Posts Tagged ‘3.5 stars’

Title: Dead to Me (Simon Canderous, book 1 )
Author: Anton Strout
Release: February 26, 2008
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 3.5 Stars

A few months back I declared my love of male written and male point of view urban fantasies, but up until that point I had only read Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. I asked for recommendations and Anton Strout’s name was tossed my way. When Literary Escapism announced the League of Reluctant Adults challenge I knew it would be the perfect time to pick up the Simon Canderous series and dig in.

Simon is an incredibly likable character. He is your typical bad guy gone good, but with an interesting twist! Simon has the ability to touch an item and is instantly transported into someone else’s experience with the object. At one time Simon misused this power, living a life of crime. Now he has turned his life around and is firmly on the side of Good, working for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs.

One of the things I like most about Simon is that he is just your regular guy, trying to do the best he can. He isn’t a super hero who can take a beating and still get back up. When he takes a hit, he goes down just like you and I would. When he uses his power, it has side effects that could be dangerous. There is a nice balance to his character and the world around him.

As much as I enjoyed Simon’s character, I also enjoyed the side characters in this book. Simon’s partner and mentor, Connor, was funny and sarcastic in all the ways I like. He is also dependable and trustworthy, even if Simon doesn’t always see it.

The plot was interesting and made fun by the government setting of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. There is just something humorous about the idea of paranormal government agencies tied up with red tape, paperwork, and cleverly named seminars. Imagine if the forces of good had to fight evil while sticking to a budget?

My only complaint was that I think the book could have used more background, maybe a deeper look into why Simon gave up petty crime. While I enjoyed both Simon and Connor, there was something missing and I never felt like I absolutely could not put this book down. While Dead to Me may have lacked slightly in depth, it made up for in clever and descriptive visuals. Strout does a very good job of describing things in a way that is easy to visualize, while not overdoing it. Dead to Me shows a lot of promise for the series and I look forward to seeing where Anton Strout takes Simon and the DEA next!

Other Reviews:

Bitten By Books – 5
WickedLilPixie – 4

Title: Deader Still (Simon Canderous, book 2 )
Author: Anton Strout
Release: February 24, 2009
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Since I am posting this review along with my review for book 1 I am not going to go into too much detail regarding Simon and his powers, you can read it in the review above. Deader Still picks up just a few months after the end of Dead To Me and we find Simon still with the Department of Extraordinary Affairs but also a new member of the Fraternal Order of Goodness. The F.O.G. is a kind of good guys super club, they have been around far longer than the government paranormal agencies and allow Simon to play a little fast and loose with the rules.

We also find Simon a relationship with Jane, the “agent of Darkness” from book 1 as she attempts to find her place on the side of good. And here comes my embarrassing confession….. I don’t like Jane. I really don’t like her. Maybe I am just jealous because I totally want a Simon to call my own, but I just can not seem to get over my dislike of her. I don’t know what it is about her character but I am hoping Anton Strout has some evil plan in mind for her in the future.

Unlike Jane, the character of Connor continues to intrigue me. I really do like him almost as much as Simon, especially because he is always there for Simon. I really enjoyed the tension between Simon and Connor as Simon finds himself in the awkward position of being in charge because of his position with the F.O.G.. Deader Still gives me that little bit of depth I was looking for in Dead to Me and I found myself completely absorbed in the story. The mystery is better and the writing is tighter. The references to and obvious appreciation of the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer only help warm my heart to this series.

Deader Still takes the Simon Canderous series up a notch, delivering on the promise that I saw in Dead to Me. The tiny cliffhanger of hope at the end of this one has me anxiously awaiting book 3, Dead Matter.

Other Reviews:

Bitten By Books – 5
WickedLilPixie – 5

FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me

Title: Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7)
Author: Rachel Caine
Release: February 17, 2009
Buy Kindle version: here
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 3.5 Stars

As I first sat down to write this review I had a hard time writing my own quick synopsis of the story, without giving away spoilers. I can’t explain why, other than I don’t really think there was much story for the first half of the book. I enjoyed the book, as I always enjoy Rachel Caine’s writing, but this one fell short compared to previous Morganville books.

With the demise of Bishop and his clan, Morganville is a much more relaxed place. I think the entire first half of the story focused around the daily activities of the kids, there was very little action or suspense in it. It wasn’t until the second half that a new character, Kim goes missing and we get into the real plot of book 7.

As I said above, I always enjoy Rachel Caine’s writing. She is good at what she does – she somehow managed to bring me into Morganville again without skipping a beat. I didn’t have to sit and try to remember what happened in the last book, as soon I started reading it all came back. The strength of her writing is the only thing that really kept me interested in the book enough for me to get past the middle point.

The first half of Fade Out deals with the kids and their daily life. They have jobs, Claire is working on her studies and with Myrnin. We also meet Kim. Claire sees Kim as a threat to her friendship with Eve and her relationship with Shane and she immediately despises her. Claire’s reactions seemed far too immature for the person she has proven to be in past novels, but maybe teenage love will do that to you? I admit it has been a while There is also some signs the problems with Amelie, who appears to be lost in grief for Sam still. It looks like Oliver is going to plan a takeover and that will be the major plot line of the book, but then it is dropped. I admit that Oliver is in this book fairly briefly and all of it felt like it was filler, but I imagine it is setting up the next book in some way.

When we finally did get to the big bad and the sinister plot, I have to say I was disappointed. I expected more oopfff and was left feeling…. underwhelmed. The writing is good, so definitely not a wasted read, but without having the next book in hand it felt like this one didn’t do much to move the series forward at all. There were some developments in the relationship between Michael and Eve, but I didn’t feel they needed this particular story line to create them. I think significant move in the overall storyline of the Morganville Vamps centers around what happens with Ada in this book. I do think that situation is worthy of its own novel, I just think the plot line that was created around it was weaker than Ada deserved. I wish I could be more detailed, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone!

All in all, a decent read, just not as action packed as I am used to from Rachel Caine.

FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me.