Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic installment in Briggs' Mercy Thompson series.

Fire Touched focuses on a boy who escaped from Underhill after centuries of wandering the dangerous magical realm alone, but he didn't come out entirely human. Now Underhill wants him back, and the fae want him as a bargaining chip to reclaim their old homeland. Mercy and Adam, lovable bleeding hearts that they are, decide to protect the human-looking boy from all the big bads out to get him, and in doing so, claim the entire Tri-cities as their territory to defend against all comers.

I can now introduce myself as an award winning author!

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I actually read this book for the first time a couple years ago (before I started regularly reviewing books), but I'd somehow gotten it out of order in the series. Now I'm rereading in the right order. The fact that I had no qualms reading the book a second time is a good indication of its quality.

Along with the regular characters from Mercy's life so far, this book introduces Mercy's sort-of-half-brother Gary Laughingdog, a fellow coyote shifter. We also spend a good amount of time with Christy, Adam's infuriating ex-wife and Jesse's mother. She's a character designed for the reader to hate, and Briggs succeeds with flying colors.

The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overview: Huh. Well, that happened. Sanderson's writing continues to entertain and engage, but if you're looking for a satisfying ending to the series . . . this isn't it. That said, it seems there will, at some point, be another more final finale.

World building: Hot on the heels of his "save" of Mokia, Alcatraz returns to the Hushlands in an all-out frontal assault on the most protected librarian base, the Highbrary, located under Washington D.C. Other than the vast underground structure of the librarian stronghold, most of the world building comes in the form of an increased understanding about the Smedry talents, how they were made, and what they were for.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Overview: Once again, Ms. Black delivers a killer story in this satisfying conclusion to her Folk of the Air series. If you like darkly twisted stories about the fae, this is a series you won't want to miss.
That said, be sure to read these books in order! While each book is satisfying and has a contained story arc, the trilogy is written as one continuous plot. You will miss too much if you don't start at the beginning.

A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overview:
This story starts with a high level of intensity and never slacks off. If you liked the first book, you won't be disappointed with this second installment of The School for Good and Evil.

World building:
We are returned to the School for Good and Evil along with our protagonists, but the school is much changed. Rather than Good and Evil, the school is now separated into Girls and Boys. The balance has been broken, and the land has been cast into disarray by Agatha's choice to stay with her friend rather than her prince.

Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overview:
This is the fourth book in the Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarian series, and picks up pretty much right where book three left off: with Alcatraz in the Free Kingdom of Nalhalla. In keeping with the other books in this series, events quickly become chaotic, exciting, and just plain weird. While this is a bridge book in the series, it has a satisfying arc and conclusion.