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whatsheread's Reviews (2.3k)
THE ATLAS COMPLEX is all about power and destruction. While it is still very much a character study of the six initiates, we finally get to see them out in the world. This is important because it is the first opportunity we get to see how they use their powers after two years of intensive study. Not only that but they also have to face the constant threat of assassination simply because of their powers.
If someone is reading The Atlas trilogy in hopes of reading a dark academia thriller/action story, they are going to finish the series disappointed. No matter what the publishers would like you to believe, that is not what this series is about. In the Author’s Notes, Ms. Blake started writing the series as a method of taming her rage at some of the asinine situations happening in the world. She uses her series not just to channel her feelings but also to raise some very real questions about power and the destruction that seems to follow anyone who has a modicum of it. Her anger about this issue seeps through the pages and makes her story difficult to follow in some regard. I believe her anger also attracts like-minded readers by allowing them to feel seen and heard.
But Ms. Blake doesn’t stop there. Part of her also explores the urgent need for changes that will positively impact the world and halt climate change. In fact, she ends THE ATLAS COMPLEX with firm conclusions about the state of the world and its future if things continue to deteriorate. Here is where I struggled, only because I don’t come to the same conclusions as Ms. Blake and her characters. I appreciate the path she takes to reach her hypothesis, but I don’t agree with it.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the novel. THE ATLAS COMPLEX is every bit as complex and mind-bending as the first book. Seeing the maturity of the six initiates, watching them enact their plans, and change the world is satisfying, and I’m glad I persevered reading the series. I hesitate to recommend it to readers though because it is much more a thinking-person’s novel. Much more cerebral and theoretical and entirely less thrilling than I expected, and that’s okay too. It just means that there is a niche audience for the series, and when the right reader comes across the trilogy, they will be able to appreciate everything Ms. Blake accomplishes with it.
If someone is reading The Atlas trilogy in hopes of reading a dark academia thriller/action story, they are going to finish the series disappointed. No matter what the publishers would like you to believe, that is not what this series is about. In the Author’s Notes, Ms. Blake started writing the series as a method of taming her rage at some of the asinine situations happening in the world. She uses her series not just to channel her feelings but also to raise some very real questions about power and the destruction that seems to follow anyone who has a modicum of it. Her anger about this issue seeps through the pages and makes her story difficult to follow in some regard. I believe her anger also attracts like-minded readers by allowing them to feel seen and heard.
But Ms. Blake doesn’t stop there. Part of her also explores the urgent need for changes that will positively impact the world and halt climate change. In fact, she ends THE ATLAS COMPLEX with firm conclusions about the state of the world and its future if things continue to deteriorate. Here is where I struggled, only because I don’t come to the same conclusions as Ms. Blake and her characters. I appreciate the path she takes to reach her hypothesis, but I don’t agree with it.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the novel. THE ATLAS COMPLEX is every bit as complex and mind-bending as the first book. Seeing the maturity of the six initiates, watching them enact their plans, and change the world is satisfying, and I’m glad I persevered reading the series. I hesitate to recommend it to readers though because it is much more a thinking-person’s novel. Much more cerebral and theoretical and entirely less thrilling than I expected, and that’s okay too. It just means that there is a niche audience for the series, and when the right reader comes across the trilogy, they will be able to appreciate everything Ms. Blake accomplishes with it.
There is no doubt that EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED, Jay Kristoff's sequel to EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE, was my number one most-anticipated novel for 2024. Now that I’ve finished it in its entirety, I know without a doubt that it will be the best novel for the entire year. It surpasses the first book with the torture Mr. Kristoff puts his characters through and with the emotional torment he forces his readers to experience. It is a reading experience unlike anything I have ever had, and I will not stop gushing about this book for years to come.
EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED has everything we loved about the first book - action, adventure, deathly situations, snark, anger, mistrust, revenge. Yet, this time around, we see a softer side of Gabe. This time around, the killer interacts with children, and every time is as heart-wrenching as the first, knowing what he lost.
For someone who has never had children, Mr. Kristoff captures the immense love, fear, and frustrations that mean being a parent, and he imbues Gabe with all of it. The scenes where Gabe is doing his best by Dior are bittersweet and yet so touching. He has the best of intentions, no matter how gruff he is. In fact, his harshest moments come from a place of love and fear. He might profess to be anything but a hero, but his interactions with Dior prove that there lies a hero's heart underneath that bitter exterior.
