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Merissa (11961 KP) rated Illumined Shadows (Treble and the Lost Boys #3) in Books
Jan 7, 2019
Illumined Shadows (Treble and the Lost Boys #3) by G.R. Lyons
Illumined Shadows is the third and final book in the Treble and the Lost Boys series, and we finally get Vic's story. You know something big is behind him, due to how he was with Ryley, however, in this book you get the full tragedy of just what exactly happened.
Everything is brought back to Vic when he rescues Colby from the 'Bad Man'. This was a perfect example of how monsters can hide in the light, when Colby only felt safe in the dark. These two have one helluva road to travel, and the rest of the Treble gang are there to help whenever needed.
This book has a trigger warning for a reason! This is a dark story, that doesn't hold its punches, so be warned. However, it is also excellently written, being descriptive enough to get the full horror, without being gratuitous.
I have loved this series, and have no hesitation in recommending it. I will say the only reason this is a 4-star book is simply because I couldn't quite get my head around Colby's age. Due to his lack of growth, he was small for his age (Vic is able to carry him around on his hip!). Due to his lack of education, and the atrocities that happened to him, his mindset is slightly child-like. Couple this with Vic calling him 'My sweet boy', and it became slightly uncomfortable for me to read. I had to keep reminding myself he was actually 22-years-old.
On the whole, this is a fantastic book that finishes off this series with aplomb. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Everything is brought back to Vic when he rescues Colby from the 'Bad Man'. This was a perfect example of how monsters can hide in the light, when Colby only felt safe in the dark. These two have one helluva road to travel, and the rest of the Treble gang are there to help whenever needed.
This book has a trigger warning for a reason! This is a dark story, that doesn't hold its punches, so be warned. However, it is also excellently written, being descriptive enough to get the full horror, without being gratuitous.
I have loved this series, and have no hesitation in recommending it. I will say the only reason this is a 4-star book is simply because I couldn't quite get my head around Colby's age. Due to his lack of growth, he was small for his age (Vic is able to carry him around on his hip!). Due to his lack of education, and the atrocities that happened to him, his mindset is slightly child-like. Couple this with Vic calling him 'My sweet boy', and it became slightly uncomfortable for me to read. I had to keep reminding myself he was actually 22-years-old.
On the whole, this is a fantastic book that finishes off this series with aplomb. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Merissa (11961 KP) rated The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
The Unexpected Santa is the fifth book in The Sin Bin series, and this story focuses on a particular holiday, which you can guess by the title. Scottie is one of the Sin Bin members that I have always had trouble warming up. He is brash, obnoxious, and is more than happy to throw his own pity party - drink included. With stalker tendencies, and an amazing ability to sulk when things don't go his way, I wasn't 100% sure about reading this book. However, after seeing how Gray dealt with him in Akash's book, I was willing to give him a go.
I'm glad I did!
Now, don't get me wrong - Scottie is still a big pain in the posterior! He has a lot of learning to do, and I think that Gray is just the one to help him. In the meantime, Gray has promised that he will look out for the twins, and will protect them from everyone and everything - even Scottie. In turn, the twins help tone down some of Scottie's rough edges, as even he can't be awful all the time. With the twins and Gray on his case, Scottie doesn't stand a chance. He just doesn't realise it yet. He is just what Gray has been looking for, and in return, Gray will give Scottie everything he needs. In turn, I'm hoping that Scottie will become a character I can read about without giving myself eye-strain as they involuntarily roll so much.
With seasonal cheer from two Christmas grumps, this book is an unexpected delight, and a wonderful addition to The Sin Bin series. No editing or grammatical errors disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. With enough to satisfy and yet still keep you wanting more, I have no hesitation in recommending this book or the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I'm glad I did!
Now, don't get me wrong - Scottie is still a big pain in the posterior! He has a lot of learning to do, and I think that Gray is just the one to help him. In the meantime, Gray has promised that he will look out for the twins, and will protect them from everyone and everything - even Scottie. In turn, the twins help tone down some of Scottie's rough edges, as even he can't be awful all the time. With the twins and Gray on his case, Scottie doesn't stand a chance. He just doesn't realise it yet. He is just what Gray has been looking for, and in return, Gray will give Scottie everything he needs. In turn, I'm hoping that Scottie will become a character I can read about without giving myself eye-strain as they involuntarily roll so much.
