Crooked Kingdom A Sequel to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom
A Sequel to Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
546 pages








Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Fury of the Seventh Son by Joseph Delaney

Fury of the Seventh Son
By Joseph Delaney
The Last Apprentice
Book 13
462 pages

This is it, the end of a great series. The ending could have been a little stronger but I was pleased with how well this wrapped up. From what I have read Joseph Delaney is starting a new trilogy with Tom that I am quite anxious to get a hold of. 

Now the time has come to fight alone in Joseph Delaney's new series that continues the story of Tom Ward. Although his apprenticeship was not finished, Tom feels prepared to be the new county Spook. Find out how he fares by reading "A New Darkness".

Lips Together Three Times by Laini Taylor

Lips Together Three Times by Laini Taylor, 265 pages
(3 short stories)

Quite honestly the only thing I enjoyed about the three stories in this book were the illustrations. They were absolutely amazing and fit so well as a mini-preview of each story. Of the three stories, I liked "Goblin Fruit" and "Hatchling" the least. "Spicy Little Curses" had more of a plot line making the story more enjoyable than the others. Because they are short stories, to say anything about them would give too much away. I will say that the first deals with goblins and will have you shaking your head at the very stupid main character. The second deals with hell and back - and is intriguing. The last is just way out there.

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched by Amanda Hocking, 318 pages
(Book 1 of  the self-published Trylle series)

Wendy is a changeling. A creature left in place of a child that has been stolen away. That's what's explained to Wendy when she finds herself nearly kidnapped by brutal strangers. Wendy is shocked to hear this, but at the same time wonders if that's why her life has been so difficult. Her own mother always made it a point to say Wendy was not really her daughter. She even tried killing Wendy at her 6th birthday party. Had it not been for her human brother, Wendy would not have survived.  Learning there is a chance that she can really discover who she is, Wendy follows her "tracker" to seek her new life. What she finds is unimaginable danger and heartbreak around every corner. The story behind the switch of human children with supernatural creatures is an interesting one. The author does an excellent job in presenting this self-published story. Self-published is the keyword. This book is really enjoyable if you can overlook the lack of professional editing.

The Dark Heroine: Dinner With A Vampire by Abigail Gibbs

The Dark Heroine: Dinner With a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs, 534 pages
(book one of The Dark  Heroine series)

Romeo & Juliet meets Twilight sums up what this book is about. Seventeen year old Violet Lee's life is changed forever when she witnesses a mass murder before her eyes and is taken prisoner by the murderers. Everything she thought she knew about her world is false. There are monsters in the world and they aren't just evil men. They are vampires. Caught in a web of lies and betrayal, Violet Lee's life is threatened on a daily basis. Yet she finds herself drawn to her captor, Kaspar, at the same time as loathing him. As their attraction for each other grows, truths come out that will shatter everything they hold dear.
I was done with this book in one day. It's pretty easy to figure out the plot line, but it doesn't stop the book from being enjoyable.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless by Gail Carriger, 384 pages
(book 1 of The Parasol Protectorate series)

Well written and entirely entertaining are the best way to describe this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of a person being born soulless and able to "neutralize" all the supernaturals (werewolves, vampires, ghosts, fey, etc.). I laughed my way through the book from beginning (where she kills a vampire with her parasol) to end ... even on the parts that weren't suppose to be funny. The love connection/storyline between the main character and a supernatural was well done. I already have the rest of the series on my "must read" list. Romance, danger, comedy, fantasy ... you name it, this book has it.

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

Dead Ever After: The Final Sookie Stackhouse Novel by Charlaine Harris --- 338 pages

Fans of the best selling Sookie Stackhouse books (and the hit HBO series, True Blood, based on the books), will be saddened to know that Sookie's paranormal adventures with vampires, shapeshifters, faeiries, demons, witches, and an assortment of psychically gifted (or afflicted, depending on your point of view) humans have come to an end.

An escalating series of events have left Sookie feeling rather battered emotionally, but just as Sookie thinks her life can't get any more complicated she finds herself arrested for murder. Her friends rally to her support and soon discover evidence that indicates Sookie has been framed by someone --- or several someones --- who carry serious grudges against her.

Harris has done a fine job of winding up loose threads as Sookie learns to let go of the past and look to the  future with a little more patience and a lot more understanding of herself and other people (of whatever kind).

