Great world, great support characters, so-so heroine
937884
This is the first book in the Charlie Madigan series.  I had been wanting to read this series a while since I am such a big urban fantasy fan.  While this book wasn't exceptional, it was a solid urban fantasy with an interesting world.  It was a fun read and I am glad I read it.

Charlie works for the police hunting down otherworldly beings.  She is also a divorced mother of a pre-teen named Emma.  When one of her daughter's friends is put into a coma by the strange drug known only as Ash; Charlie is determined to find out what Ash is and hunt down its source.  Previously Charlie had died and was brought back to life under mysterious circumstances, as a result of this Charlie has been having horrible nightmares and developing strange powers.

There were some things I really loved about this book.  I love the world-building.  The idea of two parallel realities outside of our own, one representing heaven and one hell, was an interesting one and intriguing.  I also loved how Charlie started manifesting strange powers and had to learn how to control them; her powers were interesting...if not all that well explained.  I also loved that Charlie had a daughter to consider.  To often in urban fantasy the main kick-butt woman is single and childless...it is just easier for an author to not have to deal with a child in the story.  I liked the element of reality this added to the story.

I also had some problems with the story.  Charlie is very much your kick-butt heroine-developing-strange-super-powers that I see over and over in urban fantasy.  She didn't have a lot to distinguish her from many other urban fantasy heroines.  Charlies also had a very serious problem with rushing into situations without thinking.  The secondary characters would even stop and say "Charlie you need to step back and think about this"...still she would repeatedly charge ahead despite the consequences.  I am hoping that in the next installment Charlie matures a bit and starts thinking before she acts.

That being said the secondary characters more than made up for Charlie.  Charlie's sister Bryn is a powerful witch that I am dying to know more about.  We also meet Aaron, a powerful and mysterious mage, who was an awesome character.  Additionally we meet Rex, a demon spirit, who has quite a bit of depth for a demon.  Even Emma, Charlie's daughter, is plucky and packs a lot of punch to her personality.

The story was engaging and fast paced.  There were some excellent action scenes.  The plot was well done; with a small objective that is concluded by the end of the book and a larger plot that will continue into the next book.  This book is pretty much straight urban fantasy, not much romance at all.

Overall I enjoyed this story.  The world is intriguing and creative, I loved watching Charlie gain her powers, and also really enjoyed a lot of the secondary characters.  Charlie herself was kind of cookie cutter kick-butt charge-ahead urban fantasy heroine, but her support staff more than made up for that.  I am hoping that Charlie will grow some as a character in future books and look forward to reading the next book in this series,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Darkest-Edge-of-Dawn-Charlie-Madigan-Book-2/dp/1439110042/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan, Book 2)</a>.
81939
Grey Haward lives in a world where people can't digest food unless they drink a potion provided by a tyrannical ruling group. When her friend Whit gets punished for saving her life, Grey discovers a hidden trait inside herself - she is a Defender who protects people from tyranny. Just as she's discovering her new powers, she is thrown into a strange new steampunk world in which she must find the Mad Tock in order to escape.

Curio had unique plot-line and world-building, and the mystery remained throughout the book. It was good, clean fun with no sex and minimal violence. Both worlds in the book were quite fascinating, and I wish I knew more about each. However, I did have some difficulty because the transition from the first world to the second was quite abrupt. I was just starting to get emotionally involved in the first when it was taken away, and I suddenly had to start from scratch learning the rules of a foreign world. I would have preferred reading two books each with one world than one book with two. It was a little confusing. Overall, I think Denmark has a lot of potential as an author, and will keep a look-out for other books by her.
3565562
I really enjoyed BURNING GLASS, especially the worldbuilding (psuedo-historical fantasy based on Imperial Russia) and the idea of an empath's abilities being utilized for protecting the monarch. I have minor empath tendencies myself, so I could relate to the idea of not knowing if your feelings are your own or someone else's, and the confusion and frustration that can cause, and I liked seeing it magnified to this scale. That said, there were a couple times I felt that note was played a bit too often--mostly just that the MC kept repeating it in her thoughts so often that it got a little old. Actually, there were a couple times I got frustrated with the MC. That's why I dropped it down to 4.5 stars.

