lynseyisreading's reviews
1361 reviews

I really wanted to like this more because the prequel, Death's Avatar, was awesome. For some reason, in the three-book box set I have, the author has pasted the entire prequel into Death's Hand in two great big flashback chunks, which just did not work at all. It made the whole thing clunky and messy and I soon got so irritated my attention began waning. Add to this the wussiest love interest I've ever encountered and... sorry. I'm outta here.

A surprisingly fulfilling and action-packed novella.

I may seem a bit harsh saying this, but I find a lot of mid-series novellas to be unworthy of the e-ink they're displayed in. Most of the time, the stories within are so much padding and filler with no progression to the characters or the series as a whole. And I can understand why; you can't really have something major plot-wise happening in a novella that some people see as 'optional' reading. It will be far too confusing come the next book trying to explain what happened during the break.

However, you've got to give the people who do fork out for the novella (not me, obviously) something worth reading. And this novella did just that. It gave a surprisingly revealing glimpse into Atticus' feelings for Granuaile, as well as a closer look at the beautifully terrifying Morrigan.

I have to confess, I'm finding Atticus' befuddlement over things with Granuaile extremely sweet. He's sounding more and more like a man suffering unrequited love by the day. And even though both of them have been heading out at weekends over the last six years of Granuaile's training for 'booty calls,' it seems it's becoming more and more unfulfilling for Atticus. And those guilt ferrets really are bastards.

As I mentioned earlier, Atticus and Granuaile—going under the amazing secret identities of Sterling Silver and Betty Baker (thanks to Coyote for that one)—are approximately mid-way through Granuaile's 12-year training to become a druid. If you recall, at the end of the last book, Tricked, Atticus suffered some damage to his healing tattoo on his hand (giant mutant cockroaches will do that to you), so when the Morrigan turns up with an offer to repair it, he accepts.

You'd think at 2100 years old he'd know better than to trust the Morrigan by now. Guess not. Naturally, madness and mayhem ensues with much hilarity.

What seems abundantly clear to me whenever I read anything by Mr. Hearne—other than the fact that he is a comedic genius of course— is that he really has a great appreciation for the mythology his series is based around; Norse and Celtic mostly. He hasn't simply chosen it because it's popular or because it comes with ready-made characters to draw from. He really seems to just love the old stories and creating his own interpretations and retellings of them. And I, in turn, enjoy reading them too.

For fans of the series, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. It was lots of fun and surprisingly enlightening.

4 Stars ★★★★
ARC received from the publisher for an honest review

As amazing as I'd hoped. I cannot wait for the next one!

I admit to being slightly scared of starting this book. I don't think I've ever seen such a positive buzz about a book that hadn't (at the time) even been released yet. Book Bloggers and Advanced Copy readers were going wild about it; doing these amazing, gushing, hyperbolic reviews. This worried me, because it wouldn't be the first time that that's happened and then I've picked up the book myself and realised it's very prettily written, and highly descriptive, but is otherwise only an average story. And I can't get excited about the talent of a wordsmith alone. You have to tell me a good story as well. That's kind of my mantra when I'm reading: Tell the story, tell the story, tell the story. So when writers get too wordy or try and simile me into submission, I get turned off. Where did my story go?

And for the most part, I would be lying if I didn't say that Kristoff's writing is highly descriptive in places. More so, even, than some of the ones I ended up not liking previously. But holy freaking cow does he back that up with a great story, incredible world-building, phenomenal fantasy, sci-fi and steampunk elements, and to top it all off, a cast of fantastically diverse and complex characters!

A-maz-ing.

Of course, anything worth having is worth working hard for, and for around the first 50-60 or so pages of the book, I was working pretty damned hard! The Japanese language; mostly used for names of weapons, clothing, races, species, gods, myths and of course, character names, made reading difficult initially. I don't really like having to struggle so much, but after all the reviews I'd seen, I felt confident the pay-off would be worth it if I persevered. It was, and then some.

So, what is the book about? Well, it's a very complex world and plot and overall story arc, so I wouldn't even like to try summarising it. But I will tell you your main character is a young girl named Yukiko. She is an excellent strong and positive heroine who needs no hot boy brooding at her to make her appear so. It's not a coming-of-age story, exactly, but definitely an eye-opening journey. It set in a futuristic, or maybe alternate history? (not sure) Japan, where a plant called the Blood Lotus has been discovered and put to great and terrifying use. It powers the great machinery; the sky-ships, the war machines, even the brass and iron body armour of the samurai warriors. But the cost to the world and its citizens is immense. The choking fumes are killing everyone and everything, slowly but surely. Breathing masks and goggles need to be worn at all times. Man is playing a very dangerous and greedy game; thinking only of the benefits now, and not the consequences later. It's quite thought-provoking in that it's not that much of a stretch to imagine our species doing exactly this--especially such an industrious nation as Japan--and its message is clear, and the most ingenious use of entertainment to deliver it since WALL.E.

