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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Mar 1, 2023
The Rebellious Pet (Alien Slave Masters #2)
8.0
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Book
Sometimes surrender turns into victory… Forced to be the sex slave of an alien warrior,...
Dark MM Science Fiction Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2387 KP) rated No Hallowed Ground in Books
Jun 25, 2025
More Action in the Old … Mid-West
The team of Diehl, Hoop, and Eskaminzim are back on the trail. This time, they are heading a bit further east than normal when they are sent to Missouri. According to their client, some thieves have just made off with the cash for a local bank, and if it isn’t returned quickly and quietly, it would cause the bank to close. Not that our heroes believe that. But when they learn the truth, the realize that the stakes would impact the entire country. And they realized just how outnumbered they truly are. Can they win against overwhelming odds?
If you are looking for an action book, you’ll be glad you picked this one up. There are some entertaining twists to the story, and the plot is strong enough to hold the action scenes together. The characters are good, but they could be a little stronger. Still, they are developed enough to make you care about the outcome. I appreciated how the changing points of view were used to increase the suspense. I also appreciate how the politics of March 1894 was brought into the book. It informed the action without ever being preachy. While we got some language, I was more bothered by some of the violence, so know that before you pick up the book. But if you want a historical action story, do pick up this book.
If you are looking for an action book, you’ll be glad you picked this one up. There are some entertaining twists to the story, and the plot is strong enough to hold the action scenes together. The characters are good, but they could be a little stronger. Still, they are developed enough to make you care about the outcome. I appreciated how the changing points of view were used to increase the suspense. I also appreciate how the politics of March 1894 was brought into the book. It informed the action without ever being preachy. While we got some language, I was more bothered by some of the violence, so know that before you pick up the book. But if you want a historical action story, do pick up this book.
PING
Lisa Lucas and Steve Landsberg
Book
PING, which was originally conceived in 2016, precedes the current cultural popularity in Ping Pong,...
Literary Fiction Historical Fiction Women in Sports Table Tennis
The Tudor Queens’ Midwife (The Tudor Queens’ Midwife #1)
Book
In the glamorous, glittering and dangerous court of king Henry VIII and his queen Katherine of...
Historical Fiction The Tudors English Kings and Queens
Inky Books (3 KP) rated Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon, #1) in Books
Jun 21, 2018
When I was young and impressionable (well, not really impressionable, I’ve actually always been the stubborn and fiery redhead I am now, just a little more shy) I read a book about a sixteen year old girl, in a man’s world, pretending to be a twelve year old boy. In this same book there were also dragons, no not the ones you hunt to steal their treasure, but the kind that you bond with and can gain amazing powers from.
Of course it has dragons; how could I resist? Ever since reading Eargon I’ve had a thing for books with dragons in them, though it is rather hard to find some where it isn’t all about dragon hunting. Anyone have any suggestions?
Anyway, so this book was one of my favorites as a teenager because of the world building as well as the secrets and powers that the characters have. And I really do like it, though I’m probably going to say more bad things than I will good for a reason I will explain later.
So, the good things:
Main character, Eona. I guess I feel like she is similar to me in a way. She can be stubborn but also knows when to hold herself back when she needs to. She can be rather forceful and hostile while also having a nicer, sweeter side. She struggles with much through the book and it gives the book a more realistic feeling.
The world of the Dragoneyes. It’s ancient Chinese mythology, and mythology is something I like to read and learn about. It is very interesting to read about, and the author did her research on the subject.
And the bad things:
The book moved rather slowly. Yes, there was a lot that happened, but there was also a large amount of the politics of the world that got involved to. Politics isn’t something I like, it’s actually something I am starting to hate in recent years. So this doesn’t appeal to me. When I got closer to the end I skimmed, half because I knew what was happening for the most part, half because I was getting so bored with the back and forth of the characters.
The characters. Most of the characters had a fake feeling to them. They seemed one sided and all kind of reacted in similar ways when faced with these situations. They were almost flat and didn’t seem real.
