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<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

They may have defeated the evil sorcerer, but the twins have found themselves in even more trouble. <i>Teagan of Tomorrow</i> is the third book in Jaime Lee Mann’s<i> Legend of Rhyme</i> fantasy series for children. Previously Asher and Ariana have helped to banish a powerful, wicked man, however in the process have been transported to the year 2015 – more than a couple of centuries into the future. Back in Coraira the rulers and fairies are desperate to locate the twins, but before they get a chance a curse befalls them, putting them into a deep sleep and removing all magic from the realm.

This third installment introduces a new character that is key to the plot. Teagan is a twelve-year-old girl living in a foster family in 2015. Readers learn that her parents died when she was young, however it is not revealed how or whether this is relevant to future books in the series. Although she never meets them, after Asher and Ariana find themselves nearby, Teagan starts experiencing odd things that could only be explained as magic… if magic existed.

The story is quite amusing to begin with as Asher and Ariana not only find themselves in a world they no longer understand, they have crashed straight into a reenactment of their own lives. Since magic ceased to exist, Coraira and the twins have become a legend that most people regard as a children’s fairytale, which they like to act out as a way of attracting tourists. The way the twins react to their surroundings produces a humorous comparison between the past and the twenty-first century.

As the story progresses it becomes clear that Teagan is a descendant of the twin’s family, and is their key to returning home. If only it could be as easy as it sounds. Before Asher and Ariana get to meet their youngest family member, Teagan accidently gets herself transported into Coraira.

Being only one hundred pages, <i>Teagan of Tomorrow</i> does not have room to resolve this disastrous situation. Readers will have to wait for the next book to be published to find out if the twins ever make it back home, and discover what happens to Teagan.

As with the previous two books, <i>Teagan of Tomorrow</i> is written in a language suitable for older children to understand. The author has kept the story short and to the point, making it easy to follow. The downside to this is it lacks description with dozens of pages containing only dialogue. This makes it harder to appreciate the setting and unique magical concept that Mann has invented.

The risk with a series of books is in going too far with the storyline. Sometimes there is a point when the story should end, yet the author perseveres on. I worried that this would be the case with this series. Except for the twins going missing, things could easily have finished at the end of the second book. The introduction of Teagan in<i> Teagan of Tomorrow</i> however gives a whole new concept to the original fantasy narrative. Instead of the same characters using the same magic, to defeat the same types of evil, surrounded by the same types of mythical creatures, Teagan provides a contemporary observation on the already familiar setting. The way the author leaves events at the end of the book will make the reader yearn for the next story, thus making it a success.
  
R(
Rafael (Anita Blake book 28)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
19 of 230
Book
Rafael (Anita Blake book 28)
By Laurell K Hamilton

Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk everything to be at his side....
 
But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only room in America for one supernatural king, and Rafael will turn them into nothing more than food for the bloodsuckers.
 
Among his enemies, a new challenger has arisen who is younger, hungrier, and has dark secrets that could destroy both the wererats and the vampires. Rafael will go into the magical heart of his people to find the power and violence that he needs to save them all, or die trying.

Ok so at first I thought oh god here we go again with all the relationship stuff BUT omg I loved it!!!! Rafael has been one of my favourites since book 1 I love him,so getting to know him more in this book was just so special. I loved catching up with Micah too I love that leopard. Anita was back to kicking ass too. Claudia is just brilliant. So much to love in such a short book I loved Anita using powers that we have forgotten she has. I could even stomach Jean Claude and Nathanial in this one as they are not my favourite boys at all unfortunately Asher is still a a massive no for me I would forgive him so fast! Overall the book was really good and finally we get some of the old Anita!
  
Adrian&#039;s Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1)
Adrian's Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1)
Shelby Rhodes | 2017 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Adrian's Bodyguard (Vampires of Vadin #1) by Shelby Rhodes
Adrian's Bodyguard is the first book in the Vampires of Vadin series, and we start off with the vampire King himself, nearly 10,000-year-old Adrian. He survives an assassination attempt, and is more concerned about the hole in the wall, than his safety. Others are more concerned though, and he ends up with a bodyguard that he wants, but doesn't want! Xavier does his best to be professional around Adrian, but the tension between them just makes things hotter. Plus the fact, Xavier can't quite control his impulses to wind Adrian up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mixture of contemporary and other-realm magic. They have cars, not run on fossil fuels, obviously!, and mobile phones, but magic is also an everyday act. The two joining together was great to read, and I loved it. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I loved the dynamic between our two main characters. So many characters I would love to hear about now, first and foremost Asher and Kaiden!!!

