February 25, 2015
Psy-Changeling 11: Tangle of Need
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This one wasn't as satisfying in the relationship standpoint, though we do finally see some real movement with the Psy civil war. It'll be interesting to find out just who Kaleb has tracked down and why they are apparently so important to him. He's one of the characters that still remains rather mysterious overall despite all we've learned of his abilities.
There is also more of Hawke and Sienna in this book, which is interesting. The pairing seems odd if you think about their true ages, but Sienna has always seemed older to me overall - probably because she never really had a childhood and had to grow up way before she ever joined SnowDancer.
The situation with Riaz is both warming and frustrating at the same time. On the one hand, we've had all these books drill in how wonderful the mating bond is and how it's pretty much impossible to fight. Yet here Riaz literally can't be with his mate because of a pre-existing relationship... only to throw his one chance at trying for it away without consideration. Ends up likely being a good thing since Lisette's husband had already come after her without her knowledge. Obviously our two main wolves this time around didn't know that until the very end after their respective decisions had really been made. It's nice to see Riaz still find someone he's genuinely happy with while at the same time somewhat baffling given his obvious continuing exposure to Lisette with their work for the Alliance and SnowDancer communications. Overall it's confusing. Ignore the mating bond part of it though, and it's just a nice easy relationship that obviously both wolves need.
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February 23, 2015
Psy-Changeling 10.9: Pancakes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This short scene actually fills in details to what is an even shorter scene in Texture of Intimacy. The idea behind it is cute - a casual family dinner where it's obvious Walker adores his family despite his usually reserved demeanor. Lara obviously fits in well with the small family. What is at odds is Marlee's stone walled response to inquiries about her rather assertive claim that Ben should not join them for breakfast. The only hint we get is from Toby stating that the two are fighting at the moment. Not exactly fitting with the cheerful little girl that just got a fresh pancake from Daddy or normally plays with everyone in the den.
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Psy-Changeling 10.5: Naya’s Most Important Visitors
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For some reason, I had this thought in the back of my mind that Naya's visitors might include Nikita given the way things have been going in the city. It didn't take long to realize it was the twins however. It's going to be highly amusing seeing what pranks these two pull Naya into as they grow up... and if either of them get to keep her indefinitely in the event the series actually runs that far into the future. That would certainly be something, though also possible to cause some jealousy as well. If nothing else, she's got two built in "big brothers" from the pack so far. Fitting given their obvious love of Sascha, even when she was still "Silent."
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Psy-Changeling 10.7: Stalking Hawke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ben is just all sorts of adorable! It's nice to see Hawke's interaction with the pups too - he's not the surly and snarly alpha then. Obviously taking place shortly after his own mating from the story numbering, it's even more amusing when Hawke solemnly agrees that "kissing is boring" - though I suppose that's true to a pup. It would be nice to see this side of Hawke more often. Maybe that'll be possible now that he isn't constantly fighting his wolf about Sienna.
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Psy-Changeling 10.8: Texture of Intimacy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Despite being one of the main pairings in Kiss of Snow, we don't get a real in depth look at the emotional side of Walker and Lara's mating as the book focuses more on Hawke and Sienna. This short fills in that gap, following just after the mating is completed up through their mating celebration two weeks later. Of course they run into their first hurdle when Walker goes "Silent" essentially on auto pilot when one of the pup's goes down on his watch. They learn from the experience, but the initial cut off of the bond as a side effect creates some temporary unexpected havoc for the new couple. Likewise, Marlee's "nightmare" could have put a nice wrench in things. Toby stepped up nicely as Lara soothed Marlee's fears, and incidentally Walker's at the same time. Pack really is family after all, and Lara is now "all theirs" as Marlee puts it after learning about the mating from Toby.
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Psy-Changeling 10.6: Grocery Shopping
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rather bland in the content department, but still cute for the definite "short and sweet" variety. I find it amusing how Lucas claims Sascha must have a cat hiding under her skin for how well she plays him. This is even more amusing when you take into account Luc's discussion with the deer changeling when then men reveal they actually like these shopping outings they get "dragged" on with their mates. For all that they like to snarl and be surely, they sure do get the meaning of making even mundane tasks into quality time.
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February 22, 2015
My Little Pony: Ponies Love Pets!
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another basic learning to read book that Mercy picked out on one of our shopping trips. This one focuses not just on the current main My Little Ponies, but on their pets. Small wonder that it's a current hit with her love of animals. Not much interest still in actually "reading" the story after one or two times a day, but she does love pointing to the animals or trying to describe the pictures (play, read, etc) when there are activities going on. A good way to make many uses of the same book as a child grows into it.
