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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea in Books
Jul 8, 2021
A beautiful story about love and loss
Hazel Bly lived a great life with her Mum and Mama until a kayaking accident. Then her Mum died, leaving Hazel with a scar on her face and terrible anxiety. She wants nothing more than to keep her little sister Peach safe. The Blys move around a lot now. Two years after the accident, they are in Maine. It turns out that one of their new neighbors is her Mama's old childhood friend, Claire. The introduction of Claire into Hazel's world--along with her chatty daughter Lemon--makes Hazel feel unsettled. Plus Lemon is fixated on a local legend, the Rose Maid, a mermaid often seen in the waters. Hazel notes a resemblance between herself and Rose and soon she finds herself as fascinated by the mermaid as Lemon. Because sometimes everyone needs to believe in a little magic, especially when their world is crumbling around them.
"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."
Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.
Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.
This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."
Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.
Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.
This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
Merissa (13298 KP) rated Bishop to Knight One (Diviner's Game #1) in Books
Feb 12, 2021 (Updated Aug 3, 2023)
BISHOP TO KNIGHT ONE is the first book in the Diviner's Game trilogy. We enter the world of myth and magic, with Naiads, Nymphs, Obsidites, Telepaths, you name it.
Deejay takes in the unwanted sons of his sisters but ends up taking in step-sons too. One of these is Matt, supposedly human. Both Deejay and Matt fight their attraction as inappropriate in both the human and non-human worlds. Things come to light that show a ten-year difference will mean absolutely nothing as the years go by.
I loved their slow-burn, hot as hell, romance. This book is simply outstanding and had me gripped from the very beginning. I have my own list of characters that I like and dislike but will admit to being shocked with a twist at the end of this book. I really hope it is explained further in subsequent books as I really don't want to dislike this character, but his actions make me question!!!
I found the pacing to be perfect for the story, with plenty of action and romance to take me from page to page. There is intrigue, betrayal (maybe), curses, and fights. It's all here and I loved every single word.
I highly recommend this book and can't wait to continue the series. Bring it on!
* 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, 2021
Deejay takes in the unwanted sons of his sisters but ends up taking in step-sons too. One of these is Matt, supposedly human. Both Deejay and Matt fight their attraction as inappropriate in both the human and non-human worlds. Things come to light that show a ten-year difference will mean absolutely nothing as the years go by.
I loved their slow-burn, hot as hell, romance. This book is simply outstanding and had me gripped from the very beginning. I have my own list of characters that I like and dislike but will admit to being shocked with a twist at the end of this book. I really hope it is explained further in subsequent books as I really don't want to dislike this character, but his actions make me question!!!
I found the pacing to be perfect for the story, with plenty of action and romance to take me from page to page. There is intrigue, betrayal (maybe), curses, and fights. It's all here and I loved every single word.
I highly recommend this book and can't wait to continue the series. Bring it on!
* 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, 2021
Anne (15117 KP) rated The Killing Fog (The Grave Kingdom, #1) in Books
Nov 4, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for letting me read and review this incredible story. I'm already anxiously awaiting the next book in this series! I love and have read most of Jeff Wheeler's works and he never disappoints with his stories full of adventure, intrigue, romance, life lessons and so much more. It's always one wild rollercoaster ride with my emotions when I read one of his books, but I always learn or take away something and enjoy the stories immensely.
I always find myself easily lost and immersed in the worlds he creates and invested in the characters and the stories they have to tell. This story is very unique and different from others that Jeff Wheeler has written and just as amazing and engrossing as the others I have read.
In this story, we find ourselves following along with this story of an orphaned girl named Bingmei, who is with a group of mercenaries that serve a local ruler. They are sent on a mission to find and retrieve what treasures they can that are in a lost palace buried and preserved in ice. But when they get there, they find more than they bargained for and when they upset the tomb, they unknowingly cause havoc.
