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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue in Books
Jun 8, 2018
This was excellent! First, all the diversity here - between the bisexual main character, his best friend, who is biracial, has an "invisible" disability, and also likes men (or at least likes Monty!) and his seemingly asexual sister - the book covers so many facets, it's great.
Given that it's historical fiction, set in Victorian Europe, Percy's biracial heritage has him just seen as black to most people they encounter. Monty doesn't seem to understand what that means, most of the time, and is a little blinded by his rich white boy privilege. He gets talked to a couple of times about how he's being blind to the problems his friend is facing.
I liked that we got to peek under Monty's playboy facade a few times, when being punched has him flashing back to being beaten by his father for being a "disappointment." An interaction between him and a pirate captain was particularly sweet, teaching him to fight back because he's worth defending.
I LOVE Felicity, Monty's sister, and I'm really eager to read her story in the sequel to this book, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. She is so badass, and incredibly intelligent.
The writing was fun, the action well-paced, and the dialogue clever. I was a little put off at first by the size of the book, but I flew through it quickly. I especially liked Monty's bisexuality - how he just cheerfully perved on practically everyone his age. It definitely reminded me of a few people I know!
Something that I noted, near the end of the book, was Percy not asking Monty to stop his perving. What he said was "if you ever go behind my back..." which implies as long as Percy knows, it's not an issue. Yay for non-monogamy being present in YA! It's nice to see alternative relationship structures being presented, though I wish it had been more than just implied.
This was an excellent read for Pride Month, and I loved the amount of diversity and intersectionality present in it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Given that it's historical fiction, set in Victorian Europe, Percy's biracial heritage has him just seen as black to most people they encounter. Monty doesn't seem to understand what that means, most of the time, and is a little blinded by his rich white boy privilege. He gets talked to a couple of times about how he's being blind to the problems his friend is facing.
I liked that we got to peek under Monty's playboy facade a few times, when being punched has him flashing back to being beaten by his father for being a "disappointment." An interaction between him and a pirate captain was particularly sweet, teaching him to fight back because he's worth defending.
I LOVE Felicity, Monty's sister, and I'm really eager to read her story in the sequel to this book, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. She is so badass, and incredibly intelligent.
The writing was fun, the action well-paced, and the dialogue clever. I was a little put off at first by the size of the book, but I flew through it quickly. I especially liked Monty's bisexuality - how he just cheerfully perved on practically everyone his age. It definitely reminded me of a few people I know!
Something that I noted, near the end of the book, was Percy not asking Monty to stop his perving. What he said was "if you ever go behind my back..." which implies as long as Percy knows, it's not an issue. Yay for non-monogamy being present in YA! It's nice to see alternative relationship structures being presented, though I wish it had been more than just implied.
This was an excellent read for Pride Month, and I loved the amount of diversity and intersectionality present in it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Fanya in the Underworld in Books
Dec 6, 2018
I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Author Jordan Elizabeth has written many stories for young adults of all sorts of genres. With Fanya in the Underworld, Jordan tackles steampunk fiction with elements of fantasy and the paranormal. Set in Alaska during the 19th century when the state was still owned by Tsarist Russia, humans rely on steamtech and spirit magic to fuel their industrious cities.
The story begins shortly after the death of Fanya's father, leaving her as heir to his estate. Unfortunately, her step-mother has overruled her right to her inheritance. By making a fuss to the council, Fanya inadvertently puts both her life and the life of her younger sister in danger. Desperate to protect her sister from the clutches of a mysterious Englishman, Fanya finds herself in the wilderness where the indigenous, magical folk live. Despite having lived in a city her entire life, Fanya soon discovers she has far more in common with the people in the untamed wild.
Whilst a work of imaginative fiction, Fanya in the Underworld works with the historical truth about settlers moving to Alaska, Canada and the United States. Those from Europe who travelled to North America drove out the indigenous folk, destroyed their land and culture and deemed them to be lesser beings. The same has occurred in this novel in which the natives are banned from the cities, treated like animals and even murdered just for being who they are.