With seasonal cheer from two Christmas grumps, this book is an unexpected delight, and a wonderful addition to The Sin Bin series. No editing or grammatical errors disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. With enough to satisfy and yet still keep you wanting more, I have no hesitation in recommending this book or the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (11961 KP) rated To Look the Devil in the Eye (Broken Halos #5) in Books
Nov 7, 2019
To Look the Devil in the Eye is the penultimate book in the Broken Halos series, and MUST be read as part of the series, or it just won't make sense. This one starts where The Devil in Disguise left off.
Hel knows she needs to, but doesn't want to, help free her dad, Satanael. Eric always has her back and will do whatever he can to support her. Satanael needs to get to know his daughter, and quickly finds out she isn't prepared to just do as she is told, or accept what she knows is untrue.
As with the whole series so far, there is an awful load of sass and attitude, which I adore! I loved reading Maya Daniels' books as each of them has a strong female lead who doesn't take any c**p. Beezlebub is still my favourite demon (sorry Eric, but you're already taken!) but Colt has grown up in this one, and sticks up for Helena when no one else does. The Trowe, Narsi, also grows beyond belief in this book, but you really have to read it to understand.
Now, bearing in mind we only have one book left, you KNOW it's going to go out with a bang, on a humungous cliffhanger (because what else would Maya Daniels do?!). And I wasn't disappointed! Fair warning though, you will probably have to re-read the ending a couple of times, just to make sure you don't miss anything. That's it. I'm done for. Ms Daniels has me reading blurry words as my eyes are leaking. She has officially killed me with the ending to this book.
Do I recommend this book? Only by about 1000%. Just make sure you start at the beginning so you don't miss a single moment of attitude!
* 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!
Hel knows she needs to, but doesn't want to, help free her dad, Satanael. Eric always has her back and will do whatever he can to support her. Satanael needs to get to know his daughter, and quickly finds out she isn't prepared to just do as she is told, or accept what she knows is untrue.
As with the whole series so far, there is an awful load of sass and attitude, which I adore! I loved reading Maya Daniels' books as each of them has a strong female lead who doesn't take any c**p. Beezlebub is still my favourite demon (sorry Eric, but you're already taken!) but Colt has grown up in this one, and sticks up for Helena when no one else does. The Trowe, Narsi, also grows beyond belief in this book, but you really have to read it to understand.
Now, bearing in mind we only have one book left, you KNOW it's going to go out with a bang, on a humungous cliffhanger (because what else would Maya Daniels do?!). And I wasn't disappointed! Fair warning though, you will probably have to re-read the ending a couple of times, just to make sure you don't miss anything. That's it. I'm done for. Ms Daniels has me reading blurry words as my eyes are leaking. She has officially killed me with the ending to this book.
Do I recommend this book? Only by about 1000%. Just make sure you start at the beginning so you don't miss a single moment of attitude!
* 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!
Ross (3284 KP) rated American Gods - Season 1 in TV
Nov 27, 2017
I read the book quite some time ago, so knew the concept of the series but needed a little gentle reminder of the world we are exploring.
The series is very stylish with excellent dream sequences and imagery throughout, a la Hannibal, however at times I felt this dominated the actual storytelling somewhat.
With something like Hannibal, you don't need to worry about the story too much, people get killed, someone is doing it, twists and turns and suspect caught. So it was right for the focus of that series to be on the imagery rather than the telling.
However, here I think the story and concept are quite hard to get used to initially (and I don't think it really gets nailed at all during the series) and more should have been done to explain it. I'm not saying everything needs laid out neatly with a little bow on, but I think the style needed toned down a little and more effort invested in explaining the world. It felt a little bit like a TV show made for people who have just read the book.
The cast is excellent and it is an enjoyable watch, but a lot of people will struggle to get the hang of it (and may only stick with it in order to say they did rather than because they enjoyed it!).
With such a cult classic book as the source material, I think there were high expectations for it, which may not have been met (mine weren't, sadly).
The series is very stylish with excellent dream sequences and imagery throughout, a la Hannibal, however at times I felt this dominated the actual storytelling somewhat.
