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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Chasing the Cure ( Caitlin Chronicles book 5) in Books
Apr 18, 2022
69 of 230
Kindle
Chasing the Cure ( Caitlin Chronicles book 5)
By Daniel Willcocks and Michael Anderle
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Madness is coming, and this time it’s personal.
Fueled by the tiny scatterings of a puzzle left behind, Caitlin journeys into the wilds to seek the elusive Helena in order to find the cure for the Madness and stop its spread once and for all.
Which is made all the more important when those closest to her are facing their toughest battles yet.
With Jaxon, Kain, and Mary-Anne by her side, Caitlin must tread farther from home than she’s ever been, risking capture, torment, and the Mad, all in the name of finding the truth behind the Madness.
Time is ticking, and the Madness is closer now than it’s ever been.
Set within the wonder of the Kurtherian Gambit Universe, discover the chaos and insanity of the Age of Madness—a time when the world turned on its head, and nothing is as it appears…
I enjoyed this book more than the last! But I’m unsure of all the new developments it all seems a bit strange. The more I think about it the more it baffles me especially the fact that these people are now flying over to Europe to find a cure! Very strange
Kindle
Chasing the Cure ( Caitlin Chronicles book 5)
By Daniel Willcocks and Michael Anderle
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Madness is coming, and this time it’s personal.
Fueled by the tiny scatterings of a puzzle left behind, Caitlin journeys into the wilds to seek the elusive Helena in order to find the cure for the Madness and stop its spread once and for all.
Which is made all the more important when those closest to her are facing their toughest battles yet.
With Jaxon, Kain, and Mary-Anne by her side, Caitlin must tread farther from home than she’s ever been, risking capture, torment, and the Mad, all in the name of finding the truth behind the Madness.
Time is ticking, and the Madness is closer now than it’s ever been.
Set within the wonder of the Kurtherian Gambit Universe, discover the chaos and insanity of the Age of Madness—a time when the world turned on its head, and nothing is as it appears…
I enjoyed this book more than the last! But I’m unsure of all the new developments it all seems a bit strange. The more I think about it the more it baffles me especially the fact that these people are now flying over to Europe to find a cure! Very strange
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Dawning Ascent ( The Pearson Prophecy book 1) in Books
Oct 24, 2022
196 of 230
Kindle
Dawning Ascent ( The Pearson Prophecy book 1)
By Jen L. Grey
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Power comes with a price.
Treated like an outcast in her own kingdom, Ariah learned to live in the shadows. But as she comes into her powers, she catches the eye of her life long crush and an unlikely ally. Trusting either of them could help her along a dangerous journey... or could bring her journey to a dangerous end.
When enemies come to light and distrust spreads, Ariah's safety is put in jeopardy. If she places her trust in the wrong people, her hidden powers will be unveiled to those who wish to use them against her.
To survive, Ariah must learn who has her best interests at heart. If she chooses wrong, it could mean not only her own death, but the crumbling of the entire country.
I did enjoy this book it had a good premise and the characters were easy to get along with. My one issue was this, the world building suggested it was very fairytale kingdom without modern technology etc which was great! But the author then throws in a coffee machine and a shower yet things like hospitals and modern equipment is not there. Just didn’t really make sense to me and took away from that fairytale feeling. It should be all or nothing I think.
Kindle
Dawning Ascent ( The Pearson Prophecy book 1)
By Jen L. Grey
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Power comes with a price.
Treated like an outcast in her own kingdom, Ariah learned to live in the shadows. But as she comes into her powers, she catches the eye of her life long crush and an unlikely ally. Trusting either of them could help her along a dangerous journey... or could bring her journey to a dangerous end.
When enemies come to light and distrust spreads, Ariah's safety is put in jeopardy. If she places her trust in the wrong people, her hidden powers will be unveiled to those who wish to use them against her.
To survive, Ariah must learn who has her best interests at heart. If she chooses wrong, it could mean not only her own death, but the crumbling of the entire country.
I did enjoy this book it had a good premise and the characters were easy to get along with. My one issue was this, the world building suggested it was very fairytale kingdom without modern technology etc which was great! But the author then throws in a coffee machine and a shower yet things like hospitals and modern equipment is not there. Just didn’t really make sense to me and took away from that fairytale feeling. It should be all or nothing I think.
ClareR (6256 KP) rated Remarkably Bright Creatures in Books
Mar 12, 2023
Lovely lovely lovely! A fabulous book! And to think I passed this one by when it was on the Kindle Daily Deal because I thought a book about an octopus sounded ridiculous. Obviously, this was before I had read Laline Paull’s Pod. So I’m pleased that The Pigeonhole drew me in and I got the chance to read about the Giant Pacific Octopus and all-round genius, Marcellus.
