Search
Search results
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Burning Girls in Books
Jan 26, 2021
The protagonist in this book is Jack, a female vicar, that has been sent to a little village to take over the church that has been vacant. Her daughter Flo is a teenager that had to change her life from Nottingham to Chapel Croft. I really loved the brilliant selection of characters. They are all mysterious, intriguing and different. I thoroughly enjoyed Jacks thoughts about being a priest, the church’s role and religion in general. It was very modern and stigma defining. I really liked Flo as well, she seems like a very smart young lady, full of curiosity and teenage rebellion. 🙂
Like always, the narrative is creepy, mysterious and very well planned out. There are multiple stories running through this book. This book is told from multiple perspectives, and I absolutely adored that. Jack’s perspective investigates a story of two young ladies that disappeared thirty years ago and a mysterious suicide of the previous vicar. And Flo’s perspective shares very creepy encounters with local youth. The whole book is covered in a mysterious shroud, suspense is seeping through the pages, and the story simply had me absorbed. The topics discussed in this book are religion, evil youth, parenting issues, over the top religiousness, church work, vicar’s life, tight community nuances, murder and many more.
The writing style of this book is impeccable. C.J. Tudor’s writing is evolving with every single book. The setting and the mood of this book is perfect for horror, and the mystery just drives suspense through this novel. The chapters are pretty short, so it is a fast and gripping book. The culmination and the ending are brilliant, and I loved how the book was rounded up. I have to warn the reader, that this book has murders, pretty gross stories, burning people and psychopaths.
So, to conclude, this was my first book of 2021 and is going straight to my top 10 of this year. I loved everything about this novel, it has very unique and complex characters as well as an amazingly delivered plot full of twists, intriguing stories and mystery. I strongly recommend to anyone who loves Stephen King or a good mystery.
Like always, the narrative is creepy, mysterious and very well planned out. There are multiple stories running through this book. This book is told from multiple perspectives, and I absolutely adored that. Jack’s perspective investigates a story of two young ladies that disappeared thirty years ago and a mysterious suicide of the previous vicar. And Flo’s perspective shares very creepy encounters with local youth. The whole book is covered in a mysterious shroud, suspense is seeping through the pages, and the story simply had me absorbed. The topics discussed in this book are religion, evil youth, parenting issues, over the top religiousness, church work, vicar’s life, tight community nuances, murder and many more.
The writing style of this book is impeccable. C.J. Tudor’s writing is evolving with every single book. The setting and the mood of this book is perfect for horror, and the mystery just drives suspense through this novel. The chapters are pretty short, so it is a fast and gripping book. The culmination and the ending are brilliant, and I loved how the book was rounded up. I have to warn the reader, that this book has murders, pretty gross stories, burning people and psychopaths.
So, to conclude, this was my first book of 2021 and is going straight to my top 10 of this year. I loved everything about this novel, it has very unique and complex characters as well as an amazingly delivered plot full of twists, intriguing stories and mystery. I strongly recommend to anyone who loves Stephen King or a good mystery.
AutoScout24
Productivity and Business
App
AutoScout24 is the largest online marketplace for cars in Europe and offers about 2 million...
MovieDrops for iMovie
Photo & Video and Utilities
App
Get this 24 premium clips in crispy HD quality and add style to your videos! Record Clips to...
Wrigglezeus (511 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Fallout 76 in Video Games
May 4, 2020
Fantastic story adding to the lore (2 more)
Brilliant environments
Wastelanders Update
Broken gameplay mechanics (5 more)
Randomly kicked out or servers
Combat
Bullet weight
Other players
Pay for private worlds
Lackluster
As a lover of all Fallout, there isn’t much I can forgive with this game. Deep within the lore of Fallout you play a vault dweller leaving the vault 25 years after the bombs fell. Hence forth you are the first to venture out and hear from holotapes and letters, and thanks to the new Wastelands update, from characters as well telling their stories before and after the bombs fell.
However, whilst a fantastic lore, world story telling and brilliant story plot can be a saving grace, it’s the lack of gameplay performance that is its biggest downfall. The enemy spawn rate is chaotic, and I have often found myself walking down a barren wasteland to instantaneously become surrounded on all sides from enemies who have suddenly appeared in front of me. This has lead to my near death on several occasions. Furthermore in some dungeon, as other players fast travelled nearby I have found myself often fighting an infinite amount of enemies within one area. It’s not disappointing, it becomes frustrating.
Let’s talk about other players, as I found to my disappointed hunting and gathering throughout the world only to find out a story location has already been raided and looted, meaning those precious chems and materials required have disappeared as you’ve struggled through the enemies spawned as you enter the location. I still believe that Fallout should, and should always remain, a single player game. Now Bethesda have sorted a solution for this issue, after spending so much for a game we are then asked to pay a subscription to allow the use of private worlds, a pay wall behind a pay wall. Something that would’ve saved them face had it been offered to the public.
It’s due to this, that whilst the world is great, with much to do and the story is gripping. Excluding the other players, it’s the gameplay mechanics that brings the whole experience down. However the addition of the wastelanders update has brought to the game what it was severely lacking.
