My husband and I returned from our honeymoon not long ago, which was a lovely trip through the caribbean on a cruise ship. I managed to fit a truly impressive amount of reading into the trip. Now, I have to admit that when I was picking up books, I was primarily selecting them based on price (rather than what I really wanted to read). I had about $35 and I wanted as many books as I could mange for that price. That said… Onto the list! (Please note this post contains affiliate links and Amazon will pay me a small commission if you purchase anything after clicking these links. Your cost is not increased by using these links.)
Book Thoughts in no particular order:
Air Awakens by Elise Kova. This is categorized as a young adult book. While I guess that is technically correct, it was rather graphic for a YA book. Now, it was well written, and overall the story line was good. If you like dark stories with complex relationships, then go for it. While I’ve enjoyed other stories that could be described that way (The Black Jewels Trilogy), the way it played out in this book didn’t make me want to read the next one.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Shelved as science fiction dystopian and it didn’t appear to be labeled YA on Amazon (which is good because there’s a lot of swearing and other adult material). Let me be honest. I bought this mostly because it was a book that had done well and I like to read those to see what they have going on. While it was well written, had a good, and kept me turning pages, I don’t as a rule, enjoy the types of violence that were in this book. If you want a grittier Hunger Games with a male lead, this is the books for you. I suspect that part of my problem with this book is that I usually read stories with a female lead, and often struggle to fully relate to a male lead. I had the same issue with the Maze Runner.
Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega Book 4) by Patricia Briggs. Shelved as adult fantasy/romance. So, this is going to sound really harsh for what, by most authors, would be a good book. For Briggs it was a failure. There was so much unnecessary information (mostly about horses, that the layperson didn’t need, and as someone who spent a lot of time around horses in the past, was boring and irritating) and it really hurt the story. In part due to the extra information, I felt that the characterization and overall plot weren’t as well done as what she’s produced in the past. Like I said, good, but not up to par with the rest of the books in this series.
Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris. Shelved as adult, but in odd categories that don’t really relate to the book. It does have swearing, violence, but I don’t recall any sex. If you recognize the author’s name, it’s because she has another very popular series the Sookie Stackhouse novels, best known by the TV show name, True Blood. This book is in the same universes as those books, and that’s about where the likeness ends. I really loved this book, and I can’t tell you why. I think I loved it because it was different, and I haven’t read many books like it. It’s more the story of the town than a person, and I was oddly okay with that. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but this was such an unexpected pleasure, I have to recommend.
Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg. Shelved as young adult (Some swearing and kissing). This was a great book. It was magical, unique, different, and really showed how there are two sides to every blessing or curse. I really loved it and highly recommend it to you.
Dragon Marked, Dragon Mystics, Dragon Mated (Supernatural Prison Books 1-3) by Jaymin Eve. Shelved as young adult (lots of swearing, and some sex). I won’t say this series is perfect, but they were so much fun to read. Yes, they have lots of YA/fantasy clichés, but it worked for these books. I really enjoyed them and am looking forward to picking up other books in this world.
Heart of Ice (The Snow Queen Book 1) by K. M. Shea. Shelved as young adult (some swearing). This book was solid, but I never felt like I fully believed some of the character development. However, it’s a good book with magic, a war, a strong female lead. If those are your things, give it a try.
Vampire Girl by Karpov Kinrade. Shelved as young adult (swearing and sex). I’ll be honest. This was my least favorite of the lot. I was on the fence about buying it, but the mass of positive reviews won me over. Having read it, I don’t understand how it has so many rave reviews. Clearly the book worked for some people, but to me the ending didn’t count as an ending (or even a cliffhanger) and there were some story issues. As always, your milage may vary.
