Book Nerds Across America: A.G. Howard

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Book Review: Ensnared by A.G. Howard

Jacque's Review:

Ensnared is the third and final book in the Splintered series and picks up a month or so after Unhinged ended. Alyssa needs to figure out a way to save Wonderland from the destruction Queen Red cast upon it. Without the help of Jeb, Morpheus or her Mother she must enter the looking-glass-world to rescue the people she loves most. If she can complete this first mission, she plans on defeating Queen Red once and for all and taking her rightful place on the throne.

The love triangle between Jeb, Alyssa, and Morpheus plays an even larger part in this book . Love triangles aren't usually ideal, but it was an essential part of this story. The two guys bring out the best in Alyssa in both her human and netherling worlds. I have been on Team Morpheus since reading Unhinged, but I gained a greater appreciation for Jeb the longer he and Morpheus worked together. I don't want to give away how this situation plays out, so I will simply say it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

I was very satisfied with the conclusion of this series. The magical elements and mutant creatures contained in AnyElsewhere provide the perfect backdrop for this twisted tale. There is plenty of danger and action mixed with the two love stories to keep the pages turning. All of the characters have grown by leaps and bounds since the beginning of this series. It was great to see them working together to reach a common goal. I would have preferred a bit more detail in the Epilogue, which I was pleased to discover is likely provided in Untamed, the collection of short stories released after Ensnared. I have already added it to my TBR list and hope to get to it soon.

Friday, May 12, 2017

Book Review: Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Jacque's Review:

Unhinged is the second book in the Splintered series, which is based upon Alice in Wonderland. Alyssa is the descendent of Alice and is half human / half netherling. She must decide if she will embrace her magic and help save Wonderland or if she will remain in the mortal world with her human boyfriend Jeb.

When Wonderland starts to invade the human realm it is no longer an option. Alyssa must fight to defeat Red or she will lose everyone she loves. She also discovers that her feelings for Morpheus aren't as black and white as she thought. Morpheus is her childhood friend from Wonderland, who has been teaching and preparing her for this moment her entire life. She always thought his intentions were self-centered, but the more she learns about their past the more she realizes he has always protected her and had her best interest in mind.

Personally, I am on team Morpheus. Alyssa can't live in the human world without being perceived as crazy or "unhinged". If she were to choose to live in Wonderland she would be Queen and all would be right in that world once again. Besides, I love Morpheus's cocky attitude and who doesn't love a British accent?

This was an excellent sequel to Splintered and I can't wait to see how this series will conclude. Ms. Howard left most of the characters hanging in the balance at the end of this installment, which will certainly encourage readers to jump right into the final book in this series. I gave Unhinged 4 stars and will definitely include Ensnared on my Summer TBR list.

I had the chance to meet A.G. Howard at BEA in 2014 and picked up an autographed copy of Unhinged. I absolutely love the cover of this book and will keep the signed copy even though I have now completed it. I typically tear out the autographed page from free books I receive at conferences to add to my collection and place the books in my local little free library. I feel it is better to share the books with other readers than to hoard them on my shelves collecting dust, but I don't think I am going to be able to part with this one.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Jacque's Review:

I've had this series on my TBR list for quite some time, but I really wasn't sure what it was about until I started reading. Alyssa is a decedent of Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Apparently the events from this children's classic actually took place and resulted in a curse on the women in Alyssa's family. She and her mother can hear the flowers and insects talking. Her mother couldn't cope and is now in a mental institution. Alyssa is determined to find the rabbit hole and end the curse that has plagued her family for several generations.

The majority of the story is spent in Wonderland. I thought Howard did a remarkable job of weaving the elements from the original Alice in Wonderland story into this dark and twisted version. The descriptions of the unique characters and settings were detailed enough to paint a vivid picture for the reader without detracting from the progression of the story.

My favorite character was Morpheus. He is the caterpillar from the original story who can transform into a moth as well as a man. Alyssa realizes he was not only her childhood friend, but he trained her for years on how to end the curse. He is a very arrogant character with questionable motives, but in the end I felt like his heart was in the right place.

Howard adds an additional twist by incorporating Alyssa's longtime friend and love interest, Jeb, into the story. There is quite a bit of tension between Morpheus and Jeb. As the story progresses Alyssa becomes increasingly less certain of her true feelings for these two characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and gave it four stars. I haven't seen the Johnny Depp version of Alice in Wonderland that came out in 2010, but I am extremely interested in seeing it after reading this book.