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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Novice (Black Magician Trilogy, #2) in Books
Nov 21, 2019
The Novice is the second book in The Black Magician trilogy and continues the story of Sonea, the slum girl who discovers she has magical powers.
A few months after the first book, Sonea is offically inducted as a novice into the Magician's Guild in Imardin. She is immediately looked down on by her fellow novices and indeed other magicians because of her poor upbringing (magicians always being taken from the families of the rich upper class). One novice in particular will go to any lengths to humiliate her. Meanwhile Sonea is hiding a secret. The High Lord of the Guild is practicing black magic, strictly forbidden. Dannyl is sent on a secret mission by Lorlen to try to discover how the High Lord won these powers and if there is anything that can be done to stop him.
I found this book to be far more satisfying than the first book, The Magician's Guild. I think this is due to two factors. Firstly Canavan's writing is far more confident and assured (not surprising for a second novel). Also the story arc is a lot less predictable and allows for more twists and turns since the end is not inevitable (in the first novel it is clear that Sonea will eventually be joining the guild; it is only the sub-plots that provide suprises).
As a consequence this is an easier read than the first book with plenty of good stories, either Sonea's (mis)adventures in the Guild or Dannyl's voyage of discovery on his travels. The end resolves one of the major plot points, leaving the rest for the third book, The High Lord to investigate.
Canavan touches on various topics during the book, particularly bullying by peers and also some nice observations on repression of homosexuality in the intolerant Imardin society.
It is also welcoming to see more of the land; the first book was bound to the city itself but here through Dannyl we get to see the neighbouring lands and discover some of their peoples and customs, together with a fair amount of hazardous travelling.
The magic system is also key; normally magicians throw around a bewildering array of spells with limitless powers. Clearly this isn't an option in these books and each spell and power Sonea learns is neatly and logically explained and consistant. It really makes a change that the magic spells are treated mechanically rather than as, well, 'magic'.
Definitely a recommended read
A few months after the first book, Sonea is offically inducted as a novice into the Magician's Guild in Imardin. She is immediately looked down on by her fellow novices and indeed other magicians because of her poor upbringing (magicians always being taken from the families of the rich upper class). One novice in particular will go to any lengths to humiliate her. Meanwhile Sonea is hiding a secret. The High Lord of the Guild is practicing black magic, strictly forbidden. Dannyl is sent on a secret mission by Lorlen to try to discover how the High Lord won these powers and if there is anything that can be done to stop him.
I found this book to be far more satisfying than the first book, The Magician's Guild. I think this is due to two factors. Firstly Canavan's writing is far more confident and assured (not surprising for a second novel). Also the story arc is a lot less predictable and allows for more twists and turns since the end is not inevitable (in the first novel it is clear that Sonea will eventually be joining the guild; it is only the sub-plots that provide suprises).
As a consequence this is an easier read than the first book with plenty of good stories, either Sonea's (mis)adventures in the Guild or Dannyl's voyage of discovery on his travels. The end resolves one of the major plot points, leaving the rest for the third book, The High Lord to investigate.
Canavan touches on various topics during the book, particularly bullying by peers and also some nice observations on repression of homosexuality in the intolerant Imardin society.
It is also welcoming to see more of the land; the first book was bound to the city itself but here through Dannyl we get to see the neighbouring lands and discover some of their peoples and customs, together with a fair amount of hazardous travelling.
The magic system is also key; normally magicians throw around a bewildering array of spells with limitless powers. Clearly this isn't an option in these books and each spell and power Sonea learns is neatly and logically explained and consistant. It really makes a change that the magic spells are treated mechanically rather than as, well, 'magic'.
Definitely a recommended read
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Darkness Watching (Darkworld, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
THIS IS AN ADVANCE REVIEW. Date to be posted on <a title="Darkness Watching by Emma L. Adams" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-darkness-watching-by-emma-l-adams.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>: October 10, 2014
Note: Formatting and pictures are lost due to copy and paste.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> Review copy provided by Curiosity Quills Press via Netgalley for review Thanks!</i>
Okay, wow. I'm so behind with writing reviews, I kind of slacked off a little... along with other factors (the not so controllable factors).
