Thank you to Tor Books, Mcmillain Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions exprThank you to Tor Books, Mcmillain Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. In a world ruled by dragons, humans are of no consequence. Anahrod has lived her life far away from her home and prefers to stay hidden given the circumstances of her departure. When a band of misfits saves her and asks that she help them steal a dragon's hoard, she's thrown back into the world she has been hiding from for years. But it's no secret those from her home think she is dead after being banished for crimes she didn't commit. One dragon wants to see her dead and it's up to her and her found family to ensure the cloud cities are saved from destruction by a rouge dragon who wants it all. It's so hard for me to review fantasy books without spoilers. But I'm going to try my best not to give too much away. One thing I will say, I rarely if ever see fantasy books that are stand alone. For the author to take on such a task is substantial and I give her major props for doing it. Because of this, the story is broken into many different parts, almost as if you are starting new books with each part. However, there is the allusion that the story doesn't quite end, especially with the epilogue she provides. I'd love to see her spin more of this and see where it goes. First I want to say that I absolutely love Lauren Fortgang as the narrator for this story. Her voice is the perfect cadence for fantasy. The way she portrays each character with depth, the way she is able to show their differentiation with just the slightest adjustment to her tone, makes the story so much more enjoyable than any other narrator could have. The world Lyons builds in this story is very unique. I saw dragons and knew I needed to see what it was about. Think Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing meets Six of Crows with just a bit of Ninth House thrown in. But unlike Fourth Wing, the bond between dragon and rider in this story is different. The dragons hold much more power, with the riders almost being somewhat of a slaves to them. And still, teens enter the academic school that will train them to take on this task. I would have liked to see a bit more of the academia in this book, but I also understand it was not at all about the school as much as the politics of the dragons versus the people. I loved the dichotomy she builds with the Skylanders (the rich) versus the Deep (the poor). And the way she describes these places had an almost Avatar like quality. Cities floating in the clouds and places deep in the ungle. As I read along, my mind just kept flashing back to the movie and how the world looked. Lyons weaves magic and powers into the story seamlessly. Dragons have magic to breath poison or fire, teleport to other places, and a slew of other powers. And the humans also possess powers which are referred to as blessings. Underlying the magic and world building is a heist which has the characters always hiding, always running, always trying to find ways out of sticky situations. It made for an action packed story. I think my most favorite thing about this story was the diverse cast of characters Lyons builds. Given I listened to this it was harder for me to know exactly what the names looked like: Aanhrod, Sicaryon, Gwyndion, Claw, Ris: names I could not have understood how to spell (thankful for my fellow reviewers who had Kindle or print copies to help me out!). The characters are very relatable and easy to understand. Some are brash, some are quirky, but all are well developed and distinct and on top of that they feel real. There is a lot of banter, many laugh out loud moments, and many tender moments during the story. The characters all have different motives and skill sets but ultimately these differences prove essential to the bonds they form and to the dynamic we see amongst them. Lyons addresses gender differences and sexual preferences with depth and a wide berth of understanding. I loved her twist on transgender and also how none of the characters are surprised by relationships no matter who they are between making it a queer-norm story. Her system of rings denoted gender and other preferences was really genius and made the LBGTQ+ inclusion easy and so much more meaningful for the reader. And I enjoyed the poly relationship, though I don't usually love those. Lyons did a good job not making me want to smack all involved. And, while the romance is there, it certainly is not the main plot. While the world building is complex, the story is not. Though there is much intrigue and politics involved in the world, the main idea of taking back their world from rogue dragons is easy to understand. Overall Lyons created a fun, fast, original, and entertaining story with a unique world and a wonderfully varied cast of characters that completely held my attention from beginning to end. I really enjoyed being part of it....more
This book could not be more of a plagiarized Hunger Games if the author tried. Also Red Queen, Shatter mMe, The Darkest Minds, Defy the Night. It’s alThis book could not be more of a plagiarized Hunger Games if the author tried. Also Red Queen, Shatter mMe, The Darkest Minds, Defy the Night. It’s all those books with all the scenes from those books with characters with different names and some gender swapping. It’s one thing to take inspiration from a book, quite another two little use the same scenes in your book....more
I was totally bored. Where is the plot? There's not chemistry with the two main characters. The narrator was better with the male voices than the femaI was totally bored. Where is the plot? There's not chemistry with the two main characters. The narrator was better with the male voices than the female voices! ...more
