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stormywolf's reviews
814 reviews
Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I picked this up completely by chance. Never having read anything by Nora Roberts, I only know what I've heard from friends and family (who read her almost religiously) and the fact that her books are literally everywhere. Honestly, I was more interested in reading her new dragons series, but as that is still a series-in-progress, I decided to try another of her semi-recent completed fantasy series as my official introduction to the bestselling romance genre. Plus it fulfills one of the prompts for this year's reading challenge, so even if I didn't like it it's still a win.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was definitely a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I enjoyed the setting, the quest, the wide variety of fantasy staples, and most of the characters, including the villain; but on the other hand I was disappointed by the primary draw of the story, it's main romantic couple and their relationship. I guess the best I can do is continue on with the second book in the trilogy and hope my expectations have been sufficiently tempered to better gauge the series as a whole. Despite my disappointment, I'm still looking forward to exploring these characters' relationships and seeing where this quest ends off. So until then, in these dark times may the light keep us and bless us all.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was definitely a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I enjoyed the setting, the quest, the wide variety of fantasy staples, and most of the characters, including the villain; but on the other hand I was disappointed by the primary draw of the story, it's main romantic couple and their relationship. I guess the best I can do is continue on with the second book in the trilogy and hope my expectations have been sufficiently tempered to better gauge the series as a whole. Despite my disappointment, I'm still looking forward to exploring these characters' relationships and seeing where this quest ends off. So until then, in these dark times may the light keep us and bless us all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
One of the sex scenes is described as being very rough, angry, unhinged, and while both parties are technically consenting, it is not described as a wholly happy or controlled experience.
Also, a dog is injured during a battle, but is treated for its wounds and is fine afterwards.
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I came across this one while scanning the Quirk back-catalog, and then saw that it's the first in a series with a 3rd book recently released. Pop culture, con culture, romance, and a fairytale retelling? Yes, please!
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, there's not much more I can say about how I loved this book. Despite knowing the original story inside and out, Poston wove just enough unique elements in and around and through it to craft a newly enjoyable experience. Whether you enjoy romance, YA, pop culture, Hollywood, fairytales, or just geeking out about things you like, there's no doubt you'll find something to love about this story. And I hear the next books do more with Starfield and, so I don't doubt I'll be running with Stargunners again in the near future. Until then, look to the stars. Aim. Ignite. ...And read.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, there's not much more I can say about how I loved this book. Despite knowing the original story inside and out, Poston wove just enough unique elements in and around and through it to craft a newly enjoyable experience. Whether you enjoy romance, YA, pop culture, Hollywood, fairytales, or just geeking out about things you like, there's no doubt you'll find something to love about this story. And I hear the next books do more with Starfield and, so I don't doubt I'll be running with Stargunners again in the near future. Until then, look to the stars. Aim. Ignite. ...And read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Car accident
The Specials by Kel Pollard
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Chosen at random from my extensive library of free Kindle e-books I've acquired over the years, this one looked to be an interesting YA stand-alone. Three teens suddenly find themselves with super powers and an evil secret organization bearing down on them—sounds like some campy fun, right?
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I can't really recommend anyone purchase this book. While not technically bad in the sense of typos, grammar, or problematic content, it suffers from unlikable characters, cheesy dialog, poor research, and a plot I've seen done better dozens of times. That said, the story was short, took me only about 4 hours to read, and it's available for free with Kindle Unlimited, so I guess this is something quick and easy to breeze through if you're looking for that sort of thing. I often recommend these types of books as case studies or inspiration joggers, which I guess I can do again. I think I just felt a bit let down that, despite the title, this one didn't give me anything special.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I can't really recommend anyone purchase this book. While not technically bad in the sense of typos, grammar, or problematic content, it suffers from unlikable characters, cheesy dialog, poor research, and a plot I've seen done better dozens of times. That said, the story was short, took me only about 4 hours to read, and it's available for free with Kindle Unlimited, so I guess this is something quick and easy to breeze through if you're looking for that sort of thing. I often recommend these types of books as case studies or inspiration joggers, which I guess I can do again. I think I just felt a bit let down that, despite the title, this one didn't give me anything special.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content and Kidnapping
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle
4.0
Audiobook Read by Bahni Turpin
Unabridged Length: 11.7 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a good audiobook to clarify pronunciations, especially of the Ghizoni language which comes up often, but possibly not for the audio-only crowd. Ms. Turpin does a phenomenal job bringing Rue's voice to life, but perhaps a little too good. Due to the lack of clarity between the main character's internal thoughts and her spoken dialogue, at least to my ear, I don't know that it would be the easiest to listen to without the text showing which is which.
