Felicia Day

Just figured out that Goodreads has a convenient “cut and paste review” feature for blogs, so thought I would post the last 5 books I’ve reviewed from there here!


The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

FINALLY!!

How much can I rave about these books? The storytelling is so engrossing, the worldbuilding super immersive, and the characters pull all the stellar elements together in a series that truly defines epic fantasy. You want to KNOW these characters, you want to see them interact, and you definitely want to go on a journey with them.

After reading a lot of paperback UF novels, I felt so pleased that this book provided what felt like 4 books-worth of story and development and wonderfulness for the price. If you are a fantasy fan and haven’t read this series, please try it, because you will LOVE IT.



The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well I have a HUGE soft spot for this series. The last book was a TAD off for me, but very excited that this one took it back to awesomeville. In fact, it might be my favorite since the first two! I am absolutely in love with Lady Julia and her point of view. The writing is so impeccable, it really sets the Victorian tone, but at the same time we enjoy the POV of a modern, liberated woman. Most people try to shove modern sensibilities into history and make it WHOLLY unbelievable, but with these characters I really to buy into it. Love love the subtle humor.

The mystery in this installment is really intriguing, I was offguard a lot of the time following the plot and was immersed in the crime solving throughout. I loved Brisbane in this, I felt like his mysterious affliction is a bit weird but author sold it and I was VERY invested in the relationship now that they’re together. The romance was subtle, no R rated scenes, but very well done. I root for them as a couple, for sure, which is rare after you get them together.

The ending twist was sad, I kinda wish that hadn’t happened, but oh well, can’t wait for the next!!

Spectyr by Philippa Ballantine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy this author’s work! She’s pretty much on my must-buy list for well-done, light fantasy with a bit of romance that’s not too smutty (like Ilona Andrews). For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it’s sort of urban-fantasy-chick in a fantasy/slight-steampunk world with magic. Very cool combo. I think this series took a step up in world-building with this second episode, I was definitely interested in all the new stuff we learned through Merrick in particular. I enjoyed seeing Sorcha and Raed’s conflict/romance continue, I just love them together! Only criticism is that it felt short, I feel like I wanted more plot to happen with the Grand Duchess, and the end twist? But really, it was fun and I can’t wait for the next one!



Flirting With Danger by Suzanne Enoch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I feel like the author is a good writer and I was compelled to buy the second book in the series to check it out, but it was a little light for my tastes, more chick-lit than I usually read, but still enjoyable.

It’s definitely total mind candy of the UBER kind, just like shamelessly reading the Bachelorette, which is not TERRIBLE, right? The problem is that this series suffers from comparison to Nora Roberts’ In Death series (which, especially the first 3, are some of my ABSOLUTELY faves). We have a sexy billionaire with washboard abs and a cat burglar here, compared to a sexy billionaire and a cop in In Death. I mean, let’s be honest, most billionaires are too busy doing their own thing to work out and look like a soccer player, for realz GUYS!
I did enjoy the detail of the break-in cat burglar stuff, the main character was a bit too much of being perfect and having every thing in the world drop in her lap perfectly. It just…well, it’s a light version of In Death. Basically I believe that Eve and Roarke exist in my head because for some reason the author makes it plausible, however ridiculous it is on paper, and I just had a hard time believing this one.

THAT SAID I think the author did the romance really well, and her writing is strong, and I read the second one just because I was interested in where it was going. I see she does a LOT of historical romance, which I LOVE, so I think I’m gonna try her out on that end, I anticipate great victory!



Don’t Look Down by Suzanne Enoch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I can’t deny staying up SUPER late reading this and the previous book, it was really addictively page-turning brain candy, although I’m a bit mad at myself for it, haha. I got a bit annoyed that WAY too many times the main character was enjoying riding around in a Bentley, because I get annoyed at glamorizing rich people and their stuff. I did thing the emotional depth was way better in this installment from the first, and I liked where the relationship was going (but can we drop the whole romance trope of an unearthly amazing guy basically dropping everything in his life INCLUDING HIS BILLIONAIRE BUSINESS to chase after a lady? Oh, and then she wants her “freedom” and he struggles with it but ends up giving her everything she wants and then some, including amazing sex all the time and sinewy muscles. Oh and Bentleys. UGH.) I will pick up the next one prolly down the line, because the chemistry between the characters is really good.

The mystery was well put together, and I liked the bitchy rich wife, and I’m definitely thinking people might really like these books if you like the lighter chick-lit-y mystery/urban fantasy-type stuff. It’s just not normally my thing. In fact, I’m going to read a hard Sci-Fi book where people get blown up and don’t drive Bentleys.

View all my reviews

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed books  here ( you can keep abreast of more current reviews/reads I have on my GoodReads account!) But since I read all five books in this series in three days, I felt the obsession bonus was worth a blog entry.

Yeah, this cover is awful.  The pink font in the trees, the kitchy Meg-Ryan-Movie quote, the chick UNDER the horse (I mean, that just looks UNSAFE!), ugh.  Thank god for my Kindle, I don’t think I’d have been brave enough to pick this one up live.

There are five books in Moira J Moore’s “Heroes” series.  I picked this series up on a whim from an Amazon List (honestly, I find the best books that way! Thank you Amazon contributors!) It looked to be something I wouldn’t necessarily love (a bit twee from the descriptio)n:

In a realm beset by natural disasters, only the bonded Pairs–Source and Shield–make the land habitable and keep the citizenry safe. But can Dunleavy Mallorough and Lord Shintaro Karish put aside their differences to defeat something even more unnatural than their reluctant affections for each other?

