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Dog Soldiers (2002)
Dog Soldiers (2002)
2002 | Action, Horror
6
8.2 (26 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Raucous and highly derivative low-budget werewolf movie. Director Neil Marshall went on to bigger and somewhat better movies, but this is a decent calling card.

A group of British squaddies on a training exercise run into a pack of werewolves in the Scottish highlands (as happens all the time, I expect); they take refuge in a remote farmhouse. What follows is largely composed of bits lifted from Evil Dead and Assault on Precinct 13, done with a great deal of enthusiasm by all concerned. Part of the fun of this kind of movie is being able to guess what's going to happen next; you may well be able to do so even if you haven't seen the same films that Marshall has. Well-staged gory action; rather impressive werewolf suits considering the low budget.
  
U(
Unseen (The Elements Trilogy, #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kyla and Jethro are still on their journey, accompanied by children who are the elementals they're meant to bring together. Of course, it's still not a vacation, and they encounter many trials and tribulations along the way. Will they succeed? Or will they succumb to the difficulty of their task?

This sequel just builds onto an already fantastic story, and I found myself eagerly awaiting each new chapter. Kyla and Jethro are wonderful characters, and I can easily picture the little elementals flitting around them. Athra and Nikara are also great to read about, and I can't wait to see what happens when their stories intertwine again. Looking forward to the next one already!

5 stars
  
Disclaimer: I was given an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This storyline is far from the ordinary of what I normally read, but I found myself nodding along with the different theories given, saying, "You know, that makes a little sense." I even found myself sharing a few of them with my husband, who is really into astronomy and the exploration of the cosmos. I liked how everything played out over the course of the plot, and how there were different twists that jumped out for certain characters that I was definitely not expecting. Just the general idea behind what's going on with Earth and what might possibly happen was very intriguing, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

The reason I dropped my review from 5 stars was because of all the grammatical errors. I don't recall ever seeing "you're" used correctly; instead, no matter the context, it was always "your," and that got really aggravating. The same goes for "their/there/they're" and "here/hear," and possibly some others that I'm forgetting. I'm not the type of person to read through a book with a red pen, but there were just so many instances that it was really hard to ignore. However, the story was very good, it definitely pulled me in, and I'll be waiting for the next one (and hoping the editing is better).
  
TK
The Killing Jar
R.S. McCoy | 2016
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Now, before I start, let me say that R.S. McCoy is an author that I have long admired, for the twists and turns she can put on her books. So I was expecting something 'different' when I started reading The Killing Jar, but not what I got!

This book is told from multiple points of view which, although slightly confusing to begin with, quickly becomes necessary as you learn about the characters, their world, their situations and what lies ahead of them.

With an intricate and in-depth story, fascinating characters, backstories and plot twists, this was a thoroughly enjoyable Sci-Fi. This is a slow-burner of a book, don't expect to be swept away from the very beginning. However, if you stay with it, you will be pulled into this world, with it's class system and rules. By the time you are partway through, you will be completely bound to this book, needing to know what happens next.

With no editing or grammatical errors that jumped out at me, I would have no hesitation in recommending this.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
The Silent Patient
The Silent Patient
Alex Michaelides | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
5
8.3 (39 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bland and dry
I don’t quite understand what the whole hype is with this book.

It did go off to a good start and kept me interested in the story, but then it started taking a rather bland and dry turn. It started focusing on Theo’s obsession with Alicia and although it builds up to what happens to be a really good twist at the end, I didn’t think it was a great read.

Theo is just so unlikable and boring. There was nothing about him that really made the story stand out, he started getting annoying afterwards and as mentioned before, it wasn’t until literally the last few pages where the story blows up.

Yet as the plot progressed, you’re left wondering with what was going to happen next and it’s slowly drawn out and wasn’t grabbing my interest at all. The pace was slow, the plot was rather flat and coupled with an uninteresting main character definitely left the story lacking.

There seems to be a lot of positive reviews on this, but it’s just not for me. There’s much better suspense novels out there that held my interest more than this one.
  
Lord of the Last Heartbeat (The Sacred Dark #1)
Lord of the Last Heartbeat (The Sacred Dark #1)
May Peterson | 2019 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
LORD OF THE LAST HEARTBEAT is the first book in the Sacred Dark series, and we focus on Mio and Rhodry. Both of these have secrets and 'powers' that have an effect on their lives. Mio no longer wants to 'help' his mother, but can't see a way out. Rhodry is intrigued by the younger man, but fears trying anything due to the curse he is living under.

