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Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Stone of Destiny: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure in Books
Jul 30, 2018
Fans of Sherlock Holmes, fans of mystery, fans of adventure and suspense - this might be your next favorite book! Now, I have never read a Sherlock Holmes book before, so I can’t compare this book to the original books from Arthur Conan Doyle. But, what I will do for you is tell you all I thought about this book!
The story begins when during the funeral of Queen Victoria, a group of Irish separatists steal the Coronation Stone, on which every royal has been crowned. To retrieve this important object, the royals will hire Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery. Holmes and his friend Watson travel to Ireland and try to infiltrate the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a group they think is responsible for all that happened.
Even though this is a Sherlock Holmes book, we actually unravel the story through a Watson-first-person point of view. He, to me, is a very interesting character, even though he follows Holmes like a puppy and doesn’t seem to have a personal opinion.
As for Sherlock Holmes, even though I really like the mysterious aura about him, and how smart he can be - I also see him as one of the rude aristocrats that refuse to speak to other people that seem to be lower in the hierarchy to them. This is of course, not presented in the book in any way - but I simply had that impression.
I loved the beginning, and I loved the mystery and suspense throughout the whole book. I was never ahead of the book, and my assumptions were never correct. I loved how the author kept us in the dark right until the end.
The small things I didn’t like though, were the slow pace - I have to admit, the pace was really slow for me, and I couldn’t wait until a chapter is finished to see if there would be more action. Then, even the action scenes weren’t as thrilling as I would expect them to be. And finally, there were no big plot twists, which I think we might have used in the book.
But - we did have a lovely mystery solving story, and we had a lot of history information floating around. We also had another book with Sherlock Holmes, that for you - lovers of the Sherlock Holmes books will of course be something you enjoy.
I greatly recommend it to you if you love the good old Sherlock Holmes adventures!
Many thanks to the author, Richard T. Ryan, for sending me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins when during the funeral of Queen Victoria, a group of Irish separatists steal the Coronation Stone, on which every royal has been crowned. To retrieve this important object, the royals will hire Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery. Holmes and his friend Watson travel to Ireland and try to infiltrate the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a group they think is responsible for all that happened.
Even though this is a Sherlock Holmes book, we actually unravel the story through a Watson-first-person point of view. He, to me, is a very interesting character, even though he follows Holmes like a puppy and doesn’t seem to have a personal opinion.
As for Sherlock Holmes, even though I really like the mysterious aura about him, and how smart he can be - I also see him as one of the rude aristocrats that refuse to speak to other people that seem to be lower in the hierarchy to them. This is of course, not presented in the book in any way - but I simply had that impression.
I loved the beginning, and I loved the mystery and suspense throughout the whole book. I was never ahead of the book, and my assumptions were never correct. I loved how the author kept us in the dark right until the end.
The small things I didn’t like though, were the slow pace - I have to admit, the pace was really slow for me, and I couldn’t wait until a chapter is finished to see if there would be more action. Then, even the action scenes weren’t as thrilling as I would expect them to be. And finally, there were no big plot twists, which I think we might have used in the book.
But - we did have a lovely mystery solving story, and we had a lot of history information floating around. We also had another book with Sherlock Holmes, that for you - lovers of the Sherlock Holmes books will of course be something you enjoy.
I greatly recommend it to you if you love the good old Sherlock Holmes adventures!
Many thanks to the author, Richard T. Ryan, for sending me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Debbie (52 KP) rated The Immigrant Brides Romance Collection in Books
Mar 20, 2019
The Immigrant Brides Romance Collection Review
The Immigrant Brides Romance Collection
9 Stories Celebrate Settling in America
By: Irene B. Brand; Kristy Dykes; Nancy J. Farrier; Pamela Griffin; Joann A Grote; Sally Laity; Judith McCoy Miller; and Janet Spaeth
Barbour Publishing, Inc
Barbour Books
Christian, Romance
Publish Dater 1 March 2019
444 Pages
#TheImmigrantBridesRomanceCollection #NetGalley
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/23cda8f5b390052c84bafb486921760c8733c9f5"; width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews"/>
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
I read this book a little while ago so my review will be very short. It is also hard for me to review a short story collection. I did enjoy this book because it is historical fiction. The stories draw you in and you can feel what each character is going through. There are two stories that deals with Chinese immigrants and what they go through and how they are treated.
My favorite story is about an Irish immigrant who becomes a teacher. I love that her family was very supportive and how the young man who is interested in her helps her out also even though she doesn't give him the light of day.
I would recommend this book for you read.
The Immigrant Brides Romance Collection
9 Stories Celebrate Settling in America
By: Irene B. Brand; Kristy Dykes; Nancy J. Farrier; Pamela Griffin; Joann A Grote; Sally Laity; Judith McCoy Miller; and Janet Spaeth
Barbour Publishing, Inc
Barbour Books
Christian, Romance
Publish Dater 1 March 2019
444 Pages
#TheImmigrantBridesRomanceCollection #NetGalley
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/23cda8f5b390052c84bafb486921760c8733c9f5"; width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews"/>
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
I read this book a little while ago so my review will be very short. It is also hard for me to review a short story collection. I did enjoy this book because it is historical fiction. The stories draw you in and you can feel what each character is going through. There are two stories that deals with Chinese immigrants and what they go through and how they are treated.
My favorite story is about an Irish immigrant who becomes a teacher. I love that her family was very supportive and how the young man who is interested in her helps her out also even though she doesn't give him the light of day.
I would recommend this book for you read.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated To Sin With a Stranger (Seven Deadly Sins, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
After reading the second, I decided I should probably read the first. After reading the second, which immediately captured my attention, I found it so difficult to get into this novel. It starts out with Siusan sewing up Sterlings knuckles, which I had to actually skip over because I could not stomach reading about it.
After that the story progresses with Sterling actually fighting some Irish man to win money to help support his siblings. After Isobel interrupts the fight and is embarrassed by Sterling, he goes on to win the fight and donate some of his winnings to Isobels cause. Sterling then makes the bet at Whites and proceeds to woe Isobel.
Honestly, I grew bored with this novel. I actually found myself skipping over passages and conversations without meaning to. It was actually depressing after reading the <i>The Most Wicked of Sins</i>, which had me hooked. I loved reading about Ivy and Nicks developing relationship and them falling in love. Sterling and Isobels story, however, was just flat. I dont why, but I just found that I could not care less about them falling in love, or Sterling seducing Isobel.
I was greatly disappointed.
After that the story progresses with Sterling actually fighting some Irish man to win money to help support his siblings. After Isobel interrupts the fight and is embarrassed by Sterling, he goes on to win the fight and donate some of his winnings to Isobels cause. Sterling then makes the bet at Whites and proceeds to woe Isobel.
Honestly, I grew bored with this novel. I actually found myself skipping over passages and conversations without meaning to. It was actually depressing after reading the <i>The Most Wicked of Sins</i>, which had me hooked. I loved reading about Ivy and Nicks developing relationship and them falling in love. Sterling and Isobels story, however, was just flat. I dont why, but I just found that I could not care less about them falling in love, or Sterling seducing Isobel.
I was greatly disappointed.
David McK (3600 KP) rated Tricked (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #4) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Book no 4 in The Iron Druid chronicles this, I felt, is the weakest of the series so far.
I'm not sure whether that is because it comes after [b:Hammered|10443590|Hammered|Mark Ward|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328728608s/10443590.jpg|15348265] my choice for the best or because the main plot line of [b:Hounded|18404329|Hounded|David Rosenfelt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382758931s/18404329.jpg|26038191], [b:Hexed|6372672|Hexed|Michael Alan Nelson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348584639s/6372672.jpg|6560286] and [b:Hammered|10443590|Hammered|Mark Ward|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328728608s/10443590.jpg|15348265] are finished, or even because of the unfamiliar (to me) Navajo setting, but to me, this just didn't gel as much as any of the previous three.
The plot has to do with Atticus dealing with the aftermath of his journey to Asgard in the previous novel, and the deal he made with Coyote to cover his tracks, with the big bad in this taking the form of two Skinwalkers rather than the Irish god(s) of the first, the Witches of the second or the Norse gods of the third.
It's not a bad read, just not my pick for the best of the series
I'm not sure whether that is because it comes after [b:Hammered|10443590|Hammered|Mark Ward|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328728608s/10443590.jpg|15348265] my choice for the best or because the main plot line of [b:Hounded|18404329|Hounded|David Rosenfelt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382758931s/18404329.jpg|26038191], [b:Hexed|6372672|Hexed|Michael Alan Nelson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348584639s/6372672.jpg|6560286] and [b:Hammered|10443590|Hammered|Mark Ward|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328728608s/10443590.jpg|15348265] are finished, or even because of the unfamiliar (to me) Navajo setting, but to me, this just didn't gel as much as any of the previous three.
The plot has to do with Atticus dealing with the aftermath of his journey to Asgard in the previous novel, and the deal he made with Coyote to cover his tracks, with the big bad in this taking the form of two Skinwalkers rather than the Irish god(s) of the first, the Witches of the second or the Norse gods of the third.
It's not a bad read, just not my pick for the best of the series
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