Dark Breaks the Dawn: 4 Stars

Author: Sara B. Larson
Length: 320 pgs.

I really enjoyed this book, and didn’t want to put it down. It’s been a while since a fantasy novel grabbed me, but this did the trick. The writing is beautiful, and makes me want to go back and read that copy of Defy (also by Sara Larson) that’s been on my kindle for 3+ years and I haven’t gotten to. I loved reading about the differences between the Light and Dark Draiolon, their respective kingdoms and rulers, and how magic works in this world. With so many books in this genre sometimes they tend to blur together so I appreciate an author’s attempt to lend some uniqueness to their story.

The heroine, Evelayn, is immediately likeable. She’s determined, strong, and it’s easy to feel for her after she suffers the devastating loss of both her parents in a decade long war. Her magic doesn’t come easy to her but she has no choice but to take a crash course in order to take up the fight against the relentless King Bain.

The love story introduced in this book is charming and pleasant. Larson gives us the satisfaction of letting it play out naturally, not hindering it with the popular use of inner conflict that prevents so many book couples from ever getting together. Unfortunately this is only the first book of a duology, so while we get to see two likeable people fall in love, we’re not given the security of knowing they’ll have their happily ever after.

The story took a few turns that definitely gave me the creeps: a foreboding agreement of sorts between the Queen and a magical entity who will one day collect on an unnamed favor, a Dark prince who has something brewing behind the scenes, a general sense that danger is lurking just outside of our peripheral vision. Larson is excellent at propelling the story towards a disturbing and cliffhanger climax.

I’m glad I picked this up as I initially had brushed it off as yet another YA fantasy novel. Will definitely read the next one!

Scythe (Arc of a Sycthe #1): 4 Stars

Author: Neal Shusterman

Scythe tells the story of a far-off future, one in which nobody dies because they can undergo a procedure called “turning the corner” and become any age they want, virtually starting life over again to marry again, have more children, etc. As a result of this, Scythes are created to enforce population control. Scythes are the chosen few whose duty it is to, er, “remove” people from the living. Murder doesn’t exist in this world, so the word used to describe a Scythe’s duties is called “gleaning”. You can live forever in this world, or you can be one of the unlucky who is chosen for gleaning and find yourself face to face with a Scythe who will kill you, then maybe pick up some groceries and go home to eat their dinner. Understandably, most people fear and avoid Scythes like the plague.

Both Rowan and Citra are teenagers who find themselves face to face with a Scythe, but not to be gleaned. Their encounters with this Scythe send their lives in a much different direction than either of them anticipated, and they end up in a joint apprenticeship competing to be a “junior Scythe”. One of the benefits of becoming a Scythe is immunity from gleaning for your loved ones, so Rowan and Citra keep this in their heads as they struggle to accept the bizarre path they’ve both been set upon.

The premise itself is enough to keep you reading until things start to get REALLY interesting. Imagine rogue Scythes, who view their position as one of power, performing “mass gleanings” in shopping malls, on airplanes, in religious sanctuaries. Mass murder would be the word we’d use today, but in the Scythe’s world, it is entirely justified. Or is it?

An unexpected series of events puts Rowan and Citra at odds, and I have to admit I didn’t see about 80% of the following events coming at ALL. More than once I said aloud “oh shit!” while listening to the audiobook and its excellent narrator, in response to the shocking moments that pepper the story. Neal Shusterman is an absolute creative genius; giving very different emotions, feelings, memories, and opinions to many different colorful characters. And though this story is set in the far-off future, humans are very much the same, which made me feel unsure about what direction the storyline would take-since being technologically advanced obviously doesn’t guarantee that we’re any wiser or make better decisions.

I was guessing up until the end, which was both satisfying and a delicious cliffhanger of sorts, showing us what choices the characters might be making in the next chapter of their separate lives. It perfectly sets up the second book in the series, Thunderhead.

Definitely recommend and I can see why this one got all the stars from other readers!

