I love the idea of this book. It's a fun YA romance featuring aspiring reporters - two teenagers who take their work at the school newspaper VERY seriI love the idea of this book. It's a fun YA romance featuring aspiring reporters - two teenagers who take their work at the school newspaper VERY seriously. Only, there's a bit too much smashed in here. We have race, we have school shootings, we have gangs, we have corruption, we have under-age sex and under-age drinking, we have prom, a love triangle... well, I could keep going. I enjoyed reading this book but it felt like too much for 350 pages.
Merged review:
I love the idea of this book. It's a fun YA romance featuring aspiring reporters - two teenagers who take their work at the school newspaper VERY seriously. Only, there's a bit too much smashed in here. We have race, we have school shootings, we have gangs, we have corruption, we have under-age sex and under-age drinking, we have prom, a love triangle... well, I could keep going. I enjoyed reading this book but it felt like too much for 350 pages....more
An interesting enough short story that gave us some insight into the terrible and complex lives of the Darkling and his mother. It was heartbreaking, An interesting enough short story that gave us some insight into the terrible and complex lives of the Darkling and his mother. It was heartbreaking, for sure. I wish there was a bit more - Bardugo's strength does not lie in short form, but I was happy enough to read this....more
Let's start with the good: So many characters! And they are all wonderful.
Our existing characters from the previous books thrive. We get to know AmilLet's start with the good: So many characters! And they are all wonderful.
Our existing characters from the previous books thrive. We get to know Amily much better in Closer to the Heart. She's kind, quiet, intelligent, and witty. Why does her intelligence stick out to me when ALL Heralds are super-smart? Because she comes at problems sideways while still borrowing from the world she knows. I love how we're exposed to the same ideas but from a different angle.
Despite the depth of the Mags/Dallen and Amily/Rolan relationships growing, the new characters are my favorites. Keira Tremainet, first of the handmaiden-spies is actually a lot of fun. Sure, she's very Mary Sue, but it's perfect for the Valdemar universe. I also adore Lord Steveral Jorthun, the previous-previous royal spymaster. He is hilarious - bositerious, fun, sarcastic, and still an exceptional spy. He reminds me a lot of Bruce Wayne, actually.
But despite all these fun new characters, my absolute favorite "new" (okay, we met him in the last book) character is Coot. Coot is the first of Mags's orphan spies we met in Closer to Home. He's very rustic and street smart. He's young. But he's so eager. All the best lines in this book come from Coot.
Unlike most Valdemar books, our protagonists are split up. Amily stays in Haven. Nikolas goes to visit the weaponsmiths. And Mags/Kiera/Coot/Lord Jorthun head off to mining country. While each protagonist finds information critical to the plot, not everything they find is. Some information isn't relevant. Some intrigues they go on are fruitless. This felt so… right. The Heralds have always suffered a bit from their perfection. It was nice to see them struggle a bit. This kept me engaged and I kept reading!
Now, is this a perfect Valdemar novel? Certainly not. There are two glaring road bumps for me.
First, the return of Kirball. I won't lie, I expected that once Mags graduated we'd be done with this sport. Alas. It returns with a vengeance. And the worst part? While it's a completely plausible plot point, it turns out that its completely unnecessary! A red herring! Ugh. At least we only had to experience one game… I just find these games shockingly dull. But I bet someone who really enjoys Kirball would have liked these scenes, as Lackey uses them to describe how society at large, without Heralds, can play the game. Honestly, I think it's just polo but with no sticks. Perhaps that's the point? After all, polo was originally a calvary training game from Persia… I digress.
Second, the ending. Oy. It was just a prepackaged, predictable Lackey ending. As soon as I read the first line of chapter 16 I rolled my eyes and cringed. Here we go again. More of the same from the Collegium Chronicles. Sigh. And worst of all, the ending is resolved by Amily making an impassioned speech wherein the "bad guys" all reform and head home. What?! At least Amily made the speech and not Mags…
So, no, not a perfect Valdemar book. But I really enjoyed reading 90% of it. I love the characters and how they are growing, I love getting to know the smaller, daily aspects of Valdemar. Looking forward to the 3rd and final book in this trilogy!...more
A fun summer romance. I enjoyed learning about two potential careers I know nothing about: Running a food truck and being an Instagram influencer. WhiA fun summer romance. I enjoyed learning about two potential careers I know nothing about: Running a food truck and being an Instagram influencer. While this isn't the focus of the story, it was sure fun.
