Storm Watcher

***

3/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Weapenry Co-Op for giving me this book to review.

Storm Watcher is an enjoyable contemporary middle-grade book about overcoming fears and dealing with grief. This book is not like any of Maria’s other books and while it is not my favourite of hers, it still has her brilliant writing style.

Luke is such a sweet and sensitive kid but he is tougher than he first appears as he is determined and very clever. Like all of Maria’s books the relationships in this novel make the story and I especially liked Luke’s with Megan and Lightning.

While not my normal genre of book I still enjoyed Storm Watcher and would recommend it to people who like coming of age middle-grade books.

Renegades

****

4/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me this book to review.

Renegades is a very good and fast paced superhero book, which is very well written, as I have come to expect from Meyer. I liked that the morals in this book were not simple, as the good guys are nowhere near perfect and you could really understand the motives of the baddies. I also liked the developing star-crossed romance between Adrian and Nova. However, this book felt like it was just an introduction to the world rather than a normal book with a beginning, middle and end.

Nova is distant, emotionally scarred, and not surprisingly jaded, but she is also astute and perceptive. Adrian is brave, idealistic and compassionate but is also gullible and too trusting. While they are not as fleshed out as Nova and Adrian, I really liked the secondary characters from Honey and Ingrid to Max, Ruby and Oscar.

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the next book, Archenemies. I would recommend Renegades to fans of Marissa Meyer or those who enjoy reading Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.

Dark in Death

****

4/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me this book to review.

In the middle of a cold New York February, forty years or so in the future, Lt Eve Dallas, Homicide, catches a case that doesn’t make any sense, however, when a well-known writer of crime fiction comes forward and claims that the murder follows the plot of one of her novel, it all begins to fall into place.  But who is committing the murder or murders, and why?

I enjoyed this book, which is the 46th in the series because it follows the tried and trusted format of finding out who the killer is and eventually catching them  As usual, the Eve Dallas and Rourke books have fast paced action, interspersed with logic, and some quite spicy bits.  While it is set in the future, it is in a world which you can imagine progressing from ours, which is not too dissimilar to the present, but with some very cool gadgets.

Eve Dallas is, as usual, focussed and intense, her husband, Rourke, is too good to be true, but I always enjoy reading about her NYPSD partner, Delia Peabody. She is such a grounded character, who, whilst dedicated to her job, also has everyday gripes and worries, such as the size of her butt, or whether she can afford those shoes!  The rest of Eve’s colleagues at Cop Central are very relatable too, from the rather naïve Trueheart, to the cynical Baxter and the self-contained Dr Mira.

As usual, I enjoyed Dark in Death.  I would recommend Dark in Death to any readers of other J D Robb novels, people who enjoy reading Nora Roberts (same author, different pen-name), or people who enjoy good crime novels.

Hardcore 24

***

3/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for giving me this book to review.

More adventures in the crazy life of Bounty Hunter, Stephanie Plumb.  Her latest misadventure involves trying to apprehend strange and unlikely FTA’s (failure to attend’s) and becoming involved with people who have taken a new street drug that turns them into, well, almost zombies.  She is aided in this by her friend and colleague, Lula, and her dysfunctional family, including Grandma Mazur.  She worries about her commitment to her boyfriend, Joe, has a fling with Ranger, and is almost led astray by a character who crops up occasionally in Stephanie Plum books, called Diesel.

The plot is slightly more complex than usual, however, the whole book is very light and easy to read, and provides many a smile, so long as you don’t take it too seriously.  The humour is quite slapstick in nature, and there is always the opportunity to smile and marvel at the chaos that is Stephanie’s life.  The characters in this book are, as usual, larger than life, and not always based in reality, but it’s fun!  If you wanted realism, you would not choose to read this series of books.

Grandma Mazur was a little bit over the top this time, maybe a bit too silly. However, I did enjoy how Lula was in this book, still a bit silly, still full of attitude, but less of the crazy.  I’m afraid I didn’t quite see the point of Diesel, he didn’t seem to add much to the plot, and came across less mysterious, more irritating.

I enjoyed Hardcore Twenty-four and would recommend it to people who have enjoyed other Janet Evanovitch novels, or those who like light comedy/crime novels.

Turbo 23

***

3/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for giving me this book to review.

Another romp through the crazy life of Bounty Hunter and all-round klutz, Stephanie Plumb.  Her latest adventure involves working undercover at an ice cream factory, finding dead bodies, and being undecided between her two romantic partners, as usual.  She is aided and abetted in this by her friend and colleague, Lula, and her slightly dysfunctional family, especially Grandma Mazur.

The plot is not very complicated, and the whole book is very light and easy to read, and provides many a smile, so long as you don’t take it too seriously.  The humour is quite slapstick in nature, and there is always the opportunity to smile and marvel at the chaos that is Stephanie’s life.  The characters in this book are, as usual, larger than life, and not always based in reality, but if you wanted realism, you would not choose to read this series of books.

My favourite character, is, and always has been, Grandma Mazur.  I love the fact that she’s reached the age and attitude where she doesn’t care about anything, is willing to try everything, and is afraid of nothing.  She has buckets of self-confidence and I hope I am as feisty as she is when I get older.

I enjoyed Turbo 23 and would recommend it to people who have enjoyed other Janet Evanovitch novels, or those who like light comedy/crime novels.

Apprentice in Death

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me this book to review.

