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Miss Misery #4
Darkest Misery
Red sky at morning, satyr take warning.
Jessica Moore is about to lose her you-know-what. She did the impossible by convincing the Gryphons, the magi, the satyrs and the goblins to work together to stop an apocalyptic prophecy from coming true.
The one thing she can’t do? Make them trust each other—which means their plans are already falling apart. With Gryphons and satyrs making plays for her loyalty, Jess is ready to cut through the crap and kill everyone herself.
The tentative alliance disintegrates even faster when a key member is murdered and Jess’s supposed allies turn on her. Grieving will have to wait. Right now, she’s forced to work closely with her least trusted coworker to flush out the culprit, even as she pushes Lucen away to keep him safe.
Dangers that will test her freakish powers await in the Alps, and this time Lucen isn’t there to guard her back. Even if she finds what she’s looking for, it’ll come with a fury-ous heap of trouble.
Jessica Moore is about to lose her you-know-what. She did the impossible by convincing the Gryphons, the magi, the satyrs and the goblins to work together to stop an apocalyptic prophecy from coming true.
The one thing she can’t do? Make them trust each other—which means their plans are already falling apart. With Gryphons and satyrs making plays for her loyalty, Jess is ready to cut through the crap and kill everyone herself.
The tentative alliance disintegrates even faster when a key member is murdered and Jess’s supposed allies turn on her. Grieving will have to wait. Right now, she’s forced to work closely with her least trusted coworker to flush out the culprit, even as she pushes Lucen away to keep him safe.
Dangers that will test her freakish powers await in the Alps, and this time Lucen isn’t there to guard her back. Even if she finds what she’s looking for, it’ll come with a fury-ous heap of trouble.
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First published August 25, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 13, 2017
I needed something to cheer me up and these books always do just that. Though the fourth book in a continuing series, I’m pretty sure you could jump right in and it would still make sense, because everything is explained well.
The Good:
All of the old characters came back. My favorite, Steph (Jess’ terrific transgender best friend) wasn’t in the book much. Tom, Jess’ supervisor at the Griffins, is growing on me though. I actually like him now, go figure.
I was worried when I read the official summary that Jess pushes her boyfriend away, but doesn’t really, she just goes to France without him. (But that isn’t until halfway through the book.)
The love triangle is still present, and I still don’t care. I love both these guys! And not because they’re perfect, because they aren’t. I know, this doesn’t sound like me at all! I promise I haven’t been body snatched! I just really like the way she does the romance in these books. Though there wasn’t as much banter as the last book there was a sappy moment. (Which shockingly I enjoyed too!)
The romance doesn’t take over the plot though. It’s still about solving mysteries, kicking butt, and saving the world.
The Bad:
Jess still lets her temper get the better of her. Who thought it would be a good idea to make her a mediator anyway?
I hated the head Satyr who showed up! I know I was supposed to, but I seriously want that guy dead! He attacked Jess and that scene really bothered me, because I was afraid he was going to rape her, but he didn’t.
Though it wasn’t to be continued, more storylines were left dangling than in previous books.
Point of View: First (Jessica)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Source: NetGalley
The Good:
All of the old characters came back. My favorite, Steph (Jess’ terrific transgender best friend) wasn’t in the book much. Tom, Jess’ supervisor at the Griffins, is growing on me though. I actually like him now, go figure.
I was worried when I read the official summary that Jess pushes her boyfriend away, but doesn’t really, she just goes to France without him. (But that isn’t until halfway through the book.)
The love triangle is still present, and I still don’t care. I love both these guys! And not because they’re perfect, because they aren’t. I know, this doesn’t sound like me at all! I promise I haven’t been body snatched! I just really like the way she does the romance in these books. Though there wasn’t as much banter as the last book there was a sappy moment. (Which shockingly I enjoyed too!)
The romance doesn’t take over the plot though. It’s still about solving mysteries, kicking butt, and saving the world.
The Bad:
Jess still lets her temper get the better of her. Who thought it would be a good idea to make her a mediator anyway?