Eona. Yes I know she is in the good things too, but I really dislike her fatal flaw. It took her most of the book to figure out (even though she wasn’t even the one who figured it out in the end) what the secret was to her power. It was rather annoying and I wish the author would have allowed Eona to figure it out a bit soon and have some more of the awesome power in there.
The good aspects of this book do outweigh the bad ones, but it still caused me to think hard about the rating I would give it.
Of course it has dragons; how could I resist? Ever since reading Eargon I’ve had a thing for books with dragons in them, though it is rather hard to find some where it isn’t all about dragon hunting. Anyone have any suggestions?
Anyway, so this book was one of my favorites as a teenager because of the world building as well as the secrets and powers that the characters have. And I really do like it, though I’m probably going to say more bad things than I will good for a reason I will explain later.
So, the good things:
Main character, Eona. I guess I feel like she is similar to me in a way. She can be stubborn but also knows when to hold herself back when she needs to. She can be rather forceful and hostile while also having a nicer, sweeter side. She struggles with much through the book and it gives the book a more realistic feeling.
The world of the Dragoneyes. It’s ancient Chinese mythology, and mythology is something I like to read and learn about. It is very interesting to read about, and the author did her research on the subject.
And the bad things:
The book moved rather slowly. Yes, there was a lot that happened, but there was also a large amount of the politics of the world that got involved to. Politics isn’t something I like, it’s actually something I am starting to hate in recent years. So this doesn’t appeal to me. When I got closer to the end I skimmed, half because I knew what was happening for the most part, half because I was getting so bored with the back and forth of the characters.
The characters. Most of the characters had a fake feeling to them. They seemed one sided and all kind of reacted in similar ways when faced with these situations. They were almost flat and didn’t seem real.
Eona. Yes I know she is in the good things too, but I really dislike her fatal flaw. It took her most of the book to figure out (even though she wasn’t even the one who figured it out in the end) what the secret was to her power. It was rather annoying and I wish the author would have allowed Eona to figure it out a bit soon and have some more of the awesome power in there.
The good aspects of this book do outweigh the bad ones, but it still caused me to think hard about the rating I would give it.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Exile in Books
Nov 24, 2020
Surprise its the first book in a series.
Exile by Sophie Breeze is a great book. It is the first book in a series of unknown length as the second has yet to be released. The cover however says nothing about it being part of a series. Please keep in mind as well that Sophie was only nine years old when she started writing Exile, no small feat.
A group of five kids live on the planet Mellania but are not accepted there. Mellania only accepts those without human DNA and unfortunately these kids are all half human. The kids live with Lucia, a demon whom they believe to be their friend until she takes them to Earth. Upon arrival they are almost immediately attacked and discover Lucia’s true intentions. Now on the run from an evil demon on a planet they are unfamiliar with the kids don’t know who to trust and the stress creates a rift in the group.
Two of the kids go one way and the other three go another, wondering if they will ever see each other again. Soon it is clear that even apart they are not safe as both groups are attacked and tracked down by the SSC. Sadly even once they are with the SSC the kids don’t know who to trust and secrets start revealing themselves. Will they ever be able to feel safe again? Who is really their friends and who is just trying to use them for their own benefit?
The style of this book is rather unique to me as it doesn't seem to hold to any one genre. It starts out as a science fiction heavy in politics and with an assassination. Then as the story moves on it seems to take a more fantasy element with question. While the politics remain through out they do not overpower the rest of the story. The only thing that I really did not like was the surprise factor of learning this is the first in a series. I found myself becoming increasingly confused as I came towards the end and things were no where close to a conclusion.
This book is probably best for young adults with an interest isn’t science fiction/fantasy. They dynamics of the relationships between the hybrids themselves might be a little difficult for young readers to understand. Those who have enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series should enjoy this book as well since they share many elements. I rate this book 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5. I enjoyed this book very much and the twists actually surprised me. The only twist I did not like was how the book turned out to be the beginning of a series. While I have nothing against series I plan when I start a new one carefully and I imagine so do may others, because of this the book lost a point.