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Psy-Changeling 10: Kiss of Snow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You get a double helping in this book as it deals with both Hawke/Sienna and Walker/Lara. Hawke and Sienna have danced around each other for so long, that it's nice to finally see some progress in that front. It really looks like it might be the one pairing that does not result in a mating given Hawke's assertion that his mate is already dead. Just further proof that even changelings shouldn't take things for granted. Walker and Lara are more of a background story, which makes sense given Walker's reserved nature in the background of the pack. I wondered if the SnowDancer pack would ever have a network similar to DarkRiver. This effectively answers that question. The side effects of Hawke's sudden mating leave for some rather hysterical and enjoyable after-war scenes at the end of the book. Who knew such a "dangerous" and explosive power could have such an amusing effect through the pack's net.
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Marvel's Agent Carter
Marvel's Agent Carter (2015)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This series continues the story of Agent Carter, and by association, Howard Stark, after the war when they lose Captain America. As such, it is helpful to have seen Captain America: The First Avenger before starting this series, though not an absolute requirement. There are tasteful flash backs to pieces of the actual film, though mostly just in the first episode where it really sets the scene for what Agent Carter is facing as she tries to continue her career and gets stonewalled by men who think a woman is only good a "secretary" or damsel in distress. It's interesting to see how these off shoot TV series stem from the original films yet add to them at the same time. It's a fun continuation of a good series.
Psy-Changeling 9.7: Home
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Clay and Talin finish some new home additions for Jon and Noor. The kids are just too cute as they take in their new surprises. While the story is said to be set between Play of Passion and Kiss of Snow, the epilogue makes more sense at the end of Kiss of Snow, so you might want to finish both books first.
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Psy-Changeling 9.5: Declaration of Courtship
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an interesting change in dynamics for the changelings. Pretty much all of the groups have either been dominant/non-changeling of pure dominant pairs. This was the first really noticeable one that was dominant/submissive. Grace obviously struggles with that a bit, but Cooper isn't taking no for an answer. Especially interesting as the attraction as obviously been mutual from the start this time where in many of the previous pairings, it's only been the male that was certain of the outcome.
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Psy-Changeling 9.2: Clean & Dirty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Vaughn and Faith have always been a rather intense pair. This was a lot of fun revisiting them and seeing a little bit of fun. Turns out cleaning up after Vaughn's art projects can have some fun side benefits... for Faith anyways.
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Psy-Changeling 9.1: Wolf School
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Set during Play of Passion, this is a cute little deleted scene where Indigo watches Drew teach Ben how to howl. Ben is just all sorts of adorable and Drew has a definite way with his packmates that makes it a lot of fun to watch him interact with them. Indigo definitely got a good seat for this little gem.
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Psy-Changeling 9: Play of Passion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Indigo has always been painted as being tough as nails. Andrew we've only really seen as Brenna's brother up until this point. As a plus, the "side notes" have disappeared at the start of each chapter, making this much easier to read. Drew seems to have a penchant for getting shot, just like changelings seem to have a habit of finally accepting a mating bond in an effort to "save" their mates. A little on the dramatic side, but it's working for them. At least they got all those dominance issues worked out, especially since it sounds like Drew will keep growing in power while Indigo has already hit her max.
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Psy-Changeling 12.2: Sunday Morning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Directly following the end of Bonds of Justice, this is a nice tid-bit showing just how well things are working out for Max and Sophia. Nikita is proving to be a very interesting "ally," which makes scenes like this all the more fun. Now if only some of the other Psy could learn to loosen up so easily.
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Psy-Changeling 8: Bonds of Justice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I like Max as far as the few human interactions in the series go, so it was fun to see him retake the scene. Sophia is a good match for him in many ways, though it's interesting to see how her special J designation allows her to be part of the PsyNet yet apparently separate at the same time. The header chapter header notes are still distracting, though not as much this time around as they are much shorter, so they don't interrupt the flow as much as the more lengthy notations. I would really rather see a collection of "notes" for the story added at the end of the book as a "short story" separate than interrupting the flow as it does in its current form.
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February 18, 2015
Psy-Changeling 7.5: Christmas in the Kitchen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another short story providing more insight into past couples after they've settled into mated life. This one focuses on Dorian and Shaya, though many of the other pack members, especially the younger ones, show up towards the end. It's also nice to see Clay's "softer" side when he and Tally show up following the kids. You might not ever picture two tough sentinels playing in a bake off, but it happens. Good to see them having fun with each other and connecting outside of just interacting with their mates.
