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Merissa (12861 KP) rated The Greensward (Pitch & Sickle #4) in Books
Oct 3, 2022
THE GREENSWARD is the fourth book in the Pitch & Sickle series and, as with the other books, this is an ongoing story so you NEED to have read them in order.
These guys never catch a break! Of course, if they did, we probably wouldn't have this story. Trust me though, for me, this was the best of the bunch so far. It was full of action, well-paced action that had me gripped. It's not nice reading in certain parts but oh-so-worth it if you can stick with it.
We learn more about Silas and Tobias' pasts and I really hope Silas shares. These two are only just learning to be there for each other, and his secret may just set them back a few books!
This series just gets better and better. The relationships have changed slowly but I loved it when both Tobias and Silas realised just what the other meant to them.
One thing to mention - I love how local legends have been woven into this series. Each book has its own and I loved how the author has blended them seamlessly with the overall story.
Highly recommended by me and I can't wait for book five!
** 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!
These guys never catch a break! Of course, if they did, we probably wouldn't have this story. Trust me though, for me, this was the best of the bunch so far. It was full of action, well-paced action that had me gripped. It's not nice reading in certain parts but oh-so-worth it if you can stick with it.
We learn more about Silas and Tobias' pasts and I really hope Silas shares. These two are only just learning to be there for each other, and his secret may just set them back a few books!
This series just gets better and better. The relationships have changed slowly but I loved it when both Tobias and Silas realised just what the other meant to them.
One thing to mention - I love how local legends have been woven into this series. Each book has its own and I loved how the author has blended them seamlessly with the overall story.
Highly recommended by me and I can't wait for book five!
** 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!
Merissa (12861 KP) rated Revenants (Tales of the Five Realms #2) in Books
Apr 7, 2022
REVENANTS is the second book in the Tales of the Five Realms series, and I absolutely recommend you read book one first!
This is an intricate world and magic system that takes some concentration when you read, just to ensure you don't miss anything. Hagar and Jude are in their second year of university, together with their friends who appeared in book one. It was great to see relationships change due to circumstances and also being that little bit older and wiser.
The danger that hits the university is insidious and sneaks in before anyone really notices it. I loved the fact that our heroes were all affected. It wasn't something that they could avoid so it made perfect sense. The descriptions were chilling, which was brilliant. There were sad parts in here that affected me more than I thought they would. To find out what, you'll have to read the book!
The pacing is steady, leading up to a traumatic climax, followed by a time to breathe whilst leaving you wanting more. This was a great addition to the series and I look forward to reading more about the Five Realms and Hagar.
** 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!
This is an intricate world and magic system that takes some concentration when you read, just to ensure you don't miss anything. Hagar and Jude are in their second year of university, together with their friends who appeared in book one. It was great to see relationships change due to circumstances and also being that little bit older and wiser.
The danger that hits the university is insidious and sneaks in before anyone really notices it. I loved the fact that our heroes were all affected. It wasn't something that they could avoid so it made perfect sense. The descriptions were chilling, which was brilliant. There were sad parts in here that affected me more than I thought they would. To find out what, you'll have to read the book!
The pacing is steady, leading up to a traumatic climax, followed by a time to breathe whilst leaving you wanting more. This was a great addition to the series and I look forward to reading more about the Five Realms and Hagar.
** 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!
ClareR (5874 KP) rated Emily Eternal in Books
Apr 12, 2022
Emily Eternal is a lot of what I love about science fiction. M. G. Wheaton has taken something that is pretty unbelievable (the end of the sun five billion years early) and made it perfectly believable. That, and the sentient computer programme, Emily.
Emily has been developed in order to help humanity. Primarily, she is supposed to counsel people who had been through trauma - and there’s a lot of it going around with all the impending doom, climate catastrophes etc. But this counselling has been used as a way of Emily teaching herself to become more human. She learns, constantly. I say “she”, because Emily is portrayed as a normal human being. She has daily routines, washes her hair, sleeps, eats. She learns from the people she counsels and watches through the various security cameras. And she forms attachments with her programmers and the other people she encounters.
But things go horribly wrong, and Emily escapes just in time. She is helped by her human companions for most of the book: Jason and Myra.
I don’t want to say too much more, because if you’re going to read this, I wouldn’t want to spoil it. It was a gripping story of a computer programme who has taught ‘herself’ how to care for humanity and to do her best for them. I loved it.
Recommended to all those who like Sci-Fi that’s light on the science and heavy on the personal relationships.
Emily has been developed in order to help humanity. Primarily, she is supposed to counsel people who had been through trauma - and there’s a lot of it going around with all the impending doom, climate catastrophes etc. But this counselling has been used as a way of Emily teaching herself to become more human. She learns, constantly. I say “she”, because Emily is portrayed as a normal human being. She has daily routines, washes her hair, sleeps, eats. She learns from the people she counsels and watches through the various security cameras. And she forms attachments with her programmers and the other people she encounters.
But things go horribly wrong, and Emily escapes just in time. She is helped by her human companions for most of the book: Jason and Myra.
I don’t want to say too much more, because if you’re going to read this, I wouldn’t want to spoil it. It was a gripping story of a computer programme who has taught ‘herself’ how to care for humanity and to do her best for them. I loved it.
