Three Novels Beyond the Real

I was reading Shiver, when as I neared the end, two books came in for me at the library. Bloodfever and Glory In Death. In that order. I was so excited. Two sequels to two books that had me staying up past my bedtime reading. 

Shiver

Wow. I think I use that word too much, but that ending was a definite wow. After reading The Raven Cycle I knew I had to read more from Maggie Stiefvater. Shiver did not disappoint. I was a little hesitant to read a werewolf tale, but Stiefvater's take on werewolves is not one I've read before. It's tragic. Beyond the supernatural "issues", it was the characters that got me. The characters are rich and real. They are believable and relatable. Grace is a wonder. She is unique and deserves love. Sam is sad and warm and kind. I really enjoyed the alternating points of view, but Grace was the centre for me. I often enjoy that stylye and Stiefvater does it well. 

Bloodfever

I am loving the Fever series. Bloodfever is Karen Marie Moning's sequel to Darkfever. I think I enjoyed the second book more. I loved Mac more. I loved watching her grow and learn more about herself. I liked that she didn't just fall in with whoever was making her promises. She trusted herself more. I'm in this series until the end. I want to know who/what Barrons is. I want to know more about the sisterhood. I want to see Mac get her revenge.

Glory In Death

Lt. Eve Dallas is still amazing. Glory in Death is the sequel to JD Robb's Naked in Death, a novel about a hard-ass detective, set in a future New York City. Glory in Death makes me so happy. Eve is the same, but growing, as is Roarke. He surprises her and himself. She puts it all on the line for her cases and for people she cares about. Watching her relationships grow, not just with the man in her life, but with her best friend, and her new reporter friend. Eve Dallas has me hooked. I don't know if I'll ever get tired of reading about her - and there are a lot of books in this series.

Each of these novels have a lead character who is strong, yet vulnerable. They learn and want to know more. They are three completely different worlds that these characters live in, but they adapt and seek to understand. They are compelling, consuming reads and I can't wait to read more about each of them. 

Shadowhunters

I’m not sure how I feel about Shadowhunters. I read all the Mortal Instruments books (and The Infernal Devices). I saw City of Bones (but heard it was disappointing, so waited until it was on TV). I was excited to hear about the television series. I enjoyed Cassandra Clare’s novels. They were exciting and fun. I thought they would be a fun series. I wanted to see what they would change, what they would keep from the books and how it would differ from the movie. It is definitely different from the movie, but I’m not sure how much I like the differences from the books.

I do have to mention though, that Shadowhunters only airs on Tuesday on a US network.  For those of us who don’t live in the States, Shadowhunters is only available on Netflix, with new episodes available the day after it airs in the States. That’s fine, I guess. I have Netflix, so I get to see the show the day after, but I stay away from Twitter while the show is airing the in US.

There have only been about six episodes so far, but here are the changes... The first one that really struck me was Hodge. He’s not some doddering old man, stuck up in the library. He is the weapons instructor, who spends time with his shirt off. The second, why are there so many people in the New York institute? It’s so high tech.  It’s also very sexual, more so than I expected for a show airing on Freeform (ABC Family).

Stuff I liked… the Silent Brothers. Yes. The whole look of the City of Bones was good.  I liked that Simon and Isabelle have had a moment together. He’s intimidated by her, but she seems to be fond of him. We’ve already addressed who Clary’s father is, so that’s going to be causing some good tension. Luke, I think he’s great. I miss the bookstore, but the police station makes a lot of sense.

I’m not opposed to changes, I just want them to fit the narrative and the feeling of the books. I also understand the need for some of them, to get an audience watching that isn’t just made up of people who read the books.

I do like that Magnus name-dropped Tessa. Everything about Magnus. He might be my favourite part of the show.

So, how do I feel about Shadowhunters? I don’t know yet. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I am invested though and I’ll be watching how everything unfolds this season.

Undead and Underwater

Undead and Underwater is a collection of three novellas by MaryJanice Davidson.  In it, Davidson has included a crossover story with Queen Betsy and Fred the Mermaid, a grown-up Lara Wyndham, and a character I've never read about before, Hailey Derry.  While I love Queen Betsy and the Undead books, I've been interested in reading something different by Davidson and more about the world of the Wyndham werewolves and Fred the Mermaid.

Super, Girl

Hailey is great (aka It Girl - a name she hates) and has an unusual power. She doesn't wear a cape or have a crafted persona. She just does what's right, what needs to be done.  I love where Hailey works; her office has its own personality. If Davidson ever writes more about Hailey, I feel like she'll need to flush out that company and its CEO a little more. Even with the unanswered questions, I really enjoyed the story.  I felt like we were getting a peak into Hailey's life. I appreciated that Hailey wasn't just a copy of Betsy.  She talked "a mile a minute", but before Linus, she felt like she had no one to talk to.  Unlike Betsy, from the beginning, she puts others first. She has no life except for her Human Resources job and saving people.  She owns her gifts.  She makes excuses at work, but the end is no surprise.  I wish I could know more about Hailey's minions, who love her and want her to be happy.  For a novella, it was good, with just enough mystery that will make readers want more.

