I was going to say that I feel badly for giving this 1-star, because the writing and the premise is pretty intriguing. Plus there's an interDNF at 38%
I was going to say that I feel badly for giving this 1-star, because the writing and the premise is pretty intriguing. Plus there's an interesting dichotomy within Queenie herself. I think if I were reading about her alone, instead of adding in some manufactured love interest, I would be enjoying this more. As it is I find it hard to care what happens to either character.
Captain Michael Drake: Last surviving military captain in a war against the Calinthians - who have invaded Earth. He jumps his battered ship to a prison outpost, proceeds to be captured by the prisoners (who've taken over the prison), and then doesn't act anything like a decorated military captain.
The leader of the prison gang (and I'll get to her in a minute) is, of course, statuesque, beautiful, and has her breasts falling out of her jumpsuit (literally). So, naturally, he's distracted and attracted. He gives himself some grief about this, but in the end he needs her and her army to try and take back Earth. Then she brings out a member of his crew (a doctor), and proceeds to have her fingers broken, threatens to break other things, and this after the crew-member already looks pretty beat to hell. All so she can get the codes to his ship.
Which he then gives up. Seriously? This is the kind of military Earth has? One that caves without a qualm? He gives up his codes, and then he expects her to work with him, team up with him. If I were her, I'd scoff too. What kind of partner would he be? Not a good one, that's for sure.
Queenie: leader of the prison gang. She was brought up, by her mother and others, to unite the prison gangs under one leadership so they could take over, free themselves, and stop being used as cannon-fodder in a losing war. I understand that, and even empathize with it.
So, she rules with an iron fist (sometimes - I'll get to that later), and that's explains the torture of the captured crew (I guess). I have no patience for torture. Like sexual assault, and abuse, it's pretty much a final straw for me. I don't care the circumstances, I'm not really going to be able to root for you once you do something like that.
The problem with Queenie is that she's alternately portrayed as ruthless and smart - which would be awesome - and vulnerable and silly. She rules the gangs, but they're all just waiting for a chance to stab her in the back. She protects and wants to help her people. She demands obedience and that they not do anything to interfere with her mission, but she doesn't concern herself with them doing drugs. Lack of discipline, lack of order, is as much a problem to any real mission as any lack of obedience. And if a leader doesn't realize that, then they don't deserve to be leader any longer.
Every other character is a non-issue. They may as well be placeholders to give the two main characters something to react against.
Manufactured Love Story: Michael can't seem to keep his eyes off Queenie's gorgeous body - even when his crew's being tortured. Nor can he keep his libido under control. Queenie is, of course, drawn to the captain - who is like no other military person she's seen before.
She punches him in the face, several times. During her exertions her (ample) breast falls out of her shirt and all he can think about is taking it in his mouth. She flushes (Ugh. Why the need to be embarrassed. If she's the hardass that she's being portrayed as, why does she have to be virginal too - and I bet she ends up being a virgin). And then what's he do - strokes her thigh. She responds. He thinks that for her to respond like that she must still have a heart.
They're both idiots. And if they're humanity's last hope...well, we're doomed.
Merged review:
DNF at 38%
I was going to say that I feel badly for giving this 1-star, because the writing and the premise is pretty intriguing. Plus there's an interesting dichotomy within Queenie herself. I think if I were reading about her alone, instead of adding in some manufactured love interest, I would be enjoying this more. As it is I find it hard to care what happens to either character.
Captain Michael Drake: Last surviving military captain in a war against the Calinthians - who have invaded Earth. He jumps his battered ship to a prison outpost, proceeds to be captured by the prisoners (who've taken over the prison), and then doesn't act anything like a decorated military captain.
The leader of the prison gang (and I'll get to her in a minute) is, of course, statuesque, beautiful, and has her breasts falling out of her jumpsuit (literally). So, naturally, he's distracted and attracted. He gives himself some grief about this, but in the end he needs her and her army to try and take back Earth. Then she brings out a member of his crew (a doctor), and proceeds to have her fingers broken, threatens to break other things, and this after the crew-member already looks pretty beat to hell. All so she can get the codes to his ship.
Which he then gives up. Seriously? This is the kind of military Earth has? One that caves without a qualm? He gives up his codes, and then he expects her to work with him, team up with him. If I were her, I'd scoff too. What kind of partner would he be? Not a good one, that's for sure.
Queenie: leader of the prison gang. She was brought up, by her mother and others, to unite the prison gangs under one leadership so they could take over, free themselves, and stop being used as cannon-fodder in a losing war. I understand that, and even empathize with it.
So, she rules with an iron fist (sometimes - I'll get to that later), and that's explains the torture of the captured crew (I guess). I have no patience for torture. Like sexual assault, and abuse, it's pretty much a final straw for me. I don't care the circumstances, I'm not really going to be able to root for you once you do something like that.
The problem with Queenie is that she's alternately portrayed as ruthless and smart - which would be awesome - and vulnerable and silly. She rules the gangs, but they're all just waiting for a chance to stab her in the back. She protects and wants to help her people. She demands obedience and that they not do anything to interfere with her mission, but she doesn't concern herself with them doing drugs. Lack of discipline, lack of order, is as much a problem to any real mission as any lack of obedience. And if a leader doesn't realize that, then they don't deserve to be leader any longer.
Every other character is a non-issue. They may as well be placeholders to give the two main characters something to react against.
Manufactured Love Story: Michael can't seem to keep his eyes off Queenie's gorgeous body - even when his crew's being tortured. Nor can he keep his libido under control. Queenie is, of course, drawn to the captain - who is like no other military person she's seen before.
She punches him in the face, several times. During her exertions her (ample) breast falls out of her shirt and all he can think about is taking it in his mouth. She flushes (Ugh. Why the need to be embarrassed. If she's the hardass that she's being portrayed as, why does she have to be virginal too - and I bet she ends up being a virgin). And then what's he do - strokes her thigh. She responds. He thinks that for her to respond like that she must still have a heart.
They're both idiots. And if they're humanity's last hope...well, we're doomed....more
This year was a year of re-reads for me, which is going to skew my average rating for the year, but I'm still really happy with my reading. I took aboThis year was a year of re-reads for me, which is going to skew my average rating for the year, but I'm still really happy with my reading. I took about a six-month break in the middle of the year and managed to read a lot of really great books. And a few really bad ones.
