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A Cross to Bear
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Cross to Bear is the college life story of a young man who knows what he wants, but is unprepared for what he gets. Logan is happy to be at college; he has a full scholarship on the swim team, he has other classes to keep his brain active, he meets the girl of his dreams, and finds friends that he never knew he was missing. Of course, not everything is peachy, and both Logan and Bree have things to deal with, both in their pasts and present.

This book starts at the end, and then you go to the beginning, slowly working your way back to the end. Trust me, it works. So many emotions when I was reading this! So sad, so hard, and also so horrible in some ways. Ethan is the first class bad guy, he really was completely loathsome. I wish I could say that he gets his comeuppance in this book, but he doesn't. I will have to pray to Jet's Gods of Karma in the hope that he did!

Extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this was a book that I enjoyed, even though parts of it were hard to read, so well done to Julieanne Lynch! Definitely recommended.

* 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!
  
I absolutely loved this book! Suzanne Woods Fisher is a new to me author and I was excited to read her new book. The characters were all unique and personable, I laughed and was sad with them. I felt like the characters were friends whom I knew by the end of the book. Not many authors I’ve read can do that for me. There were several different sets of characters that I got to meet in this book; after finishing I found out that several of the characters are in other books that Suzanne Woods Fisher has written, but I would definitely say you could read this one as a standalone.

Other interesting things about this book were the topics; The Amish taking in kids from foster care, struggles between newlyweds, dealing with Gods calling on your life… So many great topics and Suzanne Woods Fisher did a great job in my opinion of weaving them all together in a believable way. I loved her use of something unexpected coming up in life that you are totally unprepared for and God showing you how to use it for His good. I needed that reminder!
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for originality, the great sets of characters, and making me interested enough to get the rest of the series! I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one by Suzanne Woods Fisher.
I volunteered to read this book from Celebrate Lit it return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead: Magnus Chase Series Book 3
Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead: Magnus Chase Series Book 3
Rick Riordan | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Magnus & Alex (5 more)
Friendship
Big Banana
Chase Space
Percabeth
Pottery Barn
Dragon Dad (3 more)
Ragnarok
A Ship Made Out of Zombie Nails (Gross)
Abusive Dads
World Ending? Not again...
Stop the end of the world. Sounds easy enough, right?

How many times are children of the Gods going to have to do this before one of them has the foretold quest to alter it where life as we know it is not in peril?

Magnus Chase and his friends have to stop Loki, ensure Naglfar doesn't sail, and prevent Ragnarok. Oh, also all while fighting giants with pottery, getting Godly blood and spit mead from giants in the hopes it'll help Magnus in an insult contest with Loki, seeing if Granddad Njord's ex-wife will help them out or let them freeze like a pre-made dinner meal supermom prepared for someone else to pop in the oven. Did I mention Floor 19 Crew has to do all these tasks without dying because not being in Hotel Valhalla equals no responding to life in their rooms. No do overs. No second chances. Simply dead. Easy as pie.

To not spoil this for those of you who have yet to read book three I'll end my sum of The Ship of the Dead and continue on with my praise.

Though there is the question of the voices, if this is the last of Magnus Chase then I have to say I'm pleased with our trilogy of the Norse Gods. In Sword of Summer, Hammer of Thor, and now The Ship of the Dead we've had the characters fleshed out. We've seen them grown. We've witness them overcome personal trails and fight through fears (can we say good job Magnus for fighting wolves even though it is clearly a phobia?). This has proved even those waiting for their day of judgement for centuries can change who they are and accept things even if they are not okay with them.

Somehow in 400 pages that pasts of Halfborn, Mallory, and T.J. were laid out to be part of the main plot, but also show development of the characters and how their own lessons would help on the quest. We were actually able to learn how far they have come from who they were before they died, after death, and who they are now. It was even written how to show they are still learning their lessons and have things to overcome now, which is perfectly okay as long as they stay strong and levelheaded.

The daughters/son of Loki had to overcome their own fears of being good enough despite what poison their fathers have caused them to believe. Even Hearthstone has to return to face the curse over his family one more time. Even Magnus has a realization he has wroth and even if some may not see it, he does and so do his friends.

The Ship of the Dead seems to be about looking at your fears and flaws, realizing they are there, and having to make the choice what you will do about them. Will you allow them to take over your life? Or will you work to be a better person? Are you going to let one moment in the past ruin your future? Or will you take the lesson and forgive yourself, forgive someone else, and live the best life you can? Will you let a parents shortcomings decide how you live? Or will you choose to look beyond their views and become a better person than they are?
  
Beyond a Darkened Shore
Beyond a Darkened Shore
Jessica Leake | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
8.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
I had serious mixed feelings about this book. It promised Viking’s and magic and adventure and that was all there no doubt but not really well.

