book review

Codex Alera – Series Review

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I have decided to review this series overall instead of going back and reviewing each book by itself. Though I did review Furies of Calderon after I first read it.

I have decided to review this series overall instead of going back and reviewing each book by itself. Though I did review Furies of Calderon after I first read it.

The story follows series protagonist Tavi, beginning when he is 15 years old and living on his uncles steadholt as an apprentice sheepherder.

This world’s magic comes from creatures called furies. These furies inhabit everything imaginable and are a huge part of every day life for the people of Alera. The people usually have their own fury, or furies, associated with a specific element (earth, air, etc) and that person is generally strong in that area. The people can also use the furies that live around them to assist in other types of fury crafting.

Tavi has no ability to use any kind of fury craft, therefore, he has no furies of his own and is considered to be a freak among his kind. Because he is also small for his age, he is constantly bullied.

Tavi is a classic underdog type character. You really can’t help rooting for him. Although he lacks the very thing that defines his people, he doesn’t let it hold him back. Instead, he has learned to adapt and has become extremely clever when facing his problems. What most people would resort to using fury craft for, Tavi has to find a whole different way. His resourcefulness serves him well throughout his journey and makes him a formidable opponent to those who would seek to do him, or those he cares about, harm.

This series is full of political intrigue, action, love and lots of little twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the characters in these books. Each one is unique, deep and complex. As the reader, I empathized with them, hate them, and loved them. Even the “bad guys” are interesting, with unseen motives that make you wonder once you discover them.

The magic system is a unique one and such an integrated part of the culture of Alera, the people and social structure are defined by it. I always love reading new and unique magic systems.

There wasn’t much I dislike about this series. The first book is a little slow in comparison to the rest but it lays good groundwork for what follows.

Jim Butcher is an amazing author. I’m sure he’s best known for his Harry Dresden series, which is a magnificent series. It was wonderful to see the switch in tone and setting, which seemed effortless. Maybe one day Jim Butcher will grace the world with further tales in world of Alera.

My overall rating for this series is 4 out of 5 stars. It is excellent and I would recommend it to any one who enjoys fantasy.

Have you read the Codex Alera series? If so, what did you think?

Book Review – Furies of Calderon – Codex Alera #1 by Jim Butcher

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Furies of CalderonSynopsis (from Goodreads): For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies – elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal.

But now, Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, grows old and lacks an heir. Ambitious High Lords plot and maneuver to place their Houses in positions of power, and a war of succession looms on the horizon.

Far from city politics in the Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans’ most savage enemy – the Marat – return to the Valley, he will discover that his destiny is much greater than he could ever imagine.

Caught in a storm of deadly wind furies, Tavi saves the life of a runaway slave named Amara. But she is actually a spy for Gaius Sextus, sent to the Valley to gather intelligence on traitors to the Crown, who may be in league with the barbaric Marat horde. And when the Valley erupts in chaos – when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies – Amara will find Tavi’s courage and resourcefulness to be a power greater than any fury – one that could turn the tides of war.

Buy on: Amazon

My first impression of this book was that it was a little formulaic. You have a magic system that everyone possesses expect for one person, who is considered a freak for not having that magic. There is a plot to overthrow a ruler and the person who is abnormal becomes embroiled in it.

But, formulas exist for a reason. They work.  Plus, Jim Butcher is an amazing story teller. He may have started off with a formula, but this story quickly took on a life of it’s own, with Butcher’s excellent writing skills.

The magic system in this book (series) is a unique one. People bond with elemental spirits called furies, which then allows them to “craft” in various ways depending on the element of the fury. I’m been an avid reader of fantasy for the majority of my life and I always love the different types of magic that fantasy encompasses.

The world building in this book was somewhat lacking, but I credit that to the story taking place in a valley kind of on the outskirts of the kingdom. We don’t get to see much of the world beyond that valley, so there isn’t much opportunity to expand on the various peoples of this world.

The characters in this book were all very interesting. Indeed, I like almost all of them, even the “bad guys” with the exception of Kord and his son, but I don’t think anyone is actually meant to like those two. Tavi, the main character,  is a fifteen-year-old boy who has no fury and no skills with furycrafting. By most people, he is considered a freak or at least abnormal. What Tavi lacks in fury skills he more than makes up for in other ways. Not only is he clever, but he cares about other people and his willing to put his own life in danger to save others.

