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Merissa (11704 KP) rated In the Eye of the Storm (Full Circle #1) in Books
Dec 8, 2021
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM is the first book in the Full Circle series BUT it is a follow-on series from The Base, which I haven't read. I'm afraid this DID affect my enjoyment of the book as there were plenty of characters and situations referred to that I had absolutely no idea about.
This is a dark, fast-paced story that delves into the world of child sex trafficking, trying to rescue said children, and helping them live their best lives after dealing with the trauma involved.
The characters were mostly heart-warming. I wasn't able to feel the full effect of the big bad as I feel he probably made more of an impact in the original series. It is told from multiple perspectives so sometimes it seemed to flit across the surface, rather than give any depth to the feelings and emotions.
It has an ending that leaves it wide open for further stories. The writing itself was good, I just had trouble connecting with the story or the characters.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
This is a dark, fast-paced story that delves into the world of child sex trafficking, trying to rescue said children, and helping them live their best lives after dealing with the trauma involved.
The characters were mostly heart-warming. I wasn't able to feel the full effect of the big bad as I feel he probably made more of an impact in the original series. It is told from multiple perspectives so sometimes it seemed to flit across the surface, rather than give any depth to the feelings and emotions.
It has an ending that leaves it wide open for further stories. The writing itself was good, I just had trouble connecting with the story or the characters.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Merissa (11704 KP) rated Clara's Return (Stories of Lorst #2) in Books
May 15, 2018
Clara's Return (Stories of Lorst #2) by Suzanna J. Linton
Clara's Return starts where Clara finished. She is on her way back to her home as she tries to find out just who she is. Is she 'just' the King's Seer, or is there more to her than that? Clara is an wonderful character who has grown in these two books. She is quiet, happy to stay in the background, but she won't take any prisoners either. Stubborn as a mule, un-trusting and sometimes cynical, she is also loyal, quick-witted and warm. Clara and Emmerich spend most of the book apart, but that doesn't stop them from 'seeing' the other.
I really enjoyed this book, and would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. However, I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt - even Clara had questions that weren't answered. I sincerely hope that this means there will be another book in the Stories of Lorst series.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I really enjoyed this book, and would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. However, I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt - even Clara had questions that weren't answered. I sincerely hope that this means there will be another book in the Stories of Lorst series.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Kate (482 KP) rated The Unravel in Books
Oct 27, 2019
Loved this book
I loved this book. It was such a good read. It kept me gripped from page 1. There was a few stories going on but they were all connected. There wasn't really anything I didn't like except it took me a few lines of each chapter to realise which person that chapter related to.
It sounded like a book I would normally read and enjoy and it exceeded the blurb.
I really got to understand the characters and their different traits and personalities. I really started to feel for Soul and the book made me really feel.
The book explained why Soul did these things and I really understood but at the same time I wanted to say to her that she is all these people.
If there a sequel I would definitely read this but I don't see how there could be another book with Soul as the genre would have to change. There are more books in regards to the 2nd main character. The police lady.
It sounded like a book I would normally read and enjoy and it exceeded the blurb.
I really got to understand the characters and their different traits and personalities. I really started to feel for Soul and the book made me really feel.
The book explained why Soul did these things and I really understood but at the same time I wanted to say to her that she is all these people.
If there a sequel I would definitely read this but I don't see how there could be another book with Soul as the genre would have to change. There are more books in regards to the 2nd main character. The police lady.
Kate (482 KP) rated The Christmas Invitation in Books
Jan 6, 2020
This was a good story and I like reading romances. There were quite a few similarities between the book and Cindrella. I'm not a massive fan when books use bits and pieces from other stories as it doesn't feel very original.
I was hooked from the first chapter and it got my attention. It also kept me entertained.
The book was well written and I got a feel for the characters and their voices.
The story made me smile and also made me sad in some parts which added to the book.
Any age could read this book but it maybe is for late teens - early twenties.
It was a really nice chistmassy book to read over the Christmas holidays.
I would definitely read a second book if there was one as it would be nice to see the next chapter in their lives.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I was hooked from the first chapter and it got my attention. It also kept me entertained.
The book was well written and I got a feel for the characters and their voices.
The story made me smile and also made me sad in some parts which added to the book.
Any age could read this book but it maybe is for late teens - early twenties.
It was a really nice chistmassy book to read over the Christmas holidays.
I would definitely read a second book if there was one as it would be nice to see the next chapter in their lives.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Shaun Collins (3 KP) rated Weapon X: Days Of Future Now in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Recommended to me by a friend, and sadly, I don't feel like I can review this fairly. While the book itself is solid X-Men stuff and good art abounds, it's very much a coda in the Weapon X saga. A wrap up to a VERY long, VERY involved story arc... of which I have no knowledge or information. I come to the Xverse from the 90s cartoon, the movies and a handful of TPB stories like Age of Apocalypse and God Loves, Man Kills. I just don't have a frame of reference to go on with this story. I'm sure some of the events (and deaths) are meant to be epic OMG moments, but I wasn't there for all the set up, so they were left empty.