By caring so much about her sister, Fanya discovers the truth about the way the cities developed and is shocked by the revelation. Although her sister is at the forefront of her mind, her actions cause huge changes in Alaska resulting in a favourable, although unpredictable, conclusion.
Jordan Elizabeth draws the reader into the steampunk world of Tsarist Alaska. With the aid of illustrations by Aaron Siddal, Fanya in the Underworld is an exciting story unlike any written before. Unique characters, unique scenarios, and a fantastic ending, what more could anyone want?
Author Jordan Elizabeth has written many stories for young adults of all sorts of genres. With Fanya in the Underworld, Jordan tackles steampunk fiction with elements of fantasy and the paranormal. Set in Alaska during the 19th century when the state was still owned by Tsarist Russia, humans rely on steamtech and spirit magic to fuel their industrious cities.
The story begins shortly after the death of Fanya's father, leaving her as heir to his estate. Unfortunately, her step-mother has overruled her right to her inheritance. By making a fuss to the council, Fanya inadvertently puts both her life and the life of her younger sister in danger. Desperate to protect her sister from the clutches of a mysterious Englishman, Fanya finds herself in the wilderness where the indigenous, magical folk live. Despite having lived in a city her entire life, Fanya soon discovers she has far more in common with the people in the untamed wild.
Whilst a work of imaginative fiction, Fanya in the Underworld works with the historical truth about settlers moving to Alaska, Canada and the United States. Those from Europe who travelled to North America drove out the indigenous folk, destroyed their land and culture and deemed them to be lesser beings. The same has occurred in this novel in which the natives are banned from the cities, treated like animals and even murdered just for being who they are.
By caring so much about her sister, Fanya discovers the truth about the way the cities developed and is shocked by the revelation. Although her sister is at the forefront of her mind, her actions cause huge changes in Alaska resulting in a favourable, although unpredictable, conclusion.
Jordan Elizabeth draws the reader into the steampunk world of Tsarist Alaska. With the aid of illustrations by Aaron Siddal, Fanya in the Underworld is an exciting story unlike any written before. Unique characters, unique scenarios, and a fantastic ending, what more could anyone want?
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Maggie Bright: A Novel of Dunkirk in Books
Jan 2, 2019
The entire history of the world is about to change as Hitler marches his troops across Europe. Can the actions of one person make a difference?
Clare Childs has mysteriously inherited the Maggie Bright. Her suspicions that Maggie holds a secret are proven when a thief comes aboard. Clare is suddenly thrown into the middle of a Scotland Yard investigation that could finally expose one of Hitler's darkest schemes. While on the other side of the channel, Private Jamie Elliot has been tasked with the mission of returning a wounded captain home. The captain has suffered a head injury and the only words he speaks are quotes from John Milton's Paradise Lost. When Churchill calls for civilians to help rescue the stranded British Army from Dunkirk, Clare knows that Maggie must go. Piloted by William Percy, a detective inspector and Murray Vance, a world renowned cartoonist, the Maggie Bright goes to war.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis
Never have these words rung more true for me than when I finished reading Maggie Bright. I wish the story would go on and on. I absolutely love reading about World War II. There is so much evil during this period, but there is also hope and light. Nations coming together with a singular purpose. Fighting and dying side by side. I am ashamed to admit that most of my knowledge of WWII begins with D-Day and America's involvement. My eyes have been opened wide with England's trials at the beginning of the war. I cried four times while reading this book! The horror is real, the fight unbearable, yet the men and women who sacrificed everything did so for us today. So that we might have hope and know that no matter how dark things become, we shall press on to victory.
