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Merissa (12919 KP) rated Infinite Blue in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Infinite Blue by Natalina Reis
Infinite Blue is a standalone story (as far as I can tell), which tells the story of soul mates, and what happens when it is between a shifter and a human. Shahin has been told for years by his mother that it can never happen, but finds his own soul mate in the very human form of Cai. He spends time watching him from afar (admitting to himself how stalkerish his behaviour is!) before actually meeting up with him. Unfortunately, things don't go quite as smoothly as he hoped for. Will he live to see them bond, or will he die to have Cai in his life?
This was a great story, with plenty of humorous moments, as well as heat between the sheets. The "mystery" behind Shahin's illness wasn't too difficult to figure out, but the fun was in watching them figure it out, and what they would do next.
Whilst Cai doesn't have that big a family, Shahin does - and I would love to see more of them. This was a brilliantly written story, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I found the pacing to be spot on, with plenty of intrigue and humour from one page to the next.
This was a great shifter story, and definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
This was a great story, with plenty of humorous moments, as well as heat between the sheets. The "mystery" behind Shahin's illness wasn't too difficult to figure out, but the fun was in watching them figure it out, and what they would do next.
Whilst Cai doesn't have that big a family, Shahin does - and I would love to see more of them. This was a brilliantly written story, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I found the pacing to be spot on, with plenty of intrigue and humour from one page to the next.
This was a great shifter story, and definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Slaughter and Forgetting (Josef Slonsky Investigations #2) in Books
Dec 4, 2018
Another great Slonsky book!!
In my opinion, Slonsky just seems to get better and better. He’s lazy, sarcastic and constantly drinking beer and eating anything that isn’t regarded as healthy.
This time, he’s solving a thirty year old murder, after an elderly ex-policeman asks him to reopen the case. This appears unlikely to happen, until Holoubek (the elderly policeman) is killed in a hit and run.
We’re introduced to a new character, Peiperova, a female police officer, who Navratil certainly has a soft spot for. I think she is going to feature a lot in the books that follow!
There’s a lot of humour in this book, especially the darker variety. We are given an insight in to the communist past of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and it isn’t all nice. Some is quite amusing though: a trade deal with Hungary that involved trading Hi-Fi’s for toasters!!
For all Slonsky’s apparent laziness, he is actually very good at what he does. He has a moral code - he hates to see people get hurt, and a lot of thought goes into this case (even if it is done whilst sat in a bar, beer in hand!).
I’m a big fan of Slonsky. I love his fast wit, and the way that he tries to cover up a razor sharp mind - with a camouflage of pastries, beer and sausage!
I’ll be adding the next Slonsky book to my kindle ASAP!
Many thanks to Sapere books for my copy of this great book.
This time, he’s solving a thirty year old murder, after an elderly ex-policeman asks him to reopen the case. This appears unlikely to happen, until Holoubek (the elderly policeman) is killed in a hit and run.
We’re introduced to a new character, Peiperova, a female police officer, who Navratil certainly has a soft spot for. I think she is going to feature a lot in the books that follow!
There’s a lot of humour in this book, especially the darker variety. We are given an insight in to the communist past of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and it isn’t all nice. Some is quite amusing though: a trade deal with Hungary that involved trading Hi-Fi’s for toasters!!
For all Slonsky’s apparent laziness, he is actually very good at what he does. He has a moral code - he hates to see people get hurt, and a lot of thought goes into this case (even if it is done whilst sat in a bar, beer in hand!).
I’m a big fan of Slonsky. I love his fast wit, and the way that he tries to cover up a razor sharp mind - with a camouflage of pastries, beer and sausage!
I’ll be adding the next Slonsky book to my kindle ASAP!
Many thanks to Sapere books for my copy of this great book.
Merissa (12919 KP) rated Awakened (Semiramis #1) in Books
Jan 11, 2019
Awakened (Semiramis Book 1) by Maya Daniels
Awakened is the first book in the Semiramis series, and we start of with Al, who is our main female. She is a strong character, who also seems a bit absent-minded at times. She is working in a place where she is unhappy, but has Daisy there to keep her company. Things change when she has a car accident, and her life changes forever.
This book is told in two (uneven) halves as you could call it before and after the accident. Obviously, there is not that much from before, and you spend most of the book with Al as she meets Warlocks, Gods, Goddesses, and Angels. She has a dry sense of humour which was delightful to read, and really came across well on the page.
Awakened is well written, with characters that jump off the page. Be warned though, there are a lot of them so you will need to keep track of who they are. With a few editing issues in words being misspelt, this was nevertheless an intriguing read. I was slightly disappointed we didn't meet Daisy again after Al's accident, especially when Philip is there so much.
Ending with a cliffhanger, this is a book to be enjoyed, and will definitely leave you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
This book is told in two (uneven) halves as you could call it before and after the accident. Obviously, there is not that much from before, and you spend most of the book with Al as she meets Warlocks, Gods, Goddesses, and Angels. She has a dry sense of humour which was delightful to read, and really came across well on the page.