The book opens straight up with a raid. This is great as it shows us Ciara’s abilities and lets us get a feel for the story to come and our characters in general. But then it didn’t live up to this great introduction. There are plenty of action sequences, battles for Dubhlinn, battles with giants, battles with sea serpents, battles with gods, but they were all so short. Seriously almost every battle was over in about three-four pages. It felt like the author had all these great ideas and then didn’t know how to execute them.

The mythology. I was excited for this book as it was a mixture of Celtic and Norse mythology. It definitely had these elements but maybe too much? There were gods and goddesses, fairy tunnels, each-uisch, giants, magic, the wild hunt, sea serpents, Valhalla, these would have all been fine if they had a purpose. Most of these things appear for 5 pages and then are never mentioned again. It read like the author was trying to throw all of the mythology she knew at us and was trying so hard to prove, Look! Magic is real in this world. It wasn’t all necessary.

The characters. I loved Ciara. She stood up for herself, she didn’t care what anyone else thought, she was strong and independent.

Leif. I liked him to start. He was sassy, sarcastic, he stood up for those he thought were getting mistreated. But then, he did some things that made me seriously question his judgement. There is a scene where Ciara cannot sleep so decides to go and find the Viking mage. When she walks into the room full of drunk Viking men on of them attempts to rape her. Leif does help but then blames her for it saying she shouldn’t have put herself in a dangerous situation. Ciara immediately calls him out and says it’s not my fault I almost got raped because I am female. He quickly tries to backtrack but she is having none of it. This made me love Ciara more and start to question Leif.

Another questionable scene is after Ciara finds out something drastic about Leif’s family. She is understandably upset and leaves. Leif proceeds to chase her, threaten to break down her door and then forces himself on her when she opens it. Again Ciara shuts him down asking how her dare kiss her at that moment. He simply wanted her and didn’t want her to be angry. HOW ABOUT DON’T FORCE YOURSLEF ON HER THEN IDIOT?

The ending. The ending felt so rushed. Seriously we fight the giants and goddesses, sail all the way back to Ireland, have another battle and get established back at Ciara’s home all wishing about 50 pages. It was so rushed. Like the writer was nearing a page count and couldn’t go over or something.

Having said all of this I did really enjoy reading the book. It didn’t take very long was a pleasant reading experience. If it sounds like something you would like then go check it out.
  
Awaken Online: Evolution
Awaken Online: Evolution
Travis Bagwell | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Somewhat lengthy and drawn out but still compelling reading
The third (main) book in the Awaken Online series of LitRPG adventures starts with Jason being found standing over two dead teenagers, having apparently killed them. There then follows some legal wranglings, and for obvious reasons Jason isn't able to enter the world of AO during this period, so we are treated to the longest sequence of real world story in the series yet. This makes for a refreshing change, but I was glad when he gets some reprieve and can get back online.
A new adventure awaits as Jason, Riley and Frank travel to try and finish Jason's quest to further his skills of necromancy. This story hinges quite a lot on Retribution, the first side-quest so it is heartily recommended that novella is read first!
The plot in this book starts to centre around the in-game gods, and their competition to regain their powers through a chosen avatar (Jason being the dark one's representative).
The action set pieces of the book once again comes in the form of a dungeon task and really is quite compelling reading for large sections.
While this is a mammoth book, there are no points where the action seems to stall or that could have been cut.
I have marked this book down slightly due to a few annoying quirks of the narrative that have crept in (using the phrase "you all", which I read as "y'all", rather than "you" when spoken by what is supposed to be an authentic medieval character) and a few typos or wrong word choices.
  
Unforgivable Lover (Warriors of Lemuria #5)
Unforgivable Lover (Warriors of Lemuria #5)
Rosalie Redd | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
8
6.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
sad to say goodbye!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 5 in the series, and you really SHOULD read books 1 through 4 first. The prequel short isn't really necessary though.

Gaetan is the Healer at the Keep. When Noeh's son takes himself through the portal, Gaetan sets out to find him, and ends up saving Nikki from a Gossum attack. But in doing so, sets off a chain of events that will lead to the end of this war.

I have enjoyed this series, and it's always sad to see the end come but I find myself a little disappointed and I have no idea why!

Oh, don't get me wrong, Gaetan and Nikki's story is a good one, and we get why his leg is injured and just why his sister Ginnia, is how she is. Heartbreaking, when Gaetan tells Nikki that. And the Gods on Lemuria play their final pieces, and everything becomes, mostly anyway, clear.

I just ...UGH!!! I just felt, good as it was, it all came to a head far too quickly, and without all the drama I was expecting! Please don't hate me, ya'll know I have to tell you how I FEEL about my books, and this one left me a little wanting. Of WHAT exactly, I've no bloody idea!!

BUT!!!

Besides from the fact this book brings the series to an end, I did enjoy it, and I would still highly recommend this series for those who like paranormal, or fantasy romances.

