Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mstufail19's Reviews (288)
Cute, sweet story - nothing really climatic or exciting happens. Girl meets minotaur and falls in love. Interested to read more in this series
I mostly read this book while my kids were watching Bluey so my mind had no trouble narrating in an Australian accent.
I thought this was a beautifully written book that explored many concepts surrounding post-WWII. Beth and Wes are from the same small town. He's Quaker who was a noncombatant soldier in WWII. She's a young idealist who has embraced communism and Soviet ideals wholeheartedly. Wes loves her from the very beginning of the book when he returns from the war and sees her again for the first time. Beth loves politics and Communism and Stalin and doesn't have time or desire for a romantic relationship. Beth as a character is a bit exasperating but Wes is good and sympathetic and you can't help but root for them because you want HIM to have a happy ending.
A side storyline is that of Patty, Wes' sister who is a nurse in Hiroshima, taking care of victims of the bomb. Her story was more compelling and sympathetic to me. Her mission to help as many people as she could and her struggle with her decision to have children or not knowing that they likely would be affected by radiation were beautiful, and at times hard to read (I definitely had tears in my eyes at some points). Her character was also sort of fun and irreverent and down to earth, despite the solemnity and import of her mission.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. I've never read Hillman before but it was beautifully written, the characters were well developed into real and flawed people, and the ending was appropriate for Wes and Beth's story.
I received this book as an advanced copy from the publisher.
I thought this was a beautifully written book that explored many concepts surrounding post-WWII. Beth and Wes are from the same small town. He's Quaker who was a noncombatant soldier in WWII. She's a young idealist who has embraced communism and Soviet ideals wholeheartedly. Wes loves her from the very beginning of the book when he returns from the war and sees her again for the first time. Beth loves politics and Communism and Stalin and doesn't have time or desire for a romantic relationship. Beth as a character is a bit exasperating but Wes is good and sympathetic and you can't help but root for them because you want HIM to have a happy ending.
A side storyline is that of Patty, Wes' sister who is a nurse in Hiroshima, taking care of victims of the bomb. Her story was more compelling and sympathetic to me. Her mission to help as many people as she could and her struggle with her decision to have children or not knowing that they likely would be affected by radiation were beautiful, and at times hard to read (I definitely had tears in my eyes at some points). Her character was also sort of fun and irreverent and down to earth, despite the solemnity and import of her mission.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. I've never read Hillman before but it was beautifully written, the characters were well developed into real and flawed people, and the ending was appropriate for Wes and Beth's story.
I received this book as an advanced copy from the publisher.
Full discloser: I gave all the books in this series 5 stars because I love the Night Huntress series so much. However, some books, of course, are much better that others. This is the 1st book of the series and to be honest, I only read the next book because I was intrigued by the lead up at the end of this one (trying to avoid spoilers). Cat's character initially turned me off. I mean, get over it already. The other kids picked on you and a boy you hooked up with in high school hit it and quit it? Boohoo. I was (and still am) tired of the virgin, or almost-virgin, romance heroine (which is why I like the Riley Jensen Guardian series so much). But I adore the character of Bones and his influence on Cat's personality redeems her a bit, and you can really see her personal growth towards the end of the book.
Also what I like about this book, is that Jeaniene Frost isn't lazy with her introduction to the characters's relationship. A lot of romance books start with the characters being "inexplicably drawn' to each other and immediately falling into bed despite having just met, and knowing right away they had to have each other and being in love after the 1st time having sex. I get it. There's only about 300 pages, let's start the romance and sex as soon as possible. Bones and Cat, though, actually get to know one another 1st, and even though Bones is smitten right away, Cat starts off hating him, and then trusting him, and then liking him, and then "like" liking him. And doesn't admit to him or herself that she's in love with him for quite awhile. Which seems more believable to me.
All and all, this book is worth reading as a set-up for the series as a whole.
Also what I like about this book, is that Jeaniene Frost isn't lazy with her introduction to the characters's relationship. A lot of romance books start with the characters being "inexplicably drawn' to each other and immediately falling into bed despite having just met, and knowing right away they had to have each other and being in love after the 1st time having sex. I get it. There's only about 300 pages, let's start the romance and sex as soon as possible. Bones and Cat, though, actually get to know one another 1st, and even though Bones is smitten right away, Cat starts off hating him, and then trusting him, and then liking him, and then "like" liking him. And doesn't admit to him or herself that she's in love with him for quite awhile. Which seems more believable to me.