Undead and Underwater

Will there be more Betsy and Fred crossover? Because I think I would enjoy that. Betsy has changed the way Fred thinks about the world. With both of these characters, having them change in any way affects how they deal with the problems that come up in their stories. It is Betsy that has kept me reading the Undead series and who influenced me to pick up a trilogy about mermaids. I think Fred is seeing Betsy the way her friends and other strangers don't, maybe because of her unique perspective.

In Undead and Underwater, Betsy and Fred accidentally come together because they were asked to help the same person. At first Fred can't stand Betsy, which is understandable for anyone who's read any of the Undead books, but she sees the way that Betsy is willing to help Madeline, a human and someone she doesn't know. Fred reluctantly gets to know Betsy. You can feel a lot of different things towards the reluctant vampire Queen, she's ditzy but likable, self-centered but fierce. Betsy is often perfectly put together, but in a flash, she can also be covered with someone else's blood. Fred knows that Betsy is someone she never wants to piss off and never wants to lose track of. Those final lines of the Undead and Underwater novella make me think that Fred and Betsy will come together again. There are Undead novels I have yet to read and one or two more yet to be published and I am excited to see what Davidson has in store for them.

Incomer

I really enjoyed Incomer it might be my favorite of the three stories. Incomer is about Lara the daughter of Michael Wyndham and new Pack leader. The story takes place in near the future, when Lara assumes leadership of the Pack. Incomer is about her first day, her first challenge and becoming an adult. I loved her brother, Sean and I loved Jack. It was nice to know what happened to Derik and Sara after Derik's Bane. I appreciate that there wasn't the typical werewolf fight to the death.  Laura, after taking on her father's mantle, is also continuing Michael's new tradition of excepting change. When Lara addresses the challenge in an unusual way, the result is unexpected.  I appreciate the unexpected, especially when using familiar stories, like werewolf fight to the death or challenge for leadership.

I also really liked Davidson's vision of technology in the future.  It's only about 20 years, but foldable iPads sound awesome, though even if our homes get wired to the Cloud, I think some of the young folk will know what iPhones are, because their parents had one. I loved the glimpses of future Queen Betsy and future Fred.  They're the same, but older. They might give Lara a hard time, but they are loyal and seem to have genuine concern for her well-being.  Betsy seems to be at home, still with Sinclair, living life, trying not to turn evil.  Fred is in the Caspian Sea, the seat of power for the Undersea Folk, with kids. How did she end up in the Caspian Sea when she loved Boston?  I think more than Betsy, I have questions about Fred.

I enjoyed getting to be in the Pack and experiencing it through their perspective.  There have only been two Wyndam Werewolves novels, the rest have been short stories, most of which I don't think I've read.  Neither of the novels took place in Cape Cod, where the Wyndhams live.  What is it like there, what has Michael Wyndham had to deal with? What were his children like as teenagers?  How did humans fit into their world?  What was the fallout after Queen Betsy's visit?  Incomer gave me some of that, some of what I've been wanting to read.  But I'd like more.

In the end...

It was a great threesome of novellas.  I enjoyed each story, each character accepting their positions of power, their responsibilities.  It has reminded me how much I enjoy Davidson's writing and I look forward to the next book of hers I pluck off the shelf.

City of Heavenly Fire

That's it. I have finished Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series. City of Heavenly Fire is the sixth and final book. It was full of excitement and adventure. It took Clary, Jace and their friends to places I didn't expect. I'm not sure how I feel about the story though. I really enjoyed it up until the end.  I had the same issue with the final book in Clare's The Infernal Devices trilogy. 

Spoilers...

The ending of City of Heavenly Fire was too perfect. Like Clockwork Princess, I found that it was written to make the fans happy, the epilogue especially.  Every reader's hopes and wishes for the characters were there on the pages.  Maybe I've just become a cynic over the years.  I just expected a little more of the unexpected, a little more shock and awe.

I also felt like there was a little too much setup for Clare's next series, The Dark Artifices.  I understand and even appreciate a little setup.  I loved Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorns.  I loved Brother Zachariah.  However, I don't think we needed to see that Carstairs file.  It could have been part of the prologue of the next book or something.  It just took too much away from the main story, because even though the contents of the file are brought to our attention, what happens after will only be known if you read the next Shadowhunter series.

Spoilers End...

Even though I didn't really like everything about the epilogue, I enjoyed the book as a whole.  I liked Edom, the way that the group got to see the consequences if everything went wrong.  I loved the characters growing up, understanding themselves and each other.  I loved Magnus.  I wish I could have seen Magnus speak with Zachariah, but maybe in other book. So, while I wasn't entirely happy with the ending, I still very much enjoyed the book and the entire Mortal Instruments series.  I'm interested to see where the Shadowhunters take us next.

Undead and Unstable

Undead and Unstable is the 11th book in MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series. Undead and Unstable ends Davidson's series within a series. Queen Betsy Taylor "fixes" some of the issues she had with the timeline. The ongoing battle with Laura's mother is over. The major storyline for the last few books gets tied up. That doesn't mean that it's all over. There have been three more since this one was published. I'm guessing that they will deal with Laura's reaction to what Betsy has done. Also, what is up with Jessica's pregnancy? What will happen to Marc? During the books, there will probably be more fights between Betsy and Sinclair, but they always make up. Also, there are merfolk in the next book.

