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Devil May Care (The Veil, #2)
Devil May Care (The Veil, #2)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Charlie is now working for the Institute, a group who defend against demons who cross the veil, but only doing it in an effort to regain her demon so she can go and hunt Stefan in the demon world. Unfortunately, though, it seems that her old master, Damien, didn't die years ago like she thought and is torturing enforcers of the Institute in a bid to get her attention.

Charlie/Muse suffered terribly at his hands as we see in flashbacks and even her demon is afraid of the sick demon so it's a terrible struggle for Muse to know he's back and hunting for her. Eventually, though, they come face to face and she's transported back to the Netherworld. Bad news in the fact she's in Damien's clutches but good news in the fact she can now find Stefan.

Things don't always go to plan, though, and we have a lot of struggles in the demon realm as they try to figure out how to get themselves back across the Veil and stop Damien

It was action packed but I missed Stefan for a lot of the book. Gone was the protective, fun guy we met in the first one. His demon has taken over and he's not as carefree as he used to be. It's definitely a bit of a rollercoaster this one.

Off to start book three to see if Stefan can control his demon half once more.
  
Stephen Laws Spectre
Stephen Laws Spectre
Stephen Laws | 2013 | Horror, Mystery, Paranormal
10
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great storyline (2 more)
Lots of twists & turns
Supernatural theme
It ended a bit too suddenly (0 more)
Twists & turns galore! I couldn't put this book down!!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Blurb:The inseparable Byker Chapter: six boys, one girl, growing up together in the back streets of Newcastle. Now memories are all that Richard Eden has left and one treasured photograph. But suddenly, inexplicably, the images of his companions start to fade, and as they vanish, so his friends are found dead and mutilated. Something is stalking the Chapter, picking them off one by one, something connected with their past, and with the girl they used to know.

Review:

So I got this book after going to a Sci-Fi convention, I met the author who was wonderful!

This book is divided into different parts, which I think helps as it is a lot to take in and can be quite heavy going. When I started to read this, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. The first part is pretty heavy going (the build-up) and there is a lot of information to take in and remember but once you get past this part, it then blossoms into a fabulous book with so many supernaturally frightening twists and turns, you never know which direction it is going to go in next!

Overall, I thoroughly loved this book and if you fancy something different to read then definitely read this!!
  
Lost Girls and Love Hotels (2020)
Lost Girls and Love Hotels (2020)
2020 | Drama, Thriller
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Rather pointless (0 more)
Lost its way
Not heard of this before it popped up on Sky cinema based on a successful novel of the same title. A different direction for Alexandra Daddario who seems to have churned out lots of low budget Rom Coms most recently.
This is an odd bleak character study which feels a bit like Lost in Translation crossed with 9 1/2 weeks but falling way short of either of them. Her character is a bit of drifter in Tokyo, always drunk and meeting random men for meaningless sex in the love hotels. Until she meets by chance a Yakuza gangster who she begins an affair with.
There was a lot more potential in this, it tries to be quite art house but most of the film is filled with shots of her drunk in a bar with friends, staggering around Tokyo at night or with random men. The Yakuza angle is barely explored with Kazu and they spend very little time together as well. Apparently a good 45mins has been cut and the film has been on the shelf a while after being filmed late 2017.
The end result is a brief character study of someone at rock bottom of life. Unfortunately it's quite dull for the most part, not erotic either. It's a shame as it could have been a lot better with a few plot angles explored more.
  
Alpha's Fingerling Surprize (The Weird & Wacky World of Shifters #2)
Alpha's Fingerling Surprize (The Weird & Wacky World of Shifters #2)
JP Sayle | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
More emotional than book one but no less a great read!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the series and while not strictly necessary, I strongly recommend you read book one first. It sets the scene for Olowin and Russ. Its also a lot of fun!

Russ rejected Olowin and regretted it almost instantly. Finally getting to spend some time together goes a long way, and the pair begins their new life together. Things, however, were never gonna run smoothly!

Book one was a lot of fun to read. I found this one a little fun but more emotional. Russ and Olowin are opposites and it shows in every way but they are suited to each other, once they both commit to the other.

There is a marked difference in Russ and Olowin's physical relationship to that of Frenchie and Tala and I will never look at a sprouting potato in the same way again!!

And just what else, and more importantly WHY, have the potato Elders kept from their people??

I have no idea where this series is going, and I still want to know why beans are dull, are we gonna get a broccoli character and when do we get the next book? But I will read them, all of them!

