Welcome to Tynga's Reviews — Where the story began. Reviews published before June 2017 may have simplified formatting. Thanks for being here. ♥
Showing posts with label Novella November. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Novella November. Show all posts

Friday, November 29, 2013

The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo

This novella is publicized as a companion story to Siege & Storm, the second book in The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. I'm afraid to say though that the link between the story and the book isn't clear at all. The only thing I can see maybe is that this story is about avoiding traps, and that Alina was caught in one unaware in the latest installment.

This novella is actually a fable featuring a fox whose very life was threatened by his own mother right at birth. Already at a young age he had a clever mind and thanks to his wits, he convinced his mother not to eat his ugly scrawny self. He overcame many challenges growing up and his smarts allowed him to slowly become accepted amongst the other forest animals. When a terrible hunter came to his forest, he stepped up to save his friends, thinking he was the cleverest of them all.

The fable was kind of cute and it was a nice way to show how strength of character and cleverness can get you out of many difficult situation. I liked ever more that the very bottom of the story is to show that even if you overcome many obstacles, it doesn't mean that there aren't more on the way, and that you should always remain alert. The poor fox grew cocky and it almost cost him his hide.

A nice lesson is shared by author Leigh Bardugo, but because it is so far removed from the series, I would not really recommend it. It's an ok read, but I don't feel like it brings anything to the table. It's a free novella though, so feel free to check it out and judge for yourself!

tynga

 

 

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

I'm going to preface this review by admitting that I don't read many prequel type novellas. I've read the occasional mid-series novella while waiting for the next full-length novel to come out, but this was my first experience reading a novella before beginning a series. And I kind of wish I hadn't. Don't get me wrong, the story line was alright, albeit brief and choppy feeling. I think the real shortfall in Elemental was trying to use the novella to introduce a complicated relationship set-up between dueling families rather than use the space to build a world for the forthcoming series.

Kemmerer completely skips over the entire Elemental thing and jumps headfirst into what is meant to be a very engrossing romance. But it's so difficult to get to know characters, introduce conflict, and somehow resolve that conflict all while introducing a first time reader to the novel's world all in just 50 pages.

We're told that everyone wants Michael dead - but not why. Cause he's really powerful. Well, okay? But what makes him so powerful? What level of power do others have? What happened that made him special? Is he the only one that has ever been that powerful? I found myself with lots of unanswered questions.

I'm most definitely going to continue on with the full length novels in this series, I feel like Kemmerer did a good job at baiting me to want to know what happens next. I suppose I just would have rather experienced a bit more history and explanation about the world and situation that I was walking into, rather than skipping that and trying to dive into the relational drama right away.

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Snow White Blood Red by Cameron Jace

Snow White Blood Red by Cameron Jace is the first of several e-novella prequels to The Grimm Diaries. I was hesitating to read this book because I don't read self-published novels.  Despite my hesitation, I decided to go against my gut because this series is so popular and Amazon kept on recommending it to me.  I wasn't overly impressed with this novella, but I was definitely entertained!

My main concern with Snow White Blood Red is the narration because it's extremely inconsistent and a bit too choppy. In just 25 pages, this novella is written in both 1st and 2nd person perspectives, which was too distracting for me as a reader. Both perspectives don't mesh well together and it made Jace's writing style feel extremely awkward and illogical. This novella definitely could have used an editor to make this novel more concise.

I love the idea of The Grimm Diaries, who wouldn't want to read about a vampire Snow White? This novella didn't have much of a plot and it was mostly exposition for Snow White Sorrow. I'm definitely intrigued by the series' concept and I'm curious to see what direction this series will take.

I wasn't a huge fan of Snow White Blood Red, but I'll definitely check out the subsequent installments just because I already purchased them. I'm still questioning whether or not Snow White Blood Red is worth the 99 cents that it costs on the Kindle Store! Snow White Blood Red lacked development, but I have high hopes that this series will redeem itself in book #2.

jonsig

Monday, November 25, 2013

Demon Bait by Moira Rogers

This is my first Moira Rogers story. I've seen the name on other blogs but I had never tried anything from this writing duo before. And maybe that's why I had such a hard time coming up with a two line description of the book/series. And then I realized the simplest thing to do would be to borrow the description from Moira Rogers' webpage about the series:
In a post-apocalyptic future, humanity’s survivors must fight both the demons who destroyed the world they knew and their own leaders, who only envision a bright future for a privileged few...The genre is a bit of a mash-up, combining paranormal romance with dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes and enough virtual reality to skate toward cyberpunk.

