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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Kiss of Steel in Books
Sep 6, 2017
Well paced plot and action (3 more)
Great dialogue
Fleshed out characters
Amazing world-building
Victorian Steampunk with vampires, mechs, and werewolves. AND AWESOME.
Holy crap. I have only read the first two of this series – I have three more to read. (My Lady Quicksilver, Forged By Desire, and Of Silk and Steam, with a second series in the same universe called The Blue Blood Conspiracy.) (Edit: I have now read three and four, and they are also excellent!)
THESE ARE SO GOOD.
Victorian Steampunk in London with vampires, mechs, and werewolves (sort of) with romance, a political conspiracy plot, and plenty of action? YES PLEASE. These books are excellently written, with a hefty plot that moves at a perfect pace. Both romances have been very believable and intertwined seamlessly with the larger world’s plot. Each book is a hefty length, enough to really get absorbed in and flesh out everything that needs to be covered, without dragging on and getting old. The characters are fascinating – even the side characters are interesting enough that I really hope future books focus on them.
I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this series, and I can’t wait to read the next books. I am forcing myself to take a break from the series, even though I have the next two books, because I have library books that are due sooner that I need to read!
See all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
THESE ARE SO GOOD.
Victorian Steampunk in London with vampires, mechs, and werewolves (sort of) with romance, a political conspiracy plot, and plenty of action? YES PLEASE. These books are excellently written, with a hefty plot that moves at a perfect pace. Both romances have been very believable and intertwined seamlessly with the larger world’s plot. Each book is a hefty length, enough to really get absorbed in and flesh out everything that needs to be covered, without dragging on and getting old. The characters are fascinating – even the side characters are interesting enough that I really hope future books focus on them.
I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this series, and I can’t wait to read the next books. I am forcing myself to take a break from the series, even though I have the next two books, because I have library books that are due sooner that I need to read!
See all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Merissa (13842 KP) rated All He Needs (My Truth #1) in Books
Feb 12, 2019
All He Needs (My Truth #1) by Ann Grech
All He Needs is the first book in the My Truth series, but features a couple of characters from the Unexpected series.
This has got to be one of the most emotional books I have read in a long time. I was crying by 21%, and it carried on throughout the story. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not all sad, in fact, it is also happy, contented, and extremely sexy. The part about Gracie having reflux caused me to wince in remembered empathy. I had that with all three of my babies, and I know how exhausting it is. Caden has my full support!!
I found this book to be extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The world-building was excellent for those of us who have never been to either America or New Zealand, and likewise for the characters. I haven't felt like I missed out on anything from not having read the Unexpected series, although I have now added that to my wishlist!
This was the first book by Ann Grech I have read, but I can guarantee it won't be the last. Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This has got to be one of the most emotional books I have read in a long time. I was crying by 21%, and it carried on throughout the story. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not all sad, in fact, it is also happy, contented, and extremely sexy. The part about Gracie having reflux caused me to wince in remembered empathy. I had that with all three of my babies, and I know how exhausting it is. Caden has my full support!!
I found this book to be extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The world-building was excellent for those of us who have never been to either America or New Zealand, and likewise for the characters. I haven't felt like I missed out on anything from not having read the Unexpected series, although I have now added that to my wishlist!
This was the first book by Ann Grech I have read, but I can guarantee it won't be the last. Highly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Will Haunt You in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Brian Kirk for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Will Haunt You is a novel about a disturbing book that, if read, a mysterious figure will subject you to a world of personalized terror.
And the chances are, that on reading this, it will happen to you too.
There are some things I felt were excellent about this book and some that I feel could have maybe been shorter or just omitted completely. Some may find halfway through the book that things become confusing but stay with it as it does come together. The writer really had some gems of unnerving bits in the book that I enjoyed immensely. The book has a very dark and menacing tone to it and is very surreal which makes it all the more spooky.
There are some bizarre scenes which could be described as almost hallucinogenic dreams at times. I feel that this is intentional as to make you think what is real and what isn't. I think the writing style of this author could be compared to Clive Barker so prepare yourself for the bizarre and the dark.
The book does start off rally strong and the ending is just dynamite. This is a novel that true horror fans will enjoy and devour!
Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Brian Kirk for the ARC; this is my honest review and opinion.
Will Haunt You is a novel about a disturbing book that, if read, a mysterious figure will subject you to a world of personalized terror.
And the chances are, that on reading this, it will happen to you too.
