So according to goodreads I've read 50 books this year. Not bad. There were some stinky ones and there were some nice surprises. Over all I seem to have got lost in the fantasy, urban fantasy , and young adult genre.
1.
Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate, #1) ; Carriger, Gail *
avg rating 3.98 ; date pub Sep 04, 2009
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, romance, steampunk, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves
Not much steampunk in it. A lot of romance. It's juggling a lot of genres, or trying to and they don't always mesh. The begginning was bad, for me. Th...moreNot much steampunk in it. A lot of romance. It's juggling a lot of genres, or trying to and they don't always mesh. The begginning was bad, for me. The characters try to be witty but it doesn't always work. The author hit her stride later on and the book went on smoothly. Werewolves, vampires, victorians. Interesting is one way to put it. It's not as good as I hoped but it's a good read none the less.
Alexia as a character suffers from being a little too perfect and ahead of her times. Certain things that are supposed to be endearing annoyed me, such as the constant making fun of Ivy's hats and bringing to attention Akeldama's colorful traits. Overdone. Repeated at nauseum.
Still, I rather liked it. (less)
Dec 29, 2010- Dec 31, 2010
2. 
Matched (Matched #1) ; Condie, Ally
avg rating 3.98 ; date pub Nov 30, 2010
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, dystopia, series, young-adult
Haven't read The Giver or any other YA dystopias before this book. I liked the style. It read well and while it wasn't very fast paced it didn't drag ...moreHaven't read The Giver or any other YA dystopias before this book. I liked the style. It read well and while it wasn't very fast paced it didn't drag either. The characters were mostly distinct enough, though Xander was a little too bland. A glimpse of something more interesting at the end wasn't enough as far as he goes.(less)
Dec 20, 2010 - Dec 28, 2010
3. 
Ember ; Sharpe, Bettie *
avg rating 3.79 ; date pub Nov 2007
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, fairy-tale, fantasy, witches-and-wizards
Dec 26, 2010
4. 
Before I Fall ; Oliver, Lauren *
avg rating 4.11 ; date pub Mar 02, 2010
my rating 5/5
shelves: read, young-adult
Dec 23, 2010 - Dec 24, 2010
5. 
Avalon High ; Cabot, Meg
avg rating 3.94 ; date pub Dec 01, 2005
my rating ? 2,5/5
shelves: read, mythology, urban-fantasy, young-adult
Dec 18, 2010 - Dec 19, 2010
6. 
Reign or Shine (Demon Princess, #1) ; Rowen, Michelle *
avg rating 3.83 ; date pub Sep 29, 2009
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, demons, series, urban-fantasy, young-adult
A quick, light read. Interesting premise, very 'meh' execution. The characters were terribly naive and the plot and the mystery so painfully obvious I...moreA quick, light read. Interesting premise, very 'meh' execution. The characters were terribly naive and the plot and the mystery so painfully obvious I don't think the author has a very high opinion about the intelligence of YA readers...(less)
Dec 07, 2010
7. 
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) ; Riordan, Rick
avg rating 4.15 ; date pub 2005
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, children, mythology, series, urban-fantasy, young-adult
2.5 I had very high expectations for this series. It was compared a lot to Harry Potter and frankly I can't see the two series as being on the same le...more2.5 I had very high expectations for this series. It was compared a lot to Harry Potter and frankly I can't see the two series as being on the same level. I did not like Riordan's style at all. I could not take the narrator seriously, he did not sound like a real kid. But once I got used to his voice it got better. The action is good, the plot is interesting, the premise is my favorite thing about this series. I like the idea of Greek gods and how they and their offspring adapted to today's world. But the plot seemed a little too episodic, a bit like a video/computer game, with stumbling from one fight/stage to the next.
As far as characters go, the trio of main characters seems a lot like the Harry Potter trio. One can draw a lot of similarities to the HP series. But 'Percy Jackson' still stands on its own. I'd like it better were it in third person perhaps, or with a bit of a different writing style, more descriptive, but it's still a good read. And from what I've heard the following books get better, so I'll give them a try.(less)
Dec 02, 2010
8. 
Once a Witch (Witch, #1) ; MacCullough, Carolyn
avg rating 3.83 ; date pub Sep 14, 2009
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, paranormal, series, time-travel, urban-fantasy, witches-and-wizards, young-adult
Nov 21, 2010
9. 