Though I enjoyed Undead and Unstable, I found the middle chunk of the book to be a lot of talking and not a lot of action. It's times like this I wonder if the author has some kind of minimum word count to reach. I like that Betsy is ditzy, but eventually works it out. I like her babbling. I even like her obsession with shoes. But I think the novel could have easily been shorter. Even with the extra words, I still enjoyed the story. I like Queen Betsy and her "minions". Davidson's books are fun and a great distraction from life. I'm excited to read those three books I don't own yet.

Wolf At The Door

Wolf At The Door is MaryJanice Davidson's first Wyndham Werewolves novel since Derik's Bane.  All other Wyndham Werewolves stories have been short stories or novellas. I've read some of the stories, when they were in Davidson's own collections, but not in collections that have multiple authors, so I haven't read all the "background" info. Honestly, you don't need the Werewolf info, though it might be entertaining. The more important information is from the Undead series. Wolf at the Door is a crossover book that features Betsy Taylor, queen of the vampires.

I really enjoyed seeing Betsy from an outsider's perspective. When Rachel and Edward meet Betsy and the gang for the first time, they are nothing like the couple expected. The smoothies and shoes are enough to confuse anyone. Add in the pregnant human and the cop, it all becomes a little unbelievable.   Everyone expects Betsy to be some kind of dark, evil she-demon and she's just not.

Okay, enough about the vampires, let's talk about werewolves.  Specifically, female werewolves who don't find their "mate" in their twenties.  This is the second Wyndham Werewolves story I've read that has a super hot werewolf woman down on herself. Listen lady wolves, maybe not everyone finds the right person right away. It's okay. There are hundreds of thousands of werewolves out there, and billions of human men.  One of them will be right for you.  Also, who needs a man?  Rachel was getting along great.  Edward was just a bonus to her Minnesota trip.  Rachel was a great character.  She was confident and intelligent.  Edward was an adorable geek.  He was even more down on himself than Rachel.  He seemed like the kind of geek I'd love to talk to.  I smiled at all the super geeky references that Edward made throughout the story; they gave the novel a little something extra that appealed to me.

Wolf at the Door could maybe be read on it's own, but I don't recommend it.  I think a reader needs to have a little background on Queen Betsy, though not necessarily on any of the Pack.  Derik, from Derik's Bane is only mentioned once in passing, so reading the last Wyndam Werewolves novel is perhaps unnecessary. Davidson gave me everything I wanted from Wolf at the Door.  It was light, fun and entertaining.

City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls is the fifth book in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series. Before I get into the story, I have to ask, who is proofing the books? I saw more than one error in City of Lost Souls. It wasn't many, maybe three, but I also noticed it in the last book of Clare's I read. Is it a coincidence? I don't know. What I do know is that I find errors disturbing to the flow of my reading. Please, remember commas.

I loved Isabelle & Simon, and Magnus & Alec. I'm really interested to see how these relationships turn out. They aren't the star couples of the series, but they are the most appealing to me. I'm continually annoyed at Clary. I think the conversation that she and Jace have at the end is to try to justify her behaviour, but I still found some of her decisions questionable. I do like the development of her relationship with Izzy though. Clare has developed Sebastian in Lost Souls. He's grown beyond the monster he was in Fallen Angels.  Sebastian is a complex antagonist and there are moments where you feel sympathy for him. He's batshit crazy, but you know it's because of his father, who treated all his children as experiments.  I'm excited to see what happens to him.

I'm really looking forward to City of Heavenly Fire. I want to see the war they keep portending. I'm looking forward to some shocking, gasp inducing moments. I'm glad I won't be waiting too long.

Clockwork Prince

Cassandra Clare delivers a fast-paced, action packed story with the second book in The Infernal Devices series. Clockwork Prince had everything I expected from Clare. There were secrets, surprises, love, hatred, confusion and vendettas. I'm still enjoying the lives of great-great (etc.) grandparents of characters in The Mortal Instruments. Also, I continue to enjoy Magnus Bane.

Clare knows how to create an intense plot. Everyone keeps moving. Even moments of rest for the characters have something else going on, thoughts and feelings they can't control. I really enjoy Will Herondale. I like that, for a moment, we are reminded that he is just 17 and that the bad thing that happened to him, occurred when he was 12. I think Tessa has so much possibility, I'm eager to see what will happen to her in Clockwork Princess.

I'm not 100% happy with Jem's emotional outburst at the end, the one with Tessa.  I don't want to reveal anything to anyone who hasn't read it yet, but I'm just not sure I liked it.  It was a lot coming from a usually reserved character.  I get that it was suppressed emotion finally bubbling up to the surface, but I still don't know if I'm happy with it.  Poor Jem, though.  I feel like I'm going to spend a large part of the next novel waiting for him to die.  

I know Clare plans on writing other series set after The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices.  I know not everyone may like that, but I read series with 15+ books in them.  As long as I'm enjoying the stories, I'll keep reading about Shadowhunters.  I wonder how far Clare can stretch their world.

