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Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated I'm Lost I'm Lost in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Im Lost Im Lost by Ruth Passmore is a little bit on the misleading side. The cover of this book depicts animals and a train. Potential readers should be aware that although the front cover depicts a train the book has absolutely nothing to do with them (a big disappointment to my two-year-old who loves trains). I know you should never judge a book by its cover by a childrens book may not be the best idea to practice that idea. At the same time, this is a counting book and aside from the numbers on the train cars, the front cover does not hint at this at all, although the back of the book dose.
Baby animals are lost and trying to find their way home in this short counting book. Readers start with a classical animal issue, a cat stuck in a tree. With the aid of very simple illustrations, readers are introduced to nine other animal species, ending with ten baby kangaroos.
What I liked best it that the idea behind this book is great. Counting is a fundamental skill that all children must learn and this book does so in a fun way. Children frequently have a fascination with animals and this book mixes animals with learning in a way children would not notice. The repetitive pattern is also nice for children. What I did not like is that some of the choices in animal types are questionable as they could be difficult for young children to read such as tortoises, hedgehogs, and kangaroos. Also on six out of ten pages, a specific number of animals is given but technically it is wrong. For example page, one says there is one cat stuck and a friend (witch according to the picture is also a cat) helps it, the same issue arises on multiple pages (page three has four fish on it not just the three that are lost). This is very confusing to young children.
Toddlers and their parents are the target readers for this book. Parents will enjoy reading this counting book to their young children. Young readers will enjoy the repetitive pattern of the story. The names of some animals may prove difficult to some young readers and they may need help if reading it on their own. I give this book a 1 out of 2 rating. Although a cute book, I would not necessarily recommend it as an educational book. While there is nothing wrong with the text, the illustrations could be confusing when it comes to counting.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
Baby animals are lost and trying to find their way home in this short counting book. Readers start with a classical animal issue, a cat stuck in a tree. With the aid of very simple illustrations, readers are introduced to nine other animal species, ending with ten baby kangaroos.
What I liked best it that the idea behind this book is great. Counting is a fundamental skill that all children must learn and this book does so in a fun way. Children frequently have a fascination with animals and this book mixes animals with learning in a way children would not notice. The repetitive pattern is also nice for children. What I did not like is that some of the choices in animal types are questionable as they could be difficult for young children to read such as tortoises, hedgehogs, and kangaroos. Also on six out of ten pages, a specific number of animals is given but technically it is wrong. For example page, one says there is one cat stuck and a friend (witch according to the picture is also a cat) helps it, the same issue arises on multiple pages (page three has four fish on it not just the three that are lost). This is very confusing to young children.
Toddlers and their parents are the target readers for this book. Parents will enjoy reading this counting book to their young children. Young readers will enjoy the repetitive pattern of the story. The names of some animals may prove difficult to some young readers and they may need help if reading it on their own. I give this book a 1 out of 2 rating. Although a cute book, I would not necessarily recommend it as an educational book. While there is nothing wrong with the text, the illustrations could be confusing when it comes to counting.
https://nightreaderreviews.blogspot.com
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) in Movies
Aug 5, 2019 (Updated Aug 6, 2019)
Genocide, Shmenocide.
Hobbs and Shaw had an easy job, we have these two great characters that have already been set up for us in other movies so all they needed to do was let them loose in an over the top action spectacle that knows exactly what it is. So why does what we actually got feel like an overlong, overstuffed film with characters (the reason why we are here) that aren't likeable anymore?. Is it the banter thats either worn thin or feels like its trying to hard, the scenes full of characters constantly explaining the plot or whats going to happen, the paint by numbers villain with generic motives or the many random nods to pop culture and other popular things that people like that didnt do anything but make me feel like a carrot is being dangled in front of us the entire time or im watching a peter kay stand up. Answer is im not sure but i know one thing, for every part of this movie i found cool or fun two more things popped up and dragged my enjoyment down. Action set pieces are really cool and well very well filmed with great scale/destruction and the movie overall has a 90s/commando action movie style i really enjoyed which might of worked at an hour and a half but just when you think its over another useless 40 minutes are then tagged on the end and the film becomes basically a big Dwayne Johnson advertisement. Yes i get it he has roots and the tribe thing going on, he has big muscles, he was a wrestler and he has a big tribal tattoo but why does that have to be an integral part of every films plot that he's in nowadays?. I'm just bored of seeing it now and id rather they cut the movie shorter and had a tighter film overall or explored the villain a bit more to be honest. I really did say find some enjoyment in Hobbs and Shaw (especially the action) but it was let down to often elsewhere. Statham steals the show here and clearly tries to have fun with his character but Idris Elba feels wasted as a villain and theres no tension or threat at all when your two leads seem invincible. Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Heart were also totaly unnecessary as was that Italian Job connection. Id say see it for the action scene at about 1h 40m in but other than that is sadly very veru forgettable and a little boring.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Strike Me Down in Books
Apr 23, 2020
This was certainly an intriguing book with an interesting premise. Nora and her firm are given only a few days to find the money missing from Strike's coffers. Strike is run and controlled solely by Logan and Greg, without outside influence from shareholders. As such, they are self-made. But that's also made them vulnerable to such a theft. I honestly would have liked to see more of the forensic accounting pieces--I'm a big dork. For instance, Nora's company has a computer named Inga who searches emails for clues and patterns. I would have been fine seeing and learning more about Inga at work.
