Book Review: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

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Liar CoverBook: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Published September 2009  by Bloomsbury|371 pages

Where I Got It: borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

What It’s About: 

Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

What I Thought:

I thought Liar started off really strong and I initially liked it, but I slowly became indifferent towards the book by the end of it.

What really lost me was the revelation of the family illness- that her family were werewolves.  That was when the book started to lose me- and while it was first at first, by the end of it, it just felt like a lame excuse for why she lied all the time.  I get that things run in the family, which I could have handled.  And if the werewolf thing is a stand-in for something else (mental illness and period-related issues seem like the best possibilities, but the second one doesn’t explain the fact that her one uncle seems to be affected by the family illness), I thought it didn’t really do a good job of it, just because it turned into something I wasn’t expecting, and it felt out of place.

I’m fine with unreliable narrators, and one who’s a compulsive liar makes for a really interesting unreliable narrator because you’re never sure what’s true and what’s a lie.  What became really clear to me was that Justine really needed help.  She really did- her brother being a good example of this.  At different points in the book, she has a brother who hates her, he never existed, or he died and she was involved somehow.  Not only that, but it’s never resolved, and it’s randomly mentioned, but you don’t really hear about it after a certain point.  Which makes me wonder why it was even included…I guess to show how much of a liar she is, but you definitely get that throughout the book.  Maybe to show family issues?  Anyway, one of the very few things that you could actually trust is that she’s in desperate need of help, and it’s a shame that she doesn’t get it.

She gets sent up to the Greats (how they’re related to her, I could never figure out) in the country, and she runs away because her life will end if she’s not in the city.  I really wish we could trust her stories about her family, because I am oddly curious about what they’re really like, and if they noticed that Micah needed help.  And if they did, why they didn’t try to get her more help. Maybe they did, but Micah never talked about it?

While you couldn’t trust a lot of what Micah said, something I could trust (and actually liked) was how she felt out of place- race being a big one, since she’s bi-racial.  Part of me wishes that had come up more, because it really doesn’t in the book.  Which is fine, because there are so many other things going on, and just because a character is bi-racial doesn’t mean the story has to focus on that.  But there is a part of me that wishes we saw the impact it had on Micah’s life.

My Rating:

2 stars.  Micah definitely has a strong voice, and I liked that she’s such an unreliable narrator, but the big reveal about the family illness made me feel indifferent about the book.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Random Bookish Thoughts

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Ten Random Bookish Thoughts I’ve Had Recently

Today we get to pick our own topic, and I decided to go with 10 random bookish thoughts I’ve had recently.

  1. Why do I have 3 library cards?  I’m not kidding, I have cards for 3 different library systems.  One has 2 branches close to work plus one near a coffee shop I frequent, and two have branches near where I live, so it all makes sense in my weird mind.
  2. What is it with my and my weird need to have multiple copies of signed books?  There’s the signed copy, and I usually have the e-book.  Signed copy=the book that goes unread and looks pretty on my shelf while the digital copy is the one I actually read.  I just don’t trust myself reading the signed copy.
  3. Why on earth did it only occur to me recently to have a pinterest board devoted to books I’ve actually read?  Pinterest seems to be a good way to show that.
  4. I really need to organize the print books I have, they are in a not helpful order that makes it hard to find what I’m looking for.
  5. I’m confused as to why most of my Nook books were randomly moved to Nook cloud recently, which resulted me having to re-download most of the 500+ books on them.  Weird, but things have been fine since, so no big deal…I hope.
  6. I really should review some of the cookbooks and crochet books I’ve been cooking and crocheting from.  There are at least a couple I feel like I’ve used enough to review properly.
  7. Why do I not listen to more audio books?  Why?  They’re totally awesome.
  8. Reading print books are sort of weird…that’s how you know you read mostly digital.
  9. I talk about books a lot, but does coffee get a lot of mentions on my blog?  No…this is weird for a blog called reading books with coffee, you’d think I’d talk about it more.  This needs to be rectified!
  10. Books are my happy place.