City of Fallen Angels

Really? Really, Cassandra Clare?  That's how you're going to end the book?  I don't know how I feel about this ending. Usually, even when reading books in series, I like to feel that the novel is complete.  Maybe if the last chapter was titled something else, not quite "Epilogue", but I don't know... Maybe I'm feeling like this because it is a major cliffhanger.  I suppose the main part of the story line completed itself well.  City of Fallen Angels was definitely a good start to the second half of Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.

Really, I couldn't put down Fallen Angels. I think the reason I enjoyed it was the focus on Simon. I enjoyed Jordan and I loved Izzy.  Maia has become a more interesting character.  Yes, Jace and Clary are the "stars" of the series, but putting Simon as a focal point was a great change.  He's going through so many things.  Not just regular vampire things, but the other things that make him unique.  By giving the secondary characters more time in the forefront, I think Clare was making sure her readers didn't get bored.  I certainly didn't. - Also, communication kids, it's important. I'm just sayin'. -

I'm very glad that I read Clockwork Angel first.  Magnus really connected both books and they're connected in other ways too.  Just knowing what a "Subjugate" is before Izzy mentions it was nice. Though it is going to be difficult, I'm glad that I decided to alternate the books in the two series.  I think it'll make the reading experience more interesting. So, while I'm eager to see what happens in City of Lost Souls, the next Cassandra Clare book I'll be reading is Clockwork Prince.  You know... maybe I'm warming up a bit to the ending... but I don't know how I really feel.  Maybe it'll be couple days before I know.

Undead and Unwelcome

Undead and Unwelcome is the 8th book in MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series.  If there are SPOILERS for the first 7 books, it can't be helped.

I'm glad that I've continued with the very light Undead books. Undead and Unwelcome was such an easy and entertaining read. It's just what I've been needing lately. I have to admit, I was worried in the beginning. The first fifty pages in and I was a little miffed at Betsy.  Normally, I enjoy her sarcastic, snarky, I-don't-care attitude, but not right then. Her friend was dead.  They were discussing the funeral.  I understand that she was noticing some weird paranormal phenomena at the same time, but multi-task.  At least pretend to pay attention.  She's in the home of the werewolf king, I'd like to think that she'd know to show a bit more respect.  Maybe her bad behaviour is getting worse with age.  I was hoping that it didn't get worse, because I could only handle so much of this attitude.  It did not get worse, Becky became better and I think learned a thing or two from Michael Wyndham about being a leader.

I got exactly what I wanted from the funeral scene. Betsy did what I was imagining and hoping she would do. Antonia deserved to be mourned by people who actually cared about her and wanted to see her happy. Betsy showed them the truth, even at risk to her own safety.  She showed them again at the Council.  It was great to get these real, raw emotions out of her.

"Why can't we all just get along."  Seriously Davidson, I love these books. But not only is that line eye-roll inducing, if a twenty-year-old read that, I'm not sure they would understand the reference. 

Marc's journal was a fantastic addition. The Undead series is told in first person, from Betsy's point of view, but Davidson changed things up. Marc wrote a diary. From this diary do we get to see what Laura was up to while her sister was away. That young lady is super crazy and in some serious denial. I'm wondering where Davidson is going to take this. Is Laura going to swing for her sister or her mother? And what will happen to the baby?

As much as I have questions, Undead and Unwecome does pretty well as a story on it's own. It is the middle book in what Davidson calls her "trilogy within a series," but for someone who read Undead and Unworthy a while a go, I didn't feel I was missing anything. There was a bit of catch up at the beginning of the book, which was nice, but what mattered immediately was the story taking place in this novel. It's something I appreciate from books in series. 

I really enjoyed the 8th Undead book and I'm glad I have the 9th close at hand.

Dead Over Heels

I decided to continue reading MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series; I've been wanting lighter fair recently. Dead Over Heels is another collection of novellas.  If I had read things in the right order (oops!), I wouldn't have been reading two collections back to back.  Oh well, I enjoyed it. Again, I'll be commenting as I read each story.

Undead and Wed

Undead and Wed is the story of Queen Betsy's honeymoon. It's also a great play on the title of Davidson's first Undead book, Undead and Unwed.  You know what you probably DON'T want on your honeymoon?  You're friend tagging along.  Not just your friend, but your friend and her boyfriend who hates you (and all vampire kind).  It's not really what I expected from the story of Betsy's honeymoon.

Unlike the first story in her last collection, though their was some sex, it wasn't all sexed up.  There was a real story.  There was a plot and a mystery to solve. I really enjoyed the story, the characters.  It's what I was looking for in the last collection. Undead and Wed reminded me why I started following Betsy in the first place.

Survivor

Survivor is a mermaid tale.  It takes place after the second Fred the Mermaid book.  I've never read this series of Davidson's, but now I think I want to.  This story doesn't involve Fred, but more reflects the results of her actions.  Survivor is about Ree and Con, a mermaid and a human man.  I really enjoyed them.  They were in a situation that I have not seen with Davidson's vampire and werewolf characters.  If a vampire was in Con's situation, he probably would have died no matter what Ree did.  What Survivor did more than anything was make me interested in Davidson's Mermaid world.  It is different from the Undead world.  I want to know what led Ree to the point where she made the decision to help Con.

