QuietlyBookish (65 KP) rated Truthwitch in Books
Jul 20, 2017
I also loved the relationship between Safiya and Iseult (although I have absolutely no idea how to correctly pronounce their names), it was nice to see a strong female friendship in a YA story, I don't see it very often! Plus I loved how they balanced each other out and brought out the best in each other.
Unfortunately, I felt at times that I couldn't keep up with the plot and all the history etc. I did find myself confused about which characters were which and how they all connected. I was also unsure about whether we had already learnt about things regarding the history of the world when they were referenced, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
The actual plot was very fast-paced and full of action, there was never a dull moment!
This book is definitely character driven, at least in my opinion, and you really got to know these characters; their strengths and their weaknesses, their faults and their flaws. I can't wait to pick up the sequel!
Tapestry of Fortunes
8.0
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A wonderful new novel about four women who take a trip into their past, to find again the people...
Chloe (778 KP) rated Tag (2018) in Movies
Feb 19, 2021
The characters fit well together and I could believe that they probably wouldn't be friends without the game. However, they were supposed to have a good friendship and I'm not sure that was really invoked till right at the end. I think there could have been more work on remembering the good times as they visited lots of places from their teen years.
When I was first introduced to the reporter I thought, oh so you've tried to appeal to a female audience too by adding in a character to explain the plot but actually I think this highlights the true story aspect.
I can't believe some of the subjects that are dealt with. By the end of it you are second guessing everything as no plot is too big for these guys, just to tag one another.
Would recommend if you are fancying a funny, silly light-hearted films.
Keras (Guardians of Hades #7)
8.0
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Keras is darkness. It sustains him. It strengthens him. It offers relief from the pain born of his...
Paranormal Romance
The Nine
9.0
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The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of...
War Resistance WorldWarII
My Favorite Half-Night Stand
6.5
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Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a...
From Twinkle, with Love
6.8
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An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from...
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Killbox (Sirantha Jax, #4) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I really love Sirantha Jax's strength and complexity. She has grown and changed a great deal over the four books of the series, and reflects on the changes in herself during this book. Her relationship with March has deepened, as well. The depiction of a mature relationship being tested, rather than one that is fresh and new, is a nice switch from most of the books I've read recently.
The friendship between Velith and Jax is also a treasure. It is rare to see a pure friendship between a male and a female in fiction, without any sexual tension entering the picture. We're reminded that while he is an alien, Velith has had a human lover in the past, so it isn't as if that is impossible between the two — it just doesn't occur.
The book isn't solely about relationships, of course — I just appreciate how well Aguirre depicts relationships in and around the excellent plot. That's the part that you need background to understand.
The Morgut keep coming, a bigger threat than ever: they're colonizing instead of raiding. Jax secured a treaty with the Ithiss-Tor (Velith's people), but there's no help from them coming yet. Humanity's survival is on the line. Aguirre depicts battle believably, giving a sense of the horror without dwelling too much on gore.
Lovers are torn apart, established characters die, new ones come on stage. It's impossible to know at any given moment whether anyone, including Jax, will survive from scene to scene. That certainly kept me reading, and I think it will engage you, as well.
North is the Night
8.0
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With the dark, mythical magic of the Winternight trilogy, and the slow-burn romance of Spinning...
Historical fiction
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Widows in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The author noted, “This is a darker and deeper style of writing, much more than my other stories. For example, I examine the Pinkerton men and the violence they used. I read multiple books that talked about how these men would shoot up the striking camps. I put in this book quote by one of the Pinkerton men, ‘A real war, and then, rule of law won’t matter. Those miners who resist, why, we’ll put ‘em down like rabid dogs.’”
The protagonists Lily and Marvena are based on the real-life historical figures of Maude Collins, the first female sheriff in Ohio, and Mother Jones, the famous activist and labor organizer. Sheriff Daniel Ross, the husband of Lily is murdered and no one knows by whom. Those powerful in the town want to pin it on a coal miner, Marvena’s brother. She has something in common with Lily since she also lost her husband, but to a coal mining accident. Because the mine owners think she will be easy to control, Lily is appointed sheriff pending the next election. But having a mind of her own and a sense of justice she partners with Marvena to find the elusive murderer and Marvena’s missing daughter.
“I wrote both Lily and Marvena as tough. Lily is sensitive but is also a protector who wants to support her community. She keeps her emotions close to her heart. Marvena is fierce and persistent, but also has a tender streak. Although both women were wary of each other at first, they have a common goal to find out what happened. They end up with a strong friendship and recognize that each is balancing their own demons.”
Readers might be curious as to what is real and what is fiction. Montgomery commented, “In real life Collins had five children, and the person who killed her husband was known. I decided it would be interesting to have Lily take the sheriff position to find out who killed her husband. The similarity is that both women lost their husbands in the line of duty, both were appointed sheriff, and both were elected. The differences: Lily is eight years younger than Maude during that time period and she had only had two children.”
Historical facts are intertwined in this novel that also has strong female characters and an intriguing mystery. Readers get a glimpse into the 1920s-coal mining town in Appalachian Ohio as the author examines women’s rights, prohibition, and the life of a coal miner.