Book Review: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

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The Hallowed Ones CoverBook: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

Published 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|311 pages

Where I Got It: I own the paperback

Series: The Hallowed Ones #1

Genre: YA Paranormal Apocalyptic/Horror

What It’s About:

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

What I Thought:

The Hallowed Ones is a really different book!  It’s definitely vivid, and it’s quite the page-turner.

I will say that I didn’t really get the dystopic label up in the summary.  I feel like that’s really misleading, because while there are a couple of things that could be seen as dystopic, the book is really more of the “holy crap, WTF is going on out there, is the end of the world really happening” kind of story.  I also got more of a horror vibe from it, so unless there’s something I missed, the mention of of it being a dystopian tale makes no sense to me.

What made this one really terrifying was the isolation.  No access to technology, which means a community who has no clue what’s really going on, but also knowing there’s something going on.  No people coming in, no people going out. no matter what. Elders who refuse to believe something really weird is going on, even though it’s happening right in front of them, when it finally ends up at their front door.

It really makes the book creepy, when you’re not quite sure what’s going on, but knowing something’s there. And the fact that vampires had a hard time getting onto Amish land…I really liked it, and it’s really different, but the safe spaces are definitely safe, and different than what you’d expect from vampires roaming around.

I also liked that Kate was questioning things, and didn’t want to fall in line, even though it was clearly expected of her.  There was one point in particular where it was frustrating, but I also understand why she thought the way she did, especially considering this world is all she’s ever known.  What I thought was really different and interesting was how it’s more a philosophical/spiritual look at the end of the world.  It’s not religious at all, but you do have that element throughout the book.  And it does get you thinking about beliefs and values and what it means when the end of the world is happening.

My Rating:

3 stars.  I liked it, and it’s different and creepy but I also didn’t fall in love with it.

Book Review: Butter by Erin Jade Lange

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Butter CoverBook: Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Published September 2012 by Bloomsbury|296 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

What It’s About:

A lonely obese boy everyone calls “Butter” is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn’t go through with his plans? 

With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen’s battle with himself.

What I Thought: 

I was really intrigued by the idea of Butter- death by eating and everything that goes with announcing it online is definitely different- but overall, I feel really indifferent about the book.

I do think it’s an important read.  Butter- I can’t remember if his actual name is mentioned or not- has to deal with a family that seems pretty dysfunctional, and classmates that don’t think he’s really going to go through with it, until they realize he is.

It was really frustrating to see that his classmates never said anything (well, until the end).  I get they didn’t take it seriously, but it was even more frustrating to see them pay attention to him because of it.  His classmates even take bets on it, and it’s no wonder Butter feels like he has to go through with it.

I felt like Butter doesn’t really go into depth on any of the issues in the book.  There’s cyber-bullying, which comes up in the form of comments on Butter’s website, and while mentioned (we do see some comments and his mom brings it up, but at that point it’s glossed over and way too late), obesity and body image, and family issues, but all of it seemed glossed over and it doesn’t really go into any of those things.  And it’s not that there are too many issues in the book, because there really aren’t, but nothing really got the attention it deserved.

It’s interesting that Butter really isn’t bullied until he posts about his last meal.  I don’t know why but I assumed he’d be bullied a lot more than what we see in the book.  Don’t get me wrong, the comments people make are horrible and not okay, but I expected there to be more to it.

What I did like was that it’s about a boy who’s morbidly obese, and has a lot of health issues related to his weight.  I kind of wish it went a little bit more into how he sees himself, because it’s a nice change from all of the books out there that feature a teenage girl dealing with anorexia or bulimia.  There’s nothing wrong with books that deal with that, of course, but it is nice to see something different.

As for Butter’s actually suicide attempt and it’s aftermath…the book felt like it lost steam at that point.  He tries to kill himself by eating strawberries (which he’s allergic to), eating thousands upon thousands of calories and gives himself insulin, and ends up in the hospital, yet his primary doctor just wishes that Butter won’t put him in that position again (as Butter got the idea from his doctor by asking a few questions), his mom is magically going to change the family’s eating habits, Butter is making plans for his future, and who knows what his dad thinks because his dad seems to be there physically but not mentally or emotionally.  You don’t see any consequences for what happened in the book- maybe they happens after the book ends?  Still, after his attempt, everything else seemed really weak to me.