Firespell (Dark Elite, #1) ; Neill, Chloe *
avg rating 3.72 ; date pub Jan 05, 2010
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, series, urban-fantasy, witches-and-wizards, young-adult
More like 1,5. Pretty dull and cliché.
Nov 19, 2010
10. 
Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods, #1) ; Childs, Tera Lynn *
avg rating 3.84 ; date pub May 01, 2008
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, mythology, urban-fantasy, young-adult
2.5 if half stars were possible on goodreads. It's not bad but it's not great either. Good idea but weak execution. Some subplots seem pointless since ...more2.5 if half stars were possible on goodreads. It's not bad but it's not great either. Good idea but weak execution. Some subplots seem poitless since they get so very little page time - like the conflict between Griffin and Phoebe's new friend. Phoebe's mother is completely unbelievable (considering her proffession) and it seems has less of a relationship with Phoebe than her new stepdad. Eveything resolves very neatly.
Quick, easy, pleasant read but I was hoping for more.(less)
Nov 15, 2010 - Nov 16, 2010
11. 
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy, #1) ; Jemisin, N.K. *
avg rating 3.97 ; date pub Feb 25, 2010
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, fantasy, gods-immortals, series
It was not bad. But I had very high expectations going in. I was disappointed. The heroine did not match to the background she was supposed to have. She was too passive. The villain was a cardboard villain. The Thousand Kingdoms were only represented by a handful and not terribly in depth. Over all neither the culture nor the politics were very well written, but the mythology was definitely interesting.
Would have liked a little more diverse female characters. The guys had more depth. Over all it was mostly a romance with some interesting background. I wish the background was explored more, though. Things were a little too black and white – the Arameri being so very evil for the sake of being evil and deprived.
The style was hard to get into for me at first. The disjoined phrases and the narrator talking directly to the reader through me out of the story. But I did get used to it, and then it was a fast and enjoyable read.
I ‘m hoping the second book explores the world a bit more in-depth, but the reviews I’ve read so far are not so enthusiastic. Never the less I will read the second one as well.
Nov 15, 2010
12. 
Ash; Lo, Malinda
avg rating 3.48 ; date pub Jan 01, 2009
my rating 3/5
shelves : read, faery, fairy-tale, fantasy, medieval, young-adult
3,5. I liked it. Wasn’t overwhelmed but it was a nice read. I would have liked a little more insight about the main love interest. That relationship could have used a little more depth/exploration. But over all it was a pleasant read and I will check out other books by Malinda Lo. Nice writing style.
Nov 13, 2010
13. 
Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #3) ; Neill, Chloe *
avg rating 4.42 ; date pub Jul 06, 2010
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, paranormal, series, shapeshifters, urban-fantasy, vampires
Disappointing. I have no connection to the main character or her struggles. I like the side characters much more than the heroine and her love interest. She’s too complying/ he’s too bland/ wishy washy. The vampires as frats concept is wearing thin and the book is not sure if it is chick lit like or darker edgier. Uniformity of vampires of this world is ridiculous and their weird insistence on relying on katanas of all things (they’re vampires! Fangs and strength!) annoys me to no end. Politics as presented in this book were boring and not always making sense.
Nov 05, 2010
14. 
Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy, #1) ; White, Kiersten *
avg rating 4.13 ; date pub Aug 31, 2010
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, faery, urban-fantasy, young-adult
2.5 rather than 3. Can't realy articulate what I didn't like about it. It was mostly OK, just not very engaging for me.
Nov 02, 2010
15. On the Edge (The Edge, #1) ; Andrews, Ilona
avg rating 4.09 ; date pub 2009
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy
Nov 2010
16. Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle, #2) ; Bray, Libba
avg rating 4.00 ; date pub Aug 23, 2005
my rating 4/5
Shelves: read, historical, paranormal, series, witches-and-wizards, young-adult
Nov 2010
17. Winter's Passage (Iron Fey, #1.5) ; Kagawa, Julie *
avg rating 4.09 ; date pub May 20, 2010
my rating 3/5
Shelves: read, faery, series, urban-fantasy, young-adult
3,5 more like it. It's such a short story and not much going on. It's well written but doesn't stand so well on its own. Months later I can hardly rem...more3,5 more like it. It's such a short story and not much going on. It's well written but doesn't stand so well on its own. Months later I can hardly remember what was going on in it, unlike the first book.(less)
Oct 26, 2010
18. The Awakening (Darkest Powers, #2) ; Armstrong, Kelley *
avg rating 4.19 ; date pub Jan 01, 2009
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, paranormal, series, urban-fantasy, witches-and-wizards, young-adult
notes: main character necromancer. not much happens. Should have been just one book.