Overall, the writing is great, the story is fun, and the world is beautiful. I'd recommend it.
1073001
I very much enjoyed this urban fantasy for the following reasons:

1. Well-written, believable female protagonist.  She is smart, a bit anti-social but always does the right thing, brave and loyal.
2. Great world-building. I enjoyed the various unique species of individuals introduced and their respective weaknesses and powers.
3. Some romance - not very explicit - but still liked the development between the two main characters.
4. Liked the male protagonist.  I normally prefer an anti-hero alpha bad@ss, the one in this story was all of that without being a jerk (I'm okay with "jerk" behavior because how can you be anti-hero and bad@ass without that?  But in this case, the male protagonist was truly a good guy).
5.  Will likely reread this book more than once.
6.  Will likely purchase the next book in this series.

What I didn't like so much:
1. I felt a little more depth could have been afforded to some of the main side characters.  In a way, they felt like 2D characters present merely as a foil to the main characters.
2. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and wrapped up too neatly.

All in all, I think this is a pretty good read if you like urban fantasy with romance mixed in.
3946423
(3.5 stars) I'm rounding up here, because the premise is so compelling for a fantasy world. The idea that there is a mirror world, with exact copies (alternate versions, really) of each person, and that one world could conquer the other only by destroying it one key person at a time, is fascinating. The challenge is that this world-building gets somewhat unwieldy and confusing, with the set-up of religions and cultures and groups. There are some very strong female characters, which I appreciate, and a good balance between aggressive "villains" and virtuous "heroes," and the blurred lines that appear and are crossed when one realizes that the enemy of their enemy is now their ally. Good potential.
2261862
great fantasy series with a unique heroine struggling in a world where magic is real
3663939
A great start for this new world. From the start I thought the characters would be typical young woman running from a unwanted fate, saved by a male hero. But, it was exceptional world building, wonderfully flushed supporting characters, and a unique take on paranormal/sci-fi/steam punk (?). You can tell it's gonna be a good series with the many characters hopefully getting more fully developed stories as the series goes on. Now, I do wish the two main characters' story in this book was completed. I still get like I didn't quite know them by the end, but this may have been because they come across as very young. The ending definitely is set up as a continuation, our cliff hanger.
2652087
Reader thoughts:  Foul wraith mist takes over kingdoms one at a time, and Wil's band is more concerned with justice for her people than saving the world.  Then she starts to realize those goals are closer than she thought.
This book had a lot of bending the rules, which may have weakened or strengthened it.  There's also a lot of identity masking, which is quite fun.
Secrets and betrayal!  Two of my favorite things.  In books, that is.
Wil did a couple things that didn't seem to quite fit (lying to her friends, trying to kill the one guy), but everything else was connected by strong motivation to help her kingdom or refugees.  I liked seeing her go from such hate to understanding.

Writer thoughts:  Ending on a cliffhanger?  Risky, but I know why.  I'll certainly have to find the second book soon.  Still, this can annoy a lot of readers.
Wil was given the right balance of skills and limitations.  She can forge anything, she's a great fighter, she's a good liar, but she's a bit too trusting and not quite careful enough.  Things are not easy; she works hard.  This makes her likable.  However, she's a thief, and she doesn't have to be.  There's no mention of the Ospreys ever trying honest work.  This makes her slightly less likable.
1392251
Admirable qualities:
Gorgeous world-building. Complex characters: often mysterious, creating suspenseful relationships and subplots. Thoughtful dialogue between characters. An author unafraid to make sacrifices to raise the stakes and progress the story. Author layers subtle message throughout on the difference between love and lust, as well as the pros/cons of monarchies and communism. Strong message on the importance and power of empathy. (Which is great; very "it all comes full circle")
Slight drawback:
Though understandable due to particular events, the protagonist's inner dialogue/demons can be frustrating at times (lengthy depression & self-hate; later, strength/confidence immediately followed by pitiful hopelessness).