A group of five kids live on the planet Mellania but are not accepted there. Mellania only accepts those without human DNA and unfortunately these kids are all half human. The kids live with Lucia, a demon whom they believe to be their friend until she takes them to Earth. Upon arrival they are almost immediately attacked and discover Lucia’s true intentions. Now on the run from an evil demon on a planet they are unfamiliar with the kids don’t know who to trust and the stress creates a rift in the group.
Two of the kids go one way and the other three go another, wondering if they will ever see each other again. Soon it is clear that even apart they are not safe as both groups are attacked and tracked down by the SSC. Sadly even once they are with the SSC the kids don’t know who to trust and secrets start revealing themselves. Will they ever be able to feel safe again? Who is really their friends and who is just trying to use them for their own benefit?
The style of this book is rather unique to me as it doesn't seem to hold to any one genre. It starts out as a science fiction heavy in politics and with an assassination. Then as the story moves on it seems to take a more fantasy element with question. While the politics remain through out they do not overpower the rest of the story. The only thing that I really did not like was the surprise factor of learning this is the first in a series. I found myself becoming increasingly confused as I came towards the end and things were no where close to a conclusion.
This book is probably best for young adults with an interest isn’t science fiction/fantasy. They dynamics of the relationships between the hybrids themselves might be a little difficult for young readers to understand. Those who have enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series should enjoy this book as well since they share many elements. I rate this book 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5. I enjoyed this book very much and the twists actually surprised me. The only twist I did not like was how the book turned out to be the beginning of a series. While I have nothing against series I plan when I start a new one carefully and I imagine so do may others, because of this the book lost a point.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Final Crossing in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I won a copy of this book through a FirstReads giveaway.
I really enjoyed the story found in this novel, and it definitely kept my interest throughout. Religion coupled with politics is certainly something that is at the forefront of our society right now, and the ways in which they were used and interacted together in the plot was very intriguing. I also liked how it bounced back and forth between the points of view of Jonas and Rudiger so the reader could gain perspective on the story from both sides.
However, there were quite a lot of proofreading errors in my copy, which was not labeled as a proof or anything other than an off-the-shelf edition. While I am not one to avidly search for such things, read with a red pen in hand, or anything of that nature, there were just too many to ignore. There were even a few in back-to-back sentences. That is the reason I dropped a star from my rating.
All-in-all, "Final Crossing" is a great suspense thriller where religion is used to bolster the thoughts of a serial killer into believing he's doing the work of God, eventually crossing paths with a Senator's Chief of Staff. However, if you're the type to rip your eyes out when you see a typographical or grammatical error, you might want to step away from this one, or at least take a couple deep breaths first.
4 stars
I really enjoyed the story found in this novel, and it definitely kept my interest throughout. Religion coupled with politics is certainly something that is at the forefront of our society right now, and the ways in which they were used and interacted together in the plot was very intriguing. I also liked how it bounced back and forth between the points of view of Jonas and Rudiger so the reader could gain perspective on the story from both sides.
However, there were quite a lot of proofreading errors in my copy, which was not labeled as a proof or anything other than an off-the-shelf edition. While I am not one to avidly search for such things, read with a red pen in hand, or anything of that nature, there were just too many to ignore. There were even a few in back-to-back sentences. That is the reason I dropped a star from my rating.
All-in-all, "Final Crossing" is a great suspense thriller where religion is used to bolster the thoughts of a serial killer into believing he's doing the work of God, eventually crossing paths with a Senator's Chief of Staff. However, if you're the type to rip your eyes out when you see a typographical or grammatical error, you might want to step away from this one, or at least take a couple deep breaths first.
4 stars
Lee (2222 KP) rated Mary Queen of Scots (2018) in Movies
Jan 20, 2019
Mary (Saoirse Ronan), having lived in France where she was recently widowed, returns home to Scotland to claim her rightful place as queen. But she is not exactly welcomed with open arms in the world of men and when she also decides to set her sights on becoming successor to the crown of England, a power struggle ensues. Both at home, and with her cousin Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie).