[close] main character necromancer. not much happens. Should have been just one book.
Oct 20, 2010
19. My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1) ; Vincent, Rachel *
avg rating 4.02 ; date pub Jul 29, 2009
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, faery, urban-fantasy, young-adult
It's more of a 3.5 really. Much much better than Rachel Vincent's Shifters series. Interesting mythology, the plot is pretty tight and moves quickly. ...moreIt's more of a 3.5 really. Much much better than Rachel Vincent's Shifters series. Interesting mythology, the plot is pretty tight and moves quickly. The characters aren't annoying or acting stupid and while some more depth would be nice, for a first in a series it isn't bad. Kaylee acts in a pretty bielievable way, discovering what she is and dealing with weird family issues. (less)
Notes: banshees and pretty interesting family dynamics.
[close] banshees and pretty interesting family dynamics.
Oct 16, 2010 - Oct 17, 2010
20. Love in the Time of Dragons (Light Dragons, #1) ; MacAlister, Katie *
avg rating 3.93 ; date pub May 04, 2010
my rating 0/5
shelves: read, dragons, paranormal, romance, series
I like dragons, I like humanoid dragons, even. But the blur sounded more interesting than this book was. I completely forgot when I grabbed this book ...moreI like dragons, I like humanoid dragons, even. But the blur sounded more interesting than this book was. I completely forgot when I grabbed this book that this author was the same one of the Aisling Grey series. It was a bit of a surprise to realize that we are dumped in the middle of an ongoing action here, with characters we're supposed to know already (at least most of them). I haven't finished the previous two series and felt a little confused at first.
Additionaly there's a lot of jumping back and forth in time.
The opening chapter had promise but then we completely skip the most interesting parts. Geez, the heroine practically gets kidnapped, has to abandon her family and then gets to learn to be a dragon but we don't see anything much between points A-the dragons find her and take her away and B-this other guy will now fight with this first guy who kidnapped her to have her as his mate. Oh, my bad, we do see her have sex with the first guy in between that.
I didn't mind the slightly annoying, pushy, macho guy of the first series. Although I did have quite enough of him by the end of that one. But this one takes the cake. Baltic, well, I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be the vilain or the hero, at first. The heroine, especially in the parts of the book that take place in the past, does not sell me on her innocence and naivete. Not with those early sex scenes. I cheered for her when she won the duel but her subsequent actions felt out of place.
I wanted to like her, I should have disliked her for the 'I'm totally still a virgin'/letting others tell her what to do stuff but in the end I found myself apathethic towards her. She seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown a lot. It's the only way I can explain some of her weird behavior.
And the hero, well, insane is not charming.
I was fairly sure the kid would turn out to be some kind of artificial creation, or some other creature that was not at all a child. He really didn't read to me like a 9 year old.
I guess I expected a little more from this book, but the more I read the more I remembered the previous two series of this author and that somewhat lowered my expectations.
It'd be nice if the worldbuilding was on a bit of a bigger scale. It feels very much like a small family but would work better (imho) if the characters of the three series weren't so very interlinked. The first book of the Aisling Grey series felt like a doorway to a vast intresting world. Lots of interesting characters, new hidden places, but with every book there are less and less new characters and we don't revisit the old ones much, other than the dragons. We're confined to a small part of this world (just how many mythologies and folklores did MacAlister include here?) and it has more potential than that. The dragons are old but we hardly see that. The scenes in the past could have taken place a hundred years ago just as well as 5 hundred. There is not much depth to this worldbuilding, or the characterizations. It probably wouldn't bother me so much if the plot was more interesting and characters more likable/believable.