How's that for a summary?

What I liked the most about this novella is the world. It's not as fleshed out as I would like and I definitely have questions about a lot of the mythology but what I do know is that it's a very cool world. I wouldn't want to live in it but reading about it is pretty awesome. It's dark, it's post-apocalyptic, it's got a nice blend of tech and magic, and it's got endless possibilities. What's not to love? It's very much a throw-you-in-and-hope-you-can-swim introduction to the world, though, since there's not a lot of exposition.

The authors state that DEMON BAIT is more of a prequel novella that Samhain has published as Book #1 in the series and so I'm curious if I would have had a better experience if I had read HAMMER DOWN first. I think a lot of my worldbuilding questions would have been answered with a longer page count but I haven't bought HAMMER DOWN just yet so I'm not entirely certain.

In terms of character, I liked both Marci and Gabe. They're both good characters but I wasn't particularly attached to either of them. I was interested in the outcome --  I wanted them both to succeed -- but I wasn't as emotionally invested as I would have liked. The authors do a good job of giving Marci and Gabe layers and history but I found myself reading to learn more about the world that these two live in, not their HEA. It's not a big enough disconnect that I was put off the novella, and I'm still looking forward to trying HAMMER DOWN, but I wasn't sucked into their romance the way that I had hoped. Maybe it's a question of expectations? I've heard great things about their books so perhaps I was looking for too much in DEMON BAIT.

If Rogers is a new-to-you author, I'd definitely suggest reading the excerpt linked below to get your feet wet. I hope you'll enjoy what you see! I'll report back when I've had a chance to read HAMMER DOWN -- hopefully my expectations will be met in a full-length novel. And if you're a fan, please let me know if this is a typical story for them, or if there are other titles I should pick up to get a better feel for their writing style.

Read an excerpt


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Pig, Crane, Fox by Beth Bernobich

I'm not really sure if this story qualifies as a novella since it's length is closer to short story but I'm going to make it count as a November novella anyways. Beth Bernobich has been on my watch list ever since I fell in love with the first book of her fantasy series called PASSION PLAY so I though this would be a great time to read this short story of hers that introduces her YA novel called FOX AND PHOENIX. I've yet to read the novel and while I wasn't really impressed by this story, I think the story building that was necessary to write it has a lot of potential. I feel this story only grazed the surface of the characters and the setting and I hope to learn more about them in the full length novel.

I really enjoyed learning about the characters since they all have a sort of animal familiar that follows them around. Whether it be a pig, a fox or a crane, each member of society has their own humanized animal friend. While I've seen this done before (like in The Golden Compass), the way it was done here was quite original. Each bond between animal and human is unique and ultimately sacred. Kai, the main character, and his animal pig might seem like an unlikely heroic pair but for some reason, it really works for them. They work together, along with Kai's friends, to find a way to win the princess' hand and untold riches offered by the King. All they have to do is perform three impossible task. Sounds relatively easy right?

I'm not exactly sure which culture this fantasy world is based on but the mix of historical Asian culture and modern technology makes a great combo. I wouldn't necessarily call it steampunk but it's something very similar to it. Personally I find the whole concept refreshing and while the story was short and sweet, not amounting to much, I will definitely read the next book in the series in the near future. This short story was an intriguing introduction and a teaser that will make you buy the novel length story associated to it. You don't see many female authors writing in the fantasy genre and while we are seeing more and more of them, I think Beth Bernobich has the talent to break through and write some amazing things.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Home For the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost

This novella was originally released as part of the 'A Bite Before Christmas' anthology (and this is how I read it) but has recently been released as an ebook, so you can now pick up this story only if you wish!

Home For the Holidays features the whole gang! Cat & Bones receive their friends & family (namely Ian, Spades, Denise, Annette, Mencheres & Kara) for the weekend, to celebrate Bones birthday & Thanksgiving. Turkey is on the menu, even though most of them don't eat, but Annette as a very special gift for Bones: A long lost family member he had no idea existed.

