A Winning Series if Ever I've Read One
340492
I got hooked on Maid for the Millionnaire and had to buy this one posthaste. It's wonderful and rocks the house. When I read the last line, I went into mourning. I weant the third please Ms. Cardello. Write faster.
1229530
As a series, this was a home run for me. Despite minor errors here and there, I stayed thoroughly invested in each book, and if you're picking this up as Falling for Eternity (the set), then it'll be an easy sell to keep going. Not only that, you'll be thrilled you have the next book available already. So, as a set, this is easily an 'I loved it' type of series. Intriguing concept, great characters, engaging execution, and enough creativity that the stories don't feel stale at all, despite the same basic premise in each. I've written separate reviews for the individual stories to explain my reactions to each set of characters. Overall, a job well-done, and I highly recommend this set.

If you are paying attention, you will heed the author's warnings with this series. Do not assume that, because it's about angels, it will be clean fiction. It's not. I'm happy with that, but some people won't be. Should you choose to read this series, and ignore the warning, then you have no right to complain that the story is something other than what you'd hoped it would be. Angels, graphic sex, and some fascinating conceptions of Christianity (and God). I definitely enjoyed it. I will be including this disclaimer in each of my individual reviews when they appear on Amazon and Goodreads. At my blog, In Patti's Imagination, it will only be noted in the set review.
4014958
Although it was somewhat predictable, it is always a pleasure to read this series. I love the character development. The luck of the main character is astounding. It does seem somewhat unbelievable that one character could be resilient after so much violence. But that's part of the beauty of reading the series. Wouldn't we all like to make it out of such drastic scenarios and end up in bed with the partner of our dreams. I say yes.
4354618
I absolutely love this series.  They are an easy read.  An enjoyable, stress-free adventure.  The characters are loveable and endearing.  You might begin to feel you are a part of their lives.  I've been doing from book to book.  I'm on 12 now.  When I start on 13, I'll order the next 3.  On the downside, the proofreading needs some work, but the errors do not distract from the story.
4610296
I enjoyed this series so much that I have read the first three books twice and the 4th twice. Now to cherish and read the last one slowly. Do hope what I'm hearing about this becoming a tv series is true!! I would more than enjoy putting faces to the names and always having the episodes to view whenever I want. Seriously this is the top series I have ever read.
1491089
I have been delighted with this series.  The characters are very real and it's fun to run into them from one book to another.
4157001
I have absolutely devoured this series. I flew through the first 5 books in under a month, and would have gladly spent even more time on it if I'd been able. The characters are well developed enough to allow you to get attached to them and the story line is palatable through and through. Hicks really nails the internal dialogue of each character, and that truly brings them to life. I'd say it's a relatively easy read (for me at least) but in no way boring. I'm not usually into the Sci-fi alien invasion theme, so I was wary of taking on this series - but decided to due to good reviews - and I haven't regretted my decision one bit. I will be recommending this series to my fellow book worms quite highly.
446351
For whatever reason, I've really come to enjoy this series. For something that's lighter reading without being too fluffy, this is a great series.
3952693
I just finished the 3rd book in the series and would like to review the entire thing, with no spoilers.

TL;DR: The series is fantastic and you should pick it up; If you like Hobb, Martin, Erickson, or Lawrence, you will love this series.

The story focuses on three children of an emperor and their need to fight against an antagonist. Each child is shown to be raised in their own sets of difficulties and challenges which are masterly woven in the main thread of the story. The reader is kept guessing at the motive of the main characters until the end of the series, which finishes with a strong conclusion.

What really impressed me was the challenges that Kaden face. The monastic order that Staveley wrote about was so very well thought out and actually made me think about emptiness in a new way. He gave several excellent metaphors and examples that really hammer home the point of the order and tie back into the antagonists and the challenges faced by Kaden. Not to gush to much, but this is the kind of self-reflection you get arguing with buddies over lunch, not some standard fantasy tropes.

