From the Author’s Website

“What do you want from me?” he asks.

What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him.

More.

Taylor Markham is not a popular choice. She is erratic, has no people skills and never turns up to meetings. Not to mention the incident when she ran off in search of her mother and only got halfway there. But she’s lived at Jellicoe School most of her life and as leader of the boarders that’s her greatest asset. Especially now the cadets, led by the infamous Jonah Griggs, have arrived. The territory wars between the boarders, townies and cadets are about to recommence.

But Taylor has other things on her mind: a prayer tree, the hermit who whispered in her ear, and a vaguely familiar drawing in the local police station. Taylor wants to understand the mystery of her own past. But Hannah, the woman who found her, has suddenly disappeared, leaving nothing but an unfinished manuscript about five kids whose lives entwined twenty years ago on the Jellicoe Road.

First Lines

My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die.

I counted.

It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’d ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-la. We were going to the ocean, hundreds of miles away, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father had said that it was about time the four of us made that journey.

Thoughts

I’d heard about this book. Several times, actually, as book blogs I follow (such as Jenny’s Books and Chachic’s Book Nook, among many others) had taken the time to review it and sing its praises. But I never got around to picking it up. Sure, it had been on my radar, and I’d considered it once or twice, but never actually made a move. And then I had an epically terrible week made up of a million small things which I could have dealt with if it had not all happened at once, and I just needed to read something and the title was teasing me and before I knew it I was reading On the Jellicoe Road and all my frustration and anger sort of faded into the background. Only good books do that.

I started reading it this morning, and about four hours later, I’d torn through the whole thing. Aside from one or two breaks to wipe my eyes, I didn’t put it down for long. I couldn’t.

The story is told from Taylor Markham’s perspective, but it is not just her story she tells. Entwined with her own tale is Hannah’s manuscript, and the mystery of her mother’s past, among others. We learn about Taylor, and Hannah, and Jonah, and the lives of those who inspired Hannah’s manuscript.

I can’t say a lot without giving it away, and I really think that would do a disservice to the novel. There are pieces which fit together intricately, and though you can see the vague shape of the plot, it isn’t until the bits start snapping in place that the story sharpens and you realize the magnitude of it. There’s enough foreshadowing that an astute reader will piece it together early, but not so much as to show the entire hand before the end.

The pacing is excellent; one thing happens after another and you find yourself pulled in by the story and it never quite lets go or gives you a chance to breathe. But somehow it works, and you don’t find yourself wanting it to slow down, because there’s just too much more that you haven’t had a chance to discover yet.

And the characters. Might I just say that I love Jonas? Because he’s easily one of my favorite male characters. There’s so much to him, and he’s such a perfect foil for Taylor and her multitude of issues.

And Taylor. There are not words for what I want to say about her. She’s a survivor, and she doesn’t know it. She’s smart and strong and people look up to her because she’s a natural leader and she never quite grasps that about herself. But it doesn’t matter because everyone else sees it.

She is a girl who’s been through so much that she doesn’t entirely remember her past because some of it is so terrible that she’s blocked it out, who’s desperately trying to pull herself together and survive Hannah’s sudden and inexplicable departure. She’s left reeling by a betrayal by the one person she had thought would never betray her, and she’s got too much on her plate, but she gets through it just like she’s gotten through everything else in her life.

I think I may have said more about this book than I have said about any of the others that I reviewed in the last two years, and there’s still so much more to say. But I won’t, because I think you should read it.

I think this nearly goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway; it’s a 5/5 in my eyes.

Wynette Texas | Book Four

I mentioned First Lady in my review of Call Me Irresistible, but I’ll bring it up again, and point out that there are a fair amount of character cameos, though it is not necessary to read them in strictly chronological order. Sure, knowing that they end up together can put a small kink in it, but really, it’s a romance novel, and if you’re surprised the headliners end up together, I’d have to be a bit concerned. I will mention that there are two or three “generations” in these books, and this in particular deals with the first. Lucy makes her own appearance later in Call Me Irresistible, but that is not really her book. (Her book is The Great Escape, due July 2012)

Synopsis

The beautiful young widow of the President of the United States thought she was free of the White House, but circumstances have forced her back into the role of the First Lady. Not for long, however, because she’s made up her mind to escape — if only for a few days — so she can live the life of an ordinary person. All she needs is the perfect disguise…and she’s just found it. As an entire nation searches for her, the First Lady teams up with an infuriatingly secretive, quietly seductive stranger and two adorable little orphaned girls in need of a family. And all together they head out across the heartland chasing their own American Dream — on a wild journey, adventure, and glorious rebirth.

