Search
Search results
A great follow up to South!
It seems unusual to find an apocalyptic story without zombies and/ or magic these days, but I think this does it well. Instead we have the power-hungry madness of a politician-cum-scientist to contend with.
This is actually the second book in the Divided States series. You don’t need to have read the first novel, South, but it WILL make it easier to understand what’s going on in this book! The privations of the South can’t really be fully comprehended if you’ve only read this book.
I really liked this book: the descriptions of the landscapes (the North doesn’t seem to have escaped from the viruses and the aftermath of the civil war), the people and the madness of those in power, virus inflicted or not, was really well portrayed.
The ending was somewhat satisfying, and reassuringly open ended. I’m looking forward to the possibility of another book in the series!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
This is actually the second book in the Divided States series. You don’t need to have read the first novel, South, but it WILL make it easier to understand what’s going on in this book! The privations of the South can’t really be fully comprehended if you’ve only read this book.
I really liked this book: the descriptions of the landscapes (the North doesn’t seem to have escaped from the viruses and the aftermath of the civil war), the people and the madness of those in power, virus inflicted or not, was really well portrayed.
The ending was somewhat satisfying, and reassuringly open ended. I’m looking forward to the possibility of another book in the series!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
David McK (3692 KP) rated The Serpent Sword in Books
Jul 7, 2019
The first entry in Matthew Harffy's Bernicia Chronicles series, which - I have to say - shares more than a few similarities to Bernard Cornwell's 'Last Kingdom' series in that it is set during Dark Ages Britain, with large parts in and around the fortress of Bebbanburg. Sound at all familiar?
When reading this, I had no idea which came first: this, or Cornwell's The Last Kingdom.
Thta's not to set that this novel isn't enjoyable, and that we can't have more than one story set in and about the same time period (indeed, if anything, this is set even earlier than Cornwell's novels, i.e. before the time of Alftred the Great): I did, in fact, quite enjoy this.
Throughout the course of this novel, we follow the exploits and the coming of age of Harffy's main protaganist, Beobrand of Bernicia, from his arrival at the court of King Edwin through his first taste of a battle in a shieldwall, to his time at a Christian Monastery and travels throughout a lawless land before finally settling down (at least, until the next novel!)
When reading this, I had no idea which came first: this, or Cornwell's The Last Kingdom.
Thta's not to set that this novel isn't enjoyable, and that we can't have more than one story set in and about the same time period (indeed, if anything, this is set even earlier than Cornwell's novels, i.e. before the time of Alftred the Great): I did, in fact, quite enjoy this.
Throughout the course of this novel, we follow the exploits and the coming of age of Harffy's main protaganist, Beobrand of Bernicia, from his arrival at the court of King Edwin through his first taste of a battle in a shieldwall, to his time at a Christian Monastery and travels throughout a lawless land before finally settling down (at least, until the next novel!)
Debbiereadsbook (1642 KP) rated One Step Sideways (Enhanced World Security #1) in Books
Apr 1, 2025
daark and deadly!
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is a spin off from The Enhanced Wordl series, and you really do need to have some understanding of what it means to be Enhanced and how they are treated to fully appreciate this book. I will be honest, I did not read books 6 and 7 from the main series. I don't I missed anything, but I did read books 1 through 5.
Kane was jailed at 16 for shooting a dog. But no one saw any other scars, just the one on his face. When he is released 17 years later, Diesel Rawlings collects him and offers him a job. Danny was a medic with Rawlings. He suffered at the hands of the enemy. He can't baby sit an ex con, especially one who did what he did. But not all is as it appears, and Danny and Kane must work together to find the missing teenagers.
Like I said, I did not read books 6 and 7 of the main series, I can't rememeber why I didn't, but I absolutely LOVED this revisit to this world and the men in it!
Both Kane and Danny suffered, and I felt for them, deeply. When both men fully open up to the other, I cried, I really did!
I'm not going to go too much into the plot, cos spoilers, but things did not go how I was expecting them to, and I have no idea WHAT I was expecting! My book brain is a fickle place sometimes!
It's dark, though, that suffering both men talk. Not a easy read, I tell ya, and I have no triggers.
It's full of love though! Once Danny and Kane get their act together, it was brilliant. Not especially explicit, but I don't think it was needed. Again, that suffering pops up all the time.
