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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Dark Lord of Kismera (Knights of Kismera, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rarely have I found such a nicely balanced novel that grabs my attention from page one. I wasnt expecting this novel to be as amazing as it was nor can I find words to adequately describe it. It fits into so many genres with ease. It is listed as romance and fantasy, but it has a heavy dose of action as well. You would think that this would subtract from characters and story, but the novel is well written. The world is developed and as someone who enjoys fantasy, I loved the authors interpreted world, creatures, and mythology. The characters are also multidimensional and dynamic.
While I am a huge fan of fantasy, the romance is what really completed this novel for me. The author really knew what she was doing. Bottom line, if you are looking for a well-rounded fantasy romance with enjoyable characters and a fantastical world, this is definitely a novel for you.
Rarely have I found such a nicely balanced novel that grabs my attention from page one. I wasnt expecting this novel to be as amazing as it was nor can I find words to adequately describe it. It fits into so many genres with ease. It is listed as romance and fantasy, but it has a heavy dose of action as well. You would think that this would subtract from characters and story, but the novel is well written. The world is developed and as someone who enjoys fantasy, I loved the authors interpreted world, creatures, and mythology. The characters are also multidimensional and dynamic.
While I am a huge fan of fantasy, the romance is what really completed this novel for me. The author really knew what she was doing. Bottom line, if you are looking for a well-rounded fantasy romance with enjoyable characters and a fantastical world, this is definitely a novel for you.

Tim Fitzmaurice (1 KP) rated The Adventure Zone in Podcasts
May 31, 2018 (Updated May 31, 2018)
Well edited (2 more)
Humorus
Worked with fans for new content
Silly, funny, and sometimes a little bit stupid. Overall grear.
Loved listening to this. My physical therapist got me into this podcast. Thanked her a couple times as it was a blast. At first I wasn't too sure how I was going to like it... found I loved the way the characters interacted with each other and the npc's. Reminded me of how my players play... A bit serious but mostly silly. Want to try and charm an enemy instead of fighting it why not? Want to poke fun at npc's why not? Want to eat a unicorn horn because you can? Go for it! This show will make you laugh and even if your an experienced gamer or game master you will discover more exciting and humorous ways to mess with one another.
I know they make money via advertising revenue from this podcast and all. I only put it in there because I needed to put a negative and couldn't think of another.
I know they make money via advertising revenue from this podcast and all. I only put it in there because I needed to put a negative and couldn't think of another.

Kristina (502 KP) rated Reflected in You (Crossfire, #2) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
What a roller coaster! Eva and Gideon continue their story. It’s rocky, literally, from beginning to end. There are so many ups and downs, I began to wonder if Dr. Peterson was available for myself! Throughout it all, I kept arguing with Eva and Gideon, I was even arguing back and forth with myself for a long while. There are so many questions, so many half-truths, and secret upon secret. It’s aggravating, it’s intruiging, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s fascinating to play detective and try to figure out the picture. From the moment I began Bare to You and even through Reflected in You, I found myself at war and choosing sides. I’m not sure if Sylvia planned to have her readers side with Eva and feel suspicious, hurt, ignored, and heartbroken, but I (mostly) sided with Gideon, while still feeling the sharp pain of Eva’s confusion. This book is a whirlwind of emotion! Once again, I’ll complain that Goodreads does not allow a half-star rating and say my true rating for Reflected in You is a 4.5.

Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Night Window: A Jane Hawk Novel in Books
Jun 25, 2019
5th and final novel of the Jane Hawk series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
4.51 · 2,534 ratings ·
The Night Window by Dean Koontz is the 5th and final Jane Hawk novel in the series. I have read many books by Koontz and am a fan of his Odd Thomas series. Somehow, I missed reading his Jane Hawk series.
I was provided with a copy of the 5th novel and, to give a fair review, needed to read the earlier books in the series. I am so glad that I did. I could not put them down! It would help, but you do not need to read the other books. However, you would be missing out on an excellent and chilling series. Koontz gives you enough information, so you have a general outline of the events leading up to The Night Window.
In the Silent Corner, the first novel, Jane begins a campaign to reveal the truth about her husband's suicide. Early on, we learn a number of government officials and other influential individuals with the help of nanotechnology and an army of mind-altered citizens are responsible. It is the possibility of this "revolution" occurring that makes the story so disturbing. Often you find supernatural creepiness in Koontz's books, but I found this series to be the scariest.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/24/19.
4.51 · 2,534 ratings ·
The Night Window by Dean Koontz is the 5th and final Jane Hawk novel in the series. I have read many books by Koontz and am a fan of his Odd Thomas series. Somehow, I missed reading his Jane Hawk series.
I was provided with a copy of the 5th novel and, to give a fair review, needed to read the earlier books in the series. I am so glad that I did. I could not put them down! It would help, but you do not need to read the other books. However, you would be missing out on an excellent and chilling series. Koontz gives you enough information, so you have a general outline of the events leading up to The Night Window.
In the Silent Corner, the first novel, Jane begins a campaign to reveal the truth about her husband's suicide. Early on, we learn a number of government officials and other influential individuals with the help of nanotechnology and an army of mind-altered citizens are responsible. It is the possibility of this "revolution" occurring that makes the story so disturbing. Often you find supernatural creepiness in Koontz's books, but I found this series to be the scariest.
This review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/24/19.

Micah Ulibarri (79 KP) rated Hari Kondabolu: Warn Your Relatives in TV
May 10, 2018
I had never heard anything from this Indian-American comedian, but I was excited cause I'm always down for stand-up.
It's important to know going in that his stand up is pretty heavily political and definitely left-leaning. That in and of itself didn't bother me. In fact, I found quite a bit of that part hilarious (the Trump bit and the Universal healthcare bit). However, I discovered that a solid hour+ of that material does start to feel heavy handed. Especially when the last 15 minutes or so feel more like a sermon and less like a stand up.
If you lean that way or are an American immigrant, you will probably enjoy it much more than me. For me it was a bit much by the end.
It's important to know going in that his stand up is pretty heavily political and definitely left-leaning. That in and of itself didn't bother me. In fact, I found quite a bit of that part hilarious (the Trump bit and the Universal healthcare bit). However, I discovered that a solid hour+ of that material does start to feel heavy handed. Especially when the last 15 minutes or so feel more like a sermon and less like a stand up.
If you lean that way or are an American immigrant, you will probably enjoy it much more than me. For me it was a bit much by the end.

Leah (: (569 KP) rated Talented (Talented Saga, #1) in Books
Jul 9, 2018
I first read this book and most of the series years ago before it became popular. Before long I was hooked and had binge read all the available books!!
The book follows Talia as she graduates school and lands her dream job. Throughout the story you learn more about the Talented and the world they live in, from Talia’s perspective.
I found Talia to be a very relatable character, particularly as she has a temper which often gets her in trouble. It was also very easy to empathise with Talia and the struggles she faced in the book.
The book is part of a series so there are still many unanswered questions by the end.
I would definitely recommend this book series especially if you like dystopian books.
The book follows Talia as she graduates school and lands her dream job. Throughout the story you learn more about the Talented and the world they live in, from Talia’s perspective.
I found Talia to be a very relatable character, particularly as she has a temper which often gets her in trouble. It was also very easy to empathise with Talia and the struggles she faced in the book.
The book is part of a series so there are still many unanswered questions by the end.
I would definitely recommend this book series especially if you like dystopian books.

Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Small Hand in Books
Nov 14, 2018
After browsing through the shelves at my local library I spotted this book and knew I recognised the author's name...the brilliant author who wrote The Woman in Black (which I read quite recently and very much enjoyed) so I thought I would pick this one up.
The Small Hand is a nice, enjoyable ghost story which unfortunately lacked a certain chill, I did not find it to be scary in any way and I found that perhaps I was somewhat spoilt by the rollercoaster of The Woman in Black. I got a bit bored part way through with the constant diversions and the lack of depth, I wanted more meat that was sadly missing from this short book, this made it feel rushed or if there were pages missing.
I would still say that if you enjoy ghost stories please do give this one a read, it's not bad but in my opinion it just wasn't that great either.
The Small Hand is a nice, enjoyable ghost story which unfortunately lacked a certain chill, I did not find it to be scary in any way and I found that perhaps I was somewhat spoilt by the rollercoaster of The Woman in Black. I got a bit bored part way through with the constant diversions and the lack of depth, I wanted more meat that was sadly missing from this short book, this made it feel rushed or if there were pages missing.
I would still say that if you enjoy ghost stories please do give this one a read, it's not bad but in my opinion it just wasn't that great either.

KittyMiku (138 KP) rated A Throne For Sisters in Books
May 23, 2019
This was a fairly good novel that teaches you that lying can bring you more harm than good, even if it buys you a little happiness. It also teaches you that no matter what, you can't escape those who wish to harm you. Even if the people who do so change. The story was the best to help create the intrigue in the story itself, but it did have a lot of errors that left something to be desired. I have to say the characters were pretty interesting, even if their backgrounds, personalities and such were lacking. An example being the sisters. They were given some distinct personality traits and an ability that made you want to know more about them, yet it hinted at their past making you really wish it would be delved into, so you can understand their situation and their different ways of thinking. I can only hope more will be revealed in the rest of the series, though with how the story is going, makes me wonder if it will ever be touched base again.
Though the novel is written in a way that allows the reader to see what each girl is doing on their own, you can't help but want a better way to see this happen. It really makes things confusing, going from one chapter to the next, knowing you will see what one girls doing this chapter and the other girl next chapter, but it can be hard when trying to make a timeline of the story. If the chapter headers would at least give you a time period so you knew exactly what was going on when, it would definitely had helped. I got the gist it was supposed to be each chapter was happening at the last chapter was, but it drove me insane when I found myself thinking that what this girl was doing might be happening after the girl I just finish reading about. I would have loved a better transition.
I also found, though the book had some good conversations, when they got voiced, that their weren't a lot of conversations going on in the book and the details of the scenery didn't make up for this. I am used to being able to see what the characters are thinking in the middle of conversations, but to not have a whole lot of them was very disappointing. It felt as if the conversations were skipped at times, just giving you a basis of what was discussed, when I would have loved to know more. I understand mundane conversations being skipped, but when the two characters are falling in love, it would be nice to have more conversations, details on the different characters actions, etc. However, none of that happened. Just brief sentences about it.
Though, I will probably read the rest of the series, just to figure out what happens next and because I am a little OCD about finishing series I start, I fear it won't stand up to my standards. With that said, I do think this book would be good for teens. It is fast paced, doesn't dwell on some of the finer details someone like I would enjoy, and had a great idea in the story plot. I would rate this book 2 stars out of 5 stars because of how it was written. I would have definitely loved more and hope in the future books, Rice will give us just that and not skimp out on things that may help the story become deeper and much more fulfilling.
Though the novel is written in a way that allows the reader to see what each girl is doing on their own, you can't help but want a better way to see this happen. It really makes things confusing, going from one chapter to the next, knowing you will see what one girls doing this chapter and the other girl next chapter, but it can be hard when trying to make a timeline of the story. If the chapter headers would at least give you a time period so you knew exactly what was going on when, it would definitely had helped. I got the gist it was supposed to be each chapter was happening at the last chapter was, but it drove me insane when I found myself thinking that what this girl was doing might be happening after the girl I just finish reading about. I would have loved a better transition.
I also found, though the book had some good conversations, when they got voiced, that their weren't a lot of conversations going on in the book and the details of the scenery didn't make up for this. I am used to being able to see what the characters are thinking in the middle of conversations, but to not have a whole lot of them was very disappointing. It felt as if the conversations were skipped at times, just giving you a basis of what was discussed, when I would have loved to know more. I understand mundane conversations being skipped, but when the two characters are falling in love, it would be nice to have more conversations, details on the different characters actions, etc. However, none of that happened. Just brief sentences about it.
Though, I will probably read the rest of the series, just to figure out what happens next and because I am a little OCD about finishing series I start, I fear it won't stand up to my standards. With that said, I do think this book would be good for teens. It is fast paced, doesn't dwell on some of the finer details someone like I would enjoy, and had a great idea in the story plot. I would rate this book 2 stars out of 5 stars because of how it was written. I would have definitely loved more and hope in the future books, Rice will give us just that and not skimp out on things that may help the story become deeper and much more fulfilling.

Emma (229 KP) rated Cold Comfort Farm in Books
Apr 12, 2021
I bought this book ages ago because I watched the film and enjoyed it.
Every review I've seen has said how comical the story is, and how good a book it is.
I must admit I laughed a couple of times, and I enjoyed the story, it was well written and I got through it quite quickly.
That being said however, reading it in 2021, I found certain aspects of it slightly offensive. And also thought the way that she portrayed the starkadders was quite cruel. To me the book portrayed a sense of 'us city folk are better than you country folk.' . Maybe that was the big joke, but I didn't find it very amusing.
All on all it was an alright read, definitely nothing amazing as I've always thought it was hyped up to be.
Every review I've seen has said how comical the story is, and how good a book it is.
I must admit I laughed a couple of times, and I enjoyed the story, it was well written and I got through it quite quickly.
That being said however, reading it in 2021, I found certain aspects of it slightly offensive. And also thought the way that she portrayed the starkadders was quite cruel. To me the book portrayed a sense of 'us city folk are better than you country folk.' . Maybe that was the big joke, but I didn't find it very amusing.
All on all it was an alright read, definitely nothing amazing as I've always thought it was hyped up to be.

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Space Case (Moon Base Alpha #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Dashiell Gibson is one of the first people living on the Moon colony, and he’s found life for the kids to be rather boring. All that changes when one of the residents is found dead outside the base. While everyone thinks it was an accident, Dash is certain it was murder. But can he prove it?
This is a great combination of mystery and science fiction. The setting is realistically done and really adds to the story. The target middle grade audience will love the characters and the humor. Personally, I never saw the ending coming. I can’t wait for the sequel.
You can read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/10/book-review-space-case-by-stuart-gibbs.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a great combination of mystery and science fiction. The setting is realistically done and really adds to the story. The target middle grade audience will love the characters and the humor. Personally, I never saw the ending coming. I can’t wait for the sequel.
You can read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/10/book-review-space-case-by-stuart-gibbs.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.