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The Bloody Chorus
Book
Two empires...one in decline, the other ascendant and hungry for conquest... Upon his father’s...
FA
Farid Ad-Din 'Attar's Memorial of God's Friends: Lives and Sayings of Sufis: Translated with an Introduction by Paul Losensky
Book
Presents the lives and sayings of some of the most renowned figures in the Islamic Sufi tradition,...
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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Wrath of the Gods (The Titan's Saga, #2) in Books
Jan 10, 2021
I've borrowed this from the KU Library.
This starts a few months after the events of the last book. Maisey is trying to get on with life after being left by Cronus but it's hard to forget him when she fell hard for him in the time they were together and she's still wearing the necklace that holds some of the sins. When Hyperion comes back to get her so they can capture another sin, she's thrown straight back into the chaotic life of the Titans - and into Cronus' arms.
I did enjoy this one but not as much as the first. The relationship between Maisey and Cronus quickly went back to full throttle and I'll admit that I did get a little attached to them as a couple - so much so that I did have a few tears at the end. We meet more Titans - a race of Gods I don't know much about, really, apart from the fact that they were the parents of the Greek ones - and see their powers in action as they try to bring the last five/six sins back under control and into the necklace that Maisey wears. I think Cronus and Hyperion are my favourite Gods in this series.
The #hashtags were once again used annoyingly a little too often throughout the book and I started ignoring them after a while. They weren't adding anything to the story for me.
I can't decide whether to read book 3 or not. It's the last book in the series and I'm hoping that Maisey and Cronus will have some sort of HEA but I also can't say I'm that interested in how this particular series is going to end... I don't know. I did struggle at times with this one, preferring to do other things than finish this, but like I've already mentioned I am a little invested in Maisey and Cronus. Gah! Undecided...
This starts a few months after the events of the last book. Maisey is trying to get on with life after being left by Cronus but it's hard to forget him when she fell hard for him in the time they were together and she's still wearing the necklace that holds some of the sins. When Hyperion comes back to get her so they can capture another sin, she's thrown straight back into the chaotic life of the Titans - and into Cronus' arms.
I did enjoy this one but not as much as the first. The relationship between Maisey and Cronus quickly went back to full throttle and I'll admit that I did get a little attached to them as a couple - so much so that I did have a few tears at the end. We meet more Titans - a race of Gods I don't know much about, really, apart from the fact that they were the parents of the Greek ones - and see their powers in action as they try to bring the last five/six sins back under control and into the necklace that Maisey wears. I think Cronus and Hyperion are my favourite Gods in this series.
The #hashtags were once again used annoyingly a little too often throughout the book and I started ignoring them after a while. They weren't adding anything to the story for me.
I can't decide whether to read book 3 or not. It's the last book in the series and I'm hoping that Maisey and Cronus will have some sort of HEA but I also can't say I'm that interested in how this particular series is going to end... I don't know. I did struggle at times with this one, preferring to do other things than finish this, but like I've already mentioned I am a little invested in Maisey and Cronus. Gah! Undecided...
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Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Homunculus and the Cat in Books
Jun 24, 2019
First of all, I'd like to say thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I've got tons of books from the site, ready to review. Can't wait!
So I've been reading this book for quite some time now, and honestly I nearly gave up on it a few times. But for the sake of the review, I managed to keep on at it until the end.
What I managed to gather from this book is that it takes place in a whole different universe, where myths and gods are real. Winged cats with nine lives, flying carpets, even homunculi. The main characters include the Ennedi Ankh' Si, a flying cat, Tyro, a simple human, and homunculi such as Mina and Herakles. A homunculus sanctuary, fighting for equal rights for their kind, is caught in a fire. In desperate need of help, the crew end up travelling all over the place - including to an underwater palace of a goddess, where they participate in a huge battle.
If I'm really honest, I can't tell you much more than that. There's some suspicious dude called Manga, and Tyro tries to rescue his friend Herakles - requiring a trip back to good ol' America. But other than that, I'm not quite sure what happened.
The writing itself is actually pretty good. The descriptions and metaphors are great, and there's a good deal of underlying humour in places. And the whole idea of this universe full of gods and demons and creatures both beautiful and terrible is wonderful. It's just a shame that I couldn't get into it. I felt like I was reading most of it through a daze, just trying to get it over with.
I will give this the benefit of the doubt - maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for it, or I just wasn't paying enough attention. Others may enjoy this a lot more than I did. But I'm going to give it just two stars, which honestly feels like I'm pushing the bar a little already.
So I've been reading this book for quite some time now, and honestly I nearly gave up on it a few times. But for the sake of the review, I managed to keep on at it until the end.
What I managed to gather from this book is that it takes place in a whole different universe, where myths and gods are real. Winged cats with nine lives, flying carpets, even homunculi. The main characters include the Ennedi Ankh' Si, a flying cat, Tyro, a simple human, and homunculi such as Mina and Herakles. A homunculus sanctuary, fighting for equal rights for their kind, is caught in a fire. In desperate need of help, the crew end up travelling all over the place - including to an underwater palace of a goddess, where they participate in a huge battle.
If I'm really honest, I can't tell you much more than that. There's some suspicious dude called Manga, and Tyro tries to rescue his friend Herakles - requiring a trip back to good ol' America. But other than that, I'm not quite sure what happened.
The writing itself is actually pretty good. The descriptions and metaphors are great, and there's a good deal of underlying humour in places. And the whole idea of this universe full of gods and demons and creatures both beautiful and terrible is wonderful. It's just a shame that I couldn't get into it. I felt like I was reading most of it through a daze, just trying to get it over with.
I will give this the benefit of the doubt - maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for it, or I just wasn't paying enough attention. Others may enjoy this a lot more than I did. But I'm going to give it just two stars, which honestly feels like I'm pushing the bar a little already.
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) in Books
Mar 11, 2024
47 of 220
Book
The poppy War ( Book 1)
By R.F. Kuang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power – an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away
I was really nervous going into this book as I tried to read Babel and really hated it!
But this was another level I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed part 1 but the part 2 was even better and that ending was definitely worth it. This didn’t hold back on the details either really really good read. So much to take in and I love anything to do with the gods.
Book
The poppy War ( Book 1)
By R.F. Kuang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power – an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away
I was really nervous going into this book as I tried to read Babel and really hated it!
But this was another level I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed part 1 but the part 2 was even better and that ending was definitely worth it. This didn’t hold back on the details either really really good read. So much to take in and I love anything to do with the gods.