Broken in Silence - Katze Snow It was an interesting story but there were points in the book that I felt I was missing portions of the story. I felt like I had picked up the book when it was halfway through already. I got the big picture that Tanner wanted vengeance and it encompassed his life and it made him ruthless. But what readers don’t know is why the demon attacked the Wulfric family, why the demon is so stuck on Tanner, what’s the end game for Elijah Ravenhill and why Tobias is even involved considering he’s moved on from all the things his family has suffered.

The plot is really lacking just focusing on Tanner wanting revenge on a demon who took away everything he loved. There’s no real progression or development of Tanner getting closer to his goal. He just comes out several steps behind his goal. There aren’t answers just more questions.

Also not all the characters are explained immediately. Readers get who Tanner, Tobias, Alex, Sebastian and some of Tanner’s crew are but for other very minor characters their role in the story doesn’t become apparent until later in the story but their names are mentioned (goes back to more questions coming up than answers).

Going back I also feel that the first encounter with Elijah and his demon minions was a bit confusing, sequence wise, with the fight going on in the Wulfric manor. Tanner was thrown around like a ragdoll whereas there’s not much mention of what happened to Tobias and why he wasn’t aiding Tanner when he was being attacked. For twins, they were not at all in tune with each other.
I also felt a bit bad for Alex. He’s Tanner mate but the he was:

1) thrown away and abandoned
2) told to prostitute himself to Tanner’s brother, Tobias, so Tanner could move his plan along (.i.e. Alex was only seeked out because he was useful)
3) Tanner’s mate but Tanner was sleeping around with whoever he liked/wanted
4) threatened by Tanner, whom held his livelihood/life in his hands
5) treated him like a sex toy/pet
6) screwed up by the mind games being thrown at him by Tanner.

When a little affection/romance (which there isn’t a lot of) was thrown in between Tanner and Alex I was just having a hard time believing that they could ever be more than they were. It felt like the author was romanticizing abuse. Tanner was an asshole and all he did was take and take and take.

The hierarchy was intriguing to learn about and it was unique in that aspect. The different factions that made up the story’s universe were intriguing. I wanted to know more about the underground, Zion/Halo officials, the underworld, etc.
I’m a little sad this story didn’t work out for me but don’t take my word for it and give it a read. You might actually find it more appealing.

So this is a round-up I did for B&N SciFi, which is a little listicle-y because it's number 10 in a series and nobody much cares about, like, an actual review at that point. Either you'll read it because you're on the hook, or you won't.

 

But coming up with the list kinda reminded me how kinda terrible the Mercy Thompson series is about relationships between female characters. I think there's a big step forward in Silence Broken -- Mercy has real conversations with Honey, that Russian witch lady, and Marselia -- but that doesn't precisely make up for the previous 9 novels. It ends up being one of those bummers where I pretty much like everything about a series but a huge fucking gaping hole where normal human interaction should exist between people of the same gender, but alas, it doesn't. Or it does a little not, but. 

 

Oh, but as per the actual plot: I thought this one unstuck some stuff that had been, um, stuck, in the few previous. Mercy ends up kidnapped into Europe, so we get a whole new political and literal landscape to deal with. I though it shook up some things that needed shaking up in the Mercyverse. 

I received an ARC of 'Broken Silence' from Jennifer Kacey, in exchange for an honest review.

What an introduction to Jennifer Kacey's writting, 'Broken Silence' was my first book from her & WOW. 'Broken Silence' is book 42 in the "Black Hills Wolves" series, I need to read MORE if this series.

Presley Ginger, known as PG to everyone has been trying for a while now to catch up with her college friend Saja to visit, when the go ahead on Saja's end arrives, PG is excited to finally see her. Upon arriving in Los Lobos PG meets Saja at the diner, when a hot waiter arrives to take her order, learning that he can't speak, PG does what she's done since she was little, she signs for him. Making everyone in the diner stop & notice what's happening. Paul can't talk, even when he wants to, he carries around note pads & pens, so when Saja's friend starts signing at him, he's finally able to 'talk' to someone....

TOTALLY BLEW ME AWAY, I want to read more from Jennifer Kacey.

After I finished Silence, I had to pick up the sequel. Broken Silence takes place four years after Silence and you are reunited with the main characters as they get ready to embark on the adventure of putting away Oakley's abusers. I won't speak too much about the plot as this is a sequel and anything largely about the plot will instantly ruin Silence and I rather not do that so I will write what I think about this book.

This book is a tad bit...Okay, lie, it's a lot more romantic than Silence as both Cole and Oakley are older adults and thus are ready to start a more serious relationship than they had as teenagers. There are two plots kind of interwoven together within this novel. The main one is the one that continues from the previous story as the abusers are finally brought in front of a judge, and the second one is the dance that Oakley has in choosing between staying with Cole or not.

Overall, I enjoyed this series. It was interesting and kept my attention. The romance was cute but yet believable. Oakley's reactions were also believable which is a big thing with this kind of plot. There are two short stories that take place after Silence but I'm not one-hundred percent sure if I'm going to read them as I found another book that I want to read.

I give this, and Silence an 8.5 out of 10. There were times when I wanted to throw the romance out of the window because I wanted to focus on what was going on with the abusers but beyond that I don't have any other serious complaints about this novel.

Short review this time, sorry Page Turners!

Until the next page turn,

Tiffany

A little girl is found at a crime scene, and VCET is called in. VCET whose new "boss", FBI Special Agent Joseph Carter, calls in his mate, State Attorney Daphne Montgomery, to help in coaxing a word, any word, out of the child. Joseph feels like a monster, making Daphne relive her childhood trauma that had made her unable to speak for eight months, yet again, but he knows she's their best bet.


This was a lovely little novella (the rating reflects the fact I didn't care for its shortness) that brings closure to Daphne and a nice coda to her and Joseph's story. It felt more like a slightly longer epilogue to Did You Miss Me?.

And despite its shortness, it had everything I've come to expect from a Karen Rose story—action, drama, suspense, romance, and just a little bit of humor to keep it from being too bleak. In the end, I was happy for Joseph and Daphne (congrats, you two), and excited to read more. Onto the next book, then.