Strong fundememtals but kinda slow (minor spoilers)
593831
On the plus side, I really like this series on a macro level. Very clever concept with respect to the plot line and overall tenor (funny and violent at the same time). Interesting setting (wish there was a map). Characters are very engaging and have even developed a little in that the heroes are willing to commit violence to at least a degree.

Some of the moments are really strong. The dialogue about turning rescued children into slaves was hysterical and the slaughter of the thieves introduced some much needed gravity. The climatic fight with the monster was also well-done.

All in all there was more conflict in this book (although not much more) which was good. Need to keep working on this though...

On the down side, I have a few complaints.

1. While I do not mind a little banter between Alice and Waldo regarding morality (it supplies some of the funnier moments), can we please quit the Abbot and Costello "who's on first" schtick we suffer through every time they talk about their relationship? Been there, done that (a lot).

2. I do not mind that the story takes it time getting to where it is going (I actually think this is a strength), but it does need to move a bit faster. I think what make it seem REALLY slow is that there are so many engaging characters that go absolutely nowhere in this book (Melissa, Hera, Sir Lancel, etc).

Overall, I am invested in the story and certainly felt I got more than my money's worth. Will be looking for more soon!
3835253
Coming off the rush "A Storm of Swords" provides, Martin's "A Feast for Crows" is a bit sluggish. Not to mention it only contains half of the characters (and the least exciting ones, in my opinion) It is still worth the read, as it sets up the events in Westeros. This installment in the series definitely picks up as you get into the second half.
1933986
The biggest challenge with these kinds of novels is that it takes time to build momentum while character A twists a knob in Europe and character B throws a switch in Washington.  It's all going to come together eventually but it's tough to get through the pre game in a vast global plot.  It's all good once the action starts, though.
3552168
I can't tell you how long I have waited for this book- and it was well worth the wait. However, the pace is moving a little too slowly for my taste. This book encompasses just one day and 2 nights of nonstop action in the Unseelie court. Granted, a lot happens, but not very much that moves the plot along.

I did enjoy delving deeper into the emotions of Frost and Doyle and Galen makes great strides, but Merry seems to spend all her time on her back and that gets just a little repetitive. During the time span of the book, I think I counted her having sex 12 times, which seems a little excessive to me. I would really like it if the plot progressed at a similar pace, but we basically ended up where we started.

Please, Ms Hamilton, if you are going to move the plot this slowly don't make us wait so long between books.
3813077
This game requires a lot of patience, and you have to kind of live with the fact that it's a pretty clever recruitment tool, and can be a bit difficult.  Also your companions AI can be somewhat unpredictable at times. Still if you've got patience it proves to be pretty good.
3832814
I have really enjoyed this series. This book was full of adventure and a companion tale to Lessie: Bride of Utah. I felt that the unveiling of the villian was a bit rushed. I would have liked more information about his connection to the other mines, etc. I also would have liked a little more about New Mexico. Didn't really feel like it showcased the state very much. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book overall.
3019682
Much slower paced than i remember but definitely a worthwhile buy!
1557626
I had read most of the Temaire books and loved Rooted.  So I was eager for this book.  It is not, however,  as well done as the previous book but a solid 3.5. The book had far too many POVs and that really confused me initially.  It took a bit to learn the voices.  There are only 2 coherent stories in the book, those of Miryem and Ilina. Wanda and her family could easily have been incorporated into those story lines rather than giving  POV chapters ( I admit that I essentially only skimmed Stepos chapter.  There was also a lot of time spent on a lot of details that did nothing but make the book too drawn out.  Still,  the story made me care about the people,  even the bad guys,  and I was satisfied by the ending. I only wish the path there had been a bit more direct.
1555984
"Torch Song" takes us on a journey with mercenary Rica Marin, who has been commissioned to root out various evils in a post-apocalyptic future.

On the negative side, the pacing of this novel drags somewhat at times, and characterisation falls just short of real depth for some of the characters (especially the villains), which also impedes the romance aspect. I also ended up feeling as if this novel was the set-up for a sequel, which isn't something I appreciate.

