Urban Fantasy Archives - Page 4 of 4

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Posted on January 14, 2017August 3, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(5 / 5)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1
An entrancing, beautiful, and heartrending novel. Wonderfully original and unique, Daughter of Smoke & Bone will take you on a journey to another place, of myths and monsters. What started out as a strange and curious story morphed into a tale of an epic forbidden love, and its tragic consequences. And the vignettes that intersect the novel are so deliciously evocative they put the story on another level; so poignant and perfect! My enjoyment of this novel took me by surprise, as intrigue turned to awe with the unfolding of the tale. Such masterful craftsmanship!

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman

Posted on November 25, 2016September 3, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(4 / 5)

Shadowhunters (Short Story Compilation)
I loved reading Simon’s story and getting the fill in the gap between The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices. There were so many different emotions in this one too: you really get to see some of the Clave’s darker side in these stories. There were only a few small things that I didn’t love about the series, but I can’t much mention them here without spoilers (see below). All together, I thought the plot carried well through the 10 stories, which flowed together nicely. It was interesting getting to insert pieces and plots from her other series into this one, while still keeping the series overall centered on Simon. A great read if you are a fan of the series!

Spoilers

While I liked the story “Born to Endless Night,” it felt awkward to me that this was the only story in the series that was not told entirely from Simon’s point of view (with the exception of flashback scenes). I absolutely adored this insight into Magnus and Alex, but it didn’t feel like it really fit with the of the rest of the compilation. And I have to say that I was not a fan of the death at the end of “Angels Twice Descending.” Even though I foresaw it happening, it felt it was unnecessary and didn’t seem to really serve the story in any way.

Raging Sea by Michael Buckley

Posted on March 22, 2016August 1, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(3.5 / 5)

Undertow #2
This series is kind of like a strange freak-show that disgusts you, but you can’t stop watching! Raging Sea shows the ugliest side of humanity, one that we don’t want to believe could be true, but is an all too realistic possibility. Lyric’s adventure starts out as a mission to find her loved ones, but quickly turns into a fight for the most basic survival. The ending was a great crashing climax that cut out a bit too quickly. This one dug a bit too deep into the horrific darkness for my tastes, but I’m still intrigued enough to see where it ends up.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Posted on March 20, 2016September 3, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(5 / 5)

The Dark Artifices #1 (Shadowhunters)
I absolutely loved Lady Midnight! Definitely my favorite “first in series” from the Shadowhunter universe. The story was perfectly mysterious and exciting, the characters deep and intriguing, the villain unexpected, and the love story beautiful and heartbreaking. Julian is such a beautifully broken boy, you just want to give him a hug! Emma has such an amazing and enduring spirit; I just love that about her.

Though it’s something I’ve come to expect from Clare, I do have to say I could go without the “doomed” romance (or at least be toned down a little), but it probably wouldn’t be as heartbreaking without it. I am happy to have a little less mystery in this book when compared to some of her other series, a more wrapped up and finite ending. Though there were definitely teasers for the rest of the series, I felt I left the book with more questions answered than normal (less loose ends perhaps). All in all, a great start to the series!

Undertow by Michael Buckley

Posted on January 7, 2016July 8, 2017 by Michelle Huss

(4 / 5)

Undertow #1
My first thoughts upon reading Undertow were, “This is strange.” But as I continued with the story, they became “This is strange, but I kind of like it.” A weirdly imaginative tale of sea monsters and segregation, turned into an action-packed story of self-discovery and triumph. While I still find the book a bit strange, and while some aspects of Alpha society are quite off-putting (especially their particularly violent tendencies), I came to accept and understand the Alpha as the story went on (just as our heroine does!). With a quite climactic ending, book two promises even more action, and I’m curious to see where the story will go from here.