Overall: I didn't find the protagonist very likable at first, (I almost don't think you're meant to) but by the end of chapter ten I was unabashedly rooting for her. The exciting emotions of infatuation and the dizzying confusion of interpreting an interested party's true feelings is captured well enough to have any reader's stomach fluttering, heart racing, and head spinning. I am glad to know this is part of a series.
2368002
Interesting characters, strong writing, and I'm a sucker for the Persephone theme.  I would give it 5 stars if the world building could had been a bit more, but perhaps that's being saved for later books.  There is one scene where a character asks another character for shower assistance which is hard to be believed.  Also, the story felt like it dragged a bit, could have had a bit more excitement or adventure at times.

But really, I think this one was well worth the price and I will definitely be on the look out for other efforts by this author.
3685414
I really enjoyed it, and I thought it was a great addition to this series. I have to admit that I was a little annoyed that two books would be spent on characters and events that happened hundreds of years before the "current" storyline (so many hints have been dropped about other worlds and characters that I want to meet, and I want to meet them now!) but I enjoyed it a lot more than I had been expecting. I was quickly pulled into the story, and I think that having two books is a strength--it's still about the same length as the others, but there's a lot more that can be done with the plot and the characters without making the reader feel like they've gone from zero to sixty.

The grammar and spelling are good, as I've come to expect of Shea. The storytelling is captivating, and the main characters are distinct, intriguing, and generally likeable. The story is fast-paced without feeling rushed, and most of the characterization is believable. I'm looking forward to the sequel, and I'm just adding it to the many things that I want that are happening in 2016.

It's an awesome book, and I highly suggest reading it, but it isn't perfect. I liked where Rakel started, and for the most part I liked the path she's taken. While I don't necessarily agree with the whole no-killing thing, it's an understandable--however disappointing--character trait for her to have. What would be interesting to see in the sequel is her having to struggle with those moral codes for the sake of the greater good. I will say that a lot of Shea's female leads in this series sort of feel the same (I haven't read "Wild Swans" so I can't take that one into consideration). The heroines tend to be dry, which I appreciate, but for me Elle is still the only one to stand out. I've liked all of them, but it would be nice to have someone like Phile the Robber Maiden be the lead. My only other thing about Rakel is that I'm wondering if someone is teaching her how to find in normal people combat, because that would really come in handy, and there's no way she automatically knows how. Just because you can make an ice spear doesn't mean you know how to use it.

One minor complaint is about the love interest--it took a while to figure out who it would be. I feel bad for complaining about that since it's obviously not the focus of this (or presumably the next) novel, but I went back and forth between Oskar and Halvor until Farrin made himself a serious contender and stole the focus. Farrin seems the most likely to me, but I have my reservations.

The only other thing is the purpose that the Chosen had in Verglas. The first one they described was weak, acknowledged as weak, and then established as a cover. But I still don't think that the apparent actual reason is all that much better. I mean, was invading the country really necessary? I'll bite at the fact that they need to get through Verglas to get at it, but the invasion itself seems a little pointless. Wouldn't it be easier--and cheaper--to send in a small group to sneak through and steal the object of interest? Because, all the reasons for why Verglas isn't a good starting place for their grand takeover still stand after everything is accomplished. That line of reasoning still seemed thrown together to me, and I'm not convinced.

But, all in all, a wonderful book. Definitely recommended for fans of Shea (and for new readers!) because it's an engaging addition. Also, I appreciate the presence of Gerta and Kai. No "Snow Queen" retelling is truly complete without them.
3997771
3.5 stars. I loved the new major characters in this book, especially Vivia and Vaness. The story was engaging, but just not quite as can't-put-it-down as Truthwitch. I thoroughly enjoyed the Iseult/Aeduan storyline and the Vivia storyline. Merik's storyline was only okay and I just couldn't get into Safiya's.

