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Chalvaren Rising (Kingdom of Chalvaren #2)
Chalvaren Rising (Kingdom of Chalvaren #2)
Paula Millhouse | 2015 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Different worlds, dragons, elves, evil yet misguided women - what more could you ask for?

Now, this is the first 'full' book in the Kingdom of Chalvaren series, although there is the novella in which our two main characters meet. What made this book interesting for me is that they were already 'together' right at the start. So although I knew that things had moved quickly in the prequel, it actually made for fantastic reading as the two of them got to know each other and explored their feelings for each other. Trust me when I say those feelings run hot! Their relationship has the normal ups, downs and misunderstandings that occur when two people are trying to live together and that made for excellent reading. Throw in a world in chaos, with a crazy woman trying to resurrect the dead along with killing the dragons, you have an action-packed world, full of character and heart.

With a smooth, steady pace and excitement on every page, this is a wonderful Fantasy Action Romance. I know that there are two books in this series but I am really hoping for more. I loved the world of Chalvaren and hope to see more of it, and the dragons, in the future. Highly recommended for all fans of Fantasy!

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 25, 2015
  
AG
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
31 of 235
Assassins Gambit (Hearts and Thrones book 1)
By Amy Raby
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vitala Salonius, champion of the warlike game of Caturanga, is as deadly as she is beautiful. She's a trained assassin for the resistance, and her true play is for ultimate power. Using her charm and wit, she plans to seduce her way into the emperor's bed and deal him one final, fatal blow, sparking a battle of succession that could change the face of the empire.
  
As the ruler of a country on the brink of war and the son of a deposed emperor, Lucien must constantly be wary of an attempt on his life. But he's drawn to the stunning Caturanga player visiting the palace. Vitala may be able to distract him from his woes for a while - and fulfill other needs, as well.
  
Lucien's quick mind and considerable skills awaken unexpected desires in Vitala, weakening her resolve to finish her mission. An assassin cannot fall for her prey, but Vitala's gut is telling her to protect this sexy, sensitive man. Now she must decide where her heart and loyalties lie and navigate the dangerous war of politics before her gambit causes her to lose both Lucien and her heart for good....

I enjoyed it for the most part the start was a bit ropey and definitely had trigger warnings for rape and abuse but after the first quarter it became an easy likeable read. Characters were likeable and unlikeable in their own rights and the ending was pretty decent!
  
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Merissa (14030 KP) rated Wisdom Check (Dungeons and Dating #2) in Books

Dec 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 9, 2023)  
Wisdom Check (Dungeons and Dating #2)
Wisdom Check (Dungeons and Dating #2)
Katherine McIntyre | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
WISDOM CHECK is the second book in the Dungeons and Dating series, and this time we focus on Cal, one side of the triangle of owners and the recent divorcee from his ice-queen horror of an ex-wife. And then there's Julien, head chef of the Tabletop Tavern, who's had a long-term crush on his boss but is too busy being responsible for his own family to do anything about it.

The relationship between Julien and Cal is slow-burn, to begin with. My word, the number of near-misses had me ready to throw my Kindle against the wall. But then, THEN, they make a move and holy moly, it's hot. I loved their relationship, even with Julien's martyr tendencies.

We learn more about Cal's past, with his family and his ex-wife, and it leaves me loving his found family even more. I did enjoy hearing about Cal's mum though. There is always a chance... if you're lucky!

I really enjoyed the first book and was glad to see Roxie and Mel here, but I LOVED this one. Now, I just need to wait for Mase and Hunter's story. *Imagine me jumping up and down, all excited.*

Another winner from Ms McIntyre 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 15, 2021
  
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Natacha (374 KP) rated Red Rising in Books

Jan 23, 2020  
Red Rising
Red Rising
Pierce Brown | 2014 | Dystopia, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
6
8.4 (34 Ratings)
Book Rating
More reviews on my blog: https://natachainreviewland.wordpress.com/

Red Rising is another book that I struggle to rate. I did enjoy the book but it didn't blow my mind. I think it's just an "It's not you, it's me" kind of situation. For the best part of the story, I felt like I was reading a retelling of the Hunger Games (and it was a movie I felt it was just ok, haven't read the books) and mixed with The Punisher (guys loses his wife and needs to get his revenge). I had fun but that's all.

Things I liked:

-The writing was very good. Simple, clear, just the right amount of information and exposition to make us understand the world and characters.
-We have a cast of charters with different and distinct personalities and well fleshed out.
-I really enjoyed the fourth part of the book. At this point, I felt like it lost the Hunger Game vibe. We don't have just one person that needs to take down the system but a whole army that marches against corruption.
-Towards the end, we had two nice twists. One of them had been foreshadowed for a while and the second one I personally saw it coming. Although to be honest when you have 20 pages left you can guess that things will go in a different direction what the author is making you believe. Despite that, I really liked those twists.
-I really like Darrow and Mustang dynamic and relationship. I thought it was well done and it felt natural.
-Now that the Huger Game part of the story is done I'm curious to see what Darrow will do outside in the world and how his plan will unfold.

Things I didn't like

I don't have many negatives. There was nothing wrong with the story but I'll try to point some aspect that bothered me.

