The Imaginary Corpse | Tyler Hayes

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

 

Detective Tippy is a Friend in the StillReal. That means he's an Idea, created by a real Person, that was loved enough to become Real himself, but then was rejected by his Person. Every Friend and Idea in the StillReal has their own reasons for being there. Some were TV show ideas that never got green-lighted. Some were forcibly rejected by their Person because they became connected with bad memories. It happens. But there's one Friend the citizens of the StillReal can turn to when they need help and that's the triceratops detective himself, Detective Tippy. What started as a simple case of a lost nightmare Friend needing a home becomes the most dangerous, taxing, world-breaking case of Tippy's career and could mean the end of the StillReal.

Review:

 

This book ran me through the full gamut of emotions. For a while I thought it might be like "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" but for adults. Nope. Don't get me wrong, it's not for kids, but it's also not NSFW levels of "for adults". Hayes does an incredible job of blending all the different levels of depth that go into the Ideas and making it possible for the reader to seamlessly go from Playtime Land to Big Business without any real disorientation. Probably because Tippy, the narrator, is so used to this stuff by now and does a wonderful job of describing the process.

 

You still get a lot of stuff that's just flat out adorable. Tippy's drink of choice is root beer because his Person, who watched all the detective shows as a kid, thought that's what beer was. And Tippy's favorite way to relax? Going for a spin in the dryer! And the Friends that were created by kids have a lot of kid-like qualities. Even a nightmare like Spindleman talks like a little kid and it's freaking cute as heck! But it's also that reasoning and mentality that can really pull at your heartstrings. And Hayes does not hold back. 

 

There were times when I was in tears because, yes, this isn't a book for kids. The primary villain of the story is so monstrous and able to break so many rules of the StillReal, (and I gotta be careful here because I don't want to give any spoilers) because he is based on a real world monster. He's faster, stronger and more dangerous than any Friend has ever thought possible. He's genuinely very, very scary! Especially when you get glimpses into what he is in the real world. It's heartbreaking. 

 

I felt everything a book could ever put me through. Fear, laughter, horror, intrigue, anxiety, relief, and then-some. This book was such a full experience.  I've been out of blogging for a couple of months now because I just couldn't really bring myself to write more. Then I read this book and I HAVE to share it with the world. I HAVE to spread the word about this book. The world, the characters, the emotions, the storytelling, it's all so engaging and amazing. This book is worth 5 hoots and all the love. I'm looking forward to more from Hayes.

 

 

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Radioactive Evolution | Richard Hummel

*Image and book provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Jared is a wanderer in the wastelands and, while not desperate for survival, he ain't living as easily as the rich people in the Floating Cities, high above the fallout. This changes when he finds an honest-to-god dragon and bonds with its baby. In bonding with the dragon, Scarlet, he uncovers a long lost plot from the cities, furthering the divide between those in the clouds and those on the ground. Between Scarlet's growing size and abilities and Jared's newfound powers, they have the means to bring justice for the long-lost dragon races as well as the civilians on the ground.

Review:

This was certainly an entertaining read. There was a lot of adventure, a lot of quick-thinking as well as strategy fights. There is a nice blend of action, comedy and even horror, and I'm not talking about the number to times Jared had to find new clothes because his were covered in giant rat guts.

If you're a fan of gaming, you'd probably enjoy several aspects of this book. If you're a Fallout fan, you'll definitely get some fun with this, as well as some of the horror. It gives some actual mechanics to a character's level-up and not needing to eat. It was actually pretty clever how Hummel set that up.

Unfortunately the editing appears incomplete. The telepathic conversations between Scarlet and Jared are identified with her voice in bold and his voice in italics. Throughout the book, or at least my copy of it, there were a lot of mishaps with this. The pacing of the book felt a little disjointed, but that could be Jared's need to sleep through his "power ups". The video game references and comparisons, while occasionally fun, did end up making it feel less genuine.

So, if you're a gamer looking for a foray into books or know of a gamer who's interested in trying some science fiction, this wouldn't be a bad book to start them out with. As for me, it was a nice book but I probably won't be picking up the sequel. 3 hoots!

