Early Review: Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones

Charlie Davidson #13

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plain for eternity – which is the appropriate amount of time to make a person starkraving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.

She’s missed Reyes and her daughter, Beep, but now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

As a long time Charlie fan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book after the killer cliffhanger of the previous installment. SUMMONED TO THIRTEENTH GRAVE, picks up right where things left off, and it's no time at all until Charlie is up to her usual shenanigans. This time around is a doozy and I really enjoyed getting to see Charlie and co unravel the latest mess. I truly enjoy seeing this motley crew in action, and this book didn't disappoint.

Now onto the biggest question whenever closing out a much loved series, was the ending everything long term readers would hope for. In SUMMONED TO THIRTEENTH GRAVE'S part, the answer is yes and no as it's more than a little complicated. Was it a fitting ending? Yes. Was it the one I had hoped for, or could have predicted, absolutely not. Without spoiling things, I will say that it's more than a little bittersweet and while satisfying it's just not in the way one would think. It left a complex mix of happiness and yet strange sadness at the end that left me feeling all sorts of confused, but in a good way. It's hard to explain

I truly will miss Charlie and all of her fabulously hilarious and inappropriate quips. I hope there will be a spin off for Beep's story as there's so much room for more in this fantastic world. All in all, SUMMONED TO THIRTEENTH GRAVE was a fantastic read that I couldn't put down. Fans of the series will be more than pleased!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

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Other Reviews:
     Gizmo's Reviews
     Silence is Read
     Stephanie's Novel Fiction

Previous Books:
     1. First Grave on the Right
     2. Second Grave on the Left
     3. Third Grade Dead Ahead
     4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feat
     5. Fifth Grave Past the Light
     6. Sixth Grave on the Edge
     7. Seventh Grave and No Body
     8. Eighth Grave After Dark
     9. The Dirt on Ninth Grave
     10. The Curse of Tenth Grave
     11. Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
     12. The Trouble with Twelfth Grave

Review: Evermore by Sara Holland

Evermore by Sara Holland

Everless #2

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Everless. The premise, characters, and twisty-turns were all spot on. Considering it ended in a cliffhanger, I couldn't wait to get my hands on EVERMORE to see what happened next. Unfortunately my patience wasn't really rewarded in this case. EVERMORE felt like a completely different style of book, leaving me rather disappointed. There was little focus this time around on concept of blood time as currency, which I had found to be one of the most intriguing parts of the first book. This time around things focused almost entirely on Jules' plight to take down the sorceress. Unfortunately that led to a very meandering plot that lacked the pacing and momentum to keep my attention. I found myself skimming more often than not which is unfortunate. Also, there were a lot of vision sequences to the past that really bogged down the pacing. Some of the information/events they showed added to the story, but the pacing and execution just didn't work overall.

Unfortunately it also didn't help things in that I had no attachment to the budding romance. Something about the pairing just didn't work for me, and just felt forced. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers romances, but in this case, it just didn't work for me at all with Jules and Liam. Separately I like the characters a great deal (although Jules and her ridiculous impulsively bad decisions drove me batty), but together, they just didn't mesh in my opinion.

All in all, unfortunately EVERMORE just didn't work for me. I do think the author is very talented as evidenced by the first book, and I'll be eager to try new books from her in the future for a fresh start.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

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Other Reviews:
     The Book Prescription
     Her Bookish Things
     Gizmo's Reviews

Previous Books:
     1. Everless