The Sandman: Book Three by Neil Gaiman

Fear of Falling: Meh

The Hunt: Really liked this one.

Soft Places: I liked the concept of Soft Places. Kinda fun.

The Parliament of Rooks: Chibi Dream and Death are adorable. I enjoyed this one.

Brief Lives: Ultimately, Brief Lives is a meditation on change. I think it does a good job getting there. The characters throughout are some of my favorite since the first story arc. I do love me some Gaiman Old Gods. Delirium is quite delightful, and yes, I will be sticking with that semi-pun. I’m glad she got her closure.

Ramadan: I quite like the art in this one. The story, too, is pretty good. Kind of a “be careful what you wish for” thing.

World’s End: I really like the art for Cluracan’s story. “Hob’s Leviathan” and “The Golden Boy” were probably my favorites of this set. The concept of the Inn is neat.

Favorite Lines

"It is sometimes a mistake to climb; it is always a mistake never even to make the attempt." - Dream

"You shouldn't trust the story-teller; only trust the story." - Vassily

 

Cover Art Preceeding "The Parliament of Rooks"

This just amused me

The Sandman: Book Two by Neil Gaiman

As this is essentially an anthology, my review will follow my anthology review format: each story gets its own little review.

Season of Mists:

Love love love the Endless descriptions.

Always a fun time seeing gods and such all coming together. Shared universes are such fun. I feel like Dream’s way of getting around actually handing the key to Hell over to anyone is neat. Didn’t really seem like he had much of a choice, but yeah.

Thermidor:

So… is this Orpheus THE Orpheus? Interesting fate, to end up as just a head.

August:

Ehhhh… no notes on this one.

Three Septembers and a January:

Also a lot of meh. I think the premise was good, but yeah… not my thing.

A Game of You:

Fun fun returning characters! I really did want more from Barbie’s dreams and I’m happy to be getting it.

I really enjoyed Thessaly, of all the characters. She’s neat and I want to know more about her.

I was really engaged with this story. It’s pretty awesome.

The Song of Orpheus:

Semi-interesting retelling.

The Flowers of Romance:

Drastically different art from the rest of the collection. Kinda cute, I guess.

Death: A Winter’s Tale:

Also drastically different art. Death musing about herself.

How They Met Themselves:

Much shrugging.

Favorite Lines

"Go Back? I don't know. I think Hell's something you carry around with you. Not somewhere you go." - Charles Rowland

"People may not be ready for my gift, but they get it anyway. The Sunless Lands are far away, and the journey is hard, and most of you will be glad of the company of a friend. At the End, each of us stands naked. At the End, each of us stands alone." - Death

The Sandman: Book One by Neil Gaiman

I am honestly not sure about how to go about writing a review of this. A majority of the book is one full story, but then there are a batch of semi-unrelated other stories at the end -- most of which have been adapted in the Netflix series The Sandman. I have written a review of the show HERE. If I remember correctly, it's mostly me gushing about how good it is. The source material here is just as good, even if I'm not a giant fan of the art.

I really did enjoy my reading experience, finishing most of it over a day. Particularly striking was the "Waiting for the End of the World" bit, following Dream retrieving the Ruby. I definitely enjoyed that more here than I did the Netflix episode depicting it.

The only other note I have is that I wish the issue titles were included in a more prominent place, in addition to the covers. Some are included in the art of the comic itself but I really had to search a couple times.

I'm really looking forward to the next volume and stories I haven't previously experienced.

Favorite Lines

"People think dreams aren't real because they aren't made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real but they are made of viewpoints, of images, or memories and puns and lost hopes..." - John Dee

"The only reason people die, is because everyone does it. You all just go along with it. It's rubbish, death. It's stupid. I don't want nothing to do with it." - Hob Gadling

"Thing need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot." - Dream

Storm Rising by Mercedes Lackey

Storm Rising is definitely a middle book of a trilogy. Not a whole lot actually happens, but there is a lot of character work and some figuring out of stuff. It was very middling.