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Ghosts of Gotham | Craig Schaefer | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

I've been trying to get some more Urban Fantasy or Urban Supernatural books into my reading. Ghosts of Gotham was a very nice step into an unfamiliar genre. It was a bloody step (lots of violence) but it was a good step as well. The overall story of a reporter trying to find real magic, and uncovering a lot of con artists along the way, as a way of finding out what really happened to him and his mother all those years ago is certainly entertaining and interesting. It was especially engaging to read Lionel's "conversion" from one reality to another, skepticism and all. The villain was clever and powerful. Maddie, Lionel's new teacher, was relatable (for someone as old as she is) and I loved how truly intelligent and innovative she was. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. The ending was predictable, but still a fitting one. I happily give 3.5 hoots!

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Gates of the Dead | James A. Moore

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In this final installation of The Tides of War series, Brogan McTyre is ready to take on the gods. He has been granted the ability to physically touch them, meaning he can harm and kill them. Unfortunately, the journey to the land of the gods is long and treacherous. With what few allies he has, he must find his way there and face off against the many, many opponents in the way. The undying He-Kisshi, the army of Torema (or what's left of it), and so much more. 

Review:

When I finally get the time to sit down and reread this trilogy I am going to put on headphones and listen to heavy metal the whole time because I feel like that's the only thing that was missing. This book was a wonderful ending to the violent, no-holds-barred, sometimes stomach-churning trilogy that is The Tides of War. 

Moore has done a delightful job of keeping us informed about the fates of each character. Even some of the ones that I thought were more minor in the beginning ended up playing their role in the finale. Even the dead played their part! I was so happy about all of these story lines being completed, even if I wasn't always happy with how. 

I was also very intrigued by Myridia's story. Watching her relationship to her gods change throughout the trilogy has been an interesting read. The personal struggle she goes through between her faith and her will to survive as her gods prove themselves to be going crazy is delicately handled. The reactions her sisters have to her shakiness and her own realization of her doubts are well written. 

There are some "prerequisites" to reading this. You will need to have read the first two books. Additionally, it's not for anyone who gets squeamish easily. That being said, I don't know if I've been desensitized a bit or if Moore reduced the amount of blood and gruesomeness, but this last book didn't seem so bad. A lot of characters went through a lot of very descriptive pain, no question. But there just didn't seem to be quite as much in the torture aspect as the previous two books.

Of course, Moore's depiction of war is a very good read. He doesn't have the characters battle one enemy at a time. There's a swarm of enemies and the characters fight a swarm. It never feels like those scenes in a movie where a main character fights one enemy at a time. Stanna especially discusses the tactics involved in taking on a horde versus a single opponent. The fact that she's able to do both with her greatsword without having to sacrifice on dexterity is just incredible. 

This has been quite the trilogy. Gates of the Dead is a most fitting way to end it. I'm looking forward to rereading the trilogy with the appropriate background music and getting the full effect. I happily give 4.5 hoots!

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Hoo

Villains Rule | M. K. Gibson

Summary:

Jackson Blackwell has worked long and hard to become famed Shadow Master, villain of villains. He is the most villainous of all not because he is cruel and crushes peasants under his boot. Rather he travels through dimensions, profiting off of other villains. He's made quite the name and career for himself. So when he is betrayed and left with minimal power in a fantasy realm, it catches him a bit off guard. Now he must (shudder) gather the heroes of the realm and get his power back.

Review:

I had so much fun reading this book. I cannot tell you the number of times I almost laughed out loud. More than that, though, because Jackson is a top tier villain, he is incredibly intelligent and intriguing to read of. We are fortunate to get to read the book from his perspective and, I have to say, he makes for a great narrator. Especially in his more human moments. That being said, he is still a villain who knows the angles to play for the most profit for himself. Several of his actions I wouldn't have agreed with, but he has no scruples about using them himself. After all, a true great villain knows how to abuse the rules to their fullest extent.

