2026 Bingo - Two Mini-Reviews

Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto - This is the second book in the House of the Dead Duology. Wren, Julian, and Leo are back in the Breach trying to stop an undead army while being pursued by Wren's father. The first book had a few flaws, but I enjoyed it enough to continue to the second book. Unfortunately, this book isn't as good as the first. I found myself not really caring about what was going on in the story. Supposedly tense moments never feel tense because you know that Wren and her friends are going to succeed in the end. The stakes never seem high even though they should be. Wren is also reunited with her brother and I found myself not caring much for that even though sibling relationships are one of my favorite things to read about in books. Then everything is wrapped up so perfectly at the end just as you assume it will be. I think if you really like sarcastic kick-ass female protagonists and don't mind frequent info-dumping that you might enjoy the books, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend them.

Bingo Squares: Afterlife (HM), Duology Part 2, Politics

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett - I'm reading the Discworld novels in order. This is the 3rd book in the series and very different from the first two books. The first books were very chaotic without much of a plot, but this was a real story. I've seen many people recommend starting at the 4th book because that's where Pratchett starts to find his groove. Based on how much I enjoyed this book, I'm really looking forward to the fourth one.

Bingo Squares: Older Protagonist (HM)