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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated The Secret of Shadow Ranch in Books

Jul 15, 2019

The Secret of Shadow Ranch

Carolyn Keene | 1965 | Children, Mystery

8.7

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

Is the Ranch Haunted?

It’s summer, and Nancy has been invited to spend it with her best friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne on the ranch their uncle Ed and aunt Bet have just bought in Arizona. However, she has barely landed when she learns that things aren’t going well on the ranch. Someone is trying to drive the new owners off the land with acts of sabotage, most of which are foreshadowed by a phantom horse. There is a legend that an old outlaw cursed the ranch, but Nancy thinks the culprits are more modern and very real. Can she figure out what is going on and why?

This may be the fifth book in the series, but this is the first time we are seeing Bess and George, Nancy’s usual sleuthing companions. They jump right in here for another action-packed story. The general plot outline is fairly obvious early on, including a massive coincidence in the story, but that didn’t keep me from turning pages as quickly as I could. As an adult I find the characters thinner than I remember, but we still like them enough to care about the outcome. Since the book was last updated in the 1950’s, some of the language is a little dated (it even stopped me a little), but I doubt it will slow down today’s kids as they race to see how Nancy will piece together this fun mystery.

Kudos

Amelia's Tea (8 KP) rated Mistborn: The Final Empire in Books

Sep 30, 2019

Mistborn: The Final Empire

Brandon Sanderson | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.4

(8 Ratings)

Book Rating

Incredible world-building. A fascinating magic system, and great lore. (2 more)

Great characters, with believable backstories and motivations.

Female protagonist who feels real, flawed, and is relatable.

At times, the action/combat scenes can be hard to follow. Not to say they aren't gripping, it can just be a confusing flurry of motion. (0 more)

A Welcome Surprise

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, as I bought it on a whim based on positive discussion around the author, Sanderson. I took this with me on a holiday, and spent 2 days pouring over the pages - it totally sucked me in!

Initially I found the book hard to get into, just for the sheer amount of information to take in, however when I got over this hump I was sucked in.
I loved the protagonist, Vin. I found her very believable and easy to root for. Without spoiling anything, her story is amazing to follow. She's not a Mary Sue, has her flaws and even failures.
In general, I loved the characters - even the hateable ones, I loved to hate them.

The world-building is incredibly extensive and enjoyable. The lore is fascinating, and this book left me dying to find out more. I ordered the follow-up book while I was still on my holiday, so that it would arrive once I landed home!

Overall I definitely recommend this book for fantasy fans.