Another benefit of reading all of this from Jackson's perspective is, when he never sees something coming, neither do we. This book genuinely kept me surprised and intrigued. Because Jackson is such an intelligent character he picked up on a lot of stuff other characters wouldn't. This led me to not question his assumptions the more I read. So when he was caught off guard it was genuine and exciting. 

The rest of the cast of characters is delightfully well rounded. Jackson finds heroes who have their own "sins" from their pasts. Except for Carina. Her only "crime" was being a female half-breed in a group of elite, and elitist, male warriors. Everyone else Jackson is able to discern some sin or bad deed. He actually spoke out against the entire Elven race as the xenophobic, technophobic, stifling creatures they are. Then again, there are characters like Lydia that don't bother to hide who they are. I never would've thought she'd be into using knives for bondage play.

Also, fair warning for any fantasy fans who read this, be prepared to have the genre made fun of. A lot. Several of Jackson's comments revolve around the wish for air condition or even basic indoor plumbing. 

Really my only complaint about this book is the number of grammatical errors. I counted seven, though I know that doesn't cover all of them. And this may not seem like a lot, but when you read something like "I felt bone piece my heart" it's gonna throw you out of the book a bit.

That being said, I still loved this book. I'm actually planning on listening to the audio sample and, if I like it, buying that to listen to at work. I rarely buy audio-books, so that should tell you something about how much I enjoyed this story. I happily give 4.5 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!

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Dragon Road | Joseph Brassey

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In this sequel to Skyfarer, we continue following the story of  Aimee de Laurent and Elias (formerly Azrael). Harkon, Aimee's teacher, is asked to help the proceedings for a new captain of Iseult where competition is almost literally cutthroat and no one candidate has enough support. They end up being embroiled in a conflict between an ancient, necromanctic evil working its way through the ship and trying to destroy everything. 

Review:

This was such a fun ride! I have never before read a book that made me wish my commute was longer so I'd have more time to read. This was such a wonderful follow up to Skyfarer. We get to find out so much more about the mechanics of the world and how the engines and crystals work. And we get introduced to so many more aspects of the world and it almost completely takes place on one ship! Admittedly the Iseult sounds comparable to the size of a huge city. If this one ship is any indication of the rest of the world, we've learned a lot about it.

For a book that takes place in space, it really is more fantasy than science fiction. The entire book I kept thinking about how cool this would be as an anime. Seriously! The entire Iseult, the magic, the mechanics of this world, they'd be perfect for an anime series. Not to mention the squittens! Oh my gosh, the squittens! A combination of cat and squid, these creatures almost made me belly laugh while I was reading on the bus! 

The character interaction was, to me, spot on. Elias has a complete history of darkness and death so I was very happy to see realistic reactions from the crew when he's accepted on board. He isn't immediately ingratiated, it's something that has to be earned. Meanwhile we get to learn a lot more about the rest of the crew as well. Poor Vlana getting vertigo whenever she's on world. Clutch's promiscuity. Seeing how much of a mechanical genius Vant truly is. This crew is amazing and the more I learn about them, the more I want to read.

This is a wonderful sequel, though I don't think you will have to have read the first to enjoy it. It's a fun, action-packed, fast-paced adventure where even the bureaucracy is interesting! 5 hoots!

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The Villain's Sidekick | Stephen T. Brophy | Mini-Review

Review:

This book is only about 100 pages, yet in that short amount of time, Brophy creates an engaging, memorable story with a surprisingly sympathetic main character. HandCannon works for The Eye and he's messed up, yet again, against Nightguard (the local superhero). He's given a chance to redeem himself and keep his job, but it's the same weekend that his ex-wife finally lets his little daughter visit him. I absolutely loved that HandCannon was so practical in his approach on everything. He even said he's not the monologuing type, highfalutin type. He is genuinely trying to make the best of the hand he's been dealt. This story ended up having so many things in it: action, mystery, comedy and even horror. I happily give this 4 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!

