Tag Archive for: Series

Silver Elite

Silver EliteTitle: Silver Elite
Author: Dani Francis
Series: Silver Elite #1
Genre: Romantasy
Format: Audio
Pages: 528
Length: 19h 12m
Narrator: Amanda Dolan
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored SILVER ELITE. I was hooked from the get go and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved the setting and the concept of the “modified” and I loved the dystopian aspect of the story. The story felt like THE HUNGER GAMES meets DIVERGENT and GRACELING, with a little bit of FOURTH WING thrown in as well (no dragons, though). It is more of a romantopian than a romantasy, but either way it was awesome.

I thought Wren was a great protagonist and heroine. She reminded me of all my favorite dystopian/fantasy heroines. I loved the chemistry between her and Cross. Their banter was amazing and none of the spicier scenes made me roll my eyes. (Francis really knows how to write good kissing scenes!) The other characters were also fantastic. I kept second guessing their motives and had a hard time deciding which side they were on. I’m really looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out next year.

As far as the controversy, I didn’t feel like SILVER ELITE was written by A.I. The writing may not be the best literature has to offer, but it seemed natural for a story like this.

Sunrise on the Reaping

Sunrise on the ReapingTitle: Sunrise on the Reaping
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #5
Genre: Dystopian
Format: Audio
Pages: 382
Length: 12h 48m
Narrator: Jefferson White
Source: Owned
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’m so glad Collins has decided to write more books in Panem universe. I love deep diving into so many of the secondary characters from the original trilogy. I’ve been looking forward to SUNRISE ON THE REAPING since I heard about it and it did not disappoint.

I knew Haymitch had to have had a rough life, especially in and after the games. I just had no idea how awful it really was. Poor, Haymitch! Despite how gruesome his story was, it was a fantastic edition to the series. I really loved learning more about him. I also loved how Collins interspersed “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe throughout the book and especially during the last chapter. It added a lot of feeling and atmosphere to what happened to Haymitch and the other characters.

It was really fun to see all the character cameos from the original trilogy as well as a few from THE BALLAD ON SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES. The characters endeared the book to me more than anything else.

As of the end SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, I still want to know how Snow became president of Panem and what led to that happening between the tenth and 50th Hunger Games. I also still want to know why he and Tigris had a falling out. I also want to know how both Lucy Gray and Maude Ivory died because of something Clerk Carmine or Tam Amber said near the end of this story. I’d love to read Finnick’s story or what happened during the first quarter quell next. And, I think it would be fun to get Mags’, Beatty’s, and Johanna’s stories at some point as well.

One Golden Summer

One Golden SummerTitle: One Golden Summer
Author: Carley Fortune
Series: Florek Brothers #2
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 382
Length: 11h 51m
Narrator: A.J. Bridel
Source: Borrowed
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I discovered Carley Fortune when her debut came out in 2021. I instantly fell in love with EVERY SUMMER AFTER and each subsequent book since then. 

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER is my favorite of Fortune’s novels. I adored Alice and Charlie. I loved their interactions and all the fun they had together at the lake during the summer. I loved that this story is a companion to EVERY SUMMER AFTER and that we get to finally see Charlie’s happily ever after. I loved revisiting the same lake and getting to see Percy, Sam, and Charlie again. It made this story that much more special.

,

Dark Corners

Dark CornersTitle: Dark Corners
Author: Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #2
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 341
Length: 10h 46m
Narrator: January LaVoy, and more
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:

My Thoughts

I thought DARK CORNERS was very interesting. I liked the little bit of romance between Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.

DARK CORNERS definitely felt much more thriller-y than THE NIGHT SWIM. I thought the mystery and thriller were fun to figure out and kept me guessing about certain aspects until the end. I’ll definitely read another installment if there are any in the future.

Additional Narrators: Samantha Desz, André Santana

,

The Night Swim

The Night SwimTitle: The Night Swim
Author: Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #1
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 344
Length: 10h 25m
Narrator: January LaVoy, and more
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I thought THE NIGHT SWIM was an interesting look at the United States justice system in regard to sexual assault cases. The story felt very real, and the characters and situations seemed believable. I also thought the connection between the current case and the 25-year-old cold case was interesting.

Even though the book is billed as a thriller, I thought it was more of a mystery as I didn’t get that edge-of-my-seat feeling like I do with thrillers. I wanted to keep reading. I needed to know if the perpetrators were convicted and the victims received justice.

Additional Narrators: Samantha Desz, Bailey Carr