"God towards thee hath done his part, do thine" - John Milton, Paradise Lost
I received a free copy of Maggie Bright from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Clare Childs has mysteriously inherited the Maggie Bright. Her suspicions that Maggie holds a secret are proven when a thief comes aboard. Clare is suddenly thrown into the middle of a Scotland Yard investigation that could finally expose one of Hitler's darkest schemes. While on the other side of the channel, Private Jamie Elliot has been tasked with the mission of returning a wounded captain home. The captain has suffered a head injury and the only words he speaks are quotes from John Milton's Paradise Lost. When Churchill calls for civilians to help rescue the stranded British Army from Dunkirk, Clare knows that Maggie must go. Piloted by William Percy, a detective inspector and Murray Vance, a world renowned cartoonist, the Maggie Bright goes to war.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis
Never have these words rung more true for me than when I finished reading Maggie Bright. I wish the story would go on and on. I absolutely love reading about World War II. There is so much evil during this period, but there is also hope and light. Nations coming together with a singular purpose. Fighting and dying side by side. I am ashamed to admit that most of my knowledge of WWII begins with D-Day and America's involvement. My eyes have been opened wide with England's trials at the beginning of the war. I cried four times while reading this book! The horror is real, the fight unbearable, yet the men and women who sacrificed everything did so for us today. So that we might have hope and know that no matter how dark things become, we shall press on to victory.
"God towards thee hath done his part, do thine" - John Milton, Paradise Lost
I received a free copy of Maggie Bright from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Condemned: Criminal Origins in Video Games
Oct 24, 2019
Scary Spooky
Condemned: Criminal Origins (known in Europe as Condemned) is a first-person survival horror video game, that is very good but underrated.
Condemned: Criminal Origins places an emphasis on melee combat and puzzle solving, including searching for fingerprints and gathering evidence. Lets talk more about the crime scene's, and gathing evidence.
Condemned directly involves the player in crime scene investigations, offering the ability to, at the press of a context-sensitive button, call upon a suite of forensic tools to find and record evidence. The player character is linked to an FBI lab via his mobile phone throughout the investigation, allowing (almost immediate) remote examination and analysis by his support worker, Rosa. Crime scene evidence can be used to solve puzzles, allowing the player to pass previously impassable barriers, and provide clues to the overall mysteries of the story.
Examples of evidence include fingerprints, footprints, fibers, fluids (such as blood or chemicals), particles, residues, markings/etchings, material, imprints, wounds, small objects, documents, and body parts.
The player character is gifted with the instinctual ability to detect when forensic evidence is nearby, allowing players to bring up the detection and collection tools when appropriate. However, the "instincts" of the character only vaguely highlight the area in which the evidence resides; it is up to the player to methodically sweep the scene and catalog any findings.
Lets talk about the plot: Condemned: Criminal Origins is set in the fictional American city of Metro. The player takes on the role of Ethan Thomas, a crime scene investigation agent with the FBI's Serial Crime Unit, as he traverses the seedier sides of the city. His journey takes him through a number of condemned buildings as he searches for the one who framed him for murder, the evasive Serial Killer X. Along the way, Ethan must use his investigative intuition and technology to examine evidence left behind by SKX, all the while fighting off the violently psychotic denizens of Metro City, who seem to be driven to such madness by a mysterious, yet seemingly extraneous force.
Their are two different ends: but really its the same ending.
If you do like psychological, crime solving horror games than you will like this one.
Condemned: Criminal Origins places an emphasis on melee combat and puzzle solving, including searching for fingerprints and gathering evidence. Lets talk more about the crime scene's, and gathing evidence.
Condemned directly involves the player in crime scene investigations, offering the ability to, at the press of a context-sensitive button, call upon a suite of forensic tools to find and record evidence. The player character is linked to an FBI lab via his mobile phone throughout the investigation, allowing (almost immediate) remote examination and analysis by his support worker, Rosa. Crime scene evidence can be used to solve puzzles, allowing the player to pass previously impassable barriers, and provide clues to the overall mysteries of the story.
Examples of evidence include fingerprints, footprints, fibers, fluids (such as blood or chemicals), particles, residues, markings/etchings, material, imprints, wounds, small objects, documents, and body parts.