It is January 2061 and New York is recovering from the Festive Season, when a mysterious sniper starts a killing spree.  Are the victims as random as they seem or is there method in the madness?  Lt Eve Dallas is the primary investigator with the NYPSD. How will she and her team be able to find a killer who can strike from miles away?

I enjoyed this book, which is the 43^rd in the series because it goes back to the tried and trusted format of knowing who the killer is from an early stage, but the challenge is in trying to find and capture them.  As usual, the Eve Dallas and Rourke books have fast paced action, interspersed with logic, and some quite spicy bits.  While it is set in the future, it is in a world which you can imagine progressing from ours, which is not too dissimilar to the present, but with some very cool gadgets.

Eve Dallas is, as usual, focussed and intense, her husband, Rourke, is too good to be true, but I always enjoy reading about her NYPSD partner, Delia Peabody. She is such a grounded character, who, whilst dedicated to her job, also has everyday gripes and worries, such as the size of her butt, or whether she can afford those shoes! 

As usual, I enjoyed Apprentice in Death as J D Robb’s recent “in Death” books have been quite political or with lots of twists and turns, and this was a welcome return to the more “outthinking the bad guy” type cop book.  I would recommend Apprentice in Death to any readers of other J D Robb novels, people who enjoy reading Nora Roberts (same author, different pen-name), or people who enjoy good crime novels.

The Demon's Grave

**

2 Stars/5

Thanks to E. M. MacCallum for giving me this book to review.

Nora’s life is turned upside down when she and her friends go on a weekend getaway in a remote Victorian house. When they open a door on the third floor, they enter an unfamiliar world called The Demon’s Grave and to escape they must complete 6 nightmarish challenges, but those who fail will never leave. With the demon knowing about her past and her sister, Nora is not sure whether is this is real or all in her mind.

The Demon’s Grave is an OK book but I felt it was too much of a horror novel for me which meant I found it very hard to get into. Nora is a character who is struggling with a lot of issues but like with most of the characters I felt she was underdeveloped. This dark horror story was not for me but I would recommend to fans of this genre.

The Sun Palace

**

2 Stars/5

Thanks to Brighid O’Sullivan for giving me this book to review.

In 6^th century Ireland, Christianity and Paganism co-exist and Brigit is a young woman training as the Druid’s apprentice, but her limited experience is causing her problems as the Druid’s health is failing she has to try and take his place. With storms destroying the land and crops and Brigit unable to appease the gods, she decides to leave and to travel to the Sun Palace to meet her father for the first time. With secrets about her mother’s disappearance, Brigit’s future is uncertain.

The Sun Palace is a historical fiction novel which I tried to get into but couldn’t. There was nothing wrong with it, it was just not my cup of tea. However, it is very obvious from this book that the author has done her research about 6^th century Ireland.

Brigit is a sweet girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders and she is desperate to find out more about where she came from. There are lot of secondary characters in this book and, apart from her best friend Geileis, they were hard to distinguish from each other.

The Sun Palace is not a bad book, just not for me. 

On Dublin Street

***

3 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books Ltd for giving me this book to review.

As a teenager, Jocelyn Butler left America and all the painful memories of her dead family and moved to Edinburgh. Now in her 20s she is moving in to a new house on Dublin Street, where she gets to know her new roommate Ellie and her attractive brother Braden. However, can Joss protect her heart from both of them or will her arrangement between her and Braden grow into something more.

I have read and really enjoyed Samantha Young’s YA books and decided to give this a go even though it is not my normal type of book. On Dublin Street is a quick read and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Joss is an interesting person who is stubborn but also very vulnerable which likable in a character. Braden is a good male lead but I did not like how possessive he was. My favourite Character is Ellie as I feel we have the most in common and I liked how sweet and nice she is.

While I liked this book I’m not sure I will read Down London Road as I’m not sure how Young will deal with the ME/CFS of the main woman’s mother, as I know people with this illness and would hate to see it dismissed. I would recommend On Dublin Street to people who like nice and easy to read romance novels.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders

**

2 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and SmartPop/BenBella books for giving me this book to review.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders is a book of essays from well-known authors about Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices books.

When I requested this book I did not know it was a book of essays, I thought it was either an in-depth look at Shadowhunters and Downworlders by Clare similar to the Dark-Hunter companion by Sherrilyn Kenyon or a book of short stories by famous authors set in the same world. This is probably why I just could not get into this book at all.

However, a few bits I did enjoy especially the introduction by Clare. The two essays I enjoyed the most was Simon Lewis: Jewish, Vampire, Hero and Why the best friend never gets the girl.

This is really not my type of book but I would definitely recommend Cassandra Clare other books to people who like Young Adult Paranormal novels.

The Panem Companion

**

2 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and BenBella books, inc. for giving me this book to review.

The Panem Companion is an (unofficial) critical look at the world of Panem, as written in the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. This book looks at the social dynamics of Panem, and how Panem has evolved from the world we know today.

This book is quite interesting, and looks at how modern day America could possibly transform into Collins’s Panem and how long this would take. There is a lot of carefully planned out information, and insightful commentary, however this is eclipsed by the authors views on race. In the book, it seems as if every issue in Panem is based around ethnicity. This gets very repetitive after a time, and it would be very interesting to see how other factors affected the creation and current society of Panem.

I found The Panem Companion okay, however it would be a good study aid for students evaluating the Hunger Games. I am unlikely to read any more by this author as a leisure activity. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked The Rivan Codex by David Eddings, or the Silmarilion by J. R. R. Tolkien, or who are studying the Hunger Games.