Search
Search results
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Close (Maeve Kerrigan #10) in Books
Mar 18, 2023
Yet another cracker from Jane Casey in her excellent Maeve Kerrigan series that never gets stale and whilst this may be book 10 in the series, I think you could just about get away with it as a standalone but I really would recommend you read the rest of the books if only because they are all excellent!
The Close is yet another gripping read with the right mix of intrigue and action, red herrings and plot twists. Being a fan of Maeve and Josh, I loved that they were working undercover together acting as a couple and it really brought a different dimension and added tension to the story and kept my grubby little eyes reading as fast as they possibly could.
Highly recommended series and I can't wait for the next and many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Close.
The Close is yet another gripping read with the right mix of intrigue and action, red herrings and plot twists. Being a fan of Maeve and Josh, I loved that they were working undercover together acting as a couple and it really brought a different dimension and added tension to the story and kept my grubby little eyes reading as fast as they possibly could.
Highly recommended series and I can't wait for the next and many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Close.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Family on Smith Street in Books
Aug 20, 2023
I really quite enjoyed listening to this book which was enhanced by the excellent narration of Sarah Durham who really brought the story and the characters to life. I haven't read or listened to anything by Elisabeth Carpenter before but if this is an example of her work, I won't be making that mistake again!
The story definitely kept me guessing and it was difficult to know who to trust; it's told from multiple points of view and from different timelines but once I was into the story, I found it quite easy to keep up.
I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue running throughout the book and the unravelling of secrets and lies until the very satisfying ending.
Overall, a really enjoyable audiobook and one I would recommend to lovers of domestic and/or psychological thrillers and my thanks goes to the Author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Family on Smith Street.
The story definitely kept me guessing and it was difficult to know who to trust; it's told from multiple points of view and from different timelines but once I was into the story, I found it quite easy to keep up.
I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue running throughout the book and the unravelling of secrets and lies until the very satisfying ending.
Overall, a really enjoyable audiobook and one I would recommend to lovers of domestic and/or psychological thrillers and my thanks goes to the Author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of The Family on Smith Street.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Castle Rock in TV
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Good cast (2 more)
Some cool ideas
Stephen King references
Ups and Downs
Castle Rock is an interesting show, it wasn't what I thought it would be at all. I went in expected a creepy, atmospheric thriller and instead I got a slow burning character study. Don't get me wrong, it is a very well told character study, with plenty of interesting characters and plot threads.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
The cast is made up of a few actors that have been used in Stephen King adaptions in the past, as well as a few newcomers to the King adaption universe. Everybody is great in their role, with Sissy Spacek and Bill Skarsgard being the standouts.
The liberties that the show takes with it's inspiration is weirdly inconstant, with some episode whoring out King references left and right and some ignoring the writer's influence altogether. I get the feeling that this was due to the creators wanting to please King fans in the audience while still trying to craft a show that can stand on it's own independently, which is fine, but I kinda wish that they had committed one way or the other.
The show starts off strong, then drags a bit in the middle, but if you can get to episodes 8 & 9, they are possible contenders for some of the best episodes of TV broadcast in 2018. Unfortunately the last episode is very underwhelming after this awesome build up of intrigue that precedes it.
The ending was the biggest negative that the show had. Without giving too much away, it leaves the audience feeling like everything they just witnessed was pretty pointless and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and fairly disappointed. It is clearly trying to set things up for a second season, but does so to the point that it forgets to end the first season in any significant way.
Overall, if you are a King fan you will get a kick out of this. Alternatively, if you are in the mood for a well told, slow burning character study full of intrigue, with elements of psychological horror, then this show is perfect for you. Just don't go in expecting an intense, chilling atmosphere to be present throughout.
Batman: Nightwalker - DC Icons Book 2
7.0
Rate It
Book
The new, eagerly anticipated BATMAN YA novel is an action-packed thrill ride that could only be...
young adult
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated A Hero Born in Books
Sep 25, 2019
Great plot but translation isn't so good
Despite what you read on the covers (e.g. “It’s like Lord of the Rings”) ignore all of that. It’s nothing like it. There is no epic adventure to fight evil (at least not yet - this is the first book in the series). So before you get all disappointed in what the outside quotes say, completely disregard them.
