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Relight My Fire
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Some comebacks can be murder . . . Stella is enjoying life as an almost student, or at least she...
Kyera (8 KP) rated Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3) in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Clockwork Princess is the stunning conclusion to Cassandra Clare’s the Infernal Devices trilogy. The pacing of the third book is much brisker than its predecessor and immediately drags you into the plot. There are also significantly more scenes with action in them, which help to break up the scenes that steadily move the story along. As with the previous books, the story is very character-driven and continues to bring further depth to each character’s personality.
Will continues to be my favourite focus of any scene with his witty comments and sense of humour. It was nice to see him play off his sister at times, because normally only Tessa can manage Will. Although they have been apart for many years they still have a wonderfully authentic relationship, like how easily she is able to get under his skin. Will and Jem’s parabatai relationship, as it was in the previous books, is so real that you can easily imagine the love they have for one another, the pain each feels when the other is hurt, and how they would do anything for each other.
It was nice to see the continued development of characters that we’ve grown to love, as well as the new faces that have joined the familiar at the Institute. The number of important characters does not ever feel overwhelming or confusing, as each has been given the time to become established and grow in the world that Cassandra Clare has created. I love each and every one of the characters because they are not only true but integral to the story as a whole.
Despite having read this entire series before and knowing what will happen – it is still so brilliantly written that it elicits myriad emotions throughout. Each character feels real and their lives affect your own. A tear slips down my face as one character experiences unbearable pain, while another comes at the thought of losing a character I’ve grown to love so much. A grin overtakes my face in light of the overwhelmingly happy news. The books that I have grown to love are the ones that speak to you, change you, and will forever stay with you.
Clockwork Princess is quite possibly the best series finale that I have read and certainly the best final book in a trilogy. Despite the book causing me to cry, multiple times, I never felt dissatisfied with the conclusion. The story comes to a climactic end, then Cassandra Clare takes the final chapter to pull everything together and the prologue to make me cry again. I loved re-reading this series so much and hope that you are inspired to read it as well.
Will continues to be my favourite focus of any scene with his witty comments and sense of humour. It was nice to see him play off his sister at times, because normally only Tessa can manage Will. Although they have been apart for many years they still have a wonderfully authentic relationship, like how easily she is able to get under his skin. Will and Jem’s parabatai relationship, as it was in the previous books, is so real that you can easily imagine the love they have for one another, the pain each feels when the other is hurt, and how they would do anything for each other.
It was nice to see the continued development of characters that we’ve grown to love, as well as the new faces that have joined the familiar at the Institute. The number of important characters does not ever feel overwhelming or confusing, as each has been given the time to become established and grow in the world that Cassandra Clare has created. I love each and every one of the characters because they are not only true but integral to the story as a whole.
Despite having read this entire series before and knowing what will happen – it is still so brilliantly written that it elicits myriad emotions throughout. Each character feels real and their lives affect your own. A tear slips down my face as one character experiences unbearable pain, while another comes at the thought of losing a character I’ve grown to love so much. A grin overtakes my face in light of the overwhelmingly happy news. The books that I have grown to love are the ones that speak to you, change you, and will forever stay with you.
Clockwork Princess is quite possibly the best series finale that I have read and certainly the best final book in a trilogy. Despite the book causing me to cry, multiple times, I never felt dissatisfied with the conclusion. The story comes to a climactic end, then Cassandra Clare takes the final chapter to pull everything together and the prologue to make me cry again. I loved re-reading this series so much and hope that you are inspired to read it as well.
Steph Freeman (26 KP) rated Altered Carbon in TV
Feb 19, 2018
Excellent character development (2 more)
Phenomenal special effects
Edge of your seat action throughout the plot line, never felt the story lagging.
Phenomenal Show
Contains spoilers, click to show
In this age of technology I am rarely singularly glued to the television when a show is playing; I'm playing Candy Crush, surfing Etsy, creating new glassware designs... From the moment Takeshi Kovacs is apprehended from the Protectorate until the very last scene of the series this show had me glued to the screen. It combines the "locked room" mystery Agatha Christie made famous with a sci-fi Game of Thrones feel that evokes the Red Rising trilogy sense of Golds vs. Reds.
