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Merissa (13169 KP) rated Shadow Guardian (Blood Shadows #1) in Books
Feb 4, 2022 (Updated Jul 3, 2023)
SHADOW GUARDIAN is the first book in the Blood Shadows trilogy and I may have just found a new trilogy to crush over!!!! We have fated mates, a secret society with secrets galore, the wilds of Wales, betrayal, treachery, druids, and did I mention Wales? It's here, it's all here, and it's bloody brilliant.
I won't even bother doing a run-down of the story. I know I'd miss something out accidentally. This is a fast-paced, intricate and intriguing story that lets you absorb all the details as you go along. I never felt like I was being rushed, but I also couldn't wait to see what happened next.
The characters and world-building are of the extremely high standard I have come to associate with this author but put into a contemporary paranormal setting rather than fantasy. Kay is a strong female protagonist who, yes, has her own battles to overcome, but will fight instead of waiting for rescue. And I adored how she turned Ethan down. (Read it; you'll know the bit I mean.) She let him know exactly how she felt, and how his words had hurt her, and I loved that. Don't get me wrong, I want the HEA but, sometimes - just sometimes - the men need to work a little harder for, you know what I mean?!
All in all, it was an outstanding read that I devoured in one sitting. Sheer brilliance and I can't wait for Zach's 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!y/i>
Feb 4, 2022
I won't even bother doing a run-down of the story. I know I'd miss something out accidentally. This is a fast-paced, intricate and intriguing story that lets you absorb all the details as you go along. I never felt like I was being rushed, but I also couldn't wait to see what happened next.
The characters and world-building are of the extremely high standard I have come to associate with this author but put into a contemporary paranormal setting rather than fantasy. Kay is a strong female protagonist who, yes, has her own battles to overcome, but will fight instead of waiting for rescue. And I adored how she turned Ethan down. (Read it; you'll know the bit I mean.) She let him know exactly how she felt, and how his words had hurt her, and I loved that. Don't get me wrong, I want the HEA but, sometimes - just sometimes - the men need to work a little harder for, you know what I mean?!
All in all, it was an outstanding read that I devoured in one sitting. Sheer brilliance and I can't wait for Zach's 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!y/i>
Feb 4, 2022
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Wild Fixation (Rebel Rockstars #2)
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Flame in the Mist in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Famed for her highly rated <i>The Wrath & The Dawn</i>, Renée Ahdieh has created a new fantasy world full of original characters. Set in a land similar to the Middle Eastern countries we are familiar with, <i>Flame in the Mist</i> incorporates out-dated ideology, ancient lifestyle with a hint of supernatural, and, of course – it is a Young Adult novel after all – a dash of romance. With an eclectic mix of themes, it is a book without cessation of adventure.
The protagonist, Hattori Mariko, at the mere age of 17, is destined to marry the son of the Emperor’s favourite concubine, Prince Raidan. The book commences with the journey from her home, however, Mariko never makes it to the city. Ambushed and presumed dead, Mariko is alone in the dangerous forest, at risk of being discovered by the infamous Black Clan. Instead of waiting for rescue, Mariko, fed up of women being treated as inferior to men, decides she does not want to go home, nor does she want to marry the prince. Her only remaining option is to locate the Black Clan and discover who attempted to murder her. But for this to work, she needs to convince everyone she is a boy.
Whilst Mariko is worming her way into the clan, her twin brother is determined to track down and rescue his sister. Unbeknownst to him, Mariko is beginning to feel more affiliated with their enemies than with her own family. And so a dilemma arises. Does Mariko betray her new “friends” or be unfaithful to the brother she loves?
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> is not only about Mariko’s predicament; it also concerns an age-old feud between powerful families, involving the wrongful death of a disgraced Samurai. As the younger generation reach maturity, they determine to avenge the deaths of their fathers, and, without knowing, Mariko ends up in the centre of two warring parties.
It is a little difficult to get into the story initially; many characters are introduced, but their significance is not obvious for some time. To add to the confusion, vital persons are only formally presented at the end of the novel, which finishes on a cliffhanger. The similarity of the foreign sounding names also creates uncertainty.
Ahdieh cleverly includes a problematic situation that our own world has (almost) overcome. Mariko represents the female population, a gender that is believed to be inferior to their male counterparts. Controlled by fathers, husbands, and powerful leaders, women do not have the opportunity to make their own decisions about their lives. Although it is disconcerting that someone wishes to take Mariko’s life, the ambush provides her with the freedom and chance to prove women are as capable as men. Sadly, she has to pretend to be a boy in order to do this.
