Category: 5 Stars

Review: Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier

After reading the Blackthorn and Grim series by Marillier, I just knew I had to read more of her work. While I’ve not yet made time for backlist books, this start to a new series was irresistible. It also had a double whammy for expectations. First, I loved her other books so much, that my standards for Marillier are pretty...

Review: The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

The Poppy War is a fantastic read that I am sure will make Best Of 2018 lists come time later this year. It pulled me in REALLY fast! It starts with the main character, Rin, going in to take an exam. We don’t know anything about her or what the exam is for, but its immediately clear that the exam...

Review: Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Anytime I read the first book in a new series that follows one I love as much as Red Rising, I approach with both a huge dose of excitement but also a touch of apprehension that it won’t live up to the previous series. I am so excited that Iron Gold lived up to every expectation I had and maybe...

Review: Provenance by Ann Leckie

Leckie’s first trilogy is amazing, which sets a high bar for this new book. I am thrilled to say Provenance delivered more than I expected (even with the high expectations set by the previous books). I love the unique world Leckie has crafted, the unconventional genderizations (or lack there of) that exists in some of the worlds and how that challenges...

Review: The White Road by Sarah Lotz

The White Road will creep under your skin, fill your mind with all the ghastly things and make you leery of participating in activities like, oh, let’s say caving or mountain climbing. I was totally going to go climb Everest next year, really!  Never mind that I have a bum knee, a bum ankle, and maybe I’m scared of heights and...

Review: Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb

Assassin’s Fate is an emotional roller-coaster of a book that is heartbreaking, bittersweet and absolutely perfect. This book is not just a perfect ending to The Fitz and Fool trilogy, but also to The Realm of the Elderlings series so far. So much so, that my only negative reaction is fear that there may not be another series in this...

Review: Skullsworn by Brian Staveley

It may have taken a few months, but I am finally ready to hand out my first 5 star rating for 2017. And as much as I loved the Unhewn Throne trilogy, Skullsworn has taken seat for my favorite of Staveley’s book. One thing Staveley did well in Unhewn Throne was create fascinating secondary characters that you wish had more...

Review: The Fireman by Joe Hill

Fun fact, Hill mentioned in the foreward/introduction that the title of his book came from Bradbury’s original title of Fahrenheit 451. The Fireman felt very different from Hill’s other books. There is not the magical call of Christmasland, though there was a nod to it in the book as well as  a slew of references to other genre books, particularly Harry Potter....

Review: Black Wolves by Kate Elliott

Black Wolves may be a daunting read as it is a massive book and I know sometimes readers are deterred by that. The thing is, though, it is also a massively impressive book. Scaling it down would be a disservice to the story and quite honestly the story deserves to be read. I have not formulated my ‘best of the year’...

Review: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet commanded my complete attention from the very beginning, and was a book that I longed to continue reading any time real life got diverted me from its pages. Rosemary Harper is the newest crew mate for The Wayfarer. Her past is a bit mysterious, but you quickly learn she is bright and...