First Lines

Cornelia Litchfield Case had an itchy nose. Otherwise, it was a very elegant nose. Perfectly shaped, discreet, polite. Her forehead was patrician, her cheekbones gracefully carved, but not so sharp as to be vulgar. The Mayflower-blue blood that rushed through her veins gave her a pedigree even finer than that of Jacqueline Kennedy, one of her most famous predecessors.

Thoughts

Cornelia ‘Nealy’ Case has been in the public spotlight since childhood. Raised as the perfect politician’s daughter by her ex-Vice-President father, married to the late President of the United States, and now functioning as First Lady for the current President, Nealy knows politics. She knows that when one is in the public eye, every detail of your life matters. And she’s tired of it.

So she escapes. Disappears in the middle of the night, hoping for a chance to live for the first time in her life. That’s how she meets Mat Jorik.

Mat is an investigative reporter in the middle of a career crisis and family drama. He’s famous, but unlike Nealy can fly under the radar; people know his words, not his face (for the most part.) He’s got his two young daughters in tow; in his custody due to the death of their mother. He doesn’t want or need any more complications, but he’s a good guy, and when “Nell” needs his help, he ends up helping more than he bargained for.

It’s a unique setup, and though it requires a healthy suspension of disbelief, it’s not impossible to accept. Letting it go and just letting yourself sink into the story leads to a very pleasant read. It’s a little silly, but a lot of fun to read.

I suppose it helps that I loved Lucy. She was strong and vulnerable all at once. Brilliant, determined, devious, sarcastic, sweet, and just all around entertaining and interesting to read about. She was probably my favorite character in the novel, which is saying something, since I still really like Nealy and Mat.

Its biggest flaws revolve around the fact that it’s got less romance than a typical Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel. It’s really a story about family; the ones you’re born with, and the ones you find. Nealy’s always had a family, but it’s never felt like one. Lucy and Bug need and want a real family. Mat is trying to avoid one. Yet, somehow it all comes together to be a ridiculously sweet story. By the end of the novel you really care about the characters. You want to know they’re going to be happy.

As I said before; this is one of the earlier “generations” in Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ novels. Eventually we see a grown up Lucy and a much older Cornelia. I believe Mat makes at least one cameo I recognize.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s less about passion and lust, and is more about love and family, but sometimes it’s nice to switch it up and read those. It gets a 4/5; I really liked it, but it was a little too cheesy at times for me to fall in love with it.

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* I love when the ebook edition is cheaper than the print, considering it’s significantly cheaper to distribute. Unfortunately, this means that the $6.99 I quoted was for the kindle edition I purchased. A print copy may run $7.99 new (or significantly less, secondhand.)

You need to call your representative, or email them, or fax them, or anything, really. Because these bills are incredibly flawed, and a distressing number of representatives still support them despite millions of people against them. Your voice might be the one to make a difference.

So please. Help stop the madness. Speak up.

Go here, or here, or here or countless other pages for more information.

It’s interesting to me, actually, that it seems to have blown up to such proportions. I’ve had a couple of my mediocre-to-negative reviews get found by the authors. (See The Girl in the Steel Corset) I’ve been lucky, apparently, to have not been outright attacked by the authors. Rather, they saw fit to comment on my issues and then let it lie. I’m alright with that. It’s their right to address minor issues, so long as they don’t make it personal.

Apparently, however, there are some authors who could not just let it go. Instead, they went head-to-head with their reviewers and came out looking like all manner of stupid assholes. They may have intended to discredit their reviewers, but instead they brought more attention to negative reviews which might otherwise have just disappeared. And, in case I didn’t emphasize it enough; they made themselves look stupid, and probably lost more than one reader because of their behavior.

