T5W - Characters I Want to Cosplay #AllHallowWeek

Cosplay is a really cool expression of fandom. I dream of doing it for real, but today I'm sharing my dream with you. If I could cosplay any five characters, I would choose these. Enjoy!

Top Seven Spooky Books I Forget to Recommend (but are amazing)

As always at this time of year, I'm recommending spooky books and spooky media, but I know there are books I overlook because I'm recommending the ones that come to me immediately. Today for Top Ten Tuesday I wanted to talk about a few I forget to mention most of the time either because I talk about the same author or I read it a while back.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss - Though I posted a review for this book over the weekend, I've forgotten to recommend it to many people over the course of October. It is creepy and has just the right vibe for the fall season

Mercy Thompson: Hopcross Jilly by by Patricia Briggs,  Rik Hoskin (Artist), Tom Garcia (Artist) - The art style in this graphic novel isn't my favorite. The story, however, is scary! It freaked me out. You could read this without the context of the Mercy Thompson series but it would help. 

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks - I often forget about this cute little story. It isn't exactly creepy, but it has a few elements of the supernatural involved. Super cute art too.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - I talk about The Raven Cycle all the time, but I forget to mention this lovely little creepy story too. Not creepy, it just has unsettling elements. I love this book and am hoping to start a reread on Thursday on the first!

 

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout - This book gets dismissed a lot because it is a paranormal romance story, but it holds a special place in my heart. I love Katy and Deamon. Their banter is hilarious and the two of them make a great team. 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Everyone knows the Three Dark Crowns series by now, but this was my first venture into Blake's stories. Just like a few others on this list it is creepy and unsettling and contains the perfect blend of paranormal elements. 

The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles - This adult M/M romance is extra creepy. The magic system is sinister and the bad guys are willing to do some gruesome stuff. I often forget how creepy this is because I think of it as romance.

Review: Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews #AllHallowsWeek

Series: The Iron Covenant #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Age Group: Adult 
Hardcover - 406 pgs
Source: Borrowed then Purchased

Published - June 2018
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Rating: 4/5 

Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast. 

Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify. 

Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies? 

As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.” Hugh and Elara may do both. 

Upon starting this book I wasn't convinced I could be won over to like Hugh let alone root for him. He is vile in the Kate Daniels Series and, even though he was a great foil for Kate, wanted him out of the books for good. Once again though, the Andrews have done what I thought was impossible. They won me over with Hugh story and his actions in this book. He does real penance for his actions and Andrews' came up with a very interesting twist to show he isn't the same person he was while working for Roland. It was clever.

Hugh still isn't an angel. He and Elera both have their issues, but their relationship is very interesting and they play on the same level. They are both powerful and are leaders in their own right. They bicker and remind each other of their faults OFTEN. Personally while I enjoyed the sexual tension, it still felt a little over the top. I would have preferred more plot tension rather than so much sexual tension especially since the sexual tension was resolved so quickly.

Even so, the world building and back stories of both characters are well done.  I really enjoyed the twists and turns we went on throughout the book. I really enjoyed all the references to the Kate Daniels Series. I'm really glad I read this before the final book in that series. It gave me a few hints as to what was coming in that final book.

My Last Review: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Reading Vlog: Costume Party & Maggie Stiefvater Signing #allhallowsweek

Last week on Monday I randomly decided to start a reading vlog since I was reading a bunch of different things. I knew I wouldn't finish them all by the end of the month so I wanted to capture some of my feelings about them in the moment. So often by the time I do a wrap up at the end of the month, I've forgotten some of my immediate feelings about the books I read. Anyway I also had an exciting week since I was planning to go to a costume party and go to a local book event. One of my favorite authors, Maggie Stiefvater, was coming to my area for Celebrate the Book which is a local library event. I was so excited, but I forgot to film a lot of the event because there was so much happening. In the end it was a fun and productive reading week!

Review: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs #AllHallowsWeek

Series: Mercy Thompson #5

Genre: Urban Fantasy 
Age Group: Adult
Hardcover - 342pgs
Source: Purchased (used)
Published - March 2010
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Rating: 3.5/5

TW: Mentions of past rape, mentions of child abuse, mentions of torture, attempted suicide, discussion of suicide. 

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, never knows what the day - or night - may bring in a world where "witches, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live beside ordinary people" (Booklist). But she is about to learn that while some secrets are dangerous whose who seek them are just plain deadly...

Mercy is smart enough to realize that when it comes to the magical fae, the less you know, the better. But you can't always get what you want. When she attempts to return a powerful fae she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.


It seems the book contains secrets - and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit.

Another Mercy Thompson book, another time Mercy gets herself in a heap of trouble. Even though I know this book in the series was important, I've forgotten most of the details. What I do remember is appreciating Mercy's strength as a character. Already in this series she's been through a lot and even though the trauma is over, it is never forgotten. Briggs continues to show how Mercy's assault impacts her life and relationships.  She helps people constantly throughout the series and this is one more time it gets her in over her head.

