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ClareR (5879 KP) rated The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna in Books
Aug 26, 2019
This is the family saga of the Fortuna’s, and follows their lives from poverty in Calabria to the USA. It follows Stella from the birth and death of her older sister (also called Mariastella), her siblings, parents and her life in Connecticut - covering 100 years. I still can’t quite believe that the author managed to fit so much into 460+ pages without it feeling rushed or shoe-horned in, it she did it!
As you can probably guess from the title, Stella’s 7 or 8 deaths feature quite prominently in this, as does her close relationships with her mother and sister. Her father as good as abandons them for the first part of her life, and then demands that his wife and children sell everything and join him in the US where he has been working. Stella hates her controlling, abusive father, but is very much restricted by tradition and religion. So, she lives under his despotic rule. There is quite a bit of abuse - both physical and mental - in this, but what is most admirable is Stella’s unbroken spirit. And she has spirit in spades.
I loved the style in which this was told: a family member researching and telling the story of her relatives, and trying to work out why Stella in her last 30 years refuses to have anything to do with the sister that she loved so much. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact fiction. There was a great balance of modern thinking (from the narrator) and the traditions of the older members of the family, complete with curses and spells to avoid the evil eye.
I’ll be honest, I thought I’d made a mistake by choosing this book. I really didn’t think I’d like it. I’m so relieved that I took a chance on this though, because I loved it, and I’d say that it’s well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
As you can probably guess from the title, Stella’s 7 or 8 deaths feature quite prominently in this, as does her close relationships with her mother and sister. Her father as good as abandons them for the first part of her life, and then demands that his wife and children sell everything and join him in the US where he has been working. Stella hates her controlling, abusive father, but is very much restricted by tradition and religion. So, she lives under his despotic rule. There is quite a bit of abuse - both physical and mental - in this, but what is most admirable is Stella’s unbroken spirit. And she has spirit in spades.
I loved the style in which this was told: a family member researching and telling the story of her relatives, and trying to work out why Stella in her last 30 years refuses to have anything to do with the sister that she loved so much. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact fiction. There was a great balance of modern thinking (from the narrator) and the traditions of the older members of the family, complete with curses and spells to avoid the evil eye.
I’ll be honest, I thought I’d made a mistake by choosing this book. I really didn’t think I’d like it. I’m so relieved that I took a chance on this though, because I loved it, and I’d say that it’s well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Scarred Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance book 7) in Books
Oct 20, 2021
173 of 250
Kindle
Scarred Warrior ( Dark Warrior Alliance book 7)
By Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Being a Dark Warrior and protecting others has been the only focus in Gerrick Haele's life for centuries, until he receives the shock of his life when one of the females he rescues from the archdemon's clutches ignites an arousal that hints at her being his Fated Mate. Problem is, Gerrick's Fated Mate was murdered four hundred years earlier and you are only ever given one mate in a lifetime. Questions of Dark magic and deception carry him down a path involving time travel, serums and fights to the death. Can he set aside his doubt and be the male Shae needs him to be, or will his past come back to haunt him and history repeat itself? Shae Mitchell has spent the last seven months being tormented, raped and tortured by vile archdemons and just wants her suffering to end. She is on the verge of giving up completely when Gerrick sweeps in to rescue her. Her relief at being liberated is short-lived when she realizes the demons have sunk their claws far deeper than the scars on her neck. As she fights to rid her mind of the archdemon's influence, she discovers that the explosive heat she shares with the sexy Dark Warrior threatens to consume her whole.
These get better and better each book! This was Gerricks and Shaes story which was just so well put together. We had the trapped females finally free from cages as well as a fated pair come together. Some catch ups with familiar faces and some exciting news for the king and queen. I have to say this every book I just love Mack more and more. One demon down and one to go before they unleash all hell. Really enjoyed this one.
Kindle
Scarred Warrior ( Dark Warrior Alliance book 7)
By Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Being a Dark Warrior and protecting others has been the only focus in Gerrick Haele's life for centuries, until he receives the shock of his life when one of the females he rescues from the archdemon's clutches ignites an arousal that hints at her being his Fated Mate. Problem is, Gerrick's Fated Mate was murdered four hundred years earlier and you are only ever given one mate in a lifetime. Questions of Dark magic and deception carry him down a path involving time travel, serums and fights to the death. Can he set aside his doubt and be the male Shae needs him to be, or will his past come back to haunt him and history repeat itself? Shae Mitchell has spent the last seven months being tormented, raped and tortured by vile archdemons and just wants her suffering to end. She is on the verge of giving up completely when Gerrick sweeps in to rescue her. Her relief at being liberated is short-lived when she realizes the demons have sunk their claws far deeper than the scars on her neck. As she fights to rid her mind of the archdemon's influence, she discovers that the explosive heat she shares with the sexy Dark Warrior threatens to consume her whole.