I really enjoyed this story because the whole gang falls victim to Bones' brother and it falls on the shoulders of Cat, Denise & Ian to save the day, because they somehow resisted to Wraith's treachery. I've always liked Ian despite he depraved ways and it was nice to see him somewhat get along with Cat. He finally got to shine and prove he was a vampire of worth even though his morals are questionable at best.

I also enjoyed that Cat & Bones weren't all lovey-dovey in this story (due to circumstances) because it was something that started to displease me in the latest novels of the series.

Even though it's a short story, the plot line was interesting, engrossing and developed enough to give the reader a sense of suspense. True to herself, Jeaniene ended this story with a bang (quite literally) and the conclusion satisfied me.

The seventh, and last, book in the series is scheduled for January 2014 so I can't tell you if reading the novella is necessary to the series. I'm guessing it's not mandatory, but since the events might have a big impact on what's to come, Frost will most likely refer to them. Why not pick it up though if you're a fan of the series? It will give you something to sink your teeth into while waiting for the grand finally!

tynga

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Origins: The Fire by Debra Driza

Origins: The Fire is one of the best novellas I've read to date. It's short, concise, exhilarating, and absolutely thrilling to read. There is not a second where the plot drags and the whole novella is extremely action-packed and exciting. I do wish it was a bit longer because 15 pages isn't nearly long for me as a reader. I craved more from The Fire because I felt it was so well-written that Driza could have taken it a step further.

This novella does an excellent job of giving the reader of an idea of whether Mila 2.0's first person narration will cut it for them. I definitely like how this novella showed Mila's strong sense of filial piety and courage during the fire. This has definitely resuscitated my need to read Renegade, the sequel to Mila 2.0.  I do wish this novella showed Mila's cyborg abilities, but there's only so much you can show in 15 pages. I definitely would recommend Origins: The Fire to those who would like to begin the Mila 2.0e trilogy.

jonsig

Monday, November 18, 2013

Kiss of Venom by Jennifer Estep

It's Owen time! Like most fans of the series, I haven't been too thrilled with Owen Grayson, ever since he went and broke the heart of my favourite assassin, so I was deathly curious about KISS OF VENOM. It is, after all, the first time we get to be inside Owen's head. And what an interesting and tormented place it is! KISS OF VENOM takes place between DEADLY STING and HEART OF VENOM, so Owen and Gin are on the outs but are in a better place than before the craziness at the Briartop Museum (in DEADLY STING). Owen feel like a butthead (because he was a butthead -- an understandable  butthead but a butthead nonetheless) so he's not really sure how it interact with Gin when he sees her at Northern Aggression, a club owed by their friend Roslyn.

What I liked best about KISS OF VENOM is watching Owen repair his friendship with Phillip Kincaid. I have a major soft spot for Phillip, in no small part due to his soft spot for Owen's sister Eva. Phillip and Eva give us glimpses into Owen's past, in addition to being great characters on their own, and I'm always excited to see them on the page. And Owen and Phillip out for a night on the town is something I never thought I'd see, at least not from one of their points of view, so that was a real treat. Of course, it's no Elemental Assassin story if someone's not out to kill Gin but now it's Owen's turn to do the dirty work. KISS OF VENOM shows you how strong his feelings are for Gin, and also gives you a lot of insight into what makes him tick. We got a lot of information about Owen's history in WIDOW'S WEB thanks to Salina but you really see how those events shaped him with this little window into his mind.

I would suggest reading KISS OF VENOM after you've finished with DEADLY STING, not just because reading things chronologically is always best IMHO but because there are references to events from that novel in KISS OF VENOM. This novella isn't an essential read since you can move from DEADLY STING to HEART OF VENOM without any issues but it's definitely worth checking out if you want a better sense of Owen Grayson, or just some extra time in the Elemental Assassin world. As always, Estep has knocked it out of the park.

Read an excerpt (scroll down to Excerpt tab)


Jenn

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning

I'm a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series so I thought I would give her Highlander series a second chance. I read the first book of this series a while back and while I did enjoy it, nothing could compare to her Fever series.  Where her Fever series is dark, complex and frighting, her Highlander series is more on the romantic side, which includes hot highlanders, a fair bit of time travelling and paranormal elements.