Honestly, I lived for the chapters from Marcellus. Wise, intelligent and perceptive, he is instrumental in sorting two of the main characters - Tova and Cameron - out.
I mean, the humans in this novel are lovely too. Tova lives alone since her husband died and cleans at her local aquarium until she has an accident and hurts her ankle. Whilst she is recovering, Cameron takes over. He has arrived in town searching of the father he has never met. His mother abandoned him as a child, and his aunt has always cared for him. Cameron is a lost soul, and he has landed in just the right place. Sowell Bay is full of the kindest people and luckily, Cameron meets them all - including Marcellus.
This is a touching story, and ultimately one of those books that swallows you up in the warmest of hugs.
So do I recommend it? Err, see above! 👆🏼
Honestly, I lived for the chapters from Marcellus. Wise, intelligent and perceptive, he is instrumental in sorting two of the main characters - Tova and Cameron - out.
I mean, the humans in this novel are lovely too. Tova lives alone since her husband died and cleans at her local aquarium until she has an accident and hurts her ankle. Whilst she is recovering, Cameron takes over. He has arrived in town searching of the father he has never met. His mother abandoned him as a child, and his aunt has always cared for him. Cameron is a lost soul, and he has landed in just the right place. Sowell Bay is full of the kindest people and luckily, Cameron meets them all - including Marcellus.
This is a touching story, and ultimately one of those books that swallows you up in the warmest of hugs.
So do I recommend it? Err, see above! 👆🏼
Merissa (14206 KP) rated The Last Families in Books
Dec 21, 2021 (Updated Jul 9, 2023)
THE LAST FAMILIES is a post-apocalyptic fantasy in which the earth has been destroyed and those surviving have left by boat to reach a safe place. Unknown to them, they go through a wormhole and end up on a different planet, one with unknown dangers to them.
This story is told from multiple perspectives, giving the reader a well-rounded view of what's happening. It moves at a fast pace so prepare yourself. I found I needed to concentrate on the story as otherwise, something would happen that I might miss which affected the whole timeline.
I'm not sure if this is the first book in a series as there seem to be questions left unanswered and open-ended storylines. However, saying that, this was a great read about their time in Gambir and the people who lived there.
There are some errors where the wrong word is used (but correctly spelt) but this didn't have too great an impact on my enjoyment.
Definitely recommended for all post-apocalyptic fantasy fans out there.
** 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!
Dec 21, 2021
This story is told from multiple perspectives, giving the reader a well-rounded view of what's happening. It moves at a fast pace so prepare yourself. I found I needed to concentrate on the story as otherwise, something would happen that I might miss which affected the whole timeline.
I'm not sure if this is the first book in a series as there seem to be questions left unanswered and open-ended storylines. However, saying that, this was a great read about their time in Gambir and the people who lived there.
There are some errors where the wrong word is used (but correctly spelt) but this didn't have too great an impact on my enjoyment.
Definitely recommended for all post-apocalyptic fantasy fans out there.
** 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!
Dec 21, 2021
ClareR (6256 KP) rated The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill in Books
Feb 26, 2022
Grace McGill is a professional death cleaner. She is the person that the authorities call to clean up after a dead body has been found. Usually a dead body that has lain there for months before being discovered. It’s a grim job, but Grace does it with respect and fastidiousness.
Grace is something of a loner. She only seems to have passing contact with those she works with, and her abusive father. In fact, she seems to build more of a relationship with the dead people she cleans up after. Which is how she notices that several of the bodies have something in common. A daisy is near the spot where each of the corpses was found.
One particular person, Thomas Agnew, really affects her. He has lain undiscovered for 5 months, seemingly missed by no one. She collects some photos from his room, hoping to give them to a family member at the funeral, and then notices the piles of newspapers. They are all dated the same day over a period of many years. Something happened on that day, and Grace wants to know what it is.
This book was so well written - unputdownable. It threw a huge curveball as well and the twist, when it came, was totally unexpected. It was macabre, quirky and so different from anything else I’ve read recently. It really is well worth a read!
Grace is something of a loner. She only seems to have passing contact with those she works with, and her abusive father. In fact, she seems to build more of a relationship with the dead people she cleans up after. Which is how she notices that several of the bodies have something in common. A daisy is near the spot where each of the corpses was found.
One particular person, Thomas Agnew, really affects her. He has lain undiscovered for 5 months, seemingly missed by no one. She collects some photos from his room, hoping to give them to a family member at the funeral, and then notices the piles of newspapers. They are all dated the same day over a period of many years. Something happened on that day, and Grace wants to know what it is.
