4.5 stars Wow. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.
Very briefly: the magical system is incredible both logistically and in its imagery,4.5 stars Wow. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is.
Very briefly: the magical system is incredible both logistically and in its imagery, the heroine is unbelievable, and the ethics are so interesting and well-reasoned. Could have lived without that last chapter, the villains could have been more nuanced, I would have enjoyed a little more romance and poignancy (though I appreciate it’s not a trite romantasy), but I can’t fault the pacing or how it kept ratcheting up my excitement. Especially as a previously published indie.
Great writing, great plotting. And the ending…fantastic.
Now I have to read her others.
Audio Notes: Terrific on audio, read by Moira Quirk....more
Ugh, I need more people to read Cassie Raven. The series is set in Camden Town, the "haven of counter culture" in London, and yet it manages to feel lUgh, I need more people to read Cassie Raven. The series is set in Camden Town, the "haven of counter culture" in London, and yet it manages to feel like a small town even within a big city. Cassie is a mortician's assistant, who is often pigeonholed by her goth appearance and prickliness, but she is careful, intelligent, and treats the deceased in her care with the utmost respect--and even tenderness. This particular case involves the sudden death of a young singer, with the parallels to one of Camden's most famous residents, Amy Winehouse, acknowledged.
I’ve learned to keep my expectations in check with most series as they progress, but this one keeps delivering with interesting crimes, methodical police procedurals, fascinating forensic and medical science, quietly compelling characters, and above all, steadfast compassion and empathy for both the dead and the living. I read so many thrillers that are so focused on the "gotcha" shock factor and completely ignore what makes stories interesting—the people, their lives, and their motivations. This series never forgets that behind every crime, there are human beings in pain, and that there are professionals who are doing their best to honor them. I also appreciate how the author, through Cassie’s matter-of-fact gentleness and humane treatment of the bodies she cares for, demystifies death and shakes off the revulsion and ghoulishness we so often associate with it. Probably my favorite thriller/mystery series discovery of the last few years.
Audio Notes: Ellie Kendrick’s voice and delivery are absolute perfection. She narrates with both subtlety and feeling—a really great match of voice actor and text. I can’t imagine anyone else as Cassie, and I hope she narrates many more audiobooks to come....more
Speechless over how fiercely intelligent and empathetic this regency romance is. And funny—it’s so funny! This love story, featuring a neurodivergent Speechless over how fiercely intelligent and empathetic this regency romance is. And funny—it’s so funny! This love story, featuring a neurodivergent genius of a heroine, is infinitely patient and poignantly unusual and swooningly tender.
I love her, I love him, I love the writing, I love the scientific/mathematic/literary references, and most importantly, I love the author.
WOW. With two degrees from Harvard and this lovely pearl of a book, who needs traditional editing/publishing?...more
Rough beginning, and it seems to have a problem deciding whether the King is a powerful vampire or just a regular indie romance asshole (down to some Rough beginning, and it seems to have a problem deciding whether the King is a powerful vampire or just a regular indie romance asshole (down to some tired lines and some of the sex), but I ended up really enjoying this. Partly because I like the fantasy world inhabited with various creatures (including some non-traditional PNR ones), partly she kicks serious ass, partly because it turns out he has principles, and partly because a giant snake named Fang won me over.
3.5 stars bumped up because it's a creative and fun take on vampire/shifter/etc. romantasies. With more edits, I could see this series being really great....more
I just don’t understand how each one of these keeps knocking my socks off. This one took awhile to win me over, but once I understood Cynthia and why I just don’t understand how each one of these keeps knocking my socks off. This one took awhile to win me over, but once I understood Cynthia and why she is so unapologetically single-minded in her pursuit of a husband, my heart just broke for her. And I think Miles’ does as well.
I can’t get over how smart and empathetic the writing is, with wisdom and honor and heart. Of all the books that have aspired to give us stories and characters like Jane Austen’s, I’ve never before read passages that so strongly recall her principles and practicality and wit. It also piercingly and poignantly speaks of the few options that women have during this era.
I haven’t even mentioned how absolutely swoony and sensuous their relationship is, or how she challenges him and he does his best to do right by her, even when it causes him pain. Third book I’ve read by this author, third book I love....more
This was a favorite of mine from back in the day when I first started reading romances. Upon rereading, I'm glad to see it holds up, with some reservaThis was a favorite of mine from back in the day when I first started reading romances. Upon rereading, I'm glad to see it holds up, with some reservations.
