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Merissa (12066 KP) rated Dishonored (Mortisalian Saga #3) in Books
Jun 4, 2019
Dishonored (Mortisalian Saga #3) by L.J. Stock
Dishonored is the third fantastic story in this series, and we continue where we left off. Now, it's been a while since I read the other books, but I was immediately drawn back into their world, and knew exactly what was going on with the characters. That, to me, is the sign of a great book/series.
Everyone's character still remains true, in other words, they are not suddenly acting strange after all this time. The world-building is once again perfect. For me though, what makes this book outstanding are the relationships between the characters - all the characters, not just the main ones. Seeing Cas with Damon, Rasmus, Grigori, Shannon, Alexa, and the rest, makes it all the more... everything.
The pacing is on point, with it moving fast enough to keep my attention, but not too fast that I get lost with what is going on. The story continues to have it's twists and turns, with intrigue layered upon that. There is a shock in here, toward the end, that I never saw coming. I couldn't see much after that either, as my eyes were leaking!
What an ending! Seriously.
I really can't emphasise how much I am enjoying this series, and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it, but you MUST read it as a series, not a set of standalones. Bring on the next, I really need to find out where Ras has disappeared to!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Everyone's character still remains true, in other words, they are not suddenly acting strange after all this time. The world-building is once again perfect. For me though, what makes this book outstanding are the relationships between the characters - all the characters, not just the main ones. Seeing Cas with Damon, Rasmus, Grigori, Shannon, Alexa, and the rest, makes it all the more... everything.
The pacing is on point, with it moving fast enough to keep my attention, but not too fast that I get lost with what is going on. The story continues to have it's twists and turns, with intrigue layered upon that. There is a shock in here, toward the end, that I never saw coming. I couldn't see much after that either, as my eyes were leaking!
What an ending! Seriously.
I really can't emphasise how much I am enjoying this series, and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it, but you MUST read it as a series, not a set of standalones. Bring on the next, I really need to find out where Ras has disappeared to!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Carpenter Road in Books
Jun 5, 2019
I first met Leighton Jones in Carpenter Road, N.M. Brown’s second book featuring this character. I have not read the previous story, The Girl on the Bus, but believe me you don’t need to for this one to make sense, as this easily reads as a standalone and is still a very good read.
When by chance Leighton comes across a prostitute kicking up a fuss about her stolen coat that had some money in, and discovers the girl who was seen last seen wearing it has now gone missing, Jones a traffic cop, decides to take it upon himself to investigate if the two are connected.
So what did I think? Detective Jones is such a caring, lovable character, I instantly found myself drawn to him.
Rochelle, the prostitute, is an unlikely sidekick who gets roped into Leighton’s investigations, and she’s also a fantastic character. I was so invested in her part of the story and the danger she’d been inadvertently thrown into. I too, hoped she’d eventually get out of the prostitution racket to achieve her goals and turn her life around, just how she had wished for.
N.M. Brown’s writing really grabbed my attention from the first page, and kept me up all night reading. I especially liked hearing from the serial killer’s point of view. He was so creepy, it really added a new dimension to the story and kept me hooked throughout.
The ending was a bit of a shock. I honestly, didn’t expect to feel a little choked up by a Bloodhound crime book! But there, I said it, N.M. Brown really took me by surprise with that twist!
This is an unputdownable, well-written crime novel that’s distinctive, compelling and memorable!
When by chance Leighton comes across a prostitute kicking up a fuss about her stolen coat that had some money in, and discovers the girl who was seen last seen wearing it has now gone missing, Jones a traffic cop, decides to take it upon himself to investigate if the two are connected.
So what did I think? Detective Jones is such a caring, lovable character, I instantly found myself drawn to him.
Rochelle, the prostitute, is an unlikely sidekick who gets roped into Leighton’s investigations, and she’s also a fantastic character. I was so invested in her part of the story and the danger she’d been inadvertently thrown into. I too, hoped she’d eventually get out of the prostitution racket to achieve her goals and turn her life around, just how she had wished for.
