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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen, #1) in Books
Mar 22, 2019
I've had this on my TBR shelf for quite a while, but only got around to reading it because the library finally really wants it back. Oops! And now I'm regretting not reading it sooner because it is OH MY GOD FANTASTIC. This is one of those books that's going to be hard to talk about without giving things away about the plot, but I'm going to try. Maya is the main character, a princess with a horoscope full of doom for whoever marries her.
She's in for a surprise when she does marry, though, as she is whisked away from her father's kingdom to a palace full of hidden doors and a husband who is more than he seems. She's quickly embroiled in a mystery to find out not only the secrets her husband's kingdom is hiding, but the secrets behind her own history.
I absolutely love reading non-western fantasy because there are NEW fantasy elements to discover. This book makes heavy use of reincarnation, which is not a common trope in western fantasy. Not reincarnation as karma, anyway. There is fate, and horoscopes, and choosing your own destiny despite those things, and spirit worlds, and OH IT'S JUST SO GOOD.
The second book, about Maya's sister, came out last March, so I need to read that too. The same author has written another book set in Paris, The Gilded Wolves, which came out in January and immediately hit the bestseller list. I'm glad, this author is fantastic. I'm not sure I'll read it though, as the description doesn't really intrigue me. But The Star-Touched Queen and its sequel, A Crown of Wishes - these are just my cup of tea!
You can read all my book reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
She's in for a surprise when she does marry, though, as she is whisked away from her father's kingdom to a palace full of hidden doors and a husband who is more than he seems. She's quickly embroiled in a mystery to find out not only the secrets her husband's kingdom is hiding, but the secrets behind her own history.
I absolutely love reading non-western fantasy because there are NEW fantasy elements to discover. This book makes heavy use of reincarnation, which is not a common trope in western fantasy. Not reincarnation as karma, anyway. There is fate, and horoscopes, and choosing your own destiny despite those things, and spirit worlds, and OH IT'S JUST SO GOOD.
The second book, about Maya's sister, came out last March, so I need to read that too. The same author has written another book set in Paris, The Gilded Wolves, which came out in January and immediately hit the bestseller list. I'm glad, this author is fantastic. I'm not sure I'll read it though, as the description doesn't really intrigue me. But The Star-Touched Queen and its sequel, A Crown of Wishes - these are just my cup of tea!
You can read all my book reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Royals in Books
May 3, 2019
Delightful romance.
So I’ll admit. The only reason I picked this book up is because the second book in the series, Her Royal Highness, looks like an adorable lesbian romance and I thought I should start at the beginning of the series. I’m glad I did, because Royals is a delight. Daisy is a spirited, no-nonsense teenager who doesn’t get the appeal of all this “royal” stuff, and she’s not one to mince words for the sake of appearances. As you can imagine, that ruffles a LOT of royal feathers! Add in a posse of noble ne’er-do-wells trying to get in trouble, and you’re in for some fun.
Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!
I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.
One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!
I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.
One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
Dana (24 KP) rated The Princess Diarist in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I want to start off by saying that I was so saddened to hear about Carrie's passing. She was a childhood hero of mine, so to see that she was gone was devastating.
Carrie Fisher was a brilliant woman, but like was not always kind to her. She battled with addiction, depression, and so many other things, but I would have never guessed it.
It was interesting to actually read what she thought of herself when she was younger. With her self worth and self-esteem issues, it was very easy to identify with her journal pages. Now, having read the whole book, I know she would tell me to buck up and don't give a damn about what other people think of me. Which is something I am trying to do now. It honestly hurt to read these things because I can see myself in these pages. People are so quick to put these famous people on pedestals and forget that they are human too. I can say that I did the same thing.
Yes, we get information on her affair with Harrison, but I don't necessarily want to get into that. If you want information on it, feel free to pick up the book.