What is Windwitch About?
This is where I would say that Windwitch continues where Truthwitch left off, but that's really not true. When Truthwitch ended, Merik is supposed to be securing trade with Marstok but in the prologue he's attacked by an assassin. He survives but lets everyone think that he died, abandoning the trade contract. He heads off on his own to try to prove his sister Vivia was behind the attack so that he can take the throne from her.

Safiya and Empress Vaness are supposed to be heading to Azmir but their ship is attacked leaving Vaness and Safiya stranded and trying to make their own way on land through a dangerous area full of slavers and pirates.

Iseult was hoping to make contact with Safiya's contact at the coffee shop in Lejna but the contact never arrives. She starts making her own way to Marstok to find Safiya while being chased by the cleaved.

After finding his gold stash has been stolen, Aeduan seeks out one of his father's contacts who sends him to hunt down Iseult. She knows where his gold is and strikes a deal with him to help her find Safiya in exchange for his own money. They both acknowledge that they will betray each other in the end.

What I Liked
I loved the new characters. Vaness, while not a POV character, is much more of a main character in this sequel. I loved her in Truthwitch and I love her even more in Windwitch. She's such a strong character, both figuratively and literally. We also get Merik's sister, Vivia, as a POV character. I was fascinated with her in Truthwitch. I wanted to learn more about the villain of Merik's story. She's probably my favorite character in Windwitch.

While there is some LGBT representation in Trutwitch (Mathew and Habim), it's pretty minor and in the background. Windwitch does a much better job here. Vivia, our new POV character, likes women. And we get a trans character with a major (though not POV) role.

What I Didnt Like
I loved Safiya's storyline in Truthwitch but I just couldn't get into it in this book. I loved reading about Vaness but that was really it. I wasn't that interested in Safiya's relationship with the Hell-Bards. I wasn't that interested in Sardonica. Overall I felt that her story was fairly boring and also full of plot holes. ((view spoiler))

While I'm happy we finally get a trans character, it was a bit frustrating to read about him from Merik's perspective. The focus seemed to be more on how him being trans affected Merik than anything.
4455415
I really liked the main character, Brusenna. While naive and sheltered, she's brave and determined to make things right. Even though she believes she will fail in the ultimate mission of stopping the evil witch and rescuing all the previous witches who have failed, she still goes on. She's the last of the witches, a young sproutling, yet she refuses to give up. That is what makes a great character, and what ultimately makes her the special snowflake who succeeds. I also enjoyed the young warrior/Guardian

I also enjoyed the young warrior/Guardian Joshen, who is likewise determined to take the brave course and fight to protect the young witch. Both are great characters, and I definitely rooted for them. However, their relationship, while expected, I can't really say blossomed believably.

The book is overall a bit journey, but a lot of action happens along the way. Senna keeps getting attacked, and she keeps going and getting free of her situation despite the odds. The resolution was a bit odd to me, in the way the Creators got involved. Didn't the Creators already know what was going on? Or, didn't the other witches think to appeal to them? It was kind of odd that we had this epic witch battle, and then it was like the parents showed up and the playground bully was stopped.

As for the narrator, well I already was not a fan of her's from a previous book, so I knew what to expect. The dry, news reporter way she speaks wasn't enjoyable, but I didn't let that affect my opinion of the book too much since I already knew I wasn't going to like the narration before starting the book.

I did like that the book ended on a positive note (since you know my opinion on cliffhangers), so I'm wondering what is in store for the witches in the rest of the series. It definitely can be read as a stand alone, since the conflict wraps up, but I'm sure new conflicts are seen in the other books in the series.

*I received a copy of this audio book in exchange for my review.
2253632
Definitely a fun read, but there are some parts about the story that annoy me.

Spoiler alert***

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*
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Does every man have to fall for Roselle? Is it just me, or do the Secondborn Trials sound a lot like the Hunger Games?

Roselle is an awesome heroine, but in this book it definitely felt like she had help appear a little too magically from the many men constantly around her. Her story as a secondborn isn't quite believable when she seems like she leads a life of astounding privilege and luxury compared to that of any other secondborn, and always has the resources of other firstborns at her beck and call.