N.M. Brown’s writing really grabbed my attention from the first page, and kept me up all night reading. I especially liked hearing from the serial killer’s point of view. He was so creepy, it really added a new dimension to the story and kept me hooked throughout.
The ending was a bit of a shock. I honestly, didn’t expect to feel a little choked up by a Bloodhound crime book! But there, I said it, N.M. Brown really took me by surprise with that twist!
This is an unputdownable, well-written crime novel that’s distinctive, compelling and memorable!
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/
Hazel (2934 KP) rated If I Die Before I Wake in Books
Jan 21, 2018
An accomplished debut
A who-dunnit story with a difference; told completely from the perspective of Alex who is trapped within his own body and with only the ability to speak to himself inside his own head trying to piece together the clues from the snippets of conversations he can hear and from his own fragmented memory as to how he got where he is.
This was an intriguing read and I really enjoyed that it was told from Alex's point of view - the sense of complete frustration and, at times, desolation at being completely helpless - was excellent and, at times, heart-breaking. I imagine it was extremely difficult to write and it must have taken great restraint not to introduce other concepts or parts of the story that may have helped to move it on but would have reduced the impact of Alex's situation.
This is a very original psychological mystery told in a unique way and I did feel constant anticipation that something was going to happen but, unfortunately, it never really seemed to ... well not until the end that is. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it; it's a good book with great characters and I can't fault the writing style, the flow or the concept, but it just left me with a sense of "is that it?" when I finished when I feel it could have been a fantastic book.
Overall though, this is an accomplished debut novel for the author so if this book is anything to go by, I await the next with eager anticipation.
Many thanks to the publisher, Random House UK Vintage Publishing, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This was an intriguing read and I really enjoyed that it was told from Alex's point of view - the sense of complete frustration and, at times, desolation at being completely helpless - was excellent and, at times, heart-breaking. I imagine it was extremely difficult to write and it must have taken great restraint not to introduce other concepts or parts of the story that may have helped to move it on but would have reduced the impact of Alex's situation.
This is a very original psychological mystery told in a unique way and I did feel constant anticipation that something was going to happen but, unfortunately, it never really seemed to ... well not until the end that is. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it; it's a good book with great characters and I can't fault the writing style, the flow or the concept, but it just left me with a sense of "is that it?" when I finished when I feel it could have been a fantastic book.
Overall though, this is an accomplished debut novel for the author so if this book is anything to go by, I await the next with eager anticipation.
Many thanks to the publisher, Random House UK Vintage Publishing, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Kyera (8 KP) rated The Last Namsara (Iskari, #1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The Last Namsara is Kristen Ciccarelli's debut novel and I am in love. The world building was brilliantly done and laid a strong foundation for her story to grow and develop.
Asha is a dragon hunter and a feared Iksari who is strong and dedicated to her role in the kingdom. Despite the fact that her actions as a child called the dragons who burned her city, she fights every day to redeem herself from her past mistakes and make her father, the King, proud. It was nice to see the main character learns to value herself, even though she has grown up shamed and feared by the people. She overcomes her prejudices and the damage instilled upon her over the course of the novel.
Her transformative journey begins when a slave, Torwin is introduced to her life. He treats her like a normal person, just as she learns to treat him as one. He opens her eyes to the truth of the world and thaws her damaged heart, leading her to learn so much about the people in her kingdom and a better way to live.
There was also a well-written antagonist who was so controlling and cruel that you couldn't help but hate him. It was a nice juxtaposition to Torwin's character and helped push the plot along. For me, the romance was a secondary plot point and sometimes only slowed down the pacing. It wasn't the most important element of the story.
The world building, mythology and the dragons are what shone for me. I cannot wait to see more of this world. I listened to this via audiobook and the narrator, Pearl Mackie did a fantastic job. I loved the authenticity she brought to Asha's character and would highly recommend this audiobook.
Asha is a dragon hunter and a feared Iksari who is strong and dedicated to her role in the kingdom. Despite the fact that her actions as a child called the dragons who burned her city, she fights every day to redeem herself from her past mistakes and make her father, the King, proud. It was nice to see the main character learns to value herself, even though she has grown up shamed and feared by the people. She overcomes her prejudices and the damage instilled upon her over the course of the novel.
