Book Review

Calculated in Death (In Death #36) By: J.D. Robb

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Calculated in Death (In Death #36) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

On Manhattan’s Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better. A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn’t seem the type to be on anyone’s hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta’s murder was the work of a killer who’s trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence. But when someone steals the files out of Marta’s office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke’s world of big business to figure out who’s cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer’s violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait. . . .

Review:

Another great installment in the In Death series. I like the fact that there are ties to previous novels, though, at this point I barely even remember what happened in the previous ones. Obviously Eve and Roarke win and the bad guy gets caught, there’s also plenty of Peabody.

I like this series, even though it’s obviously predictable. I like the futuristic elements, I like how hard Eve is, and the side characters are wonderful. The stories are fun and action packed and consistent.

4/5

The Slow Regard of Silent Things (Tales From Temerant) By: Patrick Rothfuss Illustrated By: Nate Taylor

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

The Slow Regard of Silent Things (Tales From Temerant) By: Patrick Rothfuss Illustrated By: Nate Taylor

Plot:

Deep below the University, there is a dark place. Few people know of it: a broken web of ancient passageways and abandoned rooms. A young woman lives there, tucked among the sprawling tunnels of the Underthing, snug in the heart of this forgotten place. Her name is Auri, and she is full of mysteries. The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a brief, bittersweet glimpse of Auri’s life, a small adventure all her own. At once joyous and haunting, this story offers a chance to see the world through Auri’s eyes. And it gives the reader a chance to learn things that only Auri knows… In this book, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a broken world.

Review:

In the author’s note Rothfuss comes right out and says you probably won’t like this book. It’s not a normal book, there’s no action, no dialog. It’s one character that you follow around. Auri.

Auri is in the Kingkiller Chronicle series, but it’s been so long since I’ve read those books I barely remember anything about her. I don’t think that mattered, well I might have liked this book more if I had, so maybe it did.

She comes off a bit OCD. She’s damaged, which is what I remember from the books, but she tries to make it work.

The books is amazingly well written, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Rothfuss. His words are always so beautiful. Despite that, and his warning at the beginning of the book, I was bored. It’s a short story and it took me days to get through because I just couldn’t get into it.

I’m still looking forward to the next book in the Kingkiller Chronicle, but I’m not if I would recommend this book to everyone. I would at least give the same warning he gave.

3.5/5

Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega #4) By: Patricia Briggs

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Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega #4) By: Patricia Briggs

Plot:

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way… Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

Review:

I’m sorry, I’m going to try really hard not to just squee like a fan girl, but it will be very difficult because I love Patricia Briggs. She has never let me down and always given me an amazing story with strong (but not too strong) characters.

Dead Heat picks up a while after Fair Game ended, I’m not sure exactly how long. Fair Game ended on such an epic note that I’m actually kind of glad it took a while for the next book to come out, because it gave me time to simmer down. Dead Heat was not quiet on the same scale, but it did involve the FBI and Cantrip agents.

I liked the fact that the Cantrip agents weren’t evil and stupid like they were in Fair Game. I think if they had been the book would have been too dark.

I was concerned, at first, that uber dark was the direction she was going. The series has never been light by any means, but it has never been dark to the point of depression. The story involved the Fae attacking children, which is difficult for me to read, but because other parts weren’t as evil it wasn’t overwhelming.

I did think there was a bit more info than I really needed to know about horses, but not to the point where it will lower my review. Since Briggs is a horse lover it’s understandable that she included the info and since the characters were horse breeders/trainers/etc it wasn’t out of place.

Dead Heat expanded the world and let you know that there was a war going on against the Fae. It also moved the relationship between Anna and Charles further. They’ve been married for about three years and Anna’s biological clock is ticking, Charles being older is more damaged and not sure if kids is a good thing. By the end of the book they had reached a resolution.

I loved this book and I might actually like the Alpha and Omega series more than the Mercy series. They’re both awesome but the relationship between Charles and Anna gives their series an added push.

Now I must wait forever for the next book.

