Nerdy Werewolf

Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox by Forthright . My rating: 4 of 5 stars “I don’t understand.” “Which part, miss?” Tsumiko would have thought it obvious. “How can I inherit a person?” So, this was a really interesting book. I'll start with saying that despite certain misgivings, I'm interested in finding out what happens next in this well-painted world. Firstly, the heroine was a little tricky. She's this 20-year-old girl, right? Everyone assumes she's young-minded and naive, but she's inquisitive to the extreme and generally makes sound, thought-out decisions. There is still a certain amount of wide-eyed youth, but it's as if she's got what's called an "old soul"? The antagonist/hero of the story is introduced as a very wizened, curmudgeonly fellow with an ethereal type of youthfulness in appearance. He's also a Fox in the Japanese-folklore type of way, so he's a trickster on top of everything else. So, therein lies my scru...

A Shifter's Curse by Raven Steele My rating: 4 of 5 stars ""I heard about what you did. That took some balls." "Ovaries,” I corrected. I'm one of those people that curses like a sailor around people I know won't be offended. If that's a turnoff for you, don't bother with this series. You will think the heroine is juvenile and crass. Personally, I don't mind swearing and I like my heroes to have room to grow and learn rather than being flung in front of me fully-formed and all-knowing. That's what the wise, teacher character is for. Still with me? Good. I was pleasantly surprised by the use of fairly common tropes that didn't leave me feeling bored or like I had the answers already. I can see where a lot of things are heading, but I was given just enough information to ponder without the answers being plain-as-day. I feel like that's the best way to describe this book. "Exceeded expectations." My favorite ...

Wild Country by Anne Bishop My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Humans. Couldn’t live with them; couldn’t eat them all." I'm not entirely sure when this series jumped to the front of my "Can't Wait" list, but it absolutely has. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people in this story that I was already aquainted with from previous books. It made getting to know the newer characters more layered. I was learning about the people I didn't know anything about right along with them. I still can't put my finger on exactly what makes these books such an absolute treat to read. I'm generally into fast-paced, fun adventures with amazing character development, but these are more of a slow burn. Maybe a quick trot? Maybe all three? Whatever it is, it always leaves me feeling thankful to be a part of this amazing world and longing for what happens next. View all my reviews

Skinwalker by Faith Hunter My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Unlike more primitive peoples, intellectual, well-educated humans just pretended the things they didn’t understand didn’t exist." Well, it looks like I'm rating this book a 4 out of 5 the second time around, too. I think it just hit all my buttons. The last time I tried to listen to it in audio. Didn't like it. This time, I did the ebook, which I enjoy because I highlight everything . Jane is not the most sociable creature to begin with, but she also shares her mind and body with a big cat named Beast. Beast is all about the baser instincts and everything that that probably implies. She wants to be dominant, fight everyone and have some 'kits.' It's fun watching their interaction whether Beast or Jane is in charge at the time. The mystery was a little lacking because I had suspicions, and then was thrown for a loop, but it ended up being the person I originally suspected. I didn'...