Best of 2015 Amazing books - in no particular order 1. Magic ShiftsMy review [image] It's Ilona Andrews. And we're building towards the big finale. I'm in love.
2. Magic StarsMy review [image] C'mon! Derek? AND Julie? I ship this ship so hard. But, even better, Derek's unique. His voice and character are fascinating, and I hope that there's a LOT more to come from the Grey Wolf.
3. Sweep in PeaceMy review [image] Noticing a trend at all? I love Ilona Andrews. They never let me down. And three amazing (new) reads this year was absolutely delightful.
4. The Eye of the WorldMy review [image] I can't even. I don't know what to say. This series is freaking amazing! I can't believe it took me so long to start it. I'm savoring every moment of this first read through.
7. The Providence of FireMy review [image] A year later and I still can't come up with words to describe my love. Here's a one-line quote from my review: "Brian Staveley weaves beauty with his words, ensnaring the senses and filling the surrounding air with the world he's created."
Bonus Books More really great books - also in no particular order 1. UprootedMy review [image] A fairy-tale, fantasy that absolutely enamoured me.
2. Shards of HopeMy review [image] Nalini Singh continues to be one of my favorite go-to authors. Consistent world-building, and strong characters always make for a very satisfying read.
3. Archangel's EnigmaMy review [image] Just as in the Psy/Changeling world, Nalini Singh continues to ratchet up the tension and the overall arc just gets more and more suspenseful. I can't wait to see what's coming next.
4. FirewalkerMy review [image] Highly anticipated second book in a (planned) trilogy. Though it had a bit of a slow start, and a couple of rough moments, I'm absolutely dying for the final book in the trilogy now!
5. RadianceMy review [image] An amazing love-story. I wanted a bit more world-building - which showed up at the end, and has made me salivate for book 2.
6. Girl From Above: BetrayalMy reviewGirl From Above: EscapeMy review [image] [image] I'm including two "books" here as they're really part of the same story. I devoured these first two entries. And though I had a couple of minor problems with them, they are really, really excellent books. Anti-heroes (seriously, ANTI-heroes) fill these pages, and I'm riveted by Pippa DaCosta's weaving of this story.
Worst of 2015 In no particular order, still. 1. BurnedNotes 1Notes 2My review [image] I took 15 pages of notes while reading this because I was so furious, and so *not* in the story. And then I used more than 2 FULL review spaces on Goodreads to review it. The 2 stars I gave it, way too generous. Hate. Hate. Hate.
2. Seven SonsMy reviewSix BrothersMy review [image] [image] I'd like to say this is a case of "it's me, not you," and be nice, but this is REALLY NOT FOR ME. It was SO dark, and so vicious, and so incredibly unbelievable to me that even though I tried to see (after the failure of the first book) if it could bring me around, I ended up more enraged than I thought possible.
3. The CullingMy review [image] It was just so slow. And things didn't make logical sense. When I start nit-picking the "facts" in the book, you know I'm not involved in the story.
I went into this novella knowing very little, except that it had potentially world-changing events within its pages. Now that I'm done - I tore through this on my (extended) lunch break today - I can definitely say that's the dead-honest truth.
I've long wanted a Derek book, and I've been 'shipping Derek and Julie, hard, for a very long time (since the metal rose). To say I was excited when I realized exactly who this would center around is a massive understatement. I could not wait to dive into the world. I thought, initially, that it would be told in Julie's point-of-view, but it's actually in Derek's, and I think I like that better. I think Julie might have begun to sound a bit too much like Kate, not that that would be unrealistic, but it would make it harder to fall into the story.
Derek has a very different voice. Different from Kate, Curran, and just about every other character I've read from Ilona Andrews. And I love that. He's himself. If you've read the rest of the series you know who Derek is (if you haven't, stop here and go start!), and exactly how Kate describes his scars - which is minimally. I like that when we get to step into other characters' heads in this series we learn a bit more about Kate and Curran as well. Kate tends to minimize things that others would see as faults or disfigurements in her friends and loved ones, and even though I suspected that, seeing how true it is in regards to Derek's scars was a bit of a revelation. I think an even bigger revelation, though, was the scars he carries on the inside. He hides them well, until we're in his head.
Julie kicks ass. I'm not usually a fan of kids in stories, because they're generally written so unrealistically. That was never a problem with Julie, she's always been exactly who she is, and it never felt forced or fake (like some kids do). She's grown so much, and seeing those changes in her is amazing. She's strong, and powerful, and smart, and absolutely, awesomely, self-assured and confident. I love her. A lot.
I won't say a lot about the plot because it is a novella and I don't want to risk spoiling anything, but I will say that a lot of new, interesting, world-building things appear. And a few WORLD-CHANGING things are revealed. I think I'd known some of the revelations from previous books, but the extent of the implications and knowledge of that was nothing compared to what I learned here. I can't wait to see how this affects everything going forward. Considering we're in the home-stretch of the main story-arc of the series, this story just amps up my excitement - and worry - for everyone I love in this series.
This book was amazing - I always enjoy the Kate Daniels' World novellas, but this one is something else altogether. I loved every moment and read it in one sitting. Now I just want more.
And I still 'ship Derek and Julie. Harder now than ever before.
SPOILERS (view spoiler)[I'm serious, there are REALLY BIG SPOILERS HERE.(view spoiler)[Honestly, don't click unless you've read the book.(view spoiler)[Are you sure?(view spoiler)[Okay, some things that blew my mind: (view spoiler)[1. Roland cast Hugh out?! OMG. With the news that IA is writing Hugh's book, this is even MORE interesting. Comment from blog
Ilona says December 6, 2015 at 1:26 pm
We will probably go down to one book with New York. It depends heavily on how this does and how Hugh’s novel does.
No, Hugh’s book that is the April Fools joke. People have requested it at libraries. We are writing it.
2. JULIE IS TALKING TO ROLAND! AND LEARNING FROM HIM! AND SHE CAN USE POWER WORDS!!!!!!!!!! And she doesn't have the problems that Kate used to have because she incants beforehand! OMG. Please, please, please tell me that Kate will learn this, too.
It's not often that a second book in a series (or serial) will get a higher grade than the first from me. This one 19 November 2015: $0.99 on Kindle!!
It's not often that a second book in a series (or serial) will get a higher grade than the first from me. This one does. And earns it. Partly because it blew through all my expectations and gave me something that I wasn't expecting - more than once.