We also get an understanding of how fame affected her. She often speaks of her own mortality, talking about how people will see her after her death. Many of these things have already started happening. For example, she talked about how she would be forever immortalized by her pictures as Princess Leia with those buns she hated so much. Oh, and she loved fan interactions because it showed why her work was important to others.
I loved reading this book and I am going to pick up some of her other biographies.
Carrie Fisher was a brilliant woman, but like was not always kind to her. She battled with addiction, depression, and so many other things, but I would have never guessed it.
It was interesting to actually read what she thought of herself when she was younger. With her self worth and self-esteem issues, it was very easy to identify with her journal pages. Now, having read the whole book, I know she would tell me to buck up and don't give a damn about what other people think of me. Which is something I am trying to do now. It honestly hurt to read these things because I can see myself in these pages. People are so quick to put these famous people on pedestals and forget that they are human too. I can say that I did the same thing.
Yes, we get information on her affair with Harrison, but I don't necessarily want to get into that. If you want information on it, feel free to pick up the book.
We also get an understanding of how fame affected her. She often speaks of her own mortality, talking about how people will see her after her death. Many of these things have already started happening. For example, she talked about how she would be forever immortalized by her pictures as Princess Leia with those buns she hated so much. Oh, and she loved fan interactions because it showed why her work was important to others.
I loved reading this book and I am going to pick up some of her other biographies.
Debbiereadsbook (1557 KP) rated The Crown Of Draga (Draga Court #2) in Books
Feb 28, 2018
burning hotter!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book two in the Draga Court series, and you really SHOULD read Princess of Draga before reading this one. It will give you a better picture of who is who, and what they are all up to. Not everything is recapped.
I found this a much better read! Maybe because I was able to read it in one sitting, I dunno. But it certainly held my attention far better.
We again get almost everyone, but I really wanted to hear from Raena, Adelina's eldest sister, who places the restrictions on Lina about Nash. I wanted to know what was going through her mind when she did that!
On the blurb bit of this book it says "This is a slow-burn, reverse harem series" Now, it IS a whole lot sexier than the first book, I'll give you that, but the reverse harem bit?? Still not clear how that is gonna pan out! Not that Adelina doesn't have any suitors, cos she does, I just don't know who will end up in her bed next!
Across the galaxy, on the outer rim, the Neprijat have made their first move. The galaxy is at war with these monsters. We meet them too, along with their (almost) human handlers, and are introduced to their *quite literal* mind bending powers.
I can't see where this is going, or how many books it will take to get there, but I KNOW I want to follow the series. I just hope I don't have to wait for a long time!
Creeping up to...
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book two in the Draga Court series, and you really SHOULD read Princess of Draga before reading this one. It will give you a better picture of who is who, and what they are all up to. Not everything is recapped.
I found this a much better read! Maybe because I was able to read it in one sitting, I dunno. But it certainly held my attention far better.
We again get almost everyone, but I really wanted to hear from Raena, Adelina's eldest sister, who places the restrictions on Lina about Nash. I wanted to know what was going through her mind when she did that!
On the blurb bit of this book it says "This is a slow-burn, reverse harem series" Now, it IS a whole lot sexier than the first book, I'll give you that, but the reverse harem bit?? Still not clear how that is gonna pan out! Not that Adelina doesn't have any suitors, cos she does, I just don't know who will end up in her bed next!
Across the galaxy, on the outer rim, the Neprijat have made their first move. The galaxy is at war with these monsters. We meet them too, along with their (almost) human handlers, and are introduced to their *quite literal* mind bending powers.
I can't see where this is going, or how many books it will take to get there, but I KNOW I want to follow the series. I just hope I don't have to wait for a long time!
Creeping up to...
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The One (The Selection, #3) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The One</i> is the third book in <i>The Selection</i> series by Kiera Cass. With only four girls remaining, the competition to become Prince Maxon’s bride is nearing its conclusion. Being from a lower caste, America is the least unlikely girl in the whole of the selection to have made it this far. But although sometimes his intentions are confusing, it appears Maxon is in love with her. As the title suggests this will be the book where Maxon makes his important decision, but will America be the one?