Absolutely recommended by me.

**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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated What Light in Books

Dec 17, 2018  
What Light
What Light
Jay Asher | 2016 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

Almost a decade after Jay Asher wowed readers with his debut novel, he returns to the literary scene with a brand new young adult romance. <i>What Light</i> focuses on the life of a good-natured girl living a complicated life. It is almost as if the teenaged Sierra is living two lives: eleven months on a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, followed by a month selling them in California. Due to the struggling business, this year may be the last time Sierra spends Christmas in California; however it is also the first year she meets the boy of her dreams.

Knowing that a romantic relationship is unlikely to survive the long distance between the two states, Sierra cannot help her developing feelings towards the handsome Caleb. Using his own money to purchase Christmas trees for families who cannot afford them, Caleb seems like the perfect guy; however rumours suggest he has a rather dubious history. Struggling to convince everyone that Caleb is a good person, Sierra suffers the consequences of strained relationships with her friends back home. The big issue is: should she continue to support Caleb even though in a couple of weeks she may never see him again?

As young adult romance novels go, <i>What Light</i> is fairly typical. Girl and boy meet; there are various issues to resolve; but things turn out all right in the end. If you are into those types of stories then this is the book for you, sadly, Asher does not bring anything new to the genre.

After reading several of these types of predictable novels, it becomes noticeable how unrealistic they are. The amount of youngsters in committed relationships is rather suspicious, especially the ones that seems to happen as if by accident or fate – although, from the readers perspective, are so obvious from the very beginning.

There is nothing deep or meaningful within this narrative – not a criticism of <i>What Light</i>, rather an observation of the genre – but it is sufficient for a quick read to pass the time, particularly over the upcoming Christmas period. There is nothing to disappoint the reader in terms of conclusion – it could be described as what some would call a “fluffy read”.

Overall, <i>What Light</i> is a novel that maintains the status quo of young adult romance, providing brief entertainment for those seeking a happy love story. With beautiful (in terms of personality) characters and settings, Jay Asher is likely to win back all the fans that had given up waiting for his next book to be written.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Blood and Stars in Books

Sep 24, 2017  
Blood and Stars
Blood and Stars
Jaime Lee Mann | 2017 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
No cliffhanger (0 more)
Children's Fantasy
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Finally, after leaving everyone on tenterhooks, the fifth book in the Legend of Rhyme series is here. Blood and Stars by Jaime Lee Mann continues on from the tense ending to book four, finally resolving a lot of loose ends. With all the favourite characters from the series, this book transports readers back into the fantasy world of Coraira for more adventure and magic.

Blood and Stars is split into four stories, which eventually all merge together in an explosive climax. Firstly, as expected, the main characters, twins Ariana and Asher, have found themselves separated from each other once again. With Ariana destined to rule Coraira, legend suggests that Asher will be the opposite – a ruler of darkness. But, is there a chance he can be saved from this fate? Meanwhile, the present ruler of Coraira is dying. The only person who could potentially save Calla is her evil twin sister Elora, the infamous witch in the previous books. Can she be trusted enough with such an important task?

Concurrently, in the ethereal world of the mermaids, readers are reintroduced to the mer-queen, Starla and her apprentice, Teagan. Abandoned at birth, Teagan is hoping to discover what happened to her parents; however, her curiosity leads her into the lair of a sea witch. Be that as it may, some dangerous situations result in silver linings.

Eventually, with the majority of the book already concluded, another character is brought back into the story. Grimblerod is still under the curse of an evil king, but he now has hope that it can be broken. As long as his love for Freya does not fail, Grimblerod’s patient determination will lead him back to where he belongs.