There are some things I felt were excellent about this book and some that I feel could have maybe been shorter or just omitted completely. Some may find halfway through the book that things become confusing but stay with it as it does come together. The writer really had some gems of unnerving bits in the book that I enjoyed immensely. The book has a very dark and menacing tone to it and is very surreal which makes it all the more spooky.
There are some bizarre scenes which could be described as almost hallucinogenic dreams at times. I feel that this is intentional as to make you think what is real and what isn't. I think the writing style of this author could be compared to Clive Barker so prepare yourself for the bizarre and the dark.
The book does start off rally strong and the ending is just dynamite. This is a novel that true horror fans will enjoy and devour!
Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Brian Kirk for the ARC; this is my honest review and opinion.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Chestnut Man in Books
Mar 24, 2019
A great debut
If that cover doesn't draw you in and make you pick it up, you are a lost soul !!!
And if the cover doesn't do it for you, the story certainly will. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times given the subject matter but it is a story about a serial killer so some gruesome descriptions of the crimes shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
The plot is gripping, dark and thrilling and the pace of the book is ideal with a seamless mix of murder, politics and police procedure all wrapped up in a perfect psychological thriller package. I actually don't normally like what is called Scandi-noir after having previously tried and failed to read one by a very successful author but this one is excellent.
The characters are fantastic - I know it's a good book when I can see the characters as real people and imagine who would play them if the book were made into a film or TV series - the Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, from The Bridge (Bron/Broen) and Killing Eve would be perfect for the role of Hess.
This is the debut novel by this author, although he has written the highly acclaimed series "The Killing", and a very accomplished debut it is and my thanks must go to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
And if the cover doesn't do it for you, the story certainly will. It does make for uncomfortable reading at times given the subject matter but it is a story about a serial killer so some gruesome descriptions of the crimes shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
The plot is gripping, dark and thrilling and the pace of the book is ideal with a seamless mix of murder, politics and police procedure all wrapped up in a perfect psychological thriller package. I actually don't normally like what is called Scandi-noir after having previously tried and failed to read one by a very successful author but this one is excellent.
The characters are fantastic - I know it's a good book when I can see the characters as real people and imagine who would play them if the book were made into a film or TV series - the Danish actor, Kim Bodnia, from The Bridge (Bron/Broen) and Killing Eve would be perfect for the role of Hess.
This is the debut novel by this author, although he has written the highly acclaimed series "The Killing", and a very accomplished debut it is and my thanks must go to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Fred (860 KP) rated Venom (2018) in Movies
Apr 10, 2019
Great fun!
If you've read my reviews, you'll see I'm not that keen on the new trend of superhero movies. Everything's gotta be "epic" & so dark. This is the problem with most of DC's films & some of Marvel's films as well. To me, Wonder Woman was terrible & Black Panther just so-so. Infinity Wars was rushed & an over-load of a mess of heroes. So, it was finally nice to see a movie like Venom, where they could take a villain from the comics, & make him a fun anti-hero.
Tom Hardy was excellent as the title character, and his alter-ego, Eddie Brock. And even though none of the other actors in the film were memorable enough that I can remember them by name, it's Hardy that holds this thing together. He's funny, strong & plays the character of a no-nonsense reporter perfectly. When Venom does show up, he's everything you want in the character. He vicious, with that touch of humor that he has in the comics.
The special effects are good as well. Venom really looks like he's there & the fight between him & the villain, Riot is done well.
Unlike most superhero movies of today, this is a fun watch. It's not too long, it's not too dark (which it could have easily been, considering) & I enjoyed myself from the beginning to the end. I'm glad to see they are making a part 2.
Tom Hardy was excellent as the title character, and his alter-ego, Eddie Brock. And even though none of the other actors in the film were memorable enough that I can remember them by name, it's Hardy that holds this thing together. He's funny, strong & plays the character of a no-nonsense reporter perfectly. When Venom does show up, he's everything you want in the character. He vicious, with that touch of humor that he has in the comics.
The special effects are good as well. Venom really looks like he's there & the fight between him & the villain, Riot is done well.
Unlike most superhero movies of today, this is a fun watch. It's not too long, it's not too dark (which it could have easily been, considering) & I enjoyed myself from the beginning to the end. I'm glad to see they are making a part 2.
