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Kyera (8 KP) rated One Dark Throne in Books
Feb 1, 2018
As this is the second book in a series, there may be spoilers in this review for the first book. Please be aware and read the first book (or my first review) before delving into this. I found One Dark Throne to be a little slow to start, but that may have just been because I didn't reread Three Dark Crowns before jumping back into the world. It would have been better to be reacquainted with the world and all of the minor characters (that can get confusing) before I started the second book. Once I was engrossed in the world again, I was completely drawn into the story and enjoyed myself.
The three sisters continue their fight for the crown and there is more plotting in this book. Mirabella is no longer the chosen queen after her sisters' strong showings in the first book. Katharine is willing to do whatever it takes to win her crown. Arsinoe doesn't want to kill, even to save her own life. Mirabella is hurt and betrayed and realizes that she might not be willing to cross the line to be queen. The three queens develop and grow over the course of the novel.
While there is character growth in this novel, I do wish there was more development. It was nice to see glimpses into the relationship between Natalia and Katharine, as it is deeper than either generally let on. But Nicholas, Pietyr and Genieve felt more like flat characters than ones I could feel were well fleshed out. This problem extends to other characters both in Arsinoe's home and Mirabella's. There are so many minor characters that most of them don't have the "screen time" to become fully developed characters that contribute to the story. (And some a very similar names to others, which can be very confusing if each person doesn't feel like a unique creation.)
Personally, I really like Arsinoe and Mirabella (sorry Katharine supporters) so I have a tough time determining how I would like the series to play out. That being said, the series continues to surprise and confuse me. It is not formulaic and I really enjoy the plot. The world building and magic system are fascinating, which is what keeps me wanting more from the series.
I would definitely recommend this book (after you've read or reread the first, of course) and cannot wait to see how this story continues in future books.
The three sisters continue their fight for the crown and there is more plotting in this book. Mirabella is no longer the chosen queen after her sisters' strong showings in the first book. Katharine is willing to do whatever it takes to win her crown. Arsinoe doesn't want to kill, even to save her own life. Mirabella is hurt and betrayed and realizes that she might not be willing to cross the line to be queen. The three queens develop and grow over the course of the novel.
While there is character growth in this novel, I do wish there was more development. It was nice to see glimpses into the relationship between Natalia and Katharine, as it is deeper than either generally let on. But Nicholas, Pietyr and Genieve felt more like flat characters than ones I could feel were well fleshed out. This problem extends to other characters both in Arsinoe's home and Mirabella's. There are so many minor characters that most of them don't have the "screen time" to become fully developed characters that contribute to the story. (And some a very similar names to others, which can be very confusing if each person doesn't feel like a unique creation.)
Personally, I really like Arsinoe and Mirabella (sorry Katharine supporters) so I have a tough time determining how I would like the series to play out. That being said, the series continues to surprise and confuse me. It is not formulaic and I really enjoy the plot. The world building and magic system are fascinating, which is what keeps me wanting more from the series.
I would definitely recommend this book (after you've read or reread the first, of course) and cannot wait to see how this story continues in future books.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Selection in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Set many years into the future The US has undergone drastic change. Under the rule of a monarchy once again. Prince Maxon, only child and heir to the throne, is ready to find his future queen. In a lottery type draw, one young lady (between the ages of 16 and 20) from each province is selected as candidates for the throne, and for Maxon's heart. Among them is America Singer. A Five in the caste system (There are eight total). Although her becoming a part of the selection was an accident, of sorts...Will she be able to forget her past and embrace her future? There are 35 girls, and only 1 prince. Who will emerge as Queen?
It has been a long while since I have been so engrossed in a book that I couldn't put it down to go to sleep. I finally had to, as my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, with only two chapters remaining! I kept having dreams about the book! I finished it as soon as I woke up this morning and am now anxiously awaiting to check out The Elite from the library. Since this is a book about a prince finding a wife, you can expect to have romance with a mild dystopian flair. Although I personally think the emotions are slightly intense for a YA book, it is still clean and decent. Prince Maxon is an honorable man. Parents, please use your own discretion. Kiera Cass has done a fabulous job imagining a new world of castes, monarchy, fashion, rebellion and love. (It's like The Bachelor, but way better!) Please be advised that these books do not stand alone. And once you finish The Selection you are going to want to start The Elite immediately (so do what I didn't do and place a hold on BOTH)! This book ends well, but definitely leaves you wanting more. I have also heard that The Selection is being made into a movie. Although all I could find out was that it is in pre-production. I am thoroughly enjoying this series, but I know that it won't be to everyone's taste. Keep in mind that it is a Young Adult novel and is written for that level. Happy reading! And may the odds be ever in your favor....wait....
