The Palace Job (Review)

Title: The Palace Job
Author: Patrick Weekes
Genre:  Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: 47North
Release Date: October 2013
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  Netgalley ARC
Pages: 438
Date Finished: June 7, 2015

Goodreads Description

Loch is seeking revenge.

It would help if she wasn’t in jail.

The plan: to steal a priceless elven manuscript that once belonged to her family, but now is in the hands of the most powerful man in the Republic. To do so Loch—former soldier, former prisoner, current fugitive—must assemble a crack team of magical misfits that includes a cynical illusionist, a shape-shifting unicorn, a repentant death priestess, a talking magical warhammer, and a lad with seemingly no skills to help her break into the floating fortress of Heaven’s Spire and the vault that holds her family’s treasure—all while eluding the unrelenting pursuit of Justicar Pyvic, whose only mission is to see the law upheld.

What could possibly go wrong?

My Review

The Palace Job is an action-packed romp through a high-fantasy heist.  Like all good heists, the main character, having been wronged and seeking revenge, must assemble a team of highly skilled folks to help get the job done.  Of course, this team includes some strange folks with some strange skills.  Ever wondered what you could accomplish with a horny shifter-unicorn and a death priestess?  Read this book to find out.

A lot of the reviews I read compared this to The Lies of Loche Lamora (LLL) and deemed it lacking.  If you’ve read my review of LLL, you’ll know I was not that impressed with it.  I personally found A Palace Job much more likeable.  The humor kept it light-hearted, the characters were more diverse, and the plot moved along at a brisker pace.  It did have a bit of a slow start, but it picked up at about 20%.  It also avoided the dark, grittier tropes that turned me off of LLL.

I’ll admit the characters could have been a little more fleshed out and the plot could have been deeper, but then it would have been a different book with a different feel.  I personally like it just the way it is.

Wrap-Up

If you like high-fantasy with a little humor and burglary thrown in, you’ll like this book.  The world-building was well paced and not daunting in the slightest.  Weekes actually uses puppets in the book to keep you up to date on the political happenings.  I thought it was a genius way to keep you informed without bogging down the swiftness of the plot.  It’s very similar to the way we get our news in the real world.  (Get it? Puppets?)

It was a fun read and I hope you’ll give it a shot.  3 1/2 stars that I would round-up to 4.

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout out to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing, and Patrick Weekes for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Tell the Wolves I’m Home (Review)

Title: Tell the Wolves I’m Home
Author: Carol Rifka Brunt
Genre:  Fiction
Publisher: The Dial Press
Release Date: June 2012
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  Purchase from Amazon
Pages: 360
Date Finished: May 26, 2015

Goodreads Description

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life – someone who will help her to heal and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

My Review

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a sad, poignant novel about loss.  It is incredibly depressing, but don’t let that keep you from reading it.  I’m not the type of person who likes to read sad books.  I don’t like to cry, as some people do.  (I actually despise it.)  But, this book was so much more than just dealing with loss and was worth the tears.

The entire story revolves around June’s loss of her uncle, Finn, to AIDS in the 1980s, but the majority of the novel is about June’s relationship with her sister, Greta, and her uncle’s partner, Toby.  It is about her struggle to keep Finn alive in her heart while growing up and moving on, a true coming of age story.

As a child who grew up in the 80s, I remember the fear, distrust, and hate that surrounded the AIDS outbreak.  It was a confusing time and so little was known about the virus.  Rumors and untruths ran rampant through society and the people who contracted HIV bore the brunt of that fear and hatred.  I thought Tell the Wolves addressed these issues beautifully.  It was a fitting tribute to those who have fought and are still fighting that battle.

Wrap-Up

This is a beautifully sad, heartfelt story.  The beginning is a little slow, but it picks up dramatically about 40% in.  The writing is really lyrical and helps carry you through the slow spots.  The synopsis of this book does not do it justice. I recommend giving it a try.  It is a perfect choice for book clubs and generates a lot of discussion.

The Girl on the Train (Review)

Title: The Girl on the Train
Author:  Paula Hawkins
Genre:  Fiction; Mystery; Thriller
Publisher: Riverhead
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  Amazon Purchase
Pages: 336
Date Finished: March 21, 2015

Goodreads Description

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

My Review

Is anyone out there a “people watcher”?  Do you sit in a shopping area, pick out a person, make up a name for them, and imagine what their story is?  Well, Rachel, the main character of this book, takes her people watching to a whole different level.  Obsessive is the word that immediately springs to mind.  But, if you think this is going to be some creepy stalker story where Rachel terrorizes this couple from afar, you are completely wrong.  This story has so much more to it.

