Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald

This is the second Fantastic Beasts film.

      This installment goes as well at the first. It immerses you once again in a darker world with magic, but has beautiful creatures in it. It also has some surprising revelations, and twists that make the story even more engrossing, and by the end, their are some big character changes, and for once, I can't wait for the next installment of this film.
     I want to follow Newt and the others in his life to the end of this journey.

Fury Rising by Yasmine Galenorn

I am reading Galernorn's  Sisters of the Moon, or The Otherworld Series, and when I found out about this series, I decided to check it out.

     Galenorn once again creates a world of magic and the mundane beautifully blend into a new world where not only the Fae roam, werewolves and other shifters exist, but Gods and Goddesses from many myths are alive and well.

     And like her Otherworld, the world Kay inhabited came about with its own magical bang. Of course, every good series needs a heroine or hero, and of course a villain of some sort.

     Kay is a Theosian, specifically a Fury. So her life is complicated. She serves the Goddess Hecate, but has a semblance of a normal life, side jobs to keep the rent paid and food on the table.

     As the story progresses, the rollercoaster rides begins, between Kay's past, the world changing threat that looms over them all, and its all balanced with the characters lives as they intersect and life itself throws its own curve balls, good and bad, as the ride continues and by the end, you realize you want to follow these characters and see where life takes them.

     I book that's worth the time to read and a promise of a good series.

Antman and the Wasp

Not sure why it took me so long to add this review. It has been rolling around in my head off and on for a while.

     Antman wasn't bad, but this film was surprisingly good. The story was much more fluid and easier to get lost in. The new characters were interesting, and the old were better scripted this time around. The humor was much better timed and fluent with the flow of the story, it was natural feeling, not pushed in the story.
     The story was an interesting past and present mesh that ended up fitting perfectly with the previous film. I do admit I liked this film, and if you saw the first, this isn't a bad sequel at all, but not worth getting for a movie collection in my opinion.

Excavation by James Rollins

I got introduced to James Rollins through his Sigma series. Excavation his one of his standalone novels. And that all started because I read a Clive Cussler novel and got an author suggestion.

     James Rollins has done it again. A perfect blend of historical fiction, plenty of action, characters you want to follow, and the right amount of twists and turns.

     And it all starts with a mummy and by the end a twist I never expected. Worth the time to read and is another page turner. Just in case your curious about the Sigma series, Sandstorm is the first in the Sigma series.

The Turn by Kim Harrison

This is the prequel to The Hollows or Rachel Morgan series. The series was completed before this book was written. The first in the series is Dead Witch Walking.

     It is rare for me to find a book that I get excited for. When I found out The Turn was out, I had to read this.

     Since the prequel takes place decades before The Hollow series, you don’t have to read it first, to enjoy The Hollows. Though the way this story connects to some of The Hollows characters, it doesn’t hurt to read it first, if you haven’t started the series.

     When I first read the summary to Dead Witch Walking, I wasn’t sure about checking out the book. Kim Harrison was an author suggestion since I read Jim Butcher, and after deciding to overlook the whole tomato virus, The Hollows series was good.

     What I like about this prequel, is it makes the absurd sounding tomato plague make perfect sense. The right blend of interesting characters, some old and some new if you know The Hollows series. I really enjoyed this prequel, even though, I will not spoil anything, but it does have a scene that made me emotional. I won’t say happy or sad.

     I story is truly good and well written when I truly get invested in it. When I laugh, cry, hold my breath in anticipation of what could happen next to the character or characters. That line or detail that makes those characters come alive, and those details that make you say, hey, I do that, or that’s like me.

     Kim Harrison creates a world that is believable, and once again, she doesn’t disappoint at all. She engineers one whopper of a roller coaster ride. The right amount of twists and turns, perfectly balanced out. It’s worth the invested time to read it.

Night Shift Anthology edited by Nalina Singh

This anthology contains four stories and I read it because it has an Ilona Andrews story in it form the Kate Daniels series.

     The first story is by Nalina Singh. It's Secrets at Midnight.

A young woman discovers that she may be more than just human...

     The second story is Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews.

An interrupted date night , turns into an ancient call of duty for Dali, and with the help of her boyfriend, Jim, they discover that a missing person case, is just the tip of the iceberg, of something much more sinister.

     The third story is Lucky Charms by Lisa Shearin.

A first day, umm, night on the job, starts out cleaning up another teams mess and by the time dawn breaks, a "simple" snatch and return mission reveals so much more.

     The fourth story is by Milla Vane. It's The Beast of Blackmoor.

A young woman is sent on a quest to tame a beast of a man...