On the positive side: In spite of the fact that Rica is hardly a "kickass" heroine, she is a very likeable protagonist. Also, quite a lot of the static nature/plot issues/less than stellar characterisation is balanced out by very vivid and solid writing from the author.

Does the good balance out the bad? For me it did. In a genre where readers really give more leeway than they should when it comes to quality, Singer has taken a lot of care, and it shows. If I could have added half a star, I would have.
2069748
I want to preface this by saying I totally enjoy this series.

I like Meg. I like Simon. Im keep hoping that somehow they will hook up and soon but it is really slow on that front.like snail pace slow. Still even though the romance I long for is waiting to catch fire that didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book.

There are a few issues though that I saw in this. It sometimes gets a bit repetitive. Good if you are going a year between books and need a refresher, everything from prior books is brought up and distilled down. But if you are reading these back to back then I think it might be an issue.

The other issue I had was actually with Megs character. In the last two books she is fragile and strong all at the same time. Her fragility has more to do with the world around her and being really sensitive to her surroundings. But now she is having panic attack like symptoms. Yes this plays into the overall plot with the other blood prophets who aren't in captivity anymore but it was a little bit of a stretch. That said though I liked that with her human girl pack they are working to discover some of the mysteries of the blood prophets to share with others.

***  What do you expect us to do? Meg shouted. Write The Dimwits Guide to Blood Prophets?
  Yes! Thats exactly what I want you to do.
  Looking at their stunned expressions, he wondered if hed been a little too honest. Figure it out and write it up so we can pass on the information to everyone who is trying to help these girls.
  Im not a writer, Merri Lee protested. I can make notes, sure, but I cant write up something like that!
  Ruthie will help you write it. There. Problem solved. Ruthie was a teacher. She wrote sentences all the time. ***

But the story is still good and I like the addition of both Jean and Hope in their communities. This is one of those books that makes me hate humans. Yes not all are bad but it does speak to what happens when one group thinks they are more important than all the others and decide to get mean about it.

***  Didnt humans realize the terra indigene had heard such words before? Didnt humans understand that such words were a warning that a fight for territory was building under the surface? Didnt they wonder what had happened to cities, and civilizations, the previous times humans had made such claims? ***

I still love seeing the world through the Others eyes and finding how different they think from us. I mean just buying a building can be a little bit hilarious.

***  Why couldn't they just give the human female a bag of money and then pee on the building so that everyone would know it was theirs? ***

The violence between the factions is escalating and soon there will be no going back for sure. Especially the lengths the Humans First and Last movement is getting. Im both excited and terrified to see what lives in the deep wild and is a protector of the land.

There are a few heartbreaking moments and more development on the Cel Remano story arc and just what Nicolas Scratch is planning. Plus finally we get to meet Lizzy and he furry bear companion. I think it was adorable to see some human children enter the Packs life. There in for some surprises.

Overall Im still very much enjoying the different take on shifters and this UF world. I do wish we could speed up the Simon/Meg romance but other than that Im just going to enjoy the rollout of the rest of the story.
4633099
An improvement on the first, which I gave 3 and 1/2 stars to, but I can't bring myself to give it a full four stars. The characters were great, and, as with the first book, the future world Edelman has constructed is stunningly complex and chock-full of cool ideas. The author's writing skills were also much improved from the first book. The story, however, was not that compelling. A ton happens in the novel, but very little of the action is the result of the characters' own efforts. Most everything is happening to them, not because of them. I guess that should be expected in the middle volume of a three-book series, as it sets things up for the characters to kick some serious butt in the final book, which I will definitely read. At least, I better, since I purchased it almost a year ago -- my "to read" stack (or should I say "stacks") of books on my nightstand is getting high.
2440060
Pretty good game but they should iron it out.  Like chapter The Grave of Henry Avery  (moderate) has that part where Drake is climbing & I couldn't get up to  reach the ladder because Sam wasn't there first so he just stayed hanging from the ledge (there was room for him to climb up).  I went back down then he went and it worked that time.  There's probably more little flaws that need to be fixed but I guess I'll find out.
2092538
I enjoyed the majority of this book but it was bit slow in many places.  Fortunately, the same is not true for the other books in the series as the author picked up the pace quite a bit making me stay up later than I should have trying to read as much as I could.
2781513
This book continues the action with Lod pursuing, captured, pursuing.  There is a tepid love story that this time was not all that clear or needed.  We watch the First Born (first generation of Nephilim, the fallen angels, born) and their children.  There is another adventure, this time to the island of Baal.
I am getting a bit weary of the epic now.  We hear a lot about vile things and nefarious doings but never really see much of them. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of blood and guts.  This felt less complete for some reason.
4446653
I liked this book but I wouldn't say that it is one of my favorites of the series.  It was good but it didn't quite grab me like "Desperately Seeking Suzanna" did.