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Bramble Books for providing me with an audio galley of this book to read and give my honest review. The oThank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Bramble Books for providing me with an audio galley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. In this follow up to Calamity, we are reacquainted with Cyn Khaw: a bounty hunter who goes by many names disguising herself as a private investigator who has spent her life hunting her cousin's killer. When she gets a chance to hunt the killer down, she's paired with the crew of the Calamity. But she's given an ultimatum by one of the family's: save her family and herself by turning in Micah, the ship's medic, or lose everything. If you have not read the first book in this series, stop and go read it. Not only was it fabulous, but you will not understand many of the relationships in this book if you do not read that one first. This is definitely not a stand alone. This is the first book I have reviewed in the audio format. I will saw I was skeptical at first; worried the narrator would be computer generated and I would have a hard time getting into the story. I was pleasantly surprised to be hearing Paige Reisenfeld's voice. This is my first audio by this narrator and I thoroughly enjoyed her. Her tone was perfect and she helped me to love the female main character and all her quirks. Cynbaelline Khaw, aka Bella, aka Cyn goes by all the names trying to keep her true identity a secret. I remember her being introduced to us in the first book, though I didn't know it was her at the time. And once this was revealed, the story of her and Michah began to make much more sense. She's sassy and smart and is no stranger to being alone. She has spent her life in her own bubble, keeping her family at arms length and not allowing herself to be involved with anyone more than is necessary to her job. Cyn, to me, doesn't know her worth. And her character certainly develops around this in the book. She doesn't think she deserves to be loved or to have friends. She had to make some truly tough decisions in this book. And, while you initially believe she will only do what is good for herself, you find that's really not who she truly is. She has a big heart and that shines through as the book progresses. Michah Arora is a character I know well from the first book in this series. I loved his character. He's smart and has a great head on his shoulders. He cares a lot about his crew; they are his friends and his found family since his exile. He's super protective of those he loves. And he's got a sense of humor to him that shined for me in this book. He makes light of some more tense situations which helped to ease some of the more tense scenes in the book. I do wish I'd had more from him. Speaking of romance, it's in the book, but it was not the main thing that drove the book. What drives this book is the off planet wonder of a different world, the challenge of finding people in such a large area of space, and the fight that ensues to ensure people are safe. The universe of this series is so large, reminding me of Star Trek or even Star Wars and all the planets and places that are visited in those worlds. The shining point of this book is the action and adventure it brings. Did I like the romance, sure, but it was definitely a very slow burn. And if you are looking for closed door, this is not that. The intimacy scenes are definitely a bit descriptive. But I enjoy that in my romances! And the comedy aspect of this series is really what had me coming back and wanting to read this installment. Fay works it in so well to the story, just as she did with Calamity. Can I just say the ingenuity of creating a lizard that eats metal is genius! I absolutely adored that character and hope to see more of them in future books in this series. Now, the ending has me a little worried as I would love to see more of Cyn and Micah in future books and the ending has me thinking that may not be possible. Though with Cyn's background, I think she could weasel her way into the next book (if there is one). If you're looking for a sci-fi space chases with mystery, romance, fight scenes, and found family, pick up this series and watch is unfold. As my second foray into the space romance genre, I can see it as one of my new favorites. I hope Fay continues the series as I'd love to see more of these space relationships unfurl....more
I just cannot handle the: writing, relationship (like ewww...he was with your sister for all that time and now you're finding attraction to him?), whiI just cannot handle the: writing, relationship (like ewww...he was with your sister for all that time and now you're finding attraction to him?), whining, plot holes, and so much more. How this is such a highly rated book I have no idea!...more
My rating was higher until they started figuring out the who done it. Then it was just ridiculous. The writing is good, though. I’d still read more frMy rating was higher until they started figuring out the who done it. Then it was just ridiculous. The writing is good, though. I’d still read more from her if she chooses to write more adult. ...more
