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Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction in Books
May 22, 2019
Espionage. Assassins.Middle East.
Homeland meets Syriana in the near future.
When the CIA intercepts intelligence on a terrorist attack in Kuwait, Petra Shirazi, a former field agent, comes face to face with the Ahriman, one of Iran's deadliest assassins.
The story is led by a strong female protagonist who is pitted against her nemesis. To stop him, Petra must confront her past and the traumatic experience that took her out of the field.
This was a well thought out, well written intricate international thriller. The main character, Petra, is an intelligent and independent woman who is forced to overcome her fears and PTSD from a failed field op in order to prevent a massive terrorist attack.
Ms. Guha does a great job weaving the political landscape of the today’s Middle East with a future (2021) that she’s created. It’s a refreshing change from the majority of spy thrillers in that the author stays away from all the typical clichés that can slow a fast paced thriller down. A great first novel.
Very good strong characters and loved the plot.
Really enjoyed this and highly recommend!
This book was provided to me for free for an honest and unbiased review
Homeland meets Syriana in the near future.
When the CIA intercepts intelligence on a terrorist attack in Kuwait, Petra Shirazi, a former field agent, comes face to face with the Ahriman, one of Iran's deadliest assassins.
The story is led by a strong female protagonist who is pitted against her nemesis. To stop him, Petra must confront her past and the traumatic experience that took her out of the field.
This was a well thought out, well written intricate international thriller. The main character, Petra, is an intelligent and independent woman who is forced to overcome her fears and PTSD from a failed field op in order to prevent a massive terrorist attack.
Ms. Guha does a great job weaving the political landscape of the today’s Middle East with a future (2021) that she’s created. It’s a refreshing change from the majority of spy thrillers in that the author stays away from all the typical clichés that can slow a fast paced thriller down. A great first novel.
Very good strong characters and loved the plot.
Really enjoyed this and highly recommend!
This book was provided to me for free for an honest and unbiased review
FilmIntuition (33 KP) rated The Art of Escaping in Books
Sep 20, 2018
Set in Rhode Island, Erin Callahan's The Art of Escaping takes place in the summer between junior and senior year, when most students are busy making plans for their future or trying to pad their applications for college.
Then there are those like our unusual protagonist Mattie who uses her three months away from class to find herself by daring to pursue her passion for escapology.
Tracking down the daughter of her favorite escape artist (a local, female Houdini, if you will), although she's hesitant at first, Miyu gradually gives in and begins teaching Mattie the tricks of her mother's trade from lock picking to underwater escapes. Soon enough Mattie is performing her act under a stage persona at a hip speakeasy like club.
An entertaining albeit unusual YA novel that strains your suspension of disbelief, Callahan's Art gets better the further you get into it.
And while its overly stylized characters come off as wise beyond their years and their retro interests and dialogue might have played better if the book - already retro in feel - had been set in the '80s or '90s, it's a fun, fast, and wholly original read nonetheless.
Then there are those like our unusual protagonist Mattie who uses her three months away from class to find herself by daring to pursue her passion for escapology.
Tracking down the daughter of her favorite escape artist (a local, female Houdini, if you will), although she's hesitant at first, Miyu gradually gives in and begins teaching Mattie the tricks of her mother's trade from lock picking to underwater escapes. Soon enough Mattie is performing her act under a stage persona at a hip speakeasy like club.
An entertaining albeit unusual YA novel that strains your suspension of disbelief, Callahan's Art gets better the further you get into it.
And while its overly stylized characters come off as wise beyond their years and their retro interests and dialogue might have played better if the book - already retro in feel - had been set in the '80s or '90s, it's a fun, fast, and wholly original read nonetheless.
LynetteMcC (0 KP) rated Trickery (Curse of the Gods, #1) in Books
Nov 17, 2018
Character development (2 more)
Good female protagonist
World development
What a refreshing take on the reverse harem genre
Well this was a nice surprise. I’ve only recently started enjoying reading reverse harem novels and find they can be a bit on the cringe side of things. Either there’s too much mushy sentiments or it’s straight into the sex talk right off the bat. While there is some of this here, there’s actually some nice development of both Willa, the gods, sols and worlds.
The abcurses are well fleshed out as individuals even without having full knowledge about them straight away. You don’t grind your teeth or blush everytime they appear on the page, which is a plus.
I’d say if you liked hearing about the Greek gods when you were younger (or now even) and enjoy a kind of hunger games type world then this could be the book for you.
It’s a book I felt comfortable reading in public and I’d say to an extant older teens would be fine reading this as it’s not overtly sexual, at least in this first book ?
The abcurses are well fleshed out as individuals even without having full knowledge about them straight away. You don’t grind your teeth or blush everytime they appear on the page, which is a plus.