I get why there’s closure, but there is a part of me that wishes it ended with either his attempt or maybe a different chapter or two after that.  It’s what the book was building up to, and it did seem like a good ending point to me.

My Rating:

2 stars.  It does seem like I don’t like the book, and that I initially said I was indifferent but I just don’t care enough to actually dislike it.  I really like some of the issues that come up in the book, especially since it focuses on a teenage boy who’s struggling with his weight, and it’s definitely relevant and important.

Book Review: Prudence by Gail Carriger

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Prudence CoverBook: Prudence by Gail Carriger

Published March 2015 by Orbit|296 pages

Where I Got It: I own the hardcover (signed) and the e-book

Series: Custard Protocol #1

Genre: Adult Steampunk/Paranormal

What It’s About:

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances – names it the Spotted Custard and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier’s wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone’s secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

What I Thought:

I really liked Prudence!  Which wasn’t that surprising, because Carriger’s books are so much fun but I do admit to taking my time with it because I wanted to make sure I was enjoying the book and actually able to focus on it, instead of just speeding through just to get through it.

This series focuses on Alexia’s daughter Rue, who seems to get into as much trouble as her mom, and it was fun seeing Rue grown-up and off to India and have her own adventures.

Especially in her own dirigible named The Spotted Custard that looks like a ladybug!  I can picture it really well, but I also wish it were illustrated, because that would be pretty awesome.  I also really liked that we saw a paranormal world beyond England (and even Egypt), because you only see England, and Egypt doesn’t come until the end of the Parasol Protectorate.  So it was nice to see what it’s like for the paranormal set in India and how different it is than England.  I’m hoping we see more of the paranormal world outside of England, because now I’m all curious about it!

In a lot of ways, I was reminded of Soulless, and while I like Carriger’s Finishing School series, Prudence had a lot of the fun and charm that Soulless had.  Even though you don’t need to read the Parasol Protectorate or Finishing School to know what’s going on in Prudence, there was a part of me that wished I had re-read both. And there was a part of me that wished I had listened to it, but that was mostly at the end of the book.

I definitely didn’t fall in love with it, but I always really like the first book but the subsequent books always make me fall in love with the series.

Rue is definitely different than her mom- I think partly because of Dama, and maybe part rebellion?  And I love that she and Prim are best friends, the way their moms are best friends.  And I really liked seeing random characters from her other books make appearances throughout the book.  It makes me wonder who we’ll see next!  I’m glad that they only make the odd appearance, because it is Rue’s story, and I liked that we got to see more of Rue and what she was up to.

My Rating: 

4 Stars.  I really liked it, because it was fun and I really liked Rue’s story and the adventures that she had.  I can’t wait to read the next book!

Book Review: Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

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Falling Into Place CoverBook: Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

Published September 2014 by HarperCollins|226 pages

Where I Got It: I own the e-book

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

What It’s About:

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

What I Thought:

I have mixed feelings about Falling Into Place.  It is different than your usual book about a character who is depressed and suicidal and actually tries to kill herself.  But there were also things I didn’t like about it.

A suicide disguised as a car accident, and what happened in the months leading up to the car crash and what happened after she crashed…it’s definitely a different way of telling the story.  I was expecting so much more about depression, and was really surprised that Falling Into Place didn’t really delve into that.  I mean, you do get all of these memories and flashbacks and how Liz regrets the things she’s done, and while suicidal and depressed characters are characters I relate to and connect with a lot, I had a hard time connecting with Liz. And you see that people do need Liz, even if they don’t realize it until there’s the possibility that she won’t be around anymore.

I liked that you got glimpses of the different characters and how everything slowly came together.  I’m still having some trouble figuring out who the narrator is- Liz’s childhood imaginary friend?  Her younger self?  I have no idea.  And you do spend the entire book wondering if she does die or not- it would be interesting to go back and re-read it knowing how it all ends.

The shifting timeline is interesting and I liked it fine, but maybe that’s why I had such a hard time connecting with Liz.  But…even though I didn’t feel for Liz the way I thought I would, and even though I read it and felt sort of “meh” about it, there is something about the writing that pulls you in.  And the actual writing itself isn’t something I normally pay attention to but the sentences are  very well put together and it felt like every word was carefully thought out.

