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Debbiereadsbook (1416 KP) rated Shades in Books
Jun 17, 2018
excellent stand alone for Ms Reese!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
KIllian is a hitman, but lately his mind has been on a certain waiter. Nick is hiding, and when who he is hiding from comes looking for him, Killian goes into major protection mode. But can they find a way out?
I've read all of Ms Reeses's Men of Halfway House series, they are ALL five star reads from me, so I approached this one with a little trepidation. This is a stand alone, totally unrelated to those books, and I wasn't sure how I felt about not reading about characters from a much loved series.
HOWEVER!!!
I LOVED THIS!
There are so many twists and turns, so many things I saw coming and so many I got so very wrong.
I loved that even though it took Killian time to verbalise his emotions, that he FELT them at all, proved he wasn't quite as broken as he thought.
I loved that Nick could read Killian like a bloody book, and loved that it was a constant niggle in the back of Killian's brain "If he can read so well, can others?" that sort of thing.
Loved what Killian was doing on the island, that I did NOT see coming! And I got the original owner of the talisman so very wrong. Another thing I didn't quite put the pieces together in the right order! And I loved that the talisman came full circle, and what Killian did with it after.
It's quite hard to write a gushing review about a book that has so many twists and turns, without giving too much away and spoiling it for everyone who comes after, but I hope I've given you enough hints and clues to pique your interest!
I started this book at 1015pm, after a 12 hour shift, after 4 hours sleep the night before. Come 2am, and I had finished it. So, when you are literally holding your eyes open with matchsticks, and you absolutely NEED to finish this book before you totally collapse, it can only get one rating. When you CANNOT fault it, when youy didn't even expect to get it, and when you simply want more stand alone novels for this author, it can ONLY get.....
5 full stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
KIllian is a hitman, but lately his mind has been on a certain waiter. Nick is hiding, and when who he is hiding from comes looking for him, Killian goes into major protection mode. But can they find a way out?
I've read all of Ms Reeses's Men of Halfway House series, they are ALL five star reads from me, so I approached this one with a little trepidation. This is a stand alone, totally unrelated to those books, and I wasn't sure how I felt about not reading about characters from a much loved series.
HOWEVER!!!
I LOVED THIS!
There are so many twists and turns, so many things I saw coming and so many I got so very wrong.
I loved that even though it took Killian time to verbalise his emotions, that he FELT them at all, proved he wasn't quite as broken as he thought.
I loved that Nick could read Killian like a bloody book, and loved that it was a constant niggle in the back of Killian's brain "If he can read so well, can others?" that sort of thing.
Loved what Killian was doing on the island, that I did NOT see coming! And I got the original owner of the talisman so very wrong. Another thing I didn't quite put the pieces together in the right order! And I loved that the talisman came full circle, and what Killian did with it after.
It's quite hard to write a gushing review about a book that has so many twists and turns, without giving too much away and spoiling it for everyone who comes after, but I hope I've given you enough hints and clues to pique your interest!
I started this book at 1015pm, after a 12 hour shift, after 4 hours sleep the night before. Come 2am, and I had finished it. So, when you are literally holding your eyes open with matchsticks, and you absolutely NEED to finish this book before you totally collapse, it can only get one rating. When you CANNOT fault it, when youy didn't even expect to get it, and when you simply want more stand alone novels for this author, it can ONLY get.....
5 full stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Bethany Fletcher (17 KP) rated Children of Blood and Bone: Book 1 in Books
Jun 24, 2018 (Updated Jun 25, 2018)
While buddy reading this with a friend we realised it was a plain copy of Avatar the Last Airbender. There is the king attacking magicians which is basically the fire nation attacking the air nomads. There is a secret temple that worships the magical gods and the protectors are there to help the chosen one. Basically the fire temple on the crescent island that is there to worship the Avatar and help Aang.