I appreciate the diversity of the characters and their relationships. Clara, Rose, and Hamlet have wonderful chemistry. I really enjoyed watching their friendships grow. I wish Goo had spent a bit more time on the friends Clara left behind, however -- they feel paper-thin and as though their existence isn't particularly relevant to the story, even though they are a huge influence in Clara's life. I also feel like the ending was rushed - when it ended, I was shocked. Perhaps there was just too much to wrap up in here? I dunno.
An enjoyable read for those who like books about growing up, friendship, family relationships, romance, food, and self-discovery....more
In some ways, Closer to Home was very predictable. It's a Romeo & Juliet retelling from an outsider perspective. Lackey didn't follow the story precisIn some ways, Closer to Home was very predictable. It's a Romeo & Juliet retelling from an outsider perspective. Lackey didn't follow the story precisely and I really appreciated that. I often find Lackey's tales to be predictable and, strangely, Closer to Home kept me on my toes!
In this book, we get a new perspective from Amily. I enjoyed being in Amily's head. I like how methodical and patient she is; It's a nice change from most of Lackey's characters. I only wish her voice differed more from Mags. I mixed them up a few times! Oops.
And while I knew she'd become a Herald in this series (thanks blurbs!) I didn't expect it to happen in such a dramatic fashion! It's obvious Lackey is ready to expand, or perhaps even break, some of the rules she has established for the Heralds of Valdemar. I swear, I re-read that section of the book like 4 times… Anyway. I really hope we get to be exposed to more of Nikolas's recovery as this trilogy progresses. Lackey has always done a great job with characters coping through trauma.
On the opposite side of the plot, Lackey exposes us to Mags as he begins to build his spy network. Finally in full Whites, it's time for Mags to being taking Nikolas's place as Herald Spy. Closer to Home focuses entirely on Mags rescuing street-savvy orphans who would otherwise be on the street stealing for their supper. I found it exceptionally heartwarming! Sure, it might have been a bit over-the-top, but I enjoyed every scene where he interacted with them. I cannot wait to see Mags's spy empire grow and these littles grow up! So. Sweet.
I'll definitely keep reading this series. I don’t know if Lackey has an overarching thread she expects to connect these stories with, if so, it isn't clear yet. But it'll be fun....more
I won't lie - I didn't pick up Redoubt with high expectations. At this point, I'm reading the Valdemar books because they are fun, mindless, and quickI won't lie - I didn't pick up Redoubt with high expectations. At this point, I'm reading the Valdemar books because they are fun, mindless, and quick reads. Plus it's nice to be completely fluent in a literary universe! When Redoubt began with more of the same, I went with it. But by 60% I felt like I was reading a completely different book. So different, in fact, that by the end I had completely forgotten the first 60%. A very strange literary experience.
The first two-thirds of Redoubt is more of the same feeling as the first three books. Kirball! Weddings! Drama with Bear and Lena! More Kirball! More Weddings! Mags doubts his skills and worth! MORE Kirball! Sneaky pretending and buying information from thieves- to the point where when talking to Kim I accidentally called Mags Skif. Oops. Apparently these moments are so similar I confused the two characters.
But the back third of this book? Awesome. We learn that being a Medium, speaking to spirits, is a Gift! I want to read a Valdemar mystery series where a Herald-Medium solves murder mysteries by speaking to spirits. Then Mags is thrust into a survival adventure experience reminiscent of Hatchet. Poor Mags had some idea how to survive, but not much. It was great. I loved his adventures - they kept me on the edge of my seat.
That said - I struggled with the transition between these two "parts" of Redoubt. Lackey takes an extreme turn in storytelling format which I found to be jarring. As I kept reading, the twists made more sense, but it definitely pulled me out of the story for a while. In retrospect, I love what she did, but it didn't work in the moment. And then we ended up with some strange memories which went on for far too long. I got the point. Let's get back to the adventure.