I don’t often hold an author’s personal life against them, but when it’s something of this scale, attacking your reviewers, it’ll make me hesitate before I pick up your title. If I do choose to read it, it’ll make me hesitate even more before I review it, no matter how much I may have loved it.

I’m curious though, since there is a line, and while some authors cross it, others are smart enough to stay on the right side. Where does that line lie? When is it ok for an author to comment on a negative review? Or a positive review? What do you think?

I think I’ve got one or two authors who check my blog, too. What do you guys think? Would you ever address a negative review? Do you avoid looking for them just in case?

Want to know more? Here are a few more in-depth or entertaining posts on the subject:

CuddleBuggery logs and analyzes the “Wankfest” (There are multiple posts, I linked to the first.)

The Guardian discusses it briefly

Well, that’s not a whole lot more posts. I’ll add more if I find them.

On other notes, the Guardian article referenced a review of Moira Young’s Blood Red Road.I loved it. Their reviewer? Notsomuch. Oh well.

From Goodreads

Blake Harrison:
Rich, titled, and charming… And in need of a wife by Wednesday so he turns to Sam Elliot who isn’t the business man he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, engaging and spunky with a voice men call 900 numbers to hear.

Samantha Elliot:
Owner of Alliance, her matchmaking firm, and not on the marital menu… That is until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. All she needs to do is keep her attraction to her husband to herself and avoid his bed. But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and charm prove too difficult to combat. Now she needs to protect her heart so she can walk away when their mercenary life together is over.

First Lines

“I need a wife, Carter, and I needed her yesterday.” Riding in the back of the town car en route to Starbucks, of all places, Blake Harrison glanced at his watch for the tenth time that hour.

Carter’s startled laugh rode on Blake’s last nerve. “Then pick one of the masses and walk the aisle.”

Thoughts

I probably would have liked this significantly more if I had not already read Match Me If You Can, which is a similar enough story that I couldn’t help comparing them. I’m sure I’m biased when I say that I feel like Susan Elizabeth Phillips did it better, not just because she had a higher page count in which to do it.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy Catherine Bybee’s Wife by Wednesday. I liked it a lot, and couldn’t wait to see how things were going to play out. I didn’t want to put it down– and in fact, barely had to, since it was a fairly quick read– because I was so interested in exactly how things would play out. The marriage of convenience, or for profit, or inheritance, or what have you is not unique, but can be handled in interesting ways.

I enjoyed a lot about this book, not the least of which being that they didn’t spend forever dancing around their feelings, and their major misunderstanding didn’t stem from a refusal to communicate. I always get so annoyed when all the tension in the book stems from an unwillingness to communicate, and all it takes to resolve the tension is an honest conversation. Sam and Blake do communicate, and they do it well enough that though they do have a fight, they also talk about it, and resolve it like normal adults.

There is major chemistry between Blake and Sam. Actually, their chemistry is the driving force in their relationship, as they quickly fall in lust with each other while trying to make their marriage of convenience look like a love match. When they decide to slake their lust in as business-like a manner as one can, they find things spiraling quickly out of control, and into the realm of emotional complications.

My major complaint largely has to do with characters. There were several who existed for the sole purpose of being potential bad-guys. Their interactions with the main characters were limited or non-existent, and the story could have progressed without them. Or a few of them could have been condensed into fewer.

Still, it was a fun read, entertaining, if not ground-breaking. It didn’t annoy me, and didn’t make me want to kick the characters and yell at them for not talking to one another when a simple conversation would solve all their problems. Overall, I’d call it a good, quick read when you want something romantic. It gets a 3.5 out of 5; it was good, and I liked reading  it, but it’s probably not one I’m going to come back to again.

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* The Kindle edition is $.99. A print copy will run you $9.99

First, a brief disclaimer. I received an advance copy via NetGalley in August, 2011. It is entirely possible there have been changes. All opinions expressed are my own, and have not been influenced by the publisher. Expected publication is January 24, 2012.

From Goodreads

Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

First Lines

For as long as she can remember, Malora has dreamed of dancing with horses.

“Daughter of the Mountains,” Malora’s mother calls her, for her skin and hair are the dusky red-brown of the rocks, and her upturned eyes– so like her father’s– are the vivid blue-green of the nuggets of malachite that dot the streams running down from the peaks.