Andrew was such a stick in the mud for the most part and Katie was one wild child "lady".  That is not all her fault though because from the age of 11, she pretty much raised herself.  Society's rules are foreign and unwelcome to her.  And even when she does run up against them, she's not all that impressed with what she finds.  Things need to make sense to her and most of them don't make sense to her.  She's used to wearing breeches and being free to do as she pleases.  After all, there really wasn't anyone all that involved in her life. Her father was pretty much an absentee one.

At the times Andrew isn't being a stick in the mud, he is actually kind of nice.  He does have plenty of redeeming qualities when he isn't being arrogant.  This story does start out with action as Andrew is being stalked on his way back home.  That part continues through the story until the evil mastermind is identified and stopped.  The quarreling friendship and then the romance does develop between the two main characters.  That won't be easy but the evil plans are stopped and they get their H.E.A.
3532970
I was at first a little daunted by the size of this book, so I put it aside for awhile until most of my students had finished the whole series and I was left behind. When I started to read (and listen) to this book, I was not immediately intrigued. It was very slow to catch my attention and I'm still not particularly sure that I care about the characters. Here is a brief summary of the story:

Nicholas Flamel and his wife are immortal because Nicholas unknowingly purchased The Codex from someone early in his life (over 500 years before the story begins). The Codex describes many secrets from the elder race, including prophecies and alchemical recipes. Anyways, the elders want this book so that they can take over the world. They have commissioned Dr. John Dee to get the book from Nicholas. So, on a summer afternoon, Dee goes after Flamel in Flamel's bookstore. Josh, a clerk from the bookstore, and his twin sister Sophie, attempt to help Nicholas and his wife from the seemingly mad man that is trying to steal and kill them. No good act goes unpunished, so Sophie and Josh get caught up in this mess. Dee ends up with most of the book and Flamel's wife. However, Sophie and Josh could be a set of twins that are prophesied about in the Codex. The battles begin as Flamel tries to train and protect the twins, while also trying to get the book back from Dee. Flamel enlists the help of some of the good(ish) elders and destruction flows through the rest of the book. Are the twins really magical? Is the prophecy correct? How many people can actually survive their exploits? Now, you have to read it and find out.

As I mentioned, I was not really into the book. The action was intriguing. There was a lot of movement and the book never really slowed down, but I never fell in love with the characters. I don't believe that Scott made them overly interesting. The elders are described in more depth than the twins, and the twins are really the focus of the book. It made it hard for me to buy into the book when I didn't care one way or the other if the main characters made it through. Also, there is a bit of conflict within Josh that I think could have been explored further. It may have made me want to read the next one more. I will say that the best part of this book is the mixing of mythology. The elders are all basically gods from ancient times. They are intriguing and the back stories that are slipped in here and there are fun to examine.

My student's have all enjoyed this book, so it is not a total loss for me. I believe that the constant adventure pulls a reader through regardless if they feel the same about the characters as I do. The magical fighting is creative and described very well. I think my favorite part comes towards the end after a major magical battle. Scott includes a quote from the local newspaper from that town and explains the attacks. It just made me laugh to see how the truth is changed in media even in fiction. This book is best suited for children ages 11 (if they are a strong reader) to 16.
3736764
The combat is great, don't get me wrong with 3/5 stars. But the story moves so .. so .. slowly.. The story isn't particularly engaging, so the dragged-out conversations really put a damper on the game for me. I ended up quitting halfway through.

The gameplay, while actually in control of the action, is fun. The card game built into the game is entertaining. The combat is really well designed. I wish I could get through the dialogue and slow cut-scenes.