Unabridged Length: 11.7 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a good audiobook to clarify pronunciations, especially of the Ghizoni language which comes up often, but possibly not for the audio-only crowd. Ms. Turpin does a phenomenal job bringing Rue's voice to life, but perhaps a little too good. Due to the lack of clarity between the main character's internal thoughts and her spoken dialogue, at least to my ear, I don't know that it would be the easiest to listen to without the text showing which is which.
Wings of Ebony by J. Elle
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I believe I found this one through Facebook and/or new release emails from my library. Since reading Legendborn last year I'm really interested in reading fantasy woven into and around Black traditions and experiences. Other than reading the summary blurb, I really had no idea what I was getting into, or just how much this book would dig its claws into me.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I highly recommend this book. This was the first book about the Black experience and systemic racism that had me legitimately questioning my own views and prejudices by offering some conflicts in shades of gray. As a debut novel, there are some rough edges still to be worked out, but I'm trusting details (like with magic and the title of the book) will be further addressed in the upcoming sequel(s). If you're interested in or looking to get into YA fantasy, social justice reform, Afrofuturism, or other subjects concerning Black experiences, this one is definitely worth a read. I, for one, am definitely going to be returning to this series as soon as I can.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I highly recommend this book. This was the first book about the Black experience and systemic racism that had me legitimately questioning my own views and prejudices by offering some conflicts in shades of gray. As a debut novel, there are some rough edges still to be worked out, but I'm trusting details (like with magic and the title of the book) will be further addressed in the upcoming sequel(s). If you're interested in or looking to get into YA fantasy, social justice reform, Afrofuturism, or other subjects concerning Black experiences, this one is definitely worth a read. I, for one, am definitely going to be returning to this series as soon as I can.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide and Blood
Minor: Bullying, Child death, and Grief
Soulless by Gail Carriger
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I've had this one on my To-Read shelf since forever. Being a sucker for werewolves and vampires, the premise hooked me from the get-go, plus that cover image was perfection. I bought a used copy of it ages ago, but never quite got around to diving in until this month the Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club chose it as their next read (the club's review/discussion will be held March 15th at 5:30 PDT on her channel for any interested). Though I'm more on Team Werewolf than Team Vamp, this excuse was as good as any to finally take the plunge and start my first ever Steampunk series. And boy was it steamy.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a fun and funny foray into a combination urban fantasy, historical romance, cozy mystery. Whether you've picked a side in the age-old supernatural debate, or are keeping both avenues open, there's plenty of fang-filled lore to sink your teeth into, and characters of both persuasions to fall for. Having been published over a decade ago, along with being set more than a century ago, there are undoubtedly some uncomfortable references and ideologies that come up, but I still have faith that more positive messages will come forth as the series progresses. So if you're up for some Victorian-age snark with a side of steampunk and a lot of bite, I'd recommend checking out Soulless tonight.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, this was a fun and funny foray into a combination urban fantasy, historical romance, cozy mystery. Whether you've picked a side in the age-old supernatural debate, or are keeping both avenues open, there's plenty of fang-filled lore to sink your teeth into, and characters of both persuasions to fall for. Having been published over a decade ago, along with being set more than a century ago, there are undoubtedly some uncomfortable references and ideologies that come up, but I still have faith that more positive messages will come forth as the series progresses. So if you're up for some Victorian-age snark with a side of steampunk and a lot of bite, I'd recommend checking out Soulless tonight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Blood
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Minor: Misogyny and Racism
Hate crimes/experimentation & racism are committed against supernatural beings. The main character is taught by her mother (& society?) to believe she is unattractive because of her tan skin and large nose, owing to her Italian father, and she curses her skin/nose/attitude and her Italian blood throughout the book.
Soulless by Gail Carriger
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Audiobook Read by Emily Gray
Unabridged Length: 10.8 Hours
Listened at 1.75x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a pleasure from beginning to end. If you're like me and worry about getting names right, or just love hearing a British accent in your ear, I'd highly recommend giving this audio a try. And I'll be looking forward to continuing the series with Ms. Gray soon!
Unabridged Length: 10.8 Hours
Listened at 1.75x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a pleasure from beginning to end. If you're like me and worry about getting names right, or just love hearing a British accent in your ear, I'd highly recommend giving this audio a try. And I'll be looking forward to continuing the series with Ms. Gray soon!
