Lisa

This was a tough one to rate. I liked the story well enough but the writing style was difficult for me to follow easily. However, due to the nature of the story, I appreciate the authors choice of style.

This is a tough one to give a star rating to. The prose was lyrical and poetic, a great example of magical realism, the subject and main plot however, was one most everyone can agree is ugly. Would not have read if the description had that one tiny detail, a detail that runs through the entire book.

Really enjoyed this story, though it was slow.
Also, as a note to those who chose to listen to it, I think it would have flowed better for me if I read it. The back and forth nature of the time travel left me slightly confused until I got the hang of it, but if I had read the print version, a flip of the pages would have quickly set things right in my mind.

I enjoyed the portrayal of women's roles through time. It was an interesting historical progression and thought provoking as the MC dealt with her own emotions and thoughts during different eras.

I'll admit the ending was a bit of a disappointment - so very Matrix like, and I believe the main character even mentions that at one point.

Not at all what I expected. It felt more like a naturalist handbook than an aide for dealing with technology, and not only that, weeks after reading it, I completely forgot that I had read it?! What can I say, it just wasn't for me.

Really enjoyed this book! I love myths, fables, folklore, and their intertwining magic - especially those myths and legends of which I'm less familiar.This book was well written and very fast paced.

I read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and voluntarily wrote this review.

Wonderful story. We'll written, author did a good job with all the animals personalities. 

Probably would have enjoyed more if I were younger.

There's a reason this is a “best of” book and an award winner.

Very fluid, easy to read, descriptive, yet not dumbed down for the YA audience. I also appreciated that it can stand on its own. I like series but can't always get to the next one right away. Which means cliff hangers annoy me. ;)

“The Reign of Anti-Santas - a Christmas misadventure for grownups” is a wry modern retelling of the fairytale life of Santa, the elves, everything surrounding Christmas, and the passage of time as told through the eyes of an VIE - very important elf - who rose through the ranks, saw it all, and is ready to retire.

The concept of Christmas as a tradeable commodity may be difficult to comprehend and could hinder one's understanding. Once the reader can read “Christmas” as “Christmas Inc.” and imagine it as a company and not a day/holiday, the tale makes much more sense - it is fiction after all, not a business advice book, so this leap of imagination is acceptable.

The author includes many fun reoccurring themes throughout the story. (Spoilers) The concept of Christmas as the cog that keeps the wheel of time turning is a fascinating concept, especially since Father Time and Father Christmas are so often similarly depicted. Elves turning into trees is a new take on elfdom that was interestingly woven throughout the entire book. As is the comparison of “real elves” to the rest of them; there being multiple Santas, all related, who hibernate after Christmas; and union belonging reindeer also being a meat source.

The wit and humor throughout the book is slick and biting. Granted the title will keep a certain demographic from reading the book, but sometimes it still needs to be said, if you're not a fan of sarcasm, this might not be the best book for you. One of my favorite quotes, “She had the hoarse voice of a woman who doesn't mind yelling to be heard.” should give you a hint of author's wit.

Readers who find irony in a commercialized holiday of giving would enjoy this book. As would those who enjoy the darker side of fairy tales and modern takes on old favorites. If you want a fluffy snow, cheerful elves, and a Christmas miracle, this is not the book for you.

This review based on an ARC.

Listened to the audio and found it more entertaining than I expected.

Not a how-to, but a philosophical book about how we try and quantify time, something that is intangible. Was very helpful at a time when I needed to hear it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
The format was fun. At first the back and forth took a bit to get used to, but within a few chapters it made sense (once the characters overlapped/reappeared).

The idea of clairvoyance was handled well. The author did a good job respecting it and Madame Burova's history.

This book sounded like something I would enjoy. I was not disappointed. An us vs them, man vs machine, science vs nature tale woven with intrigue and grey areas, it lived up the steampunk description.

But don't let that dissuade you from reading it if steampunk often feels to “science-y” for you. The author did a great job of describing scenes, items, and contraptions without detailing the science behind them. A gun is a gun, we don't need to know how a plasma gun works to know what happens when it's fired. In fact, not knowing the science is part of the plot – how does this new locomotive like thing work?

She also did a great job giving the setting a Victorian / Gilded Age feel without being a historical novel – which again is a key element of steampunk.

The story is also timely. As the question of AI is all over the news, this book questions the morality of augmenting humans with mechanical parts. Sure, we already do some of that with prosthetic limbs, but this takes it a step further, implying primitive robotic technologies and their autonomy.

All the logistics aside, it was also a fun read. The characters were relatable – both the good and the bad. The politics of the conflict were easy to follow, quickly explained from the start and elaborated as the story progressed, including the grey areas and personal conflicts. The cast of characters was socioeconomically diverse but limited in quantity – which is a good thing, there weren't a gazillion people to confuse while reading.

The only thing that caught my attention was the women's “sleeves” - a type of physical branding mentioned repeatedly in the beginning as an important part of a socialite's upbringing. They were hardly mentioned later in the book. Insignificant detail to note, but there it is. For all I know, there will be more about them in any possible sequels.

This is the first book in a planned series. That being said, I enjoyed that it wrapped up well. It left space for more adventures without obvious cliff hangers or questions left unanswered. And the questions that were left unanswered fall into the “obvious reasons for a series” category and leave just enough encouragement to read the next book if you want to. This was a quick read for me. The words flowed easily, and the plot moved along well. I especially liked that even though it was a chosen one trope, Zev had his powers and could use them from the get-go. That was a refreshing change of pace, as was his age. It had many of the bits that make YAF (young adult fantasy) fun reads but with more mature characters, themes, and wit. The writing style was occasionally too repetitive for my taste, using multiple examples to get the point across. However, Zev has a unique personality; what felt like overuse to me fit his persona really well, as did the many social and cultural references. The author even included a running joke, the word gadzooks, which was a cute, creative touch. I also enjoyed the use of older myths, monsters, and folklore. Along those lines, as with any fantasy book, there are magic rules, creature traits, and vocabulary created for this book, but the author did a good job explaining and working them into the story. It helps that Zev, though his power isn't new to him, the magical world is. Written from his point of view (POV), he asks, explains, and gets the answers the readers may need. If you like snarky MC (main characters), secret government agencies, mythical creatures, and general hi-jinks, this is a good book for you.

I was given an ARC and wrote this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed the story but not the writing style. I had to reread a number of sentences often enough that I noticed. The sentence structure felt choppy to me, I'm not sure why.

I didn't mind the back and forth narrative, I enjoy that type of story.

Good story, gets overdone which gives it a bad image.

Overly dramatic story of a stalker and/or a co-dependent relationship. Have no desire to read the rest of the series.

Listened as an audiobook. I would have done better reading it ‘cause of all the names. That's just how my brain works. Otherwise, enjoyed it.

Read in college. May try reading again sometime, but it just felt like it went nowhere.

Glad I read it. Walker definetly has a way with words.

Read in college, need to reread.

Could have been about 300 pgs shorter and would have been an enjoyable read. I got bogged down in specifics that didn't intrest me.

Loved this book as a young girl.

Discovered Vonnegut in college and he became one of my favorite authors. This is the second book of his I read.

Liked “The Kite Runner” better, but still a good read.

Read in 6th grade, enjoyed it then. May reread again someday.