{Mini Reviews} All Fantasy, All the Time

Because sometimes you just want to read ALL the books but you don't have the time -- or the energy -- to review them all. Or, sometimes it's been months since you read the book, but you still have something to say about it. So, here are some short and sweet reviews that are long overdue...


Title: The Immortal Heights
Author: Sherry Thomas
Narrator(s): Philip Battley
Series: The Elemental Trilogy, book #3
Length: 10 hrs 49 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?

With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.

Read in October.

What a satisfying conclusion to a fantastic series! I remember being thoroughly confused for the first half of the previous book -- and loving it immensely despite that -- but there was no confusion in this final installment. Lots of shocking twists and turns, sure, but I was on board -- er, carpet? -- for all of them.

It all comes down to the blasted prophecies in this book, and sometimes I wanted to smack Titus for relying so heavily on them because I think he missed the big picture in doing so. It irritated me almost as much as his dismissal of Iolanthe in the second book, when again, he let a prophecy take priority and guide him instead of letting his own instincts take over.

Honestly, I loved this book, but -- and this may be because I re-read The Perilous Sea prior to picking up this final book -- I'm finding it a little difficult to remember the details from it. The events of The Perilous Sea are forefront in my mind right now. Because of that, I think the second book might have been the strongest of the series: it had to bridge past and present, memory gaps, and overcome second book syndrome, all of which it did amazingly. That said, The Immortal Heights is still an impressive finale.  The whole series was impressive, and I can't wait to return to it one day when I can read all three books back-to-back.

GIF it to me straight:

Title: Ice Like Fire
Author: Sara Raasch
Narrator(s): Kate Rudd, Nick Podehl
Series: Snow Like Ashes, book #2
Length: 12 hrs 49 mins
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audiobook
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

Read in October.

This sequel has me stymied. I don't know whether to continue or not. I liked it, but it's completely changed how I feel about the series. Everything's been turned on its head, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Especially the ships. At first I was #TeamMather. Then I was #TeamTheron. And that's where I was when I started this book. But then I realized I had some chapters to read from Mather's perspective, albeit third person and not the first person Meira's are in. And I started to appreciate Mather's character a bit more again. His chapters reminded me of what I liked about him in the first place. And Theron was just pushy. After one kiss, he's ready to get married. Granted, that was originally the plan, but that was before.

I feel like I should just be #TeamMeira, but she's just not nearly as fierce in this sequel as she was in the first book. I mean, yeah, they stuck her in a dress and are trying to make her act queenly. (Good luck with that!) But even as such, she could still show some of that fire. Where she went wrong was not trusting her gut, not immediately standing up to her adversaries, instead letting the Cordellans get their hooks in.

This book started off strongly, and I was positive I was going to like it even more than Snow Like Ashes. But it got rather chaotic toward the end, especially after a major reveal. I'll inevitably end up picking up the next installment because my curiosity will get the better of me...I'm just not sure who I'm rooting for anymore.

GIF it to me straight:

Title: Firewalker
Author: Josephine Angelini
Narrator(s): Emma Galvin
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy, book #2
Length: 11 hrs 17 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher, audio borrowed from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!

Read in October.

I put off reading this sequel for awhile after release date even though I'd had the ARC for months prior to that. I read some early reviews and it just sounded like a huge disappointment. Granted, I feel like I was one of the only ones who really enjoyed the first book, so that probably shouldn't come as a shock.

What did come as a surprise was how much this sequel felt like the first book. Basically, it's Lily in her own universe, doing the same thing she did once she got her feet in Lillian's world: collecting mechanics for her coven, army, whatever you want to call it. Because of this, the book very much felt like a middle book and cost me whatever enjoyment I might have taken from it.

Also, there's the intense jealousy Lily's Tristan harbors toward her relationship with Rowan and the lack of communication between Lily and Rowan. I liked the romance in the first book, but in this book, I found it insufferable.

I'm really hoping for more from the third book. There were things alluded to in this book that still have me curious, and I'd like to see that all come to fruition before all is said and done.

GIF it to me straight:

Funny thing. When I first started this post, like two weeks ago, I had the latter two books rated higher. But the more I sat on the reviews, the less I liked about the books. I'm still holding out hope that the final installments end up redeeming both of those series, though...