Search
Search results
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1) in Books
May 2, 2024
81 of 220
Kindle
Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1)
By Victoria A. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hunted, persecuted and taken as slaves, the Fire Born know one thing, hide or die.
When Cyra is taken by the terrifying Prince Theron to become a slave in Wolfram Citadel, she must adapt or fight. Beautiful and ferocious, Cyra would rather die, killing as many of her enemy as she can, than submit to them.
Prince Theron knows his enemy, his duty and to follow his orders. Kill the Fire Born, protect the country. So why does he refuse to kill the ferocious Fire Born girl keeping her hidden instead? His beliefs and sanity are challenged and he is drawn to her even knowing he risks being burnt.
If you enjoy slow burn enemies to lovers romance, epic fantasy world building and elemental magic then this is the book for you. Enjoy it while it’s hot.
This was pretty decent read a good fantasy fire vs ice! Characters we’re interesting the story was interesting. I can’t help but think I’ve read a similar book though.
Kindle
Shifting Flames ( Bound by Fire 1)
By Victoria A. Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hunted, persecuted and taken as slaves, the Fire Born know one thing, hide or die.
When Cyra is taken by the terrifying Prince Theron to become a slave in Wolfram Citadel, she must adapt or fight. Beautiful and ferocious, Cyra would rather die, killing as many of her enemy as she can, than submit to them.
Prince Theron knows his enemy, his duty and to follow his orders. Kill the Fire Born, protect the country. So why does he refuse to kill the ferocious Fire Born girl keeping her hidden instead? His beliefs and sanity are challenged and he is drawn to her even knowing he risks being burnt.
If you enjoy slow burn enemies to lovers romance, epic fantasy world building and elemental magic then this is the book for you. Enjoy it while it’s hot.
This was pretty decent read a good fantasy fire vs ice! Characters we’re interesting the story was interesting. I can’t help but think I’ve read a similar book though.
Sword Brethren (The Northern Crusader Chronicles)
Book
1242. After being wounded in the Battle on the Ice, Richard Fitz Simon becomes a prisoner of Prince...
Historical Action Adventure Medieval
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Snowy with a Chance of Murder in Books
Mar 19, 2025
Jessica Fletcher Finds Murder at Home
When Jessica slips on the ice, her Caribbean get away turns into a stint at home in a wheelchair. But she still finds herself with a mystery to solve when a mysterious artist moves in across the street. His snow sculptures are drawing a crowd, but for the wrong reasons. Then a murder happens with potential ties to another case in town. Can Jessica figure out what is going on?
Those getting Rear Window vibes aren’t far from the setup, although Jessica still gets out quite a bit, which I was grateful for. While there is a lot happening here, I did find the pacing a bit uneven at times, but things come together wonderfully once the murder happens. I love how this book expertly captures the characters and community of Cabot Cove. Since that was the reason we loved those episodes so much, fans will love this aspect of things. With spring fast approaching, there is still time to enjoy some winter vibes with this fun book.
Those getting Rear Window vibes aren’t far from the setup, although Jessica still gets out quite a bit, which I was grateful for. While there is a lot happening here, I did find the pacing a bit uneven at times, but things come together wonderfully once the murder happens. I love how this book expertly captures the characters and community of Cabot Cove. Since that was the reason we loved those episodes so much, fans will love this aspect of things. With spring fast approaching, there is still time to enjoy some winter vibes with this fun book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated The Cardinal’s Curse in Books
Aug 9, 2025 (Updated Aug 9, 2025)
Slow First Half Means the Thrills Are Rushed
Avery and Carter are approached about going to Antarctica to join an expedition already in progress. While the group is officially working on a way to rebuild the ice shelves to combat global warming, they are hoping to find a treasure that was rumored to be on board a ship that sank in the waters a century ago. Not only is the ship in freezing waters, but it’s likely deeper than either have dove before. Will they find the ship and recover the treasure?
I was hoping now that the main characters had formed a partnership, we would get a better paced second book. Sadly, things still took a bit too long to get going, leading to a rushed and stuffed second half. The characters are a bit flat with the focus being on the action. On the other hand, some of the action scenes are paging turning intense, and the Antarctica setting comes alive. I haven’t written off the series yet, but I hope the next is stronger.
I was hoping now that the main characters had formed a partnership, we would get a better paced second book. Sadly, things still took a bit too long to get going, leading to a rushed and stuffed second half. The characters are a bit flat with the focus being on the action. On the other hand, some of the action scenes are paging turning intense, and the Antarctica setting comes alive. I haven’t written off the series yet, but I hope the next is stronger.
Hadley (567 KP) rated Ghostly Tales: Spine-Chilling Stories of the Victorian Age in Books
Jan 20, 2021
Ghost stories (1 more)
Well-written
This collection of tales will transport you to a time when staircases creaked in old manor houses, and a candle could be blown out by a gust of wind, or by a passing ghost. Penned by some of the greatest Victorian novelists and masters of the ghost story genre, these stories come alive alongside exquisitely eerie art in this special illustrated edition.
Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who
" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained
"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good
"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop
Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).
Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.
"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one
"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing
"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who
" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained
"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good
"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop
Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).
Adventure Time Game Wizard - Draw Your Own Adventure Time Games
Games and Entertainment
App
"Truly innovative and potentially infinite, Adventure Time Game Wizard is an essential purchase for...
Sky MET - Aviation Meteo
Weather and Navigation
App
Welcome to Sky MET, The ultimate weather app for pilots, by pilots. This visually stunning and...
Wild Zombie Online
Games and Entertainment
App
Welcome to the best animal game, Wild Zombie Online (WZO) Go hunt! If you don’t hunt first, they...
TutoPLAY Best TutoTOONS Games
Games and Education
9.0
Rate It
App
TutoPLAY is an all-in-one app pack of most wanted TutoTOONS games. We hand-selected and added the...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Jude (1996) in Movies
Jan 29, 2018 (Updated Jan 29, 2018)
Meh
Set in the late 1800's, Jude Fawley (Christopher Eccleston) leaves his country home to enroll in a university and finds a taboo love in the process. It's somewhat ironic that I'm reviewing this just after my dog vomited because the story unfolds just as slowly. Just as I screamed "Just do it already!" to my beagle, I felt Jude could have gotten to the point a little faster. I have some ideas about how this could have been accomplished, but I can't share them without spoiling the film.
The slow progression of the plot would have been fine had the ending been stronger. The last twenty minutes were a whirlwind and not in a good way. If the film is an unsettling ice cream sundae, the ending was an ugly cherry that tastes as bad as it looks.
For what it's worth, the story is definitely intriguing with simple, yet complex details. It's weird, yet somehow heartwarming. Despite my dislike for the film as a whole, Eccleston and Kate Winslet both played phenomenal roles. Two performances that were almost enough to carry the film.
Not quite. I give Jude a 67.
The slow progression of the plot would have been fine had the ending been stronger. The last twenty minutes were a whirlwind and not in a good way. If the film is an unsettling ice cream sundae, the ending was an ugly cherry that tastes as bad as it looks.
For what it's worth, the story is definitely intriguing with simple, yet complex details. It's weird, yet somehow heartwarming. Despite my dislike for the film as a whole, Eccleston and Kate Winslet both played phenomenal roles. Two performances that were almost enough to carry the film.
Not quite. I give Jude a 67.