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Merissa (14190 KP) rated The Deceiver: Tales of Kelnore (Royals #2) in Books
Jul 2, 2026
THE DECEIVER is the second book in The Tales of Kelnore: Royals, and I would recommend you read The Princess first, if only to get an idea about Kelnore, its emperor, and his sons and daughters.
Once again, this story is told from multiple perspectives, and there are so many layers to it, it rivals Shrek's onion. While we go deeper into the lives, history, and current events of Kelnore, including political allies and enemies, please don't expect to have all the answers by the end of this book.
As always, Ms Carey takes us on an adventure, leading us to places we might not have gone by ourselves, and leaves us wondering just what will happen next! While I still love Pern Coen, I am loving the characters of Kelnore, even if I find it stifling, too.
A fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - Stories Worth Unearthing
Jul 2, 2026
Once again, this story is told from multiple perspectives, and there are so many layers to it, it rivals Shrek's onion. While we go deeper into the lives, history, and current events of Kelnore, including political allies and enemies, please don't expect to have all the answers by the end of this book.
As always, Ms Carey takes us on an adventure, leading us to places we might not have gone by ourselves, and leaves us wondering just what will happen next! While I still love Pern Coen, I am loving the characters of Kelnore, even if I find it stifling, too.
A fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - Stories Worth Unearthing
Jul 2, 2026
Merissa (14190 KP) rated Maybe You Lied in Books
Sep 22, 2026
MAYBE YOU LIED is a standalone contemporary story, told from Will's perspective, as he deals with trauma, grief, and a whole load of questions.
I'm really glad that Will had questions, as it meant I got the answers at the same time as he did. Some things in the story were clear to me, and others not so much. Most of them were answered, but I was left with some that weren't.
It's a slow and steady story that builds easily to the climax. One thing that I loved was Will's letters to his mum. They were so clear, explaining easily his state of mind at the time he wrote them. Emotions aren't clear-cut, and I loved that he ran the gauntlet with them all, even if it wasn't easy for him.
This was a twisted tale that I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend.
** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I read this book voluntarily; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian
Sep 21, 2026
I'm really glad that Will had questions, as it meant I got the answers at the same time as he did. Some things in the story were clear to me, and others not so much. Most of them were answered, but I was left with some that weren't.
It's a slow and steady story that builds easily to the climax. One thing that I loved was Will's letters to his mum. They were so clear, explaining easily his state of mind at the time he wrote them. Emotions aren't clear-cut, and I loved that he ran the gauntlet with them all, even if it wasn't easy for him.
This was a twisted tale that I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend.
** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I read this book voluntarily; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian
Sep 21, 2026
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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Future Home of the Living God in Books
Mar 25, 2018
Minority Representation (1 more)
Interesting premise
NO ANSWERS (1 more)
No resolution
Well that was a waste of time. This book spends its entire length asking one real question. Will the main character's baby survive? There are a number of smaller questions - Will the baby be born normal? Why is evolution turning backwards, or sideways? What happened to the main character's father? What happened to her friend from the hospital? What happened to her husband? Does she ever find freedom?
THE BOOK ANSWERS NONE OF THESE QUESTIONS.
I am really frustrated with this book. Why did I bother reading it if it refuses to resolve any of its plotlines?
We're going to get a little bit into writing theory here. It has been a classic recommendation to have the climax of your book 2/3 of the way through the book, and have the last third be denouement. Wrap-up. Show us how the climax affected the characters and the world. John Green does this well - all his books follow a standard plot line. Character A is introduced. A meets B. B changes A's life. B leaves A's life. (Those last two are usually incorporated in the climax of the book.) A has to learn how to live without B in a world changed by B's existence in it. It's a little formulaic, but it works for Green, and his books are great. Some books do not do this so well. Wheel of Time had 5-6 pages of denouement after the series climax, and nothing was really revealed about how the events changed the world for the better. Future Home of the Living God had TWO. TWO PAGES AFTER THE CLIMAX. AND THEY ANSWER NOTHING. The main character talks about missing winter.
I finished the book and almost threw it across the room. I probably would have, except for two things: I was at a friend's house, and it was a library book. That's all that saved it from that fate. I have stacks of books I want to read, and I feel like I just wasted a few hours on this piece of crap.