Of the three books, <i>The One</i> is the most interesting by far. Although the key storyline is about the selection itself, there is more interaction with other aspects of the story. The southern rebels are getting even more violent as they determine to overthrow the king, however America learns a lot more about the northern rebels, including something extremely surprising, which makes them seem a lot less threatening than they previously were.
With America as the narrator, readers can suspect which girl will be chosen as princess, however there are still some things that could completely change the competition. For example the relationship between America and her former boyfriend, Aspen; also the hatred King Clarkson has for America.
The will they, won’t they questions plague the readers from beginning until its dramatic conclusion. The shocking ending could move readers to tears, proving just how gripping the story actually is.
With its happy, sad ending <i>The One</i> is a brilliant continuation of the young adult dystopian romance. Although the selection has come to an end, there is still so much the reader wants to know, making the next book, <i>The Heir</i>, a top priority to read.
The One</i> is the third book in <i>The Selection</i> series by Kiera Cass. With only four girls remaining, the competition to become Prince Maxon’s bride is nearing its conclusion. Being from a lower caste, America is the least unlikely girl in the whole of the selection to have made it this far. But although sometimes his intentions are confusing, it appears Maxon is in love with her. As the title suggests this will be the book where Maxon makes his important decision, but will America be the one?
Of the three books, <i>The One</i> is the most interesting by far. Although the key storyline is about the selection itself, there is more interaction with other aspects of the story. The southern rebels are getting even more violent as they determine to overthrow the king, however America learns a lot more about the northern rebels, including something extremely surprising, which makes them seem a lot less threatening than they previously were.
With America as the narrator, readers can suspect which girl will be chosen as princess, however there are still some things that could completely change the competition. For example the relationship between America and her former boyfriend, Aspen; also the hatred King Clarkson has for America.
The will they, won’t they questions plague the readers from beginning until its dramatic conclusion. The shocking ending could move readers to tears, proving just how gripping the story actually is.
With its happy, sad ending <i>The One</i> is a brilliant continuation of the young adult dystopian romance. Although the selection has come to an end, there is still so much the reader wants to know, making the next book, <i>The Heir</i>, a top priority to read.
David McK (3632 KP) rated Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The New Republic, Vol. 2 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
One of the biggest casualties to come out of Disney's acquisisiton of LucasArts back in 2012 was the abolition of the old 'Expanded Universe' content: suddenly, all those connected stories, comics and video-games were no longer considered in-canon; no longer relevant.
While understandable in light of their plans to create new movies (of which we have had one so far - 'The Force Awakens' - with another off-shoot to come this year in 'Rogue One') my sense is that there was a bit of a back-lash to this (hence the reason for these 'Legends Epic collections'): I'm even guilty of it myself a bit, in that I would quite have liked to see a movie based on either [a: Timothy Zahn|12479|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1215545810p2/12479.jpg]'s [b: Heir to the Empire|216443|Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398253847s/216443.jpg|1133995] trilogy, or even on any of the X-Wing books/comics.
It's those comics that comprise this collection, which consists of the following stories:
X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1-3
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: The Phantom Affair (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: Battleground: Tattoine (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Warrior Princess (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron Special
as well as some content from 'Star Wars Tales' #12 and #23
As this is a compilation of such, the art style is not consistent throughout (although it is consistent in-story: I found some tales to have better, clearer art than others. I'm also somewhat surprised that the left out those stories connected to Baron Soontir Fel in this collection!
While understandable in light of their plans to create new movies (of which we have had one so far - 'The Force Awakens' - with another off-shoot to come this year in 'Rogue One') my sense is that there was a bit of a back-lash to this (hence the reason for these 'Legends Epic collections'): I'm even guilty of it myself a bit, in that I would quite have liked to see a movie based on either [a: Timothy Zahn|12479|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1215545810p2/12479.jpg]'s [b: Heir to the Empire|216443|Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398253847s/216443.jpg|1133995] trilogy, or even on any of the X-Wing books/comics.
