Posted on by bookreviews628

Eyes held high in pride are less able to see the uneven ground ahead: Reviewing Star Wars: Greater Good (Book 2 of the Ascendancy Trilogy)

Hey everyone! I hope you are keeping cool this summer. It has been a scorcher where I live and I am struggling over here. Before you check out this review, feel free to read my review of the first book in this trilogy, Chaos Rising. I have the third book in this trilogy ready to go. I also recommend checking out all of my other Star Wars book reviews. I’m still trying to find more to read. I might check out the High Republic books because I am watching Star Wars: Acolyte and I am enjoying it so far. Funny enough, I only became a Star Wars fan relatively recently but I rarely like anything casually I love to know about lore and backstories and other characters. Star Wars is the perfect franchise for this. Now, without further ado, let’s talk about Greater Good.

Thrawn’s victories have caught the attention of the Chiss and brought victory to the House of Mitt. Despite his unusual methods, he has earned the respect of his fellow officers. The threat to the Chiss Ascendancy, though, has not been eliminated. Their enemy lurks in the shadows and plays a different game, one that involves espionage and ulterior motives disguised by acts of generosity. This enemy has been sowing the seeds of discord with the goal of turning the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses against each other. With civil war on the horizon, the Chiss must decide between family and the Ascendancy.

Greater Good may not be my favorite book in this trilogy but there was still plenty I appreciated about this book. Timothy Zahn takes full advantage of how vast and interesting the Star Wars universe is and creates these fascinating characters who might not be seen in any other Star Wars media. Thrawn isn’t heavily featured in this book, but there are plenty of other characters who are just as compelling. I like reading about how the Chiss society operates, the alliances, and all of the politics that come with it. It certainly wasn’t boring but I did prefer the battle scenes. Overall, this is a solid follow-up to Chaos Rising and I look forward to reading the next book in this trilogy.

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I will be a monster if it means we survive: Reviewing The Rage of Dragons (Book 1 of The Burning Series) by Evan Winter

Hi everyone! I hope you are faring well during these hot summer days. I am so excited to discuss this book because I wanted to finish it before Season 2 of House of the Dragon premiered. It only felt appropriate. Speaking of that, I want to read George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood. I may re-read The Song of Fire and Ice series in the future. It has been years since I read them but I may consider doing reviews, just for fun. I think you all know that I love fantasy books, especially fantasy books involving dragons. Needless to say, The Rage of Dragons was calling to me so let’s review it.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Harsh Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery

The Omehi people have been at war for hundreds of years. A select few of them are blessed with the ability to call dragons and others can transform into giant monsters. These gifted people have kept the Omehi people safe for so long. Tau Solarin is not one of these people. He doesn’t want to spend his enter life fighting in a never-ending war. His plans are changed when his father is killed and he decides to take revenge against the men who killed him. He promises to himself to become the greatest warrior. With the war raging on, Tau must make decisions that change his life and the lives of his loved ones forever.

The Rage of Dragons is an absolute must-read for all fantasy lovers. I was initially intrigued by the Game of Thrones comparisons that people were making about this book and I absolutely see the similarities. The Rage of Dragons, though, sets itself apart with its world-building that is inspired by Xhosa culture. This book is relentless and action-packed. I was genuinely surprised by how intense it got but that made me love it even more. One of my favorite aspects of the book was Tau’s character journey. I love how personal his narrative was, even among all of these sweeping battle scenes. If you love an underdog story, then you will enjoy Tau as the main character. I could rave for so much longer but I won’t. Instead, I will tell you to go experience The Rage of Dragons for yourself. I will buy the next book sooner than later.

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For every man, there exists bait he cannot resist swallowing: Reviewing Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Hi everyone! I’m back! Thank you for bearing with me during my brief absence. I still have plenty of books to talk about. My summer reading pile is pretty exciting and eclectic this time around. I like to branch out and buy books on a whim. Variety is the spice of life, you know? I’ve been waiting to talk about this particular book for a while, though. It’s time to talk about Night Film by Marisha Pessl.

Content Warning: Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Substance Abuse, Harsh Language, Self – Harm

Scott McGrath has spent most of his career chasing down Stanislas Cordova, a mysterious and controversial film director who had seemingly disappeared. McGrath gives up on the search for Cordova after the investigation nearly ends his career. He’s pulled back into his investigation when Cordova’s daughter, Ashley, is found dead. Her death is ruled a suicide but McGrath thinks that there is more to her death than meets the eye. With the help of unlikely friends, Scott McGrath is dives back into the twisted and bizarre world of Stanislas Cordova, where he might finally come face to face with the man who ruined his life.

Night Film is a fantastic mystery-thriller that was unputdownable. My favorite aspect of the book was that is used mixed media, like articles and websites, as part of the story. It helped heighten the mystery and I looked forward to those sections of the book because they were so creative. This is a longer book but it’s pretty fast-paced. Night Film hits the most important story beats that any good mystery should have. It didn’t rely heavily on gore or shock but there was enough there to make you keep guessing what was actually happening. Since this is a mystery novel, I am not going to spoil this for you. Go experience the fun thrills of Night Film for yourself.