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Sheridan (209 KP) rated The Last Star in Books
Jul 9, 2017
It Just Gets Worse...
Contains spoilers, click to show
This has to be the worst of the three... Finally we get headings that tell us which point of view we are reading but that's the only positive of this entire thing. Oh man where do I even start? Seriously it's that terrible. You think this is the last book we are bound to find out why "The Others" have attacked, what they want, or something... but no... nothing you're left to wonder. I think the author tried to give some kind of reasoning but it made about as much sense as a frog in a blender. "They had no answer for Love"... are you f**king kidding me with this s**t?! Ohhhh you're serious...oh dear... The. Worst. Cliche. Ever. Love makes humans what we are, sorry but there's a lot more to it than that... The ending is so unrealistic it hurts, none of that would happen. None. Of. It. *Spoilers* Self absorbed annoying little Cassie would not save the day because downloading tens of thousands of human "memories" would have killed her or at the very least turned her into a vegetable, and if by some impossibility she did survive the pod would not work because seriously you think a bunch of pyscho aliens are going to bargain with a *human* a cockroach species in their minds, the cities would be blown up, humans would be destroyed, Evan Walker would not survive electrocution and Ringer would have miscarried after the beating she recieved, Zombie and the kids would not have survived a *f**king helicopter crash* and Earth as we know it would no longer exist. This trilogy in no way shape or form should have had a fanatically ridiculous "happily ever after" bulls**t ending, but tragically it did... There's quality sci-fi fiction and then there's half-assed "Fifty Shades of the worst writing ever" stories. This whole series was unfortunately the latter... Don't waste your time...or your brain cells...
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Pretty Ugly Lies in Books
Jun 5, 2019
In “Pretty Ugly Lies” Pamela Crane reveals the lives of four very different women in this dramatic, intimate domestic noir, of which I could not put down, especially upon opening the book to suddenly discover how someone is killing a whole family!
As the story unravelled I found myself really keen to find out who had murdered not just the husband but the kids in such a horrific way! We hear, through the voices of four women, Jo Trubeau, Ellie Harper, Shayla Kensington and June Merrigan, how their seemingly unconnected lives and problems eventually intertwine in this cleverly written tale of domestic bliss gone wrong.
We also hear the evil thoughts of the kidnapper and for me that made this read even more entertaining, sending chills down my spine!
Overall, Pretty Ugly Lies raises some series issues, from kidnapping a child, stalking, and infidelity, to marriage breakdowns, autism, and suicidal thoughts. There’s certainly a huge amount of problems within these girl’s lives and the neighbourhood they live in. I wouldn’t want to live there, however affluent it looked on the outside.
If you love a book full of some pretty ugly lies, then the killer secrets and domestic misery within this dark thriller will have you double checking what’s lurking in the shadows as you read! Not to mention checking where your kids are. A powerful statement of how a twisted, disfigured need for love can evolve into a terrible tragedy with disastrous consequences!
Oh, and as a side-note, I loved how, at the very end of this story, Pamela’s daughter Talia (7) wrote her own version of “The Girl Who Got Kidnapped” and why! It’s such a cute, Grimm Fairy Tale like story, (totally different to the actual book) and pretty well written for such a young age. I can safely put money on Talia definitely following in her mum’s footsteps as a writer herself! I hope I get to see that day!
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.
As the story unravelled I found myself really keen to find out who had murdered not just the husband but the kids in such a horrific way! We hear, through the voices of four women, Jo Trubeau, Ellie Harper, Shayla Kensington and June Merrigan, how their seemingly unconnected lives and problems eventually intertwine in this cleverly written tale of domestic bliss gone wrong.
We also hear the evil thoughts of the kidnapper and for me that made this read even more entertaining, sending chills down my spine!
Overall, Pretty Ugly Lies raises some series issues, from kidnapping a child, stalking, and infidelity, to marriage breakdowns, autism, and suicidal thoughts. There’s certainly a huge amount of problems within these girl’s lives and the neighbourhood they live in. I wouldn’t want to live there, however affluent it looked on the outside.
If you love a book full of some pretty ugly lies, then the killer secrets and domestic misery within this dark thriller will have you double checking what’s lurking in the shadows as you read! Not to mention checking where your kids are. A powerful statement of how a twisted, disfigured need for love can evolve into a terrible tragedy with disastrous consequences!
