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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Ion Fury in Video Games
Aug 16, 2019
Back in the 90s before the days of High-Speed Internet, 3D Graphics Cards, and other gaming technologies that we take for granted was Duke Nukem 3D. The game was developed by Voidpoint, in association with 3D Realms and 1C Publishing on the Build Engine and became a big hit in large part to the action, character, and interactive features of the game which were fairly new at the time.
Other games such as Shadow Warrior and Blood followed which were powered by this technology but it soon became a thing of the past as games such as Quake set the new standards for graphics and online play and with the advent of 3D acceleration; pixelated graphics became a thing of the past.
What was once old is now new again as 3D Realms have returned with a new game called Ion Fury. While Duke and Shadow Warrior have spawned sequels and remakes using modern gaming features and graphics Ion Fury takes a step back by giving gamers the look, sound, and feel of a game from the 90s.
Playing as Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison; players must take on the evil Dr. Jadus Heskel and his army of Cyber-Cultists.
While the look of the game may be retro there are many features that were not possible back in the day such as auto saves, improved physics, headshots, and more; the game is a fast-paced and action-packed shooter that more than holds its own with any of the recent entries into the genre.
While I had played the preview mission about a year ago, the full game did take a bit of adjustment as some things simply do not play like a modern game would. There can be some clipping issues, and enemy A.I. can be erratic. But the awesome array of weapons from your Loverboy pistol to Shotguns, Machine Guns, Chain Guns, and Grenade Launchers are more than enough to cut enemies down to size. You will need this and more such as your Seeking Grenades and Mines as the game throws lots of enemies at you and as you progress they become more abundant, varied, and dangerous.
Ion Fury is filled with numerous secret areas and Pop Culture references from the lines your character says to all sorts of locales and situations that arise. There are also some clever call backs to earlier games as I noticed the Bloody Handprint from BLOOD, the Ying/Yang Symbol from Shadow Warrior, and Duke’s Atomic symbol at various times.
The game mixes indoor and outdoor locales well including an Academy, Subway, Mansion, and of course the secret lab filled with all sorts of evil experiments.
The game is also filled with several puzzles as well as a few very annoying times jumps that had me cursing at their difficulty on more than one occasion. There were also plenty of long levels where you had to find alternate ways into rooms to obtain Key Cards to unlock other areas and keep the action moving. There was a decent supply of health and Body Armor along the way and it never was unappreciated as enemies would either swarm or attack from hiding frequently.
As I played the game I moved past the nostalgia and became really focused on the story and the action. I was able to look past the older graphics and gameplay and remember just how fun this type of game was and how we would spend hours online playing games like this.
Sadly this is not an option in Ion Fury at the time as the game is missing a Multiplay segment. We had done an interview for the game over a year ago; and we were of the understanding that this would be a part of the final release but sadly it is not. I had hoped to relive some of classic Deathmatch games of old.
The game is affordable as it is set to sell at $19.99 and considering I have over 14 hours of gameplay to complete the game; it more than delivers and I did not even find all of the secret areas each level offers.
In the end if you are in the mood for some retro action; then Ion Fury is one that you will not want to miss.
4 stars out of 5
http://sknr.net/2019/08/14/ion-fury/
Other games such as Shadow Warrior and Blood followed which were powered by this technology but it soon became a thing of the past as games such as Quake set the new standards for graphics and online play and with the advent of 3D acceleration; pixelated graphics became a thing of the past.
What was once old is now new again as 3D Realms have returned with a new game called Ion Fury. While Duke and Shadow Warrior have spawned sequels and remakes using modern gaming features and graphics Ion Fury takes a step back by giving gamers the look, sound, and feel of a game from the 90s.
Playing as Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison; players must take on the evil Dr. Jadus Heskel and his army of Cyber-Cultists.
While the look of the game may be retro there are many features that were not possible back in the day such as auto saves, improved physics, headshots, and more; the game is a fast-paced and action-packed shooter that more than holds its own with any of the recent entries into the genre.
