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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Retribution (Dark Hunters #19) in Books
Sep 20, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Harm no human...
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief - Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster....
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.
I love this series to be honest there's not a Kenyon book I don't enjoy! Loved learning about Jess and Abigail the story was so involved not sure I'd enjoy the plagues though!
I enjoy the relationships in this book as we don't normally get so many Dark Hunters in one place!
The bonus chapter was even more special showing a very rare occasion of Artemis doing something nice for Ash! Oh and Simi no book is complete without Simi and her BBQ sauce.
A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief - Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster....
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.
I love this series to be honest there's not a Kenyon book I don't enjoy! Loved learning about Jess and Abigail the story was so involved not sure I'd enjoy the plagues though!
I enjoy the relationships in this book as we don't normally get so many Dark Hunters in one place!
The bonus chapter was even more special showing a very rare occasion of Artemis doing something nice for Ash! Oh and Simi no book is complete without Simi and her BBQ sauce.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Grim Company in Books
Sep 27, 2017
Once I got into the swing of the book (it chops and changes between different characters each chapter) I started to really enjoy it. I like being thrown into a world without having a long made-up history lesson first and getting straight into the action.
I liked the setting for this book: numerous city states ruled by magelords who are constantly battling each other.
We join the action just as one magelord overcomes another (from a distance), but in the aftermath a third looks to capitalise on the weakened victor's defences.
I like how nobody was really the good guy here, everyone was pretty sure they would be fighting for an evil overlord against someone who would likely be just as evil. Citizens were unwilling to fight for their own magelord because their own lives couldn't possibly get any worse.
As is common in more modern, "grimdark" fantasy, none of the characters are the flawless hero of old, all have their own failings and foibles, whether it be drug abuse, being useless, being a psychopath or just generally nasty. All except Brodar Kayne, who for me was somewhat reminiscent of Logen Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. He is an aging warrior who is no longer welcome in the savage North and is looking for a new life in the baffling, more civilised South.
I found the story and characters somewhat similar to Joe Abercrombie's in other areas, but the writing style was very different, flowing much more smoothly I would say. And this is not to suggest in any way it is a rip-off of the First Law series, only that some of the characters and certain aspects of the plot bore a similarity.
Altogether a thoroughly enjoyable read with a well designed world and great characters.
I liked the setting for this book: numerous city states ruled by magelords who are constantly battling each other.
We join the action just as one magelord overcomes another (from a distance), but in the aftermath a third looks to capitalise on the weakened victor's defences.
I like how nobody was really the good guy here, everyone was pretty sure they would be fighting for an evil overlord against someone who would likely be just as evil. Citizens were unwilling to fight for their own magelord because their own lives couldn't possibly get any worse.
As is common in more modern, "grimdark" fantasy, none of the characters are the flawless hero of old, all have their own failings and foibles, whether it be drug abuse, being useless, being a psychopath or just generally nasty. All except Brodar Kayne, who for me was somewhat reminiscent of Logen Ninefingers from Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. He is an aging warrior who is no longer welcome in the savage North and is looking for a new life in the baffling, more civilised South.
I found the story and characters somewhat similar to Joe Abercrombie's in other areas, but the writing style was very different, flowing much more smoothly I would say. And this is not to suggest in any way it is a rip-off of the First Law series, only that some of the characters and certain aspects of the plot bore a similarity.
Altogether a thoroughly enjoyable read with a well designed world and great characters.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Prophet in Books
Apr 27, 2018
It's been a long time since I've been so excited about a book. The Prophet was thrilling in every sense of the word, and combined everything good about a novel: excitement, tension, good writing, complex plot, and twists. I'm not going to tell you a lot about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away: I didn't know a lot going in, and I'm glad, because I may not have picked it up. In fact I almost stopped listening after the first chapter because it felt a little distant… but I'm so glad now that I stuck with it. By the third track I was hooked, and it was all I could think about for days! This is an audiobook I will definitely recommend to people, and absolutely re-listen to.
I loved the ending. I loved the tension. I loved how it all transpired. Even though the ending wasn't perfect, it was right, and it made me do a little happy dance at the end. On top of that, the reader was great. Listening to The Prophet was an all around excellent experience.
