Fog by Annelie Wendeberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I found the first book in this series, Cut, so interesting I had to get started on Fog. This one was harder for me to deal with. Shooting children and or bad guys in the fog, nope. I know it is part of what needs to be done in that world, but I just couldn’t handle all of that. My dreams after were so upsetting. Still, I have already started reading the next book, Ice.
I feel in all the books I am missing bits and pieces of what I would have liked to know. The writing is immediate, keeping the reader engaged, even when they don’t want to be, so I overlook what questions I have in hopes of answers later.
I’d love to see what others think of this book and the series.
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Tag Archive: book-2
So Bright the Stars by Cidney Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Yay! Another well-done sci-fi/Mars book! I would have loved to read this as a teen but love just as much as a septuagenarian. This is the second book in this series. The main character is now on Mars and is trying to fit in with the society that is already there.
Cidney Swanson has researched well to keep the story believable. Without making the story drab. She digs deep into her characters to bring them to life. As I am reading/listening to text-to-speech I find Ms. Swanson has me questioning ‘would I have done that? thought that?’ and the answers are sometimes obvious to the reader but not so much the main character, Penney. Other times the reader is in as much dark as Penney is.
I can’t wait for book three! Meanwhile, I hope you all get a chance to read the first series of Mars, Saving Mars which is more for the young adult, and then this series for adults as the character is an adult. But I see nothing that should keep a younger person from reading anything by Cidney. Enjoy!
Spirit Elfen by Ella J. Smyth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another fantasy for the end of summer. I breezed right through it and started the next. So last night I tried to read the book I thought I was in, and it turned out to be this one that I already read. I thought maybe it all sounded familiar because it was the intro presented after the first book. No. Even as far as the last chapter it was familiar. But I enjoyed getting the review before realizing I was actually finished and ready for book 3 (in fact, I was 12% into it). I almost think this set is short enough to be one larger book.
I think the above paragraph is my example of the review. It was a fun read with characters from book 1 with the fae. Oh, my favorite part, it was set in Germany. Wish there would have been more of a feeling of the land. Yeah. It won’t go into my favorite books. But a good distraction. Definitely not for preteens or younger teens.
But try it. You might love it!
This is my second reading of the first book of this box-set Find my first review here.
This reading, I was surprised at how current this dystopian story feels. It was only a year ago that I read the first book. Yet now, this seems so scarily close. The author died in 2009, so it was before all of this. How prescient!
As I mentioned in the previous review, I didn’t know what happened after the end of the first book. The second fills in the holes of what happened with the daughter.
At the same time, I wasn’t happy with how the story goes back and forth in person and times, beginning with that second book. I think it is more noticeable when you listen to your books on text-to-speech. I think my eyes might have noticed subtle changes. But that was such a little thing that it didn’t lower my rating.
I cried at the end of the book. I felt I wanted more. I wanted to be with Lauren and everyone in the story longer. The author was excellent in how she created a religion and gave us the ways it grew. How she drew the reader in to know the main character so profoundly was amazing. Now I want to read all her books! I am a fan!!!!
Independence Day: Crucible: The Official Prequel by Greg Keyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Okay. Not my favorite book. But it certainly filled the bill for missing information.
We watched, as usual, Independence Day on, yep, July fourth. I wanted to watch our DVD but the machine ate the DVD. Luckily, the show was on Live TV. We recorded so we could watch when we could get together as a group at the same time. We, also, recorded ID Resurgence. Getting all four of us in the same room at the same time is rare. So we barely got ID finished on 7/4. IDR happened on the fifth.
We’d seen Resurgence before and were unimpressed. This time we seemed to be more into the identifying stars and characters from before. That’s when we noticed that there were characters that seemed to be important but were unknown to us.
My husband watches shows with Google ready. It was when I asked him who is that and why are they supposed to be important? I don’t remember them from ID.
This book is the missing piece. Though it isn’t exciting enough to have a movie of its own, without it Resurge keeps you wondering. Maybe this should have been a series of three one hour shows? At any rate, this helped make the final show make more sense.
On the other hand, I am no more interested to rewatch Resurgence now that I know what I do. And it seems this could have the possibility of another movie or two as we learn more about aliens of all kinds and the hope of global cooperation.
So, it’s worth the read.