Always sad to see a series come to an end.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
40x40

Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies

Mar 10, 2018 (Updated Mar 10, 2018)  
Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther (2018)
2018 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Strong representation for a change
Hooray for Hollywood for finally making a film in which black people are portrayed as strong and advanced individuals, and more strikingly - an alternative vision of an Africa uncolonised.

In comparison to the other representative blockbuster @Wonder Woman (2017), Black Panther had a less two dimensional villain, and a more developed plot.

Instead of an evil Nazi general or a God of War, who have no other reason to destroy humanity but for the sake of it, Killimonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, is understandably troubled living in destitute conditions as an African American fighting an oppressive system.

His anger manifests in his sense of entitlement, of a life that was stolen from him, and feeling betrayed by those in power who could have rescued him. It is similar to the relationship between Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men series where there is still a deep respect between the two and the attempt to solve humanity's problems in differing ways. Here, Marvel continues to excel in story-telling where DC falls behind.

T'challa is also fallible, he is human after all, and so he shows his vulnerability during one-on-one combats, unlike Wonder Woman who is an all powerful weapon to fight the gods. Here, the women in Black Panther surpass other superhero movies as generals, warriors and activists with more than a love interest type role, although some characters played both.

And while I'm not actually a massive fan of the genre - it is a cultural feat to watch diversity on the screens, which is why I'll continue to like Wonder Woman, while profoundly admiring Black Panther. #WakandaForever
  
'D
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received an e-book copy of this book from the editor in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I was intrigued by the prospect of "modernized mythology." The idea that the Greek gods and goddesses are around right now, during our time, working to change humans into immortals through a competition was extremely interesting, and I couldn't wait to see how it played out.

I wasn't disappointed, as the story held my interest throughout, and I found myself trying to figure out which character was which Green god/goddess before it was actually stated. I've always been a fan of mythology, and this brought it to a new level, especially with the competition for immortality. Mary Jane's backstory is extremely sad, but her and Lucas seem to make a great couple, and I look forward to reading more of their story as they move on at the end of the book.

The only criticism I have is I wish it was longer. I thought it was over 280 pages, according to the count on my Kindle app, but the story actually ended around 220, with chapters from two future works at the end. Although the plot is thoroughly developed, I wanted more of it, whether it was more of Lucas and Mary Jane, or information about her parents, or even more with her and her aunt, Eden. However, I know this is only the first in a series, so I'm sure those things will be carried into the next book, which I hope comes out soon. =)
  
Sky in the Deep
Sky in the Deep
Adrienne Young | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
Sky in the Deep came out in April to a LOT of hype. It's mostly deserved. The plot is a little odd; the two clans come together every five years to fight in a blood feud between their gods. But they only fight every five years in a designated place - if you really hated each other, why wouldn't you try to wipe out the other tribe all the time, instead of letting them rebuild their strength for five years? And then this third, mysterious tribe shows up and is enough for you to set aside all your anger at each other? I don't know. It's a little weird.

That oddness aside, I loved this story! I loved Eelyn's fierceness, and also her willingness to see the Riki as people too. Eventually, of course. In Eelyn we have the definition of a strong female character. (She's not the only one, either!) She is admired for her fierceness and strength, but not seen as any less female. Women are warriors in her culture too.

It's a pretty straightforward book, with a few graphic scenes of violence in the fights. Everything happened pretty much as I expected it to, but I still enjoyed seeing Eelyn grow and change throughout the book. It's also very atmospheric; I could almost hear the snow crunching beneath boots, the rushing roar of the mountain river, the quiet creaking of the frozen lake. Young's writing style pulls you right into the book and doesn't let you go.

Set aside your questions about the plot's logic and just enjoy this book. It's wonderful.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
The God Gene Chronicles: The Secrets of the Gods
The God Gene Chronicles: The Secrets of the Gods
Projesh Banerjea | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The cover (1 more)
The storyline and plot
Pronunciation - didn't know how to pronounce half of the names. (1 more)
Some of the characters and places could have had a bit more background on them.
A thrilling, yet historic and fun read that will keep you on your toes.
I received a copy from Smith Publicity for read and review. The following review is my honest opinion of The God Gene Chronicles: The Secret of the Gods by Projesh Banerjea.

Can we talk about this cover?! Like for real, this is the coolest cover ever! The storyline was great, some of the characters could have used a bit more background, some of the places could have been developed more. But all around, this was a great read and I look forward to seeing Nikhail and Rahual's story continue.

I was honestly surprised how well this novel kept my attention. I was so worried that with the style and plotline being of a different culture and more realistic, that it would draw my attention elsewhere. But it didn't. My full attention was on this novel. The whole structure of this novel is phenomenal!

Insights: It would have been nice to have a key that helped the reader to understand how to pronounce certain names of people, things, and places. But other than that, this was one rollercoaster of a book. (And I mean that in a good way!) I couldn't put this down, at all. The author sure has a way with words and taking a culture that is realistic, and adding fantasy aspects to it - that takes skill.

"For the Rakshasas!"