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Zombie (The Cursed Manuscripts)
7.0
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On December 21, 2012, according to the Mayan Calendar, the world was supposed to end. It didn't. But...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Tidelands ( Fairmile book 1) in Books
May 8, 2022
79 of 230
Book
Tidelands ( Fairmile book 1)
By Philippa Gregory
⭐️⭐️⭐️
A country at war
A king beheaded
A woman with a dangerous secret
On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life.
England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands.
This was my first Philippa Gregory book and I liked it but it didn’t wow me! I took a while to get into it and struggled a little for a while. I’m glad I stuck with it though and it did really pick up towards the end. I’m a fan of historical history reads so the era was right up my street. I must say the ending was just so sad and my heart actually wrenched for Allinor. I look forward to reading more.
Book
Tidelands ( Fairmile book 1)
By Philippa Gregory
⭐️⭐️⭐️
A country at war
A king beheaded
A woman with a dangerous secret
On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life.
England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands.
This was my first Philippa Gregory book and I liked it but it didn’t wow me! I took a while to get into it and struggled a little for a while. I’m glad I stuck with it though and it did really pick up towards the end. I’m a fan of historical history reads so the era was right up my street. I must say the ending was just so sad and my heart actually wrenched for Allinor. I look forward to reading more.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half - Blood Rising book 1) in Books
Jul 22, 2022
125 of 230
Kindle
The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half-Blood Rising book 1)
By Lucy Roy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a rare halfblood among a race of witches and shifters, Freya has enjoyed living a quiet life away from the royal court of Lindoroth and among those who know little about her. She’s had the freedom to make her own choices, and fighting alongside the local marshals is just an added bonus.
When obligation arrives on her doorstep to remind her of promises made long ago, her quiet life comes to an end. With hardly time to say goodbye, Freya is whisked off to the capital city of Iladel to attend a prestigious royal academy with her peers, where appearances can be deceiving and connections are everything. While there, she’ll be reunited with her childhood friend, Prince Aerelius, and begin to experience life at the royal court in ways she never did as a girl.
As Freya and the prince dive into old routines and explore new feelings, they uncover the secrets and schemes that lurk below the court’s surface. When a secret is unveiled that changes everything, they must do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their kingdom. If they fail, long-held alliances will shatter and war will come to the shores of their land, threatening all they hold dear.
I adore this author and this didn’t disappoint. I love the world and character builds and the story came to so well. I love the idea of the Valkyries they are fascinating. If I had one thing that maybe stopped it being a 5⭐️ was that it waited till the last 4 chapters before the action kicked in. Although the build up was still enough to make me want more.
Kindle
The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half-Blood Rising book 1)
By Lucy Roy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a rare halfblood among a race of witches and shifters, Freya has enjoyed living a quiet life away from the royal court of Lindoroth and among those who know little about her. She’s had the freedom to make her own choices, and fighting alongside the local marshals is just an added bonus.
When obligation arrives on her doorstep to remind her of promises made long ago, her quiet life comes to an end. With hardly time to say goodbye, Freya is whisked off to the capital city of Iladel to attend a prestigious royal academy with her peers, where appearances can be deceiving and connections are everything. While there, she’ll be reunited with her childhood friend, Prince Aerelius, and begin to experience life at the royal court in ways she never did as a girl.
As Freya and the prince dive into old routines and explore new feelings, they uncover the secrets and schemes that lurk below the court’s surface. When a secret is unveiled that changes everything, they must do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their kingdom. If they fail, long-held alliances will shatter and war will come to the shores of their land, threatening all they hold dear.
I adore this author and this didn’t disappoint. I love the world and character builds and the story came to so well. I love the idea of the Valkyries they are fascinating. If I had one thing that maybe stopped it being a 5⭐️ was that it waited till the last 4 chapters before the action kicked in. Although the build up was still enough to make me want more.
Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1)
8.7
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EVERWOOD FALLS… a small supernatural community tucked up in the Colorado Rockies where witches,...
