Review: Star Eater by Kerstin Hall

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is not for the faint of heart. There are some fairly grisly moments in this book. If blood, zombies, or cannibalism bother you in any way, this is not going to be the book for you. I believe this is an adult book, but the characters and tropes feel very YA. You've got an interesting magic system, a chosen one, a rebellion, political intrigue, and a awkward romance.

I'm torn on how to rate this. There were parts that I enjoyed and parts that I felt were under developed. I was provided an audio copy via Netgalley and it is over 15 hours long. That is fairly long for an audiobook, and I felt that it dragged on in places without moving the plot along or answering my questions about what was happening and why. I had to keep going back and re-listening to parts because I felt like I missed something, only to discover that I had not missed anything. I did enjoy the narrator, and felt she did a good job distinguishing between the various characters. There are lots of characters to keep track of, and having a unique voice for each of them made it easier to distinguish them all and keep them straight while listening.

This book had so much potential, but I was confused for most of the book. The premise of the magic system is really unique and interesting, but it isn't explained until about 80% into the book. Even at that point the source of the magic isn't clearly explained, but you at least get some explanation as to how the sisterhood obtained their magic and how the island ended up in the air. There was a general lack of explanation for many of the functional concepts of this world and the lack of world building really is a let down for me. I think my main issue with this is that there were too many plot lines and none of them were developed enough for my liking. It wasn't until the 80% mark of the book that we finally get some answers to things that should have been brought up in the first few chapters.

The book is based on a matriarchal society where a sisterhood of magical women basically run everything on an island floating in the air. As I mentioned we don't come to know why the island was raised from the lands below until almost the end of the book. The sister all have magic called lace, but to maintain their power they must consume the blood and flesh of their mothers in a ritualistic fashion. Sisters are martyred at a certain point to fuel the magic of the rest of the sisterhood. To continue the bloodlines, sisters are forced to have sex with criminals because the act of sex turns men into bloodthirsty haunts aka zombies. Again we don't find out why until the very end of the book.

As stated earlier, I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley and all opinions stated are my own.

View all my reviews

Review: Sorrowland by River's Solomon

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a genre hybrid, this is a good one to pick up as it crosses sever different genres. This has elements of horror (body horror specifically), sci-fi, LGBT+, and it covers several social justice issues as well. This has a little bit of everything. This also has a very diverse cast of characters, some are comfortable in their own skin and some are on a journey of self acceptance.

This book is not going to be for everyone. It is going to appeal to a specific audience and is going to make quite a few readers uncomfortable. I would say if you enjoyed Mexican Gothic, The Rust Maidens, or The Metamorphosis you may enjoy this. The sci-fi/horror aspect is on that level of weird, but it is much darker and more violent than either of those. This has trigger warning for just about everything, Solomon doesn't pull any punches when it comes to some of the descriptions. I'd also say this is is more of an anti-hero story as Vern, our main character isn't very likeable and doesn't have very many redeeming qualities but you still are on her side. I find Solomon's writing style unique and compelling. It is almost poetic in a way.

After finishing this book I was left with that feeling of "What did I just read?", but in a good way. This book is weird, but as a fan of weird I mean that as the utmost compliment. There were parts I didn't enjoy, but I was completely engaged in Vern's transformation. I very much enjoyed the bizarre twists and turns and creativity that the author wove into this story. There are times that the storyline gets a bit confusing and muddled, but overall you can tell that the author is passionate about the issues present in the story and the characters they have created.

I was granted an ARC via Netgalley, however I did end up listening to the final production version of the audiobook. I find that listening to the audiobook of slower paced books helps me stay engaged, and this was the case here. I enjoyed the narrator and felt they did justice to the various voices present in the book.

View all my reviews

Review: The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions expressed are my own.

I really loved this from the first page to the last! I really enjoyed the magic system and the witches being part of society instead of hidden amongst it. I also liked the concept of witches being a sort of climate control, and the fact that this touches on real world environmental issues that we face today. I thought that was a creative way to tell the story and create the magic system.

I thought the magic system was well explained and fairly straightforward. We have seasonal magic, where a witch has power from one of the four seasons, with the exception of Clara who is an Ever. She can access all four seasons. Clara's magic is a little more complicated and confusing than everyone else, mainly because she is the only Everwitch and the last one lived 200 years ago. Not much is known about them and what they can do. As she learns about her power, so do we.

I thought the worldbuilding was well done, which is not something you typically get a ton of in a more urban fantasy type of book. Books set in the real world versus a fictional world don't tend to spend a ton of time describing the scenery, but I thought the author did a good job with it here. Because the magic is connected to nature and most of it is done outside, I think that the descriptions of what was happening really helped paint the picture of what Clara and the other students were able to do with their magic.

This was a great YA fantasy. It has a sweet romance and a ton of self-discovery. This has great side characters. They played an integral part in Clara's character development and were great friends to her even when she tried to push them away. I don't think Clara would have ever gotten control of her magic and accepted it had it not been for Paige and Sang. She finally came to terms with the grief over the loss of her loved ones and the responsibility she has by being the only one of her kind.