It has been a long while since I have been so engrossed in a book that I couldn't put it down to go to sleep. I finally had to, as my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, with only two chapters remaining! I kept having dreams about the book! I finished it as soon as I woke up this morning and am now anxiously awaiting to check out The Elite from the library. Since this is a book about a prince finding a wife, you can expect to have romance with a mild dystopian flair. Although I personally think the emotions are slightly intense for a YA book, it is still clean and decent. Prince Maxon is an honorable man. Parents, please use your own discretion. Kiera Cass has done a fabulous job imagining a new world of castes, monarchy, fashion, rebellion and love. (It's like The Bachelor, but way better!) Please be advised that these books do not stand alone. And once you finish The Selection you are going to want to start The Elite immediately (so do what I didn't do and place a hold on BOTH)! This book ends well, but definitely leaves you wanting more. I have also heard that The Selection is being made into a movie. Although all I could find out was that it is in pre-production. I am thoroughly enjoying this series, but I know that it won't be to everyone's taste. Keep in mind that it is a Young Adult novel and is written for that level. Happy reading! And may the odds be ever in your favor....wait....
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Improper Mage in Books
Mar 8, 2022
IMPROPER MAGE is the first book in a new series by a new author, Taylor Westwood.
In a world similar to our own, Liana lives in Triaedian - a land where shifters, vampires, and mages all live in harmony?! As a female, she doesn't have many options, and the only magic she is supposed to know is how to help with her household. Luckily for us, Liana is not content with that and learns as much as she can by herself, being a strong and proficient mage, even if she can never show it.
One night she meets Damien, the King of Triaedian, who is fascinated by her. He has ruled alone for some time but, maybe, it is time for him to find his Queen. Liana is flattered until she finds out he has expressed interest in two others as well. Then she feels betrayed and played.
The interaction between these two is brilliant. Liana is seen as an 'odd' one in that she doesn't abide by society's rules for what a woman should do. Damien sees this and doesn't seem to want to change her, delighting in who she is. The attraction is hot and immediate but, once again due to society's rules, they are forbidden to act upon it until they are married. They do push the boundaries and have one particularly steamy moment, but will he marry her or one of the others?
I found the world-building to be brilliant, giving me enough information to see how the world worked without overloading me all at once. I also adored the hidden depths of others characters that sneaked through every so often. There is an overall story arc here so don't expect a HEA ending. What you do get is a fantastic ending that will definitely leave you wanting more.
I immediately went onto the author's website to see if there was any indication of when the next book was due out. For a debut book, this was amazing and I loved every word. Highly recommended by me!!
ps - and if you find out when Improper Queen is due out before me, please let me know! I need it!!
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In a world similar to our own, Liana lives in Triaedian - a land where shifters, vampires, and mages all live in harmony?! As a female, she doesn't have many options, and the only magic she is supposed to know is how to help with her household. Luckily for us, Liana is not content with that and learns as much as she can by herself, being a strong and proficient mage, even if she can never show it.
One night she meets Damien, the King of Triaedian, who is fascinated by her. He has ruled alone for some time but, maybe, it is time for him to find his Queen. Liana is flattered until she finds out he has expressed interest in two others as well. Then she feels betrayed and played.
The interaction between these two is brilliant. Liana is seen as an 'odd' one in that she doesn't abide by society's rules for what a woman should do. Damien sees this and doesn't seem to want to change her, delighting in who she is. The attraction is hot and immediate but, once again due to society's rules, they are forbidden to act upon it until they are married. They do push the boundaries and have one particularly steamy moment, but will he marry her or one of the others?
I found the world-building to be brilliant, giving me enough information to see how the world worked without overloading me all at once. I also adored the hidden depths of others characters that sneaked through every so often. There is an overall story arc here so don't expect a HEA ending. What you do get is a fantastic ending that will definitely leave you wanting more.
I immediately went onto the author's website to see if there was any indication of when the next book was due out. For a debut book, this was amazing and I loved every word. Highly recommended by me!!
ps - and if you find out when Improper Queen is due out before me, please let me know! I need it!!
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Consort (Nobel Reckoning #1)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Could a Fae really satisfy an Omega shifter’s heat? Would he risk his life for the chance to try? ...
Fantasy Romance Omegaverse
Merissa (13197 KP) rated The Kraken's Queen (Grym Hollow #3) in Books
Feb 19, 2025
THE KRAKEN'S QUEEN is the third full-length novel in the Grym Hollow series and I loved every word!
