I have a confession. Like a lot of writers, my TBR list is out of control, and my time's extremely limited. Now, I'm a fast reader, but my reviewing speed is flagging, and I just don't have time to review everything I read...which often leads to me feeling guilty for reviewing some books and not others! So, I've decided to start doing monthly recaps of my reading with mini-reviews of what I've read that month. This is taking the place of Monday Mini-Reviews after September!
First up: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead! Technically, I read this in July, but I've reviewed all the other books in the series (and if I'd been reading at normal-human reading, I'd have finished it this month... but with my crazy reading speed, I finished it in a couple of hours!).Silver Shadows is the fifth book in the Bloodlines series, and follows Sydney Sage, an Alchemist who, when sent into hiding with the Moroi (vampire) Queen's half-sister, became embroiled in magic and a forbidden relationship with a Moroi, Adrian. Now, she's suffering for the mistake she made in the previous book, and the tension's at an all-time-high. Richelle Mead writes in a way that pulls you into the story immediately, and keeps you there from beginning to end! I can't wait for the conclusion to the series!
Next up: I read The Falconer by Elizabeth May! I've had my eye on this one for a while (faeries? Steampunk Edinburgh? Kickass female lead? Hell yeah!) and I'm happy to say it met my expectations! The ending, however, was cruel. *wants sequel*
I had my eye on Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee ever since I first saw the blurb, and I'm glad to say the story more than lived up to the beautiful cover! There's so much originality here, and so many cool elements (time manipulation, mythology, even a dash of steampunk). Highly recommended!
This has been a great month for unique fantasy! Based on many recommendations, I read The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, and wow. It's about a thief who's offered freedom from imprisonment in exchange for stealing a treasure from legend...but it's so much more than that. It's hard to say without spoiling the story, but I really appreciated how subtle and clever the whole setup was. Amazing!
As a reader, I'm picky when it comes to epic fantasy, but I was instantly hooked by The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley. The compelling story, gripping action, and three-dimensional, complex characters made this one of the best epic fantasies I've read - I can't wait for the sequel!Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis has to be one of the most original books I've read in a long time! The setting and the creepy atmosphere drew me in, and the mystery had me guessing up until the end.
Another great find was City of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster. I loved how the story-world was different to most other YA high fantasy I've read, rich and detailed and full of mystery. It had me hooked from beginning to end!
Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the final book in the sci-fi romance Lux series, and I really enjoyed it! I never thought I'd enjoy sci-fi alien romance before I found this series, but JLA's writing is addictive and the suspense, drama and hilarious one-liners make her books difficult to put down. And this is no exception! Packed with tension, action, and the usual JLA humour and romance, I thought this was a great end to the series.Another fantastic finale was the final book in the Experiment in Terror series by Karina Halle! Dust to Dust wrapped up this NA paranormal/horror romance series wonderfully. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book!
I've had Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers on my list forever, but I finally got round to reading it! It's about assassin nuns in medieval France, who kill whoever is marked by the god of death himself. I'm picky when it comes to historical fiction, but this story is the perfect balance of politics, tension, romance and the fantastical. I was hooked!I was really excited for the second book in Zoe Marriott's exciting Name of the Blade trilogy, and I loved Darkness Hidden even more than The Night Itself! I can't wait for the finale!
It's definitely been a great reading month! I think I'm going to enjoy doing this feature. ^_^
Arrrg! You're not helping me lessen my TBR pile by listing all these books. They all sound great.
ReplyDeleteOne day I am going to get the hang out reading fast again. I read fast like that in high school. What happened to me?! Lol! I love this wrap up though. Can't wait to see Italy! ^_^
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