If you like urban fantasy, magical schools, witches, I'd give this a read. I really loved it!

View all my reviews

Review: Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 8 by Dianna Love

Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 8 by Dianna Love
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Is there really only one book left?  It is hard to believe that there is only 1 more installment of this series!  Yet again this installment was fast paced and full of action.  Things are finally coming to a head as Daegan and Cashide and the rest of the Belador gang are racing towards the Imortiks taking over and the Tribunal's timeline to save the world from utter destruction.  At every step something inevitably goes wrong and stands in their way of making progress in finding the grimoires and saving the day.

As this is the 8th installment of a 9 book novella series, a lot of stuff happens in roughly 200 pages.  Fortunately we get some answers to questions that have been plaguing readers since book 1.  I won't spoil them for you here because half the fun in reading this series is finding out what happens.  We don't get all of the answers, but we do find out some major pieces of information and several others are promised in the final book.  In this installment Daegan and Cashide are on the hunt for the 2nd grimoire volume, but first they have to decide if they can truly trust each other and put aside all of the issues they've had in the past.  Quinn, Reese, Evalle and the rest of the gang are still fighting demons while looking for Adriana and Sen who were captured by the Imortik master and they have to deal with Reese's crazy demon father.  And as always Macha, Queen Maeve, and Cathbad are always up to something to thwart the good deeds of our Belador friends and cause nothing but trouble.

Overall, this is another amazing installment of this series.  I can't believe it is almost over and I'm not sure what to expect in the final installment.  I still have a ton of questions, and there are still so many things that need to happen.  Dianna hasn't let me down yet, and I trust her to give this series the ending it needs. 

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews

Release Blitz: 608 Alpha Avenue by Adriana Locke

We are so excited to announce the release of Adriana Locke's new novella, 608 Alpha Ave. This is a total standalone story about a grumpy, small-town mechanic and a pocket-full-of-sunshine heroine that gets under his skin.

Basically—read this now!

Even better is that the novella (did we mention that it's a standalone?) is available in Kindle Unlimited.

Things heat up (and take an unexpected turn) when a self-proclaimed romantic requests the help of a broody small-town mechanic.

Grayson Blake is a jackass.
There’s no other way to put it.
He comes into Fireside every day and orders a beer. It’s nearly impossible to get him to have a conversation while he drinks it. Smiles—or anything remotely close to it—are even more rare.
Despite his cantankerous personality, he’s so freaking gorgeous. His thick black hair, broad shoulders, and the tattoos that mark his calloused skin draw me in like a magnet. I don’t even care that he’s ten years older than me. I’m here for the age gap. And his broody, bad-boy persona is entirely more attractive than it should be.
I have a thing for the rough-around-the-edges mechanic. And I’ve heard through the grapevine that he has a thing for me too. But getting him to admit it will be as easy as catching lightning in a bottle.

Buy Now for $2.99 or Read Free in Kindle Unlimited.

Want more?

“I don't get it,” I mutter.  

My hand stills against the countertop, a white bar rag clutched firmly in my grasp. 

Natalia Barlow leans across the end of the bar, putting her ass and the top of her thong on full display for the table of bikers behind her. An unlit cigarette is perched between her cherry-red lips, threatening to topple to the floor as she catches me looking and smirks. 

I roll my eyes and turn my back to her.  

“I don’t get it,” I say again, louder this time. 

My gaze fixes on the man—the only man—occupying a barstool on this side of the restaurant. Grayson Blake. Black hair, scruffy beard, tall, and oh-so muscular with tattoos etched into his tanned skin. Word has it that he has flames inked on his right hip, and when he moves, they dance as if they’re alive. 

I’ve mentally filed that away because it’s something I’ll (sadly) never know for myself. Guys like Grayson Blake? They go for women like Natalia. Vixens. Women who give as good as they get. Women who understand them or, at the very least, the games they play. 

I’m not one of those women. It will be both my personal and professional downfall. 

Grayson lifts his beer bottle, and as if it pains him to do it, he slides his gaze to mine. 

I swallow. Hard. 

It doesn’t matter that I’ve worked at Fireside Bar and Grill for two years or that I’ve spent countless hours behind this very bar while Grayson sits on the other side, I can’t think straight when he looks at me. I also can’t look away. It’s quite the predicament.  

“It just perplexes me,” I say, sinking my gaze into the steely depths of Grayson’s eyes. My voice isn’t quite as confident as it was a few seconds ago. It’ll come back around, though. It just takes a moment to get my bearings. 

Grayson’s features are void of humor. Or emotion. Or curiosity. He watches me as if I’m a toddler and he’s in charge of making sure I don’t choke on a peanut or small coin.  

I bite my lip. “I just … Natalia …” I shrug, my voice fading into the rock music playing overhead. 

Grayson’s thick, engine grease-stained fingers grip the bottle. “Am I supposed to ask?” 

The grit of his tone washes against my skin, leaving a flurry of goose bumps in its wake. It’s this way every time he talks to me. And whenever he talks to Corbin, the bartender who’s training me in the art of bartending so I don’t have to just waitress anymore. Come to think of it, I also have the same physical reaction to him when I’m in the Cherry Street Market Grocery Store buying bagels and I hear him talking from an aisle over. 