Everything I said in the first one still holds. Our protagonists are not heroes - they're not good people, and yet....I still root for them. I think that probably says more about me than it does about them.
There's a HUGE twist at one point in the book. Something I did NOT see coming, and still really shocks me with its simplicity and I-should-have-known moment. Then there's the moment when I start to complain about something, thinking that one thing is going on, thinking that it should go a different way, and something even better than I imagined happening, happened. Hell yes. Loved it.
There's a lot of sex, or near sex, in these books. It's usually angry sex, without a lot of "good" emotions behind it. But it's freaking hot as hell. And, to quote my friend Navessa:
Also, I figure in a near-lawless space setting, sex would be as common as violence, which seems to be the case in these books. Now that I think about it, I tend to feel that way about any setting in which humanity breaks down.
It's a good point, and I definitely agree. Violence and Sex are BIG in this series. So is self-recrimination, questionable actions, double-crossing, and lawlessness. For a society that's supposed to be "perfect" with Fleet and Chitec...it's pretty fucking grim.
And the ending? I saw it coming, I knew it would happen from the moment the scene started, and still - I read that last sentence and groaned that I have to wait until December for the next book (and Spring 2016 for the concluding book). I needs it, precious. I needs it, NOW....more
I feel awkward reviewing this because it's not an entire story. It's the beginning of the story. It does have a nic19 November 2015: $0.99 on Kindle!!
I feel awkward reviewing this because it's not an entire story. It's the beginning of the story. It does have a nice arc - for which I'm thankful - but it's so clearly just the start that I almost want to wait until I've read the next 2 books (which should finish it out, I hope) before I review and grade it. The ending can make a huge difference in how I feel about the earlier sections. However, this part of the story still made a really big impression on me and I have to talk about it.
One of my best friends recommended this book to me - in all CAPS - and we usually are on the same exact page when it comes to awesome books. So I immediately bought this one, and the second one from Amazon. (Sidenote: $2.99 for under 200 pages? Not cool. I'm going to end up paying around $12 for a full-length novel. Ugh. Do not like. Anyway.)
I flew through it. Read most of it on my lunch, and then did some sneak-reading because I just couldn't stop.
The world is interesting, but a fairly light background to the story and characters. It's a prop for them to play in front of. And I'm okay with that here. I would like to see it further explored, and see the implications of the characters' actions dig deep into that world, but that's for the second, third, and fourth parts to live up to, I think.
What really shines here are the characters - which is kind of ironic, because none of the characters are what you would consider "good" people. Caleb (I love this name, I hate when it's shortened to Cale) is our "hero." And I use that term incredibly loosely. He's a womanizer, smuggler, asshole. He thinks with his dick, and has little regard for consequences. He also has a TON of guilt and self-recrimination (justly and rightly so).
Fran, Caleb's second-in-command (and only crewmate, so the title confused me a bit) fascinated me. She's Caleb in a female body. Everything I hate about him, I hate about her. They have little regard for anyone, including themselves. They're destructive and assholes. But...I love them. They're the kind of characters that I want to see - not redeemed exactly, but whole. I want to see them have the contentment they deserve, whatever that may entail. I want to see them stop hating themselves.
#1001 was a mystery for most of the book, though I began to guess about a third of the way in, so I don't want to spoil too much. Suffice it to say that I'm most interested in her. She has a hell of a story, and I'm really, really, really looking forward to seeing how Pippa DaCosta brings it all together.
The plot doesn't seem like much of anything until you get near the end - which is why I say that this is a starter story. It doesn't finish much of anything. What it does do is pull you in, sit you down, tie you up and demand that you finish. It builds beautifully, and upon finishing I immediately grabbed part two. I'm already lamenting the fact that the third part isn't available until December 2015 - with the fourth (and final) to follow in Spring 2016....more
Wow. Just wow. I'm so glad that Kaynan urged me to read this RIGHT NOW. This is an incredibly good book, and I had a really hard time putting it down Wow. Just wow. I'm so glad that Kaynan urged me to read this RIGHT NOW. This is an incredibly good book, and I had a really hard time putting it down to deal with (very necessary) tasks, like: getting kids ready for school, helping with homework, making dinner, bedtime routines, and playing with the kids...Oops.
The very best part of this book is the two main characters, Brishen and Ildiko (how the hell do you pronounce her name?? Every time I see it in the text I took 5 seconds to try to reason it out before moving on. I'm quite sure I'm saying it wrong in my head).
Brishen is the spare prince of the Kai. Ildiko is the niece of the Gauri king. Both are unimportant in their respective kingdoms. Left aside to be used as pawns in some negotiation or another. A negotiation, it turns out, that finds them wed to each other.
I don't think there's anything particularly spectacular about either character alone. They're both nice, kind, honorable people. They face life rather than bemoaning their circumstances. They don't take their frustrations out on those that are undeserving of them, and the genuinely try to be good. In fact, it's kind of hard to find a flaw with either of them. But that's okay. Because the true love that I have here is them together.
Together, Brishen and Ildiko are amazing. They are one-hundred-percent honest with each other. Their love is built on friendship and mutual care and respect, not attraction and the desire to have sex at every other turn. They learn each other, they are honest with each other, and - to start - they find each other hideous.
"You find me ugly, don't you?"
Brishen had faced abominations on the battlefield without flinching, leapt into the thick of the fighting against creatures born from the nightmares of lesser demons. Not once had he been tempted to run away in fear. Now, his leg muscles rippled with the urge to flee. He clenched his teeth instead, prayed he wouldn't start a war with their newest ally and answered honestly.
"Hideous," he said. "A hag of a woman."
Another peal of laughter met his words. Brishen wilted, relieved she took no insult in him so bluntly validating her assumption. He didn't even know her name, but he liked her and didn't wish to hurt her. Assured she wasn't planning to flounce off and send a pack of offended relatives after him, he turned the same question on her.
"And you," he said. "You don't think me a handsome man?"
She shrugged. "I've only seen your hands and eyes. For all I know, you're hiding the face of a sun spirit in that hood."
Brishen scoffed at the idea. "Hardly." He'd never lacked female company, and his people thought him well-favored. Certainly nothing as wretched as a sun spirit. He slid the hood back to his shoulders.
The woman's eyes rounded. She inhaled a harsh breath and clasped one hand to her chest. Her mollusk skin went a far more attractive shade of ash. She remained silent and stared at him until he raised a hand in question. "Well?"