These get better and better each book! This was Gerricks and Shaes story which was just so well put together. We had the trapped females finally free from cages as well as a fated pair come together. Some catch ups with familiar faces and some exciting news for the king and queen. I have to say this every book I just love Mack more and more. One demon down and one to go before they unleash all hell. Really enjoyed this one.
Merissa (12882 KP) rated Pestilence (The Four Horsemen #1) in Books
Apr 25, 2023
This book starts with Aldo 'waking up' after a successful attempt at killing himself, so to say he was a bit confused should be taken as given. He finds out that he is now Pestilence, the White Horseman. It is his job to go where he is sent and spread epidemics in order to keep the balance between Heaven and Hell. He was a doctor in his life, so it is both ironic and heartbreaking for him to now be spreading disease. In an effort to distance himself from the human population, he lives in the middle of the Amazon jungle. So you can imagine his surprise when he sees a man stumble into his clearing, full of fever and virus.
Bart was left in the middle of the jungle by his lover and the rest of the research team. He doesn't know how he has made it to the clearing, but he is glad that he did when Pestilence looks after him and helps him to make a long and slow recovery. Pestilence is riddled with guilt over the deaths of his wife and son due to the Bubonic Plague, and his 'job'. Bart comes into his life like a dervish and Pestilence starts to question if he can actually have a relationship.
I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and characters in this book. It is the first of a new series, and I am looking forward to reading the others. Although I really liked Pestilence and Bart, I personally loved the scenes with Death, as I really enjoyed his dry wit and personality.
With a relationship that grows and develops, as well as forgiveness, guilt, love, and disease, this book is certainly worth the read. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Nov 10, 2015
Bart was left in the middle of the jungle by his lover and the rest of the research team. He doesn't know how he has made it to the clearing, but he is glad that he did when Pestilence looks after him and helps him to make a long and slow recovery. Pestilence is riddled with guilt over the deaths of his wife and son due to the Bubonic Plague, and his 'job'. Bart comes into his life like a dervish and Pestilence starts to question if he can actually have a relationship.
I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and characters in this book. It is the first of a new series, and I am looking forward to reading the others. Although I really liked Pestilence and Bart, I personally loved the scenes with Death, as I really enjoyed his dry wit and personality.
With a relationship that grows and develops, as well as forgiveness, guilt, love, and disease, this book is certainly worth the read. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Nov 10, 2015
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North in Books
Aug 19, 2023
Ok, I’ll put my hand up to this: I haven’t read the first two books in this trilogy! But I’ve heard enough about them that it feels as though I have! And they’re on my bookshelf. It’s not actually unusual for me to read trilogies out of order, and I can say in this case that I didn’t feel as though I’d missed anything major that made it incomprehensible. Maureen Fry to me was perfectly readable and very enjoyable on its own. That’s not to say that I won’t read Harold and Queenie’s stories though!
Maureen isn’t an instantly likeable person. She’s standoffish, rude and has experienced enough trauma in her life to make her attitude and personality unpleasant, yet understandable. As a child she was described as difficult, and she describes herself as a difficult adult. Harold clearly adores her, and finds this part of her just as endearing as the rest. We’ve all met difficult people like Maureen, possibly made sure that we avoided them afterwards, and this novella goes some way to explain how and why Maureen became the person she was.
Maureen doesn’t have an easy time during her journey, mainly because of her ‘spikiness’, but at the same time, it shows how intolerant some people can be (Maureen is included here!). We meet one of Harold’s friends from his walk who proves particularly invaluable for Maureen.
At the centre of this is Maureen’s loss. When her son died by suicide many years before this story takes place, he takes a piece of Maureen with him. This journey, which is, incidentally to Queenie’s garden, helps Maureen to come to terms with her sons death and life without him.
It’s quite beautiful. I’m not saying that Maureen transforms into a wonderfully kind, light-hearted woman (she doesn’t), but I do believe she comes to an understanding with her grief.
This was well worth the reading.
Maureen isn’t an instantly likeable person. She’s standoffish, rude and has experienced enough trauma in her life to make her attitude and personality unpleasant, yet understandable. As a child she was described as difficult, and she describes herself as a difficult adult. Harold clearly adores her, and finds this part of her just as endearing as the rest. We’ve all met difficult people like Maureen, possibly made sure that we avoided them afterwards, and this novella goes some way to explain how and why Maureen became the person she was.
