Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Mini-Reviews: Mid-Series Novels

I generally find it difficult to review books that are in the middle of series, as many others haven't made it that far and I've forgotten a lot or am influenced too much from reading previous books years before. Hence writing only mini-reviews of mid-series novels...

All of these were read as part of my pre-college TBR cleanout. There also seems to be an unintentional blue theme with the covers.

Wavesong (Obernewtyn #5) by Isobelle Carmody
2008; purchased new
It took me a bit to get back into the series, but it wasn't too difficult to reconnect with characters and events. Carmody's awesome worldbuilding and complex unfolding prophecy are still engaging and intriguing, and I will definitely be finding the 6th book to see what happens! My only issue was that there were some occasional plot holes and what I saw as minor inconsistencies, but overall, everything was well-developed and well-paced.

The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl #7) by Eoin Colfer
2010; mooched
Not hard to jump into this series again! It was much funnier than I had remembered, but I didn't really enjoy the book that much. Some parts, especially at the beginning, felt rushed and confusing, and reading was more gotta-finish-it than actively engaged and interested. I'm not sure why; I might have just outgrown the books. I'll pick up the next (and supposedly final) book if I happen to come across it; otherwise, I'm not that concerned about completing the series.

Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3) by Tamora Pierce
2011; from Random Buzzers
At about 580 pages, this is a looooong but worthwhile read. Overall, I thought it was very well-developed and well-paced, especially for a book greatly exceeding the length of the author's other novels. There weren't any slow parts, as the plot kept moving and stayed interesting. Towards the end, though, I thought the story's cohesiveness lessened and things were a little rushed, but nothing truly frustrating to read.

4 comments:

  1. I still haven't read anything by Tamora Pierce - I wonder if I should start reading the Alanna series.

    I love how intricate the Obernewtyn world is but I agree with some of the editing inconsistencies in this one. I can't wait until she starts writing the Beforetime Chronicles which are about the events leading up to the nuclear apocalypse that created Elspeth's world and narrated from Cassandra's POV.

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    1. Whaaat, she's going to write a Beforetime Chronicles series?! How awesome! That'll just add to how intricate and generally well-done the Obernewtyn sequence is. It's one of the few extended sci-fi/fantasy series that holds my interest and doesn't seem to ever get repetitive or overdone.

      I definitely recommend Tamora Pierce, at least if you enjoy fantasy. I liked her Tortall series more than the ones beginning with Circle of Magic, but all of her books are good. The Immortals series - the one occurring after Alanna in the time sequence and featuring Daine - is my favorite because of its characters.

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  2. I still have to try a Tamora Pierce book. I have heard so many good things about her books.

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  3. I felt the same way with The Atlantis Complex. I loved AF in the beginning, but it's definitely time for the series to come to a close.

    - Jessica @ Book Sake

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