     Overall these stories were pretty good. I'm not sure but Secrets of Midnight felt like it was from a series of some sort. I was able to get into it, though and it was a decent enough romance.
     I love Kate Daniels world and the characters in it. I also love getting to see some of the character stories that can't be covered in a normal novel. It didn't disappoint.
     The third should have been titled The Trouble with Leprechauns, not Lucky Charms. This is actually a prequel to a series by Shearin. It definitely felt like that and I verified it on her site. This story gives the reader a nice glance into this world of magic and humans, and the characters are definitely interesting and a bit fun. I'm going to eventually check Shearin's series out.
     The final story, The Beast of Blackmoor, appears to  be the beginning of a series. One I have no real desire to pursue because even though this was a decent tale, I had trouble delving into this world.
I read a lot of fantasy, so swords and magic are fine with me. That wasn't the issue. I did think it had a tad bit more explicit sex in it, than was "needed". I can overlook that. But if you are going to create a mythos for your world, and from what I can tell, the gods and goddesses are made up, you need to add information for me to understand statements made from the characters that refer to the mythology. Think of it like this, to do addition, I need to know my basic numbers first... To get lost in a world, I need to understand about Vela, and the other gods and goddesses that exist in that world. Otherwise, when a god or goddess is mentioned, I'm a bit confused and pulled out of the story, because I don't know why that god or goddess is mentioned. I can infer to an extent, but I shouldn't have to.
     Sorry, if that was a bit long. But overall the anthology is a real good read and worth checking out.

Soul Jacker by Yasmine Galenorn

This is the first in the Lily Bound series (currently this series is on hold because the author does not have her writes to the series after leaving Indy publishing, but hopes to continue it in the future).

      I’m not sure I would have read this book, because it may never be serialized, but I got it as a gift and found out later about the series on hiatus. I had it, so I figured why not.

     I really hope things work out because I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed, and the story runs smoothly, and never has a dull a moment, and surprisingly a lot less sexual romps than I expected, considering it’s about a succubus.

     Soul Jacker introduces the reader to Lily, who is a Succubus and uses her “Private Salon” to sate her need for chi, or energy. Her life has been quiet for a while until a client is found dead in her salon.

     If that wasn’t enough, she discovers that the murderer has ties to not only her but several of her friends and acquaintances are in danger because they all had once gotten a tattoo from The Soul Jacker.

     Then enters P.I. Archer, and Lily’s life as she knows it begins to unravel, and not all in bad ways…

I’m still glad, continued or not, to have read this book. I really enjoyed and think it’s worth reading.

    

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

This is from The Innkeeper Chronicles. The series needs to be read in order. The first book is Clean Sweep.

     After close encounters of the alien assassin kind, Dina and her inn, has been relatively quiet for six months. Well, that is about to change…

     One day an Arbitrator shows up and has a dangerously enticing offer for Dina, an offer only a desperate innkeeper would take, so she does.

     The inn will host a peace summit between three factions each fighting over The Nexus, a planet that doesn’t follow the normal laws of physics. But is a rich source of a sought-after material.

     Dina will cross paths once again with some old acquaintances and along the way, make some new allies.

     Once again, Andrews creates interesting characters, a roll coaster ride with plenty of twists and turns, and yet, balances this strange world of magic and science fiction in the mundane world quite well.

     Not disappointed, definitely a good read. Can’t wait to visit Dina and Gertrude Hunt once again.

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey

Sorry, this is posted a bit later than I intended.

     This is part of The Expanse series and needs to be read in order, the first book is Leviathan Wakes. There are also three seasons of The Expanse series based on the books that was shown on SyFy. The fourth season will be on Amazon. The series is quite respectful to the books.

     This is another one of those books in this series, that shifts everything around, alters the reality of the human race once again.

     The crew of The Rocinante find themselves once again pulled back into the spot light. In order to stop the Free Navy, strange alliances must be formed, and an unexpected death, has Holden taking on a role he never wanted.

     As always, Corey does a wonderful job weaving a story with twists and turns, even interweaving some characters from previous books into it, in a way that feels so natural and right.

     Another wonderful installment of The Expanse series. Worth the time to read. Sci-fi done right.

Games Creatures Play edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner

This is an anthology of game-based tales with a supernatural twist. The authors featured in this book are Jan Burke, Dana Cameron, Adam-Troy Castro, Brendan DuBois, Charlaine Harris, Toni L. P. Kelner, Caitlin Kitteredge, William Kent Krueger, Ellen Kushner, Mercedes Lackey, Joe R. Lansdale, Laura Lippman, Seanan McGuire, Brandon Sanderson, and Scott Sigler

     I’m a fan of Charlaine Harris and that’s why I got this anthology.  Most of the stories were pretty good, but my biggest issue was that most of these stories were about ghosts and hauntings. When I hear creature I think big foot, mermaids, Nessie. Not so much of ghosts.

     But the stories for the most part were interesting reads. I have read other anthologies, and this is an above average one. Here’s a summary of each tale.

     In the Blue Hereafter: Manfred can’t escape his Grandmother’s game.

Hide and Seek: A child’s game becomes much sinister, and with high stakes.

Stepping into the Dead Zone: The new kid in class is more than he seems.