Here's the one thing I think might deter people from really getting into The Prophet: There's a lot of football talk. I am not a football fan. Not at all. I don't care for it, I don't understand it, it doesn't matter to me. Suffice to say by the end of the book, not only did I understand a little more (though not all) of what was being said about the games, but I was excited by it. It wasn't written so you had NO clue what was going on, just not a HUGE clue what was going on.
Rating: 5
Content/Recommendation: Some language, violence, graphic imagery. Sexual reference but no erotic scenes. Ages 18+
I loved the ending. I loved the tension. I loved how it all transpired. Even though the ending wasn't perfect, it was right, and it made me do a little happy dance at the end. On top of that, the reader was great. Listening to The Prophet was an all around excellent experience.
Here's the one thing I think might deter people from really getting into The Prophet: There's a lot of football talk. I am not a football fan. Not at all. I don't care for it, I don't understand it, it doesn't matter to me. Suffice to say by the end of the book, not only did I understand a little more (though not all) of what was being said about the games, but I was excited by it. It wasn't written so you had NO clue what was going on, just not a HUGE clue what was going on.
Rating: 5
Content/Recommendation: Some language, violence, graphic imagery. Sexual reference but no erotic scenes. Ages 18+
*＊✿❀ Maki ❀✿＊* (7 KP) rated The Lightning Thief in Books
May 3, 2018
Percy Jackson is a series that I've been meaning to get around to for ages. Pretty much everybody I know who have read the books absolutely adore them.
So, when I needed a few quick reads to play catch up on my reading challenge, I decided that it was a good enough time to give the series a go.
...and it's not too bad.
There was a lot about The Lightning Thief that I enjoyed. The premise was a lot of fun. I liked the humor - especially the chapter titles. I liked the translation of Olympus from ancient European culture to modern American culture. I loved that this is a kids' series that rewards children for knowing mythology - if you're familiar with Greek myths at all, you'll know almost from the start of each encounter what Percy and the group are up against.
That's also kind where I started having problems, though.
The book is essentially non-stop action. Which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. But the action plays out like a series of video game encounters. Percy and his friends will travel so far in their quest, run into someone/a monster who will (sometimes accidentally) help them get to the next step of their quest, where they'll travel a certain distance again before running into something else. Repeat throughout the entire book. There are small moments of character building, but they're squeezed in where they'll fit between action scenes.
I'm more than willing to admit that that's just me, though. I'm not exactly the book's intended audience, and I can completely see how the pacing and whatnot would appeal to kids. I did enjoy it enough to continue on in the series, though.
So, when I needed a few quick reads to play catch up on my reading challenge, I decided that it was a good enough time to give the series a go.
...and it's not too bad.
There was a lot about The Lightning Thief that I enjoyed. The premise was a lot of fun. I liked the humor - especially the chapter titles. I liked the translation of Olympus from ancient European culture to modern American culture. I loved that this is a kids' series that rewards children for knowing mythology - if you're familiar with Greek myths at all, you'll know almost from the start of each encounter what Percy and the group are up against.
That's also kind where I started having problems, though.
The book is essentially non-stop action. Which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. But the action plays out like a series of video game encounters. Percy and his friends will travel so far in their quest, run into someone/a monster who will (sometimes accidentally) help them get to the next step of their quest, where they'll travel a certain distance again before running into something else. Repeat throughout the entire book. There are small moments of character building, but they're squeezed in where they'll fit between action scenes.
I'm more than willing to admit that that's just me, though. I'm not exactly the book's intended audience, and I can completely see how the pacing and whatnot would appeal to kids. I did enjoy it enough to continue on in the series, though.
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated The Mersey Girls in Books
Jun 15, 2019
Soul Warming
Now, I don't want to spoil anything as I really hope other avid readers will have a read of this book.
One of the main characters in the beginning sort of, fizzles out which is a shame as, it was that character that started the story.
The chapters are so long and I like to stop at a chapter as it's a good stopping point but the whole 394 pages is split into a mere 13 chapters.
The book involves two sides that run concurrently quite well, similarities and differences are seen easily but the timeline is difficult to keep up with.
Although it's lovely that it includes some traditional Irish names, it's hard to read as someone who isn't familiar with them. I also had to google some words and phrases to just make sure I know what it is. For example: Clodagh is a name of a character and I am still not 100% how that is pronounced and what a curragh is.
The plot is very serene - meaning theres no massive things happening just lots of little ones. Not massive drama and although it is slightly romantic, it's quite bland in that, a love story is intruded and that's sort of it, it doesn't seem to cook up it goes from raw to cooked so to speak. The stories core plot is ended sweetly yet kind of anti-climactic. Made me smile but it wasn't as wonderful as I feel it could have been.