Bingmei unknowingly brings Echion, Dragon of the Night back to life, waking him from his tomb and now is meant to fulfill her part in the legendary prophecy. She has to destroy Echion before he takes over all the kingdoms and he has to stop her from destroying him. Bingmei knows what she has to do, but she doesn't know if she can do it.
This is in a world of ancient myth, legend, magic and is a story about love, loss, grief, balance, duty, honor and what people do when faced with difficult choices in heart-rending situations and so much more. You definitely want to have this one on your list, preorder it and read it as soon as you can.
I always find myself easily lost and immersed in the worlds he creates and invested in the characters and the stories they have to tell. This story is very unique and different from others that Jeff Wheeler has written and just as amazing and engrossing as the others I have read.
In this story, we find ourselves following along with this story of an orphaned girl named Bingmei, who is with a group of mercenaries that serve a local ruler. They are sent on a mission to find and retrieve what treasures they can that are in a lost palace buried and preserved in ice. But when they get there, they find more than they bargained for and when they upset the tomb, they unknowingly cause havoc.
Bingmei unknowingly brings Echion, Dragon of the Night back to life, waking him from his tomb and now is meant to fulfill her part in the legendary prophecy. She has to destroy Echion before he takes over all the kingdoms and he has to stop her from destroying him. Bingmei knows what she has to do, but she doesn't know if she can do it.
This is in a world of ancient myth, legend, magic and is a story about love, loss, grief, balance, duty, honor and what people do when faced with difficult choices in heart-rending situations and so much more. You definitely want to have this one on your list, preorder it and read it as soon as you can.
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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Warcraft (2016) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
To begin, I am not really up on the plot of the game in which this movie is based, though I do understand that this is a prequel and that the tone is reasonably accurate to the that of the long enduring PC game.
But derivative is the word. The game was designed to allow its players to interact with each over and across the internet and essentially play in scenarios which span the fantasy genre, itself drawing from such classics as Lord Of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons and every medieval or ancient myth imaginable.
As a game, this sounds like fun, taking on roles and pretending to be mythological characters, wielding swords and magic, but since this was already taken wholesale from the genre, including films, what was the point?
Essentially, what we have is an epic mash up of films which have already made there mark whilst offering little if anything new worth talking about. The plot twists are predicable if not hammy, the characterisations are dull and cliched and in the end there is little to offer but a brand name and endless special effects.
The movie does pick up a bit in the third act but even this is let down with a finale of world building and sequel teasing, with the plot left wide open and several plot lines ready to go if there was ever to be a Warcraft 2. The problem is that there is little to tantalise unless you are already a die hard fan. The writing is poor, effective for driving the plot along at some pace but it is mundane, predictable and lacking any real intrigue or interest. It simply goes through the motions as does almost everything and everyone else in the film as a whole.
I want to say that it could have been better, but I can not. I think that Jones and his team have probably done a reasonable job of adapting this game but that is what it is, a derivative PC game and hardly suitable for a movie of this scale.
When will they learn?
But derivative is the word. The game was designed to allow its players to interact with each over and across the internet and essentially play in scenarios which span the fantasy genre, itself drawing from such classics as Lord Of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons and every medieval or ancient myth imaginable.
As a game, this sounds like fun, taking on roles and pretending to be mythological characters, wielding swords and magic, but since this was already taken wholesale from the genre, including films, what was the point?
Essentially, what we have is an epic mash up of films which have already made there mark whilst offering little if anything new worth talking about. The plot twists are predicable if not hammy, the characterisations are dull and cliched and in the end there is little to offer but a brand name and endless special effects.
The movie does pick up a bit in the third act but even this is let down with a finale of world building and sequel teasing, with the plot left wide open and several plot lines ready to go if there was ever to be a Warcraft 2. The problem is that there is little to tantalise unless you are already a die hard fan. The writing is poor, effective for driving the plot along at some pace but it is mundane, predictable and lacking any real intrigue or interest. It simply goes through the motions as does almost everything and everyone else in the film as a whole.