It was inevitable that there would be a love interest in <i>Flame in the Mist</i>, however, it is not as inspiring as readers may hope for. The attraction between Mariko and a member of the Black Clan almost comes out of nowhere. Not only was Mariko believed to be male for a wide stretch of the novel, the character in question was one of the more abusive.
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> being the first novel I have read by Renée Ahdieh, I have nothing with which to compare it or state why it is readers particularly admire her writing. The story was mediocre at best, with very little characters that garner respect. Having been published less than a month ago, there is already a lot of hype surrounding this book – either I am missing something vital, or readers are going to be disappointed.
Famed for her highly rated <i>The Wrath & The Dawn</i>, Renée Ahdieh has created a new fantasy world full of original characters. Set in a land similar to the Middle Eastern countries we are familiar with, <i>Flame in the Mist</i> incorporates out-dated ideology, ancient lifestyle with a hint of supernatural, and, of course – it is a Young Adult novel after all – a dash of romance. With an eclectic mix of themes, it is a book without cessation of adventure.
The protagonist, Hattori Mariko, at the mere age of 17, is destined to marry the son of the Emperor’s favourite concubine, Prince Raidan. The book commences with the journey from her home, however, Mariko never makes it to the city. Ambushed and presumed dead, Mariko is alone in the dangerous forest, at risk of being discovered by the infamous Black Clan. Instead of waiting for rescue, Mariko, fed up of women being treated as inferior to men, decides she does not want to go home, nor does she want to marry the prince. Her only remaining option is to locate the Black Clan and discover who attempted to murder her. But for this to work, she needs to convince everyone she is a boy.
Whilst Mariko is worming her way into the clan, her twin brother is determined to track down and rescue his sister. Unbeknownst to him, Mariko is beginning to feel more affiliated with their enemies than with her own family. And so a dilemma arises. Does Mariko betray her new “friends” or be unfaithful to the brother she loves?
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> is not only about Mariko’s predicament; it also concerns an age-old feud between powerful families, involving the wrongful death of a disgraced Samurai. As the younger generation reach maturity, they determine to avenge the deaths of their fathers, and, without knowing, Mariko ends up in the centre of two warring parties.
It is a little difficult to get into the story initially; many characters are introduced, but their significance is not obvious for some time. To add to the confusion, vital persons are only formally presented at the end of the novel, which finishes on a cliffhanger. The similarity of the foreign sounding names also creates uncertainty.
Ahdieh cleverly includes a problematic situation that our own world has (almost) overcome. Mariko represents the female population, a gender that is believed to be inferior to their male counterparts. Controlled by fathers, husbands, and powerful leaders, women do not have the opportunity to make their own decisions about their lives. Although it is disconcerting that someone wishes to take Mariko’s life, the ambush provides her with the freedom and chance to prove women are as capable as men. Sadly, she has to pretend to be a boy in order to do this.
It was inevitable that there would be a love interest in <i>Flame in the Mist</i>, however, it is not as inspiring as readers may hope for. The attraction between Mariko and a member of the Black Clan almost comes out of nowhere. Not only was Mariko believed to be male for a wide stretch of the novel, the character in question was one of the more abusive.
<i>Flame in the Mist</i> being the first novel I have read by Renée Ahdieh, I have nothing with which to compare it or state why it is readers particularly admire her writing. The story was mediocre at best, with very little characters that garner respect. Having been published less than a month ago, there is already a lot of hype surrounding this book – either I am missing something vital, or readers are going to be disappointed.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Part of Your World in Books
Aug 16, 2019
Review by Disney Bookworm
Contains spoilers, click to show
Part of Your World is based five years after Ursula defeats Ariel, yes you heard me right! The whole miraculous, shiny magic being released from the shell, the little mermaid regaining her voice, the whole harpoon, giant octopus, child scarring scene…never happened!
In this twisted tale Ursula succeeded in tricking Eric into marrying Vanessa; she now rules the Kingdom, with Eric remaining under Ursula’s spell and pretty much clueless to his wife’s evil tendencies. Conversely Ariel is Queen of the Sea, ruling Atlantica in her father’s absence. Oh yeah! Spoiler! Ursula still has Triton in her slimy grasp as well.
