The House of Night series continues with book 5, with Kalona and Neferet spreading their power over the House.
What I Liked
The red fledglings have a bigger presence with Shauna Rae in the lead as their de facto High Priestess, and we start to see Neferet’s relationship with Kalona. And just for fun, Aphrodite has imprinted with Shauna Rae. I also like that Zoey retreats from the sexual maturity she developed in book 4, instead of just “okay, let’s have sex with anyone now cuz I did it with Blake”. Real consequences, real reactions to the betrayal. The addition of the Raven Mockers is a major uptick in the baddies department, all leading to a real battle at the end.
What I Didn’t Like
The book is a bit slow in places, and the whole Erik / Stark / Heath quadrangle is vomit-inducing — pick one, don’t pick one, don’t care. I’m also getting tired of the “we can’t go back to the HoN” one minute followed by “the only place we can go is the HoN” flip/flop.
Zoey has become isolated from her friends, thanks to Neferet’s machinations, just as a big baddie named Kalona is trying to return to Earth.
What I Liked
Aphrodite’s role and friendship with Stevie Rae and Zoey is starting to gel at this point, and it is far better than that of the nerd herd. I don’t just mean that they’ve deserted her in the book, as they feel hurt she didn’t share certain info with them, but just that their “contribution” is highly repetitive and doesn’t add much most of the time. And the introduction of the Street Cats charity with nuns running it is a fun addition. It adds some much-needed light to otherwise dark storylines.
What I Didn’t Like
The nerd herd. Yawn. And the ending is a bit chaotic in too-short of time.
It’s time for a double celebration — Winter Solstice and Zoey’s birthday. If only she wasn’t dealing with three men after her body, friends who are beginning to doubt her, Neferet and Loren scheming, and a best friend who remains undead.
What I Liked
I liked the scenes near the start where her friends and parentals have no clue how to help her celebrate her birthday, with only her ex-bf Heath and grandma really “getting” her preferences.
What I Didn’t Like
The story isn’t as solid this time, with most of it leading up to a plan to save Stevie Rae while distancing Zoey from her friends. The various near-sex scenes are ridiculous as the virtuous and virginal Z claims she’s just overcome by her emotions but getting closer and closer to sex with three different guys throughout the story. And after three books, it rings really false at this point. The romantic confusion is mixed with the sexual confusion, but the sexual side really isn’t that confusing.
A young recruit enters a war college for dragon riders, compelled to enrol by her mother, a high-ranking military officer.
What I Liked
I had seen this book in a bookstore in Maine when I was travelling over the summer, and it seemed like a fairly normal YA fantasy novel. It had some “legs”, and sounded good for the description, so I snapped a pic of the cover and downloaded it to my TBR pile when I got home. I assumed Jacob would likely read it first; we have similar tastes in those types of books, and I knew nothing about the author Rebecca Yarros or her other books. About a week ago, a woman I follow in video clips described the book as a cross between Divergent, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings. But she also talked about spicy scenes, her lingo for sexual interactions ranging from kissing to full-on sex scenes. I thought maybe I should read it before giving it to Jacob.
Holy crap. Yeah, he’s not reading it. While I hate to spoil anything, the sex scenes read more like Penthouse Forum than YA. Graphic references to insertion of fingers, slippery genitalia, etc. It apparently reflects more of Yarros’ erotica in previous romance novels.
But going back to the story itself, I found the plot solid and see why someone would see it as a cross of fantasy with Divergent. Violet may be there against her will, preferring to have become a scribe instead, and despite her own fragile physical condition, she is definitely Dauntless-class. The training is good, and you even get to see an American Ninja Warrior course built into the training, although it isn’t labelled as such, obviously, even if it is clearly a Warped Wall obstacle. I don’t know if it’s a trilogy or not, maybe ongoing, but I’ll read the next ones.
What I Didn’t Like
I found the book a bit long and slow in parts, and the constant “I love John, but I also love the bad boy Zach” angst that is common to YA romances was a bit tedious in places. I am way too old to care about that crap. The reader has no delusions about who will be the “winner” of her heart.
I also would have liked a LOT more info about the other wings, other factions (like scribes and healers), and even more so for information about the dragons themselves. They’re super cool, yet the book drops info about them like reciting a Wikipedia page.
Finally, the ending has a two-part twist for what’s really going on (easily seen) and who’s involved, and I had pretty much figured out what was coming, just not sure which “choose your own adventure” ending it would be amongst three.
FYI, the sex scenes were way over the top and more yawn-inspiring or silly than erotic.
When a rich and powerful man dies, leaving behind a lengthy and vengeful document of his life, many powerful forces move to capture the document before the document can be revealed to the public.
What I Liked
Whereas the first book read almost like a John Grisham novel, this second one seems like more of a Jeffrey Archer saga across the ages. The Lacey Confession is a document best kept hidden, or so many think. But the terms of his will are quite specific. On the fourth day after his death, it is to be released. Including details about major events of the 20th Century, including the assassination of JFK. While the story could be historical, or more like the Da Vinci Code, Greener roots the story in a young Foreign Service Officer who is the one who receives the document. Some want to protect him, and one hires Walter Sherman, aka The Locator aka The Finder, to hunt him down and find a safe place to keep him hidden. An assassin with pluck and a mysterious powerful CIA fixer are great main characters in the story.
What I Didn’t Like
There are two giant plot holes in the storyline and chronology of events. In the first instance, a lawyer representing Lacey reveals to the Foreign Service Officer that he has the document and gives it to him. Except he wouldn’t. He needed it in order to honour his client’s wishes, as he has for many years. He expects to be “thwarted” in his plans, and that he won’t be allowed to release the Confession, but it makes no sense he gives up the only copy to the random US FSO who shows at his office. Equally, at the end, the person who ends up with the document has it for six to eight weeks while Walter is otherwise engaged. Yet he apparently does NOTHING with the document. He doesn’t act on its contents, he doesn’t tell his partner for whom he is doing all of it, nada. Everything stands still and waits for Walter to be back in the game. The first is a mere plot device, not egregious, while the second is ridiculous and makes no sense whatsoever. It detracts enough from the story to knock it down a star.
The Bottom Line
The best in the series, but alas, there are no more
