The Palace Job Book Review

The Palace Job

Patrick Weekes

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: 

Series: The Rouges of the Republic
Series Number: 1

Profanity: Mild

Violence:Mild

Sexual Content: 

Age Recommendation: 16 +

Author Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Weekes





Summary:

Loch is seeking revenge.

It would help if she wasn’t in jail.

The plan: to steal a priceless elven manuscript that once belonged to her family, but now is in the hands of the most powerful man in the Republic. To do so Loch—former soldier, former prisoner, current fugitive—must assemble a crack team of magical misfits that includes a cynical illusionist, a shapeshifting unicorn, a repentant death priestess, a talking magical warhammer, and a lad with seemingly no skills to help her break into the floating fortress of Heaven’s Spire and the vault that holds her family’s treasure—all while eluding the unrelenting pursuit of Justicar Pyvic, whose only mission is to see the law upheld.
What could possibly go wrong?

The Palace Job is a funny, action-packed, high-fantasy heist caper in the tradition of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series, from debut author Patrick Weekes.

Review:

The Palace Job caught my attention immediately with it's themes of magic and mischief and didn't let go until I turned the last page. It's the perfect blend of magical mayhem and hilarious action.

The story opens up with Loch in the process of trying to escape from the most impenetrable prisons ever, one that makes Alcatraz look like like a picnic. From there she moves on to collect a haphazard crew of misfits to help her break into an even more heavily guarded palace to steal...a book.

The Palace Job is filled with funny, exciting, and delightful heist activity driving readers deeper into the story as the mystery of what is really going on thickens. The pace really picks up at the end plowing ahead at breakneck speed as everything finally comes together in a stunning conclusion. What I found great about this book is that while there is a sequel it can be read by itself without worry of needing to read the next one for a conclusion. It also kept me laughing through the entire read, which is something I always enjoy.

Patrick Weekes did a wonderful job with each of the characters in this book. There were a lot to juggle and he bounced between points of view so often it should have been confusing but wasn't. Each character had their own distinct personality and carried themselves true through the entire story. I liked them all, but I particularly liked Justicar Pyvic and Kail. Pyvic for his dedication to duty and Kail for his laugh out loud personality.

Weekes has crafted a wonderfully extravagant world that left me pausing more than once to just enjoy it's fullness. It has everything from a wide range of different peoples to a corrupted government vying for the peoples attentions via puppet shows. And I'm  not being figurative, literal puppet shows are the source of news for the people. I can't forget to mention the wide variety of magical aspects that are spread through this book. One of the things I enjoyed best about the magical elements in this book was that they all tied in together, nothing felt thrown in without a reason.

Overall The Palace Job was a great read. It was fast paced and funny but definitely aimed towards an older audience. I'd recommend it to a slightly more mature audience. There isn't anything explicit in it but it does hint at and mention things that might not be suitable for younger audiences. If you like heists, magic, or a funny read then The Palace Job is for you.

Note: I received a copy of this e-book from Netgally for my fair and honest opinion which I have stated above.


~Dawn

The Job Book Review

The Job

Janet Evanovich

Lee Goldberg 

Rating (out of 5):5

Genre: General Fiction/Heist Fiction

Release Date: November 18, 2014

Series: Fox and O'Hare

Series Number: 3

Profanity: mild

Violence: mild

Sexual Content: mild  

Age Recommendation: 17+

Author Website: http://www.evanovich.com/ and http://www.leegoldberg.com/




Summary:

He’s a charming con man and she’s a dedicated FBI agent, and they’re about to drive each other crazy . . . again! 
 The FBI had one demand when they secretly teamed up Special Agent Kate O’Hare with charming con man Nicolas Fox—bring down the world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons. This time it’s the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire.  The FBI doesn’t know what their target looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick Fox has a few tricks up his sleeve to roust this particular Knipschildt chocolate–loving drug lord. From the streets of Nashville to the back alleys of Lisbon, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the middle of the Thames, Nick and Kate chase their mark. When they find themselves pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard and a Portuguese enforcer who gets advice from a pickled head, they decide it’s time to enlist some special talent—talent like a machete-wielding Somali pirate, a self-absorbed actor, an Oscar-winning special effects artist, and Kate’s father Jake, a retired Special Forces operative. Together they could help make this Fox and O’Hare’s biggest win yet . . . if they survive.


Review:

The Job shows readers once again that Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg still have it. Readers are swept up in not only an adventure across the globe but also in the increasingly interesting relationship between Nick and Kate. The stakes are big, the danger is high, and as always the laughs abound in this latest installment of the Fox and O'Hare series. 

