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Martin Kippenberger: Paintings Volume III: Catalogue Raisonne of the Paintings 1987 - 1992: Volume III
Gisela Capitain and Regina Fiorito
Book
Martin Kippenberger's diverse oeuvre comprises paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations,...
David McK (3557 KP) rated The Genesis Fleet - Ascendant (Book 2) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Second entry in John Hemry's (Jack Campbell is his pen-name) 'Genesis Fleet' series, which acts as a precursor to his 'Lost Fleet' series or its sequels in 'Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier' and in the 'Shattered Stars' series.
As a precursor, this takes place centuries before the 'Lost Fleet' series, when humanity has really only just taken to the stars, centuries before The Alliance and The Syndicate struggle for control of the stars and before 'Black Jack' Geary is born (however, his ancestor Rob Geary has a central role in these novels).
The bulk of this book - the vast majority, even - actually deals with an attack on the colony world of Kosatka, with the action taking place (and described) in both space and on the ground. Although Rob Geary is tasked with protecting his own colony world of Glenlyon, his investigations into an attack on a ship passing into that system leads him to an allied system, where he learns that another allied system (the afore-mentioned Kosatka) is in imminent danger of invasion. Reasoning that those attackers would move on to attack Glenlyon after Kostaka falls, Geary makes the decision to aid in the defence, somewhat stretching his own orders …
In short (like any other work in any of the 'Lost Fleet', 'Beyond the Frontier' or 'Shattered Stars' series) a relatively straight-forward plot that only really exists to provide an excuse for the (admittedly, well-told) action!
As a precursor, this takes place centuries before the 'Lost Fleet' series, when humanity has really only just taken to the stars, centuries before The Alliance and The Syndicate struggle for control of the stars and before 'Black Jack' Geary is born (however, his ancestor Rob Geary has a central role in these novels).
The bulk of this book - the vast majority, even - actually deals with an attack on the colony world of Kosatka, with the action taking place (and described) in both space and on the ground. Although Rob Geary is tasked with protecting his own colony world of Glenlyon, his investigations into an attack on a ship passing into that system leads him to an allied system, where he learns that another allied system (the afore-mentioned Kosatka) is in imminent danger of invasion. Reasoning that those attackers would move on to attack Glenlyon after Kostaka falls, Geary makes the decision to aid in the defence, somewhat stretching his own orders …
In short (like any other work in any of the 'Lost Fleet', 'Beyond the Frontier' or 'Shattered Stars' series) a relatively straight-forward plot that only really exists to provide an excuse for the (admittedly, well-told) action!
Merissa (12841 KP) rated Caressed by Shadows (Rulers of Darkness #4) in Books
Dec 20, 2017
Caressed by Shadows (Rulers of Darkness #4) by Amanda J. Greene
Caressed by Shadows is the fourth book in the series, and one I was looking forward to. Falcon and Sonya just had to get together! There was just a couple of issues - they were breaking the law if they did, which could result in Falcon's death; Sonya is suffering the throes of the Death Curse; Falcon has such a high sense of honour it threatens to strangle him at every turn. Still, with Silvie's help, there may just be hope for these two.
I would recommend that you read this series in order to get the full enjoyment out of the characters and the situations. With each story, you learn more about the world in which they live, and how they became the vampires they are. Sonya is a warrior queen throughout, and makes no pains to hide it. Accept her as she is, or not, she doesn't really care either way. She is a great character that constantly livens things up. Falcon is a good boy in public, and a bad boy in private, so you get the best of both worlds. Their story has been building up over the past couple of centuries, so no insta-love here.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the thing that lets it down is the editing. There are constant errors throughout which I'm afraid did jolt me out of the story. There was one scene with Gabriel and Gannon where, at best, half a sentence was completely missing. At worst, it could be more. I love this series, but the editing is a problem.