There are some fantastic twists and turns in the series, and each chapter seems well crafted and tied to advancing the plot. There are no long winded descriptions of feast or magi clothing, so rejoice that this is a well edited and crafted series.

Scores:
Finished - 5: Staveley set out to write an epic and finished it. Who can't appreciate this after seeing Martin, Jordan, and others squander their success. Not only did he start strong, but it had a satisfactory ending.

Magic - 5: Magic exists, but it is not a crutch as Erikson uses it. Staveley's magic is limited based on the resources available to the individual mage and the magic never feels like a plot device, rather it is a tool. I found Erickson's use of magic as a convenient plot device to get characters out of a jam. Staveley used magic in a limited fashion, as another knife or sword instead of a crutch.

World Building - 5: Wow, Staveley really nailed it in this one. The world is rich with history and he really paid careful attention to the different religious orders, which is where Staveley is unrivaled. There are a handful of Gods that he exposes us to through different characters, and they each have profound statements regarding their individual beliefs. I already mention Kaden's order, but there were some really well written stories of lesson his monastic order teaches that made me say, "Whoa, I could get behind that". On top of his well thought out sects, Staveley nails the history of the main protagonist and antagonist. The different Gods are well done and well integrated with the societies and characters and don't feel preachy while conveying a lot of thought provoking analogies.

Pacing - 5: There were very few chapters that felt unnecessary. My least favorite character / child was Adare, but she ended up being a strong female lead and a solid character in the end, especially with the advisers she picks up. There is not a lot of fat on the chapters, and the editor did a great job keeping things running smoothly across three books.

Characters - 5: The characters are complex and are driven by the situation they are incubated in. Kaden, again, is a prime example. His upbringing is so different, yet well reasoned, you almost feel the logic seeping through the pages when reading his point of view. This point of view does not seep into the other main characters, such Valyn and Adare, which each have their challenges but each meet them in ways that are consistent with their characters. There are a few different antagonists, and each one has a method to their madness that is tied to the main plot thread.

Overall - 5: I really can't think of a fantasy series that I could recommend more. Lawrence would be the closest I can think of, but Staveley's world building is more Erickson, and his descriptions and general feel are more Martin. Anyway, it was a money well spent and is a hallmark of American Fantasy.
3867385
A very good series, I wish there were books in it!
628147
It's been a long time since I completed a series and threw the last book, needing more. A good series, excitement, fighting, living, dying.  There's love, romance, a little erotica, but the series kept me interested and I went from book to book in just a few days.  A good read and I would recommend the collection
4309378
The Spells, Swords, and Stealth series is probably my favourite book series of all time. As both a tabletop nerd, and a lover of fine fantasy novels, the books are right up my alley. The setting is rich, the characters vibrant and lovable (even if it's just antagonists that Hayes gets you to love hating), and frankly, really well done all around.

That said, I do have to knock off points because, as with all of his writing that I've read thus far (the Fred series, SSS, I believe at least three books of SuperPowereds, as well as Pears and Perils), there are always fairly noticeable mistakes in the writing which should have been caught by a proofreader. Frankly, I'd give 4.5 stars if I could, but as I can only pick between 4 and 5, I must go with 4. SSS and Fred suffer less from this than something like SuperPowereds, but I'd estimate that there's between 5 and 10 extremely obvious mistakes (missing words mostly, though there's also generally some glaring typos) in this novel, with a few more subtle ones sprinkled here and there. It's only enough to momentarily pull me out of the book as I try to figure out what was meant, but it certainly does distract from what would otherwise be a 5* experience.

Overall, it's still a series that I recommend to all my closest friends, which isn't something I say lightly, but if small, infrequent mistakes that should have been fixed in editing are a huge deal-breaker for you, Hayes may not be the author you're looking for.
2377450
The Brandy Alexander series is one of the best I've ever read in it's genre.  That said, it is hard to classify the series to a specific genre.  The stories tend to be much  grittier than a typical cozy, but much less graphic than a crime novel.  The characters are edgier, yet there are many  repeating characters and a dangerous but constant love interest for Brandy.  I can't decide how to classify the series; I can only say that I love these six books and eagerly await the 7th.