The lack of regard for anyone below them (literally as well as figuratively) makes it easy to hate the Meths and the decadence that surrounds them. Their wealth allows a god-like immortality, and a lack of respect for life and "real death". Kovacs was detained for crimes against the Protectorate and his stack placed "on ice" for 250 years until the meth Laurens Bancroft pays for his release and a new skin. As Kovacs accepts the offer to find Bancrofts murder, and as he searches for the killer he finds friendship in an AI Edgar Allen Poe (one of the best characters in the whole show), a former military drunk and his wife and daughter, who is damaged emotionally trapped in virtual life, and a police officer. There are also several people after Elias Ryker (a police officer who was a little too curious), which causes issue for Kovacs because that is the skin Bancroft selected when he was taken off ice.
The locked room mystery portion of the season ends in episode 7, but that is far from the end of the action. As we learn more about Kovacs' history his interest in the Envoy mission of recapturing humanity and forcing real death on the world is made more evident, as is his love for Quell. His sister, Rei, did not believe in the mission as much as spending eternity with her big brother. While Kovacs was on ice his sister built a meth empire, acquiring wealth and power, becoming everything Quell and Kovacs fought against. The final moments with his sister, and his decision to find Quell's stack were gripping.
The cinematography, costuming, and CGI in this show are phenomenal, and the attention to detail is obvious. As Netflix is transitioning to big budget productions it's clear they have the right people handling the decisions. I didn't realize this series was also a book trilogy written by Richard Morgan, this series has definitely peaked my interest and I will be reading the books before the next season drops.
The lack of regard for anyone below them (literally as well as figuratively) makes it easy to hate the Meths and the decadence that surrounds them. Their wealth allows a god-like immortality, and a lack of respect for life and "real death". Kovacs was detained for crimes against the Protectorate and his stack placed "on ice" for 250 years until the meth Laurens Bancroft pays for his release and a new skin. As Kovacs accepts the offer to find Bancrofts murder, and as he searches for the killer he finds friendship in an AI Edgar Allen Poe (one of the best characters in the whole show), a former military drunk and his wife and daughter, who is damaged emotionally trapped in virtual life, and a police officer. There are also several people after Elias Ryker (a police officer who was a little too curious), which causes issue for Kovacs because that is the skin Bancroft selected when he was taken off ice.
The locked room mystery portion of the season ends in episode 7, but that is far from the end of the action. As we learn more about Kovacs' history his interest in the Envoy mission of recapturing humanity and forcing real death on the world is made more evident, as is his love for Quell. His sister, Rei, did not believe in the mission as much as spending eternity with her big brother. While Kovacs was on ice his sister built a meth empire, acquiring wealth and power, becoming everything Quell and Kovacs fought against. The final moments with his sister, and his decision to find Quell's stack were gripping.
The cinematography, costuming, and CGI in this show are phenomenal, and the attention to detail is obvious. As Netflix is transitioning to big budget productions it's clear they have the right people handling the decisions. I didn't realize this series was also a book trilogy written by Richard Morgan, this series has definitely peaked my interest and I will be reading the books before the next season drops.
Coco Party - Dancing Queens
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Coco's big party is coming up and she needs your professional styling help! Do you have what it...
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Emaji Nation Book 1 The Sparrow in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Emaji Nation Book 1: The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis is a book that I will not soon be forgetting about. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. The first chapter grabbed my attention instantly. Most books I have read don’t do that, they tend to need some time to build up a reader’s interest. Each chapter seems to leave the reader hanging with just enough anticipation that you might find yourself staying up hours past your intended stopping time to continue the story.
With little explanation as to why young Amanda finds herself walking through a portal at her grandparent’s house and transported to the planet Emaji. This is where she meets Solomon, who helps reunite her with her grandparents. Her grandmother tells her that there is a prophecy naming her the defeater of Zorn and savior of Emaji. With the help of the Emaji leaders, Amanda learns that Emaji was once much like Earth. That is until a nuclear world war forced the survivors into Mount Hanovi where their God (Ema) united them and blessed them with gifts. Peace cannot seem to last and Zorn grew arrogant with his gifts and betrayed the rest of the survivors.