* 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 would recommend that you read this series in order to get the full enjoyment out of the characters and the situations. With each story, you learn more about the world in which they live, and how they became the vampires they are. Sonya is a warrior queen throughout, and makes no pains to hide it. Accept her as she is, or not, she doesn't really care either way. She is a great character that constantly livens things up. Falcon is a good boy in public, and a bad boy in private, so you get the best of both worlds. Their story has been building up over the past couple of centuries, so no insta-love here.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the thing that lets it down is the editing. There are constant errors throughout which I'm afraid did jolt me out of the story. There was one scene with Gabriel and Gannon where, at best, half a sentence was completely missing. At worst, it could be more. I love this series, but the editing is a problem.
* 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!
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Beauty and the Werewolf (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #6) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I have enjoyed every book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey, and I eagerly waited for her to cover my favorite fairy tale, that of Beauty and the Beast. This book combines my favorite fairy tale with Little Red Riding Hood and a dash of Cinderella, all with its own unique twist characteristic of the series. While I had the ending predicted quite early in my reading, I still enjoyed following the character development and watching it all play out.
Bella is very much the modernized damsel in distress, as she finds a way to do her own saving, and chooses who she would rather fall in love with, rather than let the Tradition dictate her actions. As she learns about the manipulations of the Tradition, she also realizes her own way of unconsciously dealing with it and the power she has over it. I loved her intelligence and creativity in solving the daily problems that riddled her life, especially with the invisible servants at the Duke's residence.
Duke Sebastian is an interesting character -- a wizard werewolf with hermit-like habits -- he is the direct opposite of the type of character I expected to play the role of "Beast" in this fairy tale, but I like him all the same. His devotion to his craft makes him absentminded about everything else in his life, and except for when he is a werewolf, he likely would not hurt a fly. Bella's interactions with him draw him out and show him that he can have so much more in his life.
I also enjoyed Godmother Elena's part in the book, along with her mirror servant, as they cemented this book into the series and reminded me of some of the details that I had forgotten from previous books.
Bella is very much the modernized damsel in distress, as she finds a way to do her own saving, and chooses who she would rather fall in love with, rather than let the Tradition dictate her actions. As she learns about the manipulations of the Tradition, she also realizes her own way of unconsciously dealing with it and the power she has over it. I loved her intelligence and creativity in solving the daily problems that riddled her life, especially with the invisible servants at the Duke's residence.
Duke Sebastian is an interesting character -- a wizard werewolf with hermit-like habits -- he is the direct opposite of the type of character I expected to play the role of "Beast" in this fairy tale, but I like him all the same. His devotion to his craft makes him absentminded about everything else in his life, and except for when he is a werewolf, he likely would not hurt a fly. Bella's interactions with him draw him out and show him that he can have so much more in his life.
I also enjoyed Godmother Elena's part in the book, along with her mirror servant, as they cemented this book into the series and reminded me of some of the details that I had forgotten from previous books.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Absolution: A Leine Basso Thriller in Books
Mar 24, 2019
A Great Series
Once again, DV Berkom provides us with a treat with her latest installment in the Leine Basso series. You would assume that things would be getting a bit stale and boring by now but you would be wrong.
Leine finds herself in a life and death struggle with her nemesis, Salome, a particularly nasty terrorist and assassin (are there any other kinds!) who is after Leine and those she holds most dear. Leine has to use all her skills honed when she herself was an assassin but also those gained whilst working for an organisation called SHEN who rescue victims of human trafficking.
What we are provided with in this book is action, adventure and a thrill-a-minute. What we are not provided with is loads of bad language, gratuitous violence and graphic descriptions of death ... don't get me wrong, there is violence but nothing that you would not expect in a book dealing with assassins, terrorism and trafficking; the author just doesn't go over the top, in fact she doesn't need to as she just lets her writing and the story do the talking.
With excellent characters - and I am particularly pleased to see the return of Jinn, the little streetwise girl Leine saved from being murdered in "Dark Return" - suspense from start to finish and an exciting story, this book grabbed me by the "short and curlies" and refused to let go until the last letter.
I want to thank DV Berkom for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review and for writing another fantastic book which I have no hesitation in recommending this and the rest of the series to anyone but particularly those of you who love a strong, female lead character who has a sensitive and loving side but who is not afraid to kick some rear ends!