"Five days. Twenty million dollars. The pressure was indisputably on."
The book, however, was focused more on personalities, with much of the story told via Nora and Greg's eyes. This would have been fine, but I never really felt much of a connection with either of these characters. Or Logan Russo, either, despite her portrayal as a dynamic, forceful heroine who has impacted a generation of kickboxers and athletes. Nora makes a series of bad decisions and seems oddly obsessed with Logan for no real reason--a weird focus that is never really explained. She has a past that has led her to her role in forensic accounting, but it never really leads to much in the end. Greg is a focused businessman on the outs with his wife, and I never felt much sympathy with him. And Logan, as mentioned, who is supposed to be the core of this book, just falls flat until nearly the end of the novel.
"For forty years she'd been invisible, a quality she'd not only taken for granted, but turned into her greatest asset. She was the unseen eye, the counter nobody counted, who wove numbers into dark and avaricious stories."
Overall, the book is just weird. I feel bad putting that in a review without much further explanation, but I don't want to put spoilers. It's strange. Yes, it's compelling, in some ways, but I never felt like I needed to get back to reading it. I was interested about what happened to the money, but also had a good inkling early on about what really went down (and was proved right). Maybe if you connect more with the characters, this will be a true page-turner. It's still a tense read and different, for sure. I did enjoy the ending, and I actually felt something for the characters there. Therefore, this one squeaks by at 3 stars.
"Five days. Twenty million dollars. The pressure was indisputably on."
The book, however, was focused more on personalities, with much of the story told via Nora and Greg's eyes. This would have been fine, but I never really felt much of a connection with either of these characters. Or Logan Russo, either, despite her portrayal as a dynamic, forceful heroine who has impacted a generation of kickboxers and athletes. Nora makes a series of bad decisions and seems oddly obsessed with Logan for no real reason--a weird focus that is never really explained. She has a past that has led her to her role in forensic accounting, but it never really leads to much in the end. Greg is a focused businessman on the outs with his wife, and I never felt much sympathy with him. And Logan, as mentioned, who is supposed to be the core of this book, just falls flat until nearly the end of the novel.
"For forty years she'd been invisible, a quality she'd not only taken for granted, but turned into her greatest asset. She was the unseen eye, the counter nobody counted, who wove numbers into dark and avaricious stories."
Overall, the book is just weird. I feel bad putting that in a review without much further explanation, but I don't want to put spoilers. It's strange. Yes, it's compelling, in some ways, but I never felt like I needed to get back to reading it. I was interested about what happened to the money, but also had a good inkling early on about what really went down (and was proved right). Maybe if you connect more with the characters, this will be a true page-turner. It's still a tense read and different, for sure. I did enjoy the ending, and I actually felt something for the characters there. Therefore, this one squeaks by at 3 stars.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Jul 4, 2020
Honestly, if you put a gun to my head and asked me to recite what actually happens either Olympus Has Fallen or London Has Fallen, then I'd be shit out of luck. The recent third entry Angel Has Fallen will be no different in a week or two...
It's not awful (some of the action is fairly entertaining) but it's so by the numbers and boring. Jesus Christ, even Nick Nolte doing his by-now-expected-crazy-old-guy schtick is tiresome after roughly 5 seconds.
The plot revolves around Gerard Butler's Mike Banning, who is high up in the White Houses security detail, being framed for an assassination attempt on the President (Morgan Freeman). He is then chased down by the FBI, whilst he tries to figure out who is actually behind it, take them down, and clear his name.