Maureen doesn’t have an easy time during her journey, mainly because of her ‘spikiness’, but at the same time, it shows how intolerant some people can be (Maureen is included here!). We meet one of Harold’s friends from his walk who proves particularly invaluable for Maureen.
At the centre of this is Maureen’s loss. When her son died by suicide many years before this story takes place, he takes a piece of Maureen with him. This journey, which is, incidentally to Queenie’s garden, helps Maureen to come to terms with her sons death and life without him.
It’s quite beautiful. I’m not saying that Maureen transforms into a wonderfully kind, light-hearted woman (she doesn’t), but I do believe she comes to an understanding with her grief.
This was well worth the reading.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Death Valley in Tabletop Games
Jan 18, 2022
This past summer, 2021, I had the opportunity to visit Las Vegas for the first time in my life. The casinos, the strip, the lights – everything was over-the-top and pretty impressive. But my trip took me beyond the city borders, as I got to visit several national parks and see some unique landmarks as well. One of which being Death Valley National Park. They’re not lying with the name – during my trip there, the temperature climbed to over 110°F. Does this pocket-sized game about the real-life location do justice to the scorching scenery? Keep reading to find out!
Death Valley is a game for 1-2 players in which you are documenting your journey across the Death Valley park. You will see different sights on your journey, and add cherished memories to your scrapbook. The player who amasses the most points by the end of the game is the winner! To setup for a game, shuffle the deck of Feature cards and reveal one face-up while the rest remain in a face-down deck. These cards make up the Desert. That’s it. The game is ready to start! Choose a starting player and get to sight-seeing!
Throughout the game, players will be adding Feature cards to their Journey tableau (places they have visited) and their Scrapbook tableau (the more memorable locations). On your turn, you will perform one of 2 actions: Travel or Rest. When you choose to Travel, you will select either the Feature card from the Desert (the face-up card), or draw the top card from the face-down deck and add it to your Journey. Conversely, when you choose to Rest, you will move a Feature card from your Journey into your Scrapbook. When moving Feature cards to your Scrapbook, you are allowed to hide other cards from your Journey underneath that card. Hiding cards can be beneficial for end-game points, or for preventing you from Busting. Many Feature cards have additional text at the bottom, that either provides ongoing abilities for the remainder of the game, or that provide extra scoring abilities at the end of the game. Choosing which Feature cards to move when and where is key!
After you have performed your chosen Action, you check to see if you Bust. If you have 3 Feature cards of the same type in your Journey and Scrapbook, you Bust! To resolve a Bust, you will discard from the game the right-most card in your Journey, and then will re-shuffle any remaining Journey cards back into the draw deck. So there’s a small element of push-your-luck in here! Once you resolve a Bust (if necessary), you will refresh the Desert – reveal a new face-up card if you just took the face-up card this turn. Your turn then ends, and play moves to your opponent. The game continues in this fashion, with players drawing/placing/moving Feature cards in their 2 tableaus, until only 1 card remains in the Desert. Points are then tallied: 1 point per Star on cards visible in your Journey, and points based on the extra scoring abilities of cards in your Journey and/or Scrapbook. The player with the highest score is declared the winner!
So, let’s get into this gameplay. For being a 2-player game, I appreciate that it’s not necessarily directly competitive. Yes, you want to score more points at the end of the game, but there really isn’t any player interaction, which keeps the energy level of the game more low-key. That being said, it’s decently strategic. Some Feature cards provide on-going abilities that can be used throughout the game, and can help you get some benefit out of a Bust. Certain card abilities rely on adjacency of other cards, so you have to know when/where to place a card to get the most points for the end of the game. That being said, you also have to make sure you don’t Bust. Luckily, you don’t resolve/check for a Bust until after you have performed your action, so perhaps you are able to sneak by with some clever planning. One part of the gameplay that misses the mark for me is the fact that you can only perform 1 Action per turn. I feel like that can really inhibit your ability to strategize, and makes it difficult to feel like you’re accomplishing something on your turns. Maybe if players had to perform both Actions per turn (either Travel/Rest, or vice versa), it would offer a few more options in terms of strategy. I just personally feel like taking only 1 Action per turn makes the gameplay a little too choppy, and makes it hard to really get into – especially when the game itself is so short. Maybe I’m not thinking strategically enough, but these are my thoughts thus far with Death Valley!
Components. As to be expected from ButtonShy – excellent quality of the cards and wallet. The artwork is colorful and thematic, and I just like looking at the different locations represented in the game. This game is satisfying to look at, and it earns high marks from me. Another neat thing? Each Feature card has a little interesting fact about its location, so you can learn a neat tidbit while playing the game!
