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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Night Circus in Books
Jul 10, 2018
Where to start... oh where do I start?
I found myself entranced with this novel but I still struggled to finish it. If I didn't have to read it for a book club I might have put it down.
The writing style was not my favorite. I found myself frustrated with the constant use of "He, She, They, It, or the character's name" starting every single sentence.
The book was hard to understand. The constant changing of time was unique to me, and challenging at the same time. It would have been nice to have an outline of what happened and when.
I will say that the reason I gave this novel a 4 star review instead of a 3 star review is that I loved the plot line and the idea behind the novel. I loved the characters (though I would have liked to have had more depth to them) and I loved the plot line.
I did struggle with the writing but ultimately, I found the novel enjoyable.
I found myself entranced with this novel but I still struggled to finish it. If I didn't have to read it for a book club I might have put it down.
The writing style was not my favorite. I found myself frustrated with the constant use of "He, She, They, It, or the character's name" starting every single sentence.
The book was hard to understand. The constant changing of time was unique to me, and challenging at the same time. It would have been nice to have an outline of what happened and when.
I will say that the reason I gave this novel a 4 star review instead of a 3 star review is that I loved the plot line and the idea behind the novel. I loved the characters (though I would have liked to have had more depth to them) and I loved the plot line.
I did struggle with the writing but ultimately, I found the novel enjoyable.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
An early Expanded Universe (EU) novel, <i>Shadows of the Empire</i> is really all but Star Wars episode 5.5 in all but name, taking place as it does between the events of <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i> and <i>Return of the Jedi</i>.
Starting with a familiar scene from <i>The Empire Strikes back</i> (at least, it was familiar until Lucas changed it!) but viewed from a different angle, the novel is also unusual in that Vader is actually one of the main protagonists, with he and Prince Xivor (the head of the criminal organization Black Sun) struggling for The Emperor's approval.
With Han Solo frozen in carbonite - indeed, the first attempts to rescue him form one of the main plot strands of the novel - this also introduces Dash Rendar: a character who, if I'm honest, is really all but Han Solo in name.
The novel also provides a little more background into some of the events mentioned in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>, in particular how come "Many Bothans dies to bring us this information ..."
Starting with a familiar scene from <i>The Empire Strikes back</i> (at least, it was familiar until Lucas changed it!) but viewed from a different angle, the novel is also unusual in that Vader is actually one of the main protagonists, with he and Prince Xivor (the head of the criminal organization Black Sun) struggling for The Emperor's approval.
With Han Solo frozen in carbonite - indeed, the first attempts to rescue him form one of the main plot strands of the novel - this also introduces Dash Rendar: a character who, if I'm honest, is really all but Han Solo in name.
The novel also provides a little more background into some of the events mentioned in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>, in particular how come "Many Bothans dies to bring us this information ..."
Erika (17788 KP) rated Resistance Reborn (Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
UGH, I so wanted this novel to be good. This book basically attempted to fix what the Last Jedi messed up.
For one, I'm not completely sold on the author. I hadn't ever read anything she'd written before, and this book didn't exactly want me to pick up anything else by her. Having her write this novel was a mistake, someone more established and proven should have been the one to write this novel.
The novel picks up right after the Last Jedi. There's a semi-emo Poe, trying to get over the clusterf-ck of what Rian Johnson did to his character. The return of Wedge was highly anti-climactic, and I don't really understand why it was done. I'm assuming he ends up with a larger role in Rise of Skywalker? Who knows?
Also, Leia was on Ryloth and Hera WASN'T in the book? Fail, and a mistake.
Overall, the characters were wooden, and it was a highly predictable book. Maybe it was essential reading? We'll see in a month.
For one, I'm not completely sold on the author. I hadn't ever read anything she'd written before, and this book didn't exactly want me to pick up anything else by her. Having her write this novel was a mistake, someone more established and proven should have been the one to write this novel.
The novel picks up right after the Last Jedi. There's a semi-emo Poe, trying to get over the clusterf-ck of what Rian Johnson did to his character. The return of Wedge was highly anti-climactic, and I don't really understand why it was done. I'm assuming he ends up with a larger role in Rise of Skywalker? Who knows?
Also, Leia was on Ryloth and Hera WASN'T in the book? Fail, and a mistake.
Overall, the characters were wooden, and it was a highly predictable book. Maybe it was essential reading? We'll see in a month.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Rebellion (Eagles of the Empire #22) in Books
Apr 4, 2024
Entry number 22 in Simon Scarrow's long-running Macro and Cato series, and we're finally at what has been building for a while: Boudicca's Rebellion.
