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Auburn (57 KP) rated Shadow & Flame in Books
Jun 21, 2019
This book throws you right back into the action 6 months from the ending of the last book. The plot rockets from about 1- 100 in the span of a page. I started and finished this book in the same day. That is how engrossed I was and how much I needed to know how it ends.
The dual perspective gives us two very different sides of the story. Each side has enough angst and high drama that you won’t feel bored with one. This is great since lately a lot of dual POV bore me.
The romance is more subtle in this book and it focuses more on Kate and Corwin growing as individual characters. And there is a lot of growth that happens. From book one through the ending of this you feel that each character grows and changes. Some not in the best way.
Overall this was the perfect duology. If had action, magic, horses, heartbreak, and love. If you enjoyed the first book you will Love this one.
The dual perspective gives us two very different sides of the story. Each side has enough angst and high drama that you won’t feel bored with one. This is great since lately a lot of dual POV bore me.
The romance is more subtle in this book and it focuses more on Kate and Corwin growing as individual characters. And there is a lot of growth that happens. From book one through the ending of this you feel that each character grows and changes. Some not in the best way.
Overall this was the perfect duology. If had action, magic, horses, heartbreak, and love. If you enjoyed the first book you will Love this one.
The Unspoken Name
8.0
Rate It
Book
Does she owe her life to those planning her death . . . Csorwe was raised by a death cult steeped...
Louise (64 KP) rated Flame in the Mist in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first time reading anything by Renee Ahdieh, as usual I do things back to front. Her Wrath and the Dawn duology has got nothing but praise so when I saw she had another book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it.I was really intrigued as I heard it was a Mulan retelling and plus the cover is absolutely stunning.
Flame in the Mist follows Mariko, she is 17 years old and is destined to marry, she has had a sheltered life and brought up for the sole purpose to marry to support his social standing. She is on her way to marry a prince from another part of Japan when her litter and convoy are attacked by the Black Clan. Mariko manages to make it out alive, instead of returning home to her family she decides to disguise herself as a boy to find out who tried to kill her and why.
I found this story hard to get into at the beginning, I wasn't totally gripped and didn't have the inclination to carry on reading. I didn't know what to expect with Renee Ahdieh's writing style but I was pleasantly surprised and she had this knack for creating an atmosphere and world building. The downfall to this book was that Mariko was a very boring character. We were told how smart she was several times but we wasn't shown. She was headstrong and knew that she was born the wrong gender to be perceived as anything other than marriage material.
I liked the romance and loved the buildup of tension between the love birds even if it did have some problems. I didn't see the twist at the end coming. This is supposed to be a fantasy but there were no fantastical creatures and very little magic involved. The Mulan retelling is 'loosely based'.
I think for me I am going to have reread this book at a later date - it didn't hold my attention enough to take a lot of it in. I still would like to read her Wrath and the Dawn duology.
I rated this 3 out of 5 stars
This was my first time reading anything by Renee Ahdieh, as usual I do things back to front. Her Wrath and the Dawn duology has got nothing but praise so when I saw she had another book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it.I was really intrigued as I heard it was a Mulan retelling and plus the cover is absolutely stunning.
Flame in the Mist follows Mariko, she is 17 years old and is destined to marry, she has had a sheltered life and brought up for the sole purpose to marry to support his social standing. She is on her way to marry a prince from another part of Japan when her litter and convoy are attacked by the Black Clan. Mariko manages to make it out alive, instead of returning home to her family she decides to disguise herself as a boy to find out who tried to kill her and why.
I found this story hard to get into at the beginning, I wasn't totally gripped and didn't have the inclination to carry on reading. I didn't know what to expect with Renee Ahdieh's writing style but I was pleasantly surprised and she had this knack for creating an atmosphere and world building. The downfall to this book was that Mariko was a very boring character. We were told how smart she was several times but we wasn't shown. She was headstrong and knew that she was born the wrong gender to be perceived as anything other than marriage material.
I liked the romance and loved the buildup of tension between the love birds even if it did have some problems. I didn't see the twist at the end coming. This is supposed to be a fantasy but there were no fantastical creatures and very little magic involved. The Mulan retelling is 'loosely based'.
I think for me I am going to have reread this book at a later date - it didn't hold my attention enough to take a lot of it in. I still would like to read her Wrath and the Dawn duology.
I rated this 3 out of 5 stars
David McK (3425 KP) rated Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn Duology, #2) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The second - and final - book in Timothy Zahn's <i>Hand of Thrawn</i> duology, <i>Vision of the Future</i> thus follows on from <i>Specter of the Past</i>.
In this, Luke is off to rescue Mara, while the New Republic itself moves closer and closer to internal war over the involvement of a group of Bothans in the destruction of Caamas, all of which is due to the (unknown to the Republic) machinations of a trio of Imperials, one of whom is impersonating Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Looking back on this, it's also interesting to note the veiled hints at future events - in particular, at just what is out in the Unknown Regions - that would later come to play a major role in the ongoing series (and, as a side-note, which is round about where I stopped reading them).
As this was written before prequels, there's also the occasional jarring note where this doesn't quite mesh properly, in particular with the references to the Clone Wars.
Like <i>Specter of the Past</i>, and OK read, but not as good as the <i>Heir to the Empire</i> series.
In this, Luke is off to rescue Mara, while the New Republic itself moves closer and closer to internal war over the involvement of a group of Bothans in the destruction of Caamas, all of which is due to the (unknown to the Republic) machinations of a trio of Imperials, one of whom is impersonating Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Looking back on this, it's also interesting to note the veiled hints at future events - in particular, at just what is out in the Unknown Regions - that would later come to play a major role in the ongoing series (and, as a side-note, which is round about where I stopped reading them).