My Rating:

3 stars.  I liked it, and the way it was told is very different but I couldn’t completely connect with Liz.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I Really Want To Meet

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Authors I Really Want To Meet

I have no idea how I managed to pick ten (a few were really easy) since I want to meet so many authors.  Books are magical, and meeting the people behind the books would be awesome but also scary, because I totally have this image of who they are, and what if I meet them and am all disappointed?  But still, it would be pretty awesome to meet the following people.

  1. J.K. Rowling.  Of course I want to meet her!  Harry Potter changed my life, and my life would be awesome if I could meet her.
  2. Rachel Caine.  I love her books and it would be awesome to meet her.
  3. John Green.  Meeting him would be fun!
  4. Alison Weir.  I’d love to talk to her about history.  Seriously, I would.
  5. Neal Shusterman.  Going off of his Unwind series, he seems like he’d be interesting to talk to.
  6. Jane Austen.  If I could go back in time and meet her, I totally would.
  7. Lauren DeStefano.  I follow her on Twitter, and she seems like she’d be cool to talk to.
  8. Maya Angelou.  I know I can’t meet her now, but having read her autobiographies…she had quite the life, and I just wish I had the chance to meet her.
  9. Toni Morrison.  It’s Toni Morrison, who wouldn’t want to meet her?
  10. Jessi Kirby.  I love her books, and I don’t know why I want to meet her but I really, really do.

Book Review: The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

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The Murder Complex CoverBook: The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Published June 2014 by HarperCollins|275 pages

Where I Got It: Own the e-book

Series: The Murder Complex #1

Genre: YA Dystopic

What It’s About:

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

What I Thought:

I was super-excited about this book when I first heard about it, but I didn’t like it!  I honestly thought it was really confusing, and it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

The actual Murder Complex isn’t explained until later in the book, and everything is so convoluted and complicated that I really couldn’t tell you at what point it’s mentioned, much less actually explained.

There’s just no context for what anything means, because nothing is explained.  You see terminology like The Dark Times and the Silent Hour and Creds, and none of it makes sense because (or very little sense) because there isn’t any context for it. There’s no history, and as far I can remember, there’s no explanation for why they’re in a walled city, and why the murder rate is so high, and why there are programmed assassins.

I have no sense of where this particular place is, how they got to this point, and the characters are forgettable- they both sounded the same to me, especially in the beginning.  It seems like survival is really important, and considering the fact that Meadow was trained by her dad to kill and survive, and yet she seems really naive to have survived so long in this world.

It definitely seems like Cummings really know the world of the Murder Complex, and while I am intrigued by the idea, I just felt like nothing was really explained.  It was just a lot different than what I expected, based on the summary, and it wasn’t until the end of the book when we got a hint of the book I was expecting.  At that point, though, I just didn’t care, and it was a little too late.

My Rating: 

2 stars.  While I didn’t like the book overall, the idea does have promise, but was more complicated than it needed to be.

Book Review: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

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Rose Under Fire CoverBook: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Published September 2013 by Hyperion|350 pages

Where I Got It: I own the paperback!

Series: Code Name Verity #2

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

What It’s About: 

While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbruck, the notorious women’s concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that’s in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.

What I Thought:

I liked Rose Under Fire so much better than Code Name Verity…which will come up a lot in this review.  It’s as much a review of Rose Under Fire as it is an updated review of Code Name Verity (you can find my original review of Code Name Verity here).

I wasn’t sure if I’d like Rose Under Fire, because while I liked Code Name Verity (well, I liked it the first time around, but after a second reading, I didn’t really like it), I think I was expecting something more like Code Name Verity.

Rose Under Fire, to me, is told in a more traditional way than Code Name Verity.  It’s much more straight-forward, and it was really emotional for me.  There were a couple of times where I had to put Rose Under Fire down because I needed a minute to breathe.

There are things that happen that got me so emotional- much more than Code Name Verity- and there were so many times when I was reading this book that I wished I felt the same way about Code Name Verity.  I did go back and re-read Code Name Verity because I felt like I needed a refresher.  The nice thing about Rose Under Fire is that you don’t need to read Code Name Verity first, but in a lot of ways, I’m glad I read Code Name Verity first.