Jim Butcher does amazing at descriptions, making the reader feel like they are there in the thick of things. The battle scenes were especially vivid.

This book could have been a stand alone and the reader would be satisfied with the ending. The immediate conflict of the plot is wrapped up, but the author leaves some strings dangling for the sequel to pick up. I have some questions and suspicions that I hope are addressed in book 2.

My rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

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Book Review – Descendant Omnibus – The Complete Nikki Glass Series by Jenna Black

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DescendantSynopsis (from Goodreads): For Immortal Huntress and cunning private investigator Nikki Glass, vengeance trumps all in this complete collection of acclaimed author Jenna Black’s addictive urban fantasy series!

The omnibus edition of all four Descendant novels, as well as the e-novella Pros and Cons that takes place between the events of Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant, is a must-have for all urban fantasy fans.

Buy Now: Amazon

Originally I had intended to review each novel within the omnibus on it’s own. However, I got too into reading this and didn’t want to pause to write individual reviews. Instead, I’ll review the entire thing and do my best to avoid spoilers.

I really liked Nikki. She is a very relatable character. It’s easy to empathize with her and understand where she’s coming from. Not only does she have a thick skin, she’s also a self proclaimed bleeding heart. She sympathizes with others even when logic says she shouldn’t.

The majority of the other characters are male. At first, none of them are likable, but considering the situation in which Nikki meets them, I don’t think it’s possible to like any of them. Only Jamaal and Anderson get much in the way of character development. I found Anderson to be a really interesting character. I didn’t have particularly strong feelings about Jamaal.

I would really have liked to find out more about the other characters. Many of them have been alive for centuries. There’s got to be some good stories there.

I didn’t particularly like the way the romance aspect went. As always, I can live without the sex scenes, although there were little details there that added to character development.

The one thing I really don’t like is the fact that the series is over! There is so much potential for this series to keep going. There’s plenty of characters that can be developed and so much that could be used for plot points. The book ends with a really great lead into another book. I don’t know why the author chose not to write more. I think I will always keep an eye out for a new book in this series.

I rate this book 4/5 stars. I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy, especially if you want a supernatural creature that isn’t the typical vampire, werewolf or fae.

Have you read this series? What did you think? Have you any other book by Jenna Black?

Review – Moon’s Fury – A Tale of the Sazi #5 – C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

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moons furySynopsis (from Goodreads): Cara Salinas has been leading the small Mexican red wolf pack in Tedford County, Texas, since she was thirteen.

Adam Mueller, formerly a beat cop from the toughest part of Minneapolis, must find a way to integrate his exiled Minnesotan wolves with Cara’s red wolves.

Cara and Adam clash in the way only fated mates ever do–and both refuse to accept their destiny. But when a pack of vicious Sazi raptors start to feed on the wolf-children of both packs, Cara and Adam must learn to respect each other, and embrace their future together to save the future of the Texan wolves.

Buy Now: Amazon

I would say this is a pretty basic paranormal romance. There isn’t much surprising in the way of the “romance”. I actually wasn’t too drawn in until Tony Giambrocco showed up. Tony was the star of the first two books in the series, an attack victim who turned into a werewolf as well as a former mafia hitman.

Tony showing up was awesome and probably the best part of the book. Tony was a character I really liked. You don’t see a lot of mafia assassins in Paranormal Romance. At least not that I’ve read.

Cara and Adam were ok characters. I didn’t feel any strong connection with them but I didn’t dislike them either. I did like the little details about Texas that were inserted smoothly, as well as the Spanish that was sprinkled in their speech. It was believable that they were native Texans by the way they spoke.

One thing I really disliked was the final sex scene. When reading PR I know perfectly well that there will be at least one sex scene, but this one was a little too pornographic for me. Others might think of it as being “steamy” but not me. Reading it was just uncomfortable.

There is an underlying plot that goes across different book in the series, which I am interested in finding out more about.

Overall, I rate this book 3/5 stars. It was alright, but not great.

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Alpha – Shifters #6 – Rachel Vincent – Review

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AlphaSynopsis (from Goodreads):
The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.
It’s not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I’m heading for a final showdown that will change everything forever. A showdown I’m not sure I’m ready for.
But life never waits until you’re ready.

Buy now: Amazon

I very nearly stopped reading this book after about 100 pages. Why? Well, this stupid love triangle is getting on my nerves more than i can explain. The first 100 pages is all about the 3 of them. The guys want to kill each other, Faythe wants to stop them from killing each other. She also wants to have them both and that just can’t happen.