Paranormal Romance Cozy Mystery
Merissa (12926 KP) rated Idolatry (Reagalos #2) in Books
Oct 8, 2021 (Updated Jul 12, 2023)
IDOLATRY is the second book in the Reagalos series and we return to the fantasy world where Lornyc is now the ruler of two kingdoms and, as he finds out, a living god. Of course, he isn't really. It's just his pesky (deceased) relative causing trouble once more.
If you are looking for a nice and simple, easy read then I'm afraid this book won't do it for you. If you're looking for one with multiple twists, intrigue, multiple dimensions, death threats, and jealous lovers, then hold onto your hats, because you're in for one hell of a ride!
There is so much that goes on here, honestly! I didn't see Methian bloom as I'd hoped, but I am seeing the beginnings of it. After speaking with his dad, he is going to take more of a hand in his own kingdom.
Lornyc is definitely the character that takes centre stage in this story. The other characters are there but we don't see as much of them. Vella is still having fun, as Kat's black eye will attest to.
I hope to see more of Methian in future books as I feel he could be a really strong character in his own right, rather than 'just' a consort. He is also heir to his own realm so... yep, I'd like to see more of him. Vella is another great character - loyal to her family, dangerous to those who cross her or those she loves.
Idolatry was a great addition to the series, and I look forward to reading more. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Oct 8, 2021
If you are looking for a nice and simple, easy read then I'm afraid this book won't do it for you. If you're looking for one with multiple twists, intrigue, multiple dimensions, death threats, and jealous lovers, then hold onto your hats, because you're in for one hell of a ride!
There is so much that goes on here, honestly! I didn't see Methian bloom as I'd hoped, but I am seeing the beginnings of it. After speaking with his dad, he is going to take more of a hand in his own kingdom.
Lornyc is definitely the character that takes centre stage in this story. The other characters are there but we don't see as much of them. Vella is still having fun, as Kat's black eye will attest to.
I hope to see more of Methian in future books as I feel he could be a really strong character in his own right, rather than 'just' a consort. He is also heir to his own realm so... yep, I'd like to see more of him. Vella is another great character - loyal to her family, dangerous to those who cross her or those she loves.
Idolatry was a great addition to the series, and I look forward to reading more. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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!
Oct 8, 2021
Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power
9.0
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Sixteenth-century Europe: Renaissance masters paint the ceilings of Florentine churches, kings...
Non-fiction France Spain Scotland England 16th Century Europe
Shark Baroni And The Stars In The Sea
Book
A fantastic debut from a budding young author, Shark Baroni and the Stars in the Sea is a tale full...
children's book children's picture book
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Little Bee in Books
Jun 20, 2018
Today, June 20, is World Refugee Day. First observed in 2001, it is dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of refugees all across the world. African Refugee Day had been observed in some countries prior to the UN declaring it World Refugee Day, but the Organization of African Unity agreed to have the two days coincide.
To honor World Refugee Day, today I'm going to talk about Little Bee. Little Bee is a Nigerian refugee in the United Kingdom. She and her sister witnessed the destruction of their village by an oil company's thugs, and were hunted down to eliminate the witnesses. In a chance encounter on a Nigerian beach, she met Sarah and Andrew, a couple from London trying to save their marriage by going on an exotic holiday. The encounter changes the lives of all three of them, and when Little Bee makes it to the United Kingdom, they are the only people she knows. She arrives at their home on the day of Andrew's funeral, and Sarah takes her in.
The book switches between the viewpoints of Sarah and Little Bee, and it does suffer from that, a bit. I couldn't wait for Sarah's chapters to be done so I could get back to Little Bee. Her viewpoint - her voice - was enthralling. Some first-person views are just the person thinking to themselves, while some first-person views are the person talking to the reader. Sarah was the first type, and Little Bee the second. Reading her explanations of the differences between her old life and her new life, and how the girls from her village wouldn't understand things, was amazing. I was hooked within the first ten pages of the book, specifically her note about scars:
"I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scar makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them. We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived."
The events Little Bee talks about having witnessed are horrifying. And she recognizes that. She could be bitter, she could be depressed, she could be insane, but she is not. She manages to have hope, and even joy. She sees other refugees around her commit suicide, and in fact always has a plan for how to kill herself "if the men come." Because the stories of refugees always begin with "the men came and they..." and she'd rather kill herself than let herself be taken. Despite this, she has hope for a future. Or perhaps she simply takes joy in the present.
