REVIEW: Skin Game by Jim Butcher

Skin Game by Jim Butcher My rating: 3 of 5 stars Book 15 was enjoyable but it was not one of the best books of the series. I had several issues with the characters. The Characters + Dresden I'm sick of Dresden's self-reproach. I know it's a personality flaw and it's never leaving because it's book fucking 15 and still no sign of self-esteem growth but I really wish it would. I'm tired of Urban...

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REVIEW: The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough

The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough My rating: 1 of 5 stars It sucked. Horribly. + the writing The writing didn't improve an inch. It remained excessively detailed. I swear, if a character went to the restroom to take a dump, the scene would have lasted FIVE full pages. Then, in the next chapter the character would still be shitting and it wouldn't be because of constipation. It didn't matter if...

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REVIEW: Crimes Against Magic by Steve McHugh

Crimes Against Magic by Steve McHugh My rating: 3 of 5 stars CAUTION: major spoilers + the protag Nathan was a Gary Stu. Most of the female characters he met wanted to bed him. All of the female characters wanted to be saved by him. It didn't matter if the ladies had powers of their own or that Nathan was amnesic and dazed, they wanted him on that fucking white horse riding to their rescue (figuratively...

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REVIEW: Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch My rating: 2 of 5 stars It's book 4 and by far the weakest book of the series. I was never a fan of the writing because it was too dense for my taste, but I tolerated it. Not this time. The writing was too dry and tangential, and it was the yucky result of a meager plot. + the plot The plot didn't hit the ground running till the last third of the book when Peter...

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REVIEW: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan My rating: 3 of 5 stars I tried this book twice and put it down on both counts after a few pages. I couldn't get pass the juvenile writing, which was weird because I read Middle Grade, if only occasionally... I must have been in a bad mood those times, because the third time I tried the book, the writing didn't annoy me. Furthermore, I ended up liking the book!...

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REVIEW: One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva My rating: 4 of 5 stars I picked this book up because the book description promised humor and romance, and I love humor and romance. Not to mention the book cover was cheery yellow. Sure enough, the book was accurate as advertised. I had worried how the theme of homophobia would be presented because I didn't want Alek and Ethan to get hurt. I didn't want to read...

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REVIEW: Please Don't Tell my Parents I'm a Super Villain by Richard Roberts

Please Don't Tell my Parents I'm a Super Villain by Richard Roberts My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book was so fun I was downhearted when it ended. Penny and her two friends kept me guessing and excited with their capers. It took a couple chapters before the excitement started, but once it did I savored every page of it. What I Liked For characters who got carried away and into deeper trouble...

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REVIEW: Longing for Spring by Mariko Hihara

Longing for Spring by Mariko Hihara, illustrated by Yuki Amane My rating: 3 of 5 stars Story-wise, the book was pretty good. Product-wise, it was pretty bad. + the story The uke and seme were typical, but they weren't a caricature. They weren't as meek and cruel, respectively, as the book description and cover suggested to me. (Not that I would have minded it anyway.) The uke was fortitudinous,...

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REVIEW: Switchblade Goddess by Lucy A. Snyder

Switchblade Goddess by Lucy A. Snyder My rating: 2 of 5 stars It's hard to believe this is the final book of the Jessie Shimmer series, because it was written like another middle book of the series. The Virtii were still out to kill Jessie. Miko was still alive to kill innocent people. To add insult to injury, a new plot line arose at the last minute that would have our heroes make new enemies....

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REVIEW: Shotgun Sorceress by Lucy A. Snyder

Shotgun Sorceress by Lucy A. Snyder My rating: 3 of 5 stars Book 2 picked up where book 1 ended, with our heroes recovering from book 1’s shitstorm. I liked that it took a while before book 2’s shitstorm erupted because our heroes deserved their rest. And they deserved to have some of their issues resolved. It would have broken my heart if Cooper’s kid brothers had to go through another tragedy....

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REVIEW: The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke My rating: 2 of 5 stars CAUTION: spoilers Book 2 wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be after reading a negative review. Make no mistake. The book was bad, but it was not insufferably bad. I credit my endurance to my love of manga. + the characters Ananna was a complete brat. I went from liking her in book 1 to hating her in book 2 in one second. She...

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REVIEW: Shanghai Sparrow by Gaie Sebold

Shanghai Sparrow by Gaie Sebold My rating: 2 of 5 stars For a historical fantasy that contain “Formidable Devices, Fay, Etheric Science, Espionage, Opium, Murder and Bartitsu” — exciting stuff, it was restrained. Blech. Fantasy is supposed to be fantastic, not restrained. I found the book lacking in many ways. + the characters I liked Eveline from the start. She was clever and wisely distrustful....

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REVIEW: Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach

Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach My rating: 4 of 5 stars Every bit as good as book 1, and more; book 2 dazzled me. Every time I thought I knew a character or the situation, the book blasted me with new details and showed me how wrong I was and how little I knew. I know the saying “there are two sides to every story.” I knew it was the message the book was sending. Nevertheless, I still got my ass handed...

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REVIEW: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress by Marissa Meyer My rating: 2 of 5 stars I was disappointed with book 2, but I still liked the series. Cress is book 3, and yup. It’s official. The series has lost its luster for me. Scant progress. Scant character growth. Book 3 was essentially the same as book 2, more running away and hiding. Yeah, there were some plot twists here and there and a couple new characters, but our heroes were...

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REVIEW: Vodnik by Bryce Moore

Vodník by Bryce Moore My rating: 3 of 5 stars The book was fun as expected. What attracted me was the non-American setting and an underused mythology. The book delivered Slovakia and Slavic mythology. The mythology portion consisted of a fire spirit, a water spirit, a ghost, and a grim reaper. I admit it sounds generic. But as a big reader of urban fantasy, anything that isn’t vampires and werewolves,...

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REVIEW: Wallflower by Heidi Belleau

Wallflower by Heidi Belleau My rating: 1 of 5 stars I thought this book would be a fun read. I thought WRONG. It was HORRIBLE. I thought, hey, what could go wrong with a main character who is Asian, an art student, and MMORPG addict, a cross dresser, and more importantly, Asian? Represent! Robert sounded like a cool person. Eeeeecccck. Not if he’s an emo. Oh My Gawd was he such an emo. + the main...

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