All in all the book was underwhelming and uneven. Plus annoying hero and unconvincing heroine.(less)
Oct 12, 2010 - Oct 13, 2010
21. Jealousy (Strange Angels, #3) ; Saintcrow, Lilith *
avg rating 4.29 ; date pub 2010
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, series, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves, young-adult
"And leave moja księżniczko here to your tender mercies?" This is a quote, Christophe says it in this book. This kind of thing annoys me. A ...more"And leave moja księżniczko here to your tender mercies?" This is a quote, Christophe says it in this book. This kind of thing annoys me. A character uses pet names in his own language. Fine. But please, dear author, at least make sure he uses them properly, or you risk making him sound like an idiot to some of your readers. Polish is a language where adjectives and nouns are declined. Also proper use of diacritics (you know, all those letters not present in English but present in Polish) would be nice.
Other than that it's a good book. I'm still liking Dru. She's sensible, strong and while confused still manages to not let others walk all ovre her in this new setting. I'm not a fan of Graves. He is too pushy, macho for my taste. It's not bad in itself but it's not the character I started liking in the first book so it's a bit jarring. I like Christophe better - he started of as macho and secretive and that's fine with me. With him my only problem is his weird relationship with Dru's mother that we don't know that much about yet and his broken Polish (which brings me out of the story every time).(less)
Sep 21, 2010 - Oct 04, 2010
22. Must Love Hellhounds (Includes: Guild Hunters, #1.5; Kate Daniels, #3.5; The Guardians, #5.5; Sookie Stackhouse, #9.2) ; Harris, Charlaine
avg rating 3.63 ; date pub Sep 01, 2009
my rating
shelves: read
Only read the Ilona Andrews story. Loved it.
Sep 25, 2010
23. Curran ; Andrews, Ilona
avg rating 4.18 ; date pub Jul 21, 2010
my rating: it’s not a proper book so I’m not rating it.
Shelves: read, series, urban-fantasy
Sep 23, 2010
24. Wings (Wings, #1) ; Pike, Aprilynne
avg rating 3.81 ; date pub May 01, 2009
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, faery, series, urban-fantasy, young-adult
Entertaining enough. Fast read. Characters weren't annoying. I'm not sure why I didn't like it more. I'm giving it only 3 stars and I think it's mostl...moreEntertaining enough. Fast read. Characters weren't annoying. I'm not sure why I didn't like it more. I'm giving it only 3 stars and I think it's mostly because it's a rather fast read. The characters aren't too complicated or deeply developed, the plot moves fast and isn't too complicated, all the conflicts are also resolved rather fast (both the main conflict - with the bad guys and the smaller conflicts - David's acceptance of what Laurel is, in the end also Laurel's parents acceptance).
I like the twist about the faeries. It was well thought out and original. I generally liked all the main characters. The interactions Laurel has with both of her love interests are well written and believable. It doesn't paint her in a bad light, which is sometimes the case for heroines in the 'obligatory' (for the genre) triangles like this.
I wish the book was a little more fleshed out. (less)
Aug 25, 2010 - Aug 27, 2010
25. Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, #1) ; Hunter, Faith
avg rating 3.88 ; date pub May 22, 2009
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, native-american, series, shapeshifters, urban-fantasy, vampires
I do not need to know how the main character prepares her oatmeal, or what types of tea she likes and how she prepares them, and how she transports th...moreI do not need to know how the main character prepares her oatmeal, or what types of tea she likes and how she prepares them, and how she transports them and how she feels kinship with other tea enthusiasts. I don't need to be told over and over again how salads don't do it for her and that she likes meat, a lot.
I don't need to know exactly what she is wearing all the time or where what kind of weapons she's keeping, or how to dance salsa.
In short, there is too much description and not enough action going here. The characters seem flat, most of them not very memorable. All the man seem to be interested in Jane.
I like the idea, the plot isn't bad, the character concept is nice and somewhat unique, but again there is too much there - why skinwalker and beast, making her just a were panther would have worked just as well without complicating it so much. Or just a skinwalker.
Edited down a little this would have been a better read.(less)
Apr 21, 2010- Aug 20, 2010
26. Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, #3) ; Mead, Richelle *
avg rating 4.50 ; date pub Nov 13, 2008
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, urban-fantasy, vampires, young-adult
Aug 18, 2010
27. Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2) ; Mead, Richelle *
avg rating 4.39 ; date pub Apr 10, 2008
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, series, urban-fantasy, vampires, young-adult
After lukewarm first book, this one turned out to be far more interesting. For me it was a fast, exciting read. I liked the main character better than in the first book. Lisa was also far less annoying. Pleasant surprise.
