Behind Blue Eyes

Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars, and I'm going to round it up. Why? Because even after I worked all week and had a lot of things to do around the house last night, I stayed up until 3 am to finish this book. I could barely walk to get to the bed after I finished, but I did it. And really enjoyed the whole experience. This wasn't as detail-rich or epic scope as most of the top ratings I give, but when a book hooks you from the word 'go' and keeps you racing through pages and unable to put it down, that counts for something. I mean, that's why we read to begin with, isn't it? Definitely looking forward to the next book(s) in this series. View all my reviews

The Policewoman by Justin W.M. Roberts My rating: 4 of 5 stars Well, then. Just when I thought I was getting an interesting and detailed insight into a possible coalition of international police and military units working together against a drug cartel, a very human story took root and hooked me right in. The was some info-dumping, particularly early on. There was a lot of detail and a lot, I mean a lot, of acronyms. But these things were done well, in that at just the moment when I wanted to know what something was or what an acronym stood for, there it was. I didn't have to go look it up, so that was convenient. But then out of nowhere I realized I was attached to these characters and cared what happened to them. By the ending, I was swiping my e-reader as quickly as I could scan the page with my eyes. And wow....these action sequences are pretty amazing... All said, I won't say much. I'm being intentionally vague on dropping plot point...

Kiss: The Elder, Volume One by Amy Chu My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was provided an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. When browsing through the available titles on NetGalley's website, was there reallly any chance that I'd see this: and NOT press the "Read Now" button immediately? Not so much. I mean, I've been a Kiss fan for as long as I can remember... So here's a bit of a reboot. That is, a new "version" of the story told on the 1981 album Music from the Elder It featured hits such as....well...there really weren't any hits. The song "A World Without Heroes" is somewhat well known, but for the most part this was a concept album for the band and a huge departure from their signature sound. That said, as I dug out my cd of the album and gave it a listen, I was reminded of how it's really not a bad album. Shocking to Kiss fans at the time, ther...

Harley Quinn, Volume 1: Die Laughing by Amanda Conner My rating: 2 of 5 stars I received an eARC copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review . Well, for eye candy, Harley doesn't disappoint. The artwork overall is pretty great. The first story, "Die Laughing" is decent, with some good Harley humor chuckles. "108 Ways to Die" was pretty meh, and the final three parts "Undercover Punker" were pretty awful. All in all, I think I'm about Harley'd out. Still love the girl, but I might have become overexposed at this point. Maybe a break is in order. View all my reviews

Deathstroke, Volume 1: The Professional by Christopher J. Priest My rating: 2 of 5 stars I received an eARC copy of this graphic novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First off, I loved the artwork. The characters were drawn vividly and the color really jumps out and is pleasing to the eye. But. The story? Eh. There were good moments, but overall it was pretty disjointed. Even within each issue, the storyline jumps from past to present to not as past but more past than present to kinda present to huh? And, where I though this was a reboot of sorts, it did not help a new reader (me) to understand who was who or who was in relation to each other and whatnot. I'd recently read another Rebirth title, Suicide Squad, Volume 1: The Black Vault , and very much got the feeling that it was meant as an introduction to the team and characters. This one seemed to require a good bit of prior knowledge of who Slade Wilson ...

The Mirror’s Truth by Michael R. Fletcher My rating: 5 of 5 stars I probably need some time to process. "There are no myths or monsters, just things people haven't hallucinated recently." Well, that was fun. It's actually a bit disturbing that I get these books so well. Does that mean I'm sane, or quite the opposite? Perhaps my own delusions help me understand how this world works. Perhaps the mirror knows, but will it tell me truth? As a concept, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it, and it's so perfectly executed. I'm being a bit vague, I know. But really these books are better experienced without too much knowledge going in. There is just so much to discover. Let's just say I'm a fan. View all my reviews

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a lot of fun. Scalzi is really becoming one of my favorite writers, as his work is so readable yet so full of ideas. His science is plausible and he tells it in a way that an ordinary person can understand. He takes serious situations and balances them with snarky dialogue and humor. I wouldn't call his work comedy, but there is enough humor in it to keep it upbeat most of the time. This is the beginning of a new series, and this first book shows such great promise. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one! View all my reviews