It's those comics that comprise this collection, which consists of the following stories:
X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1-3
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: The Phantom Affair (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: Battleground: Tattoine (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Warrior Princess (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron Special
as well as some content from 'Star Wars Tales' #12 and #23
As this is a compilation of such, the art style is not consistent throughout (although it is consistent in-story: I found some tales to have better, clearer art than others. I'm also somewhat surprised that the left out those stories connected to Baron Soontir Fel in this collection!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Prophecy (Antigone: The True Story, #1) 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>Like many classics, I'm not a huge fan of <i>Oedipus Rex </i>(let's just say it was a little boring here and there and maybe I needed Shmoop to help me understand what was going on).
Anyways, despite the fact I struggled with writing an essay over Oedipus, <i>Prophecy </i>seemed interesting enough simply because of the fact Oedipus isn't the main character. Prophecy tells the story of Antigone, one of Oedipus daughters, and a princess of Thebes who is believed to be both blessed and cursed (the former being the most popular with the latter being an internal admission) by the gods at the same time - at least in McBurnies version.
There does, however, seem to be a bit of a repetition that irked me after it occurred a few times - everyone keeps telling Antigone she's blessed by the gods and she has a gift, yada yada, and it really just made the story feel much slower than it was actually going. (I mean, I totally get why but still .)
I really enjoyed McBurnies take of <i>Oedipus Rex</i> in <i>Prophecy </i>- the author breaks down the original story and simplifies it, yet she takes her own spin of the tale from a different perspective (Antigone). It's a refreshing take and from the way McBurnie ends the story, I'm extremely curious where and what the sequel will lead to.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-prophecy-by-coreena-mcburnie/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Anyways, despite the fact I struggled with writing an essay over Oedipus, <i>Prophecy </i>seemed interesting enough simply because of the fact Oedipus isn't the main character. Prophecy tells the story of Antigone, one of Oedipus daughters, and a princess of Thebes who is believed to be both blessed and cursed (the former being the most popular with the latter being an internal admission) by the gods at the same time - at least in McBurnies version.
There does, however, seem to be a bit of a repetition that irked me after it occurred a few times - everyone keeps telling Antigone she's blessed by the gods and she has a gift, yada yada, and it really just made the story feel much slower than it was actually going. (I mean, I totally get why but still .)
I really enjoyed McBurnies take of <i>Oedipus Rex</i> in <i>Prophecy </i>- the author breaks down the original story and simplifies it, yet she takes her own spin of the tale from a different perspective (Antigone). It's a refreshing take and from the way McBurnie ends the story, I'm extremely curious where and what the sequel will lead to.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-prophecy-by-coreena-mcburnie/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
ClareR (5996 KP) rated The Lady of the Ravens in Books
Jan 7, 2020
The Lady of the Ravens is based on the real historical character of Joan Vaux. I find historical fiction fascinating, especially those books which have a foot firmly placed in what was the real world.
Joan and her mother are taken in to the care of Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, during the end years of the Wars of the Roses. She becomes a good friend to Princess Elizabeth in the time before she marries Henry, and goes on to be a Lady in Waiting and eventually the Lady Governess to the Princesses Margaret and Mary.
I really enjoyed all of the historical detail and what life was really like in Tudor England: the preoccupation with death and the many ways that a woman especially, could die, and the precariousness of children’s lives.
I had never really thought about the Ravens in the Tower of London (you’re never interested about the places that are on your doorstep as you’re growing up, I fear 🤷🏼♀️), assumed they’d always been there and that they’d always been seen as important to the realm. But in this novel, we learn that they were actually seen as vermin by the nobility and soldiers stationed there, until Joan and her servant looked after them, convincing others - royalty especially - of their significance to the safety of England and the Royal Family.