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Mogworld | Yahtzee Croshaw

Summary:

The first time Jim died, he was a magic student at a low quality school that got invaded by the barbarian school next door. He went to a place where he felt happy and content. Then he and a horde of others get brought back to life as zombies by a Lord Dreadgrave who employs them to protect his tower from adventurers. While Jim finds the work easy enough, he still keeps attempting to find ways to die again, even converting to almost every religion he can find out about and then killing himself. This routine gets thrown out, however, when Deleters come in and completely delete Dreadgrave, his tower, and all but three zombies from his horde. Jim, Meryl and the priest zombie must now figure out why the world is so messed up: Adventurers are getting hit with the Syndrome, normal people are unable to die, and Barry is following the word of Si-Mon and destroying everything.


Review:

I picked this book up because I enjoy Yahtzee's YouTube channel with my husband. I will say that it was very easy to read the entire book in Yahtzee's voice and greatly added to my enjoyment. I'm sorely tempted to buy the audio book, especially after hearing the sample, and I don't like audio books! It also really helped me to prepare for Yathzee's sense of humor. There were so many things in this book that made laugh. I've highlighted more passages from this book than any other in the past year.

"This was the second time I'd been asked to justify being afraid of gnolls, and I still couldn't fathom why. It was like being asked to explain why old people should wear clothing."

This book is high fantasy. You've got sorcerers, undead, clerics, adventurers, etc. At the same time, it's as much about high fantasy adventure as Sean of the Dead is about zombie movies. It's a delightful combination of strong story and satire. As much as this book made me laugh, it was the characters and the story that kept me from putting the book down. Each of the main protagonists is endearing in their own way. Though I will admit I may have liked Slippery John more if he didn't keep referring to himself in the third person. That got very annoying very quickly, but it was quite consistent with the character.

At the same time, I appreciated Yahtzee's less obvious jokes. At one point a character gets called out on saying the word "little" a lot: "Did you know you use the world 'little' an awful lot?" Then he proceeds to use words like "small", "tiny", "diminuitive", "miscroscopic" etc. When I picked up on what was going on, I laughed even harder! And there are so many jokes like this, ones where you really need to pay attention. They payoff is totally worth the focus required.

Yes, some of the big reveals were kinda predictable, but the story and the characters are so worth reading. And the ending was so satisfying! It wasn't the ending I thought I wanted until I read it. I happily give 5 hoots and have already added more of Yahtzee's books to my TBR!

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Kokoro | Keith Yatsuhashi

*Book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In this sequel to Kojiki, we follow the story of Baiyren and Juno, a pair of archaeologists/paleontologists who are at a new dig when giant mechs show up out of nowhere. Baiyren immediately knows that they are there for him, the runaway prince of Higo. Unfortunately, because he gave Juno the Heartstone, the amulet that connects Higo's royalty to their God, she gets taken in his place. Baiyren must go back to Higo and face his destructive past.

Review:

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, some of the scenes between Baiyren and Juno were a bit cheesy, but it was just such a good read. A lot of the book was kinda predictable, but the characters were completely worth reading. I really appreciated Keiko's commentary on the goings-on of the books. 

At the same time, there were some important plot points that I actually didn't see coming! The best part was, while they were surprising, they didn't feel completely out of left field. Yatsuhashi did a really great job of laying down the groundwork for the twists without making them obvious. As stated before, the final ending, Bayiren and Juno's fates, is predictable, but I still loved it. It was just the right kind of cheesy and sentimental. 

While I don't think you NEED to have read Kojiki to get into this book, it would be really helpful. At the same time, if you're expecting Kokoro to read exactly like Kojiki, you're in for a surprise. The books are so very different in just about every single way. Yes, Kokoro has some elements from Kojiki, namely the Kami, but so little of this book even takes place on Earth. 

I really had a lot of fun reading Kokoro and learning about this new world. I was completely invested in the characters. I'll admit, being a fan of giant robots kinda helped my enjoyment of this book, but the focus was more on the characters and their trials than on the giant robot battles. If you're interested in fantasy, giant mechs, or even love stories with strong characters, I highly recommend Kokoro. 5 hoots!