I can’t empathize with her at all in this situation. The whole time it’s being talked about I want to roll my eyes and bitch slap all of them. I could care less about Jace, Marc needs to rein in his temper and Faythe needs to grow the hell up!

I really wanted her to just walk away from both of them, especially with the things Marc keeps saying to her. I get that he’s pissed off, but some of his comments cross a serious line.

Thankfully, the actual story picks up after the first 100 pages and the love triangle-ness calms down. I wish I could say the rest of the book was amazing, but that would be a lie. Even when the actual plot is the focus, the love triangle is still there, irritating me.

There were certain things I expected to happen that did and things that I didn’t see coming, so it wasn’t completely predictable. I had a pretty solid idea of how it was going to end and  I wasn’t wrong.

Honestly, I just sort of powered through this book to know how things turned out. I enjoyed parts of it, but not the book as a whole.

I rate this book 2.5/5 stars.

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Shift – Shifters #5 – Rachel Vincent – Review

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ShiftSynopsis(from Goodreads): Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option…

Buy Now: Amazon

Thinking about reading these books gives me anxiety. While I’m reading the books I’m so into it that I can’t read fast enough.

While I am really enjoying the story that is going on, Faythe’s personal life is getting on my nerves. I’ve always kind of liked love triangles, but this one is ridiculous. I’m pretty confident I know how it’s all going to end, so getting through all this drama to get to the resolution is killing me.

Faythe and her love life aside, this book is really good. The Pride’s enemy, Malone, is trying new underhanded methods to weaken them before the coming war. It’s fun watching Faythe navigate her way through the situations she gets into and actually becoming a responsible adult.

The next book, Alpha, is the last in this series and I can’t wait to read it. If my pattern for these book holds, I should have it done by tomorrow night! Then maybe my anxiety will go away.

I rate this book 4/5 stars.

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Prey – Shifters #4 – Rachel Vincent – Review

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PreySynopsis: (from Goodreads): Sometimes playing cat and mouse is no game…Play? “Right.” My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father’s authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven’t laid eyes on Marc’s gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother “and” an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don’t exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.

Buy Now: Amazon

This is another book I devoured in two reading sessions. Rachel Vincent sure knows how to suck in her reader, grab hold and not let go. What starts out as a simple mission soon turns into a cluster f*** of epic proportions.

I was really starting to like Faythe and sympathize with her but then, in classic Faythe style, she does something completely stupid that is clearly going to come back and bite her in the ass. Saying what she did would be a huge spoiler so I will refrain. It’s very frustrating reading from her point of view and the whole time thinking to myself “don’t do it!” and then she does it. *facepalm*

A lot of stuff happens in this book despite being relatively short (less than 400 pages) and it is very emotional at times. I can feel the build up happening to something big, involving not just Faythe but her entire Pride.

There are things I didn’t like about this book but I can’t say what they were without spoilers.

With that in mind, I rate this book 4/5 stars and eagerly jump into the next one!

 

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Pride – Shifters #3 – Rachel Vincent Review

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PrideSynopsis (from Goodreads): I’m on trial for my life. Falsely accused of infecting my human ex-boyfriend–and killing him to cover up the crime. Infecting a human is one of three capital offenses recognized by the Pride–along with murder and disclosure of our existence to a human.I’m two for three. A goner.

Now we’ve discovered a rogue stray terrorizing the mountainside, hunting a wild teenage tabbycat. It’s up to us to find and stop him before a human discovers us. With my lover Marc’s help, I “think” I can protect the vulnerable girl from both the ambitious rogue and the scheming of the territorial council.

“If” I survive my own trial…

Buy Now: Amazon

This book was both awesome and frustrating. Going in, I was really anxious to discover what would happen to Faythe regarding her trial. Naturally, the author wasn’t just going to put the reader of their collect misery and tell us. Nope, she drew it out as long as possible, making it really hard to put the book down.

As other events surround them, mainly the discovery of strays in the neighboring woods and missing hikers, we get a new perspective on werecat society, mainly the politics of their society. Unfortunately, their ways, especially regarding women, are archaic, to say the least. To the majority, the women are seen merely as a vessel for the next generation of werecats. Something to be protected and kept sheltered at all costs. They are not meant to have an opinion and certainly not to voice it. they should pick a tomcat and start having babies as soon as possible.

