Spell Bond: More Tales From the Old World

Spell Bond: More Tales From the Old World by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book dead last in the series. Was that the right choice? Who knows, but it worked for me. Maybe you could read it before old world war so you get that as your closing book and it works better. Either way, as a completionist this was on my list.

I’m not going to individually review all the stories but there is a good mix. There’s a romantic one, a family one, and all the feelings in between (including COVID times anxiety for those of you who may be triggered by that). You get to see “behind the scenes” for some things, resolve some unresolved things, and ultimately come out with a more complete picture of all the characters we’ve come to know and love. I don’t think it’s necessary, exactly, but was a fun way for me to wrap up the series completely (for now).

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Old World War

Old World War by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this world so much. All of the characters are so well developed at this point that even with a big break in reading the series, it was like coming home again.

This book (shocker) revolves around the brewing of an old world war. An attack is made on nulls in general and Scarlett in specific. This obviously upsets their world and sets off a chain that ends with a big gathering of sorts. Let’s call it a trial, but it’s almost like a convention/reunion/something better. Scarlett really gets beat up in this one, so that’s a little tough to read but she is a fighter and that also doesn’t stop her from running her wonderful mouth. The banter is strong with this one, and made more so by Lex teaming up with Simon.

Lex is obviously involved in null attacks because of her niece. She springs into action while simultaneously beating herself up for not somehow predicting this particular scenario. Turns out that some big bads from such installments like “killing Scarlett’s baby daddy” or “messing up Eli” come calling in the form of even worse daddy issues in the vampire community. The vampires are justifiably angry and decide to try out their new judgement system by trying these bad guys. To be fair to all involved, there’s not only a supernatural bad guy but also a human bad guy, complete with tactical training to rival Lex’s. This felt like more even odds, which also made me sit on the edge of my seat for most of this book. The battles are great, the banter is great, and we even get some much needed resolution in a few different areas. Overall, this book was a wonderful read and gave some nice closure to this series.

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Spirit Bound (Re-Read)

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My original review: This might be my least favorite of this series. It was full of angst and unresolved plot lines.

Knowing where we go and how things end up for all these characters, I think I appreciate this book more. I love getting to see Adrian in a different light and having a view to his future. That maybe made it better to get over the way that Rose treats him, especially after all the mayhem that happens in this book. How to summarize? I guess the description tells that Rose is trying to cure Dimitri under the guise of doing good for the world. It’s reckless and selfish and of course her BFF is on board. If that ends up getting everyone to a better place (except Adrian) then I’m all for it, but it is like watching a train wreck happen in slow bursts.

There are an insane series of events that have to take place for the ending of this book to resolve and while we get there, it requires a lot of leaps of faith. So many people also have to die for Rose to get closer to a HEA, which is something she will have to live with I guess. This is certainly a filler book because we needed these actions to take place before true change can happen, but it feels like this book ends at a random stop, with all the characters dangling. If I had read this in real time I would have been very angry to have such a cliffhanger.

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Bloodlust Bites

Bloodlust Bites by Luanne Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a continuation of the previous one, so I’d recommend you start there if you somehow ended up on this book review. This is a world where vampires, shifters, and witches are a regular occurrence and there is a little sizzle thrown into this book making it even better than the last.

Charley is still working on getting control of her powers here. Having just narrowly survived the last big bad, turns out they are still looking for the vampire who is murdering town members and stirring up conflict in a town here supernaturals are “normal.” Crimson, the town, has been terrorized by this killer and it seems to be getting closer to Charley, even framing her bartender. Surprise visits in the form of a lone wolf and the ever growing mystery of the vampire love interest for Charley all end up popping up in good and bad ways in this book.

It’s clear that Charley is still trying to figure out her path in life and while we get some resolution in her world, there’s oodles of growth still to come I’m sure. I am both confused and enamored with the witch support system she has as well as her misfit employees. For someone who tries to do so much good for the town, even jeopardizing her own safety, she somehow manages to fly under the radar for the most part. I hope the next book puts her in more of a position of power that she truly deserves.

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Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact

Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact by Liz Wiseman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of a professional associate book club and I’m glad I did. It’s been a while since I read “for work” and it’s always good to keep an open mind to developing skills.

This book is jam packed with advice and I admit that it was at times overwhelming. Where do I start? Can I do all of this? Luckily the author does have some associated materials and key steps to take related to where to start. I don’t think you can really summarize the “plot” like I do for other reviews, but the storytelling aspects of this book helped keep me engaged throughout. I was truly invested in the case studies along the way, giving insight into the different industries this can apply to. If you’re looking for a relatively easy read that you can grab a few good professional development nuggets from, this book delivers.

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Blood Promise (Re-Read)

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Original review: This book was really not what I was expecting-in a good way! I thought this would be a mopey and depressing book, but it was really good! Nice cliffhanger that I kind of saw coming. I am still on team Adrian.

Re-read review:
I completely forgot how great this book was. Going into it, I had the same expectation as first time around. We know that Rose has to grieve and go through all the emotions while she hunts down Dimitri but the unexpected part of this book is really about Rose’s growth. She gets to be on her own for the first time in her life and truly gets to make life-changing decisions for her future. While she was intent on hunting down Dimitri, her journey had very little planning involved. In typical Rose fashion, things end up working out, though. Another bright spot in this book? We get to meet Sydney. Having read the other books in this world, I appreciate this even more.

So while it takes a while to get there, this book is truly about Rose’s hunt for Dimitri. Another storyline is what happens at school while Rose is away. Lucky for us, Rose’s power gives us special insight into the happenings there. I loved this way of storytelling and it’s a great part of this series. It’s been so long since I read this book the first time, I was on the edge of my seat as it all played out. While this book does end with a cliffhanger of sorts, it also ends in a very satisfying way. After the journey Rose is on, getting there also manages to not feel as rushed as the previous books.

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Bewicched

Bewicched by Seana Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As an avid reader of the Sam Quinn series, I knew I would circle back to this one at some point, having met Arwyn in that story. We join Arwyn in her own element here. She’s a touch psychic, but can also see vision of the future and/or the current time (the rules appear to be evolving). Having avoided her family obligations and followed her guts for this long, when a lone werewolf shows up on her door and no alarm bells ring, she goes with that too.

I really liked the Arwyn/Declan show here. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and while there are twists and turns, it was immensely satisfying that this book didn’t take the typical path of a paranormal romance. There are a few parallel stories going on in this book. There is the family drama, where Arwyn needs to manage the expectations they have of her, while still managing not to lose her mind through overuse of her gift. There’s the ask that a police detective has of her, to help track a child murderer down. There’s some mystery around who her dad is. Lastly there is an evil sorcerer afoot, which luckily means we get to see a very familiar demon show up.

Overall, this was a wonderful introduction to the very complex world that Arwyn lives in. She is immensely gifted and has wonderful support (including some awesome sea life), but she struggles to trust. It was really great watching that reluctant trust build between her and Declan and I absolutely cannot wait to see where their relationship goes.

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