I’d say if you liked hearing about the Greek gods when you were younger (or now even) and enjoy a kind of hunger games type world then this could be the book for you.
It’s a book I felt comfortable reading in public and I’d say to an extant older teens would be fine reading this as it’s not overtly sexual, at least in this first book ?
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Dressmaker in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I have previously read Posie Graeme-Evans' trilogy based around Anne de Bohun, and very much enjoyed it. The Dressmaker was another well written book with a likeable female protagonist. I found the first half of the book a bit of a struggle to get through as so many bad things happen to Ellen, our heroine and you get a sense of how awful things are, but the lingering sense that worse is still to come! I liked the second half of the book better as it had a more positive feel to it and of course it did have a satisfying ending.
The book opens with Ellen visited by a mysterious man. We don't know very much about what is going on at this point, but she is clearly shaken by the encounter. After this, we are taken right back to the day of Ellen's birthday and see how events unfold that take her up to the moment we saw in the prologue.
Overall I did enjoy this, but especially to get through the first part I think you need to be in the right frame of mind.
The book opens with Ellen visited by a mysterious man. We don't know very much about what is going on at this point, but she is clearly shaken by the encounter. After this, we are taken right back to the day of Ellen's birthday and see how events unfold that take her up to the moment we saw in the prologue.
Overall I did enjoy this, but especially to get through the first part I think you need to be in the right frame of mind.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein in Books
Jan 23, 2020
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White is a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, written to commemorate the novel’s 200th anniversary. The novel follows Elizabeth Lavenza as she is first introduced to Victor Frankenstein and taken in by his family to manage his temper.
Elizabeth is a crafty protagonist who, over the years under the care of the Frankensteins, is constantly plotting and scheming. Regardless of how messed up Victor’s actions may be, White gives glimpses of moments in Elizabeth’s relationship with him where she entertains him and covers up his actions. Her survival depends on Victor, and her plots are twisted and manipulative to make sure she survives.
Kiersten White’s novel is a solid retelling that incorporates elements from Mary Shelley’s story. Although it is not necessary to read the original novel to enjoy White’s take, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is dark and disturbing and perfect for those who enjoy a horror story with a cunning female lead.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-the-dark-descent-of-elizabeth-frankenstein/">This review is originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>
Elizabeth is a crafty protagonist who, over the years under the care of the Frankensteins, is constantly plotting and scheming. Regardless of how messed up Victor’s actions may be, White gives glimpses of moments in Elizabeth’s relationship with him where she entertains him and covers up his actions. Her survival depends on Victor, and her plots are twisted and manipulative to make sure she survives.
Kiersten White’s novel is a solid retelling that incorporates elements from Mary Shelley’s story. Although it is not necessary to read the original novel to enjoy White’s take, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is dark and disturbing and perfect for those who enjoy a horror story with a cunning female lead.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/review-the-dark-descent-of-elizabeth-frankenstein/">This review is originally posted on 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>
Marisa Merz: The Sky is a Great Space
Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Connie Butler, Ian Alteveer and Leslie Cozzi
Book
Bringing together five decades of painting, sculpture, and installations from the celebrated Italian...
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Red (Dead World, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
After being utterly disappointed by the Servant Series written by L.L. Foster, I was so hesitant to this series that I completely forgot about it until I was recently cleaning out my shelves. It was a spur of the moment decision to read it instead of just giving it away: I couldnt put the book down.
At first, I cringed when it came off as another paranormal romance where the lead female, Red, is strong and independent to the point of annoyance. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. The beginning does show her to be quite capable of taking care of herself, but Summers does not make her a one woman army. Summers also gives Red very human female emotions. Red does not close herself off from the world and her emotions, she gets scared, angry, sexually frustrated, all without fighting said emotions. It was so refreshing, I almost cried.
Not only that but Morgan, the lead male protagonist, was not so overbearingly male that it hurt. Yes, he did try to take control of investigation, only so Red would not figure his big secret out. That was completely believable, as was his alpha male attitude that did not completely run his life. I liked that Summers did not make Morgan the be all the end all male that most male protagonists usually are. She made his cousin Kane, more attractive, but Red still feel for Morgan, another scenario so rare to paranormal romance.
The only issue I had with this novel is that it is placed in the near future with great advancements in technology. While I enjoyed the world that Summers created, it was sometime hard to follow or understand the technology and government. I gathered enough that it did not hinder the enjoyment of the story.
At first, I cringed when it came off as another paranormal romance where the lead female, Red, is strong and independent to the point of annoyance. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. The beginning does show her to be quite capable of taking care of herself, but Summers does not make her a one woman army. Summers also gives Red very human female emotions. Red does not close herself off from the world and her emotions, she gets scared, angry, sexually frustrated, all without fighting said emotions. It was so refreshing, I almost cried.
