Tag Archives: urban fantasy

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

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.

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?

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.

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Book Review: Valkyrie Bestiary series, by Kim McDougall

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I listened to the first book in Kim McDougall‘s Valkyrie Bestiary series in 2021. This year, I decided to finish the series. But I didn’t remember much from Dragons Don’t Eat Meat, so I went back and reread it, then finished the series (including the bonus novella, Thorn of Vioska).

The Flood Wars have come and gone, leaving a world at the mercy of magic. Kyra Greene is an exiled Valkyrie who finds her place in Montreal Ward as a pest controller of extraordinary creatures. She already has an apartment full of rescues, including a basilisk who thinks he’s a turkey, a banshee nanny, and a pygmy kraken. She might take care of them, but they also fill her need for family. And when that family is threatened, she’ll risk everything to save them.

This was a 10-book binge. I wrote individual reviews for the first couple of books and then decided to simply review the series as a single whole. What do you say about book 7, after all, that hasn’t been said already?

I read 10 books; I obviously enjoyed the series. I also thought it got stronger as it went along. Kyra was an engaging, loyal main character with realistic flaws that meant she didn’t feel like a Mary Sue. The romance was secondary to the plot but contributed a lot to the story. Though I never felt I knew Mason well, I liked him and thought he was a good match for Kyra. There were interesting side characters and tons of cute critters. I’d probably keep going if there were more books. As it is, I’ll just have to try some of McDougall’s (or her alternative pen name, Eliza Crowe’s) series.

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