This series has been cute so far. I have been enjoying the romantic aspects of the books as well as the dive into the cultural heritage of the charactThis series has been cute so far. I have been enjoying the romantic aspects of the books as well as the dive into the cultural heritage of the characters. Anna is a violinist gone viral. But the sudden fame is overwhelming for her. She prefers order. When her long time boyfriend decides he wants an open relationship, Ana is determined to climb out of her shell and find more for herself. But will the tattooed, motorcycle riding, escort boy be the answer for her? I enjoyed the plot of this book a lot. It's very Pretty Woman, which is a favorite movie of mine. But it's role reversal since it's the man who is the escort in this book. But these characters truly did give me all the feels and that made me want to give it a hug. It was especially intriguing to watch Anna's struggle with her family. She's forced into situations by them and they have no idea what she struggles with. I'm glad she learns how to stand up for herself. Let's give a shout out for dual point of view. I feel like this is so important in these types of romance books. The author previously chose to use third person. In romance I feel that first person really allows the reader to connect so much more with the characters. To feel what they feel and experience what they are going through. Anna is a shy and introverted character. The author does a good job developing this aspect of her character in the book. She is relatable and I certainly felt empathy for her throughout the book as she struggled with standing up for herself versus doing what her family thinks she needs to do. Over the course of the book it was nice to watch her open up and flourish. The author presented the characters struggle with Autism in a realistic and sensitive manner. Her entire journey through this struggle is so emotionally tugging and I felt for her the entire time she was trying to figure out who she was. I loved that she took hold of it and even went to therapy to address it. Her personal growth is truly the crux of this book. Quan I knew from the previous two books. He has always come across to me as someone who doesn't give over his emotions or what is going on easily. It was nice to see him break out of this shell during the course of this book. For his POV it's all about his self-esteem and what he needs to do to survive. Yet, underneath what appears as brashness is this sweet and caring man who will do whatever it takes to make Anna feel she is important and matters. The romance here is a slow burn, with many failed attempts by the characters to connect during their first few interactions. And there is a true focus on what Anna needs from Quan during the times when they finally do become intimate. He continually assures her to let him know what he needs so he can give that to her. The pacing was good and the story flowed easily. I was never taken out of what was happening by things that didn't somehow relate to what was going on. Like any good romance, I was really looking for an happy ending. But to get there, I had to watch this really hard struggle and I think Hoang did a fabulous job showing life is not all sunshine and rainbows even when you are able to accept yourself. 3 stars ...more
I'm truly thankful for the LIbby app. It allows me to listen to books at work, in my car, and at the gym. This second book in The Kiss Quotient was oneI'm truly thankful for the LIbby app. It allows me to listen to books at work, in my car, and at the gym. This second book in The Kiss Quotient was one I was really looking forward to reading. I really enjoyed The Kiss Quotient with it's quirky FMC. And I truly wanted to see Khai's story. The potential to show his reactions and ways of dealing with situations was endless and a great way to show the world what someone living with Autism may be going through. It made me want everyone around him to understand him. Unfortunately, it missed the mark in many ways but mostly in the characterization of the relationship and the missed mark on the potential slow growth of the characters. Esmerelda was interesting enough if not a little flat. And she came across as too self-depreciating for me. That is until the end when she seems to claim herself and her worth. While this was a great thing to see, I do wish it was more developed throughout the book rather than just BAM at the end. I can understand this was supposed to be an epiphany type of thing, but it just came across as not organic to me in the character's development. Khai's character definitely shows what it is like to be locked into routines because of your disability. We saw a bit of this in the first book, so his growth as a character in this book was what I really wanted to see. In some cases I felt like he was accepting changes a little too easily given his condition, then other times you could see the anxiety such changes were producing. He definitely went through a roller coaster of emotions. And, while I wanted to see him and his potential changes happen, I just feel like the author was asking a bit too much of his character with it. The relationship between Khai and Esmerelda developed in an interesting way. She took him totally out of his comfort zone. I enjoyed their connection at times. And at other times it just annoyed me. I did like the continued introduction of the Vietnamese culture. I don't know anything about this culture and it's been nice learning some of that in these books. Overall, I just felt like there could have been so much more development of the relationship between the characters. They were pretty much hot for each other from the very start and it just didn't seem right to me. I feel like the actual book was much longer than it should have been. There were way too many scenes where we see the characters almost connecting but then not. It just felt drawn out. I was also not a fan of the narrator. Her tone was so low through the entire book I had to really turn my volume up to understand her. I am interested to see the direction the author will take with Quan's story....more
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