Faythe can’t possibly fill that role. She has too much fire in her. She’s a leader and a fighter. She’s willing to put herself in danger to get the job done, to the horror of every male around her.

Funny though, often Faythe is “left behind” where she will be “safe” while all the men go out to face the big bad threat. Then, it turns out the threat is coming for Faythe while all the men are gone. And guess what? She kicks ass well before any back up shows up. A weak baby maker she is not.

Despite her flaws, mainly her out of control temper, Faythe is beginning to grow on me as a character. She’s learning from her past mistakes (of which there are many) and growing up little by little. The men need to wake up and realize that she doesn’t need to do be coddled all the time or locked up for her own protection.

I rate this book 4/5 stars because, while I couldn’t put it down, I was also very frustrated with how it went.

Have you read Pride? What did you think?

 

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Rogue – Shifters #2 – Rachel Vincent – Review

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RogueSynopsis (from Goodreads): Okay, so cats don’t always land on their feet.

I know that better than most. Since rejoining the Pride, I’ve made big decisions and even bigger mistakes: the kind paid for with innocent lives. As the first and only female enforcer, I have plenty to prove to my father, the Pride, and myself. And with murdered toms turning up in our territory, I’m working harder than ever, though I always find the energy for a little after-hours recreation with Marc, my partner both on- and off-duty.

But not all of my mistakes are behind me. We’re beginning to suspect that the dead are connected to a rash of missing human women and that they can all be laid at my feet–two or four, take your pick. And one horrible indiscretion may yet cost me more than I can bear…

Buy Now: Amazon

Three months after the events in Stray, Faythe is settling into her life as enforcer working for her father. All seems well until dead strays start turning up in their territory. An innocent mistake comes back to haunt her and threaten to destroy everything.

This book has the feel of a good old fashioned murder mystery. While I dislike the cops-chasing-the-bad-guy kind of murder mystery, I love the kind that involves anything supernatural. It’s a weird distinction and I can’t really explain it.

Faythe has done a bit of growing up in the past three years. She’s even learned to keep her mouth shut – sometimes. She’s a smart girl who never gives up. She will fight until she can’t possibly fight anymore. However, as we find out a little bit more of the events in Faythe and Marc’s past, I still can’t help feeling that she’s a selfish person. She does know when she’s made a mistake and will apologize for it, but she also seems to think she’s somehow above certain things.

The one thing I really disliked about this book was the sex scene. I don’t particularly like sex scenes to begin with, especially if they dominate the book. This didn’t dominate the book but the circumstances around it were….uncomfortable. I don’t want to say too much as it will probably be a spoiler, but the whole scene was not how I think that situation would really go. I’m not sure if Marc is really in love with Faythe or if it’s just some kind of cat possession thing he’s got going.

Other than that, i really like this book. There’s a some good fight scenes and the few female characters that exist in this world can kick ass just as well as the men.

I rate this book 4/5 stars, and as it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I’m eager to start book 3, Pride.

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Stray – Shifters #1 – Rachel Vincent

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StraySynopsis (from Goodreads): There are only eight breeding female werecats left…

And I’m one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I’d been warned about Strays — werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back… for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I’m no meek kitty. I’ll take on whatever — and whoever — I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays — ’cause I got claws, and I’m not afraid to use them…

Buy Now: Amazon

I really liked this book. The dynamic of the family and the Pride was interesting. More often, werewolves are the subject of Urban Fantasy, so it was nice to have a switch to werecats.

However, I really did not like Faythe. She’s not a character I can relate to or even sympathize with. I found her to be immature and often childish. If she wants to be taken seriously, she should maybe start with not calling her father “daddy” because that just makes her sound like a little girl. She often goes on about wanting freedom and independence but I think, given what she is, she can never really have that. At least, not the way she wants it. With her family and Pride she at least has the  freedom to not have to hide a huge part of who she is.

As the story progresses, Faythe does get better. She is a fighter, and at a time when most people would give up or wallow in self pity, she is determined to fight and to win. Near the end, she is a much more likable character. I hope her development continues in the next book.

Other than my dislike for Faythe, I don’t think there’s much else I didn’t like. As I said before, I really liked the dynamic of the Pride and that the Pride is family. I hope the next book will expand more on the cultural aspect of werecats.

Oh, and there are some questions I want answered, but I won’t say what they are because that would be a spoiler.

Overall, I rate this book 4/5 stars.

*this post contains affiliate links. If  you choose to click the links, I may receive a small compensation.