Review: Waistcoats & Weaponry

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sophronia is in her second year of finishing school and she has the steel-bladed fan to prove it. The girls thought they were to have fun at an engagement party, but were soon hiding on a train in order to help Sidheag return to her werewolf pack in Scotland. Although they thought it was weird to find an empty train for the passage, they quickly learned there was a reason it was not occupied. Sophronia, Dimity, Soap, Sidheag and Lord Felix inadvertently discover a plot against London and Sophronia is faced with the hard decision about her personal loyalties. She can no longer stand on the sidelines … she must make a choice.

Waistcoats & Weaponry is the third book in the Finishing School series. Readers of the first two books will quickly remember the vital elements of those books and will be swept into this new tale. The girls are maturing in espionage and in relations with the opposite sex. As the training becomes more intense, the responsibilities brought before them are also escalated. Readers of other steampunk novels will enjoy this series and although the first two books are not needed to appreciate this one, I recommend starting at the beginning and enjoying the developments with the girls.


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Review: Charming

Charming by Krystal Wade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Haley Tremaine had a great life. She went to a prestigious school and her future contained only green lights. After an accident took her mother’s life her father turned to alcohol and the rest of her life just fell apart. They moved out of their exclusive neighborhood and she is now attending the local public school. She is working in the shop where her mother was once the CEO, and now the new CEO’s son is showing interest in her. He has the reputation of being a bad boy, but as Haley gets to know Chris, she begins to wonder if his image is all a put on. The two are inexplicitly pushed together by an unknown person and the end result may be the murder of people they love.

Charming is a stand-alone thriller that is still quick and fun. Readers will be kept guessing until the end, yet the suspense is not daunting. Wade’s writing style creates a book that readers will quickly fall in love with, but since it is not part of a series … satisfaction does not have to wait. A good escape where the readers will continually wonder what they would have done and if they could survive.


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Review: The Last Changeling

The Last Changeling by Chelsea Pitcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Elora is on a quest. She must take the form of a human girl and find the perfect offering. The human must be a boy that is also a “young leader of men.” This offering is a requirement of the Bright Queen for her assistance against the Dark Queen. Elora believes she has found the boy when she meets Taylor, but then she starts to fall in love and doesn’t want to sacrifice him. Can she pull off this charade and get the assistance she most desperately needs? What personal sacrifices must she make and where will she draw the line?

The Last Changeling is the first book in the Faerie Revolutions series. For a first book there is only a minimum of world building, but quite a few characters to keep straight. Pitcher seems to assume some background knowledge about Faerie’s from the reader, which for me is great, but may lead to a less pleasurable read for some. The storyline includes a few twists and turns, but nothing super surprising. Tough choices are made and many questions are left unanswered for future books to explore. This was a good read, but not a great escape.


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Review: The Glass Magician

The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It has been three months since Ceony Twill saved her mentor by returning his heart to his body. Although she was promised romance, it still appears as if her feelings are one sided. Magician Thane and Ceony are becoming ever closer, yet the teacher-student line has not been crossed. After an attack of a paper factory while Ceony was taking a tour, she is pulled into the crossfire of another magical attack against the people she loves. Does Ceony really have what it takes to protect those around her? Who can she trust with the knowledge she learns?

The Glass Magician is the second book in The Paper Magician Trilogy. The writing style is the same as the first book, so readers who enjoyed the first story will not be disappointed. If the reader is picking up this book first, they should not be terribly confused since Holmberg flawlessly weaves information about the first volume into this one, but I suggest the reader start with the first since it explores Ceony’s inner thoughts about paper magic and Emery for the first time. A great fantasy novel that includes good versus evil without all the dark elements found in other books.


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Review: Watched

Watched by C.J. Lyons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jesse has been a cyber-victim. When he was twelve-years-old a hacker started blackmailing him and required him to participate in sexual photos and videos. Jesse is now sixteen-years-old and doesn’t know how to stop the hacker. King’s threats against Jesse’s family are real, and the photos and videos would ruin the rest of his life if they were leaked into the media. As the stakes continue to rise and the next threat is against his little sister’s life, Jesse receives a mysterious manila envelope with a very simple message … I can help. Will Jesse be able to get out from under King’s threats? What sacrifices must he make in order to earn his freedom?

Watched is a book that takes a little known cyber-issue and brings it to the audience that can benefit the most. The issues presented are real, yet the characters have the strength and knowledge to fight back and do everything in their power to survive. Whether or not the reader is able to perform the computer hacking described within the pages, Lyons is able to present them in a format that the reader can follow and understand. For readers looking for a realistic book that pulls no punches, Watched will be a valued addition to their TBR list.


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Review: Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassie Hobbes has a gift. She can profile a person through observation of them or their actions. She is now part of a special FBI program for teens that are great at solving crimes. She has barely escaped a killer who was fascinated with her mother’s murder and Cassie is looking forward to returning to cold cases. Then a new serial killer is copycatting Dean’s father and the group is pulled into this active case. As the team tries to figure out this new killer they discover that this person knows more about them than a public person should. Can they catch the killer before the next victim is dead?

Killer Instinct is the second book in The Naturals series. This psychological thriller will entrance the reader and keep them guessing along the way. Events of this book take place shortly after the first book and the characters haven’t even had time to recoup and refresh. Barnes has woven twists and turns into the plot and most readers will not foresee the killer’s next move until it is right on top of them. Be prepared, reader, to plant yourself in a comfortable position and devour a great book.


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Review: Resisting Ruby Rose

Resisting Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruby Rose enjoys catching bad guys. It was just another day in great shoes until Grissom Island. Now she has killed a person and her therapist continues to insist that she is not a killer. Detective Martinez is still looking for a chance to take her down and all Ruby wants to do is go back to the way things were. In waltzes Skryker. He is an agent in a secret organization that would like to recruit Ruby’s special skills. She could become a young spy and assassin, but can Ruby resist becoming a killer again? Who can she trust? Who can she protect?

Resisting Ruby Rose is the second book in this YA thriller series. The action is fast paced and although events from the first book (such as the killing at Grissom Island) are referenced throughout the story, Humphries does not spend a great amount of time reviewing the details. Reading the first book may make this second volume more enjoyable, but skipping to the second book should not cause the reader any undue confusion. Although the main character is a teenage girl, the story will appeal to male and female readers alike. A strong second book and I can’t wait for the next installment.


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