Death Masks (The Dresden Files #5)

Continuing on with Harry Dresden's next epic story -- Death Masks

Death Masks

5 out of 5 Fallen Stars

"Illegal is such a strong word."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- poor Harry can never catch a break. It's just problem after problem for the guy, and while I do feel bad, his challenges make quite an interesting and fun read. Death Masks continues where Summer Knight left off, and the action is non-stop in this fast-paced, intense addition to The Dresden Files.

"I'd seen corpses before. Hell's bells, I'd created some. But I hadn't ever seen anything quite like this."

Plot-Line:

Not only is Harry being targeted by hitmen from the Red Court, has a duel planned with one of the Red Court's champions, been hired to find the Shroud of Turin, has his ex Susan showing up around town, he's also got fallen angels -- called Denarians -- to deal with, along with a cryptic/apocalyptic prophecy. Just an average day for Harry Dresden. Susan's still battling her semi-vampiric nature, Ortega wants Harry dead to end the war between the Red Court and the White Council, and the Denarians want Harry for their own evil reasons. All Harry is trying to do is protect the ones he loves, but that's a bit hard to do when be attacked from all over. Harry's got a lot to deal with in this chapter of his life, and the odds aren't looking good for him. He'll need all the help he can get to keep himself out of hot water -- or dead. It's a good thing for Harry then that Michael and the rest of the Knights of the Cross are there to help. It seems they may be the only ones he can trust.

"Life would be unbearably dull if we had answers to all our questions."

Notable Parts:

We're given tons of new information throughout Death Masks, but Butcher never makes it feel overwhelming. It's a real talent that he can continue building and adding to the world of Harry Dresden without making it seem like he's listing out facts or just throwing information at his readers. Not only are we given more information in potions and entropy curses, we're also introduced to the Archive, Denarians and their coins, and Mordite, also known as deathstone. There's Shiro and Sanya, Knights of the Cross, who really come in handy when fighting the Denarians. The humor and sarcasm is as great as always, giving us some chuckles between dealing with corpses and fights. There's only one annoying mention of how Harry needs to protect women -- in the novel, he says it would not be any less wrong if something bad happened to a man, but in his gut it isn't the same. Considering this was the only mention of Harry being a chauvinistic pig, I decided to overlook it and focus on the rest of the story instead. The vampires are important throughout the novel, and it made me wonder: do all vamps look like ugly, demonic bats under their human mask, or is this just for the Red Court? I hope to find out in the next book, Blood Rites, as the summary says that Thomas is going to play a major role, which will give us more information on the White Court of Vampires.

"There are things you can't walk away from. Not if you want to live with yourself afterward."

Overall:

Death Masks is a great installment to an amazing series. The flow between novels and the continuation of the overall story arc are written wonderfully. I love the increasing complexity of each novel; nothing is ever black and white in The Dresden Files, and everything becomes more muddled and grey with each installment. We're being given pieces to a puzzle one novel at a time, and I can't wait to see what they create in the end. Time to start Blood Rites and see what Butcher has up his sleeve for Harry next.

"It isn't good to hold on too hard to the past. You can't spend your whole life looking back. Not even when you can't see what lies ahead. All you can do is keep on keeping on, and try to believe that tomorrow will be what it should be -- even if it isn't what you expected."

The Moment of Letting Go

J.A. Redmerski is the author of one of my favorite books -- The Edge of Never -- so when I found out she was giving away ARCs of her new book -- The Moment of Letting Go -- I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. And I did! I received an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Moment of Letting Go

4 out of 5 Let-Go Stars

"Drink the sky."

J.A. Redmerski is a talented author, the type of author that changes the way you see yourself and your life through her writing. The Moment of Letting Go is no exception, and had me questioning my own actions and choices while reading it. This novel is all about being more carefree, having fun with what you do in life, overcoming your fears, and learning how to let go. I learned so much from The Edge of Never, and while that book will always be my number one, The Moment of Letting Go taught me more than I ever expected.

"I know what I want to do, but like so much of my life, it doesn't at all feel like I should."

Sienna:

Sienna is all about stability -- a stable career, a stable income, a stable lifestyle. Growing up poor and watching her parents struggle to raise her financially and seeing the effect this strain had on her parents made her crave a different life. She graduated from college, works at a prestigious job with her best friend, and thinks she's reached that steady point in her life where this is what she'll do for the rest of her life. All of that changes when an assignment takes her to the beaches of Oahu, Hawaii, where she meets carefree surfer Luke Everett. After only a couple sentences, he has her intrigued and has her already questioning her life. Maybe her stable life isn't what she needs. Maybe she should let Luke teach her how to let go of all her problems and enjoy life. Maybe she should let her heart take control this time. What she doesn't expect is the feelings that emerge within her on this trip, and just how much staying in Hawaii for another two weeks is going to change her.

"You're not you anymore. And it's scaring the hell out of me."

Luke:

Luke may seem like a carefree surfer that lives fast and wild, but he's experienced tragedy in his life that has changed him completely. When he see some of his old self in Sienna, he wants to help her just like his family tried to help him. Helping her overcome her fears, doing what she loves in life, not being controlled by money -- these are all things that Luke wants Sienna to be able to do. It doesn't hurt that she's a gorgeous girl who intrigues him just as much as he intrigues her. But besides from them only having two weeks together, Luke knows that they won't last. His past has too much of a hold over him -- for good reason -- and he knows that his lifestyle isn't one that Sienna will be able to live with. Luke knows how fragile the future is -- he learned that the hard way. Will he and Sienna be able to overcome the enormity of Luke's past and find a way to be together? Or will the two be pushed away by fragility of the future?