Which, like the French with Napoleon at Waterloo, if you knew nothing about British history you might be forgiven for thinking she won (she lost).
The majority of the novel is taken up with the impact the Rebellion had on the Romans in the south of England and (in particular) in London, with Macro and Cato still separated at the start of the novel and with the former in captivity amongst Boudicca's army following the fall of the veterans colony in the former novel, and facing quite gruesome execution.
I have to say, I was actually surprised how little of this novel was spent on the final pitched battle between the Romans and the Britons, with more of it spent on describing the sense of desperation and the breakdown of law and order (well, that's what the Romans would have said) as Boudicca's horde descends on London.
Which, like the French with Napoleon at Waterloo, if you knew nothing about British history you might be forgiven for thinking she won (she lost).
The majority of the novel is taken up with the impact the Rebellion had on the Romans in the south of England and (in particular) in London, with Macro and Cato still separated at the start of the novel and with the former in captivity amongst Boudicca's army following the fall of the veterans colony in the former novel, and facing quite gruesome execution.
I have to say, I was actually surprised how little of this novel was spent on the final pitched battle between the Romans and the Britons, with more of it spent on describing the sense of desperation and the breakdown of law and order (well, that's what the Romans would have said) as Boudicca's horde descends on London.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Kremlin Conspiracy in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I will be honest and tell you, this is not my normal type of book to read. I prefer romantic suspense or romantic thriller, not political thrillers. I am just not a big political person. That said, I have to say, Mr. Rosenberg is extremely, extremely talented, and really knew what to put into a phenomenally written novel. This book truly surprised me at how well it captivated me.
The great detail and research that Mr. Rosenberg has put into this novel is incredible. It really helped draw me to the intensity of the story. I was drawn to Marcus Ryker, the Kremlin and all of the edge of your seat, nail biting plot twists that he hadded to the story. I found myself often holding my breath, holding my book with a white knuckled grip. That, to me, is what makes an amazing thriller!
This is definitely a 5 star worthy novel to the greatest proportions. Mr. Rosenberg absolutely blew me away with this novel and I am already looking forward to another thrilling, God filled, gripping novel from this fantabulously talented author. You heard it here folks. A non-political person, loving this absolutely gripping political Christian thriller. Hats off to Mr. Rosenberg!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
The great detail and research that Mr. Rosenberg has put into this novel is incredible. It really helped draw me to the intensity of the story. I was drawn to Marcus Ryker, the Kremlin and all of the edge of your seat, nail biting plot twists that he hadded to the story. I found myself often holding my breath, holding my book with a white knuckled grip. That, to me, is what makes an amazing thriller!
This is definitely a 5 star worthy novel to the greatest proportions. Mr. Rosenberg absolutely blew me away with this novel and I am already looking forward to another thrilling, God filled, gripping novel from this fantabulously talented author. You heard it here folks. A non-political person, loving this absolutely gripping political Christian thriller. Hats off to Mr. Rosenberg!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Frenzy in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This is the worst book I have read since Douglas's Wolf Tales. This book is just so terrible in so many ways that I can't even think of and good way to go about stating how much I didn't enjoy this novel.
I guess I should start with the writing style. Was there was nothing grammatically wrong with Block's style, it was about as interesting as watching mud dry. The novel is in first person narrative, which can always go downhill fast. I should have known from the first page that I wouldn't enjoy it. I think it would have been a lot better had it not been so choppy. However, it felt like half the novel was written as an aside to the real story.
The second would be the story line. It was annoying, uncreative, and so ridiculously obvious that I had the whole novel figured out only a few chapters in. I had mixed feelings about a lot of the topics going on like Pace committing suicide in concerns with Michael, Liv's relationship with her parents, and Victor wanting Liv as his bride. The entire novel felt shallow and superficial.
In all honesty, I felt terrible after reading this book. It put me in a dark mood for some many reasons, I feel that I can't even justify my emotions with words.
I guess I should start with the writing style. Was there was nothing grammatically wrong with Block's style, it was about as interesting as watching mud dry. The novel is in first person narrative, which can always go downhill fast. I should have known from the first page that I wouldn't enjoy it. I think it would have been a lot better had it not been so choppy. However, it felt like half the novel was written as an aside to the real story.
The second would be the story line. It was annoying, uncreative, and so ridiculously obvious that I had the whole novel figured out only a few chapters in. I had mixed feelings about a lot of the topics going on like Pace committing suicide in concerns with Michael, Liv's relationship with her parents, and Victor wanting Liv as his bride. The entire novel felt shallow and superficial.
