Well, this book has one hell of a baddie! Very, very creative, but I expect nothing less from the Andrews. Kudos!
On the whole, the book does feel part-filler but it's a very entertaining and enjoyable part-filler. As always, action-packed, witty and heartbreaking at moments(oh, this particular moment)!
One of the things I enjoyed the most is Kate and Curran being together throughout almost the entire book. It's great to see how unwavering their relationship has become. And Kate's vision! And the end! Oh, we have some great things ahead of us in the final two books!
Not sure I'll write a full review but it's possible. :)
September 8, 2015
Pre-read thoughts
The opinions on this one vary. Let's see how much I'll like it. I'm thrilled to know though, this book sets the beginning of the last cycle for Kate - Kate the Sharrim!...more
This was an action-packed novella and definitely worth the reading but nothing crucial plot wise concerning the series.
The main character is Jehrid Al This was an action-packed novella and definitely worth the reading but nothing crucial plot wise concerning the series.
The main character is Jehrid Al Bera, lately known as Tower Lord of the Southern Shore. We met him for the briefest of moments in Tower Lord when Frentis and the woman (view spoiler)[failed to kill him (hide spoiler)].
The tale here takes place at the mid-point of the timeline described in Blood Song. We learn more about Jehrid's origins and meet several other interesting characters, including Master Sollis, but contrary to my believe when I started the novella, this is not a story about the famous Sword Master. He is present the entire time but as a secondary character.
All in all, a good read which I recommend to all fans of the series but you won't lose anything if you don't read it....more
This was pretty entertaining and fast paced. It never lost its momentum. An Buddy read with some awesome people at Buddies Books and Baubles
4 STARS
This was pretty entertaining and fast paced. It never lost its momentum. And yet something faltered in the story towards the end and I was left feeling a bit dissatisfied. Can't quite put my finger on what and why. May be it was the way too many cool/creepy ideas were thrown into the mix in the last third of the book and almost none of them reached their full potential or were developed even a bit. There are a lot of clues this may not be the last we see from this world and Mike. I really hope we'll get more answers in future books/stories. That's why I'm giving it 4 stars although they are not very strong.
Still, this is a solid sci-fi thriller with bits of horror and even a dash of romance. Highly recommended to sci-fi geeks with love for cool modern culture references. Full review may come at some point.
June 3, 2015, Pre-reading thoughts:
This is my first Clines although I have 14 on my TBR list. Having in mind the synopsis and the first impressions of my friends who have already started yesterday(yes, I'm late as usual), I have great expectations for this one.
Also, I love the audio narrator Ray Porter. Let's dive in! ...more
Buddy read with Gavin(though it was not planned as such ^_^)
4.5 STARS
So very, very funny! Strong and well-developed heroine and hero. Fully fl Buddy read with Gavin(though it was not planned as such ^_^)
4.5 STARS
So very, very funny! Strong and well-developed heroine and hero. Fully fleshed out secondary characters. Sarcastic to the bone and at the same time wildly romantic. The smoothest change of POVs I've read in a very long time. Sensual sex scenes. Southern. :)
You can see that I enjoyed this a lot. It was a bit formulaic but I've always loved the enemies to lovers trope and here it was executed in a very believable and great way.
I wish to have more time for a full review. I have the right to extend this one in the near future.
This comes highly recommended to everyone(men included) who love to hide their poetic souls in strong sarcasm! ...more
Nice story, but way too short and nothing special. The synopsis says it all. It is told from Al's POV and written in third person. You won't lose much Nice story, but way too short and nothing special. The synopsis says it all. It is told from Al's POV and written in third person. You won't lose much if you don't read it. Nevertheless, it was good to learn more about the roots of the war between the demons and the elves, how the ever-after once looked, how cruel the elves were and how innocent Al was back than....more
"Just one more fantasy that wouldn’t come true. Just one more lie she’d constructed for herself to escape intBuddy read with Gavin
3.5 STARS
"Just one more fantasy that wouldn’t come true. Just one more lie she’d constructed for herself to escape into, never realizing she was welding the bars of her own cage."
Damn, this was really sad! And I was not in a mood for such level of sad and creepy. The story is perfect in its execution but oh, so painful!!! Hence, I'm conflicted about the rating. The mind says full 4 stars, but the heart disagrees. I'll listen to the voice of reason and round up.
