Tight, well thought out plot
927527
I'm not a bean spiller. I've read sci-fi for 55 years or so. Well written.
3253358
Paige leaves NYC to escape a stalker, heading to Wyoming to start over in anonymity; when her new home needs a lot of fixing up, she ends up getting help from house-flipper Justin, and they start a relationship in the midst of small-town drama and the return of her stalker.

(Though reviews are inherently subjective, I prefer to provide some organization to my opinions through the use of a personal rubric. The following notes may contain spoilers.)

Plot and Setting: 4 -- Plot is engaging. Has unique elements and no major holes, but a few shaky bits and/or a slight lack of focus. Setting is clear and believable. Timeline may be a bit hard to follow. This is more of a suspense/thriller than I expected, but it was a good one. Not overly scary or gruesome, but with enough tension to keep me reading eagerly to find out what would happen. I did suspect who the stalker was before it was revealed, though I did feel a bit of skepticism at the confluence of craziness being drawn to poor Paige. The whole mean/gossipy townsfolk thing was a bit odd to me, and didn't seem completely necessary to the plot. The timeline wasn't especially easy to follow, with a few contradictory elements and not enough clarity on exactly when things were happening.

Characters: 4 -- Main characters are relatable, realistic, interesting, and dynamic. Some minor characters have depth, while others may be slightly stereotyped or simplified. Definite strong points in the relationships between characters. I really enjoyed how Paige and Justin bring out the best in each other, particularly how he's solidly behind her, believing her capable of handling even the toughest situations, which helps her believe in herself. Their relationship feels solid and real. The Seymours are good, complex characters, too, and the mutually protective sibling relationship between Andrew and Paige is sweet. Many of the other people they meet are pretty stereotypical, though.

Mechanics and Writing: 3.8 -- A handful of typos, punctuation issues, or word errors. (<10/100 pgs) Some of the errors are mildly confusing. Good use of POV. Generally skillful writing. Errors include: compound word and/or homophone confusion, slightly confusing punctuation or formatting issues, mild typos. It was occasionally unclear who was speaking, and a few times what they were saying didn't make sense. The clarity of some dialogue perhaps got mixed up in the editing process. Most of the time when a thought was given, it was in italics, but maybe half a dozen times the italics were left out. POV alternates between Paige and Justin for the most part, but we also get some Cole/mystery stalker scenes.

Redeeming Value: 4.5 -- Partially focused uplifting themes or lessons. Drugs, alcohol, violence, etc, are not glorified, though present. No explicit sex scenes. Fairly clear moral guidelines for behavior. A clean story, though some darker situations, including attempted rape, kidnapping, murder, and quite a bit of shooting. Violence used to protect is shown as good, while violence used to hurt or control is shown as bad. There are a number of slightly crazy villain-type characters, including the town gossips and lawmen who believe lies over evidence; Justin's mom, who is a cruel, selfish, and manipulative drunk; and multiple crazies who are violently obsessed with Paige. Both Paige and Justin start out feeling distant from God, but as they deal with the challenges that come their way, they each find themselves relying on prayer and God's promptings to get them through safely.

Personal Enjoyment: 3 -- I liked it. It was enjoyable and entertaining. I wouldnt mind re-reading it someday, but its not a priority.
4207814
A new angle on the chosen one/ prophesy plot.

What I liked:
Matriarchal society, including male harem, was a fun twist on an overused tyrant trope. Apparently even women can be pigs.

The heroine isn't whiny, or spoiled. She is also a realistic fighter. Her abilities are completely believable, as are the odds in the battles.

Although the book is long, the plot followed a logical progression, with very few unnecessary scenes. I never felt like the story dragged.

The mystery unraveled at a good pace, and didn't require a monologue explanation at the end. I particularly enjoyed how well the author dropped clues pointing to a particular suspect and then moved focus to that suspect who uncovered the clues that lead to the next one. The author never sent the reader down blind alleys or jumped to another progression of clues without completing the current storyline.

The book also had two villains with two different motivations, which gave the ending an unexpected twist.

What I didn't like:
Heroine isn't particularly likable for the first half of the book. I found it difficult to connect with her. While I realize her vocation required her to be reserved and aloof to other characters, I would have liked more personality infused into her internal dialogue.

Im picky about villains and I found the main villains character and motivations to be inconsistent. The author shows the villain develop empathy for Kindar, and then inexplicably becomes a sadist at the end. His actions are also illogical. He had multiple opportunities to complete his quest much sooner and with far less risk to himself, making the climatic scene feel somewhat contrived.