Despite this I found the read pleasant, certainly something someone should read if they are a fan of Historical Romances.
One of the main characters in the beginning sort of, fizzles out which is a shame as, it was that character that started the story.
The chapters are so long and I like to stop at a chapter as it's a good stopping point but the whole 394 pages is split into a mere 13 chapters.
The book involves two sides that run concurrently quite well, similarities and differences are seen easily but the timeline is difficult to keep up with.
Although it's lovely that it includes some traditional Irish names, it's hard to read as someone who isn't familiar with them. I also had to google some words and phrases to just make sure I know what it is. For example: Clodagh is a name of a character and I am still not 100% how that is pronounced and what a curragh is.
The plot is very serene - meaning theres no massive things happening just lots of little ones. Not massive drama and although it is slightly romantic, it's quite bland in that, a love story is intruded and that's sort of it, it doesn't seem to cook up it goes from raw to cooked so to speak. The stories core plot is ended sweetly yet kind of anti-climactic. Made me smile but it wasn't as wonderful as I feel it could have been.
Despite this I found the read pleasant, certainly something someone should read if they are a fan of Historical Romances.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Black Lily (Vampire Blood, #1) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
The Black Lily By Juliette Cross is my first book by this author.
It's a kind of Vampire Twist on the whole cinderella story and seeing as I love fairy tales and am a sucker (sucker get it he he ) for vampires this seemed a win-win.
We have a fairy tale world ruled by vampires, nobles and then the poor peasants
Our Prince Mariel is a vampire and he's having a ball for all the nobility to attend to find his latest bleeder.
Enter Arabelle AKA The Black Lily she's at the ball until midnight to entice the prince so she can drive a gold edged dagger through his vampire heart.
Arabelle is part of the underground movement to stop vampire tyranny.
fleeing the scene of the crime just after midnight. Arabelle thinks she's succeeded in her mission.
Prince Marius wants to find the enchantress bearing a tattoo of a lily and proceeds to start a hunt across the kingdom for the mysterious woman.
Now It took me a while to get into this book, this might have been because I was in a bit of a reading slump, or just plain I wasn't sure about it.
anyway, something must have clicked for me as this changed for me around chapter seven and them a steamrolled through the rest.
so in conclusion, fantastic original plotline, I don't think I've ever seen cinderella imagined with vampires, a great narrative and excellent world building.
this was a fun read with great fleshed out characters my only issue was my inability to originally connect with the story this pulled it down slightly for me and my rating reflected this.
saying that this is still a great read.
I received a free e-copy of The Black Lily from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
It's a kind of Vampire Twist on the whole cinderella story and seeing as I love fairy tales and am a sucker (sucker get it he he ) for vampires this seemed a win-win.
We have a fairy tale world ruled by vampires, nobles and then the poor peasants
Our Prince Mariel is a vampire and he's having a ball for all the nobility to attend to find his latest bleeder.
Enter Arabelle AKA The Black Lily she's at the ball until midnight to entice the prince so she can drive a gold edged dagger through his vampire heart.
Arabelle is part of the underground movement to stop vampire tyranny.
fleeing the scene of the crime just after midnight. Arabelle thinks she's succeeded in her mission.
Prince Marius wants to find the enchantress bearing a tattoo of a lily and proceeds to start a hunt across the kingdom for the mysterious woman.
Now It took me a while to get into this book, this might have been because I was in a bit of a reading slump, or just plain I wasn't sure about it.
anyway, something must have clicked for me as this changed for me around chapter seven and them a steamrolled through the rest.
so in conclusion, fantastic original plotline, I don't think I've ever seen cinderella imagined with vampires, a great narrative and excellent world building.
this was a fun read with great fleshed out characters my only issue was my inability to originally connect with the story this pulled it down slightly for me and my rating reflected this.
saying that this is still a great read.
I received a free e-copy of The Black Lily from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Sleepwalker in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I went into this book blind. I had seen the cover and heard of the author, but hadn't read any of his books and didn't know what this one was about until after I started listening. Annalee Ahlberg, a woman who has issues with sleepwalking, goes missing. She leaves behind two daughters and a husband who must come to terms with her disappearance. Told from the point of view of her eldest daughter, Lianna, the listener gets to go along for the ride as the search continues and the police try to decide if Annalee met with foul play, or possibly harmed herself in her sleep. The truth ends up being neither, and is nothing I saw coming until right before it was spelled out for me.
