Review: The Long Game

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fast paced political page-turner, YA but not strictly, excellent twists, and even in the end you are not sure wether you know the whole truth - when even the MC can only guess.
Bloody, there are a few deaths, a little romance - turning sour, no sex-scenes, but the fallout from unprotected sex (never ever, hear me gals 'n guys?).
What I really liked was that the actions where within her capabilities, not having superpowers or too much luck (no deus-ex-machina). And the characters are sometimes flawed but still likeable. The MC is one of my favourite heroines, headstrong and intelligent.
Deadly secrets and lies.
Highly recommended page-turner, unputdownable. Liked the first book, pre-ordered this and could not really wait - and here's hoping for a third book. Strongly suggest reading the first book, this could be read as a standalone, as much is told again and well integrated without being boring, but it certainly helps having read The Fixer.

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Review: Dark Frost

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will pause reading this, as the next books are too expensive, bought this together with the short story and the first 2 books cheap enough as an Omnibus, although I already owned the first book (also bought at a bargain price, thanks to Bookbub).

As with the second book, this is more like 3.5 rounded up to 4.
No love-triangle and no insta-love! Sex is mentioned and talked about, but happens mostly off-page, at least they do not ignore teenagers having sex, also there is some gay romance, but in this book only a little, with more probably coming in the later books.
MC grows more mature and sometimes a little more sure. She makes some tough choices for the greater good, she recognizes that not everything can be solved alone by her, that she has to tell others and seek their help. No real help from the goddess, although sometimes she gets some hints from her - but never what she asks for.
A few twists, and I did not guess all, a good sign.
While the action is ok or sometimes even very good, at this point (looking back over the 3 books and 1 shorty) it is not on the gripping level as, say Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.

Recommended, and I will read the next books, but not too soon, as I long for more gripping stuff.


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Review: Poisonous

Poisonous by Allison Brennan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, review will get more detailed in the next few hours.
Finished this 1 am this morning, and then then it started raining cats&dogs - really big ones, together with thunder and flashes. And after a night of little sleep I woke up and instantly checked the news, a sad day: the UK has decided to leave the EU.
Back to the book. Mostly, I could repeat myself from Compulsion.
Luckily no love-triangle this time, but Max does question herself too much and thinks about what she wants and cannot decide one way or the other, ending regarding the direction of her own romance is open. It was just too much, some of it did nothing for me.
Again, sex is mentioned, but mostly happening off-page.
The characters where very well developed, with a high point regarding the very real description of Tommy, an intelligent, but slow person, by some regarded as handicapped and often (falsely) labeled as retard. As should be more often the case, the use of social-media, smartphones, computers, iPads/Tablets is part of the story, with the theme of cyber-bullying being the main reason for a lot that happened. Vicious teenagers galore. All of this described without any faults I could find, which in the last few years was rather the exception, I hope to see more books like this, where the technology in the book feels like the author uses it herself (or himself). Very well done.

Could have a few more twists, thinking now, in looking back I rated this too high with 5 stars, more like 4.5 or maybe even less.
Highly recommended page-turner. Preordered this and could not wait to read it, fueled by reading to many not so good books lately (The Circle, Fool Moon). Allison Brennan did not let me down, but it could have had more twists and be a little shorter (Max problems not so big). Will certainly buy and read the next book. Also I will check for the German translation to recommend this series to my mother and probably my sister.

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Review: Kiss of Frost

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More like 3.5 rounded up to 4, a bit too much repetition (descriptions places/people/World-Building).
May be my mistake, as I read the first 3 novels back-to-back.
But you see how Gwen is changing and growing more mature.
Also, despite what was said in a different review (maybe the story was changed after giving away an ARC?), Gwen does not kill lightly, rather she regrets it, even though it was in a fight for her live.
More in my review for the third book, I read the first 3 back-to-back, also the first short story.



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Review: Fool Moon

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Took my time with this one and read other books between.
More of the same, great, bloody fight scenes, but too complicated, and although the book could be read as a standalone, there are a couple of loose ends, and more complications, some even from the first book. Somehow not really my kind of mc and also not my kind of book. Not sure wether or when I will read more of the series, currently I do not feel it. Would depend on price, would buy them cheap or an omnibus, but as it is, the books are too expensive for me.
Recommended for those who liked the first book in the series.

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Review: Storm Front

Storm Front by Jim Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heard great things about this, saw the TV-Series.
Had this on my TBR for some time. Bought this during reading The Circle, which I think maybe the most-boring bestseller I ever was lured into buying.
So, this was complicated, promises of a great series, but very twisted, not all is solved, and I am not sure, I really like Harry Dresden as the MC.
More like 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Recommended, but not sure, wether the next books are worth reading.

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Review: The Night Stalker

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Still taking a break from the so far most boring book I try to finish The Circle.
Good page-turner, reasonably fast paced, and while I do not agree with all of Erika's decisions, very good described Heroine with some flaws. She gets (rightfully so) time and time again flak for doing things against the chain-of-command and other rules, also a few times alone, where it would have been wise to contact someone before going places or even taking someone with her, so not to stumble into another risky situation alone.
A few twists, some I did not see coming, and the final one in the end points to a different turn in her life with the next book. Very little romance, no sex.
Highly recommended, pre-ordered this before it was published, will certainly read the next one.

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Review: Touch of Frost

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Started yet another book because The Circle is so boring, yet I try to finish it - whenever I feel like it.
This starts ok, special school for teens with magic.
Will read the next 2 books and the short story, and write a longer review for the third book.

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Review: First Frost

First Frost by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Too short and most was also told in the novels. Read it if you get it with something other, or alone for free. Too short to pay something for it. So only 3 stars, as it adds little new and is not really needed.


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