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Midwinterblood
Midwinterblood
Marcus Sedgwick | 2011 | Horror, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Vampire, A Hare and A Human Sacrifice
The horror genre has never been one that I read a lot of. I'm more of a fantasy, murder mystery kinda gal. Horror gives me the creeps (as it should) so I tend to avoid it as much as I can.

Now in the hopes of becoming a more well-rounded reader, I decided to take a dive into the deep end and pick up these unsettling read.

Midwinterblood tells the story of the souls of Eric and Merle. Yes, I did say souls. This book is about reincarnation, the past and future lives and how our souls stay intertwined with the ones we love. Midwinterblood is split into 8 chapters each represented by a different moon and a different time period, I wouldn't say it's a pure love story, although that is what I initially thought after the first chapter, as each story is so different I wouldn't say it's got a specific theme throughout.

Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2017/01/a-vampire-hare-and-human-sacrifice.html
  
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Roxanne (13 KP) rated Chimera Book One in Books

Nov 14, 2018  
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Chimera Book One
Phil Gomm | 2014
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received an ARC ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

____ <b>4 Star Rating</b> ____

This story is about a young boy called Kyp who ends up being drawn into a whole new world where all lost things go to. It is suitable for both adults and children, however, there are some strong horror elements so I would perhaps recommend going through this book to see if it's suitable for your own child, it's personal preference afterall.
I have to say I really enjoyed this story and at only 100 pages long you can jump right into the next one straight after. I found this to be really original and I liked all of the characters. It is absolutely packed full of action, each chapter ending with a BOOM to keep you hooked (which definitely worked for me).
I would say it needs a bit more editing but the mistakes only mildly effected my enjoyment and so it deserves a full 4 stars.
  
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Roxanne (13 KP) rated Chimera Book Two in Books

Nov 14, 2018  
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Chimera Book Two
Phil Gomm | 2014
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>ARC received from Netgalley</i>

___ <b>3 Star Rating</b> ___

Like the first part this was a very fast paced and action filled read, however, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first. Although the writing had improved, there were less errors and you were drawn further into the story, it just got way too complicated and messy for me.
It got to the point where I just thought that even the characters don't even know whose side they are on, they just swapped sides continuously, so many times I lost count and everything just started to confuse me. There were new characters being introduced all the time with bizarre names that within a page I had forgotten who they were.
All of those points are a shame as <i>Chimera</i> has <b>great</b> potential!
I thought the way every chapter ended was really good in the way that it held my attention and made me want to know what happens next.
I just hope the 3rd book will be less messy.
  
TM
The Magic of Recluce (The Saga of Recluce #1)
L.E. Modesitt Jr. | 1992 | Fiction & Poetry
4
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
If ever there was an argument for Goodreads to expand beyond a 5-star rating system, this is it: better than some other books I've rated 1 star, but not as good as some others I've rated as 2 stars.

The first book in what has become known as The Saga of Recluce, I found this to be quite unusual in that (in this world world), it equates the White Wizards with evil (or chaos) and Black Wizards with good (or order). In many respects, this is also a coming-of-age tale, with the central protaganist maturing throughout the course of the story: a story that, I felt, could have been told in about 1/2 the number of pages if the author didn't insist on detailing each and every little iota of noise - who wants to read about (roughly, and all told) a page or two per chapter of <i>Wheee-urrrggg</i> (stomach noises) or <i>caw-caw</i> (bird noises) or <i>thrum-thrum-thrum</i> (hoof-beats)?!?
  
From the Shadows
From the Shadows
7
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
From The Shadows
I'm not an avid reader of crime thrillers as I often find them unbelievable, predictable or rediculous. This is neither. I was gripped from the beginning and found it hard to put down. Just one more chapter was my continuous mantra. Like Jane Harper's brilliant novels, as well as the character, the setting itself shines like the main character. Here the cold Highlands of Scotland paint the bleak setting for the dark crimes unfolding.
Bravely, Halliday doesn't feel the need to add romance or standard go to characters to make it work. He relies on his storytelling and strong individuals and how refreshing to see a book featuring a social worker that isn't female or a do gooder.
I'm gobsmacked this is a debut, it reads like a hardened crime writer who is a master at their trade. I can imagine this becoming an ITV drama in the future and look forward to the next installment. An absolutely cracking read for any crime or thriller fan.
  
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
J.R.R. Tolkien | 1955 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.9 (34 Ratings)
Book Rating
Completing Tolkien's genre-defining (and dominating) epic fantasy, the Return of the King follows the Lord of the Rings trilogy to it's conclusion. With the company sundered and The Ring being carried by a reluctant Samwise against the might of Mordor it seems that all may indeed be lost.

The Lord of the Rings is certainly a long read in its entirety, but this is where everything that has been building comes together. Cleverly switching between the plot strands, from the faded grandeur of Gondor to the desperate crossing of Mordor to huge battles this has everything. And the returning hobbits find both them and the Shire have been changed, possibly forever.

The final ending of the book (even though Tolkien originally wrote another chapter) is a superb piece of understated melancholy with the ending of the Third Age and the clear message that all things change, even good things don't last forever. The bittersweet ending is one of the things that makes this one of the greatest works of fiction ever written, in any genre.