Paranormal – Bibliophile Gathering

Storm Front – Jim Butcher

Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Published April 2000

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.

Magic – it can get a guy killed.

So this is the second time I’ve read this book. And this series actually has some great memories that comes with it. My husband (boyfriend at the time) suggested I read this book because he was OBSESSED with it and was the only series he’s actually gone all from start to finish with, and he couldn’t recommended it enough to me.

I decided to pick it up but I didn’t get through it all so one of the goals I decided for 2019 was to try and get through all the current Dresden Files books. In hopes that Peace Talks (book 16) comes out soon.

Reading Storm Front for the second time, I fell in love all over again. Harry is probably one of my absolute favorite book characters of all time. He’s snarky/witty which I LOVE , and just is a great wizard “detective”. I don’t get bored reading these books at all and I just keep churning through them non-stop and it’s so satisfying. There’s so many twists and turns. And now, like my husband, I now recommend this series to everyone who is remotely interested in mystery and fantasy.

All the other characters are just as great as Harry as well though which I think is something really special about this series. I’ve never read a series where I get so invested in ALL characters. Harry, Murphy, Toot Toot, Bob, even Johnny Marcone, YOU GET INVESTED PEOPLE, AND IT’S SO DAMN GOOD.

I know this isn’t the best of the best reviews but it’s seriously just something you can’t put down and just continuously desire more. PLEASE READ THIS SERIES.

Review : The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

17901125 The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
Published : January 27, 2015

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London…

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city’s gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

I cannot begin to express how I feel about this series. It devours me and engulfs me in a whole different world and I’m absolutely in love with it. I can’t explain how amazing this series is but I’m going to try.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a series that’s so different and so enthralling and so just overall amazing. Every word has purpose, every punctuation has meaning. This book is so well thought out, in every way. The plot, the characters, the settings, every single movement, every single word. There aren’t enough words for the praise I would give this book, let alone this series.

Paige Mahoney, is the epitome of a strong female lead. A woman who fights for everything that is right in the world. The cast of characters in this book are amazing, there’s the ones you love, the one’s you hate (effin’ Nashira), but honestly, they’re all insanely perfect.

Every twist and turn in this book, literally keeps me on the edge of my seat and I cannot recommend that you pick it up. A lot of people get worried about sequels and getting a lull and or just having a “filler book” but these books are anything but that. They’re literally so well thought out that nothing is filler, everything has purpose and meaning. It’s all just so perfect. And I know I’m rambling but I don’t want to give anything away, and I want everyone to experience this series, it’s freaking amazing

I cannot thank Samantha Shannon enough for this series. And I’ve been blessed to be given the next installment in this series, and I’m trying to take my time with it, but I know I can’t contain myself, and got myself through half of the book in one sitting. And I can only hope that I get the chance to read these books as ARCs because I’m beyond obsessed.

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Stephanie-Signature

ARC Review: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
To Be Published : September 3 2017

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

A big thank you to the lovely people at Sourcebooks for sending me this ARC!

I know it’s cutting it close to the pub date of this book but I was in a bit of a slump (don’t let my reviews fool you, I was super behind on posts) and I finally got around to reading this book and I was pretty surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

I was very entertained while reading this book. I’ve never read anything in terms of buja/bujo magic and it really intrigued me. Of course I’ve heard of it but never have I read a book where this was the way magic was used and it felt really authentic and really well written, and I appreciated that a lot while reading this book.

I absolutely loved the world (Los Lagos), the writing, the story but there were a few things that fell short to me. I felt like I didn’t really get as immersed in this book as I usually do with others which I’m not saying is an overly negative thing but I REALLY wanted to feel like I was completely enveloped in this story this place around all this magic and amazement, but I just didn’t and it sucked when I could easily put the book down and go do something else. Being so excited for this book I was really looking forward into really diving deep into it and having trouble coming out of this book…but it just didn’t happen. And I think it could be because of the characters? But I’m still not quite sure (hmmm maybe a re-read needs to happen to figure that out…)

I preferred Nova over Alex. I think she kind of just fell under the radar in comparison to other lead ladies I’ve read about and just felt that like overall there could have been a lot more development overall across the board. I feel like I wanted more from them. All the characters, I needed more from Alex, more from Nova…hell I needed more from the villain! And I think that’s where this book started to fall short. Although really entertaining, and a great premise and AMAZING diversity in all fronts (ethnic, romance, just unf I loved all the diversity in this book!) a big part of books that really make or break it for me are the characters.

But I have to say, for one of my most anticipated reads Zoraida gets ALL THE CLAPS! Thank you for this good read! It’s something that’s snaked me out of my slump and got me reading again. Overall great plot, awesome world, good characters, and entertaining.