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Merissa (12669 KP) rated Everealm (Everealm, #1) in Books
Apr 16, 2023
This is a fantasy romance, with some very hot and steamy scenes, that do not overpower the story. The two main characters, Breestlin and Rowan, have loved each for a long time but were separated when their parents found out that they had 'been intimate'. Rowan's path takes a different turn from becoming the knight he expected, whilst Bree has suitor after suitor paraded in front of her. Luckily, she doesn't accept any of them, and her parents don't force the issue (which is good being as they married for love!)
Dagan and Sidonie are excellent characters who really add a certain 'va va voom' to the story. I actually wanted to hear more about Finn, but I'm hoping he will have his story in a later book. Silas is an evil character from the start. Although, for the most part, he is almost crude in his power plays, there is also a sly side to him that makes for a twisted story. All of the characters are well-developed, whether you like them or not, and the world-building is spot-on. Smoothly paced and well-written, this is a fantasy that will delight. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Wildfire, and am hoping it is just as good.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 29, 2015
Dagan and Sidonie are excellent characters who really add a certain 'va va voom' to the story. I actually wanted to hear more about Finn, but I'm hoping he will have his story in a later book. Silas is an evil character from the start. Although, for the most part, he is almost crude in his power plays, there is also a sly side to him that makes for a twisted story. All of the characters are well-developed, whether you like them or not, and the world-building is spot-on. Smoothly paced and well-written, this is a fantasy that will delight. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Wildfire, and am hoping it is just as good.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 29, 2015
Merissa (12669 KP) rated Chalvaren Rising (Kingdom of Chalvaren #2) in Books
May 5, 2023
Different worlds, dragons, elves, evil yet misguided women - what more could you ask for?
Now, this is the first 'full' book in the Kingdom of Chalvaren series, although there is the novella in which our two main characters meet. What made this book interesting for me is that they were already 'together' right at the start. So although I knew that things had moved quickly in the prequel, it actually made for fantastic reading as the two of them got to know each other and explored their feelings for each other. Trust me when I say those feelings run hot! Their relationship has the normal ups, downs and misunderstandings that occur when two people are trying to live together and that made for excellent reading. Throw in a world in chaos, with a crazy woman trying to resurrect the dead along with killing the dragons, you have an action-packed world, full of character and heart.
With a smooth, steady pace and excitement on every page, this is a wonderful Fantasy Action Romance. I know that there are two books in this series but I am really hoping for more. I loved the world of Chalvaren and hope to see more of it, and the dragons, in the future. Highly recommended for all fans of Fantasy!
* 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!
Nov 25, 2015
Now, this is the first 'full' book in the Kingdom of Chalvaren series, although there is the novella in which our two main characters meet. What made this book interesting for me is that they were already 'together' right at the start. So although I knew that things had moved quickly in the prequel, it actually made for fantastic reading as the two of them got to know each other and explored their feelings for each other. Trust me when I say those feelings run hot! Their relationship has the normal ups, downs and misunderstandings that occur when two people are trying to live together and that made for excellent reading. Throw in a world in chaos, with a crazy woman trying to resurrect the dead along with killing the dragons, you have an action-packed world, full of character and heart.
With a smooth, steady pace and excitement on every page, this is a wonderful Fantasy Action Romance. I know that there are two books in this series but I am really hoping for more. I loved the world of Chalvaren and hope to see more of it, and the dragons, in the future. Highly recommended for all fans of Fantasy!
* 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!
Nov 25, 2015
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Special Place in Hell: The World’s most Depraved Killers in Books
Nov 15, 2021
189 of 250
Book
A Special Place in Hell: The Worlds Most Depraved Killers
By Christopher Berry-Dee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
As compilations go it wasn’t too bad. I got a feeling it wasn’t a book he wanted to write he seemed a little wushu washy in parts of that makes sense. There were a few I’d never heard of in this and that’s why it’s a 3 star instead of a 2 as he seemed quite animated about these select few. I do have a few more of his book in my tbr pile so I will give him an go.
Book
A Special Place in Hell: The Worlds Most Depraved Killers
By Christopher Berry-Dee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
As compilations go it wasn’t too bad. I got a feeling it wasn’t a book he wanted to write he seemed a little wushu washy in parts of that makes sense. There were a few I’d never heard of in this and that’s why it’s a 3 star instead of a 2 as he seemed quite animated about these select few. I do have a few more of his book in my tbr pile so I will give him an go.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Sophie and the Odd Ones ( Sophie Feegle book 1) in Books
Dec 15, 2022
221 of 230
Kindle
Sophie and the Odd Ones ( Sophie Feegle book 1)
By Gwen DeMarco
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sophie Feegle needs a break. Rent is due on her crappy apartment and she's halfway through her last loaf of bread.
Sophie doesn't have big ambitions. She only wants a job that will keep her landlord off her back, enough extra cash for whiskey at the neighborhood bar and a bit of free time to hang out with the naughty old lady next door.
When a chance encounter with a quiet stranger leads to a job offer at the San Francisco City Morgue, Sophie jumps at the opportunity. She never expected to find her calling on the graveyard shift surrounded by dead bodies and the strange characters that make up the morgue's staff. Finding out that your friends and co-workers are shifters, ogres and other non-human creatures is a shock, but Sophie quickly realizes that these are her people, and she has finally found her perfect gig.
And then things get odd. Well… odder.
Unusual murders keep ending up on Sophie’s autopsy table, hinting at strange powers working within the city. Something nefarious is building in San Francisco, and it is up to Sophie and her friends to thwart the evil powers on the rise.
I absolutely loved this! It was funny and a refreshing enjoyable read. It was really good to see an author using the non apex predator shifters as the crime fighting team. If you’re looking for a supernatural fun read this is definitely recommended.
Kindle
Sophie and the Odd Ones ( Sophie Feegle book 1)
By Gwen DeMarco
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sophie Feegle needs a break. Rent is due on her crappy apartment and she's halfway through her last loaf of bread.
Sophie doesn't have big ambitions. She only wants a job that will keep her landlord off her back, enough extra cash for whiskey at the neighborhood bar and a bit of free time to hang out with the naughty old lady next door.
When a chance encounter with a quiet stranger leads to a job offer at the San Francisco City Morgue, Sophie jumps at the opportunity. She never expected to find her calling on the graveyard shift surrounded by dead bodies and the strange characters that make up the morgue's staff. Finding out that your friends and co-workers are shifters, ogres and other non-human creatures is a shock, but Sophie quickly realizes that these are her people, and she has finally found her perfect gig.
And then things get odd. Well… odder.
Unusual murders keep ending up on Sophie’s autopsy table, hinting at strange powers working within the city. Something nefarious is building in San Francisco, and it is up to Sophie and her friends to thwart the evil powers on the rise.
I absolutely loved this! It was funny and a refreshing enjoyable read. It was really good to see an author using the non apex predator shifters as the crime fighting team. If you’re looking for a supernatural fun read this is definitely recommended.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Grace ( The Revelations book 1) in Books
Aug 22, 2022
149 of 230
Kindle
Grace (The Revelations book 1)
By Leanne Rathbone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good and Evil...two absolutes that every person is taught about from a young age but what if the lines between the two suddenly blurred, what if everything you believed you knew changed in the blink of an eye?
These are the dilemmas that 17-year-old Grace Ayre suddenly finds herself facing. One fateful night a brutal attack leaves her best friend dead and her life changes in an instant. She's moved away from the life she had always known and thrown into the life of a loner in a remote village in the north of England.
An unnerving trip through a darkened cemetery sparks a series of events that make Grace question everything she knows about the world and more importantly, everything she knows about herself.
With her life in imminent danger will she discover enough about herself to change her future and will the elusive and mysterious Nate help or hinder her process?
Grace is a story of love, loss, friendship and discovering how one's fate can shape existence and how the lust for power can destroy it all.
I literally could not put this down! I started at 2am and it’s now 4:24am. It was addictive and I just could stop reading. The story, the characters and the fact it was set in the UK kept me hooked. As you may have guessed from previous books I’m an emotional reviewer and this was the perfect book for me. Absolutely loved it!
Kindle
Grace (The Revelations book 1)
By Leanne Rathbone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good and Evil...two absolutes that every person is taught about from a young age but what if the lines between the two suddenly blurred, what if everything you believed you knew changed in the blink of an eye?
These are the dilemmas that 17-year-old Grace Ayre suddenly finds herself facing. One fateful night a brutal attack leaves her best friend dead and her life changes in an instant. She's moved away from the life she had always known and thrown into the life of a loner in a remote village in the north of England.
An unnerving trip through a darkened cemetery sparks a series of events that make Grace question everything she knows about the world and more importantly, everything she knows about herself.
With her life in imminent danger will she discover enough about herself to change her future and will the elusive and mysterious Nate help or hinder her process?
Grace is a story of love, loss, friendship and discovering how one's fate can shape existence and how the lust for power can destroy it all.
I literally could not put this down! I started at 2am and it’s now 4:24am. It was addictive and I just could stop reading. The story, the characters and the fact it was set in the UK kept me hooked. As you may have guessed from previous books I’m an emotional reviewer and this was the perfect book for me. Absolutely loved it!
David McK (3547 KP) rated Thrawn Ascendancy Book II: Greater Good in Books
Sep 4, 2022
Timothy Zahn and Grand Admiral Thrawn go way back.
Back to the early 90s, when Zahn first introduced the character in Heir to the Empire, and 'kickstarted' the old Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU), now known as Star Wars: Legends.
Thrawn is one of the few characters (so far) mined from said EU and carried over the the Disney era of Star Wars, which is no surprise giving his popularity.
What may be slightly surprising, however, is (IMO) just how 'different' this version of the character feels: not better nor worse, just different. In the case of this novel (part 2 of a trilogy, after Chaos Rising but before Lesser Evil, what is also surprising is just how loosely connected to the rest of the Star Wars sandbox universe this is - I mean this as in there are no Jedi or Sith, no lightsabres, no Old Republic, no Seperatists, no Empire and no Rebellion.
Indeed, as before, the very opening sentence of the novel makes that clear: "A long time ago, beyond a galaxy far far away ..."
The Star Wars 'sandbox', of course, is more than big enough to accommodate such a departure, with those who have read part one of the trilogy knowing more of what to expect: Thrawn's tactical genius but political blindness, a few 'large scale' space battles and individuals in the Chiss family to which Thrawn belongs seeking to undermine him whilst other shadowy figures also have their own design for the Chiss Ascendency ...
Back to the early 90s, when Zahn first introduced the character in Heir to the Empire, and 'kickstarted' the old Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU), now known as Star Wars: Legends.
Thrawn is one of the few characters (so far) mined from said EU and carried over the the Disney era of Star Wars, which is no surprise giving his popularity.
What may be slightly surprising, however, is (IMO) just how 'different' this version of the character feels: not better nor worse, just different. In the case of this novel (part 2 of a trilogy, after Chaos Rising but before Lesser Evil, what is also surprising is just how loosely connected to the rest of the Star Wars sandbox universe this is - I mean this as in there are no Jedi or Sith, no lightsabres, no Old Republic, no Seperatists, no Empire and no Rebellion.
Indeed, as before, the very opening sentence of the novel makes that clear: "A long time ago, beyond a galaxy far far away ..."
The Star Wars 'sandbox', of course, is more than big enough to accommodate such a departure, with those who have read part one of the trilogy knowing more of what to expect: Thrawn's tactical genius but political blindness, a few 'large scale' space battles and individuals in the Chiss family to which Thrawn belongs seeking to undermine him whilst other shadowy figures also have their own design for the Chiss Ascendency ...
Skull's Vengeance (Curse of Clansmen and Kings #4)
Book
A Celtic warrior queen must do the impossible—defeat her sorcerer half-brother and claim the...
Historical Fantasy Ancient Rome Ancient Britannia
The Prisoner of Paradise (The Paradise Series #1)
Book
The world’s largest oil painting. A 400-year-old murder. A disembodied whisper: “Amore mio.”...