All and all, this book is worth reading as a set-up for the series as a whole.
This may be my favorite book in the series, for a few reasons. A lot of the characters we've only just "met" before have a larger role so we "get to know them", as it were. Vlad is introduced (He becomes a fave of mine. I really enjoy his and Bones' dislike of one another). There's a lot of action in this one. It seems like something is constantly going down. And I don't mean sexy time action. This book might have the least amount of sex in the whole series; however, the emotion and passion in this one are so intense, the sex scenes are practically unmissed.
***SPOILER****
This may be the only romance that has ever made me tear up. When Cat thinks she's lost Bones, it's pretty devastating. Not to mention Bones' other friends' reactions.
The zombie fight scene: awesome. Though it does get a little jumbled and hard to follow in places. Like maybe the author got so swept up in her own imaginings of it, she couldn't quite relay it in words.
I really liked how all the characters were so distraught after they lost their friends in the zombie battle. It seems like a lot of authors would have used that as a "yeah lets get revenge!" motivator. But all the characters were truly grieving for their fallen brethren.
Patra was too easily killed. She's over 2000 years old. You mean to tell me all they had to do was find her and have some wraiths beat her up then stab her? That's it? It kind of pisses you off seeing as Mencheres could have dispatched her so easily this whole time and a couple of dozen people would never have had to die. F*ck you, Mencheres.
***SPOILER****
This may be the only romance that has ever made me tear up. When Cat thinks she's lost Bones, it's pretty devastating. Not to mention Bones' other friends' reactions.
The zombie fight scene: awesome. Though it does get a little jumbled and hard to follow in places. Like maybe the author got so swept up in her own imaginings of it, she couldn't quite relay it in words.
I really liked how all the characters were so distraught after they lost their friends in the zombie battle. It seems like a lot of authors would have used that as a "yeah lets get revenge!" motivator. But all the characters were truly grieving for their fallen brethren.
Patra was too easily killed. She's over 2000 years old. You mean to tell me all they had to do was find her and have some wraiths beat her up then stab her? That's it? It kind of pisses you off seeing as Mencheres could have dispatched her so easily this whole time and a couple of dozen people would never have had to die. F*ck you, Mencheres.
Once again, I gave this book 5 stars because I love this entire series so much. This book is definitely better than the 1st. Cat seems to have grown up a lot, which was my biggest complaint about book #1. Ian is one of my favorite characters and this is his introduction to the series. Although, it seems like a lot of drama could have been avoided if Bones would have just told Ian he was in love with Cat instead of jumping through hoops to trick him and then humiliate him in front of all his people. But I guess that would not have made for much of a story. Anyway, we see more of Spade who I love and are introduced to Mencheres and Annette. It's a good lead-in to the 3rd book of the series, which is one of my favorites.
Oh yeah. And, of course, there's chapter 32...
Oh yeah. And, of course, there's chapter 32...
One of my favorite books in the series. A lot of good stuff happening: flashbacks to when Cat was a teenager, Bones getting very, very angry at Cat, Bones possibly cheating on Cat, Vlad being Vlad, Tate being told to F*** off, again, fights to the death. Of course some dumb stuff, too. Back to Cat being self-deprecating "Oh I'm such a freak" after finally being turned. >insert eye roll< We lost some characters we didn't want to see go, and Justina's worst nightmare comes true.
One pretty emotional, action-filled book.
One pretty emotional, action-filled book.
This book is okay, better than the 2nd night huntress book. Love Spade, his English manners and his unwavering loyalty and friendship with Bones. I like Denise better when she's a supporting character. She seems more fun and confident in the Night Huntress books. She loses her husband in a previous book which accounts for her personality change, I guess. And I would understand if it was just guilt over moving on after her husband's death that plagues her throughout the book, but it's also an annoying lack of self-confidence. It seems like every time Spade says just about anything she's like "Oh you don't want to help me anymore? Right, I get it, of course you don't, I'll find some other way." or "Oh right, of course not, why would someone like you want to be with me?". And Spade has to be all "That's not what I was going to say..."
I love the Night Huntress series, but the Night Huntress World books are so far not my favorite, but are good for furthering the along the rest of the series.
I should just write my own romances about sassy, confident, nonvirgin women...
I love the Night Huntress series, but the Night Huntress World books are so far not my favorite, but are good for furthering the along the rest of the series.
I should just write my own romances about sassy, confident, nonvirgin women...