Thoughts

When I first picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. It’s not a fast-paced book, but I really enjoy world-building. Even if it is our world sometime in the future. The distant future. Some bits and pieces of our society survived, and are sprinkled into the mix for a bit of flavor.

Malora is clearly a strong girl. She survives the decimation of her tribe, and finds a new family with her horses. When her encounter with the Centaurs brings her life on the plains to an end, she manages to adapt and survive. While in a lot of ways, what Malora experiences with the centaurs should be pleasant, it isn’t. Her life is strictly controlled, firm rules are laid down, and despite the luxury she finds herself surrounded with, she is more of a pet than a person to the centaurs.

There is major tension between the classes, and despite what’s going on with Malora, that seems to be the real story. The Highlanders and Flatlanders– two distinct groups of centaurs within this society– are kept apart. While the Highlanders are privileged, the Flatlanders struggle, and resent the Highlanders for it. Relations between the groups are strained at best, and it only gets worse as the story goes on.

I’m a little on the fence about this one; I enjoyed it, but it didn’t really amaze me. It felt like there were a lot of bits and pieces to the plot, and not all of them resolved or blended well. Still, I did like reading it, and I’m more than a little interested in where the story’s going. It earns a 3.5 out of 5; good without being stunning.

From Goodreads

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love – one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

First Lines

They called the world beyond the walls of the Pod “the Death Shop.” A million ways to die out there. Aria never thought she’d get so close.

She bit her lip as she stared at the heavy steel door in front of her. A display screen read AGRICULTURE 6–NO ENTRY in flashing red letters.

Ag 6 was just a service dome, Aria told herself. Dozens of domes supplied Reverie with food, water, oxygen– all the things an enclosed city needed. Ag 6 had been damaged in a recent storm, but supposedly the damage was minor. Supposedly.

Thoughts

First, a comment on covers. There are two distinct covers; there is the blue cover, pictured above, and then there  is the pink cover, here.  They’re distinctly different, and both say different things about the book. While the blue cover puts the emphasis on Aria, showing her solo, striding out of a colorful but crazy background, the pink cover puts emphasis on her relationship with Perry. I love them both, and while they both suit the book, I’m glad that my copy went with the blue cover. It says better things about Aria’s strength. (On an aside, do you have opinions on the covers? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.)

I wish I hadn’t read quite as much as I had about it before I began reading the book, though. Because I’d read the synopsis, and a few reviews, I spent the entire beginning of the book counting down until Aria got tossed out into the “Death Shop” and ran into Perry. Still, even though I was waiting for that to happen, I found that I enjoyed the in between. It’s a really interesting world, where privileged people live within these giant dome-cities, spending most of their time inside virtual “Realms” where they can experience things far beyond the limitations of reality. Human interaction is incredibly limited, instead of speaking face-to-face, people interact within the Realms.

There are a lot of things about this book which I loved, and I could gush about all of them, but it would end up fairly spoiler-tastic. I love the way Aria and Perry grow, individually, and as a team. I love the world they live in– though I’d never want to live there– and how interesting the idea of the Aether storms and tribal society are. I found myself wondering what would come next, how things would move forward, what was going to happen, and how it would end.

There’s clearly more to come, as the novel is left wide open for a sequel– I believe I’ve said in the past that it’s a bittersweet thing for me; I always want to know more, but I hate waiting, and worry they’ll ruin everything the first book built. There’s a fine line between drawing out a series because there’s more story to tell, and drawing it out for profit, and I’ll be interested to see how this story may continue.

The short version would be that I loved it. I thought it was a great dystopian novel, with strong characters, a fascinating world, and a dramatic plot. Nothing jumped out at me as annoying, or unbelievable, or ridiculous. It’s earned a very solid 5/5 and a strong recommendation that you read it. (If you do, be sure to tell me what you think!)

