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How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
6.6
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TV Show
Takuma Sakamoto is a hikikomori gamer who is mysteriously transported to the world like the world of...
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Ghost of You (Phantoms #3) in Books
Apr 16, 2023
This is the third book in the Phantoms Series although it is the first book in it that I have read. This in no way diminished my enjoyment of the book as I was able to completely understand the story, and backstory, without any prior knowledge. What I will say is that I now want to read the first two!
This is a paranormal romance with a high element of creepiness! Phantoms is a paranormal fright show where they go and investigate things that go bump in the night. This one hits close to home though as it is in Sammy's hometown, with a story she heard about all her life, with a personal tragedy thrown in too.
The chemistry between the two main characters jumps off the page at you. I loved how they interacted with each other and every time a nickname was used, I laughed at the same time as I winced in sympathy (except for Firecracker!).
With a twisting and intriguing story that will grip you, even as you get goosebumps, this is one helluva story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Sep 24, 2015
This is a paranormal romance with a high element of creepiness! Phantoms is a paranormal fright show where they go and investigate things that go bump in the night. This one hits close to home though as it is in Sammy's hometown, with a story she heard about all her life, with a personal tragedy thrown in too.
The chemistry between the two main characters jumps off the page at you. I loved how they interacted with each other and every time a nickname was used, I laughed at the same time as I winced in sympathy (except for Firecracker!).
With a twisting and intriguing story that will grip you, even as you get goosebumps, this is one helluva story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Sep 24, 2015
The Kringle Caper
7.0
Rate It
Tabletop Game
Shenanigans are afoot at the North Pole, and it's up to you to figure out what happened! The...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated The Invisible Assistant in Books
Jan 26, 2022
Magical Locked Room Mystery
Magician Eli Marks is surprised when his ex-wife, Deirdre, shows up at one of his magic shows with her new husband, Homicide Detective Fred Hutton. However, they are there seeking Eli’s advice. A recent murder/suicide inside a lock townhome appears to be open and shut to Fred, but Deirdre, a DA, is certain that something else is going on, and she is hoping that Eli’s unique view of things will help explain what really happened. Will his knowledge of magic help solve the case?
I’ve been meaning to read this story for a while, and I’m glad I finally did. This is a classic locked room mystery, and I always enjoy those. The solution was logical if a bit of a stretch. Still, I was willing to buy into it. We really only have three characters in this story, and the interaction between them was fun. As a fan of the series, I laughed at some of it, in fact. I suspect that those coming to the characters first the first time will find it just as amusing. The story is set early in the series, so fans should expect those dynamics as they read. Whether you are new to Eli’s world or not, this is a short story you’ll enjoy.
I’ve been meaning to read this story for a while, and I’m glad I finally did. This is a classic locked room mystery, and I always enjoy those. The solution was logical if a bit of a stretch. Still, I was willing to buy into it. We really only have three characters in this story, and the interaction between them was fun. As a fan of the series, I laughed at some of it, in fact. I suspect that those coming to the characters first the first time will find it just as amusing. The story is set early in the series, so fans should expect those dynamics as they read. Whether you are new to Eli’s world or not, this is a short story you’ll enjoy.
David McK (3600 KP) rated Fatherland in Books
Dec 20, 2022
Robert Harris's best-selling alt-history novel, basically asking what the world would be like if the Nazis had won WW2, and following the investigation by a police officer in the 1960s when a naked body is found floating in a lake on the outskirts of Berlin just ahead of Hitler's 75th birthday, leading to the uncovering of a vast conspiracy...
A conspiracy covering up events, in the 'real' world, anyone with even the slightest knowledge of WW2 history would know about. And rightfully so.
That, I felt, was my biggest problem with the novel - there was just no sense of mystery or intrigue, no real 'what-will-happen-to-the-characters-next?' that made me really want to read on - indeed, there were times that I had to force myself to continue rather than starting another book.
From a personal POV, I think I would have preferred more emphasis on the the alt-history portions of the story (how did Germany win the war? What happened in the UK? To name but two ...) than on the central mystery: to me, at least, the balance is out of whack, favouring the mystery over the little nuggets of such information carefully doled out throughout the course of the novel.