Theory: Tremane is going to end up as the new Hardorian king. We get to know Tremane here. We see how he is with his men, how he is with command, and even how he is when confronted with a mistake. I definitely feel like he’s essentially going to be elected King, even if he doesn’t want to take the crown. Not sure how or even is The Empire is going to play into the next book, but yeah.

So much introspection in this book. Fleshing out Firesong, An’desha, and Karal more. I liked An’desha and Karal’s character development, but really, really could not even with Firesong. Every time he showed up, I found myself wanting to just skip over his parts. Ultimately, I’m not even sure it was worth it not to.

I don’t really have feelings about the rest of Storm Rising. Like I said, it was fairly middling and not really that exciting.

Favorite Conversation

     "I'm soaked in trouble anyway, why not add hot water?"

     "Careful with that kind of talk," An'desha grinned.

     "You'll make it start raining again." - Karal and An'desha

Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews

Steel’s Edge is, uh, interesting. Endlessly entertaining, yes. Completely cohesive… eh. Not sure on that one. I feel like that’s an issue stemming from introducing new characters and having to get to know them before ultimately finishing up the series completely. It’s not bad, but it does feel like two books in one.

I quite like Charlotte. She’s an interesting dichotomy of a character. She’s sheltered and innocent, but also very much not. She comes across as rather waifish, but she’s very much not. Behind that poised exterior is a spine of steel. Her trauma hits her at least once, which was nice, but the rest of it is mostly glossed over.

Richard ultimately feels like a better spy than Kaldar was. I mean, they both have their strengths, but Richard seems more believable to me.

I liked the Richard/Charlotte romance. They’re both damaged in different ways but just seem to fit well together. Probably my second favorite of The Edge couples. I’m really indifferent to the romance parts, but there we go.

I enjoyed the initial hunting down slavers part of the plot. Having George and Jack involved was kind of meh… I’m not entirely sure I needed closure as far as their father went, but we got it. I’m also pretty sure someone would have figured out the fireplace thingy without Jack, but it’s whatever.

The second half of the plot was more upper-crust maneuvering than anything else. Gotta building up that Weird world-building, I guess. It wasn’t super interesting, to be honest.

But yeah, I really feel like Steel’s Edge is two-for-the-price-of-one kind of book. Pretty good, but really not a super satisfying ending to a series.

Favorite Lines

"Congratulations, he told himself. You've finally managed to get yourself killed and by an amateur, no less. Your family would be so proud if they knew." - Richard Mar

"You feel that way in the heat of the moment because you look at your father and see the legacy of his crimes. It brings you deep shame. You want to wipe it clean and right the wrongs, but killing him wouldn't undo them." - Richard Mar

"That's a wild exaggeration. I was a quarter-dead, at most." - Richard Mar

Just a Cool Bit of World-Building

"In the Broken, Jesus Christ was viewed as the son of God, and his followers are Christians. In the Weird, it was John the Nazarite, whose followers are called the Nazaratians. In the Weird, a Christina would be names Johanna." - Charlotte de Nay

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

I honestly spent a lot of my time reading Fate's Edge rolling my eyes and skimming. I knew there was romance involved, because the last two books also included romance. However, this one has a lot more mooning and flirting and just so much blech. I'm not a fan of traditional romance and this very much strayed too far into that for my liking. I liked the spy bits, though.

I very much enjoyed getting more of Kaldar. He was my favorite of the Mar family aside from Cerise. It was fun getting to see him so fully in his element. I'm glad he found his niche in society. I'm glad he found Audrey. They really are perfect for each other.

Audrey was an interesting way to do some kind of POV character. She knows some stuff about conning and theft, but very little about the Weird and their ways... and doesn't actually seem to do a lot of socializing with anyone from the Edge, either. Throwing her in with Kaldar and the boys was fun.

I actually enjoyed seeing George and Jack more grown-up. I don't know that I was expecting for them to actually step "on-screen" again. Figured they'd just be in the background, but was pleasantly surprised. They're definitely showing more personality and drive than I think I expected from them.