On the bright side, I actually did catch up with my reading schedule during Thanksgiving Break. Like I said, best thing ever invented. The inventor deserves a hug.
Back to talking about Darkness Watching. It's a very interesting and unique concept with demons and sorcerers/magic-users (it could be witches. Most common name used throughout the book are those two, so feel free to correct me) in a school setting well, particularly a college setting. It's making me a bit curious about how the British school system works. Well, I'm a tad bit confused on that... the dictionary wasn't and isn't entirely friendly. I might understand the book better then.
*brushes off and doesn't even count since it's a random, erudite-ish thought of mine...*
Speaking of the book's setting, it seems that most of the time, the characters are in a club. And getting drunk. Not that the main character, Ashlyn (aka Ash), is.... but speaking of Ash, she seems to be the type that easily succumbs to peer pressure. She is still, however, a strong heroine.
Random thought, but Leo apparently reminds me of Rick Riordan's Leo Valdez from The Heroes of Olympus series. Their humor and personality and their namesake! (now I just need to find out if this particular Leo is Spanish...) are almost the same, they could probably pass as twins.
Imagine that. A demigod and a sorcerer.... O_o It's not a bad thing; I kind of enjoy Leo as a character (from both series now). :3
In terms of grammar, it's virtually spotless, aside from a few tiny mistakes here and there. Nothing distracting though (I'm assuming it's not an ARC since it was on Netgalley after the publication date...). :)
In the overall view though, I enjoyed reading Darkness Watching; it's a fresh take with the combinations of demons and sorcerers/magic-users!
<blockquote>Not everyone runs screaming out of their interview.</blockquote>
Note: Formatting and pictures are lost due to copy and paste.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> Review copy provided by Curiosity Quills Press via Netgalley for review Thanks!</i>
Okay, wow. I'm so behind with writing reviews, I kind of slacked off a little... along with other factors (the not so controllable factors).
On the bright side, I actually did catch up with my reading schedule during Thanksgiving Break. Like I said, best thing ever invented. The inventor deserves a hug.
Back to talking about Darkness Watching. It's a very interesting and unique concept with demons and sorcerers/magic-users (it could be witches. Most common name used throughout the book are those two, so feel free to correct me) in a school setting well, particularly a college setting. It's making me a bit curious about how the British school system works. Well, I'm a tad bit confused on that... the dictionary wasn't and isn't entirely friendly. I might understand the book better then.
*brushes off and doesn't even count since it's a random, erudite-ish thought of mine...*
Speaking of the book's setting, it seems that most of the time, the characters are in a club. And getting drunk. Not that the main character, Ashlyn (aka Ash), is.... but speaking of Ash, she seems to be the type that easily succumbs to peer pressure. She is still, however, a strong heroine.
Random thought, but Leo apparently reminds me of Rick Riordan's Leo Valdez from The Heroes of Olympus series. Their humor and personality and their namesake! (now I just need to find out if this particular Leo is Spanish...) are almost the same, they could probably pass as twins.
Imagine that. A demigod and a sorcerer.... O_o It's not a bad thing; I kind of enjoy Leo as a character (from both series now). :3
In terms of grammar, it's virtually spotless, aside from a few tiny mistakes here and there. Nothing distracting though (I'm assuming it's not an ARC since it was on Netgalley after the publication date...). :)
In the overall view though, I enjoyed reading Darkness Watching; it's a fresh take with the combinations of demons and sorcerers/magic-users!
<blockquote>Not everyone runs screaming out of their interview.</blockquote>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Shade Me (Nikki Kill, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Shade Me</i> and I are completely polar opposites. Everything Nikki is, Im not (and Im typically against it in some way), which is an extreme rarity (and definitely not a problem). And if this is a series, Ill probably have a love/hate relationship with Nikki akin to love triangles where I love/hate both guys (and maybe the girl as well).
Anyways
I feel Nikkis past feels like a pity party with a really rough childhood. However, it just goes with the story because her rough childhood tells readers why Nikki is the way she is in the novel. Shes afraid of falling in love (hello? Im not a romantic, but um ), probably hooks up with guys on a weekly basis (okay ), and is close enough to flunking and not graduating basically, she seems like a character I would probably stay away from in real life. Also, with her Tae Kwon Do (is it Tae Kwon Do?) skills, shes also just a person I would avoid messing around with.