I don't even need to spoil who the bad guys are because it's painfully obvious from the precise second we meet them.
I don't mind Gerard Butler by any means, but he seems to be phoning it in at this point, as he goes through the motions and runs through a gauntlet of action movie cliches - including but not limited to:
- a dramatic dimly lit and gun heavy opening scene that is blatantly a training excercise
- the hero throwing down an effective weapon to face of with the villain in hand to hand
- the hero walking away from an important family conversation at a pivotal moment to go and do hero stuff
- Danny Huston playing a smug arsehole
- A political sub plot involving Russia that doesn't actually go anywhere
Etc, etc.
I, like most people, love a good bit of Morgan Freeman, but unfortunately, they did a Leia on him and just had him in a coma for most of the film, yaaaaay. Jada Pinkett-Smith is in here somewhere as well, but I can't even remember what happens to her.
Just to top it all off, some of the effects work in this is terrible by any standard, but considering it's a big budget action film, it's pretty embarrassing.
I mean, I can be a miserable bastard sometimes, and I appreciate that maybe I'm railing too hard on a film that should just be a dumb popcorn film, but honestly, Angel Has Fallen feels like the result of someone forcing a bot to sit through the first two, and then produce a script for a sequel.
It's not awful (some of the action is fairly entertaining) but it's so by the numbers and boring. Jesus Christ, even Nick Nolte doing his by-now-expected-crazy-old-guy schtick is tiresome after roughly 5 seconds.
The plot revolves around Gerard Butler's Mike Banning, who is high up in the White Houses security detail, being framed for an assassination attempt on the President (Morgan Freeman). He is then chased down by the FBI, whilst he tries to figure out who is actually behind it, take them down, and clear his name.
I don't even need to spoil who the bad guys are because it's painfully obvious from the precise second we meet them.
I don't mind Gerard Butler by any means, but he seems to be phoning it in at this point, as he goes through the motions and runs through a gauntlet of action movie cliches - including but not limited to:
- a dramatic dimly lit and gun heavy opening scene that is blatantly a training excercise
- the hero throwing down an effective weapon to face of with the villain in hand to hand
- the hero walking away from an important family conversation at a pivotal moment to go and do hero stuff
- Danny Huston playing a smug arsehole
- A political sub plot involving Russia that doesn't actually go anywhere
Etc, etc.
I, like most people, love a good bit of Morgan Freeman, but unfortunately, they did a Leia on him and just had him in a coma for most of the film, yaaaaay. Jada Pinkett-Smith is in here somewhere as well, but I can't even remember what happens to her.
Just to top it all off, some of the effects work in this is terrible by any standard, but considering it's a big budget action film, it's pretty embarrassing.
I mean, I can be a miserable bastard sometimes, and I appreciate that maybe I'm railing too hard on a film that should just be a dumb popcorn film, but honestly, Angel Has Fallen feels like the result of someone forcing a bot to sit through the first two, and then produce a script for a sequel.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Another Round (2020) in Movies
Apr 21, 2021
Interesting...but the ending did not resonate
Films have a tendency to fall on one of 2 sides when their subject matter is drinking, partying and alchoholism - (1) “They’re just a bunch of partying fun people” or (2) “They’re drinking to cover up emotions they don’t want to deal with and, eventually, it will lead to their ruin”.
Danish Director Thomas Vinterberg was the surprise Oscar nominee for his direction in the film ANOTHER ROUND (a film he also co-wrote) as he attempted the noble feat of straddling these two sides.
And…the result is an admirable attempt that falls just shy of being good.
Starring the great Mads Mikkelsen (the villain in the first DR. STRANGE film), ANOTHER ROUND tells the tale of 4 Danish High School teachers who are stuck in a rut (call it a mid-life crisis) and come up with the idea of being slightly drunk all of the time to elevate their lives.
The first half of the film flirts with “Frat Boy Party” territory as the 4 friends embark on the quest to see if staying slightly drunk elevates them. The results are quite mixed with moments of joy and triumph mixed in with some cringe-inducing moments. But then Vinterberg mines the “dark side” of alcoholism and the film takes a dark - and more interesting turn - only to have another turn at the end that just didn’t work for me.
Mikkelsen, of course, is quite good in the central role of Martin - the family man in mid-life depression crisis that kicks into “Frat Boy” mode when drinking “just enough”. His character switches back and forth between these 2 modes and Mikkelsen handles these changes like the terrific actor that he is.