Now, Amanda has to deal with being under attack by an unknown assassin controlled by Zorn. At the same time, she must begin her training. Amanda is only given two days to train and learn about the warrior classes of the Emaji before taking her own Journey of Discovery to receive her personal gift from Ema. At the very end of her Journey she must jump from a cliff to prove her belief in Ema. On top of all this, the prophecy also names the Emaji man she is supposed to marry and she isn’t even seventeen yet.
Denna M. Davis makes Amanda a very relatable character. Amanda shows her fear and her doubts from the moment she steps through the portal at her grandparent’s house and finds herself in Emaji. Unlike many books where a character is the main focus of a prophecy, Amanda does not jump right into her Destiny and instead takes her time deciding if that is what she really wants to do. She internally struggles with the idea of being this destined hero when she could always just go back to the safety of her home. Staying on Emaji means facing danger and possible death for people she just met.
There are so many things I liked about this book that it is hard to pinpoint what I liked best. I loved how relatable and real Amanda is. I also found the story to be gripping and so detailed that the action never slows down for a second. I did not want to stop reading. Being completely honest what I liked least about the book seems almost trivial to me. I did not really enjoy how every citizen of Emaji is described as having their own specific skin color. I understand how this may be a gift from Ema or possibly a result of the radiation from the war but, I just had a hard time picturing it. Frequently, I noticed I would mentally default back to thinking in the skin tones that are naturally found on Earth.
The target readers for this book are fantasy readers starting at mature middle school age and older. There are a few different times that Amanda hints at the fact that she may have been (or came close to being) raped while at a party, so readers would have to be mature enough to handle that concept. Although, nothing of a sexual nature is actually described with detail at any point in the book. I am fully confident in my decision to give this book a complete 4 out of 4 rating. It is extremely well edited to where I only noticed one error in the entire book. Also, I found myself enjoying this book right from the start. Denna M. Davis portrayed a world different from ours wonderfully. I felt like I was actually there at times and was sad when I finished the book. I can not wait to read the second one. I am hooked and I believe anyone who enjoys fantasy will be as well.
With little explanation as to why young Amanda finds herself walking through a portal at her grandparent’s house and transported to the planet Emaji. This is where she meets Solomon, who helps reunite her with her grandparents. Her grandmother tells her that there is a prophecy naming her the defeater of Zorn and savior of Emaji. With the help of the Emaji leaders, Amanda learns that Emaji was once much like Earth. That is until a nuclear world war forced the survivors into Mount Hanovi where their God (Ema) united them and blessed them with gifts. Peace cannot seem to last and Zorn grew arrogant with his gifts and betrayed the rest of the survivors.
Now, Amanda has to deal with being under attack by an unknown assassin controlled by Zorn. At the same time, she must begin her training. Amanda is only given two days to train and learn about the warrior classes of the Emaji before taking her own Journey of Discovery to receive her personal gift from Ema. At the very end of her Journey she must jump from a cliff to prove her belief in Ema. On top of all this, the prophecy also names the Emaji man she is supposed to marry and she isn’t even seventeen yet.
Denna M. Davis makes Amanda a very relatable character. Amanda shows her fear and her doubts from the moment she steps through the portal at her grandparent’s house and finds herself in Emaji. Unlike many books where a character is the main focus of a prophecy, Amanda does not jump right into her Destiny and instead takes her time deciding if that is what she really wants to do. She internally struggles with the idea of being this destined hero when she could always just go back to the safety of her home. Staying on Emaji means facing danger and possible death for people she just met.
There are so many things I liked about this book that it is hard to pinpoint what I liked best. I loved how relatable and real Amanda is. I also found the story to be gripping and so detailed that the action never slows down for a second. I did not want to stop reading. Being completely honest what I liked least about the book seems almost trivial to me. I did not really enjoy how every citizen of Emaji is described as having their own specific skin color. I understand how this may be a gift from Ema or possibly a result of the radiation from the war but, I just had a hard time picturing it. Frequently, I noticed I would mentally default back to thinking in the skin tones that are naturally found on Earth.