The book is not a happy one. Like Sing, Unburied, Sing, it's an important book but not exactly an enjoyable one. There are enjoyable parts. But there are very hard parts, too. (I should note, here, a TRIGGER WARNING for a graphic description of rape, when Little Bee tells Sarah what happened to Little Bee's older sister.) It did not end the way I wanted it to, though it ended in an unexpected way. I suppose it was too much to hope for a Happy Ever After when the vast majority of refugees don't get one.
For all that there were very tough scenes to get through in this book, I'm still putting it on my Best of 2018 list. Little Bee's voice and viewpoint is amazing, the story is well researched, and the plot absorbing. This is a book I'd like to have on my shelf.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
To honor World Refugee Day, today I'm going to talk about Little Bee. Little Bee is a Nigerian refugee in the United Kingdom. She and her sister witnessed the destruction of their village by an oil company's thugs, and were hunted down to eliminate the witnesses. In a chance encounter on a Nigerian beach, she met Sarah and Andrew, a couple from London trying to save their marriage by going on an exotic holiday. The encounter changes the lives of all three of them, and when Little Bee makes it to the United Kingdom, they are the only people she knows. She arrives at their home on the day of Andrew's funeral, and Sarah takes her in.
The book switches between the viewpoints of Sarah and Little Bee, and it does suffer from that, a bit. I couldn't wait for Sarah's chapters to be done so I could get back to Little Bee. Her viewpoint - her voice - was enthralling. Some first-person views are just the person thinking to themselves, while some first-person views are the person talking to the reader. Sarah was the first type, and Little Bee the second. Reading her explanations of the differences between her old life and her new life, and how the girls from her village wouldn't understand things, was amazing. I was hooked within the first ten pages of the book, specifically her note about scars:
"I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scar makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them. We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived."
The events Little Bee talks about having witnessed are horrifying. And she recognizes that. She could be bitter, she could be depressed, she could be insane, but she is not. She manages to have hope, and even joy. She sees other refugees around her commit suicide, and in fact always has a plan for how to kill herself "if the men come." Because the stories of refugees always begin with "the men came and they..." and she'd rather kill herself than let herself be taken. Despite this, she has hope for a future. Or perhaps she simply takes joy in the present.
The book is not a happy one. Like Sing, Unburied, Sing, it's an important book but not exactly an enjoyable one. There are enjoyable parts. But there are very hard parts, too. (I should note, here, a TRIGGER WARNING for a graphic description of rape, when Little Bee tells Sarah what happened to Little Bee's older sister.) It did not end the way I wanted it to, though it ended in an unexpected way. I suppose it was too much to hope for a Happy Ever After when the vast majority of refugees don't get one.
For all that there were very tough scenes to get through in this book, I'm still putting it on my Best of 2018 list. Little Bee's voice and viewpoint is amazing, the story is well researched, and the plot absorbing. This is a book I'd like to have on my shelf.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Cage of Destiny (Reign of Secrets, #3) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.</i></b>
I honestly forgot about writing a review for <i>Cage of Destiny</i> after reading it, so I am now fashionably late in the reviewing scheme of things.
My excuse: I've been trying to get both of my co-bloggers into reading this and it has not happened yet. My mission will continue. (Also Anelises library is cooler than mine because she says they have a copy of the first book.)
<b>I honestly live for Daviss introductions because they give me life</b>. It's one of the rare things that never happen in books but it happened and I always look forward to reading it. <b>Also it seems like there will be more books?</b> Which means I might get more of one of my favorite bad-ass princess? My heart is overjoyed. *rolls into abyss of happiness*
<i>Cage of Destiny</i> starts right off from <i><a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-cage-of-darkness-by-jennifer-anne-davis-arc-review"; target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cage of Darkness</a></i>, when Allyssa is given the ultimate choice from her parents to walk away from her crown or continue the path of being empress of Emperion. This makes things a lot interesting since <i><a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-cage-of-deceit-by-jennifer-anne-davis-arc-review"; target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cage of Deceit</a></i> revealed <b>Allyssa is a bad-ass princess who sneaks around the kingdom just to take down criminals in a disguise. </b>And now she has a decision while taking down evil queen interested in kingdom domination!
