Book Review: The Dinner

 

The Dinner

Herman Koch

Overall: 2/5

Plots and Themes: 2/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 1/5

The Dinner is one of those books that's supposed to keep you guessing from start to finish. The only problem was that I wasn't like trying to figure things out cause it was a great mystery, I was trying to figure out how a plot could have so few concrete facts and still get away with calling itself realistic. Everything that could have potentially been a real-world scenario was deliberately obscure which seemed like an easy way to get out of explaining basically anything. 

The whole point of the book is that these two couples are at dinner trying to have a difficult conversation about how best to handle a tricky situation. That idea quickly derails itself through convoluted asides designed to provide exposition on how totally unhinged some of the people are. It also took away all my confidence in the Dutch criminal justice system, or that was just another part which was poorly explained and thus hard to truly understand. There were multiple diseases referenced as key pieces of the narratives but we got the author dodging having to do actual research by vaguely mentioning symptoms or having the characters claim that they didn't want to divulge personal information.  

The mystery was random and I really didn't care about it either way. I'll give it two stars based almost purely on the shock factor. Some of the stuff that happened was just confusing and graphic enough to be disturbing. But if you're looking for plot or anything with depth I'm going to have to recommend you look elsewhere.

Book Review: Inner Demons (Deal with Demons #3)

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Inner Demons

Stacia Stark

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

Inner Demons is the third book in the Deal with Demons series. We pick up a couple months after the conclusion of the last book, Danica is still denying the bond that she feels with Samael but she's starting her own investigation business and feeling pretty great about it. When her sister's coven house is burnt to the ground with several of the witches inside of it, she swallows her pride and asks for the help that she knows she needs. Putting her back into his line of sight and setting the pieces of their game back into motion. 

I can totally understand that this is just an ACOTAR knock-off in a lot of ways. We have the whole arm tattoo, the wings, the squad of friends and everything. But I don't really mind cause I feel so much more personality from Danica and it's in a completely different setting. I do wish a couple of things could be a bit more original, now that we're getting into the honeymoon stages of their relationship it's becoming especially obvious that certain things that Samael is doing are designed to appeal to us as readers who like that. But it's also not unbearably thick in how it's executed. 

The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger and it kind of really stressed me out. I'll definitely be reading the next one and hoping for the best. I think this is a great third book in a series, it introduced additional conflict while remaining consistent to the plots set up in the first two books. It's all coming together now and it's looking to be super interesting.

 

Book Review: Three Dog Knight (Midnight Empire: The Tower #2)

 

Three Dog Knight

Annabel Chase

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

The second book in the Tower series once again follows London in her knightly investigations, this time with the added bonus of psychotic werewolves. Callan is back at it again, trying to worm his way past London's self-defenses. It's kind of working too, despite knowing that if he suspects that she is a dhampir it'll be a death sentence. 

I still loved the characters and the journey that they're going on in this book, but the mystery wasn't as interesting. It was also difficult for me to believe that despite the time that separated these books, the vampires would know that this would be the case that relates to her previous work for them. Just all felt a little bit too convenient. I know that these books are built on convenience, but I have limits especially when the first book had boosted my expectations so high. 

Definitely still worth reading, especially to see where London's powers are going as she gets some interesting developments in this one. I think it'll be a great balance of awesome powers and a nicely paced romantic plot line.

 

Wild Knight (Midnight Empire: The Tower #1)

 

Wild Knight

Annabel Chase

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

Wild Knight is the first book in The Tower series, covering the exploits of London, a knight in a sort of dystopian England that is free of sunlight and dominated by vampires. She has a lot of secrets, secrets that could get her killed if the vampires were aware of them. Which is what makes it so dangerous for her to be working for them, but it's money she just can't refuse. 

I pretty much love these books. While issues pop up every now and then, how could I not love a series where the protagonist telepathically communicates with animals and has a menagerie of rescues in her apartment? London has spent a lot of her life alone, she has to as those are instincts her mother buried deep within her through her childhood in hiding. She's hiding who she is, something that isn't too difficult on the day-to-day but becomes a lot harder when a vampire prince takes an interest in her. Their dialogue is hilarious, their romance is slow and balanced by his responsibilities and her secrets. But it definitely has a lot of potential. 

So yeah, a very enjoyable and short read that's incredibly easy to get through. I love a good vampire romance, and this book really has it all without making it too weird.