But the coolest thing about Shade Me is how Nikki sees everything in color (synesthesia) and when she gets a call to identify a person in an attempted murder, Nikki uses her synesthesia to try and find the attempted murderer. The person she identifies isnt even someone she knows really well (shes heard of them because the person is the daughter of a famous producer, but doesnt know them), which I find really admirable. I mean, its not typical a random person goes out of her way just to find out why someone attempted to murder someone she doesnt even associate herself with. Shes also horrible with sneaking around everything just backfires, but Nikki is an amazing sleuth who has extreme guts.
Overall, though? The book is about rich people problems with a dash of family drama. Brown takes something readers would typically find on daytime drama and mixes it up with something else completely different, making Shade Me just a tad bit different than simply family drama.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-shade-me-by-jennifer-brown-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Shade Me</i> and I are completely polar opposites. Everything Nikki is, Im not (and Im typically against it in some way), which is an extreme rarity (and definitely not a problem). And if this is a series, Ill probably have a love/hate relationship with Nikki akin to love triangles where I love/hate both guys (and maybe the girl as well).
Anyways
I feel Nikkis past feels like a pity party with a really rough childhood. However, it just goes with the story because her rough childhood tells readers why Nikki is the way she is in the novel. Shes afraid of falling in love (hello? Im not a romantic, but um ), probably hooks up with guys on a weekly basis (okay ), and is close enough to flunking and not graduating basically, she seems like a character I would probably stay away from in real life. Also, with her Tae Kwon Do (is it Tae Kwon Do?) skills, shes also just a person I would avoid messing around with.
But the coolest thing about Shade Me is how Nikki sees everything in color (synesthesia) and when she gets a call to identify a person in an attempted murder, Nikki uses her synesthesia to try and find the attempted murderer. The person she identifies isnt even someone she knows really well (shes heard of them because the person is the daughter of a famous producer, but doesnt know them), which I find really admirable. I mean, its not typical a random person goes out of her way just to find out why someone attempted to murder someone she doesnt even associate herself with. Shes also horrible with sneaking around everything just backfires, but Nikki is an amazing sleuth who has extreme guts.
Overall, though? The book is about rich people problems with a dash of family drama. Brown takes something readers would typically find on daytime drama and mixes it up with something else completely different, making Shade Me just a tad bit different than simply family drama.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-shade-me-by-jennifer-brown-arc-review-and-giveaway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Such Sweet Sorrow in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b><i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> is quite literally an unwritten sequel to <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> coinciding with <i>Hamlet</i> with a dark twist, or in other words, a bridge between the end of one Shakespeare play and the beginning of another.
I personally liked Trouts version of Romeo as he journeys to Denmark in the quest to save Juliet from death - he's much more spunky, but he has his romantic elements as well that Shakespeare originally placed in him. Hamlet is just as cheeky as his original counterpart, if not more cheeky (<i>Hamlet</i> is my favorite Shakespeare play, and it's not actually because of the ending). Juliet, like Romeo, also has another side to her Trout creates - she's more badass. (<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> is my least favorite - interesting combo going on here honestly.)
But <i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> can be overwhelming. Trout doesn't just have <i>Hamlet</i> mashed with <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> - she's got Norse mythology and Greek mythology and who knows what else (some reviewers on Goodreads say anything you can think of... Essentially). Regardless, there is definitely a mess of things going on throughout and I just decided to go with it rather than question the book in its entirety (like what other mythological aspects are involved).
For the first half of the book, Romeo and Hamlet are, for the most part, wandering around cluelessly through this place called the Afterjord - it can get boring pretty quickly, but there is so much going on with the creatures they come across, it's not actually boring (I'm too busy trying to keep track of what's going on so I'm not lost). <i>Such Sweet Sorrow </i>doesn't actually pick up until after Romeo and Hamlet finally rescue Juliet and try to make their way back to the mortal world.
But while there is so much going on throughout, I actually liked this strange little book in all its weird complexities. However...
