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Hidden Magic ( Harper Shadow Academy 1)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
53 of 235
Kindle
Hidden Magic ( Harper Shadow Academy 1)
By Luna Pierce
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A cursed witch, four sexy men, and a shadow realm hidden within their academy.

My name is Willow Oliver, and I’m descended from a bloodline of powerful yet cursed witches. At least, that’s what my mother claims. Most people think she’s crazy.

I never put too much thought into it—the whole being a witch thing—I assumed my strange quirks were something everyone else had.

Flowers don’t glow when you look at them?

When others my age go off to faraway colleges and escape our sleepy town, I stay close to home so I can continue to keep an eye on my mother.

My new academy buzzes with a familiar energy. One that half the student body doesn’t seem to notice. The others simply disappear through hazy shadows, vanishing into thin air. Three of the four men I’m magnetically drawn to have skin that feels like electric when we touch, something magical hidden under the surface of each of them.

The more I uncover, the more I doubt my sanity, making me consider one of two things: I’m going crazy, too, or maybe my mom was right after all.

And if what she said of our lineage was true, will I be strong enough to face the ancient curse that is stealing our power? Or will I succumb to it while risking the lives of the ones I can’t help but care for?

It was good. Good story, decent characters and pretty much what I was expecting. Didn’t blow me away but was a decent read.
  
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure
Let me start of by saying Spider-Man: No Way Home is a true cinematic experience. In terms of the MCU, it's a fully fledged event movie, but it's one that had the screen I was in, cheering and clapping. I haven't seen that in a long long time.

I'll keep this fairly short as to not dive into spoiler territory. NWH manages to serve as many things. It's a fantastic third entry into Jon Watts Spider-Man trilogy. It's a story that really puts Peter Parker through the mill. The last two have been very fun adventures. This one feels like it has consequences, and has much heavier plot beats than before.
It's also a unabashed love letter to the past Spider-Man film franchises, with familiar villains pouring in from all corners. The respect this film shows to the narratives and characters of the past films is air tight, whilst poking fun at sillier elements, and even a few memes that have surfaced over the years.
It's also an extremely important chapter in the wider MCU narrative, dealing with the multiverse, and essentially setting up Doctor Strange 2. Needless to say, it feels that Phase 4 is truly in full swing.
It's brimming with wonderful character moments (I definitely nearly cried), thrilling set pieces, and it's pacing sees it's hefty runtime fly by.

No Way Home is nothing short of excellent. An exciting new step for the MCU, a veritable treat for fans of the older films, and is a triumph in every sense of the word. One of those movies that I wish I could experience for the first time again.
  
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ClareR (5681 KP) rated The Rose Code in Books

Jun 26, 2022  
The Rose Code
The Rose Code
Kate Quinn | 2021 | Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Rose Code is an exciting historical mystery with a definite ‘thriller’ edge to it. It’s set in Bletchley Park - which is precisely what drew me to it. I’ve been there with some friends, and discovered that one of their grandmothers had actually worked there during the war.

I actually listened to this on an audiobook, and although there were one or two pronunciation issues, I thought the narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a really good job. She added extra character to the three main women in the story - all friends, but all so different from one another: the debutante with fluent German; the practical East Londoner who wants to escape poverty; the local village girl who, it turns out, is a genius cryptographer.

I really enjoyed the way that these characters were developed, and how their unlikely friendship grew. The secondary characters were also all interesting and well-developed, and all came together at the climactic end. I was gripped throughout, listening at every opportunity. And the ending really was a breathless race to the finish.

Oh, and there’s a rather large part given to Prince Phillip as well. There is a foot placed in fact, but I’m not really sure just how much. Oslo Kendall did exist, and was Prince Phillips girlfriend (or friend, at the very least) before he married Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth. I liked the “is it true or not” element.

If you like war time fiction, and have an interest in Bletchley Park - or want to find out more - you might just enjoy this as much as I did.
  
The Vine Witch
The Vine Witch
Luanne G.Smith | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
27 of 235
Kindle
The Vine Witch ( book 1)
By Luanne G.Smith
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy set in turn-of-the-century France.

For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.

I really liked it! The style was a little different compared to what I normally read and I love that she starts off as a frog. It moved quickly and was a really good story.
The characters were fun to get to know and it had a lovely romance blooming.
  
