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David McK (3372 KP) rated Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf in Books
Sep 26, 2021
David Gemmell is (was) one of my favourite authors.
Of his works, I find the Drenai series to be the best.
There, what, eleven novels in that series, all of which are largely stand-alone.
Out of those eleven, there's only a handful of novels centred around recurring key characters characters: most noticeably those with Druss (in order published, Legend, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend and The Legend of Deathwalker (although he also appears in both White Wolf and The Swords of Night and Day), and those around the assassin Waylander)
This is the second of the three Waylander novels (Waylander, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf and Hero in the Shadows ) which starts with Walyander and his adopted daughter Miriel living in quiet harmony in the wooded peaks, with Waylander - Dakeyras - mourning the death of his love Danyal. However, when a price is once more put on his head, Waylander finds himself pulled back into action, as Miriel and several of her companions find themselves going to the aid of the nomadic Nadir.
There may be an element of truth in the charge against Gemmell that some of his novels may be formulaic - we usually have a troubled hero, the mystic Source priests and their musings on life and death and the nature of evil, and - more often than not - a siege of some kind, but when the novels are all as good as this ... ?
Who cares!
Of his works, I find the Drenai series to be the best.
There, what, eleven novels in that series, all of which are largely stand-alone.
Out of those eleven, there's only a handful of novels centred around recurring key characters characters: most noticeably those with Druss (in order published, Legend, The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend and The Legend of Deathwalker (although he also appears in both White Wolf and The Swords of Night and Day), and those around the assassin Waylander)
This is the second of the three Waylander novels (Waylander, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf and Hero in the Shadows ) which starts with Walyander and his adopted daughter Miriel living in quiet harmony in the wooded peaks, with Waylander - Dakeyras - mourning the death of his love Danyal. However, when a price is once more put on his head, Waylander finds himself pulled back into action, as Miriel and several of her companions find themselves going to the aid of the nomadic Nadir.
There may be an element of truth in the charge against Gemmell that some of his novels may be formulaic - we usually have a troubled hero, the mystic Source priests and their musings on life and death and the nature of evil, and - more often than not - a siege of some kind, but when the novels are all as good as this ... ?
Who cares!
Fever (Songbird #1)
8.0
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Singing in the shower takes on a whole new meaning in Melissa Pearl's first New Adult Contemporary...
Contemporary Romance
Night Prince
10.0
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From Lambda Literary Award winning author Felice Stevens comes a sexy paranormal stand-alone...
MM Paranormal Romance
Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Commander (Hellfire #3) in Books
Mar 3, 2023
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mei has been followed by Kellias as a punishment, ever since she annoyed Lucifer with her attitude when he upset her best friend. She has tried to lose him whenever she can but she never seems to have much luck. When she is sent on a mission to see who is trying to make wildfire with Kellias will she finally get rid of him or find his value?
This is book number 3 in the hellfire series and I have enjoyed every single story in this series. As soon as I had finished one book I was ready to read the next one. There are a couple of novellas as well that I will be reading and I am eagerly waiting for book number 4!
The way that Ella has written these are fresh and exciting. Lots of anticipation about what could happen next and whom it involves. Although this story contains characters from previous books, I think you could read it as a stand-alone. Personally, I recommend you read them all as they are fast-paced, romantic, passionate, and gripping. I really can't praise them high enough they are brilliant!
** 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. *
Mei has been followed by Kellias as a punishment, ever since she annoyed Lucifer with her attitude when he upset her best friend. She has tried to lose him whenever she can but she never seems to have much luck. When she is sent on a mission to see who is trying to make wildfire with Kellias will she finally get rid of him or find his value?
This is book number 3 in the hellfire series and I have enjoyed every single story in this series. As soon as I had finished one book I was ready to read the next one. There are a couple of novellas as well that I will be reading and I am eagerly waiting for book number 4!
The way that Ella has written these are fresh and exciting. Lots of anticipation about what could happen next and whom it involves. Although this story contains characters from previous books, I think you could read it as a stand-alone. Personally, I recommend you read them all as they are fast-paced, romantic, passionate, and gripping. I really can't praise them high enough they are brilliant!
** 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. *
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated When I Look In the Mirror in Books
Aug 22, 2023
liked well enough, but not sure this author is for me!
Independent reviewer for Achaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I liked this, well enough, but I'm not sure this author works for ME. I stress the ME here!
I said in the first book I read from Davenport, I'm With The Band, that I wanted to read another book by this author, but not that series. And this book fits that bill, since it's a stand alone.
But while I read it, finished in under an hour, and there were some things I did like, it just really isn't one for me.
I liked that it doesn't get as scary as I thought it would, once I started reading. Ouija boards are nothing to be messed with, as Tatum finds out here, and I won't ever touch one! Finding a demon in her mists was tricky to deal with but Zach really helps her.
I liked the connection between Zach and Tatum, and how that all plays out. I wasn't sure which way things would play out and it left me hanging for a hot minute!
I didn't like that only Tatum gets a say, I would have liked to hear from Zach.
Like I said, only short, some 70 pages. Not sure it was really for me, but passed a lazy Tuesday morning in bed.
3 good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I liked this, well enough, but I'm not sure this author works for ME. I stress the ME here!
I said in the first book I read from Davenport, I'm With The Band, that I wanted to read another book by this author, but not that series. And this book fits that bill, since it's a stand alone.
But while I read it, finished in under an hour, and there were some things I did like, it just really isn't one for me.
I liked that it doesn't get as scary as I thought it would, once I started reading. Ouija boards are nothing to be messed with, as Tatum finds out here, and I won't ever touch one! Finding a demon in her mists was tricky to deal with but Zach really helps her.
I liked the connection between Zach and Tatum, and how that all plays out. I wasn't sure which way things would play out and it left me hanging for a hot minute!
I didn't like that only Tatum gets a say, I would have liked to hear from Zach.
Like I said, only short, some 70 pages. Not sure it was really for me, but passed a lazy Tuesday morning in bed.
3 good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Shadowman (Shadow #3)
10.0
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Erin Kellison’s Shadow series darkens with this evocative and gripping romance between a fae lord...
Urban Fantasy Romance
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated SWAT for Dummies (Deputy Gemma Stone #2) in Books
Feb 13, 2024
some very funny moments
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Deputy Gemma Stone series. I have not read book one, but I picked this one up quick enough. So I'd say it can be read as a stand alone.
And for the most part, I did enjoy this short read, some 130 pages, I really did.
I just found the fact that Gemma got into so many scrapes and bumps, accidents and getting shot at, it all became a bit too much. FOR ME! I need to stress that, for me, I found it a bit too much in the short space of time it took me to read this book.
There is some kooky going on inthe Sheriff's department, and Gemma, along with her new boyfriend, need to figure it out, especially as it might have some relation to Dante's parent's deaths. And they do, eventually.
Some very funny moments, that really were laugh out loud bits and I think these are what made me give it 4 stars and not 3. It's full of drama, but not real angst. Low on the steam scale too. But I didn't mind that here.
I'm not usually one for comedy in my romance books, but I did enjoy this one. Whether I read more, will remain to be seen, though.
An enjoyable, 4 star read
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Deputy Gemma Stone series. I have not read book one, but I picked this one up quick enough. So I'd say it can be read as a stand alone.
And for the most part, I did enjoy this short read, some 130 pages, I really did.
I just found the fact that Gemma got into so many scrapes and bumps, accidents and getting shot at, it all became a bit too much. FOR ME! I need to stress that, for me, I found it a bit too much in the short space of time it took me to read this book.
There is some kooky going on inthe Sheriff's department, and Gemma, along with her new boyfriend, need to figure it out, especially as it might have some relation to Dante's parent's deaths. And they do, eventually.
Some very funny moments, that really were laugh out loud bits and I think these are what made me give it 4 stars and not 3. It's full of drama, but not real angst. Low on the steam scale too. But I didn't mind that here.
I'm not usually one for comedy in my romance books, but I did enjoy this one. Whether I read more, will remain to be seen, though.