INTO THE DREAMING is a light romantic historical novel that features an amnesiac highlander from the tenth century and a current day aspiring author. It's actually quite heavy on the romance and while you don't learn very much about the main characters, for a novella the plot is quite detailed.

An historical paranormal romance is never complete without a devilishly handsome hero and Aedan fits the bill perfectly. He does have a little bit of amnesia (more than a bit, actually) which has made him forget everything about being human, even about love, passion, and sex. The star of the book, Jane, must cure him of his amnesia in order to free Aedan from the Unseelie King and using her "feminine wiles" is the only thing she can think of. Jane is an awesome character and I wish her story could have been longer than a novella. Her amusing banter combined with the incredible passion she shares with Aedan results in a fun a light read, however heavy on the romance.

Karen Marie Moning is best known for her witty characters and her melodramatic humor, and this book doesn't fail in either aspects. I love how her writing style can fit both her romantic historical novels as well as her darker and magical Fever series. The only thing I'm not crazy about, is the price of this novella ($5.99 for the kindle version). It's pretty steep for a novella and I'm not sure everyone would appreciate the story for this price (see Tynga's Soapboxing post for more on this subject). If you purchase the edition with bonus content, you'll get more for your money including deleted scenes from another novel, a failed manuscript proposal and art from the Fever graphic novel. Overall, I'm glad I own the hardcover of this novella with all its bonus content, but mostly because I'm a huge fan of the author. Not everyone will appreciate it, but if you're either a fan of Moning or one of her series, it's worth the price, in my opinion.

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Friday, November 15, 2013

The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo

The Tailor is a very short novella and it's about a scene happening in Shadow & Bones from Genya's point of view. It takes place after Alina was injured by Zoya.

I enjoyed this very quick read because it gives Genya a stepping-stone to the readers heart. Her actions in the series have been questionable and this little insight to her true feelings and her past was very welcome.

She is a sweet but abused girl and she does her best to survive in this cruel world. You can't help but feel sympathy for the girl after reading this story.

I would not suggest reading it without having read Shadow & Bones, but it's a nice addition to the book if you have a moment to spare. Plus, it's free :)

If you haven't read the Grisha series yet, I urge you to get your hands on the first novel, It's really awesome!

tynga

 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Choice by Jason Mott

I've always been interested in "What-If" scenarios, and so The Returned really appealed to me as a reader. The Returned is all about getting a second chance at life and making your own choices. The Choice is one of three e-novellas that serve as a companion to The Returned and it definitely delivers. This novella really gives readers a feel for the poignancy and raw emotion that Jason Mott writes with in The Returned.

I definitely enjoyed reading this story, but my problem was that it was way too short for me to form emotional attachments to the characters. How can I care about a character if I spend less than 30 pages with them? It's an extremely daunting task to enable readers to empathize with your characters in such a short span of time and Mott never really takes his characters to the next level. The characters in The Returned aren't one dimensional perse, but they still could have used some more development. I really wanted to care about Peter and Tracey, but I felt like the reader never spent enough time with them to give a hoot about their relationship. I really feel that if there were an additional 10-15 pages in The Choice, I would have enjoyed it so much more.

The Choice is a great way to help you decide: "Is The Returned a book that I would enjoy?" Instead of immediately jumping into The Returned, I would highly suggest reading The Choice because it's a short, sweet and captivating story. Also there's a short excerpt of The Returned at the end of The Choice which is definitely a nice treat. The Choice is a great tease to build buzz for The Returned, but it didn't really impress me. I really hope that The Sparrow and The First, the next two Returned novellas catch my interest more!

jonsig

Monday, November 11, 2013

Sing for the Dead by PJ Schnyder

For a bit of context, check out my review of BITE ME, the first novella in the series. As I mentioned in that post, the best part of the London Undead series is definitely the worldbuilding. Schnyder gives us a great but short introduction to a very scary London, where zombies roam the streets of the quarantined city and werewolves patrol to keep the residents too poor or stubborn to leave safe. I had so many questions about where these zombies come from, why they're getting smarter, why they stay in London. We didn't get many answers in BITE ME but we get a pile of them in SING FOR THE DEAD because Sorcha, the female lead, has been dispatched to London by the Light Court to investigate the zombies and their potential threat to the Fae. Kayden finds her in a park, and things quickly move to a head from there.