Let me be perfectly honest.  There was not a single likeable character in this book.  They were all horribly flawed and damaged.  Some were flat-out crazy.  But, like any good train wreck, I couldn’t turn away.  I wanted to know how it would all pan out.

Rachel, our main character, was a raging alcoholic.  This made for some very uncomfortable reading.  Her blackouts and constant justification of her drinking were infuriating.  It also made her a completely unreliable narrator.  Throughout the book, I was never sure if she was telling us the truth or her drunken version of the truth.  The worst part was that she wasn’t sure either.

The other characters were just as bad.  “Jess & Jason,” Rachel’s made up names for the people she watched, actually turned out to be Megan and Scott Hipwell.  Early on, Megan goes missing, but throughout the book, we get her back story in her own voice.  She turns out to be a horrible person.  Her husband is no peach either.  Rachel’s ex-husband, Tom, is a douche-bag and his new wife, Anna, is a whiny, paranoid woman with no spine.  So, now you see why I said none of these characters were likeable.  Honestly, I really didn’t want to be in any of their heads.

This book’s redeeming factors were that it was well written and it offered very interesting character studies.  I kept wondering if there are really people like this?  Maybe I’m too stoic, but I just can’t imagine being as out of control as these people were.

The Girl On the Train was compared to Gone Girl in several reviews I read.  Let me be clear…this is not Gone Girl.  There are no major plot twists.  The similarity lies in the character flaws.  Gone Girl didn’t have any likeable main characters either, but, like Gone Girl, I liked this book despite that fact.  Their atrocities are what furthered the plot and made the book what it was.

Wrap-Up

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, so it got a solid 3 1/2.  This was not a super fast read.  It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.  The different points of view were a bit disjointed in the beginning, but once their voices were established, I had no trouble.  The mystery aspect of the story was ok.  I did have it figured out before the big reveal, but it ended pretty well.  If you like dark mysteries like Gone Girl and Sharp Objects, this fits the genre.  It definitely had a gritty, uncomfortable feel to it.  So, if that’s your thing, I say go for it!

Escape from Witchwood Hollow (Review)

Title: Escape from Witchwood Hollow
Author: Jordan Elizabeth
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Release Date: October 29, 2014
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  From author
Pages: 200
Date Finished: May 29, 2015

Goodreads Description

Everyone in Arnn – a small farming town with more legends than residents – knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.

After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.

Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.

To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.

How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?

My Review

Escape from Witchwood Hollow was an intriguing tale.  The story was told through three narrators from three different time periods.  I’ll admit I stumbled over the POV shifts the first couple of times, but after a while I got used to them and actually enjoyed seeing the hollow through different characters’ eyes.

The characters were all interesting, however, I wish some of them had been better developed.  Honoria, the best developed character, was very likeable.  I enjoyed her part of the tale best.

The plot was well paced for the most part, no lulls that I remember.  The biggest issue I had with the book was that the end came very suddenly.  There was a big shocking event (which I won’t divulge) and then the book was over.  It reminded me of a lithium battery, no warning that it was out of power, just dead all of a sudden.  It was disconcerting to say the least.  I guess you could turn this into a positive, in that I didn’t want it to be over.  I just wish there had been more of a slow coast to the end.

Wrap-Up

Great story!  It was a little creepy and very interesting.  It was a super fast read.  It sort of reminded me of a fairy tale.  It had that same mythical feel to it.  I’d give it a solid 3 1/2 stars that I’d round up to 4.  I hope you’ll give it a read.

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout-out to Jordan Elizabeth for reaching out to me and allowing me to review her book!

Day Shift (Review)

Title: Day Shift (Midnight, TX #2)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre:  Mystery, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  Netgalley ARC
Pages: 320
Date Finished: May 21, 2015

Goodreads Description

There is no such thing as bad publicity, except in Midnight, Texas, where the residents like to keep to themselves. Even in a town full of secretive people, Olivia Charity is an enigma. She lives with the vampire Lemuel, but no one knows what she does; they only know that she’s beautiful and dangerous.

Psychic Manfred Bernardo finds out just how dangerous when he goes on a working weekend to Dallas and sees Olivia there with a couple who are both found dead the next day. To make matters worse, one of Manfred’s regular—and very wealthy—clients dies during a reading.

Manfred returns from Dallas embroiled in scandal and hounded by the press. He turns to Olivia for help; somehow he knows that the mysterious Olivia can get things back to normal. As normal as things get in Midnight…

My Review

Much better!!  This book was a vast improvement over Midnight Crossroad.  The mystery was something you were really interested in and it fully carried the plot.  There was a good bit of action as well.  There was also a lot more information about some of the characters.  It looks like Harris is going to focus in on certain characters in each book to give you more on their backstories.  This one was mainly about Manfred and Olivia.  Harris doesn’t give you everything, but she gives you enough to keep you hooked.  She usually has a way with character driven writing and this one didn’t disappoint.

I enjoyed the pacing of this one much better as well.  There were no lulls, which was nice because the first book felt like one giant lull.  This was fast paced and it really held my interest.  There were even several surprises that totally caught me off guard.  I love it when that happens!

Wrap-Up

If you struggled with Midnight Crossroad, please give this one a chance.  I was torn about whether to continue with the series, but I’m glad I did.  Day Shift was significantly better, more in the Sookie Stackhouse vein and less cozy mystery.

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout out to Netgalley, Ace, and Charlaine Harris for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Pines (Wayward Pines #1) (Review)

Title: Pines (Wayward Pines #1)
Author: Blake Crouch
Genre: Fiction; Mystery; Thriller, Sci-fi
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Release Date: August 2012
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  Netgalley ARC
Pages: 309
Date Finished: May 15, 2015

Goodreads Description

Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels off. As the days pass, Ethan’s investigation into the disappearance of his colleagues turns up more questions than answers. Why can’t he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the world he thought he knew, from the man he thought he was, until he must face a horrifying fact? He may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.

My Review

In anticipation of the new show, Wayward Pines, Netgalley opened up requests for Pines, the first book in the Wayward Pines series.  I had seen the previews for the show and thought I should read the book before it started.  Well, as usual, life got in the way and I didn’t get the book read before the show started, but I decided to go ahead and watch the first episode.  I was not impressed.  Matt Dillon is not one of my favorite actors.  That goes all the way back to my 1980s teenage years.  In addition to that, the show seemed purposefully confusing.  I hate books and shows that confuse the crap out of you just so they can spring a big, dramatic ending on you.  Anyway, after watching that one episode of the show, I was really torn about whether to read the book, but decided to give it a try.

The book did the exact same thing as the show!  The storyline misled and misdirected and then BAM! big, dramatic ending that brought it all together in the last two or three chapters.  I will begrudgingly admit I liked the ending.  That is the whole reason the book got 3 stars.  But for the most part, I kept thinking, “What the heck is going on?”  The reason I think this book irritated me so much is because I love a good mystery.  I love it when the author has fed you all the clues and you still couldn’t figure it out.  I hate it when the author withholds all the pertinent information and then hits you with a resolution out of left field.  And boy was this one out of left field!

Wrap-Up

3/4 of this book irritated the heck out of me.  The last 1/4 was really good.  If you like to read books that mislead and misdirect in order to surprise you with an ending that you never saw coming, then this is the book for you.  One good thing about the book is even though it’s a series, it really could stand alone.  I was happy where it ended and didn’t feel the need to continue on with the series.  Happy reading!

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout out to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Blake Crouch for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship (Review)

Title: Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the
Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship
Author:  Robert Kurson
Genre:  Nonfiction
Publisher: Random House
Expected Release Date: June 16, 2015
Format:  E-book
Acquired: Netgalley ARC
Pages: 304
Date Finished: April 15, 2015

Goodreads Description

Finding and identifying a pirate ship is the hardest thing to do under the sea. But two men—John Chatterton and John Mattera—are willing to risk everything to find the Golden Fleece, the ship of the infamous pirate Joseph Bannister. At large during the Golden Age of Piracy in the seventeenth century, Bannister’s exploits would have been more notorious than Blackbeard’s, more daring than Kidd’s, but his story, and his ship, have been lost to time. If Chatterton and Mattera succeed, they will make history—it will be just the second time ever that a pirate ship has been discovered and positively identified. Soon, however, they realize that cutting-edge technology and a willingness to lose everything aren’t enough to track down Bannister’s ship. They must travel the globe in search of historic documents and accounts of the great pirate’s exploits, face down dangerous rivals, battle the tides of nations and governments and experts. But it’s only when they learn to think and act like pirates—like Bannister—that they become able to go where no pirate hunters have gone before.

My Review

I don’t typically read non-fiction.  It is usually too dry and boring for my tastes, but Robert Kurson writes non-fiction like an action-packed tale of fiction.  This was like reading a really good documentary.  It was full of interesting information, interesting history and interesting characters.  There were no lulls or moments I regretted jumping into this story.

I’ve always been interested in pirates, but Black Sails, a show that just wrapped up its second season on Starz, recently lit a fire under my previously forgotten fascination.  So, I went in search of some good pirate fiction!  I was rather disappointed in my options.  There was a lot of really goofy stuff out there, but Pirate Hunters caught my eye.  I am so glad I decided to step outside of my usual genres!  Joseph Bannister, the pirate captain they are searching for in the book, reminded me a lot of Capt. Flint from Black Sails.  He was audacious, fearless, and seriously cunning.  He pulled off things no one would dream possible.

In addition to interesting character studies, the information about pirate lifestyle and code was amazing.  Pirates introduced democracy long before it was in the U.S.  They voted on just about everything and every vote counted equally.  Black pirates were also accepted and treated as equals almost 150 years before slavery was abolished in America.  However, if a pirate smuggled a woman on board, he was killed.  Apparently, they took that infraction very seriously.  Pirates even had their own version of Workers’ Compensation.  If they lost or injured a body part, they would be compensated according to the body part.  For instance, the loss of your right arm entitled you to 500 pieces of silver.  If you lost your hook or peg leg, it was considered the same as losing the original body part.  Hilarious!

Wrap-up

I totally recommend giving this book a try!  Kurson brilliantly wove together the past and the present while keeping both eras interesting.  If you are like me and non-fiction is not your typical fare, I encourage you to try something new.  You just might enjoy it.

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout out to Netgalley, Random House, and Robert Kurson for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Witch of Napoli (Review)

Title: The Witch of Napoli
Author: Michael Schmicker
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Palladino Books
Release Date: January 2, 2015
Format: E-book
Acquired: Netgalley ARC
Pages: 294
Date Finished: March 27, 2015

Goodreads Description

Italy 1899: Fiery-tempered, seductive medium Alessandra Poverelli levitates a table at a Spiritualist séance in Naples. A reporter photographs the miracle, and wealthy, skeptical, Jewish psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi arrives in Naples to investigate. When she materializes the ghost of his dead mother, he risks his reputation and fortune to finance a tour of the Continent, challenging the scientific and academic elite of Europe to test Alessandra’s mysterious powers. She will help him rewrite Science. His fee will help her escape her sadistic husband Pigotti and start a new life in Rome.

Newspapers across Europe trumpet her Cinderella story and baffling successes, and the public demands to know – does the “Queen of Spirits” really have supernatural powers? Nigel Huxley is convinced she’s simply another vulgar, Italian trickster. The icy, aristocratic detective for England’s Society for the Investigation of Mediums launches a plot to trap and expose her. Meanwhile, the Vatican is quietly digging up her childhood secrets, desperate to discredit her supernatural powers; her abusive husband Pigotti is coming to kill her; and the tarot cards predict catastrophe.

Inspired by the true-life story of controversial Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918), The Witch of Napoli masterfully resurrects the bitter,19th-century battle between Science and religion over the possibility of an afterlife.

My Review

I was impressed with this book much more than I thought I would be.  I have read a couple of books about this same subject matter set in the same time period.  One of them was really good and the other was horrible!  So, I knew this one could go either way.  Much like the mediums of that time period, I was afraid the book would be a farce.  To my pleasant surprise, it was not.

The Witch of Napoli read like a biography even though it was fiction.  I’m assuming that’s because it is based on the story of Eusapia Palladino, a famous Italian medium of that time.  I’m not sure how much was pulled from her story, but it was highly entertaining.  It reflected well the serious battle that was raging between scientists and mystics at the end of the 19th century.  The Vatican was mentioned in the synopsis, but there was very little mention of it in the book.

I really enjoyed Alessandra Poverelli.  She was a true force to be reckoned with.  She sucked every bit of the life she could out of every experience.  I admired her tenacity and resiliency and found myself rooting for her success.

