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Song of Blood and Stone
Song of Blood and Stone
L Penelope | 2018 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
When I received an email from NetGalley with the description of Song of Blood & Stone I knew I had to read it. Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but it sounded fascinating. Obviously since I got this book from NetGalley, I received it for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by L. Penelope. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but from the very first page I was hooked. The author created characters that were likable and it was fun getting to go on their adventure with them. What I do love about this book is how it portrayed the country. It frustrated me in the best kind of way. I loved that the main character was a woman of color & I loved that this book mirrored the racism that is found in today's world.

The plot kept my attention & it was unique. This wasn't like most of the fantasy romance books. My one complaint is that it was fairly predictable. For the most part I was able to predict the twists and turns. You can also tell that this book was one of her first books published (originally self published in 2015).

With that said, I really enjoyed this book. It had wonderful adventure, a dashing male lead, and a fearless heroine. All in all, it was fun and I will have to look into more of author's books.
  
The Grace Year
The Grace Year
Kim Liggett | 2019 | Dystopia, Young Adult (YA)
7
8.5 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
has been described as The Handmaid's Tale plus Lord of the Flies with The Hunger Games thrown in
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett has been described as The Handmaid's Tale plus Lord of the Flies with The Hunger Games thrown in. Every book, movie, song, etc can make us think of other work. It does not mean it is not a good story. Actually, those are pretty good books to be compared to.

In The Grace Year, girls are banished for their sixteenth year. No one talks about what they call the grace year. All Tierney James knows is not everyone returns. Those who do are changed. Some are mentally changed. Others are physically damaged with missing limbs, scars, etc.

I enjoyed the storyline but it was a very slow burn. It took a while for me to get into the story. Once I did, I was hooked. It just took too long to capture my attention.

I read her earlier book, The Last Harvest, and found it was also a slow burn but worth reading. Knowing I will enjoy her books overall means I will keep reading until they grab me. With both books, once they did, I could not stop reading.

The Grace Year was a 2019 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/21/20.
  
The Spread Book 1: The Hill
The Spread Book 1: The Hill
Iain Rob Wright | 2020 | Horror, Thriller
9
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I would definitely class myself as a fan of Iain's books; I have read a fair number and have rarely been disappointed. Iain's stories take me back to the books of my youth and although I am a number of years past my youth now, I still enjoy a good horror/creep-fest book every now and again and Iain is more and more my go-to author.

Here we have the first in an as yet unknown number of books in a new series. I can't go into much detail about the plot as I don't want to spoil it for anyone but a group of Manchester lads go on a stag weekend in the wilds of Scotland and whilst investigating the area, climb a hill and find something odd ... everything starts to go badly wrong from then on.

Well written, excellent characters, perfect setting, great pace, plenty of tension and excellent body horror scenes makes this a great read and I eagerly await Book 2: The Village which is out on 6th October 2020 ... I want to read it now!

Disclaimer: As a member of Iain's "street team", I was sent a copy of this book before publication however I didn't get chance to read it before it was published so decided to buy it anyway to support him so he can continue to write great stories and also because I'm good like that 😉
  
Show all 3 comments.
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Toni Lynn Donald (2027 KP) Aug 30, 2020

Love his books! always creepy and a good story. I haven't read this one yet, it's on my list of books I still have to read.

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Jesters_folly (230 KP) Aug 30, 2020

I'm currently read my first book by him, The house under the bridge

    Readerware 3 (Books)

    Readerware 3 (Books)

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    Readerware 3 (Books) is not a standalone app, it works with Readerware on your desktop, (Windows,...

The Greensward (Pitch & Sickle #4)
The Greensward (Pitch & Sickle #4)
D K Girl | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE GREENSWARD is the fourth book in the Pitch & Sickle series and, as with the other books, this is an ongoing story so you NEED to have read them in order.

These guys never catch a break! Of course, if they did, we probably wouldn't have this story. Trust me though, for me, this was the best of the bunch so far. It was full of action, well-paced action that had me gripped. It's not nice reading in certain parts but oh-so-worth it if you can stick with it.

We learn more about Silas and Tobias' pasts and I really hope Silas shares. These two are only just learning to be there for each other, and his secret may just set them back a few books!

This series just gets better and better. The relationships have changed slowly but I loved it when both Tobias and Silas realised just what the other meant to them.

One thing to mention - I love how local legends have been woven into this series. Each book has its own and I loved how the author has blended them seamlessly with the overall story.

Highly recommended by me and I can't wait for book five!

** 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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Merissa (12889 KP) rated Tainted Lives in Books

Jun 20, 2017  
Tainted Lives
Tainted Lives
Mandasue Heller | 2004 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tainted Lives by Mandasue Heller
I started off disliking this book intensely, there didn't seem to be anything "nice" about it at all. Very dark and gritty. The thing was, I couldn't actually stop thinking about it once I put it down. This for me is a sign of an exceedingly well written book so although I was hoping it would lighten up a bit I stuck with it.

Trust me when I say there is nothing fluffy about this book at all. There are scenes in it that are definitely not for the faint-hearted. And the only light part about the whole book is the very end!

How the characters grow and interact with each other is a joy to read. And you can completely understand the decisions and choices that Sarah makes. Vinnie is such a despicable character that you cannot help but to loathe him, but he does make an excellent villain, a true psychopath.

I would recommend this book very highly, just not for a light read.

* Verified Purchase ~ January 2013 *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!