The Long Way Down (Daniel Faust #1): 5 Stars

Author: Craig Shaeffer
Length: 374 pgs.
The Long Way Down is one of those books that I’ve had on my TBR forever, was FREE to me with Kindle Unlimited, and I just kept putting it off and putting it off – despite the great reviews, despite wanting to “get to it eventually”, etc. etc. Then finally I canceled my KU subscription, and with the impending date of cancellation just a week away, I decided to take advantage of it and FINALLY start the Daniel Faust series.

And so of course it is AMAZING and heart-stopping, tragic and shocking; a roller-coaster of emotions and just EVERYTHING.

I read and enjoyed the author’s Harmony Black series (books 1-3) but to be honest, they have nothing on book #1 in the Daniel Faust series. I was hooked immediately, when within the first few pages Daniel comes face to face with a fractured soul-ghost thingy in the sewers. The rest of the story plays out like a well-written blockbuster movie, complete with a romantic sub-plot, moments that make you gasp in surprise and horror, obstacles you’re not sure the main character can overcome, and an unrelenting countdown to the end of the world.

One of the thoughts I had while reading the book is that I really like Daniel Faust. He’s a kind, good person who sticks up for his friends and does the right thing – even in the face of seemingly unsurmountable odds. His complete likeability would have saved the book from an unfortunate plot or less-than-stellar writing, but neither of these things exist in The Long Way Down. From beginning to end, it pulls at your heart-strings, scares you, disturbs you, and more than satisfies any craving one might have for a great urban fantasy novel.

Shaeffer’s creativity is mind-blowing. The things that he comes up with, whether it’s a small detail or a complex conspiracy, are unfathomable to me. I guess this is why he’s the writer and I’m the reader. I’m good with that arrangement.

Dark Pleasures (Pure/Dark Ones #4): 4 Stars

Author: Aja James

I was kindly given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Dark Pleasures tells Devlin Sinclair’s story. Devlin is the sexy, somewhat smart-alecky Dark One we’ve gotten glimpses of in the past 2 books. Half the fun of the Pure/Dark Ones series is that (unless you ruin it by reading the blurb) you don’t know whose story is going to be coming up next. The other half of the fun is reading the books, which continue to pique my interest and keep me ravenous for more information.

The female star of this book is Grace Darling, who’s an unlikely heroine as someone with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. She lives alone and abides by a strict schedule, with only her aunt to check in on her. She likes it that way, too, until she meets Devlin. Grace’s interaction with Devlin confuses her, because emotions aren’t second nature to Grace. She’s a hacker, and her mind works in scientific and mathematical ways. I won’t ruin it here but the way that Grace and Devlin first begin their “relationship” is hilarious. If only it could be so cut and dry for all of us as it is for Grace!

The story differs here from previous books because Ms. Aja James usually makes us wait for the male/female main characters to end up in bed together – this book starts out with a bang (badum-dum!) but that’s certainly not the end of it. And in addition to Grace & Devlin’s storyline we get a peek at some of our other favorite characters. In true Aja fashion we only get to see a little of this here, and little of that there-just enough to whet our appetite for more. It’s hard to say too much without giving spoilers, but know that some of your favorite side characters from recent books pop up just enough to drop a few more revelations. You think you have some things figured out but then a two minute conversation between certain characters can turn that completely upside down!

This has to truly be one of the most well thought-out and planned series as I’m just amazed how everything ties in together, even things that previously seemed disconnected or standalone. And the characters that Aja James creates are either loveable or you love-to-hate-them, there’s not too much in between. As usual, the ending leaves me only wanting more!!

Dark Desires (Pure/Dark Ones #3): 4 Stars

Author: Aja James
Length: 331 pgs.
Number three in the Pure/Dark Ones series, Dark Desires has one of my favorite heroines ever in Ava Monroe. The girl is hilarious: smart, curvy, self-effacing, turns to blubbering idiot around handsome men. Cue Ryu Takamura, assasin for the Dark Ones. We got a glimpse of Ryu in the second book, Dark Longing, and in learning more about him and his origins here, you can’t help but connect to him.

