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Merissa (13398 KP) rated Bound (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #3) in Books
Oct 21, 2021 (Updated Jul 12, 2023)
BOUND is the third book in the Blood Moon, Texas Shifters series and this time, it's Topher and West's story.
Oh, man. Where do I start? Do I start with the fantasy geekdom that runs rife through this story? Or maybe with the leaking Omega magic that bound Topher (initially) against his will to West? Or maybe how their feelings have grown but West is still so unsure of being worthy to anyone, let alone Topher? Or maybe I should go out on a limb and talk about family loyalty and what it's like to look for a father and a brother, both of whom have disappeared without a trace?
This is an amazing story that is rich in detail and intricate enough to keep you on your toes. Family is a big theme all the way through, and obviously, it's not always blood family either. Family by bond is a big thing and I LOVE IT!
The overall story arc has moved along, helped no end by this story, and I can't wait to see where it will go next. There are some steamy moments but mainly, it's all about connection.
Bound is a fantastic addition to the series, one that I highly recommend, and I can't wait for Brody and London, who come next. Watch out for sparks!
** 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 21, 2021
Oh, man. Where do I start? Do I start with the fantasy geekdom that runs rife through this story? Or maybe with the leaking Omega magic that bound Topher (initially) against his will to West? Or maybe how their feelings have grown but West is still so unsure of being worthy to anyone, let alone Topher? Or maybe I should go out on a limb and talk about family loyalty and what it's like to look for a father and a brother, both of whom have disappeared without a trace?
This is an amazing story that is rich in detail and intricate enough to keep you on your toes. Family is a big theme all the way through, and obviously, it's not always blood family either. Family by bond is a big thing and I LOVE IT!
The overall story arc has moved along, helped no end by this story, and I can't wait to see where it will go next. There are some steamy moments but mainly, it's all about connection.
Bound is a fantastic addition to the series, one that I highly recommend, and I can't wait for Brody and London, who come next. Watch out for sparks!
** 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 21, 2021
Merissa (13398 KP) rated Nobody's Goddess (Never Veil #1) in Books
May 20, 2023
Noll lives in a small village, under the shadow of the lord's castle. The men supply the castle with the things he needs as no woman or girl is allowed to look upon the castle, or they turn to dust. When the boys reach a certain age, they fall in love with a girl/woman who is their "goddess".
This book is incredibly in-depth and intricate. It has layer upon layer of story woven within its pages, and it will draw you in and keep you there until the story is over. There are lots of unique and fresh ideas within this book, so much so that I can't describe them all without doing the book a grave injustice.
There is romance in this story, but I felt it actually took a back seat. It is more about Noll learning who she is, and situations she has to live through to become who she needs to be. I was swept along right to the end, when my heart stuttered as I realised, along with Noll, just what was going on. Trust me when I say that I had to reread the ending more than once before I could convince myself to close the book.
An excellent story, very well-written and with no editing or grammatical errors to detract away from the story, this is one Coming of Age Fantasy to be read and enjoyed more than once. 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!
Feb 12, 2016
This book is incredibly in-depth and intricate. It has layer upon layer of story woven within its pages, and it will draw you in and keep you there until the story is over. There are lots of unique and fresh ideas within this book, so much so that I can't describe them all without doing the book a grave injustice.
There is romance in this story, but I felt it actually took a back seat. It is more about Noll learning who she is, and situations she has to live through to become who she needs to be. I was swept along right to the end, when my heart stuttered as I realised, along with Noll, just what was going on. Trust me when I say that I had to reread the ending more than once before I could convince myself to close the book.
An excellent story, very well-written and with no editing or grammatical errors to detract away from the story, this is one Coming of Age Fantasy to be read and enjoyed more than once. 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!
Feb 12, 2016
Kyera (8 KP) rated A Wild and Unremarkable Thing in Books
Feb 1, 2018
A Wild and Unremarkable Thing had a very interesting premise that blended fantasy aspects like dragons, with Greek mythology and medieval lore. I love history and mythology, so this book immediately called to me. Unfortunately, it didn't entirely live up to my expectations for it although I did still enjoy my read. I believe that the biggest reason why it stumbled for me is how short the book is. At 238 pages, the author did not have enough time to adequately flesh out the plotline and characters leaving the story feeling rushed and the supporting characters unexplored.