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Icon of Earth | Demethius Jackson

*I received this book as a Kickstarter prize.

Summary:

This book picks up immediately where Hero of Legend left off. King Maebus is mortally wounded and it is up to Kelm to save him. Fable sets him, Normandy and Leoden on the path to Warlord Damian's fortress to find The Icon of Earth, known in legend for its healing powers. Meanwhile, Empress Saraya has taken over The Realm, looking for a temporary home for her nomadic kingdom. Unfortunately, the sun is dying, putting a wrench in her plans and adding urgency to Kelm's. 

Review:

I don't hide the fact that I love this world. I even bought a copy of Candle of Crest, written entirely in verse form.* I was more than happy to participate in the Kickstarter campaign to get Icon of Earth published. I have to say, though, the book I received, is worth so much more than I donated. 

Icon of Earth loses nothing from the first book that made me love the world. It's fast-paced without plot holes, incorporates world building with the action of the story, and has strong characters that show their character without exposition dumps. Yes, this book has a couple almost-romances but one is vital to the story and the other takes a back seat to the vital elements. 

The overall feel of this book is so positive. This is a great read for people who are tired of the idea that a "good" book has to be sad and hopeless the whole way through. Yes, Kelm occasionally wishes to give up, but as this book points out, with the right circle of supportive people, you can survive anything. And if you always look to the past, you'll never be able to see how great the future can be. 

This book was such a joy to read. I highly encourage anyone who has any interest in the fantasy genre to pick up this series. Jackson is a talented writer and I look forward to him keeping his promise:

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*Please see my review over on Blogger's Bookshelf. 

Ex-Isle | Peter Clines

Summary:

In the fifth book of the Ex-Heroes series, a couple of stories are happening at the same time. Barry (Zzzap), St. George and Madelyn (Corpse Girl) go on a goodwill mission to a man-made island Barry found on his trip back from around the world. At the same time, one of the main food supplies for The Mount has burned up in a Los Angeles wildfire, so Danielle (Cerberus), Cesar (The Driver), Gibbs and the Supersoldiers are all sent to Project Eden to jump-start things and bring in more food. Naturally, things go wrong in both stories.

Review:

I read this book in two days. For two days, I had no interest in any other hobby or book. I was tempted to call in sick so I could just read. That's how good this book is!

I've never hidden the fact that Clines' writing style always gets me feeling amped up. He is incredibly talented at combining action and gore with hope and geeky humor. He writes amazing build-up and battles. The best part is, he is also able to surprise me, all while giving me all the clues that I've needed to figure out what the surprise is going to be. Everything in this book that happens, you COULD see coming, if you pay attention to all of the clues, but even when I think I'm paying attention, all the clues lead me to a different conclusion than is written. 

The dialogue, as always, is amazing. I cannot praise these well-rounded, fully developed characters enough. If you're at all interested in superheroes acting human, you will enjoy this entire series and seeing these characters evolve. 

Really I only have one complaint about this book, which I can't talk about at all because of spoilers. But I cannot fault Clines. Yes, it involves my absolute favorite character, possibly my favorite superhero ever, but it's story essential and I was warned in the early parts of the book. Still doesn't make me happy about it.

I have to say, this is a wonderful continuation of the Ex-Heroes series that lived up to all my demanding expectations. 5 Hoots!

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Thinning the Herd | Adrian Phoenix

*This book was provided by NetGalley.

Summary:

In Eugene, Oregon, Hal Rupert seems like your average, everyday dog catcher. He is, however, the town hero (though no one acknowledges this so that his friends can stay safe from the bad guys). Hal is well known in certain circles of lycans (ruled by the moon) and yokai (ruled by the sun). He's the only human standing between shape-shifters and humans. 

Review:

This book was a fun read. It has a lot of elements that I love from my quick reads. There's a strong sense of humor, an oddball hero, a disinterested damsel, a silly puppy and a sassy cat (thought don't tell the puppy I called him that).  The characters in this book are quite interesting and I'd love to read more stories from this world. I found the dialogue to be quite natural and the progression of the story easy to follow. I loved how Hal, Nick (dog) and Galahad (cat) go from one investigation of missing hippies and fortune tellers and land in the middle of something so much bigger.

There were a couple things I didn't like. There were a handful of minor editing errors that took me out of the book. The biggest thing, however, was Hal's interest in Desdemona. I get that he doesn't realize "creep", "loon" and the middle finger are insults and legitimate "go away" signs, but he is genuinely stalking her. Though his intentions are pure, it goes from kinda funny and cute to creepy after just a few paragraphs. Also, I feel that the poor biker got a lot more than he deserved.

Still, I do appreciate that Desdemona is a strong character in her own right. I love that Hal has his own sense of reality when it comes to his work. I especially love Galahad and Nick and their interactions with the one-shapes (humans) in their lives.

This is a good book for a quick read that is almost guaranteed to get you laughing. 4 hoots!

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Armada | Ernest Cline

*Book provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Zachary Lightman is a high school senior whose dad died when he was a baby and he spends most of his days either playing video games or working at a video game store. Imagine his surprise when a spaceship that looks exactly like his ship in the video game Armada shows up at his high school to take him away. Turns out, some of the most popular video games over the years are actually simulations for actual encounters with aliens who are threatening to take out the world. And the aliens have just stepped up their game.

Review:

I'll admit, I got more caught up in this story than I thought I would. A big part of this is probably the fast pace that begins in Chapter 7. The majority of this book takes place in the span of 8-10 hours. There's always something for Zack to be doing, so there's always something to be reading.

Probably another reason I got caught up iin this book is the characters. Yes, one or two tropes are in the book, but I loved that Cline showed that gaming can, and does, transcend things like race, gender, age, economics, etc. One character is kinda the stereotypical, lives-in-his-mom's-basement gamer, but then another of the top ten players is a Christian mother of three from Minnesota, 

Most importantly, I appreciate how much common sense and critical thinking Cline gave the characters, especially Zack. So many books don't live up to their potential because their teenage characters are the stereotypical act-now-think-later types. Yes, Zack has moments of this, but I appreciate that he picks up on the inconsistencies with the EDA's stories and the aliens' actions. I like that Cline has his characters discuss/argue about these as well. It made me feel like I didn't have to smack some common sense into any of them. 

Personally, I'm not sure this book is for me. I appreciated several of the references, but I'm just not that much of a Sci-Fi geek, especially 70's and 80's Sci-Fi. That being said, I told my mother about some of the references and it led to a nice discussion.* So I'm going to loan her, an original Sci-Fi fan, the book and see what she thinks. 

Still, I have no problems giving Armada by Ernest Cline 4 hoots. It was engaging, fun, and geek centric. 

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*Did you know Jaws 3D was a thing? Wasn't a good thing, apparently, but it was still a thing.

The Flux | Ferrett Steinmetz

*Image and book provided by NetGalley

Summary:

Paul Tsabo lives in a world where magic exists. He should know, he's a bureaucromancer. There are many 'mancers in the world who use magic. It manifests itself in ways that reflect the person's personality. His 8 year-old-daughter is a videogamemancer. Unfortunately, practice of magic is illegal and, if caught, Paul and his daughter Aliyah, will be brainwashed by the government and shoved into a hive mind used to hunt down even more 'mancers. 

Review:

I did not know when I got this book that The Flux is actually a sequel to Flex. Many fellow readers can attest that many times this leaves the reader feeling out-of-the-loop. That said, THIS WAS AN AMAZING BOOK! HOW DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS BEFORE?!

The world this book takes place in is absolutely amazing! Yes, it's based on our own reality, but there is so much more to it! I was practically begging to become a bibliomancer! The interactions between magic and reality are so amazing and so consistent! You can't use magic without there being consequences and the stronger the magic you use, the greater the personal consequences are. 

