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Merissa (12051 KP) rated The Selkie's Coat (Waves of Fate #1) in Books
Apr 20, 2020
The Selkie's Coat is the first book in the Waves of Fate series and we start off with a seal (obviously!) shifter and a human omega. In this omegaverse, shifters are common knowledge, human omega's are rare, and new things are being learnt all the time.
Gregory is amazed to find his fated mate when he is so young - only 100 plus years - and is determined to do the right thing and give his human mate a chance to learn about what a fated mate is. This goes against what his inner animal wants to do and causes strife between the two of them. Daniel hadn't known a human omega could even mate with a shifter so the whole thing came as a surprise to him. He is fascinated by Gregory, even more so when he gets a glimpse of his seal speaking through Gregory's human body. Understandably, though, his feelings swing like a pendulum as he doesn't understand just what is going on.
This is a lovely slow-burn romance with a sweet Alpha and a headstrong Omega. Sometimes I wanted to whomp Daniel upside the head as he seemed to swing so much and vent his frustrations on the wrong person. Don't get me wrong, I liked Daniel but sweet Gregory was the one I fell for.
One thing I loved straight away in this book is the amount of shifters here - and it's not always cats or wolves! Scenting their mate is a big thing in most paranormal books but in this one, because Gregory is a water shifter, for him it's the sound of Daniel's voice. I loved that!!! The oh-so-simple idea that different shifters have different ways of knowing their mates. đ
I don't know who's story is coming next but I can't wait for Winston and Henri's! If you love Omegavers stories and like a sweet, slow-burner then I have no hesitation in recommending this one!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Gregory is amazed to find his fated mate when he is so young - only 100 plus years - and is determined to do the right thing and give his human mate a chance to learn about what a fated mate is. This goes against what his inner animal wants to do and causes strife between the two of them. Daniel hadn't known a human omega could even mate with a shifter so the whole thing came as a surprise to him. He is fascinated by Gregory, even more so when he gets a glimpse of his seal speaking through Gregory's human body. Understandably, though, his feelings swing like a pendulum as he doesn't understand just what is going on.
This is a lovely slow-burn romance with a sweet Alpha and a headstrong Omega. Sometimes I wanted to whomp Daniel upside the head as he seemed to swing so much and vent his frustrations on the wrong person. Don't get me wrong, I liked Daniel but sweet Gregory was the one I fell for.
One thing I loved straight away in this book is the amount of shifters here - and it's not always cats or wolves! Scenting their mate is a big thing in most paranormal books but in this one, because Gregory is a water shifter, for him it's the sound of Daniel's voice. I loved that!!! The oh-so-simple idea that different shifters have different ways of knowing their mates. đ
I don't know who's story is coming next but I can't wait for Winston and Henri's! If you love Omegavers stories and like a sweet, slow-burner then I have no hesitation in recommending this one!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The Weight of Silence
8.8
Rate It
Book
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two...
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) in Movies
Apr 26, 2019
Good cast. (3 more)
Good acting, even among the children.
Scenery
Not too religious.
Subservient wife role. (2 more)
Some plot holes.
Lack of character development in minor roles.
A sweet, simple feel-good movie.
This is a simple film about a new wife (from the city) who has gone to live with her preacher husband in the country around the turn on the century. It's based on the protagonist's biography. At first, she's unsure that she'll like it or will fit in but she grows into her role as a preacher's wife and grows to love those in the community.
Though the characters are religious, they are not all fire and brimstone about their faith. Instead, the characters are simple, gentle, kind, and moral. The preacher's attitude reminds me of Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird.
Susan Hayward plays the preacher's wife in a very believable way as the character journeys from a new wife to a more well-rounded person. Her character grows through hardship and shows real grit and backbone.
If you like classic movies and long for simpler times, this is a good one to watch.
Though the characters are religious, they are not all fire and brimstone about their faith. Instead, the characters are simple, gentle, kind, and moral. The preacher's attitude reminds me of Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird.
Susan Hayward plays the preacher's wife in a very believable way as the character journeys from a new wife to a more well-rounded person. Her character grows through hardship and shows real grit and backbone.
If you like classic movies and long for simpler times, this is a good one to watch.
Unraveling You (Unraveling You, #1)
7.0
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Ayden has had a rough life and believes things will always be that way, so when heâs suddenly...
Mandy and G.D. Burkhead (26 KP) rated The Book of Kings in Books
May 20, 2018
Shelf Life â The Book of Kings Has a Few Gems and a Few Warts
Contains spoilers, click to show
Unlike other short story anthologies I could mention, this one wasnât mostly horrible. Instead, the stories inside run the gamut from stupid to brilliant and from annoying to nothing special to fun and memorable. A little something for everyone, then.
So since I canât review it with one blanket sentiment, letâs instead take a quick look at a handful of the 20 all-original stories inside. The following are the tales that most stood out to me during my reading, for better or worse.
âThe Kissâ by Alan Dean Foster â A woman walking through a snowy city finds a frog who says heâs a prince, so she kisses him. He turns into a guy and stabs her to death.