The book is written through alternating points of view, which was a nice way to delve deeper into the character's psyche despite the short text. The main character is Cody, a girl who was born Cayda but has been forced by her father to train and lie her entire life with the hopes that she will slay a Fire Scale. She accepts the pain and commitment because the most important thing is to be able to provide for her family, especially her sisters. I wish that we had been able to get to know the sisters more so that we could form that bond with them and the book would have had more emotional weight.
The other two main characters were Penn and Wolfe. Penn was certainly the most interesting aspect of the story and I enjoyed seeing things from his perspective. Wolfe, on the other hand, was not a character that I related to or enjoyed reading. It was nice however to see things from his perspective as it offered a completely different life experience to view the hunt through.
The book also fell prey to the trope of insta-love, which I believe was also the fault of the story being so short. There was not adequate time to explore the relationship or infatuation between two characters before it seemed as if they were suddenly in love. It almost felt as if chapters of the story were missing because the development of bonds between characters or the plot would jump forward without sufficient explanation. The ending of the book felt incredibly rushed and I wish that it had been given the longer, more detailed conclusion that it deserved.
As a casual reader, I found that I enjoyed the overall story and the weaving of Greek mythology into the plot. Unfortunately, critically there were a number of different aspects that detracted from my enjoyment of the book or drew me out of the story. Despite that, I felt that the author's writing was well done and hope that she can bring more detail to her books in the future.
The book is written through alternating points of view, which was a nice way to delve deeper into the character's psyche despite the short text. The main character is Cody, a girl who was born Cayda but has been forced by her father to train and lie her entire life with the hopes that she will slay a Fire Scale. She accepts the pain and commitment because the most important thing is to be able to provide for her family, especially her sisters. I wish that we had been able to get to know the sisters more so that we could form that bond with them and the book would have had more emotional weight.
The other two main characters were Penn and Wolfe. Penn was certainly the most interesting aspect of the story and I enjoyed seeing things from his perspective. Wolfe, on the other hand, was not a character that I related to or enjoyed reading. It was nice however to see things from his perspective as it offered a completely different life experience to view the hunt through.
The book also fell prey to the trope of insta-love, which I believe was also the fault of the story being so short. There was not adequate time to explore the relationship or infatuation between two characters before it seemed as if they were suddenly in love. It almost felt as if chapters of the story were missing because the development of bonds between characters or the plot would jump forward without sufficient explanation. The ending of the book felt incredibly rushed and I wish that it had been given the longer, more detailed conclusion that it deserved.
As a casual reader, I found that I enjoyed the overall story and the weaving of Greek mythology into the plot. Unfortunately, critically there were a number of different aspects that detracted from my enjoyment of the book or drew me out of the story. Despite that, I felt that the author's writing was well done and hope that she can bring more detail to her books in the future.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Fire of the Sea in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Want to know what I find really odd? Mermaid books are like contemporary books. I either love them or hate them, and it may or may not just be me turning into a picky reader.
I personally enjoyed the concept behind <i>Fire of the Sea</i>. There's Nordic mythology and mermaids, and I loved reading about the underwater world of unified sea creatures.
But there were just a few things that I really hated about the novel, and that was pretty much why I gave it such a low rating compared to everyone else I've seen on Goodreads. In fact, compared to the ratings I've seen on Goodreads and Amazon, I'm probably the lowest since I'm that weirdo who doesn't round up. (Not that I'm actually going to let that bother me greatly.)
<i>Fire of the Sea</i> felt more like a love story than anything else. Aeva, though loyal and courageous and torn between two worlds, was reckless and careless with some of her actions. Within several days after she saves Gunnar from being taken by the sea, she wants to leave behind her sea world and become human. Her reason? "I call it love because I don't have another name for it." It is, by far, the <i>lamest</i> reason I've ever heard. Her entire reasoning behind why she wants to become human is for love. A love for a guy she saved from the sea and should be a part of Davy Jones's locker, but because Aeva is a courageous mermaid who wanted to do a kind deed, he's not. Instead, he's tied to her.
It also felt like I was watching <i>The Little Mermaid</i>Â all over again. There's no prince, of course, but there's a mermaid (a princess, no less) who desires to be a part of the human world (though the reasons for each are quite different), there's a price to be paid to be human, and there's an Ursula. The Ursulas in the two are a little different, but Delphine might as well be Ursula simply due to the fact she can shift herself into an octopus.
