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dflemmons's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
embereye's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a sucker and keep reading these even though I get sick of the main character at some point every single time. Bah.
It's not the worst book ever by any means, but it's not amazing. The ideas are ok and the story is decent but it goes back over the same story that the previous one went on about and the same "woe is me" attitude by the main character. It's problematic.
It's not the worst book ever by any means, but it's not amazing. The ideas are ok and the story is decent but it goes back over the same story that the previous one went on about and the same "woe is me" attitude by the main character. It's problematic.
luciearan's review against another edition
3.0
Tahle série pokračuje ve stejném duchu jako začala a i když na mě druhý díl působí přeci jen o trochu lépe (asi jsem si už víc zvykla na prostředí, postavy i způsob vyprávění), stále považuji příběh za poměrně průměrný. Co ho z mého hlediska sráží je to, že je místy až křečovitě protahovaný, děj tak ztrácí na svižnosti a opakované vtipy také přestávají být vtipné. Škoda. I když mám doma i další díl, rozhodně si dám delší pauzu před tím, než se do jeho čtení pustím.
serru's review against another edition
2.0
Not as fun or interesting as the first book. In this one, the story involves what is essentially this universe's version of a werewolves, and Cal and his brother take on a job for the werewolf mafia. But then the plot quickly turns into a search for a mysterious relic and missing girl. There was so much angst on Cal's part over Georgina, the missing girl and his love interest, but I found it pretty dull because Georgina has yet to be developed as a character so I don't really know what makes her so special to Cal or why we should care about her as the reader. Still, I love the interactions between the brothers and their friend Robin Goodfellow (yes, that Robin Goodfellow!), that I will for sure pick up the next book.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book in the Cal Leandros horror/urban-fantasy series. I liked it quite a bit more than the first book (which had a stretch of over a hundred pages that I didn't enjoy). I'm not a horror fan, but I am a fan of characters who care about each other and work together -- the opposite of narratives with a lone hero battling adversity. And this series has a central brother-brother relationship that greatly appeals to me, as well as a growing number of secondary friendships. Next up, I plan to read the second book in another urban fantasy series (Ben Aaronvitch's Rivers of London) to see how it compares. But I'll be back to read the third installment of Cal Leandros's adventures before very long.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
kaillem's review against another edition
3.0
Summary: After saving the world from the Auphe, Cal and his half brother Niko are building a life for themselves in New York City by running an agency tailoring to the needs of the supernatural. They take a job that should have ended quickly, but instead find themselves double-crossed. When the double-crosser abducts Cal's sugary-sweet crush, the brothers do everything in their power to get her back, including confronting old enemies, making deals with creepy gypsies, and allying themselves with less-than-savory werewolf folk. The fact that the Auphe show up again to complicate the situation makes this romp through Thurman's world even more crazy and action-packed than the first.
Review: As in the previous book, Cal is a beacon of sardonic wit, and the exchanges between Cal and Niko had me me laughing out loud--again. This is a good thing, not only because humor keeps people reading, but because the relationship between Cal and Nik is the heart and soul of these books. If you don't like the relationship, you might as well not read the books.
Promise gets an upgrade from a minor (and forgettable) character in NIGHTLIFE to an important one MOONSHINE. She's a partner in the agency and contributes to a degree ... I did feel that she was expendable, though. True, she was needed for the fight scenes and getting them started as an agency in the first place, but I just felt that she was still forgettable.
For being so important to the plot of the book, George only had a few scenes. I kind of like having a spark of sunshine here and there in the series, so I was hoping for a little more interaction between her and Cal. Of course, Cal's reasoning for not wanting to be with her is sound, though it is kind of sad.
As for the narrative itself ... it jumped around a bit. What I mean by that is that sometimes, from one scene to the next, time would lapse and Cal would be looking back on a scene and telling what happened, rather than going through the scene. For me, that's disorienting. Thurman did it some in NIGHTLIFE, but she does it more in MOONSHINE. A few times, one scene felt like it was really two edited together and not edited for continuity. That was a little annoying.
Despite those issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you liked the last one, you'll probably like this one, too.
Review: As in the previous book, Cal is a beacon of sardonic wit, and the exchanges between Cal and Niko had me me laughing out loud--again. This is a good thing, not only because humor keeps people reading, but because the relationship between Cal and Nik is the heart and soul of these books. If you don't like the relationship, you might as well not read the books.
Promise gets an upgrade from a minor (and forgettable) character in NIGHTLIFE to an important one MOONSHINE. She's a partner in the agency and contributes to a degree ... I did feel that she was expendable, though. True, she was needed for the fight scenes and getting them started as an agency in the first place, but I just felt that she was still forgettable.
For being so important to the plot of the book, George only had a few scenes. I kind of like having a spark of sunshine here and there in the series, so I was hoping for a little more interaction between her and Cal. Of course, Cal's reasoning for not wanting to be with her is sound, though it is kind of sad.
As for the narrative itself ... it jumped around a bit. What I mean by that is that sometimes, from one scene to the next, time would lapse and Cal would be looking back on a scene and telling what happened, rather than going through the scene. For me, that's disorienting. Thurman did it some in NIGHTLIFE, but she does it more in MOONSHINE. A few times, one scene felt like it was really two edited together and not edited for continuity. That was a little annoying.
Despite those issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you liked the last one, you'll probably like this one, too.
ckjaer88's review against another edition
4.0
Yes! This was awesome. Dark, gritty, violent, snarky and fabulous. What more could you want?
I have to admit, I don't remember anything from book one, like, at all! I only picked this up because it was on my list - but boy am I glad I did. Despite Cal's emo-ish melodramatic ways, you can't help but love him, and the bond he has with his brother. Down to the tiny little details, like the tug of a ponytail or the small rise of an eyebrow, it feels like an actual fraternal bond and I'm loving it. Not sure how I feel about the whole George thing, but hopefully that will play out in the coming books.
I have to admit, I don't remember anything from book one, like, at all! I only picked this up because it was on my list - but boy am I glad I did. Despite Cal's emo-ish melodramatic ways, you can't help but love him, and the bond he has with his brother. Down to the tiny little details, like the tug of a ponytail or the small rise of an eyebrow, it feels like an actual fraternal bond and I'm loving it. Not sure how I feel about the whole George thing, but hopefully that will play out in the coming books.
marklpotter's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy R. Thurman's writing. She produces situations that make love and hate the characters she puts in her books. I am hoping this series continues as strong as the first two books because this was a really good read overall. I really appreciate her fresh look at the supernatural without taking it too far out of the commonly accepted canon. It makes the books easy enough to get in to while keeping things original and not weighing them down with too much explaining of how things work in her world. In the end this is good urban fantasy series that is well written.