Leine finds herself in a life and death struggle with her nemesis, Salome, a particularly nasty terrorist and assassin (are there any other kinds!) who is after Leine and those she holds most dear. Leine has to use all her skills honed when she herself was an assassin but also those gained whilst working for an organisation called SHEN who rescue victims of human trafficking.
What we are provided with in this book is action, adventure and a thrill-a-minute. What we are not provided with is loads of bad language, gratuitous violence and graphic descriptions of death ... don't get me wrong, there is violence but nothing that you would not expect in a book dealing with assassins, terrorism and trafficking; the author just doesn't go over the top, in fact she doesn't need to as she just lets her writing and the story do the talking.
With excellent characters - and I am particularly pleased to see the return of Jinn, the little streetwise girl Leine saved from being murdered in "Dark Return" - suspense from start to finish and an exciting story, this book grabbed me by the "short and curlies" and refused to let go until the last letter.
I want to thank DV Berkom for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review and for writing another fantastic book which I have no hesitation in recommending this and the rest of the series to anyone but particularly those of you who love a strong, female lead character who has a sensitive and loving side but who is not afraid to kick some rear ends!
ClareR (5874 KP) rated Cruel Acts (Maeve Kerrigan #8) in Books
Apr 19, 2019
An exciting, beautifully written police thriller.
For someone, who in the past, has always said that they don’t like thrillers, police procedurals or anything vaguely in those styles, I’m not doing too badly at reading exactly those type of books lately. And I’m really enjoying them - this book in particular.
Considering that this is the eighth book in the series and I haven’t read the other seven (soon to be e was no confusion, and I didn’t feel as though I was missing out at all.
The lead character, Maeve Kerrigan, is a detective sergeant, and she has been put on the case of the retrial of Leo Stone. He had been found guilty of the gruesome murders of two women. However, a juror from the original trial has now made it known that THAT trial was prejudiced. Maeve and her partner, Josh Derwent, are in charge of re-examining the evidence. Another woman goes missing whilst Sone is in custody, though, throwing the whole investigation into doubt.
This is a seriously exciting book - there are cliff hangers all over the place (I had to stop reading from time to time to work, eat, sleep, parent, so the multiple cliffhangers may have been of my own making), and I loved how new evidence revealed. The main characters are immensely likeable, and those who are less so are so well described that you end up disliking them as well. The last chapters of the book also tense and exceedingly fast paced, that I felt as though I couldn’t breathe until the end! I was well and truly sucked in to the action.
I will be going back to the first seven books of this series to fill in my Kerrigan knowledge, and I’m looking forward to any future books in this series! This one comes highly recommended!
Considering that this is the eighth book in the series and I haven’t read the other seven (soon to be e was no confusion, and I didn’t feel as though I was missing out at all.
The lead character, Maeve Kerrigan, is a detective sergeant, and she has been put on the case of the retrial of Leo Stone. He had been found guilty of the gruesome murders of two women. However, a juror from the original trial has now made it known that THAT trial was prejudiced. Maeve and her partner, Josh Derwent, are in charge of re-examining the evidence. Another woman goes missing whilst Sone is in custody, though, throwing the whole investigation into doubt.
This is a seriously exciting book - there are cliff hangers all over the place (I had to stop reading from time to time to work, eat, sleep, parent, so the multiple cliffhangers may have been of my own making), and I loved how new evidence revealed. The main characters are immensely likeable, and those who are less so are so well described that you end up disliking them as well. The last chapters of the book also tense and exceedingly fast paced, that I felt as though I couldn’t breathe until the end! I was well and truly sucked in to the action.
I will be going back to the first seven books of this series to fill in my Kerrigan knowledge, and I’m looking forward to any future books in this series! This one comes highly recommended!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Forget Me Knot in Books
May 25, 2019
Can Martha Solve a Knotty Murder?
Martha Rose and her friends Lucy and Birdie was considering expanding their Tuesday quilting group, but when they show up to Claire Terry’s house that Tuesday morning, they find Claire’s dead body. Then, one of her quilts is stolen from an expo that weekend, and Martha really begins to wonder what is happening. Is the quilt theft related to Claire’s death?