<i>Fire of the Sea</i>Â was predictable, though that's beginning to not bother me as much simply due to the fact I'm ahead of the characters by a few steps. But in figuring out who Delphine was? That was a given, and I just waited to see if Aeva would actually figure it out herself before Delphine revealed herself.
So here's my final verdict: if you love a love story playing a major role with mythology and mermaids, you'll likely enjoy this. If you prefer mythology of the uncommon kind but don't care about the love story playing a major role, you might be peachy. But if you really hate love stories, then you might want to pass this up.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-fire-of-the-sea-by-lyndsay-johnson/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Want to know what I find really odd? Mermaid books are like contemporary books. I either love them or hate them, and it may or may not just be me turning into a picky reader.
I personally enjoyed the concept behind <i>Fire of the Sea</i>. There's Nordic mythology and mermaids, and I loved reading about the underwater world of unified sea creatures.
But there were just a few things that I really hated about the novel, and that was pretty much why I gave it such a low rating compared to everyone else I've seen on Goodreads. In fact, compared to the ratings I've seen on Goodreads and Amazon, I'm probably the lowest since I'm that weirdo who doesn't round up. (Not that I'm actually going to let that bother me greatly.)
<i>Fire of the Sea</i> felt more like a love story than anything else. Aeva, though loyal and courageous and torn between two worlds, was reckless and careless with some of her actions. Within several days after she saves Gunnar from being taken by the sea, she wants to leave behind her sea world and become human. Her reason? "I call it love because I don't have another name for it." It is, by far, the <i>lamest</i> reason I've ever heard. Her entire reasoning behind why she wants to become human is for love. A love for a guy she saved from the sea and should be a part of Davy Jones's locker, but because Aeva is a courageous mermaid who wanted to do a kind deed, he's not. Instead, he's tied to her.
It also felt like I was watching <i>The Little Mermaid</i>Â all over again. There's no prince, of course, but there's a mermaid (a princess, no less) who desires to be a part of the human world (though the reasons for each are quite different), there's a price to be paid to be human, and there's an Ursula. The Ursulas in the two are a little different, but Delphine might as well be Ursula simply due to the fact she can shift herself into an octopus.
<i>Fire of the Sea</i>Â was predictable, though that's beginning to not bother me as much simply due to the fact I'm ahead of the characters by a few steps. But in figuring out who Delphine was? That was a given, and I just waited to see if Aeva would actually figure it out herself before Delphine revealed herself.
So here's my final verdict: if you love a love story playing a major role with mythology and mermaids, you'll likely enjoy this. If you prefer mythology of the uncommon kind but don't care about the love story playing a major role, you might be peachy. But if you really hate love stories, then you might want to pass this up.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-fire-of-the-sea-by-lyndsay-johnson/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Me Before You
8.3
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THE NEW YORK TIMES NUMBER 1 BESTSELLING NOVEL THAT IS LOVED AROUND THE WORLD, NOW A FILM STARRING...
Is-it Love ? Ryan - Otome
Games and Entertainment
App
Influence the progression of your Love Story by the choices you make! (100% available in English)....
Glittery Sawa (5 KP) rated Throne of Glass in Books
Jan 5, 2018
Characters (1 more)
Storyline
Unexpected Start, Engaging Content, Epic Story
Contains spoilers, click to show
I am going to be completely honest when I started Throne of Glass, I was a little bored. The beginning of the book had a slow start and I had trouble getting started with the book. Boy am I glad that I stuck with it!! The story revolves around 3 Main Characters to Start Celaena Sardothien, Prince Dorian Havilliard, and Captain Chaol Westfall.
***** SPOILERS BELOW!! ******
Dorian starts by getting Celaena out of Prison, Where she was placed for being an Assassin by Dorian's father. Dorian enlists Celaena to become his assassin in a competition given by his father. She must beat all other contestants and then serve as the King's Assassin for 5 years to gain her freedom. The book has intrigue, action, little bit of love, and it keeps you hooked to the page.
Once the story gets going you will not be able to put the book down. I'll let you know to buy all of the series at once if you can because You will immediately want to pick up the next book in the series once you are done the first.