While I had played the preview mission about a year ago, the full game did take a bit of adjustment as some things simply do not play like a modern game would. There can be some clipping issues, and enemy A.I. can be erratic. But the awesome array of weapons from your Loverboy pistol to Shotguns, Machine Guns, Chain Guns, and Grenade Launchers are more than enough to cut enemies down to size. You will need this and more such as your Seeking Grenades and Mines as the game throws lots of enemies at you and as you progress they become more abundant, varied, and dangerous.
Ion Fury is filled with numerous secret areas and Pop Culture references from the lines your character says to all sorts of locales and situations that arise. There are also some clever call backs to earlier games as I noticed the Bloody Handprint from BLOOD, the Ying/Yang Symbol from Shadow Warrior, and Duke’s Atomic symbol at various times.
The game mixes indoor and outdoor locales well including an Academy, Subway, Mansion, and of course the secret lab filled with all sorts of evil experiments.
The game is also filled with several puzzles as well as a few very annoying times jumps that had me cursing at their difficulty on more than one occasion. There were also plenty of long levels where you had to find alternate ways into rooms to obtain Key Cards to unlock other areas and keep the action moving. There was a decent supply of health and Body Armor along the way and it never was unappreciated as enemies would either swarm or attack from hiding frequently.
As I played the game I moved past the nostalgia and became really focused on the story and the action. I was able to look past the older graphics and gameplay and remember just how fun this type of game was and how we would spend hours online playing games like this.
Sadly this is not an option in Ion Fury at the time as the game is missing a Multiplay segment. We had done an interview for the game over a year ago; and we were of the understanding that this would be a part of the final release but sadly it is not. I had hoped to relive some of classic Deathmatch games of old.
The game is affordable as it is set to sell at $19.99 and considering I have over 14 hours of gameplay to complete the game; it more than delivers and I did not even find all of the secret areas each level offers.
In the end if you are in the mood for some retro action; then Ion Fury is one that you will not want to miss.
4 stars out of 5
http://sknr.net/2019/08/14/ion-fury/
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Music Man in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Music Man by Moonyani Write is Written in a very different style, with no long paragraphs. Each sentence seems to be tarted on a different line, at least the dialogue is written this way. I recommend reading this book at a slower pace, there is no need to rush through it. In fact if you rush while reading this book there is a good chance that the reader wll miss things. Over all this book is a good way to kill some time.
A young boy by the name of Jimmy runs away from home on a cold day. He finds himself knocking on the door of the Music Man asking to come out of the cold. Jimmy and the Music Man find that they both have a love for music, especially melodies. With the help of a few neighbors, they bring the Music Man's piano downstairs from the attic. Then while playing a song together that the Music Man wrote on his piano they are magically transported to another world.
In this new world, the Music Man is a famous conductor who is scheduled to perform a concert in a few days. There is another conductor called Hornsbury who is using his music to possess people in an attempt to take over the world, one town at a time. Now Jimmy and his new friends must set out to stop Hornsbury. They travel to the town that Hornsbury came from in search of answers while the Music Man stays in Harmony town with his new friend Olivia. In the course of trying do defeat Hornsbuy it becomes clear that not everyone living in Harmony is exactly who they claim they are.
What I liked best was the lessons this story offers. All the characters go through some kind transformation and many experience personal growth. The happy ending, although expect was still a nice touch even with all the twists along the way. What I didn't like was the style itself, in fact, it was a major negative for me. I lost track of who was talking to who frequently because of the lack of paragraphs. The lack of paragraphs also caused me to get confused when the story shifted from Jimmny to Hornsbury. It was also extremely anti-climatic during the big battle at the end and did not build tension very well.
The target readers for this book are young teens. To be honest I would not recommend this book to teens with a high reading level. The content and subject matter should not be a problem if younger
readers would like to give this book a try as well. On face value the book may seem a bit on the longer side but readers should not let this intimidate them because it really is not that long of a book. I rate this book 2 out of 4. This is because while the story itself was decent the writing felt inconsistent. The style it was written in made it choppy to read. There were also times when it would be nicely detailed and then vague all in the same chapter.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
A young boy by the name of Jimmy runs away from home on a cold day. He finds himself knocking on the door of the Music Man asking to come out of the cold. Jimmy and the Music Man find that they both have a love for music, especially melodies. With the help of a few neighbors, they bring the Music Man's piano downstairs from the attic. Then while playing a song together that the Music Man wrote on his piano they are magically transported to another world.