With a mix of new and old characters, Jaime Lee Mann smoothly draws her fans back into the storyline with a (mostly) happy ending. There are a couple of things left incomplete, but nothing that will majorly irritate readers. There is no dreaded cliffhanger.

As it may have been some time since children read the last book, or parents and teachers are only just being introduced to the story, the author has provided an in-depth character guide in the end pages to bring everyone up to speed.

Blood and Stars was a more straightforward story than previous books. It resolved more issues than it created. There will be a final book coming (hopefully) soon, but there is no way of guessing what it will feature.

Legend of Rhyme is a series suitable for girls and boys. Mildly scary in parts, the adventure of the twins and their companions will entertain children and their parents. With discussion questions at the end, the books make readers think more about the storyline and help them to understand and interact with the narrative. This is certainly a series for young fantasy lovers.
  
ST
Second Twin (Legend of Rhyme, #4)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

With the twins, Ariana and Asher, lost in the past, and Teagan suddenly thrust into the magical realm of Coraira, the <i>Legend of Rhyme</i> series becomes even more dangerous and exciting. <i>Second Twin</i> is the fourth book of Jaime Lee Mann’s fantasy series for middle grade children (i.e. 8-13 year olds). Containing most of the key characters that readers are already familiar with, a new, sinister individual is introduced to shake the story up even more.

<i>Second Twin</i> is made up of two or three storylines that twist around each other to result in one explosive conclusion. Teagan discovers immediately that she is destined to become a mermaid and an apprentice to Starla, the ruler of the sea. Without giving Teagan a chance to get used to her new tail, Starla involves her in trying to help locate and return the twins to their correct timeline. The twins, however, are in even more peril than being in the wrong time zone. Tricked by the new, malicious character, something evil happens to Asher, leaving him once again separated from his sister Ariana. Whilst all this is going on, the reader is given insight to Elora’s – a previous antagonist – past, learning how she came to be so evil; in contrast Teagan is also learning something new; the truth about her parentage.

There is not as much detail about Teagan as some readers may be hoping for. She was the title character of the previous novel, however in this book she becomes more of a secondary character. Teagan’s transition from young girl to mermaid happens far to quickly to be appreciated. An entire book could have been devoted to this event, instead it happens in a handful of paragraphs. Nevertheless, Second Twin is filled with so many exhilarating twists and turns that it hardly matters when some aspects are not described at length.

Throughout this book the theme of twins crops up again and again. The unique relationship between twins is emphasized as a special bond, but also as a way to wield evil power. Readers will not be able to trust their preconceived judgments about the good and wickedness of key characters, causing all to question everything they believe.

<i>Second Twin</i> is the most action packed book of the series so far. With no need for introductions to characters and settings, there is more opportunity to develop the plot and fill in gaps in the history of the story, until concluding on yet another cliffhanger. Fans of the series will not be disappointed with the latest developments, although you may not be pleased to know you are in for a wait for the fifth book, Blood and Stars, to find out what happens next.
  
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kitty ♡ (68 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why in TV

Jan 9, 2018 (Updated Jan 9, 2018)  
13 Reasons Why
13 Reasons Why
2017 | Drama
there are only 13 episodes (1 more)
we get to see part of the aftermath of the tapes
they changed the way hannah kills herself (3 more)
it felt too mainstream
i didn't feel the same watching it as i did when i read the book
that *particular* scene made me want to vomit
something just didn't click.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I would add the whole "suicide glamorization" factor as a negative, but that's something to be taken up with the author of the novel, Jay Asher, and not the television series. I'll talk about that when I review the book after I finish re-reading it.

TRIGGER WARNING: I will be talking about suicide here, which should be no surprise as this is a show about suicide, but I will be doing so in semi-detail.

The main bone I have to pick with this portrayal of 13 Reasons Why is that they changed the way Hannah kills herself. In the book, Hannah Baker kills herself by swallowing a handful of pills. And as the book is limited to Clay's point of view, Asher doesn't describe it in greater detail. If I can recall, he just leaves it as that (but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!) In the series, however, Hannah kills herself by bleeding out in the bathtub. Instead of showing her swallowing pills, the writers decided that having the girl slit her wrists would be a better option which is WRONG. They really wanted those bonus points for gore, huh? The fact that they made her death more gruesome than it already is, is simply just disgusting, in my opinion.

