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Cowboys and Chaos (Magical Mystery Book Club #3)
Cowboys and Chaos (Magical Mystery Book Club #3)
Elizabeth Pantley | 2022 | Mystery, Paranormal
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!


This is the 3rd instalment of the Magical Mystery Book Club, and it is as fantastic as the previous 2. Elizabeth has a way of writing that pulls you in from the get-go and keeps you guessing the mystery all the way through until it's solved. I can't say too much as it would give too much away but most people complain about book clubs, and say they are a bit drab, but I would love to join this one!


Well done, Elizabeth. Another fantastic story. Keep them coming.


** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
  
MB
Midlife Blues ( Not too Late 2)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
100 of 220
Kindle
Midlife Blues (Not Too Late 2)
By Victoria Danann
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Begins with the formerly reclusive, gentleman vampire hosting a murder mystery dinner you'll never forget, and ends with the case of the captured kelpie. From Hallow Hill to northern Ireland, don't miss your favorite judge's magical adventures.


I liked it but it didn’t have the punch the first one had. It was interesting hearing the court trials and meeting so many different creatures. Felt a little rushed to me but I it still made me smile. Worth a read! To be honest who would want this job and to live in this village? My dream!
  
The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1)
8
7.4 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
A story that you want to read till the end (0 more)
Female characters tend to lack variety in comparison to male characters (0 more)
A fantastic start to an epic tale
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Eye of the World is the first of many books in The Wheel of Time series, firstly wrote by Robert Jordan, and finalised by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death, following the story of several characters from Emonds Field.

 In my opinion The Eye of the World is the strongest book in the series, and is a fantastic hook to get you to read the following books. Although the series centres around many characters, the true main character of the first book is Rand al’Thor, a reluctant hero, who discovers he has magical abilities, which could ultimately destroy him. In an attempt to save Emonds Field, Rand and his friends flee, accompanied by an Aes Sedai (a female with magical powers). The story primarily details the journey of the group (either together or in smaller groups), detailing regular encounters with the dark ones forces. As such the story does follow the predictable fantasy format of -unlikely hero discovers that they have magical powers, and then goes on a journey to save the world, however it is an enjoyable tale.


The male characters in the book are diverse and entertaining- I struggled to decide which was my favourite character as they all had likeable features. One thing about the book, which does takeaway from
It’s score is Jordan’s portrayal of female characters. I found a lack of diversity amongst those female characters who were on the side we are led to route for, and some stereotyping of women. This was evident even amongst female characters that were meant to be in power. The women as a whole in the novel always needed a man to support them (for
Example Moiraine needing Lan, Egwene needing Rand, there are a few isolated incidents of independence amongst these female characters, but this was often as an exception to the rule. This is addressed a little in later books in the series, but not in the The Eye of the World.
  
We Hunt The Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1)
We Hunt The Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1)
Hafsah Faizal | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.0 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first book in a planned duology, and I NEED THE SECOND ONE RIGHT NOW. Zafira is a firecracker, and Nasir is a precious gumdrop, and Altair is a mystery, while I can't help but read Kifah as Valkyrie from Avengers. (Seriously, if this ever gets made into a movie and Tessa Thompson DOESN'T get cast as Kifah, I'll be upset.)

These characters, and this setting, and this worldbuilding, and this plot...Faizal has blown me away with this book. There are twists I saw coming, and some I did not, so I'm not going to go into much detail about the plot, but Zafira and a few other people are searching for a magical artifact to restore magic to their kingdom, after it was locked away many years ago. I don't remember exactly how long it's been; Zafira can't remember having magic, but she does mention at one point that her mother was a healer. So sometime during her mother's lifetime? The kingdom has been cursed in the absence of magic, different curses for the different districts, and the Arz is a magical forest encroaching on the borders. Almost no one who goes into the Arz ever comes out again, so it's incredibly dangerous for anyone who isn't Zafira. Zafira has the unique ability to always know which direction she needs to go to reach her goal, and it's this ability that brings her to the attention of the Silver Witch, who sets her on the path to find the artifact. The artifact is, of course, on the enchanted island that serves as a prison for all the magical objects and creatures, so Zafira and her companions face all kinds of unknown dangers.

I really enjoyed basically everything about this book. There was character development, a touch of romance, a team learning to work as a team, secrets, magic, ancient evils, trauma and emotional work...just a lot. (Also enemies-to-lovers, if you're into that.) It is a brilliant epic fantasy, and I cannot WAIT for the second book. I need to know what happens! (It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, exactly, but things are definitely NOT. RESOLVED.)

You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com