So, it looks like someone needs to shake things up a bit, right? But our Yukiko is just one girl, and only 16 at that. She has no power. But perhaps she has the strength after all (spot the Princess Bride quote), if only she has the help of oh, say for example, a badass THUNDER TIGER!

Buruu's character—and he definitely is a character—was a fantastic part of the story. His dialogue—which is telepathic and all done in shouty capitals—was excellent and often highly amusing. I loved him!

There were several other characters I grew to appreciate and as the epic final chapters came to a close, I found myself deeply concerned over their whereabouts and well-being. That's not to say it ends on a cliffhanger—it doesn't—but there are many unanswered questions and threads left unresolved and I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW!

In summation, do I recommend this book? Hells yeah. Who to? I don't know... everyone? I'm not sure who to recommend it to specifically, because it's so unlike anything else with it's blend of genres. Even if you've read Steampunk before that will in no way prepare you for this book. My advice is to just go and buy it, if it's not for you, hand it to your friend and they'll probably read it, love it, and tell you you're a crazy person not to have loved every single syllable. And they'll probably give you a cookie or something. So everyone's a winner.

5 phenomenal Stars ★★★★★
ARC provided for an honest review.

Easy does it.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have read this straight after reading Slammed by Colleen Hoover as it has a similar storyline, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I thought it was quite steamy for a New Adult novel! Emphasis more on sexual tension than actual sex, but it was still pretty high on the smut-o-meter. The romance side of things was good and often sweet, but, being the twisted sister I am, I would have dearly loved for there to have been more emotional drama and turmoil. From the blurb, I was expecting it to be more of a gut-kicker than I ultimately found it to be. Oh well.

I enjoyed both main characters, Lucas and Jacqueline, and indulged in a nice bit of righteous indignation on Jacqueline's behalf when her ex delivered his "It's not you, it's me" speech right at the top of the story. Oyyy, what an asshat he was. As we join Jacqueline in the present, it's been about 3 weeks since this happened and she's still feeling a very raw and is having to adjust to the fact that all her friends were actually all his friends, so the split has disrupted her world in more ways than one. But, on the plus side, this leads her to attend a party where she meets someone who thankfully isn't an asshat, and that was Lucas. He was an interesting character with a mysterious, troubled past that is slowly uncovered by Jacqueline. While I enjoyed reading Lucas' story as it unfolded, I thought the ultimate reveal, the big showdown conversation, was incredibly rushed causing it to lack any real impact. I thought he forgave very easily and it was resolved too quickly.

I would definitely recommend the audio version. The reader was very good and sounded age-appropriate. I should also warn that it features an attempted rape that is described in detail, so definitely a book for older teens.

3.5 Stars ★★★1/2

Although on the surface the concept and ideas behind Crewel are original and intriguing, the flat characterisations made this book a let-down for me. Especially as I'd seen many favourable reviews for it beforehand, which always raises expectations.

It could be best described as a kind of alternate-reality, Matrix-style story, only with much more in the way of pretty dresses and make-up, and less butt-kicking and slow-mo martial arts sequences. I was initially very interested in the Spinsters and their ability to weave reality, and that remains my favourite part of the book, that whole idea. But unfortunately, the rest of the nearly 400 pages were much less inspiring and original, and had a lot of the clichés and plot devices found in so many YA reads.

Essentially, a 'Spinster's' job is to maintain and weave the very fabric and matter of Arras (Arras is Crewel's entire world made up of four sectors) on great looms—making small alterations, moving important people and dignitaries from one sector to another, or removing other, weaker threads (people) or deviants altogether, also known as 'ripping" them, all in an effort to keep the peace and smooth-sailing uniformity intact, as ordered by the Guild. On top of that, there's segregation in force, tight population control and regulations on behaviour and, to a certain extent, free thought. In general, it's a world where, unless you step out of line, it's actually quite peaceful. There's no violence, no wars, people are expected to marry by 18 and start families and live happily ever after. Which is fine, except the whole point of dystopian fiction is to drop you as a reader into a highly uncomfortable, often terrifying, situation, and to really give you that sense of dread, or perhaps just a feeling of righteous indignation, depending on the setting/situation. Unfortunately, Crewel never got deep enough to affect me on that kind of level. I never felt afraid for Adelice—she was in a position of power, after all. That lack of excitement dulled my enjoyment of what looked to be such a promising book, and overall I felt there were many missed opportunities here in favour of overused tropes; Adelice finding out she's the 'chosen one', mean, nasty, power-hungry people trying to control her 'awesome powers', and of course, since this is a YA, a couple of 'hot boys' falling all over themselves to get near her.