The target readers for this book are fantasy readers starting at mature middle school age and older. There are a few different times that Amanda hints at the fact that she may have been (or came close to being) raped while at a party, so readers would have to be mature enough to handle that concept. Although, nothing of a sexual nature is actually described with detail at any point in the book. I am fully confident in my decision to give this book a complete 4 out of 4 rating. It is extremely well edited to where I only noticed one error in the entire book. Also, I found myself enjoying this book right from the start. Denna M. Davis portrayed a world different from ours wonderfully. I felt like I was actually there at times and was sad when I finished the book. I can not wait to read the second one. I am hooked and I believe anyone who enjoys fantasy will be as well.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Game Of Thrones - Season 7 in TV
Sep 5, 2017
Inconsistent characters (2 more)
Lazy writing
Huge plot holes
Who Wrote This?
Contains spoilers, click to show
Full disclosure, I wasn't a huge GoT fan to begin with, but this season takes the cake for the amount of nonsense it expected the viewer to accept without question. The show is ahead of the books at this point, so its no longer based on George RR Martin's books and it shows.
From this point on, I will be spoiling the events of the season, so if you haven't seen it and you care about spoilers, look away now.
If you are looking for a drinking game to play this season, drink every time Danyres is an entitled brat, drink every time Bran says something pretentious, drink every time John mentions the white walkers and drink when Tyrion screws up and I guarantee you that you won't be able to stand up by the end of the season.
There were two things in particular that got under my skin this season. First of all Littlefinger, (the supposed 'smartest character in the show,') got outsmarted by Arya and Sansa? Are you kidding? His death was so unsatisfying and ridiculous and in past seasons that character would have never have been stupid enough to get himself into that situation without working out a way to get himself away with his life.
The second thing is Bran. You can't have an all knowing character that doesn't know things. How is it that Sam has to be the one to tell Bran about John's parents being married when he was born? I've heard the excuse made that Bran has to choose to go to a period in history in order to see what happened at that time, but we have seen that he was back there last season when John was born in that tower! Also, why didn't he inform his brother that the Night King had a dragon, as soon as it happened? I realise that Bran is in Winterfell and John is with Danyres, but in the last episode, John sends Bran a note via carrier pigeon, so why couldn't he have sent one to John? Why didn't Bran see that Cersei was going to betray John and Danyres? If in the next season John and Dany are surprised when Cersei doesn't back them, then the writing for this show has well and truly fell off a cliff.
From this point on, I will be spoiling the events of the season, so if you haven't seen it and you care about spoilers, look away now.
If you are looking for a drinking game to play this season, drink every time Danyres is an entitled brat, drink every time Bran says something pretentious, drink every time John mentions the white walkers and drink when Tyrion screws up and I guarantee you that you won't be able to stand up by the end of the season.
There were two things in particular that got under my skin this season. First of all Littlefinger, (the supposed 'smartest character in the show,') got outsmarted by Arya and Sansa? Are you kidding? His death was so unsatisfying and ridiculous and in past seasons that character would have never have been stupid enough to get himself into that situation without working out a way to get himself away with his life.
The second thing is Bran. You can't have an all knowing character that doesn't know things. How is it that Sam has to be the one to tell Bran about John's parents being married when he was born? I've heard the excuse made that Bran has to choose to go to a period in history in order to see what happened at that time, but we have seen that he was back there last season when John was born in that tower! Also, why didn't he inform his brother that the Night King had a dragon, as soon as it happened? I realise that Bran is in Winterfell and John is with Danyres, but in the last episode, John sends Bran a note via carrier pigeon, so why couldn't he have sent one to John? Why didn't Bran see that Cersei was going to betray John and Danyres? If in the next season John and Dany are surprised when Cersei doesn't back them, then the writing for this show has well and truly fell off a cliff.
Enrique Browne: Bringing Nature Back to Architecture
Book
This highly anticipated monograph focuses on the architectural output of Enrique Browne, a talented...
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Claimed by her Cougar (Cougar Creek Mates #1) in Books
Oct 16, 2018
Claimed by her Cougar (Cougar Creek Mates #1) by Felicity Heaton
Claimed by her Cougar is the first book in the Cougar Creek Mates series, set in the same world as the Eternal Mates series. By that, I mean it is set in the contemporary world, but with the same 'bad guys' being mentioned - Archangel.
Rath has kept his clan safe from Archangel ever since their attack so many years previously. He takes care of any Hunters who show up on his land, and spends his time avoiding most people, preferring to spend his time alone. He looks after the cabins of various clan members who also live elsewhere. His solitude is broken when Ivy shows up on his land, wanting to photograph the black bears. Once she convinces him she is not a hunter, they spend a couple of days together, during which she gets under Rath's skin in more ways that he possibly imagined.