The player character is gifted with the instinctual ability to detect when forensic evidence is nearby, allowing players to bring up the detection and collection tools when appropriate. However, the "instincts" of the character only vaguely highlight the area in which the evidence resides; it is up to the player to methodically sweep the scene and catalog any findings.
Lets talk about the plot: Condemned: Criminal Origins is set in the fictional American city of Metro. The player takes on the role of Ethan Thomas, a crime scene investigation agent with the FBI's Serial Crime Unit, as he traverses the seedier sides of the city. His journey takes him through a number of condemned buildings as he searches for the one who framed him for murder, the evasive Serial Killer X. Along the way, Ethan must use his investigative intuition and technology to examine evidence left behind by SKX, all the while fighting off the violently psychotic denizens of Metro City, who seem to be driven to such madness by a mysterious, yet seemingly extraneous force.
Their are two different ends: but really its the same ending.
If you do like psychological, crime solving horror games than you will like this one.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Midas Code (Tyler Locke #2) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
The story of King Midas is a Greek Legend warning on the folly of greed where everything the king touches turns to gold - including his daughter. But at the heart of every story is a grain of truth. What if King Midas was real and there really was a Midas Touch that could turn other things into gold? How much would it be worth? And more importantly how far would some people go in order to secure it?
Jordan Orr is in a race against time to secure this ancient and valuable artifact but he is missing two important pieces - an expert in ancient civilisations and an engineer able to decode centuries old mechanisms. He therefore puts Stacy Benedict, scholar and presenter of a popular TV show on ancient cultures, and Tyler Locke into a situation where they have no choice but to help him. Can Locke outsmart Orr? And does the Midas Touch really exist?
The second of the Tyler Locke thrillers sees Morrison once again explore the theme of an old story and imagining a what if situation of there being some truth to it. He then adds Tyler Locke - ex army engineer, mechanism and explosives expert and Grant Westfield, ex pro-wrestler and ex Army Ranger to the mix. As Benedict, Locke and Westfield move around Europe following the instructions laid down in a codex written Archimedes it seems Orr is always one step ahead of them. Locke must use all of his ingenuity to try to thwart Orr in his plans.
As with his other novels Morrison doesn't let up for one second and he relishes pushing his heroes to the limit. 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire' has nothing on this.
It would be easy to write a thriller of this sort and be sloppy with the details but Morrison is as always well-researched and keen to show off Locke's scientific and engineering credentials and is effortless at making ancient stories seem like they could - just about - be true.
Overall another absolutely brilliant book. Could Morrison be the best thriller writer working today? It's not something I'd discount.
Jordan Orr is in a race against time to secure this ancient and valuable artifact but he is missing two important pieces - an expert in ancient civilisations and an engineer able to decode centuries old mechanisms. He therefore puts Stacy Benedict, scholar and presenter of a popular TV show on ancient cultures, and Tyler Locke into a situation where they have no choice but to help him. Can Locke outsmart Orr? And does the Midas Touch really exist?
The second of the Tyler Locke thrillers sees Morrison once again explore the theme of an old story and imagining a what if situation of there being some truth to it. He then adds Tyler Locke - ex army engineer, mechanism and explosives expert and Grant Westfield, ex pro-wrestler and ex Army Ranger to the mix. As Benedict, Locke and Westfield move around Europe following the instructions laid down in a codex written Archimedes it seems Orr is always one step ahead of them. Locke must use all of his ingenuity to try to thwart Orr in his plans.
As with his other novels Morrison doesn't let up for one second and he relishes pushing his heroes to the limit. 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire' has nothing on this.
It would be easy to write a thriller of this sort and be sloppy with the details but Morrison is as always well-researched and keen to show off Locke's scientific and engineering credentials and is effortless at making ancient stories seem like they could - just about - be true.
Overall another absolutely brilliant book. Could Morrison be the best thriller writer working today? It's not something I'd discount.
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