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wjlongiii's reviews
106 reviews
Into the Dread Void by Abe Moss
3.0
This book hooked me with its first chapter. I was enthralled and felt it was exactly the odd, dark and unflinching novel I was looking for, but as it continued, that feeling faded.
I will be honest, Mr. Moss did an outstanding job pacing the book. The characters work well, especially the Palmers, and the mystery is gripping.
The primary POV characters came off a bit soft in their development with much of who they are being shrouded in mysteries that never revealed themselves. I don't believe that choice was accidental, but for me, it didn't work.
My biggest problem was with the story. Many elements worked exceptionally well, but halfway through I was hit with the notion that this was little more than an opening act, not a complete story. There were no answers to the fundamental questions being asked, and what was given fell a bit flat in my opinion. I know there are a number of books in the series that will likely evolve and elaborate on what exists in this book, but in the end continuing on with a writer's work is a question of trust.
As sad as it is to say, I was left without that needed sense of trust and for that reason, I will not be continuing with the series.
I will be honest, Mr. Moss did an outstanding job pacing the book. The characters work well, especially the Palmers, and the mystery is gripping.
The primary POV characters came off a bit soft in their development with much of who they are being shrouded in mysteries that never revealed themselves. I don't believe that choice was accidental, but for me, it didn't work.
My biggest problem was with the story. Many elements worked exceptionally well, but halfway through I was hit with the notion that this was little more than an opening act, not a complete story. There were no answers to the fundamental questions being asked, and what was given fell a bit flat in my opinion. I know there are a number of books in the series that will likely evolve and elaborate on what exists in this book, but in the end continuing on with a writer's work is a question of trust.
As sad as it is to say, I was left without that needed sense of trust and for that reason, I will not be continuing with the series.
Old World War by Melissa F. Olson
4.0
Forgive me for keeping things vague, there is a ton to spoil as this is the last book in a long running series and I want to avoid as much of it as possible.
I started the Old World series ages ago and rabidly consumed each book as they were released. This one I hesitated on. My fear was that it would bring the series to a conclusion that would be bittersweet, and I was right.
Miss Olson has always had a knack for characters that leap off the page and plotlines that move at blistering paces while somehow giving time for the gravity of events to linger. I love her work, and this book is no different.
Her love for the city of Galena is obvious immediately and puts her cast of characters out of their element in ways that are both fun and unpredictable. The conclusion of the book goes in every direction but where you believe it will, yet seems inevitable once we get there.
Aside from the speed at which the overall objective of the novel is dealt with in the end, I would say it's another stellar entry into the series and could definitely be the final word on this world that I have been enthralled with for nearly a decade.
If it is over, I will miss it, though that's what repeat reads are for.
I started the Old World series ages ago and rabidly consumed each book as they were released. This one I hesitated on. My fear was that it would bring the series to a conclusion that would be bittersweet, and I was right.
Miss Olson has always had a knack for characters that leap off the page and plotlines that move at blistering paces while somehow giving time for the gravity of events to linger. I love her work, and this book is no different.
Her love for the city of Galena is obvious immediately and puts her cast of characters out of their element in ways that are both fun and unpredictable. The conclusion of the book goes in every direction but where you believe it will, yet seems inevitable once we get there.
Aside from the speed at which the overall objective of the novel is dealt with in the end, I would say it's another stellar entry into the series and could definitely be the final word on this world that I have been enthralled with for nearly a decade.
If it is over, I will miss it, though that's what repeat reads are for.
Cold Storage by David Koepp
5.0
This book was so much fun...creepy and gross at times, but great fun regardless. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of fast-paced action oriented horror.
Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor by Shawn M. Warner
4.0
First let me say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I bought it on a whim after seeing the TicTok post about it and the author. I found the short clip heartwarming and took a chance.
I would say that the book didn't change my life or anything, but it was a fun read. The characters were mostly believable and Leigh actually felt as conflicted and confused as she should have been given the situation.
Where the novel begins to fall apart is in the mystery. The answers are uncovered for Leigh rather than her actually finding useful clues and making deductions based on them. Its forgivable given the lead is only 16, but still disappointing.
The antagonist left a bit to be desired as well, as did the dynamics between Leigh and the ghosts. I get the feeling that there was initially a much more elaborate journey to the eventual ending than what was published, and I would have loved to read that version.