More emotional than book one but no less a great 4 star read!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
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ClareR (5874 KP) rated The Pharmacist in Books

Jul 24, 2022  
The Pharmacist
The Pharmacist
Rachelle Atalla | 2022 | Contemporary, Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Pharmacist is the kind of book that I find I have to ration. I love it, but frankly the concept is terrifying. I read a lot of books about End Of Times, apocalypse, dystopia - I’m addicted, but I find I can’t stop thinking about them, and I even dreamt about The Pharmacist!

This isn’t a light read, and the dread isn’t even underlying: it’s constantly there, glowering in every paragraph, every sentence. The reader doesn’t know why these specially chosen people are all holed up in a bunker together, but something terrible, world changing, has happened.

And the claustrophobia! I could imagine the close living quarters, the smell of the not-quite-clean inhabitants, the fear of doing something to incur the wrath of the bunkers leader. Now, he’s quite some character: power mad and more than happy to use anyone to get what he wants. And although the pharmacist, Wolfe, is supplying him with ever greater supplies of drugs, she is the one who is at his mercy.

Whatever is outside the bunker is worse than what’s inside (I debate this, and would be much happier taking my chances on the outside!). And the tasks that the leader demands that Wolfe undertakes, get worse and worse.

This is an unrelentingly grim read, and I’m sure it says a whole lot about me when I say that I loved it. I looked forward - with trepidation - to reading every one of the ten instalments on The Pigeonhole.
  
Time After Time
Time After Time
Louise Pentland | 2022 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Time After Time is a heartwarming and entertaining read about acceptance and not settling for second best.

Tabby works in a second hand shop and one day tries on a ring that she has taken a shine to - and is instantly transported back to the 1980’s. Her life becomes more interesting as she makes a new friend and sees her beloved 1980’s in the flesh.

In 2022, Tabby feels stifled. Her long term boyfriend, David, has a very fixed, old fashioned idea of what “his woman” should be doing with her time (cooking for him and having children seem to feature highly). And back at her family home, Tabby’s father drops a bombshell that leaves her mother reeling.

The characters are lovely (except the chauvinist David, of course!), Tabby could be a bit ‘ditsy’ at times, but that tended to add to her charm.

I do feel that more could have been done with the time travel aspect, but I think that’s more the science fiction fan in me (and the book would probably have needed to be a lot longer) - no one else reading on the Pigeonhole seemed to have the same opinion! In fact I do realise that the limited sci-Fi element may well make it more appealing to a lot of readers.

I really did enjoy this - a perfect summer read - or a winter read to remind you of the better weather!
  
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
2022 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
I was pleasantly surprised but just how damn delightful the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie was, and with this sequel, Jeff Fowler has wisely stuck with the formula, added more to it, and the results are just as enjoyable.
Jim Carrey once again steals the show, as a more unhinged Robotnik, closer to his game counterpart than he was the first time around. When coupled with the inclusion of fan favourite characters Tails and Knuckles, alongside series mainstays like the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic 2 runs headfirst into its source material whilst still feeling at home in the real world. It's a good balance.
A lot of the comedy fell flat for me however. A lot of jokes didn't land properly, but it's important to remember that this is a movie geared towards kids, and as such, it's not a huge issue. There's also a kind of discount Meet the Parents side plot that feels wholly unnecessary and drags the mid point, but this is completely made up for by one of the most entertaining final acts in recent blockbuster memory. The final showdown is an unencumbered blast. As someone who grew up playing the Sonic games, it's a joy to behold and is a testament to how fucking fun video game adaptions can be when handled well.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is just a damn good time, and I say that confidently as a grown ass man. Make the trip to the cinema and treat yo self.
  
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ClareR (5874 KP) rated Emily Eternal in Books

Apr 12, 2022  
Emily Eternal
Emily Eternal
M G Wheaton | 2019 | Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emily Eternal is a lot of what I love about science fiction. M. G. Wheaton has taken something that is pretty unbelievable (the end of the sun five billion years early) and made it perfectly believable. That, and the sentient computer programme, Emily.

Emily has been developed in order to help humanity. Primarily, she is supposed to counsel people who had been through trauma - and there’s a lot of it going around with all the impending doom, climate catastrophes etc. But this counselling has been used as a way of Emily teaching herself to become more human. She learns, constantly. I say “she”, because Emily is portrayed as a normal human being. She has daily routines, washes her hair, sleeps, eats. She learns from the people she counsels and watches through the various security cameras. And she forms attachments with her programmers and the other people she encounters.

But things go horribly wrong, and Emily escapes just in time. She is helped by her human companions for most of the book: Jason and Myra.

I don’t want to say too much more, because if you’re going to read this, I wouldn’t want to spoil it. It was a gripping story of a computer programme who has taught ‘herself’ how to care for humanity and to do her best for them. I loved it.
Recommended to all those who like Sci-Fi that’s light on the science and heavy on the personal relationships.