Awakened is well written, with characters that jump off the page. Be warned though, there are a lot of them so you will need to keep track of who they are. With a few editing issues in words being misspelt, this was nevertheless an intriguing read. I was slightly disappointed we didn't meet Daisy again after Al's accident, especially when Philip is there so much.
Ending with a cliffhanger, this is a book to be enjoyed, and will definitely leave you wanting more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Merissa (12919 KP) rated Without Regret (Pyte/Sentinel, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Chris has had it tough. Not only was his childhood nothing to write home about but when a Master attacks their home in Book 1, it is Chris who ends up being shot and severely wounded. Through sheer grit and determination, he has made it back to full health. But along the way he has lost that cheekiness that I loved about him. The responsibility he feels towards his family and making sure that no one can hurt them again is what makes him get up in the morning. His mate is still out there and he imagines she will be just like him. Isabella is the perfect partner for Chris. He needs someone to bring laughter back into his life and she manages to do this even when she doesn't mean to. Isabella shows Chris that you don't always need physical strength. Yes, she is the helpless and hapless female on more than one occasion but she also has a mind and isn't afraid to use it. Her wit is rapier sharp too and once she sets her mind on something, it takes a very good reason for her to change it.
This book is the second in the series and doesn't disappoint. The plot moves along swiftly and we reconnect with characters from book 1 which too often isn't the case. This book is once again filled with action and humour. We get some depth in the lives of all the characters too which is also good to read. Absolutely brilliant with lots of spicy moments. Recommended!
This book is the second in the series and doesn't disappoint. The plot moves along swiftly and we reconnect with characters from book 1 which too often isn't the case. This book is once again filled with action and humour. We get some depth in the lives of all the characters too which is also good to read. Absolutely brilliant with lots of spicy moments. Recommended!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Fortitude - Season 2 in TV
Dec 20, 2018
Not as good as the first
The problem with the second series of Fortitude is that it seems to want to outdo the first, and in many respects it does. Its even weirder (which I didn't think possible), a lot gorier and seems to have a lot more going on. The issue is that it appears to be too much, and although it's still a good series, it doesn't quite reach the standards of the original.
There are some great additions to the cast - notably Dennis Quaid and Robert Sheehan - but then there's also some not so great. For some reason I couldn't quite stand Ken Stott's Erling Munk and there are others that seem to be thrown in just to kill off. There's also a few surviving characters from the first series that have disappeared without a single mention.
The plot itself is a little convoluted, but on watching this series again recently I have appreciated the plot line more and it is quite entertaining, although the shaman aspect is possibly a little too much. There is a lot of dry humour in this though, especially with Petra which is absolutely hilarious at times.
My main issue is that there's just not enough Dan in this. He's by far the best character and although he's more present towards the end of the series, it's not quite enough. Richard Dormer plays this version of Dan brilliantly though and he's still the best thing when he's on screen.
Intrigued to see how they wrap this up now in series 3.
There are some great additions to the cast - notably Dennis Quaid and Robert Sheehan - but then there's also some not so great. For some reason I couldn't quite stand Ken Stott's Erling Munk and there are others that seem to be thrown in just to kill off. There's also a few surviving characters from the first series that have disappeared without a single mention.
The plot itself is a little convoluted, but on watching this series again recently I have appreciated the plot line more and it is quite entertaining, although the shaman aspect is possibly a little too much. There is a lot of dry humour in this though, especially with Petra which is absolutely hilarious at times.
My main issue is that there's just not enough Dan in this. He's by far the best character and although he's more present towards the end of the series, it's not quite enough. Richard Dormer plays this version of Dan brilliantly though and he's still the best thing when he's on screen.
Intrigued to see how they wrap this up now in series 3.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Bongo Fury Novella Collection in Books
Nov 11, 2019
Meet Jimmy Black, a man with family connections to both organised crime and, historically, the Troubles in Northern Ireland. But apart from maybe a little light drug dealing the thing Jimmy wants most is to be left alone to run his music shop (the titular Bongo Fury), spend time with his family and maybe do a little private detective work on the side. Unfortunately fate has other plans for Jimmy as helping a friend in need spirals very much out of control.
Although this is three novellas, the first two already published separately plus a third first released in this volume, this really is a book in three parts. Plus there's a soundtrack as well, how many novels can say that? And what a book it is. Despite his slightly shady connections, Jimmy is the perfect narrator. Funny, irreverent, tough, likeable and well versed in popular music he engages right from the start, keeping his sardonic tone throughout. He might run afoul of some very dangerous characters but he is a tough customer himself.
The writing is a joy, easy to read between Jimmy's swear-word laden musings, the laugh out loud humour, the tense encounters when the stakes are raised and the rapid and efficient action scenes. And the story doesn't let up either as Jimmy's life threatens to be turned upside down from asking too many questions, the fall out from which carry the plot through all the three novellas.
Bongo Fury the Collection is one of those books that you shouldn't allow to pass you by.