With something like Hannibal, you don't need to worry about the story too much, people get killed, someone is doing it, twists and turns and suspect caught. So it was right for the focus of that series to be on the imagery rather than the telling.
However, here I think the story and concept are quite hard to get used to initially (and I don't think it really gets nailed at all during the series) and more should have been done to explain it. I'm not saying everything needs laid out neatly with a little bow on, but I think the style needed toned down a little and more effort invested in explaining the world. It felt a little bit like a TV show made for people who have just read the book.
The cast is excellent and it is an enjoyable watch, but a lot of people will struggle to get the hang of it (and may only stick with it in order to say they did rather than because they enjoyed it!).
With such a cult classic book as the source material, I think there were high expectations for it, which may not have been met (mine weren't, sadly).
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Career of Evil in Books
Apr 27, 2018
This is the third book of the Cormoran Strike series by JK Rowling, writing under the name Robert Galbraith. I jumped at the chance to review this story, as I enjoyed the other two so much. The second one left me with a slight surprise at the end, I was eager to continue the adventure. It surpassed my hopes, and I believe that so far, this is the best in the series. Galbraith seems to really be getting the hang of this crime novel thing. :-)
One of the great things I love about the series is the distinct way Galbraith slowly reveals the story, one bit at a time, one interview at a time, one little mistake the bad guy made at a time. And then Strike gets it, but you still don’t, so you’re sitting there like “What? What did I miss, what did he realize? what is it? WHAT IS IT!?” and it drives you crazy until Strike outlines it for you. I love that.
The relationship between Strike and Robin continues to grow, and the engagement between Robin and Matthew continues to deteriorate. More true emotions and motives are revealed, and some of Robins mysterious past is disclosed.
The audio book was narrated by Robert Glenister. He was excellent as always. He has the best voices and accents and
Just as the second novel, this one also ends in a way that demands the next book to hurry up and be published. I’m really excited about the growth of this series and I can’t wait for the next one!
One of the great things I love about the series is the distinct way Galbraith slowly reveals the story, one bit at a time, one interview at a time, one little mistake the bad guy made at a time. And then Strike gets it, but you still don’t, so you’re sitting there like “What? What did I miss, what did he realize? what is it? WHAT IS IT!?” and it drives you crazy until Strike outlines it for you. I love that.
The relationship between Strike and Robin continues to grow, and the engagement between Robin and Matthew continues to deteriorate. More true emotions and motives are revealed, and some of Robins mysterious past is disclosed.
The audio book was narrated by Robert Glenister. He was excellent as always. He has the best voices and accents and
Just as the second novel, this one also ends in a way that demands the next book to hurry up and be published. I’m really excited about the growth of this series and I can’t wait for the next one!
Rachel King (13 KP) rated A Perfect Blood (The Hollows, #10) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Harrison pulls off another stellar installment in the Hollows series, a book I could hardly put down for anything. Rachel Morgan's drama expands to epic proportions with the threat of HAPA, an underground organization that is working to eradicate all non-human species. Combine that with Rachel's neutered magic thanks to Trent's bracelet, and it's a catastrophe waiting to happen. My frustration at Rachel's indecision is near constant from cover to cover, and that is just with the bracelet situation.
Rachel's romantic interest is also in limbo, as she ignores her attraction to Trent and bickers with her new bodyguard, Wayde - yet another source of frustration. Meanwhile, romance buds for both Ivy and Jenks, and secrets hover in the periphery, such as Glenn's personal motivations and the identity of the vampire Felix. The subplots provide nice diversions to the main one, and will expand in the next book in the series certainly.
The introduction of HAPA to the series also adds some backstory to the history prior to the beginning of the series as to the revealing of the inderland species, which I appreciate. Once upon a time, HAPA was much more vocal about their hatred for the inderlanders, and now it seems they have a much greater presence than previously assumed. This provides much fodder for plot possibilities!
I also rather enjoyed the interactions between Al and Trent's family at the end of the book. Personally, I think Harrison could turn Al into a very good dad - and children could be the key to truly taming him. Just keep writing, Harrison!