Merissa (11704 KP) rated Cosmic Cabaret in Books
Dec 12, 2017
Cosmic Cabaret: Science Fiction Romance Anthology
Cosmic Cabaret is an anthology of science fiction romance stories that all take place upon the LS Quantum. Each story is individual, with separate characters and situations.
This is an AMAZING anthology. You could even say it was out of this world! (Sorry, it had to be done!) Some of the stories involve insta-love, some of them have loved from afar for years. Some are people on the run, some are princes and princesses, some are both prince/princess AND on the run. What I'm trying to say is that there is something here for everyone.
Each story is very well written, with characters and situations that are completely relate-able, so long as you keep the sci-fi theme fresh in your mind. From doctors to spies to male dancers to Burlesque dancers, this anthology has it all. I didn't feel like a single story let it down, although I do obviously have my favourites. I have found some new (to me) authors that I will be reading more of, which is always a good thing. Absolutely recommended by me, and I'm hoping for more to come!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is an AMAZING anthology. You could even say it was out of this world! (Sorry, it had to be done!) Some of the stories involve insta-love, some of them have loved from afar for years. Some are people on the run, some are princes and princesses, some are both prince/princess AND on the run. What I'm trying to say is that there is something here for everyone.
Each story is very well written, with characters and situations that are completely relate-able, so long as you keep the sci-fi theme fresh in your mind. From doctors to spies to male dancers to Burlesque dancers, this anthology has it all. I didn't feel like a single story let it down, although I do obviously have my favourites. I have found some new (to me) authors that I will be reading more of, which is always a good thing. Absolutely recommended by me, and I'm hoping for more to come!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Bazaar of Bad Dreams in Books
Aug 15, 2017
Author commentary (2 more)
Plenty of dark humor
The handful of good stories were really great
Much of the collection simply fell flat (1 more)
Mix of genres was sometimes disjointing
An underwhelming collection from the King
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a large collection of novellas and short stories that include a wide variety of genres. Each time I turned the page to the next story it would be kind of a wild card and I never knew what to expect which was both good and bad. While it was nice that the variety keeps things fresh, it also made the collection feel disorganized. The stories in the anthology don’t fit any particular theme, instead they just seemed like odds and ends thrown into a master volume. This will probably not be a big deal to many, but for me it just broke the flow.
On a more positive note, one of my favorite aspects of King’s writing is the incredibly dark humor that is present in much of his work. I think the addition of comedy helps to break some of the tension from the otherwise horrific stories and I found myself chuckling several times while reading. The anecdotes before each story were fun to read and gave some interesting insight into King’s writing processes and the things that inspire him. These personal little notes were one of the major highlights of the collection since it serves as a way of connecting the reader to the writer. King to me just has a likable voice and I enjoy reading or listening to his talks.
My favorite story out of the entire collection was no contest, there was one story that stood out to me more than the others: Under the Weather. The short is just so well paced and filled me with so much dread from start to finish that I was in awe. It really showcased King’s mastery of the technical aspects of writing and how to build tension and suspense. Other notable stories were Mile 81, Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Dune, Under the Weather, The Little Green God of Agony, and Summer Thunder.
Despite all of my praise, it was difficult for me to decide how I wanted to rate this collection. The stories are decent, there are even a few really good ones in the collection, but overall it was nowhere near King’s best. When I closed the book I felt relieved to finally be done, which is not the best feeling to have after finishing a book. Many of the stories seemed to be either love or hate to me and so it was really a mixed bag. Even after I’d finish a story I enjoyed and put the book down for the night, I’d find that I had no motivation to pick the book back up again the next day. Because of this I ended up taking a full month to read this collection which is slower than my average. I had actually been thinking of rating this book lower but the strong final stories drove me to push my rating up a little higher.
On a more positive note, one of my favorite aspects of King’s writing is the incredibly dark humor that is present in much of his work. I think the addition of comedy helps to break some of the tension from the otherwise horrific stories and I found myself chuckling several times while reading. The anecdotes before each story were fun to read and gave some interesting insight into King’s writing processes and the things that inspire him. These personal little notes were one of the major highlights of the collection since it serves as a way of connecting the reader to the writer. King to me just has a likable voice and I enjoy reading or listening to his talks.
My favorite story out of the entire collection was no contest, there was one story that stood out to me more than the others: Under the Weather. The short is just so well paced and filled me with so much dread from start to finish that I was in awe. It really showcased King’s mastery of the technical aspects of writing and how to build tension and suspense. Other notable stories were Mile 81, Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Dune, Under the Weather, The Little Green God of Agony, and Summer Thunder.