Translation will always be an issue with these kinds of books. It’s hard to keep it true and coherent. Sometimes you get a good one that is completely comprehensible and makes the reading a journey well worth it. Then you get one like A Hero Born and it’s not the greatest translation. The writing style is dry and hard to get into. Sometimes it gets too descriptive, but other times it’s not descriptive enough. It can be a little long winded at times and it drags - I’m not too sure if that’s because of the run on writing style or the plot itself. Either way by the last third of the book it was getting to be tiresome.
Speaking of the plot, it was good! There’s plenty of action, a bit of intrigue here and there. If you don’t mind something akin to Chinese historical fiction movies with classic martial arts fighting then perhaps this is for you. There are small elements of political intrigue which keeps the story interesting, however keep in mind there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but luckily there is a cast of characters in the beginning of the novel so that should not be a problem. This isn’t a book to put down and turn back to later, this needs to be consistently read you will easily lose your place.
There’s also several plot arcs that happen throughout the novel so it’s best to keep track of them carefully. They are all intertwined at some point. It’s a great plot and if it wasn’t for the horrible writing/translation.
I don’t know if I could recommend this one to anyone. I would under normal circumstances but the writing just do the plot justice. It’s too bad, it would have been such a great series.
Translation will always be an issue with these kinds of books. It’s hard to keep it true and coherent. Sometimes you get a good one that is completely comprehensible and makes the reading a journey well worth it. Then you get one like A Hero Born and it’s not the greatest translation. The writing style is dry and hard to get into. Sometimes it gets too descriptive, but other times it’s not descriptive enough. It can be a little long winded at times and it drags - I’m not too sure if that’s because of the run on writing style or the plot itself. Either way by the last third of the book it was getting to be tiresome.
Speaking of the plot, it was good! There’s plenty of action, a bit of intrigue here and there. If you don’t mind something akin to Chinese historical fiction movies with classic martial arts fighting then perhaps this is for you. There are small elements of political intrigue which keeps the story interesting, however keep in mind there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but luckily there is a cast of characters in the beginning of the novel so that should not be a problem. This isn’t a book to put down and turn back to later, this needs to be consistently read you will easily lose your place.
There’s also several plot arcs that happen throughout the novel so it’s best to keep track of them carefully. They are all intertwined at some point. It’s a great plot and if it wasn’t for the horrible writing/translation.
I don’t know if I could recommend this one to anyone. I would under normal circumstances but the writing just do the plot justice. It’s too bad, it would have been such a great series.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Dark Tower (2017) in Movies
Sep 5, 2017
Elba and McConaughey (1 more)
Stephen King references
Better Than Expected
I have been looking forward to this movie since it was announced, as I am a huge Stephen King fan and I am a fan of the source material that this movie is based on. However, when the movie was released it was ruthlessly torn apart by critics and I even heard a few brandish it as the worst movie of the year or as one of Stephen King's worst adaptions.
You can look at this movie from two perspectives. You can look at it as a lazy adaption of a fantastic layered story full of intrigue, or you can see it for what it is, a big, dumb, mindless summer blockbuster. As someone who saw it as the latter, I enjoyed it for what it was. Yes it was ridiculous and pretty cheesy at times, but if you enjoy it as intended and don't take it too seriously, there is a fun time to be had here.
You can look at this movie from two perspectives. You can look at it as a lazy adaption of a fantastic layered story full of intrigue, or you can see it for what it is, a big, dumb, mindless summer blockbuster. As someone who saw it as the latter, I enjoyed it for what it was. Yes it was ridiculous and pretty cheesy at times, but if you enjoy it as intended and don't take it too seriously, there is a fun time to be had here.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Binding in Books
May 18, 2019
Good but not what you'd expect
I started this book expecting it to be very fantasy-esque and magical, and the first part fitted this completely. It was full of promise and intrigue about bindings and kept me completely hooked. It then moves onto the second part and goes into a totally different direction than the magical one I'd expected.
This isn't a bad thing, it was just a complete surprise. I can't really say what the story changes into without spoiling it, but it was still very interesting to read. It's very well written and despite not being the story I had been expecting, the well developed and engaging characters and the writing style more than make up for it. The ending too is very satisfying. The only criticisms I have is that it may be slightly too long and I do wish it had been a bit more magical. This book gives a glimpse into a great story and idea, but I do wish there had been a little more to this side.