The budding relationship between Ava and Ryu was touching and funny – I loved the way Ava opened up to him, even in spite of her own embarrassment. She speaks before she thinks, charming both Ryu and the reader. When we meet her mother, we see where she gets that charm. My favorite part of this story, though, was the plot: Ava isn’t aware that she’s being used to further an inhumane experiment led by the mysterious “A. Medusa”. Ryu’s instructions are to end the experiment no matter what it takes – even if he must kill Ava in the process.

There’s explosions, a kidnapping, torturing of a mysterious prisoner, shadow assassins, two-faced tricksters, and a love story – what more could you want?

The book manages to answer some questions raised in the two previous installments while continuing to set up mysteries that won’t unfold until future books. None of the Pure/Dark Ones stories are completely self-contained, so even while we get to witness Ryu and Ava’s story, we also learn a bit more about things that are going on outside of their love bubble. Such is the genius of Aja James in that she rewards us with bits and pieces while at the same time keeping us wanting more. It’s cruel, really.

Buddy read with the Freebie chicks!

Werebear Skye: 4 Stars

Author: Aubrey Law
Length: 36 pages (novella)
I was generously given an ARC from the author and was super excited to dive into this novella!

As always Aubrey Law weaves an exciting, fast paced tale of revenge involving multiple supernatural creatures including shifters, vampires, necromancers, and zombies. Werebear Skye introduces us to the woman who becomes Black Annis' accomplice in Black Annis: Demon Slayer and we get to learn her backstory. I love the world that Aubrey Law has created, and the story is peppered with the rye humor that we saw in the Black Annis books. This goes perfectly with the bloody violence exacted during Skye's revenge on the men responsible for her father's death. I am looking forward to continuing the series and reading more about this character!

Tacet A Mortuis (The Elite Kings Club #3): 2 Stars

Author: Amo Jones
Length: 302 pgs.
Buddy read with my girl Elaine!

After finishing this last night I browsed the ratings, sure I’d find some likeminded people, but 4 stars? 5 stars? Really people??

I’m guessing the people who gave this book 5 stars are die hard Amo Jones fans who automatically give out this rating despite the actual content of the book, or under the age of 18 in which case this book probably isn’t appropriate for you anyway. Firstly, where was the editing before this was published?? The grammar is awful in many places and there are misplaced apostrophes scattered throughout the book. It’s one thing to write a book about teenagers and put their own lingo in quotes when a teenage character is speaking, but for most of the book Amo Jones’ prose reflects this immaturity as well.

Secondly, WTF is up with all the SONGS named throughout the book? Like another reviewer said, I don’t share the same musical tastes with Amo Jones so if she was trying to infuse a specific meaning or feeling into the book by using these song names that was lost on me because I had no idea what the fuck the song was. And if you’re a writer and you’re using song titles to make the reader feel a certain ambiance, that’s a cop out anyway.

I forgave the childish writing and rap artist name-dropping in the previous 2 books because the content was edge-of-your-seat. The questions piled up and we were led to believe we’d get some answers with Tacet. Unfortunately about 70% of this book is Bishop & Maddie going back and forth in their “relationship”, having sex, fighting, making joint playlists that show the reader how much they love each other, etc. etc., pure teenage bullshit. Then there’s 15% of Maddie acting like a whore, going to parties in the sluttiest clothes possible, getting wasted, almost hooking up with other Kings, etc. Any time we do come close to finding out anything, Maddie says that she “can’t handle this right now” and goes back to fucking Bishop or complaining to Tatum. Even when she finds out that someone close to her knows something about Tillie, who went missing suddenly in book 2, she doesn’t follow up on it because it’s not the right time and that person is dealing with too much for her to press the subject further. Ok, I hope if I ever go missing that my friends are a little more dedicated to my well being than that.

