The Keeper Of Lost Things
7.8
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A charming, clever, and quietly moving debut novel of of endless possibilities and joyful...
Kenneth Clark: Life, Art and Civilisation
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Sunday Times Art Book of the Year The astonishing life of Kenneth Clark - the greatest British art...
Two Orb Reel by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Album Watch
The modular maestro mounts his most varied solo release to date with the sci-fi knots and whorls of...
dance electronic
Everything Beautiful In Its Time
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To the world, George and Barbara Bush were America’s powerful president and influential first...
Solitary
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Solitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary...
The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy #2)
8.5
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S. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in The City of Brass—"the best adult...
Easter Basket Murder
Barbara Ross, Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis
8.0
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Put on your springtime best and grab a basket, because Easter egg hunting is to dye for in this...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Forest of a Thousand Lanterns in Books
Jan 11, 2018
That said, this is another superb debut novel. I'm eager to read the sequel - it's billed as "A Rise of the Empress novel" so I'm sure there will be one or more. Xifeng is a pretty complex character - she is somewhat single-minded in what she wants, but conflicted in what to do to get it. (It being the position of Empress.) I was intrigued by who was chosen to fill the roles of the traditional tale; Xifeng, of course, would be the wicked stepmother. The Fool is Xifeng's version of Snow White, and Xifeng thought for some time that she knew who The Fool was. The reader, of course, knows the Fool must be Snow White, and so not the people who Xifeng suspected. The one that surprised me was the identity of The Huntsman. I won't spoil anything - but he was unexpected.
There's also more going on than just the Snow White plot. There are gods and goddesses and spirits and an underlying war. I am quite eager to see how those play out.
There is a slow spot in the middle - I set the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again, and that's always a sign I'm not as absorbed in the book as I could be. But I did pick it up again and read straight through to the end, so it's not too bad!
If you like Fairy Tales and Asian mythology, this is definitely a neat blend of the two. I really liked it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Bad Magic and the Big Top (Blackwood Bay Witches Paranormal Cozy Mystery) in Books
Mar 16, 2019
This is the second book in the Blackwood Bay Witches series. For those of you who like story lines with witches, ghosts, talking animals, wizards and covens, then this book is for you!
In this story Dru is starting to get used to being a witch, seeing ghosts and talking to animals and running the bookshop.
Just when Dru thinks her life is really starting to settle in Blackwood Bay, she opens her door and finds a dead clown on her doorstep.
The circus is in town and murder is afoot.
Come get to know this lovely set of characters. They are wisecracking and lovely bunch; well developed and will make you smile.
This has a good plot, twists abound to make you guess. Loaded with the humor and wise cracks. There are no cliff hangers just really good writing.
I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down! I can't wait for more!!!!
Highly recommend reading!
I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
Becca Major (96 KP) rated Secret Healer in TV
Jan 25, 2018
Secret Healer is definitely more of a drama than a romance. Yes, the romance is there and it is important to the plot. Hell, it's even developed reasonably well. However, it is not the main focus of the story. Which, after a while, I appreciated because I didn't need the romance to keep me invested, the plot did that well enough.
The true focus of the plot is Yoon-hee, the princess, and the trials she has to overcome to be free of her curse. Without getting too spoiler-y, the villain, Hong-joo, does literally everything she can to make Yoon-hee fail. And Hong-joo is a legitimately engaging and terrifying villain; she has power, dozens of skilled swords-women under her command and control, and is ruthless to the point of cold-blooded murder. The dynamic between these two really carries the better part of the plot.
Yoon-hee's love interest, Jun, also has an interesting story-arc that is, thankfully, all his own. He comes into the story with his own baggage involving his relationships with his mother and half-brother that he needs to overcome. It is also really nice to see a couple that complements each other equally. They support each other and receive support in turn. In a sea of douchbags with money winning over nice, supportive guys, he is a breath of fresh air.
The other characters that pepper this drama provide just the right amount of flavor. They are, for the most part, well written and well realized by their actors. My personal favorite character was Yo-gwang, Yoon-hee's "bodyguard."
I would recommend this series to anyone desiring a well-written, well-acted story that has more going for it than a simple love story.