Much better than the last few books
584589
I would actually give this a 3.5 stars. It is much better than books 13-18 and finally didn't have as much slap stick humor that was getting old. It still did have an over abundance of rocket launchers and exploding cars but finally no Lula farting and no monkeys or hobbits. Finally we get a story with a decent plot and Steph is acting a little more mature. No she doesn't make a decision between Ranger and Joe and the triangle continues to drag on and on. Steph is working with Ranger and a former military friend and we get to find out a little more about Ranger's history and time with the Rangers. No this book isn't as good as books 1-12 but it is much better than what JE has been dishing out the last few years. It is a short fast read but if you have read the other books in the series, take the time to check this out from your library and you will be pleasantly surprised. And lastly, this book could have had a higher star rating but it was lacking in any emotion and the dialog seemed a little off.  The plot was good but the story fell very flat for lack of much emotion from any of the characters we used to love.  I don't know if JE had a ghost writer or not but the dialog seemed a little off from usual.......it wasn't bad just a little off from what we expect.
4350113
This third entry in the series survived the transition to Kindle much better than the previous book, with far fewer typos. In general, I'd say that this book did a great job of continuing the story from the previous books, with at times some breathless action sequences and a great deal of suspense. My main criticism with this book is the rather abrupt ending, which also introduced a plot point that has yet to be resolved several chapters into the fourth book.
3684221
Much like the last book, this is not as action- packed and complex as the first four. I thought the ending to be somewhat anticlimactic. Overall, it is fun, and worth reading if you enjoy the others in the series. Although some development occurs in her character as well as  between Cordi and her man, I really wish this story had more plot.
4658446
It's more 4.5/5 rather than 5/5 due to the reduced action scenes and fighting in the last few books, but that's compensated from the awesome stories the different characters go through. At the ending of the book there's still a ton of questions left unanswered, but no cliffhanger so it's exactly how I like it - there's still more to come and at the same time you don't feel disapointed because the main plot of the book is completed. I loved the unexpected ending and the plot-twist, though it came a bit late in my opinion. I read the book in one breath, but it's not as catchy as the first 7 which are my favourite. Neverthless, I'd totally recommend the series to everyone who likes a breath of fresh air on the whole Vampire theme.
1591216
Book 5 of the series had a slightly different story arch than previous books in the series. Instead of being hired or pitted against an unknown foe, this book wraps up most of the loose ends that have arisen in the series. Caine's parents are finally discussed a little more in depth and there is a culmination to all the assassination attempts he has been thwarting. Overall, the book retained the excellent quality and tone found in Blayde's earlier books.

I would not start the series with this book, but for a fan of the series, its a nice segue into Cain's new challenges since his "level up". We get a glimpse into the potential future villains, who understandably are a step up from what he has battled in the past. Once again, this is another great showing from the author and I'm excited to read what comes next.
1114499
While not as good as the previous books (the Eye of the World or the Great Hunt being the best of the first five), still a very good book.  Mat's story deepens and becomes the most interesting thread at this point.
457366
The last few books seem to be shifting from a Green Fairytale Book style to a John Carter of Mars style, with a dash of magic to make it more enjoyable.  The humor is getting better too, where its much more open smile-worthy.  Editing levels appear to have dropped a bit. There are places where the wrong character name is used, making the Wait, what? moments occur more frequently.  Theyre not horrible gaffes, but they're certainly notable ones.