An enjoyable, 4 star read
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn in Books
Jul 23, 2021
The Lane women are so genuinely interesting, I keep coming back for more.
The Book Magic Mystery series is such a splendid way to spend a couple of hours. It starts with a curse; the women in the family are doomed to die in childbirth and their men doomed to be taken by the sea. Add in the special power the women sometimes have as bibliomancers, that in itself makes this series intriguing. What avid reader wouldn’t want to be able to do that?
In Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn, Pippin and her brother Grey are the latest descendents of the Lane family. Pippin is desperate to find a way to break the family curse if only to save her brother from his seemingly preordained fate. She has turned the house they inherited from their parents into a bed and breakfast and she has her hands full with the grand opening. It is bad enough that one of her guests has turned up dead, but as Pippin gets pulled into investigating, it turns out that the woman may have known something about the curse that has been following the Lanes for the past two millennia.
Melissa Bourbon knows how to tell a story. Honestly, that is all that needs to be said.
There is so much going on in the 250+ pages of this book. Pippin has picked up her father’s investigation into her lineage and is learning to have confidence in her role as a biblimancer. That narrative alone is fascinating. I could read a 500 page book on that aspect of the story alone. The Lane women are so genuinely interesting, I keep coming back for more.
I truly enjoyed the tidbits of archeology and history laced into the plot. With a budding archaeologist in the house, I admit to being just a little too excited to read about optically stimulated luminescence in the course of a mystery novel. I mean that doesn’t just pop up in a typical conversation. I also love that I didn’t see whodunnit until it was explained. When Pippin figured it out, I was hoping she was wrong because I just didn’t want to believe it, but of course it was there in the clues the whole time. How did I miss it? Simply put, the clues are so subtly woven into the story that it is easy to forget that we, as readers, are here to help Pippen solve a mystery.
I do think this reads well as a stand alone if this is your first experience with the series. Still, book 1 and its prequel are so worth the effort. The story isn’t all told yet, so I will be back for more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
In Murder at Sea Captain’s Inn, Pippin and her brother Grey are the latest descendents of the Lane family. Pippin is desperate to find a way to break the family curse if only to save her brother from his seemingly preordained fate. She has turned the house they inherited from their parents into a bed and breakfast and she has her hands full with the grand opening. It is bad enough that one of her guests has turned up dead, but as Pippin gets pulled into investigating, it turns out that the woman may have known something about the curse that has been following the Lanes for the past two millennia.
Melissa Bourbon knows how to tell a story. Honestly, that is all that needs to be said.
There is so much going on in the 250+ pages of this book. Pippin has picked up her father’s investigation into her lineage and is learning to have confidence in her role as a biblimancer. That narrative alone is fascinating. I could read a 500 page book on that aspect of the story alone. The Lane women are so genuinely interesting, I keep coming back for more.
I truly enjoyed the tidbits of archeology and history laced into the plot. With a budding archaeologist in the house, I admit to being just a little too excited to read about optically stimulated luminescence in the course of a mystery novel. I mean that doesn’t just pop up in a typical conversation. I also love that I didn’t see whodunnit until it was explained. When Pippin figured it out, I was hoping she was wrong because I just didn’t want to believe it, but of course it was there in the clues the whole time. How did I miss it? Simply put, the clues are so subtly woven into the story that it is easy to forget that we, as readers, are here to help Pippen solve a mystery.
I do think this reads well as a stand alone if this is your first experience with the series. Still, book 1 and its prequel are so worth the effort. The story isn’t all told yet, so I will be back for more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Film and stuff (30 KP) rated Ghost in the Shell (2017) in Movies
May 15, 2019
Watch the original
Directed by - Rupert Sanders
Starring - Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Chin Han and Peter Ferdinando.
Plot - In a future where most of the human race have embraced cybernetic enhancements there exhists an anti-terrorist unit named Sector 9.
The Major and sector 9 are on the hunt for a cyber terrorist who is targeting and killing key memebers of Hanka Robotics, the same organisation who gave Major her artificial body.
Thoughts:
The 1995 Ghost in the Shell is a favourite here and I am torn. I loved the nods to the original Anime and the Stand Alone Complex series that followed. The issue is there is enough of the original story here for it to feel like someone simply changed a few names, added a back story we didn't need, ask for or want and slapped it all together and hoped we would simply enjoy a Live action version.
That being said, I loved it. I left the cinema wanting more and actually wanting and wishing that the world I had just witnessed was the world I lived in now and that hasn't happened since I was a child.
The script needs work and actors may not have been well picked but the world building is magnificent. The visuals are stunning and the performance that have been given were very enjoyable.
I would recommend you see this in cinemas to fully enjoy the world that has been created. Just don't expect the same brilliance of the original.
Starring - Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Chin Han and Peter Ferdinando.
Plot - In a future where most of the human race have embraced cybernetic enhancements there exhists an anti-terrorist unit named Sector 9.
The Major and sector 9 are on the hunt for a cyber terrorist who is targeting and killing key memebers of Hanka Robotics, the same organisation who gave Major her artificial body.
Thoughts:
The 1995 Ghost in the Shell is a favourite here and I am torn. I loved the nods to the original Anime and the Stand Alone Complex series that followed. The issue is there is enough of the original story here for it to feel like someone simply changed a few names, added a back story we didn't need, ask for or want and slapped it all together and hoped we would simply enjoy a Live action version.
That being said, I loved it. I left the cinema wanting more and actually wanting and wishing that the world I had just witnessed was the world I lived in now and that hasn't happened since I was a child.
The script needs work and actors may not have been well picked but the world building is magnificent. The visuals are stunning and the performance that have been given were very enjoyable.
I would recommend you see this in cinemas to fully enjoy the world that has been created. Just don't expect the same brilliance of the original.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Stalker in Books
May 22, 2019
A murder on their doorstep
A case that's too close to home . . .
The body of a young woman has been discovered in Bellahouston park, the second in a matter of months. It's clear to Detective Superintendent William Lorimer of Police Scotland that they have a repeat killer on their hands, who is sure to strike again.
Lucky for DSI Lorimer that his wife, Maggie, is miles away from potential danger, touring Scotland to promote her first book. Faced with strangers at every event, Maggie doesn't notice the quiet, non-de script man sitting in the back row.
But he has noticed Maggie Lorimer. And soon his will be a face she never forgets.
Wow... what a great crime thriller this was. I didn't realize this was part of a series but it didn't impact on reading this one at all. It was very easy to follow the main characters and was easily read as a stand-alone.
I loved the complexity of the plot and it flowed very well.
There is plenty of tension and suspense throughout. The writing here is very atmospheric and draws you in.
The pace is just right as it helps the suspense level and atmosphere.
Very good characters and very relatable. I think the writing is superb and very well written.
The author has done a superb job of putting you in the shoes of the victim and how the range of emotions happens.
This is a wonderfully chilling crime read and I highly recommend!!
Thanks to Net Galley and Little, Brown for an ARC.
A case that's too close to home . . .
The body of a young woman has been discovered in Bellahouston park, the second in a matter of months. It's clear to Detective Superintendent William Lorimer of Police Scotland that they have a repeat killer on their hands, who is sure to strike again.
Lucky for DSI Lorimer that his wife, Maggie, is miles away from potential danger, touring Scotland to promote her first book. Faced with strangers at every event, Maggie doesn't notice the quiet, non-de script man sitting in the back row.
But he has noticed Maggie Lorimer. And soon his will be a face she never forgets.
Wow... what a great crime thriller this was. I didn't realize this was part of a series but it didn't impact on reading this one at all. It was very easy to follow the main characters and was easily read as a stand-alone.
I loved the complexity of the plot and it flowed very well.
There is plenty of tension and suspense throughout. The writing here is very atmospheric and draws you in.
The pace is just right as it helps the suspense level and atmosphere.
Very good characters and very relatable. I think the writing is superb and very well written.
The author has done a superb job of putting you in the shoes of the victim and how the range of emotions happens.
This is a wonderfully chilling crime read and I highly recommend!!
Thanks to Net Galley and Little, Brown for an ARC.