Series Review: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

I first read the first Mistborn trilogy years ago at a time when I had forgotten how much I love fantasy. This series definitely re-awakened that love in me and got me reading fantasy again and for that, I will always love it. After this series, Sanderson wrote another trilogy in the same world with the same magic system, but hundreds of years after the events of the first trilogy. He's apparently now working on a third trilogy in the same world with the same system. While these books are all considered part of the Mistborn series, I'm breaking them up by trilogy - and today, we're starting with the first trilogy. Here is the description from the first book (taken from Goodreads):

In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with color once more?

In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage — Allomancy, a magic of the metals.


PROS

• UNIQUE MAGIC SYSTEM - This magic system blew my mind. Some people are born with the ability to ingest certain kinds of metals (just little flakes of them - not eating a block of titanium for breakfast) to use in various ways (i.e. pushing or pulling metals, influencing feelings, etc). A small group of these folks are able to ingest all the metals to use all the powers - and these people are called mistborns. It's an incredibly specific magic system that is a lot to understand when told outside the story, but Sanderson does an excellent job of making it easy to understand within the tale.
• MEMORABLE CHARACTERS - Our main character, Vin, is tragic and tough and such an excellent heroine, especially as she develops and gets more in touch with her feelings. Kelsier, her mentor, is heroic and a bit reckless while still being a genius and revolutionary. Their band of misfits changes as the trilogy progresses, but each character is unique with memorable (and realistic) characteristics that make them grow dearer and dearer to the readers as time goes on. In addition, each character has an arc and has chances to grow and change throughout the books - for better or for worse. It's wonderfully refreshing to have characters as static as much as these characters are.
• PLOT TWISTS - Sanderson is well-known for his twists and that was one of the impressive parts of this series to me. The first book all deals with trying to overthrow a despot. The remaining books confront the consequences of the characters' actions. Perhaps all is not as it seems, especially as you compare the beginning of the first book to the end of the third. The plot twists blow your mind - and completely make sense within the story.
• TAKE PLACE IN A LARGER UNIVERSE - Sanderson is a unique writer in that he connects all his writings. Most of his work is connected by being in the same universe - or the Cosmere. As you read more of his work, there are small connections you can make. And it's rewarding to see characters or magic systems you loved being mentioned in other books.

CONS

• SO MANY DETAILS - Sanderson's fan base is dedicated and really really REALLY in-depth. If you don't believe me, spend five minutes on 17th Shard's forum (the official fansite) - these people tear apart every word in each book to try piecing together what will happen in the future and all the details of each magic system. And this is the kind of series where you can do that. Even after reading most of Sanderson's work, I'm still a bit fuzzy on a lot of the details of how things ended up and why certain events were significant. While this confusion never detracted from the main plotline, it certainly made it difficult to completely understand the magic system or what exactly is going on for each character. Now, for some readers, this would be a pro, not a con. But for me, I don't want to have to read a paragraph 20 times to understand some small detail that hints at another book's future. I want to enjoy the series and the story and the people. 
• BITTERSWEET - Each book ends on a twist, but some of those twists make you really really sad. Like the end of this series - some things work out perfectly and some people you really like die and it's so sad, but somehow not as sad as it could be and you're really glad they succeeded in some things, but it isn't as happy as you want it to be and there are too many emotions to handle.

Have you read this series? What are your thoughts on it? What pros and cons would you add? What makes you want to read an epic fantasy series?

Series Review: The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

Synopsis for Alanna: The First Adventure taken from Goodreads:

From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight.

And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.
But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins - one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.


This series was my first introduction to Tamora Pierce and I was immediately hooked. It's full of action, self-discovery, romance, politics, and a confident young heroine that I adored from the start. This series is fun and fantastic, but like every series, it has a couple problems:

PROS

• STRONG CHARACTERS - The characters in this series are fantastic. You have tough, strong Alanna, who you get to watch grow up and figure out who she is. You have Prince Jonathan, who is compassionate and kind and really wonderful. And you have George, who is so difficult to explain, yet such a lovable person in spite of (and maybe sometimes because of) his thievery. The characters are all well-built and extremely distinct - and you can connect with them easily.
• ROMANCE ISN'T AT THE FOREFRONT - While there is some romance in this series, it takes a backseat to the action. For some people, this isn't ideal, but for me, it was a plus. Alanna got to learn about herself and have adventures without losing herself to a young and far-too-passionate romance. That being said, there is romance in this book. And it's adorable and sweet and keeps you guessing. Even when Alanna grows up, the romance feels realistic and there's even some very matter-of-fact sex positivity in this series - Alanna can enjoy sex without it being all consuming AND without being regarded as a slut. It's wonderful.
• INCREASINGLY COMPLEX PLOT - The first book is mostly about Alanna learning to be a knight and to pretend to be a boy. As she grows up, the plot thickens and the books get more complicated and intriguing as Alanna learns more. What starts as a coming-of-age story gradually raises the stakes until Alanna's work is far more important than just learning to fence.

CONS

• WRITTEN FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES - I read this series as an adult and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I was definitely not the target audience. For younger readers, a simple and clear voice will be a plus. For me, it was sometimes hard to take myself as seriously since this book is very obviously not written for adults. Start your young fantasy readers on it now or read it together - they'll love it.

Have you read this series? What pros and cons would you add? What similar series have you read?

Series Review: The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

The Series of Unfortunate Events is one series of books that will forever be held dear in my heart. It was a favorite of mine growing up and, with the recent Netflix series (which looks to be continuing in the coming months), it is as relevant as ever.

The series follow the misfortunes of the Baudelaire orphans as they are sent from guardian to guardian, as they try to uncover the mysterious circumstances that led to their parents’ deaths, and as they attempt to outwit the nefarious Count Olaf, who wants to get his greedy hands on the Baudelaire fortune.

PROS

• INCREDIBLY FUN AND FANTASTICAL - Every kid likes to read stories about courageous and plucky orphans and this series is perfect for that desire. While the story seems somewhat anachronistic, there are some modern elements mixed with retro elements that make the story feel very timeless and fantastic.
• GROWING UP WITH THE BAUDELAIRES - One reason this series hit me so hard is that I got to grow older with the Baudelaires. The series gets increasingly complicated and the orphans encounter new emotions and situations as they go. In the final books, I felt like I could understand some of the more mature situations the orphans get into (such as first love). There are 13 books, so any child can have the opportunity of slowly growing old with the Baudelaire orphans if they don’t read the entire series in a week.
• NOT CONDESCENDING - This is probably what I most appreciate about Snicket’s books - he has a gift for explaining complicated words and ideas in simple, memorable (and humorous) ways. Don’t know the word he just used? No problem - there is a very contextually-specific definition included in the next sentence. Don’t understand the feeling he’s just referenced? Not to worry - he’s described it in a perfectly relatable way. These books make children feel like they can handle complicated emotions and topics.

CONS

• TERRIBLY SAD - As a child, I didn’t notice this as much, but watching the series as an adult has made me realize how truly awful these books are. Where are social services and child protective services? What for some kids may be fun and ridiculous can be heartbreaking for others.
• ALL THE ADULTS SUCK - Adults are either evil or incompetent in these books. The few adults who are kind and able to adequately help the children end up dying in the end. This could fall somewhat into the “kids like to read plucky orphan stories” section, except that I feel it’s a negative things. Children (even if they like orphan stories) need to be able to trust the capable adults in their life.

What pros and cons would you add for this series? What crowd would you recommend it to? What are your thoughts on these books?

Series Review: Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris

I started the Upon A Marigold series at age 11 and recently finished the last book. With only three books, it’s insane that I’ve been reading this series for more than half of my life, but the final one only came out in the past couple years (and it’s been sitting on my shelf for months…).

This middle grade series follows the story of Christian, a poor orphan who was raised by a kindly troll named Ed, and Princess Marigold, the clever royal young lady with a royal curse. Their story is adorable and tons of fun and these books are gold - like everything that Jean Ferris writes. However, like every series, it has it’s pros and cons.

