Behind Blue Eyes

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Django Wexler taps into his comedic side here with this trope-shattering humorous fantasy adventure. Our narrator, Davi, has been suffering through a Groundhog Day type situation where she's on a quest to save the world, only to have it reset back to the beginning whenever she's killed in the attempt to defeat whatever forces of evil the Kingdom is forced to deal with. After a thousand years of this, Davi is fed up. She's looking to spit in the eye of fate by changing her own narrative. Instead of trying to save the world and ultimately failing, she's going to BE the Dark Lord, gather her minions, and try it from the other side..... This was a lot of fun, often hilarious, and even had some heart wrenching moments. Great stuff, and I'll be looking forward to the next stage in Dav...

Entrances and Exits by Michael Richards My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an audiobook ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This was a great escape. I always enjoy memoirs a little bit more when they're read by the author, as this was. It's especially important here, where Richards sometimes goes into character, and that wouldn't work as well with another reader.... Since I was a fan of Seinfeld, I got an extra benefit from this book, but Richards's life story was interesting before and after Seinfeld as well. 4 1/2 "Cookies!" View all my reviews

The Trials of Empire by Richard Swan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This really brings everything full circle and packs a punch, wrapping up the trilogy. The way things were unraveling through the last book and a half or so, I didn't expect the ending to satisfy, but was surprised that it wrapped up the story pretty well. View all my reviews

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... This was a brilliant and fast paced follow up to The Justice of Kings , both working well as a sequel and a bridge to the final in the trilogy, which is releasing soon... View all my reviews

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an audiobook ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Excellent narrator that also did Marshall's What Lies in the Woods last year, and once again the combination of author and narrator keeps the story moving, and the twists keep the reader guessing and reguessing... View all my reviews

Unbound II: New Tales By Masters of Fantasy by Shawn Speakman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an ecopy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. There's a little of something for everyone here, I think. As with most collections, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but the quality of the writing is top notch throughout this one. Favorites by far include stories by Tamora Pierce, Django Wexler, and Shawn Speakman. These three easily gained the overall experience a star rating bump by their inclusion. View all my reviews

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... I didn't know what to expect going in, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by what I got. It appeared to be an epic fantasy with swords and battles and such, and while it was that it was so much more as well... A mystery/whodunit which could be an homage to Sherlock Holmes set in a medieval world with a very elaborate political world setting. What's not to love? View all my reviews

Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Fiction of Joe R. Lansdale by Joe R. Lansdale My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley... Joe R. Lansdale knows how to craft a story, with an instinctive grasp of character development. His language is such that he connects with readers and makes the task of reading an enjoyable escape. While all of the stories in this book fall into the "crime" category, this is a very loose grouping. There is such a mixed bag of offerings here, from the noir to the really freaking weird. As with most collections, some stories hit with me better than others, but there really aren't any duds here. View all my reviews