"Death can happen at any moment. Life is finite, Sienna. The one thing we're all destined to do, no matter what, is die. I don't want to be someone always afraid of it. I want to live what life I have left to the fullest."

Overall:

Reading Sienna and Luke's story was quite a journey to experience. Overcoming fears, accepting loss, moving on from the past -- the two had a lot to deal with. I understand Sienna'a actions and choices, and I feel everything Luke does right alongside him. It's painful, heartbreaking, and bittersweet, but ultimately a story about letting go and living the life you choose. The Moment of Letting Go is a fantastic, emotional read, and I suggest reading it ASAP when it comes out on August 11th. Luke and Sienna's story is not one to be missed.

"We're all stronger than our weaknesses. Sometimes we just need someone else to help us find that strength."

where she went

Wrapping up the wonderfully emotional if i stay series by Gayle Forman, with where she went.

where she went

5 out of 5 Heart-Wrenching Stars

"Letting go. Everyone talks about it like it's the easiest thing. Unfurl your fingers one by one until your hand is open. But my hand has been clenched into a fist for three years now; it's frozen shut. All of me is frozen shut. And about to shut down completely."

Gayle Forman has upped the ante in this amazing squeal to if i stay, accurately titled where she went. Everything I love about if i stay has become even more pronounced in where she went; the writing is more eloquent, more beautiful, and more heart-breaking. I did not think this would be possible with how great the first novel in this duology is, with how well it flows and tears at our heart strings, but Forman did it. She makes a story about a guy who lost his girlfriend and second family more devastating that when Mia lost her own family. Forman has completely blown past my expectations in this beautiful sequel, taking us through the aftermath of if i stay through Adam's eyes.

"I find the need to remind myself of the temporariness of a day, to reassure myself that I got through yesterday, I'll get through today.”

Plot-Line:

Fast forward three years from the end of if i stay. Mia decided to wake up, but like Adam was told before, it was easier for her to cut herself off from her old life and all the memories associated with it. Adam and Mia faced a lot of tough challenges after Mia woke up, and the way their relationship ends is terrible. Mia is now a rising star, getting ready to tour after graduating from Julliard a year early, and Shooting Star has grown widely popular, earning platinum to double-platinum records. It's a crazy coincidence when Adam ends up having a day off in New York City before his next big tour, and finds himself outside of Carnegie Hall, where Mia is having a recital. They reconnect after the performance, but everything is awkward and tense between them -- it's worse than when they first started dating because of their history together and all the pain they've both suffered. This chance meeting turns into a night of reconnecting between the two of them, and it's an emotional rollercoaster for both of our main characters. The three years since the accident have taken their toll on both Adam and Mia, but while Mia has been able to survive through music, Adam has not. He's a completely different person, and he's spiraling down a deadly vortex with no end in sight. Maybe it's not coincidence that the two have met up again right when Adam needs Mia the most. Maybe it really is fate. 

“I've come to realize there's a world of difference between knowing something happened, even knowing why it happened, and believing it.” 

Notable Parts:

Just like in if i stay, the chapters switch between present and flashbacks, and Forman makes it work wonderfully. Each flashback is written for a specific reason, to help the readers understand how Adam got to where he is in the present timeline, why these things happened in the first place, and how this ripple-effect has changed Adam so greatly. The distance of the band, his crumbling relationship with Mia, how he deals with mourning, and his reaction to all pressure he faces in his new lifestyle are so realistic, it makes the reader feel like they are experiencing everything Adam is right alongside him. Grief really is a competition, and it's forgotten that Adam lost family too -- there was no one there for Adam while he was suffering, and it's obvious how this changed him. It's a heart-breaking life that Adam finds himself in, and while Mia had the solace of music, Adam lost that. Music no longer makes him feel like he has a home; it is no longer a comfort for him. It's just a reminder of what he has lost, and how tiring his life has become. It's in this aspect, of Adam's dramatic change in his relationship with music, that the readers realize how much Adam has lost, how much he is struggling. He really did lose everything.

“You know, I thought about that a lot these last couple of years," She says in a choked voice. "About who was there for you. Who held your hand while you grieved for all that you'd lost?” 

The Music:

I remember Forman saying that she's not very good at writing lyrics, which cannot be true. Before each present-time chapter in where she went there are beautiful verses written out that relate to what happens in the chapter. These lyrics are amazing. I wish I could write lyrics like Forman does. She also has complete songs written out after the novel ends, and I am just in awe of the way she writes and what she is able to say through these lyrics. Simply amazing. The progression through the songs and lyrics are in complete harmony with what is happening in Adam's life, and I love it. The titles for the albums are unique and interesting, and the titles also reflect Adam's life. The songs she has referenced are the perfect songs to mention, and I am in love with the songs Forman has written. I will re-read this novel again and again just to experience the power of these lyrics once more.

"I just want out. Out of my existence. I find myself wishing that a lot lately. Not be dead. Or kill myself. Or any of that kind of stupid shit. It's more that I can't help thinking about what it would be like had I never been born in the first place."

Overall:

Adam and Mia face more hardships in their lives than anyone ever should, and the way they change and grow is a beautiful story to experience. I will be forever grateful that I read this amazing series, as I almost let it pass me by because of the movie. I can relate to the impact music can have on a person's life. Music will always play a major role in Adam's and Mia's life, even if their relationship with it changes at times. The way that Gayle Forman portrays this relationship in her writing is achingly beautiful, and the lyrics -- and story -- she has written will stay with me for a very long time. Adam and Mia's relationship is not one to fade into the background, and I hope both characters find peace with the tragedy that has changed their lives forever.

"I have to make good on my promise. To let her go. To really let her go. To let us both go."