I want to say that it could have been better, but I can not. I think that Jones and his team have probably done a reasonable job of adapting this game but that is what it is, a derivative PC game and hardly suitable for a movie of this scale.
When will they learn?
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Crimson Bound in Books
Apr 30, 2018
Well, Rosamund Hodge has done it again. I think this one was actually better than Cruel Beauty, and about on par with Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. Crimson Bound is billed as Cruel Beauty #2, but it doesn't actually seem to take place in the same world. They're only connected in that they're both dark fantasy retellings of fairy tales. Crimson Bound is loosely (VERY loosely!) based on Little Red Riding Hood. It's amazing.
In Rachelle's world, The Forest is the dominating theme - it encroaches on villages and towns, sending "woodspawn" to attack people, and Forestborn to turn more humans into bloodbound and ultimately Forestborn. Humans are sheep to The Forest; prey to the Forestborn. Once a Forestborn has marked a human, they have three days to kill someone or they will die. If they kill someone, they become bloodbound - an intermediary step before they become completely Forestborn. Bloodbound have increased strength, resilience, and fighting skills, so the King has extended an offer to Bloodbound - even though they are known murderers, since they had to have killed someone to gain their powers - he will grant them clemency in exchange for their service to the realm. Guard the people from the woodspawn, the mindless monsters the Forest sends to attack people, and he'll let you live.
So Rachelle is a Bloodbound, bound to the King. Unlike most, though, she still believes in some of the old pagan stories about The Forest and the Devourer - the ancient evil driving the Forest's predatory ways. The book is about her quest to stop it from coming through into their world and destroying everything. There are twists and reveals that I cannot mention here, but it is an AMAZING piece of world-building and myth and I LOVED IT.
I also discovered she has several short stories post on her website so I'll be binge-reading those for a while!
This book - and anything by Rosamund Hodge - is pure magic. If you like dark fairy tales, you can't do better than this.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
In Rachelle's world, The Forest is the dominating theme - it encroaches on villages and towns, sending "woodspawn" to attack people, and Forestborn to turn more humans into bloodbound and ultimately Forestborn. Humans are sheep to The Forest; prey to the Forestborn. Once a Forestborn has marked a human, they have three days to kill someone or they will die. If they kill someone, they become bloodbound - an intermediary step before they become completely Forestborn. Bloodbound have increased strength, resilience, and fighting skills, so the King has extended an offer to Bloodbound - even though they are known murderers, since they had to have killed someone to gain their powers - he will grant them clemency in exchange for their service to the realm. Guard the people from the woodspawn, the mindless monsters the Forest sends to attack people, and he'll let you live.
So Rachelle is a Bloodbound, bound to the King. Unlike most, though, she still believes in some of the old pagan stories about The Forest and the Devourer - the ancient evil driving the Forest's predatory ways. The book is about her quest to stop it from coming through into their world and destroying everything. There are twists and reveals that I cannot mention here, but it is an AMAZING piece of world-building and myth and I LOVED IT.
I also discovered she has several short stories post on her website so I'll be binge-reading those for a while!
This book - and anything by Rosamund Hodge - is pure magic. If you like dark fairy tales, you can't do better than this.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Becs (244 KP) rated Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Children in Books
Oct 2, 2019
Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Synopsis: September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them—but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fiction
Audience/Reading Level: Middle School+
Interests: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal
Style: Light Read
Point of View: Third Person
Difficulty Reading: It was a very easy read and know even younger individuals will be able to understand what the underlying meaning of the story is.
Promise: Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience that will delight readers of all ages.
Quality: Like your favorite cake with extra whip cream and ice cream. 😉
Insights: When I first read this series, I read Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs first to get a better understanding of the characters since I had a feeling that there was going to be a lot of references to it. I was right. I honestly fell in love with this series and love the way that Ransom Riggs writes. It just captures my attention and transports me into a world of fantasy that is a great escape from reality!