I don’t tend to pick up as many crafting cozies as I do other sub-genres, but I’m glad I made an exception for this book. The pacing was a little uneven early on, but the book is setting up a great second half, and that half completely had me hooked as the twists began to come quickly, leading to a great climax. The book does venture into some darker waters for a cozy, but I felt it handled them well. The characters, both series regulars and suspects, are all strong, and I really began to like the main trio by the end. I did find the very occasional political sniping in the first half a little off putting. I suspect it was supposed to be funny, but I didn’t find it that way. Hopefully, this is dropped as the series progresses. Unlike many cozies, this one is set in the suburban sprawl of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. This is just south of where I live, so I enjoyed seeing places I recognize in the book, and I still felt this had the cozy charm despite the larger setting. It is easy to see why this series has done well, and I hope to find time for the sequel at some point soon.
I don’t tend to pick up as many crafting cozies as I do other sub-genres, but I’m glad I made an exception for this book. The pacing was a little uneven early on, but the book is setting up a great second half, and that half completely had me hooked as the twists began to come quickly, leading to a great climax. The book does venture into some darker waters for a cozy, but I felt it handled them well. The characters, both series regulars and suspects, are all strong, and I really began to like the main trio by the end. I did find the very occasional political sniping in the first half a little off putting. I suspect it was supposed to be funny, but I didn’t find it that way. Hopefully, this is dropped as the series progresses. Unlike many cozies, this one is set in the suburban sprawl of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. This is just south of where I live, so I enjoyed seeing places I recognize in the book, and I still felt this had the cozy charm despite the larger setting. It is easy to see why this series has done well, and I hope to find time for the sequel at some point soon.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Battle of the Ampere (Michael Vey, #3) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As this is the third book in the series, there is not much that I can say about it that will not spoil either of the previous books but I will do my best to avoid most specifics. If you haven't read the series yet, I would recommend not reading this review.
My opinions about this book have not varied greatly since I began reading the Prisoner of Cell 25. The writing quality is still not impressive, but it feels more like a middle-grade novel or low-level young adult so it isn't entirely out of place. The author continues to overuse the word said as his descriptor for almost every person who is speaking, which becomes tedious. As I am listening to the audiobook, I have mentioned before that it could compound the issue for me hearing so many "saids" in a row but in my opinion, that's just poor word choice that could be rectified quite easily.
I enjoyed how this book continued to develop the characters and world because previously I felt those aspects to be a little lacking. We learn more about the Elgen and their secretive board, though I hope that is expanded in future books. They are a shadowy corporation and the "big bad" of the series in conjunction with Hatch, but we know very little about either party.
There was more character development and added depth to their personalities. We were given internal motivation and struggles that made them more realistic and relatable. Our core group feels more developed now, although the supporting characters are still a little flat. I hope that they are fleshed out more in subsequent books.
Overall, this is a fast, easy read that is perfect for middle grade or young adult/teen who just want a fun book with an aspect of fantasy.
My opinions about this book have not varied greatly since I began reading the Prisoner of Cell 25. The writing quality is still not impressive, but it feels more like a middle-grade novel or low-level young adult so it isn't entirely out of place. The author continues to overuse the word said as his descriptor for almost every person who is speaking, which becomes tedious. As I am listening to the audiobook, I have mentioned before that it could compound the issue for me hearing so many "saids" in a row but in my opinion, that's just poor word choice that could be rectified quite easily.
I enjoyed how this book continued to develop the characters and world because previously I felt those aspects to be a little lacking. We learn more about the Elgen and their secretive board, though I hope that is expanded in future books. They are a shadowy corporation and the "big bad" of the series in conjunction with Hatch, but we know very little about either party.
There was more character development and added depth to their personalities. We were given internal motivation and struggles that made them more realistic and relatable. Our core group feels more developed now, although the supporting characters are still a little flat. I hope that they are fleshed out more in subsequent books.
Overall, this is a fast, easy read that is perfect for middle grade or young adult/teen who just want a fun book with an aspect of fantasy.