Erin has been through hell at the hands of someone who claimed they loved her, leaving her half dead - literally. Allarick has his queen but will she be able to cope?
You know what? I adored Allarick! He never doubted Erin personally and was in awe of her strength, even when she thought she had none. He supported and encouraged her from day one, respecting her boundaries and letting her set the pace. And Erin herself? She broke my heart! I was egging her on every step of the way, her small steps being celebrated by me just as much as Allarick! When she finally broke free of the chains of her past, it was amazing to see, as well as being spicy! 😁 The safety she found in Allarick and his tentacles was so well-written. After all, it wasn't tentacles that had hurt her!!!
You would think after seeing his two fellow kings and their brides, Allarick would have realised that trying to keep his new bride safe and protected just wasn't going to work. I mean, come on, dude! BUT it was for the right reasons, so I'll let him off!
As with every book by this author, it was well-written, well-paced, with amazing world- and character-building. Hot and spicy, tender and caring, it's all here. I know once I pick up a book by this author, I'm going nowhere until I've finished it! And what an ending! Did I have a satisfied smile on my face when I read the epilogue and found out what happened to James? Why, yes I did! And bring on the next book!!! I can't wait.
In case you haven't realised yet, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and the series! It would be better to read them in order but you could read them as standalone IF you wanted to miss out on the fabulousness of the others.
** 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!
Feb 13, 2025
Erin has been through hell at the hands of someone who claimed they loved her, leaving her half dead - literally. Allarick has his queen but will she be able to cope?
You know what? I adored Allarick! He never doubted Erin personally and was in awe of her strength, even when she thought she had none. He supported and encouraged her from day one, respecting her boundaries and letting her set the pace. And Erin herself? She broke my heart! I was egging her on every step of the way, her small steps being celebrated by me just as much as Allarick! When she finally broke free of the chains of her past, it was amazing to see, as well as being spicy! 😁 The safety she found in Allarick and his tentacles was so well-written. After all, it wasn't tentacles that had hurt her!!!
You would think after seeing his two fellow kings and their brides, Allarick would have realised that trying to keep his new bride safe and protected just wasn't going to work. I mean, come on, dude! BUT it was for the right reasons, so I'll let him off!
As with every book by this author, it was well-written, well-paced, with amazing world- and character-building. Hot and spicy, tender and caring, it's all here. I know once I pick up a book by this author, I'm going nowhere until I've finished it! And what an ending! Did I have a satisfied smile on my face when I read the epilogue and found out what happened to James? Why, yes I did! And bring on the next book!!! I can't wait.
In case you haven't realised yet, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and the series! It would be better to read them in order but you could read them as standalone IF you wanted to miss out on the fabulousness of the others.
** 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!
Feb 13, 2025
tonidavis (353 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 3 in TV
Jul 14, 2017
The Rains of Castermere (3 more)
Oueen of thorns
Tyrion
Tyrells
Nice day for a red wedding
By far rains of Castermere is my favorite game of thrones episode. With the exception of Ayra im not a Stark fan i usually find characters that are perceived at that noble are the most hypocritical. Catelyn's treatment of Jon is enough for that she promised the gods if Bran lived she would treat him like a son that didn't happen. So the red wedding was a great episode for me.
Season 3 also had the arrival of the character i want to be when i grow old the Queen of thorns herself Olenna Tyrell Not only is this character a major hard ass power player she is played by the amazing and wonderful Diana Rigg who brings this character to life. Her sharp toungue and wit is great and lets face it you don't live that long in game of thrones without knowing how to play the game well.
As every other season Both Ayra character development is well written and great to follow and Tyrion is still the master of all.
Season 3 also had the arrival of the character i want to be when i grow old the Queen of thorns herself Olenna Tyrell Not only is this character a major hard ass power player she is played by the amazing and wonderful Diana Rigg who brings this character to life. Her sharp toungue and wit is great and lets face it you don't live that long in game of thrones without knowing how to play the game well.
As every other season Both Ayra character development is well written and great to follow and Tyrion is still the master of all.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Queen Kong (1976) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Low-budget cash-in spoof of de Laurentiis's King Kong remake; there's a lot of uneven comedy and some dreadful monster suits, so you can see why Dino felt impinged upon. Tough female film-maker (Lenska) despairs of finding a man with the guts to star in her new movie; she kidnaps petty thief Ray Fay (Asquith) and takes him off to a remote African country with a large gorilla population (only one gorilla, but it is very large). You can probably guess the rest.