Odd Interlude By Dean Koontz

Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz - 279 pages
This was a fun book about Odd Thomas, who is always a charming and witty as he bumbles his way through  chaotic circumstances.  He joins up a young girl, Jolie and the two characters make for some interesting banter as they work together to save a town.

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep, 336 pages
(book 1 of Mythos series)

Gwen Frost is a gypsy teenager with the gift of touch. Anytime she touches an object or person, she can see, hear and feel everything they've ever felt, seen or said. The gift brings in a little cash for her until one day she inadvertently picks up  her friend's hairbrush and sees more than she has ever wished to see. Shortly after Gwen's mom is killed in an accident  and Gwen is taken from her grandmother's home and sent to Mythos Academy. A special school for those gifted by the gods to fight Loki and the Chaos war he wishes to bring. There Gwen learns all about who she is and what is so special about her long line of ancestors. She will also have to fight for her life because things are not always as they seem at Mythos Academy. The book is your typical teen fiction with teen angst, romance, drama, drinking, sex and drugs ... yet, it's still well done.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, 216 pages

I have read many love stories in my life, but none quite like this one. It has more than one romance within its pages. Keturah is the storyteller in her village -- Every night she sits by the communal fire and tells a wondrous tale. The story woven through the pages of the book is of Keturah and her true love. One evening she follows the Hart into the woods and becomes lost. Death comes to claim her but she begs for the opportunity to find her one true love. Death grants her wish but says she only has one day to find him. Keturah goes through great means to discover her true love and even cheats Death a few more times. But, will she succeed in the end and find her future husband? And in searching for her own true love, will she discover the true love for others? You'll have to read the book to find out. I will say that Keturah and Lord Death gives a small nod to Cinderella.

Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler

Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler, 258 pages
Series - Riders of the Apocalypse

Loss takes on the life of Billy Ballard in the form of bullying and Alzheimers. Billy Ballard has spent his life experiencing loss of more than one kind - loss of self, loss of family, loss of wellbeing. He meets "The Ice Cream Man" at the age of 5 who is, in reality, Pestilence ... one of the four riders of the apocalypse. Pestilence gets 5 year old Billy to agree to take on the crown and become Pestilence when he is older. Move forward 10 years. Billy's father left him at 6, Billy started to be _seriously_ bullied by classmates shortly after and shortly after that he lost his grandfather to Alzheimers and became his caretaker. Billy doesn't stand up for himself in the slightest and the book is mostly about finally coming to grasp with the idea that he has value/he has worth/he is important. I loved reading his story, meeting the love of his life (his best friend) and watching him morph into a kid willing to stand up for himself - to realize his value. There is a lot of loss (but you were warned with the title), a lot of heartache, a lot of emotion ...but there is also hope, promised love, romance and a happy ending.

Grave Mercy by Robin L. Lafevers

Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers, 549 pages
Book 1 of  "His Fair Assassin" series

Ismae was born with a terrible scar from the effects of her mom trying to abort her. She has grown up in a horrible environment where she is mistreated, abused and called the daughter of death. When her father tosses her into the hands of an abusive, sadistic husband, Ismae thinks her life is over. But really it's just beginning. Saved by the very priest who wed her to husband, she is whisked away to a convent where she learns she truly is Death's handmaiden. Raised as an assassin to serve the Duchess, she carries out Mortain's (Death's name) will - dispatching those who bare His mark. When suspicions have fingers pointing in every direction, she teams up with the Duchess's half-brother to ferret out the truth. Filled with historical facts and fantasies, this book is well-written, though at times a tedious read.

The Tarot Cafe, v 1, by Sang-Sun Park

The Tarot Cafe, volume 1, by Sang-Sun Park, 176 pages

This is a collection of stories, all featuring a tarot card reader with an atypical clientele.  Pamela reads tarot cards for a magic cat who wants his owner to be happy (preferably in love with him), a blind vampire with a case of really bad luck, and an alchemist who creates humanoid dolls that teach him alot about humanity.  These were light and fluffy reads, and you could read them independently of each other.  It's not something I personally feel compelled to read the rest of, but if it's in the doctor's waiting room and you have time to kill, it's not bad leisurely reading.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor, 418

Seventeen year old art student, Karou, has been living a double life. To her human friends, she is mysterious and not easily approached. To the creatures from her drawings, she is family. Karou works for her father-like figure, Brimstone (a horned creature much like a demon), collecting _unusual_ items in exchange for wishes. She doesn't like her job very much (aside from the wishes) and longs for a life free of anything abnormal. Unfortunately for Karou, there is more to her life than even she is aware. Her job of collecting is a very important one with many lives hanging in the balance. When a stranger crosses her path, romance ensues with the struggle between "good and evil" being on the forefront. Who is Karou really and what secrets are being kept from her? What will she do when faced with truth and betrayal by one of her loved ones? Filled with suspense, romance, danger and quite a dose of drama and loss, this book will lead you on an interesting journey through the writer's imagination.