She exhaled slowly. The space between her eyebrows stitched into a single vertical frown line. "Had you crawled out from under my bed when I was a child, I would have bludgeoned you to death with my father's mace."
How could I *not* love them after that meet-cute??
Because their marriage is to secure and alliance there's obviously some other machinations going on in the book, but really this is the story about Brishen and Ildiko growing to love each other. Two outcasts that find true love and companionship in each other.
The slow burn of their budding relationship was so refreshing. Without attraction and sexual desire mucking up the works, they form their relationship organically - on friendship and respect. Who'd have thought that could work so well? Don't get me wrong, I love the attraction and sexual tension as much as anyone (and you get some of that here too, don't worry), but can't there be a time and place? Can't our characters have something more to fall back on than ... well, their backs?
This book says, emphatically, YES!
I said that this is really the story of Brishen and Ildiko's falling in love, and that's probably where my only real complaint lies, too. I love their story. A LOT. But I do wish that we'd gotten more of the world, more of the threatening war, more of the politics, more of the cultures of both peoples.
And then we get to the ending. After such a sweet moment between our heroes, that epilogue hit me over the head and shocked the hell out of me! What? Where did that come from?? Things just got real!
I NEED to see what happens next. Eidolon, please. Gimme....more
Time to face facts. It's unlikely that I'm ever going to go back to this book. At least not for a while. Something about the writing isn't wDNF at 7%.
Time to face facts. It's unlikely that I'm ever going to go back to this book. At least not for a while. Something about the writing isn't working for me. It's abrupt and unengaging. I think this just isn't for me....more
31 July 2015: $2.00 on Kindle 3 July 2015: $3.99 on Kindle
What can I say about this book that hasn't been said a hundred7 January 2016: $1.99 on Kindle
31 July 2015: $2.00 on Kindle 3 July 2015: $3.99 on Kindle
What can I say about this book that hasn't been said a hundred times over? I came late to this party, just a little over a week before the release of the second book in the series when most others have been anxiously awaiting the book for two years. I can't say that I'm unhappy I've missed the last couple of years of waiting and not knowing what's going to happen; but I do wish that I'd read this so much sooner than I have.
First, when I requested this book there wasn't series information about it anywhere (at least not that I found), so I th26 April 2020: $2.99 on Kindle
First, when I requested this book there wasn't series information about it anywhere (at least not that I found), so I thought (silly, I know) that it was a stand-alone book. That thought probably had some effect on my final feelings and thoughts about this story.
This cover is gorgeous, beautiful, and works with the story. I'd love to see it in person and see if it has the texture that the image implies. Once seeing it and finding out that the story revolved around the Library at Alexandria surviving...I couldn't *not* request it.
And I'm glad I did. It gets off to a bit of a slow start, with a lot of things that confused me. There's names for people that do things that aren't really explained (you do start to get the feel for them as you get further in the story), and you're kind of tossed right in. Normally I like that. Here...well, it didn't work as well for me. The beginning felt slow. It was setting up the world and story, I know, but a lot of it simply doesn't make sense to me.
For example, in one of the earliest scenes in the book we find out that books are contraband. Owning a printed (hand-copied) book is illegal. So, of course, there's a flourishing black-market trade for them. Jess is the son of one of these black-market book experts, and because of that he's a 'runner.' Which basically means that he transports the books from his family's interests to the purchasers'. The problem I had with this is that he was RUNNING everywhere to do this. Not only that, but they run in a pack - like wild animals. Huh? Doesn't anyone understand that running draws attention to yourself? And running with a large group of other kids draws even MORE attention? Pretty damn good way to get the Garda after you, don'tcha think? Illogical actions didn't make me have a lot of faith in the author to make things more logical.
Fortunately, for me, she did manage to pull it around and I started to have faith in the storytelling and the characters' actions. The story is fascinating. A library - those that are supposed to allow knowledge to be at the world's fingertips - is actually oppressing ideas, progress and knowledge. I still have a little trouble with the premise, but it all comes down to power. Who has it, who wants to keep it, and what they're willing to do to meet those ends. The fact of the matter is that the Library is willing to do anything to keep their power. And that's exactly what the postulants - including Jess - start to learn as they're competing for positions inside the Library itself.
I definitely enjoyed this book. The story moved at a good pace, there was a lot of variety of places and things happening. There's definitely diversity in characters and world. There's a small romance (one that moved a bit too quickly for me even if it wasn't the main focus of the story). There's friendships that I hope stand the test of what's to come. And we're settled right on the cusp of change.
What I didn't love so much was the simplicity of things. Simplicity is maybe the wrong word, but instead of shocking with well placed hints and drawing out the revelations, they were almost shoved in my face immediately. I had no chance to speculate and be surprised by anything because it was all revealed almost as soon as it was a thought. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it did disappoint me a bit.
I did mention that I wasn't aware this was part of a series, so when I got to nearly 90% of the book and realized there was no way it was going to be able to wrap up satisfactorily...well I was irritated. I don't mind "cliff-hangers", or multi-part series. I enjoy them, and read quite a few of them (KMM, I'm still looking at you for ruining years of my life waiting on the next books in the Fever series). But this one just kind of stops. It's not a cliff-hanger. It's not a 'OMG! What's going to happen next?!' moment. It's just ... done. And while I *do* want to know what happens in the next book, I'm not anxious and on the edge of my seat for it.
That being said, I *am* going to be putting the next book on my list. I do hope there are some surprises in store for me (and all of the characters), and that - I can't believe I'm saying this: I get to see the Library fall....more
I think erotica just isn't my thing anymore. I'm bored with nearly all aspects of the romance and the sex...as that's the core of an eroticDNF at 31%.
I think erotica just isn't my thing anymore. I'm bored with nearly all aspects of the romance and the sex...as that's the core of an erotica, I think I'll finally give up on this one....more
The Mercedes Thompson series is one of my favorite urban-fantasy book series, period. So, of course as soon as I saw this graphic novel on NetGalley -The Mercedes Thompson series is one of my favorite urban-fantasy book series, period. So, of course as soon as I saw this graphic novel on NetGalley - I requested it! I love graphic novels, and when combining with a kick-ass heroine and world I couldn't refuse.
Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my hopes. While the story was good, and a perfect length for this format, there was no mystery. It was easy to figure out from the beginning who the threat was. The art, while pretty good, didn't 'Wow' me, and left me feeling like some of the panels were rushed and not fully fleshed out.