NB: Just for clarification this isn’t really a spoiler as you find this out on page 20- please don’t send in complaints.
The book includes all of your favourite characters from the classic 1989 movie: Scuttle, Sebastian, Flounder and even Grimsby and Carlotta! Liz Braswell does such a good job in rejuvenating these characters and reminding us why we loved them in the first place. There wasn’t enough Flounder for my liking but a lot of the story takes place above ground so I can’t really complain- maybe he needs his own tale?
The star of the book has to be Ariel though, she is the Little Mermaid after all…or is she? Braswell’s character is much more mature and tougher than the Little Mermaid we remember. After living as a mute Queen for 5 years Ariel has lost the naïve, childish part of her personality and has become a ruler consumed by guilt and melancholy. Nevertheless, this withdrawal into herself has not dampened her courage and when she learns King Triton may still be alive, she immediately begins her quest to save her father. I’m also relieved to say that I got a very sassy and sarcastic vibe from Ariel at points in the book- a woman after my own heart!
Eric too is not the suave, smouldering-before-it-was-cool character he was back in the day. Instead, overpowered by Ursula’s magic, he is distant and confused: still loved by his people but now labelled as “mad”. He loses himself in music, with his latest opera telling a familiar tale that the reader will surely recognise. Can he regain his memory in time to rescue his kingdom from his wife? Will he and Ariel meet again? Can the new Queen of the Sea rescue Triton or is Ursula just too powerful now?
The original characters of The Little Mermaid are welcomed with open arms into this story and, despite the notable differences in our two protagonists, the remaining characters are comforting and familiar. Braswell also takes the opportunity to introduce us to new characters: Jona the gull, provides quite a modern outlook for a “Disney” character, questioning the world around her with a critical eye. Even background characters such as an hilarious old apple vendor and Vareet, a mute servant girl (whom I was sure was going to have a bigger role than she did) do not fade into the pages. Quite the opposite, thanks to the book’s detail, humour and intrigue, these characters will stay with us for just as long as the story itself.
In summary, Liz Braswell’s novel draws us in hook, line and sinker. Part of Your World is impossible to put down. You will find yourself disparaging Ariel’s former lovestruck personality along with her, experiencing the tension and danger associated with Flotsam and Jetsam and exploring Eric’s kingdom through Braswell’s detailed storytelling.
There’s probably a google-defined order to read the twisted tales in but frankly I don’t care. Try this one first- you won’t regret it!
Written by The Disney Bookworm:
https://disneybookworm.home.blog/2019/04/28/part-of-your-world-a-twisted-tale-by-liz-braswell/
In this twisted tale Ursula succeeded in tricking Eric into marrying Vanessa; she now rules the Kingdom, with Eric remaining under Ursula’s spell and pretty much clueless to his wife’s evil tendencies. Conversely Ariel is Queen of the Sea, ruling Atlantica in her father’s absence. Oh yeah! Spoiler! Ursula still has Triton in her slimy grasp as well.
NB: Just for clarification this isn’t really a spoiler as you find this out on page 20- please don’t send in complaints.
The book includes all of your favourite characters from the classic 1989 movie: Scuttle, Sebastian, Flounder and even Grimsby and Carlotta! Liz Braswell does such a good job in rejuvenating these characters and reminding us why we loved them in the first place. There wasn’t enough Flounder for my liking but a lot of the story takes place above ground so I can’t really complain- maybe he needs his own tale?
The star of the book has to be Ariel though, she is the Little Mermaid after all…or is she? Braswell’s character is much more mature and tougher than the Little Mermaid we remember. After living as a mute Queen for 5 years Ariel has lost the naïve, childish part of her personality and has become a ruler consumed by guilt and melancholy. Nevertheless, this withdrawal into herself has not dampened her courage and when she learns King Triton may still be alive, she immediately begins her quest to save her father. I’m also relieved to say that I got a very sassy and sarcastic vibe from Ariel at points in the book- a woman after my own heart!
Eric too is not the suave, smouldering-before-it-was-cool character he was back in the day. Instead, overpowered by Ursula’s magic, he is distant and confused: still loved by his people but now labelled as “mad”. He loses himself in music, with his latest opera telling a familiar tale that the reader will surely recognise. Can he regain his memory in time to rescue his kingdom from his wife? Will he and Ariel meet again? Can the new Queen of the Sea rescue Triton or is Ursula just too powerful now?
