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mandycandy7118's review
4.0
Again, shorter than I'd like but a definite complete story. This one was definitely a good/bad scenario since parts of it were sort of awesome and other parts sort of stunk. I loved the information we got at the end - very interesting!
book_whispers's review
3.0
There's this huge thing that annoys me in Urban Fantasy books, especially PNR. What is it? When the lead and the love interest have more relationship happening off the pages. Such as Mercy and Adam from the Mercy Thompson series. They had ten years to know each other prior to the start of the series, so for me it meant I wasn't involved in their romance. Briggs had to bring it now, during the current timeline. Not just saying they had all this history. Well The Twenty-Sided Sorceress series is doing this. There's some time between books, while not a huge amount, it's still enough that we're missing parts of Jade and Alek's relationship. In the case of Murder of Crows and Pack of Lies I think we missed some key things. Especially since Alek leaves and the two kind of seem to be broken up.
So when the big heart on the sleeve moments happened, I was all “Ahhhhhhhh, so sweet.” But my heart wasn't in it. I'll need more time for them to become a real couple.
Now, my last true gripe. Editing. Editing. Editing. It's really clean for the most part. However, there is some awkward wording. No it was not slang. The biggest oopsie was a wrong word moment, that was kind of awkward. Ha-ha. I wish I would have highlighted it because it totally made my day. Yes, I know my reviews and posts have errors. Heck, I have a better time spotting errors on someone else's work all the time. Still, I think just beta readers would have been able to catch those. Overall though Annie Bellet has some of the cleanest self pub books for editing quality. So thank you.
Gripes done.
So I like that it's confirmed that Jade has some inner power which she's been instinctually afraid of. Though that's kind of annoying. It feels like almost every main character has some special thing locked away that they're not ready for. They suddenly awaken it and then “Got back to sleep” and we're teased for a while. Though I think whatever is up with Jade is going to be very cool. It would just be nice if Jade was a powerful sorceress who needed to grow with experience.
Overall another great entry into a super fun series! The characters, humor, and fun of each book just keeps getting better. Especially as we learn more about everyone. I love the introduction of the new characters and the end, and I'm very curious as to Tess's role in the whole thing! Samir feels like an epic build up of a villain, kind of like the Marvel Universes' ones. Let's just hope he doesn't pitter out, or get defeated, like those ones do.
Content Warning: Mild sex scene and sexual humor. Some murder and mayhem. Nothing super graphic though. (Oh, I guess I should mention that there are some homosexual characters, I like how realistic they are.)
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
So when the big heart on the sleeve moments happened, I was all “Ahhhhhhhh, so sweet.” But my heart wasn't in it. I'll need more time for them to become a real couple.
Now, my last true gripe. Editing. Editing. Editing. It's really clean for the most part. However, there is some awkward wording. No it was not slang. The biggest oopsie was a wrong word moment, that was kind of awkward. Ha-ha. I wish I would have highlighted it because it totally made my day. Yes, I know my reviews and posts have errors. Heck, I have a better time spotting errors on someone else's work all the time. Still, I think just beta readers would have been able to catch those. Overall though Annie Bellet has some of the cleanest self pub books for editing quality. So thank you.
Gripes done.
“He said that the Punisher would kick Batman's ass in a fight”Ah, I do love the humor and whit behind these books. As I've said some of the nerd goes over my head, but a lot of it I get and I just love it!!! Ha-ha, the Spider-Man joke about a certain famous quote just tickles me. Everyone always talks about how quotable Ilona Andrews' works are. Well I'd say this series is just as much so.
. . .
“Then put you hand here and repeat after me,” I said indicating the slipcase. “I solemnly swear that Bruce Wayne is the bestest superhero ever and I will never profane his name or legacy by suggesting anyone could kick his ass. Because they can't. Because he is the fucking BATMAN.”
“Yep. Definitely worth risking life, limb, and heart for.” - JadeEven though my heart wasn't in the romance, Alek and Jade are a very cute couple and they balance each other out well. Not to mention that I love how they openly talk with each other and concede when they're wrong. So there is that.