The story takes place between Frost Burned and Night Broken, and just afterDead Heat. So spoilers through Dead Heat and Frost Burned are possibly.
There were a couple of things that I really loved in this graphic-novel, and a couple that made me think. I was stoked to see that the fae were strategically loosing fae to remind the humans that they were feared for a reason. It opens up whole avenues of stories, and I can't wait to see them. I also really loved that we got to see more of Jesse in this story. What I didn't love was the auto-suspicion that was portrayed here of the wolves, who've never done anything remotely suspicious and always been open and helpful of the police and community. That still frustrates me a lot. Though I suppose it's fairly accurate for how we (humanity) deals with something that's perceived to be 'other.'
Random other thoughts: *I did NOT picture Zee that way. Whoa. *Am I the only one that didn't know (or forgot) that Jesse was in high school?? I, for some reason, keep picturing her as much younger. *Mercy's internal monologuing doesn't come through in the graphic format as well as it does the novel format. *More fae, please.
None of the characters looked how I pictured them, but that's probably to be expected. Overall, I thought this was a fine addition to the Mercy Universe, but nothing really blew me away either....more
Honestly the book read very dryly. There's a lot of information about casting, and filming, and production of the movie - which is interesting - but iHonestly the book read very dryly. There's a lot of information about casting, and filming, and production of the movie - which is interesting - but it's put together haphazardly. There's little cohesiveness to how the story is told, with backstory being dropped in at random places, and jumping around within the singular storyline.
I ended up skimming quite a lot of it because I just couldn't read through page by page. Perhaps this is a case of 'it's me, not you,' but I can't say that I was happy to have read this book - even if I did only manage to get 25% of the way in....more
I didn't think it was going to be a good idea for me to continue this series, but I just couldn't stop without seeing if the author was going to do soI didn't think it was going to be a good idea for me to continue this series, but I just couldn't stop without seeing if the author was going to do something spectacular.
Which did *NOT* end up happening for me.
Pretty much everything I had an issue with in the first part (my review) is still here in this one. Only exponentially worse.
**!!SPOILER AND TRIGGER WARNING!!**
We start out with the funeral of the brother she killed in the last book. And we gets lots of flashbacks, except they feel tacked on. One of them explicitly contradicts the information we were given in the first part of the story. I hate when books don't maintain their integrity.
Julz/Sammi - I had some respect for her in the first book. She's a sociopath, no doubt about it, but she's committed. And I understood her goals. I even agreed with her reasoning about trying to see them to fruition. I got it. But she's so far gone that I can't root for her. She has no regard for innocent lives. At all. And I can't get behind a character like that. Not to mention, she's stupid. And Jase is stupid, too, so maybe they deserve each other.
Elliott - the guy that saved Julz in the first place - a cop (at the time), now a tattoo artist (nice bridge there), is just a few years older than Julz. Eventually they had a relationship. When she kept trying to kill herself and was destroying him piece by piece, he left. Then she has the nerve to be pissed at him for not wanting to be destroyed by her sociopathic ways. She doesn't care about him, except as a friend, and she starts to act wounded that he left. Fuck you, Sammi. Fuck you.
Jase - a genuinely nice guy, except for the illegal (very bad) shit that he doesn't even bat an eyelash at anymore. He's got an instant attraction to Sammi/Julz, but hates her (for what she is to his father) at the same time. Ugh. I can't take the drama.
Then there's the torture sex with her rapist that Sammi takes part in. In one scene - serious spoiler here: (view spoiler)[He makes he come with oral sex and a switchblade against her - threatening her with fucking her with it - and THEN HE STABS THE BLADE TO THE HILT IN HER FUCKING THIGH!! What the actual fuck?!
It's all good though. She PULLS THE BLADE OUT AND CUTS HER BINDINGS so she doesn't fucking BLEED OUT. Then Jase comes in and is going to take care of it with a FIRST-AID kit. *sigh*
To be fair, he does try to take her to a hospital, but I don't feel like being very fair as he doesn't fight too hard.
While wounded, and he's trying to stitch her up, he gives her "nearly pure" heroin. To dull the pain. You're a fucking genius. (hide spoiler)]
Then we get to some more drama between Jase and Sammi/Julz.
And finally some more of her revenge...Again - serious spoiler: (view spoiler)[She kills a brother with some poisoned cocaine, after drugging some girls that were his birthday present (so they won't remember a thing). THEN SHE FUCKING FRAMES THEM FOR GIVING HIM THE POISONED COKE!!!!
Are you fucking kidding me?
And to further slide suspicion from herself, she takes some of the poisoned cocaine herself. Nearly dying because of it. Then she wakes up in the hospital.
Does she stay there to get better? Nope. Not our intelligent heroine. She walks out. In her hospital gown. Ass open in the breeze. (hide spoiler)]
Edit: I found the screenshot of the original release from 2011 of The Alpha Alternative. Also - GR deleted part of my review after it was posted, so nEdit: I found the screenshot of the original release from 2011 of The Alpha Alternative. Also - GR deleted part of my review after it was posted, so no more good stuff. [image]
The Alpha Alternative, online: It's missing the above very last paragraph from Barrons talking directly to KMM. But since this was made canon in Burned, I guess that last paragraph is pointless. Which makes me rage beyond all levels of rage.
Serious spoilers to come. Don't click if you haven't read through Chapter 3 of Darkfever and/or read this scene.
(view spoiler)[Before I get into the issues I have with this being reality, let me just talk about the snippet's worth without that baggage. This is supposed to be a 'bonus sex scene from JZB's POV.' Well, it succeeds in one aspect. It's in Barrons' POV. Sex scene? Not so much. It's a rehash of the conversation that Barrons and Mac have at the Clarin House, with loads of Barrons internalizing. Then there's mention of an awesome 4 hours of sex, every-which-way you can imagine, but no details. Kind of boring, honestly. And then we're done.
Meh. I was hoping for something a little closer to Book 4, Chapter 4...that maybe took place afterShadowfever. That would have been epic.
Okay, so now onto my issues about changing the story here to suit this "bonus" scene. First, in the original version, Barrons says to KMM something along the lines of 'there. you got the sex scene you wanted. now you have to decide if it's true or a lie. Words. You're always wanting them.' I chose to believe that it was something made up, because of a variety of reasons.
