Happy Saturday everyone! Today, I'm sharing my wrap up and mini reviews for Mythothon which ran for the entire month of September and was hosted by Louise @ Foxes and Fairy Tales. This round was based on Arthurian mythology and I was part of Team Merlin where I completed 14 of 15 books. I think I did a pretty great job and read some good books along the way. Keep reading to see my thoughts on the books I completed for this readathon:
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A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes was great. If you liked Circe, this novel will definitely be right up your alley. It does have a big cast to keep track of which did get a little tough at times. I have to admit though that lately every time I hear the name Andromache I can't help but think of The Old Guard. Either way, I definitely need more historical fantasy and mythology retellings like this.
My review is also on Goodreads.
Dark Moon of Avalon (Twilight of Avalon #2) by Anna Elliott is a fantastic sequel. If you're at all interested in historical fantasy, Arthurian retellings, or Trystan and Isolde this is an absolutely must read. I'm so glad I just happened to take a chance on this series because so far the first two installments have been a couple of my favorite reads of 2021. I can't wait to read the finale,
Sunrise of Avalon.
My review is also on Goodreads.
Sea Witch (Sea Witch #1) by Sarah Henning is a solid YA fantasy retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic. It takes a long time to get going, but it's one you really need to stick with through to the end. The last two thirds of this novel are really outstanding. I don't plan on coming back for the sequel at this time though.
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I'm so glad I just happened to stumble upon
Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano second hand. I hadn't heard of it at all before, but its description really caught my eye. Luckily, I can say that it's well worth your time. The writing style and the characters are the real standouts. The author's note at the end is also a must read. Now I need to read everything else by this author as soon as possible.
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Eona (Eon #2) by Alison Goodman is a fantastic sequel and finale to a brilliant duology. I wish I had had the opportunity to read this earlier, but better late than never! I really wish this book existed by in the old days when I was actually in high school. That would have been just about perfect. Alison Goodman is such a talented writer.
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The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dirk Gently #2) by Douglas Adams just hasn't quite worked for me as much as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. While this is a solid story I definitely preferred the full cast dramatization I listened to for book one. I would like to try the tv adaptation one day in the future.
My review is also on Goodreads.
Why did I put
The House of Silk (Horowitz's Holmes #1) by Anthony Horowitz off for years? It's been on my radar for years, but I'm glad I've finally gotten around to it. That was a pretty fantastic Sherlock Holmes story! The author does a great job of bringing the characters to life and keeping it refreshing. It felt like a great combination of the Robert Downey Jr. version of Holmes with just the right amount of Jeremey Brett. I can't wait to see what's coming in
Moriarty.
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Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson is a fascinating look at a well known WWI disaster. Erik Larson is by far one of my favorite writers of narrative nonfiction. It reads like fiction instead of a dry textbook. You may know the basics of the tragedy, but he truly brings it to life in full color.
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I love this novel so much and the production of the full cast radio show adaptation of
Good Omens: The BBC 4 Radio Dramatisation by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett was awesome. Peter Serafinowicz makes an amazing Crowley and it was such a pleasant surprise glad when I realized Newton Pulsifer was voiced by Colin Morgan. I couldn't help but have the tv adaptation in the back of my mind while doing this reread. I just need to rewatch the series - to help prepare myself for season two!
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Vision in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop is another excellent installment in this series. I have loved exploring the world of
The Others and there's so much more I want to see. This series has really hooked me and I'm glad I'm not putting it off any longer. I can't wait to see what's up next for Meg and Simon in
Marked in the Flesh If you haven't started reading this urban fantasy series, what are you waiting for?
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Master Assassins (The Fire Sacrament #1) by Robert V.S. Redick is one of those books that I went into totally blind and ended up really enjoying it. I'm so glad I just happened to stumble upon this fantasy novel at a thrift store. Both the world building and characters are excellent although it is a little slow to start, it is well worth sticking with it because it really pays off. You need to have this on your radar. I can't wait to try the sequel,
Sidewinders.
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The Rules of Magic (Practical Magic #0.2) by Alice Hoffman is a good prequel. It's been so long since I've read Practical Magic or have seen the movie that this was practically all new to me. I will say that it was a fun world to visit, but the pacing is fairly slow and meandering I really ought to try that original novel and its adaptation a chance again in the future.
My review is also on Goodreads.
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A Vow So Bold & Deadly (Curseworkers #3) by Brigid Kemmerer is a good finale to what has been a fun fairytale retelling trilogy of Beauty and the Beast. While this book still didn't manage to reach the impressive heights of the original novel, it still wraps up the story well. I lost a lot of love for Rhen in the first book, so I'm glad he had the chance for some redemption here. I also lost a little more interest in Harper throughout the series. Grey was still easily my favorite. He has probably the most intriguing arc of anyone here. One of these days I need to get caught up on the rest of Brigid Kemmerer's work.
My review is also on Goodreads.
Mister Impossible (Dreamer Trilogy #2) by Maggie Stiefvater was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2021 and it mostly lived up to the hype. It's a great sequel, but I didn't quite love every single second of it like I did with
Call Down the Hawk. It's still amazing to have the chance to spend more time with both Ronan, Adam, Matthew, and Declan as well as our new characters. I would have liked to have more scenes between both Ronan and Adam directly, though. And, maybe a few more scenes of the Lynch's brothers interacting. That said I'm dying for the upcoming finale. I know it's going to brutal, but I have a feeling I'll love every second of it. I hope it won't be the last time we see characters that got their start in
The Raven Boys - I'll miss them too much.
Did you participate in this Mythothon round? Have you read any of these books? As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!
Wow, you did great! I have got to start The Others. I'm reading the spin off series and loving it 😁
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you love the series. :)
DeleteI'm so glad you liked both Eona and Avalon #2 -- so did I. And of course, I discovered Avalon series all because of your rec. And now, you've just made me want to rewatch Good Omens all over again. :)
ReplyDelete