What we learn -- which I won't explain here -- is very interesting stuff indeed. It was a development I wasn't expecting and it results in some great action scenes and a much wider world to explore in future stories. It's hard to discuss it without giving things away so I'll just say that it's a very satisfying ending and you'll definitely be intrigued by the zombies' origins and the reasons for why they are getting smarter. ;)

I also really liked the relationship that builds between Sorcha and Kayden in SING FOR THE DEAD. He's much more accepting of their bond than she is, mostly because Sorcha has a mountain of baggage. It's not unexpected, given her upbringing and background, but it's a significant impediment in their burgeoning relationship. But what fun would a paranormal romance story be without some bumps along the way?

The end of SING FOR THE DEAD definitely implies that there are more stories to go and I'm curious to see if Schnyder has a new pairing for us, or if we'll see more of Sorcha and Kayden. I like them a lot more than Maisie and Seth (from BITE ME) so I've got my fingers crossed! I hope you'll give this series a try.

 Read an excerpt


Jenn

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Like A Wolf With A Bone (Howl For It) by Shelly Laurenston

Shelly Laurenston never fails to entertain me. Even with a novella, she is able to tell the story of two people coming together, falling in love while having fun with it at the same time.

I guess you could say Darla Mae is your typical Shelly Laurenston female protagonist. She can be self sufficient, she's intelligent and she is definitely strong and able to take care of herself. Meeting the intimidating Eggie was probably not in her plans but she ends up trusting the guy instantly even if he did kidnap her in order to save her life. As a marine and a werewolf, Eggie is known ny everyone, including his family, a wolf not to meddle with. He is a relentless hunter and a man that will do anything in order to protect, whether if its to protect his country or his female. He and Darla couldn't make it stranger couple with him being a marine, and her a baker. Despite the unlikely pair, their relationship simply works.

There's never a dull moment in the book, with humans hunting down Darla Mae, road car races and an endless supply of pies. The banter between characters also makes it ingesting and things can get out of control when family members get involved in Darla and Eggie's business.

Overall I would definitely recommend LIKE A WOLF WITH A BONE to anyone interested in a quick read in paranormal romance. Even if it's part of a series, it's the first book in the chronological order of the series, despite it being written later on. Truthfully, I've been reading this series completely out of order and now that I've read #0.5, I think I'll definitely read the rest in order. It's not a must since I strongly believe this series can be read out of order but I'm interested in learning more about all the different characters mentioned in this story and all the other books I've read so far.

A fun story, you can never go wrong with Laurenston. This is type of story that keeps me reading, even if I know it's time to sleep. It definitely kept me up late into the night because I wanted to know more, right away. It's not the best story ever written by the author but she makes you care for her character, which is truly important when it comes to romance stories.

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Friday, November 08, 2013

The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J Maas

The Assassin and the Empire is the last of a series of four novellas taking place before the first book in the series, Throne of glass.

Sam & Celaena are in love and want to leave town, but if they don't want to live their lives as fugitives, they have to strike a deal with the Assassin's Guild and the price will be a steep one. Even steeper than the astounding number the leader is asking for, but our heroes will find out the hard way...

I've already read the first three novellas as well as the first two books in the series, which gave me a very interesting perspective. I truly enjoyed discovering about the lovers, especially knowing what came next. Even though I knew the final outcome of the installment, I enjoyed discovering the particulars, and I was simply hooked to the pages. That's just how enticing Maas' writing is.

Another element I particularly liked is that reading those novellas provides the readers with the exact events that brought Celaena to become the person she is in Throne of Glass. See, the girl from the novellas, and the girl from the series is completely different. The Novellas are a tale of hope, love, betrayal and grief, which explains our hero's behaviors later in the series.

The plot proved to be exciting and engrossing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and felt the weight of grief right by Celaena's side. The emotions were honest and raw and I truly enjoyed it.