Thirdly…(Fourthly?) where is the flow and organization in this book? I swear, at one point Maddie called Tatum over (whom she started calling Tate in this book because they’re superclose and stuff) to her house, Tate shows up with a bunch of junk food which they start eating, I turn to the next page and it’s the next day – NO indication that they went to bed, that there was any time passing whatsoever. I figured it out on my own cuz I have a decent sized brain, but kinda seems like Amo was sleep deprived the day she wrote that part because it doesn’t make ANY sense. There are other cases of this as well, read for yourself and highlight away.

Amo also decided to switch POVs in this book, which-whatever, but I don’t really need to read from Bishop’s POV how much he really loves Maddie and would “fucking kill for her”, then switch back to Maddie’s POV and Bishop is ignoring her again. I don’t see the point or advantage in giving us these changing perspectives. There’s also no indication as to WHOSE POV we are reading from when the chapter changes – no character name at the chapter header or anything, and it’s all first person so it’s not until you start getting into a conversation with other characters that you know whose perspective you’ve switched to. Great decision making there.

We’re pretty much strung along for the ENTIRE book, given little bits and pieces of ridiculous information that I guess is supposed to explain some of the questions in the first 2 books but really only incite more curiosity, which is never satisfied because Maddie can only handle certain amounts of information before her tiny teenage brain wants to explode. Then in the last 15% shit goes off the rails and everything is finished and wrapped up super quickly. Which begs the question - so maybe I’m not remembering something from the first two books but are we really supposed to believe that Katsia is the only reason why Swans are being killed? I don’t recall this ever being hinted at or stated previously, and supposedly they can’t get rid of Katsia because she’s the last of her blood line, but you’re telling me that all the Elite Kings and members of the Circle have no say in the murder of baby girls born into the Elite Kings lineage because of Katsia? Hmmm….what a very simple solution that turned out to be for a very complicated seeming, built-up-over-three-books problem. Kinda seems like one of those examples of authors writing themselves into a corner and then having to figure out how to easily get out of it. Before starting another series, might I suggest going back to the basics of English lit and creating an outline.

I did like the violent vision Daemon has at the end of the book which involves the death of many main characters. Thanks to “Trickery” for the best scene in the book, even if it didn’t turn out to be real. And speaking of Daemon, it’s funny to me how close Maddie claims to be to him even though she’s only really known him for a few weeks. Sure, he’s her twin brother, who was raised as a brainwashed assassin and only speaks Latin and who SHOT her, but apparently they’re so close that other characters have heard “stories about their bond.” Ha! What a joke. Maddie “bonds” irreversibly and unquestionably with apparently everyone, even if they’ve done unspeakable things to her in her past. The Kings all want her, even if they find out they’re related to her by blood. She says Tatum is her BFF, but also Tillie, but especially Tatum even though Tate’s head over heels for Nate, whom Maddie nearly sleeps with. And speaking of Nate, did anyone else start laughing at the scene where (in front of her PARENTS) he steals a tear from her cheek and sucks it into his mouth??

So basically:
Maddie is a whore who will fuck anyone, including her own stepbrother who she loves like a brother, except for when she wants to fuck him. (Can someone over the age of 18 please give Maddie a non-sexual spanking and send her to her room please? Girl needs to be grounded FOR LIFE)

Maddie and Bishop are a fucked up couple who shouldn’t be together, but will continue to mentally and emotionally abuse each other until they run out of songs to add to their joint playlist.

EVERYONE is involved in this conspiracy, even random guys at school and librarians.

I can’t even go on with this nonsense.

And let’s not even start on the “deleted” scene at the end which is basically just the author satisfying her pornographic appetite, whaaaaaaat the actual fuck did we need that for. I’m all for erotica but please. Such a strange addition to the conclusion..

I give it 2 stars for stringing me along to the finish line because I cared at least enough to get some answers. What a MESS!! And that ending – pathetic attempt to keep people invested in the series. Will not continue. Other reviewers say this is supposed to be 13 books long??