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librovermo's reviews
227 reviews
Queen by K.A. Riley
5.0
I am actually dying. No, I’m already dead. It’s not at all what I typically read (m/f spicy romance heh) but I love this dystopian series so much. K.A. Riley is just a bombass writer. She’s too good. This is the third book in her Thrall series and also the longest, but that didn’t stop me from reading it in one sitting just as I did with the other two.
So I won’t lie, there was a point about a quarter of the way through where I thought I had a lot of the plot figured out and I was a little disappointed because I was like “man this feels pretty predictable” and holy shit was I wrong wow I’m such an idiot, like I’m seriously embarrassed for my past self. Queen had some great twists and turns and I cannot believe I had the audacity to think I knew what was going on so early in the book.
The Thrall series has been so fun to read and while I know the fourth book is going to be pretty different, I’m super excited because I have every confidence that it will be just as great!
So I won’t lie, there was a point about a quarter of the way through where I thought I had a lot of the plot figured out and I was a little disappointed because I was like “man this feels pretty predictable” and holy shit was I wrong wow I’m such an idiot, like I’m seriously embarrassed for my past self. Queen had some great twists and turns and I cannot believe I had the audacity to think I knew what was going on so early in the book.
The Thrall series has been so fun to read and while I know the fourth book is going to be pretty different, I’m super excited because I have every confidence that it will be just as great!
Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson
4.0
I cannot begin to explain how excited I was to receive this ARC from Netgalley and Angry Robot Books after how much I loved Evocation. It was so nice to be able to spend some bonus time with these characters during what feels like the longest wait everrrr for the next book in The Summoner’s Circle series!
There’s an event involving David, Rhys, and Moira that took place before the start of Evocation that is alluded to but not exactly explained. Whatever happened, it caused a major rift in Rhys and David’s friendship, so we know it was something big, and in this prequel, we finally get some answers.
While it was certainly an important and dangerous event, and I’m happy that I now understand what happened, I was a little disappointed in the reasoning behind Rhys and David’s falling out. The two men weren’t besties or anything, but Rhys considered David a friend at the start of the book, and the point where he changed his mind felt very lackluster to me. I was expecting something much worse. But I’m sort of torn on whether or not it’s bad thing that I got less than I expected. It actually feels pretty believable that a friendship would end over something so silly.
This novella gives us more than an answer to the Rhys/David friendship question, though. I loved the glimpse into Rhys and Moira’s life before the events of Evocation, when their relationship was extremely new and was very pleasantly surprised to find that S.T. Gibson included the story of how they met, which I thought was very cute and fun.
There’s also some beautiful art throughout the book I had to stop to really take in and stare at before moving on. It was really lovely and totally unexpected - I had no idea there would be any illustrations!
Odd Spirits reads a bit differently from Evocation in that it kind of feels like reading a parable. There’s a clear moral to the story that ties it all up rather nicely. It can certainly be read before Evocation, but personally, I really enjoyed reading the prequel and having questions answered afterward. If you want to go into Evocation knowing everything, read prequel first. If you like a bit of mystery, read Evocation first.
There’s an event involving David, Rhys, and Moira that took place before the start of Evocation that is alluded to but not exactly explained. Whatever happened, it caused a major rift in Rhys and David’s friendship, so we know it was something big, and in this prequel, we finally get some answers.
While it was certainly an important and dangerous event, and I’m happy that I now understand what happened, I was a little disappointed in the reasoning behind Rhys and David’s falling out. The two men weren’t besties or anything, but Rhys considered David a friend at the start of the book, and the point where he changed his mind felt very lackluster to me. I was expecting something much worse. But I’m sort of torn on whether or not it’s bad thing that I got less than I expected. It actually feels pretty believable that a friendship would end over something so silly.
This novella gives us more than an answer to the Rhys/David friendship question, though. I loved the glimpse into Rhys and Moira’s life before the events of Evocation, when their relationship was extremely new and was very pleasantly surprised to find that S.T. Gibson included the story of how they met, which I thought was very cute and fun.
There’s also some beautiful art throughout the book I had to stop to really take in and stare at before moving on. It was really lovely and totally unexpected - I had no idea there would be any illustrations!
Odd Spirits reads a bit differently from Evocation in that it kind of feels like reading a parable. There’s a clear moral to the story that ties it all up rather nicely. It can certainly be read before Evocation, but personally, I really enjoyed reading the prequel and having questions answered afterward. If you want to go into Evocation knowing everything, read prequel first. If you like a bit of mystery, read Evocation first.
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
I liked the way this one started off but my interest dove right off the cliff about halfway in and I struggled to get to 60% before I called it quits.
Strangely enough, it was the time the MCs spent outside the magical land that felt most unique to me. Reading about them living as adults in the real world after experiencing something so magical as children was super interesting. Once they returned to the magic, the story became predictable, boring, and lacked anything that really set it apart from any other Narnia-type book. I looked up the ending/major plot points and they weren’t bad but I don’t feel the rest of it would be worth it for me personally.
