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Blade of secrets
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Title: Blade of Secrets
Author: Tricia Levenseller

This book and it's cover were both amazing. Thank you to Bookishfirst for sending me a copy of it to review.

The book starts off as Ziva a magical bladesmoth dealing with a Karen customer who hurt himself on his blade.

Quote: "It's not nearly as hurt as your pride else you would be at a healers and not here." Page 5. I agree this is very true and he is acting like a two year old which I found hilarious.

Quote: "How can a man who injures himself with his own weapon be dangerous?" Page 7. This had me laughing.

Than the story went on to Ziva meeting Petrik who specializes in ancient magic and wants her help writing the book he's working on. He's an important character in this book so pay attention. I didn't trust him at first he gave bad vibes but in the end he was on Zivas side.

Quote: "This mace steals the breathe of surrounding enemies! It can kill without even touching an opponent, and yet it sits above the mantel as though it were a-a-decoration!" I agree I would have been mad to putting a good magical weapon to no use. Can just use a normal non-magicked mace for a decoration. Ansel goes to try to kiss her and doesn't understand no means no. Quote: "You think saying a few nice words to me earns you a kiss? That's not how it works." This is 100% true and many people need to learn to understand this. He goes on to have a fit but his parents end up believing her. She also meets Warlord Kymora Avedin during this time. She can't be trusted and I also found it funny Ansel didn't get his way.

When Ziva is making the sword for Kymora she sees Kellyn who is important in this story for the first time. The swords magic is made from her feelings for him and her telling it all her secrets. Which was amazing I loved it that part was intense. When showing Kymora it cuts Kymora and Ziva finds out she can hear the victims secrets when it cuts them.

Two of Kymoras secrets are:

Quote "This weapon will make me unbeatable in combat." Which can be a good thing if your a good guy she's not.

Quote "I will crush Ghadra's pathetic rulers and reunite the regions under one rule once more: my own. The people will be enslaved to my will. The royal family will all bow before me. Right before I remove their heads." This is where I couldn't put it down. For the safety of her country and sister they decided to run. Their journey was fun and interesting. I loved it. Ziva and Kellyn fall for each other and she finally opens up about her anxiety which I can relate to. I loved this story and can't wait to read the next one. It has an amazing but sad cliffhanger ending.

P.S. It's on my favorites shelf now.
  
Between The Lies
Between The Lies
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Chloe Daniels was in a terrible car accident, but when she wakes up, she has no idea who she is or who the people around her are. Not only has Chloe lost her memory, but she has also lost her son in this terrible accident. With flashes of what could have happened that night, Chloe is determined to find out the truth. But her family keeps filling her head with falsehoods that are hindering her from finding out what is really going on. Still weak from her accident and still unsure which memories are real and which have been implanted, Chloe set out to find out what happened that night and who she was then and who she is today.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First of all, I don't know what I would do, if I woke up one day and had no idea who I was or who the people around me were. Then to find out that my family had been keeping secrets from me and trying to rewrite my history, that would make me go berserk. But Chloe is able to keep her composure long enough to discover what is really going on.

The book started off a little slow for me, but about half way through the story picked up and I couldn't put it down after that. Lots of ups and downs and twists and turns. When you find out the truth, it's really hard to believe. At first I was sure I knew what was going on, but towards the end, I found out I was very wrong. Chloe remembers nothing, but in her dreams she sees flashes of what could have happened. Are these dreams real, or are the manifestations? From what her family and the police tell her, they can't be real, but it feels true to her core. Chloe will go against everyone that is trying to "protect" her in order to protect herself.

This is the first book I have read by Michelle Adams, but it will not be my last. Her other book is If You Knew My Sister.
  
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Jamie (131 KP) rated The Grave Tender in Books

Jul 30, 2017  
The Grave Tender
The Grave Tender
Eliza Maxwell | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
An honest story about domestic abuse (0 more)
Mild plot holes (0 more)
A haunting southern gothic
The Grave Tender is a haunting and beautifully woven southern gothic about a broken family and the love that binds them together. The story starts slow as the story introduces Hadley, her friends, family, and their small town which on the surface seems idyllic. It’s the sort of town where everyone knows each other over generations, but the smiling town hides many secrets.

What I loved most about this book was how it dealt with matters of appearance. It’s easy to point fingers and blame those that look the most guilty, who are the most eccentric. It’s the folly of letting appearances dictate our perception of the people around us. Evil is committed every day by seemingly normal people, and true monsters masquerade under the guise of banality.

