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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
What bites is this cover *eye roll*. Unappealing cover aside, this book was really good. I actually decided not to rate this until after I had read up through book 3 in this series because I can't tell you how many times I've come across a series where the first book was okay, but it just went downhill from there. So I waited on this one and was pleasantly surprised to find the next two books enjoyable as well.
The technology vs magic duality is an interesting concept, if a bit confusing. You have to take a lot of the world-building elements at face value, but I didn't really mind that for this kind of book.
It is a fast-paced read with plenty of action and humor. It was also surprisingly clean for the adult fantasy genre, which I found refreshing. I wouldn't call it lighthearted, but it doesn't get too dark either (when comparing it to the Anita Blake books for example). There is violence, gore, blood, murder, eating people, and rape, but it's not explicit.
I think Kate is actually a pretty well done "bad-ass" character. She is down-to-earth, funny, has integrity, recognizes her faults, and can use reason, not just violence and snark, to solve problems.
I also really enjoyed the side characters (they get even better in book 2, especially with the addition of Andrea). I liked that romance wasn't the main focus of the book, but it was still definitely there. Curran was okay. He isn't my type and he is definitely the sort that needs a strong woman to put him in his place and keep him on his toes. Several mysteries are posed or hinted at in this book and most are easy to figure out, but I was surprised by the reveal of the mysterious upir , but also a little underwhelmed.
Overall, this was a fun read and I hope to continue enjoying the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
Moderate: Blood, Murder
Minor: Rape
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a fun, easy read (or rather, listen). Somehow original and formulaic, I am looking forward to continuing this series. Kate is likable in the Tough Girl way that Buffy is, and I’m eager to learn her secrets. The series feels dated, despite taking place in the future, but not in a way that hampered my experience.
I'd give it a 3.5 actually. It was a little hard to get into at first, I felt like I was thrown into a story mid way and actually checked to make sure this wasn't a sequel. That being said, once I did get into it I liked it very much. The heroine was strong and likable (at least to me), the events unfolded in an appropriate fashion, and I appreciated her logic in most cases. Overall a good book :D
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Seems like an interesting plot, but could not get through the writing. I’d reread sections and still have no idea what was happening. Had to DNF at 20% when I realized I had no idea who “Jim” was still
adventurous
funny
medium-paced