The Sleepwalker is equal parts mystery novel and family drama. Everyone has their secrets, and Lianna isn't sure who she can trust. I wish it would have moved along a little more quickly, but overall it was a good story. I will look for more by Chris Bohjalian.
The narration was not so great. The main narrator was soft-spoken, and her voice fit the mood of the story very well, but she paused in odd places and put emphasis on what felt like the wrong word in many sentences. This was jarring and distracting. There were also brief passages at the beginning of each chapter read by a 2nd voice, which I found very irritating. In all fairness, these passages were apparently journal entries, and the 2nd voice did help to distinguish them from the rest of the story. I do think I might have enjoyed the book a little more if there had been different narrators, however.
The Sleepwalker is equal parts mystery novel and family drama. Everyone has their secrets, and Lianna isn't sure who she can trust. I wish it would have moved along a little more quickly, but overall it was a good story. I will look for more by Chris Bohjalian.
The narration was not so great. The main narrator was soft-spoken, and her voice fit the mood of the story very well, but she paused in odd places and put emphasis on what felt like the wrong word in many sentences. This was jarring and distracting. There were also brief passages at the beginning of each chapter read by a 2nd voice, which I found very irritating. In all fairness, these passages were apparently journal entries, and the 2nd voice did help to distinguish them from the rest of the story. I do think I might have enjoyed the book a little more if there had been different narrators, however.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Perfect Remains: A Gripping Thriller That Will Leave You Breathless in Books
Aug 30, 2018 (Updated Aug 30, 2018)
Very good, gripping crime novel based in Edinburgh. Recently arrived French detective Luc Callanach finds himself at the wheel of the force's biggest crime, while still trying to find his feet in his new city.
As the reader is made aware of the "murderer"'s identity from very early on, this feels more like an early Mark Billingham book than an Ian Rankin or Ed James. Not a true whodunit, more of a case of watching the story unfold, which is thrilling and you get to see the criminal and the detective's view of the events, but may put others off.
While the story is very well crafted, the pacing is top notch and the action exciting, a few aspects irritated me at times. Luc Callanach seems to have coped very well with his change in circumstances, and at times it is almost like he (or the author) has forgotten he is French completely! And also the attitude and conclusions of what was supposed to be a very experienced psychological profiler just didn't feel plausible. And finally, as so often happens with "detective x crime series" books - if the main character didn't see it, it didn't happen. This means that Callanach has to abandon his massive case and oddly decide to go off with another detective in order to discuss something, purely as a plot device - i.e. he has to be involved in it for it to be an important part of the story. In places this worked, and got to the point, but at other times his actions just seemed so unusual as to be ludicrous, just to meet a plot point. Why the lesser characters can't have a PoV chapter is beyond me. It works perfectly well in fantasy fiction, why not in crime?!
However these were minor quibbles, an otherwise great book.
As the reader is made aware of the "murderer"'s identity from very early on, this feels more like an early Mark Billingham book than an Ian Rankin or Ed James. Not a true whodunit, more of a case of watching the story unfold, which is thrilling and you get to see the criminal and the detective's view of the events, but may put others off.
While the story is very well crafted, the pacing is top notch and the action exciting, a few aspects irritated me at times. Luc Callanach seems to have coped very well with his change in circumstances, and at times it is almost like he (or the author) has forgotten he is French completely! And also the attitude and conclusions of what was supposed to be a very experienced psychological profiler just didn't feel plausible. And finally, as so often happens with "detective x crime series" books - if the main character didn't see it, it didn't happen. This means that Callanach has to abandon his massive case and oddly decide to go off with another detective in order to discuss something, purely as a plot device - i.e. he has to be involved in it for it to be an important part of the story. In places this worked, and got to the point, but at other times his actions just seemed so unusual as to be ludicrous, just to meet a plot point. Why the lesser characters can't have a PoV chapter is beyond me. It works perfectly well in fantasy fiction, why not in crime?!
However these were minor quibbles, an otherwise great book.