 

The Women of Troy (Women of Troy #2)

 

The Women of Troy

Pat Barker

Linsey Hall

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

The Women of Troy is the second book in the Women of Troy series, which I did not know until after I finished the book. The thing is that it relates so closely to the events of the Odyssey and everything that I figured we were just jumping right into it, which was my bad. But if you want to read it as a standalone it is in fact possible. 

I love books that depict historical events, or myths or stories like this, from a non-traditional perspective. It's easy to be swept away by the heroics of mythology or to imagine suffering exclusive to the heroes of the narratives, but the ripples of their perceived "strengths" were probably widespread. I appreciated the strengths of the women, Briseis specifically but also Cassandra and the others around her. Comparing it to the "hero narrative" is also a fun kind of side-by-side that emphasized the comparative of the perceived struggles. 

So much of it probably went way over my head but I don't mind that much as I enjoyed it. It was a bit dull at points where we were just living the day-to-day of everyone, but I liked the way that it felt.

 

Book Review: Sinful Touch (Demons After Dark: Temptation #1)

 

Sinful Touch

Jenna Wolfhart

Overall: 2/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 2/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

Sinful Touch is the first book in another series installment of the Demons After Dark. There's no additional reading required to be able to understand this one though. Eva wants to be a reporter but she's been stuck for six years on desk jobs. When she meets a demon one night, her boss sees it as the perfect opportunity for her promotion. Caim sees it as a great chance for some insider information on a cult designed to release some less savory demons into the world. They're both lying to one another, but can't seem to help seeing the best in each other. 

My main problem was that there was nothing truly special about any of the plot lines. It's like, if I have to pick between cool powers and a good romance I should at least get one of them. Instead, I got kind of an insta-love combined with a demon whose powers were poorly defined. I didn't hate it, while reading it's interesting enough to get to the end. But it also doesn't feel like a book that could be continued to a more exciting series. 

I don't know, on the spectrum of demon romances this is probably mid-tier but not special enough to be truly amazing. I would say it's not really anything that inspires frustration, just sort of ambivalence.

 

Book Review: Darkest Moon (Shadow Guild #1)

 

Darkest Moon

Linsey Hall

Overall: 2/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 2/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

Darkest Moon is a complicated book to place, it's the first book in its series but its incredibly interwoven into a broader universe that gets referenced literally every five minutes. I haven't read all the other books, but I could feel the direction of the hints and everything. That could be a positive, but I feel like it could also be a negative if you really only care for the contents of this book. 

I had the same problem with this one as I have with some of the other books I've read, they're just too instant. At points it feels like I'm reading the diatribe of a toddler, or a bad fanfiction writer, where it goes "well maybe it's like this because it's like that and yes that makes sense it's like this". It just feels way too connected and not natural in the flow of events. 

I don't know how I feel about the romance, ambivalent? All in all I was really only invested in the explanation of her parenthood or magic and I don't even know if I would get that in the sequel. It's a quick and easy read but it's also not very gratifying.

 

Book Review: White Hot (Hidden Legacy #2)

 

White Hot

Ilona Andrews

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

White Hot is the second book in the Hidden Legacy series, primarily covering Rogan and Nevada via Nevada's POV. At this point they've dealt with the most imminent catastrophe and they're trying to figure out where they fit into each other's lives now. They're both powerful individuals and they know that the world is only going to get more demanding of them as people begin to realize that. 

I don't think this one was as exciting as the first one, but I still respect a lot of the choices that were being made to prolong the slower burn of it all. What I especially love about this series is the rationalization of the decisions being made, each character adds their own flair when it comes to making choices but they all do so in a way that is most authentic to them. The thought process behind it all is very well-done and flows really well for me as a reader. 

I'm still recommending this series, I don't know if I'll feel the same way now that I know that we're going to be transitioning a bit into other POVs. I'm kind of selfish in the way that I only like hearing from the person who I identify as the main characters initially, but if the author can write with as strong of a voice as they have been currently then I'm sure I'll love it.

 

Book Review: Touched by Fire (Demons of New Chicago #1)

 

Touched by Fire

Kel Carpenter

Overall: 2/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

Touched by Fire is your typical magical bounty hunter who has a secret past type story. Piper has been hunting for her boss for years, mainly to try to find some information to help her comatose sister out of the state she has been locked in for the past decade. When she is tasked with killing an entire coven, she fumbles and instead lets a demon into our world. Now, her boss is after her with a huge bounty on her head and she has to figure out how to keep her nature hidden. 