Recommended to all those who like Sci-Fi that’s light on the science and heavy on the personal relationships.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Death by Bubble Tea in Books
Jul 13, 2022
Deadly Drink in the Dark
Yale Yee is not thrilled that her cousin, Celine, is coming for a visit and even less thrilled when her father suggests the two of them work together to represent his restaurant at the new night market in her neighborhood of L.A. However, she is will to admit by the end of the first night that things went well. That’s before she finds a dead body on her way back to her apartment. The young woman is lying next to one of the distinctive glasses that Yale and Celine served their drinks in, so the police zero in on them as their prime suspects. Can Yale figure out what really happened?
Like many firsts in series, this one has to do a juggling act of introducing characters and setting while also getting the story going. It does a good job, especially since some of the things introduced early on do come into play later. The pacing did lag a little in the middle before we reached the logical solution. The characters did a few things that felt like they were more plot driven than coming from real characterizations. On the other hand, I really did like the characters and their relationships kept me reading. I found Yale’s aversion to technology interesting and fitting her character. Naturally, we get a couple recipes at the end of the book. I’m looking forward to visiting these characters again when the second book comes out.
Like many firsts in series, this one has to do a juggling act of introducing characters and setting while also getting the story going. It does a good job, especially since some of the things introduced early on do come into play later. The pacing did lag a little in the middle before we reached the logical solution. The characters did a few things that felt like they were more plot driven than coming from real characterizations. On the other hand, I really did like the characters and their relationships kept me reading. I found Yale’s aversion to technology interesting and fitting her character. Naturally, we get a couple recipes at the end of the book. I’m looking forward to visiting these characters again when the second book comes out.
The Drowning Sea
5.0
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For the first time in her adult life, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is...
ClareR (5874 KP) rated Amy and Lan in Books
Dec 7, 2022
I was really looking forward to reading Amy and Lan after having read and really enjoyed Sadie Jones’ previous book The Snakes. I now realise that I have more books by the author to read (a 2023 challenge, perhaps?!), because if Amy and Lan and The Snakes are anything to go by, I’ll love them.
Amy and Lan have what appears to be the perfect childhood. They live on a small farm with their families and friends, and are striving for self-sufficiency. The children are left to run free, playing with axes, climbing on haystacks, and playing in woodland. There’s the odd bit of helping on the farm as well. It’s idyllic, and I loved reading about it.
The only “Spanners” in the works are their parents. The problem with living and working in such close proximity is that old saying “familiarity breeds contempt”. Well, in this case, it breeds contempt, dissatisfaction and marital strife. The children probably come off worse when their parents start to argue. And their lives begin to change.
This is such a touching, funny, emotional book - Amy and Lan’s relationship especially. But relationships change, especially when little girls and boys grow up, and Lan describes these changes so well.
This doesn’t read like a children’s book, even thought the main characters are children. They are in an adults world that impacts on them to a life-changing extent.
Highly recommended.
Amy and Lan have what appears to be the perfect childhood. They live on a small farm with their families and friends, and are striving for self-sufficiency. The children are left to run free, playing with axes, climbing on haystacks, and playing in woodland. There’s the odd bit of helping on the farm as well. It’s idyllic, and I loved reading about it.
The only “Spanners” in the works are their parents. The problem with living and working in such close proximity is that old saying “familiarity breeds contempt”. Well, in this case, it breeds contempt, dissatisfaction and marital strife. The children probably come off worse when their parents start to argue. And their lives begin to change.
This is such a touching, funny, emotional book - Amy and Lan’s relationship especially. But relationships change, especially when little girls and boys grow up, and Lan describes these changes so well.
This doesn’t read like a children’s book, even thought the main characters are children. They are in an adults world that impacts on them to a life-changing extent.
Highly recommended.
We Deserve Monuments
10.0
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Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a...
Merissa (12861 KP) rated Bad at Being Good in Books
Dec 4, 2023
BAD AT BEING GOOD is a standalone story about friendship, loss, and how people deal with grief in their own ways. It is also about love, and how that can impact your life in ways you don't expect.
My heart went out to Benji from the very beginning. He has so much to deal with, at such a young age. I loved that Kellan was there for him... until he wasn't. And Milo, oh, Milo. He is such a sweetie. Also dealing with a lot, not the least of which was Benji ghosting him for a year, but he still has hope and tenacity.
I loved how this book shows how different people deal with grief. There isn't one-size-fits-all situation, and some of the ways aren't the healthiest, but there was hope by the end.
While giving you the lows, it also gave me the highs - seeing Benji and Milo develop their relationship with each other, and the steamy moments that brought, as well as their relationships with others in their lives.
There wasn't a single moment when I wasn't hooked by this story. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me!
** 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!
Nov 29, 2023
My heart went out to Benji from the very beginning. He has so much to deal with, at such a young age. I loved that Kellan was there for him... until he wasn't. And Milo, oh, Milo. He is such a sweetie. Also dealing with a lot, not the least of which was Benji ghosting him for a year, but he still has hope and tenacity.
I loved how this book shows how different people deal with grief. There isn't one-size-fits-all situation, and some of the ways aren't the healthiest, but there was hope by the end.
While giving you the lows, it also gave me the highs - seeing Benji and Milo develop their relationship with each other, and the steamy moments that brought, as well as their relationships with others in their lives.
There wasn't a single moment when I wasn't hooked by this story. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me!
** 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!
Nov 29, 2023
You Need to Know
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Jill, her three sons, their wives and children are driving in convoy on Christmas Eve. But something...
Immersion Play (Leather and Lattes #1)
9.0
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One bratty boy searching for somewhere to call home, one damaged Daddy Dom looking to escape his...