I hated the head Satyr who showed up! I know I was supposed to, but I seriously want that guy dead! He attacked Jess and that scene really bothered me, because I was afraid he was going to rape her, but he didn’t.
Though it wasn’t to be continued, more storylines were left dangling than in previous books.
Point of View: First (Jessica)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Source: NetGalley
February 7, 2023
Rating: 3.5/5.0
“Darkest Misery” is the fourth installment of the series that lays a lot of fundamental groundwork for the upcoming apocalypse and the battle to come.
Read full review in the 2023 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“Darkest Misery” is the fourth installment of the series that lays a lot of fundamental groundwork for the upcoming apocalypse and the battle to come.
Read full review in the 2023 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read
January 9, 2016It's book birthday day for Book 4 in my series! I hope all of you who have made it this far on the journey with Jess and Lucen enjoy their newest adventure.
January 13, 2016
5*s
Review posted here - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Darkest Misery is the fourth book in the Miss Misery series and for me, they just keep getting better and better.
In this Jess’s hard fought alliance with all of the clans and the Gryphons is put to the test big style. It’s hard to trust people when they all have hidden agendas and they don’t trust as easily either. Whilst Jess is tied to both the Gryphons and the Satyrs, they may not be able to keep her safe this time around when a manhunt starts on her brought on by one whom she should have loyalty. There are murders happening that seem to be linked to a certain group of people, the alliance will crumble as soon as someone starts pitting the clans against each other and someone is controlling all of the pieces on the board. It’s up to Jess to stop the bad guys from unleashing hell… but is she just a pawn in the game too?
I really enjoyed this fourth instalment of the series and the progression of both characters and storyline were fab! I thought we saw a more vulnerable side to Jess especially when the status of ‘what’ she is was brought up often and in an unsavoury manner. Others might have felt rejected and hurt and sat with it but Jess took that and made it work for her in other ways, spurring her on to get to the bottom of things. There is a love triangle going on here but that is all consensual because of the nature of their selves, this has always been a sticking point for me but it didn’t bother me much here, probably because they didn’t emphasise the addict relationship so much, I like her choice of men and both share good chemistry with her – one is meant to be her partner in love, the other to show that sex can just be sex…. The thing is – both relationships are deepening and both are asking for her time, I think it may get messy done the line.
The story was fab as usual, and leads to a totally jaw dropping conclusion that I didn’t see coming. We have a lot of things going on in the plot – murders, with Jess as a possible target and the reason that the alliance is assembled in one place. A clash of clans, with everyone having a piece of the puzzle but not willing to share what they know. Misdirection that causes the alliance to collapse as blame is placed everywhere and also forcing Jess to leave in search of answers leading to quests and adventure for her and her companion with an astounding finale that will change everything….. and of course there’s always time for some sexytime too. There is tons of action and excitement so that you can really become immersed in this world and the lives of its characters. This definitely had a feeling of being a game changer, politics between clans was also brought to the forefront and opened up the world even more as we are introduced to more characters and agendas placed firmly on the table, so I feel like its exciting times ahead for this series and I look forward to more.
Thank you to Samhain Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review posted here - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.co...
Darkest Misery is the fourth book in the Miss Misery series and for me, they just keep getting better and better.
In this Jess’s hard fought alliance with all of the clans and the Gryphons is put to the test big style. It’s hard to trust people when they all have hidden agendas and they don’t trust as easily either. Whilst Jess is tied to both the Gryphons and the Satyrs, they may not be able to keep her safe this time around when a manhunt starts on her brought on by one whom she should have loyalty. There are murders happening that seem to be linked to a certain group of people, the alliance will crumble as soon as someone starts pitting the clans against each other and someone is controlling all of the pieces on the board. It’s up to Jess to stop the bad guys from unleashing hell… but is she just a pawn in the game too?