His 3 friends played by Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe and Thomas Bo Larson are all equally depressed and switch back and forth right along with Martin. Unfortunately, none of these 3 have the “it” factor of Mikkelsen, so are really kept in his shadow - with the possible exception of a few moments by Larson.
This is the first film I have seen from Vinterberg, but what I have read about him is that this film pretty much sums up his career. An interesting idea, told fairly well with an ending that doesn’t really land. And that’s what I thought of this film. I’m glad I saw it, but it will fade after a time, as the ending just didn’t provide enough depth to keep ANOTHER ROUND with me for long.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Danish Director Thomas Vinterberg was the surprise Oscar nominee for his direction in the film ANOTHER ROUND (a film he also co-wrote) as he attempted the noble feat of straddling these two sides.
And…the result is an admirable attempt that falls just shy of being good.
Starring the great Mads Mikkelsen (the villain in the first DR. STRANGE film), ANOTHER ROUND tells the tale of 4 Danish High School teachers who are stuck in a rut (call it a mid-life crisis) and come up with the idea of being slightly drunk all of the time to elevate their lives.
The first half of the film flirts with “Frat Boy Party” territory as the 4 friends embark on the quest to see if staying slightly drunk elevates them. The results are quite mixed with moments of joy and triumph mixed in with some cringe-inducing moments. But then Vinterberg mines the “dark side” of alcoholism and the film takes a dark - and more interesting turn - only to have another turn at the end that just didn’t work for me.
Mikkelsen, of course, is quite good in the central role of Martin - the family man in mid-life depression crisis that kicks into “Frat Boy” mode when drinking “just enough”. His character switches back and forth between these 2 modes and Mikkelsen handles these changes like the terrific actor that he is.
His 3 friends played by Magnus Millang, Lars Ranthe and Thomas Bo Larson are all equally depressed and switch back and forth right along with Martin. Unfortunately, none of these 3 have the “it” factor of Mikkelsen, so are really kept in his shadow - with the possible exception of a few moments by Larson.
This is the first film I have seen from Vinterberg, but what I have read about him is that this film pretty much sums up his career. An interesting idea, told fairly well with an ending that doesn’t really land. And that’s what I thought of this film. I’m glad I saw it, but it will fade after a time, as the ending just didn’t provide enough depth to keep ANOTHER ROUND with me for long.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated I'll Find You in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this story is Emily, a nurse, who is struggling with the loss of her sister Zoe. Zoe has been missing for over a year, and Emily still keeps looking for her. The rest is covered by the blurb pretty accurately. Emily is a very disturbed character, she has mental health issues and is trying to cling to normality very hard, but life keeps throwing unusual situations at her. I think Emily is a very interesting and unique character, and I did like her baffled but a very strong personality.
The narrative of this book is told from multiple perspectives, including the thoughts of a police officer – Geraldine, who shares her opinion about Emily and her situations. I was not a very big fan of Geraldine, she was quite boring and didn’t bring much to this story. The book was a slow burner for me, there is a lot of thinking done in this book, and I liked that sometimes, the author was trying to confuse the reader by suggesting ideas. This novel does carry some interesting twists and turns, and that made the book livelier. Author’s experience is shining through in this novel, she explains all the procedures done to the patients in great detail, and her knowledge about Bath is felt very strongly. The topics discussed in this book would be grief when your family member disappears; difficult child-parent relationships; mental health issues etc.
I am not really sure whether I liked the writing style of this book. I think it was quite repetitive, very detailed, and characters kept asking questions in the search for the answers. (I prefer to ask the questions myself) The chapters have a very decent length and do fly by quite quickly. I really liked the culmination in this novel, it was very unexpected and surprising. I really liked the ending of this book as well, I think it rounded up the story very nicely.
So, to conclude, this book carries a lot of grief, insecurities and confusion between what is real and what is not. The narrative is layered, unexpected, and I really had the urge to find out where Emily will be taken by all these events in her life. I think this book would be enjoyable for people interested in medicine and the fans of Shari Lapena. (I see some similarities between the writing styles) Do give this book a try, and I hope you will enjoy it!