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Psy-Changeling 7: Blaze of Memory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This one took longer for me to read because it was harder to get into the story. I think I definitely have a preference for the Changeling perspective over the human or Psy, even though the Psy interaction can be interesting especially when the Changelings are pulling emotions out of the "emotionless" race. This one focuses on Katya, previously known as Ekatrina, and Dev. It was nice to get more of a story on Dev since we only briefly saw him in Tally's story. In the end though, Katya was the more interesting of the two, and she had some serious problems. It was also interesting how many Changeling characteristics Dev seemed to exhibit with Katya even though his family tree clearly shows no Changeling blood. The "history" letters are an interesting insight to the beginning of Silence and how it affected families leading to the Forgotten. The downside is that it also interrupts the flow of the story, making it that much more difficult to really be drawn into these characters.
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February 15, 2015
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars: Clone Wars (2008)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Taking place during the "prequel" trilogy, this series shows more of Anakin's training under Obi-Wan and his growing relationship with Padme while the Senate and the Separatists go head to head. Anakin even ends up taking on his own student, Hisoka, who is completely unheard of in the movies given Anakin's own Padawan status until the end of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. An odd irregularity out of the mix, but provides for some amusing entertainment in the series, which is likely the entire point.
Star Wars: Rebels
Star Wars: Rebels (2014)
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
The CGI is a little strange, despite having started watching Star Wars: Clone Wars on occasion lately. The angles seem a little too sharp and the storm troopers do not seem very unified despite the fact that they are supposed to be clones. Ezra, a young street thief with Jedi potential seems to be the main character, though the focus widens to include the entire ships crew once he meets Kanan and the others. This is also his first exposure to a fully trained Jedi, despite his tendency to do certain things (like jumping impossibly high/long distances and dodging blaster fire) that wouldn't really be possible for a human without use of the Force. It has some potential, though at the moment it seems rather ragtag and scattered.
February 14, 2015
Big Hero 6
Big Hero 6 (2014)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I really wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this. I certainly didn't expect to find it was based off a Marvel comic, though that became obvious when Stan Lee (or at least the animated version of him) showed up at the final scene after the end credits. Baymax, the big white medical robot most often pictured for the film, is hard not to find amusing and likable. Some of the other character are not so endearing. Hiro, the main human character, comes off as a bit of a self centered brat, despite obviously being a genius child. His emotions run all over the place, which is fairly typical of young children, but in no way seems to lend itself to him and his friends developing their unexpected team of superheros. Overall, cute and enjoyable if not rather odd all around.
Epic
Epic (2013)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
M.K. has a rather unusual adventure on her hands when she's shrunk down to forest size and essentially charged with the fate of the forest by the dying Queen Tara. With some rather unusual help, she'll learn her father isn't as crazy as he seems, and maybe there is more to the world than the human's can typically see. The hard part is how to figure out how to be part of both worlds when you know have a reason to be in either one. Just a touch of romance towards the end, though obviously impossible given their different worlds once M.K. is a normal human again. Still, it allows for some rather strong bonds of friendship and opens M.K. to an entire new world side by side with her father. I had some curiosity about this movie when it first came out, but given neither the title or the brief ads we saw for it really gave a huge draw, it wasn't until one my husband's co-workers highly recommended it that we finally got around to seeing it.
Psy-Changeling 6.5: The Party
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Even though this is listed as a free short story on the author's website, it's actually a deleted scene from Branded By Fire. This little bit of female frivolity and their respective jokes about their mates is rather amusing and a nice contrast to Mercy's typically tough-as-nails sentinel persona. It's nice to see all the women from the pack enjoying each other's company, especially since it's been well ingrained by this point in the series that the Pack is a very close and involved "family" group.
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Psy-Changeling 6: Branded by Fire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Wow, these two are incredibly thick. It is both incredibly amusing and aggravating at the same time to see them constantly running to and from each other throughout this book. We do also get some more info on Mercy's family and see some interaction between the siblings this time around. On top of that, there is Mercy's efficient handling of the sentinels from her grandmother's pack, though it seems Riley did the better job of making theme leave for good. Mercy has very interesting timing when she decides to follow through with something though. I wondered how it seemed they could both serve their separate packs while being mated. Finally got the answer in this book.
