Rachel Rener

I don't like ghost stories. Except when Rachel Rener writes them, apparently. Then, I love them.

Perfect for the spooky season, it is no lie when I tell you I've been waiting for four years for this book. Four years! The Girl Who Talks to Ashes was published three years ago, but I first became acquainted with Rachel's writing a year before that, so trust me, the math works.

This book is a masterpiece. I know this duology has a small cult following compared to her other series, but the writing is fantastic, and the story is imaginative beyond belief (and I can imagine a lot)! Additionally, it is horrifying but in a wonderful way that doesn't quite induce nightmares. I loved it!

Also, Lilah is back and as wonderful as ever! And don't want to spoil it by saying much else. Just read it!

I was given an ARC by the author and reviewed it because it deserved to be raved over.… (más)

This one is truly an emotional rollercoaster, but not in a good way. All emotions are extreme. Everything is right on the limit all the time. Emotions switch at the drop of a hat between different extremes. There is nothing in moderation which is truly exhausting.
On top of that the MC is constantly shrieking or producing other high-pitched sounds from a place of being emotionally overwhelmed. This pairs terribly with the kind of audiobook narration this has.
She actually does a very good job with voice-acting all these different states of constant emotional overload and she does all the squeaking, shrieking, whimpering, and all the other sounds the MC is making justice. But that doesn't help a pleasant listening experience.

And I think this is a shame because there is at least a somewhat entertaining story behind this insane mix of emotions and comedic absurdity. The humor reminds me a bit of R.J. Blain. It's similar but not derivative.
And the writing was actually done very well and I was actually invested in the main character. The story isn't particularly complex or novel but it does a good job of building the necessary emotional attachments for a book like this to work.
The MC (and her mother) are just so extremely over the top constantly.… (más)

This series is one of a kind. The Lightning Conjurer: The Christening is an amazing, outstanding story. It has so many ups and downs throughout the entire story. It will pull you one way only to throw you for a loop into another way. I loved Rowan/Aspen. She was strong, feisty, caring, loving, intelligent, and a strong sense of justice. Aiden is sweet as always but strong and protective. I loved Ori and his humor. The of the support characters are amazingly developed and add so much to the story. This is extremely well written and when the descriptions are given in the story you can easily visualize them as if it was right in front of you. The story will have you laughing one minute, crying the next, only to anger you in that third minute and finally feeling all the love in it. It is gripping and one that is unable to be put down. It draws you in and doesn’t let go until you reach the end. This is a must read! The entire series is one that you won’t forget.… (más)

This is one heck of a ride. The story is chucked full of action, mystery. drama, and suspense. It pulls you in and keeps you glued to the pages. It is a story that is so engaging and heart felt at the same time. Rowan goes through so much throughout this story. You can feel her pain, sorrow, happiness, anger and love as the story progresses. She grows so much throughout the story and it has you continuously root for her and her group of characters. It is addicting! Yes, it does end in a cliffhanger but my goodness it is so worth reading. I absolutely can not wait for the next book. This will have laughing and crying at once. We learn so much about Aiden and his family. We learn love and forgiveness in this story. I just can't say enough how good of a read this is.… (más)