whatsheread's reviews
2207 reviews

MONSTROUS NIGHTS by Genoveva Dimova is another thoroughly enjoyable series conclusion. Everything about The Witch's Compendium of Monsters series is fun and weird. Seriously, Slavic mythology is dark and just so fitting with its people that you can't help but enjoy yourself while reading about it. 

MONSTROUS NIGHTS picks up six months after the end of the first book, and both Kosara and Asen struggle with the new normal now that the wall no longer separates their two countries. Kosara remains as irreverent as always, which I adore. She doesn't take herself too seriously, knows when she is in over her head, and is still willing to do what it takes to save her people and her city. That is a dedication to one's roots that you just don't come across these days. 

Kosara and Asen together again is every bit as enjoyable and sweet as you want it to be. There is an awkwardness that one expects because of their unspoken feelings towards each other, but Kosara is not a young, blushing maiden. Both are adults and act like the adults they are. Their story's conclusion is as satisfying as you hope it will be.

With MONSTROUS NIGHTS, I can safely say that I will read anything Ms. Dimova publishes in the future. Her writing style is breezy and effortless. Her use of her Slavic heritage is a refreshing change from Greek or Norse mythology, and her characters are memorable. She knows how to build her world in an evocative way without bogging down the action. Besides, once you read about a ghost riding a flying soup cauldron across an enchanted sea, you just can't help but fall in love with the mind that thought of it.

52 books into the series and J. D. Robb continues to amaze me at her creativity and story-telling ability. In FAITHLESS IN DEATH, she has Eve take on a religious cult. Given its publication date of 2021, I find it amusing that one could, if one so desired, look at a certain red-hatted fan base as the inspiration for said cult. Inspiration only, as The Natural Order is not harmless and goes way beyond our red-hatted compatriots. 

As always, Ms. Robb keeps a good balance between the darkness of the cult and the lightness that includes Eve and her chosen family. You need that because what Eve uncovers is as dark as it gets. Not anywhere nearly as graphic as previous books in the series, but there should be trigger warnings for the more sensitive reader. We get to see what Mavis and Leonardo have been up to for the first time in a while, and Eve and Roarke's reactions are priceless.  

Having listened to a majority of the series in the last two years, you would think I would be tired of the series. Yet, while FAITHLESS IN DEATH follows the same formula as the rest, it continues to surprise and delight in not only what Eve must discover but how and why. No two stories are the same, and that is one of the reasons I keep listening to the series. Plus, none of the characters remain stagnant, as is often the case in detective series. Instead, Eve is far from the relationship-adverse, hard-edged loner we first meet, just as Roarke is no longer the aloof and cagey businessman. If anything, Eve and Roarke are a great example of a relationship that grows and matures over time, just as Eve's ability to solve the unsolvable crime is a reminder that there are still good guys out there fighting for those who can no longer speak for themselves. The series provides hope in a world that feels too hopeless at times. 

EXILED BY IRON by Ehigbor Okosun is a great example of a series, in this case, The Tainted Blood Duology, that starts strong and ends with a whimper. I adored the first book. Everything about it kept me on the edge of my seat, from the new-to-me mythology to the setting to the characters. I thought the world-building was solid, and the characters grew into the roles as they discovered more about their world. 

EXILED BY IRON did not have that. For one thing, there is way too much happening for a satisfactory conclusion. At one point in time, Dèmi laments how many issues she has to deal with, and I feel the same way. For a series ender, there were too many new problems introduced for any of them to obtain a satisfactory ending. Not only did these new problems crowd an already complex story, but this meant that the action was nonstop. Seriously, no one can jump from fire to frying pan to open flame grill to pizza oven and back to the fire again without a break, but that is exactly what Ms. Okosun forces the reader to experience. It is overwhelming.

To make matters worse, in EXILED BY IRON, Dèmi never learns. She repeats her mistakes over and over and over again. Everyone who loves her tells her the same damn thing, and she ignores every single person. In one scene, a goddess tells her to stop rushing into situations, to which she agrees. Not one page later, she rushes into a situation without stopping to think through the consequences or formulate a plan. All this rushing only compounds her issues. It is frustrating, and it makes you question a) her intelligence and b) why so many people are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. In my opinion, based solely on her behavior and actions in this book, she isn't worth it. 

EXILED BY IRON is a bloated, slow-moving conclusion to what was an exciting story. Dèmi is so aggravating that I spent a large amount of time controlling my temper and trying not to throw my Kindle across the room. It is way too long with all the additional problems she faces. In the end, the conclusion is not satisfying enough to be a reward for the slog through the story. Because the series started so well, I know that Ms. Okosun can write well and produce epic stories. Unfortunately, EXILED BY IRON is not an example of that writing skill. 

According to the publisher, Emily Varga's FOR SHE IS WRATH is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. It is not a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. While the latter is an epic, intricate, decades-long crusade for revenge, FOR SHE IS WRATH is its opposite. Sure, it happens to be about revenge, and the main character spends time in prison for something she did not do, but that is where the similarities end. While it is still an enjoyable read, FOR SHE IS WRATH is nowhere close to the scope of The Count of Monte Cristo. To say so does both books a disservice.