This is mostly a psychological analysis on what makes us evil or more to the point, how the true villain in this series, Levana, came to be the evil, power-hungry queen we knew.
The novella starts when Levana is a lonely, sixteen-year-old princess. Living through the horrors that follow, especially this twisted flashback which is the real deal(damn her crazy, sadistic bitch of a sister, Channary), Meyer has done a brilliant job making us sympathize for Levana almost every step of the way. But at the same time, the author never let us forget, Levana is still a delusional, dangerous villain.
This is the prequel which you cannot skip. The parallels to the main books are fascinating. And no, you cannot read it before the other books. You will totally miss the point and the depth. Recommended for all Lunar Chronicles fans....more
Before the Epilogue I was thinking this deserves 4 stars if only because of the amazing main characters and their relationshiBuddy read with Gavin
Before the Epilogue I was thinking this deserves 4 stars if only because of the amazing main characters and their relationship. After the Epilogue - I'm not so sure anymore. Leaving it on 4 stars for now. Full review to come.
February 27, 2015
A fantasy romance! Count me in! And some reviews say the cover is ugly but I love it! It was actually the cover that got me interested. I was just grabbing some eBook freebies from Amazon and spotted this by chance. God moves books in a mysterious way! ^_~ ...more
First off, if you have not read The Emperor's Blades, reading this short story will spoil it entirely. However, Buddy read with Gavin
3.5 STARS
First off, if you have not read The Emperor's Blades, reading this short story will spoil it entirely. However, my thoughts about the story are spoiler free. But continue at your own risk!
I just learned this but it's quite unique so I want to start this review with it. The way The Last Abbot of Ashk’lan was published is awesome. The story came out as a reward for solving Brian Staveley's The Last Abbot Scavenger Hunt. You can found the entire chronicle of the treasure hunt here: https://bstaveley.wordpress.com/the-l...
This is a nice short story about Akiil, one of the more interesting side characters from The Emperor's Blades. What happened with him during the events at the end of the book? Did he make it? Did he die heroically? Did he sell out his monastic brothers?
It's tense and touching at the same time. Not missing one of the things I love in these series, the curses! Yes, the awesome curses:
"....praying to a variety of gods that the miserable, overarmored son of a bitch would get the holy fuck out already so Akiil himself could come down and be gone before the entire ‘Kent-kissing kitchen collapsed into a pile of rubble."
The essence of the story is a hard choice Akiil has to make in a hard situation. It's a tiny story which you can read for free here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2015/01/th...
"Take one man, one foolish woman, put them in a bowl and stir."
I loved this! Some kind of review to come in a few days after I catch up wit 4 STARS
"Take one man, one foolish woman, put them in a bowl and stir."
I loved this! Some kind of review to come in a few days after I catch up with everything GR I've missed for the last 5 days while I was not around. ...more
Alrighty, then! Jay Kristoff does not believe in happy endings. I get it now! What is it with male authors I read lately who love to brake 4 STARS
Alrighty, then! Jay Kristoff does not believe in happy endings. I get it now! What is it with male authors I read lately who love to brake your heart at the end of their stories?(Pierce Brown, I'm looking right at ya!) Am I drawn subconsciously to such endings? Hmp ...
Praying for Rain is the story of Miho who meets Rei, the boy with a voice, "soft and edged with a smile, as if he has just finished laughing." And they fall in love. Young and beautiful love.
Miho can listen to the thoughts of animals in her head. She can reach out into the minds of the beasts. She can talk to them. But she and the ones like her are considered as ‘Tainted’ or ‘Impure’ by the Imperium. They hunt and burn the ones who possess the Kenning.
All this in a dying world where "there are so many of us here, and so little remaining of anything else. No birds in the sky or fish in the bay. No cats or cows or pigs or pigeons. Just people and the world we have destroyed, stained blue-black by the machines we have created. And still, we think only of ourselves. No matter if these are the last free birds left in the city. No matter if those eggs are the last they will ever lay." It's a steampunk world with greasy water and blood-red air vibrating with the songs of engine and propeller. Harsh, yet fascinating with its Asian vibe.
The story is beautifully melancholic with a heartbreaking end. A perfect introduction to the Stormdancer world. I loved the writing!
I know Praying for Rain has little to do with the plot of Stormdancer itself but now I can't wait to meet Yukiko and her griffin in book #1! A GRIFFIN! Huzzah!
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