Because we now know that no one is safe, Mr. Kristoff uses this knowledge to make the battle scenes petrifying. It seems like every battle is just a little more dangerous, and Gabe and his band need to defy ever-increasing odds. Even though we know he survives - because he is still telling his story to his captors - it doesn't stop those scenes from being gut-clenching in intensity.
EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED isn't more of the same either. Sure, Gabe is still a captive of the Chastain kith. Yes, he is telling the story of the Grail. Yet, we are so much more in the know now, and that sense that Gabe is biding his time (Patience) is even greater.
Plus, Mr. Kristoff shows us a different side of Jean-François. Not only do we get to see how he whiles away his time, we also get a glimpse into his mind. Through him, we see his Mistress and learn some of his motivations. This added insight also changes the dynamics of the story. For the first time, we get to see things from the enemy's perspective, and that knowledge makes them just a little more sympathetic.
To call EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED a masterpiece is underselling it. I have never had such violent emotional reactions to a novel as I did while reading it. At several points in the story, I had to stop reading for a day or two because the situation was so bleak. The ending alone had me screaming, crying, yelling, and cursing. With EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED, Mr. Kristoff has given his readers a novel for all time, and I both love and hate him for what he put me through.
EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED has everything we loved about the first book - action, adventure, deathly situations, snark, anger, mistrust, revenge. Yet, this time around, we see a softer side of Gabe. This time around, the killer interacts with children, and every time is as heart-wrenching as the first, knowing what he lost.
For someone who has never had children, Mr. Kristoff captures the immense love, fear, and frustrations that mean being a parent, and he imbues Gabe with all of it. The scenes where Gabe is doing his best by Dior are bittersweet and yet so touching. He has the best of intentions, no matter how gruff he is. In fact, his harshest moments come from a place of love and fear. He might profess to be anything but a hero, but his interactions with Dior prove that there lies a hero's heart underneath that bitter exterior.
Because we now know that no one is safe, Mr. Kristoff uses this knowledge to make the battle scenes petrifying. It seems like every battle is just a little more dangerous, and Gabe and his band need to defy ever-increasing odds. Even though we know he survives - because he is still telling his story to his captors - it doesn't stop those scenes from being gut-clenching in intensity.
EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED isn't more of the same either. Sure, Gabe is still a captive of the Chastain kith. Yes, he is telling the story of the Grail. Yet, we are so much more in the know now, and that sense that Gabe is biding his time (Patience) is even greater.
Plus, Mr. Kristoff shows us a different side of Jean-François. Not only do we get to see how he whiles away his time, we also get a glimpse into his mind. Through him, we see his Mistress and learn some of his motivations. This added insight also changes the dynamics of the story. For the first time, we get to see things from the enemy's perspective, and that knowledge makes them just a little more sympathetic.
To call EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED a masterpiece is underselling it. I have never had such violent emotional reactions to a novel as I did while reading it. At several points in the story, I had to stop reading for a day or two because the situation was so bleak. The ending alone had me screaming, crying, yelling, and cursing. With EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED, Mr. Kristoff has given his readers a novel for all time, and I both love and hate him for what he put me through.
This second book in Tana French’s Cal Hooper series, THE HUNTER, is as good as, if not better than, the first book. Ms. French doubles down on the creepiness factor of Cal’s pub friends. I say that even though one of my favorite scenes in the entire book happened with those same friends in the pub. I was literally laughing out loud as those same creepy friends kept giving him shit for his relationship status. It was a much-needed bit of levity before the suspense ratcheted up another notch.
We get to see into Trey in this book, and it simply confirms what Cal suspected. She is a traumatized girl who doesn’t know how to handle her feelings. She reaches a key milestone in her maturity in THE HUNTER that is vital for her future.
If the first book made me want to move to Ireland like Cal did, THE HUNTER tempered those feelings a bit. Ms. French still describes the little town with delightful clarity and charm, but the town feels just a wee bit more ominous now that we know a little more about its inhabitants.
Tana French is such an amazing author, and her stories never disappoint. With this second book, I’ve fallen for Cal Hooper and Trey and the entire cast and can’t wait to see if there are any more of their antics in the future.