Despite that one quibble, FOR SHE IS WRATH is a revenge story with a good growth arc. While there are no major surprises and you never fear for Dania's life, it provides a decent lesson about the dangers and futility of vengeance as life's purpose. The lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers plotline is intriguing and written well, even if you deduce the hows and whys of Mazin's betrayal long before Dania does. 

FOR SHE IS WRATH is also another instance where there is only one person in all the world with the brains, the wealth, the ambition, and the power to topple an empire, and it just happens to be our barely-out-of-the-teenagerdom heroine. If you can accept that, and the somewhat heavy-handed vengeance lesson, then FOR SHE IS WRATH is an enjoyable, quick read that doesn't require much from the reader. And sometimes, that is exactly what you need. 

You know that feeling when you are reading a book, and you don't want to stop reading because the story is so good but you don't want to keep reading either because you are an emotional wreck and slightly afraid of what the author has in store for the characters you have grown to love? The feeling that leaves you positively buzzed upon finishing the book, unwilling to pick up something new to make that feeling last longer? That reader's high we hope to achieve with every book we open? That is my experience with Kendare Blake's WARRIOR OF LEGEND. 

While I thought the first book in the Heromaker duology was good and kept my interest enough to want to finish the series, WARRIOR OF LEGEND blew my mind. I was unprepared for the emotional roller coaster that would become Reed's story. Ms. Blake is not kind to her heroines, and Reed's journey is rough. While the current conclusion of that journey did not make me happy, I understand why it had to happen. There was no other ending that would fit who Reed becomes by the end of the novel. Plus, I console myself that Ms. Blake leaves certain threads open for the possibility of further stories in this world. 

Filled with action and adventure, love, prophecy, magic, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, WARRIOR OF LEGEND is most impressive because there is not one single character who is a shining beacon of morality and goodness. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has acted in a way that others would consider evil. It makes for an interesting character study because how do you know the main character is truly the hero? Nothing is easy in Reed's world, particularly if you attempt to break down its characters into good and bad categories. 

While so much of WARRIOR OF LEGEND is dark and emotionally taxing, there are moments of fun as well. All of Reed's interactions with Hestion are bright spots. But her attempts to be a matchmaker are the truly entertaining moments of the story. Everything about those scenes, from the outfit with bells to her attempts at coquetry and femininity are fantastic and do much to ease some of the heaviness of the overarching story. 

The Heromake duology may start slowly, but I assure you that with WARRIOR OF LEGEND, it ends with a bang. I've been an admirer of Ms. Blake's books for some time now, but with her latest, I think she truly shines. She may put her characters through the wringer, but she does so with a purpose that never feels false or forced. Her minor characters are equally as engaging and memorable. Her world-building is exacting without detracting from the action or plot progression. Lastly, her ability to get you to feel empathy for people who are simply not good is outstanding. As the last book I read for 2024, I have to say I certainly ended the year on the highest of reading highs. 

For a debut novel, DAUGHTER OF CHAOS by A. S. Webb isn't terrible. Unfortunately, it's not all that great either. The good barely outweighs the bad. That is not simply because I am a sucker for all things about the ancient Greek Pantheon. Ms. Webb's spin on the Greek gods, their demi-god offspring, and various heroes is refreshing and unique, and that is what got me through its weaker moments. 

Sadly, the story has some major weaknesses, the largest being the main character. Danae should be likable. The audience should not just relate to her but root for her as the underdog she is. She loves her family more than anything, and her entire journey is one where her end goal is to get back to them. Except, Danae is flat. She shows little growth other than becoming a little more streetwise. Her inner monologues are boring and bordering on repetitive. She doubts herself, questions her power, and then somehow uses that same power to save herself. I never felt any kinship with Danae, and I never thought her life was in peril, no matter how many life-or-death situations she encounters. 

Making that lack of genuine feeling towards the main character even worse is Ms. Webb's writing style. It is clunky but overly simplistic. She spends too much time telling the audience about Danae's world and not enough time showing them. This gorgeous backdrop of Ancient Greece becomes as flat as a scrim and equally boring. The entire reading experience becomes uninspired and something to get through versus an experience of the senses. 

What grabbed my interest and kept me reading DAUGHTER OF CHAOS was the minor characters and the glimpses of the gods we get. From the first mention of Demeter and the sacrifices she requires, Ms. Webb hints that there is more than what Danae knows or understands about the gods. Every time Danae runs into someone or something that is famous (or infamous) in Greek mythology, that feeling grows stronger. By the time we meet Heracles, there is no doubt that, from Ms. Webb's perspective, these are not the myths you are used to reading. Whether she shows the gods and goddesses acting in very ungodlike manners or shows the heroes to be more (or less) than their stories of greatness, that interest in the novel grows. Forget Danae and her search for answers. It's Heracles and Jason and Atalanta and Pollux and Castor who are the shining stars of the story. 