This book was a little too boring for my taste. We're not getting the interactions that I feel justify the emotion behind the relationships that are forming. Piper has spent a decade trusting no one but now she has a bestie, a potential demon boyfriend, and a rival love interest in the span of a week? I hate when authors use filler numbers like ten years of hiding when you can tell the protagonist shouldn't have been able to hide for a week because her skills in application are weak. 

So definitely not my favorite, but it wasn't so bad that it deserved a DNF. I don't think I'm very interested in continuing in the series, but it could get better if we saw Piper doing more of what the narrator describes her as being able to do.

 

Book Review: Age of Deception (The Firebird Chronicles #2)

 

Age of Deception

T.A. White

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

I'm going to start by saying what I said in the review for the first book in this series, it's not free of its writing errors. There are some mistakes that are really obvious and a little frustrating, but not to the point that you should quit reading. It's a beautifully written story and exactly the kind of story I love to read, she's kind of a chosen one but more than that she pulls herself up and proves that any powers she was born with were earned through suffering and hard work. It also helps that there's a super cute slow burn romance and enough plot twists to keep you guessing till the very end. 

Science fiction, space operas specifically, tend to confuse me. There were moments like that in this book. Mostly because of all the names of the people and the planets and the magic that really can feel overwhelming. That being said, I think that the glossary at the end really helps. Also, even I don't understand a couple of things I think it's carried by the power of the relationships and the emotion behind it all. The fight scenes are also beautifully choreographed and written out. 

All in all, great middle book to a trilogy. It didn't fall victim to that second book lag and it only made me want to read the next one more. There are a billion secrets to unearth and we've only just begun to scratch the surface. 

Book Review: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1)

Burn for Me

Ilona Andrews

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

 I would very much appreciate if books that are this good would stop having covers like this. Burn for Me is a paranormal/sci-fi-ish kind of book and contrary to the incredibly romantic looking cover, it goes far beyond the romance. We've got secret powers, we've got intrigue, we've got class conflicts, and we've got MURDER. It all combines to an incredibly interesting and enthralling narrative with a great protagonist who has strong and solid moral boundaries. 

I'll start with my one qualm to get it out of the way before going more into how this book is amazing. There's a bit too much self-reflection where I'm being fed way too much info. Like the author is like wow I'm blonde but over and over people come up and tell me I have a good dye job just cause it looks like I'm racially ambiguous and so on and so forth. Situations like that where her feelings were a bit too spoon fed. But that's very much not the majority, I really like Nevada as a narrator and think she has a voice that I can't get enough of. 

The romance is very artfully done. It's not too overwhelmingly insta, it has the right amount of instant vibes combined with a kind of slow burn that's hindered by Nevada's own instincts. I really love it and think it blends very well into the central plot of the story. Too often in PNR we see the romance overpowering the narrative, but they coexist very well in this book. 

So yeah I'm recommending it 100%. Push past the cover and enjoy it for the banger that it is. It's also kind of an aged book and I'm surprised I've never heard of it before, definitely deserves way more hype.

Book Review: Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1)

 

Dead Until Dark

Charlaine Harris

Overall: 2/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing style: 1/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

I feel like the Sookie Stackhouse series is pretty popular and well-received, but it could just be that it has a lot of books and a TV show. Cause I don't know what this book was but it was not well-received by me, one might even call it bad. Sookie is your run-of-the-mill small-town waitress except also she's not at all because she reads minds. Half the town thinks she's psychotic while the other half thinks she's sweet but... not all there. Things start getting crazy for her when she meets a man who she can finally be around without knowing his every thought, the only catch being that he's a vampire. Oh, and women of the exact same demographic profile as her are also getting systematically murdered. 

This book is so weird. There are just a bunch of really random off-topic thought trains by the protagonist, she has a super strange perspective on herself and everyone around her that's rather off-putting. The romance just does not hit, the dude's name is Bill so I don't know how I would ever get on board with that. It's just overwhelmingly complicated and random for a very basic resolution that has no textual backing. 

I didn't like it. It was funny enough at times and wasn't horrible enough to DNF. But it was pretty bad. I wouldn't recommend it to vampire lovers, though it's old stuff so everyone else has probably already formed an opinion.