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Psy-Changeling 5.6: Movie Night
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
As with most of the other short stories, very short. The movie selection sounds so horrible though, that you can't help but find it highly amusing. Add to it a nice bit of emotion with the "odd" couple who seems to fit so extraordinarily well, and it's no surprise that this is an easily enjoyable few minutes that you'll wish lasted longer. Sometimes these brief glimpses just don't seem to be enough.
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Psy-Changeling 5.5: A Gift for Kit
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a cute and very brief short from the author's website. Shows some of Kit's more emotional side as his sister gives him a gift she'd been holding onto for him from their parents. Totally understandable how he wouldn't want to shift while wearing them and risk losing them forever. A touching little piece of emotion.
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February 12, 2015
Psy-Changeling 5: Hostage to Pleasure
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
While the journal/note excerpts are interesting, I think these would have been better off saved for a short story instead of headers to each chapter. They divide up and disrupt the flow of reading the main story so that sometimes you have to reset your brain to what is actually happening at the moment instead of trying to get clues out of the notes. Between this and the constant fights Ashaya and Dorian have with themselves and each other, it makes this a harder read than some of the earlier books. Ashaya seems like she should be able to do more given her high M-Psy ranking, but it becomes rather obvious just how limited she is as her story unfolds. Nothing seems to be real with this character, which ends up being frustrating overall. The best thing about this book is the ending - Dorian shifting for the first time! His panic is understandable given he's beyond convinced himself it'll never happen at that point. The kid's reactions especially are great.
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Psy-Changeling 4.5: A Conversation
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I expected a side story for Clay and Talin, following the pattern of the other short stories after their respective books. Instead, we get a very short glimpse into the Rat clan Down Below. Prior to Mine to Possess, we hadn't even heard mention of the clan. Instead, this continues the thread to confirm they did make a Pact with Dark River and are in fact very good at their jobs. It will be interesting to see how their information network comes into play with the Pack for future books.
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Psy-Changeling 4: Mine to Possess
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I would have expected Clay to come farther down the list given his loner status, but I suppose he is "safer" overall to now have Talin balancing him. Talin on the other hand... annoys me. She spends so much of the book making excuses and claiming to be afraid while everything else about her screams the opposite. Frankly, it's a wonder Clay put up with her as long as he did, bond notwithstanding. I also expected for them to have to do some detailed M-Psy work... maybe another tie in to the "rebels" need for Ashaya to join them. Instead, it's Talin's tie to the Forgotten that apparently saves her life; though no one expected that side benefit when she joined the Web of Stars. Maybe a little too convenient, but I suppose it works.
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February 11, 2015
Psy-Changeling 3.2: Stroke of Enticement
Psy-Changeling 3.2: Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Zach and Annie obviously have a thing for each other right off the bat, though Annie has very obvious trust issues and Zach may be a little too careful of her emotions. In the end it takes a little mental hammering from Mercy for Zach to get the hint, though he obviously hits all the right notes with Annie's stubborn mother. That was a nice bit of surprise given her obvious prejudice towards Changelings early on in the story. This is another story in which one or both sides of the pair may need some obvious healing that their mate helps with rather significantly. Annie also makes our second human mate of the series so far.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Zach and Annie obviously have a thing for each other right off the bat, though Annie has very obvious trust issues and Zach may be a little too careful of her emotions. In the end it takes a little mental hammering from Mercy for Zach to get the hint, though he obviously hits all the right notes with Annie's stubborn mother. That was a nice bit of surprise given her obvious prejudice towards Changelings early on in the story. This is another story in which one or both sides of the pair may need some obvious healing that their mate helps with rather significantly. Annie also makes our second human mate of the series so far.
Psy-Changeling 3: Caressed by Ice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fitting title given Judd is known as the Man of Ice among the SnowDancers. Not only do we get more inside to the Psy world through Judd and his history, but we also get to see more of what became of Brenna after her rescue in the first book, Slave to Sensation. Added into that is also the Pack dynamics as Hawke gets to know Judd better and they finally give Judd a very specific place in the Pack hierarchy - Sentinel. Not exactly the Soldier it sounded like he'd be at the start of the story. Judd both manages to make the Psy look more humane and also sadly make sense in some ways. In the end, I'm glad things work out for both Brenna and Judd. They help each other in so many ways that it's good to see this match work.
