Mini Reviews Wrap Up January 2023

 

Here at Chapter Break, we don’t always write a full review of every book we read. Well, now we decided to do these monthly wrap-up posts with roundups of our reviews this month and mini-reviews to fill in the gaps. Enjoy!

Mini Book Reviews

 

Undercover Reaper (Eerie Valley Supernaturals Book 1):This was alright. I will say the premise is interesting, and I’m always a fan of weird supernatural things going on with a kick-ass heroine. But, this was missing a lot. It’s a first book in a series, and it asked a lot of questions and set up the big story arc I suppose, but felt unsatisfying in how quickly it ended. The story also jumped POV randomly twice. The story is narrated by Faith Ghraves, yes, a reaper named Ghraves, but twice in random places we got a narration from one of the male characters. The first one for Steve seemed very out of place and kind of jarring. The second one for Lucas made more sense since he keeps a lot of answers, even if Faith is too stubborn and childish to pull her head out of her emotions and listen to him.  This book can definitely benefit from some editing -I noticed quite a few typos. I am curious about the characters and I might want to read more but it won’t be high on my wishlist.

 

 

Gleanings: Did I have to find the Arc of Scythes Wiki page to remember all the characters? Yes. I couldn’t remember which Scythes were good and which were not! I genuinely enjoyed most of these short stories. Some more than others. (The one with the dog is hilarious. The one on the space ship was a lot more emotional that I anticipated.) But none that I really didn’t enjoy. Overall a great read for someone who has already read the Scythe series. Starting with this one would certainly be a challenge.

 

Legends & Lattes: We featured this on a cover chat last year. Then I saw it on a bunch of Best of the Year posts. So I thought what the heck. I’ll try it out! But then there was a long wait at the library. So I only received it to read this month. I think a descriptive subtitle for this should be How to Open a Coffee Shop In a World Where Inhabitants Don’t Know What Coffee Is and How to Meet People and Make a Chosen Family. The premise of the book succeeds and is clear in the description: a retired solider trying to find her way without a sword, opening a coffee shop. Most of the joy in reading this was the motley collection of characters who come together. And (mostly) get along. The audiobook is narrated by the author, Travis Baldree. And in this case, I think that works out. Being able to pronounce all those fantasy names\locations is always a challenge for a narrator! Overall an enjoyable, quick listen.

 

Master Lecture Series: History of the 3rd Robot War: Oh how I love a good sci fi parody! Especially when it’s wrapped up in an Audible Originals package, complete with full cast, musical interludes, and sound effects! This novel is a parody of Master Class lectures, taking place in the year three hundo thirty. On the planet Toxic Earth. It’s the Star Wars \ Fellowship of the Rings mashup that you didn’t know you needed. With some Harry Potter, Terminator, & Independence Day references thrown in for good measure. The Organic Multiverse against the Robotic Multiverse. The standard Chosen One. But what I loved most is the imaginative nature of the characters\species. The head of the History Department? Bowl of Pudding. Different Multiverse beings include cyclops cats, spaghetti and meatball monsters, and cod fish pirates! Listen if you have the sense of humor of a pirate. Skip if you have the sense of humor of said bowl of pudding.

 

   

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Books we reviewed this month:

• [18 Jan] A Maiden of Snakes by Jane McGarry ★★★½
• [24 Jan] Hacking the Code: The Ziggety Zaggety Road of a Dyslexic Kid by Gea Meijering ★★★★★
• [26 Jan] Amazing Sports from Around the World by Douglas McLaughlin ★★★★
• [30 Jan] Cursed (Gilded, #2) by Marissa Meyer ★★★½

 

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