Literary Floodgates: Everything but the Kitchen Sink

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE by Bella Forrest

This gets 3 stars--not because it's fundamentally flawed, but because it's average. The writing is neither amazing nor atrocious, the concept is intriguing but I think most people will agree that vampires are horrendously over-done, and the main character is reminiscent of the lackluster Bella Swan (without Ms. Swan's fine taste in literature, I might add). Overall, it was a short, quick read that can fill up a few hours if you're bored and in need of a quick reading fix to fuel your novel addiction.

HALF-BLOOD by Jennifer L. Armentrout

3.5 stars
This is a Vampire Academy-esque novel. Fun, but not overly original. I really like the LUX series, but HALF-BLOOD lacked its creativity. Still, this was entertaining and well-written. I'd recommend it to fans of YA.


GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers

This was an interesting book. I was torn about rating it at first, mostly because of my personal preference (I lean more towards high fantasy). The writing in GRAVE MERCY was solid, and the concept was cool, but this lacked the adventure and depth I crave. However, I'm giving it 4 stars. Readers who like a smooth, easy-to-read fantasy will like this novel. There aren't a lot of surprises in the plot, but there's a healthy dose of morbidity. (ha)


RADIANCE by Grave Draven

4.5 stars
I got my fantasy fix of the month from Ms. Draven, thanks to this novel. I read MASTER OF CROWS sometime last year and put her on my automatic-buy list, but RADIANCE totally took the prize. Draven is phenomenal. If you're a fan of Beauty and the Beast, buy this. If you're a fan of fantasy, buy this. Hell, if you're a fan of reading, buy this.

The romance is sweet, and blossoms slowly; it's wonderfully fleshed out. No insta-love, thank all my lucky stars! *coughcough* however, there is adult content in RADIANCE--and it's totally yum, even if Beauty and her Beast are, uh, different.


THORN by Intisar Khanani

3.5 stars

I've got a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The fairy tale of The Goose Girl has been around a long time. To be blunt, THORN does not, in my mind, compete with Shannon Hale's THE GOOSE GIRL. While Khanani's writing, plot, and worldbuilding were all great (seriously, this author can write), I couldn't keep from comparing this novel to Ms. Hale's novel. It was hard to be invested in THORN because I already knew everything that was going to happen--there was nothing truly new and exciting about this retelling. For instance, the magic aspect feels thrown-in, not vital to the plot EXCEPT for when it's used as a device to drop the princess into her new body. And then we forget about magic. In Hale's version, that is not the case, and it was easier to connect to her world because it was enriched by daily magic as an accepted part of that world. But anyway, I digress. Fans should read both and make up their own minds...both versions are entertaining, and the writing is more than passable. As with everything, it comes down to personal preference.