You turn up to a film like Queen Kong with subterraneanly low expectations, but there are actually some not-bad jokes here, along with other bits which are so weird they are actually entertaining (title song includes the lyric 'When I'm feeling kinda spunky I want to do it with my funky monkey', which I didn't anticipate). There's also a rather peculiar feminist subtext and it's not entirely clear whether the movie is taking the mick out of Woman's Lib or if it's sincerely intended. A definite oddity; the production is primitive, but it has just enough ideas to be interesting.
You turn up to a film like Queen Kong with subterraneanly low expectations, but there are actually some not-bad jokes here, along with other bits which are so weird they are actually entertaining (title song includes the lyric 'When I'm feeling kinda spunky I want to do it with my funky monkey', which I didn't anticipate). There's also a rather peculiar feminist subtext and it's not entirely clear whether the movie is taking the mick out of Woman's Lib or if it's sincerely intended. A definite oddity; the production is primitive, but it has just enough ideas to be interesting.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Curse of the Kissing Cousins (A "Where Are They Now" Mystery, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Originally titled WITHOUT MERCY, CURSE OF THE KISSING COUSINS is a good start to the series, even with some flaws. The main character/sleuth/nostalgic reporter, Tilda, is smart and likable, funny and realistic - basically, a solid lead (no pun intended, originally :P). The plot is interesting and for the most part, flowed smoothly; the same could be said about the additional characters. My favorites were fanboy Vincent and the kinda-sorta-cliche gay friend/co-worker, Cooper, who both added a lot to the book. Actually, none of the characters were unnecessary or overdone, from the less-than-perfect roommate to the back-stabber at <i>Entertain Me!</i> to the the lecherous computer geek, all contributed to the book as a whole. However, with all the good the book had, there was just something missing, besides Mercy. I can't quite put my finger on it, but even though I really did enjoy the book, there was just something off. The idea behind this series is really cool and I hope it gets better as it goes along. I look forward to WHO KILLED THE PIN-UP QUEEN?
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
Recommended gritty read
What a roller-coaster of a ride that was! I'm sure I experienced all the emotions known to man whilst reading this book - joy, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, anticipation and fear to name but a few.
The characters are believable and brilliant although not all of them are particularly likeable. The story is gripping and had me hooked from start to finish and although I anticipated the end, it didn't disappoint or spoil it for me. The only complaint I have is the epilogue ... what the heck?!?! I found it cheesy and, in my humble opinion, totally unnecessary apart from tying up a couple of loose ends which could have been put elsewhere in the book however, this didn't ruin it for me it just made me "tut" and roll my eyes.
Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a gritty story that's not all about violence and hate.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
The characters are believable and brilliant although not all of them are particularly likeable. The story is gripping and had me hooked from start to finish and although I anticipated the end, it didn't disappoint or spoil it for me. The only complaint I have is the epilogue ... what the heck?!?! I found it cheesy and, in my humble opinion, totally unnecessary apart from tying up a couple of loose ends which could have been put elsewhere in the book however, this didn't ruin it for me it just made me "tut" and roll my eyes.
Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a gritty story that's not all about violence and hate.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Awix (3310 KP) rated She (1965) in Movies
Feb 24, 2018
Blue Flame Blues
Well-remembered Hammer fantasy has lavish production values, thoughtful script, terrific cast. World-weary explorers find themselves drawn to lost city in the mountains of North Africa, where they find a living legend and a blue flame with the power to grant immortality.
Obviously, you have to overlook the fact that the ancient Egyptian queen looks and sounds so Swiss, but apart from that there is a lot to enjoy here, although it is probably all a bit unreconstructed by modern standards (the whiter and blonder you are, the more important and beautiful). Peter Cushing does the business, as usual; Christopher Lee doesn't get enough to do. The main problem is that the film's central relationship (between Richardson and Andress) is just terribly tepid and not dramatic enough to power the second half of the film; as a result this is one of those movies that starts very strongly but discovers that the lost city is worth seeing, but not really worth the trouble of going to see. Probably still worth a look, overall, if 60s fantasy films are your cup of tea.
Obviously, you have to overlook the fact that the ancient Egyptian queen looks and sounds so Swiss, but apart from that there is a lot to enjoy here, although it is probably all a bit unreconstructed by modern standards (the whiter and blonder you are, the more important and beautiful). Peter Cushing does the business, as usual; Christopher Lee doesn't get enough to do. The main problem is that the film's central relationship (between Richardson and Andress) is just terribly tepid and not dramatic enough to power the second half of the film; as a result this is one of those movies that starts very strongly but discovers that the lost city is worth seeing, but not really worth the trouble of going to see. Probably still worth a look, overall, if 60s fantasy films are your cup of tea.