The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Author: Adrienne Young

Original title: The Girl the Sea Gave Back
Pages: 416
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Sky in the Deep #2
Format: e-book
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

My thoughts: 
     As with many second books in the series, let's pretend it does not exist. 

Sky in the Deep was a great stand alone novel with a great world and characters. This book seems a carbon copy of a book that might have been written if the author took more time or effort. I think the idea is here, but the plot and characters fell flat for me. The world building is minimal, if any, and the plot is quite predictable. The prose is very beautiful and rich here, but most events of the book just do not have any purpose. Altogether, motivation and events seemed rather weak and pointless.

     I liked how Adrienne Young writes, but I find her first book way better than the second. Hopefully, the next one will be great and surprising.

 Rating:  

    3/5  

In the Woods by Tana French

Author:  Tana French

Original title: In the Woods

Pages: 480

Edition Language: Russian

Series: Dublin Murder Squad #1

Format: e-book
Genres: Thriller
Goodreads

 Blurb:         
       In the summer of 1984 three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
      Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox (his partner and closest friend) find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery.

My thoughts: 

      Well, I was expecting more from this based on how much everyone loved it. I saw the series almost everywhere, but I was thinking it would have Jo Nesbo vibes. Of course, it is not fare to expect the same degree of suspense and tension from the other author, but I just could not help it, as both series are police procedural detective stories set in a relatively small country.

    The mystery side of the story left much to be desired. I guessed the killer in the middle of the book, but just could not figure out the motives. Sometimes the story was going very slowly and I caught myself yawning a couple of times. 

        An undeniable plus of the book are the characters and relationship between them. The characters were totally flawed, but also likeable and relatable; they felt real. I loved the development of friendships between Rob and Cassie. It was really something to find such a great duo with a strong platonic friendship. I was hoping they were going to work together in further books.

 Rating:  

    3/5  

Escaping from Houdini/Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco ready check

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Original title: Escaping from Houdini
Pages: 512
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #3
Format: e-book
Genres: Mystery

Blurb:    
  Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery.

My thoughts: 
    I was going into this book expecting at least the same degree of enjoyment that I got from books one and two and I was really puzzled to find a really bad story and a degradation of the characters. 

    First of all, Audrey Rose turned into a flimsy shallow girl, putting her nose in other peoples' affairs, and entertaining herself in the company of a person with disputable reputation. Her attitude towards
Thomas Cresswell is incomprehensible, she is keeping secrets from him and constantly seen with a different man alone. All her "Trust Me", "Love you" "I know what I am doing" etc. are just pathetic. It is not clear what exactly she is doing with the artists. What is required of her by this con artist? To stand with an apple on her head at the last performance? 

      Cresswell present in this book is close to nothing. He is a secretary during an autopsy. He is sitting idly and waiting for her to choose when she is running with a different man. He cannot even be jealous and fight for her as this will portrait him as a proprietor and an anti feminism character.

    And, secondly, since this book is a mystery and there is a killer on the loose, there must be some detective work done by our characters. But alas, while Audrey Rose was enjoying herself at the carnival, Thomas was watching her to fall in love with a flashy arrogant con artist (not even a scientist) within a week, bodies kept piling up. They did nothing to find the killer. I believe if the murderer was not so theatrical they would still not have a clue who it is. He practically was explaining every step of his doings, at the final show, exactly as he planned it and no one was even close to uncover him. 

So altogether absolutely boring and illogical book with a very irritating female character.

 

 Rating:  

    2/5  

 

 

Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Original title: Capturing the Devil
Pages: 512
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #4
Format: e-book
Genres: Mystery

Blurb:    

  Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

My thoughts: 

    I do not know why I decided to torture myself with this book, but hope dies last. I have already read 3 previous books and I kept hearing positive reviews about the final one. Altogether, I was going to DNF it just about 7 times. I was bored to death by it. Audrey Rose turned to absolutely intolerable person. For a such young person there were too much "I know", "I can", "I will do". So much talking and so little done. On one page she is refusing to be a mistress and two or three pages later she is in his arms. She is always armed and never uses the scalpel. She is constantly thinking over the same issues: love for Thomas, sadness over her brother's death and fear of the murderer, her dress again and again, pages and pages on. In this book the mystery is secondary and it is so chaotic. All logic behind the investigation is unclear. Altogether, the book is a 19th century soap opera with a happy ending. Endless boredom, it is better to pretend books 3 and 4 never happened and Audrey Rose and Thomas lived happily after escaping Romania.

 Rating:  

    1/5  

The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson

Author: Mary E. Pearson
Original title: The Kiss of Deception/The Heart of Betrayal/The Beauty of Darkness
Pages: 480/480/689
Edition Language: English
Series: The Remnant Chronicles
Format: e-book
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb:    
    The Remnant Chronicles is a three book series. The first book in the series, The Kiss of Deception, was released on July 8th, 2014, followed by The Heart of Betrayal a year later on July 7th, 2015, and completed on August 2, 2016 with the release of The Beauty of Darkness. The Remnant Chronicles is a Young Adult Fantasy series which centers around the journey of Lia of Morrigan, a young princess who flees her marriage to a foreign prince, launching her own life and multiple kingdoms into chaos.

My thoughts: 
      Please note that the Mini Reviews for books 2 na d 3 in the series feature some spoilers.

The Kiss of Deception
      The Kiss of Deception gets off to a quick start. But since it starts off so quickly, we do not know anything about the characters and it makes Lia, the princess, slightly less likeable, as she comes across as a bit spoiled and stuck-up, fleeing a relatively stereotypical wedding arrangement for her station. Upon settling down, Lia and Pauline quickly encounter two strangers – Rafe and Kaden. One is a prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Despite to the instability of her current situation, Lia quickly finds herself increasingly attracted to the strange men – perhaps seeking a romance of her own choice, rather than an arranged marriage. But this freedom brings many dangers she has no idea who she can trust. As Lia finds herself falling more deeply in love, she must make an impossible choice, before one of the men in her life makes it for her.
     The Kiss of Deception is a great adventure, and an even better romance, making even the love-triangle working rather smoothly. Lia, Kaden and Rafe relationship immediately draw the reader in, as do their morally grey decisions and motivations.  In addition, the plot is fast-paced, but easy to follow, hooking and keeping the reader’s attention early on, and hanging onto it with every twist and surprise. My most favorite character in this book is the assassin. He is really cruel, but seems just and there is something nice about him.

The Heart of Betrayal
     Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, the assassin, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar’s interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen. Meanwhile, everything is complicated: apart from the love-triangle there are the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country and her own destiny and she finds herself increasingly embroiled in Vendan affairs, and in the Komizar’s plans.
    The Heart of Darkness is a story of individual growth, of love in the impossible scenario, and of impossible choices, all leading towards a final, heart-shattering conclusion. Lia, Kaden and Rafe's struggles are heart-breaking to read. The reader will find themselves drawn into this tale. The story Pearson creates here is equally masterful and interesting, once again keeping a fast-paced plot with plenty of twists. In this book Lea is shinning all different colors and her personal growth is incredible. The prince is still my lest favorite character and the assassin is starting to loose his stability in judgements and becoming more a softie.

The Beauty of Darkness

Lia has survived Venda, but the threat of the destruction of Morrighan is still on. And only Lia can stop it. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself lost in her relationship with Rafe and is suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down, as Lia and Rafe flee Venda.
    Lia and Ralf are pushed further apart as they find themselves at cross-purposes, each with their own country in mind.  Finally, Lia is forced to leave Rafe and her companions behind, striking out for Morrighan with only Kaden at her side.  Everything comes to a head as Rafe, Kaden and Lia finally stand as a united front in the face of true evil – the Komizar. In battle, each will make impossible decisions, forever changing the course of their lives and the trajectory of their kingdoms.
The Beauty of Darkness is a story of loss, strength and war. No character escapes change as they come face to face with both internal and external horrors, which force them to question their decisions, their loyalties, and their future. Lia, Kaden and Rafe each face impossible decisions, and their choices change them completely, making them stronger and more human people. The only character who changes beyond recognition is Kaden,  and though he is more human and caring, he seems more like a puppy with his master than and a self deficient grown up man, his total compliance without much character , that we saw in two previous books made me sad at a lost of a great literary character.
---
Overall, The Remnant Chronicles were a strong series, which seamlessly blended romance and adventure. Lia, Rafe and Kaden are charming characters who draw the reader into their adventure almost immediately, until they become increasingly invested in their lives. Lia was an exceptionally strong female character, who embodied feminine empowerment as she went about her story, never in distress, but instead a strong warrior who fought for her successes and accepts her failures. The only downside I found in the books is the magic system, which, I guess, suffered because of the action filled plot. Otherwise, it was truly engaging and entertaining series, with great characters and a solid plot.

Rating: 

    4/5 

 

Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel

Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Original title: Only Human
Edition Language: English
Series: Themis Files  #3
Genres:  Sci-Fi
Format: Audio book
Read by: Sylvain Neuvel, William Hope, Charlie Anson, Laurence Bouvard, Adna Sablylich, Laura Kirman
Duration: 8h41m
Goodreads

Blurb:
   In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.
My thoughts:
      I love the series, but this was my least favorite of the three. 
Firstly, some of my favorite characters were no longer around so this lacked the attachment I had before. And there was no longer the air of mystery surrounding Themis that had sucked me in from the start. We basically know everything at this point and it's just wrapping up how things might play out. 
      On the other side, the book is dealing with a lot of racial and religious issues, this is a book that will make you really think about the future. There are tons of great quotes in this book, reading this conclusion will definitely make you contemplate the situation of our world. There were an incredible amount of things talked about that I thought was very relatable and applicable to our society. 
      Unlike the previous two books, there are not a lot of giant robots fighting here, there is only one action sequence in this book. Most of the books is devouted to character development and growth. And it is greatly done and interesting to follow.

“We’re not heroes. No one is. Every movie we watch, every book we read, we see people who can solve every problem, face every danger all on their own. But in real life, Vincent, we just call the cops. That’s what I did.” 

      I listened to the audiobook and I definitely recommend this format if you're able to listen to them. The full cast is always impressive. 
      So, this was a solid ending of fast-paced series, a fun audio experience as always, but I just wasn't as into it.

Rating:  

    4/5 

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

Author: Libba Bray
Original title: Before the Devil Breaks You
Edition Language: English  
Series: The Diviners #3  
Genres: Fantasy  
Format: Audio book  
Read by: January LaVoy
Duration: 21h26m
Goodreads 

 Blurb:     
    After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves. 

My thoughts:
      I was waiting so much for this book and was a bit disappointed by it. First of all, I did not like how it ended. The first two books were logically rounded and felt like completed stories. This one, however, ended on a cliffhanger and none of the story lines were completed. Secondly, there was too much sex in the end: it felt like an end-of-the-world resolution: almost everyone coupled in about 2-3 chapters. It is not that I am against love lines, but all of them were rushed together and it felt too much at the end, though I was waiting for some couples come together for almost 3 books.
     And, finally, the new characters that were introduced in this book were not enchanting and I did not feel for them. And the deaths of the old ones just broke my heart! Why? Just why? Does not make sense to me at all.
      Altogether, I think the book was a bit rushed, so much action and not much motivation behind. And after all the adventures in book 1 and 2, I expect more self-control and patience of Evie and others, since they learned that the world is not black and white, but the only rational person is still Ling Chan and Henry. Definitely a weaker book than Lair of Dreams but still solid and I am looking forward to the final one.

Rating:  

    4/5