Lightbringer by Claire Legrand
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've made no effort to hide how much Kingsbane's ending affected me. In fact, I've mentioned in several other reviews how depressed I was, and how I didn't plan on ever reading it again, regardless of my tradition of rereading series leading up to the latest book. It was really thanks to the audiobook that I ended up revisiting both Furyborn and Kingsbane, partly to refresh myself on the characters, but mostly so I could give a review of the audio throughout the series. And I will say, thanks in part to the year of letting my wounds heal, and having the expectation of devastation in my mind throughout the reread, I entered into this final chapter with a bit more hope than I last left off.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, Lightbringer had some dark turns, but as a certain Prophet once said, "To rise, first one must burn," and this definitely turned up the heat. I didn't talk too much about the nitty gritty of the plot or the twists of this book, but honestly I didn't want to spoil more than I did. Just know that I was gripped at every step of the way, and had this not been a 12-hour read, I would have tried to devour it all in one go. I don't know that I'll be returning to dark fantasy soon, but for anyone who is a fan or is looking to dip their toes into the dark waters, I'd definitely recommend this trilogy. If you were as disheartened as I was after the second book, I can't promise it'll get easier to deal with the loss, but just as the title suggests, light is on the horizon if you can hang in there through the dark. And if nothing else, you can always let your hunger to see Corien suffer drive you forward.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, Lightbringer had some dark turns, but as a certain Prophet once said, "To rise, first one must burn," and this definitely turned up the heat. I didn't talk too much about the nitty gritty of the plot or the twists of this book, but honestly I didn't want to spoil more than I did. Just know that I was gripped at every step of the way, and had this not been a 12-hour read, I would have tried to devour it all in one go. I don't know that I'll be returning to dark fantasy soon, but for anyone who is a fan or is looking to dip their toes into the dark waters, I'd definitely recommend this trilogy. If you were as disheartened as I was after the second book, I can't promise it'll get easier to deal with the loss, but just as the title suggests, light is on the horizon if you can hang in there through the dark. And if nothing else, you can always let your hunger to see Corien suffer drive you forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was not the best time to read this through. Then again, I don't know if there's ever a good time to read a book like this, but definitely not when you're already feeling depressed. It's not uncommon for the 2nd book in a trilogy to be more depressing than the first, what with needing to set up for the more triumphant finale, but this one, I think, takes it to a new extreme. I mean, I don't even think Catching Fire (The Hunger Games) was this disheartening.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I think Kingsbane was well written, though maybe a little slow in places, and a great character study in how love, and grief and fear can shape people. Both story and characters are detailed and complex, and every chapter knows just how to end to where you want to get back to their story as quick as possible. Of course, you end up feeling that way for both storylines, so you're stuck reading the book as written. If you were intrigued by the first book, you'll definitely want to continue their stories, but I might recommend waiting until the next book is out so you're not left in so much despair for so long...
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I think Kingsbane was well written, though maybe a little slow in places, and a great character study in how love, and grief and fear can shape people. Both story and characters are detailed and complex, and every chapter knows just how to end to where you want to get back to their story as quick as possible. Of course, you end up feeling that way for both storylines, so you're stuck reading the book as written. If you were intrigued by the first book, you'll definitely want to continue their stories, but I might recommend waiting until the next book is out so you're not left in so much despair for so long...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gun violence
A good bit of the murder/death is either fantasy (a character snapping a character into ashes or summoning fire at them) or done during battle/war.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is one helluva ride. Switching between the perspectives of two formidable women, it was never easy to put this book down, and I loved it.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
I wouldn't call the ending a major cliffhanger, but there's definitely a lot still left to resolve. Rielle's story hasn't yet caught up to the prologue (and I assume not everything is as it seems), and there's a war on the horizon. And Eliana's story is veering off in a new direction entirely. If I didn't already love this book, I'd be pissed at it pulling me into another incomplete series. I eagerly await Ms. Legrand's next installment.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
I wouldn't call the ending a major cliffhanger, but there's definitely a lot still left to resolve. Rielle's story hasn't yet caught up to the prologue (and I assume not everything is as it seems), and there's a war on the horizon. And Eliana's story is veering off in a new direction entirely. If I didn't already love this book, I'd be pissed at it pulling me into another incomplete series. I eagerly await Ms. Legrand's next installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Torture, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Grief
There is an arranged marriage set to take place between first-cousins (royalty), but it doesn't happen in this book