In this new world, the Music Man is a famous conductor who is scheduled to perform a concert in a few days. There is another conductor called Hornsbury who is using his music to possess people in an attempt to take over the world, one town at a time. Now Jimmy and his new friends must set out to stop Hornsbury. They travel to the town that Hornsbury came from in search of answers while the Music Man stays in Harmony town with his new friend Olivia. In the course of trying do defeat Hornsbuy it becomes clear that not everyone living in Harmony is exactly who they claim they are.
What I liked best was the lessons this story offers. All the characters go through some kind transformation and many experience personal growth. The happy ending, although expect was still a nice touch even with all the twists along the way. What I didn't like was the style itself, in fact, it was a major negative for me. I lost track of who was talking to who frequently because of the lack of paragraphs. The lack of paragraphs also caused me to get confused when the story shifted from Jimmny to Hornsbury. It was also extremely anti-climatic during the big battle at the end and did not build tension very well.
The target readers for this book are young teens. To be honest I would not recommend this book to teens with a high reading level. The content and subject matter should not be a problem if younger
readers would like to give this book a try as well. On face value the book may seem a bit on the longer side but readers should not let this intimidate them because it really is not that long of a book. I rate this book 2 out of 4. This is because while the story itself was decent the writing felt inconsistent. The style it was written in made it choppy to read. There were also times when it would be nicely detailed and then vague all in the same chapter.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
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Dana (24 KP) rated Blood and Salt (Blood and Salt, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
Once again, I am giving the old spoiler alert right at the beginning, so you have been warned.
I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of a three star review.
Okay, so now onto the actual review. I found this book very interesting. Though I was expecting something more like a thriller and/or horror novel, this was more like a non-scary cult novel. But it was not as creepy as I had hoped. I wanted to be terrified, but instead I was left without much of an emotional response at all.
This book reminded me, in a lot of ways, of that movie Children of the Corn. I don't really know why because the plot is not the same, but I think because it was set in the middle of a corn field that ate people with a cult in the middle of it. (Side note: I am not a fan of that movie, but my friends made me watch it with them. I found the movie quite boring, to be honest.)
Ash was an okay main character. I mean, she was strong, in a way, but she wasn't particularly striking in many ways. She, like many other young adult heroines, falls in love with the wrong guy, then gets betrayed by him, but unlike some of those other heroines, she doesn't really do much about it. Yes, she gets angry, but it almost feels like she is about to forgive him immediately. That didn't particularly make sense to me because if she was really pissed at him, I doubt she would forgive him that quickly.
Rhys was kinda annoying, to me. Yes, he is the twin brother so he is going to feel protective of his sister, but he refused to listen to anyone but himself. There is also the fact that, even though he sees all this magic stuff around him, he doesn't believe in it. Plus, to top it all off, he thinks his sister and his mother are crazy just because he thinks differently. I was not a fan of any of this. He is discounting the women in his family because he does not know how to deal with what he cannot see.
I wasn't a fan of Dane either, to be honest. He didn't help Ash as much as he said he was and when she would come to him for help, he would brush it off as if it didn't matter. He was kind of an ass.
The whole Katia plot was a bit weak. I saw it coming from a mile away, but I did enjoy the bits with Marie (her daughter). Whenever Marie was in a scene, even though she hardly talked, the scene, to me, got a whole lot more interesting. I loved seeing Ash try to figure out what the hell was going on with her.
I am not sure where I stand with the whole "light and dark" blood with Ash and Rhys. It seems a bit strange, but I think I can be okay with it if it is explained more in the next book.
Also, the magic as a whole has not been fully fleshed out and I hope to see more of it in the next book. I feel like there was a lot briefly touched on, but not fully explained.
All in all, I am looking forward to the next book, if only to see what the hell is going to happen next. The characters, while not my favorite, have the potential to grow into who they are and be developed more. I did not hate this book, but going with that, it wasn't my favorite book either. I am giving it the extra half-star because it has the potential to become something really cool in the next book.
