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davykent's reviews
294 reviews
Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs
3.0
More and more I'm becoming convinced that this series needs to be done. I was really looking forward to reading this entry in the Mercy Thompson series. I've read every single book and have largely enjoyed them all. Still, with each passing sequel, I've noticed the author regressing to recycling the same tropes, the same phrases, the same situations, again and again and again.
Smoke Bitten does this to an unreasonable degree. It made it difficult for me to enjoy the "new" parts of the story, because there was so much rehashing of the old. I am thankful that Patricia finally dropped the pirate video game nonsense from the previous book, but it was instead replaced with really ham-fisted pop culture references in this one, all to really drive the point home that Mercy's world has the same things as our world. Normally I don't mind that; in fact, I usually like it, but it seemed overly bland and blatant here.
Also... the reveal of the antagonist... made me laugh my head off. I refer you to Deep Space Nine, season 1 episode 16. By far the worst possible climax given all the buildup.
I don't know. This is the first series I've ever stuck with and read. I have an attachment to it. But after reading this one, I had to ask myself if I had read a good book. And honestly... I hadn't. I'm giving three stars because of inertia from the previous titles, but by itself, I'd have likely given it a two. This series needs serious revitalization or it needs to be moved on from. Too much recycling, too much repetition. If the author feels rushed and as though she needs to pad her word count, I can only recommend slowing down, because this approach has been getting increasingly worse as the years go by. I can't see how it can continue beyond another book or two.
Still, that's just the opinion of one reader. Hell, I'm probably not even the target audience. But for me, I can feel my continued interest waning.
Smoke Bitten does this to an unreasonable degree. It made it difficult for me to enjoy the "new" parts of the story, because there was so much rehashing of the old. I am thankful that Patricia finally dropped the pirate video game nonsense from the previous book, but it was instead replaced with really ham-fisted pop culture references in this one, all to really drive the point home that Mercy's world has the same things as our world. Normally I don't mind that; in fact, I usually like it, but it seemed overly bland and blatant here.
Also... the reveal of the antagonist... made me laugh my head off. I refer you to Deep Space Nine, season 1 episode 16. By far the worst possible climax given all the buildup.
I don't know. This is the first series I've ever stuck with and read. I have an attachment to it. But after reading this one, I had to ask myself if I had read a good book. And honestly... I hadn't. I'm giving three stars because of inertia from the previous titles, but by itself, I'd have likely given it a two. This series needs serious revitalization or it needs to be moved on from. Too much recycling, too much repetition. If the author feels rushed and as though she needs to pad her word count, I can only recommend slowing down, because this approach has been getting increasingly worse as the years go by. I can't see how it can continue beyond another book or two.
Still, that's just the opinion of one reader. Hell, I'm probably not even the target audience. But for me, I can feel my continued interest waning.
Blood Is Another Word for Hunger by Rivers Solomon
2.0
This is a difficult review to write because I'm of two minds about Blood Is Another Word for Hunger. I settled on a compromise of two stars, because one mind says one star and the other says three.
I find short stories difficult to really enjoy, so me not liking this one isn't a great shock. Where Blood differs is that I feel it actually has the potential to be a full-length novel. Its shortness is a flaw here. Normally, I can do without a short story's message regardless of length, but this book would have translated really well to becoming a novel. This is where my edge towards three stars comes in, because I have to give credit to the premise. I liked the bones of this. It would have been a great slow-burn story about abuse, revenge, and recovery.
But, on the flip side, it's really short. This works against it, especially because it has a problem with wordiness. It's too short yet it spends too much time wasting words... all the while neglecting to mention essential components to the story and environment. Very little information is offered to the reader, instead making you assume details and hope you're right. I tend to find that short stories rely on abstractness and aestheticism, and Blood Is Another Word for Hunger plays right into that. Personally, I don't like it, especially when I can see the potential beneath it all.
In its current form, I wouldn't recommend this. However, were it made into a 60k-word story... That could be very interesting indeed.
I find short stories difficult to really enjoy, so me not liking this one isn't a great shock. Where Blood differs is that I feel it actually has the potential to be a full-length novel. Its shortness is a flaw here. Normally, I can do without a short story's message regardless of length, but this book would have translated really well to becoming a novel. This is where my edge towards three stars comes in, because I have to give credit to the premise. I liked the bones of this. It would have been a great slow-burn story about abuse, revenge, and recovery.
But, on the flip side, it's really short. This works against it, especially because it has a problem with wordiness. It's too short yet it spends too much time wasting words... all the while neglecting to mention essential components to the story and environment. Very little information is offered to the reader, instead making you assume details and hope you're right. I tend to find that short stories rely on abstractness and aestheticism, and Blood Is Another Word for Hunger plays right into that. Personally, I don't like it, especially when I can see the potential beneath it all.
In its current form, I wouldn't recommend this. However, were it made into a 60k-word story... That could be very interesting indeed.
Good Advice from Bad People: Selected Wisdom from Murderers, Stock Swindlers, and Lance Armstrong by Zac Bissonnette
1.0
Light on substance. If there was a point or overarching message to this book, the author made no attempt to share it. As is, the book reads like a sarcastic, self-important rant at the local bar. I'm all for exposing charlatans and hypocrites, but Good Advice from Bad People did not meet that mark.