The narrative of this book is told from multiple perspectives, including the thoughts of a police officer – Geraldine, who shares her opinion about Emily and her situations. I was not a very big fan of Geraldine, she was quite boring and didn’t bring much to this story. The book was a slow burner for me, there is a lot of thinking done in this book, and I liked that sometimes, the author was trying to confuse the reader by suggesting ideas. This novel does carry some interesting twists and turns, and that made the book livelier. Author’s experience is shining through in this novel, she explains all the procedures done to the patients in great detail, and her knowledge about Bath is felt very strongly. The topics discussed in this book would be grief when your family member disappears; difficult child-parent relationships; mental health issues etc.
I am not really sure whether I liked the writing style of this book. I think it was quite repetitive, very detailed, and characters kept asking questions in the search for the answers. (I prefer to ask the questions myself) The chapters have a very decent length and do fly by quite quickly. I really liked the culmination in this novel, it was very unexpected and surprising. I really liked the ending of this book as well, I think it rounded up the story very nicely.
So, to conclude, this book carries a lot of grief, insecurities and confusion between what is real and what is not. The narrative is layered, unexpected, and I really had the urge to find out where Emily will be taken by all these events in her life. I think this book would be enjoyable for people interested in medicine and the fans of Shari Lapena. (I see some similarities between the writing styles) Do give this book a try, and I hope you will enjoy it!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
May 17, 2020
Thinly written and directed
A rainy weekend is the perfect time to catch up with films that I meant to see in the Cineplex, but just didn't get around to it. So it was with some excitement that I flipped on the "Women Run The Mafia" movie THE KITCHEN from 2019.
I should have watched 21 BRIDGES.
Based on the DC/VERTIGO graphic novel, THE KITCHEN is set in the late 1970's in NYC and offers up the "what if" scenario of 3 women that take over the Mafia. A pretty interesting premise that could have been the GODFATHER or GOODFELLA's of the day (or...at least...another WIDOWS from 2018), but instead THE KITCHEN falls flat like the all female GHOSTBUSTERS from a few year's ago.
A star of that Ghostbuster's film, Melissa McCarthy leads the cast as Kathy Brennan, the wife of a mobster who was sent to jail and becomes the leader of the group. McCarthy has shown that she has the "chops" as an actress to tackle this role, but she never really gets there. There is no real depth or emotional stakes to her character throughout the course of the film. The screenplay (and McCarthy's performance) does pick up at the end, but by then, it is too little, too late. Also not fairing well is comedienne Tiffany Hadish as Ruby O'Carroll - an African-American female trying to dominate in a predominately white male world. Again...this character had potential, but the writing and, quite frankly, Hadish's performance just didn't quite succeed.
What did succeed is the always excellent Elisabeth Moss as the 3rd part of this triumvirate. Her "mousy, abused housewife turned stone cold killer" was interesting to watch - especially when paired with Domhnall Gleeson's assassin about 1/2 way through the movie. I wanted to watch a movie with these 2 criminals on the run.
I've mentioned the weak writing as part the issue here, so I'll have to mention first time Veteran Writer and first-time Director Andrea Berloff as the main culprit here. She wrote STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON so she has it in her, but here, the screenplay and characterizations are "thin". Perhaps, a good Director could have made something out of this, but she also made her Directing debut with this film, so it just didn't work well enough.
This isn't a bad film, it just isn't a very good - or very interesting - one.
Letter Grade B- (for the Moss/Gleeson portion of this film)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
I should have watched 21 BRIDGES.
Based on the DC/VERTIGO graphic novel, THE KITCHEN is set in the late 1970's in NYC and offers up the "what if" scenario of 3 women that take over the Mafia. A pretty interesting premise that could have been the GODFATHER or GOODFELLA's of the day (or...at least...another WIDOWS from 2018), but instead THE KITCHEN falls flat like the all female GHOSTBUSTERS from a few year's ago.
A star of that Ghostbuster's film, Melissa McCarthy leads the cast as Kathy Brennan, the wife of a mobster who was sent to jail and becomes the leader of the group. McCarthy has shown that she has the "chops" as an actress to tackle this role, but she never really gets there. There is no real depth or emotional stakes to her character throughout the course of the film. The screenplay (and McCarthy's performance) does pick up at the end, but by then, it is too little, too late. Also not fairing well is comedienne Tiffany Hadish as Ruby O'Carroll - an African-American female trying to dominate in a predominately white male world. Again...this character had potential, but the writing and, quite frankly, Hadish's performance just didn't quite succeed.
What did succeed is the always excellent Elisabeth Moss as the 3rd part of this triumvirate. Her "mousy, abused housewife turned stone cold killer" was interesting to watch - especially when paired with Domhnall Gleeson's assassin about 1/2 way through the movie. I wanted to watch a movie with these 2 criminals on the run.