I really enjoyed this fourth instalment of the series and the progression of both characters and storyline were fab! I thought we saw a more vulnerable side to Jess especially when the status of ‘what’ she is was brought up often and in an unsavoury manner. Others might have felt rejected and hurt and sat with it but Jess took that and made it work for her in other ways, spurring her on to get to the bottom of things. There is a love triangle going on here but that is all consensual because of the nature of their selves, this has always been a sticking point for me but it didn’t bother me much here, probably because they didn’t emphasise the addict relationship so much, I like her choice of men and both share good chemistry with her – one is meant to be her partner in love, the other to show that sex can just be sex…. The thing is – both relationships are deepening and both are asking for her time, I think it may get messy done the line.
The story was fab as usual, and leads to a totally jaw dropping conclusion that I didn’t see coming. We have a lot of things going on in the plot – murders, with Jess as a possible target and the reason that the alliance is assembled in one place. A clash of clans, with everyone having a piece of the puzzle but not willing to share what they know. Misdirection that causes the alliance to collapse as blame is placed everywhere and also forcing Jess to leave in search of answers leading to quests and adventure for her and her companion with an astounding finale that will change everything….. and of course there’s always time for some sexytime too. There is tons of action and excitement so that you can really become immersed in this world and the lives of its characters. This definitely had a feeling of being a game changer, politics between clans was also brought to the forefront and opened up the world even more as we are introduced to more characters and agendas placed firmly on the table, so I feel like its exciting times ahead for this series and I look forward to more.
Thank you to Samhain Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2015
Jessica has successfully forced the various factions of the city to come together to talk about the Fury threat.
Unfortunately talking doesn’t mean they’re going to do anything productive.
Inevitably she finds herself with few people she can trust as she’s pushed to find out exactly what the Fury’s plan and how she and her follows are involved – she needs these answers even if it means going to the Gryphon home base in France to get them
I want to love this book. I tried really really really hard to love this book. I loved the previous books in this series, I love the world, I love the characters, I give it a definite nod for its diversity even if it’s not among the main cast, I love the concept, the plot and, so far, I’ve really loved the writing
But this book? I can’t love and that depresses me when I find myself having to write a negative review about a book I was really hoping would be awesome. Alas, I have to. I do hope that this is just a transition book on the way to a whole new direction to the series – which does happen in several series. So I’m clinging to this because I love this series and don’t want this to be more than a temporary hiccough in my love
So why didn’t I love this book? Mainly because a whole lot doesn’t really happen
At the end of the last book Jess has managed to bury a lot of her grudges and prejudices to forge an alliance between the disparate forces of the city: The Mages, The Gryphons and The Preds. They were going to come together with Jess as the go-between, to ensure the Furies’ plan to unleash carnage on the world doesn’t come pass. So they come together and… bicker.
And bicker. They meet and bicker. Then they…. Uh… bicker. And a mage dies but Jess isn’t part of the investigation and all they do about it is bicker a bit more. The bickering is occasionally broken by Jess having temper tantrums which is somewhat understandable given her frustration but part of her whole choice in the last book was to be the diplomat. She fails spectacularly at it.
We then have a satyr bigwig show up to be a colossal arsehole. That’s kind of the sole purpose of this character.
Eventually Jess and Devon eventually just seem to say “fuck it, we’re going to France” and they do just that, going to the Gryphon’s main library where they read.
And read.
And read some more and get more frustrated about not finding anything in the books
Read More
Unfortunately talking doesn’t mean they’re going to do anything productive.
Inevitably she finds herself with few people she can trust as she’s pushed to find out exactly what the Fury’s plan and how she and her follows are involved – she needs these answers even if it means going to the Gryphon home base in France to get them
I want to love this book. I tried really really really hard to love this book. I loved the previous books in this series, I love the world, I love the characters, I give it a definite nod for its diversity even if it’s not among the main cast, I love the concept, the plot and, so far, I’ve really loved the writing
But this book? I can’t love and that depresses me when I find myself having to write a negative review about a book I was really hoping would be awesome. Alas, I have to. I do hope that this is just a transition book on the way to a whole new direction to the series – which does happen in several series. So I’m clinging to this because I love this series and don’t want this to be more than a temporary hiccough in my love
So why didn’t I love this book? Mainly because a whole lot doesn’t really happen
At the end of the last book Jess has managed to bury a lot of her grudges and prejudices to forge an alliance between the disparate forces of the city: The Mages, The Gryphons and The Preds. They were going to come together with Jess as the go-between, to ensure the Furies’ plan to unleash carnage on the world doesn’t come pass. So they come together and… bicker.
