Urban Fantasy Archives - Page 3 of 4

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Posted on November 2, 2017December 23, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(3.5 / 5)

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding #1
A fun and spooky read, The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding was a great novel to read on around Halloween time. Braken’s mythology of fiends and magic is slowly built as we get to know our young hero Prosper and the fiend Alastor residing inside him. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Prosper and Alastor, and am a bit awed at how calm Prosper seems to stay during everything. And Alastor’s character is just what you expect him to be and then not at the same time.

My one complaint about this book is the pacing. After some break out action in the beginning, things slow way down as Prosper is put in a bit of a holding pattern. It’s during this time that we get to explore Prosper and Alastor as characters and get to learn more about what makes them tick, but it also puts quite the damper on the anticipation built with the shenanigans of the beginning. Because of this sudden slowdown in pacing, I had trouble getting into the novel and didn’t really start to feel engrossed until about the last third of the book. But the ending was quite explosive and unexpected and leaves you wanting more (which partially made up for it). This is definitely the prologue to a larger tale, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Posted on June 7, 2017September 3, 2017 by user

(4 / 5)

The Dark Artifices #2 (Shadowhunters)
Lord of Shadows was not the book that I expected it to be. While your traditional “evil villain” is still there, causing trouble and waiting in the wings, the true enemy if far more sinister and working in plain sight. This book was much more about the secondary characters, and less about Julian and Emma (though they still play a pivotal and central role), with great character development for those who stuck more to the background in Lady Midnight. Kieran and Diana play larger parts in this novel, and we learn much more about their personality, motivations, and background. The younger generation also gets a lot more attention, especially Livvy, Ty, and Kit, and I loved reading more about them and their unique dynamic. Alec and Magnus also show up in this book, playing a bit of a larger role than I expected (though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, up till now Magnus has played a large role in all three of Clare’s Shadowhunter series). And we finally meet Jamie, though I hope to see much more of him in the next installment.

Clare’s pacing is excellent, especially for the large ensemble cast that she has established. There are far more threads to maintain in this novel than in any of her previous work, and I felt she wove them together quite well. She shifts back and forth between groups of characters and simultaneous storylines quickly and efficiently, never leaving any group for too long. My only complaint is that sometimes the timeline seemed to get lost between scenes (i.e. is this the same day, a different day, etc), but it didn’t happen often.

My biggest complaint about the novel, was that I didn’t feel like it had a “real” ending. It felt much more like part one of a single story, and not a novel unto itself. Usually Clare’s novels have a distinctive story arc, with the end of the novel seeing the culmination of a particular goal (or at least a large step in the progress to a goal), but Lord of Shadows didn’t have that. Instead we had a series of action and investigative scenes that progress the story, but to not lead to a singular climax (at least not in this book). Then our story ends more on a down note, with a sudden burst of action and cliffhanger end (which I can only describe as a “shit hitting the fan” moment).

Overall, I really enjoyed the character development and the story, though I would have liked a more definitive conclusion. There are a lot of questions left at the end of this novel, and it’s going to be tough waiting two years for the conclusion to be released.

Heart of the Storm by Michael Buckley

Posted on February 17, 2017August 3, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(3 / 5)

Undertow #3
While I enjoyed Heart of the Storm, I couldn’t help but feel that this finale to the series was a bit lackluster. Everything seemed to happen a little too fast without any “real” conflict (at least not when compared to the previous books). I did enjoy Lyric’s journey, however, and the first half of the book alternating between current time and her three months spent underwater was paced pretty perfectly. The ending though felt anticlimactic and lacked the “wow” factor of the previous novels.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

Posted on February 2, 2017August 3, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(5 / 5)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3

“Akiva’s eyes met Karou’s, and her look was unbearable.
It was hope, dying unsurprised.”

Wow! A beautiful ending! So many things about this last novel came unexpected. An ending that was both finite and open at the same time. The world finally starting to meld into the dream of two star-crossed lovers from a lifetime ago. And also, a deeper threat on the horizon, and a bigger destiny for our small band of heroes, but the details of that will be left to the reader’s imaginations (unless Taylor decides to do a companion series, oh please!)

All the little puzzle pieces come together at the end, though not quite into the tapestry that I imagined. I’m quite satisfied with how the story ended, but at the same time wishing there were more (as the best endings usually are). And one of my favorite parts of this story has to be the change we see in Liraz; just wonderful. And our author is an amazing wordsmith, with phrases that make me stop and marvel at the thoughts, feelings, and emotions contained in such a short string of words. I look forward to reading more from Laini Taylor, if for nothing more than her elegance of language. Love it!

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Posted on January 22, 2017August 3, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(4 / 5)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2
End of Act 2. That’s what I felt should have been written at the end of this novel, it felt so much like a setup for things to come. Devastation turned to Revolution, and a path to the better world once dreamed about. My main complaint: the first half of the novel felt slow, with our main characters relegated more to the sidelines observing the events of the novel rather than taking part in them. While that was likely somewhat necessary, I felt the lack of action and singular tone to drag a bit. But the later half picked up a bit and we finally started to see our main characters as they could be, a hope for a different future.