with an aimless narrative overall. But Hunt is still as dangerously gifted as ever with the thrills and chills, and around Halloween is the perfect time to have read this one. I do hope, though, that the publishers don't give up on her just yet. A fourth Malus Domestica book would be just what the doctor ordered, truly.

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Review: A Patriot's Tale

A Patriot's Tale by Nicole Pierman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nicole Pierman gives us a new historical look at the Revolutionary War, one that naturally calls to mind a lot of previous fictional dramatizations on that segment of American history. Most notably, the Southern setting of The Patriot and the subtle machinations of Turn, with an engaging young woman protagonist who takes on a man's persona to finagle her way into the ranks of the army, the sort of Joan of Arc the Revolutionary War isn't widely known to have had (though if we did, I wouldn't be surprised if such a Joan were lost to all but the most hidden of histories.) Pierman's multilayered storytelling takes us on a years-long trip through the Revolution in the South in particular, a segment of the war often ignored in the popular consciousness, as well as showing the many dangerous ways Lily has to navigate the soldiers' world - and the numerous personal problems throughout the ranks, throwing out a lot of drama and dissension to keep the pages turning. Well, in the ebook ARC I got, more like swiping, but you get the picture.

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Review: Mouth Full of Ashes

Mouth Full of Ashes by Briana Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a Bay Area boy, I unfortunately was never lucky enough to get to visit Santa Cruz. Except in movies like Us, and movies with fictional counterparts to NorCal's most famous beach town. Santa Carla in The Lost Boys, Sunnydale on Buffy...and now, with particular inspiration from the former, Briana Morgan's new novella and its setting of Neap Bay. Blessed with a beautiful cover art and a haunting story that packs a serious punch (and is as wonderfully queer-inclusive as any Morgan story), I have to say that its only real flaw is that the book is just too short. But it makes it easier to devour in...well, I wasn't fortunate enough to have time for a single sitting on this one, but I came close. Very close.

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Review: Ashfall Legacy

Ashfall Legacy by Pittacus Lore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot of the reviews I see here seem more disappointed in the audio version of this book, so I'm glad I didn't go for that one. Pittacus Lore may be the most infamous ghostwriter in all the loopy-loo YA biz, but I'll be damned if he doesn't pen a good story, and this latest look at a decidedly different kind of alien space opera is no exception. Doing a damn finer job of exploring worlds beyond this than even I Am Number Four, and reminding me a little bit of Charlie Jane Anders' Victories Greater than Death in its gentle deconstruction of genre tropes (though admittedly far less exploratory of gender and sexuality, but hey, when protagonist Sydney is a fan of Octavia Butler, you know he's got good goddamn taste.) The frequent spins on a Superman-type mythos, as well as the unexpected strings of twist after twist, keep the story going at a pretty propulsive pace, and not unlike a lot of Lore's previous novels, it builds up to a very sudden cliffhanger to virtually guarantee a sequel. Oh, how I hope we get to see more Denzan misadventures soon...

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Review: The Bronzed Beasts

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since Roshani Chokshi isn't ending the Pandava series from Rick Riordan Presents with four books as was the original plan, this now marks the first time I'm completing one of her series, and it's a pretty wild ride all the way to the end in this one. Perhaps a little too wild, because then the ending feels surprisingly anticlimactic in a few ways. But given the ways the first two books ended, I'd say we who've stuck with this trilogy from beginning to end get the ending we want and deserve the most. And the cast of characters from all across the globe shines brighter here than ever before - I think Enrique's far and away my fave for sure, especially as a bi boy, and I'm even more glad that Chokshi goes out of her way to avoid certain stereotypes there. (Which I wish she could've done a bit better with when writing Zofia, whom I still feel is a little too reliant on autistic stereotypes, but I digress.) To this series, though, I now bid the ave atque vale it has merited after two-plus years.

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