I've also noticed that Davidson is a fan of the antagonistic love/hate relationships.  Her fictional couples bicker a lot.  Some more than others, but there's always some kind of argument happening.  Do couples in real life bicker/argue as much as her characters?  Sometimes, it's friendly couple bantering, oftentimes it's real arguments.  It's making me think, which if a paranormal romance story can make me think, I guess it's a good one.

Speed Dating, Werewolf Style; Or Ow, I Think You Broke The Bone

Werewolves are weird. Mating is a weird werewolf compulsion. Cain has to find a mate before her thirtieth birthday or... what? She'll be shunned? Go crazy? Drive Saul crazy? What? It's not a male/female thing either. They're all crazy about mating/marrying. Bur maybe that's how Davidson likes them. 

I thought for a minute that my assessment after reading Survivor was wrong.  For half the story, the couple were being so nice to each other.  There were kind words and meals shared. It was really sweet.  Then Blam! Antique end tables are being thrown across the room. I have come to the conclusion that Davidson writes antagonistic couples. But that's cool. I still really enjoyed this story. I can't really say much more about it without giving the plot away. 

In Conclusion...

I really enjoyed Dead Over Heels, though there were only dead people in the first story. It was a fun collection. I definitely liked it better than Dead And Loving It, I think because there was more plot in the novellas. There was character development, which made me invested in their outcome. Though I was quite happy with Undead and Wed, I think Survivor was my favourite out of the three. I might end up reading Fred the Mermaid one day. Dead Over Heels is a must for any Davidson fan. I'm glad I decided to read all these entertaining stories.  

Dead And Loving It

Dead And Loving It is a collection of four novellas, all around 50-80 pages, about the Wyndam Werewolves and their friends, by MaryJanice Davidson.  From the title, I thought it was part of the Undead series.  One of the novellas comes after Undead and Unreturnable and involves the main Undead cast, but it's really about the werewolf.  These stories are all about werewolves finding love.

Santa Claws

Wow, is Santa Claws all sexed up!  At first we meet the two characters, Alec and Giselle.  Alec is a gorgeous werewolf and Giselle is a curvy brunette.  She's a little self-depricating, which I am not a big fan of.  She keeps talking about how big her ass is.  I get it, okay, you have a big butt.  Alec isn't blind. He comes on strong, even though he's trying to hold back.  The creep/stalker warnings do go off for Giselle, so that's good, and he tries to woo in a non-scary and creepy way.  There's not too much plot to the story, but what saves it is the end.  The little twist with Giselle certainly surprises Alec.  Without it, I don't know if I would have liked the story as much.

Monster Love

Simply, I didn't like it.  There was lots of sex, but too much violence.  I couldn't connect with the characters. They had poor decision making abilities.  That's all I really want to say about it.

There's No Such Thing As A Werewolf

The cutest story so far. Definitely more romance/relationship development than the other stories.  I really enjoyed Drake and Crescent. They had such interesting, contrasting personalities.  I'm also seeing a theme with werewolf males and mating. They can be... aggressive. I also liked the introduction of a new supernatural element to the story. I think I like that Crescent just can not be surprised.  I actually wouldn't mind reading more about this couple.

A Fiend In Need

This was the story I was looking most forward to. A Fiend In Need tells the story about how Antonia the werewolf ended up living with Queen Betsy and her friends. Queen Betsy is the main character of the Undead series, which I've been reading for a few years. It is a series I've really enjoyed.  Then one day I picked up the next novel in the series and there's Antonia from the Wyndam Werewolves.  They mention that she's now a part of the group and Garrett's girlfriend, but not much beyond that.  I guess way back in 2007 I hadn't noticed that this collection of novellas included Antonia and Garrett's meeting. 

I really enjoyed Antonia and Garrett's story. They are both unique characters and uniquely suited for each other. I enjoyed watching both of them, especially Antonia. I love that she found more than a man by the end of the story. 

Though I really enjoyed A Fiend In Need, unlike the other novellas, I don't really think it stood on its own the way the others did.  Perhaps it was because of how many characters were involved. Betsy's entire entourage was a part of Antonia and Garrett's story.  There wasn't much background given to any of the characters except Antonia and Garrett.  There were a few facts given, like everyone's role, Queen, King, assistant, doctor, etc, but I think to someone who hadn't read the previous Undead books, they would all feel a little flat.  Though I suppose, it is a story about a werewolf finding love, so maybe I was just expecting more from characters I already know. I did love visiting these characters again; it's been a long time. I think I might continued reading about them. 

If you're a fan of MaryJanice Davidson, her Undead or Wyndam Werewolves stories, I think you'll enjoy this collection. 

Dead Ever After

I love the last line of Dead Ever After. (I'll try not to be spoilery, but there might be some vague ones...) Thirteen books later, I think Sookie has learned who she is and what she is capable of. She isn't searching for someone or something. She is happy with the person she is. I don't think that it's about who Sookie ends up with, though I like the man and I totally expected it. I think the series has been Sookie's journey to herself. It is her over coming her perceived disability and becoming strong and independent. She's beyond needing a man. Having one is nice, but she isn't going to let it define her.