This book was so well written - unputdownable. It threw a huge curveball as well and the twist, when it came, was totally unexpected. It was macabre, quirky and so different from anything else I’ve read recently. It really is well worth a read!
David McK (3929 KP) rated The Northman (2022) in Movies
May 18, 2022
M'eh.
So, The Northman.
Been quite a bit of hype for it over here in Northern Ireland (perhaps because some of it was filmed here), which might explain why the showing I went to was absolutely jam packed - the most people I've seen in a screen since even before Covid times.
Unfortunately, and for me, the film also fell rather 'flat': I actually spent more time scanning the background to see if I could spot any familiar faces (and locations) than concentrating on the (slow, plodding) action unfolding in the foreground.
It's no secret that the plot owes much to the Icelandic sagas that inspired 'Hamlet' (or, in more modern terms, 'The Lion King'), with Alexander Skarsgard Viking protagonist on a mission of revenge against his uncle, who killed his father and stole his mother.
Perhaps that is why I (and most of those I saw this with) weren't all that impressed: basically, we've all seen it before! Well, that, and the fact the the finale felt like something out of 'Revenge of the Sith' ...
(We were also all in agreement that it would have been better if the more supernatural elements of the story had been toned down).
All this is not to say that it's a bad film, per se: just not at all what we were expecting or had been sold on by the trailers.
Been quite a bit of hype for it over here in Northern Ireland (perhaps because some of it was filmed here), which might explain why the showing I went to was absolutely jam packed - the most people I've seen in a screen since even before Covid times.
Unfortunately, and for me, the film also fell rather 'flat': I actually spent more time scanning the background to see if I could spot any familiar faces (and locations) than concentrating on the (slow, plodding) action unfolding in the foreground.
It's no secret that the plot owes much to the Icelandic sagas that inspired 'Hamlet' (or, in more modern terms, 'The Lion King'), with Alexander Skarsgard Viking protagonist on a mission of revenge against his uncle, who killed his father and stole his mother.
Perhaps that is why I (and most of those I saw this with) weren't all that impressed: basically, we've all seen it before! Well, that, and the fact the the finale felt like something out of 'Revenge of the Sith' ...
(We were also all in agreement that it would have been better if the more supernatural elements of the story had been toned down).
All this is not to say that it's a bad film, per se: just not at all what we were expecting or had been sold on by the trailers.
Forget Me Not (Ceruleans #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
IN THE FACE OF DEATH, SHE MUST PROTECT THOSE SHE LOVES. The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with...
Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Merissa (14206 KP) rated The Last Library of Paris in Books
Sep 24, 2026
THE LAST LIBRARY OF PARIS takes us back to Lisbon in this amazing sequel to The Bookshop of Secrets. If you've read that one, then you will recognise some of the names and places, but you don't need to have read it to enjoy this one.
Told from the perspectives of Cassie and Frances, the story takes you from occupied Paris to neutral Lisbon, with Nazis, PVDE, the British Embassy, and more visas than you can shake a stick at.
Like every book by this author, it was a gripping, sad, cowardly, and heroic read, with some of the characters being based on real people. One I particularly loved, although it wasn't a person, was Peacock Books. I knew about their colourful covers, but didn't know about the service editions. How I would love to see one of those!
I do have one question, though. What happened to Marcus' books? Were they real? Were they ever published? Was he based on anyone? Okay, so it's more than one question, but it's all about the same person, so I'm sticking with it.
A truly outstanding read that I highly recommend.
** The 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
Sep 24, 2026
Told from the perspectives of Cassie and Frances, the story takes you from occupied Paris to neutral Lisbon, with Nazis, PVDE, the British Embassy, and more visas than you can shake a stick at.
Like every book by this author, it was a gripping, sad, cowardly, and heroic read, with some of the characters being based on real people. One I particularly loved, although it wasn't a person, was Peacock Books. I knew about their colourful covers, but didn't know about the service editions. How I would love to see one of those!
I do have one question, though. What happened to Marcus' books? Were they real? Were they ever published? Was he based on anyone? Okay, so it's more than one question, but it's all about the same person, so I'm sticking with it.
A truly outstanding read that I highly recommend.
** The 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
Sep 24, 2026
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2670 KP) rated Probable Caws in Books
Sep 8, 2026
Rescuing Horses is Murder
When Meg gets a phone call from her dad, she learns that a horse rescue organization in a neighboring county has to move their horses, and Meg’s neighbor and friend Ragnar has agreed to take the horses in. But they need people to help settle the horses, so she goes over to help. As the day progresses, Meg begins to learn about the fight between the owner of the farm the horses came from and his brother, who has just inherited half of the farm. That night, Meg finds a dead body in one of the barns. Can she figure out who the killer is?