I strongly urge you to read the four novellas in the series because even though they aren't absolutely necessary to your enjoyment of the series, it will definitely enhance your experience. Miss Maas often refers to events happening in the stories, and having read them will enlighten those moments.

tynga

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige

No Place Like Oz is the ambitious prequel to Dorothy Must Die, which is one of my anticipated books of 2014 by far. I think readers should definitely pick up No Place Like Oz before reading Dorothy Must Die because it's a quick read and it readers a good taste of what Dorothy Must Die will be like. After reading No Place Like Oz, I'm definitely not as excited for Dorothy Must Die as I was when I had initially heard about it on Epic Reads' Tea Time. No Place Like Oz is overly ambitious and it didn't quite fill me with wonder like the 1939 movie and the original novels did.

The Dorothy that Danielle Paige has created in this novella is extremely petulant and she was constantly on my nerves. I understand that's she fed up with regular life and she craves something more, but that doesn't give her the right to act nasty and obnoxious towards Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. Dorothy doesn't want to be a farmgirl, she wants to live in Oz, she wants to live in a world with magic and adventure. I really understand how Dorothy feels, the feeling that you want more than this from life, but Dorothy truly needs to get over herself. There becomes a point where being cranky, throwing tantrums, and thinking you know best for everyone else is enough. I seriously applaud Aunt Em and Uncle Henry because I really don't know how they manage to deal with Dorothy because nothing they do for her is ever enough.

No Place Like Oz is pretty predictable and I wasn't all that eager to find out what happened next. I really wish there was  more cameos from my favorite Ozian characters, I think readers of Baum's original novels will appreciate this e-Novella the most due to the appearance of Ozma, the renowned ruler of Oz.  Besides the appearance of Ozma who I loved in this book, No Place Like Oz isn't all that interesting, it merely sets up Dorothy Must Die. Honestly, if you don't read this novella, you're not missing out on much because barely anything happens throughout the course of this novella.

While I'm not overly enthusiastic about No Place Like Oz, it was entertaining and a nice change of pace from all of the dystopian books I've been reading. No Place Like Oz isn't what one would expect from a Wizard Of Oz "sequel/retelling" , it's way more angsty and unappealing. Hopefully, Dorothy Must Die is stronger in plot and development than No Place Like Oz was.

jonsig

Monday, November 04, 2013

Replicant by Dani Worth

I picked up the first novella in this series a little while ago and reviewed it on my other site. The series is a little outside of my wheelhouse since it's a pretty erotic space opera but I love Worth's writing style and world so I've decided to continue. This book is definitely for the 18+ crowd since the sex scenes are quite descriptive.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the series, Worth's Kithran Regenesis series centres around the redevelopment and reclamation of the planet Kithra. Home to the Gwinarians, a humanoid race that has no problems with polyamory and that had been engaged in a fruitful trade relationship with other races, including humans, until explosions decimated the planet and its population. Nearly every Gwinarian died but Kithra is slowing being repopulated and rebuilt. In KITHRA, we see the first stages of the resettlement, with a triad comprised of Lux, Kol, and Egan. We get to visit with these characters again in  REPLICANT but they're not the main focus. This time, the story is told through the eyes of Jarana Gothbrun, a Gwinarian who escaped the explosions because she had been captured by slavers. A pilot and a Tracker, she has dedicated her life to bounty hunting, focusing on Replicants, the race of humanoid shapeshifters who captured her. In REPLICANT, her hunt leads her back to Kithra, stirring up old feelings and revealing new ones, as she finds herself attracted to two unlikely individuals.  Jarana's voice is quite distinct from Lux's, which is great. Like Lux, Jarana is a strong, sexual woman but she has her own set of hangups, since she's basically been emotionally numb since Kithra's destruction. It takes time to settle in with her but it's worth it since she's a very interesting character. She has connections with both Lux and Egan, as you'll see at the start of the novella, and these old relationships really cement how much she has changed.

I can't talk about an erotic space opera without commenting on the sex, can I? It's very well written. I'm not a huge erotica fan but the scenes are as much about the emotional as they are about physical, which I appreciate. I can take or leave love scenes but I'd prefer them to have a purpose, which they definitely do in REPLICANT. I should also mention that REPLICANT features a male-male-female triad, so you'll be reading about a less represented relationship dynamic.