Aug 17, 2010
28. A Local Habitation (October Daye, #2) ; McGuire, Seanan *
avg rating 3.82 ; date pub 2010
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, crime-mystery-thriller, faery, series, urban-fantasy
Aug 14, 2010 - Aug 15, 2010
29. Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1) ; McGuire, Seanan *
avg rating 3.74 ; date pub Aug 29, 2009
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, crime-mystery-thriller, faery, series, urban-fantasy
Aug 14, 2010
30. A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) ; Bray, Libba
avg rating 3.73 ; date pub Dec 09, 2003
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, historical, paranormal, young-adult
Aug 10, 2010
31. Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires, #2) ; Neill, Chloe *
avg rating 4.21 ; date pub Sep 02, 2009
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, series, urban-fantasy, vampires
I'd give it a 2.5 if I could. It felt a little flat, worse than the frist book.
Nothing changes much between Ethan and merit, their scenes are hot...moreI'd give it a 2.5 if I could. It felt a little flat, worse than the frist book.
Nothing changes much between Ethan and merit, their scenes are hot but they cling to the status quo. Morgan changes for the worse, which is a shame because he seemed like a good enough character in the first book.
All the secondary characters should have some depth by now. They dodn't. Mallory and Catcher, whom I liked a lot in the first book are barely there.
The plot flows slowly, not much action, and when it finally resolves it goes way too conveniently (- you can actually get an email account comepletly anonymously, really).
I do not get why the vampires in this world are all so gung ho about katanas. Having centuries of experiences to draw upon of using other bladed weapons they all settle on katanas? Even the vampires from Europe? Really? They're not the be all end all of weaponry. Seriously.
I'm not entirely sold on the vampires-are-like-sorority thing. I don't get why Merit (or any other vampire) would be so very agreeable to losing their individuality. a year or half a decade of such a life I can understand for easing the transition. But for all eternity? Always wearing the clothes you're given, all in black, the medals, one house, cafeteria - for all eternity. I could ignore it/found it amusing in the first book but it's a little less so here where Merit moves in with all the other vampires. Or maybe it's just the fact that Merit stopped fighting her way that annoys me. The scene in which she proclaimes before Nick that she's the Sentinel so back off pal was especially bad in that regard. It seems Sentinel is all she is now. (it's especially jarring after all those scenes where she was bemoning her change into something she didn't chose).
I hope we'll see more of the non-vampire characters in the next book (like her grandfather who was mostly absent here, like Jeff and other shifters, like her sister) because Merit needs to be more than the Sentinel.(less)
Aug 08, 2010
32. Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) ; Hawkins, Rachel *
avg rating 4.06 ; date pub Mar 02, 2010
my rating 5/5
shelves: read, demons, faery, series, urban-fantasy, vampires, witches-and-wizards, young-adult
Far better than I expected. Strong opening chapter, pulls you right in. Very well rounded and interesting main character. Secondary characters are all...moreFar better than I expected. Strong opening chapter, pulls you right in. Very well rounded and interesting main character. Secondary characters are all pretty diverse too. The plot moves fast and there are nice turns and surprises. The writing style is engaging and fun to read. I don't really have any serious problems with this book. I like the worldbuilding and there is enough to explore for a couple more books. I'm definitely picking up the next one and hope to read more about Archer, and the other types of beings in this supernatural setting, and of course Sophie's dad.
I'm intrigued with Sophie's choice from the last page.
All the teenagers sounded like teenagers and I especially liked the Jenna - Sophie and Elodie - Sophie interactions. They were believable and not too cartoony in their roles.(less)
Aug 05, 2010 - Aug 06, 2010
33. Archangel (Samaria, #1) ; Shinn, Sharon
avg rating 4.05 ; date pub 1996
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, angels, fantasy, religion, sci-fi, series
About 60 pages in the book drew me in and it was a very fast and pleasant read. Good writing style. There were moments where I was slightly annoyed wi...moreAbout 60 pages in the book drew me in and it was a very fast and pleasant read. Good writing style. There were moments where I was slightly annoyed with Rachel for being stubborn for stubborness sake. She admited often that she did thinks purely to be contrary and after awhile that gets tiresome. Over all I did like her. The plot was interesting, the other characters as well and the setting has a lot of promise in this weird religious/sci-fi way.
