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Merissa (12051 KP) rated Wild Lavender (The Aurelian Guard #1) in Books

Mar 18, 2019

Wild Lavender (The Aurelian Guard #1) by Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher

WILD LAVENDER is the first book in The Aurelian Guard series, and is also the debut novel by this author. We are transported to a medieval world, where things aren't always equal or what they seem.

I found this book to be a strong opening to this series. We not only have strong characters on both sides of the conflict, but the world-building is there without overpowering the story. The romance comes later, after a horrific start for Anna. She surely deserves all the love she can get!

With no errors that I noticed, I loved this fantasy world, and I can't wait to read more. Absolutely recommended by me.

Kudos

Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Force of Nature in Books

Mar 17, 2018

Force of Nature

Jane Harper | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller

7.0

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

Slow burner, slightly disappointing

As a fan of Jane Harper's debut novel @The Dry, this definitely felt like a sub-par sequel. Detective Aaron Falks returns with another case in the Australian wilderness, this time following the disappearance of a woman who went on a work retreat in the outback but never came back.

Four of the women who went with her all have motives to want to see her gone, so Falks attempts to understand what secrets she may have had about them.

The story, as described, felt underwhelming even though I appreciate the straightforward simplicity of Harper's writing. There is no massive conspiracy similar to the first but it may have lacked too much in this instance.

Kudos

Milleen (47 KP) rated Holding in Books

Nov 14, 2018

Holding

Graham Norton | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(5 Ratings)

Book Rating

This is a fine debut novel from the TV host. A body is unearthed in a small Irish village and PJ Collins, the local policeman, must dig through the characters’ past to find the killer. This is an exciting plot set against the humdrum of village life. The characters are believable in their mundanity, the tone of their conversation, peppered with occasional profanity, secrets and gossip, is a joy to read. The story is told with observational wit and flair but doesn’t rely too much on overplaying the Irish accent when reading. If you’re a fan of the author, I highly recommend listening to the audio version that’s available as Norton’s narration brings the characters to life, full of lilt and accent.