However, whilst a fantastic lore, world story telling and brilliant story plot can be a saving grace, it’s the lack of gameplay performance that is its biggest downfall. The enemy spawn rate is chaotic, and I have often found myself walking down a barren wasteland to instantaneously become surrounded on all sides from enemies who have suddenly appeared in front of me. This has lead to my near death on several occasions. Furthermore in some dungeon, as other players fast travelled nearby I have found myself often fighting an infinite amount of enemies within one area. It’s not disappointing, it becomes frustrating.
Let’s talk about other players, as I found to my disappointed hunting and gathering throughout the world only to find out a story location has already been raided and looted, meaning those precious chems and materials required have disappeared as you’ve struggled through the enemies spawned as you enter the location. I still believe that Fallout should, and should always remain, a single player game. Now Bethesda have sorted a solution for this issue, after spending so much for a game we are then asked to pay a subscription to allow the use of private worlds, a pay wall behind a pay wall. Something that would’ve saved them face had it been offered to the public.
It’s due to this, that whilst the world is great, with much to do and the story is gripping. Excluding the other players, it’s the gameplay mechanics that brings the whole experience down. However the addition of the wastelanders update has brought to the game what it was severely lacking.
Diane Arbus: Portrait of a Photographer
Book
The definitive biography of the beguiling Diane Arbus, one of the most influential and important...
Biography photography
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth
Book
Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was an architect, engineer, geometrician, cartographer, philosopher,...
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Dragon By Midnight in Books
Aug 30, 2021
The concept of Dragon by Midnight immediately intrigued me: a Cinderella retelling where, at the stroke of midnight, Cinderella becomes a dragon and is hunted by Prince Charming? Yes please!
Karen Kincy had some bestseller-worthy ideas when it came to this book: I loved Sikandar's mysterious sorcerer vibe and dark past; the Jinni gave Arabian nights/Aladdin vibes and the plot twist of the curse was brilliant.
However, in my opinion, the major elements that made Dragon by Midnight great were just not developed enough and I was left with unanswered questions, in particular with Cinderella's story line.
Sikandar is bound to be everyone's favourite character and the description of him as a cinnamon roll hero is perfect. I would have liked him to keep his mystery for a bit longer and for the worthiness of his previous actions to be withheld instead of instantly revealed - it felt like he was a mysterious murderer one second and then an amazing hero the next . Although this was in keeping with the fast-paced nature of the story.
Similarly, the romance between Sikandar and Cinderella developed so quickly. She almost fell in love with him straight away! It was also very fluffy and cute: which is not a criticism! This is a YA book after all. However, sometimes Cinderella seemed too wrapped up in the cute boy and less concerned about ... well, being a dragon!
Prince Benedict Charming was brilliant in his arrogance and cringe worthiness. I did expect a bit more action and dragon-hunting from him though and his attitude towards Cinderella when she returned to the castle as a girl was very odd. I truly couldn't tell if he was so self-absorbed he didn't care what had happened, or if he was plotting something.
Overall I did enjoy Dragon by Midnight and read it within a day. It is a very cute, fast-paced fairytale with some genius ideas. The overly descriptive language and lack of character development would push it closer to the middle-grade side of YA for me but I enjoyed the story and will possibly pick up the sequel if I see it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Karen Kincy had some bestseller-worthy ideas when it came to this book: I loved Sikandar's mysterious sorcerer vibe and dark past; the Jinni gave Arabian nights/Aladdin vibes and the plot twist of the curse was brilliant.
However, in my opinion, the major elements that made Dragon by Midnight great were just not developed enough and I was left with unanswered questions, in particular with Cinderella's story line.
Sikandar is bound to be everyone's favourite character and the description of him as a cinnamon roll hero is perfect. I would have liked him to keep his mystery for a bit longer and for the worthiness of his previous actions to be withheld instead of instantly revealed - it felt like he was a mysterious murderer one second and then an amazing hero the next . Although this was in keeping with the fast-paced nature of the story.
Similarly, the romance between Sikandar and Cinderella developed so quickly. She almost fell in love with him straight away! It was also very fluffy and cute: which is not a criticism! This is a YA book after all. However, sometimes Cinderella seemed too wrapped up in the cute boy and less concerned about ... well, being a dragon!
Prince Benedict Charming was brilliant in his arrogance and cringe worthiness. I did expect a bit more action and dragon-hunting from him though and his attitude towards Cinderella when she returned to the castle as a girl was very odd. I truly couldn't tell if he was so self-absorbed he didn't care what had happened, or if he was plotting something.
Overall I did enjoy Dragon by Midnight and read it within a day. It is a very cute, fast-paced fairytale with some genius ideas. The overly descriptive language and lack of character development would push it closer to the middle-grade side of YA for me but I enjoyed the story and will possibly pick up the sequel if I see it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Survivor's Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke #8) in Books
Sep 26, 2021
Having just finished Time is Running Out, the 7th in this series, and being absolutely blown away by it, I couldn't wait to get my grubby little mitts on this, the 8th in the brilliant Matilda Darke series and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. What I will say is that I think it would be preferable to have read the 7th book before reading this one as this one picks the story up 9 months later and will provide an explanation as to why Matilda and other characters are acting as they are.
