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Merissa (13063 KP) rated Pisces (Zodiac Twin Flame #1) in Books
Oct 4, 2017
Pisces (Zodiac Twin Flame #1) by Rachel Medhurst
Pisces is the first book in a twelve book series called Zodiac Twin Flame. We start with Pisces as the first book, even though it is the twelfth astrological sign in the zodiac. Pisces has six brothers and five sisters, all named for the zodiac sign they were born under. None of them are related by blood, but have grown up as siblings. They are have a 'higher purpose' - to find their Twin Flame and overcome the obstacles placed before them by an opposing faction. Each of the signs has a special gift they can use if need be, but they need to make sure that no one else sees them use it.
Pisces' father always knew she would be first to find her twin flame, but no reason is given. They were all told that when they met their Twin Flame, they would know it. However, Pisces seems to be in a lot of confusion about just who her Twin Flame is. Not only that, but they spend more time running away from each other, and saying they can only be friends, than they do actually getting to know each other. Also, as we see with the mother and father, just getting with the Twin Flame isn't enough, and they will continue to be tested throughout their lives.
I quite enjoyed this book, although the constant running was starting to get on my nerves. There were no grammatical errors that I noticed, but some of the storyline seemed either forced or superfluous to requirements. That being said, this is the first book in the series, and a lot of world building and groundwork needs to be laid to set the scene. A good introduction to the series that leaves me wanting to know more about the others.
* Verified Purchase ~ August 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Pisces' father always knew she would be first to find her twin flame, but no reason is given. They were all told that when they met their Twin Flame, they would know it. However, Pisces seems to be in a lot of confusion about just who her Twin Flame is. Not only that, but they spend more time running away from each other, and saying they can only be friends, than they do actually getting to know each other. Also, as we see with the mother and father, just getting with the Twin Flame isn't enough, and they will continue to be tested throughout their lives.
I quite enjoyed this book, although the constant running was starting to get on my nerves. There were no grammatical errors that I noticed, but some of the storyline seemed either forced or superfluous to requirements. That being said, this is the first book in the series, and a lot of world building and groundwork needs to be laid to set the scene. A good introduction to the series that leaves me wanting to know more about the others.
* Verified Purchase ~ August 2017 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Lost Heir (The Dragonath Chronicles, #1) in Books
May 16, 2018
One glance at The Lost Heir‘s cover is enough to excite any fantasy loving bookwyrm. Add in it’s synopsis? Well, let’s put it this way: I buckled in for the ride and went nowhere. It’s not often that I choose to drop a book. In the year since I began book blogging, only one of my reviews was a DNF. This book marks my second.
A quick perusal of The Lost Heir on Goodreads shows the book to have some rather stellar reviews since its publish date in 2013. This leaves me baffled and wondering whether or not I was reading the same book. Andi O’Connor is great when it comes to descriptions, but beyond that her voice seems largely passive. Additionally, there is so much exposition that it is distracting.
If that alone isn’t a letdown, then the characters we meet in the first several chapters certainly are. When I review a book, I usually spend a paragraph or two on its characters. This is where I praise or ridicule the roles within the book. Only, O’Connor introduces so many characters so early in the book that I cannot recall half of their names, let alone their purposes. Those that merit mention seem unsure of themselves. For instance, Princess Mionee appears as a young, adept sorceress. While seemingly random elements of the early pages receive plenty of backstory, she appears to simply exist. And she’s a villain… apparently? Whereas our presumed hero, Darrak Hunter, is a whiney, college wimp. And the other characters we meet early on? They fail to impress.
My first attempt at reading this book saw me through the five percent of it. The second attempt netted another six percent before I came to the conclusion that, no matter what the reviews say, this book isn’t for me. The premise of The Lost Heir is stellar; it’s a shame the book isn’t.
A special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing with a copy of this book for the purpose of review.
A quick perusal of The Lost Heir on Goodreads shows the book to have some rather stellar reviews since its publish date in 2013. This leaves me baffled and wondering whether or not I was reading the same book. Andi O’Connor is great when it comes to descriptions, but beyond that her voice seems largely passive. Additionally, there is so much exposition that it is distracting.
If that alone isn’t a letdown, then the characters we meet in the first several chapters certainly are. When I review a book, I usually spend a paragraph or two on its characters. This is where I praise or ridicule the roles within the book. Only, O’Connor introduces so many characters so early in the book that I cannot recall half of their names, let alone their purposes. Those that merit mention seem unsure of themselves. For instance, Princess Mionee appears as a young, adept sorceress. While seemingly random elements of the early pages receive plenty of backstory, she appears to simply exist. And she’s a villain… apparently? Whereas our presumed hero, Darrak Hunter, is a whiney, college wimp. And the other characters we meet early on? They fail to impress.
My first attempt at reading this book saw me through the five percent of it. The second attempt netted another six percent before I came to the conclusion that, no matter what the reviews say, this book isn’t for me. The premise of The Lost Heir is stellar; it’s a shame the book isn’t.
A special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing with a copy of this book for the purpose of review.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Ninth City Burning in Books
May 16, 2018
J. Patrick Black’s debut novel, Ninth City Burning, is an incredibly intense ride alongside humanity’s bid for survival against an alien race seeking Earth’s destruction. Complete with a wide cast of unique characters with their own voices, this novel has earned its place among my favorites.
More often than not, I’m wary of books with shifting first-person. In this case, readers meet seven different points of view – and every single one of those characters have their own voices. I find this impressive, considering the frequency with which Black switches between his cast. (Actually, I find myself wondering how he approached writing the different views, as they are so starkly different.)
For the most part, all but two of these characters feel real. Jax and Naomi are the exception, as they both appear extremely mature for their age. While Jax does have a military upbringing, Naomi is a bit too advanced for a child of a nomadic lifestyle. There’s also a dash of romance in this book that feels a bit too forced.
Ninth City Burning also manages to blur the line between science-fiction and epic fantasy, which is an oddly unique feeling to encounter while reading. Magic and science both play heavy roles in this novel, and I imagine the former of those two, coupled with the camaraderie between the main characters, is precisely why this book is recommended for fans of Harry Potter.
The agonizingly slow build-up to action further lends to the epic fantasy feel of this book, a feat that I remain unsure of presently. While it leads to less action and battle in the meat of the book, it also serves as an opportunity for Black to further unravel this beautiful world he has created.
Ninth City Burning is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to my friends and readers who prefer science-fiction. I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
More often than not, I’m wary of books with shifting first-person. In this case, readers meet seven different points of view – and every single one of those characters have their own voices. I find this impressive, considering the frequency with which Black switches between his cast. (Actually, I find myself wondering how he approached writing the different views, as they are so starkly different.)
For the most part, all but two of these characters feel real. Jax and Naomi are the exception, as they both appear extremely mature for their age. While Jax does have a military upbringing, Naomi is a bit too advanced for a child of a nomadic lifestyle. There’s also a dash of romance in this book that feels a bit too forced.
Ninth City Burning also manages to blur the line between science-fiction and epic fantasy, which is an oddly unique feeling to encounter while reading. Magic and science both play heavy roles in this novel, and I imagine the former of those two, coupled with the camaraderie between the main characters, is precisely why this book is recommended for fans of Harry Potter.
The agonizingly slow build-up to action further lends to the epic fantasy feel of this book, a feat that I remain unsure of presently. While it leads to less action and battle in the meat of the book, it also serves as an opportunity for Black to further unravel this beautiful world he has created.
Ninth City Burning is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to my friends and readers who prefer science-fiction. I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Ryken's Bible Handbook in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I had trouble deciding how to review this book, since it's not necessarily meant to be read cover-to-cover, but used alongside the Bible as a study guide. Flipping through the pages, it's apparent that nearly every aspect that I can think of regarding the Bible is addressed in the text, such as format, author, audience, theme, writing style, timeline, purpose, cast of characters, both general and specific topics highlighted in the Bible, flow, places, definitions, historical references, and even tips for reading and studying the Bible. Each book is addressed separately, quotes from other sources are scattered across the pages, and interesting factoids are made mention of in the margins. A One Year Bible Reading Plan is also found at the end of the handbook, followed by multiple maps and charts that correspond to information addressed in the handbook.
It is important to note that the Bible version that the writers use when quoting scripture is the English Standard Version (ESV), which I think is poor form. Bible versions now adays are a dime-a-dozen, and everyone thinks that their version is the best and easiest to understand. If a person is going to put out something of this nature, that claims a certain authority in the interpretation of Biblical scripture, they should either be willing to use a wide variety of Bible versions or stick with the version that servived centuries before this modern era of multiple Bible versions - the King James Version (KJV). Bible versions is a hot topic, so I'm not going to dwell on this.
I have been studying the Bible for most of my life, so anything that puts a fresh perspective on the text, I appreciate. I especially like the quotes and fact tidbits, since these are things that I won't get from the Bible alone. I will definitely be using this handbook alongside my Bible reading and study, as well as taking advantage of the One Year Bible Reading Plan, though I won't consider this my only source of Bible reference.
It is important to note that the Bible version that the writers use when quoting scripture is the English Standard Version (ESV), which I think is poor form. Bible versions now adays are a dime-a-dozen, and everyone thinks that their version is the best and easiest to understand. If a person is going to put out something of this nature, that claims a certain authority in the interpretation of Biblical scripture, they should either be willing to use a wide variety of Bible versions or stick with the version that servived centuries before this modern era of multiple Bible versions - the King James Version (KJV). Bible versions is a hot topic, so I'm not going to dwell on this.
I have been studying the Bible for most of my life, so anything that puts a fresh perspective on the text, I appreciate. I especially like the quotes and fact tidbits, since these are things that I won't get from the Bible alone. I will definitely be using this handbook alongside my Bible reading and study, as well as taking advantage of the One Year Bible Reading Plan, though I won't consider this my only source of Bible reference.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Spy Glass (Glass, #3) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I finally got around to finishing this series, and I am glad I did. While the series sometimes seemed to drag on and on, and I often found Opal's character frustrating, she finally figures out her own purpose in life in the final book, as well as ties up all of the loose ends of her life.
Forgiveness seems to be a central theme in this series, but most especially in the final book with Opal's interactions with Devlen's character. While I am still conflicted over their relationship, I tend to take the position that if the main character is happy with it, I'm happy with it, too. Devlen's changes seem to pose the question: Do people really change? We like to believe they do in theory , but when it comes to those who perform the really evil crimes, few people are willing to accept that it's truly possible. Opal actually did finally believe this about Devlen, which makes her a rare individual.
Opal's character can be quite confusing at times - she can be very emotional and reactive, but at the same time she has endured unimaginable circumstances and has made herself into a battle-hardened warrior. How many females today can do what she can - even without the magic included? She has certainly earned the right to make her own decisions - and handle whatever consequences come along.
I loved the two children she picks up along the way, and how they help her to understand her own magical abilities. They bring out the maternal instincts in her, which I always appreciate in literature of this nature. The cult that these two were members of fits the stereotype very well, at times both disgusting me and making me want to jump in and rescue those poor people myself.
The coolest part of the book was when Valek taught Opal how to be a proper spy - it reminded me of the Study series by Maria V. Snyder that I loved so much. Valek is such an enigmatic character that he deserves his own trilogy!
Forgiveness seems to be a central theme in this series, but most especially in the final book with Opal's interactions with Devlen's character. While I am still conflicted over their relationship, I tend to take the position that if the main character is happy with it, I'm happy with it, too. Devlen's changes seem to pose the question: Do people really change? We like to believe they do in theory , but when it comes to those who perform the really evil crimes, few people are willing to accept that it's truly possible. Opal actually did finally believe this about Devlen, which makes her a rare individual.
Opal's character can be quite confusing at times - she can be very emotional and reactive, but at the same time she has endured unimaginable circumstances and has made herself into a battle-hardened warrior. How many females today can do what she can - even without the magic included? She has certainly earned the right to make her own decisions - and handle whatever consequences come along.
I loved the two children she picks up along the way, and how they help her to understand her own magical abilities. They bring out the maternal instincts in her, which I always appreciate in literature of this nature. The cult that these two were members of fits the stereotype very well, at times both disgusting me and making me want to jump in and rescue those poor people myself.
The coolest part of the book was when Valek taught Opal how to be a proper spy - it reminded me of the Study series by Maria V. Snyder that I loved so much. Valek is such an enigmatic character that he deserves his own trilogy!
Amy Louise Davison (118 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy in TV
Mar 4, 2019 (Updated Mar 4, 2019)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I loved the first season of this show. Especially the characters of Klaus and Five. Five is meant to be 58 (due to getting trapped in the future for 45years) and when coming back from the future returns to his 13 year old body. His siblings are all 30 years old so technically he is 28 years older. The actor who plays Five is only 15 in real life but is absolutely brilliant in his role. It must have been daunting for him to act among much older actors and have to act so much older than his actual age but he did it remarkably. He is so believable and witty.
Klaus is eccentric and loveable, tormented and sad. I was willing him on in the season to be okay and stay sober. The actor portraying Klaus (Robert Sheehan) is Irish in real life - his American accent in this show is flawless. Remarkable.
Varnya, although she may be the centre of the show in some ways is in my opinion very unlikeable. I do not know if that was on purpose or not but I found her boring and whiny and a little annoying!
Allison, Diego, Luther and Ben are all good characters, rounded and likeable.
The show does not spoon feed you information either. Pogo is never explained... Why is he an intelligent, talking monkey? It is assumed Hargreeves made him like this but it is never touched upon.
It is never explained why Five kept his name and the others did not but it suits his character. Delores is never thrown in Five's face by any of his siblings which is unusual but brilliant. The Umbrella Academy doesn't take the route you usually suspect most of the time.
I recommend this season to everyone, young and old. There is humour, drama, sadness, violence, mystery, sci-fi themes, super powers, magic briefcases and a hell of a lot of doughnuts.
Klaus is eccentric and loveable, tormented and sad. I was willing him on in the season to be okay and stay sober. The actor portraying Klaus (Robert Sheehan) is Irish in real life - his American accent in this show is flawless. Remarkable.
Varnya, although she may be the centre of the show in some ways is in my opinion very unlikeable. I do not know if that was on purpose or not but I found her boring and whiny and a little annoying!
Allison, Diego, Luther and Ben are all good characters, rounded and likeable.
The show does not spoon feed you information either. Pogo is never explained... Why is he an intelligent, talking monkey? It is assumed Hargreeves made him like this but it is never touched upon.
It is never explained why Five kept his name and the others did not but it suits his character. Delores is never thrown in Five's face by any of his siblings which is unusual but brilliant. The Umbrella Academy doesn't take the route you usually suspect most of the time.
I recommend this season to everyone, young and old. There is humour, drama, sadness, violence, mystery, sci-fi themes, super powers, magic briefcases and a hell of a lot of doughnuts.
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated Doctor Sleep in Books
Apr 30, 2019
It was a very fitting sequel to "The Shining". As King notes, in the Author's note at the end of the book, he is a different man than the one who wrote about Jack Torrance. You can certainly tell. His story is well rounded and a complete character arch for not just the Torrance family but for the Author as well. The redemption of Jack being just a nod was more than enough for me as well. I loved the grace and love that King pours into his stories.
There was one scene that will continue to disturb me. It was Danny's secret, that he shared at the end of the book, and lived through at the beginning. That scene with the toddler just... it really upset me. It will haunt me as it haunted Danny. I think it's because I am a father of a toddler myself, and any harm done to children kills my soul a bit.
The themes of becoming better than your past are beautiful. I love King's take on this as he is also a man that has overcome his past and become better than he was. The idea of purpose is one I would argue with, but that is something that I'm struggling with myself. I do love the imagery that is borrowed from Madeleine L'Engle about collecting ages that Danny references. We are always that age at some level, and will always be. There will always be that part of us that was our past, but we can overcome it and be better than we were. The trauma in Danny's past made him a better person, rather than letting it weigh him down for his entire life. It almost did.
I almost didn't read this one, but I'm very glad that I did.
I'm also a fan of the little dig that King takes at Kubrick in his Author's note about the movie version, the mini-series was a better interpretation.
There was one scene that will continue to disturb me. It was Danny's secret, that he shared at the end of the book, and lived through at the beginning. That scene with the toddler just... it really upset me. It will haunt me as it haunted Danny. I think it's because I am a father of a toddler myself, and any harm done to children kills my soul a bit.
The themes of becoming better than your past are beautiful. I love King's take on this as he is also a man that has overcome his past and become better than he was. The idea of purpose is one I would argue with, but that is something that I'm struggling with myself. I do love the imagery that is borrowed from Madeleine L'Engle about collecting ages that Danny references. We are always that age at some level, and will always be. There will always be that part of us that was our past, but we can overcome it and be better than we were. The trauma in Danny's past made him a better person, rather than letting it weigh him down for his entire life. It almost did.
I almost didn't read this one, but I'm very glad that I did.
I'm also a fan of the little dig that King takes at Kubrick in his Author's note about the movie version, the mini-series was a better interpretation.
Rodney Barnes (472 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
Apr 30, 2019
Marvel Has Done It Again
Contains spoilers, click to show
Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. This movie had my attention from beginning to end. It was just so well done. Dealing with the aftermath of the Decimation caused by Thanos and then the culmination of a huge battle, in fact the biggest battle I have seen on screen. It was amazing how they fit how each character dealt with the aftermath of everything. Yes the movie was 3 hours but as a geek...I didn't mind one bit. The only thing I didn't care for was how Thor was handling his misery. I thought it was taken too lightly. He drank a lot of beer and gained weight. He was trying to drink his misery away. I can understand feeling like it's your fault that Thanos killed everyone, but I just didn't like the angle. That is ONLY thing about this movie I didn't like. The way they got the Infinity Stones to undo what Thanos did was just awesome. At the beginning they find Thanos and he is in bad shape. To their dismay he told them he used the stones to destroy the stones. He had accomplished his purpose. Thor beheaded Thanos and they leave with no hope...that is until Antman, Scott Lang shows up. Eventually a reluctant Tony Stark and the rest of the team go down different time streams using Hank Pym's technology to get the Infinity Stones. The stones are recoverd by everyone but to the chagrin of the team...it was at the cost of Black Widows life. Meanwhile Thanos of a different timeline finds out what is going on and makes it to Avengers headquarters. Just before that a gauntlet is made and the Hulk uses it to bring everyone back. Then Thanos destroys Avengers headquarters with another battle ensuing. I will stop there because now you will witness the greatest on screen battle you have ever seen. Marvel...you have made me a happy man!
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Corralled (Blacktop Cowboys, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
Cowboy rodeo erotica? You have my interest. From the moment I saw this book on goodreads bookswap, I could not wait to read it. I love me some erotica. Add some cowboys in the mix and I am happy as a clam. Until I read it.
Because I dont really have much to say about this book, here goes.
The good: the erotic scenes, the character development, the dialogue,
the writing
The bad: the plot (which bored me senseless), the favoritism
The ugly: the situation
While there is nothing actually wrong with the novel, I just could not get into it. James has a great easy style to read. The erotic scenes were great, some of the best I have read, especially when dealing with such an awkward situation. And oh was it awkward. The dialogue was realistic and had me not only laughing, but cringing as well. The characters and the emotions were also very believable. I found myself becoming attached to them
The plot seemed a little lackluster, however. I will gave James points for having one of the few erotic novels with a well developed plot in the first place. As I said before, however, it was just not a story I was interested in. It was clear from the beginning who the lead female was going to end up with. I dont think James did it on purpose, but her clear favoritism for one man over the other was apparent from the beginning.
This was not an easy book to read in the first place due to the circumstances of the love triangle. All of the ménage a trios novels I have read before, the couples were into it as a threesome. In this novel, two men are vying the attention and love of one woman. It was awkward at best, especially since the men were childhood friends.
Because I dont really have much to say about this book, here goes.
The good: the erotic scenes, the character development, the dialogue,
the writing
The bad: the plot (which bored me senseless), the favoritism
The ugly: the situation
While there is nothing actually wrong with the novel, I just could not get into it. James has a great easy style to read. The erotic scenes were great, some of the best I have read, especially when dealing with such an awkward situation. And oh was it awkward. The dialogue was realistic and had me not only laughing, but cringing as well. The characters and the emotions were also very believable. I found myself becoming attached to them
The plot seemed a little lackluster, however. I will gave James points for having one of the few erotic novels with a well developed plot in the first place. As I said before, however, it was just not a story I was interested in. It was clear from the beginning who the lead female was going to end up with. I dont think James did it on purpose, but her clear favoritism for one man over the other was apparent from the beginning.
This was not an easy book to read in the first place due to the circumstances of the love triangle. All of the ménage a trios novels I have read before, the couples were into it as a threesome. In this novel, two men are vying the attention and love of one woman. It was awkward at best, especially since the men were childhood friends.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
First off, let me say how furious I am that this is a three part series with each novel ending in a cliff hanger. Each novel has enough meat to it to count as individual novel, but they all end in maddening cliffhangers. I loathe cliff hangers more than I loathe serials.
That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldnt put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beasts body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.
There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the Beasts treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the Beautys purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the Beasts role to develop from well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.
This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.
That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldnt put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beasts body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.
There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the Beasts treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the Beautys purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the Beasts role to develop from well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.
This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.