Speaking of: The Last Harvest comes out 7 February 2017.
I am actually giving this book a 3.5 stars instead of a three star review.
Okay, so now onto the actual review. I found this book very interesting. Though I was expecting something more like a thriller and/or horror novel, this was more like a non-scary cult novel. But it was not as creepy as I had hoped. I wanted to be terrified, but instead I was left without much of an emotional response at all.
This book reminded me, in a lot of ways, of that movie Children of the Corn. I don't really know why because the plot is not the same, but I think because it was set in the middle of a corn field that ate people with a cult in the middle of it. (Side note: I am not a fan of that movie, but my friends made me watch it with them. I found the movie quite boring, to be honest.)
Ash was an okay main character. I mean, she was strong, in a way, but she wasn't particularly striking in many ways. She, like many other young adult heroines, falls in love with the wrong guy, then gets betrayed by him, but unlike some of those other heroines, she doesn't really do much about it. Yes, she gets angry, but it almost feels like she is about to forgive him immediately. That didn't particularly make sense to me because if she was really pissed at him, I doubt she would forgive him that quickly.
Rhys was kinda annoying, to me. Yes, he is the twin brother so he is going to feel protective of his sister, but he refused to listen to anyone but himself. There is also the fact that, even though he sees all this magic stuff around him, he doesn't believe in it. Plus, to top it all off, he thinks his sister and his mother are crazy just because he thinks differently. I was not a fan of any of this. He is discounting the women in his family because he does not know how to deal with what he cannot see.
I wasn't a fan of Dane either, to be honest. He didn't help Ash as much as he said he was and when she would come to him for help, he would brush it off as if it didn't matter. He was kind of an ass.
The whole Katia plot was a bit weak. I saw it coming from a mile away, but I did enjoy the bits with Marie (her daughter). Whenever Marie was in a scene, even though she hardly talked, the scene, to me, got a whole lot more interesting. I loved seeing Ash try to figure out what the hell was going on with her.
I am not sure where I stand with the whole "light and dark" blood with Ash and Rhys. It seems a bit strange, but I think I can be okay with it if it is explained more in the next book.
Also, the magic as a whole has not been fully fleshed out and I hope to see more of it in the next book. I feel like there was a lot briefly touched on, but not fully explained.
All in all, I am looking forward to the next book, if only to see what the hell is going to happen next. The characters, while not my favorite, have the potential to grow into who they are and be developed more. I did not hate this book, but going with that, it wasn't my favorite book either. I am giving it the extra half-star because it has the potential to become something really cool in the next book.
Speaking of: The Last Harvest comes out 7 February 2017.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Scream 4 (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Over a decade ago, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson breathed new life into what had become a very stagnant horror genre with the release of Scream. The film was a clever twist on the killer-on-the-loose theme that had dominated the genre since the 80s and scored huge with audiences who loved the twists and turns of the film as well as the characters who quoted rules for surviving a horror film. With the huge success of the film, two sequels followed. But by the time Scream 3 was released, the series had lost its momentum and was becomeing the very cliche of a horror film that the series had originally made fun of.
Now in 2011, Craven and Williamson have returned with Scream 4, which is the planned first film in a new trilogy for the series with hopes to breath new life in a genre that has once again grown stale with ghost films and the so-called torture porn of the Saw films. Scream 4 is set 10 years after the events of the first film, and with a new book to promote, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), has returned to Woodsboro as a best-selling author, thanks to her book on self-empowerment, a direct result of her experiences in the previous three films.
The return of Sidney is a happy moment for Sherrif Dewey Riley (David Arquette), but not so much for his wife Gale (Courtney Cox), who is facing a bad case of writer’s block and is not exactly thrilled with her fade from the spotlight and life as the wife of the sheriff in the small town. Things get shaken up when a couple of gruesome murders are discovered and before long Sidney is being targeted by a killer who seems to be repeating the pattern of killing that had haunted her in the past.
When the killer strikes again and taunts Sidney with a disturbing phone call, Gale sees the chance to regain her former glory and despite the wishes of her husband Dewey, sets out to solve the mystery of the killer before it is too late.
