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.
The authoritarian regime of Altered Earth was interesting to visit, although the trajectory from Point A to Point B is left a bit weak. Where there is actually some action, with an Emergency Combat Hologram and playing hide and seek with newbie, low-end drones, the show is decent. But many of the episodes feel like a VERY long episode that should have been a two-parter like it was on Voyager. Season 1 was way better. And don’t get me started on Picard trying to be the “old wise man” imparting great pronouncements while having NO sense of connection or chemistry with just about anyone. Even Guinan feels very forced.
List of Episodes from Season 2
S02E01
The Star Gazer
None of our tomorrows are guaranteed. Particularly when large-scale anomalies appear out of nowhere, calling your name. However, it might be better than Q calling you.
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E02
Penance
In an alternate Q reality, a safe galaxy is a human galaxy. President Hanson, Rios, the Borg Queen and others are more confused than present for Eradication Day.
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E03
Assimilation
LA in 2024? Wasn’t that a Voyager episode? Any 29th century tech sitting around anywhere? No? Oh, well.
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E04
Watcher
Guinan may be a listener, but only when you say something interesting, like your name. Oh, and ICE grabs some of the time travellers.
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E05
Fly Me to the Moon
Picard’s ancestor probably isn’t helped much with Q as her therapist. And Data with his child in a bubble is a bit creepy.
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E06
Two of One
Jean-Luc meets his ancestor, gives her a pep talk, and there’s a bunch of gala stuff going on.
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S02E07
Monsters
A trip inside Jean-Luc’s head and past is not particularly interesting.
🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E08
Mercy
Guinan and Jean-Luc are arrested, everyone else just wanders around accomplishing nothing. Good line from Guinan that the boy who met a Vulcan had to have that experience in order to grow up to be the FBI agent to arrest them.
🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E09
Hide and Seek
Okay, an Emergency Combat Hologram is pretty cool. As is playing hide and seek with newbie Borg at Chateau Picard. Hippie love moments? Meh.
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E10
Farewell
In the past, double the ancestor, half the risk, a bit easy; but that project Khan file sounds intriguing. In the future, Agnes is Guardian of the Gate? That sounds intriguing too. A bit shmaltzy in places though.
🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
The Bottom Line
Not as enjoyable as Season 1, needed more action or a lot of editing.
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.
