Saturday, March 27, 2021

Demons and DNA (Amplifier #1)

Demons and DNA (Amplifier #1)Demons and DNA by Meghan Ciana Doidge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've got to admit dragging my feet on this one. I've read all the other books in this world, so this was holding up my "complete" status, but after reading the novella before this I had trouble caring about the characters. I get that they are supposed to be a bit programmed by the organization that created them, but it was an issue for me. This book had me hooked by the end, though, so I guess I'd recommend reading the novella after you take a trip in this one.

Emma and Christopher are on the run, but laying "low" in a small town. Emma has reluctantly adapted and even sort-of made friends by the time Aiden shows up. Since avoiding adepts in any form is rule#1, inviting a sorcerer back home with them to heal is not exactly a smart move. It's the first of many choices that ends up forcing them to confront their past in new and interesting ways.

It's pretty impossible to do a quick summary here without spoiling things, so I would sum up the elements of the book as an action sort-of-coming-of-age type story with paranormal elements. There's a hint of romantic story, but the focus is really on the "broken" engineered kids and how they are adapting to society. I'm curious where this world will take us and if we will cross paths with any familiar faces from the other series.

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Shadow's Lyric (Crossing Daggers, #1)

Shadow's Lyric (Crossing Daggers, #1)Shadow's Lyric by C.A. Worley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow - what a fantastic read! I never give 5 stars unless I would re-read, so that's telling. This book had everything I want in a book: sarcasm & wit, smutty goodness, paranormal twists & turns, and a good romance element. I'm sad book 2 isn't ready for me to dive in!

Lyric has been raised very unconventionally, even for a half-demon. As daughter of the ruling demon, she's endured countless tortures and "training" sessions that have carved her into the tough chick she is today. Her father helps guard the passage between her world and another, more dangerous one that she's been warned to never cross into. All of that goes out the window when she is told of an arrangement her father brokered to send her over there and "give" her to the leader on the other side, Draven.

These two were amazing together. I enjoyed switching between the two perspectives and learning how alike they truly were. Draven is tough on the outside but a marshmallow inside. Lyric, for all her fighting and displays of strength, is also a compassionate soul. Together, it makes sense they are drawn to each other, even with the cruel situation they've been placed into. Yes, there's surprises and reveals along the way, but the relationship was great to watch unfold. I would encourage any paranormal fans out there to pick this one up and clear an afternoon, because you won't be able to put it down!

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Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Dragon Spawn

Dragon Spawn (World of the Lupi, #13)Dragon Spawn by Eileen Wilks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit that I finished this book a little while ago, but was so mad that I left this review to simmer.

Now that I've had time to think, I'm still not happy, but can at least review the rest of this. This book? It's like one big battle. We all knew that the ending of the previous book would leave us some loose ends to tie up. This book tries to come back around and tie them up, but we are left with a really huge cliffhanger. Like the type that makes you throw your kindle across the room. We don't know how anyone is left really at the end here, don't know where we are going in the next book and in general it was just unsatisfying.

The road leading up to the cliffhanger? It was good, but very, very heavy on the buildup to this big showdown we were going to get. While the showdown did happen, and I enjoyed the Lily character development, it was a little heavy for me to get through. Something about the balance in this book made me feel like I was reading a separate novella or a different series. For someone who has been eagerly devouring this series, I will probably take a break here to let this settle and then dive in to hopefully finish (?) the series.

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