Underworld: An Abandon Novel by Meg Cabot

Underworld: An Abandon Novel by Meg Cabot, 352 pages
(Book 2 of Abandon series)

In the sequel to Abandon, the death deity, John Hayden, takes Pierce to the Underworld when he discovers that the furies are after her. There, he thinks she'll remain safe. Unfortunately, her family is not safe and Pierce does what she can to return to the "surface" and rescue her loved ones.She also learns that maybe she should have studied her Greek Mythology a bit harder to avoid a lot of the surprises that come her way.  Once again, the book moves along slowly and a bit choppy, however, it is much better than the first and worth the read.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Abandon by Meg Cabot, 304 Pages
Book 1 of the Abandon Series

From the author of the Princess Diaries comes a trek into the realm of Greek Mythology.  Supposedly this book is a retelling of Persephone and Hades. However, after diving into the story, we discover that is not the case at all. To not give too much away, the main character, Pierce, meets John, a death deity (not exactly Hades)- once as a 7 year old, once as a 15 year old (she meets him after her death) and again at 17 (with more than a few interactions). During their "run-ins" they quickly fall in love and he asks her to rule the Underworld with her. The story is choppy at best and will have you scratching your head a few times. It is written in first person. While I did complete the book in 2 hours, it was a slow read for a majority of the story and did not really get good until more than halfway through the book.

Hell Fire by Anne Aguirre

Hell Fire: Corine Solomon Book 2 by Anne Aguirre - 336 pages

The follow up to Blue Diablo takes Corine back to her childhood hometown from which she fled as soon as she turned 18 to fulfill the promise to bring her mother's killers to justice.  Not so ex-boyfriend Chance and new potential boyfriend Jesse help her navigate the twisted society of this tiny town the world has forgotten.  Revelations from Corine's past take her supernatural gifts to a whole other level and Chance is forced to examine relationships while his own gift of amazing luck is blocked.  Strong characters make this series stand out from the urban fantasy pack.

Blue Diablo by Anne Aguirre

Blue Diablo: A Corine Solomon novel by Anne Aguirre - 336 pages

This is first entry into an urban fantasy series featuring a reluctant heroine with the skill of handling (gaining history of objects through touch) who is trying to rebuild her life in Mexico City while hiding from her enemies.  A not so ex-boyfriend with a supernatural gift of his own lures her back into her old life to locate his mother who has been kidnapped by a drug cartel.  The magical elements are blended into a very realistic world in a believable way.  I liked this book so well that I immediately sought ought the rest of the series. 

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel by Charlaine Harris --- 327 pages

Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels are the basis of the HBO hit series True Blood, a combination of Southern noir mystery and supernatural fantasy that has proved to be immensely popular with readers and viewers alike.

In the twelfth installment in the series, Sookie is trying to support her vampire lover, Eric, through the dangerous politics of the vampire world in the aftermath of the death of his rival Victor. Yet somehow her relationship with Eric is not as solid as Sookie thought it was. There's nothing big she can put her finger on, just a series of small, troubling incidents that don't add up to Sookie's way of reckoning.

But when a dead woman turns up on the lawn in front of Eric's house, in the middle of delicate negotiations with the vampire King of Louisiana, and it looks like someone is trying to frame Eric for murder, Sookie stands by her man and tries to figure out what is going on.  One thing becomes increasingly clear: somebody with a very big grudge is messing up the lives of a lot of people who matter to Sookie. Somebody who seems to know an awful lot about her private business. Somebody who will stop at nothing to get what he or she wants.

Harris has indicated that the next Sookie Stackhouse book will be the last volume in the series. In Deadlocked she has already begun the process of winding up the various plot threads. Sookie daydreams about all the "happily ever afters" she'd like to wish for her friends --- but for herself, she really wonders, whether there will ever be a "happily ever after."