All in all, I think Redoubt might be my favorite of the Collegium Chronicles books. Sadly, that isn't saying much. I don't know why this series is a quintet. I really hope the story is wrapped up in a satisfying way in the next book… But I won't hold my breath....more
I wish I could say that the third chapter in Lackey's Collegium Chronicles was more than disappointing. Alas. I cannot.
The most glaring problem for mI wish I could say that the third chapter in Lackey's Collegium Chronicles was more than disappointing. Alas. I cannot.
The most glaring problem for me is the plot, or true lack thereof. While I have enjoyed reading all the Collegium Chronicles books thus far, I feel like Lackey has far too little overarching plot moving these books forward. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good character-driven story. But in Changes every action the characters take is in reference to these unknown "foreigners" whom they have been entangled with since book one. If only we were making progress here…
Lackey has also just started explaining away a lot of Mags's development. For example, Mags has never had to take classes to learn how to use his gift, unlike previous Heralds we've known. This is explained away as Dallen just putting all the information in his head. Ugh. These Deus Ex Machina moments appear all over the place and are distracting. It made me think Lackey didn't want to have to rehash anything she's explained in earlier books in her series - also making me think that she doesn't really have anything new to add to her world.
…And yet.
I want to know more.
So, will I keep reading? Heck yes I will. This is a fun cast of characters and I'm invested in their future. Lackey has left me enough carrots dangling that I crave knowing what happens next. Despite Changes dragging, being predictable, and having infuriating character development I want to read more. Now. ...more
Upon reflection, Intrigues carries a lot of parallels to Magic's Pawn, the first book in The Last Herald Mage trilogy featuring Vanyel Ashkevron, as wUpon reflection, Intrigues carries a lot of parallels to Magic's Pawn, the first book in The Last Herald Mage trilogy featuring Vanyel Ashkevron, as well as Take a Thief, featuring Skif, and Exile's Valor, featuring Alberich. This is a boon for a reader familiar with Lackey's Valdemar universe. However, I can imagine this might also frustrate Valdemar fans as very little in this book felt truly new.
Mags and Dallen, his Companion, really establish themselves in Intrigues. They were only getting to know each other in Foundation. Now they obviously have a much deeper relationship. Their banter often had me laughing aloud.
I struggled with a major plot point of Intrigues. Thanks to Mags making a throw-away comment that he's of foreign birth he is suddenly under suspicion by… the whole Collegium? Sure, perhaps the Bard Trainees would buy into it. But the Healer Trainees are too busy (and boring, by Lackey's descriptions) and the Herald Trainees all have Companions who know better. It just… felt forced.
Once I finished reading Intrigues, I immediately wanted to keep reading. Like with Foundation, Lackey has left enough bread crumbs to keep me wanting to follow. There is plenty of mystery left to solve as Mags and his friends continue to grow into full-fledged members of their communities. I look forward to seeing where Lackey takes this story next....more
A beautifully drawn and colored graphic novel, The Black Mage is quite a story. This magical school tale is of Tom Token, the first black mage at the A beautifully drawn and colored graphic novel, The Black Mage is quite a story. This magical school tale is of Tom Token, the first black mage at the St Ivory Academy of Wizardry, who takes down the entirety of white supremacy almost single-handedly. If that sounds outrageous, well, it is. Barnes is unabashed in his use of both Juvenalian and Menippean satire in this YA graphic novel. Expect to be bashed over the head with overt messages, both overly simplistic and on-the-nose. There is no space for misunderstanding here.
While the art, coloring, and lettering are gorgeous, this just didn't quite work for me. I prefer my satire to be a bit more subtle. ...more
Packed full of action, the 4th Trials of Apollo book does not disappoint. Thankfully, Riordan doesn't pack as much into this book, so it felt like I wPacked full of action, the 4th Trials of Apollo book does not disappoint. Thankfully, Riordan doesn't pack as much into this book, so it felt like I was able to connect with everything. Worth mentioning: - The relationship between Meg and Apollo is blossoming and I love it. These poor abused kids are finding solace in each other! - Camp Jupiter! Plus the first Jewish Camper, Lavinia Asimov, who is an impulsive, incredible little leader. I adore her and cannot wait to see what she does in the next book! - Return of Frank, Hazel, Reyna, and Tyson. Oh, and the Hunters! Yay Hunters! - Epic battles. Like woah. I'm impressed with Riordan's ability to create such a large battle scene effectively. - Zombies, skeletons, and general undead-types. But not in a super scary way. Like, just scary enough. - More sarcastic humor and haikus.
My second favorite of the series, for sure. I look forward to the epic conclusion! ...more
Wow. A lot goes on in this book. Hence 3/5 stars - it felt like a bit too much packed in here. Great pacing but not enough detail in the moment. It maWow. A lot goes on in this book. Hence 3/5 stars - it felt like a bit too much packed in here. Great pacing but not enough detail in the moment. It made some moments that were supposed to be super impactful… less impactful to me. No spoilers. Other things of note: - So many naiads and dryads! - The labyrinth is back. Only with LOTS of fire. Because duh. - Meg's trauma from being abused for so many years is really starting to come to the fore. - Apollo's need to protect Meg personally makes my heart melt. - Welcome back Piper, Jason, Grover, and Gleeson Hedge! - Our evil Emperor is much craftier this time. Obviously self-absorbed. It's amazing. - The talking Arrow of Dodona is becoming a favorite character. - The end of this book made me immediately want to keep reading. - Pop culture references for both younger kids and the adults
The biggest downside is that things are starting to feel super formulaic again. With the original 10 Camp Half-Blood books, we had some intense formula: Receive prophesy, adventure to complete prophecy, drama drama drama, win! Repeat. Now we have receive prophecy, save oracle, drama drama drama, win, next. I hope things shake up soon. ...more
I enjoyed this book much more than book 1. Things of note: - Apollo is growing a lot! He's starting to demonstrate what a softie he is, even if he lieI enjoyed this book much more than book 1. Things of note: - Apollo is growing a lot! He's starting to demonstrate what a softie he is, even if he lies to himself about why he's doing all these selfless things. - The lovely bisexuality of Apollo. - Leo and Calypso's relationship makes me so happy - I appreciate how they are learning from each other. - Haikus are still incredible. - The Emperor they are up against in this book is the one I personally think of as the worst, but that's because he's insane. Good times. How can this continue? Gods on Facebook, Gryffins, Booby Traps, The Hunters, Apollo's crazy internal monologue and memories, mechanical dragons, and more....more
And thus the Black Moon arc begins! This is, for a lot of people, the worst arc of the series. We've got a bit of an X-Files feeling (Aliens! Crop CirAnd thus the Black Moon arc begins! This is, for a lot of people, the worst arc of the series. We've got a bit of an X-Files feeling (Aliens! Crop Circles! UFOs! Unexplained abductions!) with our baddies and we have the introduction of Chibi Usa. Sure, Chibi Usa is adorable, sassy, and kinda a jerk (just like her mom!), but we have a bit of an incestuous thing starting to happen here. And if you don't like these implications, well, the next volume will surely creep you out.
But this story. The stakes are raised for the Sailor Scouts! Black Moon turns out to really give the Scouts a run for their money. So much so that this volume ends with everyone in a lot of trouble. 4 Scouts are prisoners, Small Lady has lost her time key, Pluto has collapsed, Tuxedo Kamen has rushed into time-space with no key, Neo Queen Serenity is… in a state-- it's all very dramatic! Oh, and beautifully drawn. A bit of a filler volume, but worth it for the upcoming drama.
For me, the biggest downside to this volume is we are introduced to the completely nebulous time-travel element of the Sailor Moon Universe. Just… don't examine it too closely. Sit back and enjoy the story. After all, this isn't high literature - it's just a super fun magical girl story! ...more
And so the Dark Kingdom arc ends. The art is still completely blowing me away - Takeuchi is an exceptional artist. While the story is hokey and the paAnd so the Dark Kingdom arc ends. The art is still completely blowing me away - Takeuchi is an exceptional artist. While the story is hokey and the pacing super fast (at least, super fast when you read all the volumes back to back like this), I cannot help but love every moment.
Sorry, friends, by my fan-girl love for Sailor Moon will certainly give this whole series 5 stars. #SorryNotSorry....more
Jackie B. -
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