I haven’t read Joanna Hickson books before, but I really enjoyed the characters, the insights into the royal family, the uncertainty around the possible sons of York (Perkin Warbeck for one), the descriptions of everyday life - and just the evocative styled her writing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my copy of this great book to read and review.
Joan and her mother are taken in to the care of Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, during the end years of the Wars of the Roses. She becomes a good friend to Princess Elizabeth in the time before she marries Henry, and goes on to be a Lady in Waiting and eventually the Lady Governess to the Princesses Margaret and Mary.
I really enjoyed all of the historical detail and what life was really like in Tudor England: the preoccupation with death and the many ways that a woman especially, could die, and the precariousness of children’s lives.
I had never really thought about the Ravens in the Tower of London (you’re never interested about the places that are on your doorstep as you’re growing up, I fear 🤷🏼♀️), assumed they’d always been there and that they’d always been seen as important to the realm. But in this novel, we learn that they were actually seen as vermin by the nobility and soldiers stationed there, until Joan and her servant looked after them, convincing others - royalty especially - of their significance to the safety of England and the Royal Family.
I haven’t read Joanna Hickson books before, but I really enjoyed the characters, the insights into the royal family, the uncertainty around the possible sons of York (Perkin Warbeck for one), the descriptions of everyday life - and just the evocative styled her writing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my copy of this great book to read and review.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies
Apr 25, 2020 (Updated Apr 25, 2020)
Epic Fail
People forget that universal started this whole shared universe concept. So the MCU, the DCU, The Conjuring franchise and DC Shared TV shows all copied unverisal. Now universal is trying to copy them, but failed, failed epic.
The plot: Nick Morton is a soldier of fortune who plunders ancient sites for timeless artifacts and sells them to the highest bidder. When Nick and his partner come under attack in the Middle East, the ensuing battle accidentally unearths Ahmanet, a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed under the desert for thousands of years. With her powers constantly evolving, Morton must now stop the resurrected monster as she embarks on a furious rampage through the streets of London.
The Dark Universe was a failure, the Dark Universe came and went so fast, it was a blink of a eye and proof it disappeared. Never to be seen or heard from again.
If the dark universe did happpen, their were going to have Javier Bardem as the Frankenstein's Monster, and Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man. And Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll, aka the Nick Fury of this franchise.
This movie tryed to setup five different films with one film, while having like six different plot lines, seven differney genres. This movie didnt know what is was. And thats why it failed.
@Awix, @Erika , @Ross and @LeftSideCut. Said it perfectly in their reviews.
Dont watch this movie, it will put you to sleep and you will forgot about it, when the credits hit. Watch The Mummy trilogy instead or the oringal one, or the hammer studio one.
The plot: Nick Morton is a soldier of fortune who plunders ancient sites for timeless artifacts and sells them to the highest bidder. When Nick and his partner come under attack in the Middle East, the ensuing battle accidentally unearths Ahmanet, a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed under the desert for thousands of years. With her powers constantly evolving, Morton must now stop the resurrected monster as she embarks on a furious rampage through the streets of London.
The Dark Universe was a failure, the Dark Universe came and went so fast, it was a blink of a eye and proof it disappeared. Never to be seen or heard from again.
If the dark universe did happpen, their were going to have Javier Bardem as the Frankenstein's Monster, and Johnny Depp as The Invisible Man. And Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll, aka the Nick Fury of this franchise.
This movie tryed to setup five different films with one film, while having like six different plot lines, seven differney genres. This movie didnt know what is was. And thats why it failed.
@Awix, @Erika , @Ross and @LeftSideCut. Said it perfectly in their reviews.
Dont watch this movie, it will put you to sleep and you will forgot about it, when the credits hit. Watch The Mummy trilogy instead or the oringal one, or the hammer studio one.
Peppa Pig 2 ▶ Animated TV Series
Education and Entertainment
App
▶ About Peppa Pig 2 App : Animation Peppa Pig is an animation series for your little one. Enjoy...