The guys from the main books are talked about, but do not take part here. I would have liked them to, but I didn't miss that they weren't. Does that make sense? I think I'm just greedy!
And that epilogue?? Oh well played there Ms Sue, very VERY well played! Bawling my eyes out, I was!
I can't give it anything other than. . . .
5 full and shiny stars! (and I might just go back now, and read books 6 and 7!)
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is a spin off from The Enhanced Wordl series, and you really do need to have some understanding of what it means to be Enhanced and how they are treated to fully appreciate this book. I will be honest, I did not read books 6 and 7 from the main series. I don't I missed anything, but I did read books 1 through 5.
Kane was jailed at 16 for shooting a dog. But no one saw any other scars, just the one on his face. When he is released 17 years later, Diesel Rawlings collects him and offers him a job. Danny was a medic with Rawlings. He suffered at the hands of the enemy. He can't baby sit an ex con, especially one who did what he did. But not all is as it appears, and Danny and Kane must work together to find the missing teenagers.
Like I said, I did not read books 6 and 7 of the main series, I can't rememeber why I didn't, but I absolutely LOVED this revisit to this world and the men in it!
Both Kane and Danny suffered, and I felt for them, deeply. When both men fully open up to the other, I cried, I really did!
I'm not going to go too much into the plot, cos spoilers, but things did not go how I was expecting them to, and I have no idea WHAT I was expecting! My book brain is a fickle place sometimes!
It's dark, though, that suffering both men talk. Not a easy read, I tell ya, and I have no triggers.
It's full of love though! Once Danny and Kane get their act together, it was brilliant. Not especially explicit, but I don't think it was needed. Again, that suffering pops up all the time.
The guys from the main books are talked about, but do not take part here. I would have liked them to, but I didn't miss that they weren't. Does that make sense? I think I'm just greedy!
And that epilogue?? Oh well played there Ms Sue, very VERY well played! Bawling my eyes out, I was!
I can't give it anything other than. . . .
5 full and shiny stars! (and I might just go back now, and read books 6 and 7!)
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) in Books
Jan 25, 2022
Surprisingly Good *Not The Teen Novel It Is Made Out To Be....Adult Content*
To start out with potential readers need to be aware that this book and in fact the entire series is apparently considered to be teen novels. In fact, I pulled it from the front shelf in the teen section of my local library. While as a teen reading explicit materials was not a problem for me and my parents were ok with it as well I do recognize the fact that there are many parents who would not appreciate their teens reading the kind of content this book contains. The fact that nowhere on the book's cover or on its GoodReads or Amazon profile does it state that this should be for mature readers only is concerning. When I say that this book is explicit I mean that there are quite a few "adult situations" that are described in detail in which that detail is not necessary to carry the plotline along even if the occurrence of the situation does. You have been warned...
Moving on
So the only reason why I read this book is that the third book in the series "The Crown of Guilded Bones" was ranked very high on GoodReads. In fact, I believe it actually ranked in the 2021 books of the year. Anyway, the third book sounded great so I went back and started the series from the beginning.
This book follows the life of Poppy AKA The Maden. Being named the Maiden is supposed to be a huge honor but it comes with a lot of strict rules that make it feel more like a punishment than anything else. Unsurprisingly Poppy comes to find that the world she lives in is not at all what she thinks it to be and must face hard truths as she races to the capital of her land to be protected from the Atlantians but is that really what is happening?
This book offers a surprisingly unique look at some classic fantasy themes, characters, and creatures. There is very little that is as it seems and there are so many twists that it will make the reader pause to process the new direction the story moves in every few chapters. While it isn't exactly a short book this is almost guaranteed to be a quick read because you are not going to want to put it down.
Moving on
So the only reason why I read this book is that the third book in the series "The Crown of Guilded Bones" was ranked very high on GoodReads. In fact, I believe it actually ranked in the 2021 books of the year. Anyway, the third book sounded great so I went back and started the series from the beginning.
This book follows the life of Poppy AKA The Maden. Being named the Maiden is supposed to be a huge honor but it comes with a lot of strict rules that make it feel more like a punishment than anything else. Unsurprisingly Poppy comes to find that the world she lives in is not at all what she thinks it to be and must face hard truths as she races to the capital of her land to be protected from the Atlantians but is that really what is happening?