Dead Ever After was fun and entertaining. It had a mystery to solve, which I've always liked about the Sookie Stackhouse books. We had an appearance by every man in the series that Sookie had been involved with, which I think was very exciting and appropriate as this was the final novel. I loved Karin; if they thought about it too much, I think she and Pam would turn Sookie because they'd want her as a friend forever.  I also think Karin might have found someone nice in Sookie's woods. I was excited to see all of Sookie's friends, her houseguests. I really thought the courthouse scene made her see herself more as others see her.

Charlaine Harris's dedication was to her fans. It was nice, but also like a pre-apology for what was to come in the story, because she knew not everyone would be happy. In her acknowledgements she also mentioned her fans and said that she's always given her best and tried to create the best works possible. It seemed really genuine to me. I know there's been a lot of hate going on for the last few books and I admit the last three (especially book 11) weren't as good as the others.  I also heard about the spoilers posted for this one (which, if you post spoilers, how about spoiler warnings or hiding your spoiler-filled Goodreads review, because those are supposed to be the rules.  I wasn't trying to find spoilers.) I just started the book feeling bad for the author. I don't know if people are going to agree with me, but this is my opinion and everyone is allowed to have an opinion.  I guess I'm surprised by the amount of hate for a book that a lot of people haven't read, that started months before it was even released.

I was satisfied with the end to Sookie's story.  Not everything/everyone was tied up, but I think that's what After Dead is for.  If it's a coda or appendix or short story collection, I think I'll like it....  I thought Dead Ever After was an entertaining final novel.  Sookie Stackhouse had her ups and downs, but it was fun.  I'm glad I picked up the first book and continued on through all thirteen.

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments #3)

Mild/Vague Spoilers…

City of Glass had the feel of the end of a trilogy.  It wasn’t because I knew it was the third book; I also know that there are two more books after it.  Much of the feeling came with the climax and the ending.  The battle, the relationships, the deaths, all had an underlying tone of finality.  Maybe Cassandra Clare wasn’t sure that The Mortal Instruments series would continue afterward.  There are obviously openings to continue, Sebastian/Johnathon, Simon/Maia/Isabelle, plus Clary’s training, but there wasn’t the cliffhanger ending like the second book.  
Obvious Spoilers…

I knew that Jace and Clary weren’t actually brother and sister, not just because I had a difficult time believing that a writer would do that, but because of all the little hints given throughout this book and the second.  The way Clary recognized Sebastian; I knew it had to be him instead, especially after the kiss.

No More Spoilers…

Cassandra Clare did not disappoint with the third book in her Mortal Instruments series.  There was one death I didn’t see coming, however (people who have read the book will know what I mean.)  It was heartbreaking, but that’s what a good writer does.  No character is safe.  

I think this might be a nice place to take a break.  There are five published books in the series.  I’ve now read three.  I want to read the other two very much, but I’ve always been a reader who likes variety and without the gnawing questions at the end, like with books one and two, I think I’m going to read another book or two before coming back to the series.  Plus, I have a feeling that City of Fallen Angels will be like a beginning to a new trilogy within the series (and book number six won’t be out for a while.)  I’ve read other series where the writers do this, create a story arch over a few books within a longer/ongoing series.  It’s nice to be left eager for the next book, but it’s also nice to think that the characters will be happy for a little while.

City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments 2)

I have to resist the urge to run downstairs and get the next book in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series.  City of Ashes was so exciting.  The story was different from the first book.  The characters are growing and changing.  New, interesting, frightening characters are coming into the mix.  There are still mysteries to figure out.  City of Ashes had everything I was looking for and more.

Let me be vaguely spoilery for a minute, so I can talk about what I just finished reading…  

I can’t believe what happened to Simon.  I didn’t see that coming.  I saw Maia coming, but not the other stuff, which makes him even more interesting.  I’m excited to see how his character develops in the next books.

Jace, seriously, I wanted to yell at him to shut up so many times.  I suppose part of reading these books are remember that the characters are teenagers.  Sitting in the restaurant and talking about how he never lets her talk, then not letting her talk is so frustrating.

Also, best cliffhanger of a last line ever.  I’ve read a few series where the end leaves you longing for the book, but none that throws a last punch like that.  That moment, with Madeline and Clary was perfect.

Cassandra Clare has me firmly in her clutches.

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

I just finished devouring City of Bones.  Cassandra Clare’s first book in her The Mortal Instruments series was addictive.  City of Bones gave me just the distraction I needed.  It was easy to get lost in the world of Clary, Jace and the Shadowhunters.

(Some vague spoilers.) 

At first, I thought the book was going to be predictable.  I saw the love triangle/square coming.  I figured out who Clary’s real father was as soon as his name was mentioned.  I knew what Hodge was going to do.  This was all in the first third to half of the book.  The writing was still engaging and I was enjoying the novel, I just had most of it worked out in my head.