What follows is a twisting and turning plot that has you seeing suspects everywhere as the body count piles up.
The film introduces some new faces into the series and Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts make the best of their roles and actually bring some depth to their characters. Of course there are numerous horror and pop culture references in the film which not only lighten the tension but help with the plot. The killings are graphic and the mix of comedy and horror is in good balance. As usual, people are really dumb just before they get theirs and do not do things like phone for help, take a safer route, and so on, but the film is still enjoyable from a horror fan’s perspective.
There are some nice celebrity cameos in the film and while the film did drag a bit in the final act before the conclusion, the film did redeem itself in the end. While it is not in danger of being cited for a deep plot, original story, or deep characters with wide character arcs, Scream 4 knows who its target audience is and what the audience expects. Some may say the series stayed away top long and has lost its edge and simply repeats the pattern and plot lines we’ve seen in the previous films. In the end, despite some issues, Scream 4 delivers a welcome return to the franchise and paves the way for future sequels in a manner which should delight fans of the genre and franchise.
Now in 2011, Craven and Williamson have returned with Scream 4, which is the planned first film in a new trilogy for the series with hopes to breath new life in a genre that has once again grown stale with ghost films and the so-called torture porn of the Saw films. Scream 4 is set 10 years after the events of the first film, and with a new book to promote, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), has returned to Woodsboro as a best-selling author, thanks to her book on self-empowerment, a direct result of her experiences in the previous three films.
The return of Sidney is a happy moment for Sherrif Dewey Riley (David Arquette), but not so much for his wife Gale (Courtney Cox), who is facing a bad case of writer’s block and is not exactly thrilled with her fade from the spotlight and life as the wife of the sheriff in the small town. Things get shaken up when a couple of gruesome murders are discovered and before long Sidney is being targeted by a killer who seems to be repeating the pattern of killing that had haunted her in the past.
When the killer strikes again and taunts Sidney with a disturbing phone call, Gale sees the chance to regain her former glory and despite the wishes of her husband Dewey, sets out to solve the mystery of the killer before it is too late.
What follows is a twisting and turning plot that has you seeing suspects everywhere as the body count piles up.
The film introduces some new faces into the series and Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts make the best of their roles and actually bring some depth to their characters. Of course there are numerous horror and pop culture references in the film which not only lighten the tension but help with the plot. The killings are graphic and the mix of comedy and horror is in good balance. As usual, people are really dumb just before they get theirs and do not do things like phone for help, take a safer route, and so on, but the film is still enjoyable from a horror fan’s perspective.
There are some nice celebrity cameos in the film and while the film did drag a bit in the final act before the conclusion, the film did redeem itself in the end. While it is not in danger of being cited for a deep plot, original story, or deep characters with wide character arcs, Scream 4 knows who its target audience is and what the audience expects. Some may say the series stayed away top long and has lost its edge and simply repeats the pattern and plot lines we’ve seen in the previous films. In the end, despite some issues, Scream 4 delivers a welcome return to the franchise and paves the way for future sequels in a manner which should delight fans of the genre and franchise.
Merissa (14173 KP) rated Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) in Books
May 7, 2018
Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) by Annabeth Albert
Squared Away is the fifth book in the Out of Uniform series, but can be read as a standalone, as I did. However, I must say that now I have found out what an exceptional writer Annabeth Albert is, it won't be the last book of hers I read!
Isaiah is a bit of a 'flirt', and at eighteen he decides he is going to lose his V-card to a SEAL at his brother's wedding. However Mark, the SEAL, isn't interested in just being 'someone' to sleep with, and so tells Isaiah he isn't gay or interested. He then manages to avoid Isaiah for the next five years, although he still hears about Isaiah's exploits. Trust me, he is no longer a card-carrying member! These two get thrown together by tragedy, and are both left in charge of three children. This story revolves around the decisions they make, and how they learn to love and live together, whilst loving three mini-humans who demand so much time.