I've mentioned the weak writing as part the issue here, so I'll have to mention first time Veteran Writer and first-time Director Andrea Berloff as the main culprit here. She wrote STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON so she has it in her, but here, the screenplay and characterizations are "thin". Perhaps, a good Director could have made something out of this, but she also made her Directing debut with this film, so it just didn't work well enough.
This isn't a bad film, it just isn't a very good - or very interesting - one.
Letter Grade B- (for the Moss/Gleeson portion of this film)
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Kourtney Becraft (1 KP) rated Princess of souls in Books
Dec 8, 2022
Book: Princess of Souls
Author: Alexandra Christo
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 352
Published: October 11th 2022
Main Characters: Selestra and Nox
I loved the fantasy novel Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo. It was a great read. I decided to read it because it sounded intresting. I also chose to read this novel because I love retellings. I really love the cover too it's what caught my attention and pulled me in. The book starts off slow but slowly starts to get intresting a couple chapters in. Three important characters in this book are the heir Selestra Somniatis, Seryth king of the Six Isles, sand Officer Nox Laederic of Thánatos regiment. Officer Nox Laederic is the king's favorite. Also King Serth had been trying to conquer Southerisle Polemistes is the only one left not bowing down to king after he killed their king. When Officer Nox goes to make the bargain with the king his prediction shows his and Selestra Somniatis death. I hope you enjoy reading this book I sure did.
Now here's some important quotes from the start of the book so I don't spoil the rest of the book for y'all:
1. "I can tell someone when they're going to die. All I need is a lock of hair and their soul."..."That's the job of a Somiatis Witch."
Thoughts on the quote: This job seems interesting but must be hard
2. "At sixteen, I'm still just an heir to my true power, waiting for the day I inherit my family's magic."
Thoughts on this quote: It must be really hard to wait for your true self to kick in.
3. "Somniatis witches are like siphons. We draw in energy and let it pass through us. Energy like death that we call into our veins and let wet our lips. It's what gives us our visions and allows us to take the soulsof the doomed and pour them into the king.
It's cursed magic but it's the only magic left in the six Isles.
My family saw to that."
This quote is important.
4. "Heirs to magic are useless until they reach their eighteenth birthday and are bound to the king by the blood oath, ready to be taught the true essence of magic and trained to take over once the old witch dies. Until then I am Irrelevant."
Thoughts: It must be hard.
5. "Each year only two hundred are allowed to enter into the bargain and risk their souls."
Author: Alexandra Christo
Genre: Fantasy
Number of Pages: 352
Published: October 11th 2022
Main Characters: Selestra and Nox
I loved the fantasy novel Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo. It was a great read. I decided to read it because it sounded intresting. I also chose to read this novel because I love retellings. I really love the cover too it's what caught my attention and pulled me in. The book starts off slow but slowly starts to get intresting a couple chapters in. Three important characters in this book are the heir Selestra Somniatis, Seryth king of the Six Isles, sand Officer Nox Laederic of Thánatos regiment. Officer Nox Laederic is the king's favorite. Also King Serth had been trying to conquer Southerisle Polemistes is the only one left not bowing down to king after he killed their king. When Officer Nox goes to make the bargain with the king his prediction shows his and Selestra Somniatis death. I hope you enjoy reading this book I sure did.
Now here's some important quotes from the start of the book so I don't spoil the rest of the book for y'all:
1. "I can tell someone when they're going to die. All I need is a lock of hair and their soul."..."That's the job of a Somiatis Witch."
Thoughts on the quote: This job seems interesting but must be hard
2. "At sixteen, I'm still just an heir to my true power, waiting for the day I inherit my family's magic."
Thoughts on this quote: It must be really hard to wait for your true self to kick in.
3. "Somniatis witches are like siphons. We draw in energy and let it pass through us. Energy like death that we call into our veins and let wet our lips. It's what gives us our visions and allows us to take the soulsof the doomed and pour them into the king.
It's cursed magic but it's the only magic left in the six Isles.
My family saw to that."
This quote is important.
4. "Heirs to magic are useless until they reach their eighteenth birthday and are bound to the king by the blood oath, ready to be taught the true essence of magic and trained to take over once the old witch dies. Until then I am Irrelevant."
Thoughts: It must be hard.
5. "Each year only two hundred are allowed to enter into the bargain and risk their souls."