There were some things I didn’t predict.  I kept trying to figure out Jace’s parental situation, thinking, no way is Clare going to do THAT.  I didn’t guess about Alec either.  I actually really liked that part of the story.  It was refreshing and unique in the Young Adult novels I’ve read.  The second half of the book really took the story above my expectations.

Unlike most people I’ve talked to, the book cover of City of Bones threw me off.  I’m not a huge fan of naked body parts on book covers.  It seems cheesy to me.  It had all this glowy stuff around who I assume is Jace.  Plus all the hype around the book and people just swooning and the quote on the cover, all served to make me want to skip The Mortal Instruments series.  I finally decided it was worth my time when a friend described it to me as a sort of cross between Buffy and Harry Potter.  Well, what could be better?  It’s true (though the writing styles are widely different).  There are demon hunters and regular humans who don’t see the magical world around them.

I kind of hope the comments get some spoilers because I want to know what people think of the whole Jace/Clary thing.  I’m thinking something changes in the next book, right?  Wait, I don’t want to know.

I’m glad that I have The Mortal Instruments too provide me with escape at a time when I need it.  It was an exciting fun book and it thankfully lived up to the hype, going farther than my expectations.

Deadlocked

I’m so glad that Charlaine Harris brought the mystery back to Deadlocked, the twelfth book in the Southern Vampires/Sookie Stackhouse series.  Though, it did take a lot of pages before we got to the finding of the dead body; there was a lot of Sookie’s life, the in-between bits, that were included in this story.  I liked the book, a definite improvement on Dead Reckoning.  However, I felt like it was too long.  There were a lot of Sookie-thinking moments; it could have been maybe fifty pages shorter.  I wonder it there’s a sort of page count they aim for with these types of books.  All the Sookie books are about the same length.

I digress.  I liked it.  I’m happy I liked it.  I liked the mystery.  I liked the solution to the mystery.  I’ve gotten to really like Dermot.  I also wonder about Claude’s motivations.  I wonder if he somehow blames Niall for his sisters’ deaths.  I’m glad for Jason and Tara and all of Sookie’s friends.  I’m hoping that Sookie and Amelia mend their relationship before the end of the final book.  I always really liked Amelia and though she’s too impulsive, I think she might have been the most understanding friend Sookie ever had (except for Sam). 

Why is it always Bill or Eric?  I'm sure there are readers, who think Sookie would be better off with a non-vampire, like Sam.  I love Sam.  Sookie deserves better than what Eric has been giving her.  Bill didn’t do much better.  I do have to question Sam’s choices in women.  The next book is the last.  I hope that it tells us who Sookie will end up with, but I’d have to understand it Charlaine Harris left it a bit open.  After all, Sookie is only… 27?  I know lots of people who were/are unmarried/single at that age.

Deadlocked brought me back to loving the series.  Though not my favourite book of the series, it was an enjoyable read and has left me eager for the thirteenth and final book. 

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

I don’t usually buy “companion” books.  Sometimes I think they’re a money grab.  Sometimes I think they’ll just be filled with fan-loved favourites without really giving us anything new to think about.  I couldn’t resist The Sookie Stackhouse Companion though, for one simple reason, I wanted to read the novella.  

Small Town Wedding is a great story.  I love Sam.  I was so glad to see him return to the forefront.  I enjoyed learning about Sam’s family.  They are loving, wonderful people (not to be confused with Sam’s terrible family on True Blood).  Sam’s brother is getting married and even though he’s not a shifter, people protest.  Much of the trouble is caused by a nasty neighbour and a long lost “friend”, of Sookie’s, Sarah Newlin.  It’s nice to find out what happened to her.  Quinn even makes an appearance.  Small Town Wedding brought me back to what I love about the series, especially after a disappointing Dead Reckoning.  

Small Town Wedding takes place before Dead Reckoning and it had a publication date that put it before Dead Reckoning’s release, so why was it pushed back?  The only thing I could think of was the interview with Alan Ball about True Blood.  It was not a feature I remember seeing in the book originally, so I’m guessing it was a late addition.  It’s a good interview, just like the one with series author, Charlaine Harris.  Part of me wishes I had the chance to read the stories in the right order, but another part of me is okay that I read it after, since I was disappointed with the last book.  I also appreciate that the interviews with Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris distinguish the television series and the book series as two separate worlds.  Ball used Harris’s books as source material, but has taken many of the characters (for example, Tara) in different directions. 

This book is definitely a “companion”, it’s really only for fans of the series.  There are some things I didn’t really need, like a summary of the entire series, though it was nice to be reminded of some of the good things and corrected on a couple of things I remembered differently.  I didn’t really like the quiz, mostly because I didn’t know any of the answers.  (I wonder if anyone could get a pass on those questions.)  There are a lot fun things in the book.  I like the character list.  I think it’ll be helpful in a series this long.  I also really like the recipes.  Not that I’ve tried any of them yet, but I enjoy cooking and I’d like to try out some of Bon Temps’s favourites.  The Sookie Stackhouse Companion is a welcome addition to the series.

Side Note:  I know that the next two books will be the end of the series.  On one hand, I’m sad to see it go; I’ve really enjoyed the Southern Vampires.  On the other hand, Dead Reckoning was not that great.  Dead in the Family was better, but I’m in the minority on that opinion.  I have hopes for Deadlocked.  However, if it is on the same level as Dead Reckoning I’m glad that Harris will be ending the series soon.