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Psy-Changeling 2: Visions of Heat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Holy cow. The jaguar seemed a little more determined and forceful than the leopards so far, but maybe that's really what Faith needed to push her outside of her comfort zone. Like Sascha, Faith does not come across as a normal Psy, though she obviously struggles more with her emotions than our now resident alpha who was literally born an empath. This pair literally becomes a pair of lightening in their own magnetic dance as Vaughn literally becomes Faith's touchstone and safe haven in her new world. It was an interesting turn of events to learn Faith's father actually seems to support her defection and agrees with her analysis of the Psy Council. A very large difference from Nikita's reaction to Sascha's defection (though Nikita is Council herself, which plays a role).
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Psy-Changeling 1.5: The Cannibal Princess
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a cute little free short available from the author that shows Lucas and Sascha playing with Tamsyn's cubs. It's cute and overall amusing, lacking the strong magnetic pull from the other short stories and books which focus primarily on a specific pack member finding a mate. Still, a sweet interlude showing some of the more every-day life aspects of the pack.
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Psy-Changeling 1: Slave to Sensation
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I can't say this is an ultimate favorite despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed it and devoured the book. I don't know if it's because of the absolute perfect fit of the two main characters, the hurting and haunted pasts they have, or something else. There's some small piece that keeps them from being a favorite pair despite the obvious like for them and the enjoyment in seeing how they "save" Sascha. Sascha is interesting right from the start as she obviously is not anything that she is portrayed or expected to be. This becomes more and more obvious as she gets closer to Lucas to the point that she's working with the Pack intentionally against her own people. Hawke throws a couple of interesting wrenches in the system with his apparent knowledge of things hidden in the Psy's history and the way he keeps needling Lucas. He's obviously going to be one to keep an eye on in the future.
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Psy-Changeling 0.7: Whisper of Sin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the first changeling/human pairing that we see. As with the other two novella I've read so far, this story is very short and to-the-point. Ria does not seem to be your average human, in that she does not show the fear that might be considered inherit in being near such a strong predator as a leopard - even when she sees Emmett in cat form. Good thing she's so good at processing things and staying calm, otherwise she might have run for the hills. Certainly didn't hurt any with the timing for her to land a job as Lucas's assistant.
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Psy-Changeling 0.5: Beat of Temptation
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had to put down the other book I had started and come back to this series as I was in the mood for more shifter books than any other type of paranormal, and Secrets at Midnight had me very curious about this series.
Have to admit, I felt bad for Tamsyn and wanted to beat Nate myself a few times in this book. Talk about thick headed men. Really though, all the mated pairs, few as I've seen up to this point, seem to fit perfectly together (though I guess there's a reason for that). These two don't seem to be any different, despite their obvious communication problems. It was very amusing to see Tamsyn turn the tables on Nate so he was the one scrambling after her instead of the other way around. Too bad it still took the relative hammer to the head to get him to wake up at the end.
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February 7, 2015
Nikki Heat 6: Raging Heat
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
These characters are so similar to their TV counterparts, that there were scenes I got confused with the TV series this time around instead of being from the book series. This especially did not help with the engagement tie in after that being the biggest fiasco for the end of the last season, and start of the newest one. There was one point where they found "Beckett's Neck" that I was expecting "Rook" to make a crack about the street being named after his lady love... until I remembered this was Heat instead of Beckett. Obviously this means that it's also doing it's job tying into the TV series... though maybe a little too well if it gets that confusing between characters. Might also help if I wasn't reading it on either end of catching up with Castle episodes.
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February 6, 2015
The Vampire Diaries 13: The Salvation: Unmasked
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I loved the original series, so it was very disappointing when this was given to a ghost writer and started changing the general characters and story line. Of course, finally being "the end," everything had to be completely reworked and changed from the original plan. I'll admit, I like both brothers for different reasons, but I always thought Stefan was the better fit for Elena, as fits with the original books written by the actual author. This time, Elena has to give them both up while going back in time on her own to essentially save them all from themselves. I'm glad at least Bonnie knows the truth of what happened, otherwise I think Elena would be even more lonely and lost in her new re-defined future. Interesting that she only meets up with Damon at the end. I would have expected that with the triangle attraction and the brother's finally making amends that perhaps they would have stayed together. Of course there is also the hint that maybe Katherine and Stefan could work something out this time around now that everyone is alive and happy. What a weird way to re-write a story that was much better in it's original telling.
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Night Shift
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I originally picked this up for the Kate Daniels short story by Ilona Andrews.
Psy-Changeling 12.3: Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh
I was genuinely surprised by how much I ended up liking Bastien and this different take on shapeshifters in general. The story was naturally short and to-the-point given that's all the room there is in an anthology. Still, it did a decent job of introducing the characters and not making you feel completely lost if you hadn't read anything previous in the series yet, while still making it obvious there was plenty more out there if you wanted it. I think this is one series going on my to-read list to see if it measures up.