I'm disappointed that a cliffhanger is involved and nowhere on Goodreads does it say <i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> has a sequel in the works.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-such-sweet-sorrow-by-jenny-trou/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I personally liked Trouts version of Romeo as he journeys to Denmark in the quest to save Juliet from death - he's much more spunky, but he has his romantic elements as well that Shakespeare originally placed in him. Hamlet is just as cheeky as his original counterpart, if not more cheeky (<i>Hamlet</i> is my favorite Shakespeare play, and it's not actually because of the ending). Juliet, like Romeo, also has another side to her Trout creates - she's more badass. (<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> is my least favorite - interesting combo going on here honestly.)
But <i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> can be overwhelming. Trout doesn't just have <i>Hamlet</i> mashed with <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> - she's got Norse mythology and Greek mythology and who knows what else (some reviewers on Goodreads say anything you can think of... Essentially). Regardless, there is definitely a mess of things going on throughout and I just decided to go with it rather than question the book in its entirety (like what other mythological aspects are involved).
For the first half of the book, Romeo and Hamlet are, for the most part, wandering around cluelessly through this place called the Afterjord - it can get boring pretty quickly, but there is so much going on with the creatures they come across, it's not actually boring (I'm too busy trying to keep track of what's going on so I'm not lost). <i>Such Sweet Sorrow </i>doesn't actually pick up until after Romeo and Hamlet finally rescue Juliet and try to make their way back to the mortal world.
But while there is so much going on throughout, I actually liked this strange little book in all its weird complexities. However...
I'm disappointed that a cliffhanger is involved and nowhere on Goodreads does it say <i>Such Sweet Sorrow</i> has a sequel in the works.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-such-sweet-sorrow-by-jenny-trou/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Prophecy of Shadows (Elementals, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Netgalley/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Well, then. This is going to be one of the harder reviews to write, isn't it. (And it'll probably come out a little choppy, but um... bear with me.)
Okay, so how about I start with this: <i>The Prophecy of Shadows</i> is great, but the only thing working against the book is the instalove between Nicole and Blake. But even the instalove isn't much of a bother Nicole is attracted to Blake from the get go, but she's not as <em>obsessed</em> as Danielle, who would threaten anyone in Blake's proximity. Yet?
Anyways, the first book in the <i>Elementals</i> series brings yet a new idea to the <a title="Mythology" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Mythology"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">mythology</a> genre, sort of following in <a title="Raye Wagner" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Raye%20Wagner"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raye Wagner's</a> footsteps. When Nicole first moves to a new school, she is quickly thrown into the world of witches, people who are descended from Greek gods but not exactly demigods. Witches in Madow's newest series are those not directly descended from a Greek god (basically, a generation or two later...?) and their powers are mostly based off of color theory (definitely not getting into the specifics of that one). Nicole is weirded out and dismisses the entire idea at first, but quickly has a change of heart.
The book is also a little slow on the pacing side, especially for those who like constant action. Madow spends approximately half the book setting up the plot and introducing the world of witches, and I personally think that in itself is good enough without being overwhelming. Even though the witches in the <i>Elementals</i> series are similar to witches in general, I enjoyed learning how each color corresponds to a particular emotion or talent. Any particular legendary creature fighting comes later on in the book.
It'll be interesting to see how Madow takes the series with the sequels, and I'll be looking forward to the sequels (which, by the way, have extremely interesting and adventurous titles).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-prophecy-of-shadows-by-michelle-madow/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Well, then. This is going to be one of the harder reviews to write, isn't it. (And it'll probably come out a little choppy, but um... bear with me.)
Okay, so how about I start with this: <i>The Prophecy of Shadows</i> is great, but the only thing working against the book is the instalove between Nicole and Blake. But even the instalove isn't much of a bother Nicole is attracted to Blake from the get go, but she's not as <em>obsessed</em> as Danielle, who would threaten anyone in Blake's proximity. Yet?
Anyways, the first book in the <i>Elementals</i> series brings yet a new idea to the <a title="Mythology" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Mythology"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">mythology</a> genre, sort of following in <a title="Raye Wagner" href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/search/label/Raye%20Wagner"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raye Wagner's</a> footsteps. When Nicole first moves to a new school, she is quickly thrown into the world of witches, people who are descended from Greek gods but not exactly demigods. Witches in Madow's newest series are those not directly descended from a Greek god (basically, a generation or two later...?) and their powers are mostly based off of color theory (definitely not getting into the specifics of that one). Nicole is weirded out and dismisses the entire idea at first, but quickly has a change of heart.