Debbiereadsbook (1749 KP) rated Bon Appetit (Paddle Creek Daddies #7) in Books
Feb 18, 2026
these boys like to play with their food!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 7 in the Paddle Creek Daddies series, but you can read them all as stand alones books with characters popping up in other books.
This book came with a tag : ALL 👏 the 👏 food 👏 smeggs 👏👏👏 And OMG it's bloody DELICIOUS!!!
August and Tallis have been married for 15 years, Tallis is a Master and August a Daddy. For August's birthday, Tallis finds a boy for the weekend, for August to treat and Tallis to control the situation, since that's HIS thing. Oliver never had any experience with any sort of kink and kinda jumps in with two feet. It was only supposed to be for the weekend, but none of them really want to let go.
This book, right?? Is bloody delicious and I didn't want it to end! It's so much fun! And there is a huge amount of inappropriate use of food (my mind flashes back to candy canes!)
Tallis and August love each other, but they are very open to playing with others, together and alone provided all details are talked about after. I loved that level of trust and communication between those two. The communication continues with Oliver but the trust grows rapidly. I loved that Tallis talked it all through with Oliver before he let Oliver say yes he would join them for the weekend.
I loved the chemistry, right from the start, between these three. Tallis likes to be in control. August likes to spoil his boy. Oliver lets both men do what they need to do, but Oliver also sparks some things in both men they did not see coming.
I am well aware these sorts of relationship develop fast, and these men know what they want after that weekend, but their follow-up, to show Oliver they mean business?? OOOF! Hawt!!
I loved that Oliver was their little treat and that both men used that name often. It's really sweet and it totally fits Oliver!
I could go on and on and onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn about how much I loved this book, so I'll wrap up, before the review ends up as long as the book!
Sweet, and so very VERY smexy. Some emotions involved but nothing too heavy. No 3rd act break up and I loved that!
5 full and covered in honey, chocolate sauce, sushi rolls and eclair cream (I'm seeing candy canes again! I may never eat an eclair again!!) stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 7 in the Paddle Creek Daddies series, but you can read them all as stand alones books with characters popping up in other books.
This book came with a tag : ALL 👏 the 👏 food 👏 smeggs 👏👏👏 And OMG it's bloody DELICIOUS!!!
August and Tallis have been married for 15 years, Tallis is a Master and August a Daddy. For August's birthday, Tallis finds a boy for the weekend, for August to treat and Tallis to control the situation, since that's HIS thing. Oliver never had any experience with any sort of kink and kinda jumps in with two feet. It was only supposed to be for the weekend, but none of them really want to let go.
This book, right?? Is bloody delicious and I didn't want it to end! It's so much fun! And there is a huge amount of inappropriate use of food (my mind flashes back to candy canes!)
Tallis and August love each other, but they are very open to playing with others, together and alone provided all details are talked about after. I loved that level of trust and communication between those two. The communication continues with Oliver but the trust grows rapidly. I loved that Tallis talked it all through with Oliver before he let Oliver say yes he would join them for the weekend.
I loved the chemistry, right from the start, between these three. Tallis likes to be in control. August likes to spoil his boy. Oliver lets both men do what they need to do, but Oliver also sparks some things in both men they did not see coming.
I am well aware these sorts of relationship develop fast, and these men know what they want after that weekend, but their follow-up, to show Oliver they mean business?? OOOF! Hawt!!
I loved that Oliver was their little treat and that both men used that name often. It's really sweet and it totally fits Oliver!
I could go on and on and onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn about how much I loved this book, so I'll wrap up, before the review ends up as long as the book!
Sweet, and so very VERY smexy. Some emotions involved but nothing too heavy. No 3rd act break up and I loved that!
5 full and covered in honey, chocolate sauce, sushi rolls and eclair cream (I'm seeing candy canes again! I may never eat an eclair again!!) stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Night Olivia Fell in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Wow!
I had been wanting to read The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald for awhile. I was beyond thrilled when I was able to borrow the eBook from my library. Luckily, the book lived up to the hype I had built in my mind.
I found the plot of The Night Olivia Fell to be very intriguing and well written. There were so many feelings with this novel. I enjoyed reading things from Abi's perspective and then going back in time to read flashbacks in Olivia's perspective. I found myself trying to decide if Olivia really was murdered or if she killed herself. There were so many times I thought I had figured out who pushed Olivia just to be wrong. I did find myself hoping that by some miracle, Olivia would go back to being the same before she fell off the bridge. (Hope springs eternal with me.) This was more than just the mystery of Olivia's fall. Olivia was also trying to figure out who her father was, and there was also Olivia's blossoming romance with Derrick. There were a few plot twists which were enjoyable. My only complaint is that I wish there would have been information on the court case. I just felt that I needed closure and to make sure justice was served. Other than that, I felt like the story was written perfectly.