Rachel's romantic interest is also in limbo, as she ignores her attraction to Trent and bickers with her new bodyguard, Wayde - yet another source of frustration. Meanwhile, romance buds for both Ivy and Jenks, and secrets hover in the periphery, such as Glenn's personal motivations and the identity of the vampire Felix. The subplots provide nice diversions to the main one, and will expand in the next book in the series certainly.
The introduction of HAPA to the series also adds some backstory to the history prior to the beginning of the series as to the revealing of the inderland species, which I appreciate. Once upon a time, HAPA was much more vocal about their hatred for the inderlanders, and now it seems they have a much greater presence than previously assumed. This provides much fodder for plot possibilities!
I also rather enjoyed the interactions between Al and Trent's family at the end of the book. Personally, I think Harrison could turn Al into a very good dad - and children could be the key to truly taming him. Just keep writing, Harrison!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Never Tell (Detective D.D. Warren #10) in Books
Mar 28, 2019
Includes Detective D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy (1 more)
Can stand alone
A stand-alone, multi POV novel and the 10th novel in the Detective D.D. Warren series.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
I was not my parents' favorite child. I was not even the favorite daughter. Let me say my family has a strange sense of humor so my dad bought me Lisa Gardner's novel "The Other Daughter". I laughed and let the book sit for a few years. When I eventually read it, I knew I found an author I would definitely read again.
Never Tell by Lisa Gardner can stand alone. The multi POV thriller is the 10th novel in her Detective D.D. Warren series. It includes Flora Dane who was first introduced in Find Her, the 8th novel in her Detective D.D. Warren series.
In Find Her, Dane was kidnapped while on spring break and held for 472 days. Since then, she in now working as Warren's unpaid Confidential Informant). The agent who was instrumental in rescuing Dane was FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy, daughter of FBI Profiler Pierce Quincy, a main character in Gardner's FBI Profiler series. Kimberly Quincy also returns to assist with Warren's case.
It might be difficult to understand the connections I mentioned if you have not read prior books. The book does stand alone and will make you want to go read the others.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
I was not my parents' favorite child. I was not even the favorite daughter. Let me say my family has a strange sense of humor so my dad bought me Lisa Gardner's novel "The Other Daughter". I laughed and let the book sit for a few years. When I eventually read it, I knew I found an author I would definitely read again.
Never Tell by Lisa Gardner can stand alone. The multi POV thriller is the 10th novel in her Detective D.D. Warren series. It includes Flora Dane who was first introduced in Find Her, the 8th novel in her Detective D.D. Warren series.
In Find Her, Dane was kidnapped while on spring break and held for 472 days. Since then, she in now working as Warren's unpaid Confidential Informant). The agent who was instrumental in rescuing Dane was FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy, daughter of FBI Profiler Pierce Quincy, a main character in Gardner's FBI Profiler series. Kimberly Quincy also returns to assist with Warren's case.
It might be difficult to understand the connections I mentioned if you have not read prior books. The book does stand alone and will make you want to go read the others.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Legacy of Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles, #10) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
The Legacy of of Pemberley is the 10th book in Rebecca Ann Collins' Pride & Prejudice sequel series. Each book is substantial, at around 300+ pages long, so this in itself if quite an achievement! The books span about 50 years from the conclusion of Austen's novel and as well as the characters we know and love, we have been introduced to whole generations of new and interesting characters. With such a large cast, it's all credit to Ms Collins that she seems to know at all times what she's doing and where she's going with them!
Of course, it's not all about the length of the series and the number of characters, but each book has been beautifully written and none of it ever seems tedious or repetitive. There is sadness as well as much happiness in the pages of these books and particularly in reading this last volume as you know there is no planned sequel! Some threads are wrapped up, but there is still the potential for more. That, after 10 books in this series, I still find myself hungry for more about these characters is a great testament to what Ms Collins has achieved. I'm sure if she does ever choose to come back to these characters there will be many ready to hang on her every word!
Pride & Prejudice has probably inspired more sequels and retellings than any other novel ever; some of them are good, some of them toe-curlingly awful and some pretty medicocre, but this series if definitely worth reading.