Wrap-Up

If you like historical studies on science vs. mysticism,  you’ll love this book.  It was really interesting, and I was sucked in from the beginning.  The synopsis made me think this would be a slow read, but it was actually quite the page turner.  I hope you’ll give it a shot.

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout out to Netgalley, Palladino Books, and Michael Schmicker for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Sweetness of Forgetting (Review)

Title: The Sweetness of Forgetting
Author:  Kristin Harmel
Genre:  Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Format:  E-book
Acquired:  Amazon Purchase
Pages: 368
Date Finished: March 1, 2015

Goodreads Description

At thirty-six , Hope McKenna-Smith is no stranger to bad news. She lost her mother to cancer, her husband left her for a twenty-two year old, and her bank account is nearly depleted. Her own dreams of becoming a lawyer long gone, she’s running a failing family bakery on Cape Cod and raising a troubled preteen.

Now, Hope’s beloved French-born grandmother Mamie, who wowed the Cape with her fabulous pastries for more than fifty years, is drifting away into a haze of Alzheimer’s. But in a rare moment of clarity, Mamie realizes that unless she tells Hope about the past, the secrets she has held on to for so many years will soon be lost forever. Tantalizingly, she reveals mysterious snippets of a tragic history in Paris. And then, arming her with a scrawled list of names, she sends Hope to France to uncover a seventy-year-old mystery.

Hope’s emotional journey takes her through the bakeries of Paris and three religious traditions, all guided by Mamie’s fairy tales and the sweet tastes of home. As Hope pieces together her family’s history, she finds horrific Holocaust stories mixed with powerful testimonies of her family’s will to survive in a world gone mad. And to reunite two lovers torn apart by terror, all she’ll need is a dash of courage, and the belief that God exists everywhere, even in cake. . . .

My Review

This was our latest book club read.  There were some things I liked about this book and some things I didn’t.

The Good

• The premise of the book was good.  A woman who escaped the Holocaust and hid her identity for years now has Alzheimer’s and in a moment of clarity reveals to her granddaughter that there is family she never told her about.
• The Alzheimer’s bits were horrible, but necessary.  The idea of Alzheimer’s scares the living daylights out of me and really try not to think about it, but this pretty much put it in my face.  Some people would put that in the “bad” category, but I think it’s good to face your fears.
• The Holocaust parts were also horrible.  They are hard to read, but the history is there regardless of how it makes us feel.
• The overall history of the book was good.  I enjoyed learning about Muslims who helped hide and smuggle Jews out of France during WWII.  It was a piece of history I’d never read anything about.
• The recipes were pretty cool.

The Bad

• Everything fell into place WAY too easy.  I realize the search for Jacob and Mamie’s family in France had to fit in one book, but that is what time hops are for.  Hope tracks everyone down in like 3 weeks and most of it happens by mere happenstance.  It was just ridiculous how easily Hope got all her information.
• Hope drove me crazy and her daughter, Annie, needed a knot jerked in her tail!  Annie was the most obnoxious pre-teen ever!
• The title was stupid.  There was nothing sweet about forgetting.  Mamie knew she was forgetting things and it tore her up.  The only memories she was left with were horrible ones.

Wrap-up

So, the good outweighed the bad, which is why this book got 3 1/2 stars.  I don’t think I’d recommend this book for book clubs.  There was not enough meat to chew on for discussion.  If you like Hallmark Channel movies, you’ll love this book.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Review)

Title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, YA
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Format: E-book
Acquired: Amazon Purchase
Pages: 400
Date Finished: March 13, 2015

Goodreads Description

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

My Review

Another really good book in the series.  I’m ready for book 4!!!  Seriously, Stiefvater loves some cliff-hangers.

She really is building quite a story here.  It has tons of depth which is typically missing from YA books.

As you know, in my reviews of the last two books, I drew some parallels to Arthurian Legend.  I’m struggling with this one.  I know there is something there, I’m just not seeing it.  I’m thinking maybe Blue’s mom, Maura, is a Lady of the Lake figure, but Persephone may fit that role as well.  Also, I’m pretty sure The Gray Man and Greenmantle have Arthurian parallels.  I’ll have to see what happens in the next book.  Hopefully, they will become more evident.  I’ll keep you updated.

Wrap-Up

Please read these books.  They are really well written and engaging.