Luckily I quickly fell in love with the characters and the world.  It’s the perfect light romantic fantasy I was in the mood for as I’ve been traveling.  Reminded me of one of my fave series by Lisa Shearin, so if you picked that up and liked it, this will be for you.

This is a light fantasy romp that really hangs it hat on the characterizations of the two main characters, Lee and Taro. It has a lot of romance, but there’s enough in magic and the mystery of the plots to not define it WHOLLY as that kind of book.  It’s not a cookie cutter relationship between the two leads, often they’re quite maddening, which is what I found refreshing. It’s just so sweetly and cleverly done.

What really carries the series through is the POV of the main character, Lee. The books are written in first person from her point of view. When I first started the first book, I first thought it was a bit simply written, like a Young Adult novel. But as I progressed through the book and into series, I realize it’s because the author was being so faithful to the first person view. Lee is naive, not experienced, and very stubborn, so, even if I, the reader, knows something is up with a secondary character or plotline, Lee doesn’t necessarily do the sensible thing or add it up, which can be annoying, but makes it REAL.  The main character grows through the series, but is never going to be terribly insightful, by definition of her character and the world the author built, which is part of the fun. I just have to admire that.

Also the relationship between the two main characters is very interesting, they are both VERY flawed, so the story (and their relationship) goes through unpredictable and interesting, real twists. I really loved that there isn’t some fairy tale happiness between them, and that is even more endearing.  To have a character admit in a “romance” book that she enjoys not being around her amour all the time, that she likes to enjoy her own company sometimes, is just so much fun compared to the obsessive “we’re in love so we always can’t get enough of each other forever” sort of attitude in most romance novels.

Also, the books are quite funny at times, because Lee is snarky and amusing.  Some lines had me laughing out loud.  Anyway, I would highly recommend the books, they are very very enjoyable light reads and get better and better as the series goes on.  Will definitely stay on my “OMG THERES A NEW ONE OUT!” list.

I kind of went overboard last year with the whole Urban Fantasy book crazy.  I’ve now reached the point where I can’t take one more “emotionally wounded and hot, but kick-ass vampire/fairy/werewolf/zombie killer heroine” in love with a “dominating but inside-hurting immortal hunk”, ugh!  That’s why when I find a series that has all the good parts of the UF genre mixed up with things that break the cliches, I’m rabid to see what happens.  And this just released installment in the Raine Benares series continues to be one of my faves!

This isn’t “Urban” per say, but the stories take place in a fantasy-world urban environment.  I guess you could call it a Fantasy Adventure series with a bit of (not-graphic) Romance thrown in, which is way too long a pitch, but maybe that’s why I like it so much.  Reading this is like living in an old Bard’s Tale game, accompanied by snappy sidekicks. Yeah, that’s why I like it

Bewitched and Betrayed continues the story from where the last left off, and as always, the plot is a like a great D&D romp through a fantasy world, where Goblins aren’t tiny and ugly, but green-tinged and hot, with fangs and biceps, a clever twist on the hot vampire cliche.  The love triangle between Mychael and Raine and Tam reaches a conclusion in this one (no spoilers, but YUM!), and the ending opens the door for the next book to travel to some really cool places we haven’t seen before.  But the best thing about the series continues to be the characters.  I just love the rapport between Raine and…well, everyone.  She’s self-deprecating and always has as sense of humor no matter what mishap she stumbles into, even when it looks like she’s gonna, you know, die and stuff.

There’s great snappy dialogue throughout that makes you want to be a part of this strange, fantasy family, from the “muhahaha” bad guys, to the magic-powered teen characters Raine has to wrangle.  And there are many great fight scenes.  Lots of stabbings.

I actually corresponded with the author after I trashed the cover of her first book (awkward!), but would be remiss without a few candid comments because guys…things aren’t better:  I mean, what is WITH HER OUTFIT?!  I’d let the corset slide, but the pants look like they’re flammable plastic from Hot Topic.  No way do they look sturdy enough for romping through a medieval sewer pipe!  Also, the hair?  Raine, you’re in serious need of a hot oil treatment. There’s gotta be a spell for that, girl!  I WILL say that compared to the last book, she’s slimmed down in the hip area, I guess all the stress from being tied to an evil artifact makes a girl burn more calories, but, that’s as nice as I can get.

If you haven’t read the series, start from the beginning, and if you’ve been a fan all along you won’t be disappointed with this newest installment.  And if you have Urban Fantasy series you’re STILL rabid for this year, please post in the comments for everyone to discover more guilty pleasures

Thanks all for your very thoughtful suggestions from my Sci-Fi post!  There were SO many to choose from! A few authors were mentioned over and over, and one nostalgic pick tickled my fancy, so I’m starting with three.  Frustratingly a bunch of your suggestions were not available for my Kindle so I’m ordering several snail mail.  I guess that means I have my next group of books picked out for me when they arrive

The books I picked first to read in the next month:

Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks

And The Lensman Series By E.E. Smith (and possibly the Skylark Series as well, depending on how long they are, can’t tell from the Kindle download, it has many books bundled for $ .99).

Love to hear what you guys think of these after I read them!  I’ll post about them next month.