Quickfire Reviews is a thing I do very sporadically when there are books to talk about that I should have reviewed but haven’t. I don't think I've done a post like this since January, so I figured I'd pour a gin and have a little chat with you about some books I've been reading lately.
What’s it About? It’s about Catwoman. Ha. This is one of the DC: Icons series, it;s a Catwoman origin story by Sarah J Maas (others in the series are by Leigh Bardugo and Marie Lu) and it follows Selina Kyle as she escapes from Gotham's slums and returns as Catwoman. There's also Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Batwing.
What I liked I love a good superhero. I just do - ever since I used to steal my brother's Marvel comics, I've always been a fan of superheroes, and this, basically, is that. It's a fun read. I'm not big on DC Heroes - apart from Arrow which I love because Stephen Amell takes off his shirt - so I'm not one of the many people that are angered by this version of Catwoman because other than the cartoons I watched in the 80's I have no comparison to make; I quite liked her. I also liked the Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy story and the reference to Nyssa Al Ghul who I know from Arrow.
What I liked Less Although she's undeniably readable, I'm not a fan of how Sarah J Maas writes. Does that make sense. I read her stuff and I do enjoy it, until I think about it and then I am annoyed (although there was less purring and ess unnecessary sex than I expected so that's a bonus) Selina here is so much Caelena from Throne of Glass that's it's almost funny. I don't like Batwing. Where was Batman? And the Selina/Luke thing was weird.
What’s it About? S'a little novella that slots between The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King. Basically a letter from Taryn to Jude.
What I liked I don't know if you know but I love this series and as with all books I love I am always hungry for more, so when people write these little companion books my heart signs because they give me some of the 'more' I long for. This is a cute filler story that fills in some gaps and answers some questions and gives a perspective other than Jude's and I like that a lot.
What I liked Less I still don't like Taryn and this letter, which is basically just her trying t justify why she's a dick did not make me like her any more than I did to start with. Locke is a dick and Taryn is a dick and that, is that.
What’s it About? Arty has alway lived in a totally off the grid clearing somewhere in South India. When some weird virus takes down her entire family she has to venture out into The Real World for the first time in 17 years...
What I liked A bit like when I read The One Memory of Flora Banks, I loved the concept of this - the whole living off the grid thing in what could be described as a 'cult-like' community and never having known anything else, ever, is fascinating to me. I liked the concept, I liked the story, I liked the stuff set at The Clearing, I liked the twist although I did see it coming, I liked Arty. I flew through this book also, which is a good sign. It's an easy read.
What I liked Less It was so unrealistic I just couldn't handle it. My eyes rolled so far into the back of my head that I gave myself a migraine. Arty has lived in a clearing for 17 years. She's never seen a car, or a television or used a mobile phone and somehow I'm supposed to believe that within days of leaving - days after, also watching her entire family die - she's picked up on the foibles of the modern world so well that she's ordering herself a coke in a cafe and knowing how to pay for it, she's catching trains and planning to catch planes and she's throwing around words like selfie and it's just so unlikely. Also she got herself a convenient celebrity friend who conveniently solved all her problems and just...no. Also the ending tied everything up way too nicely to be realistic and THAT ONE THING at the end, again: no. May I suggest Lisa Heathfield's Seed instead?
What’s it About? The sequel to Vicious which I loved so much I cannot even tell you. With a jumping timeline it follows on from Vicious keeping us up to date with Syd and Victor and Eli and new character Marcella
What I liked So I said when I read Vicious that these books are a little bit like a Professor X / Magneto origin story except not at all, all extraordinary powers and blurred lines and anti-heroes and I am so so here for it. I love this book so much. I love this series so much. Eli and Victor are delicious and I want to just love Sydney because kid just needs a hug and Marcella, the wronged wife with new powers is everything and basically I inhaled this book and now I want to read the whole series again. It's gripping and fascinating and funny and so so tense. It's brilliant. Do you like The X-Men? Then you really need to read these books.
What I liked Less It is over. Let's just pretend it isn't.