In this volume there is even more world building and details about the mysterious fae. We learn even more about Mercy's werewolf family and Mercy herself. Adam is, as always, supportive and protective of Mercy which I continue to appreciate. I missed Stephan in this installment though. Even so, there's nothing to quibble about in this book and I remember enjoying it. This book just didn't stick with me as much as some of the others have.

My Last Review: The Strange Case of the Alchemist Daughter

Review - The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss #AllHallowsWeek

Series: Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club #1

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Age Group: YA/Adult 

Hardcover - 402

Source: Purchased

Published - June 2017 

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Rating: 4/5

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

Though I have a few quibbles with this book, overall I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading book two. These ladies find one another and protect themselves while the world tries to tear them apart. They are all different and have their own strengths. I really enjoyed how they fell in together and became a found family. Their arguments are in the vein of sibling disagreements rather than "cat fights." The dynamic between all of them is quite refreshing. There are girls using reasoning and science to solve crimes with other girls so of course I loved this! 

Onto my issues: 

First of all the pacing in this book doesn't fit. The last third of the book felt like a drawn out conclusion. The story was disjointed and several elements could've been reorganized to help alleviate this problem. For example, one of the girls' origin stories happened after what I considered the climax of the novel. This didn't fit after the events and would've created more suspense before the scene with the most drama. Th

I think there were a few word choices that, while they fit with the time period, could have been left out in modern times. There is a specific passage where Cat refers to America and Australia having "savages" that didn't add anything to the story. 

My last complaint was the choice to use the asides between our main characters in the text. The extra dialogue between characters was amusing and gave us a glimpse into what might be coming in more books so I did like the idea. However, in practice these extra conversations stripped all the tension out of the story! The girls are talking about this adventure in the past tense. They've all survived! It took some of the wind out of my sails when 
I realized this. 

My Last Review ⇒ The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Finally Fall Book Tag (2018) #AllHallowsWeek

Two tags in one week! I wasn't planning on posting these back to back, but sometimes things happen and the video you planned doesn't turn out well. This tag is a really fun one. I love making this tag and the Fall Time Cozy Time Tag each year. The two of them have fun questions!

Review - The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Series: Standalone

Genre: Paranormal

Age Group: Young Adult

Hardcover - 308 pgs

Source: Purchased 

Published - March 2018

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Rating: 3/5

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters. 

What do you do when a book set in June has the perfect vibe for October? You recommend it to people in October of course! The Wicked Deep is a wicked mix of rainy coastal towns and 200 year old curses. It is a fun read to help with the witchy feel of this time of year.

The best part of this book for me was the atmosphere. Ernshaw did an incredible job of putting me in the town of Sparrow and on the island with Penny. I could see this book playing out as a movie in my mind. I read it on the beach in mid-July with sun shining down on me, but in my mind I was on the west coast shivering in the damp rain. The first half of the book was perfect in its set up and feel for me. I was sold when I heard this described as a mix of Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus. The first half of the book was that for me. I did question if magic was real like in Practical Magic and the three sisters that return to haunt the town felt a lot like Hocus Pocus.

Though the scenery was great, the plot was lacking. Especially in the second half of the book, a lot of the reveals were predictable. There wasn't much tension and the romance didn't compel me to keep reading even though it was a big part of the story. For a book that I had such high hopes for the execution really disappointed me. (Obviously I don't want to spoil the end, but if you've read this I'd love to discuss the end with you.) To me all the elements were there, but they didn't meld together well.

Throughout the book there were flashbacks to the three sisters who's deaths caused the curse. I really enjoyed these chapters and I wanted to read more from them. In the end their story was the really compelling one and I would have been interested to see a whole book about their lives. 

Overall several parts of this book were really good while others were just ok. I had a really hard time deciding on a rating for this since I wanted to love it so much. In the end I think coming down right in the middle at three starts is the way to go.

Review - The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo #AllHallowsWeek

Series: Standalone Collection

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: Young Adult

Hardcover - 281 pgs

Source: Purchased

Published - September 2017

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Rating: 4.5/5

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This short story collection is fantastic. Not only are the stories beautiful and dark, the illustrations throughout add life to each page. If you are familiar with Jan Brett, the illustrations remind me of the side bars to her stories. This collection can be enjoyed by Grishaverse fans or by anyone who enjoys fairytales. If you've read Bardugo's series you may enjoy these stories a little more, but they stand alone without her works.

My favorite part of these stories is you can see what sparked the story, whether that be a story or a fairytale from the real world, but Bardugo twisted and shaped it into something totally different than the original. The stories are unique, dark and twisty which I found fascinating and they felt like true childhood stories. Each felt like it had a warning or a lesson like true fairytales were meant to.

I really enjoyed each story and would love to read more if Bardugo ever puts together another collection.

My Last Review --> The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Review: Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews #AllHallowsWeek

Series: Kate Daniels #10 (Final) 

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Age Group: Adult

Hardcover: 336 pgs

Source: Purchased

Published: August 2018

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Rating: 4.5/5

Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world.

