The Glass Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy #2) by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Glass Magician

by Charlie N. Holmberg

 

 

 Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

 

 *I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley*

 

This was a fun book.  I enjoyed reading it even though I liked the first book more. What keeps me coming back to this series is the magic, which is unique and imaginative.

I probably would have given it more stars if the main character, Ceony, had been less irritating and reckless.  She was firmly in the TSTL(too stupid to live) category in this book.  I don't know if she even learned her lesson.

I loved the other characters, especially Thane.  He is very easy to love.

 

I will read the next book in the series but I really hope that Ceony grows up.

 

 

 

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

One Man Guy

by Michael Barakiva

 

A heartfelt, laugh-out-loud-funny story of romance, family, and self-discovery.

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.

Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

Meh.  I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as I thought I would.  The writing-style just wasn't for me at all.  It felt clunky and juvenile. 
I didn't care for the characters at all because there was nothing to make me like them.  They were too much like cardboard cut-outs. 
I really wish I could have liked this.  Maybe next time!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga

I Hunt Killers

 by Barry Lyga

 

 

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

 

*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I really enjoyed this one.  It was dark and gruesome at times, which is how I like it.  One thing I don't understand: how in the world is this YA??


Just because the MC is 17 does not immediately make this a YA book.  Not all books with teen characters should be marketed for teens.  I don't understand it.  This book has gruesome death scenes, several mentions of rape, and a MC who is not mentally stable.  It also describes-in detail- how his serial killer father staged his murdered victims, sometimes with the use of hooks, nails, and fishing line. Does that really sound like YA?
Anyway...I loved the writing style and the characters.  Jasper is the kind of character that you can't help but love, even if he is a little unhinged.  He has good reason, after all.  Something to do with the fact that he was raised by a serial killer who loved to talk about his work.  He takes very good care of his best friend, Howie, who is a type A hemophiliac. Their friendship added a whole new dimension to the story.
I'm excited to continue on with the series. 

The Paper Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Paper Magician 

by Charlie N. Holmberg

 

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.
Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.
An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.


*I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley*

I really enjoyed this book.  It was whimsical and the magic was so unique.  I loved reading about the different types of magic and the things that the magicians could do.  Who knew that paper Folding so be so interesting?
At first I didn't like Ceony because she was judgmental and refused the keep an open mind.  She quickly grew as a character and I ended up liking her quite a bit.  I love when a character develops and grows as you read.
 I loved the historical feel to the book and didn't care that it wasn't historically accurate.  After all, this is a book about magic.  There are bound to be differences between our world and theirs.  I would have been disappointed if it was historically accurate.

I liked this one enough to immediately start reading the second book.  It is definitely a book worth reading!

Blackthorn by Simon Hawk

Blackthorn

by Simon Hawk

 

Rian Blackthorn’s Gypsy and Elven heritage have earned him the title Master of the Hall of Swords in the realm of Brystyn. There, eighteen-year-old Rian has been training boys in the Ways of the Blade. However, his most promising student, Prince Corin, has fallen deeply in love with him. Already pledged to an Elven Prince of the Vale of Seven Rivers, Rian has managed to keep Corey at bay for the past two years. But when the prince’s journal of erotic writings is delivered to Rian, he discovers a conspiracy that may result in Corey’s death. And when Corey is abducted by Will the Wizard of Winterwood, a sexual deviant, Rian’s love for Corey is slowly awakened. And if by life or death, he can save him, he most certainly will.

*I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley*

I don't know what to say except...what the fuck did I just read?
I was expecting a good fantasy with some light romance.
 I got anime orgy porn.
My flabber.  It is ghasted.

Precious Metals by L.A. Witt

Precious Metals

by L.A. Witt

For Constable Paul Benson of the North-West Mounted Police, monotony is a blessing. As a provision inspector below the Chilkoot Pass during the Klondike Gold Rush, he’s seen miserable conditions and gold fever turn civilized prospectors into madmen.

Joseph Starling is on his way to the Klondike to find the men who savagely beat him, murdered his eldest brother, and stole their mining machine. They’ll kill his youngest brother if Joseph doesn’t operate the machine for them—it won’t work without him. With time running out, Joseph must purchase an expensive ticket aboard a crash-prone airship. But the station is miles away through dangerous terrain.