The book is also a little slow on the pacing side, especially for those who like constant action. Madow spends approximately half the book setting up the plot and introducing the world of witches, and I personally think that in itself is good enough without being overwhelming. Even though the witches in the <i>Elementals</i> series are similar to witches in general, I enjoyed learning how each color corresponds to a particular emotion or talent. Any particular legendary creature fighting comes later on in the book.
It'll be interesting to see how Madow takes the series with the sequels, and I'll be looking forward to the sequels (which, by the way, have extremely interesting and adventurous titles).
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-the-prophecy-of-shadows-by-michelle-madow/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Way You Make Me Feel in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I <em>loved</em> Maurene Goo's previous novel, <em>I Believe In A Thing Called Love</em>, so when I got an email from Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read Goo's latest novel because I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with a cute contemporary novel. (I also jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour, because oh my goodness, cute books will be shoved at the world. #sorrynotsorry)
<em>The Way You Make Me Feel</em> does <em>not</em> disappoint in levels of cuteness. Goo's latest novel follows Clara, who is introduced as the class clown, committing pranks and causing mischief since early on in her high school career. She especially likes making life difficult for her classmate Rose, the person she got her in trouble in the first place. Clara takes her pranks too far one day and it results in an entire summer stuck with Rose.
Clara is an... interesting character. She was a little hard to like at first, but over the course of the novel, Clara grew on me. She is sassy, carefree and gets in trouble... A LOT. She's also a little rebellious.
I think my favorite part, however, is the <em>food</em>. Food is an important part of the story, and I think my mouth watered while reading the book. Clara's dad owns a food truck called KoBra, which takes Korean and Brazillian cuisine. Both Clara and Rose work the food truck during the summer, where they are forced to get along with each other. they eventually develop a friendship, and I enjoyed seeing them grow from enemies to friends. (This is probably when I started liking Clara a <em>lot</em> as a character. Maybe it's just me and my opinions.)
The side characters of <em>The Way You Make Me Feel</em> are my favorite characters - I love Hamlet (this is a wonderful name as much as the play is wonderful) and his grandparents, who are adorable and cute and funny, as much as I grew to love Clara, Rose and the rest of the characters.
If you're looking for a cute contemporary read that is bound to make you hungry, <em>The Way You Make Me Feel</em> is the perfect novel.
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-the-way-you-make-me-feel-by-maurene-goo-arc-review-playlist/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I <em>loved</em> Maurene Goo's previous novel, <em>I Believe In A Thing Called Love</em>, so when I got an email from Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read Goo's latest novel because I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with a cute contemporary novel. (I also jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour, because oh my goodness, cute books will be shoved at the world. #sorrynotsorry)
<em>The Way You Make Me Feel</em> does <em>not</em> disappoint in levels of cuteness. Goo's latest novel follows Clara, who is introduced as the class clown, committing pranks and causing mischief since early on in her high school career. She especially likes making life difficult for her classmate Rose, the person she got her in trouble in the first place. Clara takes her pranks too far one day and it results in an entire summer stuck with Rose.
Clara is an... interesting character. She was a little hard to like at first, but over the course of the novel, Clara grew on me. She is sassy, carefree and gets in trouble... A LOT. She's also a little rebellious.
I think my favorite part, however, is the <em>food</em>. Food is an important part of the story, and I think my mouth watered while reading the book. Clara's dad owns a food truck called KoBra, which takes Korean and Brazillian cuisine. Both Clara and Rose work the food truck during the summer, where they are forced to get along with each other. they eventually develop a friendship, and I enjoyed seeing them grow from enemies to friends. (This is probably when I started liking Clara a <em>lot</em> as a character. Maybe it's just me and my opinions.)
The side characters of <em>The Way You Make Me Feel</em> are my favorite characters - I love Hamlet (this is a wonderful name as much as the play is wonderful) and his grandparents, who are adorable and cute and funny, as much as I grew to love Clara, Rose and the rest of the characters.