I'm also not that much a fan of cliff-hanger endings, personally ...
A conspiracy covering up events, in the 'real' world, anyone with even the slightest knowledge of WW2 history would know about. And rightfully so.
That, I felt, was my biggest problem with the novel - there was just no sense of mystery or intrigue, no real 'what-will-happen-to-the-characters-next?' that made me really want to read on - indeed, there were times that I had to force myself to continue rather than starting another book.
From a personal POV, I think I would have preferred more emphasis on the the alt-history portions of the story (how did Germany win the war? What happened in the UK? To name but two ...) than on the central mystery: to me, at least, the balance is out of whack, favouring the mystery over the little nuggets of such information carefully doled out throughout the course of the novel.
I'm also not that much a fan of cliff-hanger endings, personally ...
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology in Books
Aug 23, 2023
Part of Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology!
One thing I love about J.P. Sayle stories is that she comes up with different shifters and problems. For instance, in A SCENT LIKE NO OTHER, Pierre is a skunk shifter and has faulty anal glands. Now, hand on heart, I can honestly say I've never read about either of those before. I'm just glad he wasn't called Pepé! 😁
Along with Pierre, we have Eliphas, a mage who works well with his ancestors' crystals, as well as being an amazing tattoo artist, specialising in protection. Pierre knows they are a triad, but it comes as a shock to Eli. This leads to cross-purposes, as Eli isn't sure he'd be happy with a third, not when he has Pierre. But Pierre has always known and, now he's got Eli, he wants to know when they'll meet their third. This leads to Pierre doing a spell without Eli's knowledge, which opens a whole can of worms he wasn't expecting.
A great introduction to these two characters, and I look forward to reading more.
** 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!
Aug 23, 2023
One thing I love about J.P. Sayle stories is that she comes up with different shifters and problems. For instance, in A SCENT LIKE NO OTHER, Pierre is a skunk shifter and has faulty anal glands. Now, hand on heart, I can honestly say I've never read about either of those before. I'm just glad he wasn't called Pepé! 😁
Along with Pierre, we have Eliphas, a mage who works well with his ancestors' crystals, as well as being an amazing tattoo artist, specialising in protection. Pierre knows they are a triad, but it comes as a shock to Eli. This leads to cross-purposes, as Eli isn't sure he'd be happy with a third, not when he has Pierre. But Pierre has always known and, now he's got Eli, he wants to know when they'll meet their third. This leads to Pierre doing a spell without Eli's knowledge, which opens a whole can of worms he wasn't expecting.
A great introduction to these two characters, and I look forward to reading more.
** 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!
Aug 23, 2023
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Smart Ass (The SPARK Files, #2) in Books
Oct 16, 2023
SMART ASS is the second book in The SPARK Files and it is just as good as the first. It also covers the same (ish) time period, so I definitely recommend you read Book 1 before this one.
Now then, Smart Ass. We met Ben in Evan and Quincy's story, but now we really get to know him. Him and Max. What a couple they are! Max is what is known as a Knowledge - a Spark without a body. Max is nothing if not inventive though and manages to make things work as is, much to Ben's delight. I loved reading about how their relationship worked, and the questions they both had, whilst neither of them gave up on the other. That last message? Gah, killed me!
This is not as light and fluffy as Garbage was, but it's absolutely amazing in its own right! I love that it was different and I really REALLY can't wait to see what comes next. Garbage was the first book by this author I had read. Now, they are a One-Click Author!
I really can't recommend this highly enough! Sheer perfection.
** 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!
Oct 16, 2023
Now then, Smart Ass. We met Ben in Evan and Quincy's story, but now we really get to know him. Him and Max. What a couple they are! Max is what is known as a Knowledge - a Spark without a body. Max is nothing if not inventive though and manages to make things work as is, much to Ben's delight. I loved reading about how their relationship worked, and the questions they both had, whilst neither of them gave up on the other. That last message? Gah, killed me!
This is not as light and fluffy as Garbage was, but it's absolutely amazing in its own right! I love that it was different and I really REALLY can't wait to see what comes next. Garbage was the first book by this author I had read. Now, they are a One-Click Author!