Who am I kidding? I react this way every time I’m in Grayson’s proximity. Hell, I shivered in my flip-flops when I caught wind of his cologne outside of Pearl’s Pawnshop and Liquor Store last week. 

“Are you supposed to ask what?” I ask him. 

“About whatever you keep jawing about other there—about Natalia, I reckon.” 

“Well, since you asked—”

“I didn’t.” He smiles a lopsided, amused smile that makes me wonder if he’s smiling with me or at me. “I asked if I was supposed to ask. I didn’t ask.” 

I narrow my gaze. “You know what, Grayson Blake? You’re an asshole.” 

He brings the beer bottle to his lips, hiding a satisfied grin, and pulls his gaze back to the hockey game on the television in the corner.

Pick this one up now!

Follow the author, Adriana Locke, on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, or join her Facebook group by clicking here.

Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an Audio ARC via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by the author, and when I discovered that this might have ties to to Greek mythology and it was a thriller it really peaked my interest.  I love both Greek mythology and a good thriller.  Let's just say that those two aspects are not as connected as I would have liked.

I really didn't enjoy this book.  I found the characters unlikable and the plot to be kind of ridiculous.  I didn't particularly enjoy the narrator's performance either.   All of the female characters were poorly portrayed and all of the male characters suffered from the same troubled childhoods making them all suspects.  For a thriller, I was never once thrilled or surprised.  The reveal was a huge let down and completely underwhelming.  

There were several plot lines meant to mislead the reader and make you think "maybe that person is the killer", when really those parts of the story could have been completely left out and you wouldn't have missed them.  The aspect of Mariana inserting herself into a murder investigation was so unrealistic.  I also did not like the use of mental health and the treatment of those struggling with mental health issues in this book.   Much like our main character, I felt like it was unnecessarily crossing boundaries.  

I think this is going to be a book you either really love or really don't like at all.   While I didn't particularly enjoy this, I think there are going to be plenty of people who really do enjoy this.  I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this more had I read it on the page vs listening to the audio,  but this didn't work for me.

View all my reviews

Review: 608 Alpha Avenue by Adriana Locke

608 Alpha Avenue by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was really fun and totally NSFW! I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions expressed are my own.

While this is part of the larger Cherry Falls Romance novella series, this reads as a standalone. I liked that the characters knew each other already, leaving out the insta-love aspect that we often find in these types of shorter stories. Grayson and Haley already knew one another, although not well, but they were already acquainted and attracted to one another so it didn't feel rushed or awkward when they finally get together.

Haley is an aspiring romance writer, and she is trying to figure out men. She doesn't understand them (who does) or why they are attracted to a certain type of woman. In exchange for some marketing materials for the local garage, she gets to interview her crush Grayson Blake for her book. Grayson is grumpy, standoffish, and secretly attracted to Haley. He is reluctant to spend any amount of time with her, but like a magnet he can't help but being pulled toward her.

This was a fairly quick read. It was also pretty steamy. There is actually a fair bit of character development in here despite it being a novella. You don't always get that in novellas because of the limited amount of pages, but Adriana did a good job with that here. Both Grayson and Haley have to figure out what they want and go after it. I really enjoyed this!

View all my reviews

Review: Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Edelweiss+, all opinions expressed are my own.

It is always bittersweet coming to the end of a beloved series. I honestly had no idea how this was going to play out. When Rage and Ruin ended I had no idea how Jen was going to get us back on track after that cliffhanger. I honestly loved this series. The Dark Elements is still my favorites series of Jen's and this was an amazing way to expand that world and give some of my favorite characters more page time. I'm so glad that she decided to expand the series and give Zayne the story he deserved!

This particular book, walks the line of new adult and young adult when it comes to the intimate scenes between Trinity and Zayne. It isn't overly graphic, but there are quite a few bedrooms scenes and they are fairly steamy even for YA. I think this would be OK for mature YA readers, but it is something to be aware of. If you are looking for something a little more steamy the romance department, I think you will find this one a bit lacking. This does however deliver in the humor and banter department, which is one of my favorite things about Jen's books.

This book was the conclusion the series needed and deserved. I loved Zayne in The Dark Elements, but I didn't love him with Layla. I am 100% Team Roth there! I loved Zayne in The Harbinger series as he got to be the hero and I loved him with Trinity. I really love them together and their development together. I really felt that the storyline wrapped up nicely, with the ability for Jen to revisit other character arcs if she ever wanted to, but if she doesn't that is OK. This was full of action and despite this book pushing just over 500 pages you will not want to put it down. It is hard to review the plot without spoiling anything, but know that everything will be OK, just keep reading. Jen never let's us down in the end, she just likes to leave us with nasty cliffhangers in the middle, but she always comes through with a good ending. She even throws in some surprises that you didn't see coming. I very much enjoyed this last installment and the series. If you are a fan of Jen's YA works I highly recommend this one!
View all my reviews