Her transformative journey begins when a slave, Torwin is introduced to her life. He treats her like a normal person, just as she learns to treat him as one. He opens her eyes to the truth of the world and thaws her damaged heart, leading her to learn so much about the people in her kingdom and a better way to live.
There was also a well-written antagonist who was so controlling and cruel that you couldn't help but hate him. It was a nice juxtaposition to Torwin's character and helped push the plot along. For me, the romance was a secondary plot point and sometimes only slowed down the pacing. It wasn't the most important element of the story.
The world building, mythology and the dragons are what shone for me. I cannot wait to see more of this world. I listened to this via audiobook and the narrator, Pearl Mackie did a fantastic job. I loved the authenticity she brought to Asha's character and would highly recommend this audiobook.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Life of Crime in Books
Feb 4, 2018
I loved it
What a saga!
What a story!
Fantastic characters, cracking and clever plot, excellent twists, perfect pace ... this had it in bucket loads and had me totally absorbed from the start.
The story follows the life of Jason Rampling and the various capers and general dodgy dealings he uses and gets involved in in order to get away from his and his daughter's crappy life living with his alcoholic mother on a dire council estate.
Jason is an Arthur Daley or Del Boy kind of a character - you could call him a bit of a rogue - but I really warmed to him; yes he's not the kind of man I would want my daughter to bring home but there was something about him that I was drawn to and although I certainly didn't agree with everything he did, I did find myself having some sympathy for him despite the scrapes he got into being mostly of his own doing. Melissa, another of the main characters, is another story ... oh my goodness, she is one character that had me going round in circles ... do I like her or don't I? and don't even get me started on Tracey!!!! There are several other characters that I could mention but I would be going on for ages such is the ability of the author to bring these people to life and make them feel authentic and memorable.
This is a compelling and gripping take on the consequences of living a life of crime and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cracking read with not too much violence.
My thanks must go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
What a story!
Fantastic characters, cracking and clever plot, excellent twists, perfect pace ... this had it in bucket loads and had me totally absorbed from the start.
The story follows the life of Jason Rampling and the various capers and general dodgy dealings he uses and gets involved in in order to get away from his and his daughter's crappy life living with his alcoholic mother on a dire council estate.
Jason is an Arthur Daley or Del Boy kind of a character - you could call him a bit of a rogue - but I really warmed to him; yes he's not the kind of man I would want my daughter to bring home but there was something about him that I was drawn to and although I certainly didn't agree with everything he did, I did find myself having some sympathy for him despite the scrapes he got into being mostly of his own doing. Melissa, another of the main characters, is another story ... oh my goodness, she is one character that had me going round in circles ... do I like her or don't I? and don't even get me started on Tracey!!!! There are several other characters that I could mention but I would be going on for ages such is the ability of the author to bring these people to life and make them feel authentic and memorable.
This is a compelling and gripping take on the consequences of living a life of crime and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cracking read with not too much violence.
My thanks must go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Tokoyo, The Samurai's Daughter in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This was a good kids fantasy read
Contains spoilers, click to show
Tokoyo, The Samurai’s Daughter is a middle grade fantasy novel inspired by The Tale of the Oki Islands. It is a swift read that flows like the water that has so large of a presence in it. It was an enjoyable story featuring a young woman who has to be extremely brave and save her father.
I loved that Tokoyo, The Samurai’s Daughter was all about Tokoyo. Her abilities and determination were what carried her through. There was no male figures that interceded to provide help to get her through the difficult parts. She did it all herself, with only the caring, mental support and encouragement of the Ama. Though there has definitely been a surge of girls being front and center on action and adventure tales lately, it’s still not enough. This book was a welcome addition.
Now, I don’t know anything about Japanese culture, but the representation in here felt respectful and real. (The notes in the back indicate that the author has done plenty of research!) There was nothing about it that was included for laughs. Tokoyo, The Samurai’s Daughter will hopefully provide young readers of Japanese descent another role model they can look up to situated in the history of their country.
