Reviews
I cannot claim to be a writer without also being a reader. Here is a collection of reader reviews of the books I’ve binged. To stay even more up-to-date with what I’m currently reading, add me on Goodreads.
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“Raybearer” by Jordan Ifueko • Book Review
“Your heart is not your friend unless you know who you truly are.”
★★★★★ (5 / 5 stars) Raybearer is a masterpiece of young adult fantasy. Not an inch of story is wasted, as Ifueko weaves elegant foreshadowing and thematic symbolism in every beat of the griot's drums, every whisper of the ehru's commands, every memory gifted or stolen, shared or abandoned.
With a delightfully disastrous Catch-22 premise and a richly developed magical world, Raybearer is a booming drum of a story that demands to be devoured.
“Aurora Rising” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff • Book Review
“But they have not seen their sun die. Their people burn. Their world end. And they do not know, yet, that there are some breaks that cannot be fixed.”
★★★★ (4 / 5 stars) What a journey! This book is like the YA version of “Star Trek”/”Guardians of the Galaxy” with a motley crew of teens who were clearly fated to be on this path together.
I loved so much about this novel. The squad is fantastic, their personalities are on point, and the narrator cast is amazing. The storyline is mysterious, action-packed, and intriguing.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard with a sci-fi read, and I can’t wait for more.
“Daughter of the Siren Queen” by Tricia Levenseller • Book Review
“Your enchantments last long after your song fades.”
★★★★ (4 / 5 stars) Wow. This was such a fun sequel. Right away, Levenseller brings you back to the sharp confidence of Alosa and the serious angst with her and Riden.
I wish there was more to this series so that we could see more after the “happy ending,” but overall, I just loved this pirate-mermaid story as a whole. I would highly recommend it for all readers!
“Shadow of the Fox” by Julie Kagawa • Book Review
“It is very hard to be human, little fox. Even the humans themselves don’t do a great job of it.”
★★★★ (4 / 5 stars) I absolutely LOVED this book. It took me a while to get past the first 50-60 pages, but I think that was more because of my own slump than the actual quality of the story. There were a lot of elements that reminded of the anime “One Piece,” which made it all the more enjoyable.
“Morning Star” by Pierce Brown • Book Review
“Forget a man’s name and he’ll forgive you. Remember it, and he’ll defend you forever.”
★★★★ (3.5 / 5 stars) WOW. This book moved a lot slower than the first two in the series, but WHAT AN ENDING. There were still many-a-plot-twist that broke my bloodydamn heart and many characters to mourn.
I highly recommend this Saga overall, and the audiobook narrator is FAN-bloody-TASTIC!
“Red Rising” by Pierce Brown • Book Review
“So much pain. I had thought it would be over, but not all scars heal. Not all sins are forgiven.”
★★★★★ (5 / 5 stars) HO-LY CRAP. I am at a loss for words. If I were talking to you in person, it would just be a nonstop stutter because I don't even know how to form sentences at this point. You're lucky my fingers are even strong enough to be typing this right now. Can we just— I mean— I feel so— Darrow just— my heart...
“Beyond the Shadows” by Brent Weeks • Book Review
“Growing old with the woman I love would be my first choice, but dying reconciled with her isn't a bad second.”
★★★ (3 / 5 stars) This by far was the best book of the series but still had so many loose ends, unfinished stories, and confusing elements that it's only worth 3 stars. And honestly, I'm surprised more people didn't die. LOL.
Was this book enjoyable? Definitely. There was a ton of action, a quick pace, and there were plot twists every few chapters that kept me on my toes. But was this series worth the read overall (if this is the conclusion we get)? That's iffy…
“Shadow’s Edge” by Brent Weeks • Book Review
“In suffering, we find the true measure of our strength.”
★★ (2.4 / 5 stars) The Night Angel Trilogy starts with The Way of Shadows, which was action-packed and overall an unexpected take on fantasy, magic with mythology, and an assassin main-character with a broody backstory. Shadow's Edge picks up right where the first book left off and carries us through 23 more audiobook hours.
I didn't write a review for the opening novel because I was trying to keep an open mind and not judge too harshly (or too quickly), knowing that a series can drastically change from novel to novel. While I wouldn't sincerely recommend this series to anyone (who doesn't have loads of time to waste on less-than-4-star-reads), Weeks has a unique story here and some amazing elements worth recognizing.