When I was re-reading Code Name Verity, I found that the story made a lot more sense the 2nd time around. Knowing what happened made the story make more sense, especially with how Verity is structured.  Having re-read it while reading Rose Under Fire…certain characters made more sense.  I did notice that this read that I really had force myself to keep going- I had a much harder time caring about what happened to Maddie or Julie, and it felt more technical this time than it did when I first read it.  I understand why Verity did what she did, but it also made it harder to connect with what happened.  Their friendship felt fake to me, especially in comparison to the friendships that Rose makes.

In a lot of ways, I’m glad I read Verity first, because I’m pretty sure I would have hated it had I read it after Rose.  I really do think Rose is the better of the two books.

It was hard to read, because you see what it was like in a concentration camp for political prisoners.  It very much focuses on Rose and the women she interacted with and became friends with, and while you don’t see the other people who were at Ravensbruck, you still get a glimpse of how horrible it was.  Rose changes so much by the end of the book, and I wish we got to see her life a little bit more after getting out of Ravensbruck. But at the same time, I thought we got enough of what happened to see what her life was life after and how hard it was for her to adjust to everything.

For so much of Rose Under Fire, I forgot that I was reading historical fiction, because it really felt like I was reading a memoir. Especially when Rose is actually in Ravensbruck, and what happened after.  And that brings me to the author’s note at the end of the book.  I loved that Wein had so many resources at the end of the book, much more than she included at the end of Verity.  It’s so detailed, which is awesome, because- in my experience- you’re usually lucky if you get an author’s note in YA historical fiction.

My Rating:

4 stars.  I didn’t love it, but it’s such an important story, and I liked it much more than Code Name Verity.

ARC Book Review: Avalon Rising by Kathryn Rose

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Avalon Rising CoverBook: Avalon Rising by Kathryn Rose

Expected Publication is May 8, 2015 by Flux|Expected Number Of Pages: 387

Where I Got It: I received a digital review copy from netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.  Promise!

Series: Metal & Lace #2

Genre: YA Steampunk/Re-telling

What It’s About:

In the aftermath of Morgan le Fay’s war on Camelot, the once great kingdom struggles to rebuild. Vivienne, Merlin’s former apprentice, toils in secret day and night on orders from the Lady of the Lake to build an aeroship. The Lady has seen the future and promises that the ship will ensure Camelot’s knights triumph over the Black Knight in the quest for Avalon and the Holy Grail.

But when a company of knights goes missing—including Owen, Vivienne’s brother, and Marcus, her beloved—Vivienne changes the plan and commandeers the aeroship for a rescue mission, altering the fates of all involved. Now, the Lady sees danger in Vivienne’s future. And for Marcus: either betrayal or death.

What I Thought:

I was hoping I would like Avalon Rising, but I didn’t.  I thought the first book (Camelot Burning) was okay, but I was interested enough in the world that I thought I’d give Avalon Rising a try.

One of my biggest issues with Camelot was the fact that I didn’t feel like the world or the characters were described, so I had the hardest time picturing everything and getting a good feel for a steampunk Camelot.  Unfortunately, that is something that continues with Avalon.  I just don’t know if steampunk (which is normally associated with the Victorian era) works with Camelot and King Arthur.  I mean, there’s Avalon and a quest for the Holy Grail, but there are so few details about this Camelot that it could just as easily be set in a different time period.  Maybe steampunk is too associated with the Victorian era for me to really see it written in any other time period.

I also didn’t get why Jersulem and the Spanish Rogues kept coming up.  I do admit that I should have read Camelot Burning before, and maybe that’s why it was confusing.  I’m also not familiar with a lot of the stories surrounding King Arthur, so it could be that.  At any rate, it wasn’t clear why those things are so important.

There is something about Avalon Rising that feels very cold and distant to me, and it felt like the characters were there, doing things I can’t remember.  I feel so bad about saying that, because I know a lot of work goes into writing a novel, but this series just isn’t working for me, and coming to life the way I’d want it to.

My Rating:

1 star.  I couldn’t get into it, and it is a shame, because the idea of a steampunk Camelot is really promising.  I just don’t think this is the series for me.