To be a ruler, or not to be a ruler, that is the question.
And of course, <b>there is a love triangle, which is kind of strange yet thrilling at the same time.</b> Unlike most love triangles where the poor girl is playing Pick a Boy and us poor readers are fighting around with teams, <b>there's only one side to this love triangle.</b> The other guy is just there hanging on hopelessly, and my heart is happy because <b>Davis isn't busy pulling around with my poor heartstrings and there is only one ship to this story.</b>
Which basically leads me into some of the characters of book three. All of the major characters have been introduced in either the first or second book, so a lot of those characters are returning. In addition to that, <b>there are some new characters as well, so maybe there's a book four? That is yet to be seen.</b>
But let me take a moment to appreciate Kerdan, who got introduced in the previous book and will be playing a larger role than floating around and plotting and being all around mysterious prince warrior. <b>Kerdan is basically the Kenji from <i>Shatter Me</i></b> - all funny personality with more page time than Kenji did, but also my favorite character other than Allyssa.
In fact, <b>Kerdan probably brings out the funny side of Allyssa, </b>which I will definitely not complain about.
<b>
</b> <b><i>Cage of Destiny </i>brings a satisfying conclusion to one story with an unknown promise of future books</b> - I'll be looking forward to future books regardless.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/cage-of-destiny-by-jennifer-anne-davis/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I honestly forgot about writing a review for <i>Cage of Destiny</i> after reading it, so I am now fashionably late in the reviewing scheme of things.
My excuse: I've been trying to get both of my co-bloggers into reading this and it has not happened yet. My mission will continue. (Also Anelises library is cooler than mine because she says they have a copy of the first book.)
<b>I honestly live for Daviss introductions because they give me life</b>. It's one of the rare things that never happen in books but it happened and I always look forward to reading it. <b>Also it seems like there will be more books?</b> Which means I might get more of one of my favorite bad-ass princess? My heart is overjoyed. *rolls into abyss of happiness*
<i>Cage of Destiny</i> starts right off from <i><a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-cage-of-darkness-by-jennifer-anne-davis-arc-review"; target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cage of Darkness</a></i>, when Allyssa is given the ultimate choice from her parents to walk away from her crown or continue the path of being empress of Emperion. This makes things a lot interesting since <i><a href="http://www.bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-cage-of-deceit-by-jennifer-anne-davis-arc-review"; target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cage of Deceit</a></i> revealed <b>Allyssa is a bad-ass princess who sneaks around the kingdom just to take down criminals in a disguise. </b>And now she has a decision while taking down evil queen interested in kingdom domination!
To be a ruler, or not to be a ruler, that is the question.
And of course, <b>there is a love triangle, which is kind of strange yet thrilling at the same time.</b> Unlike most love triangles where the poor girl is playing Pick a Boy and us poor readers are fighting around with teams, <b>there's only one side to this love triangle.</b> The other guy is just there hanging on hopelessly, and my heart is happy because <b>Davis isn't busy pulling around with my poor heartstrings and there is only one ship to this story.</b>
Which basically leads me into some of the characters of book three. All of the major characters have been introduced in either the first or second book, so a lot of those characters are returning. In addition to that, <b>there are some new characters as well, so maybe there's a book four? That is yet to be seen.</b>
But let me take a moment to appreciate Kerdan, who got introduced in the previous book and will be playing a larger role than floating around and plotting and being all around mysterious prince warrior. <b>Kerdan is basically the Kenji from <i>Shatter Me</i></b> - all funny personality with more page time than Kenji did, but also my favorite character other than Allyssa.
In fact, <b>Kerdan probably brings out the funny side of Allyssa, </b>which I will definitely not complain about.
<b>
</b> <b><i>Cage of Destiny </i>brings a satisfying conclusion to one story with an unknown promise of future books</b> - I'll be looking forward to future books regardless.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/cage-of-destiny-by-jennifer-anne-davis/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
If you’re happy & you know it - Sing Along
Education and Games
App
-> Full Interactive Song + 9 Amazing Educational Games Inside -> Top HD graphics and superb musical...