Oh, and as a side-note, I loved how, at the very end of this story, Pamela’s daughter Talia (7) wrote her own version of “The Girl Who Got Kidnapped” and why! It’s such a cute, Grimm Fairy Tale like story, (totally different to the actual book) and pretty well written for such a young age. I can safely put money on Talia definitely following in her mum’s footsteps as a writer herself! I hope I get to see that day!
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.
Debbiereadsbook (1777 KP) rated Stone The Crows (Wolf Winter #2) in Books
May 29, 2018
much better read than book one!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Wolf Winter series, and you probably should read book one, Dog Days, before you read this one. I didn't much care for that book, though.
This one, however, is a whole different matter!
I said in my review for Dog Days that I was left with so many questions about the Wolves, and the Prophets and what was going on. I'm STILL left with questions about what's going on, but I'm feeling better about being left waiting, you know? Does that make sense?? I still have questions, but I'm not left hanging, right? Sorta, kinda!
Nothing is settled here. The Prophets are still doing despicable things to the people and indeed to Jack and Gregor. They took Gregor's Wolf and Jack's skin. The Prophets are still trying to get the upper hand on the Gods, but it's HOW they are doing it: preying on ordinary folk, in extraordinary situations, that gives this book the horror tag I've given it.
Nick is human, but Gregor takes a shine to Nick after he saves him. I wasn't sure about Gregor, not in the beginning. we heard such horrible things about him from jack in Dog Days, and I did NOT want to like him, but he grows on you! He has that "Mine" moment you get with werewolves, and I loved that, even though he refused to admit what was going on, even to himself, it was NICK he wanted to save first, not his brother Jack.
Who the Prophet turned out to be was a bit of a shocker, and what she did to Nick was no picnic, and she's STILL out there. So there is more to come. Or at least I HOPE there is! Because you know, I still have questions!
I found this a much better read than Dog Days, and I read it in two sittings, cos that darn dayjob got in the way.
Thank you to Ms Moore for my copy.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Wolf Winter series, and you probably should read book one, Dog Days, before you read this one. I didn't much care for that book, though.
This one, however, is a whole different matter!
I said in my review for Dog Days that I was left with so many questions about the Wolves, and the Prophets and what was going on. I'm STILL left with questions about what's going on, but I'm feeling better about being left waiting, you know? Does that make sense?? I still have questions, but I'm not left hanging, right? Sorta, kinda!
Nothing is settled here. The Prophets are still doing despicable things to the people and indeed to Jack and Gregor. They took Gregor's Wolf and Jack's skin. The Prophets are still trying to get the upper hand on the Gods, but it's HOW they are doing it: preying on ordinary folk, in extraordinary situations, that gives this book the horror tag I've given it.
Nick is human, but Gregor takes a shine to Nick after he saves him. I wasn't sure about Gregor, not in the beginning. we heard such horrible things about him from jack in Dog Days, and I did NOT want to like him, but he grows on you! He has that "Mine" moment you get with werewolves, and I loved that, even though he refused to admit what was going on, even to himself, it was NICK he wanted to save first, not his brother Jack.
Who the Prophet turned out to be was a bit of a shocker, and what she did to Nick was no picnic, and she's STILL out there. So there is more to come. Or at least I HOPE there is! Because you know, I still have questions!
I found this a much better read than Dog Days, and I read it in two sittings, cos that darn dayjob got in the way.
Thank you to Ms Moore for my copy.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Faerie Prince (Creepy Hollow, #2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<b>It's weird to get back into a series after over an entire year.</b> Everything that happened back in the <a title="Read Sophia's review of The Faerie Guardian" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-guardian-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">first <i>Creepy Hollow</i> book</a> has either been entirely forgotten or stored away and wouldn't be recovered unless Rachel Morgan refreshed me in the sequel.
I suppose the memorable ones the ones I'm extremely passionate or enraged about are the ones that are remembered. Someone do an experiment on this. I digress.
<b>The second book in the <i>Creepy Hollow</i> series brings us back to Creepy Hollow (of course)</b>, shortly after Violet was handed over to the Unseelie Court by Nate, a half human and half faerie she fell in love with. Violet and Ryn decide to forget their ugly past and become friends, and Violet gets her final assignment as a trainee before becoming a guardian and finding out whether or not she gets the top prize of her graduating class.