First off: it's VERY dated. Romances, and historical romances in particular, are written and read with a very different eye from the way they are now, so some allowances have to be made for that. More difficult to ignore are some extremely problematic, triggering, and hurtful language and scenarios, which are hard to read whether they are accurate/not uncommon/whatever to the time period or not. So please be forewarned that this is not just a product of its time, but some of what we know now are micro-aggressions are included casually within the story. (view spoiler)[Specifics: a racial slur (not directed at a person but used in a passing remark about a thing), fat-shaming, forced consummation, sexism. (hide spoiler)] And rampant stupidity, misogynistic/patriarchal male behavior in general, though the author works overtime to let the heroine neatly turn the situation to her own benefit.
Having said that, Frances Kilbracken is so delightful I fell in love with her all over again. To ensure that an unwanted Englishman does not choose her among her sisters as a bride, she disguises herself as a frumpy dullard--but it doesn't work, because he decides having an undemanding mouse as a wife would enable him to continue a libertine life through London. This is one of the best heroines-in-disguise stories ever, and I laughed at her antics throughout the whole story.
(view spoiler)[I normally also don't enjoy books where the hero sleeps with other women after meeting the heroine, and while it's still cringey here, he does come around to fidelity after he and Frances come to understand each other better. (hide spoiler)]This is a case where the hero is a careless womanizer in the beginning, but believably falls in love despite his best attempts to resist. I was really quite surprised at how skillfully all this was done.
I don't remember any other Coulter book ever living up to my enjoyment of this one, though I may try revisiting a few others to see if there are other gems....more
Very much enjoyed, especially after the story gets going. Lily is your steady, quietly daring friend who won't hesitate to politely challenge you on yVery much enjoyed, especially after the story gets going. Lily is your steady, quietly daring friend who won't hesitate to politely challenge you on your actions and value system, which is verrrry interesting as she comes across a mystery that tests her views. It's a stroke of genius that the author makes her a widow, which gives her freedoms and a certain self-confidence not typically enjoyed by single ladies during this era.
The mystery itself gets more interesting as it develops. I think what makes this one a standout from other cozy historical mysteries is the thoughtful way the author writes about women and the ways they have to navigate society's demands, as well as the friendships, from female-female to male-female to male-male. And all of it is integrated seamlessly into the story. I also loved the ending scene, which opens the door for more adventures in a very intentional way--as well as shows the support and respect she has gained. Excited to read the others!
P.S. Is it coincidence that we have both a Jem and a Carstairs in this book, though? Probably so, but shades of The Infernal Devices.
Audio Notes: Henrietta Meire does fine as a narrator for Lily's voice. I like her secondary voices much less, as many of the women have accents and diction that reminded me too much of others--most specifically, Harriet Walter in Sense and Sensibility...or am I thinking of Juliet Stevenson in Emma?--and the male voices were uniformly too dry, harsh, and unvaried. But I'll keep listening to the others, as the voice for Lily is pleasant....more
So good. Sarah’s transformation from terrified new wolf to strong shapeshifter (view spoiler)[SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW ALPHA, BITCH. (hide spoiler)] had So good. Sarah’s transformation from terrified new wolf to strong shapeshifter (view spoiler)[SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW ALPHA, BITCH. (hide spoiler)] had me cheering, and damn, huge protective werebears are sexy, too. ...more
I looovvveee herrrrrrr. Emily is probably my favorite HP heroine ever.
I disliked the beginning of the book so much, but once I glanced at the synopsiI looovvveee herrrrrrr. Emily is probably my favorite HP heroine ever.
I disliked the beginning of the book so much, but once I glanced at the synopsis again, I realized that the female POV in the beginning is the POV of the amoral other woman Gina (along with Luke’s POV), not the heroine’s. The two of them are having an affair behind her husband’s Charles’ back, complicated by Luke’s being Charles’ right hand man. They are blackmailed and maneuver themselves into a situation where Luke will marry Gina’s school friend Emily to cover up the affair, and will stay married until Charles dies.
Emily sweeps into this distasteful scenario like a breath of fresh air. She’s direct, kind, funny, and too smart for her own good, plus she has beautiful grey eyes and enjoys her food and creature comforts. (How nice it is to have a HP heroine actually relax and enjoy the expense account her husband can well afford, too. All the shopping in Paris and haircut talk was really fun.) She accepts the proposition because she needs to money to help her cousin, but as she gets to know Luke, she develops feelings for him and decides she’s going to try to see if he’d be interested in her for real. But on their wedding day, she finds out about his real relationship with Gina, and is devastated that he isn’t the man she thought he was. I felt such kinship and sympathy with her throughout the story.