As this was written before prequels, there's also the occasional jarring note where this doesn't quite mesh properly, in particular with the references to the Clone Wars.
Like <i>Specter of the Past</i>, and OK read, but not as good as the <i>Heir to the Empire</i> series.
Rule of Wolves
Book
The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of...
A Throne of Swans
Katharine Corr and Elizabeth Corr
8.0
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Book
When her father dies just before her birthday, seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of...
Shape Shifters
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Jessica Rules the Dark Side in Books
Sep 13, 2017
Great Sequel!
I loved the first book and the second one lives up to it (thankfully!) what I really liked about this one while reading was Jessica’s development as a character grows up. Dramatically. Considering she now has to rule and take Lucius place due to the circumstances she had to learn how to take control and she does it gracefully.
The plot itself wasn’t so bad although there could have been more substance to it. The reader already has a hunch as to who is behind the entire plot - a little mystery would have been appreciated and would have kept the plot a little more exciting. So the predictability of it sort of dampens the enjoyment of the book.
Nevertheless it’s the characters that keep the book going. Jessica and Lucius still have that great chemistry together. It’s the light banter Lucius has with Raniero that was also fun to read throughout the story.
Fun to read and it’s light, worth the time - from what I know there’s no more after this one. So to give the duology a nice closing, it’s a good one. (A story about Mindy would be great though.)
Bonus points to the cover. Love it!
The plot itself wasn’t so bad although there could have been more substance to it. The reader already has a hunch as to who is behind the entire plot - a little mystery would have been appreciated and would have kept the plot a little more exciting. So the predictability of it sort of dampens the enjoyment of the book.
Nevertheless it’s the characters that keep the book going. Jessica and Lucius still have that great chemistry together. It’s the light banter Lucius has with Raniero that was also fun to read throughout the story.
Fun to read and it’s light, worth the time - from what I know there’s no more after this one. So to give the duology a nice closing, it’s a good one. (A story about Mindy would be great though.)
Bonus points to the cover. Love it!
Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) in Books
Oct 1, 2018
Sleeping Giants was one of my favorite books of 2016 so I was super excited to read Waking Gods. As with Giants, I was hooked from page one and found myself delaying bedtime in order to finish it. The format and structure of this duology, along with the author's writing style, is great. Telling the story through interviews, case files, log transcripts, and character pov's is unique and interesting and works quite well, in my opinion.
I have to say I was surprised by a lot of the events in Waking Gods. I'm not sure exactly where I expected the story to go after the first book but this wasn't it lol. The sheer number of deaths, especially the deaths of certain main characters, was definitely a shock.
The ending, including the reason for and solution to the impending apocalyptic doom, felt somewhat underwhelming after so much build up. The subplot involving Eva could have used a little more development as well.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Waking Gods and The Themis Files as a whole and I still think it would make a great movie! Sylvain Neuvel is a talented author and I'm looking forward to reading whatever he comes out with in the future. *Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!*
I have to say I was surprised by a lot of the events in Waking Gods. I'm not sure exactly where I expected the story to go after the first book but this wasn't it lol. The sheer number of deaths, especially the deaths of certain main characters, was definitely a shock.
The ending, including the reason for and solution to the impending apocalyptic doom, felt somewhat underwhelming after so much build up. The subplot involving Eva could have used a little more development as well.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Waking Gods and The Themis Files as a whole and I still think it would make a great movie! Sylvain Neuvel is a talented author and I'm looking forward to reading whatever he comes out with in the future. *Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!*
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Devil's Due in Books
May 15, 2022
86 of 230
Book
Devil’s Due ( Red Letter Days book 2)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️
WITH HER SECRET BACKGROUND AND STREET SMARTS, LUCIA GARZA HAD FEW QUALMS ABOUT TAKING THE DEVIL'S DEAL...
The money Lucia and her new partner received to open their detective agency had come with strings: any assignment delivered via red envelope had to be top priority. No sweat. No one could make Lucia do something she didn't believe in--right?
Wrong. Lucia soon learned that every choice she made meant life or death for innocent people. No one could be trusted, not even the ex-cop she'd hired--and fallen for. In fact, Ben might be her fatal weakness, if the powers warring to control the future used him to control Lucia....
So this was the second in a duology and this time it’s more from Lucia’s point of view and her journey where book one followed Jazz. I enjoyed but got a little bored in the middle which is so unlike me with a Caine book. It was good to get to know Lucia though and figure out maybe she’s not so rigid Overall it was a good read but just not past a 3 star.
Book
Devil’s Due ( Red Letter Days book 2)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️
WITH HER SECRET BACKGROUND AND STREET SMARTS, LUCIA GARZA HAD FEW QUALMS ABOUT TAKING THE DEVIL'S DEAL...
The money Lucia and her new partner received to open their detective agency had come with strings: any assignment delivered via red envelope had to be top priority. No sweat. No one could make Lucia do something she didn't believe in--right?
Wrong. Lucia soon learned that every choice she made meant life or death for innocent people. No one could be trusted, not even the ex-cop she'd hired--and fallen for. In fact, Ben might be her fatal weakness, if the powers warring to control the future used him to control Lucia....
So this was the second in a duology and this time it’s more from Lucia’s point of view and her journey where book one followed Jazz. I enjoyed but got a little bored in the middle which is so unlike me with a Caine book. It was good to get to know Lucia though and figure out maybe she’s not so rigid Overall it was a good read but just not past a 3 star.