Review: End of Watch

End of Watch by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first book in this trilogy, being a straight-up crime thriller, was quite outside of King's comfort zone. In retrospect, it kinda showed in the tangled mess that was that book's storyline.

Finders Keepers had a more streamlined story, and I found that book a massive improvement because I connected so much better with it. Especially with the character of Pete Saubers.

For End of Watch, the paranormal hints at the end of the second book come to the forefront as the Mercedes Killer himself transcends his brain-dead state, using a deadly combination of science and the supernatural to insidiously sneak into people's minds and make them kill themselves. His weapon of choice? A dangerously mind-altering "Fishin' Hole" game, available as a demo in a Game-Boy-style handheld. That, there, is the King-style horror this trilogy needed, and what better way to cap off the series in style than with its most radical stylistic shift yet, back to basics for King?

This entire trilogy has a way of sticking with you, but perhaps none more so than this book, because of the sheer horror of Brady Hartsfield and his diabolical ways of taking out his enemies.

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Review: Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a brick. This was a giant apocalyptic golden brick.

It took me a long time to read it, because I had to be sure to appreciate it all.

Sometimes, I had trouble remembering where everyone was, because so many plot threads were flying at once in the face of the dreaded Arrival.

But hey, more Karou and Akiva? More Zuzana and Mik? And Eliza...oh, Eliza. I always have a bit of a soft spot for people raised in freaky doomsday cults - that's really no way to live. Especially if you happen to be the prophesied "chosen one," which means they'll deprive you of all agency in your life just because they think they can.

Cultism in general is for no, according to this book. Don't just go along with the groupthink. Especially supposedly heavenly-ordained groupthink.

But hey, I'm glad I finally rediscovered this trilogy, because now I really know what I was missing - the setup for this here thing of beauty.

To the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, I say ave atque vale. (Does anyone know how to translate that into Seraphic?)

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Review: Days of Blood & Starlight

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm so glad I re-read Daughter of Smoke & Bone, because I loved that one enough that I'm now happily blazing through its sequels back to back. One thousand pages and then some. My next review after this one will be for Book 3, but for now, let's focus on Book 2.

First off, maybe it's just me and my liking for the color red, but this has my favorite cover in the trilogy.

Second off, it's great that we get to split the story between the human world and the angel world. It does have the unfortunate side effect of making it hard to tell where and when each new chapter takes place - it would help if there were some kind of header on each chapter saying, for instance, "Morocco, June 15th, 10pm." Eventually, though, it becomes easier to tell where each chapter takes place.

As for characters, we get a little more Kazimir-annoyance, a lot more Karou-Akiva tension (and while Akiva doesn't seem to have much to do for most of the book, there's one part about 400 pages in where he finally validates his entire presence in this series, setting in motion some game-changing events), and of course Zuzana and Mik. Forget Karou and Akiva, Zuzana and Mik are my DoS&B series OTP. They're too funny, too adorable, and too precious for this world.

This world which is really going to change in the final book.

Bring it on.

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Review: Soldier

Soldier by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Julie Kagawa is dangerously good at what she does, blending fantasy and sci-fi like few other writers whose name isn't Marissa Meyer. As the Talon Saga reaches its midpoint (third of five planned books), the frenzy of action and intrigue and international conspiracies builds up to new heights. More than ever, we see the evils of both sides in this war, with Talon selling out their kind to the Order of St. George as they, like so many other so-called "Christians," hide behind their religion and use it as an excuse to persecute those they consider "lesser." The Order, in particular, reeks of so much toxic masculinity that you can't help but loathe them all.

As for the ongoing story arcs with Ember, Dante, Riley, and Garret, these keep going in new and unexpected directions. I only wish that the book could have included more of Dante's POV, although his role in the story, while small, proves quite important. Without Dante, we wouldn't have a window into Talon. The Ember-Riley-Garret love triangle gets some twists to keep it interesting, too. Although the last of these, I was hit hard by, because as usual, that's my ship going down in flames there!

Small flaws aside, though, Soldier keeps Kagawa's latest, best, and most addictive series going with all the forward momentum it can muster and then some. I can't wait to continue the story next year with Legion!

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Review: Dark Energy

Dark Energy by Robison Wells
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Robison Wells (and Dan Wells too) have always been relatively hit-or-miss for me. This one, I'm sorry to say, is more of a miss. The story spends most of its time moving as slow as molasses - which is exactly what you don't want in a book this short. In other words, it's like a bad episode of The X Files. The use of Native American culture and traditions as part of the whole alien backstory is welcome, though, because it calls up some better X Files memories - especially when various Southwestern locations come into play. Unfortunately, the story doesn't really add up to much, especially since it spends so much time focusing on barely-funny boarding-school antics that when the alien mysteries finally come into the forefront, it feels like too little too late.

At least this book's a standalone, and I'll probably still pick up whatever Wells (either one of them) puts out next. I'll be a little more cautious, though.

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Review: Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I started reading this book, I noticed that its GR average rating looked a little low, so I was worried that as far as Alice in Wonderland retellings go, this would be a little less on the Splintered end of the quality scale, and more on the After Alice or Alice in Zombieland end.

Nope. It's definitely more on the Splintered end - and, dare I say, even better than Splintered, or at least the first two books in that trilogy (I think Ensnared was Howard's high point on that series.) It's a short read, but also very quick-paced and addictive, especially as we follow Dinah's journey towards discovering the deadly intrigues of her father's royal Wonderland court. The King of Hearts isn't the nicest guy around, and that's an understatement. He's every bit as evil as any fairy-tale wicked stepmother you can think of.

You know what they say - "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die."

I need the second book ASAP. Especially since it's got a title as awesome as Blood of Wonderland.

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Review: Let the Wind Rise

Let the Wind Rise by Shannon Messenger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been a painfully long wait for the conclusion to this trilogy which does for sylphs and other assorted wind spirits what Rick Riordan did for various classical pantheons.

It was very much worth the wait.

Vane and Audra take the fight to Raiden in this final adventure of theirs, and it's a long, intense fight, with everyone involved getting battered and shredded by their weaponized winds (and those of their enemies, of course.) Messenger jam-packs this book with all that supernatural action, as well as some excellent (and, often, excellently juvenile) humor, like Vane's discovery that sylphs prefer to "freebird." And, of course, the feels. There's one death in particular that is just...damn. Instant reader wreckage right there, and me and my Flash-level broken dude tears were no exception.

It's a shame Vane and Audra's story doesn't get the attention it deserves in the YA world. It helps that the content is kept at a high-PG level, so it could easily appeal to middle-grade readers and be a great gateway to YA, up there with Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

I can't wait for whatever Messenger gives us next. In the meantime, to the Sky Fall trilogy, I hereby say ave atque vale.

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