The characters were cardboard copies of Avatar. Zelie is a mix of Aang and Katara. There is Zelie’s brother, Tzain, who is the only one who doesn’t get magic because screw you Sokka you are not a Bender! They are being chased around by the Prince Inan who wants to impress his daddy but has mixed moral feelings. Hi there Zuko nice to see you again!
The plot was super confusing. There were parts that weren’t explained at all. So Inanas powers are control over someone’s mind right, so he can take someone into his ‘dreamscape’ (basically the Bone Season by Samantha Shannon). Anyway, he takes Zelie into his dreamscape and she hates him as he is a royal and hunting her down BUT she strips off naked and skinny dips? Why? There is no reason and it made zero sense for someone who is terrified of Inan to make themselves that vulnerable.
Zelie gets over her hatred for Inan pretty quick and soon they are lusting after each other. She doesn’t seem to care about the previous hatred and Inan is the only one who struggles morally. Here’s the thing, did they actually have sex? They had sex in Inan’s dreamscape while there physical bodies were actually no where near each other. Zelie was with her brother. So did their minds have sex? Did they share a dream where they both got it on? After Zelie is super awkward about it but it’s like, you didn’t actually do anything, did you? Not explained very well.
I could go on all day but I shan’t. It wasn’t even written well. It just read like the author didn’t know what to write so copied something they knew was succesful. If these things will annoy you as much as they did me then I would suggest skipping this book.
The characters were cardboard copies of Avatar. Zelie is a mix of Aang and Katara. There is Zelie’s brother, Tzain, who is the only one who doesn’t get magic because screw you Sokka you are not a Bender! They are being chased around by the Prince Inan who wants to impress his daddy but has mixed moral feelings. Hi there Zuko nice to see you again!
The plot was super confusing. There were parts that weren’t explained at all. So Inanas powers are control over someone’s mind right, so he can take someone into his ‘dreamscape’ (basically the Bone Season by Samantha Shannon). Anyway, he takes Zelie into his dreamscape and she hates him as he is a royal and hunting her down BUT she strips off naked and skinny dips? Why? There is no reason and it made zero sense for someone who is terrified of Inan to make themselves that vulnerable.
Zelie gets over her hatred for Inan pretty quick and soon they are lusting after each other. She doesn’t seem to care about the previous hatred and Inan is the only one who struggles morally. Here’s the thing, did they actually have sex? They had sex in Inan’s dreamscape while there physical bodies were actually no where near each other. Zelie was with her brother. So did their minds have sex? Did they share a dream where they both got it on? After Zelie is super awkward about it but it’s like, you didn’t actually do anything, did you? Not explained very well.
I could go on all day but I shan’t. It wasn’t even written well. It just read like the author didn’t know what to write so copied something they knew was succesful. If these things will annoy you as much as they did me then I would suggest skipping this book.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Fledgling (Afterlife #1) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
With the increasing population and growing evils of the world, the guardian angels are struggling to keep up and have started to recruit human souls to be angels. Those that meet the criteria are then trained to fight evil - quite literally.
The heroine of the story (unnamed for very nearly half the book) is one such recruit, She is sent on missions to protect innocent souls from evil people and to insert a conscience into their attackers so they will change their ways. But the new angel is worried about the side effects of the new conscience and this causes her to break the rules and to question if what the archangels have taught is correct.
Despite the premise, this book is neither religious nor do the angels behave exactly as guardian angels are traditionally supposed to. They are more like an angelic version of Thunderbirds as they are despatched from their secret island base around the planet to protect those in trouble. And they don't fight evil with a kind word and good deeds, these angels are trained in martial arts and are very much not afraid to use it.
This book reminded me most of a computer game where each mission granted new powers, but also the end of level opponent gets tougher. Every chapter raises the thrill another notch and the fight scenes are very impressively written and choreographed. It is like The Matrix with angels.