The original characters of The Little Mermaid are welcomed with open arms into this story and, despite the notable differences in our two protagonists, the remaining characters are comforting and familiar. Braswell also takes the opportunity to introduce us to new characters: Jona the gull, provides quite a modern outlook for a “Disney” character, questioning the world around her with a critical eye. Even background characters such as an hilarious old apple vendor and Vareet, a mute servant girl (whom I was sure was going to have a bigger role than she did) do not fade into the pages. Quite the opposite, thanks to the book’s detail, humour and intrigue, these characters will stay with us for just as long as the story itself.
In summary, Liz Braswell’s novel draws us in hook, line and sinker. Part of Your World is impossible to put down. You will find yourself disparaging Ariel’s former lovestruck personality along with her, experiencing the tension and danger associated with Flotsam and Jetsam and exploring Eric’s kingdom through Braswell’s detailed storytelling.
There’s probably a google-defined order to read the twisted tales in but frankly I don’t care. Try this one first- you won’t regret it!
Written by The Disney Bookworm:
https://disneybookworm.home.blog/2019/04/28/part-of-your-world-a-twisted-tale-by-liz-braswell/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<b>If there's one thing positive coming from me in regards to <i>The Last of the Firedrakes</i>, at least it has a spine.</b> Cheesy pun intended.
<b>Farah's debut has the bare bones of a novel. Her writing is vivid and there's definitely evidence the world is meticulously planned.</b> The main character, Aurora, is a character who's curious and inquisitive she wants to learn as much as she can about Avalonia from its residents from the moment she enters the world, which brings back my point of a <b>well-built fantasy world. The residents of Avalonia are colorful</b> we have an all-too-serious professor, a cheery "old" fairy, a jolly duke. There's high school drama, but it lasts for a chapter or two and isn't a problem.
But <b>lots of things just fell short.</b>
<b>The writing feels too amateur</b> I'm just not feeling it. It's just not good enough.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pbedm8KI2dE/VcY_-HnNY5I/AAAAAAAAE1U/pl4RL0fc5Ns/s1600/giphy.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/08/giphy.gif"; width="320" height="179" border="0" /></a></div>
<b>There's this evil queen who may or may not be pulling the actual strings who wants to get rid of Aurora. There's this archmage who's on the hunt for this book that can enable him to control demons or some other evil creature</b>, and probably the one pulling the strings in the queen's ears.
<b>Then there's Aurora.</b>
Aurora is an <b>absolute damsel in distress</b>. I don't know if she cried much in her past Farah brings us from high school drama to Avalonia early on. <b>Aurora doesn't do much fighting she's saved every single time while doing almost nothing.</b> Every time, it's the <b>same mysterious dude named Rafe who Aurora can't stop thinking about constantly and falls "in love" with.</b>
At that point, I don't buy it. I don't buy it AT ALL.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwnX1lRcBWk/VcZAm_y4NcI/AAAAAAAAE1c/cKyY6P7O5BM/s1600/giphy.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/08/giphy-1.gif"; width="320" height="177" border="0" /></a></div>
<b>I don't know how Rafe even knows where she is at the right time</b> is he just stalking her to make sure she doesn't get into trouble? Is it just a coincidence, because of all the times she's rescued, <b>it's beginning to <i>not</i> be a coincidence</b> and just makes me think <b>he's probably stalking her while making illegitimate excuses that the character falls for. Aurora falls into a tight snitch and seconds or minutes later, Rafe is coming to the rescue.</b>
Have I mentioned Aurora's <i>in love</i> with the bleeping guy? Yeah... she's falling in love with him after all he did was come to her rescue without her lifting a finger after so many bleeping times?
I think <b>the only thing I achieved from reading <i>The Last of the Firedrakes</i> is finding the new crown holder for Damsel in Distress.</b> Katy Swartz just passed on the crown to Aurora.
I think Aurora is going to have that crown for a <i>very</i> long time.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-arc-review-the-last-of-firedrakes-by-farah-oomerbhoy/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<b>If there's one thing positive coming from me in regards to <i>The Last of the Firedrakes</i>, at least it has a spine.</b> Cheesy pun intended.