PROS

• STARTS WONDERFULLY - Once Upon A Marigold is one of the most delightful things I’ve ever read. At a young age, this book hooked me in a way that few books did and it’s consistently been a book I’ve loved coming back to.
• DELIGHTFUL CHARACTERS - Ferris is the champion of writing quirky and memorable characters. From the misspoken metaphors of Ed to the elephant raising of Wendall the Wizard, the characters in this book are wonderful. Marigold and Christian are, of course, the stars and even they have a precious quirkiness that can’t be beat.
• EXCELLENT BALANCE OF ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE -Many books leans too far towards romance and make the adventure completely secondary. Other books completely forgo the romance. This series balances everything well and makes it fun and exciting while still making you root for your favorite couples.
• MIDDLE GRADE SERIES THAT ADULTS CAN ENJOY - This is a huge deal in me picking middle grade books. If I’m going to be recommending it to a kid I know, I need to be prepared to read it with them and/or hear about it endlessly. This series is a perfect one to enjoy in tandem with your favorite middle grade reader.
• THE PERFECT GATEWAY INTO FERRIS’ BOOKS - This is honestly how most people I know got into Jean Ferris. She has been one of my favorite authors throughout my lifetime and I still reread her stories periodically. If someone reads and loves this series, be assured that there’s plenty more from Ferris to read.

CONS

• GETS PROGRESSIVELY SILLIER - The series starts kind of silly and it’s delightful. However, each book seems to get more ridiculous and bizarre and it’s not necessarily in a good way. By the final book, I was more concerned with finishing the series than I was with enjoying the story. It felt like Ferris began to talk down to the reader more as the book progressed - almost as if the final book had been written for a much younger audience. The tone of the first book is far superior to that of the next two.

I highly recommend this series for middle grade readers and anyone who likes quirky fantasy stories. It is still one of the most hilarious and delightful series I’ve ever read and everyone should give it a chance.

Have you read this series? What are your thoughts on it? Who would you recommend this to?

Series Review: The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.
Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge. (Steelheart description taken from Goodreads)

Brandon Sanderson’s The Reckoner’s trilogy about superheroes (and the terrible consequences of superpowers) is fun, fast-paced, and hilarious. I first read Steelheart when I was stuck in an airport for several hours and needed something to read. I managed to find an autographed copy in an airport bookstore (Thanks, Brandon) and read the entire thing before the plane showed up. It was a nice way to spend the day and immediately got me interested in finishing the series, which I did when a Sanderson-obsessed friend lent me the next two books. While this is not my favorite Sanderson series, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it for YA readers.

And now, for some pros and cons:

PROS

• UNIQUE AND ENGAGING STORY - There aren’t a lot of superhero books that aren’t comics (at least, not that I’ve seen) and this series has an interesting take on superheroes - what makes someone with superpowers good or evil? How did they get their powers? What are the consequences of living in a society where a handful of people have superpowers? Sanderson addresses all these questions and gives a superhero-infested world a more realistic and dark mood. Especially interesting (to me, at least) is that the story follows a group of individuals who are not super, but who actively oppose the superheroes. This is something that we, as consumers of superhero franchises, have been conditioned not to expect. Stories are usually told from the superheroes’ points of view, right? Not in this case. And this unique perspective gives the reader a much-appreciated break from normal superhero lore and storytelling.
• HILARIOUSLY TERRIBLE METAPHORS - This is honestly one of my favorite parts of the series. David, the main character, is awful at metaphors.

But even a ninety-year-old blind priest would stop and stare at this woman. If he weren’t blind, that is. Dumb metaphor, I thought. I’ll have to work on that one. I have trouble with metaphors.

He certainly does. And that’s not even the best awful metaphor Sanderson gives us. Here are a few more to whet your appetite:

He was right. I was letting myself get distracted, like a rabbit doing math problems instead of looking for foxes.

They looked so dangerous, like alligators. Really fast alligators wearing black. Ninja alligators.

It would be like finding out that you'd drawn lots for dessert at the Factory and been only one number off, only it didn't matter because Pete already snuck in to steal the dessert, so nobody was going to get any anyway - not even Pete, because it turns out there had never been any dessert to begin with.

• CLASSIC SANDERSON TWIST ENDINGS - My favorite thing about reading a Sanderson book is that I can never be sure how it’s going to end. He’s a master at making you think one thing is going to happen and then going in a completely unexpected direction (that, in hindsight, actually makes a lot of sense and seems obvious upon a reread). This series was no exception. There are enough twists to keep things interesting and fun without giving the reader whiplash.