If you're looking for a cute contemporary read that is bound to make you hungry, <em>The Way You Make Me Feel</em> is the perfect novel.
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-the-way-you-make-me-feel-by-maurene-goo-arc-review-playlist/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Henry David Thoreau: A Life
Book
Walden. Yesterday I came here to live. That entry from the journal of Henry David Thoreau, and the...
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Final Space in TV
Jul 7, 2020
Everything You Could Ask For In A Cool Space Cartoon
Contains spoilers, click to show
At first I thought this show was just going to be a comedy. Kind of like a Futurama type but in space, instead of in the future. I've never been happier to come into a show like Final Space not really knowing what I was getting myself into. I was pretty hyped for the show when I saw the original tv spots and the clip(s) when Olan Rogers came out on the Conan O'Brian show, but that first episode really set the tone. I really like when a show has good story arc and you can tell it's going in a certain direction where the episodes are not meaningless and Final Space does that but doesn't sacrifice on character or become too deeply plot driven. The plot is there and it feels like the characters motivations just naturally move the plot. For instance Gary's backstory of why he's a prisoner, which is hilarious by the way, and how he's been alone for nearly 5 years totally plays into why he has cabin fever and wants to get out/off the ship and be around actual people. KVN, as annoying as he is, actually made sense to me because someone like that, that can drive you crazy, probably would keep you sane if you were by yourself for years. For some people Gary might come off as a little annoying at first but I've dealt with more annoying characters who I totally grew to love like Naruto or Asta from Black Clover. I also enjoyed the character development and introduction of additional characters and how things change on the show from episode to episode and season 1 to season 2. What I wasn't prepared for was the emotional scenes, more than once this show has made my eyes misty. One thing that surprised me was the amount of action in the show and how it depicts violence. The show isn't shy when it comes to blood or guts and Gary even loses his arm in a fight against the Lord Commander who "force" rips it off of his body. There's a part where Gary must wear the skin of a dead alien to go incognito. Even Mooncake goes on a killing spree when he's put in gladiator style animal fight club. Definitely give this show a chance if you haven't already. As I said above I give it 8/10 and my "Must See Seal Of Approval".
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated White Hot Kiss in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I received this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This will be my third book by the author, fourth if we class her writing as J. Lynn, and I've liked all of them so the chance to read anything by her is a big YES PLEASE!
After reading both this and Covenant, I've noticed that she likes to write love triangles into her stories. I don't have a problem with them and gladly cheer on for whichever guy I want the heroine to be with. In this I was Team Roth from early on. Zayne might have been the guy Layla'd been dreaming of for years but he never really seemed to want her in that way (or he was just very good at hiding it) and treated her a lot like a close friend or little sister. Roth on the other hand always seemed to be there when she needed him and he teased and flirted and could kick arse, being what he was: Upper Level Demon.
I feel I have to mention Bambi, too. She was cool! Who wouldn't her watching over you?
I also feel like I have to mention Petr. I'm glad about what happened to him, he wasn't a nice guy so he deserved everything he got.
As for the story, I get Layla's feelings of not really belonging to either side. Being born half demon and half warden, Layla struggles in her attempts to fit in with the people--Warden's--who've raised her. Half the Warden's don't like her presence and want her gone while the other half treat her like family. As for being half demon, she's been tagging them for the past God knows how many years and feels more of a Warden and keeps being told she's a Warden. But as the story progresses, she begins to question everything she's ever known and the people around her.
The more I read of the book, the more I fell in love with Roth. He was amazing and just for that last 10% or so this is getting five stars from me. I cried; tears silently falling down my cheeks more or less continuously for the time it took me to finish the story. Crikey!
I need to read the next in the series to figure out what happens next with these guys.
If you're a fan of the author then this shouldn't be missed. If you haven't read anything by Jennifer L. Armentrout and like YA paranormal romances then you should really pick up one of her books, they're really good.
This will be my third book by the author, fourth if we class her writing as J. Lynn, and I've liked all of them so the chance to read anything by her is a big YES PLEASE!