Oh boy, weâre not off to a great start here. This story could have been told in a page or so and been an interesting twist on the old tale, but instead the author drew it out over three pages by choosing the absolute most pretentious choice of words for every damn sentence. The guy doesnât stab the woman, his âknife describes a Gothic arc.â She doesnât shout or whisper or ask whatâs going on, she âexpels a querrelous trauma.â Itâs not snowing on her face, âtrifles of ice as beautiful as they were capricious tickled her exposed cheeks, only to be turned into simulacra of tears as they were instantly metamorphosed by the bundled furnace of her body.â
Yes, really.
The sheer purpleness of this prose might be excused for a deliberately lofty and overwrought tale, but it absolutely does not fit a story about a girl getting shanked by a frog on the street. If the contrast between whatâs happening and how itâs presented is supposed to seem absolutely ridiculous, then itâs a success. This reads more like a writing exercise for seeing how unbearably melodramatic you can tell a simple story that the author went ahead and published anyway. I only read it last night as of the time of this particular bit of review, but I still have a headache.
âDivine Rightâ by Nancy Holder â A king grieving for his recently passed daughter and only heir tries to figure out how to keep his legacy from dying out and eventually decides on a way to choose a successor, sealing his decision by making a pact with God.
I really liked this one, partly for the great characterization of the king via his priorities. Heâs not a bastion of righteousness or a tyrannical despot. He might be a pretty decent ruler, or he might not, depending on your priorities and the angle from which you view him. Mostly heâs written to be believable for his position and time period, pride and failings and all.
But what really sealed this story for me was the ironic bent of the plot that I canât really discuss in any more depth without spoiling it except to say that it definitely fit with the tone and left an appropriate message. So letâs just give it a thumbs up and leave it at that.
âIn the Name of the Kingâ by Judith Tarr â If you know the story of Hatshepsut, an Egyptian queen who ruled as Pharaoh, then this is an extra interesting story. It follows both Hatshepsut and her lover in the afterlife and the legacy theyâre leaving behind after their deaths, in which they take a surprisingly active interest for dead people.
If you know your history, though, you know where this is going, and itâs very touching as it gets there. Itâs also character-centric in a way that makes its dead cast members seem very much alive. This oneâs a good contender for my favorite story in the whole anthology.
âPlease to See the Kingâ by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald â A small glimpse of about one evening each into the lives of two seemingly unrelated, seemingly unimportant men against the backdrop of the battles being fought over a vague and distant rebellion against a vague and distant crown.
To say more would be to spoil the story, which is short, sweet, and interesting. It gives you just enough details, and no more, that you can piece together a much deeper story with room left for speculation about who certain characters really were and what exactly just happened. Iâve spent more time thinking about how the ending may be interpreted than it took me to read it, which is a good sign of nuance done right.
âThe Name of a Kingâ by Diana L. Paxson â Thisân cân rightfâly bâ put in wâ thâ other stâries I woulânât othârwise bâther tâ mention âcept fer thâ oâerwrought dialectic style oâ nearly all oâ thâ dialogue, whut cân git on yer nerves right quick-like wheneâer anyâne opâns their mouths. Anâ while Iâm âere, thâ settinâ wâs rife wiâ plenây oâ hints at deeper dâtails whut was neâer sufficienâly delved into or whut impactâd thâ actuâl plot much. Felt like part oâ a fantâsy series whut I was âspected tâ bâ fâmiliar witâ but wasnât, anâ whut diânât give me ânuff tâ git fâmiliar witâ just frâm this stâry.
Othârwise, tâwâsnât tâ bâd, I sâpose. Bit borinâ.
âCoda: Working Stiffâ by Mike Resnick and Nicholas A. DiChario â This one was just fun. Again trying not to give away any twists or revelations, this one follows a journalist interviewing a bus driver who used to be a big, famous king back in his heyday but is now content (or so he says) with his obscure life of working a simple job in the day and drinking in his spartan home at night.
Who this ex-king really is probably isnât who you think itâs gonna be at first, but the story does still technically, and cheekily, fit in with the premise of the book overall. It reminds me very much of something Neil Gaiman might have written, or maybe Terry Pratchett if heâd decided to tackle the kingly premise from a more modern and realistic approach.
There are still 14 stories left in here, many of which are also good reads, or at least decent. In fact, looking back through it again, the only real dud that stands out to me is âThe Kiss.â The weakest of whatâs left are either adaptations of stories that didnât really do it for me (âThe Tale of Lady Ashburnâ by John Gregory Betancourt) or weird original works that werenât really memorable in what they set out to do (âA Parker House Rollâ by Dean Wesley Smith).
Overall, The Book of Kings is a fun and interesting romp through a number of royal worlds, themes, and tones. As such, anyone who gives it a look will probably have the same general sentiment I did at the end, with a few things to like and a few to point to as examples of what doesnât work for them. Me, I got a bit of the inspiration I was looking for and a few memorable tales out of it, so Iâll forgive the warts.
So since I canât review it with one blanket sentiment, letâs instead take a quick look at a handful of the 20 all-original stories inside. The following are the tales that most stood out to me during my reading, for better or worse.