On plot-relevant stuff: The whole thing is basically kicked off in a purely verbal altercation between Jack and some Blueblood... at least I definitely read it as purely verbal and so Declan's reaction seems really, really overblown. Like, sir, Jack didn't actually DO anything other than expose the Blueblood asshole for an asshole in front of your party so... your reaction seems ridiculous. Definitely turns out Jack took Declan's reaction wrong, but it still made me want to punch Declan.

I feel like the heist in the middle of the book really slowed things down. It did give Jack his rending opportunity -- which I was low-key worried about -- and gave Audrey and Kaldar an opporunity to talk without an audience. However, it was definitely a departure from the rest of the book and an excuse to deal with a chunk of the Hand.

So yeah, overall Fate's Edge is just alright. I'm definitely not a fan of the "will-they-won't-they-they-definitely-both-wanna" kind of thing stretched out as far as it was, but the rest was good.

Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

Bayou Moon really sucks you in when you let it. I do not recommend reading it in short bursts, unless you’re going section to section or chapter to chapter. Really works a lot better in large chunks. Highly recommend.

I like Cerise more than Rose, from On the Edge. Cerise actually shows the steel she’s made of. Also, she’s snarky, which is almost always a plus in my books. Although she has weight on her shoulders, she doesn’t let it isolate her. William has actually grown a personality, which is good. The whole “I’m just a dude, just a solider” routine would not have worked for a main character. Showing his skills outside of his Changeling nature also helped with that. Also showing how he thinks versus how a “normal” human thinks is a plus. I actually like their romance. It’s based in a partnership they grow during their short time together in The Mire and it just works a lot better than Declan and Rose, in my opinion.

The world-building here is, again, top notch. Not just the descriptions of the land, but the characters as well. Also the weird contradictions, like Louisianan operatives being super mutated through magic and that’s kind of okay but to be born a Changeling is anathema in their culture. The people of The Mire also definitely help give The Mire, and thus The Edge, a feeling of reality.

I will say this about the dogs in Ilona Andrews’ books: they are a special breed of loveably gross. Grendel and Cough: lovably gross goodest boys.

We don’t even learn what’s in this journal Spider wants so bad until about 80% of the way through the book. I am only slightly surprised to learn it’s a philosopher’s-stone-style-thingy and not some kinda weapon. Not entirely sure why that info would start a war… but apparently Spider thinks it will so… okay then. It is explained and it’s definitely a weapon. Saying more would spoil it, so I won’t. However, the story you think is the main story, is only part of it and it’s complicated. I very much enjoyed it.

Kaldar’s betting power is interesting. I like Emel, despite the fact he’s barely in this book. Lark is sweet and very, very traumatized, poor thing. I love Grandmother Az. Cerise’s whole family is just… chef’s kiss. They feel like a family and also fully themselves, which makes them feel very real.

It is a very good thing my brain does not usually allow me to visualize the gore. There is a lot. Ilona Andrews does not shy away from the gross and the gore. If you actually have an issue with that, I would stay away from Bayou Moon.

I felt the ending wad overall quite satisfying, even if it did include some romance-y bullshit that I hate. Seriously wanted to knock some heads together. Otherwise, A+. Bayou Moon definitely continues The Edge series with aplomb. Thus ends my reread portion of the series and I’m very much looking forward to the next one.

Storm Warning by Mercedes Lackey

First question, mostly because of the Founding of Valdemar prequels… this Wolf Crown, is it a remade one or a twin or something? Cuz I could have sworn that Kordas destroyed The Wolf Crown in Valdemar. I know that Valdemar is a prequel, given its place in publication order, but that’s still the question in my mind.

I think I liked the look at The Empire, for all it was just the Emperor and Tremaine. It’s definitely less faceless now, in its “modern” form than it has been. It’s still mostly a monolith of “oooooh scary” but definitely less faceless now.

I quite enjoyed Karal as both protagonist and POV character. I wouldn’t jump into Valdemar with Storm Warning but I think you probably could with Karal acting as a good entry point character. Karal himself is also quite a fun character. Introverted, but not isolated nor wishing for isolation. I am pleased he was “granted” are Firecat. I like Altra.

I was actually pleased with An’desha’s inclusion here. I wasn’t so keen on him being included in Winds of Fury as that meant the returb of Falconsbane, who I hated. However, I actually like that An’desha wasn’t just magically fixed from an emotion standpoint. That there was fallout from his whole Falconsbane ordeal was a good thing, especially as he managed to actually serve the overall plot. I feel like An’desha’s still mostly blank as a character, though. Not a super bad thing, but a thing.

I don’t want to spoil things, but there’s a part of the book that deals with grieving. It’s very well written and had me in tears a few times as I read it.

I also really enjoyed the plot of Storm Warning. Started out slow and rather ordinary before the Mage Storms started hitting and then ramped up nicely. I also very much enjoyed the coming together of the mages and the engineers and Firesong’s dressing down. It was pretty great.

We still have the dangling plot thread of Grand Duke Tremane and The Empire, plus seeing how well those magic breakwaters work. Looking forward to seeing how all this shakes out. I have very little recall from my first read and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how much I remember versus what my brain made up.

Favorite Lines

"You don't go into a pairing intending to try and change someone to suit you. They were themselves long before you came along. You do go into a pairing ready to compromise." - Elspeth

"You change, or you turn into a dry old stick." - Karal

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

This is a reread review.

Overall, I enjoyed On the Edge. I think the strongest parts were the world-building bits. I think the characters were alright, even if I really, really wanted to smack Rose, Declan, and William upside the head a few times. I loathed every part of the romance aspect here, which I will be ranting about. But overall, it was kinda fun and interesting.

To get this out of the way: I absolutely hate the way the romance here went. I'm not a big fan of romance to begin with and this one started with a big dollop of coercion. Big, giant, red flag of "I win three challenges and you get to come marry me." Whether or not Declan has a penchant for allowing "people to arrive at the wrong conclusions and doesn't bother to correct them" or not, it's gross. Also, that kind of a trait in anyone is super annoying and doesn't bode well for the future relationship, in all honesty. The fact that Declan keeps Rose out of the actual loop for so long is also really annoying. He absolutely deserved every bit of what she threw at him during their big argument. From the William angle of things... he really doesn't portray much of a personality until after the twist happens. Even then, it's obvious his trauma colors what personality he does have, so having him be a potential romantic interest for two seconds was... bleh.

I liked certain aspects of Declan's character more than I liked Declan, really. He's big and gorgeous and good with kids and willing to put up with Rose's spiky personality... but he's also manipulative and secretive and I hate that. I think the way he help Georgie was neat and clever.

Rose has her own share of issues, not that they're not earned. I think having then reiterated time and again was a little lazy, but I'm also not sure how else we would have understood that Declan knew what was going on with her... I also noticed we saw very little aftermath of that, but told there were lots of past and current issues, which include Rose's isolation from her community. Mostly what we get from Rose is her single-motherhood. She's definitely focused on her brothers more than she's focused on anything else and it shows.

But yeah, the world-building of On the Edge is really the stand-out here. We get a good picture of The Edge and a little less about The Weird, but I found all of it pretty stellar. I think getting Declan's story was a little late to the party and would have preferred he told Rose anything... but getting the magic lessons from him and his not-a-computer setup was neat. I enjoy the alternate history of The Weird vs The Broken. Alternate Earth histories are pretty fun when done well. This definitely was. I want more.

Favorite Lines

"The first rule of etiquette a boy learns when he's about to enter society is that civility is due to all women. No provocation, no matter how unjust and rudely delivered, can validate a an who fails to treat a woman with anything less than utmost courtesy." - Declan

"It's generally advisable to keep the people you attempt to rescue alive." - Declan

"The point of being a professional soldier is so civilians don't have to fight. We do the things we do so people like you can go to sleep safe." - Declan