And bicker. They meet and bicker. Then they…. Uh… bicker. And a mage dies but Jess isn’t part of the investigation and all they do about it is bicker a bit more. The bickering is occasionally broken by Jess having temper tantrums which is somewhat understandable given her frustration but part of her whole choice in the last book was to be the diplomat. She fails spectacularly at it.
We then have a satyr bigwig show up to be a colossal arsehole. That’s kind of the sole purpose of this character.
Eventually Jess and Devon eventually just seem to say “fuck it, we’re going to France” and they do just that, going to the Gryphon’s main library where they read.
And read.
And read some more and get more frustrated about not finding anything in the books
Read More
December 29, 2022
You would think that preventing the apocalypse would be enough to make the rival factions work together, but apparently not. Our heroine is trying hard to keep things together, but at this point the apocalypse might be the easy way out.
This is book four of the series. It works pretty well as a standalone, but does build on the previous books. So starting at the beginning should provide a fuller experience.
This is an urban fantasy story, but it is rather unique in my experience. The mix of races in the story makes it quite different on its own, but our heroine's curse takes it to an entirely different level. The story is well written, but not always easy to read. There are a lot of different factions and personaliities here and it occasionally gets difficult to keep it all straight. The flip side of that is that there is plenty of action, mystery and intrigue to keep things going. Overall, I really enjoyed this latest chapter of the series and look forward to seeing what comes next.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
This is book four of the series. It works pretty well as a standalone, but does build on the previous books. So starting at the beginning should provide a fuller experience.
This is an urban fantasy story, but it is rather unique in my experience. The mix of races in the story makes it quite different on its own, but our heroine's curse takes it to an entirely different level. The story is well written, but not always easy to read. There are a lot of different factions and personaliities here and it occasionally gets difficult to keep it all straight. The flip side of that is that there is plenty of action, mystery and intrigue to keep things going. Overall, I really enjoyed this latest chapter of the series and look forward to seeing what comes next.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
November 20, 2022
I’m liking where this series is headed and eager to pick up with the next book!
That being said, I guess this was a necessary evil type of installment. Jess is forced to work with all the paranormal races and the Gryphons in order to try to stop the apocalypse. That’s kind of important, but nobody can find a way to get along, with the satyr contingent ending up being one of the worst in a surprising and yucky way. There are a few different layers of crappiness that all work together to somehow push Jess on a trip to France to try to get some progress. It’s also surprising that we get very little of the main boyfriend and wayyyy more Devon. My level of OK with this is on the same page as Jess’s.
So, do we make progress in the larger apocalypse storyline here? Yes, but it felt… bad. There are a ton of questions and things I need resolved, but I am content to let them be worked out later when we have the full Scooby gang back together. I kind of think I ended this book liking the Gryphons more, which leaves me very conflicted.
That being said, I guess this was a necessary evil type of installment. Jess is forced to work with all the paranormal races and the Gryphons in order to try to stop the apocalypse. That’s kind of important, but nobody can find a way to get along, with the satyr contingent ending up being one of the worst in a surprising and yucky way. There are a few different layers of crappiness that all work together to somehow push Jess on a trip to France to try to get some progress. It’s also surprising that we get very little of the main boyfriend and wayyyy more Devon. My level of OK with this is on the same page as Jess’s.
So, do we make progress in the larger apocalypse storyline here? Yes, but it felt… bad. There are a ton of questions and things I need resolved, but I am content to let them be worked out later when we have the full Scooby gang back together. I kind of think I ended this book liking the Gryphons more, which leaves me very conflicted.