I found this story to be excellently written, as I would expect from Felicity Heaton. How she manages to tie in a previous organisation, within the contemporary world, whilst introducing a whole new set of characters, I think is superb! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The supporting cast of characters were all intriguing, leaving me wanting more in this series, just so I can get their stories. Luckily for me, Storm comes next, but I also want Ember's story! Yes, I know, I'm greedy!
A great start to the series, and definitely recommended by me. Looking forward to continuing this series.
* 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!
Rath has kept his clan safe from Archangel ever since their attack so many years previously. He takes care of any Hunters who show up on his land, and spends his time avoiding most people, preferring to spend his time alone. He looks after the cabins of various clan members who also live elsewhere. His solitude is broken when Ivy shows up on his land, wanting to photograph the black bears. Once she convinces him she is not a hunter, they spend a couple of days together, during which she gets under Rath's skin in more ways that he possibly imagined.
I found this story to be excellently written, as I would expect from Felicity Heaton. How she manages to tie in a previous organisation, within the contemporary world, whilst introducing a whole new set of characters, I think is superb! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The supporting cast of characters were all intriguing, leaving me wanting more in this series, just so I can get their stories. Luckily for me, Storm comes next, but I also want Ember's story! Yes, I know, I'm greedy!
A great start to the series, and definitely recommended by me. Looking forward to continuing this series.
* 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!
Enjoyable thriller
This is a page turner of a thriller. It takes a little to get to grips with the time jumping but it helps that it uses rewind, pause and fast forward as chapters to give you some baring and once you get it it’s fine and kinda fun in a novel way. This book lends itself to being a great easy read with enough going on to keep you engaged but without being too taxing on the old noggin - perfect for holiday reading.
Natalie is a social media influencer and I did find the beginning of the book was throwing a bit too much jargon about this area at us; along with describing click bait journalist Audery’s world it felt like a real push to be “with it”. It is however a great area to explore as opening yourself up to the world like that gives a whole huge potential for weirdo exposure. When Natalie visits the remote Irish village of Shanamore she gets to meet even more odd characters in the form of holiday cottage manager Andrew with a real Norman Bates feel to him and other locals. There is definitely an air of creepy, in a skin crawling fashion, about them.
I didn’t find there to be much mystery in this book with it all being too evident who was responsible as soon as they began to appear. The multitude of POVs and the moving around in time did hamper any real development of feeling invested in the characters. All in all an enjoyable quick thriller read without too much thought required.
My thanks to the author, publisher Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Natalie is a social media influencer and I did find the beginning of the book was throwing a bit too much jargon about this area at us; along with describing click bait journalist Audery’s world it felt like a real push to be “with it”. It is however a great area to explore as opening yourself up to the world like that gives a whole huge potential for weirdo exposure. When Natalie visits the remote Irish village of Shanamore she gets to meet even more odd characters in the form of holiday cottage manager Andrew with a real Norman Bates feel to him and other locals. There is definitely an air of creepy, in a skin crawling fashion, about them.
I didn’t find there to be much mystery in this book with it all being too evident who was responsible as soon as they began to appear. The multitude of POVs and the moving around in time did hamper any real development of feeling invested in the characters. All in all an enjoyable quick thriller read without too much thought required.
My thanks to the author, publisher Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Rules of Magic in Books
May 5, 2024
85 of 220
Book
The Rules of Magic ( Practical Magic 2)
By Alice Hoffman
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Find your magic.
For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.
Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.
From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Yet, the children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the memorable aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.
This was good much better than the previous one I read. I enjoyed learning of the 2 aunts and Vincent I got a little bored in places which is why I went with 3⭐️. Vincent was a colourful character. Definitely a nice set up for Practical Magic.
Book
The Rules of Magic ( Practical Magic 2)
By Alice Hoffman
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Find your magic.
For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.
Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.
From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Yet, the children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the memorable aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.
This was good much better than the previous one I read. I enjoyed learning of the 2 aunts and Vincent I got a little bored in places which is why I went with 3⭐️. Vincent was a colourful character. Definitely a nice set up for Practical Magic.