I felt that the characters in The Night Olivia Fell were very fleshed out and realistic. My heart went out to both Olivia and Abi. I could understand how Abi just wanted to make sure Olivia was safe and doing well, but I could also sympathize with out Olivia felt like Abi was smothering her a lot of the time. Olivia was very much like a typical teenager to begin with, but once she found out she was pregnant, I felt like she really blossomed. Olivia would have been an excellent mother, and it was sweet to see how she was willing to protect her unborn baby. Abi just wanted what was best for Olivia being as she was a single mother. She worked her behind off to make sure Olivia was okay. It was obvious how much Abi loved Olivia. Kendall was a bit of a wild card. I liked her, but I was always wondering if she had an endgame. Gavin was another wild card. I wanted to believe he wouldn't stoop so low as to hurt a young innocent girl, but then the more I read about him, the more I wasn't sure of his character. I started out feeling sorry for Tyler with how much he had going on with him, but I was glad that Olivia chose Derek. Derek seemed to be really sweet, and it was sad that people judged him based on a some stretched truths.
The pacing was done brilliantly for The Night Olivia Fell. Not once did I ever feel like the story dragged on or was becoming too predictable. I felt as if each page was an adventure which made this book an easy read.
Trigger warnings for The Night Olivia Fell include violence, threats, blackmail, profanity, and a semi-graphic sex scene between a 17 year old girl and her boyfriend.
All in all, The Night Olivia Fell was a great read! It had such an interesting plot as well as fantastically written characters. This book grabs you by the hand and never lets you go. I would definitely recommend The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald to those aged 17+. It's one of those books that leaves you thinking about it long after you've finished it.
I found the plot of The Night Olivia Fell to be very intriguing and well written. There were so many feelings with this novel. I enjoyed reading things from Abi's perspective and then going back in time to read flashbacks in Olivia's perspective. I found myself trying to decide if Olivia really was murdered or if she killed herself. There were so many times I thought I had figured out who pushed Olivia just to be wrong. I did find myself hoping that by some miracle, Olivia would go back to being the same before she fell off the bridge. (Hope springs eternal with me.) This was more than just the mystery of Olivia's fall. Olivia was also trying to figure out who her father was, and there was also Olivia's blossoming romance with Derrick. There were a few plot twists which were enjoyable. My only complaint is that I wish there would have been information on the court case. I just felt that I needed closure and to make sure justice was served. Other than that, I felt like the story was written perfectly.
I felt that the characters in The Night Olivia Fell were very fleshed out and realistic. My heart went out to both Olivia and Abi. I could understand how Abi just wanted to make sure Olivia was safe and doing well, but I could also sympathize with out Olivia felt like Abi was smothering her a lot of the time. Olivia was very much like a typical teenager to begin with, but once she found out she was pregnant, I felt like she really blossomed. Olivia would have been an excellent mother, and it was sweet to see how she was willing to protect her unborn baby. Abi just wanted what was best for Olivia being as she was a single mother. She worked her behind off to make sure Olivia was okay. It was obvious how much Abi loved Olivia. Kendall was a bit of a wild card. I liked her, but I was always wondering if she had an endgame. Gavin was another wild card. I wanted to believe he wouldn't stoop so low as to hurt a young innocent girl, but then the more I read about him, the more I wasn't sure of his character. I started out feeling sorry for Tyler with how much he had going on with him, but I was glad that Olivia chose Derek. Derek seemed to be really sweet, and it was sad that people judged him based on a some stretched truths.
The pacing was done brilliantly for The Night Olivia Fell. Not once did I ever feel like the story dragged on or was becoming too predictable. I felt as if each page was an adventure which made this book an easy read.
Trigger warnings for The Night Olivia Fell include violence, threats, blackmail, profanity, and a semi-graphic sex scene between a 17 year old girl and her boyfriend.
All in all, The Night Olivia Fell was a great read! It had such an interesting plot as well as fantastically written characters. This book grabs you by the hand and never lets you go. I would definitely recommend The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald to those aged 17+. It's one of those books that leaves you thinking about it long after you've finished it.