Still, I don't regret reading any part of this, and I would definitely return to Simmons-Pierce Manor for another visit. 4/5
I would say that the book didn't change my life or anything, but it was a fun read. The characters were mostly believable and Leigh actually felt as conflicted and confused as she should have been given the situation.
Where the novel begins to fall apart is in the mystery. The answers are uncovered for Leigh rather than her actually finding useful clues and making deductions based on them. Its forgivable given the lead is only 16, but still disappointing.
The antagonist left a bit to be desired as well, as did the dynamics between Leigh and the ghosts. I get the feeling that there was initially a much more elaborate journey to the eventual ending than what was published, and I would have loved to read that version.
Still, I don't regret reading any part of this, and I would definitely return to Simmons-Pierce Manor for another visit. 4/5
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
4.0
I will be frank. I despise the main character of this novel. Kate Cypher is as cowardly and indecisive as a child as she is once grown. She lacks the ability to identify a moral compass, let alone the conviction required to follow one.
I say all this to accentuate just how much the rest of the novel worked for me. The nature of this supernatural thriller isn't particularly original, but the small town and its cast of characters rung true to me on a personal level.
Del is by far the highlight. A tragic little girl, despised by her peers and abused by her family, she still walks to the beat if her own macabre drum and despite how abrasive she could be, I lived for the chapters where she appears.
As usual, I won't spoil the plot, but the split timelines of the book do drive tension and partition discoveries exceptionally well, tightening the rivets of suspense with each subsequent chapter.
Jennifer McMahon took a premise that was fairly pedestrian, a loathsome main character, and a so-so conclusion and infused what was left with so much heart and character that, against all odds, I loved it.
I say all this to accentuate just how much the rest of the novel worked for me. The nature of this supernatural thriller isn't particularly original, but the small town and its cast of characters rung true to me on a personal level.
Del is by far the highlight. A tragic little girl, despised by her peers and abused by her family, she still walks to the beat if her own macabre drum and despite how abrasive she could be, I lived for the chapters where she appears.
As usual, I won't spoil the plot, but the split timelines of the book do drive tension and partition discoveries exceptionally well, tightening the rivets of suspense with each subsequent chapter.
Jennifer McMahon took a premise that was fairly pedestrian, a loathsome main character, and a so-so conclusion and infused what was left with so much heart and character that, against all odds, I loved it.
Nightshades by Melissa F. Olson
5.0
I have been a fan of Melissa F. Olson's Old World series for a while, having read all the mainline novels, but I never got around to this series. So I put on audible, and before I knew it, I had burned through this entire book.
I love the variation she takes with the vampires in this setting. Where the Old World books lean heavily on magic, Nightshades is very scientific in its approach. I'm not sure which I prefer, but I can say that having the world know of their existence is fresh and exciting, especially from the FBI angle taken here.
I have already bought book two and will ravenously consume it the same way I did this novel. If you like Vampires with a bit more science and less mysticism, try this one out. I believe you will be more than satisfied.
I love the variation she takes with the vampires in this setting. Where the Old World books lean heavily on magic, Nightshades is very scientific in its approach. I'm not sure which I prefer, but I can say that having the world know of their existence is fresh and exciting, especially from the FBI angle taken here.
I have already bought book two and will ravenously consume it the same way I did this novel. If you like Vampires with a bit more science and less mysticism, try this one out. I believe you will be more than satisfied.
Switchback by Melissa F. Olson
4.0
Miss Olson continues to impress with this second book in her Nightshades series. I continue to be amazed at the texture and imagination placed in her worlds. This one is even more to my liking than The Old World series due to its more grounded portrayal of vampires and their function in regard to humans.
The characters here lack some of the shine her other books are overflowing with, but that is relative to their length. Still, I don't want for personality, only development, though I imagine that by the time the series concludes, I will have the completed arcs that I am looking for.
It's another solid book by one of my favorite authors. 4/5
The characters here lack some of the shine her other books are overflowing with, but that is relative to their length. Still, I don't want for personality, only development, though I imagine that by the time the series concludes, I will have the completed arcs that I am looking for.
It's another solid book by one of my favorite authors. 4/5