Actually, the fact that they even showed her death scene at all is just disgusting. Not only is it so, but it may also be triggering for some people. They shouldn't have done it in such detail. What they could've done was they could've shown the blade (if she were still going to bleed out) and a little bit of blood to allude to the fact that she died this way. But no, they just had to show the whole process, which can easily turn into a how-to for viewers in a bad place.

Really, the only good thing I have to add about this is the fact that they show Tony giving Hannah's parents a copy of her tapes, and by the looks of it, the tapes may be handed to the police, which means Bryce's nasty ass can get what he deserves. Hopefully. But we really don't need a part 2. Sorry about it.
  
Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1)
Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1)
Kat Kinney | 2023 | Mystery, Paranormal, Romance
10
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!


Gwyn is on the run from her fiance-to-be and the pain he's caused her. Asher is part fae and a fire wielder of the highest calling. When serious fires keep happening there's only one person to blame isn't there?


This is the first in the series of the Everwood Falls tales and if they are all written like this I really cannot wait for future stories. The way Kat has written made me feel included in the story never far away from the action and if any questions did arise like I wonder what's happened with this bit, or who's involved why, etc they got answered pretty quickly in the story a little bit further on. I haven't found anything that's left me confused or trying to guess what's happened and once I was able to sit and read it I could have continued to read it for a bit longer even if it hadn't finished where it did


Recommended read.


** 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. *
  
The Avowed (Shadowed Wings #2)
The Avowed (Shadowed Wings #2)
Ivy Asher | 2020 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
176 of 250
Kindle
The Avowed ( Shadowed Wings book 2)
By Ivy Asher

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Just when I think things are starting to look up...I manage to get myself kidnapped.

All I want to do is figure out how the hell to get home. But instead, I’ve been shot out of the sky, netted, half drowned, and now I’ve been taken to Kestrel City, home of the Avowed.

The Hidden claim the Avowed are the enemy, but I’m about to learn nothing is ever just black and white.
Well, except maybe for my gryphon.

I need to keep Pigeon and her wandering eye on a tight leash. Which is a hell of a lot easier said than done. She has an appetite for assholes and secrets, and there’s plenty of both flying around here.

Can I keep my head down, my wings folded, and Pigeon in check long enough to find the answers I’ve been looking for?

I sure as fuck hope so, but it’s not looking so good.


Well holy cow that was a bit good! I absolutely love her conversations with Pidge they just lift the whole book. I’m really enjoying Ivy’s work and can’t wait to keep reading more. I will say I think my heart was in my mouth the last two chapters!
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Shazam! (2019) in Movies

May 14, 2019 (Updated Dec 15, 2019)  
Shazam! (2019)
Shazam! (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
A refreshing, and often humourous entry into the otherwise troubled DCEU
Contains spoilers, click to show
I went into Shazam! with low expectations, after not being particularly taken with the majority of past DCEU films.

I left feeling pretty positive about the whole goofy experience.

As with most DC material, the film starts on a fairly dark note, introducing us to a young Dr Sivana (a truly old school super villain, dating all the way back to the late 30s).
After a bit of back story as to why he gets all villainy, the movie wastes no time introducing us to Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and the rest of his foster family, and the movie succeeds in making all of the younger characters likable.

After a bit of comic book magic, we're eventually acquainted with the true power of Shazam!
Zachary Levi absolutely shines as he clearly relishes in playing this goofy, excitable teenager trapped in the body of a God. He bounces back and forth with Jack Dylan Grazer pretty well, and for the most part the relentless stream of jokes land nicely.

The film starts to waiver slightly towards the end, as the story hurtles towards a standard comic book movie CGI showdown, with a by the numbers comic book movie performance from Mark Strong, and some sketchy CGI cloud monsters, but it's hard not to grin with the surprise introduction of the Shazam! family (something I would surely expect from a sequel).

Shazam! also struggles at times to balance it's humour with it's more serious beats, but for the most part is an enjoyable origin story that the whole family can enjoy.