The characters are well written. The angels - both the new recruits and the archangels - are well formed and each has their strengths and weaknesses and are certainly not in any way perfect. The heroine in particular is someone the reader can empathise with as she struggles with the dilemmas of her new life (and her old human one). Some pages I didn't want to turn as it was clear that something unpleasant was going to happen to her. But with the help of her friends and their combined strengths they win through.
Given that the main character is female angel and that there is a romantic sub plot this might not appeal to teenage males but that would be overlooking a terrific book for a very superficial reason. The tale of a feisty angel who always does what she believes is right is ultimately a good read for anybody.
The heroine of the story (unnamed for very nearly half the book) is one such recruit, She is sent on missions to protect innocent souls from evil people and to insert a conscience into their attackers so they will change their ways. But the new angel is worried about the side effects of the new conscience and this causes her to break the rules and to question if what the archangels have taught is correct.
Despite the premise, this book is neither religious nor do the angels behave exactly as guardian angels are traditionally supposed to. They are more like an angelic version of Thunderbirds as they are despatched from their secret island base around the planet to protect those in trouble. And they don't fight evil with a kind word and good deeds, these angels are trained in martial arts and are very much not afraid to use it.
This book reminded me most of a computer game where each mission granted new powers, but also the end of level opponent gets tougher. Every chapter raises the thrill another notch and the fight scenes are very impressively written and choreographed. It is like The Matrix with angels.
The characters are well written. The angels - both the new recruits and the archangels - are well formed and each has their strengths and weaknesses and are certainly not in any way perfect. The heroine in particular is someone the reader can empathise with as she struggles with the dilemmas of her new life (and her old human one). Some pages I didn't want to turn as it was clear that something unpleasant was going to happen to her. But with the help of her friends and their combined strengths they win through.
Given that the main character is female angel and that there is a romantic sub plot this might not appeal to teenage males but that would be overlooking a terrific book for a very superficial reason. The tale of a feisty angel who always does what she believes is right is ultimately a good read for anybody.
ClareR (5854 KP) rated The Guest List in Books
Feb 27, 2020
The Guest List is a murder mystery set at a wedding - and not just any wedding. This is the event of the year. It's set on an exclusive island off the coast of Ireland. The bride, Jules Keegan, is a magazine publisher, and the groom, Will Slater, is a handsome survivalist TV star. But all is not as it seems. Will's guests consist mainly of old public school friends who aren't particularly nice people (the ushers are frankly appalling), and Jules' 'Best Man' is an ex-boyfriend from when she was a teenager. Now, he seems perfectly nice, as does his 'plus one', his wife Hannah. Part of the story is actually told from Hannah's perspective. She's the person that you could see being your friend, someone who you could go out drinking with (coffee or alcohol!).
Jules is a very strong, confident woman - the polar opposite of her sister Olivia. Olivia seems to have had a bad breakup and is very fragile.
All of these characters (apart from Hannah) have secrets and grudges against another person at the wedding - even Will's Best Man, Johnno, who at first appears not to have a care in the world. But appearances can be deceptive.
I really enjoyed the way this story was constructed, with jumps backwards and forwards in time. There's the linear story of the build-up to the wedding, with leaps in to the future where one of the waitresses has found an unidentified dead body on the wedding night at the evening party.
This book had me guessing as to the identity of both the murderer and the victim, and I had great fun trying to guess who they were (I didn't get anywhere near the right people, and I also now realise that I have something of a bloodthirsty penchant for retribution). I'm looking forward to Lucy Foley's next book already!
I read this on The Pigeonhole, and Lucy Foley joined in, showing us photos of places she'd been in Ireland that inspired her, and commenting on our (the readers) comments. Another great Pigeonhole experience - and another book that I had also requested and received from NetGalley. So thanks to NetGalley, but especially thanks to The Pigeonhole for helping me to make a dent in my NetGalley book mountain!!
Jules is a very strong, confident woman - the polar opposite of her sister Olivia. Olivia seems to have had a bad breakup and is very fragile.