Of course, it's not all about the length of the series and the number of characters, but each book has been beautifully written and none of it ever seems tedious or repetitive. There is sadness as well as much happiness in the pages of these books and particularly in reading this last volume as you know there is no planned sequel! Some threads are wrapped up, but there is still the potential for more. That, after 10 books in this series, I still find myself hungry for more about these characters is a great testament to what Ms Collins has achieved. I'm sure if she does ever choose to come back to these characters there will be many ready to hang on her every word!
Pride & Prejudice has probably inspired more sequels and retellings than any other novel ever; some of them are good, some of them toe-curlingly awful and some pretty medicocre, but this series if definitely worth reading.
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Midnight Redemption (Bonded By Blood Vampire Chronicles #6) in Books
Apr 21, 2020
Midnight Redemption is the finale of the Bonded by Blood series and you are in for an explosive, non-stop-action read!
Although you could read this as a standalone, I do believe you would get the most out of it if you do read it as a series. After all, characters and previous lives are mentioned (some in great detail) so I think it would help to know just what is going on and who is who!
Anyway, things have changed a lot since the last book. Broderick buried himself in a crypt, thinking he was doing the right thing. Anthony has been carrying on with the business. Davina thought her mum was insane and said mum ended up in a mental hospital. Phew! And into that numerous characters from other books including the Norse Wolves (yey!!!!) and there really is so much going on.
This is one helluva finale! One I have waited for and am NOT disappointed in the result. The only thing I would say is that because of the previous lives mentioned I sometimes got confused. All that means though is that I will be re-reading this as a complete series now it is complete - to get the full enjoyment, you understand!
Midnight Eclipse is still my favourite in the series but this one comes a close second. Absolutely recommended by me!
* 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!
Although you could read this as a standalone, I do believe you would get the most out of it if you do read it as a series. After all, characters and previous lives are mentioned (some in great detail) so I think it would help to know just what is going on and who is who!
Anyway, things have changed a lot since the last book. Broderick buried himself in a crypt, thinking he was doing the right thing. Anthony has been carrying on with the business. Davina thought her mum was insane and said mum ended up in a mental hospital. Phew! And into that numerous characters from other books including the Norse Wolves (yey!!!!) and there really is so much going on.
This is one helluva finale! One I have waited for and am NOT disappointed in the result. The only thing I would say is that because of the previous lives mentioned I sometimes got confused. All that means though is that I will be re-reading this as a complete series now it is complete - to get the full enjoyment, you understand!
Midnight Eclipse is still my favourite in the series but this one comes a close second. Absolutely recommended by me!
* 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!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2173 KP) rated Nacho Average Murder in Books
Jul 2, 2020
Vacation with Murder
Robbie Jordan is taking a well-deserved vacation and heading back to Santa Barbara for her high school reunion. This is the first time she’s been back since her mother died, and it is definitely a struggle for her even before she hears a rumor that her mother might not have died from natural causes. When someone else dies under similar circumstances, Robbie can’t help but investigate. Will she learn the truth before she has to return home?
Vacation books can be tricky to pull off while satisfying fans. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work. I enjoyed seeing a different side of Robbie as she interacted with her old friends, and I did like the new characters. However, I missed the series regulars. The plot wasn’t as strong as it could have been, although things were wrapped up by the time we reached the end. I enjoyed spotting the parallels between where Robbie stayed and her own place back in Indiana. Instead of my normal breakfast food cravings while reading this book, I was left craving Mexican food, which I didn’t mind in the least. The recipes at the end will help everyone with that. As a fan of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone mysteries, I enjoyed the references to that series in this book. If you are a fan of the Country Store Mysteries, you’ll still want to pick up this book. But if you are new to the series, back up and read the earlier entries in the series.
Vacation books can be tricky to pull off while satisfying fans. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work. I enjoyed seeing a different side of Robbie as she interacted with her old friends, and I did like the new characters. However, I missed the series regulars. The plot wasn’t as strong as it could have been, although things were wrapped up by the time we reached the end. I enjoyed spotting the parallels between where Robbie stayed and her own place back in Indiana. Instead of my normal breakfast food cravings while reading this book, I was left craving Mexican food, which I didn’t mind in the least. The recipes at the end will help everyone with that. As a fan of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone mysteries, I enjoyed the references to that series in this book. If you are a fan of the Country Store Mysteries, you’ll still want to pick up this book. But if you are new to the series, back up and read the earlier entries in the series.