Steinmetz does a wonderful job of making me empathize with his characters. Paul's concern for his daughter is entirely genuine. Aliyah's love for her father and her confusion over right-and-wrong are realistic for a 9 year old mentality. Valentine's need to interact with others and be challenged is invigorating. You love the good characters and eagerly await a literal boss fight between heroes and villains. There was even a point with the characters that, had I not been in a public place, I would have started bawling my eyes out!* And it's the dialogue that does so much of it. Yes, the narration itself is great for character building but the dialogue does so much more and I LOVE it!

I cannot express this enough, THIS BOOK MUST BE READ! I'm going to go get a copy of the first book because this world is just too fascinating to let it go at just one book. I'm SO glad Steinmetz is already working on a third book. 5 HOOTS!!!!

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*No spoilers. You MUST read the book!

Meta | Tom Reynolds

*Image courtesy of author's website.

Summary:

A decade after the first wave of Metas (superheroes) went into hiding or were killed off, Connor Connolly, orphaned by Metas, finds himself with superpowers. Metas are coming back, but not all of them have good intentions. 

Review:

This was a fun book. I was a little worried about reading yet another story about a teenage boy who finds himself with incredible powers, but Reynolds keeps the book interesting. There were even a few moments that I did not predict, so full credit to Reynolds for that.

Meta is a relatively short book (240 pages) so world building is relatively quick, yet well done. Exposition is given in the form of cautionary tales about where previous metas went wrong, keeping the world building interesting and relevant. The characters are a bit typical of this genre and story line, but the dialogue is still entertaining and has a few surprises.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and will be purchasing the next book, The Second Wave. If you're looking for a good story about superheroes and super villains, I recommend Meta. 4 hoots!

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Trollhunters | Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus

*Image and book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Summary:

Jim Sturges Jr. has an overprotective father and no social status at school. He can't bring himself to excel at anything. But when he starts seeing creatures in the dark corners of the town and kids start to go missing, Jim is brought into the ancient world of trolls, literally kicking and screaming. 

Review:

I don't often get to say this, especially with books for younger readers, but HOLY WAH! THIS WAS TOTALLY AWESOME! I NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK!

Ahem. Sorry about that.

I'll admit, a lot of the plot points were predictable, but the characters are so engaging and the world their in is so mesmerizing you don't care! This world is so complex and has such a rich history that I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel that was hinted at in the last chapter. Yes, some people may have seen the history as an exposition dump, but I saw it as the greatest Troll Scholar gladly showing off his knowledge because someone is actually listening to him. The characters only add to the richness of this world and you want to see all of them make it through.

With regards to the intended audience, this book would easily be too scary for middle-grade students. I strongly recommend it for junior-high or older and not just because of the content. There are so many new vocabulary words that I had to look up. But if you are at all interested in monsters vs heroes or monsters as heroes, this is a great book. It is a wonderful combination of adventure, action, horror and coming-of-age. I give full credit to del Toro and Kraus for finding just the right balance of each element. 

If you've looked at my Rating System and my rating history, you know that, while I give a lot of fours, I reserve five hoots for those books that I'm willing to yell at people to read. GET THIS BOOK! YOU WILL LOVE IT! 5 HOOTS!

                     Hoot!

                Hoot!Hoot!

                Hoot! Hoot!

Dead Eye: The Skinwalker Conspiracies by Jim Bernheimer

Summary:

In this sequel to Pennies for the Ferryman, Mike Ross is traveling through the American Southwest in a search for the Skinwalker who kidnapped his father. Along with his travel companion, Father Silas, the two help ghosts at great personal cost to Mike.

Review:

Bernheimer is a master at keeping things realistic, even in the face of the supernatural. Using Mike Ross as the narrator, there were several times that his voice made me laugh because of his cynical nature. The characters were so natural in their reactions and dialogue. And there was nothing in this book that felt out-of-place or unnecessary. I rushed through the last few chapters of this book because the battles were so intense!

If you like ghost stories, or alternative perspectives on history* you will love this series. Bernheimer is a wonderfully fun author! I give this book 4 hoots!

           Hoot!Hoot!

           Hoot!Hoot!

*Lee Harvey Oswald was technically innocent. He was possessed!