This isn't a bad thing, it was just a complete surprise. I can't really say what the story changes into without spoiling it, but it was still very interesting to read. It's very well written and despite not being the story I had been expecting, the well developed and engaging characters and the writing style more than make up for it. The ending too is very satisfying. The only criticisms I have is that it may be slightly too long and I do wish it had been a bit more magical. This book gives a glimpse into a great story and idea, but I do wish there had been a little more to this side.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Watchers of the Fallen (Second Death, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
Fallen angels were sent to kill Frank when he was a boy.
Hes been killing them ever since.
When a Watcher is gruesomely murdered, the Order suspects its one of the Fallen and tasks Frank with apprehending the killer. But nothing could prepare Frank or the Order for what he finds during the investigation:
Someone has used stolen magic to free Arraziel, a fallen angel who feeds on the life force of humans. Frank needs to stop Arraziel and find the killer before more of the Fallen are freed.
If he fails, the human race may not survive.
This is an amazing book!
It has loads of action and intrigue to keep you hooked to the end.
The plot was intriguing and exciting. It focuses on Frank, a watcher and Jessie, a girl who had a horrible life and is now in communication with a dangerous demon.
It's Angel vs. Demons in this series and I am so hooked and need the next book now!
Recommend reading!
I received this book free and this is my honest voluntary review.
Hes been killing them ever since.
When a Watcher is gruesomely murdered, the Order suspects its one of the Fallen and tasks Frank with apprehending the killer. But nothing could prepare Frank or the Order for what he finds during the investigation:
Someone has used stolen magic to free Arraziel, a fallen angel who feeds on the life force of humans. Frank needs to stop Arraziel and find the killer before more of the Fallen are freed.
If he fails, the human race may not survive.
This is an amazing book!
It has loads of action and intrigue to keep you hooked to the end.
The plot was intriguing and exciting. It focuses on Frank, a watcher and Jessie, a girl who had a horrible life and is now in communication with a dangerous demon.
It's Angel vs. Demons in this series and I am so hooked and need the next book now!
Recommend reading!
I received this book free and this is my honest voluntary review.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated After The Cure in Books
Feb 1, 2018
A non-traditional zombie book that stays with you.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I loved this book. It had such a unique take on the zombie genre, rivaled perhaps only by M.R. Carey's The Girl with all the Gifts . Even compared to Carey's book, it's still in a league of its own. Just read the title. After the Cure.
Can you imagine what that would be like for the 'zombies'? To be cured, but have memories of all the horrible things they did while they were infected? To try to pick up again, to reintegrate into life? How positively horrifying.
Then there's the research to build a case against the jerks that started it all. There's intrigue, twists, horror, and discoveries, all told from the viewpoint of after the world almost ended, but humanity managed to save itself just in the nick of time. ...Right?
I haven't read the rest of this series, so I can't speak for it all...but I can speak for this book. This was, is, an awesome book that I highly recommend for zombie fans!
Can you imagine what that would be like for the 'zombies'? To be cured, but have memories of all the horrible things they did while they were infected? To try to pick up again, to reintegrate into life? How positively horrifying.
Then there's the research to build a case against the jerks that started it all. There's intrigue, twists, horror, and discoveries, all told from the viewpoint of after the world almost ended, but humanity managed to save itself just in the nick of time. ...Right?
I haven't read the rest of this series, so I can't speak for it all...but I can speak for this book. This was, is, an awesome book that I highly recommend for zombie fans!
Lindsay (1812 KP) rated The Protector (Families of Honor, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
I must say I really enjoyed continuing to read about the characters from the first book. Ella really deals with self esteem issues,but it was so nice to see her come out of her shell. The character of Dorothy was quite fascinating to hear about. I think bitterness over what had happened to her when she was younger really taken a little far. I really don't think that I have ever read another Amish character quite like her.
I also intrigue in reading more about Calvin and Lucy, and I great seeing things through young Katie's eyes.Her determination to get to the library and sign up for the summer reading program was so sweet. The scenes that take place in the Kaffi Haus really had me wanting to find out what going on there.
I also like the continuing story of Maddie and her health issues and Graham part of the story. Though I think Mattie has found her special someone but I am hoping she find out soon.
I also intrigue in reading more about Calvin and Lucy, and I great seeing things through young Katie's eyes.Her determination to get to the library and sign up for the summer reading program was so sweet. The scenes that take place in the Kaffi Haus really had me wanting to find out what going on there.
I also like the continuing story of Maddie and her health issues and Graham part of the story. Though I think Mattie has found her special someone but I am hoping she find out soon.