Bookish Wednesday: Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

This week I’m back with the first book in an Urban Fantasy series that looking back on it wasn’t that great. It’s Magic to the Bone, Allie Beckstrom Book 01, by Devon Monk!

Plot: The story is much too slow and I want to say unconnected, but perhaps disjointed is a better word. It’s just a confusing mix of world building, drama and interpersonal relationships that really don’t mesh well together. I think the only reason I enjoyed this series was because it’s set in Portland, Oregon which is pretty much my hometown (I live in the suburbs so it’s not technically it, but it’s close enough). The urban fantasy plot feels somewhat generic as well, and the romance is mediocre.

Characters: Allie is our main character and she’s really not that compelling, she’s written to be a tough no nonsense character, but she takes crap from her love interest being cryptic instead of just demanding he answer her. Yes magic and oaths are involved, but if you are at all knowledgeable about the mythos behind magic oaths and what not, you know there is almost always a loophole that can be used to get stuff across without being cryptic or nonsensical. Zavyion is really bland as the love interest, and reminds me of early Buffy episodes where Angel just comes in to save the day than flits off to brood somewhere.

Overall: Not that great a book, but if you are desperate for something to read like I was when I read this you might get some enjoyment out of it.

For those who like: Urban Fantasy, The Pacific Northwest, Drama.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

 

Bookish Wednesday: The Dawn of an Era by Justin Miller

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’m back with the sequel to the book I covered last time. It’s The Dawn of an Era, World Keeper Book 02, by Justin Miller!

Plot: This is a great sequel to the first book, and really covers the growth of Dale’s new Earth quite well. It’s pretty humorous for the most part, and it does get past the arc that was ended on a cliffhanger at the end of the first book. That said if you hope for Dale to enter the Keeper’s games, that doesn’t happen in this book, so it’s still pretty slow paced. Still there are plenty of amusing points in the story. My favorite part was the Turtle Tide portion of this book.

Characters: We get introduced to a couple new permanent characters in this book, and my favorite of them is Leowynn, but I’ll leave the why to that is the case for you to find out. The entire cast is great though.

Overall: A great sequel in a very slow paced series.

Bookish Wednesday: Birth of the World by Justin Miller

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’m back with another LitRPG series. It’s Birth of the World, World Keeper Book 01, by Justin Miller!

Plot: This is pretty much a novel about a guy who literally becomes god and gets to play the best God Simulator game out there. Yes that sounds more than a bit ridiculous, but that’s what the book comes down to in a single sentence. Of course it’s not that easy for Dale, our main character, he makes some epic mistakes along the way, but it’s a pretty fun ride. I enjoy this book much more than the author’s previous series, World Seed.

Characters: We get a pretty interesting cast of characters, the fact most of them are “Gods” is amusing, especially when they chew out Dale for making some hilarious mishaps. My favorite character is probably Irena, but that’s because she’s much more of a calm character than any of the others. Tryval is probably my least favorite of this book.

Overall: A fun read, any LitRPG fans will love this series most likely. Fair warning the plot is pretty slow paced.

For those who like: LitRPGs, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fun Plot, Great Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Bookish Wednesday: Temple of Sorrows by Carrie Summers

This week for Bookish Wednesday I’m back with another LitRPG. It’s Temple of Sorrows, Stonehaven League Book 01, by Carrie Summers!

Plot: The plot of this book is fairly good, with Devon being our main character and point of view. The book splits the in game and out of game portions pretty well, although they are pretty much seperate storylines. While this isn’t the best LitRPG I’ve read it’s definitely above most of the others I’ve read, including any of the Russian LitRPGs. That being said the actual game mechanics aren’t this book’s strong points.

Characters: Devon is our lead character and she’s a smart, snarky and no nonsense gal who I enjoyed greatly. The rest of the cast is okay, but Devon really steals the show. She uses her wits and communication skills to power through the game’s challenges which is a nice change from most of the other LitRPGs.

Overall: A fun book with a very strong female lead character.

For those who like: LitRPGs, GameLit, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Strong Lead Characters, Good Plot and Cast of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.

Bookish Wednesday: The ABCs of University by Luke Patitsas

 

Hey all I’m back with a book I was requested to review by the author for this week’s Bookish Wednesday. It’s The ABCs of University by Luke Patitsas!

Plot: First things first, this is a picture book that is only 35 pages long, and it took me about 5 minutes to read it from end to end. I probably could have done it faster, but I had just woken up and I wanted to see what this email was all about. Secondly this doesn’t really have much of a plot, except poking fun at all the typical college drama and struggles. Frankly this is amusing but I wouldn’t buy it myself. That is partly due to me having gone through college and hating it, and partly because I’m a spendthrift and I can’t countenance spending $7 on a book that won’t hold my attention for more than ten minutes, not to mention it taking me less time than that to read. That isn’t to say that this is a poorly done book, the artwork is decent, and fits the style of a children’s picture book, but it’s not a sprawling epic you can really sink your teeth into either.

Artwork: Miss Loong did a pretty good job fitting the theme of the book, but most pages are fairly empty with just a single character and some words on it. For a picture book that is fairly lackluster, and leaves a lot to be desired. What is there though is well done, so credit must be due for that.

Overall: A fun book, but not worth the price it’s being sold at. At least to me, for others they may disagree, but I cannot advise anyone to buy it at it’s current price point.

For those who like: Picture Books, College Life.

Not for those who don’t like: Either of the above.