Favorite Quotes: “Laughing doesn’t make bad things worse any more than crying makes them better.”
“There was romance in the unknown, but once a place had been discovered and cataloged and mapped, it was diminished, just another dusty fact in a book, sapped of mystery. So maybe it was better to leave a few spots on the map blank. To let the world keep a little of its magic, rather than forcing it to divulge every last secret. Maybe it was better, now and then, to wonder.”
What will you gain: A love of a new fantasy world that will make you wish, you too were a part of the Peculiar children’s world.
Aesthetics: I absolutely love the vintage style this series has. The photographs help give an idea of who and what the characters look like. The way that Ransom Riggs writes, just draws anybody of any age into the plot and storyline, like an enchantment that takes you from the real world, into a world filled with magic, hope, love, and adventure.
“Some truths are expressed best in the form of myth.”
Synopsis: September 3, 1940. Ten peculiar children flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them—but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom.
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fiction
Audience/Reading Level: Middle School+
Interests: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal
Style: Light Read
Point of View: Third Person
Difficulty Reading: It was a very easy read and know even younger individuals will be able to understand what the underlying meaning of the story is.
Promise: Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience that will delight readers of all ages.
Quality: Like your favorite cake with extra whip cream and ice cream. 😉
Insights: When I first read this series, I read Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs first to get a better understanding of the characters since I had a feeling that there was going to be a lot of references to it. I was right. I honestly fell in love with this series and love the way that Ransom Riggs writes. It just captures my attention and transports me into a world of fantasy that is a great escape from reality!
Favorite Quotes: “Laughing doesn’t make bad things worse any more than crying makes them better.”
“There was romance in the unknown, but once a place had been discovered and cataloged and mapped, it was diminished, just another dusty fact in a book, sapped of mystery. So maybe it was better to leave a few spots on the map blank. To let the world keep a little of its magic, rather than forcing it to divulge every last secret. Maybe it was better, now and then, to wonder.”
What will you gain: A love of a new fantasy world that will make you wish, you too were a part of the Peculiar children’s world.
Aesthetics: I absolutely love the vintage style this series has. The photographs help give an idea of who and what the characters look like. The way that Ransom Riggs writes, just draws anybody of any age into the plot and storyline, like an enchantment that takes you from the real world, into a world filled with magic, hope, love, and adventure.
“Some truths are expressed best in the form of myth.”
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated A Portable Shelter in Books
May 13, 2017
‘…there’s no other way to give you the truth except to hide it in a story and let you find your own way inside.’
‘…there’s no other way to give you the truth except to hide it in a story and let you find your own way inside.’
Kirsty Logan’s first collection of short stories, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, published by Salt in 2014, won the Polari First Book Prize in 2015. A Portable Shelter is her second collection. Set in a small cottage in the rural north coast of Scotland, Ruth and Liska are expecting their first child. The couple believe that their unborn baby will have a better chance of survival away from the harshness of suburban life. They make a pact with one another, that they will only ever tell their child the truth. Yet while Liska is asleep or Ruth is at work, each whispers secret stories to their unborn child. Delving into fantastical tales about people from their past and re-telling stories that span from generation to generation, the couple unfold the horrors of the real world. Whilst these tales, laced in myth and legend, and fattened with the magic of the imagination, demonstrate the art of oral storytelling, Logan reaches further to show the reader why storytelling is important.
While this book is primarily a collection of short stories, its novel like structure frames each story with a preceding monologue from either Ruth or Liska. The monologues offer delightful morsels of description that bring the harshness of Mother Nature into the safety of the couple’s bedroom, “right now our home is speaking to you. The walls creak their approval in the wind. The rain applauds on the roof. The lighthouse beam swoops, swoops, swoops. The tide breathes loud and slow like a giant. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can even hear the moon hum.” The pace of these sentences, combined with the delicacy of language demonstrates Logan’s skill at describing the sublime spirit of the natural world, which brings the narrative to life.