Although this is three novellas, the first two already published separately plus a third first released in this volume, this really is a book in three parts. Plus there's a soundtrack as well, how many novels can say that? And what a book it is. Despite his slightly shady connections, Jimmy is the perfect narrator. Funny, irreverent, tough, likeable and well versed in popular music he engages right from the start, keeping his sardonic tone throughout. He might run afoul of some very dangerous characters but he is a tough customer himself.
The writing is a joy, easy to read between Jimmy's swear-word laden musings, the laugh out loud humour, the tense encounters when the stakes are raised and the rapid and efficient action scenes. And the story doesn't let up either as Jimmy's life threatens to be turned upside down from asking too many questions, the fall out from which carry the plot through all the three novellas.
Bongo Fury the Collection is one of those books that you shouldn't allow to pass you by.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Something Rotten (Thursday Next, #4) in Books
Nov 26, 2019
In his previous Thursday Next books Fforde has explored the world inside books and how Thursday - literary detective from an alternate reality from our own - interacts with its denizens. Now he turns that on its head.
Thursday, along with her young child Friday, decides it is time to leave the Bookworld behind and return to the real world, despite the danger this poses from the all powerful Goliath corporation. They have already erased her husband from existence and wanted to do the same to her. But Goliath are now benign and repentant. But that doesn't mean that Thursday can have a happy ending. Not only does she need to get her husband back, but unless Swindon can win the Superhoop croquet world cup there will be an unstoppable chain of events leading to the end of the world.
As usual with Fforde the plot is complex, convoluted and wildly improbable but that doesn't stop him pulling the reader into the slightly off-kilter world of the Nexts. As could be expected the humour is packed in tight. Literary jokes, in world jokes, real world jokes. Playing with language and words in every inventive way possible. All of these are his stock in trade and he uses them to great effect here.
This was for me a little weaker than the first three books, possibly because now back in Thursday's world is a little more mundane than seeing works of literature from the inside but there are still plenty of laughs to be had and the various plot strands will keep you guessing
Thursday, along with her young child Friday, decides it is time to leave the Bookworld behind and return to the real world, despite the danger this poses from the all powerful Goliath corporation. They have already erased her husband from existence and wanted to do the same to her. But Goliath are now benign and repentant. But that doesn't mean that Thursday can have a happy ending. Not only does she need to get her husband back, but unless Swindon can win the Superhoop croquet world cup there will be an unstoppable chain of events leading to the end of the world.
As usual with Fforde the plot is complex, convoluted and wildly improbable but that doesn't stop him pulling the reader into the slightly off-kilter world of the Nexts. As could be expected the humour is packed in tight. Literary jokes, in world jokes, real world jokes. Playing with language and words in every inventive way possible. All of these are his stock in trade and he uses them to great effect here.
This was for me a little weaker than the first three books, possibly because now back in Thursday's world is a little more mundane than seeing works of literature from the inside but there are still plenty of laughs to be had and the various plot strands will keep you guessing
Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated The Witcher - Season 1 in TV
Jan 25, 2020 (Updated Jan 25, 2020)
A massive hit for Netflix...
I received The Witcher 3 videogame a few years back for my birthday, so when I first heard they were making a TV series I was pretty excited.
Henry Cavill does a decent enough job as The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia (Even if he does do his best Christian Bale Batman impression for the whole season). Joey Batey is annoying at times but does bring some much needed charm and humour as Jaskier. I didn't really buy in to Freya Allen's character Ciri, although it is pretty obvious she is going to be a much bigger part of future seasons. The standout of season one has to be Anya Charlotta as Yennefer. As Geralt's vocabulary seems to be limited to the words hmmm & fuck, these side characters are incredibly important to the shows structure and hers was by far the best and most intriguing story.
The one major negative that everyone is talking about is the shows very confusing timeline. Although it does make sense later in the season, I don't think they executed it properly and the viewer shouldn't be left to guess what is happening. One other slight gripe I had was how poor the CGI looked on the dragon in one particular scene.
Overall I thought it was just an average start to The Witcher series but as there is so much source material from both the books and videogames. I can only see this getting better and going on to become a massive hit for Netflix.
Henry Cavill does a decent enough job as The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia (Even if he does do his best Christian Bale Batman impression for the whole season). Joey Batey is annoying at times but does bring some much needed charm and humour as Jaskier. I didn't really buy in to Freya Allen's character Ciri, although it is pretty obvious she is going to be a much bigger part of future seasons. The standout of season one has to be Anya Charlotta as Yennefer. As Geralt's vocabulary seems to be limited to the words hmmm & fuck, these side characters are incredibly important to the shows structure and hers was by far the best and most intriguing story.
The one major negative that everyone is talking about is the shows very confusing timeline. Although it does make sense later in the season, I don't think they executed it properly and the viewer shouldn't be left to guess what is happening. One other slight gripe I had was how poor the CGI looked on the dragon in one particular scene.
Overall I thought it was just an average start to The Witcher series but as there is so much source material from both the books and videogames. I can only see this getting better and going on to become a massive hit for Netflix.
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