Not only that but Morgan, the lead male protagonist, was not so overbearingly male that it hurt. Yes, he did try to take control of investigation, only so Red would not figure his big secret out. That was completely believable, as was his alpha male attitude that did not completely run his life. I liked that Summers did not make Morgan the be all the end all male that most male protagonists usually are. She made his cousin Kane, more attractive, but Red still feel for Morgan, another scenario so rare to paranormal romance.
The only issue I had with this novel is that it is placed in the near future with great advancements in technology. While I enjoyed the world that Summers created, it was sometime hard to follow or understand the technology and government. I gathered enough that it did not hinder the enjoyment of the story.
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated Artemis in Books
Oct 6, 2018
Lunar escapades
The opportunity for an early read of ARTEMIS was an easy decision considering my love for The Martian. The similarities in context are there in terms of genre and setting. ARTEMIS is set on the moon and the moon of the future is a large city, corrupt and problematic, but home for many.
Jasmine (Jazz) Bashara is the protagonist for ARTEMIS and I can now say that Andy Weir writes a female lead with ease and natural ability. I liked her, her little criminal heart and all her dealings. She was the epitome of a strong female. I championed her ambitions and loved finding out about her culture and upbringing. Moon culture was something of a diverse melting pot of people, with guilds that separated the cultures and trades. It was just fascinating reading, that painted colour and interest in my imagination.
The moon was an interesting read but at about 30%, the story just went BAM! The plot was gripping but complex, you need to concentrate and like The Martian, ARTEMIS requires some patience with the technical speak but I didn’t get lost on the whole. Whilst Jazz was front and centre of this story, I enjoyed other characters, her father, Rudy, also Trond and Svoboda (he’s still waiting for her to test that condom).
I’m really thrilled that Andy Weir was able to follow up The Martian with something solid, different but still with the same thrills, tension and characterisation. I now know that I’m going to jump on any release he has. I recommend to Sci-fi fans and open minded readers alike because I don’t think you need to be a staunch sci-fi fan to appreciate ARTEMIS.
Jasmine (Jazz) Bashara is the protagonist for ARTEMIS and I can now say that Andy Weir writes a female lead with ease and natural ability. I liked her, her little criminal heart and all her dealings. She was the epitome of a strong female. I championed her ambitions and loved finding out about her culture and upbringing. Moon culture was something of a diverse melting pot of people, with guilds that separated the cultures and trades. It was just fascinating reading, that painted colour and interest in my imagination.
The moon was an interesting read but at about 30%, the story just went BAM! The plot was gripping but complex, you need to concentrate and like The Martian, ARTEMIS requires some patience with the technical speak but I didn’t get lost on the whole. Whilst Jazz was front and centre of this story, I enjoyed other characters, her father, Rudy, also Trond and Svoboda (he’s still waiting for her to test that condom).
I’m really thrilled that Andy Weir was able to follow up The Martian with something solid, different but still with the same thrills, tension and characterisation. I now know that I’m going to jump on any release he has. I recommend to Sci-fi fans and open minded readers alike because I don’t think you need to be a staunch sci-fi fan to appreciate ARTEMIS.
Meshes of the Afternoon
9.0
Rate It
Book
?Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) is the most important film in the history of American avant-garde...
An unexpected gem
I decided to read this book purely based on the reviews on here and on Goodreads. It sounded so different to my usual reads that I thought it'd be worth trying, and I'm very thankful I did.
It started off a little unsure, but this could have been down to me getting used to the style of writing and language style used to represent the characters and gods. However it soon picks up and really draws you in. It's an epic tale spanning so many different aspects of Greek gods and mythology. I could barely believe so many mythological tales had been spun into this, and not only that but done brilliant well. It's such a comprehensive and intriguing tale of the goddess Circe, who is a well rounded and feisty female protagonist. I really struggled to put this book down, and my only disappointment is that it took so long to read, and that it ended too of course. I could have quite happily read on about many more tales of Greek gods and mythology woven into Circe's life.
For me this book was pure escapism. Well written and highly captivating, diving into a book about gods and goddesses is a fantastic way to escape the dreary realities of real life.
It started off a little unsure, but this could have been down to me getting used to the style of writing and language style used to represent the characters and gods. However it soon picks up and really draws you in. It's an epic tale spanning so many different aspects of Greek gods and mythology. I could barely believe so many mythological tales had been spun into this, and not only that but done brilliant well. It's such a comprehensive and intriguing tale of the goddess Circe, who is a well rounded and feisty female protagonist. I really struggled to put this book down, and my only disappointment is that it took so long to read, and that it ended too of course. I could have quite happily read on about many more tales of Greek gods and mythology woven into Circe's life.
For me this book was pure escapism. Well written and highly captivating, diving into a book about gods and goddesses is a fantastic way to escape the dreary realities of real life.