Most impressive though, is Logan’s poetic language and carefully crafted sentences which create the most beautiful imagery. In ‘Flinch,’ for example – James is a fisherman struggling with his identity, yet his affiliation with the land is locked into his first-person point of view where the reader gets to closely experience what he sees, “The sky is pinkish-grey like the insides of shells. Speckled bonxies wheel overhead. Seals loll on the rocks, fat as kings. The rising mist is cool and milky.” Any of these lines could easily be arranged into a poem and with sentences that are squeezed tight; they create a wonderful poetic rhythm. Logan uses this technique throughout her novel, demonstrating the precision and craft in her work. There are definite similarities in her writing style to fellow Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan. Both authors use rich language, which is well crafted and smattered with vernacular. Furthermore, combining this with the reoccurring theme of identity, the oral storytelling tradition, landscape, folklore, and myth, it is clear to see why these authors contribute to the growing canon in Scottish literature.
This is a book that I will read over and over again because I know that in each reading, I will find something new. A Portable Shelter, I feel, deserves a place on my ‘keep’ book shelf.
A Portable Shelter, Kirsty Logan, London: Vintage, 2015
Kirsty Logan’s first collection of short stories, The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales, published by Salt in 2014, won the Polari First Book Prize in 2015. A Portable Shelter is her second collection. Set in a small cottage in the rural north coast of Scotland, Ruth and Liska are expecting their first child. The couple believe that their unborn baby will have a better chance of survival away from the harshness of suburban life. They make a pact with one another, that they will only ever tell their child the truth. Yet while Liska is asleep or Ruth is at work, each whispers secret stories to their unborn child. Delving into fantastical tales about people from their past and re-telling stories that span from generation to generation, the couple unfold the horrors of the real world. Whilst these tales, laced in myth and legend, and fattened with the magic of the imagination, demonstrate the art of oral storytelling, Logan reaches further to show the reader why storytelling is important.
While this book is primarily a collection of short stories, its novel like structure frames each story with a preceding monologue from either Ruth or Liska. The monologues offer delightful morsels of description that bring the harshness of Mother Nature into the safety of the couple’s bedroom, “right now our home is speaking to you. The walls creak their approval in the wind. The rain applauds on the roof. The lighthouse beam swoops, swoops, swoops. The tide breathes loud and slow like a giant. If you listen carefully, perhaps you can even hear the moon hum.” The pace of these sentences, combined with the delicacy of language demonstrates Logan’s skill at describing the sublime spirit of the natural world, which brings the narrative to life.
Most impressive though, is Logan’s poetic language and carefully crafted sentences which create the most beautiful imagery. In ‘Flinch,’ for example – James is a fisherman struggling with his identity, yet his affiliation with the land is locked into his first-person point of view where the reader gets to closely experience what he sees, “The sky is pinkish-grey like the insides of shells. Speckled bonxies wheel overhead. Seals loll on the rocks, fat as kings. The rising mist is cool and milky.” Any of these lines could easily be arranged into a poem and with sentences that are squeezed tight; they create a wonderful poetic rhythm. Logan uses this technique throughout her novel, demonstrating the precision and craft in her work. There are definite similarities in her writing style to fellow Scottish novelist and poet Jenni Fagan. Both authors use rich language, which is well crafted and smattered with vernacular. Furthermore, combining this with the reoccurring theme of identity, the oral storytelling tradition, landscape, folklore, and myth, it is clear to see why these authors contribute to the growing canon in Scottish literature.
This is a book that I will read over and over again because I know that in each reading, I will find something new. A Portable Shelter, I feel, deserves a place on my ‘keep’ book shelf.
A Portable Shelter, Kirsty Logan, London: Vintage, 2015