What a fantastical world Ms Peterson has invented, with a hint of American Civil War era, coupled with the English Victorian period, this was a great combination of worlds. And yes, I realise I may have the time periods wrong, but that is what it reminded me of!

I loved how the story for both Rhodry and Mio came out slowly, the reader learning bits and pieces of it until it all fell together. Their relationship was the same way, a slow burner with temptation and resistance.

This was an intriguing tale, with plenty of mystery and misdirection thrown in. An amazing cast of characters helps to move the story along.

A wonderful start to the series, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Absolutely recommended by me.
  
The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series Book 1) [Audiobook]
The Silence Before Dawn (WW2 Resistance Series Book 1) [Audiobook]
Amanda Lees | 2022 | History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook which, although a work of fiction, is based on the true stories of women secret agents during World War II.

As you can imagine, there is an abundance of tension as the Resistance and SOE (Special Operations Executive) undertake their dangerous missions with the ever present threat of being discovered by the Gestapo.

The main character of Marianne is excellent and such a strong character as, in fact, are the rest of the cast. What I particularly liked is that the central focus is on the female protagonists and it depicted their bravery, commitment and sense of duty excellently.

The story, as you can imagine given the subject matter, is intense but riveting and compelling and I cannot praise the narrator enough - what an excellent job Sofia Zervudachi has done; there are quite a lot of characters, both male and female, and she made each one unique.

This is the first in a series and I very much look forward to finding out what happens next and I must give my thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Silence Before Dawn.
  
Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1)
Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1)
Harlan Coben | 1995 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
7.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Myron Bolitar is an accomplished sports agent in New York City. He doesn't have very many clients, and the ones he does have aren't very big names. His newest client, Christian Steele has been signed by the Titans this year, but trouble seems to find Christian around every turn. A year ago, his fiancee went missing and now her father has turned up dead. What is the connection of these two incidents? How can Myron help clear Christian's name and find out what happened to Cathy? With the help of Myron's best friend, Win and his ex-girlfriend Jessica, who also happens to be Cathy's sister, they will get to the bottom of this no matter what they have to do, to get to the truth.

This book is the first in the Myron Bolitar series. We are introduced to Myron and his cohorts and find out about his background. I enjoy a good series and I can't wait to find out more about these characters.

This was a book that kept my attention the whole time. There are times when listening to an audio book that the story gets lost along the way. But not for this one. I found myself wanting to listen and find out what was going to happen next. I definitely didn't see the ending coming. I can't wait to see what Book 2 in the series has in store.
  
Tristan (The Hawks, #1)
Tristan (The Hawks, #1)
Jennie Lynn Roberts | 2021 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book, right? This book is bloody AMAZING!!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book, right? This book is bloody AMAZING!!

I mean, this is the author's first book, that I can see, and it blew me away, it really did.

It's told from Nim and Tristan's point of view, with two others getting a say for a short time. They have clear and concise voices, and you get the setting of this world in dribs and drabs. You do NOT get everything all at once, and I really loved being able to process every little bit as and when it came at me.

And you can process it, just in time for the next bit to be thrown at you. And I really LOVED getting thrown at! I can't tell you how much I love being able to take steps into a new world a bit at a time, I really can't.

There is something much bigger going on here, that is revealed, I'm sure. The clues are there, I think, but I'm not sure I put it all together in the way it's meant to be put together. I mean, SOME things are totally clear, but it's the other bits and pieces that are a little fuzzy and I love that they are, cos I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED the next book to make things unclear!

Tristan and Nim's story is dark and deadly, and somewhat graphic in it's violence in places, but it really is needed, for you to get what has happens to the Blues since the ambush and death of their king. There is passion and love here, but it's not especially explicit, but as much as the violence IS needed, the sex is NOT. You get all you need between Nim and Tristan with what is here.

The people in this world are varied and different, with their own skills and powers and traits unique to their race. Some hints about dragons and Nephilim. Wings for Nim, her brother Val and a couple of Tristan's men. Those things are just *there*, you know? You don't get a big long winded explanation, just Nim stretched her wings. And I loved that!

Like I said, I bloody LOVED this book, and if this really IS this author's first book, she nailed it! Absolutely NAILED it and I cannot wait to see what comes next. I know that Val is next, Nim's brother, and given what happens to him in this book, I think that one might be a much more difficult read.

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**