This time the story starts out in the middle of a bust interrupted by a call from Nick to Kate, "I didn't do it." With that the pair sets off on an adventure across the globe after a brutal drug lord. As always Nick and Kate are great together, working well with each others strengths and weaknesses. In this book Kate has really began to gain some confidence in working with Nick and pulling off heists. I felt like this story was more about her than anyone with Nick taking a little bit of a backseat through the story. 

That's not to say Nick wasn't terrific, he was. He showed a slightly different side of himself in this story after running into an old friend and then again when he and Kate were split up in an unavoidable situation. I really would have liked to have seen a little more of this side of Nick in this book, but I'm sure as the series progresses we'll get to see more of it.

The story and heist were delightful and I was never short of laughs while reading. I found it a little grittier than the previous books in this series which threw me a few times but didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the book. Instead of the somewhat rocky pace of the last book we are treated to wonderful pacing in the Job, with excitement and mystery from start to finish. The heist was pulled off brilliantly and I enjoyed getting to see further into the point of view of the mark in this book. 

I was pleased to see some old favorite characters return in The Job. Growing steadily as one of my favorite characters is Kate's father, Jake. I really enjoyed seeing him interact with Nick. Their relationship should a rocky one, but the two get along remarkably well, and even take time to pick on Kate a little bit. Boyd and Willy return along with Tom Underhill. As with the other books we're introduced to a few new colorful characters and they all get their chance to really shine in this book. 

The Job is a wonderful read from start to finish, returning to the excitement and laughs that hooked so many readers in the first book. I am convinced that this series will  only get better and better in the capable hands of Evanovich and Goldberg. The Job is a book not to miss.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Negalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above. 

~Dawn

You can find my reviews for the other books in this series here:

The Shell Game
The Heist
The Chase

The Diamond Thief Review

The Diamond Thief

Sharon Gosling

Rating (out of 5):5

Genre:Young Adult

Release Date: October 1, 2014

Series: Diamond Thief

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: Very Mild

Violence:Very Mild

Sexual Content:Very Mild

Age Recommendation: 14+

Author Website: http://sharongosling.wordpress.com/





Summary: 

No one performs on the circus trapeze like 16-year-old Rémy Brunel. But Rémy also leads another life, prowling through the backstreets of Victorian London as a jewel thief. When she is forced to steal one of the world’s most valuable diamonds, she uncovers a world of treachery and fiendish plots.

Meanwhile, young detective Thaddeus Rec is determined to find the jewel and clear his name. Will Thaddeus manage to rescue the jewel? Or is it really Rémy that he needs to save?

Review:

I've said before that I have a weakness for a good thief story and so it comes as no surprise that I was immediately attracted to The Diamond Thief. The fact that it was also set in Victorian London with a steam punk/fantasy twist had me hooked almost before I began reading it. And after I finished it I loved it even more.

I really enjoyed the story, it could have gone many different ways and still been wonderful, but I like the direction Sharon Gosling took it in. I really enjoyed the sprinkle of both steam punk and a little bit of fantasy into the story. There were so many mysteries dotted through the story I had fun wondering which would tie into what and how everything would turn out. There were a few moments where I wondered why a character was brought in so suddenly or how someone could have possibly survived a few of the more crazy situations but overall I really enjoyed the story.

The characters were all very fun to get to know as well. I really enjoyed Rémy's fiery attitude and Thaddeus was absolutely charming with his always do the right thing attitude. I also really enjoyed the other characters especially J and Desai. J was endearing while Desai had a mysterious charm to him that I'd love to see more of in the next book. The only character who really bothered me was the Professor, his personality seemed to shift a little too often for me.

Another thing I loved about this book was the dialog and syntax. Many times when I'm reading everyone sounds the same when they speak. This was not the case in the Diamond Thief. The cast of characters were from many different places and walks of life and the way they spoke reflected that. This aspect of the book was one of the charms that really made me like it.

There were a few plot holes and many things that seemed too easy or coincidental through this book. Despite that I really enjoyed reading this book and I am eager to see the next one. I hope that the holes in this book will be fixed in the next book and I am eager to read The Ruby Airship. I see a lot of potential in Sharon Gosling and I hope to see more from her. 

I would recommend this book to teens about 14+. mostly because there is a little coarse language in the book but it is infrequent and very mild when used. Anyone looking for a light read, a steam punk adventure, a Victorian era book, or even a little romance should take a look at The Diamond Thief.


Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn