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While she is not one of my favorite authors, she is a good read. I must give her credit for how well her stories are pulling in young adult readers. I have one that struggles to find novels that really pull him in, and Victoria Aveyard managed to capture him for all of the series.

Hellboy (2019)
Movie Watch
Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural...

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Shooting at Loons (Deborah Knott Mysteries, #3) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
I didn't enjoy this novel as much as some of the others in the Deborah Knott series... not sure if it's because I didn't sit down and just read it in one or two sittings as I do with most of Maron's novels, or what. Perhaps, as a result, the plot seemed a bit convoluted at times. Overall, though, it was still a fun read and I did wind up reading the last half or so of the book in one sitting. I thought I had it all figured out, but wound up fairly pleasantly surprised. I'm enjoying this series and will continue to pace myself so I don't read all 14 or so novels in "one fell swoop" (to sound quite Deborah-like).

David McK (3562 KP) rated The Rise of Robin Hood (Outlaw Chronicles, #0.5) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Short prequel to the first of Angus Donald's <i>Outlaw</i> series about Robin Hood.
Whereas the books proper are all presented as an ageing Alan-a -Dale remembering his time with Robin and were told in the first person, this is told in third person and is not 'book-ended' in such a manner. While there are a few other characters than the already-living-in-the-woods Robin and John, it also does not have such a wide range of characters as in the novels proper, and feels maybe a little bit rushed.
In short: an OK entry for anyone who hasn't read any of the novels proper, but I would still advise the reader to start with the first book rather than this novella.
Whereas the books proper are all presented as an ageing Alan-a -Dale remembering his time with Robin and were told in the first person, this is told in third person and is not 'book-ended' in such a manner. While there are a few other characters than the already-living-in-the-woods Robin and John, it also does not have such a wide range of characters as in the novels proper, and feels maybe a little bit rushed.
In short: an OK entry for anyone who hasn't read any of the novels proper, but I would still advise the reader to start with the first book rather than this novella.

David McK (3562 KP) rated Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Vol. 3 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The third and final of the X-Wing omnibus editions, which contains the following 5 stories:
In the Empire's Service
The Making of Baron Fel
Family Ties
Masquerade
Mandatory Retirement
Well, when I say stories it's really one story arc told over all 5, with most of that arc concerning Baron Soontir Fel who (according to one panel) Vader had his TIE prototype made in order to avoid being beaten in sims by Fel. Set before the novels, the arc also takes in Ysanne Isard's - the main villain in the X-Wing novels - rise to power, but also leaves some plot elements hanging.
This, I felt, was the best of the three omnibuses: pity it was just in time for the series to end.
In the Empire's Service
The Making of Baron Fel
Family Ties
Masquerade
Mandatory Retirement
Well, when I say stories it's really one story arc told over all 5, with most of that arc concerning Baron Soontir Fel who (according to one panel) Vader had his TIE prototype made in order to avoid being beaten in sims by Fel. Set before the novels, the arc also takes in Ysanne Isard's - the main villain in the X-Wing novels - rise to power, but also leaves some plot elements hanging.
This, I felt, was the best of the three omnibuses: pity it was just in time for the series to end.

David McK (3562 KP) rated Guard Against Dishonour (Hawk & Fisher, #5) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Pretty much the very definition of pulp fiction, this is the kind of story that you tend to forget as soon as you've read it! While also never confirmed within this (or, to the best of my knowledge, in any of the Hawk and Fisher books prior to 'Beyond the Blue Moon'), there are also some very broad hints dropped that these two characters are the same protaganists as in Simon Green's 'Blue Moon Rising' novel.
Essentially, these novels are crime novels with a magical twist - personally, I find done so much better by Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books featuring the City Watch. That's not to say these should be avoided: just don't go in with too high an expectation and you won't be disappointed!
Essentially, these novels are crime novels with a magical twist - personally, I find done so much better by Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books featuring the City Watch. That's not to say these should be avoided: just don't go in with too high an expectation and you won't be disappointed!

The Spirituality of Jane Austen: Her Faith Through Her Life, Letters and Literature
Book
2017 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen, whose six completed novels have never...

No Fourth River: A Novel Based on a True Story. A profoundly moving read about a woman's fight for survival.
Book
Novel based on a true story. Electroshock therapy, child abuse and modern-day slavery… just...