***** SPOILERS BELOW!! ******
Dorian starts by getting Celaena out of Prison, Where she was placed for being an Assassin by Dorian's father. Dorian enlists Celaena to become his assassin in a competition given by his father. She must beat all other contestants and then serve as the King's Assassin for 5 years to gain her freedom. The book has intrigue, action, little bit of love, and it keeps you hooked to the page.
Once the story gets going you will not be able to put the book down. I'll let you know to buy all of the series at once if you can because You will immediately want to pick up the next book in the series once you are done the first.
tonidavis (353 KP) rated The Fandom in Books
Aug 8, 2017
I got a proof of this book at Yalc. Just by the description on the cover I thought I would like it. However the story itself wasn't what I thought it would be.
When I started to read it took me a few chapters to get into it but once I got into the story I loved it.
There is an obvious comparison for anyone who grew up 80 early 90s with the story being reminiscent of dungeons and dragons. There were points I was tempted to jump to the end just to make sure they make it home. As someone who grew up loving this show the book was somewhat sentimental for me.
The premise itself is good I don't know anyone who hasn't at lasted toyed with the idea of being trapped in there favorite fandom world. that being said there were point where I was okay that's just straight matrix moment.
As a whole I loved this book it had a lot of thing I love and the dungeons and dragons feel just made me so nostalgic. It's a great fantasy's read.
When I started to read it took me a few chapters to get into it but once I got into the story I loved it.
There is an obvious comparison for anyone who grew up 80 early 90s with the story being reminiscent of dungeons and dragons. There were points I was tempted to jump to the end just to make sure they make it home. As someone who grew up loving this show the book was somewhat sentimental for me.
The premise itself is good I don't know anyone who hasn't at lasted toyed with the idea of being trapped in there favorite fandom world. that being said there were point where I was okay that's just straight matrix moment.
As a whole I loved this book it had a lot of thing I love and the dungeons and dragons feel just made me so nostalgic. It's a great fantasy's read.
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Gloaming in Books
May 2, 2018 (Updated May 2, 2018)
A grown up fairy tale
This is a story which weaves the fantastical and the real together so well. It's set on a small, remote Scottish island, where the people there believe in selkies and turn to stone on a cliff top looking out to the ocean, when they die.
Mara Ross and her family live in a run down castle, that they never quite manage to repair. After her little brothers death, Mara leaves the island with Pearl, who she often refers to as a mermaid or a selkie (it's her job, actually).
This is a story of love, loss, hope, return and growing up. Fairy tales are used as a way of illustrating gender roles and how they have changed. This all sounds far too 'dry' though. This story is written in such lyrical, wistful language. It's beautiful. I could carry on reading it for another 200 pages. You're never quite sure what's real and what's fairy tale - and that's O.K.
And for the record, I like that there's no definite ending. I think that works really well with the rest of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
Mara Ross and her family live in a run down castle, that they never quite manage to repair. After her little brothers death, Mara leaves the island with Pearl, who she often refers to as a mermaid or a selkie (it's her job, actually).
This is a story of love, loss, hope, return and growing up. Fairy tales are used as a way of illustrating gender roles and how they have changed. This all sounds far too 'dry' though. This story is written in such lyrical, wistful language. It's beautiful. I could carry on reading it for another 200 pages. You're never quite sure what's real and what's fairy tale - and that's O.K.
And for the record, I like that there's no definite ending. I think that works really well with the rest of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
Merissa (13398 KP) rated Better Together in Books
May 15, 2018
Better Together by BL Maxwell
Better Together tells the story of two young boys, both only seventeen years old, who have to deal with situations that would stress out adults. Caden is thrown out of home when his parents discover he is gay, and Rio has to become the father of the family when his parents are deported, due to a small mistake. These two struggle when separate, but once they are together, things get better.
This is a sweet story, full of hope and love, showing that maturity isn't necessarily linked with age. In fact, it seemed strange to hear their ages being referenced, as they seemed so much older in themselves. By pulling together, taking one step at a time, and asking for help when needed, Caden and Rio appear to be able to do anything.
With a high feel-good factor, I can definitely recommend this story for when life seems insurmountable!
* 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!
This is a sweet story, full of hope and love, showing that maturity isn't necessarily linked with age. In fact, it seemed strange to hear their ages being referenced, as they seemed so much older in themselves. By pulling together, taking one step at a time, and asking for help when needed, Caden and Rio appear to be able to do anything.
With a high feel-good factor, I can definitely recommend this story for when life seems insurmountable!
* 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!