Series like this walk a fine line between giving us information on the hook of the series, in this case animals, and focusing on the mystery. This one errs on the side of animal talk, which did slow things down. Don’t get me wrong, there was a good mystery here, with some twists I enjoyed and a logical climax, but it could have been stronger. The suspects are interesting. We don’t have the full cast of regulars in town, but those who are in town are their usual charming selves. The humor didn’t seem as strong either, but there were some laughs and grins. While not the strongest in the series, it will entertain Meg’s many fans.
Series like this walk a fine line between giving us information on the hook of the series, in this case animals, and focusing on the mystery. This one errs on the side of animal talk, which did slow things down. Don’t get me wrong, there was a good mystery here, with some twists I enjoyed and a logical climax, but it could have been stronger. The suspects are interesting. We don’t have the full cast of regulars in town, but those who are in town are their usual charming selves. The humor didn’t seem as strong either, but there were some laughs and grins. While not the strongest in the series, it will entertain Meg’s many fans.
Dana (24 KP) rated A Gathering of Shadows in Books
Mar 23, 2018
So you all know how I felt about the first book. Yeah, those feeling are continuing over to this one.
I honestly could not put this damn book down if I tried. Which I didn't try because that would have been me depriving myself of something amazing and there is no reason to do that.
If I thought the first book hit my feelings, which it did, this one ran them over with a damn truck.
I loved the addition of Allucard Emery. He was my favorite new character because he is amazing and beautiful and just so great. I love his sass. He is such a great magic mentor for Delilah and I want him to have the world. He deserves to be happy. Anyone who thinks differently can fight me.
I love the idea of this competition. It's cool to see different kinds of magic users with the different elements, but also how they use them. Some are more defensive users, some more attack based. But all of them are really cool. I won't give away too much, but I am happy with the last couple of fights and how they went on. Especially that one. You know which one I'm talking about. Just great stuff there.
I love how Delilah and Kell's relationship is evolving in this book. They don't necessariily see all that much of each other, but when they do, sparks are FLYING. I was listening to the audio book when I was out running errands and in the middle of Michael's, I burst out laughing when they got to the ball part. It was just so cute and fun to see them relaxed for a change. Big fan. I ship them so hard it hurts. So whenever they were cross with each other, in my head, I was pushing them together saying "make up damn it. You will make beautiful children."
Those plot twists though. All of them got me right in the feels.
I will say without shame that I cried in this book. More than once. And almost in public. Those people in Michael's must have thought I was crazy.
The ending was mean. I mean, come on Victoria. That hurt. Why would you put me through that? I mean, yes, it was amazing that you wrote it so well I almost threw the book across the room, but still. My heart. I have to wait a bit until I can read the next one because I don't have any book stores around me to be able to get it and my library doesn't have it in physical copy either. But they do have an audio book version that I am on hold for. So there's that. I cannot wait.
I honestly could not put this damn book down if I tried. Which I didn't try because that would have been me depriving myself of something amazing and there is no reason to do that.
If I thought the first book hit my feelings, which it did, this one ran them over with a damn truck.
I loved the addition of Allucard Emery. He was my favorite new character because he is amazing and beautiful and just so great. I love his sass. He is such a great magic mentor for Delilah and I want him to have the world. He deserves to be happy. Anyone who thinks differently can fight me.
I love the idea of this competition. It's cool to see different kinds of magic users with the different elements, but also how they use them. Some are more defensive users, some more attack based. But all of them are really cool. I won't give away too much, but I am happy with the last couple of fights and how they went on. Especially that one. You know which one I'm talking about. Just great stuff there.
I love how Delilah and Kell's relationship is evolving in this book. They don't necessariily see all that much of each other, but when they do, sparks are FLYING. I was listening to the audio book when I was out running errands and in the middle of Michael's, I burst out laughing when they got to the ball part. It was just so cute and fun to see them relaxed for a change. Big fan. I ship them so hard it hurts. So whenever they were cross with each other, in my head, I was pushing them together saying "make up damn it. You will make beautiful children."
Those plot twists though. All of them got me right in the feels.
I will say without shame that I cried in this book. More than once. And almost in public. Those people in Michael's must have thought I was crazy.
The ending was mean. I mean, come on Victoria. That hurt. Why would you put me through that? I mean, yes, it was amazing that you wrote it so well I almost threw the book across the room, but still. My heart. I have to wait a bit until I can read the next one because I don't have any book stores around me to be able to get it and my library doesn't have it in physical copy either. But they do have an audio book version that I am on hold for. So there's that. I cannot wait.