The writing was actually pretty good, and the main character is an Ojibwe Indian, so there's minority representation, but the book as a whole was just CRAP. Wrap up your plotlines. Answer the questions you ask. (At least the ones having to do with your plot - you can leave unanswered philosophical questions, that's fine.)
Hard pass on this book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
THE BOOK ANSWERS NONE OF THESE QUESTIONS.
I am really frustrated with this book. Why did I bother reading it if it refuses to resolve any of its plotlines?
We're going to get a little bit into writing theory here. It has been a classic recommendation to have the climax of your book 2/3 of the way through the book, and have the last third be denouement. Wrap-up. Show us how the climax affected the characters and the world. John Green does this well - all his books follow a standard plot line. Character A is introduced. A meets B. B changes A's life. B leaves A's life. (Those last two are usually incorporated in the climax of the book.) A has to learn how to live without B in a world changed by B's existence in it. It's a little formulaic, but it works for Green, and his books are great. Some books do not do this so well. Wheel of Time had 5-6 pages of denouement after the series climax, and nothing was really revealed about how the events changed the world for the better. Future Home of the Living God had TWO. TWO PAGES AFTER THE CLIMAX. AND THEY ANSWER NOTHING. The main character talks about missing winter.
I finished the book and almost threw it across the room. I probably would have, except for two things: I was at a friend's house, and it was a library book. That's all that saved it from that fate. I have stacks of books I want to read, and I feel like I just wasted a few hours on this piece of crap.
The writing was actually pretty good, and the main character is an Ojibwe Indian, so there's minority representation, but the book as a whole was just CRAP. Wrap up your plotlines. Answer the questions you ask. (At least the ones having to do with your plot - you can leave unanswered philosophical questions, that's fine.)
Hard pass on this book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Darren (1599 KP) rated The 33 (2015) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: The 33 starts as we follow our Chilean miners including family man Mario Sepulveda (Banderas) and safety inspector Don Lucho (Phillips) who is reluctantly backs down from their boss about the conditions inside the mine, believing the mountain will start to collapse in on itself.
When the mine does collapse, it leaves all 33 miners trapped hoping they might get rescued, well that is inside the mine. Outside the mine the miner’s families led by Maria Segovia (Binoche) demanded answers and help from the government with Laurence Golborne (Santoro) calling the shots, doing the best he can to find a way to rescue the miners. This is the incredible story of how the Chilean miners survived and were rescued.
Thoughts on The 33
Characters/Performance – The film is based on the real people involved, Mario is the one that takes control inside the mine, the reluctant hero even against the odds. Laurence is the government man that must do the right thing while working with the experts as well as keep the families happy. Maria is the sister of one of the miners and leads the protest to find answers about her brother and other miners.
Performance wise, Banderas shows himself to be the biggest star within the mine, we do get strange casting choices up next because we have a French actress playing a Chilean lady, and Irish man as a Chilean. But away from this we have good performances all around from the whole cast.
Story – The story is one that we all followed on the news, it was one of the most must watch news stories of the 21st Century. Seeing the amazing story of how the men survived, the way a small town can together to bring a nation, then the world to see, beg and pray for these men is an incredible story of courage, strength and belief in the human race.
Biography/History – While we don’t truly get to know the men personally, we do see the 69 days that changed their lives. This will go down in history as one of our moments of greatness as a human race.
Settings – The film is set between the mine which shows us just how trapped the character will be but we also see how the family members are working towards rescue.
Final Thoughts – This is an incredible story that was one we followed and seeing this brings back the memories but in places this is slightly slow.
Overall: Great glimpse into history.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/03/27/a-z-bonus-review-month-the-33-2015/
When the mine does collapse, it leaves all 33 miners trapped hoping they might get rescued, well that is inside the mine. Outside the mine the miner’s families led by Maria Segovia (Binoche) demanded answers and help from the government with Laurence Golborne (Santoro) calling the shots, doing the best he can to find a way to rescue the miners. This is the incredible story of how the Chilean miners survived and were rescued.
Thoughts on The 33
Characters/Performance – The film is based on the real people involved, Mario is the one that takes control inside the mine, the reluctant hero even against the odds. Laurence is the government man that must do the right thing while working with the experts as well as keep the families happy. Maria is the sister of one of the miners and leads the protest to find answers about her brother and other miners.
