Book Review: Zero Sum Game by S.L. Huang

 Earlier in April I reviewed  The Language of Liars  by S. L. Huang. 

I thought it was a really solid work of Sci-Fi fiction that I decided to check out more of their backlist.  One of the things I enjoy about this author is that they've written lots of books over time and not all are exactly Sci-fi. I know I'll get a good story but what exactly I'll get is a surprise!   

Zero Sum Game popped up as the first in the series, featuring a character named Cas Russell. 

I cannot decide which cover I like better. So I posted images of both, as they both sort of show different aspects of this high octane thriller style novel. 

Without spoiling this one... Cas is a loner, she mostly sticks to the periphery of society. She takes dangerous jobs and has good results- mostly because she is wicked good at math.  Let me tell you, I was ready for a novel where a math genius is also a total badass with a gun, fast motorcycles and an attitude to match.  I loved it. 

Cas takes a job after she was recommended by one person she trusts. Once she's working the job, she can't seem to disentangle herself from the situation. And, the situation is not safe or actually very sane. Has she uncovered a governmental secret agency or a strange society of insanity?  You'll want to read to find out. 

   I did feel this was maybe a bit rough around the edges, here and there, but, I also loved that it felt like I was immersed in an action thriller full of dangerous twists and turns.  This allowed me to overlook some of the uneven characters, and repetitive dialogue. It really didn't matter that much to me, as I was really in it to win it with Cas and her adopted crew.  I will be picking up book 2. 

First Published :  10/2/2018

Pages: 336

Available as an Audio Book :  YES

Trigger Warnings: Violence, death, references to drugs, mind control, LA traffic, guns, Math, vague religious trauma (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Half City By Kate Golden

 I wanted to LOVE this book.  I saw it on Net Galley and decided not to request it as I already had several ARC's to give feedback on, but I popped the audiobook on hold immediately.  The cover was awesome and I wanted to love this. Did I love this?  Did you read it? Did you Love it? 

This promised to be a pretty darn good time. The premise is that a young woman - who is a demon hunter at night and a literal disaster during the day, finds herself unexpectedly invited to attend Harker University, a school for other demon hunters. 

Yes- this is magical academia, for adults. Think Harry Potter, but with adults. Think Fourth Wing without dragons.  Please, though, whatever, you think, don't think you're going to read anything unique or different. 

   This was, frankly, predictable and boring. Viv has a tragic background pasted on her. She has a loyal group of demon hunting besties and one friend who is unawares of all these things.  This friend pretty much exists as a prop. I kept hoping the friend would turn out to be more than what she was made into, but no dice. 

She agrees to attend the school in order to find out more about her tragic backstory, and finds herself attracted to the Hot professor- who's actually... a demon. 

The plot meanders around, with several breaches in the integrity of the schools "impenetrable walls"; a student goes missing, and her own friend group decides it's most appropriate to attend a lacrosse game before looking for clues about her even after they've decided her absence is fishy, and some other various "hints" being dropped as to what's about to happen. There were other odd phrases in there, such as the main character, written as an American consistently saying "I should have rang him back"  which is distinctly not in America's vernacular. In the end yes, the reveal happens and we end on a cliff hanger. 

The more I write this review, the less I like this book. So I think I should cut to the chase.  This is a book for a reader who's read Fourth Wing and really wants something almost exactly like it. I probably would have enjoyed this a lot more but it was OVER 16 HOURS on Audiobook.  It has an appearance of Teddy Hamilton, which- unfortunately for me- his voice is SO distinct now that it took me out of the story as I was like - OH  what's Teddy Hamilton doing here at the Demon Bar? 

  I gave this 3 stars. It was to me a very average book, that will appeal to some readers, but did not really even make me giggle or kick my heels at what was a somewhat cute romance. I reviewed it also for the Social Media so if you want to meander over there and give that a like, I'd appreciate it.   I was just somehow over it at 8 hours into the listen. I wanted to love this. I wanted to suspend reality and go demon hunting. I found I just wasn't up for more "sparring sessions" gates being breached for the first time in never, and the predictability of this one. Hopefully I'll land on something with a bit more substance soon! 

STATS

First Published: 12/1/26

Pages: 496

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes  16.5 hours 

Trigger Warnings:  Violence, Deception, alcohol and drug use, death, supernatural creatures, forbidden romance (professor /student both of age), kidnapping, poison

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)