We get to see into Trey in this book, and it simply confirms what Cal suspected. She is a traumatized girl who doesn’t know how to handle her feelings. She reaches a key milestone in her maturity in THE HUNTER that is vital for her future.
If the first book made me want to move to Ireland like Cal did, THE HUNTER tempered those feelings a bit. Ms. French still describes the little town with delightful clarity and charm, but the town feels just a wee bit more ominous now that we know a little more about its inhabitants.
Tana French is such an amazing author, and her stories never disappoint. With this second book, I’ve fallen for Cal Hooper and Trey and the entire cast and can’t wait to see if there are any more of their antics in the future.
What a story! Definitely one of the most intense and chilling in the series, especially with the paramilitary angle. I loved seeing Eve and Roarke dealing with a child. Those scenes managed to be funny, sweet, and yet very sad as well. One of my favorite elements of each story in the series is watching Eve and Roarke grow as a couple and find a little bit more peace with their past. SURVIVOR IN DEATH definitely did not disappoint in that regard.
THE DANGEROUS ONES by Lauren Blackwood reimagines the American Civil War by adding vampires and vampire hunters to the mix. Her story revolves around Jerusalem, a former enslaved person who escaped her vampire enslaver and found her calling fighting with the Yankees against the South and their vampire allies. Jerusalem fights alongside one of the few vampires who don’t side with the South. The rest of the story follows pretty much as you can guess. In fact, there are no major surprises here. The story is formulaic and filled with tropes. Jerusalem and Alexei are great together. Their chemistry is perfection, and Ms. Blackwood takes care to highlight their friendship before moving on to other aspects of their relationship. Individually, both are engaging characters, flawed and better for those flaws. Together, they make sparks fly.
That being said, THE DANGEROUS ONES is cute but ultimately forgettable. It is the type of book you enjoy reading but put aside once finished and never think of it again. In fact, I had to read the synopsis before I could recall what the book was about before writing this review. It is a fun book in that vampires in the Civil War is a premise I always love. Ms. Blackwood keeps the gravitas and pain that is necessary and deserved when Jerusalem thinks about her time as an enslaved person; you can tell she aches for all of the enslaved and takes the pain of generations upon her shoulders. But, there is nothing that makes the story stick in my mind, and that is okay. Not every book can be profound or life-altering in some way. Everyone will come across a read-and-forget book at least once in their life. THE DANGEROUS ONES is the latter for me.
That being said, THE DANGEROUS ONES is cute but ultimately forgettable. It is the type of book you enjoy reading but put aside once finished and never think of it again. In fact, I had to read the synopsis before I could recall what the book was about before writing this review. It is a fun book in that vampires in the Civil War is a premise I always love. Ms. Blackwood keeps the gravitas and pain that is necessary and deserved when Jerusalem thinks about her time as an enslaved person; you can tell she aches for all of the enslaved and takes the pain of generations upon her shoulders. But, there is nothing that makes the story stick in my mind, and that is okay. Not every book can be profound or life-altering in some way. Everyone will come across a read-and-forget book at least once in their life. THE DANGEROUS ONES is the latter for me.
BEASTLY BEAUTY is Jennifer Donnelly’s gender-switched retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and it is everything you would expect in a novel written by Ms. Donnelly. While the castle’s occupants aren’t furniture or other household items, they are as much a part of the curse as Arabella is. Unlike the Disney version, the castle occupants do not see Beau as the answer to the curse but rather another failure waiting to happen. There are other stark differences as well. Beau and Arabella both have some major trauma in their past, and both must work to overcome that trauma before either can obtain peace and happiness. Also, unlike most fairy tales, true love’s kiss is not the key here. There is another form of love Ms. Donnelly deems more important than true love, and it is the one thing I most appreciate about BEASTLY BEAUTY. While it is still a fairy tale and it follows the fairy tale formula, the “rescue” comes in a completely different form - one better suited for the modern reader. My only complaint with BEASTLY BEAUTY is that it happens too fast. Ms. Donnelly’s world is so lush, and all of her characters are larger than life. I wanted more time with them all, especially because Ms. Donnelly does not publish novels as frequently as some of her contemporaries, and I know it will be another few years before we get our next novel from her. Still, all of her novels are worth the wait, and BEASTLY BEAUTY Is no different in that regard!