Commercial Thriller Historical Fiction Magical Realism
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2318 KP) rated Forbidden City in Books
Mar 2, 2022 (Updated Mar 2, 2022)
Spying and Chess
While on a recent mission, Paris discovered some bonus intel, and that turns out to be a valuable find. It leads MI6 to believe that the evil organization Umbra is going to kidnap one of North Korea’s nuclear scientists. If MI6 wants to get him to defect first, they need to find a way to approach him. Given North Korea’s secrecy and security, that won’t be easy. However, the scientist’s son is a top chess player, and he is planning to enter a couple of international tournaments. So Paris tries to upgrade his own chess skills so he can join the tournaments. Will Paris and the rest of the team be able to make contact with the scientist? Is he even interested in defecting?
Having enjoyed the first two in this series, I was looking forward to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is Paris’s time to shine, but all the other characters get their own smaller moments, and I continue to love their relationships. We get some surprising advancement on one series plot thread, although others are only mentioned in passing. I do feel like the other books in the series had a bit more action, but with all the angles the teams uses to approach their mission, I was never bored. We get a few laughs along the way, and even when we aren’t laughing, it’s just fun to be around the characters. Fans will enjoy this latest book. I’m already looking forward to their next mission.
Having enjoyed the first two in this series, I was looking forward to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is Paris’s time to shine, but all the other characters get their own smaller moments, and I continue to love their relationships. We get some surprising advancement on one series plot thread, although others are only mentioned in passing. I do feel like the other books in the series had a bit more action, but with all the angles the teams uses to approach their mission, I was never bored. We get a few laughs along the way, and even when we aren’t laughing, it’s just fun to be around the characters. Fans will enjoy this latest book. I’m already looking forward to their next mission.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Ferns Flight ( Sisters of Hex: Fern book 3) in Books
May 2, 2022
76 of 230
Kindle
Ferns Flight ( Sisters of Hex: Fern book 3)
By Bea Paige
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
With her Angels of Death by her side, Fern must lead Clan Vitae to war. But can she become the leader they need, when there's so much at stake?
Fern must lead her clan to war, but it would appear the evil Queen Adrielle has other ideas. Can she save her clan from the Queen's wrath or will she have nothing more than a little hope to fight the darkness? Read the thrilling conclusion to Fern's trilogy to find out!
Fern's Flight is the final book of Fern's trilogy and continues the Sisters of Hex story. To get a full picture of the overarching storyline you might wish to read Accacia's trilogy first.
The Sisters of Hex series - five sisters, five clans, one curse and a whole host of paranormal creatures.
Holy crap it all happens In This book!! It ran packed with drama, action and a little bit of spice! This has to be hands down my favourite one in the series. I know it’s a good book when towards the end you get that itchy feeling yes I’m very strange lol. Fern and her men really picked up in this book as well as the familiar faces from the first trilogy with Accacia and her vamps. Bea Paige has this way of drawing you in! Definitely recommend both this series and author although I can’t see anything for the next set of books.
Kindle
Ferns Flight ( Sisters of Hex: Fern book 3)
By Bea Paige
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
With her Angels of Death by her side, Fern must lead Clan Vitae to war. But can she become the leader they need, when there's so much at stake?
Fern must lead her clan to war, but it would appear the evil Queen Adrielle has other ideas. Can she save her clan from the Queen's wrath or will she have nothing more than a little hope to fight the darkness? Read the thrilling conclusion to Fern's trilogy to find out!
Fern's Flight is the final book of Fern's trilogy and continues the Sisters of Hex story. To get a full picture of the overarching storyline you might wish to read Accacia's trilogy first.
The Sisters of Hex series - five sisters, five clans, one curse and a whole host of paranormal creatures.
Holy crap it all happens In This book!! It ran packed with drama, action and a little bit of spice! This has to be hands down my favourite one in the series. I know it’s a good book when towards the end you get that itchy feeling yes I’m very strange lol. Fern and her men really picked up in this book as well as the familiar faces from the first trilogy with Accacia and her vamps. Bea Paige has this way of drawing you in! Definitely recommend both this series and author although I can’t see anything for the next set of books.