REPLICANT is a very smexy book, sure to appeal to fans of sci fi romance. Worth wins me over more and more with each novel and I'm looking forward to CATALYST, the next story in the series. I believe it's a full-length novel so I can't wait to see what this author does with a larger page count.

Read an excerpt (click on Excerpt tab)


Jenn

Sunday, November 03, 2013

The Last Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

When Jenn came up with the idea of November Novella, I jumped at the chance to read and review THE LAST STORMDANCER before reading the newest book of the series. I fell in love with this series last year when I read STORMDANCER which when, after only one book, Jay Kristoff gained a spot on my auto-buy list.

In my opinion, THE LAST STORMDANCER didn't really do his series any justice and he shouldn't be judged on this novella alone. I also wouldn't read this book as an introduction to the series because even if it’s set 100 year before the first book, there is so much information lacking. I would only use it as a add on to book 1, to gain more background information about Thunder Tigers and Stormdancers, and to learn more about their history, only grazed in STORMDANCER.

Thunder Tigers are griffin-like beasts, while the Stormdancers are the humans that ride upon their back. This novella is about a blind boy who strongly believes that he (or someone from his grandmother's progeny) will save the world from the exploding industrial age that is causing death of so many with the pollution it has produced and will undoubtedly continue to produce. He befriends a Thunder Tiger and together, they set off to stop humanity from causing the death of more humans and other creatures of the world. Political warfare is a major part of this novella as it also tell the tale of twin brothers who fight for the Four Thrones of Shima upon the death of their father, one who wants to end the industrialization, the other who wants to promote it's growth.

Like any good novella, the pace is super fast which keeps you interested throughout. THE LAST STORMDANCER is still a wonderful story despite my overall disappointment with it. It still has all the wonderful aspects the other books have, like historical Japanese stuff, samurais, steampunk, mythology and political warfare. If you're tired of the repetitive Victorian steampunk, this series will definitely bring you on a new ride and entertain you with its cleverness and original concept. A series I highly recommend.

Friday, November 01, 2013

Power Study by Maria V Snyder

I fell in love with Ari and Janco as soon as I met them in this series. They are a merry pair so different from each other, yet so similar, and despite their constant banter, have a kind of symbiotic relationship. The pair of them, along with Maven, are charged to weed-out worthy opponents for Valek, while he is away on an unknown mission, when trouble arises.

This story is very short, yet miss Snyder managed to put together a decent plot line. An enemy is amongst them and the boys have to investigate the matter while their leader is gone. The plot happens in Ixia, where magic is forbidden, and the boys find themselves a bit at lost when they stubble into a magical deception. I liked how they dealt with the issue, using cunning and original strategies and Janco got to show he also has brains to back his muscles.

The dialogues are of course a stellar point in the novella. Ari & Janco verbally, and mentally, jab at each other every opportunities they get, which makes for an entertaining read. I didn't laugh out loud like I did at times in the novels of this series, but smiles tugged my lips times and again.

Power Study is a side-story that is in no way necessary to the series' plot-line but it's a quick and free read, so why not take a moment to read it if you like the series? Maria is amongst my favorite authors, and I would definitely recommend this series to fantasy lovers!

tynga

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Welcome to Novella November!

Novella November


This month, we're doing something a little bit different: we're showcasing the novella. I've come to really enjoy novellas in the past few years and we've decided to use this month to exclusively review novellas, since we don't often talk about them on the site.


Novellas are great glimpses into a world you're already familiar with, as you'll see with some of the reviews we have coming up, but they're also an opportunity for an author to tell a story that would have too much filler if it got stretched to novel length (over 40,000 words, according to the criteria for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America's Nebula award). Plus, novellas seem to be more and more popular, especially with all of the e-publishing options, so what better time to highlight some of these shorter but (hopefully) no less thrilling stories? After all, some of the great classics are novellas: H.G. Wells' THE TIME MACHINE, Truman Capote's BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson, ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell, A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens...the list goes on and on. But you're not really interested in classics if you're here, since we specialize in the paranormal, so get ready for a month of great paranormal/sci fi/dystopian novellas!


Jenn

 

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