Overall, the pace of the novel is fantastic, the prose is near perfect, and the story was an engaging one. Faith L. Justice has done a great job with Tokoyo, the Samurai’s Daughter. And Kayla Gilliam provides simple illustrations that spice up the text every few chapters and provide a treat for the eyes.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author for review consideration as part of Rosie's Book Review Team
I loved that Tokoyo, The Samurai’s Daughter was all about Tokoyo. Her abilities and determination were what carried her through. There was no male figures that interceded to provide help to get her through the difficult parts. She did it all herself, with only the caring, mental support and encouragement of the Ama. Though there has definitely been a surge of girls being front and center on action and adventure tales lately, it’s still not enough. This book was a welcome addition.
Now, I don’t know anything about Japanese culture, but the representation in here felt respectful and real. (The notes in the back indicate that the author has done plenty of research!) There was nothing about it that was included for laughs. Tokoyo, The Samurai’s Daughter will hopefully provide young readers of Japanese descent another role model they can look up to situated in the history of their country.
Overall, the pace of the novel is fantastic, the prose is near perfect, and the story was an engaging one. Faith L. Justice has done a great job with Tokoyo, the Samurai’s Daughter. And Kayla Gilliam provides simple illustrations that spice up the text every few chapters and provide a treat for the eyes.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author for review consideration as part of Rosie's Book Review Team
Steph Freeman (26 KP) rated The Shape of Water (2017) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018
Cinematography was excellent. (1 more)
Character development was perfect, not a lot of detail but enough to fall into their lives.
The Shape of Water - Visually Stunning
The Shape of Water, as discussed in other reviews, follows Eliza Esposito through a snapshot of her life. She has a clear love of water from the beginning, bordering on a fetish, and she connects with few people due to her mutism. The people around her are flawed. Her neighbor is fighting through a new advertising world that no longer values true artwork, her coworker Zelda has a painful home life with a husband that won't participate. Even the characters that are not part of Eliza's life have their struggles depicted within this movie. We see snapshots, just enough to understand these people are flawed, their lives are flawed, their relationships are flawed. Everyone in this movie is struggling towards a goal, though Eliza is the clear focus.
The cinematography reflects the 60's, from the lighting, to the sets and even how the cameras move with the characters. It's a world that engulfs the viewer, suspension of disbelief is a guarantee. The majority of the film is shot in drab, dark colors to reflect the loneliness of the characters, and the fear of the era. It's extremely effective at creating the unspoken sense of unease the country would have felt during the height of the communist scare.
As the movie moves towards the conclusion it becomes more fairy tale than reality. It was still beautiful, and the story still riveting, however, the transition to the more fantastic style was abrupt and could have been handled with more grace. I did appreciate the open ended conclusion, it's rare in American cinema to see, as most American film-goers prefer the ending tied up in a pretty bow.
The cinematography reflects the 60's, from the lighting, to the sets and even how the cameras move with the characters. It's a world that engulfs the viewer, suspension of disbelief is a guarantee. The majority of the film is shot in drab, dark colors to reflect the loneliness of the characters, and the fear of the era. It's extremely effective at creating the unspoken sense of unease the country would have felt during the height of the communist scare.
As the movie moves towards the conclusion it becomes more fairy tale than reality. It was still beautiful, and the story still riveting, however, the transition to the more fantastic style was abrupt and could have been handled with more grace. I did appreciate the open ended conclusion, it's rare in American cinema to see, as most American film-goers prefer the ending tied up in a pretty bow.
Dana (24 KP) rated Annihilation, Book Two in Books
Mar 23, 2018
So in this, the second book of the Annihilation comic series, we get even more characters in the universe!
Many people have been introduced to the Silver Surfer in the second Fantastic Four film by Sony pictures, but we get a lot more information of who he is in this book and I really liked seeing that! We get to see his interactions with the other former heralds of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. This also gives us some background of his power and relationships with the rest of the Marvel Comics Universe. He's a pretty cool character, in my opinion.
In this book, we also get a lot more information about Super Skrull. He's great and I love him. That's all.
