BOOK TRACKER: 21, 22, & 23

[wickedwords]

I finished up several books over the last couple of months, in part because I finally retired and we took a long train trip to the Grand Canyon, (which was amazing!) I think I', going to have to break the books into two groupings, as I read a lot more than I expected.

#21: Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World #2) by Rebecca Roanhorse
I enjoyed this book but didn't love it as much as I did the first one, which I have to admit is a pattern with me. Probably due to the way the universe is widened out to encompass more post-apocalypse societies, while the main relationship and main culture from the prior book stayed in the background. Still a good action plot and good characters and world building, but in expanding the world, I missed seeing more about relationship fallout from book one.

#22: Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) by Ilona Andrews
Sapphire Flames is interesting because it shifts the series protagonist to the second of a set a sisters, rather than either of the main characters for the first set of these novels. Still a romance, with a young protagonist and her more experienced love interest, and still very light in tone despite the body count. Interesting contrast to storm of locusts, as this book doesn't try to widen the universe really, just dig in to more detail about the way the world works. Still Houston, still genetic magic, same family trying to make ends meet, but very different problems. Also I have a completely made up slash pairing in this universe, and I got a whole arm touch between the two of them, which made me happy.

#23: Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne

Wow. Yeah. This was recommended to me as 'like the Dresden novels', and while I can see the same types of patterns in it that match up between the two series, this one doesn't even bother with terrible relationship building and even try to do anything with the female characters, other than strip them and have sex with them right away. Plus I really want a better term for 'authorial wish fulfillment/fantasy so strong that it lights up every chapter in the book and makes me uncomfortable', but I don't have one. Just...No.

As that catches me up to where I was before my train trip started, I'll stop there.  I still have so many books to read!

Comments

[elynross]

I finished all the Hearne books just before the last one came out
(my coworker Hannah had recommended them, and since they were quick, I made it through), and there are things I like about them, although not like I do the Dresden books. The Hearne main character is an ass, and continues to be an ass, although I do like his relationship with animals (and the animals themselves). He also gets a lover/apprentice in later books that I enjoy. And he gets a bit of comeuppance late in the series that I appreciated. But I don't know if I'd have kept up with them as they came out, and I never did warm to the main character himself, or thought he felt as old as he was supposed to be. He was a bro dude.

[wickedwords]

A complete bro dude, yes! Made me furious to read, as reading is all about creating an emotional link with the protagonist and I did not empathize with him in any way. A very low empathy book, and I am not usually interested in reading those. Good to know the rest of the series doesn't get any better. :)