Nothing can really compare to seeing Death Valley in person, but this game does offer a nice representation. The beauty of the location artwork coupled with the interesting facts has me intrigued outside of the game itself. The gameplay isn’t necessarily a home-run in my eyes, but it is strategic enough that I know I’ll keep pulling this one out from time to time. There is a solo mode, as well as a variant to give you more of a press-your-luck element, and I will definitely be trying those to see if they change my thoughts on this game. But for the time being, Purple Phoenix Games gives Death Valley a singed 4 / 6.
Death Valley is a game for 1-2 players in which you are documenting your journey across the Death Valley park. You will see different sights on your journey, and add cherished memories to your scrapbook. The player who amasses the most points by the end of the game is the winner! To setup for a game, shuffle the deck of Feature cards and reveal one face-up while the rest remain in a face-down deck. These cards make up the Desert. That’s it. The game is ready to start! Choose a starting player and get to sight-seeing!
Throughout the game, players will be adding Feature cards to their Journey tableau (places they have visited) and their Scrapbook tableau (the more memorable locations). On your turn, you will perform one of 2 actions: Travel or Rest. When you choose to Travel, you will select either the Feature card from the Desert (the face-up card), or draw the top card from the face-down deck and add it to your Journey. Conversely, when you choose to Rest, you will move a Feature card from your Journey into your Scrapbook. When moving Feature cards to your Scrapbook, you are allowed to hide other cards from your Journey underneath that card. Hiding cards can be beneficial for end-game points, or for preventing you from Busting. Many Feature cards have additional text at the bottom, that either provides ongoing abilities for the remainder of the game, or that provide extra scoring abilities at the end of the game. Choosing which Feature cards to move when and where is key!
After you have performed your chosen Action, you check to see if you Bust. If you have 3 Feature cards of the same type in your Journey and Scrapbook, you Bust! To resolve a Bust, you will discard from the game the right-most card in your Journey, and then will re-shuffle any remaining Journey cards back into the draw deck. So there’s a small element of push-your-luck in here! Once you resolve a Bust (if necessary), you will refresh the Desert – reveal a new face-up card if you just took the face-up card this turn. Your turn then ends, and play moves to your opponent. The game continues in this fashion, with players drawing/placing/moving Feature cards in their 2 tableaus, until only 1 card remains in the Desert. Points are then tallied: 1 point per Star on cards visible in your Journey, and points based on the extra scoring abilities of cards in your Journey and/or Scrapbook. The player with the highest score is declared the winner!
So, let’s get into this gameplay. For being a 2-player game, I appreciate that it’s not necessarily directly competitive. Yes, you want to score more points at the end of the game, but there really isn’t any player interaction, which keeps the energy level of the game more low-key. That being said, it’s decently strategic. Some Feature cards provide on-going abilities that can be used throughout the game, and can help you get some benefit out of a Bust. Certain card abilities rely on adjacency of other cards, so you have to know when/where to place a card to get the most points for the end of the game. That being said, you also have to make sure you don’t Bust. Luckily, you don’t resolve/check for a Bust until after you have performed your action, so perhaps you are able to sneak by with some clever planning. One part of the gameplay that misses the mark for me is the fact that you can only perform 1 Action per turn. I feel like that can really inhibit your ability to strategize, and makes it difficult to feel like you’re accomplishing something on your turns. Maybe if players had to perform both Actions per turn (either Travel/Rest, or vice versa), it would offer a few more options in terms of strategy. I just personally feel like taking only 1 Action per turn makes the gameplay a little too choppy, and makes it hard to really get into – especially when the game itself is so short. Maybe I’m not thinking strategically enough, but these are my thoughts thus far with Death Valley!
Components. As to be expected from ButtonShy – excellent quality of the cards and wallet. The artwork is colorful and thematic, and I just like looking at the different locations represented in the game. This game is satisfying to look at, and it earns high marks from me. Another neat thing? Each Feature card has a little interesting fact about its location, so you can learn a neat tidbit while playing the game!
Nothing can really compare to seeing Death Valley in person, but this game does offer a nice representation. The beauty of the location artwork coupled with the interesting facts has me intrigued outside of the game itself. The gameplay isn’t necessarily a home-run in my eyes, but it is strategic enough that I know I’ll keep pulling this one out from time to time. There is a solo mode, as well as a variant to give you more of a press-your-luck element, and I will definitely be trying those to see if they change my thoughts on this game. But for the time being, Purple Phoenix Games gives Death Valley a singed 4 / 6.