A Touch Of Dead

A Touch of Dead is Charlaine Harris’s collection of Sookie Stackhouse short stories.  There were originally published in various paranormal anthologies, but now they’re all together.  That’s good, because as much as I love Sookie, I wasn’t going to buy five different books just to get these short stories.  (I do have one of the books, but I didn’t buy for the Sookie story.)  Here are my brief thoughts on each story.

Fairy Dust

Fairy Dust is a great little mini-mystery.  I enjoyed getting a deeper look at the fairies, Claude and Claudine as well as their relationship to Sookie.  I also liked finding out what happened to their triplet, Claudette.  The only problem I have is that from the novels, I thought Sookie didn’t know what happened to Claudette.  Maybe I don’t remember correctly. 

Harris admits in the introduction that she tried, but that the stories may not completely line up with the novels.  I have a second problem, though not a timeline one.  I found the language in the first half of the story a little dry.  It lacked the usual flair I enjoy in Harris’s writing.  At least it picked up by the end.

Dracula Night

Dracula Night doesn’t really give you any new insight into the story of Sookie, but it does let you find out something about Eric.  It’s a cute little story that finds Sookie in danger (as usual) and then pulling out of it.

I want to mention that I like many of these new takes on Dracula lore from books, television and movies.  It keeps things interesting.

One Word Answer

One Word Answer confused me.  This story deals with the death of Sookie’s cousin Hadley.  The story is different from the events in Definitely Dead.  There are similar bits, but unless I’m remembering it completely wrong, it’s still surprisingly different.  Why did Harris write this?  I still liked it.  Sookie solves the mystery of her cousin’s death (again?).

Lucky

Lucky was another good story.  It involved characters that are often passed over as residents of Bon Temps and never looked at closely.  By doing this, Harris avoids discontinuity issues and gives herself new characters to play with. 

Lucky had Sookie teaming up with Amelia Broadway, who after the last couple of novels, I’m not sure we’re going to ever see again.  I’d like too.  Amelia has been the most understanding of Sookie’s human friends.  She has been there for Sookie in a way that Tara and Jason haven’t.  (The character of Tara is VERY different from the book to the television show.)  Amelia is interesting, creative and will get right into anything Sookie needs her to.  I hope to see more of Amelia in future books.

Gift Wrap

Gift Wrap was easily my favourite of the stories.  It shows how much Niall loves Sookie and how unique Fairy love is.  Gift Wrap doesn’t affect the body of work; there are no new plot points.  It also doesn’t change anything that has already been laid down.  It’s written in the style that made me fall for the Sookie books.  It was a great final story to the collection.

Dead Reckoning

Minor Spoilers. I don’t think I really give anything away, but just in case…

Dead Reckoning is the latest (eleventh!) book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. Originally, this series was called The Southern Vampire Mysteries and when I reviewed each installment, even though it had become common to call them the Sookie Stackhouse series, I kept to the first series title. Today I don’t really want to. Where was the mystery in this installment? In previous books, though there are several different storylines, the main mystery has been something like, “Who killed Lafayette?”, “Who’s shooting shifters?” or “Where is Jason?”. I thought the mystery of Dead Reckoning was going to be “Who attacked Merlotte’s?” but that was discovered pretty quickly.

The book also wasn’t sexy enough. I know that’s not a complaint I often have about books, but this is Sookie Stackhouse. They’re the basis of the HBO series True Blood. There’s a reason the show is the way it is. This book lacked that sex appeal that the previous books had. It’s an aspect of the series I’ve come to expect. With the lack of mystery, the lack of sexiness was even more apparent

Dead Reckoning was all about enemies. There were past enemies, present enemies and dead enemies all causing problems for Sookie. Some were minor, some were major, in a terribly deadly way. Sookie spent the novel trying to figure out how to get rid of her enemies. There was a lot of death, gruesome bloody death, that was telling of how Sookie’s character has changed since way back when she dated Bill Compton.

One thing I did like is that we get to learn more about Sookie’s family history and where her telepathic gift/curse came from. We learn about her fairy heritage in some major ways. I also really liked the evolution of Dermot as a character. Though a fairy, I think he has the potential to be one of Sookie’s closest friends.

There were so many loose end at the end of this novel; Harris listed them all at the end. Sookie has to figure out a lot of different things. There were loose ends at the end of Dead In The Family that other readers complained about, but I didn’t mind the ending. I thought it was fine. It wasn’t a complete story the way some of the previous books had been, but I liked the ending. That’s not what I found at the end of Dead Reckoning. It ended with a checklist.

Though probably least favourite of the series, I still enjoyed Dead Reckoning. It gave me what I was in the mood for, supernatural mayhem. It took me only four days to read. There was a lot of action and adventure. The book was never boring. There is no way that a tangle of loose ends is going to put me off of this series. I’m itching to know what happens next to Sookie and the people in her life.


Other Reviews:
The Phantom Paragrapher  
All The Books I Can Read

If you have a review and would like me to add it, please leave a comment below.