Brandy Alexander has to be one of the most endearing people in fiction.  She is flawed, brave, lovable, scared, passionate, confused, temperamental - in other words she is one of the most human of characters in a genre populated by entertaining, but cardboard, paragons of one kind or another.  She is also a character who continues to grow and change through each of the mysteries, and the people around her change as well. I find this really appealing in mystery series, but unfortunately rather rare. There is a strong sense of groundedness in these novels that I love.  They have substance and weight.  They are worth reading more than once.

The plots are always strong and never obvious - the story in No Such Thing as a Lost Soul is about a missing mother and child and a cult led by a charismatic mad man.  It is a stand alone book - you don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy it.  But, do yourself a favor - start with book 1 and move forward.  I guarantee you it is worth the journey.

Finally, I discovered the series on kindle where it is a bargain at the price.  I read the first installment and then immediately (same day) ordered all the rest that were available.  I love the books enough to also purchase them in hard copy to add to my mystery library.  I don't do that unless I really value a book.  This is a great series - don't miss it.
4595602
I have absolutely enjoyed this series. I especially like the way the different stories converge. It almost feels like I am reading 4 distinct stories but it works beautifully.
1776970
This book kicks off what has turned out to be a charming, funny, clever series quite successfully. I've spent the past several days devouring the first 3 books, and I'm about to start on the fourth--and I honestly can't wait.  I think this author's strength really lies in her ability to craft loveable characters and clever, entertaining dialogue.  There's even a great action scene or two.  But seriously-- I have fallen a little in love with every single one of the knitters so far.  Janie (the main character in this book) is a little inaccessible, but she won my heart when she said she was going to sort her comic books according to the level of second-wave feminist influence.  I legit lol'd.  Because I pretty much have done just that before.

Now, I will say there's room to grow--there's a lot of typo-type errors in the text (and some straight up grammatical errors--ahem--the subjunctive is misused throughout all the books of the series--someone needs to look up the rules), which some other reviewers have pointed out already.  And they're right, they can be distracting.  But that's really the publisher's deficiency, I would think.  But importantly, there's some issues with the story that bothered me a little. Mainly,  I would have liked to see Janie take more control of her life.  Quinn is quite controlling--and she pretty much yields to him no matter what, whether it's when he orders for her without her permission or he's having her move into an apartment he owns.  Since one of Janie's problems at the beginning of the story in her first relationship (and in her friendships) was that no one considered her capable of caring for herself, it would've been more satisfying for me if she'd pushed back against Quinn's need to fix all her problems and he'd recognized her as an equal.  But then, I sort my comics by level of feminist influence.  So, obviously that's something I'd like to see.

Also, I would've loved to learn more about Jem and the relationship between she and Janie.  There seems like there's some real tragic, Shakespearean s*** in that relationship, and it was completely glossed over.  I guess it would've maybe detracted from the aim of the story (romance), but it was a little distracting because I was left curious and a little saddened.

Other than that, I've really enjoyed this book--and this series.  Elizabeth's (the second book) is my favorite, but I'm looking forward to diving in and getting to know Ashley next!  And I'm really enjoying the increasing level of sordid, sexy detail we're getting with each book.  Keep the sexy stuff a'comin'! (FYI, this first book is sexy but not explicit at all--the following books get more explicit.)
3941648
This series so far has made me enjoy reading again. I have never been able to shut my eyes and see everything in such detail, the author does a great job explaining the entire town and characters in such detail.

But I must say this book is even better then the 1st in the series. I am purchasing the 3rd book in the series this evening and I am sure I will not be disappointed at all.

To the author if you read these. Thanks for the enjoyment I have gotten out of these books thus far, you have done a great job and would love to see these in a series on TV.
515914
Entertaining, great series all the way through