The book deals with some of the most horrible situations a person can go through with extreme delicacy. Not everyone has a happy ending, sometimes there are crimes that go unpunished, sometimes victims never receive justice, some wounds heal but many more never do. I cried so much while reading this book because of how close to home it hit for me, I was honestly touched.

I can’t say much more about the book because it’s really the sort of story that needs to be experienced without spoilers. I will however note that the content in this book is difficult to stomach. For a survivor of abuse it can be either cathartic or utterly horrifying, which is why I’ve added a trigger warning in the list of warnings below. I cautiously recommend this book for those ready for a poignant and unflinchingly honest exploration of domestic abuse.
  
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Kyera (8 KP) rated Noteworthy in Books

Feb 1, 2018  
Noteworthy
Noteworthy
Riley Redgate | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Note Worthy reminds me of Twelfth Night, She's the Man, or even Mulan - where a girl masquerades as a guy for whatever purpose and ends up in over her head. Jordan wants to be in theatre, but as an Alto 2 she is hard-pressed to even find a find tailored to her range. All she wants is to pursue her dreams. Feeling down, she notices an audition for a tenor in an all-male A Capella group and takes a chance. Dressed as Julian and sporting a short wig, she impresses the Sharpshooters enough to claim the open spot and suddenly everything changes. She actually had this small, musically-inclined family to belong to. A place at Kensington - as long as nobody realizes that she is a girl.

Pretty quickly, it looks like one of the guys might be a future love interest for Jordan, not Julian as in all likelihood the group will eventually discover her secret. I expected that they would be hurt at first, but eventually forgive her after all they've been through together. Most of my expectations came to pass, although there were slight deviations. Overall, there weren't really any big surprises or reveals in the book.

The characters are so wonderfully well written and realistic. You watch them grow, learn about themselves and find yourself grinning like an idiot when Trav does (because that boy seriously needed it). You cheer for their wins and want to personally beat up those who wrong them. You've become an honorary Sharp and these guys are your family just like they are for Jordan.

Highly recommended contemporary novel about growing up, learning about yourself, making friends and the secrets you keep. And most importantly? Music. Great read for teen/young adult readers with a small amount of profanity.
  
The Night Tiger
The Night Tiger
Yangsze Choo | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo is a captivating story with two parallel plots. Though briefly entwined, the characters lives are forever impacted by circumstances that brought them together. Encompassing magic, customs, superstitions and the ability to communicate with the spirit world; Choo provides a glimpse into a world far away in 1930s Malaya.
Ji Lin’s family has dark secrets that force her to protect them by any means possible. Though she is apprenticed as a dressmaker as approved by her family; she secretly works at a dance hall to pay off her mother’s gambling debts in hopes of protecting her from her abusive stepfather. Ji Lin desires more not only in the aspect of a career, but also in a relationship that is forbidden by her parents.
Ren is an orphan who has been taken in by a local doctor. He learns many things that most eleven years old boys haven’t experienced in house care and patient care. Upon his death bed, his master asks him to return his missing finger to his grave so that his soul may rest. Ren sets out on a journey to honor his wishes.
I found myself compelled to further explore the setting and customs in this story. I was impressed by Ji Lin’s determination and ability to care for others, even if they didn’t deserve it. I loved her part of the story. However, I wasn’t quite as moved for the entirety of Ren’s story. Though there were moments of interest with him, I found the pacing of his story somewhat slow.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The culture was rich, as was the depth of characters. It is an original story that I have never read anything of comparison. Afterall, who can resist a story with magic and mystery?
  
    Updike

    Updike

    Adam Begley

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Book

    Updike is Adam Begley's masterful, much-anticipated biography of one of the most celebrated figures...

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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Omens (Cainsville, #1) in Books

Aug 18, 2019 (Updated Jun 15, 2021)  
Omens (Cainsville, #1)
Omens (Cainsville, #1)
9
9.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved it
Contains spoilers, click to show
Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

This is a reread for me I first read this a couple of years ago. Kelley Armstrong is one of my favourite authors and I've read pretty much everything she has written! So I decided to start Cainsville from the beginning.
I remember how I was rooting for Gabrielle from his first appearance. Although Ricky is so hot Gabe has always held my heart. The beginning of their relationship was so rocky but I just loved reliving how great they are working together.




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