I didn't terribly like that the Edori were universally good and the Janisai universally bad.
The last pages were the worst. It seemed uneven - after the climax, and yet still prolonging the resolution. Gabriel apparently needed to be humbled and I'd say his character journey went smoothly, Rachel's- not so much. I started with a lot of sympathy for her, given her background, but she didn't seem to try to get along. After years as a slave it is understandable that she'd have a lot of pent up anger and that she'd be a little more egocentric and unwilling to submit to others but I have my limits for such characters.
So my appreciation of the characters wavered. I didn't like Gabriel at first but his progress was well drawn and I liked him in the end, while Rachel - with her I had at points wanted to strangle her and at others to cheer her on, but it ended on a sour note. I understand she had a hard background and needed to go through a more complicated emotional journey but I would have like for her to have reached some conclusions about what she really wanted earlier. (I hated the Adam thing).
And so I'd give it a 3.5. Slow beginning, great middle, poor ending.(less)
Aug 02, 2010- Aug 03, 2010
34. Personal Demons (Megan Chase, #1) ; Kane, Stacia *
avg rating 3.64 ; date pub Apr 09, 2008
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, paranormal, romance, series, urban-fantasy, demons
It's more 2.5 than 3 really. Not a bad book but I'm not enthralled with it either. The setting is interesting but the story felt a little rushed. The ...moreIt's more 2.5 than 3 really. Not a bad book but I'm not enthralled with it either. The setting is interesting but the story felt a little rushed. The plot was ok but the characters were not very memorable - some needed more development (Greyson), some just annoyed me too much (Brian). I did like the witch, Megan wasn't bad, and perhaps Temp should have been introduced sooner. Art was 'nicely' creepy and Brian seems like a passive agressive jerk (I'm not sure if I was supposed to dislike him quite as much as I did, but at least he was memorable). The ending was good, though, and I just might pick the second Megan Chase book after all.
(less)
Aug 02, 2010
35. Walking Dead (Walker Papers, #4) ; Murphy, C.E.
avg rating 3.95 ; date pub Aug 18, 2009
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, faery, native-american, series, urban-fantasy
Jun 14, 2010
36. Vulnerable (Little Goddess, #1) ; Lane, Amy *
avg rating 3.88 ; date pub Feb 04, 2005
my rating 0/5
Shelves: read, romance, urban-fantasy, young-adult
notes: healing cock trope, hard flowing writing, unapealing hero
[close] healing cock trope, hard flowing writing, unapealing hero
May 24, 2010 - May 26, 2010
37. Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4) ; Andrews, Ilona
avg rating 4.58 ; date pub May 2010
my rating 5/5
shelves: read, mythology, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves
One of the things I utterly love about this series is how great a heroine the main character is. She is not the top dog in every situation but she is ...moreOne of the things I utterly love about this series is how great a heroine the main character is. She is not the top dog in every situation but she is resourceful and very motivated to get the job done. In this book I liked the fact that Kate didn't suddenly overcome the antagonist by shear will or pure power that suddenly came to her but by quick thinking, being smarter, and having allies. She is still no where near as powerful as the antagonist and it's a pleasure watching her fight and plan and be a badass and yet still have that uneasy feeling that things can yet go wrong.
The old minor characters are back, there's more about shapeshifter politics, more about Curran and his past and more about Kate's mysterious family. But we're still left wanting more.
The relationship between Kate and Curran is at first strained (which is the sort of thing authors of long running series tend to do to prolong the tension and often do it badly, but here it didn't seem to me to be too much of a stretch - I didnt think 'oh yes, the author is prolonging this' but 'oh, yes, they totaly would have communication problems like that') but it works itself out nicely.
The only thing bad about this book is how fast I finished it ;)(less)
May 26, 2010
38. Playing With Fire (Silver Dragons, #1) ; MacAlister, Katie *
avg rating 3.93 ; date pub May 06, 2008
my rating 2/5
shelves: read, dragons, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy
1,5 is more like it. It is a weird book. You can’t really enjoy it unless you’ve read the books in the previous series, about Aisling. This new heroine is different. But not necessarily better. She brings in a couple of really annoying side characters: the demon and her sister. Her love interest is a Silver dragon and he himself is a little more bland then Drake from the first series but also less annoying. After the Asiling series I had well enough of that heroine and having her and Drake star in this one as well was not a pleasant surprise. The main hero and heroine also get it on much faster than A and D did. So prepare for more sex. The author juggles a lot of subplots, introducing new characters and bringing back the old ones. Overall , not a terribly exciting read but liking the premise of the series and world building I’m following along despite annoyances.