October 24, 2022
I started this series a long time ago, but I never finished it. I came across it recently, and it’s like reading it all over again, and what a ride so far that it’s been. We are at the fourth book, and Jess is trying to frantically get all the factions to work together against the threat to them all, but none of them want to play nice or even want her involved. This was such a well-written, action-filled book, and I can’t wait to see what Jess is going to do now that certain things have happened. Wonder what that is? Read this wonderful urban fantasy with a little romance thrown in and find out for yourself. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
November 9, 2022
I can't wait for book 5.
Jane continues to be a compelling yet relatable heroine to tag along with as the action expands outside of Boston's shadow town and towards the apocalypse.
I had previously read book 3 in the series but not books 1 & 2.
I recieved a copy of this book for free via book sprout and am voluntarily leaving this Jane continues to be a compelling yet relatable heroine to tag along with as the action expands outside of Boston's shadow town and towards the apocalypse.
I had previously read book 3 in the series but not books 1 & 2.
I recieved a copy of this book for free via book sprout and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Jane continues to be a compelling yet relatable heroine to tag along with as the action expands outside of Boston's shadow town and towards the apocalypse.
I had previously read book 3 in the series but not books 1 & 2.
I recieved a copy of this book for free via book sprout and am voluntarily leaving this Jane continues to be a compelling yet relatable heroine to tag along with as the action expands outside of Boston's shadow town and towards the apocalypse.
I had previously read book 3 in the series but not books 1 & 2.
I recieved a copy of this book for free via book sprout and am voluntarily leaving this review.
January 21, 2023
This is the 4th book in the series and in my opinion should not be read as a standalone - even though not too much progress seems to be made it is worth reading just to keep up to date with the plot
Jess has finally managed to build a fragile truce between the differing factions - the need to take the threat of the Fury seriously , but the bickering soon starts once again throwing the alliance into disarray .
Even when a mage is killed the factions do not come together but continue to bicker , and bicker ......
What could have been an entertaining cohesive book , moving the plot along seemed to consist of bickering , temper tantrums , reading and more reading and very little progress - perhaps the next book will be better
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Jess has finally managed to build a fragile truce between the differing factions - the need to take the threat of the Fury seriously , but the bickering soon starts once again throwing the alliance into disarray .
Even when a mage is killed the factions do not come together but continue to bicker , and bicker ......
What could have been an entertaining cohesive book , moving the plot along seemed to consist of bickering , temper tantrums , reading and more reading and very little progress - perhaps the next book will be better
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
November 17, 2022
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This picks up where the action left off on the previous book, and pushed the momentum forward, and the search for answers- to her existence and to the prophecy they see coming. There’s a lot to unpack with this, between the alliance and the personal bombshells, and the next looks to be packed as well.
This picks up where the action left off on the previous book, and pushed the momentum forward, and the search for answers- to her existence and to the prophecy they see coming. There’s a lot to unpack with this, between the alliance and the personal bombshells, and the next looks to be packed as well.
March 31, 2023
A big thank you to NetGalley and City Owl Press for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the 4th book in a series, and I think it reads best if you read them in order. It does not read well as a stand alone in my opinion. It is convoluted plot. It is fascinating though. I liked Jessica and Misery. Different 3.5
November 9, 2022
The world building is great, just has well the story line. Has the you start the chapter it makes you to read more more to find out how everything unfolds.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 6, 2023
Another great addition to this series. As it gets closer to the end it feels like everything has ramped up. The book is fast paced, with multiple plotlines that keep together and are clear and deftly handled. I can't wait to see how is all gets tied up in the next book, although I will be sad to see the end of the series.
July 28, 2016
Trying to get different magical factions to work together is like herding cats, and Jess is no wrangler. When negotiations fall apart, Jess and the Gryphons head to Europe to track down an artifact "lost" somewhere in the former Gryphon archives. Murder, mayhem, betrayal ... can Jess trust the Gryphons she's with or is someone an enemy in disguise?
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