Strangely enough, it was the time the MCs spent outside the magical land that felt most unique to me. Reading about them living as adults in the real world after experiencing something so magical as children was super interesting. Once they returned to the magic, the story became predictable, boring, and lacked anything that really set it apart from any other Narnia-type book. I looked up the ending/major plot points and they weren’t bad but I don’t feel the rest of it would be worth it for me personally.
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
4.0
I am quite sick but I managed to finish So Thirsty before the sickness consumed my ability to think critically. I don’t have the energy for big reviewing so here is a stream of consciousness version of my review of this book:
So Thirsty is a good one. It’s not my new favorite of Rachel Harrison’s (that would still be Black Sheep or Cackle, depending on the day you ask me), but it’s actually impossible for her to write anything I don’t like and I dare her to try. As always, strong feminist themes, this time a big one is refusing to settle for less than you deserve. Harrison always writes incredible female friendships and I thought the way Naomi kept a lot of her own drama inside because Sloane had so much going on was super realistic and mega relatable. I like vampire books because I like to see what different authors do with their vampires but there wasn’t a ton of detail here, they seem like pretty classic vamps. Also, I thought Annie seemed like maybe she’d be the one to peer pressure you to try drugs at the party for cool kids and I was into it.
There was some spice which is worth mentioning because it’s not typical of Rachel Harrison but it felt natural and it makes a lot of sense considering the plot.
Here are some quotes that I liked:
“I wonder if I should start calling people "hoss." If I could pull it off.”
“I filed down all my rough edges to fit in wherever, appease whoever, and maybe I made myself entirely forgettable in the process.”
“Aging isn't just about our bodies decaying while we're still inside them. It's about living with the accumulation of experiences. The heavy burden of the ugly ones, the longing for the beautiful.”
So Thirsty is a good one. It’s not my new favorite of Rachel Harrison’s (that would still be Black Sheep or Cackle, depending on the day you ask me), but it’s actually impossible for her to write anything I don’t like and I dare her to try. As always, strong feminist themes, this time a big one is refusing to settle for less than you deserve. Harrison always writes incredible female friendships and I thought the way Naomi kept a lot of her own drama inside because Sloane had so much going on was super realistic and mega relatable. I like vampire books because I like to see what different authors do with their vampires but there wasn’t a ton of detail here, they seem like pretty classic vamps. Also, I thought Annie seemed like maybe she’d be the one to peer pressure you to try drugs at the party for cool kids and I was into it.
There was some spice which is worth mentioning because it’s not typical of Rachel Harrison but it felt natural and it makes a lot of sense considering the plot.
Here are some quotes that I liked:
“I wonder if I should start calling people "hoss." If I could pull it off.”
“I filed down all my rough edges to fit in wherever, appease whoever, and maybe I made myself entirely forgettable in the process.”
“Aging isn't just about our bodies decaying while we're still inside them. It's about living with the accumulation of experiences. The heavy burden of the ugly ones, the longing for the beautiful.”
The Ravening by Daniel Church
medium-paced
3.0
The Ravening is a horror/thriller, and while aspects of both genres were present throughout, it felt less like a mix than a 50/50 split. The first half of the book was heavy thriller, with an adult Jenna trying to escape a house where she is being held against her will for nefarious reasons, then the horror really amped up in the second half as Jenna fought an ancient evil for control of her body (and not in the way you might be thinking). It was a pretty cool shift from “Oh no, the bad guys are these people!” to “Oh dear god, this is also terrifying in a crazy supernatural way!”
As a main character, Jenna felt a bit one-note. She has (with good reason!) a very hard time trusting people and opening herself up to love, and while I’d expect that to be mentioned a fair bit, it’s really the only deep thing we learn about her. The story is told in third person from her POV and she has a lot of conversations with her inner voice, which, when it responds, calls her ‘babe,’ and it drove me crazy. A ‘babe’ here and there would have been okay, but almost every time her inner voice said anything, it threw a ‘babe’ in there. I think it’s because Jenna sometimes thought the inner voice sounded like her girlfriend, Holly, who calls her ‘babe,’ but even so, it was just too much. Otherwise, Jenna was easy to sympathize with and root for, and I formed some pretty strong feelings for a couple other characters too. Like big time hatred! But I was supposed to hate the people I hated, so it was a good hatred.
The story is interesting with a unique premise. I’ve never come across anything like it and I enjoyed it. I want to talk about some specific bits but when I consider the blurb, I feel like anything I say could be a spoiler. There were some excerpts from old texts inserted between chapters throughout the book that gave vague information about the ancient evil, allowing the reader to piece things together, but as soon as you read the final excerpt, everything is explained by someone anyway. We’re given the same explanation, but less vague, as if the author doesn’t trust the reader to have figured it out. So the excerpts feel sort of purposeless. My favorite part of the book was the dreamlike sequences that reminded me a lot of some fantasy I’ve read and I think horror fans who are also fantasy readers would enjoy those scenes as much as I did. I wasn’t expecting that fantasy feel but I liked it!
Thank you to both Netgalley and Angry Robot Books, from whom I received an ARC of The Ravening.
Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton
4.75
I think Johnny Compton and I are psychically linked and he knows what I like: gruesome and violent AF horror, super unique vampires, and a straight up cult. I also love a book that gives me room to form my own theories about what’s going on, and Devils Kill Devils did that from the start, then opened up a little and gave me more room for even more outlandish theories, which is so much fun.
I did find myself a little bored during Harrah’s early chapters and a tiny bit lost during Cela’s early chapters, but their later chapters were just as good as the rest and I loved the stark difference in prose between each character’s POV. The way they spoke, thought, acted… it was always obvious which character the story was following because the writing actually changed very organically. And oh my god the foreshadowing drove me crazy in the very best way, like I knew something was being alluded to and I wanted to know what it was SO BADLY. In a couple spots, I had to stop myself from skimming, not because I was bored or didn’t want to read it but because I was so desperate to know what was going to happen.
I liked most of the characters and that stories of their pasts were included to give context to their actions and motivations (especially The Northman). Sarita is a great main character and she has a lot of strengths but one of my favorite things about her is that she isn’t your standard Chosen One. I like the idea that a Chosen One isn’t necessarily more special than anyone else, that it’s more like “well, someone had to be chosen,” and happenstance is what gives the Chosen One their power.
The author’s note at the end was really cool - I always love when authors include information about their inspiration and influences. It’s very interesting. Don’t skip it!
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC of Devils Kill Devils.
I did find myself a little bored during Harrah’s early chapters and a tiny bit lost during Cela’s early chapters, but their later chapters were just as good as the rest and I loved the stark difference in prose between each character’s POV. The way they spoke, thought, acted… it was always obvious which character the story was following because the writing actually changed very organically. And oh my god the foreshadowing drove me crazy in the very best way, like I knew something was being alluded to and I wanted to know what it was SO BADLY. In a couple spots, I had to stop myself from skimming, not because I was bored or didn’t want to read it but because I was so desperate to know what was going to happen.
I liked most of the characters and that stories of their pasts were included to give context to their actions and motivations (especially The Northman). Sarita is a great main character and she has a lot of strengths but one of my favorite things about her is that she isn’t your standard Chosen One. I like the idea that a Chosen One isn’t necessarily more special than anyone else, that it’s more like “well, someone had to be chosen,” and happenstance is what gives the Chosen One their power.
The author’s note at the end was really cool - I always love when authors include information about their inspiration and influences. It’s very interesting. Don’t skip it!
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC of Devils Kill Devils.
Evil in Me by Brom
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Brom is one of my favorite horror authors, in part because his stories are just that good, but also because I love that he writes horror with heart. Evil in Me is no different, and it’s also an exploration of emotional turmoil.
Even before her possession, Ruby felt out of control of her own life. Beel, the demon possessing Ruby, is only doing so because he’s controlled by a more powerful demon. Control is an extremely prevalent theme as even side characters have suffered due to circumstances beyond their control, or circumstances they believe to be beyond their control. It’s easy to relate to Ruby as she struggles not just in the fight for her soul, but the fight for her power, the control she lost long before the ring found its way into her life.
As always, Brom created a fun cast of characters for Evil in Me. I loved Vutto, as I expect most people will, and everyone needs a friend like Tina. The book has major “roadtrip with a punk rock band of weirdos” vibes, which makes it really fun for a horror novel. There were high stakes, but aside from one scene, I didn’t feel particularly tense. This one definitely had more of a fun, lighthearted feel.
The narration of the audiobook was honestly amazing. Stephanie Németh-Parker voiced most of it and I loved how she laughed, scoffed, sang, etc. along with Ruby, instead of just telling us Ruby was doing it. I’ve never listened to an audiobook with a narrator that consistently added those types of emotions into their narration. Shahjehan Khan also did a great job with Richard’s narration. You can really hear Richard’s confidence in the beginning and how the events of the book affect him in his voice. But the narration itself isn’t the only thing to rave about because there is MUSIC. Ruby has to write a song and when she performs it, an actual band, The Maxines, perform it on the audiobook. It is the bee’s knees, as Richard would say. I love audiobooks that include more than just a simple reading of the book, so this one really checked off a lot of boxes for me.
The print version of Evil in Me has nearly two dozen illustrations and I’ve seen enough of of them (and Brom’s art in general) to know they are not to be missed, so I recommend listening while reading if possible for an immersive experience with both music and illustrations. Best of both worlds!
Thanks very much to both NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, from whom I received an ALC of Evil in Me.