This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.
Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!
There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?
The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!
Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!
I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
This book follows 3 themes; the aftermath of the massacre that occurred in the previous book, the murder of prostitutes in Sheffield and the long-running theme of the kidnapping of Carl Meagan.
Once again, Michael writes a gripping story that moves at pace. There is violence and edge-of-the-seat moments; I took at sharp intake of breath when the murderer was revealed - I am usually quite good at figuring out who it is but this one absolutely blind-sided me and I actually gasped and said a few choice words that are not repeatable here as I try to avoid profanity in my reviews!
There is also compassion and tenderness and an authentic-feeling description of how grief and tragedy can affect people differently; it can bring you together or completely tear you apart and destroy you and those around you. Everyone is struggling to manage their grief but can they work together to catch the killer or are they too broken?
The characters are just brilliant and I particularly liked how Michael portrayed the prostitutes as "people" rather than the usual stereotypes which made a nice change; I absolutely loved Bev and Sarah. Matilda is, I admit, a difficult person to like in this book but given what she has endured, she is forgiven ... just this once!
Full of tension, suspense and emotion, this book and the series, is one that shouldn't be missed ... roll on number 9!
I am grateful to HarperCollins UK / One More Chapter via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Merissa (13427 KP) rated Sweet Heat (The Oriania Chronicles) in Books
Mar 20, 2025
SWEET HEAT is part of The Oriania Chronicles and I read this in one sitting! I simply couldn't put it down and was completely engrossed in Posie and Miller's story.
Told from both perspectives, you get a rounded view of what the other thinks, feels, and is going through. I really felt for Posie and her wanting to move out. Although her parents were loving, she needed her own independence. Due to a tragic car accident, Posie has anosmia and so can't smell or taste most foods. In a world where scent-matches are a big deal, poor Miller has to figure out a way of telling Posie he's her mate when things haven't been right between them for a long time. I won't tell you how happy I was when they finally had the opportunity to speak to each other without anyone else butting in!
Their story is set in a world where omegas have different rights and expectations, depending on where they live. Posie is lucky in one regard as she is able to go to college and have her own friends. Of course, she still has to deal with Alpha-holes who think they own the world and everyone in it.
I loved this story so much and want more from the characters I was introduced to. Owen, for all I loathed him at one point, deserves an omega who will shake his world. Niko, as well. Who doesn't love a big softie? And Damien, who supported Miller and never said a word. I'm not sure about Crimson as he seems a little big-headed, but I will read his story to see if he has hidden depths.
Mostly low angst, sweet, and oh-so-hot, this was a brilliant read by a new-to-me author. I only have one question - Where can I find a stalker like Miller? Asking for a friend! Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 17, 2025
Told from both perspectives, you get a rounded view of what the other thinks, feels, and is going through. I really felt for Posie and her wanting to move out. Although her parents were loving, she needed her own independence. Due to a tragic car accident, Posie has anosmia and so can't smell or taste most foods. In a world where scent-matches are a big deal, poor Miller has to figure out a way of telling Posie he's her mate when things haven't been right between them for a long time. I won't tell you how happy I was when they finally had the opportunity to speak to each other without anyone else butting in!
Their story is set in a world where omegas have different rights and expectations, depending on where they live. Posie is lucky in one regard as she is able to go to college and have her own friends. Of course, she still has to deal with Alpha-holes who think they own the world and everyone in it.
I loved this story so much and want more from the characters I was introduced to. Owen, for all I loathed him at one point, deserves an omega who will shake his world. Niko, as well. Who doesn't love a big softie? And Damien, who supported Miller and never said a word. I'm not sure about Crimson as he seems a little big-headed, but I will read his story to see if he has hidden depths.
Mostly low angst, sweet, and oh-so-hot, this was a brilliant read by a new-to-me author. I only have one question - Where can I find a stalker like Miller? Asking for a friend! Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 17, 2025
Ross (3284 KP) rated Sword of the North in Books
Sep 29, 2017
The story picks up where The Grim Company left off. Where the first book really focused on the main group's journey with some side chapters in the north, this now splits into each of those main characters' solo journeys. We move between Brodar Kayne (and The Wolf), Sasha, Eremul the half-mage, Cole, Yllandris and the thoroughly detestable (but brilliant) Sir Meredith. All of their stories tell of different events, and few of the them cross over, meaning this book really is rather epic.
A number of threads from the first book are either progressed, explained further or closed off, and a number of new mysteries, invading forces and battles are introduced.
For the second book of a trilogy you would expect little extra additions, progressing those introduced in the first book and seguing into the final instalment. Not so here, as a number of new, critical elements are introduced, some very late in the book, which are leading to a fairly epic third book to close off.
Absolutely awesome.
A number of threads from the first book are either progressed, explained further or closed off, and a number of new mysteries, invading forces and battles are introduced.
For the second book of a trilogy you would expect little extra additions, progressing those introduced in the first book and seguing into the final instalment. Not so here, as a number of new, critical elements are introduced, some very late in the book, which are leading to a fairly epic third book to close off.
Absolutely awesome.