Despite all of my praise, it was difficult for me to decide how I wanted to rate this collection. The stories are decent, there are even a few really good ones in the collection, but overall it was nowhere near King’s best. When I closed the book I felt relieved to finally be done, which is not the best feeling to have after finishing a book. Many of the stories seemed to be either love or hate to me and so it was really a mixed bag. Even after I’d finish a story I enjoyed and put the book down for the night, I’d find that I had no motivation to pick the book back up again the next day. Because of this I ended up taking a full month to read this collection which is slower than my average. I had actually been thinking of rating this book lower but the strong final stories drove me to push my rating up a little higher.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Blackcoat's Daughter (February) (2015) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Joan is a lost girl that is trying to return home from a hospital which brings along a couple that want to help her to make up for the fact they lost their daughter, Kat is the emotionless quiet girl at the school who hasn’t heard from her parents before winter break and must stay there with Rose. Rose is the other girl that got left at the home, I feel she is older and expected to be the one to look after Kat.
Performance – The three girls Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton are all good through the film, they each create their own personality for their characters which does make us care what they are up to however confusing it all gets.
Story – The story here is very confusing, we follow two seemingly different story arcs about girls that find themselves becoming possessed by an evil spirit, we don’t get to focus on either of them enough and they don’t seem to meet up at any point to explain why we need to watch two different stories unfold. I do feel this does end up coming off attempting to be too smart for its own good leaving us with nothing important happening.
Horror – This tries to play into the psycological horror but ends up falling slightly short because it ends up being confusing.
Settings – The settings don’t help here either because we follow the two stories one is on the road while the other is around the middle of the home the girls are staying.
Special Effects – The effects are good without being overused and mostly used for gore effects.
Scene of the Movie – Stop here, because it is shocking.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It was just too confusing.
Tagline – She Returns.
Final Thoughts – This film is just too confusing really, it makes everything hard to follow which didn’t make it enjoyable to follow.
Overall: Too Confusing.
Rating
Performance – The three girls Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka and Lucy Boynton are all good through the film, they each create their own personality for their characters which does make us care what they are up to however confusing it all gets.
Story – The story here is very confusing, we follow two seemingly different story arcs about girls that find themselves becoming possessed by an evil spirit, we don’t get to focus on either of them enough and they don’t seem to meet up at any point to explain why we need to watch two different stories unfold. I do feel this does end up coming off attempting to be too smart for its own good leaving us with nothing important happening.
Horror – This tries to play into the psycological horror but ends up falling slightly short because it ends up being confusing.
Settings – The settings don’t help here either because we follow the two stories one is on the road while the other is around the middle of the home the girls are staying.
Special Effects – The effects are good without being overused and mostly used for gore effects.
Scene of the Movie – Stop here, because it is shocking.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It was just too confusing.
Tagline – She Returns.
Final Thoughts – This film is just too confusing really, it makes everything hard to follow which didn’t make it enjoyable to follow.
Overall: Too Confusing.
Rating
Mothergamer (1514 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of Trials of Mana in Video Games
Jul 13, 2020
I remember playing the original Trials Of Mana and enjoying it for the story and gameplay. This Trials Of Mana is a remake and instead of a 2D topdown, it is now fully 3D with updated graphics and modernized gameplay. The story while simple is good and the game itself is charming because of the characters, music, and combat system. Battles are fun and grinding doesn't feel like a chore at all because of the more modern feel. You have 6 different characters to choose from for your main character and can choose 2 characters to be your companions to round out your party. This gives you different story chapters showing you different origin stories for each character as well as different villains. The world in the game is fairly linear with just the main quest and no real side quests, but that doesn't detract from the game too much because there is a lot of replay value with new game plus and the chance to play the game with new characters. The game is about 30 hours and for me personally it was fun and had a nice fairytale feel to it and it appealed to my nostalgia of the original and introduced my daughters to a new JRPG that they really liked. Full Mothergamer review is here: http://lorrie28-mothergamer.blogspot.com/2020/07/mothergamer-plays-trials-of-mana.html
ALilLacey (2 KP) rated Daynight (Daynight, #1) in Books
Mar 4, 2019
Great new dysotopian story! Welcome to Thera where we live during the night and sleep during the day. And oh ya, if you recognize some familiar faces here from people you thought were previously gone there may be a reason behind it.
I really enjoyed the concept behind daynight and that I couldn't predict where the book was going but it wasn't so far-fetched that I couldnt follow along. I love a good surprise. I also liked that each chapter followed along one of three main characters in the story. I didn't get lost with switching in between their perspectives as the author did a good job of seperating their personalities and stories.
Kira at times could be a little naive but it added to the emotion of wanting her to see that not only did she have one man favoring her but two. Can't wait for book 2!!
And thank you to the author for the clean read! I definitely feel okay with recommending this book to others without being concerned by content.
I really enjoyed the concept behind daynight and that I couldn't predict where the book was going but it wasn't so far-fetched that I couldnt follow along. I love a good surprise. I also liked that each chapter followed along one of three main characters in the story. I didn't get lost with switching in between their perspectives as the author did a good job of seperating their personalities and stories.
Kira at times could be a little naive but it added to the emotion of wanting her to see that not only did she have one man favoring her but two. Can't wait for book 2!!
And thank you to the author for the clean read! I definitely feel okay with recommending this book to others without being concerned by content.