The Devil You Know by Kit Rocha
Mercenary Librarians #2
Fantasy/Dystopia
August 31, 2021, by Tor Books
ARC
Being a Kit Rocha fangirl, I’m super excited for pretty much any new release by this author duo. The Devil You Know is the second book in the Mercenary Librarians series, and focuses on Maya and Gray.
Maya’s brain is a weapon, she was trained to carry data, and anything she has seen, heard, read, and experienced is stored in her memory and she literally can not forget. She is also believed to be dead by the higher-ups at TechCorps and if it is ever discovered that she is alive and well would be a liability since she knows all their secrets.
Gray is a sniper. He is one of the best to ever leave the supersoldier program, but he’s running out of time. The implant in his brain is about to short circuit and there is nothing the team can do about it. Realizing and accepting that this is the end for him, he just wants to get closer to Maya and spend what little time he has left with her.
This second installment had much slower pacing than its predecessor, Maya and Gray are such a different couple as far as temperament, a lot less fighting, and more slowing getting to know you better even though you might be gone soon. It’s not until the second half of the book that the action really picks up, with the return of a team member thought to be dead, the rush to save Gray’s life, and the big bad villain making an appearance. That ending though, WOO but do I love a good kicking ass and taking names fight scene.
One of the things Kit Rocha does best is creating a found family with incredibly talented and capable members and then throwing them into the turmoil of a dystopian future and the start of a revolution to change society for the better. With the developments in this latest installment, I am now even more excited about what comes next.
Final grade- B
Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston
Honey Badger Chronicles #4
Paranormal Romance
August 31, 2021, by Berkley
ARC
Another zany, wild adventure from Shelly Laurenston.
Breaking Badger is the fourth book in the Honey Badger Chronicles and introduces the members of Max MacKilligan’s basketball team, this book focuses on Mads, and the Black Malones, who are distant relatives of those other Malones from previous installments. (Yes, it can get confusing at times). There are about seventy billion plot threads, but the main one is the search for who killed Finn Malone’s father.
As usual, there is a whole lot of bloody shenanigans and over-the-top antics. This series is still one of my favorites when I’m looking for a light-hearted, fun read, but I do miss when the books in this series focused more on the romance and less on the external plot dramas. And as much as I enjoyed the MacKilligans I feel like they overshadowed much of the getting to know you of the newer characters.
But regardless of my quibbles, I’m still all in with this series and look forward to what comes next.
Final grade- C+
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