An uncomfortable, yet compelling, novel
On the face of it, you would think that Adèle has it all: a good job as a reporter, a handsome surgeon husband, a young son, she’s slim and she’s beautiful. But this all masks another side to Adèle. She’s dissatisfied with her life: she controls what and how much she eats, and she engages in risky sexual behaviour with strangers. The sex is an addiction. When she’s not doing it, she’s thinking about it, and she wants a lot of it. There’s no eroticism in the telling of these encounters - it’s function, pure and simple, and quite violent sometimes. It’s like the drug addict getting their hit. You can feel the self-loathing emanating from the pages.
This is a dark, uncomfortable to read book, but it’s also compelling. There’s nothing voyeuristic about this book, no titillation, it’s just sad. And if you’re into books with a final resolution, then this is not the book for you.
It sounds as though no one could possibly enjoy this book, but strangely enough, I really did. I thought that the atmosphere of the book was really well written (and kudos to the excellent translator, Sam Taylor), and the main characters feelings of being trapped made for a really claustrophobic read. I think it’s definitely worth a read, if you’re in the mood for something as, dare I say, depressing, as this. I use the word ‘depressing’, but honestly, it was a good read!
This is a dark, uncomfortable to read book, but it’s also compelling. There’s nothing voyeuristic about this book, no titillation, it’s just sad. And if you’re into books with a final resolution, then this is not the book for you.
It sounds as though no one could possibly enjoy this book, but strangely enough, I really did. I thought that the atmosphere of the book was really well written (and kudos to the excellent translator, Sam Taylor), and the main characters feelings of being trapped made for a really claustrophobic read. I think it’s definitely worth a read, if you’re in the mood for something as, dare I say, depressing, as this. I use the word ‘depressing’, but honestly, it was a good read!
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Demon Next Door in Books
Apr 19, 2019
Informative but no depth
When audible originals offered this book up as part of their two free originals a month program, I just had to snag it. One of the weird quirks I have is that I hate mysteries, but I LOVE true crime. This 2 hour and 45-minute novella was right up my alley. When I was looking for something short to listen to, I decided that this something different than the romance books that I'm currently reading.
The information in this novella was interesting and well researched but still lacked depth. Most of the information that was presented in this book felt glossed over. One of the things I thought Bryan Burrough was exceptional at was not being too graphic about the crimes. Unfortunately, it seems that that lack of detail was present throughout the entire book. I would have loved to see more information about the background of the individuals and the town itself.
Something else that felt off in this audiobook was the narration. Steve White is an excellent narrator, but I don't feel that he was the right choice for this book. His intonations seemed to be too upbeat for a true crime novel about rape and murder. I would have preferred a more somber tone & his voice did not do this book justice.
All in all, this was an okay book. The details were interesting, but I wish that there would have been more depth to it.
The information in this novella was interesting and well researched but still lacked depth. Most of the information that was presented in this book felt glossed over. One of the things I thought Bryan Burrough was exceptional at was not being too graphic about the crimes. Unfortunately, it seems that that lack of detail was present throughout the entire book. I would have loved to see more information about the background of the individuals and the town itself.
Something else that felt off in this audiobook was the narration. Steve White is an excellent narrator, but I don't feel that he was the right choice for this book. His intonations seemed to be too upbeat for a true crime novel about rape and murder. I would have preferred a more somber tone & his voice did not do this book justice.
All in all, this was an okay book. The details were interesting, but I wish that there would have been more depth to it.
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) in Movies
May 1, 2019
All Flash, No Bang
There are some major flaws with Age of Ultron. Didn't realize how bad it was until our most recent watch through of the Marvel movies. Joss Whedon's flaws run rampant in this film. If you find truth in the film stop reading now as I do not wish to ruin it for you.
Whedon does an excellent job at making television shows which does not translate very well to the big screen. He rushed this plot to get to his favorite parts, the fight scenes. The action has more screen time than any character arc. This reduces the characters to cartoonish caricatures of the work done in prior films. There is no real plot development, just jumping from one fight to the next. Ultron was reduced to a mere means to fight, which made it less believable rather than frightening; which Ultron should have been.
The story theme, "Justice was served because the Avengers are mightier than Ultron" became preachy when counterpoints were not set up in believable or thought provoking ways. Ultimately, it fell flat and was just a means to set up future films.
A better example of the theme in a better story format is "Civil War". Wherein the Russo's present the idea that justice was served, however, neither side was correct due to the complex nature of the issue.
Whedon does an excellent job at making television shows which does not translate very well to the big screen. He rushed this plot to get to his favorite parts, the fight scenes. The action has more screen time than any character arc. This reduces the characters to cartoonish caricatures of the work done in prior films. There is no real plot development, just jumping from one fight to the next. Ultron was reduced to a mere means to fight, which made it less believable rather than frightening; which Ultron should have been.