In all honesty, I felt terrible after reading this book. It put me in a dark mood for some many reasons, I feel that I can't even justify my emotions with words.
Dana (24 KP) rated Robinson Crusoe in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I had to read this novel for one of my college courses. I was very excited to read it at first. I had been wanting to pick this up for a while, but didn't get around to it. As I read it, however, the boredom started to hit. There are a lot of very slow moments in this novel with little bursts of excitement. It is written as if Robinson Crusoe is talking to himself, rationalizing everything he does or thinks on this island. There were a few instances where I thought something that should have been written more in-depth were most certainly not. They were given one sentence and then it was right back to the lists of items that Crusoe had gotten. There are many ties to religion in this novel as well which is due to the time it was written. There were also a lot of random capitalizations throughout the novel which made it very difficult to get into the story at first. Once I started blocking it out, it became much easier to read. If you want to read one of the early "castaway" novels, go ahead and pick this up. But, if you want something with action and adventure, I am afraid this novel is not for you. Overall, I didn't hate it, but it isn't my favorite book either.
Samantha Reece (16 KP) rated An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) in Books
Nov 13, 2018
Amazing, diverse read
To start, this novel is excellent. Sabaa Tahir’s characters are diverse. You will love some and you will hate some. Let’s start with Elias. He is the perfect soldier for the Martials. But he also has a heart unlike many at the Blackcliff Academy where he is training to be a Mask. Then, you have Laia. At first, she seems to be this weak girl, but as the novel progresses, she becomes stronger and finds herself. Next is the Commandent. She is one of those bad guys that you HATE. There is no love for this woman. She is pure evil, and you just hate her more and more every time she talks.
The plot is fresh. I have yet to read a novel close to this one. The world building is at the perfect pace through out the novel. Tahir knows how to give the reader just enough information to keep you on the edge of your seat. Tahir’s timing of when to reveal information is just perfect. I don’t want to give any examples because I don’t want to have any spoilers.
All in all, the diversity, plot, characters, and everything are just perfect in this novel. I have nothing negative to say. I couldn’t put An Ember in the Ashes down, and I cannot wait to read the next!
The plot is fresh. I have yet to read a novel close to this one. The world building is at the perfect pace through out the novel. Tahir knows how to give the reader just enough information to keep you on the edge of your seat. Tahir’s timing of when to reveal information is just perfect. I don’t want to give any examples because I don’t want to have any spoilers.
All in all, the diversity, plot, characters, and everything are just perfect in this novel. I have nothing negative to say. I couldn’t put An Ember in the Ashes down, and I cannot wait to read the next!
David McK (3372 KP) rated King's Man (The Outlaw Chronicles, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I first heard of/read Angus Donald about 2, maybe 3, years ago, when I read his novel <i>Outlaw</i> - a visceral retelling of the Robin Hood legend - and which proved to be one of the best 'new' books I read that year.
I also read the sequel to <i>Outlaw</i>, <i>Holy Warror</i> - in which Robin and his men travel to the Holy Land to fight in what would become known as the Third Crusade - but found it was not quite as good as its predecessor.
The third novel in the series - <i>King's Man</i> - is a return to form. Set back in England and, like the previous two novels, presented as the elderly Alan Dale retelling the story of his younger days, this novel takes the struggle between Richard the Lionheart and his brother Prince John for the throne as its bedrock. With Richard imprisoned on his return journey home from the Holy Land - a historical fact also used as the basis for the famous novel/film <i>Ivanhoe</i> - the throne of England is left vulnerable. Most of the Robin Hood legends acknowledge this fact; in most of them Robin remains loyal to King Richard, with this novel no exception. As a partial result, Robin is once again outlawed and once again takes up his old ways ...
Looking forward to the next installment!
I also read the sequel to <i>Outlaw</i>, <i>Holy Warror</i> - in which Robin and his men travel to the Holy Land to fight in what would become known as the Third Crusade - but found it was not quite as good as its predecessor.
The third novel in the series - <i>King's Man</i> - is a return to form. Set back in England and, like the previous two novels, presented as the elderly Alan Dale retelling the story of his younger days, this novel takes the struggle between Richard the Lionheart and his brother Prince John for the throne as its bedrock. With Richard imprisoned on his return journey home from the Holy Land - a historical fact also used as the basis for the famous novel/film <i>Ivanhoe</i> - the throne of England is left vulnerable. Most of the Robin Hood legends acknowledge this fact; in most of them Robin remains loyal to King Richard, with this novel no exception. As a partial result, Robin is once again outlawed and once again takes up his old ways ...
Looking forward to the next installment!