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is not the smartest, most well-written, or captivating story you will read, but it is entertaining. The story has numerous issues, but the bones are there for something special. Will I keep reading the series? Yes, I plan to continue with it despite my gripes because the basic plot is good, and it kept my interest. Most debut authors show improvement in their craft with subsequent stories, and that is my hope here as well. While DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is okay, with the right feedback and practice, The Dark Pantheon series could be great. 

A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS is the type of story that urges you to keep reading longer than you should even while it fills you with so many differing emotions that it hurts you physically. As always, Adrienne Young's writing is perfect. She captures the haunting beauty of Northern California so well that it becomes a side character, driving the characters' behaviors and serving as an ominous yet mesmerizing witness to everything James uncovers. The plot proceeds at the right pace, neither too slow to bog down the story nor too fast to prevent adequate resolution. James Golden, as the main character, shows growth in even the few weeks over which the story occurs and remains motivated by a fascinating blend of loyalty and love that don't always work together. Plus, that little touch of gothic she infuses into the storyline adds that little extra to make her latest story truly special. I believe A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS is Ms. Young's best novel to date. I've long been a fan of her stories, but with this one, she earns her place on my "automatic buy" list. I can't think of a better novel with which to start the new year. 

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is a gorgeous piece of historical fiction befitting the beauty and elegance of its main character. Told in an almost poetic manner, it follows the story of Xishi, one of China's famed Four Beauties, as she moves from tiny village to imperial palace and from shy maiden to favorite concubine. It is a revenge story as much as a love, historical, or coming-of-age story, and its ending will haunt you long after you finish reading. 

While A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS does not contain much character development, any such growth in Fanli or Fuchai is unnecessary to the story because, simply put, it isn't their story. A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is Xishi's story. In it, Ms. Liang focuses on how Xishi's actions impact her thoughts and feelings rather than what she does for her people.   

When we first meet Xishi, she is a simple girl from a poor family in a poor village still recovering from the previous war between the Kingdoms of Yue and Wu and grieving her little sister's death at the hands of Wu warriors. To her, her beauty is an imposition, a cruelty of fate that causes her more hardship than pleasure, forcing her to hide from the world to avoid extra unwanted attention. 

By the time the book closes, Xishi is more than that simple village girl. She has come to accept her beauty and wield it like a weapon Fanli wants her to be. More importantly, she understands and recognizes that the real ills of the world are not found in one person or kingdom. Moreover, she recognizes the mind-f*ckery that is her role in Fanli's plan, and, like everything in life, our impressions and beliefs about ourselves and others are a matter of perception of reality as we see it. 

Her character development is a subtle growth, as Xishi spends much of the novel alone with her thoughts and dreams. A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is not an action novel. While there are some scenes during which fighting occurs, there are no epic battle sequences to entertain the reader. Instead, readers must sit with Xishi as she contemplates her fate and her growing awareness that monsters as humans rarely exist.

One of the adaptations Ms. Liang makes with A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is her timeline compression of Xishi's story. While the Internet tells me that Xishi's training with Fanli took three years and her time with Fuchai in the Wu kingdom lasted twenty years, Ms. Liang's version sees Xishi's entire story cut down to no more than three years. This time compression does make a few things more difficult to accept, namely her love for Fanli, and her. accomplishments in the Wu kingdom. Her love for Fanli feels like insta-love, which is always difficult to stomach. Meanwhile, her time at Fuchai's side feels brief, which lessens her sacrifice. Given that we see almost none of her machinations and maneuverings within the imperial palace, it is easy for readers to scoff at her purpose and her achievements as part of the Yue revenge plot. 

Despite the odd flow of time, I finished A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS blown away by its beauty and tragic ending. I like that Fuchai is not a complex character, no matter how odd Xishi finds it. I love that Fanli hides his feelings away from himself and the world. It makes any emotional outburst of his much more powerful. I appreciate Xishi coming to realize that not only is revenge seldom the answer, but also that sometimes the monster isn't the enemy you think it is. The last scene with Fuchai is as poetic as it is bleak, and Xishi's fate left me unable to sleep as I contemplated its place within the story. A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is not a complex story, and its simplicity is what makes it so powerful

Not at all what I expected from Ms. Moreno-Garcia. The Seventh Veil of Salome is a straight historical fiction story that includes imagined scenes from the Bible. I loved the look at old-school Hollywood. The ending is rushed and a bit of a letdown with one aspect of the story left dangling. Still, it highlights Ms. Moreno-Garcia's writing skills and reaffirms her strong story-telling ability. 

This entire story is just wrong. Lady Macbeth, in this instance, is not a strong woman urging her husband to grab more power. She wasn't even middle-aged or experienced. Instead, she's a young virgin terrified of pretty much everything, including her own shadow. She is weak and not nearly as intelligent as she thinks she is. Supposedly, this is a feminist version of Shakespeare's character, but I think there was nothing wrong with the original character. She's one of the strongest, most independent female characters in his canon, and Ms. Reid turns the character on its head to make her weaker and less feminist. Plus, there is this weird hatred for all things Scottish threaded throughout the story that makes you wonder what happened to Ms. Reid to deserve the hate. It's been such a long time since I was this disappointed in a book.