The parts that I did like included seeing her love for her brother and father, despite how she was raised. The scene at the party was epic. I really liked Balmora as a character, although I regret her storyline. The chemistry between Roselle and various characters is great, and I would LOVE for her to end up with Reykin. I thought the ending was pretty good as a cliffhanger, but I didn't like what happened to Dune because it felt a bit rushed given his incredible fighting prowess.

All in all, it was very enjoyable, and I look forward to the third book next year.
346082
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club

Rebekah Turner has created an interesting world in Chaos Born. In a setting similar to the Victorian-era, the Weald is a place where religion and magic compete for supremacy. A place where regulators, consisting of solider humans and nephilim, working for Grigori priests, mete out punishments to those who use darkcraft (dark magic). Applecross specifically is a gritty, gray, dirty place where humans feel themselves above anyone of a supernatural race. On the other end of the spectrum is the Outlands, or what is considered the modern day world. The people of the Weald can easily pass through a tollbooth to get to the Outlands although most prefer to stay where the magic is strongest.

Lora Blackgoat is a runner in The Weald (what many consider a mercenary in the Outlands). A recent job gone bad has tarnished her already questionable reputation and made her somewhat of a laughingstock. When an estranged childhood friend comes to her for help, Lora sees it as an opportunity to turn things around. When Lora starts to look for the Butcher of Applecross, getting to the end may lead her somewhere she didn't want to go.

I liked Loras character. She was one of those perfectly flawed characters. She has her vices and she makes mistakes, she seems to have trouble following her everywhere, but at the center she always strives to do what is right. Regardless of how bitchy she may come across, there are those she truly cares about and she will fight for them with all her strength.

As far as flaw go, the same can be said for the majority of the secondary characters in Chaos Born. We know Loras character, as the story is written from her point of view, but the trend in Applecross seems to be looking out for yourself first and foremost. Its difficult to know everyone elses true motivations. This is something that Lora has to deal with more and more as the story progresses.

Rebekah Turner sets Lora up with two love interests. Seth, a Captain of the City Walk, has been Loras on-again off-again for almost half her life. She just cant seem to resist him but she also doesnt completely trust him either. The scenes between Lora and Seth were filled with a lot of chemistry. They have a kind of tug-of-war going on between them and Turner does a wonderful job conveying their frustrations with one another.

On the other hand, when Lora first meets Roman it is one of those scenes where they don't really interact, but you can tell the significance of their meeting and you try to read faster to get to the next time they share a scene together. Their attraction to one another is subtler than that between Lora and Seth. Roman is a Regulator and a nephilim. Nephilim Regulators have a tendency to literally go crazy over time and many people give them a wide berth.

While the initial mystery of the story is solved by the end, the investigation leads to many secrets being revealed that will have to be dealt with in future books. Chaos Born was one of those books that, when finished, I was really happy I found it and read it. I look forward to reading book 2 Chaos Bound, which releases early December!
348327
It was a joy to read my first fantasy novel that broke with the medieval European trappings and unfolded in post-technological, magical Sudan. There are difficult, brutal issues that reflect today's world, and the heroine, Onyesonwu, is an unforgettable force of nature. The usual fantasy tropes are present -- sins of the father, magical apprenticeship, a grand destiny, prophecies fulfilled in unexpected ways -- but they're given new clothes and orthogonal turns, making this book feel both recognizable and new. The ending was mysterious, a bit too much so, for my tastes. I would have loved to have understood more about how the Great Book shaped the world or was shaped by it -- I didn't have a good sense that Onyesonwu had figured out the solution, or if fate was just carrying her along.
125815
Loved Ruby's new human-dragon world.  Not exactly sure why I didn't give it a 5.  Maybe because while I loved the dragons and the heroine, who both have so much spirit, depth and kindness, the other two female characters in the backstory seemed a bit weak.  The human males all seemed cruel in a post-apocalyptic world.  I hope Ruby can show a few good human males, possibly mates for the red dragons and in her next books about sister Army and friend Sasha, give them more backbone.  I can't wait to see where this series goes!!!