Still: the series is quite enjoyable, and you never know what will be happening next, which endears it to me.  Recommended.
4915434
I'm a bit confused by some of the hate for this book, since I thought it was much improved from the previous book. While there are some problems, most notably Ms. Lackey's current practice of inserting pages of previous books into the current book, on the whole it moved the story along quite nicely.
I admit that I, like others, originally thought this would be a trilogy, although "Chronicles" does imply a longer series.  I've adjusted my thinking in that regard, which helped my enjoyment of the book tremendously.  In this installment, we learn Mags' real name and more about his origin, though not all.  Hints are given about Mags' true status--he's apparently important enough to send people looking for him, and for the head of state in his parents' country of origin to take a personal interest.  We also learn more about Karse, specifically how it got the way it was before Solaris and why Vkandis didn't step in sooner--and why Valdemar didn't just go in and perform regime change.  And Ms. Lackey introduces a new Suncat, which is enough for me--love the Suncats.  Secondary characters are moved along as well--the biggest development being between Bear and Lena.
To the problems in the book, besides the previously mention insertions (Ms. Lackey, if you're writing so many books you have to resort to this device, you have this avid fan's permission to slow down.).  I'm still not quite sure of how old Mags is and how long he's been at the Collegium.  Some passages seem to imply that it's been a couple of years, some that this it's been less than a year.  Mags at the start of the first book seemed to be about 11 or 12, in this book he seems to be 15 or 16.  Yes, the mine could have slowed his emotional and physical growth, but Lena seems quite young in the first book as well.  Of course I can assume that was her shyness, and I can just establish in my own mind that Mags was 14 but stunted due to conditions at the mine and that it has been about two and a half years since the first book.  But that's work that should be done by the author, not the reader.  And of course, Ms. Lackey puts in details about everyday Valdemar life, which I enjoy but others may not.
All in all, though, I thought this was a good continuation of the story, and I'm looking forward to the next book.
283541
I just finished the eighth book in the series and noticed that after the first book the number of reviews dropped off. Well i figured i should tell you that if you can get through the first book, the series as a whole gets a lot better. The eighth book was very good as well as the previous four or five. The writing keeps getting better, the characters get better and much deeper, basically the books get better as a whole. Stick with it if you like this book a little, it does become worth it.
2901923
Much better in this book.  There is more satisfaction, but plenty of hooks for future books in the series.  Maddox is both more human and more New Man than he knew. The Builder was as much of douche as I thought he would be and whinging as well.  Ludendorf was too clever for his own good, but mostly decent.  Strand is definitely a character that is as evil as we expected him to be.  It's a good read. I'm glad I stuck with the series despite the weakness of the first volume.
4090448
Much better than the last two, this book has more believable characters that fall for each other. The end is drawn out unbelievably with the amount of things to "keep them apart". It was obvious from the beginning the entire plotline, but it was still enjoyable. The male main has little to no depth. Amazingly so since he's been in both of the previous books of this trilogy.
I will say that it was surprisingly pleasant to not have another stupid victim. This was a strong female.
2628233
I've read the whole series.  I know other reviewers have not been all that happy with some of the changes in the last few books.  However, not to add spoilers, but I'm just fine with how things have turned out and I'm glad the author wrote this book.  Definitely worth a read, if you've read the series.  I got my copy from the library.
3242344
The third book in the series is much better than the first two. Better written, good action, twists and shouts, and principally less whining from the heroine. This time she takes it and stuffs it down the throat of her enemies - internal or external. She seems to grow up and becomes more secure of her qualities. Looking forward to the next book.
2477678
Book Three of the Yancy Lazarus books continues the pace established by the first two books in the series, and each book is better than the last.  Mr. Hunter's writing is improving with practice, becoming tighter and more descriptive.  He pulls the reader right into the story, so much so that you can see the flames and horrific creatures, or the beauty of a scene or character with equal ease.  None of the characters are stereotypical, cookie-cutter heroes or villains--each is an individual, each has his or her own complexities.  Most are neither fully good or completely evil, an aspect I really enjoyed and that you don't see often enough in fiction.  I especially enjoyed the fact the monsters are not always monsters, and that Yancy is made aware of this.  That, and his troubled conscience, add a great deal of depth to the series.

My only complaint with this book is that there isn't another to follow it.  Yet. I'll be watching for it.
4533715
It's been three years since we last saw the Kingdom Keepers - three years since the events in a Mexican jungle.  In fact, Finn and the others are about to graduate from high school.

Then the attack comes.  The five friends are quickly crossed over to battle a group of Overtakers trying to break into the achieves - a group lead my Wayne.  Wait, what?  But the real threat is coming toward Disneyland.  Will the group be able to stop the Overtakers once and for all?

I have felt this series has been uneven (in fact the last book was the weakest), but I am glad to say I found this one to be much better.  Yes, it did feel a bit too long at times, but for the most part, the plot moved forward at a steady pace.  It was nice to see the characters acting as friends more than they have in the past books.  I even found myself tearing up a few times as the book progressed.

I've always wondered why we didn't see more of the good characters in this series, and I was pleased that more of them appeared in this book.  That was a nice touch that I hope continues in the follow up series.

For now, fans who have followed these characters through six previous books will be glad to know how the initial struggle against the Overtakers ends.
4091970
After the disappointing book 4, I was glad to see the story get back on track. Many plot lines are resolved here, and it sets the stage for the finale in book 6.

I still think books 1, 2 and 3 are superior, but at least didn't continue to go downhill after 4.
1057246
After a disappointing fifth book in the series, Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, Carrie Vaughn has put Kitty back on track with Kitty Raises Hell.  This book is a huge improvement over the previous story.  Kitty Raises Hell basically continues the story from the prior novel, with Kitty's return from Vegas and adventures against the Band of Tiamat.  Unfortunately, they are not willing to let sleeping wolves lie, and send something to follow Kitty back; and it seems intent on burning Kitty and her friends to death.

This time around Kitty has some help from the stars of a paranormal investigation tv show.  I liked these characters that were introduced, and though there aren't many pages devoted to developing their back story, each of the characters are likeable and believeable.  And it looks like it's not the last time we'll be seeing them.

Grant, the Vegas magician from book 5, is also back and plays a pivotal role in the story wrap up.  However, that was the one part of the book that I didn't enjoy - Grant's role comes in a little too much like a deus ex machina.  We don't really know a whole lot yet about Grant, what his abilities are, or a whole lot of his purpose beyond "the guardian against chaos" that was revealed to us in last book.  I really wish Miss Vaughn would either spend more time fleshing out this character, or drop him from the series entirely instead of having him pop in at a critical moment to take care of things for Kitty.  Other minor roles are played by the brother of a long-lost friend, and Kitty's contact on the Denver PD, Detective Hardin.

Overall, this was a much improved story from the last outing.  The huge dangling plot thread from the last novel is wrapped up; and while we are left with some foreshadowing of things to come - mainly a big bad that we're sure to see again - we don't have any of the glossed over plot points as were evident in the prior book.  Kitty is much more in control of things, taking action decisively, instead of being so much on the sidelines.

Personally, I'm still of the opinion that initially the last two books were intended to be released as a single volumne - as both work better together -- which would explain why they were released so closely.  Here is hoping that the next story in the series isn't divided into two volumes.