After reading both this and Covenant, I've noticed that she likes to write love triangles into her stories. I don't have a problem with them and gladly cheer on for whichever guy I want the heroine to be with. In this I was Team Roth from early on. Zayne might have been the guy Layla'd been dreaming of for years but he never really seemed to want her in that way (or he was just very good at hiding it) and treated her a lot like a close friend or little sister. Roth on the other hand always seemed to be there when she needed him and he teased and flirted and could kick arse, being what he was: Upper Level Demon.
I feel I have to mention Bambi, too. She was cool! Who wouldn't her watching over you?
I also feel like I have to mention Petr. I'm glad about what happened to him, he wasn't a nice guy so he deserved everything he got.
As for the story, I get Layla's feelings of not really belonging to either side. Being born half demon and half warden, Layla struggles in her attempts to fit in with the people--Warden's--who've raised her. Half the Warden's don't like her presence and want her gone while the other half treat her like family. As for being half demon, she's been tagging them for the past God knows how many years and feels more of a Warden and keeps being told she's a Warden. But as the story progresses, she begins to question everything she's ever known and the people around her.
The more I read of the book, the more I fell in love with Roth. He was amazing and just for that last 10% or so this is getting five stars from me. I cried; tears silently falling down my cheeks more or less continuously for the time it took me to finish the story. Crikey!
I need to read the next in the series to figure out what happens next with these guys.
If you're a fan of the author then this shouldn't be missed. If you haven't read anything by Jennifer L. Armentrout and like YA paranormal romances then you should really pick up one of her books, they're really good.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist in TV
Apr 22, 2021 (Updated Apr 22, 2021)
The first season (4 more)
Song choices
Incorporation of songs into emotional scenes
Singing
Choreography
The First Season broke my heart.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The premise of the show is intriguing. Zoey goes to the hospital for an MRI of her brain and is given a pair of headphones to wear during the test since it is a bit noisy. The MRI technician says they have practically every song known to man downloaded on their system so she can play whatever music she wants. There is a power outage followed by a power surge and all the music that had been downloaded on the hospital's MRI machine gets transferred to her brain. The next morning, she awakens to music in her brain that she just can't shut off. She discovers that she can hear the songs people are singing inside their heads and hearts, hereafter known as heart songs, even though they aren't singing out loud and have no idea that anyone can hear them (or know what they're thinking by what song they've chosen.) Her newfound superpower causes complications in some ways but also helps her interpersonal relationships in other ways. Getting to know what's in people's hearts benefits her greatly with her father who is suffering from a rare neurological disorder that has rendered him speechless and unable to move or communicate. The superpower is her curse and her gift.
I love this show. It's sweet, heartfelt, exciting, funny, and evocative. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you sing along. Mary Steenburgen singing The Bee-Gee's How Can You Mend a Broken Heart will break your heart. Peter Gallagher's performance is understated and beautiful and believable. The relationship between him and Jane Levy's Zoey character is warm and loving. I'm at a time in my life where the health and mortality of my parents are at the forefront of my mind so the relationship between Zoey and her parents is what I focus on most. However, Zoey, being a single young lady in her late twenties is in the dating world and working in the male-dominated tech world, and those play a large part in the show, as well.
Had the show ended at season one, I would have been all right with that decision as that arc ended so beautifully.
With the second season comes more complications, conflicts, miscommunications, fun, drama, sweetness, and love. I'm still going to watch it but I think the first season was the highlight.
I love this show. It's sweet, heartfelt, exciting, funny, and evocative. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you sing along. Mary Steenburgen singing The Bee-Gee's How Can You Mend a Broken Heart will break your heart. Peter Gallagher's performance is understated and beautiful and believable. The relationship between him and Jane Levy's Zoey character is warm and loving. I'm at a time in my life where the health and mortality of my parents are at the forefront of my mind so the relationship between Zoey and her parents is what I focus on most. However, Zoey, being a single young lady in her late twenties is in the dating world and working in the male-dominated tech world, and those play a large part in the show, as well.
Had the show ended at season one, I would have been all right with that decision as that arc ended so beautifully.
With the second season comes more complications, conflicts, miscommunications, fun, drama, sweetness, and love. I'm still going to watch it but I think the first season was the highlight.