I am baffled as to why authors continue with the love triangle idea since I know no one (no one) who really, actively searches for this plot device, and yet I know dozens (do-zens) of people that will mark a book as a DO NOT READ at the mere mention of one. In this case, we were delivered two equally...I'm going to say 'adequate', love interests, although neither of them set my world on fire (far from it). As for the romance between Adelice and the one she chose, it was just blah. It had potential, but it quickly became forced and contrived. We went from one kiss to "I will not live without you. You are my heart," literally overnight.

As protagonists go, Adelice wasn't wholly unlikeable. Neither entirely weak nor truly strong of character, she was easily led and manipulated by those around her and showed little ability to think for herself. Had it not been for her parents' wishes that she hide her gift or attempt to run, she likely would have accepted her lot as another sheep in the flock with nary a complaint.

I also didn't find any of the bad guys very threatening. Maela was particularly one-dimensional; the trademark ageing beauty in a position of power, lashing out at the young upstart through petty, female jealousy and no other motivations. She was weak and inconsistent as a villain.

So to sum up, averaging out the original premise (which I honestly did enjoy), combined with the more unoriginal elements, I've ended up with the middle-of-the-road rating of 3 stars. While I didn't hate the book (although I confess I didn't realise quite how much of it I'd disliked until writing my review) I also didn't love it and wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a good example of YA dystopian fiction. Still, it perhaps would suit younger readers (who are, of course, its intended audience- not 32-year old grumpy cows like me) as they may get more of a kick out of the dressing up, attending balls, and love triangle elements than I did.

3 Stars ★★★
ARC provided for an honest review.

I don't even know...

I'm not sure what to say here. This was an experimental read, if you like. I'd seen lots of people reading and loving it, and even though I was half-way convinced it wouldn't be for me, like a petulant child being left out of a game, I wanted to know what all the fuss was about, and wondered if I just gave it a chance, maybe I'd fall under its spell too.

I didn't. I didn't hate it either, though. I don't have any angry, hateful feelings I need to vent about it. To be honest, I don't feel much; I find myself slightly indifferent. I was somewhat annoyed at how it ended since I don't want to read any more and answers were not provided on certain things, but that's something I can learn to live with because I don't care about the characters enough to lose sleep over it. Also, I found the repetitiveness of Eva's running away and her jealousy irritating.

It think it all comes down to one thing, which is that the sex was just too much for me. (I know, I know, it's erotic romance, what did I expect). Well, I guess I expected not to be so bored by it. It started off quite well; the scene in the limo was particularly steamy, and at that point I was still hopeful I might enjoy it. Nine-hundred sex scenes later, however, it had quickly gone from titillating to tedious and tiresome.

I can't really talk about the plot as there isn't much of one aside from the twisted, obsessive relationship between Gideon and Eva, and the sex. (Oy, the sex). And once I was bored with the sex, there was so little left for me to grasp on to.

It's ironic that a book that is suppose to be so sexy was the biggest turn-off to me. I would literally look at how much of the book was left and think (hope, pray) that surely there can't be any more sex scenes in it now before the end. There's got to be some other big thing that happens at the end, right? Like maybe the answers I wanted? But nope.

I'm sorry to those lovely Goodreaders who helped me decide to give this a go when I was dithering about it. I feel like I've failed some kind of test. But in the future I think I'll stick to my hunky highlanders and fearsome knights. Romance vs Erotica every time..

2 Stars ★★

Another great read by Robb

I'm going to assume that if you're reading a review for book 13 in a series, you already are familiar with it and therefore don't need me to go into what these books are about—just whether or not this one was any good.

It was good. Very good, actually.

We got some progress on the McNab-Peabody situation (two more stubborn people I have never met), and of course Charles as well.

We got some nice scenes with Eve and Roarke. I love how much he worries about Eve when she runs herself into the ground. It's been about a year in book-time since the pair wed now. They are such a great couple.

We got an interesting method of delivery for the crime in that we had knowledge of the killer's games and even their identity way before Eve did. That was different but good. Even though being in a sicko's mind like that is never a fun place to be.

As always, I love reading about how the future technology either helps or hinders Eve in her investigations. In this instance, it was the use of facial putty, synthetic hair and other futuristic enhancements that enabled characters to look totally different and it was very enjoyable to read. ('cause you all know how much Eve loves visits from Trina the beauty technician, right?)

It was another great Audio production as well, with one caveat—Susan Ericksen seems to have totally changed how she does Peabody's voice. It used to sound quite nasally and, well, a bit odd, but now she sounds just like Eve which makes it difficult when they are conversing since Robb isn't one for using he said/she said in her rapid-fire dialogue sections. Are you trying to confuse me, Susan, because I will not be bamboozled, dognammit!

Ahem. Sorry.

4 Stars!
★★★★

Light and fluffy

Office romances can be hell, and falling for your boss is rarely a good idea. Getting on the wrong side of the office bitch? Even worse. Throw in a basement full of demons and a complicated romance where your hunky fella is just as likely to have you killed as kiss you, and you've got a good idea of the kind of madcap story you'll be getting with TEMPING IS HELL.

Your main characters are Kate (the temp), Thomas (boss man big), Maggie (office tramp) and a few other tertiary characters including one particularly likeable demon called Slim. But really, for me, this was the Kate show. Her character made this book what is was, and I really enjoyed her narration and dialogue. She was witty, sarcastic and funny, but I also appreciated her showing her competence and ability within her job (her 'mad filing skills,' as she called them) and her willingness to work hard. The latter was enough to compensate for her smart mouth and unprofessional attitude.

TEMPING IS HELL was just a little too fluffy for my tastes. More Chick Lit + demons than true Urban Fantasy with any kind of worldbuilding of note. I also don't think the story is substantial enough to warrant a series. Most of the way through the book I'd assumed it would be a stand alone novel with a nice, if predictable, conclusion. As I got to the last 20% and realised it wasn't going to wrap up, I was disappointed.

Do I recommend TEMPING IS HELL? Well, if you're just dipping your toe into this genre for the first time and want something easy breezy to get you started, then yes. It's a quick, easy and entertaining way to spend a few hours. For true Urban Fantasy fans who prefer grittier stories with more substance, action and worldbuilding, then no. I think you will find it lacking.

2.5 Stars ★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I found this to be a thoroughly pleasant, if somewhat tame, time travel romance.

Initially it took a bit of getting into. I did think the time it took for the heroine to get thrown back in time was a little long-winded and drawn out and I found myself wishing for it to hurry along. With these kinds of books, if you know the time jump is coming then it's much better to get to it quickly in my opinion. Any delay tactics only serve to aggravate and possibly cause readers to lose interest. It took roughly 4 or 5 chapters for me to be genuinely invested in this book, which was a tad too long, I think.

The characters were mostly well thought out and developed. The romance was a slow-building one and felt authentic and sweet. The scenes at the festival were particularly enjoyable and that's when I truly grew attached to both of the main characters. There was an incident shortly after this which nearly changed my mind completely about one of them, and it unfortunately cooled my affection considerably from then on. Also, if I'm totally honest, I would have liked more in the way of love scenes after waiting so long. In terms of raunchiness, this book is definitely pre-watershed in it's detail and content.

The secondary characters were quite good also. The two nieces Skylar and Aubrey were sweet, and a complete contrast to their cousin, Catherine, who was a rather nasty piece of work, if slightly predictable in her feminine scheming. The descriptions of day to day life felt very peaceful and beatific. As I said, it was all very pleasant.

This book uses many of the plot devices I have seen before with time travel romances: The druid magic, stepping through time by way of a stone henge or stone circle, and it always happens at Beltane or Samhain it seems. I am really looking forward to the day someone comes up with a new idea in this area as it's getting a bit overdone now.

There was a mystery to solve along the way, which whilst not nail-bitingly gripping, was certainly unusual and interesting. The use of the runes and the connections there prevented this from being completely predictable, and, all in all, I found myself enchanted by the sweet nature of the characters and the romance. It made a refreshing change to the ones who are in bed together after 24 hours of meeting, but, as mentioned before, after waiting so long I would have liked more scenes of a romantic nature.

Verdict: If you like historical romances, with a bit of magic thrown in, and are perhaps a bit tired of over the top sex scenes, then this should be right up your street.