The first time I read Magic Bites I had no idea this series would become one of my favorites and spark a search for Urban Fantasy with as intriguing characters. I have had conversations with my IRL friends about these characters and their motivations. It has been a book series that I’ve reread and enjoy each installment. I love it dearly and I was not ready for it to end. So, I put off reading the final book for a month.

In the end I was happy I didn’t keep putting it off. The series finale was very satisfying. I enjoyed the conclusion of the story. Most the characters we met throughout the series had a piece of the story and each one had an ending. I feel like Kate’s story was wrapped up nicely while we still have plenty of world to explore and other character stories to dive into. I’m hoping there will be more in this world eventually!

The conclusion was more than I anticipated and took the series in a different direction I was expecting. Even though Iron and Magic gave me hints as to who the ending would involve, I was surprised throughout the book by the solutions Kate and her crew came up with. Overall, the only part of the book I was unsatisfied with was the epilogue. It felt out of character for both of characters involved. I know they used the epilogue to keep the future open, but I wasn’t happy with it.

One of my favorite parts of this series has been Kate’s journey as a person. She is a completely different women from book one based on her experiences. She’s learned a lot and made a lot of difficult choices throughout the series. I am very happy with where her story arc ended. It was excellent. She and Curran are the best and their relationship has grown and changed over the series. 

I’m just gushing now and it’s time for me to end this review before I give too much away. I hope if you’ve read this series you enjoyed the conclusion as much as I did. I’d love to hear all your thoughts!

Paranormal Series I Want to Read

Top Ten Creepiest Villains #AllHallowsWeek

This week our topic for Top Ten Tuesday is Villains. You could choose any type you want and since it is so close to Halloween I wanted to choose the creepiest and most chilling villains I've read and watched. 

As always visit That Artsy Reader Girl for future topics and to see who participated this week! 

1) Johnathan Brewster (Arsenic and Old Lace) - 

2) Demogorgon (Stranger Things Season 1) - Part of the brilliance of this enemy is that we do not see it for a long time. Throughout the first season the scary part of the series was the unknown. What is this thing? Who is the real enemy? 

3) Kerrigor (Sabriel by Garth Nix) - Knowing that this creature has been hunting Sabriel and her father since she was a baby is really creepy. He is also a zombie like creature which really creeps me out. 

 

4) All the Villains of the Magpie Lord Series by KJ Charles - These are romance wrapped up in mystery so I don't want to reveal the villains. However, all of them are twisted and creepy. Magic is quite dark in this series and the uses are very strange. 

5) The Bane (The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas) - The creepiest villains are the ones who seem to know everything. It is really creepy to me when overlords have all knowing spy networks and this one seems to be especially powerful.  

6) The Game from Jumanji - This movie terrified me as a kid and I think it would still scare me now. It is quite creepy for a game to come alive and this one has dire consequences. The movie is amazing and I love it, but the game board is sinister. 

7) Cruella de Vil - I never realized her last name was Devil until I wrote this post. After watching 101 Dalmatians recently, I can firmly put the lady who wants to kill puppies in the category of creepiest ever! She is seriously deranged. 

    

8) The Clickers (The Last of Us) - These things terrified me. They "click:" in the dark and hearing them meant at least one jump scare was coming during this game. 

9) The Gravedigger and Gormogon (Bones) - I loved the serial killers on this show and these two are the peak. I loved how the search for them was difficult and how hard the team had to work to beat them. Seasons 2 & 3 were peak Bones in my opinion. 

10) Jack the Ripper - In many books and movies Jack is the ultimate villain. He is creepy and sinister in any of his forms, but most recently I read Stalking Jack the Ripper. In this book he is almost ghost like and I really enjoyed the suspense this created. 

  

Review - Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #1

Genre: Historical Fiction/Horror

Age Group: Young adult
Hardcover -326 pgs

Source: Purchased 

Publishe: September 2018

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Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

This book has floated around the edges of my bookish awareness for years now.  I've seen candles inspired by it and art with hearts and knives attributed to this series. However, I never took the time to really check out what it was about.  Once I did, I could not resist the idea of a young Victorian lady learning forensic science and trying to solve the Jack the Ripper murders. This story sounded right up my street. 

Audrey Rose is a young lady from an upper class background who breaks the mold by learning anatomy and dissection at her uncle's knee. She is smart and we see her use her knowledge to solve problems throughout the novel. She is brave and brash and I absolutely loved her. 

Throughout the novel, both in the scenes in her uncle's basement and in the field, you can see how much research Maniscalco put into her novel. The gruesome details from the Jack the Ripper murders draw you into this dark story along with our intriguing main characters. The descriptions of the murder scenes and the Wadsworth home seemed to put me right there beside Audrey Rose as she struggled to predict what Jack would do next. Though a little predictable at times, this story kept me on the edge of my seat whenever I picked it up. 

I adored the almost Holmes and Watson dynamic of our two main characters. They worked so well together and were so interesting on their own and as a pair. The sexual tension almost killed me and I think I've found my newest favorite ship. Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have an fascinating way of constantly grounding each other in reality during their murder investigations and keeping each other off balance in their personal interactions. I really enjoyed their relationship and cannot wait to see where it goes in the next books.