A Month of Reading: March Book Reviews

Unlike most semesters, I found time to read during the mid-semester crunch, and so I took full advantage of it. Between reading and obsessively trying for 100% achievement completion in Banished I don’t have time for individual reviews, so instead I’m giving a brief summation of my impressions for each book. Titles include:

RomanceBarbarian’s Redemption, Fire in His Blood, Collide, Apricot Kisses, seven books from the Morna’s Legacy series, Scandalous Desires, and It’s Complicated.

FantasyOnly the Stones Survive, The Graveyard Book, Collide (heavy genre overlap), A Darker Shade of Magic, and A Gathering of Shadows.

Reviews are in order of date read. (My star ratings are explained here.)

Only the Stones Survive by Morgan Llywelyn 1.5-Stars

It took me two weeks to finish this book, and then only because I brought it as my only form of entertainment (by that point, nearly halfway through it) on a trip with a four hour layover followed by a four hour flight. I’m still not quite sure what this story was about. The characters were forgettable and far too numerous for the book’s length and the plot dragged. Every time it finally would get interesting, the viewpoint would shift. I give the story one star for its world-building and a half star for being readable (even if it was boring). If you’re into Irish mythology the book may intrigue you, otherwise I’d give it a pass.

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Review: Venom & Vanilla

Venom & VanillaVenom & Vanilla by Shannon Mayer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Venom & Vanilla is my first Shannon Mayer book. I obtained it through the Kindle First program November offerings.

I’m not certain how you can have interesting storybuilding then completely trash it with your characterization, but Shannon Mayer managed to do just that with this book. While tempted to give this one star, I chose two because despite considering to stab my Kindle thanks to the heroine, the core story was intriguing enough to actually finish it.

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Review: The Emperor’s Soul

The Emperor's SoulThe Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read The Emperor’s Soul back in February 2015, and re-read it as the first story introduced in Sanderson’s Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection.

The story follows Shai, a Forger that can copy and change items by rewriting their history. Imprisoned and about to be executed, the arbiters offer her a deal: Forge a new soul for the emperor in exchange for her freedom. During the months she has to complete this task she discovers the depths and deceits of those who surround the emperor.

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Review: Good Omens

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, WitchGood Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’ve never read anything by either Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett before, so I went into Good Omens with no expectations. The story focuses on the coming apocalypse, its players, and how the forces of Good and Evil are working to sway things their way.

UPDATE (June 2019): Good Omens has been released as a miniseries on Amazon (and is free for Prime members to watch). It encompasses the heart of this book and (in my opinion) excels it through its engaging visuals, actors, and storytelling. Watch it here!

(The book review continues below.)

The story is a fairly quick read, though the first 50-60 pages are a bit tough to get through. I consider myself to have a good sense of humor and enjoy a lot of British humor, and while I could recognize all the things that should be funny, I have to admit none of them actually made me laugh. (Had I been about 10 years younger? Probably.) But the writing was lighthearted and poked fun at everything, a contrast that worked well with the subject matter.

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Review: Sonora and the Eye of the Titans

Sonora and the Eye of the TitansSonora and the Eye of the Titans by T.S. Hall

My Goodreads Rating: 3 of 5 stars

My Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Sonora and the Eye of the Titans is a fast, interesting read. The magic is well thought out and a lot of consideration was put into tying Earthen mythology and the like to Sonora. There were some cool magical devices (like the glue ball and the safe), and quite a bit of action. The overall plot is interesting enough for me to want to check out Book #2 via Kindle Unlimited once I get through my backlog.

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