Kate Daniels 6.5: Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews
Jim has always been an interesting character that sort of hangs out on the fringes of the story when he's not actively on Kate guarding duty. It was nice to see him more relaxed and having a life outside of his business mode. Dali has always sort of been the odd one out of the pack, but here it becomes obvious that she and Jim really do work well together and are a good match.
The Beast of Blackmoor by Milla Vane
This one was very hard to get into. Admittedly my favorite character was the horse, Shim. Picks up a bit towards the end when you actually start getting action and emotions out of the characters instead of constant denial and traveling. Not enough to make me want to follow it if this had been a short for a longer series.
SPI Files 0.5: Lucky Charms by Lisa Shearin
Again, the ending was the better part of this short story. It was very difficult to get into this one and never really felt like it flowed right. Once the partners opened up and started talking things out more friendly towards the end it started feeling like there might be some potential. Of course at that point, it's over. Can't say this was enough to really make me want to pick up the series.
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February 4, 2015
Sensual Phrase
Sensual Phrase (1999)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The rating is mostly because I love the music in this series. It is also interesting to see the varied dynamics between the characters, their families, and each other. They have such different directions and ideas, that it makes for a very interesting story how they all come together and make the most of their talent. There is, of course, a lot of underlying love stories, though they aren't covered in nearly the detail from the anime as they are from the manga. The anime also covers a lot more ground prior to the bands formation and official debut, though it does not follow as far as the manga does into their future. It is hard to find a decent copy of this to watch online currently as the only forms released were in VHS back in the day and they are few and far between.
Night Huntress 07: Up From the Grave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This should be read before Bound By Flames, though I read the other first. There are things in the other that make a lot more sense after having read this one. Cat and Bones have never had a very easy relationship, despite their obviously strong connection. This book is no different and it reveals another side even of Cat's own family that is both shocking and horrifying at the same time. Add in some demon mix and another tangle with the Law Guardians... you have a right awful mess. A little surprised Cat didn't still talk to Vlad about the situation after his wedding, but I suppose she was being a good friend on that score. That scene takes us back to Twice Tempted, so I guess this is best read between the two of those. It does feel a little weird to think all of the Night Huntress world books will either be from Night Prince, which is now confirmed to have at least one more book coming, or from the general World series since Cat and Bones stories have ended. Overall it is not the ending expected, and I'm sure takes some adjusting for all the characters involved. Still, it is definitely an unexpected twist and gives the duo a good reason to disappear from the field for a very long time.
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February 3, 2015
Valentine's Day
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was my toddler's early Valentine's from Grandma. A cute book with short little descriptions on each page. It also features a singular item that has some type of material behind a cutout with a different color and/or texture for each 2-page spread. A good basic story and texture book for small children focusing on an already overly commercialized holiday.
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Aladdin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was one of the last Disney books I added to my own collection as a child. My daughter doesn't really follow this series yet, so it isn't asked for as often, but she does like flipping through the pictures occasionally. I imagine as she gets older, sees the movie more, and learns to read more complex books on her own that she'll come back to this one more in the future. As a book adaptation for a movie, it's decent, especially for a young audience.
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Beauty and the Beast
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I remember reading this book out of my collection as a child. Now I read it to my daughter. She enjoys most of the Disney classics, so she'll bring us this one every now and then out of the mix, even though the reading level is a little out of her zone. Simplify the story for her though, and she'll still get a kick out of turning the pages to follow the story. Hopefully she'll continue to enjoy this one as she grows and learns to read enough she can eventually follow it all on her own.
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Frozen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Little Golden Books were a children's book staple when I was growing up. Because of this, I thought it was pretty neat when my toddler choose the Little Golden Book edition of her favorite movie, Frozen. The story seemed more abbreviated than I remembered other versions being, despite still having nice art and being age-appropriate for the intended audience. Not my favorite summary of events, but decent considering who it is intended for.
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Frozen: A Tale of Two Sisters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another overly-simplified Disney story. On the other hand, what do you really expect from a level 2 introduction to reading? This was another one that my daughter picked out as her choice book during a shopping expedition. Not overly surprising given her current love for Frozen. The artwork is pretty, but the story itself is very choppy. Despite the simplification, I think this could have been achieved better without making it sound so stilted. It does help with the idea that there is no more on that page though and it's time to move on to the next. Doesn't mean the page won't still get stared at for the art after though.