CONS

• MEH CHARACTERS - I really didn’t connect with any of the characters in this series and I wasn’t that bothered by any character deaths, honestly. Prof was probably the most interesting character and even he was kind of dull and kind of a stereotype. I attribute this partly to this being a YA series (which aren’t exactly known for their insane character development).
• A LITTLE CONVOLUTED - I’m a fast reader, meaning that sometimes, I skim books and miss important details. For most books, this isn’t a problem. For this series, it was a huge issue. I had to read far more carefully or I’d miss important details or new characters or the reasons for things happening or excellently bad metaphors. By the end of the series, there was so much information and conflict to keep track of that I was ready for it to be done and far less invested in the final book that I had been in the early books. This can be a pro if you’re someone who enjoys complex plots and lots of characters and drama, but for me, it was a bit much.

Have you read this series? What did you think of it? Who would you recommend this series to?

Series Review: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

In 2013, I was still a newcomer to YA fiction. I had taken a couple years off reading for fun (because of school) and was excited to come back to it, especially since I had just moved in with some girls who seemed to love reading as much as I did. In our first few months together, one roommate recommended Article Five by Kristen Simmons to me and I gratefully took her up on it. Having little experience with YA dystopian fiction, I was pretty impressed with the intensity of the novel and excited to read more. However, as time went on, I realized that this book was not nearly or fun as I’d originally thought and my interest waned as I finished the trilogy.

The description of the first book (pulled from Goodreads) is as follows:

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Honestly, it took me some time and research to remind myself what happened in this series and I realized that I didn’t really miss it and that, in hindsight, it was not nearly as wonderful as I originally thought it was. But here I am today to tell you both the pros and cons of this book.

First, the pros:

• INTENSE - My favorite thing about this series is that it starts off on an intense note and never really stops. It’s a dark and action-packed ride (with plenty of plot twists and suspense) and that made it a fun and exciting read. This is more intense than some other dystopian series I’ve read. The emotions are always at a record high and the stakes are always as high as they can be. For me, this was rewarding and fun - especially during the first book.
• DECENT BACKSTORY - While many dystopian novels don’t explain how the world got from how it is today to being terrible and dark, this book did a good job of showing how things used to be and how they changed so much in such a short time. I appreciated this, since most YA dystopias seem to skip this step entirely.

And now, the cons:

• FLAT CHARACTERS - Ember and Chase (the main characters) are your typical YA stars - she’s perfect and good at everything and everyone loves her and wants her to fall in love with them and he’s brooding and dark and tortured and really good at combat. They were nothing special in my mind and I enjoyed the story much more than I enjoyed the characters.
• TYPICAL DYSTOPIA - I cannot stress how much this was just like every other YA novel I’ve read. As I think about it, I’m having trouble distinguishing this from Unwind by Neal Shusterman and Delirium by Lauren Oliver (and probably a bunch of other YA books I can’t think of right now because they were so boring and stereotypical). There is really nothing that stands out about this book except that it was the first real dystopian YA book I ever read, so it paved the road for my thoughts about all the ones I read later.
• TOO INTENSE? - I’m not sure if this was a pro or con for me. Maybe a bit of both. At first, the intensity was fun and intriguing. By the third book, I was exhausted. I couldn’t afford to have my emotions running so high the whole time I read. Honestly, I was a little relieved when it ended - finally, I could relax a little and read something calming.

Have you read this series? Do you agree with my opinions on it? Are you as sick of dystopian YA novels as I am?

Series Review: The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

I’ve read plenty of YA novels at this point - so many that I’m really starting to get sick of the genre entirely. I do tend to like YA fantasy, but so many modern ones are full of so many ridiculous tropes that it’s difficult for me to read anything. But this one felt...different. In a really good way.

The Winner's Trilogy follows Kestrel, a general’s daughter, and Arin, a slave under Kestrel’s rule. As time passes, their relationship changes, their roles in their countries change, and the “peace” between their nations dies completely. Kestrel and Arin must choose what’s more important - following your heart or remaining loyal to your country.

It’s difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what was different about this series, but I’m going to try. Because this is one of the better YA series I’ve read in a long time.

