Mini Reviews: Aaru: Halls of Hel (The Aaru Cycle #2) by David Meredith & The Friar's Lantern by Greg Hickey

Happy Thursday everyone!  Today I'm sharing two mini reviews of novels I received from authors in exchange for honest reviews: Aaru: Halls of Hel (The Aaru Cycle #2) by David Meredith & The Friar's Lantern by Greg Hickey.  Read on to see my thoughts on these two novels:

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Aaru: Halls of Hel by David Meredith is a more than worthy sequel to the outstanding series opener which I also read for review. I'm so happy that the author remember me and how much I enjoyed it so I could have the opportunity to return to Aaru and the Before world with Rose and Koren. It was fantastic to see how far both of them have come from the moment we met them. Due to their experiences they're a bit different than they were before, but I adored getting to see them grow over the course of the story, especially Rose who's really had the chance to come into her own since she got a second chance at a life after her life before was stolen from her. As you can imagine, though, the two have struggled and suffered dearly and constantly have to grapple and come to terms with who they are and their lives as they are now. Meredith has done a fantastic job of continually developing his cast of characters. He isn't afraid to put them through the wringer. As for the world building, the author expertly builds upon everything we were introduced to the first time around. Now, though, the darkness is a little more intense - the world of Aaru certainly isn't as perfect as it was designed to be. Overall, Aaru: Halls of Hel if a must read if you enjoyed the first volume of the series. I have a feeling you'll also enjoy it if you are interested in virtual worlds, sci-fi thrillers, and contemporary YA that isn't afraid to tackle tough subjects. I'm certainly looking forward to continuing The Aaru Cycle.

I read this ebook from August 31 - September 3, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.

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I loved those choose your own adventure books when I was a kid and that aspect of this book totally drew me to it - it's all I really had to hear from the author about the book to be honest. I hadn't read one in ages, but the nostalgia factor hit me hard. Thinking back on my reading experience now, I think I preferred the concept of the novel a little more than the actual execution of it. A major factor in this is that I was expecting to have the opportunity to make more choices, and for the stakes to be higher overall. There were no life or death, game over choices to be made that I associate with the classics that I read when I was little. I also felt way too removed from the character I was making decisions for and I had a difficult time connecting and relating to them as well as the plot. It isn't a long story, but it was hard to stay motivated to keep going. Overall, after reading The Friar's Lantern by Greg Hickey I wondered how much I would like those choose your own adventure stories now. Either way, if you were a fan of these types of stories like I was you still may want to give this 2017 release a try.

I read this ebook on September 20, 2018 and my review is also on Goodreads.


Have you read either of these books?  What are you reading now?  As always, thanks very much for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!