The story theme, "Justice was served because the Avengers are mightier than Ultron" became preachy when counterpoints were not set up in believable or thought provoking ways. Ultimately, it fell flat and was just a means to set up future films.
A better example of the theme in a better story format is "Civil War". Wherein the Russo's present the idea that justice was served, however, neither side was correct due to the complex nature of the issue.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated A Good Enough Mother in Books
May 22, 2019
The most dangerous lies are the ones we tell ourselves.
Dr Ruth Hartland rises to difficult tasks. She is the director of a highly respected trauma therapy unit. She is confident, capable and excellent at her job. Today she is preoccupied by her son Tom's disappearance.
So when a new patient arrives at the unit - a young man who looks shockingly like Tom - she is floored.
As a therapist, Ruth knows exactly what she should do in the best interests of her client, but as a mother she makes a very different choice - a decision that will have profound consequences.
This was an outstanding and compelling read.
I think this is one of those books that will be talked about for a while and would fit into a book club read to be discussed.
The story is very well written and thought provoking. I found it really pulling at my heart strings.
Each character in this novel is shown with all their flaws and strengths in achingly real scenes and images.
A well written, emotional, thought-provoking story.
A really good mix between an emotional troubled teenager and the relationship with his mother, and a thriller as the unpredictable Dan story line builds to a horrifying conclusion. Really memorable, and I didnt see all the twists coming.
Would thoroughly recommend.
Thank you kindly to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc, in exchange for this honest review.
Dr Ruth Hartland rises to difficult tasks. She is the director of a highly respected trauma therapy unit. She is confident, capable and excellent at her job. Today she is preoccupied by her son Tom's disappearance.
So when a new patient arrives at the unit - a young man who looks shockingly like Tom - she is floored.
As a therapist, Ruth knows exactly what she should do in the best interests of her client, but as a mother she makes a very different choice - a decision that will have profound consequences.
This was an outstanding and compelling read.
I think this is one of those books that will be talked about for a while and would fit into a book club read to be discussed.
The story is very well written and thought provoking. I found it really pulling at my heart strings.
Each character in this novel is shown with all their flaws and strengths in achingly real scenes and images.
A well written, emotional, thought-provoking story.
A really good mix between an emotional troubled teenager and the relationship with his mother, and a thriller as the unpredictable Dan story line builds to a horrifying conclusion. Really memorable, and I didnt see all the twists coming.
Would thoroughly recommend.
Thank you kindly to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc, in exchange for this honest review.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated All That's Dead in Books
May 27, 2019
Darkly humorous and thrilling
Having read and thoroughly loved one of Mr MacBride's previous outings starring Logan McRae - A Dark So Deadly - I was thrilled to be accepted by the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via NetGalley to read and review "All That's Dead" before publication in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This instalment had a lot to live up to and, overall, it hit the mark with it's dark humour, the fantastic characters, the setting, the twists and all wrapped up in an excellent plot amongst the backdrop of domestic terrorism and the independence movement in Scotland which although results in a fair bit of English-bashing, does mirror Brexit (oh how I hate that word!) in many respects which makes it topical and current too!
I did have a few niggles that did irritate me somewhat ... one or two of the characters who were supposed to be Police Officers did not come across as very believable; they were overly childish and not very good at their jobs. In addition, I found the word "sooked" extremely annoying for some reason - not sure why but it just wound me up.
I am absolutely certain that it would be better to read the series in order, it does work as a standalone pretty successfully and although the niggles prevented me from awarding this a 5 star read, I would still recommend it.
This instalment had a lot to live up to and, overall, it hit the mark with it's dark humour, the fantastic characters, the setting, the twists and all wrapped up in an excellent plot amongst the backdrop of domestic terrorism and the independence movement in Scotland which although results in a fair bit of English-bashing, does mirror Brexit (oh how I hate that word!) in many respects which makes it topical and current too!
I did have a few niggles that did irritate me somewhat ... one or two of the characters who were supposed to be Police Officers did not come across as very believable; they were overly childish and not very good at their jobs. In addition, I found the word "sooked" extremely annoying for some reason - not sure why but it just wound me up.
I am absolutely certain that it would be better to read the series in order, it does work as a standalone pretty successfully and although the niggles prevented me from awarding this a 5 star read, I would still recommend it.