Performance wise, Banderas shows himself to be the biggest star within the mine, we do get strange casting choices up next because we have a French actress playing a Chilean lady, and Irish man as a Chilean. But away from this we have good performances all around from the whole cast.
Story – The story is one that we all followed on the news, it was one of the most must watch news stories of the 21st Century. Seeing the amazing story of how the men survived, the way a small town can together to bring a nation, then the world to see, beg and pray for these men is an incredible story of courage, strength and belief in the human race.
Biography/History – While we don’t truly get to know the men personally, we do see the 69 days that changed their lives. This will go down in history as one of our moments of greatness as a human race.
Settings – The film is set between the mine which shows us just how trapped the character will be but we also see how the family members are working towards rescue.
Final Thoughts – This is an incredible story that was one we followed and seeing this brings back the memories but in places this is slightly slow.
Overall: Great glimpse into history.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/03/27/a-z-bonus-review-month-the-33-2015/
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Forgotten Summer in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Is the truth something you really want to know? Jane Cambon has the perfect husband and spends her life travelling from their flat in London to Luc’s family estate in the south of France. Despite the hostility from Luc’s mother, Clarisse Cambon, Jane loves spending time amongst the workers in the vineyard and the olive groves. However, a tragic event causes Jane to question how well she really new her husband.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>by Carol Drinkwater captures the southern France climate in such a way that readers will wish to go there themselves. But for Jane it becomes a place of grief and tension as Clarisse’s aggression only increases, bringing back memories of the summer when Jane was fourteen. Not only that, there is the enigma of Jane’s husband, a filmmaker. What was he filming? Why did her keep it secret? What happened during his early years in Algeria? And, most importantly, who is Annabelle?
Not knowing the answers to many questions keeps the reader engaged in the narrative. Slowly, issues are resolved, but some answers are not uncovered until the closing of the novel. After about two thirds of the book it is possible to guess the truth about Luc’s close kept secret, and it is almost annoying that Jane is blind to it.
Drinkwater has put a lot of time and effort into <i>The Forgotten Summer</i>. The amount of research she went through to keep it as factual as possible must have been phenomenal. From reading this book we learn a little about the Algerian War of Independence – something that is glossed over in French history – and the art of winemaking: both equally interesting, particularly the former, which most readers will not have heard of.
An issue that I had with this story was the way Jane was portrayed. I kept imagining her as a younger woman even though it had been explained that she was in her late forties. There was nothing in her description or personality that fitted a middle aged character. This may also be due to the way Clarisse treated Jane: as if she were incompetent and untrustworthy.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>is an ideal book for fans of Victoria Hislop, particularly if you also enjoy reading about southern European countries. It is engaging and exciting with a handful of lovely characters for you to admire. With its air of mystery, this book will be hard for you to put down.
Is the truth something you really want to know? Jane Cambon has the perfect husband and spends her life travelling from their flat in London to Luc’s family estate in the south of France. Despite the hostility from Luc’s mother, Clarisse Cambon, Jane loves spending time amongst the workers in the vineyard and the olive groves. However, a tragic event causes Jane to question how well she really new her husband.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>by Carol Drinkwater captures the southern France climate in such a way that readers will wish to go there themselves. But for Jane it becomes a place of grief and tension as Clarisse’s aggression only increases, bringing back memories of the summer when Jane was fourteen. Not only that, there is the enigma of Jane’s husband, a filmmaker. What was he filming? Why did her keep it secret? What happened during his early years in Algeria? And, most importantly, who is Annabelle?
Not knowing the answers to many questions keeps the reader engaged in the narrative. Slowly, issues are resolved, but some answers are not uncovered until the closing of the novel. After about two thirds of the book it is possible to guess the truth about Luc’s close kept secret, and it is almost annoying that Jane is blind to it.
Drinkwater has put a lot of time and effort into <i>The Forgotten Summer</i>. The amount of research she went through to keep it as factual as possible must have been phenomenal. From reading this book we learn a little about the Algerian War of Independence – something that is glossed over in French history – and the art of winemaking: both equally interesting, particularly the former, which most readers will not have heard of.