Under orders, Paul grudgingly escorts Joseph, but quickly finds himself intrigued by the young man. As they make their way toward Juneau, it’s not just the need for warmth that drives them closer together. But neither man can draw an easy breath until they make it to the gold fields . . . and there’s no guarantee that Joseph’s brother will still be alive when they do.



*I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley*
This is the second book in L.A. Witt's steampunk m/m romance series set during the Klondike gold rush. Like the first book, it has everything you could need for an amazing adventure, but it just fell flat for me.  I did like this one a little more than the first.  I happen to like Mounties.

My problem with the books is that you don't get to know the characters very well at all and I have a difficult time caring what happens to them.  There isn't any character development.  The characters don't grow or change or have epiphanies...they just stay exactly the same when they weren't very interesting in the first place.
What I did like was the world-building.  I like the machines and the airships and the gold rush prospectors.  It just wasn't enough.

The Iron Bells by Jeanette Battista

The Iron Bells

by Jeanette Battista

 

 

 The year is 64 A.D. -- though now A.D. stands for Anno Daemonii.
Demons have crossed a gate into our world, taking the reins of power
from humanity. A new Inquisition has begun, determined to root out any
who stand against the new world order. The holy sites on earth have
been destroyed -- Jerasulem first, then the Vatican, then Mecca -- and
what resistance remains is ruthlessly crushed. Amaranth is a fighter
in the resistance cell based in London. Dham is a Ringer, one of the
few people left able to ring the remaining sets of blessed hand bells
that have power over demons. When Amaranth discovers that her best
friend has been possessed by a demon and is going to be used in the
Resistance's final, desperate mission, she asks Dham for his help in
saving her friend. With the Inquisition closing in and betrayal
threatening from inside the Resistance itself, Amaranth, Dham, and the
demon -- along with Catriona, a new, highly-skilled, highly-blonde
bell-ringer -- decide to head to Rome and the ruins of Vatican City,
hoping to find a way to stem the tide of demonic possessions and close
the gate.

 

*I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley*

 

I enjoyed this one quite a bit.  The worldbuilding reminded me of a cross between Garth Nix's Abhorsen series (ringing the bells to keep demons at bay/banish them) and Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart (the world is overtaken and the resistance lives in underground tunnels while the rest of society carries on).  

It was pretty good.  I can definitely see myself reading the next book in the series when it comes out.  I had a few issues with the characters because there were times when I just wanted to throttle them for being so stupid.  At least Amaranth knew she had made some mistakes, which made it a little better. 

I'd recommend it to fans of young or new adult and people who love urban fantasy and strong heroines.

Nest by Esther Ehrlich

Nest

by Esther Ehrlich

 

For fans of Jennifer Holm (Penny from Heaven, Turtle in Paradise), a heartfelt and unforgettable middle-grade novel about an irresistible girl and her family, tragic change, and the healing power of love and friendship. In 1972 home is a cozy nest on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi “Chirp” Orenstein, her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother. But then Chirp’s mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, and everything changes.
   Chirp finds comfort in watching her beloved wild birds. She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy who lives across the street. Together they create their own private world and come up with the perfect plan: Escape. Adventure. Discovery.
   Nest is Esther Ehrlich’s stunning debut novel. Her lyrical writing is honest, humorous, and deeply affecting. Chirp and Joey will steal your heart. Long after you finish Nest, the spirit of Chirp and her loving family will stay with you.


I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately.  I've been moving and going through our things.  Packing, unpacking, and organizing all of our stuff is so ridiculously overwhelming that I haven't felt like doing anything at all.  Add NaNoWriMo and NBRC's Tower Teams on to that and you have a perfect storm, which led to me saying "screw that, I'm just going to read". 
I'm glad that Nest is the book I chose to read.  I'm not sure that any other book would have been able to pierce through the wall of 'meh' that I was putting up. 
Chirp is an amazing character.  She's the sort of character that feels more real than the pages of the book(or the Kindle, in my case). 
This is a beautiful story about family and hope, heartbreak and friendship.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.