“So much for hoping we were going to wreck some love tryst. Why couldn't my life be full of sex instead of violence?”Pack of Lies was a great mystery! While it's kind of clear from the introduction who dunnit, it was an interesting concept and a better look into Justices. Maybe we'll get to meet a new one each book? That would be bad ass.
“You don't feel good because you are good.”Pack of Lies was a great way to find out about Jade's moral ground and where she stood. After Murder of Crows a few things where up in the air for me at least.
“Magic for sorcerers is something we are, not just something we do. Unlike a witch or warlock or other human spell-user, we own the raw power—we are the raw power. Which meant if I could conceive of it and channel enough power into it, whatever it was, I could make it happen.Now, I've been iffy about a sorcerer's powers. Because of that whole “conceive” it part, then they can do it. But it doesn't seem like her power works that way. Because she can't just heal. No. In fact, she has to pull from the memories of the hearts she's ate to do the spells she wants. Her tracking spell and other things fine. So I'm thinking it's more of a short cut thing? She still has to use the bases to make spells, but can skip a few steps. Because if you conceive it and make it happen, why do you have to even do rituals or anything? Shouldn't you be able to draw a random symbol and believe that it will repel something? Or is it more that Jade can't do the mind over matter bit?
The mental game was the issue.”
So I like that it's confirmed that Jade has some inner power which she's been instinctually afraid of. Though that's kind of annoying. It feels like almost every main character has some special thing locked away that they're not ready for. They suddenly awaken it and then “Got back to sleep” and we're teased for a while. Though I think whatever is up with Jade is going to be very cool. It would just be nice if Jade was a powerful sorceress who needed to grow with experience.
Overall another great entry into a super fun series! The characters, humor, and fun of each book just keeps getting better. Especially as we learn more about everyone. I love the introduction of the new characters and the end, and I'm very curious as to Tess's role in the whole thing! Samir feels like an epic build up of a villain, kind of like the Marvel Universes' ones. Let's just hope he doesn't pitter out, or get defeated, like those ones do.
Content Warning: Mild sex scene and sexual humor. Some murder and mayhem. Nothing super graphic though. (Oh, I guess I should mention that there are some homosexual characters, I like how realistic they are.)
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
liacooper's review
3.0
weak 3* so this one definitely started out slow w/ a lot of recapping exposition, it also suffered from Bellet explaining all of her geek references (thereby gutting them of their insider quality and just making them annoying tbph) and i didn't really dig with the overall theme of....killing gets easier so just keep killing people casually until it's not a big deal. BUT the ending was pretty great (except for the overly Bond-esque villain that was eyeroll worthy) and even though i planned on stopping here with this series, i'm now kind of intrigued about where the series is going. SO I GUESS THAT WAS EFFECTIVE lol.
this book did a little bit better fleshing out it's plot, i just wish she'd been a little less cheesy about everything. but that's what this series is, cheese and fluff. good for some mild diversion.
this book did a little bit better fleshing out it's plot, i just wish she'd been a little less cheesy about everything. but that's what this series is, cheese and fluff. good for some mild diversion.
chloe_dancing's review
4.0
Another one from the town of Wylde. This is turning out to be a great series of fun action-adventure with plenty of magic and sass. I love riding along with Jade and her friends, this time to prevent all-out war between local and visiting packs of wolf shifters by unmasking a killer who’s hiding in plain sight.
setaian's review
4.0
Best of the three.
My original plan was to walk away after this one but it's good enough that I'll keep going.
But I'm already over the bad guy who is lurking in the background.
She needs to get a wiggle on. I'm not going to read 10 books and still have no progress on that sub-plot.
My original plan was to walk away after this one but it's good enough that I'll keep going.
But I'm already over the bad guy who is lurking in the background.