This book offers a surprisingly unique look at some classic fantasy themes, characters, and creatures. There is very little that is as it seems and there are so many twists that it will make the reader pause to process the new direction the story moves in every few chapters. While it isn't exactly a short book this is almost guaranteed to be a quick read because you are not going to want to put it down.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated To Sleep in a Sea of Stars in Books
Sep 16, 2020
Space Epic From The Author Of The Eragon Series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Paolini's Eragon series, I looked forward to listening to the audiobook of his latest novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.
Paolini did not disappoint. His work on this space opera spanned for nearly a decade. The research completed to make it accurate as possible shows he did not rush his writing.
Do not expect to read/listen to this in one sitting. The run time is 32 hours, 29 minutes, and the book is 880 pages. The book could have been released into a trilogy but do not let that scare you. The story may be long, but it is well built and full of completely fleshed out characters and worlds. My favorite character is Gregorovich, a ship mind. Paolini's sarcastic words and the narrator's voice makes him a character as memorable as paranoid Marvin from H2G2.
In 2013, the narrator, Jennifer Hale, was recognized by Guinness World Records as "the most prolific video game voice actor (female)." Her voice is instantly recognizable, and the array of voices she uses in the audiobook are separate and distinct from each other.
Paolini's story and Hale's voices make this an enjoyable story to remember.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/15/20.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Paolini's Eragon series, I looked forward to listening to the audiobook of his latest novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.
Paolini did not disappoint. His work on this space opera spanned for nearly a decade. The research completed to make it accurate as possible shows he did not rush his writing.
Do not expect to read/listen to this in one sitting. The run time is 32 hours, 29 minutes, and the book is 880 pages. The book could have been released into a trilogy but do not let that scare you. The story may be long, but it is well built and full of completely fleshed out characters and worlds. My favorite character is Gregorovich, a ship mind. Paolini's sarcastic words and the narrator's voice makes him a character as memorable as paranoid Marvin from H2G2.
In 2013, the narrator, Jennifer Hale, was recognized by Guinness World Records as "the most prolific video game voice actor (female)." Her voice is instantly recognizable, and the array of voices she uses in the audiobook are separate and distinct from each other.
Paolini's story and Hale's voices make this an enjoyable story to remember.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/15/20.
Merissa (13718 KP) rated Seaborn in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Seaborn by Lena North
Seaborn is the first in a new series, loosely linked to another series by the same author. In this story, we meet Charlie, or Lottie as she is known at that time. She is running for her life, away from an abusive ex. It is told in enough detail that your sympathy is with her immediately, whilst dropping you straight into the story. She is taken to an island where she meets a group of people who end up meaning more to her than she ever thought possible.
I went into this story not really expecting too much. I'd been burnt by a couple of stories where the blurb really drew me in, and yet the story left me cold. This was one of the opposite cases where I was blown away by what I received!
The characters are all well-rounded, whether you like them or not. Some of them are fantastic - I'm looking at you Dupree! And others are... not. I'll leave it to you to figure that one out! The writing is exceptional, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. However, full disclosure, I don't know if I'd notice them anyway, as I was thoroughly engrossed with the story. I went through a whole gamut of emotions whilst reading this - from horror and pity to a situation, to disgust, to laughter, to crying. It was all here, and I was an emotional wreck by the time I finished this book.
This is the first book by this author I have read, and it won't be the last. How do I know this for sure? Because on the back of reading this book, I have immediately purchased the WHOLE Dreughan and Birds of a Feather series - that's a further eight books I now have by this author, and I can't wait to lose myself in her worlds again.
Absolutely and highly recommended by me.
* 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!
I went into this story not really expecting too much. I'd been burnt by a couple of stories where the blurb really drew me in, and yet the story left me cold. This was one of the opposite cases where I was blown away by what I received!
The characters are all well-rounded, whether you like them or not. Some of them are fantastic - I'm looking at you Dupree! And others are... not. I'll leave it to you to figure that one out! The writing is exceptional, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. However, full disclosure, I don't know if I'd notice them anyway, as I was thoroughly engrossed with the story. I went through a whole gamut of emotions whilst reading this - from horror and pity to a situation, to disgust, to laughter, to crying. It was all here, and I was an emotional wreck by the time I finished this book.