Squared Away is a complex love story that goes so slow it is completely and utterly scintillating. I wondered how it would work with Isaiah's reputation, but it was simply amazing. Yes, his reputation bites him in the ass, but with Mark, he goes slow - and it is beautiful. There are reasons for this as Mark is demisexual. We find out exactly what this means for Mark, and the struggles he has, both with it and with being scared to want more with Isaiah. Oh man, this is so good. I mean, seriously! The chemistry between these two melted my kindle, and I loved every word. It is heart-breaking, it is beautiful.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, Squared Away is an exceptional story, told by a brilliant author. Her style of writing is realistic, with plenty of complex emotions and situations. Life doesn't always go smoothly, but it can be worth the effort you put in to a difficult situation. Absolutely amazing, and I am now putting more books by this author on my T-B-R list! You'd be a fool not to read this one.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Isaiah is a bit of a 'flirt', and at eighteen he decides he is going to lose his V-card to a SEAL at his brother's wedding. However Mark, the SEAL, isn't interested in just being 'someone' to sleep with, and so tells Isaiah he isn't gay or interested. He then manages to avoid Isaiah for the next five years, although he still hears about Isaiah's exploits. Trust me, he is no longer a card-carrying member! These two get thrown together by tragedy, and are both left in charge of three children. This story revolves around the decisions they make, and how they learn to love and live together, whilst loving three mini-humans who demand so much time.
Squared Away is a complex love story that goes so slow it is completely and utterly scintillating. I wondered how it would work with Isaiah's reputation, but it was simply amazing. Yes, his reputation bites him in the ass, but with Mark, he goes slow - and it is beautiful. There are reasons for this as Mark is demisexual. We find out exactly what this means for Mark, and the struggles he has, both with it and with being scared to want more with Isaiah. Oh man, this is so good. I mean, seriously! The chemistry between these two melted my kindle, and I loved every word. It is heart-breaking, it is beautiful.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, Squared Away is an exceptional story, told by a brilliant author. Her style of writing is realistic, with plenty of complex emotions and situations. Life doesn't always go smoothly, but it can be worth the effort you put in to a difficult situation. Absolutely amazing, and I am now putting more books by this author on my T-B-R list! You'd be a fool not to read this one.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Debbiereadsbook (1818 KP) rated Frostbite (The Gifted Ones #1) in Books
Apr 11, 2019
first I've read of this author, I need more!
Verified Amazon purchase March 2019
Dorian has been dreaming of and hearing the song of the wolf who can only be his mate. Drawn to the mountains that are nestled in his friend Tobias’ lands, he has no choice but to go. There is, though, the small matter of Frostbite, a semi-legend slash horror story about a white wolf who has been killing alpha wolves. But Cyrus has been defending himself, and Dorian is, in his eyes, another threat. When Dorian is unaffected my Cyrus’ magic, he knows that Dorian is his mate. There is just the fact of whether he WANTS a mate, and whether Tobias will accept him into the pack, legends and all.
I came across book two of this series on social media, I forget which. THAT book was free, and this one was only 99p, (27/03/19) so I grabbed them both and I am so glad I did!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
It’s sufficiently different to make it interesting, with the alpha male wolves being able to have children with females, but only their FATED MATE can be male. Dorian was married to a human woman; they had a child who died. Cyrus never had any children, he didn’t to pass the horror of HIS childhood upon another.
Dorian KNOWS Cyrus is his mate, he can hear his sorrow and loneliness in his song. Cyrus, however, needs to come to Dorian. CYRUS needs to ask to join the pack. Tobias is, to be fair, quite a . . .laid back Alpha. Well, laid back til you cross his pack and put anyone in it in danger. He accepts Cyrus, and the other omegas take him under his wing. Cyrus had been without anyone for a long time. Now he has a MATE, and a PACK that has accepted him, and his story. And when Cyrus’ past comes to attack that family and pack, they all gather up, and show Cyrus just what that means.
We are introduced to the legend of Diablo, which is book two and we are given hints about Tobias, who is maybe not just wolf, but just WHAT, that remains to be seen!
First I’ve read of this author, I need more!