May 07, 2010 - May 19, 2010
39. Betrayals (Strange Angels, #2) ; Saintcrow, Lilith *
avg rating 4.15 ; date pub Nov 17, 2009
my rating 3/5
3,5/5 I’m still liking the world the author plunges us in, despite the ‘special’ spelling she uses for many popular folklore terms. The heroine is not bland or passive. Her werewolf friend still does nothing for me, though.
Shelves: read
May 06, 2010
40. Holy Smokes (Aisling Grey: Guardian, #4) ; MacAlister, Katie *
avg rating 4.02 ; date pub Nov 06, 2007
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, chick-lit, dragons, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy, witches-and-wizards
Overall I liked this book.
I would have given it a higher rating if it wasn't for the overuse of the word 'sweetie'. By the time I hit the middl...moreOverall I liked this book.
I would have given it a higher rating if it wasn't for the overuse of the word 'sweetie'. By the time I hit the middle of the book it started to really irritate me just how often Ashling calls Drake sweetie. There was also too much of Ashling being improbably in the dark all the time - I mean I just couldn't believe she'd be that ignorant of everything. She became a little too annoying in her dealings with Drake - I think he lost too much of his character - between Ash caling him sweetie all the time and getting her way in all their disagreaments.(less)
May 05, 2010
41. Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3) ; Andrews, Ilona
avg rating 4.49 ; date pub 2009
my rating 5/5
shelves: read, mythology, series, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves
Loved it.
Apr 23, 2010
42. Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) ; Andrews, Ilona
avg rating 3.98 ; date pub Mar 27, 2007
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, fantasy, mythology, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves
I had trouble getting into it at first. I've started reading this a long time ago (about 50 pages in) and finally made myself finish and have to say i...moreI had trouble getting into it at first. I've started reading this a long time ago (about 50 pages in) and finally made myself finish and have to say it picks up nicely. I like the main character. She is tough but not too arrogant to ask for help. She mouths off to people but it doesn't feel forced and doesn't leave me wondering why all those powerful people don't just kill her for it (a question I ask myself while reading a lot of other Urban Fantasy books). She pushes the limits but doesn't cross them. She has power and skill but is not invincible and gets hurt. She makes mistakes. What's not to like?
I've been looking for another series to follow (along with 'Mercedes Thompson', 'The Walker Papers', 'Alpha and Omega') and this seems like a good one so far.
All the characters are likebale, the world is interesting and the mythology explored has a bit of old, standard urban fantasy staples and some 'new', rarer stuff. It is rather dark though, with lots of disturbing descriptions.(less)
Apr 22, 2010
43. Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2) ; Andrews, Ilona
avg rating 4.28 ; date pub Apr 01, 2008
my rating 4/5
shelves: read, mythology, series, urban-fantasy, vampires, werewolves
Apr 22, 2010
44. Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, #1) ; Singh, Nalini *
avg rating 4.22 ; date pub 2009
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, angels, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy, vampires
I'm a little torn. It's between 2.5 and 3, really. There were good moments and bad moments in this book. Started out OK - interesting world, interesti...moreI'm a little torn. It's between 2.5 and 3, really. There were good moments and bad moments in this book. Started out OK - interesting world, interesting main character but the action didn't truly pick up until much later in the book and the main character was behaving as if she could not control her tongue and had no shred of self-control or self preservation instincts. She knows the guy is dangerous and arrogant and can kill her any second and yet she pushes and taunts. That's stupid. I wanted to stop reading at the point of her shooting the guy. Real smart, Elena.
Still, the worldbuilding has promise, the characters were much less annoying near the end and there's hope that it'll continue this way in the next book, right? Hopefully. I'll give it a shot.(less)
Apr 20, 2010- Apr 21, 2010
45. Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid, #5) ; Mead, Richelle *
avg rating 4.30 ; date pub Mar 12, 2010
my rating 3/5
shelves: read, angels, demons, mythology, paranormal, series, urban-fantasy, vampires
Apr 16, 2010
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