Tangled Bookmarks

Yep, that's right. I'm going for the full 5 stars for this one. There was not one single thing in this book that I didn't like, or had me rolling my eyes, or calling "Bullshit, Mr Han, man!". (special cookies if you get the reference there....)

I loved the characters - Aidan, the lead heroine, had spunk, snark and was broken at the same time. Her best friend Sera...oh how I wish I was Sera. I like to think I AM Sera, but that's just me MarySue-ing myself, I think. *grin* Sera is a Fire Elemental, and that sums her up. Fiery, sarcastic, get up and go, ready to just DO IT. She takes no guff from anyone, and I just adored her.

You know that feeling you get in your gut, the butterfly one, the excitement, when you suddenly realize that by crikey, you are REALLY going to love this book? Where it hits you about page 5 or so? I get that oh so rarely - I had it with Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London" series, and have it with pretty much all of Stacia Kane's "Downside Ghosts" books.

I got it with Mia Marshall's "Broken Elements". Big time. See, I knew absolutely nothing about this book or the author. In fact, I'm not even sure why I chose it - the blurb really didn't tell me much. But I took a chance for some odd reason, and oh am I glad I did.

When you read as many books as I do, and as fast as I do, you end up with some stinkers. And when you get a few stinkers in a row, it's enough to make you cry. I live for reading. My nose is constantly in a book, and I'm always on the lookout for the next Book I Shall Cherish and Love. It's rare. So many books I'll sort-of like, I'll think that "meh, it was ok, I'll try another one of the author's cos it was kinda good, although I wouldn't say I love it"; so many books are just so-so.

And then comes along a gem like "Broken Elements". There's not a damn thing I would change about this book. I wouldn't change the ending, I wouldn't change any of the characters, I wouldn't change the mystery at the heart of it.

How bloody rare is that? How often do you stumble across a book that you enjoyed every single word of it? Not once did the pace flag, not once did I feel it dragging, not once did I think "why the heck would the character do THAT?", not once did I want to put it down and wander away.

The writing is snappy and bloody good. The characters - ALL of them - are well fleshed out and real. The world building is brilliant. Aidan tells us the story of the origin of the Elementals, but not in an info-dump way. And yes, I was giggling when Simon added the origin of the Shapeshifters to it - which Aidan was unaware of. :D (Simon is my new Book Crush, btw)


I hate to say this, cos I know how overused the phrase is, and I know it smacks of uberhype - but seriously, I did NOT want to put this book down. There were a couple of days where I was a bit bleary-eyed at work cos I was sitting up reading.

I don't often get so giddy and excited about a book, but I truly can't help myself. I thoroughly enjoyed this so damn much - and y'know, there IS one thing I didn't like.....the fact that the second book isn't out yet!!!

I wonder if Ms Marshall would consider a bribe of Tim Tams to publish the next one RIGHT NOW??

*grin*