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Book Review: Splintered Life, by W.R. Gingell

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I contributed to W.R. Gingell‘s Kickstarter for this book in order to get a copy as early as possible. Splintered Life is book two in the Shattered World series. I reviewed book one, Splintered Mind, here.

splintered life cover

The world isn’t the same as it was yesterday. In fact, Viv is no longer sure that she is the same as she was yesterday. She can do something she never knew was possible—and Luca tried to kill her, just like Jasper said he would if she let him get too close.

At the teahouse, it’s business as usual, tentacles in the top floor, an invasion of not-quite-real-but-nevertheless-terrifying spiders…and a new murderer to catch, of course. Someone is trying to make sure a Greek-Australian couple never makes it to the altar, and it’s not just perfume they’re sneaking into the bride’s room.

But Luca isn’t talking to Viv; not since she stopped him from escaping. That shouldn’t be surprising—and the last thing Viv should be doing is trying to talk to him more than she has to—but there’s another murderer on the loose, and they’re going to need Luca’s help to catch him.

Life was already hard, but now Viv has to somehow stop the wilder side of that life from spilling over into her normal life. Her human life. But if the two halves begin to split apart, which should she try to hold onto?

my review

Ugh, why do I start a series that aren’t finished? Well, I know why. Gingell is one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited to get a new series from her that I contributed to the Kickstarter so I could get the books early and then dove right in. But I’m a binger. Waiting between books is agonizing!

I very much appreciated that just about everyone in this book started the book angry with one another but eventually were able to come to equilibrium again. Viv and Luca together form an adorable manzai-like double act (with Viv the straight (wo)man and Luca the funny-man). Jasper isn’t in this book as much as the last, but he and the rest of the Tea House are a great cast of characters. Plus, I love how the other Behind/Between series seem to be weaving together.

Obviously, I can’t wait for the next book.

splintered life photo

Other Reviews:

the shepherd king duology

Book Review: Shepherd King Duology, by Rachel Gillig

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I was given a paperback copy of Rachel Gillig‘s One Dark Window and then purchased a copy of the sequel Two Twisted Crowns.
the shepherd king covers

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.

Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

my review

I very much enjoyed this series, the second book slightly more than the first. The villains are a bit cliched, and the focus remains closely focused on the main characters, such that there is little sense of the rest of the people in the world. But the main characters are all interesting and engaging in their own way. I adored Nightmare and his genuine affection for Elspeth, but honestly, they all have qualities I appreciated (not least of which was the genuine familial love on display). The magic of the world is really interesting, the writing is easy to read, and the conclusion is satisfying. I’ll pick up another Gillig book, happily.

the shepherd king duology

Other Reviews:

Series Review: The Shepherd King

Heaven Official’s Blessing 3,4,5

Book Review(ish): Heaven Official’s Blessing (#3-8), by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

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I started this series a couple of years ago when the books first started coming out in English. I purchased the first couple (and read them) and then had to wait and buy them as they became available, which I did for a while. But I never quite got around to coming back and finishing the series. Here is my review-ish write-up of the first two books:

Book Review(ish): Heaven Official’s Blessing, by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

I needed an X-authored book for my 2024 author challenge, where I read a book by an author with a surname for every letter of the alphabet. So, I picked the series back up, even though I only have up to book 5. I read book three as one of my last books of 2024, and read book four as my first book of 2025, then went ahead and kept on to read book five. Not gonna be scrambling to find an X-authored book this December for my author alphabet challenge. Ha!

Here are the covers, which are just too pretty for words.

Heaven Official’s Blessing 3,4,5

Honestly, I don’t have a lot to say regarding a review. Once you get far enough into a series, it all starts to blur together, and there is little sense of liking this book or that one. I’m enjoying the series. It’s silly and light-hearted (for the most part), with a crowd of charismatic characters. The writing is not that of your standard novel, and there are times when it grates on me. But mostly, in the same way you watch a silly anime or movie, I’m enjoying the journey of this series, even if any individual aspect of it would sound ridiculous on the recounting. I don’t yet own the rest of the series. But I plan to finish it off at some point.

Update: I’ve finished the series now. But I’ve opted to tag the remaining books here rather than give it another post.

heaven official s blessing 6-8

I thought this series wrapped up well. Book six felt like it dragged a bit. In book seven, you finally get the satisfaction of Xie Lian putting together some of the obvious clues about Hua Cheng, their past, and Hua Cheng‘s current intentions. And in book eight, you get the happily ever after, which is nice. However, that only takes about 1/3 of the book. The rest are short stories (or one-shots), and I was a tad bored by them. All in all, though, I’m glad to have read the series.