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The Little Mermaid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is another book that originated in my own childhood collection and now belongs in my daughter's. As Ariel is one of her current characters (or as she calls her, "mermaid"), this is a favorite for her to leaf through. Like most other Little Golden books, it's shortens the story to keep it to-the-point and not overly long for small children. While this is good for my toddler, it can be frustrating for me when reading it, so I'm more likely to end up turning the movie on for us after reading it. Still, the pictures and art are more comparable to the movie than some alternatives and it's a nice version of the story to have for a children's collection.
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Minnie: Best Friends
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Given my daughter's obvious love for Minnie/Mickey Mouse, it was an easy pick to add this to our children's shelves. Add in the activity gained from a "Look & Find" style book, and you have a small, easily transportable, favorite form of fun and games. As with most look and find books, check the back for additional game ideas, or make up some of your own based on the story or items found on each page. There are plenty of ways to enjoy this type of children's book.
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Frozen: 12 Board Books
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a Christmas gift for my daughter, who naturally loves Frozen even though she's only 2 years old. This collection of short stories is indeed very short, but offers a simplistic variety that is perfect for young children. As such, I can't say that I mind re-reading these short stories several times over as it gives her such obvious joy and is a good way to focus on a specific type of learning per book (emotions, colors, counting, etc).
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Frozen: Journey to the Ice Palace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
At 2.5 years old, this was my daughter's pick for her book as a reward for good behavior. Her coloring is sloppy, but she loves looking at the pictures and got a major kick out of all the stickers. We had to hide it periodically so she wouldn't use all the stickers up in one sitting. Even with most of the stickers now gone, she often asks for this out of her small coloring collection and will spend some time flipping through the pages back and forth before picking just the right one to color for the afternoon. It's both entertaining and nice to know she has an activity book that she so thoroughly seems to enjoy, even if the stickers were likely the biggest draw.
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The Little Mermaid: Treasures of Old
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was originally one of my books as a child and now belongs to my daughter's book collection. As I did when I was young, she loves The Little Mermaid. The story is a little more detailed than her current attention span allows, but if we simplify the story, she loves leafing through it and looking at all the pictures. I can see her growing with this book for awhile as we're able to move from simplifying and picture staring to reading the more detailed passages (not that it's overly long to begin with).
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Sofia the First: First Look Find
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Of course, what is a toddler "Look & Find" book collection without Sofia added into the mix. This is a frequent pick for the variety of finding activities as it also features her favorite Disney Junior character. I do wish perhaps that the book was bigger for more interactive fun, but it works well as a mobile game. Overall a good pick for small children to enjoy.
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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: First Look and Find
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Of course given our daughter's love for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, we had to add this one to her board book collection. The "Look & Find" concept is great as it gives a variety of activities per page and others that you can make up your own or choose from a suggested selection in the back of the book. The book itself is small, which makes it easy to put in her backpack for road trips or to carry around on her own, even when she was younger.
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Sofia the First: Sofia Makes a Friend
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Small wonder this has been a favorite pick between feature Sofia and a unicorn. Sofia's "special friend" for the play date is a shy unicorn that needs some help making friends with her over-eager siblings. Sofia's gift for talking to animals comes in handy once again as she soothes the panicked foal so they can enjoy a fun afternoon together. As with most of the early "passport to reading" books, the wording for the story is overly simplified and uses pictures as much as words in the telling. Short and to-the-point makes it ideal for small children.
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Sofia the First: Just One of the Princes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was my daughter's most recent pick for he "Passport to Reading" series. Not overly surprising given Sofia is one her favorites and she also loves horses. This one follows the TV episode by the same title closely, though overly simplified for the reading style and the pictures used. Still seems to hold her attention just fine despite the short nature. Good way to help teach reading, which is the point of this series.
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Sofia the First
Sofia the First (2012)
My rating: 3 of 5
The TV series a continuation of the original pilot movie, Once Upon A Princess. Not every episode features a Disney princess cameo, but several of them do. The episodes are typically short, featuring a new song and some type of lesson that Sofia or her friends must learn over the course of the adventure. Being a Disney Junior series, it is especially tailored towards smaller children, which makes it ideal for our current 2-year-old and an obvious favorite.
Sofia the First: The Curse of Princess Ivy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book closely follows the TV episode by the same title from the series Sofia the First. The story is simplified for easy children reading with a large print book and lots of pictures. As a Christmas present for our daughter who loves the series, it was naturally a big hit. The leaf cover is often taken off and left elsewhere, but the book itself is a constant pick for reading time.