A thoroughly enjoyable, well worth the 99p I paid for it, read.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Dorian has been dreaming of and hearing the song of the wolf who can only be his mate. Drawn to the mountains that are nestled in his friend Tobias’ lands, he has no choice but to go. There is, though, the small matter of Frostbite, a semi-legend slash horror story about a white wolf who has been killing alpha wolves. But Cyrus has been defending himself, and Dorian is, in his eyes, another threat. When Dorian is unaffected my Cyrus’ magic, he knows that Dorian is his mate. There is just the fact of whether he WANTS a mate, and whether Tobias will accept him into the pack, legends and all.
I came across book two of this series on social media, I forget which. THAT book was free, and this one was only 99p, (27/03/19) so I grabbed them both and I am so glad I did!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
It’s sufficiently different to make it interesting, with the alpha male wolves being able to have children with females, but only their FATED MATE can be male. Dorian was married to a human woman; they had a child who died. Cyrus never had any children, he didn’t to pass the horror of HIS childhood upon another.
Dorian KNOWS Cyrus is his mate, he can hear his sorrow and loneliness in his song. Cyrus, however, needs to come to Dorian. CYRUS needs to ask to join the pack. Tobias is, to be fair, quite a . . .laid back Alpha. Well, laid back til you cross his pack and put anyone in it in danger. He accepts Cyrus, and the other omegas take him under his wing. Cyrus had been without anyone for a long time. Now he has a MATE, and a PACK that has accepted him, and his story. And when Cyrus’ past comes to attack that family and pack, they all gather up, and show Cyrus just what that means.
We are introduced to the legend of Diablo, which is book two and we are given hints about Tobias, who is maybe not just wolf, but just WHAT, that remains to be seen!
First I’ve read of this author, I need more!
A thoroughly enjoyable, well worth the 99p I paid for it, read.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated The Dare (Detective Natalie Ward #3) in Books
May 22, 2019
When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesnt come straight home from school, as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm.
Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward whose daughter Leigh is the same age as Savannah. Soon Natalies worst fears are confirmed when the teenagers broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as the net is closing around him, one of Savannahs friends, Harriet, is reported missing.
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours.
But Natalie isnt quick enough for this killer, and she is devastated to find Harriets body on a fly tip a day later.
Caught up in the case, she takes her eye off her own daughter and when Leigh goes missing after school she knows she must be in terrible danger. The clock is ticking for Natalie. Can she catch this killer before her little girl becomes the next victim?
This is the third book in Carol Wyers British 'Detective Natalie Ward' series.
The Dare opens with the disappearance of thirteen year-old Savannah Hopkins. She recently moved to this new town with her mother Jane. Savannah simply doesnt return home after school one day. The next day her body is found, and the thriller is off and running. Other seemingly random teen-aged girls disappear after Savannah. Detective Ward and her team is frustratingly one step behind the killer as the body count increases. But its certainly not for lack of trying on their part.
The plot, as always, was plausible, as we dont always know what our children are doing when not at home. We dont know what they are doing on their mobile devices, or who their friends are. It is a scary time for parents. Carol Wyer incorporated those fears into this book, and she did a great job!
I liked the additional perspective of the killer occasionally being thrown in. Definitely made it interesting to know his thoughts.
I highly recommend this book, I can't wait for book 4..
Thank-You to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Carol Wyer; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book.
Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward whose daughter Leigh is the same age as Savannah. Soon Natalies worst fears are confirmed when the teenagers broken body is found in nearby shrubland.
Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as the net is closing around him, one of Savannahs friends, Harriet, is reported missing.
As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours.
But Natalie isnt quick enough for this killer, and she is devastated to find Harriets body on a fly tip a day later.
Caught up in the case, she takes her eye off her own daughter and when Leigh goes missing after school she knows she must be in terrible danger. The clock is ticking for Natalie. Can she catch this killer before her little girl becomes the next victim?
This is the third book in Carol Wyers British 'Detective Natalie Ward' series.
The Dare opens with the disappearance of thirteen year-old Savannah Hopkins. She recently moved to this new town with her mother Jane. Savannah simply doesnt return home after school one day. The next day her body is found, and the thriller is off and running. Other seemingly random teen-aged girls disappear after Savannah. Detective Ward and her team is frustratingly one step behind the killer as the body count increases. But its certainly not for lack of trying on their part.