Some spoilers:
This is one of the few HPs that truly shows a believable gradually falling in love scenario. You can’t help but adore Emily and despite Gina’s femme fatale appeal and history with Luke, it’s not hard to see why he starts to have feelings for Emily, too. This is a case where the hero isn’t a jerk—he deceived his employer and mentor for years, but he truly thought he loved Gina and had been willing to do things above board—and when the blinders are lifted, he’s filled with self-contempt and loathing for what he did to Charles, and to Emily. Luke’s POV is done so well. You never see this kind of self-reflection and acknowledgment of his own bad behavior in HP men, so to see it done so thoroughly—and because of a girl as amazing as Emily—is so satisfying to see. (view spoiler)[It’s icky that he was still sleeping with Gina after he and Emily got married, but I suppose it’s realistic. What I do like is that Luke and Emily never sleep together until towards the end, after he’s dumped Gina and declared his feelings for Emily. I like that their relationship is kept above all that, and he truly knows and loves her as a person first. (hide spoiler)]
I adore Emily. And I ended up loving this book. I’ve read this author a few times before and enjoyed her well enough, but didn’t know she had this in her. I’m looking forward to reading some more of her novels! Closing this one with a happy sigh....more
Precision plotting and tension lead up to a shocking revelation. All throughout, we know Sara has been kidnappStunningly, unbelievably prescient. Wow.
Precision plotting and tension lead up to a shocking revelation. All throughout, we know Sara has been kidnapped along with a CDC officer and they are being held by a loony cult that is planning something big. (view spoiler)[Towards the end, we discover that a large group of men--many of them white supremacists and ex-military--are storming the Georgia Capitol. The Last Widow was published in 2019, which means Slaughter wrote this a minimum of three years before the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. (hide spoiler)] There are so many direct parallels between the lead up to the two events, and when I first realized what was happening, I literally got chills and screamed a little in my bed.
Re-reading in 2023, I appreciate the masterful character work, incredible action, and emotion even more. To be more than two decades into a series (and I do count Grant County + Will Trent as one big series, so please don't @ me) and still deliver so many surprises, revelations, and thrills is an unbelievable feat. Probably my favorite Slaughter book after Triptych....more
"You see it in all animals - the female of the species is more deadly than the male."
4.5 stars Holy shit, this is good. It sounds like it's going to b"You see it in all animals - the female of the species is more deadly than the male."
4.5 stars Holy shit, this is good. It sounds like it's going to be a revenge thriller, and it is--but it's also a searing takedown of rape culture and a merciless examination of the way violence begets violence. Riveting prose, three clear POVs, and a relentless story that doesn't try to provide answers, but forces you to think about the things we excuse legally and socially. In a year in which we've stood by and watched Brock Turner get a slap on the wrist, seen serial abusers publicly disparage the victims they attacked, and witnessed the repeated objectification of women on a national platform, this could not be more timely. I wish this book were in the hands of all teenagers, boys and girls, for the invaluable conversation piece that it is. There are a fair number of contemporary YA "issue" novels that deal with rape or abuse, but this one, in the guise of a thriller, hits home intellectually and emotionally in a way I haven't seen before.
But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.
There are a few things you have to accept for the purposes of the story, the biggest of which is a logistical issue (view spoiler)[namely, that physically, it's not that easy to do the things Alex did to Comstock (hide spoiler)]. I'm okay with looking past that, however, because the author provides enough convincing detail to make it worthwhile. The only thing that really niggles me a bit (aside from a slightly rushed ending) is that, in my view, Alex's feelings for Jack develop and progress a bit too quickly to fit the near-feral, loner mindset she was in. There's definitely chemistry between them, but I was still never fully convinced the two of them would have been a thing that quickly, especially considering his background and baggage. However, I liked that Alex didn't judge Jack or other girls for his past, I liked the way a real obstacle came between them (view spoiler)[that is, that he had a real problem absorbing the disturbing information she revealed to him; too many books let the BF/GF give the MC a pass (hide spoiler)], and I liked the fantastic way the story ended. OVARIES OF STEEL, Ms. McGinniss.
Bonus: there isn't the faintest whiff of the type of pretentious posturing and tiresome smoke-and-mirrors plotting that's become so popular in YA thrillers lately. (I'm looking at you, We Were Liars.) This book has things to say, and the writing cuts like a razor so that words nearly bleed off the page.
I'm really pissed off at the weirdly quirky cover art for this book, however. WTF is that? It does absolutely no justice to the intensity of the blistering words and emotions inside. This book is full of feminine rage, and while some readers might flinch at the violence within, I think it's rage that's been justly earned.
Trigger warnings for violence, sexual and otherwise....more
4.5 stars BADASS GIRL GLADIATORS. Does that sound amazing? Guess what--it's even more awesome than it sounds.
I was lucky enough to read an early galle4.5 stars BADASS GIRL GLADIATORS. Does that sound amazing? Guess what--it's even more awesome than it sounds.
I was lucky enough to read an early galley, but review to come from the ARC. With any luck, this thing will be a monster success. It deserves it....more
Wendy Darling
>
Books:
heroines-butt-kicking
(120)
Loading...