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My Little Pony: Meet the Princess of Friendship
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Given my daughter and I share a love of horses, this was naturally the first book of the "passport to reading" series that she picked out. The simplicity of the story and the added bonus of identifying pictures with specific words makes it easy for her to get involved in the story and pick something out of every page. Add to that a love for the subject of the story and you have a winner for the munchkin.
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Six by Seuss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
We tend to read this a story at a time as it's a collection of 6 different works by Dr. Seuss. A nice way to get a jump start on a classic children's collection. Some of the stories draw more attention than others. The easy rhymes and funky pictures always catch the kid's attention though and make for a relaxed and fun story time. I'm glad we were able to pick this one up early for our bookshelf.
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February 2, 2015
Night Prince 3: Bound by Flames
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I remember tearing through the first two books pretty quick once I got my hands on them. This one was another fast read, though somehow both as satisfying and not at the same time. Though we do get a glimpse of Cat and Bones this time around, there's none of the friendship and witty banter that makes these allies a lot of fun. Part of that can be attributed to their respective stress (Cat & Bones for their daughter and Vlad for his wife). Still, it leaves the feeling of something being lacking.
There is some minor progress between Leila and her father, though it's started off more forced than either of them probably wanted. Maximus is back in the picture as well, which is surprising. I can't decide at this point if I feel bad for him or just think he's stupid. If nothing else, I am glad Leila had kind of a secret quarterback when she was held and tortured... she really might not have escaped alive otherwise. Also doesn't help that she's still having rather significant problems with her powers, even if it does seem more of them are back now than before.
The ending though... really?! As if defeating one immortal enemy wasn't enough. One thing is for sure - Vlad has a very messed up family.
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Go, Dog. Go!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, I didn't realize I hadn't changed this from a "to-read" status yet. We got this book awhile ago... some time before Christmas I know at least. It went straight into our Dr. Seuss and like stories collection, which is a common pick for a quick story at night. As an added bonus, it has dogs, or "puppies" as my daughter calls them. The colors and counting make it more fun, though the attempts at rhyming sometimes get tedious. I'm already tired of re-reading it, but I know it will be a long time yet before our kids are done with this type of story. At least it's still amusing and can be adapted to work on other learning things for them with each page so it isn't as redundant.
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House of Night 12: Redeemed
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Wow, I'm really surprised this series lasted as long as it did. It's felt disjointed, redundant, and dragging for awhile now. Of course while Zoey was out of control with the seer stone, she was not in fact responsible for the park deaths. Neferet has proven that she feeds on death and is more than a little blood thirsty as a result. The good part of this is that it clears Zoey and gets the House of Night working with the Tulsa police. The bad is that it certainly still doesn't do anything to stop Neferet.
Of any of the characters, Kalona was the most interesting this time around. As hard as the book was to read, I was glad I had already finished Kalona's Fall before reading this as it made several things add up a lot easier than it would with the holes in the story otherwise. Nice symbolism with his wings turning back to moonlight again at the end there too. I like the idea of him finally learning the ultimate lesson and being allowed to return to Nyx and Erebus. Of the entire book, it's the "afterword" where we get to see the brothers truly be brothers and the Otherworld at peace that I enjoyed most of all.
Still can't help but feel a little bad for Aurox, though it does seem things got better for him in the end - also shown symbolically by the color change in his bull's form horns from white to black. I did always think that was a little backwards as typically "light" is considered white and "dark" is considered black, but here it's the reverse.
Overall I'm just glad the series is over. I can say I finished it and have no linger curiosity no matter how disenchanted I was at the end. I'm glad for that much at least.
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House of Night Novella 4: Kalona's Fall
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Obviously, this book failed miserably at keeping my attention. So much so that I completely put it aside while I got sucked into re-reading two other series before picking it back up. By that time, it had been so long that I started over from the beginning rather than trying to remember what I had read up to that point.
This book doesn't read like even a novella, but rather a collection of several short stories. The theme is all the same as they follow Nyx through Kalona and Erebus's creation and trials. As with the normal series, the point of view tends to shift often, which makes the story even more disjointed. On top of this, it's already segmented rather drastically within the book itself.
While the content is interesting as it gives an insight to Kalona that would obviously be missing otherwise, it is portrayed in a very poor manner that does not draw in the reader or flow well enough to allow for such a draw to hold if it did exist.
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