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Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom

Andrew Duff

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This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that survived the end of...

Amy Norman (1048 KP) rated My Lovely Wife in Books

Jul 5, 2020

Great premise (0 more)

Predictable (0 more)

I received this book as one of the Smashbomb giveaways, and was really excited to read it!

I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read.
Unfortunately, I don't know if I've read, and watched, too many thriller type things, as the book felt a little too predictable. What would usually be subtle hints that eventually unfold, giving you those 'oh yeah!' moments, were just a bit obviously placed, and I could see where they were leading.

Like I've said, please don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book but it was a bit flat for me, there never felt like there was any real urgency, or tension.
I really felt like there could have been a more cat and mouse dynamic between a few of the different characters, and the ending could have been given more time to build up.

I look forward to reading her next book, but hope she learns a few lessons; for one, fleshing the characters out, and giving them more depth.
However, it was a good first foray into the genre for the author, and I hope she can find her footings, as there were some really good ideas in this book.

Kudos

Ecospirit: Religions and Philosophies for the Earth

Laurel Kearns, Catherine Keller, Karen Baker-Fletcher and Whitney A. Bauman

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We hope-even as we doubt-that the environmental crisis can be controlled. Public awareness of our...

David McK (3576 KP) rated Albion: The Legend of Arthur in Books

May 22, 2020

For some reason, and I don't know why, but modern stories about Arthur, the once and future King, always seem to miss the mark with me. Maybe it's because little can compare to T.H. White's The Once and Future King?

(That's not to say that there are enjoyable stories set in and around the same period - Giles Kristian's Lancelot, for example.)

Still, I live in hope.

It was that hope that led me to pre-order this Audible exclusive, described as somewhat akin to Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur trilogy (incidentally, the authors favourite, and that I couldn't really get into that much the last time I tried: might be time for another re-read!).

Now I've read (listened) to it, and I feel it could probably best be summed up in one word: "M'eh".

This Arthur, I found, was thoroughly unlikeable. Yes, I know he could be at times in the originals, but the key phrase there is 'at times'; not for the entirety of the story! Never the less, I persevered throughout to see if it would improve: I have to say, however, that the other recent Audible original (Assassin's Creed: Gold) was far better, in my opinion.