The pros:

• GOOD WORLD-BUILDING- Granted, this isn’t the best built world I’ve ever read, but compared to most YA books I read, this world was much deeper and much more interesting than I expected. There were cultural clashes and political intrigue and lots of interesting aspects to the world that made it feel more real - and a lot less like earth with a few small changes. I really appreciated the world. Also, there were several different societies and cultures that Rutkoski created that somehow worked together. It was interesting and obviously took a lot of work to create so much.
• COMPLEX CHARACTERS - Now, again, I’m comparing this with other YA I’ve read, because I’ve definitely read more complex characters in adult fiction. But the two main characters in this series were much more complex and interesting than most YA main characters. I feel like most YA characters are so wrapped up in their love interest that the rest of the plot functions as a way to keep lovers apart. In this book, the main love story was basically put on the backburner for a lot of the series because the main characters had things to do instead of being madly in love all the time. Sure - their love story was a huge part of the series, but instead of being completely defined by their love interest, the characters were able to put it aside to accomplish things that were important to them. I know that’s kind of a low bar for characters, but it was really refreshing to read YA characters like this.
• WELL-WRITTEN - I really liked Rutkoski’s style of writing. It was fairly simple overall, but she gave the books a very dark feel, while still giving the reader a small measure of hope that our heroes would triumph. I feel like the books started light, got significantly darker, and (in the end) got much lighter again. Her style of writing reflected this somewhat and it made reading more interesting.

And the cons:

• FAIRLY BASIC YA FANTASY - If it isn’t already clear that I’m pretty fed up with this whole genre, this should help. While this series doesn’t completely follow every YA trope, it still is pretty straight-forward and basic - there’s an intense love story (which is a triangle at a couple points), a main character is the only one who can do what needs to be done, no one else can compare to the main character’s talents, etc etc. It’s getting old and this book refreshed me in some ways, but was pretty basic in a lot of ways.
• NON-REALISTIC LOVE STORY - I did like the love story in this series overall, but it was just too much a lot of the time. I did like it more than most YA I’ve read, but the love story made me roll my eyes way too much - which might be a plus for some people, but wasn’t fun for me.

If you’re interested in easy, but slightly different YA fantasy, then this is a good series for you. Also, if you’re looking to move from basic YA into more adult fantasy, this is a good first step.

Series Review: The Trust Williams Trilogy by Robert Farrell Smith

“God gave all the gift of Paul

So listen to his will.

The price of cheese may rise and dip,

But Paul is with us still.”

That should give you just a taste of what you’re in for with this series.

My brother was obsessed with audiobooks growing up, so when we randomly found All is Swell: Trust in Thelma’s Way among our parents’ audiobook collection, we knew we had to listen to it. And it didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the story, with the characters, and most of all, with Thelma’s Way. To this day, we can quote various parts of the first book since we listened to it over and over and over again. It wasn’t until years later that we discovered there were more books and we heartily devoured those as well.

The Trust Williams Trilogy follows Trust Williams as he serves a Mormon mission in Thelma’s Way, Tennessee, and then how his life is forever changed by the relationships he develops there. It’s a ridiculous series and I love it.

It has a lot of pros:

• HILARIOUS - The situations Trust encounters are absolutely ridiculous and wonderful. Most of the things that happen are quirky and funny social situations, but a few here and there are more strange - such as the plot being driven by people’s food storage going awry. It’s funny and strange and light-hearted - and so much fun.
• WELL-WRITTEN - While Smith isn’t the GREATEST AUTHOR TO WALK THE EARTH, his books are hilariously written and Trust narrates with a distinct voice. Often, the funnier part of the books are the way they’re being told rather than the story itself. Sometimes, when I try to tell someone part of this plot, I get stuck being the way I’m telling it doesn’t sell the story nearly as well as Smith’s telling of it.
• MEMORABLE CHARACTERS - These are some of the strangest characters I’ve ever met. There’s apostate Paul (who wrote the rhyme I began this with), the wonderful and strange Brother Heck, Trust’s various mission companions, Neal the villain, Trust’s (sometimes) well-meaning parents, and the lovely and elusive Grace Heck. They’re a wonderful mix of heart-warming, strange, and funny that work well and build the world Trust lives in.

And the cons:

• FLUFFY - I wouldn’t call this a deep read by any means. They’re light, they’re fun, and they’re silly. These aren’t the sort of books that will make you stay all night wondering about the mysteries of the universe. This is both a pro and a con - depending on your mood.
• WRITTEN FOR A VERY SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC - I love Smith’s books, but all of them are written for Mormons and about Mormons. For me, this works just fine. It does make it difficult when I want to suggest them to people who aren’t Mormon and probably won’t get some of the jokes and probably won’t care about some of the other ones.  

