kattra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
paradoxically's review against another edition
3.0
Now this was fun. I picked up Discount Armageddon on a whim because I enjoyed the author's other books fairly well, not knowing what was in store for me with starting a new series. What I got was a tongue-in-cheek, humorous little urban fantasy that made me smile, even when I was shaking my head (which happened on a regular basis, admittedly).
Granted, just looking at the cover gave you a little idea of what you're in store for; something definitely not serious that shouldn't be treated as such. You have a heroine that leaps off buildings and just keeps going. She's a waitress at a strip bar, has a weapon on her at all times, and is a dancer. Who was on national television in a reality dance show. That's ignoring the fact that she's a cryptozoologist and her family is basically one giant pile of weird.
So if you want something serious, steer away. If you want something a little more lighthearted, well, continue on.
The characters can be a bit hit or miss. Verity and her family are amusing, if rather dysfunctional. She's a strong person, who has no compunctions with going after what she wants, which is admirable. Some of the situations she gets herself in make me shake my head, but keep chanting NOT SERIOUS at yourself and you'll get over it (maybe). I'm not so fond of Dominic, who is part of the Covenant, the organization that her great great grandparents broke away from and is now enemies with. He was rather typical and dull, not to mention that for being indoctrinated his entire life how all cryptids are evil and must be destroyed, he got over it and saw the light (as it were) pretty quickly. Both good and bad, it just seemed a little too convenient for me. That and the romance was boring. Oh well.
The pacing of the story flowed from page to page smoothly. I read the book in a day quite easily, without having to struggle to finish it. Parts of it did make me pause and go what, but for the most part it was enjoyable. Yes, it did seem like the author tried a little too hard at several points (and Verity was a little too flippant about, well, everything), but overall it was fun. A light read that was as deep as a puddle. Which, again, not a bad thing.
I enjoyed the book. It's good for when you're in the mood for something light and kind of silly. There are portions that are basically info dumps (for example, Verity will explain to the readers, at random, what a particular cryptid is and looks like), but it still managed to move. That cover is kind of awful though. 3-4 stars, rounding down to 3.
Granted, just looking at the cover gave you a little idea of what you're in store for; something definitely not serious that shouldn't be treated as such. You have a heroine that leaps off buildings and just keeps going. She's a waitress at a strip bar, has a weapon on her at all times, and is a dancer. Who was on national television in a reality dance show. That's ignoring the fact that she's a cryptozoologist and her family is basically one giant pile of weird.
So if you want something serious, steer away. If you want something a little more lighthearted, well, continue on.
The characters can be a bit hit or miss. Verity and her family are amusing, if rather dysfunctional. She's a strong person, who has no compunctions with going after what she wants, which is admirable. Some of the situations she gets herself in make me shake my head, but keep chanting NOT SERIOUS at yourself and you'll get over it (maybe). I'm not so fond of Dominic, who is part of the Covenant, the organization that her great great grandparents broke away from and is now enemies with. He was rather typical and dull, not to mention that for being indoctrinated his entire life how all cryptids are evil and must be destroyed, he got over it and saw the light (as it were) pretty quickly. Both good and bad, it just seemed a little too convenient for me. That and the romance was boring. Oh well.
The pacing of the story flowed from page to page smoothly. I read the book in a day quite easily, without having to struggle to finish it. Parts of it did make me pause and go what, but for the most part it was enjoyable. Yes, it did seem like the author tried a little too hard at several points (and Verity was a little too flippant about, well, everything), but overall it was fun. A light read that was as deep as a puddle. Which, again, not a bad thing.
I enjoyed the book. It's good for when you're in the mood for something light and kind of silly. There are portions that are basically info dumps (for example, Verity will explain to the readers, at random, what a particular cryptid is and looks like), but it still managed to move. That cover is kind of awful though. 3-4 stars, rounding down to 3.
setauuta's review against another edition
4.0
I love this as the beginning of the series. There's a lot of information crammed in here that (mostly) doesn't feel like an infodump, and the characters are set up nicely, with plenty of room for growth. It could have stood alone, but I'm very glad it didn't have to - watching the series grow has been fabulous. It's been a while since I had read this, so it was a nice refresher.
yaelaed's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
hstapp's review against another edition
3.0
I was really uninterested at the start of the book. The cryptid's just came rolling in one after another, just constantly slamming into your face. Also Verity is depicted as a badass woman, strong and powerful and in control of her sexuality, or... I think that's the attempt. Mostly in the realm of sexual matters it seems like she is just there for the male gaze.
The beginning gives me serious Buffy vibes, but not in a way I found enjoyable.
However, once I got into the plot, and the backstory elements I really started to enjoy it.
Also Candy meeting William was hot.
The beginning gives me serious Buffy vibes, but not in a way I found enjoyable.
However, once I got into the plot, and the backstory elements I really started to enjoy it.
Also Candy meeting William was hot.
saoki's review against another edition
4.0
This book feels like superhero comics should feel. I'm serious, someone should pay Seanan McGuire to write X-Men. It might seem like a weird line to start a review, but I wanted to say that since I finished reading Discount Armageddon.
There's a simple reason for that. Discount Armageddon centers around a powerful, competent woman that likes to run over rooftops in New York while doing a work the world ignores or hates her for doing. She's a real heroine, and I love her. She also dances, which brings joy to the character (I am through with grimdark urban fantasy about people that hate the better things things about themselves) and explains her acrobatics elegantly.
By the way, elegance is the word here. The world building is rich and minimal, you don't get acquainted with more than you need to know, yet you know there's more. The characters are diverse in every sense of the world, no cookie cutter alpha werewolves here, we're talking about monsters that'll get you googling for information put in a very urban setting and acting like citizens of that world. And the writing is subtle enough that you won't even notice the themes until they smile and point a gun at you.
Gorgeous. Recommended.
There's a simple reason for that. Discount Armageddon centers around a powerful, competent woman that likes to run over rooftops in New York while doing a work the world ignores or hates her for doing. She's a real heroine, and I love her. She also dances, which brings joy to the character (I am through with grimdark urban fantasy about people that hate the better things things about themselves) and explains her acrobatics elegantly.
By the way, elegance is the word here. The world building is rich and minimal, you don't get acquainted with more than you need to know, yet you know there's more. The characters are diverse in every sense of the world, no cookie cutter alpha werewolves here, we're talking about monsters that'll get you googling for information put in a very urban setting and acting like citizens of that world. And the writing is subtle enough that you won't even notice the themes until they smile and point a gun at you.
Gorgeous. Recommended.
spikehype's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
ladyofphoenixx's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
elizafiedler's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5