Supposedly all this stuff happens, then Barrons realizes that Mac wasn't ready and will blame him, hate herself, and never accept it, so he ERASES HER MEMORY OF IT. WTF?! Seriously, what.the.fuck? Look, I know Barrons is a HUGE DOUCHE. He's a fucking asshole. If I met him in real life I would kick him, knee him in the face and run away. Fast and far. However, he's the asshole that I love in the books. This scene...crossed a line. Before, he'd steered Mac where he thought she needed to go, he'd done things for her protection without her permission, he'd goaded, and tested, and trained her. He wasn't particularly nice about it. But he never took her choices from her. She always, always, ALWAYS had the power of choice (excepting Priya period). Period. And this erased ALL OF THAT. Fuck that.
Problem Number 2: Details don't match up. The conversation couldn't even be kept the same. Seriously, KMM? You couldn't go back to Darkfever and ensure that you had them saying the same words to each other in the same order? But that's not the worst of it - the worst is that at the end of the scene in Darkfever, Mac is bruised from his arms around her ribs (and that's all she speaks when she mentions her injuries), but at the end of The Alpha Alternative, she's apparently bruised in other places because of how he grabs and holds onto her during their no-holds-barred sex marathon. *rolls eyes* That means it didn't happen. There's the fact that Barrons rips a button off her jeans (something I'm sure she'd notice in her limited wardrobe, but it's never mentioned in Darkfever). Didn't happen. There's the fact that at the end of The Alpha Alternative, Mac is wrapped in a sheet when Barrons erases her memory and lets her remember only the conversation and threat....but in Darkfever she doesn't mention (with alarm) suddenly being naked in his presence. Did.Not.Happen.
A fun scene that was Barrons fucking with us - I could have gotten behind that. A scene that was completely made up. Sold. But no, KMM wasn't happy with that. She had to go and make it 'real.' Burned indicates that this actually happened and Mac gets back the memory at some point. It's manufactured drama. What a load of bullshit.
That's right, I'm calling bullshit.
Now, looking back, I think this is the beginning of the downhill slide that became Iced and Burned. KMM stopped writing the story that she had planned out, started writing bullshit for the fans, and everything got all fucked up. Once upon a time she said that the Fever series came to her in one long stream, complete and ready to be told. All she had to do was transcribe it. I believe it, because the first five books (Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, and Shadowfever) are masterful and there's not a single contradiction in them. Then we get to this, to Iced, to Burned and it all goes out the fucking window. Nothing we knew is true anymore.
This is why I honestly choose to believe that The Alpha Alternative, Iced, and Burned are fan-fiction (written by the author, but still). I hope, with everything in me, that she manages to turn it around in Feverborn, though I'm not holding my breath.
Merged review:
See here and here for my pre-read thoughts (took up a whole damn review section! I ran out of room!)
January 2015 Initial Read: First things first, this cover. I hated it from the moment it was revealed. I mean, COME ON! We'd gone from beauties like this: [image]
Beautiful. Each and every one of them. Then we get that monstrosity up there. It telegraphs sex. I guess that's pretty fitting because it's damn near all anyone in this book thinks about. That cover did not fill me with a great deal of hope, though. Not that I had a whole lot of it to begin with. Iced made me rage. I won't get into it here, but you can check out my review. Then there was the whole testing of the bond between Mac and Barrons that's alluded to in the blurb. I went into this book with some serious reservations. On the other hand, this is Karen Marie Moning! The author that blew me away in the original five books of the Fever series! I have faith! I had hope! I couldn't wait to see her make me eat my words of hate and irritation at Iced.
SPOILERS for Burned are clearly marked in this review, but fair warning - there are going to be SPOILERS for Darkfever through Iced discussed.
Burned did not do that for me.
So, It took me about 3 days to read this book, only reading a few hours a day, because I spent the entire time taking notes. In the end I have over fifteen pages of notes on this book, and a severe disappointment - but again, I have hope (why, yes, I might be a masochistic optimist) for the future of the series.
Instead of the consuming story I had hoped for, I was treated to 400 pages of the author explaining everything that I, as a reader, was too dense to understand in Iced, sprinkled with a few truly great moments and teasers. Yes, I complained - a lot - about the adult, immortal men in Iced lusting over Dani, a 14-year-old-girl and abusing her. Yes, I said, on more than one occasion, that if KMM wanted to include sex (or innuendo) in this series I wanted it to wait until Dani was older. I don't think that's too much to ask. I was told by the author in interviews that I'd read the story wrong.
That went over well.
So, KMM took to Burned to explain exactly how wrong I was. Every.Single.Thing I had an issue with in Iced is contemplated, dissected, discussed and thought about. That's not even counting the moments where previous canon is being re-written. Things that were clearly stated in the previous six books were suddenly not the same. Facts are twisted. All of it telling me how wrong I was in my interpretation of the events that occurred. From multiple character points-of-view. There were meta-speeches in characters minds repeating the same words I've read KMM say in interviews. I can't even say how much this pisses me off. SHOW me I was wrong, don't tell me; don't have (multiple) characters TELL me. I want to SEE that I was wrong, not hear it. I've been hearing you, KMM, say how wrong I was for the last couple of years. Luckily, this is the only real rage-inducing thing I experienced while reading, and I'm pretty much over it. I get it. I do. KMM took a lot of flack and answered a lot of questions about the choices she made in Iced. Pedophilia was brought up frequently, frequently enough for her to address it in a FAQ (which has since been removed from her blog). That's bound to put anyone on the defensive. So I'm trying not to be too mad about this. I just wish that she'd not felt the need to cram this stuff down my throat and let the story speak for itself.
They fence me in with teenage rules that don’t hold me for shit, seeing how I grew up. You can kill but don’t cuss. Break any rule necessary to save the world but don’t watch porn or even think about having sex. How do they come up with this stuff--hold parental powwows for brainstorming diametrically opposed ethics?
You probably know, if you've read my Iced review, that Ryodan was my biggest problem in its pages. The vibe that he gave off when he was with Dani - one of waiting for her to grow up (she's FOURTEEN, and he's been watching her a LONG time), so he could have the woman she'd become - squicked me out. Then there's the abuse: holding her without food or water for three days, because reasons; slamming her face into a stone pillar, repeatedly; breaking her finger...Yup. I hated him. I hated everything about him. Prior to Iced I had kind of liked Ryodan. I didn't know enough to love or hate, but I was leaning towards like. Then all of that went down - and honestly that felt kind of out of character, too - and I'm not sure I'll ever like the bastard again. I can love an asshole - see Barrons; I can get down with manipulative - see Barrons again; I can handle secretive - hello? Barrons still; but abusive and a pedo vibe? Hard pass.
"That's not why I watched over her."
"Bullshit. We all saw the woman she could become."
Anyway, that's rehashing the past. However, that's something that KMM excels at in Burned, so I guess I'm not too far off point. In these pages we learn that everything we thought we knew...we were wrong. Ryodan's not an abusive asshole - he didn't mean to break her finger, he forgot how fragile humans were; he didn't hold her for three days, chained in his basement, because he's a controlling freak - he did it for her own-fucking-good. There wasn't a pedo-vibe to his interactions with her, he was a guardian angel, protecting her, being her pillar, holding the roof up while she re-laid her foundation. What-the-eff-ever. I'm not buying what you're selling, KMM. No matter how many different characters sit and extol Ryodan's virtues, realizing what a nice guy he is.
I find myself questioning everything I thought I knew about Ryodan. Running prior conversations through my mind, realizing the man I believed moderately intelligent and highly manipulative of others--to their own detriment and destruction--is in fact highly intelligent and enormously manipulative of others, but I've begun to suspect it's because he's trying to fix what he perceives as the things they want fixed but don't know how. He sees the bird's-eye view and takes the hard, catalytic actions. Unsettling, disturbing to those of us that don't, makes it easy to call him bastard, heartless.
But why would he bother?
There are only two possibilities: either he wants whatever goal he will achieve by altering that person, or, unfathomable as it is, he cares about the world he pretends to scorn, and the people in it.
Now, maybe, just maybe, if I'd been shown that I was wrong about Ryodan, instead of having every character possible think about it, talk about it, and reflect on it, then I might have eaten my words. I still would have hated what he'd done, but I might have grown to like him again. There was one moment in the book where we were shown that Ryodan might be kinder than we've previously seen - his interaction with Jo - however, it's so heavy-handed, especially on top of all the virtue-extolling everyone else is doing, that it just made me roll my eyes. Take away? Ryodan's not a bad guy. In fact, he's a saint. Check.
This is already getting long, so I'm just going to skip to what I feel like was the checklist for this book.
1. Ryodan's an abuser and giving off strong pedo-vibes? No! He's a nice guy! Here, let me tell you!Check. 2. Dani's too young? We can fix that. Into the Silvers, you go, my girl.Check. 3. We miss Mac! Ahh. Well, she can be the narrator again.Check. (view spoiler)[This wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much if Mac didn't turn into a passive idiot. At one point she goes around blurting out SERIOUS secrets - not just to anyone, but to the fucking UNSEELIE PRINCES. Are you fucking kidding me? (hide spoiler)] 4. What's she been up to? Recap. Recap some more. Recap again. Recap stuff you just were there to experience.Check. 5. End scene of Iced, with Mac holding the Spear on Dani and being pissed at her, not make sense? Explain it away. She didn't know. Don't mind the previous stuff you've been told. It'll change as needed.Check.(view spoiler)[The manufactured drama between her and Mac in order to get her into the Silvers? Irritating. Mac, suddenly, doesn't know how she feels? Didn't realize that she was still blaming Dani? Regardless of the fact that she'd already worked through this in Shadowfever? Whatever. Rewrite that history. (hide spoiler)] 6. Christian's too creepy. Can't have that. Fixed.Check. (view spoiler)[The miracle fix of the love-triangle, too. *rolls eyes* Makes me wonder why it was there in the first place. (hide spoiler)] 7. Pedophilia? No way! Meta-speeches by several characters. That'll get the point across.Check. 8. More about the Nine - we must have it! Insert plot-device to allow us to spy on them, getting much more intimate with their thoughts and feelings - which apparently they talk about in private.Check. (view spoiler)[Invisibility cloak for Mac!! Now she can spy on everyone! And can I say how much I hated that she felt the need to spy on Barrons. WTF? How about you stop being a passive idiot and go talk to the man that's always had your back, always saved you, and always kicked ass for you? Gah, Mac, you're pissing me off. (hide spoiler)]
One last thing I'm going to complain about...no, two last things. One: Mac's boring internal monologues got on my last nerve. I skimmed a lot of them. There were pages and pages and pages of her telling me stuff I already knew. I know some people complained about these in the first five books, but I swear she wasn't this bad. I guess I'll find out when I re-read. I haven't re-read the books in several years (granted I've re-read them several dozen times so I know them well) but I don't need to be hand-fed every single bit of information. And I know what a freaking linchpin is!
Two: the focus on sex! O.M.G. Honestly. There's a freaking catastrophe happening around every corner! How about focusing on some of them? The random inserts of sex, thoughts of sex, and voyeuristic viewing of sex throughout the book was just...gratuitous.
Okay, I lied. I'm going to talk about one more thing I didn't like. Going back to the Dani-age thing. Yes, I wanted her older, but I wanted to see her grow up and become the person she was meant to be. Even if it was in snatches, gradually, whatever. I didn't just want it to happen. And the way it happened? Not loving it. I see where KMM is going with this, and I get it, but I think it's the easy way out - and I never thought of KMM taking the easy way. (view spoiler)[I actually hate this. I think it's a cheap trick. How I can see this being resolved is going to give the best of both worlds - Dani's personality and character, along with Jada's kick-ass, sex-kitten, world-weary mind and body. That'll make it okay for Ryodan to have her. *sigh* I'll wait to see how it plays out, and hope for something more, but I'm really bummed that I didn't get to see her evolve at all. Now it'll just be one more thing that happened off-page. (hide spoiler)]
Shit. I lied again. Last thing. I promise. I hate, hate, hate, hate that Barrons calls Mac, Ms. Lane still! The intimacy that was gained in Shadowfever is apparently gone. Now they're "islands." Then there's some irritating, manufactured drama that is completely pointless. I could not believe how much drama Mac allowed this to cause.
Speaking of Mac (no this isn't another "thing"), she's no longer the kick-ass, Mac 5.0. She reverted to Mac 2.4 or something. She's passive, in the extreme, a mere narrator for events happening around her, and lacking in any initiative. Apparently, she's done what she came to do, and the rest of the time she's going to sit around watching her version of "reality tv" - and don't get me started on that. She's just lost everything that made me love her. Every once in a while I would catch a thought or action that flitted through her head, but mostly I was amazed that this was the same Mac I'd previously fell in love with.
And so I remain, as Barrons would pithily say, idiotically passive.
The other effect her passivity has is making her interactions with Barrons seem ... less, somehow. He's the same asshole that I love, but without Mac strong it makes him seem even more an asshole.
I'm reminded once again, as if I needed it, why I love Ilona Andrews.
Original review cross-posted from here. Buddy read with my Re-read January 2015.
I'm reminded once again, as if I needed it, why I love Ilona Andrews.
Original review cross-posted from here. Buddy read with my friends at IAA.
The world here that Ilona Andrews created is a fascinating place. Not quite our world, not quite a fantasy world, it's vivid, captivating place filled with captivating characters. I was absolutely immersed in the Edge, and loved every moment that I spent there.
Rose was a fascinating character. She's had the rose-colored glasses, pardon the pun, ripped off her face and expects the worst in everyone but family, whom she's fiercely loyal to. She's very stubborn and almost can't back down from a challenge. I admit I loved this about her. She was not about to let anyone run her life or take over for her. Rose wasn't about to give her trust to anyone that didn't deserve it, and she damn sure wasn't going to let just anyone have her heart.
Declan, I absolutely loved from the first moment that Rose tried to run him over. He was arrogant and brash, and yet at the same time he's honorable, loyal and admirable. His interactions with Rose and her family made my heart tremble. I was rooting for him to find the way past Rose's defenses from the start.
Beyond the utterly wonderful world, and vividness of Rose and Declan, there's a supporting cast of fully three-dimensional cast of secondary characters. Jack and Georgie, in particular, just hit my heart hard. I loved seeing through their point-of-views, feeling the heart-breaking burden of their gifts, the absolutely pure love they had for each other and Rose, and the disarming yearning they had for peace and happiness.
The evil that threatens Rose and all those that live in the edge is cruel and vicious, with complicated connections. I did feel that the resolution of it was a bit rushed, but I was so involved in the character's journeys that it was only after I finished that I really thought about that.
As a first time reader of Ms. Andrews, I was absolutely enchanted with the world-building, the characters, and the emotions in On the Edge. And I can't wait to go back and visit the world again with Bayou Moon which is already out.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys Patricia Briggs and Jeaniene Frost. Ms. Andrews has a way of pulling you into the world, to the point where I was up late into the night just having to read 'one more' chapter....more
After my review of Part 1, you would be justified in asking why I continued. All I can say is that my curiousity won out. The cliffhanger enDNF at 21%
After my review of Part 1, you would be justified in asking why I continued. All I can say is that my curiousity won out. The cliffhanger ending of Part 1 promised some mutually pleasing, and incredibly sexy times.
So I opened this looking for simple, erotic, fun.
What I got was Natalie, after spending the entirety of the last book pursuing and pushing Sevastyan, backing off, scared, not wanting to have sex with him (because she's afraid of the consequences). I also got Sevastyan, who apparently has decided screw the consequences and is now pursuing her without pause.
He's willing to use her body's reaction to him against her, getting her to beg him for sex. Apparently if they actually have vaginal intercourse they'll end up bound - something like marriage - because of the rules of the mafiya. I emphasize vaginal because they do nearly everything but in this scene that last 21% of the book.
21% where Sevastyan is trying to get her to beg him to fuck her, even though he knows that she's not comfortable with being bound to him permanently. But he's noble - he won't do it against her will, only when she begs. But that leaves a whole range of activities open to him. ALL of which she greatly enjoys, and she does nearly consider begging him....
But she doesn't. So there's the tension for the next little bit.
This was a re-"read" but my first listen. The narration is pretty good, but fairly bland, and a lot of the humour I remembering enjoying when I read iThis was a re-"read" but my first listen. The narration is pretty good, but fairly bland, and a lot of the humour I remembering enjoying when I read it kind of lost something in the audiobook.
However, that's not the biggest thing I noticed (and had problem with) on this read.
The audio of this book is absolutely fantastic. I admit that it took me a little bit to get used to the Irish accent that Tim GerardSee my review here
The audio of this book is absolutely fantastic. I admit that it took me a little bit to get used to the Irish accent that Tim Gerard Reynolds brings to Darrow, but once I did, I grew to appreciate the genius that TGR is. He has a beautiful way of reading, a fabulous way with accents of all kinds, and really brought the story to life.
ETA: Make sure you listen to the song at the end of the narration - haunting and beautiful!! (The beat and tempo of the song remind me a lot of The Hanging Tree from Mockingjay)...more
For a good portion of this book I was on the edge of my seat, absolutely enthralled with Frances' journey and revenge. I was with her one-hundred percFor a good portion of this book I was on the edge of my seat, absolutely enthralled with Frances' journey and revenge. I was with her one-hundred percent. The people that wronged her deserved to be brought to justice. She had a plan, and she was going to stick to it.
If it had continued in this vein, maybe just for a while longer, I would have given this book a perfect grade. The plan was well thought out, well planned, and beautifully poetic. The suspense - even after I began to get annoyed (which I'll get into later) - was superbly done. I was turning pages, unable to get enough, unable to stop. I had to know how it was going to play out and if Frances was going to get her revenge.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Frances' plans to break down. I couldn't stand that she was allowing herself to have these feelings for a boy (Grey) that she thought was - at best - complicit by neglect in the death of everyone she loved and held dear. I could understand everything else that she felt and thought, but not this. If some boy, someone was complicit in such a tragic affair as Frances believed Grey to be, there'd be no forgiveness, at least not as quickly as Frances starts making excuses and reasons for him.
Granted, Grey does seem to be nearly as tortured about their whole history as Frances, but the fact of the matter is that his family survived the tragedy and then LIED about it. While Frances lost her parents, her friend, her life on that ship. Nearly isn't close enough for me. And for this boy Frances changes all of her plans, nearly dying, nearly getting others hurt or killed, nearly losing all justice for those responsible.
And in the end that brought down my enjoyment of the book quite a bit. The cliff-hanger/make-up-your-own-resolution ending didn't help much, but it was really the "romance" that was at the heart of my discontent. I agree that it needed to be there. Frances needed to find some reason - beyond her revenge - to actually live, but the way this one unfolded didn't work as well for me.
Pre-review thoughts:
I'm just not sure how to rate this. There were (many) aspects of it that I absolutely loved - and one that irritated me...a lot.