Monday Minis

Give Up the Ghost (not Dead Yet #2) by Jenn Burke ~Goodreads 

Source: Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts: I loved book #1, Not Dead Yet, in this series. Give Up the Ghost expands on Burke’s unique paranormal world of ghosts, vampires, witches and Gods while strengthening the core gang of (LGBQT) found family. However, the story gets bogged down by reunited lovers – Wes & Hudson – who both keep secrets then get mad at the other for keeping secrets. Never my favorite thing in a romance. As well as big revelations that just get dropped in favor of scene changes. 

Even with those quibbles, this is a fun, inventive PNR series that keeps me coming back for more.


The 5th Gender (Tinkered Stars Mystery #1) by G.L. Carriger ~ Goodreads 

Source: Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

My thoughts: 

“A species that has no word for murder, has a murderer aboard their spaceship."

Tristol is a lavender colored alien from the species Galoi, living in exile – a lyga - on a mixed race space station and is utterly adorable and delightful, with his emotion telegraphing, tubular hair, as he tries to navigate etiquette and social cues with his (maybe mutual) giant crush on human detective, Drey Hastion. 

There is a murder on a Galoi ship and since they have no concept or word for murder – they contact Tristol’s ship for help. Tristol, as translator, must team with Drey to solve the potential crime.

As the title suggests, there are five genders on Tristol’s home world. Carriger has created a complex society that explores gender identity while touching on other weighty topics like autonomy and suicide. 

There are a lot of gender terms and rules thrown at the reader early on & then exceptions to the rules that I found confusing until Drey & Tristol boarded the Galoi ship and I could *see* rather than be told. There is also a helpful glossary at the end of the book that I wish I had known about ahead of time. 

The romance was the sweeeeetest! And the mystery of the cozy variety with a sci-fi twist.  
A tad confusing at first but cute!


Arctic Sun (Frozen Hearts #1) by Annabeth Albert ~ Goodreads 

Source: Purchased

My thoughts: The first book in Albert’s new M/M Frozen Heart series was better than I was expecting. A grumpy mountain man and a male model sounded a bit too cliché but, of course, Albert pulled it off.

Both Griffen (Mr. Grumpy) and River (hot former model, now jet setting travel author) suffer from ghosts from their past. Griffen, a lost love and alcoholism and River an eating disorder. They are both in recovery and able to manage their issues but mostly by avoiding any triggers.

It’s usually a bad idea for two people with these kind of problems to pair up – especially when they don’t have it under control, but they both deal the same way – by running – and are able to seek solace, comfort and call each other out when needed.  This is a super slow paced, not a whole lot happening, kind of story. Not my absolute favorite Annabeth Albert book but I enjoyed it all the same. 


Middlegame by Seanan McGuire ~ Goodreads

Source: Library

My thoughts: “Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it.”

Middlegame is not the kind of book I typically read (sci-fi, time travel) but I  was captivated by how richly layered the story and characters were, slowly unraveling the story of twins Roger and Dodger as well as that of alchemist James Reed.

The breadth of the story is epic in scope. McGuire slowly unravels Reed’s quest to create children, looking for the perfect pair to embody the Doctrine of Ethos, so they can bend reality to their will and give him unlimited power. It starts at the end and then skips to the beginning weaving in different timelines and consequences. It’s heartbreaking to read what he does to these children.

This is, at it’s core, an origin story - and a love story, between a sister and brother. And a story of a truly evil scientist with his own origin story and(twisted) romance.

The writing wraps around you and each word deliberate.

"When she stops breathing, his heart will follow hers into the dark. He knows that as surely as he's ever known anything, as surely as he knows the difference between myth and miracle, between legend and lie." 

Gorgeous prose! But, tbh, it was very dense and at 528 pages difficult for me to power through at times.

If you’ve ever read Laini Tayler (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) you’ll know what I mean. The sentences are lyrical and take on larger meaning – the writing challenges you. And that’s fine! I know people will LOVE this but I’m a lazy reader lol and often want to just get to the point. So, at times this was a slog, but the story is intense and exciting and kept me interested until the very end.

This was my first book by McGuire, and while this wasn’t the perfect fit, I loved her writing, and want to try The Wayward children series next now that my library has it.