5/5

Fable: Edge of the World (Fable #3) By: Christie Golden

Fable Edge of the World

Fable: Edge of the World (Fable #3) By: Christie Golden

Plot:

It’s been almost a decade since the events of Fable 3, when the Hero vanquished the threat across the sea and claimed his throne. As king he led Albion to an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity. But on the night of his wedding to his new queen, ominous word arrives: The darkness has returned.   Beyond a harrowing mountain pass, the exotic desert country Samarkand has been overrun by shadowy forces. Within the walls of its capital city, a mysterious usurper known only as the Empress has seized control. To protect his realm, the king must lead his most trusted allies into a strange land unknown to outsiders. As they forge ahead along Samarkand’s ancient Great Road, populated by undead terrors and fantastic creatures once believed to be the stuff of legend, the king is drawn ever closer to his greatest challenge yet.   But soon Albion is engulfed in a war of its own. As the darkness spreads, town by town, a treacherous force has infiltrated the queen’s circle. Now the fate of all that is good rests with a faint flicker of hope . . . that somewhere, somehow, heroes still do exist.

Review:

When I was done with this book I threw it across the room. Currently I’m debating whether or not to burn it or rip it apart. I don’t do that to books. Even books I hate, I don’t deface or destroy. I’m making an exception for this piece of shit.

I love the Fable games 1, 2, and 3. I also loved the first two Fable books. I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed them because books based on TV shows or movies or games can really be hit or miss. These were great books in a world I loved.

Not this one, though. (To be fair it had nothing to do with the quality of writing and was all about the story.) The story was just one big giant build up to their next game. The game that is just some pimped out Kinect piece of shit. It isn’t a normal Fable game. They haven’t come out with a normal Fable game since the 3rd. I love the Fable world, but I’m not just going to buy everything with the name slapped on it.

This story picks up about ten years after Fable 3 ends. The king has a new wife and on his wedding days finds out that the darkness is rising in another part of the world. Naturally he must raise an army and go defeat it because the darkness is some evil shit.

He leaves his young, inexperienced, wife in control, but it’s ok he taught her everything she could possibly need to know. Nope. He left two people he trusted with her, however since she’s the highest power, and a newb, things do not go well on the home front. Reaver shows up, and with his usual cunning, takes over.

It’s ok because the king is kicking ass and taking names. Not. Pretty much all the people he takes with him die, except the big names. The book ends with Albion in turmoil, the queen a prisoner in her own castle, the two advisors on the run marked as traitors, the king captured, and the few surviving people in retreat.

The end. That’s it. Buy our stupid fucking game to find out what happens next.

Yeah, I don’t think so.

I am hugely disappointed in this novel and wish I hadn’t just assumed that it was going to be like the two books before it. It’s not like I had expectations going in because it’s a series. So angry right now. Thinking fire might be the way to go.

1/5 (only because 0 isn’t an option)

Kick (The Jenkins Cycle #1) By: John L. Monk

kick

Kick (The Jenkins Cycle #1) By: John L. Monk

Plot:

Dan Jenkins returns from death for a chance to live again. The vacated bodies of killers are his rides. Before he’s kicked out, he’ll need to stop his host from hurting anyone else. It’s one of the rules if he wants more rides. More rides means more movies and fishing trips, and more of those little apple pies they sell at gas stations and convenience stores, because they’re just that good. For a dead guy, it’s a pretty good gig…until someone changes the rules.

Review:

I could not predict this book at all. Sometimes that happens because the book is poorly written but that is so not the case in Kick. It was such an original idea that I had nothing to clue me in and yes I realize the TV show Quantum Leap has a similar premise, but Sam is nothing like Dan.

About two thirds of the way through I was afraid I was about to be disappointed, there had been a slow steady build up and I was scared it wasn’t going to be a big enough pay off. I wasn’t even sure how there could be a pay off. All my worries were for naught because it was everything I could have hoped for and more. I devoured the last twenty percent of this book and was amazed when I looked down to see I was at 97%.

This is not my usual book and I’m going to be honest and say the only reason I read it was because I’m familiar with the author. I’ve never met him in person, but I follow his blog and we’ve commented back and forth. To be clear he did not give me a copy of his book or even ask for a review. I purchased it a few months ago, before it was free, and then put off reading it because I was afraid I wouldn’t like it. When I finally started reading I was incredibly impressed with the quality of writing as well as the story and ended up being unable to put it down.

Anyway, Dan Jenkins was a great flawed character. He was lazy and put off doing his “job” so that he could do whatever he wanted and enjoy being “alive.” He had morals, though, and for the most part stuck with his self created rules. Of course when he didn’t it ended up biting him in the ass. He was a great character because he was so relatable. I could easily see myself acting the same way in the same situations.

The ending brought some closure for Dan as well as the reader, but it left enough up in the air that I’m curious to see what happens next. Will we ever find out more about the Great Wherever, ruled by the Great Whomever? Will Dan take some lessons to heart or continue being lazy and living other lives to the fullest? (I lean toward no on that one)

4.5/5