Review: Cross Justice

Cross Justice by James Patterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another excellent, un-put-down-able, high-stakes Alex Cross story for the list. While not as harrowing as the Cross My Heart-Hope To Die duology, this story is still just as personal for Cross, because of the involvement of his family and his old hometown in North Carolina. And let's not forget the unexpected revelations regarding his family's history. They're deeply woven into the book, even within the seemingly unrelated side plot involving a twisted killer down in Florida who may well be the unholy love child of Buffalo Bill and American Horror Story's Liz Taylor. I mean, it got to the point where I kept expecting Coco to say something like, "Bitches want pâté, pâté they shall have!" But believe it or not, it's not just a silly subplot that exists for shock value. The shock value is there, yes, but the subplot is the subtle set-up for the most incredible reveal of the book's final pages.

Any and all Alex Cross fans should look forward to this book, and for those new to the series, it's a pretty good starting point. Unless you're the sort of person who, like me, wants to begin at the beginning every time, if at all possible.

Oh, and one more thing - in my own Dark Ice Chronicles project, protagonist Jason Cross reads this series, among many other Patterson books. With the revelation of Alex Cross' father's name (I don't believe that was done before, was it?), that detail of mine is a tad bit funny in hindsight.

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Review: Soundless

Soundless by Richelle Mead
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the Vampire Academy 'verse. I was okay with Gameboard of the Gods. I could not, however, get into this book at all. Right away, it's very slow and boring and not at all engaging. It takes a long time for the expected twist - Fei miraculously becoming the only one in her village who can hear - to come, and when it does, it's easy to miss. You would think that that's the sort of thing that would provoke a cliffhanger ending to the chapter to make it easier to notice. In the hands of an author like Pittacus Lore, or Sarah Benson, or...heck, myself, if my readers' reactions are anything to go by, you'd know when the twist comes.

So I decided to DNF this, and after examining other reviews for this book, I think I might have made the right decision. For Chinese-folklore-inspired stories, I'll just stick to Into The Badlands, thanks.

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Review: The Brothers Cabal

The Brothers Cabal by Jonathan L. Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And now for something a little different to treat us happy members of the Cabal Cabal - a story largely narrated not by the great necromancer Johannes, but by his slimy, disgustingly vampiric brother, Horst. Most of the time, we get to hear Horst's tale, with Johannes (on his sickbed) interjecting with interludes and footnotes along the way. We're getting a little more Fforde-like with this book, which expertly blends elements and plot points from all three of its predecessors in surprising ways as it merrily leads the reader on another gleeful danse macabre.

Despite the exceedingly rude messages left at the end of this book - particularly around its Nice Epilogue and Nasty Epilogue - I'm game for another Cabal misadventure, whenever that'll come along.

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Review: The Wishsong of Shannara

The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mr. Brooks' challenge: write a worthy follow-up to The Elfstones of Shannara.

Challenge: met.

The next generation of Ohmsfords produces their best fighter yet - the tough-as-nails Brin, who follows in her father's footsteps and goes on another epic quest to save the world. This time, though, the forces of evil will come this close (picture my thumb and forefinger a millimeter apart) to corrupting her beyond repair, should they have her way.

It's the end of the original Shannara trilogy, but not the end of this world, not by a long shot. I've still got a long ways to go on this series. But I really hope that if MTV's Shannara Chronicles comes back for a second season, that they'll base it on this book. It'll be a very nice and welcome change after the first season, the Elfstones adaptation, inevitably reaches its end.

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Review: A Red-Rose Chain

A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Toby Daye tales are always just what the doctor ordered. Her wickedly dry sense of humor is the biggest plus of all, as always. She and Tybalt have excellent chemistry together, chemistry that just begs to be depicted on screen (I'd love to see Emma Stone for Toby and Sebastian Stan for Tybalt.) The side characters are as colorful and fun as ever (just look at the way the Luidaeg can't help but be rude on the phone all the time, or Quentin sleeping in the car and saying "I hate you" every time Toby tries to wake him up.)

Sure, I've seen that there are some complaining about the "sameness" of every new book in this series, but this is a formula that, for me, works very well. Who knows, though? Maybe the formula will change soon. *imagines Seanan McGuire steepling her fingers like Sherlock and contemplating giving her characters unspeakable fates*

Now...when can we get a crossover between Toby and the cast of InCryptid? I seriously would love to see her reaction to those unlawfully adorable Aeslin mice (although I bet she thinks the rose goblins are cuter.)

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Review: Trollhunters

Trollhunters by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Given my disappointment with Rotters, I was a little leery upon seeing the name of Daniel Kraus attached to this book. But with the other name attached - that of Guillermo Del Toro - I knew that this book would be much more enjoyable.

Trollhunters was far better than Rotters, that's for sure. It reminded me a lot of the Goosebumps movie, with a bit of Goonies and Super 8 mixed in. It felt simultaneously retro and modern, and filled with all the scary monsters and super creeps you could hope for. Like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, this book also does a great job of straddling the line between MG and YA. It's a little on the PG-13 side of things, with its occasional Getting Crap Past The Radar, but the middle-grade-style cover helps indicate how all-ages this fast-paced horror adventure really is.

Oh, and this is probably the first book to really turn braces into a torture device, and make it seem realistic even when it's so clearly exaggerated.

Kraus and Del Toro really should collaborate more often. This book could very well be the first of many.

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Review: Untold

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series is a little more lush and romantic than The Demon's Lexicon and its sequels, but that's not bad. The romance never gets too excessive (other than the occasional overuse of the words "solid" and "lean," but then I've been finding myself guilty of doing that same thing in my own writing from time to time), and the characters always stay interesting. And the action, while few and far between, really packs a punch when it happens.

Soon enough, I'll pick up the third book to complete this trilogy.

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