Review: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I should say up front that I'm a big fan of Kim Harrison's Hollows series ... it contains a fantastic cast of characters, a unique storyline, good writing and its just plain FUN to read. This particular novel (the 9th in the series) was all of those things and more! This is a really good addition to the series!

The book is action packed in the way that most of the books in the series are but the action in this one seemed to really stand out to me. Perhaps it was the uniqueness of the situations that the characters get into (and out of)! This book really focuses on Rachel's journey to accepting herself for who (and what) she is. One of my issues with recent books was how Rachel seemed to be stuck in some ways, not moving forward at all, just hanging in there but never growing. This book entailed the growth that I've been waiting for ... and it was definitely worth the wait!

I cannot wait to see what's to come for Rachel, Ivy, Jenks and Trent ... a lot of new avenues were opened in this novel and I'm sure we'll get to see things move forward even more in Book 10! I cannot wait!

If you love the series, don't miss this one! And if you're looking for a good paranormal series with a strong female lead and excellent characters, you should definitely check this series out!

NOTE: I received the galley proof of this title from Harper Collins for review.

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Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

She's done it again! I love Sarah Addison Allen and keep expecting for her to release a book that I don't fall in love with! Lucky for me ... she never lets me down! Every single on of her books were the kind of books that pull me right in and don't let me go until the last page. They are the kind of books that you want to carry around with you until you finish every last moment. Yet, I'm almost depressed when they end and I have to wait for the next one! This novel was just like they all are for me ...captivating, interesting, and lovely!

These are lighter books - certainly not great literature - but definitely worthy if you appreciate a good story that is written well. Although I'm not a fan of magical realism, Sarah Addison Allen ican pull me into the magic of the worlds she creates. I never question it, it never feels out of place. She has a way of mixing magic and southern charm in a way that blows me away every single time!

If only she would write longer novels .... I'll be here, waiting for the next one!

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Review: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How nice it is to revisit the characters of this fantastic series in yet another Outlander novel! I was skeptical about it and worried that I wouldn't love it since the more recent novels of the series have been less than stellar. But, overall, I was skeptical and worried for nothing! I think this one is considerably better than the last two in the series. However, the primary fault I have with this one is the same as with those ... it's too long. There is too much that could have been eliminated that was not. Some of the content didn't particularly add anything special.

It took me a bit to get engaged in the novel but once I did it was fantastic! Just a warning - the first 100+ pages are not Gabaldon at her best BUT stick with it. It comes together. The William sections in the early part of the novel simply aren't as engaging as what is to come!

I will say that this one felt much more like the earlier novels with a build up of story and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. Although I knew the way that things would end up (because of a review I read that told me too much), I was intrigued and excited to see what was coming up next! It had the 'feel' of the earlier novels in a way that I'm having a hard time expressing here.

I also felt like the ending was a tad rushed ... it felt like we'd built up to so much and then were left with so little. As if Gabaldon was in a rush to hurry up and get it out so she could start on the next.

As always, its the characters that really draw me in - Claire, Jamie, Brianna, Roger, Ian, and so on! They are the reason that I keep caring about the overall plot! They are some of my favorite characters in all of literature so its almost like visiting with old friends.

The actual war/battle parts of the novel were much less interesting to me than anything else although I do think the ability to see inside the American Revolution via this series is really well done!

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to the next. There are a number of plot lines that were left hanging so I'm interested to see how it all gets resolved in the next book!

NOTE: I'm a huge fan of the series and have a difficult time not loving them. I can overlook quite a bit just because I love the characters so much! Just know that about my review - it comes from someone who is a big fan!

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Review: Intensity by Dean Koontz

Intensity by Dean Koontz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sometimes Dean Koontz surprises me. I haven't read one of his novels in awhile because I was getting to the point that it didn't feel worth reading his books anymore. They tend to be overwritten, sometimes trite and a bit repetitive. However, I was looking for something to listen to via audiobook and found this particular novel in my search of library audiobooks.

This novel was a surprise in some ways. It really freaked me out at moments. The premise and story, in and of themselves, were very compelling. The characters were fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat at certain points in the plot. The story and characters may make it one of my favorite Koontz stories to date.

There were also very severe flaws in the novel which is why I've rated it lower than I usually would for a novel that I liked as much as I did this one. First and foremost, I was not a fan of the narrator of the audio book. Her voices were not particularly effective, in my opinion, I found her more obnoxious than not. But, the biggest flaw in this book was the inane overwriting. Ugggh. There was so much unnecessary inner dialogue in the novel that I couldn't help but to feel annoyed by the barrage of flowery descriptions and overwrought emotion. It was just entirely too much for me. It went beyond descriptive into clunky and frankly awful!

I can't imagine that I'd have made it all the way through the book if I'd been reading it rather than listening. I stuck with it only because I could tune out the irritating aspects of the novel. I hear that there was a tv movie made of the book that was pretty good. I'm not sure if that is available anywhere but I can see how this story might make a good movie. The material is interesting. I just wish that Koontz hadn't taken good material and written it less than eloquently. It's a shame.

In the end, I'm not sure that I can recommend the book. It's just not that great. If you are a big Koontz fan and really do like a suspenseful novel, you may want to check it out. However, go into it knowing that it has a number of flaws.

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