This is the first book by this author I have read, and it won't be the last. How do I know this for sure? Because on the back of reading this book, I have immediately purchased the WHOLE Dreughan and Birds of a Feather series - that's a further eight books I now have by this author, and I can't wait to lose myself in her worlds again.
Absolutely and highly recommended by me.
* 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!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #4) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Would have been 5* if not for that ending...
I think it's safe to say i was a bit of an emotional wreck last night/this morning after finishing this story because i'm not afraid to say that i become emotionally invested in some books, series, like this one.
Anyway, I've made no secret of loving the previous books in this series, or my reasons why--Merit and Ethan. So i think it's fair to say i took the last 15/10% of the story as a sucker punch to the gut.
The whole will they/wont they actually seemed ready to be resolved finally and it was obvious they cared for each other deeply and were going to get together properly when doubts were thrown into her head by the resident physcho vampire and the mayor. And then Ethan throws himself in front of an Aspen stake to save Merit's life and unfortunately it hit's his heart and he's gone. Well the floodgates opened and i mourned Ethan with Merit because, God, they were so close to being happy together. Then their's that bit with with her dad and like i mentioned before i was an emotional wreck.
I can't help wanting Ethan to magically reappear in the next one - maybe Mallory or Catcher can work some black magic and bring him back...because otherwise i'm not sure i want to continue the series when my reason for reading it in the first place is no longer there
I think it's safe to say i was a bit of an emotional wreck last night/this morning after finishing this story because i'm not afraid to say that i become emotionally invested in some books, series, like this one.
Anyway, I've made no secret of loving the previous books in this series, or my reasons why--Merit and Ethan. So i think it's fair to say i took the last 15/10% of the story as a sucker punch to the gut.
The whole will they/wont they actually seemed ready to be resolved finally and it was obvious they cared for each other deeply and were going to get together properly when doubts were thrown into her head by the resident physcho vampire and the mayor. And then Ethan throws himself in front of an Aspen stake to save Merit's life and unfortunately it hit's his heart and he's gone. Well the floodgates opened and i mourned Ethan with Merit because, God, they were so close to being happy together. Then their's that bit with with her dad and like i mentioned before i was an emotional wreck.
I can't help wanting Ethan to magically reappear in the next one - maybe Mallory or Catcher can work some black magic and bring him back...because otherwise i'm not sure i want to continue the series when my reason for reading it in the first place is no longer there
Merissa (13718 KP) rated Blood Ties (Monsters of London #2) in Books
Mar 11, 2025
BLOOD TIES is the second book in the Monsters of London series and absolutely needs to be read as the series not as a standalone. We continue the story with Drew making his escape and meeting up with Kieran, and Sam and Adam dancing around each other.
WHAT. A. STORY! It just gets better! I loved how Drew was the biggest but also the softest cinnamon roll you'll ever see. The relationship between the three of them was so well written - all of them were so concerned about not being in the way of the others. I was glad when Adam stepped up. Before they get jiggy with it though, there is so much tenderness, touches, and heartfelt looks, that my heart just melted.
The overarching story moves on and becomes even more in-depth and layered. You still don't know the half of it, but what you do know makes it clearer. Kieran and Lucien are still big players, with Kieran becoming even bigger by the end of the book, which made perfect sense to me. I am absolutely loving this series. Not only does it have outstanding main characters, but the side characters are also amazing, adding their own flair to the scenes.
I can't wait for the next book. This was outstanding and HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 4, 2024
WHAT. A. STORY! It just gets better! I loved how Drew was the biggest but also the softest cinnamon roll you'll ever see. The relationship between the three of them was so well written - all of them were so concerned about not being in the way of the others. I was glad when Adam stepped up. Before they get jiggy with it though, there is so much tenderness, touches, and heartfelt looks, that my heart just melted.
The overarching story moves on and becomes even more in-depth and layered. You still don't know the half of it, but what you do know makes it clearer. Kieran and Lucien are still big players, with Kieran becoming even bigger by the end of the book, which made perfect sense to me. I am absolutely loving this series. Not only does it have outstanding main characters, but the side characters are also amazing, adding their own flair to the scenes.
I can't wait for the next book. This was outstanding and HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 4, 2024