Overall I enjoyed this novel. I am a huge fantasy lover, and Im always looking for strong female characters that represent positive feminist ideals. Kindar is intelligent and capable, rather than just being pretty. She takes control of her fate, rather than waiting to be rescued. If you are looking for a high fantasy with a realistic strong female lead, then you will enjoy Kindar's Cure.
2991622
This is one of several tight little mysteries with pretty well developed plots.  This particular story was somewhat predictable in spite of the twists. But the characters, as always, were unique enough to catch the reader's fancy and keep one reading through to the end to see if your own predictions about the culprit(s) are right. Will the treasure be found? Is there even a treasure to be found? Where will it finally be found. Who will find itetc.
1992650
I always like a well thought out plot, and the plot for this book is on the grand scale. After the ice melts, what happens to the world, and how would a country redefine itself?  This is an excellent dystopian plot, and works well to get us interested in the charachters populating the USA after the ice melt. I wasn't a fan of the romance side, but I'm apparrently in the minority on this.
  Overall, LOVED IT!!  with minor quibbles.
324000
This mystery, like the first in the series, was tightly written with a good pace and plot. The mystery solution was fair. The characters are well drawn. The author is not too wordy. He tells enough to set the scene, but not so much that the story is obscured. Thank Mr. Boyd and keep writing. I plan to keep reading.
2078633
Tight dialog and compelling plot movement held my interest enough to read this in one sitting. Looking forward to the next volume.
3514634
Kept me entertained, even though the plot was expected
2322989
When Patrick Bannister's mother died, her legacy was more than one of neglect and abuse. As Patrick sets out on a search for one last secret she had harbored from him, he discovers more twisted evil than he thought even she had been capable of.

Nicely written and tightly plotted. I saw a couple of the surprises coming, but not all of them, and Kaufman plays fair with the reader in setting up and then untangling the mysteries.
2704326
Great story.  Sometimes just a little fluffy but the plot was well thought out.
4834535
The pace in the two previous novels and even in half of the third one is adequate and keeps the intrigue quite nicely. The plot is well planned and is quite plausible.  But the finally comes a little bit fast with almost a very naive solution in a cowboy-like scenario, like if the author wanted to finish the trylogy in just one chapter.
2972607
Fast paced, good plot, interesting characters
2808811
Well designed plot and lay out of book.  It is enjoyable read
4329414
This novel is well written and plotted. There's a sense of why the family chooses to go to the town, and how entrenched they become in its customs and ways. In some ways, this story is forward-thinking in demonstrating the power woman can have; just when you think all the wives are Stepford-like, you get a sense of the power they actually wield.
4947761
An excellent effort from Lashner.  I'm not sure why precisely, but Victor Carl often reminds me of Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr.  Lashner and Block have a similar writing style, with both protagonists exhibiting a disarming self deprecation.  Both bend the truth somewhat to suit their own purposes, but at the same time both men are honourable at their core, and strive for the right answers (although sometimes for the wrong reasons).  A blind eye when it's needed, and a stab of regret after the need.

This tale envelopes the reader from page one.  The characterisations are nicely and economically drawn; the plot moves along at a well-paced rate and there's enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.  There's also a couple of sweet-smelling red herrings thrown into the mix at its penultimate stages as well.  All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and one certain to encourage the reader to spend more time with Victor.
4205801
There is a lot of ideas and themes running through this novel, but it hard to notice, in a good way. It is easy for a writer to get bogged down in layers of ideas and themes piled on ideas and themes until the reader has to use a machete to find the plot. Phillip K Dick and Herman Melville managed it successfully but I can't think of any others who did it well, but lots of writers have tried and failed.
In GROUNDED, Piper always keeps Rumplewing's feelings and emotions in the foreground. Even though the background is filled with ideas, the book remains (I have to say it) grounded to Rumplewing's character.
Through the novel Rumplewing grows in to a mature dragon, with an open mind who rejects the Conventional Wisdom of the older dragons in order to save all of the dragons. This theme of someone maturing and using an open mind is hard enough to pull off with human characters, with an alien species the challenge is much harder. Piper manages to pull it off.
The only criticism I do have is in the end, when it is up to Rumplewing to plea the dragon's case, the odds weren't completely against her. By that time she had a mature and thoughtful mind, she could have faced a tougher court and won. I'm not sure if Piper planned on holding back to avoid being preachy, or just couldn't put poor Rumplewing through any more torture. Either way, the scene worked but had the opportunity to be more dramatic.
Overall, it is a good story in a dynamic world with an eye set firmly on the character's feeling and emotions.
285867
This book certainly surprised me when I read it. The idea was so out there, I didn't think there was any way it could be good. The book is well-written with only a few errors in formatting and tense, and it is extremely well-paced. It takes time to develop the environment and the characters, which is pretty much all that can be asked for. The plot also isn't predictable. It has some genuine twists in there. Nothing to crazy, but enough so that you don't know everything that's going to happen just by reading. It's a good read.