His Lordship's Master (His Lordship’s Mysteries #2)
His Lordship's Master (His Lordship’s Mysteries #2)
Samantha SoRelle | 2020 | LGBTQ+, Mystery, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
HIS LORDSHIP'S MASTER is the second book in the His Lordship's Mysteries series, and we continue on our merry way with Alfie and Nick. Now, you 'could' read this as a standalone but, honestly? To get the most out of it, I would absolutely recommend you read it in order.

We leave the grime and corruption of London behind us as we travel to Scotland with Alfie and Nick. However, what we find there is cold, wet, and mysterious! A big old house, an urban legend of the 'Wicked Master', plus a murder or two, and you've got plenty to keep you occupied.

I loved how the relationship between Alfie and Nick just went so much deeper. Their love is true, even if they're not at it like rabbits all the time! (Understandable considering the time period).

There are so many layers woven into this story and I love it all. I won't go into detail as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else but nothing is as it seems. The closest I got was with a couple of the female characters. I was sure something was going on with them, but I did not imagine it would be what it was!

For a great historical mystery with some MM tenderness as an added bonus, I can absolutely recommend this.

** 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!
Apr 22, 2022
  
Game On (Vancouver Orcas #3)
Game On (Vancouver Orcas #3)
Amy Aislin | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
GAME ON is the third and final book in the Vancouver Orcas series, but you don't need to have read the first two to get this one.

Jamie has joined the Orcas and hopes to start afresh. He is understandably wary about his new team, thinking it almost too good to be true. He lives with Dorian until he can find his own place. Dorian doesn't need to work, but does. He also has a secret project going on that he believes in, even if no one else does. Of course, others might believe in it too, if he'd only let them in. But Dorian has baggage of his own...

I loved this story! Jamie is just a big ole teddy bear, whilst Dorian is more of a hedgehog - prickly on the outside, squidgy on the inside. They are both attracted to each other, but neither of them wants to act on it. It is a slow-burn that builds up the tension. They are absolutely perfect for each other, and they both need the love and reassurance the other one gives.

I haven't read Books 1 and 2, but I've just gone and one-clicked both of them. You may not need to read them, but after seeing the characters in this book, I want to!

Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

** 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 - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 30, 2024
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Mr. Deathmask in Books

Oct 1, 2017  
Mr. Deathmask
Mr. Deathmask
Lee McGeorge | 2017 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
5
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slightly sadistic
This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

A satanic cult, an angel, a ghost, and lots of murder, Mr. Deathmask is a novel like none other. Horror-novelist Lee McGeorge has created a character that blurs the lines between good and evil. Members of a satanic cult in the heart of London are slowly being killed off one-by-one by a mysterious figure going by the name of Mr Deathmask. The murders shock the community, not only in their brutality but because the worshippers of the “one true Lord” should not be able to be harmed by another living being.

Mr Deathmask, so named for collecting the death masks of his victims, is a man with superhuman strength who is believed to be a “son of light”, i.e. an angel. Accompanied by a ghost of a girl, Magdalena, he plans to seek out and destroy the satanic cult before they can raise the son of the devil.

To begin with, it is not easy to differentiate between the good and the bad. On one side is the anonymous murderer, and the other, the perverted and barbaric sect with unearthly powers. But once innocent lives get tangled up in the violent fiasco, it is clear whom the readers are expected to root for.

Hiding behind the façade of doctors and other professionals in the public sector, the cult easily preys on vulnerable people, resorting to sickening methods to satisfy their abominable desires. Difficult as it is to read about these vile deeds, Mr. Deathmask becomes gripping, the race is on to prevent unnecessary death and get revenge for something that happened centuries ago.

Mr. Deathmask is not for the delicate-minded individual due to its violent and sexual nature. Plenty of expletives and foul terminology make up the narrative, which, although is to be expected in this nature of novel, is not the easiest story to stomach.

Unlike previous books with heavy themes or social connotations, Lee McGeorge has penned Mr. Deathmask as a form of entertainment rather than to challenge morals and judgement of his readers. However, it still has its fair share of shock tactics to keep the story going. It will certainly entertain fans of the author and the genre.