<b>Farah's debut has the bare bones of a novel. Her writing is vivid and there's definitely evidence the world is meticulously planned.</b> The main character, Aurora, is a character who's curious and inquisitive she wants to learn as much as she can about Avalonia from its residents from the moment she enters the world, which brings back my point of a <b>well-built fantasy world. The residents of Avalonia are colorful</b> we have an all-too-serious professor, a cheery "old" fairy, a jolly duke. There's high school drama, but it lasts for a chapter or two and isn't a problem.
But <b>lots of things just fell short.</b>
<b>The writing feels too amateur</b> I'm just not feeling it. It's just not good enough.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pbedm8KI2dE/VcY_-HnNY5I/AAAAAAAAE1U/pl4RL0fc5Ns/s1600/giphy.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/08/giphy.gif"; width="320" height="179" border="0" /></a></div>
<b>There's this evil queen who may or may not be pulling the actual strings who wants to get rid of Aurora. There's this archmage who's on the hunt for this book that can enable him to control demons or some other evil creature</b>, and probably the one pulling the strings in the queen's ears.
<b>Then there's Aurora.</b>
Aurora is an <b>absolute damsel in distress</b>. I don't know if she cried much in her past Farah brings us from high school drama to Avalonia early on. <b>Aurora doesn't do much fighting she's saved every single time while doing almost nothing.</b> Every time, it's the <b>same mysterious dude named Rafe who Aurora can't stop thinking about constantly and falls "in love" with.</b>
At that point, I don't buy it. I don't buy it AT ALL.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MwnX1lRcBWk/VcZAm_y4NcI/AAAAAAAAE1c/cKyY6P7O5BM/s1600/giphy.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2015/08/giphy-1.gif"; width="320" height="177" border="0" /></a></div>
<b>I don't know how Rafe even knows where she is at the right time</b> is he just stalking her to make sure she doesn't get into trouble? Is it just a coincidence, because of all the times she's rescued, <b>it's beginning to <i>not</i> be a coincidence</b> and just makes me think <b>he's probably stalking her while making illegitimate excuses that the character falls for. Aurora falls into a tight snitch and seconds or minutes later, Rafe is coming to the rescue.</b>
Have I mentioned Aurora's <i>in love</i> with the bleeping guy? Yeah... she's falling in love with him after all he did was come to her rescue without her lifting a finger after so many bleeping times?
I think <b>the only thing I achieved from reading <i>The Last of the Firedrakes</i> is finding the new crown holder for Damsel in Distress.</b> Katy Swartz just passed on the crown to Aurora.
I think Aurora is going to have that crown for a <i>very</i> long time.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-arc-review-the-last-of-firedrakes-by-farah-oomerbhoy/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Secret Agents Spy Mission 3D -Covert Escape Action
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A fierce police vs secret agent and mafia vs crime swat spy mission game where kill or to be killed...
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Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated The Princess Bride in Books
Apr 24, 2018
The Princess Bride
By William Goldman
Review: Christina Haynes
In a place called Florin there lives a woman called Buttercup. Although I say 'lives' Buttercup actually died. She died on the day her true love Westley was killed on his ship after the Dread Pirate Roberts attacked.
So when I say lived, she is alive of course. But she cannot love another nor does she want too. In fact she doesn't really want to do anything. She doesnt even want to marry Prince Humberdink, who proposes to her, to which she only accepts because the Prince threatens her with death.
After Buttercup learns how to be a Princess, like the correct way to walk and talk, and eat and what to wear. She becomes a Princess, Princess Buttercup. Her engagement is announced to the public and the date it set. All sounds okay? Well not, because she gets kidnapped by a Sicilian, a Turk and a Spaniard.
Her kidnapping, though it's not the beginning of the book, it is the start of the story. If that makes sense? You see if she wasn't kidnapped and the Dread Pirate Roberts [SPOILER Westley] didn't rescue her, then there wouldn't be a story.
There is sword fighting, love, revenge, humor, a battle of the wits, Princesses, Princes, Kings and Queens and a Miracle Man called Max. This book is full of fun, comical writing. There are morons and fools in the book. It's a truly great and funny book to read.
I first watched the Princess Bride on the TV when I was younger (you see it's a film too) and I loved it, it quickly became one of my favourites. This book although extremely long. (It does make the film seem really short) it's really good.
In the book, each character has a background, some sad, some happy and some just okay. I loved the one about the Spaniard the best. This book has everything you would want.