All of these characters (apart from Hannah) have secrets and grudges against another person at the wedding - even Will's Best Man, Johnno, who at first appears not to have a care in the world. But appearances can be deceptive.
I really enjoyed the way this story was constructed, with jumps backwards and forwards in time. There's the linear story of the build-up to the wedding, with leaps in to the future where one of the waitresses has found an unidentified dead body on the wedding night at the evening party.
This book had me guessing as to the identity of both the murderer and the victim, and I had great fun trying to guess who they were (I didn't get anywhere near the right people, and I also now realise that I have something of a bloodthirsty penchant for retribution). I'm looking forward to Lucy Foley's next book already!
I read this on The Pigeonhole, and Lucy Foley joined in, showing us photos of places she'd been in Ireland that inspired her, and commenting on our (the readers) comments. Another great Pigeonhole experience - and another book that I had also requested and received from NetGalley. So thanks to NetGalley, but especially thanks to The Pigeonhole for helping me to make a dent in my NetGalley book mountain!!
Ali A (82 KP) rated The Vanishing Deep in Books
Mar 6, 2020
The Great Wave destroyed the planet five hundred years ago and since then, the surface has been covered in water. Tempest was born into a world of water. Tempest’s sister Elysea drowned holding the secret to their parents’ death and Tempest wants answers. A research facility on the island of Palindromena can revive the dead for 24 hours and Tempest saved every Note she possibly could for two years to do so.
The reunion isn’t what Tempest thought it would be and instead, Elysea insists she’s innocent and convinces her sister to break her out of the facility so they together can find the answers about their parents. But it won’t be an easy journey, especially since they have the Warren, the person in charge of Elysea’s revival, on their trail to return her back before the 24 hours are up.
The Vanishing Deep’s cover is what drew me in to begin with as well as the world the author created. Astrid Scholte does an amazing job at creating this world of water and the floating islands that people live in. A part of me wishes we were able to see more of the day to day life instead of small glimpses here and there simply because the world sounds so interesting.
Scholte has a unique ability to create multi-dimensional, realistic characters that you can’t help but care for. My heart ached for Tempest and Lor throughout the whole book and I kept reading to find out if they get their happy endings or not. Having the chapters be in both Lor’s and Tempest’s points of view gives the reader a more in depth knowledge as to what’s happening, especially since during some parts, a character might be viewing things slightly differently due to grief or past experiences.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twists, turns, and thrills this book had. There were so many surprises that it made it hard for me to put down once I got to reading it. This novel is full of plot twists, both big and small that will have you turning pages upon pages until there is no more left. I would recommend this book to any fantasy lover out there. I am absolutely going to check out more of Astrid Scholte’s other novels.
*Thank you BookishFirst and Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
The reunion isn’t what Tempest thought it would be and instead, Elysea insists she’s innocent and convinces her sister to break her out of the facility so they together can find the answers about their parents. But it won’t be an easy journey, especially since they have the Warren, the person in charge of Elysea’s revival, on their trail to return her back before the 24 hours are up.
The Vanishing Deep’s cover is what drew me in to begin with as well as the world the author created. Astrid Scholte does an amazing job at creating this world of water and the floating islands that people live in. A part of me wishes we were able to see more of the day to day life instead of small glimpses here and there simply because the world sounds so interesting.
Scholte has a unique ability to create multi-dimensional, realistic characters that you can’t help but care for. My heart ached for Tempest and Lor throughout the whole book and I kept reading to find out if they get their happy endings or not. Having the chapters be in both Lor’s and Tempest’s points of view gives the reader a more in depth knowledge as to what’s happening, especially since during some parts, a character might be viewing things slightly differently due to grief or past experiences.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twists, turns, and thrills this book had. There were so many surprises that it made it hard for me to put down once I got to reading it. This novel is full of plot twists, both big and small that will have you turning pages upon pages until there is no more left. I would recommend this book to any fantasy lover out there. I am absolutely going to check out more of Astrid Scholte’s other novels.
*Thank you BookishFirst and Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
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