Dead on the Bones: Revenge is a dish best served after death.

The Devil Went Down to Boston: How far could one go to protect family?

On the Playing Fields of Blood: A game that has a deadly purpose.

The God’s Games: A lycanthrope is sent to the Olympics on a mission by the Gods.

The Case of the Haunted Safeway: Sometimes a haunting isn’t so black and white.

Pris de Fer: Too much pride can be deadly.

Dreamer: An afterlife game

False Knight on the Road: Sometimes a bargain with the devil can be something else than a soul

Jammed: Roller derby and a derby girl death by non- human “hands”

Hide and Shriek: Immortals get bored

Ice: There’s something under the pond

Bell, Book, and Candlepin: A curse wreaks it havoc on unsuspecting people

     This anthology isn’t a bad read if you like supernatural tales. Not a waste of time to read either.

    

The Policewoman by Justin W.M. Roberts

This story does start off a bit sluggish, but by chapter five starts to take off, and keeps a great pace till the end.

          I’m glad I gave this story a chance, it isn’t the type of genre I usually read. It has a good blend of characters, crime mystery, and glimpses into police procedure and training I was unaware of. It has a kind of unlikely type of heroine, who is more of a balance of kick butt fearless, but knows what she wants and who she is, female and a police officer.

      The story follows Sara and her involvement with a case that covers continents. A drug cartel. Throw in some crime drama, romance, friends and family, and of course a few surprises along the way, and an ending that wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but none the less, the story is worth the time to read.
     This is an addition to The Policewoman review. I have had the opportunity to read the re-edits for this story and though they do not affect my overall review for this story, the edits have smoothed out the speed bumps in this story and make it a much cleaner, well weaved tale of a police crime drama.

Night Shift by Charlaine Harris

This is the final book in the Midnight, Texas series. The first book is Midnight Crossroad. The television series: Midnight, Texas based loosely on the series is really good, too. Its been renewed for season two.
     Unlike the two previous books in this series, this installment seems to be the neat, well, attempting to be neat, tie up and conclusion of the series, instead of being the story that focuses on Fiji and the evil lurking beneath Midnight.
     It was good book but I feel like their could have been one or two more books in this series. For one, several characters are left in limbo. Will one find  love? Will the other deal with her father? Will two others make their own way in Midnight? It leaves the door open for novellas, short stories, or even a novel.
     The final "chapter" of Midnight, Texas was still good, a twist here and there, a good dose of personal drama, and supernatural trouble balanced in an enjoyable way. I will miss Midnight, Texas, and the misfits that call it home.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and Others

This is a collection of short stories from the world of the Shadowhunters. I would not suggest reading this anthology if you have not read The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because certain stories won't make as much sense unless you have the background information to the tales.
     Clare has several series in The Shadowhunter world. Its best to read them in this order: The Infernal Devices which starts with Clockwork Angel. The Mortal Instruments: starts with City of Bones, and the newest, The Dark Artifices: starts with Lady Midnight.

     I usually like series based anthologies but the way this one went it should have been a novella, or even a connective bridge novel between The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices. Its not really a collection of short stories in the sense of an anthology.
     All the stories connect to Simon's time at The Shadowhunter academy or to what is going on at the academy at this time. It would have read better as one tale. The stories aren't bad, but they could have been so much more.
     The opportunity to enrich the Shadowhunter world was sadly wasted. All the reader gets is some glimpses of academy life and some of that is no surprise. Even the other tales not related to the academy life, could have been so much more.
     For example, Jack the Ripper could have been much better, and make a little more sense in why the murders were done. At least Simon's story gets completed enough to satisfy fans of the Mortal Instruments. Some of the tales even connect into The Dark Artifices series.
     Yes, I would suggest this gets read before the Dark Artifices series, but don't expect a really great and entertaining read.

White Hot by Ilona Andrews

Sorry, I am so behind on my posts.

     This is the second book in The Hidden Legacy Trilogy. It needs to be read in order and the first book is Burn for Me.

     For Nevada, life has returned to normal. Well, minus Mad Rogan in it. Then a new client, an unexpected one, and one who she has meant, Cornelius Harris, has a job offer, he wants to know who killed his wife...
     And so Nevada is once again pulled into the world of Primes, pulled into the gravitational pull of Mad Rogan, fate forcing them to work together once more.
     Then if her life isn't a mess already, a family secret will come out forcing Nevada to fully admit what she has already known, she is a Prime, and not only that, several family members lives will change too.
     And by the time this case comes to a close, Baylor Investigations has a new employee, its first not family member, and when everything seems to be going well for Nevada, the new threat, she knew was coming, has begun to move into play...not to mention the "Cesar" is still at large.
     As the first book in this series, you get to know more of the world of magic. More of the lives of the characters you love and all the twists and turns that makes a good story. Worth the time to dive into the world pf Legacies and Primes, magic and mayhem.