kat_merle

Fool Moon
by Jim Butcher
Book 2 of the Dresden Files

Ok I am back on the bandwagon and trying to catch up to complete the 50 books this year. I decided I needed to go back to some old favorites in order to get through the books faster and The Dresden Files novels were an obvious choice for me. I have read the start of the series before so knew it was a fast interesting read for me but it has been long enough the plot is a little hazy and there were a few surprises left for me. Sometimes not having a great memory is a good thing. I love the characters in this series and this book was a really great example of why. I love Harry Dresden and I love him for his failures for his imperfections and for the times he really doesn't want to be the hero or the good guy. He actually gives into his darker side in this book and you get hints of his past and I love getting the back story. HIGHLY recommend the Dresden Files and I can't wait to catch up and finish the series up to the current book.

Pyromancer
by Don Callander

This book was interesting but moved a bit slow for my taste I had a hard time focusing and really getting into it. This book remained a read on my lunch break kinda book even though I brought it home many times there was always just something more interesting to me to take my time when I was at home. I liked the relationship between the wizard and the apprentice but I find myself getting more and more irritated with love at first sight kind of romances. I want to see relationships develop and be honest role models for the readers. Perhaps I want too much.

The Janson Directive
by Robert Ludlum

It had been a while since I had read any Ludlum so I was very excited to start reading his novels again. I am afraid I quickly lost steam though and by the end I didn't have any desire to write this review. The book was good but there was a point near the middle that I went Oh there we go classic Ludlum and began to pick out similarities to his other books and that made me lose interest in this one. If you like his novels I think you will like this one as well I just found it to be a bit formulaic for me.

Right Hand Magic
by Nancy Collins

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I found the setting to be very interesting and the story to be nicely plot driven. The characters were believable and I would love to wander into a place like Golgothom. I can see easily how an artist might fit in well there though her fear of changing the culture I think is a very valid one and I am curious to see how the author deals with that in future books. Picked this book up at random and turned out I was very glad I did.

The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern

This book came highly recommended and as such I feel I may have had too high of expectations for it. The imagery in this book is incredible but it just doesn't have the immersive feeling and deep plot that I have come to enjoy in my books. I found myself getting distracted and putting the book down in favor of studying and while I find my subject matter fascinating this book did not become the escape I expected it to be. Once my life settles down again and I am no longer in a 10 week intensive program I would like to pick up the book to try again and see if I enjoy it more. In the beginning it was hard to keep the characters straight in my mind and they all felt nebulous even by the end of the book. I certainly am not saying it is a bad book or that I wouldn't recommend it but it failed to meet my expectations at this time.

Cast in Silence
Michelle Sagara

Chronicles of Elantra Book 5

I loved this book it was more backstory to Kaylin's history and I love finding out more about my favorite characters and realizing what makes them respond in certain ways. Her tragic history isn't completely surprising but I found the book's ending to be very surprising and perhaps the best possible ending. I am really looking forward to reading more and finding out what happens with the dragons now because of how the book ended.

Silence
by Michelle Sagara

I have been VERY remiss in writing my reviews so instead of initial impressions you get whatever has managed to stick with me after like a month of doing other things. This book was recommended by a friend of mine because of the way Sagara depicts a character that happens to be somewhere on the autism spectrum. For that issue alone I love Sagara and this book. The plot itself didn't capture me as so many of hers do but I believe that given a few more books to get farther into the plot development and character development I will really enjoy this series as well. It is written for a younger audience and that may be where I had difficulties immersing myself in the story but over all it was well written and I look forward to reading more.

Cast in Fury
by Michelle Sagara

Book 4 in The Chronicles of Elantra

This book focuses on the Leontine race which I admit is one of my favorite races in this world. Though I admit as I learn more back-stories, I find I have more favorite races. I find the completeness of their culture and desires absolutely fascinating and enjoy learning more each book.

Marcus has been accused of murder so our heroine does what she does best and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong to find out the truth. I love the fact that Sagara focuses so well on how this trait is both a strength and a weakness and though our heroine survives to tell the tale her quest for the truth always gets her into so much trouble.

I don't have anything resembling a favorite book in this series but I have found myself getting completely absorbed in each novel. I know Sagara wrote them so you could start anywhere in the series but so much is learned each book that I want to read them beginning to end as fast as I possibly can and then go back and reread to catch all of the foreshadowing I missed in the first read through.

Cast in Secret
by Michelle Sagara

Book 3 of The Chronicles of Elantra

I've been a bit slow in posting but that is because I hate writing not because I haven't been reading. Once I restarted this series it got its hooks into me and I have just been devouring these books. I am about to take a little break as I will be going back to "school" and it is so hard for me to put a good book down.

Many series I fall in love with and fall in love with the author and their writing and try to devour everything they have published. With a few authors I also devour the forewards and author notes and acknowledgements. For this book that actually added a bit of enjoyment to the book. I had been so enamored by the plot lines I hadn't realized that Sagara was giving us a glimpse into each race in each book and this book was about to focus on the race of mind readers. This is a race that terrifies our heroine as she feels she has so much baggage to hide.

The plot focuses on a missing child or two and if you haven't been reading the series up till now you will learn our Heroine has a soft spot for children and keeping them safe and out of harms way. The story takes you on a journey learning about this race of people that have no secrets from each other and you learn the history of how that came to be. I have never been a student of history but I have so enjoyed learning about the history of the different races and the culture that has arisen from that history.

All in all I loved this book I will definitely be rereading it again and again. I have already recommended it to a number of my friends and immediately dove into 3 more books by Sagara.

Fed
by Mira Grant

Fanfiction for Newsflesh Trilogy

Can I really call it FANfiction when it was written by the author herself? I remember shortly after Feed was published Mira Grant saying she wanted to write an alternative ending to feed where one key detail changed and how the story would have ended. With the final installment of the trilogy coming out Grant allowed herself that chance and posted it to Facebook as a teaser for Blackout. I of course devoured the story and then was amused when it was alluded to a little in Blackout as the characters began discussing the same scenario. I felt the alternate ending was well written and believable and it made a nice addition to the other stories sent in this universe. I am glad Grant was allowed the opportunity to play a little more with her characters and share that with us. Read and enjoy but ONLY if you have already read Feed. If you haven't read Feed go read that now and then catch up.