From Goodreads

Princess Flian finds herself the unwilling object of desire of three royals. Is the one she wants a villainor a hero? Waking up in a strange place, Flian Elandersi at first doesn’t know who she is. One wicked prince tells her she is secretly engaged to an even more wicked king who wants to marry her right away. But before that happens, yet another wicked prince crashes through a window on horseback to sweep her off her feet. Memory returns, and Flian realizes that all any of them seem to want is her considerable wealth, not her pleasant-but-ordinary self. She longs to escape the barracks-like, military atmosphere and return to civilization and her musical studies. Who is the villain? Prince Garian Herlesterlanguid, elegant, sarcastic? Prince Jaimhe of the dashing horsemanship? Or King Jason Szinzar, whose ambiguous warning might be a threat? Flian decides it’s time to throw off civilization and take action.

First Lines

I woke up.

By the time I’d drawn one breath I realized that if I’d had anything else to do, I ought to have done it. My head ached before I even tried moving it. I decided not to try. Some experiments just aren’t worth the effort.

Thoughts

Princess Flian is a very austere, civilized princess. She knows the rules of- and her role within- the royal court. She knows that she will someday marry for the good of her country. She also knows that her kingdom’s vast wealth, and her rather large dowry are her most attractive features, as she is otherwise quite ordinary. So when she finds herself being pursued by two kings and a prince, she has no doubt about what they are after– it’s certainly not her heart. However, Flian finds herself embroiled in intrigue, and entangled in so many plots and counter-plots that she can hardly think straight.

This was a surprisingly subtle book in a lot of ways, and I found that I really enjoyed that. Flian grows, her relationships shift and change, and she learns. She goes from an object which is acted upon to a person who makes conscious decisions about what she will do. Flian is not the only character to grow; Jewel makes great progress from beginning to end, and though it is hard to say whether other characters change, or it is just Flian’s understanding of them which develops, there are not many static characters.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things, actually, is the way Flian’s awareness changes. She becomes more aware of herself, and her roles. She begins to notice servants in a way that none in her class do. She discovers more about her family, her friends, her allies, her enemies, and the world in general. It’s an enlightening– if not always pleasant– adventure for princess Flian.

I’ve never read Sherwood Smith, and from the reviews I glanced at, it seems this wasn’t the best jumping off point**. However, I found that I really, really enjoyed the story. I had to put it down a few times– because of work, and sleep, and other necessities, but I certainly didn’t want to. It wasn’t a breathless, headlong rush, rather it took its time getting where it needed to go, building and developing, and generally rounding things out in such a way that it ended up being considerably more enjoyable.

Because I found that I loved the characters, and the story, and the world, and really everything about it, I have no choice but to give this book a full 5/5. It’s a book that I’m downright grateful I’ve added to my collection, and I can’t wait to read more books by Sherwood Smith.

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* The Kindle edition is $5, while the paperback is $16. I got the Kindle version.

** It is set in the same world as her Crown Duel set, but is a bit later. I’m not sure what I missed (if anything) or what it would have added to have read that first, but I’ve bought it and plan to read it very soon.

Lets see how long that lasts. I haven’t been reading much lately. I attribute it to a combination of video games (Skyrim, anyone?) and work. Still, I’ve read a bit, and will be trying hard to translate that into reviews. Wish me luck.

While we’re here though, lets chat a bit, shall we?

Which books to be released in 2012 are you most excited for? I’d love to hear your answers!

On more personal notes, I’d just like to say thanks for sticking around if you’re still reading. It’s been a mixed bag of good and bad for the end of the year. I quit one job, got promoted at another, lost my estranged step-brother, survived the holidays, worried about my little sister who had to have surgery, tried not to meddle with my younger brother’s choices, and generally got through things unharmed.

On a very positive note, we also got cats. Hooray cats!  Meet Patrick and Isobel. They were found abandoned in a back yard when they were kittens, and luckily for them they were taken in by a local rescue, where we found them.

Isobel is the white one– a “dilute tortie point” which means that she’s mostly cream with patches of gray and orange. She’s a sweetheart, and enjoys curling up in front of my monitor while I play games and browse the internet.

Patrick is the gray one. He’s outgoing and demanding and loves to groom Isobel, which would be fine if he wasn’t so slobbery.

My two demons (Who are 9 months old tomorrow) are adorable and fun to be around. They make a lot of things better.

Beka Cooper | Book Three

Please be aware of two things:

1) This is the third book in a series. It may contain spoilers for the first two Beka Cooper books, though I have done my best to avoid spoilers for this book.