Finally, we get to meet Ronan for real. I loved getting to see him as more than just the villain he is painted as in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He gets a backstory and a reason for why he is the way he is! I am actually kind of sympathetic towards him, to be completely honest. I love it when people who can be seen as villains are portrayed as round characters who are more than just evil. He is The Accuser. He has the power to reduce people to ash at the drop of a few words, yet he only does it when he deems it necessary. That's a pretty cool move! Also, the fact that he is not working for the Annihilation crew is a redeeming quality if I have ever seen one!
I am keeping this review pretty short so I can move onto the next one! I can't wait to see how this ends!
Many people have been introduced to the Silver Surfer in the second Fantastic Four film by Sony pictures, but we get a lot more information of who he is in this book and I really liked seeing that! We get to see his interactions with the other former heralds of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. This also gives us some background of his power and relationships with the rest of the Marvel Comics Universe. He's a pretty cool character, in my opinion.
In this book, we also get a lot more information about Super Skrull. He's great and I love him. That's all.
Finally, we get to meet Ronan for real. I loved getting to see him as more than just the villain he is painted as in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He gets a backstory and a reason for why he is the way he is! I am actually kind of sympathetic towards him, to be completely honest. I love it when people who can be seen as villains are portrayed as round characters who are more than just evil. He is The Accuser. He has the power to reduce people to ash at the drop of a few words, yet he only does it when he deems it necessary. That's a pretty cool move! Also, the fact that he is not working for the Annihilation crew is a redeeming quality if I have ever seen one!
I am keeping this review pretty short so I can move onto the next one! I can't wait to see how this ends!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Watcher in Books
Mar 15, 2018
My author Q&A is now live on my blog! Go check it out: http://bookbum.weebly.com/author-qas/qa-with-ross-armstrong-author-of-the-watcher
<i><b>...some lies, even errors and guesses, do turn out to be true.</i></b>
Stay clear of <b>most</b> the reviews on this book so far because I accidentally skimmed over them and got some stuff ruined! Ugh! I <i>promise</i> I won’t spoil anything in my review!
I really like Armstrong’s style of writing, this is <i>a fantastic debut.</i> It’s fast paced, witty and thrilling!
The plot was so intriguing and entertaining, which is why I don’t get why people found this so average on Goodreads! Yeah, maybe the plot has been done before, but that made this no less interesting or fun to read. There were certain aspects of the story that were easily predictable, but reading them unfold made up for the fact you could guess them beforehand.
Lily was a great character! She was really sweet but also incredibly funny! I found myself chuckling at the situations she got herself into and the little anecdotes she’d often share. It was really nice to have this down-to-earth character, who was pretty barmy, troubled and weird, but also happy and friendly to the reader and fictitious neighbours.
This was a really fun book to get carried away with, totally unputdownable! I’m certainly going to keep my eyes peeled for more of Armstrong’s writing in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
<i>p.s. I have an interview with Armstrong coming out on the 29th (the same day this is published), so please check that out on my blog! I'll link it when it's up :-)
<i><b>...some lies, even errors and guesses, do turn out to be true.</i></b>
Stay clear of <b>most</b> the reviews on this book so far because I accidentally skimmed over them and got some stuff ruined! Ugh! I <i>promise</i> I won’t spoil anything in my review!
I really like Armstrong’s style of writing, this is <i>a fantastic debut.</i> It’s fast paced, witty and thrilling!
The plot was so intriguing and entertaining, which is why I don’t get why people found this so average on Goodreads! Yeah, maybe the plot has been done before, but that made this no less interesting or fun to read. There were certain aspects of the story that were easily predictable, but reading them unfold made up for the fact you could guess them beforehand.
Lily was a great character! She was really sweet but also incredibly funny! I found myself chuckling at the situations she got herself into and the little anecdotes she’d often share. It was really nice to have this down-to-earth character, who was pretty barmy, troubled and weird, but also happy and friendly to the reader and fictitious neighbours.
This was a really fun book to get carried away with, totally unputdownable! I’m certainly going to keep my eyes peeled for more of Armstrong’s writing in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
<i>p.s. I have an interview with Armstrong coming out on the 29th (the same day this is published), so please check that out on my blog! I'll link it when it's up :-)