Love, Christina
3.5 / 4 ☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK / BUT I REALLY LIKED IT
By William Goldman
Review: Christina Haynes
In a place called Florin there lives a woman called Buttercup. Although I say 'lives' Buttercup actually died. She died on the day her true love Westley was killed on his ship after the Dread Pirate Roberts attacked.
So when I say lived, she is alive of course. But she cannot love another nor does she want too. In fact she doesn't really want to do anything. She doesnt even want to marry Prince Humberdink, who proposes to her, to which she only accepts because the Prince threatens her with death.
After Buttercup learns how to be a Princess, like the correct way to walk and talk, and eat and what to wear. She becomes a Princess, Princess Buttercup. Her engagement is announced to the public and the date it set. All sounds okay? Well not, because she gets kidnapped by a Sicilian, a Turk and a Spaniard.
Her kidnapping, though it's not the beginning of the book, it is the start of the story. If that makes sense? You see if she wasn't kidnapped and the Dread Pirate Roberts [SPOILER Westley] didn't rescue her, then there wouldn't be a story.
There is sword fighting, love, revenge, humor, a battle of the wits, Princesses, Princes, Kings and Queens and a Miracle Man called Max. This book is full of fun, comical writing. There are morons and fools in the book. It's a truly great and funny book to read.
I first watched the Princess Bride on the TV when I was younger (you see it's a film too) and I loved it, it quickly became one of my favourites. This book although extremely long. (It does make the film seem really short) it's really good.
In the book, each character has a background, some sad, some happy and some just okay. I loved the one about the Spaniard the best. This book has everything you would want.
Love, Christina
3.5 / 4 ☕ – NOT A BAD BOOK / BUT I REALLY LIKED IT
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Spy Glass (Glass, #3) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I finally got around to finishing this series, and I am glad I did. While the series sometimes seemed to drag on and on, and I often found Opal's character frustrating, she finally figures out her own purpose in life in the final book, as well as ties up all of the loose ends of her life.
Forgiveness seems to be a central theme in this series, but most especially in the final book with Opal's interactions with Devlen's character. While I am still conflicted over their relationship, I tend to take the position that if the main character is happy with it, I'm happy with it, too. Devlen's changes seem to pose the question: Do people really change? We like to believe they do in theory , but when it comes to those who perform the really evil crimes, few people are willing to accept that it's truly possible. Opal actually did finally believe this about Devlen, which makes her a rare individual.
Opal's character can be quite confusing at times - she can be very emotional and reactive, but at the same time she has endured unimaginable circumstances and has made herself into a battle-hardened warrior. How many females today can do what she can - even without the magic included? She has certainly earned the right to make her own decisions - and handle whatever consequences come along.
I loved the two children she picks up along the way, and how they help her to understand her own magical abilities. They bring out the maternal instincts in her, which I always appreciate in literature of this nature. The cult that these two were members of fits the stereotype very well, at times both disgusting me and making me want to jump in and rescue those poor people myself.
The coolest part of the book was when Valek taught Opal how to be a proper spy - it reminded me of the Study series by Maria V. Snyder that I loved so much. Valek is such an enigmatic character that he deserves his own trilogy!
Forgiveness seems to be a central theme in this series, but most especially in the final book with Opal's interactions with Devlen's character. While I am still conflicted over their relationship, I tend to take the position that if the main character is happy with it, I'm happy with it, too. Devlen's changes seem to pose the question: Do people really change? We like to believe they do in theory , but when it comes to those who perform the really evil crimes, few people are willing to accept that it's truly possible. Opal actually did finally believe this about Devlen, which makes her a rare individual.
Opal's character can be quite confusing at times - she can be very emotional and reactive, but at the same time she has endured unimaginable circumstances and has made herself into a battle-hardened warrior. How many females today can do what she can - even without the magic included? She has certainly earned the right to make her own decisions - and handle whatever consequences come along.
I loved the two children she picks up along the way, and how they help her to understand her own magical abilities. They bring out the maternal instincts in her, which I always appreciate in literature of this nature. The cult that these two were members of fits the stereotype very well, at times both disgusting me and making me want to jump in and rescue those poor people myself.
The coolest part of the book was when Valek taught Opal how to be a proper spy - it reminded me of the Study series by Maria V. Snyder that I loved so much. Valek is such an enigmatic character that he deserves his own trilogy!