2) This review of Mastiff is pre-release, based upon a galley. I did not receive it personally from the publisher*, but it is a galley nonetheless. The book is due out October 25, 2011, which gives you plenty of time to go buy and read the first two books (Terrier, and Bloodhound) so go buy them. Because this is an un-edited, pre-release galley, some details may change.

On that note, I’ve put the entire post behind a “more” tag, because there is no way to even give a synopsis without sharing details of the other books. If you’d like the short version? I feel that with every book she publishes, Tamora Pierce grows as an author, and Mastiff is no exception. It was brilliant, and managed to be all I had hoped for and more. I look forward to reading the published volume.

From the Author’s Website

Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn, and she is now a respected member of the Provost’s Guard. But her life takes for the unexpected when her fiancé is killed on a slave raid. Beka is faced with a mixture of emotions as, unbeknownst to many, she was about to call the engagement off.

It is as Beka is facing these feelings that Lord Gershom himself appears at her door. In the span of hours Beka, her partner Tunstall, her scent-dog Achoo, and a unusual but powerful mage are plunged into a case under an extreme veil of secrecy. It is a case that threatens the future of the Tortallan royal family, and therefore the Tortallan government itself. As Beka delves deeper into the motivations of the criminals she now hunts, she learns of deep-seated political dissatisfaction, betrayal, and corruption. These are people with power, money, and influence. They are able to hire the most skilled of mages, well versed in the darkest forms of magic. And they are nearly impossible to identify.

This case—a Hunt that will take her to places she’s never been—will challenge Beka’s tracking skills beyond city walls, as well as her ability to judge exactly who she can trust with her life and her country’s future.

First Lines**

Mistress Trout’s Lodgings
Nippercopper Close, Corus
Ten of the evening

We buried Holborn today.

The burying ground has no trees in it, no shade for us Lower City Dogs. Because most of us work in the dark, we want our bodies to lie in the sun. Stones decorated the graves, stones placed there for remembrance. Some graves are piled waist-high with them, signs that the Dogs who lay beneath were loved by family and Guards both.

Thoughts

I positively inhaled this book. It took me six hours of reading spread over a full 24-hours. The 18 hours while I was not reading were agony and my thoughts were completely absorbed by the book, and what was going to happen next. I had to be very stern with myself to not read straight through the night, but alas, I am trying to be a responsible adult and I made myself put the book down at 1am so I could be alert enough for work in the morning.

Beka Cooper is the sort of girl I always wanted to be. She knows what she wants for life, chases her goals with the determination of a Terrier, pursues… ah, I can’t think of a good Bloodhound pun, but really, she’s a great character, with a lot of inner strength, and I think she represents the best that a girl can be (or at least one aspect of it.)

To get to the plot? Amazing. There were twists and turns and I never quite knew what was going to happen next. I say this again and again, but while I’m not the best mystery-solver, I can typically figure out where a novel’s going within a few chapters, and I’m often just waiting for the characters to catch up. With this, every time I thought I had a grip on where it was going, it would sort of squirm and the plot would go somewhere else– this was never really a bad thing, or poorly done, it was just squirmy.

There were moments where I actually laughed, and where I actually cried. I both love and hate when books make me cry. On the one hand, it means I’m emotionally invested and I care, on the other hand, usually something awful has just happened*** and I can’t make myself stay detached enough to process it without tears.

I loved the new characters– good and bad– and was actually surprised by a few of the revelations later in the novel. However, they were largely positive surprises– less in that they were good things, and more in that they made sense– and I was fairly pleased with th climax and denouement.

In summation, it gets a resounding 5/5. I adored it, and felt like it was a fitting end to an excellent series.

If you take my advice and buy the book, please consider doing so through this link: Beka Cooper #3,  Mastiff by Tamora Pierce.

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* My good friend Bethany of Thany’s Thought was lucky enough to go to San Diego Comic Con and impress the right company representative of her love of Tamora Pierce, resulting in her receipt of Mastiff. She was kind enough to share her galley with me, because of our mutual love of Tamora Pierce.

** This is an unedited galley, and this is subject to change. I will verify the following against the hardcover upon its release in October.

*** Like a few very significant deaths in Harry Potter, which left me in tears.