A GAME OF LIES by Clare Mackintosh is the second book in the Detective Ffion Morgan series, and, like everything else Ms. Mackintosh writes, it is outstanding. Ffion is such a great character. She is most definitely not your ordinary detective hero. She is as quick to anger as she is to ignore orders and flout the rules. She is more likely to protect a friend than to follow procedure. She’s rough in appearance and manner, foul-mouthed enough to make a sailor blush, and I love everything about her. In this second book, we also meet Dave. I love Dave. Dave is the best character in the series. All books need a Dave in them.
When you have such great characters as Ffion and Dave, the murder mystery almost takes a backseat to their antics. Ms. Mackintosh is able to keep her characters under control long enough to highlight the exploitive nature of reality TV shows and pop culture media. The murder itself is chilling, not because someone kills someone else but because of the reasons why.
In A GAME OF LIES, Ms. Mackintosh takes the premise of a locked room murder mystery and modernizes it, complete with 24/7 surveillance and near constant social media coverage. Combined with Ffion’s rough and ready approach to mystery solving, and Dave, and you have another excellent mystery/thriller by one of the best in the business!
When you have such great characters as Ffion and Dave, the murder mystery almost takes a backseat to their antics. Ms. Mackintosh is able to keep her characters under control long enough to highlight the exploitive nature of reality TV shows and pop culture media. The murder itself is chilling, not because someone kills someone else but because of the reasons why.
In A GAME OF LIES, Ms. Mackintosh takes the premise of a locked room murder mystery and modernizes it, complete with 24/7 surveillance and near constant social media coverage. Combined with Ffion’s rough and ready approach to mystery solving, and Dave, and you have another excellent mystery/thriller by one of the best in the business!
THE HEMLOCK QUEEN is Hannah Whitten’s exciting sequel to THE FOXGLOVE KING, and I am here for it! Picking up a few months after the shocking ending of the first novel, the action and angst starts right away as Lore questions who she can or cannot trust. I love Lore. I love everything about her and seriously hope she gets her happily ever after at the end of the series. For now, however, Ms. Whitten tortures Lore with a severe lack of allies and even more severe lack of answers. In a classic example of “not all characters are heroes”, we see a massive change is Bastian that only confuses the situation. Add to that Gabe’s distant smoldering, and it’s enough to drive a girl wild!
THE HEMLOCK QUEEN sets up the final book quite nicely, even as the ending is every bit as infuriating as THE FOXGLOVE KING’s ending. There isn’t as much action in this second book, but there is a lot of skullduggery and searching for answers. By the time the story draws to a close, we have set lines of demarcation and no idea how Lore, Bastian, and Gabe will resolve anything. The wait for the final book is going to be interminable, but I know it will be worth it.
THE HEMLOCK QUEEN sets up the final book quite nicely, even as the ending is every bit as infuriating as THE FOXGLOVE KING’s ending. There isn’t as much action in this second book, but there is a lot of skullduggery and searching for answers. By the time the story draws to a close, we have set lines of demarcation and no idea how Lore, Bastian, and Gabe will resolve anything. The wait for the final book is going to be interminable, but I know it will be worth it.
ARIEL CRASHES A TRAIN by Olivia A. Cole is a tough, tough read, only because I saw way too much of myself in Ariel. Ariel’s struggle with intrusive thoughts, as well as the compulsions she uses to combat them, is one of the first realistic portrayals of OCD I’ve experienced in print. Ariel’s pain brought back all those times when I knew there was something that made me different, that was wrong with me, and was the reason why I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere. That Ariel obtains the help she needs so much earlier in life than most people struggling with OCD is a comfort because it shows that people are finally beginning to realize that it is not cleanliness and everything at right angles. That Ms. Cole chose to write Ariel’s story in verse helped ease the pain of watching this poor girl fall through the cracks and needlessly suffer. While not an easy read, ARIEL CRASHES A TRAIN is a powerful one, made more impactful because of knowing that we both struggle with the same mental health disease.
THE ASHES AND THE STAR-CURSED KING by Carissa Broadbent is another fantastic ending to a great duology. It has everything you would want in a romantasy novel - plenty of action, violence, romance, and smut. I am particularly impressed by Ms. Broadbent’s clever method for extracting key information from certain characters. Oraya’s and Raihn’s story is satisfying on many fronts. Better yet, we know that while their main story is over, we will still see them in future Nyaxia books, of which there will should be four more. I can’t wait!