Reign of Monsters by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Who doesn’t enjoy a were-squirrel? Shatter Cage is one of the most fun characters in Sara Reine’s worlds. He is determined. His heart seems in the right place, for a thief. And he seems to have more energy than most folks.
With all that is going on, it was a nice fantasy to get lost in. We visit other places and characters from Reine universes. The setting of this one wasn’t Reno like a lot of them but it is a place we recognize. I don’t want to give much away but I think many will love the world-making and character depth that Ms. Reine puts into all of her beings. Again, she is the most prolific author I know of!
If you like fantasy especially urban fantasy that uses real places and remade to her characters’ purposes. Though this is the second book with Shatter, I find that by having read all the books from the beginning, Seasons of the Moon series starting with Six Moon Summer. In fact, this book gave us a nod or two to that beginning. Please enjoy!
No Crones About It by Amanda M. Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you are looking for a fun distraction, nothing too heavy or crazy, this is it. This series is about fun. Of course, you have to be the kind of person who enjoys a bit of snark.
There is a bit of shapeshifter and witchy romance but it is far from angsty. It is just the right amount of tension and fun between two people.
I am grateful to Kindle Unlimited to get to read this little gem.
Come Witch or High Water by Constance Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Amazon Kindle, PLEASE! Please back away from pretty book covers and at least put a book number on the front of a book! PLEASE!
I thought I had downloaded the first one first. In the end, at midnight when I usually read, as I open the book so I can listen to the text-to-speech. I can’t track well enough to read real books. But still, would a book number hurt you, especially for the TTS folks!
I have to admit, I often felt I missed something. Things were referred to. I felt in the dark as to what the author was talking about. But I thought maybe there was a series before this on that the characters were alluding to.
It still was a fun little book, in spite of getting it in the wrong order. I will now have to read it again after I read book 1 properly. At least I know it won’t be awful and I can read it on triple speed just to find the bits I didn’t get during this read. It is short and I think others will love this series. Oh, and I picked up books 1 &2 on Kindle Unlimited.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If my mind has not been very focused. This book may be the cause. Lack of sleep. Not because of worries. Nope, I just couldn’t stop reading/listening to the book.
I had the Audible Whispersynched with the Kindle version. Davina Porter did a marvelous job of narrating the story. Hers is not the sweet voice of the actress who played Claire Randall in the TV series. But Ms. Porter has the versatility to play all the characters perfectly.
The show did a good job following the books. The only thing I miss in the reading is the music.
That’s okay. I can Sing Me A Song of a Lass That Has Gone…
This story is captivating either way. I love getting involved in the history presented. I wish I were better versed in world history, especially France, and the British Isles. I know the next book will bring me into the founding of the United States of America. So that gives me a timeline I know, somewhat.
Since I read the book after watching the show, I wish I could have read it first. Not that the show is missing anything. I just like visualizing the story for myself. Now the people and places are fixed by the show.
At any rate, it is a good read, even if you’ve seen the show. It will keep you engaged in the story. I can’t wait until I can afford book three.
The Book of Etta by Meg Elison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once again, I didn’t write the review before moving on to the sequel. So now I have to remember this last book.
Kindle Unlimited is excellent in that I not only picked up the Kindle version it came with the audio whisper-synched. The narrator was a good, changing voices per character. It added to the reading experience in this dystopian world.
I don’t like to include the book blurb in any of my reviews. If you want to know what it is all about, follow the title and read it to see if it is a book for you.
I do love that it has a different take on the apocalypse. Women and childbirth are rare. That gives the imagination a rush. What would happen? What if the world is more advanced and accepting of different? Or if violence and old views remain in places?
I love this series. Each of the books is from a different character at a different part of the continuous disaster. It is nice to see the diversity this author was able to pull into these books. Etta/Eddy was a fun character to get to know as she/he learns who they are. I did love how they found their balance in each part of themselves. I know that sounds confusing but imagine being that person! But could you believe that you, too, have the yin and yang and can find your balance in a world that worships or rapes females? You might put on male clothing and attitude to keep yourself safe. You might still not want to be a breeder as that isn’t for you either.
Great series, great book! My only complaint is the way these books end. It leaves that character and moves on without a chance to say goodbye to that new friend. That is my lowered rating from a 5 to a 4. Still, worth the read!
Darswords 
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