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Book Review: Mayhem In Hell, by Kaylin Peyerk

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I’m in a Readers of Fantasy group on Facebook and Audible codes for Kaylin Peyerk‘s Mayhem in Hell (narrated by Amy Hall) were on offer. So, I accepted one. And since yesterday was the day I had to break down and actually fold the giant pile of laundry, I listened to the book while I did it. (Seriously, that is just one of the most tedious chores in existence.)
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I was supposed to die and go to heaven, too bad I ended up in hell.

One out of every five people end up in heaven, that’s how low the chances are. So I worked hard, never swore, and did my best to be a good girl for my entire life. Then, out of nowhere, I was hit by an oncoming car, cutting my life short at age twenty-five.

Next thing I know I’m waking up in the firey pits of hell and given a scythe. My new job is to help reap the souls and take them to judgement day. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it would be if I was a normal reaper. . . but the moment I touched the scythe it began to glow, signaling just how talented I’m going to be. Now, the three ruling princes of hell all want me as their personal reaper.

So these days I’ve been thinking. . . What’s the use in being good when it’s so fun to be bad?

my review
I found this amusing, but also just a little too “she’s the most special, special snowflake in the special field” for my tastes. It’s reverse harem, I went in knowing that. But Lucifer, all his sons and god himself want her, if for different reasons. And the reason is either something beyond her control and having nothing to do with her or just super flimsy. At one point one of the sex men tells her she’s the most interesting thing he’s seen in ages (if not ever) and I just thought, why? There seriously isn’t anything particularly interesting about her…other than that your interested in her.

But having said all of  that, if I was willing to let my questions go and just roll with it all, I did enjoy myself. There’s some humor, plenty of low-heat sexual tension (but no sex), and a glorious bit of blasphemy that I very much appreciate. The writing is pretty good. The narrator did a good job and it was a fun, silly romp. It does end on a cliffhanger (which I knew in advance, so no complaints). All in all, I’d be willing to read book two.

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Book Review: Aurora’s End, by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

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I borrowed an audio copy of Aurora’s End*, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff through my local library. I reviewed books one and two, here.
Aurora's End audio cover

Is this the end?

What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.

Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.

When we last saw Squad 312, they were working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.

But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It’s complicated.

Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem.

Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.

Actually saving the galaxy, though?

Now that will take a miracle.

my review
I didn’t dislike this, but I also didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much as the first two books (especially book one). Fin was one of my favorite characters and I admit to wishing he got more screen time here (in the book with him on the cover).

Similarly, what I so enjoyed about book one was the interplay between all of the characters. Here, they’re split into three grouping and don’t come together until the very end. I appreciated how each of their storylines wrapped around and became pertinent to the ending. But I missed seeing them all together, missed their humor and sarcasm.

Lastly, I was simply bored for the first half of this book. The second half had a bit more going for it (and even made me cry a little). But being bored for the first 5 or 6 hours of an audio book is hard to overcome. Plus, I thought the solution to the Ram problem was incredibly pat. I was not thrilled with the ending.

Having said all that, I did still like the overall sarcastic tone of the book, appreciated the amount of growth in the characters, and the narrative cast did a good job.

* Narrated by Kim Mai Guest, Johnathan McClain, Lincoln Hoppe, Donnabella Mortel, Jonathan Todd Ross, Erin Spencer, and  Steve West.

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Other Reveiws:

https://cupsandthoughts.com/2021/12/04/non-spoiler-book-review-auroras-end-by-amie-kaufman-and-jay-kristoff/

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Book Review: Chase the Dark & Bind the Soul, by Annette Marie

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I borrowed audio copies of Chase the Dark and Bind the Soul (written by Annette Marie and narrated by Jorjeana Marie) through hoopla. I’m not feeling super wordy today. But here are brief reviews…let’s call them mini reviews.

chase the dark audio coverThe Book:

Piper Griffiths wants one thing in life: To become a Consul, a keeper of the peace between humans and daemons. There are three obstacles in her way.

The first is Lyre. Incubus. Hotter than hell and with a wicked streak to match. His greatest mission in life is to annoy the crap out of her, but he isn’t as harmless as he seems. The second is Ash. Draconian. Powerful. Dangerous. He knows too much and reveals nothing. Also, disturbingly attractive — and scary. Did she mention scary?

The third is the Sahar Stone. Top secret magical weapon of mass destruction. Previously hidden in her Consulate until thieves broke in, went on a murder spree, and disappeared with the weapon.

And they left Piper to take the fall for their crimes.

Now she’s on the run, her dreams of becoming a Consul shattered and every daemon in the city gunning to kill her. She’s dead on her own, but there’s no one she can trust — no one except two entirely untrustworthy daemons … See problems one and two.

chase the dark photoMy Review:

I enjoyed this. I liked the characters a lot and there is some real humor in an otherwise grim story-line. It maybe wasn’t as good as some of Marie’s newer works, —it has a pretty big info-dump/lag in the middle, for example—but still good.  It does feel a little more YA than NA though, just an FYI.  The narrator was also inconsistent—sometimes doing a really good job and other times speaking as if through a blocked nose and swallowing a lot. But I enjoyed more than I didn’t and I look forward to book two.

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The Book:

The most important rule for an Apprentice Consul is simple: Don’t get involved with daemons. Well, Piper is planning to break that rule — big time.

After a near-deadly scandal with the Sahar Stone, she has the chance to return to the only life she’s ever wanted. All she has to do to keep her Apprenticeship is forget about Ash and Lyre. Ash might be enigmatic and notoriously lethal, and Lyre might be as sinfully irresistible as he is irritating, but they’re not bad for a couple of daemons.

There’s just one problem: Ash is missing.

Really, she shouldn’t risk her future for him. He lied. He betrayed her. But he also saved her life, damn it. Wherever he is, he’s in trouble, and if she doesn’t save his sorry butt, who will? But with every dangerous secret she unravels, each one darker than the last, she slips deeper into Ash’s world — a world with no escape for either of them.

bind the soul photoMy Review:

I struggled with the first half of this book. Piper was just SO WHINY. And while I realize she’s a teen thrown into huge events that are understandably beyond her, it was no fun to read (or listen to, as the case ma be). However, she seemed to firm up in the second half and I felt like she experienced a lot of personal growth. The romance is very slow, which I appreciate and I’m still liking the characters a lot. I plan to finish the series, but I think I’ll give myself a little break first.