The plot, as always, was plausible, as we dont always know what our children are doing when not at home. We dont know what they are doing on their mobile devices, or who their friends are. It is a scary time for parents. Carol Wyer incorporated those fears into this book, and she did a great job!
I liked the additional perspective of the killer occasionally being thrown in. Definitely made it interesting to know his thoughts.
I highly recommend this book, I can't wait for book 4..
Thank-You to NetGalley; the publisher, Bookouture; and the author, Carol Wyer; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Island (Hidden Iceland #2) in Books
Jun 5, 2019
After reading the previous Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir story (The Darkness) of which I really enjoyed, I was pleased to be offered this book to review by Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) via NetGalley. Here’s my review:
In The Island Ragnar brings back CID member Hulda of the Reykjavik police with another case to solve. One surrounding four young adults who have decided to take a weekend away in a remote and deserted part of of Elliðaey island off the Icelandic coast. Strange because they’d not seen each other for ten years, and even stranger still, one is married with kids and it’s odd that she’d just go on a mini-break with old school friends she’d not seen for years when they hadn’t really kept in contact all that time. Stranger still, once they meet up again, there’s a fatal accident and when they wake up one morning a girl’s missing. She’s only gone and fallen off a cliff and killed herself.
Or was she pushed? *Strokes chin in a very Sherlock way*
What is the connection between these four people? And why did they decide to meet up after ten years? I don’t know about you, but I was dying to find out! Okay, maybe not dying, I don’t want the author to put me in one of his stories only to kill me off – but I was keen!
My thoughts? Ragnar has written an intriguing and clever plot where two stories (past and present) fold into one. Running along beside Hulda’s crime solving antics, there’s a chance to discover more about her private life, her dark past, and her wish to find her own father of whom she’s never known.
I thoroughly enjoyed solving this crime with Hulda. I found the bittersweet ending (of which more than one character received) was brilliantly crafted. How an author writes a book with so much detail, I’ll never know but Jónasson is very good at it!
Nordic fiction can be as bleak as the setting, but that’s the beauty of these unforgiving scenes! I love how the isolated island, along with the terrain and the weather, helps to weave suspense and atmosphere into the story, just as much as the characters involved. What an entertaining, and cleverly crafted Nordic Noir! Looking forward to reading The Mist the third of Jónasson’s Hidden Iceland series. It can’t come fast enough!
In The Island Ragnar brings back CID member Hulda of the Reykjavik police with another case to solve. One surrounding four young adults who have decided to take a weekend away in a remote and deserted part of of Elliðaey island off the Icelandic coast. Strange because they’d not seen each other for ten years, and even stranger still, one is married with kids and it’s odd that she’d just go on a mini-break with old school friends she’d not seen for years when they hadn’t really kept in contact all that time. Stranger still, once they meet up again, there’s a fatal accident and when they wake up one morning a girl’s missing. She’s only gone and fallen off a cliff and killed herself.
Or was she pushed? *Strokes chin in a very Sherlock way*
What is the connection between these four people? And why did they decide to meet up after ten years? I don’t know about you, but I was dying to find out! Okay, maybe not dying, I don’t want the author to put me in one of his stories only to kill me off – but I was keen!
My thoughts? Ragnar has written an intriguing and clever plot where two stories (past and present) fold into one. Running along beside Hulda’s crime solving antics, there’s a chance to discover more about her private life, her dark past, and her wish to find her own father of whom she’s never known.
I thoroughly enjoyed solving this crime with Hulda. I found the bittersweet ending (of which more than one character received) was brilliantly crafted. How an author writes a book with so much detail, I’ll never know but Jónasson is very good at it!
Nordic fiction can be as bleak as the setting, but that’s the beauty of these unforgiving scenes! I love how the isolated island, along with the terrain and the weather, helps to weave suspense and atmosphere into the story, just as much as the characters involved. What an entertaining, and cleverly crafted Nordic Noir! Looking forward to reading The Mist the third of Jónasson’s Hidden Iceland series. It can’t come fast enough!