ARC Review: Halls of Law

 

Title: Halls of Law

Author: V. M. Escalada

Series: Book One

Page Count: 500

Publisher: DAW/TOR/ACE

Type of Book: Arc, Mass Market Paperback

Review Word Count:

Rated: 5/5 stars

Notes: Darnit cliffhangers!!!!
What a cliffhanger. I’m so glad that I have book two ready and waiting, though if book two has as terrible a cliffhanger, I might wait for book three to come out because sheesh, the drama! the Romance! The life and death situations!

In other news, I want a baby griffin please.

Kerida’s story is one that fans of First Green Rider from Kristian Brittian as well as the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey fans will definitely enjoy. It’s got some of the same elements-traveling by horseback to survive enemies that are chasing after the main character for reasons unknown except they end with her head beneath that of an ax.

Can I say, I HATE the Hillarians (spelled right?-I don’t have the book with me to check). They’re system of getting rid of women because they’ve been controlling men with their witchcraft in their bodies, and keeping only a few that can be nothing but cattle is utterly ridiculous. I am seriously hoping that Kerida can defeat these arrogant hateful men with their idiotic system.

They are capturing men of high power and brainwashing men with a red jewel that completely changes the mans thoughts, actions, and makes them into an entirely new person that also hates women and witches that Kerida has always known as “Talents”.

It’s a complex, exciting, dramatic filled world-building that I really loved and enjoyed. I read through the book the entire day yesterday because I could not put it down. It was intense, and exactly the kind of thing that I love to read. Adventure, fantasy, a very slow burn kind of romance where both are oblivious of the other loving them kind of plot.

5/5 stars, and I’m off to get book two and start in on it immediately!

{Review also posted on my Goodreads.}

Paperback Book Review: Leviathan Wakes

Title: Leviathan Wakes
Author: James S. A. Corey
Series: Book 1
Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Orbits
Rated: 4.5/5 stars!

Leviathan Wakes is an impossibly big monster of a book. It sucks you in and there is so much of it, that you keep reading and reading and wondering if there is ever going to be an end to it. But it’s also on hell of a fun ride!

It reminds me very strongly of Firefly, in regards to the crew. In regards to the plot, it kinda makes me think of that young ya novel called “Illuminae”, which was a lot of fun too, and this book has just as much casting if not more so. It makes George R.R. Martin’s killing off characters seem small in comparison as well, so don’t go getting attached to anyone.

The chapters alternate between two character POVS: Miller and Holden. At first, I was more interested in Holden, but towards the end I felt more for Miller than I did Holden. Usually I just stick with one of character pov, and be done with it, but apparently not this time. This time, I had to go back and read chapters that I skimmed over because I wanted my favorite character, and wound up missing things anyway.

This book’s plot is a monster of a thing. You won’t see things coming. Which makes it all part of the fun.

Though admittedly, I did get rather angry at the ending. I mean, really? That’s how this first book ends? I can’t say because of spoilers, but…come on! That isn’t how things are supposed to go! At least, that’s not how I wanted things to go!

The book is long, true. At 560 pages, it took me three and a half days to finish it, mostly in part because I had to go back and read over what I skimmed as well. It’s long, but it’s well worth it. You’ll find yourself laughing often, it’s got loads of humor, and plenty of sarcastic assholes as well-my type of characters.

We’ve even got Reavers zombies in this massive space opera drama, which made it even cooler and more fun than I thought possible.

I’m all for getting the second book, because if it’s as fun as the first one, then why would I want to miss out on it? Apart from length, this book earned every star I gave it which in total equals 4.5 stars. A very high rating, and well deserved!

I definitely look forward to these two authors writing as one, but in the meantime, I’ve other books to read too while I wait. So-

Pass Me That Book!