I really can't recommend this highly enough! Sheer perfection.
** 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!
Oct 16, 2023
ClareR (5950 KP) rated Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge in Books
Nov 24, 2024
Maude Horton’s younger sister, Constance, has run away aboard a ship bound for the Arctic and the Northwest Passage. She is killed on the voyage, and Maude is determined to have revenge on the man that she’s sure is responsible for. Constance had kept a diary on board - and everything Maude needs to know is within its pages, even though the admiralty reports that the death was an accident.
Maude is an assistant to her Apothecary grandfather, and she will use whatever it takes to get the truth out of the expedition’s scientist. He is conducting public hanging tours, and Maude joins one of them. I had no idea that there was such a thing! How macabre! Very Victorian, though.
Constance’s diary entries were fascinating - what an experience it must have been, how dangerous (especially for Constance!) and completely different from anything she had ever experienced. Victorian London is described so well, and the hardships of the Arctic, equally so.
Maude’s dedication to her sister is admirable, and it’s refreshing to read about a young woman with so much skill and knowledge. The danger that Maude puts herself in, had me on the edge of my seat!
I listened to this on Xigxag audiobooks, and the narration was excellent. The story was brought to life by the narrator, Genevieve Gaunt.
An adventure-filled, gripping story!
Maude is an assistant to her Apothecary grandfather, and she will use whatever it takes to get the truth out of the expedition’s scientist. He is conducting public hanging tours, and Maude joins one of them. I had no idea that there was such a thing! How macabre! Very Victorian, though.
Constance’s diary entries were fascinating - what an experience it must have been, how dangerous (especially for Constance!) and completely different from anything she had ever experienced. Victorian London is described so well, and the hardships of the Arctic, equally so.
Maude’s dedication to her sister is admirable, and it’s refreshing to read about a young woman with so much skill and knowledge. The danger that Maude puts herself in, had me on the edge of my seat!
I listened to this on Xigxag audiobooks, and the narration was excellent. The story was brought to life by the narrator, Genevieve Gaunt.
An adventure-filled, gripping story!
ClareR (5950 KP) rated The King’s Mother in Books
Jan 7, 2025
I realise as I write this that I’ve read The King’s Mother before the first part of this duology (Cecily). Ah well. It hasn’t spoilt my enjoyment one bit, though. I have a fair bit of knowledge of the War of the Roses from Edward and Richard’s points of view, and it was fascinating to learn about Edward’s reign (and later Richard’s) from Cecily.
This novel explores those things that the women, in particular, would have experienced. Their lives wouldn’t have just been about waiting for their husbands, sons and fathers to come home, it would have been about the relationships with other women, their children, and in Cecily’s case, about her relationship to the throne and those in power.
Cecily was a formidable woman (as was Henry VII’s mother, Margaret Beaufort). She saw the death of her husband, sons, and regime changes. She backed her sons up, no matter her personal opinions. She was unendingly loyal - but anyone else was fair game!
This is such a well-researched, gripping read. I would have hated to have been in Cecily’s shoes, and she proved that power didn’t always bring happiness.
This was a fabulous read, and I will go back and read Cecily. If you enjoy historical fiction, then this would be a great addition to your TBR!
This novel explores those things that the women, in particular, would have experienced. Their lives wouldn’t have just been about waiting for their husbands, sons and fathers to come home, it would have been about the relationships with other women, their children, and in Cecily’s case, about her relationship to the throne and those in power.
Cecily was a formidable woman (as was Henry VII’s mother, Margaret Beaufort). She saw the death of her husband, sons, and regime changes. She backed her sons up, no matter her personal opinions. She was unendingly loyal - but anyone else was fair game!
This is such a well-researched, gripping read. I would have hated to have been in Cecily’s shoes, and she proved that power didn’t always bring happiness.
This was a fabulous read, and I will go back and read Cecily. If you enjoy historical fiction, then this would be a great addition to your TBR!
Brothersong
10.0
Rate It
Book
Set in the dreamy backwoods of Oregon, Brothersong is a queer, paranormal romance of burning passion...