Search

Search only in certain items:

Shadow & Crown (Royal & Piper #1)
Shadow & Crown (Royal & Piper #1)
E.L. Tenenbaum | 2023 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
SHADOW & CROWN is the first book in the Royal & Piper series. We meet Quirin and Cal, two people in the Southlands of the kingdom; a place neither of them actually belong.

Told from three different perspectives, you get a completely rounded story and yet still full of intrigue. I don't know what the full story of Quirin yet (although I can guess the reasons) but he has been paying for his actions for a long time. Cal has so many doubts about her ability to be queen, especially when people's first comments are about her looks. I loved seeing her grow and become more confident in who she is. As for Evalena, well, the less said about her the better!

This story was gripping, keeping me in my seat until I had finished it. And that ending definitely left me wanting to continue their stories. Absolutely wonderful and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 24, 2024
  
Light & Kingdom (Royal & Piper #2)
Light & Kingdom (Royal & Piper #2)
E.L. Tenenbaum | 2023 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
LIGHT & KINGDOM is the second book in the Royal & Piper series and carries on from Book 1, so you really need to read that one first.

Quirin and Cal are on the run from Evalena and intent on reaching Quirin's old homeland where he is sure she will get help. The only problem is that to do this, they need to travel over the top of a mountain, which people stay away from for fear of death.

What a book! Quirin and Cal become closer in this book as they deal with things outside of the extraordinary. They are alone and have to rely upon each other for survival, as well as seeing wondrous sights.

I loved this story and the finale was fantastic! I honestly can't wait to continue with this story. It is rich in detail and intrigue, bringing the story to life as you turn the pages. Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 26, 2024
  
Murder Runs in the Family
Murder Runs in the Family
Tamara Berry | 2025 | Mystery
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Retirement Community Filled in Intrigue
Amber has never met her grandma Jade, but when she breaks up with her boyfriend, she winds up heading to Jade’s retirement community. Amber is thrilled to be welcomed with open arms, but the night she arrives, a man in the community dies. The police suspect it was murder, and the man’s family begins telling anyone who will listen that Jade is responsible. Can Amber lean on her PI training and figure out what really happened?

I enjoyed a previous series from this author, but this one didn’t really work for me. I was put off by a negative attitude toward Christianity we get early on. I get it that this is a personal issue, but it did make me read more critically. The characters are thin and more caricature to drive the comedy. The plot is more events than mystery driven, although Amber does make some good deductions along the way. Still, there was an aspect of the plot that I didn’t enjoy. The book does provide some laughs, but over all, it didn’t work for me. This will probably be my only visit with these characters.
  
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
2017 | Drama, Mystery
Dull and boring
I've never read the book or seen any previous adaptations, or indeed any other Poirot stories or any Agatha Christie novels at all. And all I can say is that I hope this film isn't a reflection on the rest of her work.

The film starts well, with a fun introduction to Poirot and Kenneth Branagh is probably the best thing about the film in general. He does a fantastic job as Poirot for the most part, very believable as a Belgian.


However before the murder even takes place, the film starts to dip and gets a little dull. The murder itself is presented in such an uninteresting way and the cinematography at times is a little bizarre. Some of the camera shots don't work and some seem ridiculously cheesy how they're staged. The questioning of the suspects does little to bring any tension or intrigue, and the star studded cast isn't given much to work with although some try their best to ham it up (Michelle Pfeiffer).


And then the finale/resolution itself is just completely bonkers. It might have been unexpected, but not in a good way. It was just very silly and not at all what I was hoping for from this film. Such a disappointment.
  
40x40

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) Nov 9, 2017

It's a shame as Agatha Christie novels are a classic - they're the original whodunit. But I agree I prefer the original David Suchet and Peter Ustinov versions of Poirot.

40x40

Ross (3284 KP) rated Ravencry in Books

May 14, 2018  
Ravencry
Ravencry
Ed McDonald | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Still gritty (1 more)
More involved plot and exploration of the Misery
Superb follow-up
* I received an advance copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *


The sequel to the highly praised Blackwing sees Ryhalt Galharrow trying to move on from losing the love of his life and investigating the theft of a magical artefact from a heavily protected vault.


For the first few chapters this book felt like a Captain Vimes Discworld novel (in a good way) with the humour toned down a little. We were exploring the pre-industrial city and investigating a crime that could have dire consequences for the safety of the city.


The book spends significantly more time in the city than in the Misery (the strange, twisting wasteland) than was the case for the first book, which gives it a very different feel. Plotting and intrigue abound as an evil sorcerer's plot to achieve ultimate power starts to unfold.


The book felt slightly less dark than the first, and has quite a different feel to it than Blackwing, but is still absolutely superb. The flowing prose and cracking dialogue make this a true page-turner and one of the best fantasy books I have read in quite some time.
  
Skyscraper (2018)
Skyscraper (2018)
2018 | Action
Not the Worst, But...
When a former FBI hostage team leader is hired to survey the security of a skyscraper, he finds himself in a battle to save himself and his family after terrorists take over the building.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 2
I remember watching the first ten minutes of the film thinking, “Is this ever going to pick up?” I could have showed up late and missed nothing. No intrigue, no strong plot advancement. Just…blah.

Characters: 7

Cinematography/Visuals: 2

Conflict: 10
If nothing else, Skyscraper succeeds by moving the story along with action. There is always something happening from death defying leaps to shootouts with thugs. It’s never really a boring film, just more flat than anything. For the most part, I appreciated the consistency of movement.

Genre: 4

Memorability: 2

Pace: 9

Plot: 8

Resolution: 6

Overall: 60
I honestly thought I would end up scoring Skyscraper lower. It does what it sets out to do, lull you into a mindless stupor with action, but so does the Transformers franchise and that’s not very good either. It’s a brainless movie with no real substance. If you can deal with a movie that has too many over-the-top scenes to count, Skyscraper might be worth your time.
  
Mind Games (Kaely Quinn Profiler, #1)
Mind Games (Kaely Quinn Profiler, #1)
Nancy Mehl | 2018
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
FBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn’s methods may be highly unorthodox, but her talent is undeniable. She’s done her best to establish a new life for herself after being demoted and transferred to St. Louis when a reporter revealed she’s the daughter of an infamous serial killer. But when that same reporter claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely’s, it seems her old life has followed her. When a body is found that fits the poem’s morbid predictions, Kaely and her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, are forced to move past his skepticism of her approach and work together to unravel the deadly riddle. With a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else, including Kaely, is killed.



My Thoughts: This is a great suspense novel written by a good author. It's full good mystery, intrigue and keeps the reader guessing.


Nancy Miehl has a wonderful style of writing that keeps the reader entertained. Truly a great book from start to finish. I look forward to read more from Nancy Miehl






A wonderful novel for suspense lovers.