2 Delayed Reviews

                                                       The Reaper’s Novice- Cecilia Robert

                Another book thanks to NetGalley.  The Reaper’s Novice, is the first book in a series and came out on January 8^th.  Reaper’s Novice takes place in Vienna (Austria), I always wanted to visit and the place sounds amazing.  The culture and the life, sound beautiful and diverse.  However, there were some phrases and such I needed to look up to help my understanding.  I had a slight hiccup with the names and what I assume is the way people are properly address at first (Herr, Fraulein, Frau,etc) until I got into the flow of it.  That was my only really problem with the book and I think if you are not familiar with that to just prepare and make sure you pay attention, once I understood it I was fin.

                Now the story itself.  Ana and her family have issues and she wants to fix them, but before the bonding family trip, her family dies before her eyes.  Enter Grim, though he prefers Ernest, who offers to save her family in exchange for her eternal service, she is to be his novice.  She agrees without hesitation to save her family.  Next thing she knows things are better than before with the family, but she slowly realizes she is part of something much bigger.  Now she must try to balance her normal teenage life with a boyfriend who is acting strangely and oh yeah her new novice responsibilities. 

                To help her with those is Zig, suave ladies man who is full of himself.  Zig does grow on you as you get to know him.  He is more than he appears at first.  It is always fun to explore new worlds through the eyes of main characters who is also seeing things, like you, for the first time.  I liked the characters and how they were flushed out, some way out there but others down to Earth.  I think there is a balance there.  Though with our heroin I have her a bit of slack in some area where she seemed to change from strong and determined to…well something completely different but a boy and love was involved so I let it slide on the acceptance that estrogen is a hardcore thing that makes the best of us crazy at one time or another. 

                The pacing of the story does jump around, some moments its very slow then right after an event it just ahead.  The book covers a full year as his Novice and she has to pass the final test in order to pass and secure her families souls which Grim is holding onto.  She learns that this may not have been random and she may have been destined to be part of something much larger.  She has questions but the answers seem to be held just out of reach for her.  Can she save souls?  An entire race?  Her family and friends?

                The Reaper’s Novice, lets you take a hard look at sacrifice.  A new look on souls and what happens after.  I’m excited for book 2 to see where it goes and what happens with the characters I got to know. 

Now as I am behind…here is another book review for you to sink your teeth into. 

                                                       A Night to Forget- Jessica Wood

                This is a book from NetGalley of course and the wonderful publisher All Night Reads.  This is book of Emma’s Story.  I don’t have too much to say about this book without giving the story away.  It was an adult style book geared towards a slightly older/mature audience.  A Night to Forget came out June 20th.

               

                The story is of a woman who is finishing up college and goes on spring break with her girlfriends after breaking up with her boyfriend the day before where she literally meets the man of her dreams, steamy ones at that.  She lives out her dream and never hears from him again until she goes to start her new career and finds he is her new boss, and worse yet he doesn’t seem to even remember her or their night together. 

             I enjoyed the book and read though it in an afternoon and I’m looking forward to the other half of the story to see what happens.  It was just what one would expect, slightly predictable but I was okay with that and seeing not the final destination but how they got there.  The characters were pretty believable and not outlandishly out there which I appreciate in any non sci-fi/fantasy/alternate universe stories.  I think Wood did a good job at keeping the story moving along and not dragging in any spot for any long period, as I said I read through it quickly in one afternoon.  I would even call this a good beach read, though as I am rocking the Casper look it’s clearly good for any afternoon or evening.