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spark_perez's reviews
61 reviews
Fugitive Six by Pittacus Lore
3.0
Would give it a 3.5 if I could. I like all of the crew. I love the little secret Garde group with their basement hideout and that Nine continues to be an excellent mentor for them. The cameos from Six, Sam and John are super fun. It’s just a bit slow in getting each of the six main characters into their respective spots for the book to actually take off. Once it’s done though, it’s really good. Everyone seems to have their individual struggles and circumstances really shape their allegiances and world view that makes the Switzerland outcome feel moooooostly believable. When their stories do converge on the Swiss plot it really does pay off. And adding the Nine v. Five banter at the end is just great. I do hope the final book takes all of this set up and runs with it though. Make it a spectacle.
Fall of Hades by Richard Paul Evans
2.0
Starting to think Richard lost the plot with this one. As necessary (sarcastic tone) as reading about how Hatch's weird evil little society ran, it takes a lot of energy to push through all of that exposition with little reward
All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3.0
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ The best of the three Naturals books so far! We’re all in on having the group participate in active cases (pun intended) and it’s been earned. Letting Sloane get some spotlight into her character and backstory does her a great service, and same can be said for the pieces we get from Lia and Michael. Not to mention, the unsung hero and best character of all, THE Judd. The numbers game is really fun and leads to lots of well earned twists. The side characters are charming as well. An enjoyable ride for most of the journey and then thrown for a BIG loop in the final chapters, that one could argue is a bit rushed, but I would say is very engaging. The next book is certainly gonna be quite the climax to the rising action that takes place in this penultimate installment.
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3.0
Super easy book to finish in a day. The characters are fun to learn about and their showcase in intelligence comes off well. The book spends a lot of time developing the relationships between all the Naturals and leaves a little to be desired as far as plot and action, but I know that will come in the sequels, and thanks to this book, I’ll be invested in the stakes and emotions to come. The twist was fairly safe, which can be good. As a first book in the series, it kept me engaged enough to be excited for the rest of the stories to come, while establishing a cool group and setting and not getting too convoluted too early. On to the next!
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. I feel a lot better about this one than I did about the first installment right after finishing them. The ending was really good. So much happens in this compared to ACOTAR. I will say it could use more and better action to justify how long the book is. Still a lot of set up, world/character building etc but it was enjoyable learning about it all. Probably because we have a lot more likeable characters. A lot of political and character intrigue that keeps your attention. Really looking forward to ACOWAR
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
Easy 5 star. So good. A true culmination of the story so far. When they say fast paced and action-packed, they mean it. I very rarely wanted to put it down. It feels like the end of the story and a very satisfying one at that. But leaves enough room in the world to make new stories that we can enjoy. Which is good when you know there’s more books. This book is a classic example of why you pay the price of admission that is the first book in a series. It will pay off in this one. So many things paid off from earlier in the series. So many enjoyable characters that are fleshed out. It may not be the deepest, most complex story, but it’s a great read. Have some fun with this one!
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
3.0
A fun little extended epilogue/ Holiday special. A glimpse into post-ACOWAR Prythian, but nothing super essential to the next book for the most part. Reading it directly after ACOWAR doesn’t do many favors. But also, I’m not sure how the experience of waiting two years after book 3’s release, reading this, and then waiting another 2 years for ACOSF would’ve been. Just breeze through it for the sake of completion. There’s some fun slice of life moments.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
Definitely a reset to the series after a climactic ACOWAR and the extended epilogue that was ACOFAS. New perspectives, new plot devices, emphasis on different and newer characters. It’s beneficial to “begin” an overarching story in an established universe. But it’s still a beginning. Slow to pick up and establish new stakes and devices. But enjoyable. Sarah J went a little wild with the
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
3.0
3.5 stars because of the ending! ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
A price of admission for the Bloodsworn Saga but I definitely think it will be worth the world building to get to the next two installments. It's my first trek into high fantasy, as you may tell by how long it took me to finish it. But the writing is good, character motivations make sense, no dumb decision making just for the sake of conflict. You just really need to pay attention to the world and the multitude of characters introduced, which can be a chore.
Kind of like Game of Thrones, it reads more like 3 novella stories that take place in the same setting, rather than one story with 3 leading characters. Almost like 3 well fleshed out back stories that will pay dividends in books 2 & 3 when they intersect. And they are cool characters with good stories, a good amount of rising action, with a climax that acts more like a teaser for the rest of the saga.
Solid characters, with some good action, but I hope the Bloodsworn Saga is worth the work it took to get here.
A price of admission for the Bloodsworn Saga but I definitely think it will be worth the world building to get to the next two installments. It's my first trek into high fantasy, as you may tell by how long it took me to finish it. But the writing is good, character motivations make sense, no dumb decision making just for the sake of conflict. You just really need to pay attention to the world and the multitude of characters introduced, which can be a chore.
Kind of like Game of Thrones, it reads more like 3 novella stories that take place in the same setting, rather than one story with 3 leading characters. Almost like 3 well fleshed out back stories that will pay dividends in books 2 & 3 when they intersect. And they are cool characters with good stories, a good amount of rising action, with a climax that acts more like a teaser for the rest of the saga.
Solid characters, with some good action, but I hope the Bloodsworn Saga is worth the work it took to get here.
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
4.0
4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Took everything from Book 1 and took it exactly where you wanted it, too. Sped up the pace a bit, threw in a lot more action. Some could argue it could’ve been a bit shorter, but the “extra” chapters are far and few in between, and if you like the characters, which I did, they’re still enjoyable.
It can be a bit jarring going to 5 PoV’s, knowing when a chapter ends, it may be a while before that thread picks back up. But there’s not a weak story among the 5 and they all add value as well as being unique from each other.
The action is the treat here, it has stakes, you really want to root for the characters, and it’s described so well.
This book also doesn’t suffer from the middle book syndrome of just being set up for book 3. It reaches some good conclusions to plot threads while still making sure you’re ready for the last installment. Which I am.
Took everything from Book 1 and took it exactly where you wanted it, too. Sped up the pace a bit, threw in a lot more action. Some could argue it could’ve been a bit shorter, but the “extra” chapters are far and few in between, and if you like the characters, which I did, they’re still enjoyable.
It can be a bit jarring going to 5 PoV’s, knowing when a chapter ends, it may be a while before that thread picks back up. But there’s not a weak story among the 5 and they all add value as well as being unique from each other.
The action is the treat here, it has stakes, you really want to root for the characters, and it’s described so well.
This book also doesn’t suffer from the middle book syndrome of just being set up for book 3. It reaches some good conclusions to plot threads while still making sure you’re ready for the last installment. Which I am.