She needs to get a wiggle on. I'm not going to read 10 books and still have no progress on that sub-plot.
becasaur27's review
3.0
Let's be honest. This isn't high brow fantasy/writing. But I am enjoying the characters and the story. I think the author does a good job portraying realish character traits and I am curious what's going to happen. These books are short, so I'm flying through them. A nice summer read.
heyt's review
4.0
I'm still in love with Jade and her friends as the series moves on. I think that it's great she's not perfect but willing to work on being a better person despite the tough choices she is increasingly having to make. I love in this world that Jade's magic is like a muscle that gets stronger with time and practice. I like to see that Jade has to work for her magic. I also liked finding out more about how shapeshifting works in this world.
secre's review
4.0
Pack of Lies is probably what I'd call the first fleshed out novel in this series so far, although it's still most definitely on the shorter side of average. However, Annie Bellet has put more in the way of effort into plot and character development, she has slowed the pace a fraction to allow the reader to gain a real sense of the world and the characters around them and she's put a little more meaning behind actions and consequences as well as the thought processes that led the characters there.
In essence, this is the first book in the series that I can hand on heart say I enjoyed. The development between the main characters Jade and Alek is done well, without being nauseatingly well, nauseous in its love story. The geek friends are back and so the nerd references are once more on full alert and the stories between the characters are given enough space to breath and show signs of life.
The world-building is also far more impressive in this offering as so many aspects that we were previously only given a tiny hint of are explored in more detail allowing the reader to immerse themselves more thoroughly rather than feeling like you are dipping your toes on the edge of a rock pool. There is more immersive detail in the shifters and the different patterns that different groups have, there is far more detail about the Council of Nine and the judge-jury-executioner aspect which was interesting and there's more of an exploration of Jade's powers as a sorceress.
The mystery plot is also well done although the big reveal could have been done with a tad more finesse but again, there is more meat to the story here than has been given to us previously and it makes a huge difference. The inter-merging of the two plots; the main mystery and then the big bad sorcerer after Jade worked reasonably well, however that is an aspect where more could have been done. Particularly from the Samir front, it's all a little bit bland although the teasers at the end actually make me half tempted to read the next in the series which considering the first two, I never thought I'd say.
My main disappointment would come from the too good to be true nature of Jade and Alek both; both are strong, beautiful, sexy and all that jazz and although they are given more of a fleshed out nature here it would be really good to see more full fleshing out in the following novels. The other aspect of course is that Jade still has a nasty habit of having to be carried home by the hero...this was a poorly executed plot device the first time...by this point it is exceptionally aggravating.
Either way; this is certainly the best of the bunch. It's more cleverly written with better world-building as well as more fully furnished plot and character development. Is it perfect? No, but I did at least quite enjoy reading it.
In essence, this is the first book in the series that I can hand on heart say I enjoyed. The development between the main characters Jade and Alek is done well, without being nauseatingly well, nauseous in its love story. The geek friends are back and so the nerd references are once more on full alert and the stories between the characters are given enough space to breath and show signs of life.
The world-building is also far more impressive in this offering as so many aspects that we were previously only given a tiny hint of are explored in more detail allowing the reader to immerse themselves more thoroughly rather than feeling like you are dipping your toes on the edge of a rock pool. There is more immersive detail in the shifters and the different patterns that different groups have, there is far more detail about the Council of Nine and the judge-jury-executioner aspect which was interesting and there's more of an exploration of Jade's powers as a sorceress.
The mystery plot is also well done although the big reveal could have been done with a tad more finesse but again, there is more meat to the story here than has been given to us previously and it makes a huge difference. The inter-merging of the two plots; the main mystery and then the big bad sorcerer after Jade worked reasonably well, however that is an aspect where more could have been done. Particularly from the Samir front, it's all a little bit bland although the teasers at the end actually make me half tempted to read the next in the series which considering the first two, I never thought I'd say.
My main disappointment would come from the too good to be true nature of Jade and Alek both; both are strong, beautiful, sexy and all that jazz and although they are given more of a fleshed out nature here it would be really good to see more full fleshing out in the following novels. The other aspect of course is that Jade still has a nasty habit of having to be carried home by the hero...this was a poorly executed plot device the first time...by this point it is exceptionally aggravating.
Either way; this is certainly the best of the bunch. It's more cleverly written with better world-building as well as more fully furnished plot and character development. Is it perfect? No, but I did at least quite enjoy reading it.