Danielle Monsch

I have been reading a lot of duds lately, so I'm glad that I had this as a palette cleanser. First, this is an original take on urban fantasy/paranormal romance that I really like. We have elves, dwarves, mages and they got here from a cataclysmic 9/11 type event that changed the world as humans know it. Second, I appreciate the use of a creature that isn't a vampire or werewolf. I think we can acknowledge at this point that it is a cliché, a cliché that is acknowledged in universe. The point is that things are not as they seem. The racism allegory is on the nose, but what can you do? Our protagonists have to save the world by preserving this weird mish-mash of realms. It is a fun ride. The only missed opportunity was that the author dropped the thread with the relationship with the father. I really think that should have been the emotional climax of the book instead of having a low stakes version with the brother (who is called Dad 2.0), especially since the book starts with the father and it would have resolved some of the setup from the first chapter.… (meer)

Let me be quite honest. I am not really a steampunk fan, but I thought to give this book a try. Besides how much can you change the old favorites? Well, let me tell you ... a lot! This was a grittier steam punk version of all the most well known and loved fairy tales. I was fascinated. These were fairy tales on steroids.

The best part of it all, so many in one place. I am always attracted to box sets, it's the best place to look for authors that you haven't read before. And what do you know? I've found some new ones that I'm going to be reading from now on.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book… (meer)