An issue that I had with this story was the way Jane was portrayed. I kept imagining her as a younger woman even though it had been explained that she was in her late forties. There was nothing in her description or personality that fitted a middle aged character. This may also be due to the way Clarisse treated Jane: as if she were incompetent and untrustworthy.
<i>The Forgotten Summer </i>is an ideal book for fans of Victoria Hislop, particularly if you also enjoy reading about southern European countries. It is engaging and exciting with a handful of lovely characters for you to admire. With its air of mystery, this book will be hard for you to put down.
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Debbiereadsbook (1839 KP) rated King's Obsession (Obsessions #5) in Books
May 6, 2025
There have been subtle and some not so (think more, sledgehammer upside the head!) hints to the story of these two!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is the final book in the Obsessions series, and while I'm sad, I do think this might just have been the best one! You absolutely SHOULD read the other four books before this one. Cos I said so, right!?!?!?
Asmodeus is king of the demons by default, his father died. Meeting Dougal, a troll in the human realm, becomes his one place to be himself. But Dougal has awoken feelings in him, and he needs answers as to what that means. Dougal didn't think it would take this long, this many lifetimes, for Asmodeus to get the answers he needs, and he's done waiting. Asmodeus has a choice, but which one will he make?
What I loved most about this, well the two things I loved most about this, were the following.
We have been kept waiting for Asmodeus and Dougal's story. There have been subtle and some not so (think more, sledgehammer upside the head!) hints to the story of these two. You know it's going on, but Lord if you can't figure them out, especially after the others find their Blissful Ones.
And because these two have been going at each other, quite literally, forever, I found there wasn't that intense rush of mated smex, you know? The sort that comes with fated mates meeting and falling into each other. This was more a gentle build up to the main event, ESPECIALLY after Dougal puts his foot down. It takes TIME and I loved that Asmodeus steps up, and steps up so beautifully! There's steam and passion, but the level of smexiness is, I thought anyway, on the low side.
I loved the interactions between the whole group: Dakata and Silas; Peni and Meriham; Christa and Wanda and Scott and George. More so once Asmodeus steps up. And then, when in the demon realm, how Dougal takes charge. That made me laugh!
Oh and BABIES!!! And that's all I'm saying on that :-)
So, yeah, I'm sad. Ending any series I've been with since the beginning is hard, but I've especially enjoyed this series, which sees Sayle step out of her comfort zone in book 3!
What's next for this pair?? Dunno but sign me up!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is the final book in the Obsessions series, and while I'm sad, I do think this might just have been the best one! You absolutely SHOULD read the other four books before this one. Cos I said so, right!?!?!?
Asmodeus is king of the demons by default, his father died. Meeting Dougal, a troll in the human realm, becomes his one place to be himself. But Dougal has awoken feelings in him, and he needs answers as to what that means. Dougal didn't think it would take this long, this many lifetimes, for Asmodeus to get the answers he needs, and he's done waiting. Asmodeus has a choice, but which one will he make?
What I loved most about this, well the two things I loved most about this, were the following.
We have been kept waiting for Asmodeus and Dougal's story. There have been subtle and some not so (think more, sledgehammer upside the head!) hints to the story of these two. You know it's going on, but Lord if you can't figure them out, especially after the others find their Blissful Ones.
And because these two have been going at each other, quite literally, forever, I found there wasn't that intense rush of mated smex, you know? The sort that comes with fated mates meeting and falling into each other. This was more a gentle build up to the main event, ESPECIALLY after Dougal puts his foot down. It takes TIME and I loved that Asmodeus steps up, and steps up so beautifully! There's steam and passion, but the level of smexiness is, I thought anyway, on the low side.
I loved the interactions between the whole group: Dakata and Silas; Peni and Meriham; Christa and Wanda and Scott and George. More so once Asmodeus steps up. And then, when in the demon realm, how Dougal takes charge. That made me laugh!
Oh and BABIES!!! And that's all I'm saying on that :-)
So, yeah, I'm sad. Ending any series I've been with since the beginning is hard, but I've especially enjoyed this series, which sees Sayle step out of her comfort zone in book 3!
What's next for this pair?? Dunno but sign me up!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere