As you can see above, I’ve broken my wrist (and sprained the other one). I’m typing one handed, with my left (non-dominant) hand. It’s awkward and slow. A full length review sounds like hell to produce. So, with the exception of the book I’m currently finishing (the X for my alphabet soup challenge), I’m going to focus on short stories that I can write brief—one or two line—reviews of for a while. And I think, instead of several posts, I’ll just update this one every couple days. It’s less than ideal, but so is a cast. On the upside, this should really un-clutter my TBR list.
Argg, I cannot believe I broke my arm!
Night, by J. Kavanagh: Interesting, but feels very much like the beginning of something longer, instead of a self-contained story.
Tea with Death, by Joel M. Andre : An interesting idea that due to poor execution comes across as didactic and dull.
The Insanity of Zero, by Michael Offutt: Interesting religious retelling, but ultimately too short to feel substantial.
Shadow Bound, by Garrett Leigh: Meh, not enough there to be worth my time.
The Last Titan, by Edward LangeLots of gore and destruction, but I never saw the point of the story.
The Fall of Ithar, by Kevis Hendrickson: Creative, but full of pointless Old English and contextless to the point of uselessness.
Sun Side, by J. Kavanagh: I enjoyed it and, unlike so many short stories, stands alone.
A Different Kind of Devil, by J. Matthew Saunders: Surprisingly good. A little cliche, but atmospheric and engaging.
Confinement, by Erik Haldeman: Meh, ok, but read like one giant info drop.
Betraying Nexus, by Richard L. Sanders: Suffers from over-simplified coincidences, but was amusing enough.
Secret Friends (The Monfits), by Gloria Riggs: Very obviously intended for children, but even so, it’s very simplistic.
Blood in the Water, by Megan Derr: A cute Little Mermaid retelling/continuation. A little lean in the middle, but I enjoyed it.
Why, Why, Zed?, by Leigh Ellwood: OK. Had a surprise twist. Needed editing, the car that went from BMW to Porsche to BMW was distracting, for example.
12/20/15
Burning (Demon Legacy), by J.M. Gregoire: Basically a prologue to the series. It’s OK, but almost all tell and I never felt connected to the characters.
Seventy, by Liana Brooks: Meh, only ok. Things happened, plot moves along, but it never quite culminates into anything.
The Trouble with Vampires, by Mercy Walker: Too confident in its own wittiness and depending on an uncomfortable inference for its punchline.
Lilacs, by Megan Derr: Cute little story. Rushed ending, though.
Jungle Law, by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet: First half was better than the second. I was bothered by a few things, but mostly enjoyed it.
Micah’s Soldier, by Jessie G.: Not particularly deep, but well developed for something so short. It’s also very sweet.
12/22/15
Blood Awakening (Blood Burden, #0.5), by Wenona Hulsey: Rushed, unrealistic and cliched to the point that I’m certain I’ve read very aspect of this story several times. Not interested in continuing the series.
The Micro-Age, by Liu Cixin: Thought provoking, but not overly amusing.
Invictus, by Lani Aames: PWP, which would have been fine if not for the pointless D/s and domestic discipline, especially since this wasn’t discussed by the characters so one didn’t know what was happening or why. This left the other just looking like a bullying ass. Not sexy.
Primal Chase, by Jessie Snow: Contradictorily, I didn’t much care for it but want to know what happens next in the series. kind of wish I had the sequel.
Bitten, by Violet Heart: An interesting idea and female main character, but it was far too short to be fully developed. Which still might have been ok for a short if I hadn’t found the way sex scenes (which there were a lot of) were described totally off-putting. Actually, that’s an under statement, I hated the language used—throbbing crease, sopping folds, aching womb, quivering quim. Blerg! It was bad, people.
Maelstrom 1, by Yamila Abraham: Could be the start of something interesting, but it is just a start. It’s barely even a 1st chapter. I understand about serials, but I’m of the opinion each part needs to be complete in some fashion. I consider reading just part of something a waste and off-putting. It discourages me from seeking more.
Class Mate, by Yamila Abraham: Surprisingly cute and not as lurid as the cover suggests. It is short though, even for one of those annoying serials. The story ends at 78% of the listed 39 pages; the rest being a preview of something else. But if I came across more, I’d read it. I wouldn’t call it yaoi though.