*Please note that the following blog post may contain some spoilers in relation to book plots.*

I’m at the finishing line for my 2018 reading challenge.  The goal was 45 and as I write, I’m sitting pretty at 44. Score one for accomplishing your goals!  So, given that I’ve fallen behind on my blog posts lately, here’s a few new reviews for your reading pleasure!

Starting us off –  The Parasol Protectorate, specifically the first two books Soulless and Changeless.

I really enjoyed Soulless. The main character, Alexia, is written in a fantastic witty style. The characters that surround her, from the gruff werewolf to the narcissistic mother to the air-headed best friend, all were dynamic interesting personalities. Carriger did a great job world building, providing just enough detail to make everything cohesive but not going overboard. (Some paranormal novels are just ridiculous).  The story had a great pace and I didn’t feel bored or lost during the narrative.

In Changeless, again, I was struck by how much I liked the characters.  Carriger weaved another interesting aspect of her world, without being boring or wordy. The characters were given new depth and intrigues to challenge and inspire them. But, the ending. Oh the ending! Given all the was presented about Alexia and her love interest, Lord Maccon, the decision at the end to leave Alexia on her own was… irritating to say the least.  What struck me most was how contrived it felt while reading. It didn’t seem like a natural progression either for the story or for Alexia/Lord Maccon’s relationship. It was just a stumbling block; a semi-cliff hanger to keep some readers interested.

Currently, I am still deciding if I want to continue with the series…

Jodi Taylor – Just One Damned Thing After Another

I picked up this book as it was recommended to me both by friends and by my Goodreads book list. To be perfectly honest, while I finished the book, not a fan. The plot had so much potential and really didn’t work out.

There were some intriguing inclusions, most notably the idea that History itself is a living entity, and will protect itself from changes to the past that would have far-reaching consequences. The Historians of St. Mary’s are scholars, observers, and only when necessary, protectors (although even that has limits).  I love the idea of historians traveling through time and having the ability to observe history as it happens.  It has such interesting possibilities.  On the whole, it reminds me of the The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. Although, personally, Cogman did a much better job in my opinion.

The negatives of this series unfortunately far outweigh the few positives I found.  The protagonist and antagonist were… empty.  The main character Madeleine Maxwell was played off as being intelligent and sarcastic. However, I found her personality, along with most of the other characters flat rather than dynamic.  In addition, the narrative was ALL OVER THE PLACE. The timeline for the story itself was hard to narrow down. At one point, Maxwell states that she has know her co-workers for 5 year, but the narrative didn’t do a great job of indicating the passage of time. Maxwell’s character also has the typical tropes of many YA heroines. She’s strong-willed, capable, intelligent with a sharp wit. But, the trope that annoys me to no end is that she is presented as a survivor, but when faced with a loss she completely shuts down and considers suicide. I find it concerning that YA authors continuously write characters that consider ending their lives when faced with loss. While I’m not demeaning the events that led to that decision within the book, the trope is very incongruous in terms of previous character development.

I was very excited to begin this series, but after forcing myself to finish the first book, I will not be continuing with it. Such a shame…

Jack Horner – How To Build A Dinosaur

I was hoping based on the summary of this book that I would be getting a semi-current account of current research into dinosaur DNA.  (Well, at least as current as 2009 when the book was published). The book is interesting, showcasing how Paleontology has become an interdisciplinary subject. It meticulously describes early research and the breakthroughs (such as Genetics) that made discovering blood vessels, feathers and even DNA strands in animal/plant fossils possible.

That being said, the book is definitely not for those who are looking for current ideas on scientific studies into dino-DNA (to take a quote from Jurassic Park). It is at its most basic, a history of certain discoveries and scientific advancements. Horner does a fantastic job of making the subject matter relatable to his audience rather than describing a topic in solely academic vocabulary. The narrative is fascinating and great for someone with an interest in paleontology or scientific histories.  But, the title and premise are both slightly misleading. The novel concerns itself with explaining how scientists have answered a few burning questions within the last 30 years; how dinosaurs evolved in the first place and what changes occurred during evolution to make those traits obsolete.

I enjoyed the book, although the premise was somewhat misleading. However, I would definitely recommend it as an interesting read.

Alice Hoffman – Practical Magic

I’m literally not even going to bother with any sort of lengthy review. It was horrendous!  The characters were annoying, selfish and vain. The narrative was unbelievably atrocious and I skipped more than half of this novel and its prequel The Rules of Magic.  I’d highly recommend running in the other direction.

All in all, my choices this last couple of weeks have not been the greatest.  However, I’d love to hear other opinions if you have read any of the above novels!  Let me know in the comments below!

Stay tuned for some new reviews: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling; The Pharaoh’s Treasure: The Origin of Paper and the Rise of Western Civilization by John Gaudet; A Kiss Before the Apocalypse (a Remy Chandler novel) by Tom Sniegoski