Synopsis: After escaping from the repressive regime seeking to outlaw love, Lena joins the resistance and gets a dangerous assignment. Review: Pandemonium definitely suffered from middle book blues. I loved Delirium but I am not confident that the series will end up knocking my socks off. I’ll definitely read the third book whenever it comes out, though!
Synopsis: Lena is eagerly anticipating her upcoming surgery to have her ability to love removed–until she falls in love. Review: Delirium is part one of a trilogy, so I have to reserve judgement until it’s over. I did really enjoy it and immediately downloaded Pandemonium. I loved Before I Fall and it seems like Lauren Oliver is one of those writers with a million stories inside her. Bring it!
Synopsis: Tyrion becomes a slave, Dany pines for Daario while marrying someone else, her dragons eat children and incinerate a prince, Jon Snow upends 8000 years of tradition, a couple of no-goodniks get baked into a pie, Stannis can haz teh dumb, Theon Greyjoy lives the worst version of a Lifetime movie thanks to the Bastard of Bolton, Arya kills time, Ser Barristan the Bold displays mad skillz, Davos is not dead, Victarion rows his boat, Asha picks the wrong fort to defend, Cersei and…
Synopsis: A princess of Atlantis flees to ancient England where her paths cross with a mage-in-training whose parentage is unknown. Review: I was drawn to Taliesin (which I desperately want to be an anagram of Atlantis, but it’s not) because it’s a retelling of the King Arthur legend with historically accurate place names and details, and with the Christianity an important, unoppressive element. Several major characters are converted to Christianity in episodes that are emotionally and spiritually powerful, but Lawhead doesn’t make that the happy…
Synopsis: The death of a society girl in 1899 New York City isn’t quite what it seems, thanks to an impossibly complex snarl of love triangles. Review: I guess you would call The Luxe “Gossip Girl” set in Edith Wharton territory, but that makes it sound dreadful when in fact it’s pretty enjoyable. I don’t think I’ll continue on in the series but it was a fun read.
Synopsis: An ordinary New York City girl gets recruited by a magical agency precisely because she is immune to magic. Review: Cute, light, and fun, Enchanted, Inc. was exactly the palate cleanser I needed after gorging on A Dance With Dragons. I especially loved that Shanna Swendson didn’t feel the need to make Katie klutzy or ditsy. She wasn’t afraid to have Katie be outspoken and assertive. She was my kind of girl and I really enjoyed spending time in her head.
Synopsis: You really need to read the first 4 books. Review: I have never anticipated a book the way I anticipated A Dance with Dragons, not even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This will be a spoiler-free review. I plan to listen to the audio book next month and that review will be spoiler-filled. I was thoroughly entertained and satisfied by the book, and loved what happened in the new POV characters, especially Reek. I am impressed by Martin’s manipulative abilities–he is in such…
Synopsis: Bastard assassin Fitz is brought out of hiding by King Shrewd’s fool, now living as haughty Lord Golden, in order to find missing Prince Dutiful, believed to have been seduced by a group of outlaws practicing an extreme form of beast magic. Review: Fool’s Errand picks up about 15 years after the end of the Farseer Trilogy, with the events of the Liveship Traders books happening in between. I remember thinking that this series was much weirder than the relatively straightforward Farseer epic. I’m…
Synopsis: A continuation of the story of Kieri Phelan, the newly crowned half-elven king at odds with his elven grandmother, and Dorrin, the female Duke of Verrakai, seeking to use her power to pursue vengeance against her family of evil mage lords. Review: I had trouble getting through Kings of the North. It felt like a lot of exposition and water-treading. I love these characters and have been enthralled by the series to date, but just didn’t really enjoy this installment. But will definitely give…
Synopsis: Fitz the bastard struggles to be a King’s man and his own man, while dastardly Prince Regal threatens to usurp the throne while King in Waiting Verity is off on a quest to find the mythical Elderlings. Review: Royal Assassin marks a solid midpoint in an ambitious trilogy, with all the characters put at great risk from each other and themselves. Antagonist Regal remains too cardboard to feel like a true threat, but overall the characters are solid. I’m not sure the Skill magic…