Review: Menagerie

Menagerie: Menagerie | Rachel Vincent
Published by: Mira, September 29th 2015

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 429

Format: Ebook

Source: Mira, via Netgalley

From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent comes a richly imagined, provocative new series set in the dark mythology of the Menagerie… 

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town. 

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions"—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed. 

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale

I did not know what to expect from this, which is probably why I put off reading it for so long despite it being written by one of my auto-buy authors. I've seen reviews calling it literary which ... I do understand, as it raises questions about humanity, but it's very firmly fantasy, which made me happy.

Circus, supernatural creatures, and deep questions about what it means to be a sentient being? Hell yes. Honestly, this book does so many things so well, and I don't have enough time to praise them. But I want to touch on the main character, suddenly finding her rights stripped, suddenly being property of a menagerie, and being put in a position where she could have dropped all that, forgotten her situation, because of her relationship with one of her captors. AND SHE NEVER DID. Even as she liked the guy, she was aware of his position of power, of the imbalance, and that was never romanticised, which was perfect. Handled so well.

The writing is strong as always, but the storytelling in this is immense and blew me away. I love the characters and the relationships between them (not necessarily romance either, more friendships and familial bonds) but I'm amazed by how unique and creative this book is. I want to read the next one!

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

Review: Things We Have In Common

Things We Have In Common | Tasha Kavanaugh

Published by: MIRA, January 31st 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Ebook

Source: MIRA, via Netgalley

Fifteen-year-old Yasmin Doner is a social misfit—obese, obsessive and deemed a freak by her peers at school. With her father dead and her mother in a new relationship, Yasmin yearns for a sense of belonging, finding comfort only in food and the fantasy of being close to Alice Taylor, a girl at school. Yasmin will do anything to become friends with pretty and popular Alice—even if Alice, like everyone else, thinks she's a freak. 

When Yasmin notices a sinister-looking man watching Alice from the school fence, she sees a way of finally winning Alice's affection—because how this stranger is staring is far more than just looking, it's wanting. Because this stranger, Yasmin believes, is going to take Alice. Yasmin decides to find out more about this man so that when he does take Alice, Yasmin will be the only one who knows his name and where he lives…the only one who can save her. 

But as Yasmin discovers more about him, her affections begin to shift. Perhaps she was wrong about him. Perhaps she doesn't need Alice after all. 

And then Alice vanishes.

What this book should have been: highly disturbing, upsetting, icky. What this book somehow managed to be: captivating, thrilling, oddly romantic. I'm so confused that I like this book. Well maybe not that I DO like it, but WHY I like it. I like the relationship between Yasmin and Samuel. I love how close you get to Yasmin's thoughts, feelings, and desires. I know they're massively messed up, and wrong, but somehow I understood why she did everything she did. What this book very cleverly does is explain from near the beginning that Yasmin has an obsessive personality - without that, this book would be odd. It'd be like 'why are you talking to a strange older guy, are you crazy, do you want to be murdered????' but instead, she's fascinated by him and obsessed and utterly consumed. It makes total sense. And because she's consumed, I got consumed too. I ended up thinking this potential kidnapper was a pretty great guy? How? I don't know. This book is subtle and clever and trapped me without me ever noticing. You know how people say you can't look away from a car crash? This book is like that. I know it's wrong, and I should stop reading, but I was glued to the page. I loved it. Every minute of it. I would happily read more of Yasmin and Samuel (is it wrong that I kinda want them to become a serial killer couple??)

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★★

Wicked Nights (Review)

Angels of The Dark: Wicked Nights | Gena Showalter

Published by: Mira Books, July 1st 2012

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Angels

Pages: 411

Format: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless;and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost;until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation? Or her ultimate damnation?

Wicked Nights went in strong. With a MC attacked by a demon and put in an asylum for the criminally insane, I was drawn into the drama from page one. But it started on a downward slope after halfway, when the romance overtook plot. I liked it a lot less after that.

Annabelle is a great character, strong and feminine and gutsy (and a POC!) and I liked her a lot. I liked Zacharel too, the male main character. I wasn't really impressed with his super macho thing but that's just because I always hope for better characters. I liked how he was fairly naive and clueless in certain aspects, but hated how he got ultra possessive and dickish in parts. I could have done without the you're mine and belong to no one else spiel. Annabelle belongs to herself. Women belong to herself. Men need to understand that, and PNR writers too.

The action was great, and the fighting between demons and angels were the best parts IMHO. I thought it was pretty cool how it went into the hierachy of angels as well. But the sex scenes got tedious. I could have done with two at most, not four. After the second one I just got bored and flipped pages to the actual plot. Not to mention I read the word decadent SIX times.

I liked the action and the angels but the romance was overkill.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Poison Study (Review)

Yelena Zaltana: Poison Study | Maria V. Snyder

Published by: Mira Books, September 21st 2007

Genre: YA, High Fantasy

Pages: 409

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Choose:
A quick death
Or slow poison...

Yelena has a choice – be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived.

Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognise whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can’t. And who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head?

When Yelena realises she has extraordinary powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death...

There are books that don't live up to your crazy high, three-years-in-waiting expectations, and there is Poison Study.

Whoa boy, this was good. Insanely good. Poison Study was everything I wanted Girl of Fire and Thorns to be - 3D, interesting characters that were both human and more than at the same time, a wonderfully imagined world, a plot that thrilled, and a romance that burned and taunted.

I fell in love with Posion Study pretty early on. Yelena isn't the sort of character you can ignore. She's brave, smart, and pretty funny in parts. And she's not completely hopeless, or helpless, or oblivious. One of my favourite HF protagonists for a long time. And don't even get me started on Valek, or the supporting characters. Or the chilling, vicious villain, or the surprisingly complex commander. Ugh, I just loved everything.

I need time to read Magic Study ASAP.

To sum: a crazy good high fantasy, with amazing characters, a unique story, and a romance that will steal into your thoughts at every opportunity.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