<i>The Faerie Prince</i> <b>isn't exactly as action-packed</b> this time, mainly focusing on Violet's final assignment as a trainee before graduation definitely <b>the slowest out of all three books in this first arc of the series</b> (I just hope Morgan doesn't pull off a Cassandra Clare/Erin Hunter). It's more of an observation, lose the magic, and walk home in midst of <b>developing the overall plot of the first arc and Violet's relationship with Ryn.</b>
Reading <i>The Faerie Prince</i> probably <b>opened up my eyes on quite a few things about the series</b> that I probably wouldn't have noticed while reading the first book, and had I actually read the first book again this year, I may not have rated it as high as I did. However, <b>the series definitely has the majority of everything I would want in a book:</b>
<b>A fantastic main character Violet is just like any other ordinary teenager</b>, even if she's not a human. She has her moments and her quirks. She's extremely determined, wanting to do things on her own if at all possible without any help. She also <b>kicks butt and she has an attitude filled with sass and the occasional sarcasm that makes the book more entertaining</b>. It certainly made the second book entertaining. I suppose part of that sarcasm is to be blamed on Ryn.
<b>The writing</b> It's fantastic. The way Morgan writes, <b>you can almost <i>feel</i> Violet's emotions</b> her anxiety, fear, nervousness, happiness, joy, etc.
<blockquote>Oh dear Seelie Queen I'm going to trip in these heels and land on my butt and my dress will tear right down the middle and everyone will see my ridiculous enchanted underwear and </blockquote>
<b>A world I want to live in</b> I would love to live in Creepy Hollow. It might just be the faeries and other cool creatures (like Filigree, who I want as a pet), but <b>I imagine the world to be absolutely magical and fantastical</b>. I even want a story from another guild, so long as the traditions are different. Maybe from another creature? (I repeat: I seriously don't want a bunch of spin-offs, but that topic will be discussed another day.)
<b>The ending of <i>The Faerie Prince</i>, however, felt a little abrupt. It also felt appropriate for some unknown reason</b>, but with the slowness of the book, the fast ending just felt skewed and a little out of place. <b>Everything seems to be going well and peachy for Violet, but all of a sudden, everything just falls apart and the book ends.</b>
I'm not too sure how I feel about that.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-prince-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<b>It's weird to get back into a series after over an entire year.</b> Everything that happened back in the <a title="Read Sophia's review of The Faerie Guardian" href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-guardian-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank" rel="noopener">first <i>Creepy Hollow</i> book</a> has either been entirely forgotten or stored away and wouldn't be recovered unless Rachel Morgan refreshed me in the sequel.
I suppose the memorable ones the ones I'm extremely passionate or enraged about are the ones that are remembered. Someone do an experiment on this. I digress.
<b>The second book in the <i>Creepy Hollow</i> series brings us back to Creepy Hollow (of course)</b>, shortly after Violet was handed over to the Unseelie Court by Nate, a half human and half faerie she fell in love with. Violet and Ryn decide to forget their ugly past and become friends, and Violet gets her final assignment as a trainee before becoming a guardian and finding out whether or not she gets the top prize of her graduating class.
<i>The Faerie Prince</i> <b>isn't exactly as action-packed</b> this time, mainly focusing on Violet's final assignment as a trainee before graduation definitely <b>the slowest out of all three books in this first arc of the series</b> (I just hope Morgan doesn't pull off a Cassandra Clare/Erin Hunter). It's more of an observation, lose the magic, and walk home in midst of <b>developing the overall plot of the first arc and Violet's relationship with Ryn.</b>
Reading <i>The Faerie Prince</i> probably <b>opened up my eyes on quite a few things about the series</b> that I probably wouldn't have noticed while reading the first book, and had I actually read the first book again this year, I may not have rated it as high as I did. However, <b>the series definitely has the majority of everything I would want in a book:</b>
<b>A fantastic main character Violet is just like any other ordinary teenager</b>, even if she's not a human. She has her moments and her quirks. She's extremely determined, wanting to do things on her own if at all possible without any help. She also <b>kicks butt and she has an attitude filled with sass and the occasional sarcasm that makes the book more entertaining</b>. It certainly made the second book entertaining. I suppose part of that sarcasm is to be blamed on Ryn.
