verumsolum's reviews
2704 reviews

The Minotaur and the Mage by Cora Crane

4.75

This is a great series… I love the cozy, small-town aspect of the story and I'm really enjoying the author's characters. I would not normally consider "monster romance" as a subgenre I'd expect to enjoy, but Cora Crane does such a good job with these books that I am lost in my enjoyment of them when I'm in their world. That small quarter-point deduction from perfection… it probably says more about me than the book: there were times when the human-monster sex scenes were slightly more detailed than I was comfortable with (mostly one particular aspect that disturbed me slightly, but which I can also imagine being a detail that makes the scene for another reader). This is one of those books which reminds me that, in the hands of a good writer, (sub)genre doesn't matter a whole lot: a great book is a great book and can work its magic despite whatever fences a reader may use to try to keep it out. I'm so glad I gave Elderberry Falls a chance and hope to return again soon!

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

4.25

I've made it to the end of the next book in this series and… I'm still not sure what to make of it. There are some brilliant turns of phrase, but… I don't feel the connection to characters or places or plot that I do in most other books: there isn't anything that puts me off, but neither is there anything that attracts me much either (aside from the aforementioned turns of phrase). I'll probably keep reading them because I've bought them, but… there is no special urge to get to the next one quickly.

The Night Realm by Annette Marie

4.5

This is a really good book. That shouldn’t surprise me, given how much I’ve enjoyed this author’s Guild Codex universe. I just wish she’d trust her readers enough not to leave juicy cliffhangers to force us to buy her next book: she’s too good for that time of game-playing!

A Sign of Affection, Volume 5 by suu Morishita

4.5

The Stupidest Angel (v2.0): A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore

4.25

This one didn't do it for me this time through. I remember finding the audiobook version hilarious several years ago, but… reading it myself… I didn't find myself as interested. It's a little weird and… in ways that I found less fun when I was reading it myself. If you want to try this anyway, my advice: listen to the audiobook… I think the performance adds to the text.

Captain South Africa Part 1: Origins by Bill Masuku

4.0

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I don’t know whether it required more knowledge of South African culture than I possess, or whether the compilation made it confusing (I am always anxious when I can’t tell where one issue ends and the next begins in a compiled comic) or whether it’s just confusing. So I’m probably not the best judge of the book, but having read it all, I’m going to rate it for how much I enjoyed it… but I can’t imagine myself continuing to read this series

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November/December 2024 by Janet Hutchings

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The Gargoyle and the Songbird by Cora Crane

4.75

This was another really good book in this series. My main quibble is… there were times I wanted coziness or romance, and this book would go for the spice. I'm still glad I read it, but there was the occasional time I'd get to a chapter and roll my eyes as I thought "Sex? Again?" — I don't think this is a problem with the book, just a preference of this reader. So I share it both so that if you really love spice, you know I recommend it for you, and if you're not… it's still got enough to be worth reading (even if there is the occasional chapter that makes you sigh as you skim past it)

Transphoria, Vol. 1 by Daniel Falco, Kat Calamia, Phil Falco

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Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air by Jackson Ford

5.0

This is the second book of the series and… I think I like this one even better than the first. Not a huge difference, but the scope of what had to be solved felt big enough for Teegan's abilities. And… also big enough for the shadowy bureaucracy behind everybody we see regularly. 

I was even excited enough that I did not do my usual cliffhanger half-point deduction for teasing mysteries that won't be revealed until the next book of the series. I think the fact that the final-chapter reveal was

from a POV we haven't previously seen

helped me feel less annoyed: I'll definitely be reading book three!