Carma (21 KP) rated Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay, #6) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Lucas Knight never wants to get shot again. If thinking the pain from a bullet in your side was bad, being stuck at home not released for work duty is a bigger pain to deal with. To top it off he wakes up with a woman at his side and no memory of how they got there. He gets the hell out of his apartment before she wakes up and it gets awkward. Making his way into the office to see if maybe he could fudge his way around his non-release and get back into a case. Joe and Archer might throw him a bone if they see him around the office.
Molly Malone is tired of living as Joes younger sister or just the office help. She wants to get her own case to solve for their company and thinks Santa might just be the way. Waking up in Lucas bed, even knowing nothing happened, lands her the perfect opportunity to get what she wants one way or another.
Molly and Lucas set out to vindicate the angry elves and figure out the money trail. All the while they start understanding their attraction to each other. Can they find a way to mix business and pleasure for the whole package?
I loved this book, my first Heartbreaker Bay book to read (though I have most on my TBR shelf). I absolutely loved the hashtags as chapter titles angle. And the relationship between Molly and Lucas has all the dimensions we look for in a partner. Her father brings awareness to PTSD and protective fathers humor where their daughters are concerned. I voluntarily read an advance copy without expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. 4 ½ stars for this return to Heartbreaker Bay.
Molly Malone is tired of living as Joes younger sister or just the office help. She wants to get her own case to solve for their company and thinks Santa might just be the way. Waking up in Lucas bed, even knowing nothing happened, lands her the perfect opportunity to get what she wants one way or another.
Molly and Lucas set out to vindicate the angry elves and figure out the money trail. All the while they start understanding their attraction to each other. Can they find a way to mix business and pleasure for the whole package?
I loved this book, my first Heartbreaker Bay book to read (though I have most on my TBR shelf). I absolutely loved the hashtags as chapter titles angle. And the relationship between Molly and Lucas has all the dimensions we look for in a partner. Her father brings awareness to PTSD and protective fathers humor where their daughters are concerned. I voluntarily read an advance copy without expectations for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. 4 ½ stars for this return to Heartbreaker Bay.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Sin Undone (Demonica #5) in Books
Nov 18, 2019
This one is Sin's - Sinead! - story, Lore(n)'s sister and the only female Seminus demon in existence.
We get to know her a lot more in this one and I feel sorry for a lot of the crap she went through. She tries to be this strong woman who can deal with everything but she doesn't want to be. So thank God for Con - who we met in Lore's book, Ecstasy Unveiled - and who Sin had sex with.
As a dhampire, a vampire/werewolf hybrid, Con is immune to the werewolf shifter virus which Sin unwittingly started in the last book and a great candidate to help start a vaccine against it by using his blood. The only downside to it is that as a dhampire, Con is susceptible to blood addiction if he drinks from the same donor too often yet he needs to keep drinking Sin's blood to fuel his resistance.
Feelings start to emerge beyond their physical attraction as the two are forced to spend so much time together and get to know each other. How he demands that she feel things instead of letting her body do it's physical pain release by bleeding. They'd both been through so much in their long lives and they deserved happiness.
They had a few ups and downs in this. Con had responsibilities within the shifter and dhampire communities and Sin was donating blood and trying to help those infected by the virus before they died and also to her assassin den.
And then let's not forget that last chapter! How cute was that with Lore? I've really fallen for this extended family. They all deserve happiness and I'm really glad they've all found it.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
We get to know her a lot more in this one and I feel sorry for a lot of the crap she went through. She tries to be this strong woman who can deal with everything but she doesn't want to be. So thank God for Con - who we met in Lore's book, Ecstasy Unveiled - and who Sin had sex with.
As a dhampire, a vampire/werewolf hybrid, Con is immune to the werewolf shifter virus which Sin unwittingly started in the last book and a great candidate to help start a vaccine against it by using his blood. The only downside to it is that as a dhampire, Con is susceptible to blood addiction if he drinks from the same donor too often yet he needs to keep drinking Sin's blood to fuel his resistance.
Feelings start to emerge beyond their physical attraction as the two are forced to spend so much time together and get to know each other. How he demands that she feel things instead of letting her body do it's physical pain release by bleeding. They'd both been through so much in their long lives and they deserved happiness.
They had a few ups and downs in this. Con had responsibilities within the shifter and dhampire communities and Sin was donating blood and trying to help those infected by the virus before they died and also to her assassin den.
And then let's not forget that last chapter! How cute was that with Lore? I've really fallen for this extended family. They all deserve happiness and I'm really glad they've all found it.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.