<b>The writing</b> It's fantastic. The way Morgan writes, <b>you can almost <i>feel</i> Violet's emotions</b> her anxiety, fear, nervousness, happiness, joy, etc.
<blockquote>Oh dear Seelie Queen I'm going to trip in these heels and land on my butt and my dress will tear right down the middle and everyone will see my ridiculous enchanted underwear and </blockquote>
<b>A world I want to live in</b> I would love to live in Creepy Hollow. It might just be the faeries and other cool creatures (like Filigree, who I want as a pet), but <b>I imagine the world to be absolutely magical and fantastical</b>. I even want a story from another guild, so long as the traditions are different. Maybe from another creature? (I repeat: I seriously don't want a bunch of spin-offs, but that topic will be discussed another day.)
<b>The ending of <i>The Faerie Prince</i>, however, felt a little abrupt. It also felt appropriate for some unknown reason</b>, but with the slowness of the book, the fast ending just felt skewed and a little out of place. <b>Everything seems to be going well and peachy for Violet, but all of a sudden, everything just falls apart and the book ends.</b>
I'm not too sure how I feel about that.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-faerie-prince-by-rachel-morgan/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Lee Ann (116 KP) rated This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3) in Books
May 24, 2018
Kelley Armstrong is a cruel, evil woman.
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
Auburn (57 KP) rated Seventh Born (The Witchling Academy #1) in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Let me start out with saying that this was not what I was expecting in the least. It felt like a mash up of Harry Potter and The Black Mage series. Wands, magic, a school for such things and a hierarchy just waiting for someone to come and break it.
While I enjoyed the main character and her traits. She knew what she was as a seventhborn but rebelled against just blending in. Wanting to find her family and learn magic. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance. A teacher/student romance just puts me off and while it is well done I didnt particularly like the way it all panned out.
While I enjoyed the main character and her traits. She knew what she was as a seventhborn but rebelled against just blending in. Wanting to find her family and learn magic. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance. A teacher/student romance just puts me off and while it is well done I didnt particularly like the way it all panned out.
Elizabeth (1521 KP) rated Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) in Books
Apr 24, 2019
I received a free copy of this book after winning a goodreads contest. It was a decent book; interesting enough to keep me reading, but not enough to have me hooked and reading through the night to find out what happened next.
I am left with a lot of questions at the end. What is Kate? What's up with her blood? If it's so sacred, why did she perform a blood ritual in front of a virtual stranger in her apartment? Why did she leave said stranger in her apartment with access to her bloody clothes while she went to take a shower?
Hopefully the other books in the series will answer some of my questions.
I am left with a lot of questions at the end. What is Kate? What's up with her blood? If it's so sacred, why did she perform a blood ritual in front of a virtual stranger in her apartment? Why did she leave said stranger in her apartment with access to her bloody clothes while she went to take a shower?
Hopefully the other books in the series will answer some of my questions.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2593 KP) rated Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle (Mrs Pollifax #8) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Mrs. Pollifax and her husband Cyrus are hours away from a vacation to Thailand when Bishop shows up asking if they could possibly make one small detour for the CIA. Of course, things go wildly wrong when Cyrus is kidnapped and Mrs. Pollifax has to hunt for him with a man she doesn't trust. The plot to this one is a little different. The scenes with Bishop and Carstairs drive it more than Mrs. Pollifax's action does. As a result, it's not as good as the classic books in the series, but it's still fun.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-mrs-pollifax-and-golden.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-mrs-pollifax-and-golden.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Lee Ann (116 KP) rated This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3) in Books
Mar 13, 2018
Kelley Armstrong is a cruel, evil woman.
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated The Becoming (Anna Strong Chronicles, #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I can't remember reading any other book that focuses on a main character's transition from human to vampire. I suppose we'll see more of them, now that Stein has done so. The book is a fairly good read, but you should definitely ignore the text on the back, as it's misleading. I assume <i>Becoming</i> is the first of a series, as there was a major issue left unresolved at the end.
This is definitely <b>not</b> a book for romance fans. While there are some explicit sex scenes, there isn't much real romance. I rather liked the omission, but some folks might assume that it is a paranormal romance.
This is definitely <b>not</b> a book for romance fans. While there are some explicit sex scenes, there isn't much real romance. I rather liked the omission, but some folks might assume that it is a paranormal romance.