âThe Kissâ by Alan Dean Foster â A woman walking through a snowy city finds a frog who says heâs a prince, so she kisses him. He turns into a guy and stabs her to death.
Oh boy, weâre not off to a great start here. This story could have been told in a page or so and been an interesting twist on the old tale, but instead the author drew it out over three pages by choosing the absolute most pretentious choice of words for every damn sentence. The guy doesnât stab the woman, his âknife describes a Gothic arc.â She doesnât shout or whisper or ask whatâs going on, she âexpels a querrelous trauma.â Itâs not snowing on her face, âtrifles of ice as beautiful as they were capricious tickled her exposed cheeks, only to be turned into simulacra of tears as they were instantly metamorphosed by the bundled furnace of her body.â
Yes, really.
The sheer purpleness of this prose might be excused for a deliberately lofty and overwrought tale, but it absolutely does not fit a story about a girl getting shanked by a frog on the street. If the contrast between whatâs happening and how itâs presented is supposed to seem absolutely ridiculous, then itâs a success. This reads more like a writing exercise for seeing how unbearably melodramatic you can tell a simple story that the author went ahead and published anyway. I only read it last night as of the time of this particular bit of review, but I still have a headache.
âDivine Rightâ by Nancy Holder â A king grieving for his recently passed daughter and only heir tries to figure out how to keep his legacy from dying out and eventually decides on a way to choose a successor, sealing his decision by making a pact with God.
I really liked this one, partly for the great characterization of the king via his priorities. Heâs not a bastion of righteousness or a tyrannical despot. He might be a pretty decent ruler, or he might not, depending on your priorities and the angle from which you view him. Mostly heâs written to be believable for his position and time period, pride and failings and all.
But what really sealed this story for me was the ironic bent of the plot that I canât really discuss in any more depth without spoiling it except to say that it definitely fit with the tone and left an appropriate message. So letâs just give it a thumbs up and leave it at that.
âIn the Name of the Kingâ by Judith Tarr â If you know the story of Hatshepsut, an Egyptian queen who ruled as Pharaoh, then this is an extra interesting story. It follows both Hatshepsut and her lover in the afterlife and the legacy theyâre leaving behind after their deaths, in which they take a surprisingly active interest for dead people.
If you know your history, though, you know where this is going, and itâs very touching as it gets there. Itâs also character-centric in a way that makes its dead cast members seem very much alive. This oneâs a good contender for my favorite story in the whole anthology.
âPlease to See the Kingâ by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald â A small glimpse of about one evening each into the lives of two seemingly unrelated, seemingly unimportant men against the backdrop of the battles being fought over a vague and distant rebellion against a vague and distant crown.
To say more would be to spoil the story, which is short, sweet, and interesting. It gives you just enough details, and no more, that you can piece together a much deeper story with room left for speculation about who certain characters really were and what exactly just happened. Iâve spent more time thinking about how the ending may be interpreted than it took me to read it, which is a good sign of nuance done right.
âThe Name of a Kingâ by Diana L. Paxson â Thisân cân rightfâly bâ put in wâ thâ other stâries I woulânât othârwise bâther tâ mention âcept fer thâ oâerwrought dialectic style oâ nearly all oâ thâ dialogue, whut cân git on yer nerves right quick-like wheneâer anyâne opâns their mouths. Anâ while Iâm âere, thâ settinâ wâs rife wiâ plenây oâ hints at deeper dâtails whut was neâer sufficienâly delved into or whut impactâd thâ actuâl plot much. Felt like part oâ a fantâsy series whut I was âspected tâ bâ fâmiliar witâ but wasnât, anâ whut diânât give me ânuff tâ git fâmiliar witâ just frâm this stâry.
Othârwise, tâwâsnât tâ bâd, I sâpose. Bit borinâ.
âCoda: Working Stiffâ by Mike Resnick and Nicholas A. DiChario â This one was just fun. Again trying not to give away any twists or revelations, this one follows a journalist interviewing a bus driver who used to be a big, famous king back in his heyday but is now content (or so he says) with his obscure life of working a simple job in the day and drinking in his spartan home at night.
Who this ex-king really is probably isnât who you think itâs gonna be at first, but the story does still technically, and cheekily, fit in with the premise of the book overall. It reminds me very much of something Neil Gaiman might have written, or maybe Terry Pratchett if heâd decided to tackle the kingly premise from a more modern and realistic approach.
There are still 14 stories left in here, many of which are also good reads, or at least decent. In fact, looking back through it again, the only real dud that stands out to me is âThe Kiss.â The weakest of whatâs left are either adaptations of stories that didnât really do it for me (âThe Tale of Lady Ashburnâ by John Gregory Betancourt) or weird original works that werenât really memorable in what they set out to do (âA Parker House Rollâ by Dean Wesley Smith).
Overall, The Book of Kings is a fun and interesting romp through a number of royal worlds, themes, and tones. As such, anyone who gives it a look will probably have the same general sentiment I did at the end, with a few things to like and a few to point to as examples of what doesnât work for them. Me, I got a bit of the inspiration I was looking for and a few memorable tales out of it, so Iâll forgive the warts.