Merissa (12841 KP) rated Power of Sight (Mages of the Nether #4) in Books
Feb 16, 2018
Power of Sight (Mages of the Nether #4) by A.M. Halford
Power of Sight is the fourth, and final, book in the Mages of the Nether series. We finish with Zachary's story. He has the sight, although he has been at great pains to hide this, knowing what he does about the future. His time is up when Titus is appointed to find the new seer. Titus is the one whom Zachary has loved for years. Titus is the one Zachary watches die over and over again, every night when he closes his eyes. It is for this reason he has pushed Titus away, making him think that Zachary hates him. When Titus gets a hint of his own future, he decides that he would sooner spend a few moments with Zachary than live a lifetime alone.
This was a great finale to the story, with all the previous couples playing their part to get Zachary and Titus together. I think that Zachary caved a bit quickly considering how adamant he was against Titus, and love, in all the previous books. However, it still worked. I was drawn into their story, hoping against hope that this time Zachary's vision would prove false. There is a conclusion to the writing, a finalising of the story, which helps to round off this series nicely. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the scenes flowed nicely, with the pacing smooth.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and the series, if you are looking for a light, yet steamy in places, M/M Fantasy.
* 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!
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=26500
This was a great finale to the story, with all the previous couples playing their part to get Zachary and Titus together. I think that Zachary caved a bit quickly considering how adamant he was against Titus, and love, in all the previous books. However, it still worked. I was drawn into their story, hoping against hope that this time Zachary's vision would prove false. There is a conclusion to the writing, a finalising of the story, which helps to round off this series nicely. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the scenes flowed nicely, with the pacing smooth.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and the series, if you are looking for a light, yet steamy in places, M/M Fantasy.
* 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!
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=26500
Debbiereadsbook (1424 KP) rated The Crown Of Draga (Draga Court #2) in Books
Feb 28, 2018
burning hotter!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Draga Court series, and you really SHOULD read Princess of Draga before reading this one. It will give you a better picture of who is who, and what they are all up to. Not everything is recapped.
I found this a much better read! Maybe because I was able to read it in one sitting, I dunno. But it certainly held my attention far better.
We again get almost everyone, but I really wanted to hear from Raena, Adelina's eldest sister, who places the restrictions on Lina about Nash. I wanted to know what was going through her mind when she did that!
On the blurb bit of this book it says "This is a slow-burn, reverse harem series" Now, it IS a whole lot sexier than the first book, I'll give you that, but the reverse harem bit?? Still not clear how that is gonna pan out! Not that Adelina doesn't have any suitors, cos she does, I just don't know who will end up in her bed next!
Across the galaxy, on the outer rim, the Neprijat have made their first move. The galaxy is at war with these monsters. We meet them too, along with their (almost) human handlers, and are introduced to their *quite literal* mind bending powers.
I can't see where this is going, or how many books it will take to get there, but I KNOW I want to follow the series. I just hope I don't have to wait for a long time!
Creeping up to...
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Draga Court series, and you really SHOULD read Princess of Draga before reading this one. It will give you a better picture of who is who, and what they are all up to. Not everything is recapped.
I found this a much better read! Maybe because I was able to read it in one sitting, I dunno. But it certainly held my attention far better.
We again get almost everyone, but I really wanted to hear from Raena, Adelina's eldest sister, who places the restrictions on Lina about Nash. I wanted to know what was going through her mind when she did that!
On the blurb bit of this book it says "This is a slow-burn, reverse harem series" Now, it IS a whole lot sexier than the first book, I'll give you that, but the reverse harem bit?? Still not clear how that is gonna pan out! Not that Adelina doesn't have any suitors, cos she does, I just don't know who will end up in her bed next!
Across the galaxy, on the outer rim, the Neprijat have made their first move. The galaxy is at war with these monsters. We meet them too, along with their (almost) human handlers, and are introduced to their *quite literal* mind bending powers.
I can't see where this is going, or how many books it will take to get there, but I KNOW I want to follow the series. I just hope I don't have to wait for a long time!
Creeping up to...
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**