If you’re a Mormon looking for a unique, memorable, and light read, this series is excellent. If you’re anyone looking for a light read and you have a Mormon nearby to explain a few things to do, I would also highly recommend these books. They’re funny and quick and very worth the time.

Note: The first two books in the Trust Williams Trilogy have been combined and resold as Bitten, which is almost always being sold at Deseret Book.

Series Review: The Demonata by Darren Shan

There is so much blood in this series.

Like, SOOOOOO much blood. The Demonata is, without a doubt, the bloodiest series I have ever read (and I like horror novels!).

And yet, I really really enjoyed this series - even though I’m not at all the intended demographic and it definitely wasn’t my first choice of book and I probably won’t read other series by Darren Shan.

You see, I mostly read The Demonata because all my younger siblings went through a Darren Shan phase and I felt like I should keep up with their interests somewhat (though, honestly, reading Darren Shan hasn’t suddenly brought us insanely close or influenced my siblings to read anything I’ve recommended ever). So over the course of a year, I dutifully read the series and, at the end, I was actually kind of happy that I had.

There are a lot of good things about The Demonata:

• STRANGE AND BIZARRE PLOT ELEMENTS GALORE - So Grubbs Grady lives with his uncle and along the way there’s a lot of demons and plenty of magic and some life-or-death chess matches and colorful blobs and werewolves and bullying and famous filmmakers and family drama and motorcycles and medieval times and just a lot of everything. Grubbs spends most of his time hunting/fighting demons and the rest of his time being an average teenage boy, but all the fun fantasy elements and plot twists make the story much more fun.
• GOOD BALANCE OF HUMOR AND HORROR - Overall, I’d classify these books as YA fantastical horror (or maybe YA horrific fantasy?), but it’s not all dark and bleak. Shan does an excellent job of making our characters funny and likeable and able to see the good in their terrible situations. They’re frequently joking around and having fun, in spite of their circumstances and that makes them very fun characters to read.
• UNPREDICTABLE - I’ve read a LOT of YA books and I feel like I have a pretty good idea what’s coming most of the time. But Shan kept me in the dark frequently. He took the story in ways I never imagined, he started telling the story from a different point of view, or gave the reader more background (which completely changed my ideas of what was going to happen). It’s really fun to read books when you legitimately don’t know what will happen.
• UNIQUE CHARACTERS - While a few of the characters in this series fit stereotypes (i.e. Grubbs Grady as the tortured teen hero), most of them are interesting and unique. Having the story told from different viewpoints also helps the reader to appreciate each character, their background, their place in Shan’s world, and their contribution to the story.

And even though I really enjoyed this series, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows (in fact, I don’t think there was any sunshine and there were definitely no rainbows in the entire series). There were some parts that I didn’t appreciate:

• MEH WRITING - I wasn’t expecting too much out of these books, but I was still a bit disappointed. The writing is passable at best and doesn’t really suck the reader in at all. Shan writes best when he’s writing about really bloody and graphic scenes (and there are a lot of those), but being a good writer is being able to write the whole story well, not just the gory parts. Shan’s The Thin Executioner is written much MUCH better (and is somewhat less bloody), so it may be a better place to start.
• UNREALISTIC - I know, I know - it’s partly a fantasy series, but STILL. Sometimes, the plot would go to extremes that were just too much for me to believe. Things would either work out far too well for our heroes or everything would suddenly come up to stop them and it was just too much for the sake of a dramatic ending (since this usually happened at the end of one of the books).

My favorite book in the series is Bec - the fourth book. We've spent most of the series up until now hanging out with Grubbs Grady and hearing his sad tales and seeing things from the point of views of Grubbs and the people he hangs around with. But we begin Bec by being transported into another time and seeing the history of a lot of the problems that Grubbs is facing and that changes everything. Also, Bec is a fantastic female character (in a series with mostly tough men and a few hardcore women) and her influence throughout the rest of the series is huge.

If you don’t like blood and guts, don’t read this series. However, if you can tolerate some of that and some mediocre writing for a fun and absolutely ridiculous story about good vs. evil and teenage angst, then this is a good series for you.