There's not very much that I enjoyed about this movie to be honest. An important and intriguing period in history, involving two extremely interesting and strong women, this should have been so much better. It tries to cover so much ground in its two hour runtime, barely focusing on any particular element for very long. Vast numbers of characters are introduced, none of which are given enough time for you to feel any kind of interest or emotional investment in and at times it drastically shifts between varying tones with confusing editing.
What the movie does manage to portray is that all the men are complete bastards. Scheming, plotting and murdering, all for their own gains. It's sad that, aside from the murdering (I hope), not much has changed in modern politics.
Both female leads, especially Saoirse, are actually very good in this, despite everything, and probably the best scene in the movie is when they meet alone towards the end (something which didn't actually happen in real life!). Sadly though, I was fidgeting in my seat up until that point just waiting for it to end.
There's not very much that I enjoyed about this movie to be honest. An important and intriguing period in history, involving two extremely interesting and strong women, this should have been so much better. It tries to cover so much ground in its two hour runtime, barely focusing on any particular element for very long. Vast numbers of characters are introduced, none of which are given enough time for you to feel any kind of interest or emotional investment in and at times it drastically shifts between varying tones with confusing editing.
What the movie does manage to portray is that all the men are complete bastards. Scheming, plotting and murdering, all for their own gains. It's sad that, aside from the murdering (I hope), not much has changed in modern politics.
Both female leads, especially Saoirse, are actually very good in this, despite everything, and probably the best scene in the movie is when they meet alone towards the end (something which didn't actually happen in real life!). Sadly though, I was fidgeting in my seat up until that point just waiting for it to end.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Strange Hymn (The Bargainer #2) in Books
Apr 30, 2020
Siren and soulmate to the King of Night, Callypso Lillis survived the clutches of Karnon, the mad king, and his twisted prison. But the nightmare isn't over. Callie wears the physical reminders of her time as a captive, and mounting evidence suggests the Thief of Souls is still out there.
When a fae celebration thrusts Callie and her mate, Desmond Flynn, into the Kingdom of Flora, they take their investigation with them. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, they find there are more immediate issues to deal with. No place is more uniquely savage than the great fae halls, and no amount of bargains can save Callie from royal intrigues.
Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want things too unspeakable to utter. One thing is for sure: no one is who they appear to be. Not even Des, who only grows more enigmatic with every passing secret.
But the Kingdom of Flora has its own secrets, from bleeding trees to branded slaves and missing guards. Something is stirring in the land of all that grows, and if Callie isn't careful, it will claim everything and everyone she loves - and her along with it.
I bloody loved it!! Second One was better than the first! I’ve been waiting for a decent fairy series since Merry Gentry by LkH and this fits it! I adore Des! Love Temperance and Callypso is just brilliant! The fey politics is brilliant and it makes an exciting read!! I’m really enjoying Laura’s writing style.
When a fae celebration thrusts Callie and her mate, Desmond Flynn, into the Kingdom of Flora, they take their investigation with them. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, they find there are more immediate issues to deal with. No place is more uniquely savage than the great fae halls, and no amount of bargains can save Callie from royal intrigues.
Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want things too unspeakable to utter. One thing is for sure: no one is who they appear to be. Not even Des, who only grows more enigmatic with every passing secret.
But the Kingdom of Flora has its own secrets, from bleeding trees to branded slaves and missing guards. Something is stirring in the land of all that grows, and if Callie isn't careful, it will claim everything and everyone she loves - and her along with it.
I bloody loved it!! Second One was better than the first! I’ve been waiting for a decent fairy series since Merry Gentry by LkH and this fits it! I adore Des! Love Temperance and Callypso is just brilliant! The fey politics is brilliant and it makes an exciting read!! I’m really enjoying Laura’s writing style.