-As I mention I didn't care about Hunger Game and throughout a large part of the story I couldn't help but thinking of the similarities.
-I'm a little tired of the "They kill my wife and I need to get revenge and keep her dream alive" trope.
-The story is written in first-person POV and present tense and this is really my least favourite way to tell a story.
-I feel like Darrow is a little bit of a Gary Stu. On so many occasion we have Darrow say things like "I'm stronger, I'm taller, I'm faster than he/she, I know better than them" etc. This is why I don't like first-person POV. When it's the author or another person telling us that the main character is stronger or taller or whatever it feels like an observation. When we have the main character telling us about the fact that they are better than everyone else, for me, they become across as obnoxious and annoying. And because of that, I struggle to really connect with Darrow.

-Rape is used a couple of times to move the plot forward. I don't mind when it's used once but when it's used again and again it feels like the author didn't know what else to do to get the plot going.

So here you have it. It wasn't a bad book there was nothing wrong with it and I understand why so many people rave about it. But personally, I couldn't get into the "this is a great book" place. I'm curious about the rest of the series, I don't feel the need to start right away like with other series, but I will get to the second book eventually.
  
FIRESTARTER (2022)
FIRESTARTER (2022)
2022 | Action, Horror
3
4.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Commits the Biggest Film Crime - It's Boring
Sometimes, I watch a movie, so you don’t have to.

I watched the remake of the Stephen King novel FIRESTARTER, so you don’t have to.

The current “leader in the clubhouse” for the worst film of 2022, FIRESTARTER is based on the very good Stephen King novel that was published in 1980 and was made into a pretty cheesy, pretty ‘80s flick in 1984 that made Drew Barrymore (fresh off her work in ET) a bonafide movie star.

No such luck in this one.

Produced by Blum House, Directed by Keith Thomas (THE VIGIL) and adapted from King’s novel by Scott Teems (HALLOWEEN KILLS), this version of FIRESTARTER was dead on arrival, with a weak script, mediocre directing and less than stellar visual effects, consequently making a film that is the worst sort of film…boring. It doesn’t even have the ambition to be “so bad, it’s good”, it is just plodding and mediocre throughout.

But, at 1 hour 34 minutes, it is mercifully short, so it does have that going for it.

What it also has going for it is a “game” Zach Efron as “Firestarter’s Father” and he elevates the scenes he is in to something that comes close to watchable. And when Sydney Lemmon is along as “Firestarter’s Mom” the screen comes the closest to interesting. But the rest…”meh”.

Ryan Kiera Armstrong plays “Firestarter”, Charlie McGee - the young lady who can start fires with her telepathic powers - and she is “just fine”, but she does not have the star power or “it” factor that Barrymore brought to the proceedings previously. She is just not a compelling enough presence on screen to save this turkey. I don’t blame her, I blame the weak Direction by Thomas and the limp script by Teems.

The only other character/performance that sparks some interest in this film is Michael Grayeyes (TOGO) who plays a Native American tracker with his own telekinetic powers who is put on the trail of Charlie by the mysterious Institute (a shadowy Gov’t agency that chases after various “special” people - mostly kids - in quite a few Stephen King novels). Inexplicably, this role was played by an aging, pony-tailed George C. Scott (obviously chasing a paycheck) in the 1984 film. Grayeyes succeeds more.

But these glimmers of competence only aggravates more when the film bogs back down in cardboard villains (what has happened to your career, Gloria Ruben) and exposition spouting scientists (what a waste of Kurtwood Smith) and less than spectacular action sequences that, mostly, consist of Armstrong screaming while a wind machine blows her hair back while sub-par CGI flames engulf the screen.

And…adding insult to injury…the "guy in the asbestos suit” (a mainstay of any film involving fire) does not even get a day of stunt pay! It’s like going to see a Tom Cruise Mission Impossible film and Cruise doesn’t do some sort of crazy stunt!

After the success of IT, PART ONE in 2017, there was a renaissance, of sorts, of adaptations of Stephen King works and even though PET SEMATARY (2019) was pretty decent and IT, CHAPTER TWO and DOCTOR SLEEP (2019) were okay, THE DARK TOWER, the TV remake of THE STAND, LISEY’S STORY and now FIRESTARTER were all terrible, so maybe we’ve seen the end of this phase of King adaptations (I doubt it, but one can hope).

Save yourself and hour and a half of your life and skip this Firestarter. Instead, revisit the 1984 version - it plays like an Oscar-winner compared to this turkey. Or, better yet, read the original Stephen King work - it is the best of all of these.

Letter Grade: C- (and I’m being generous)

3 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis).
  
The Hate u Give
The Hate u Give
Angie Thomas | 2017 | Children
8
8.4 (54 Ratings)
Book Rating
powerful (0 more)
Starr Carter lives a divided life. At sixteen, she spends part of her life in her impoverished inner city neighborhood and another portion in the suburbs, attending an elite prep school, where she is one of a handful of African American students. Starr feels like she is two Starrs, and she keeps these two people very separate, with a different set of friends and personas for each world. But her careful facade is threatened when her childhood best friend, Khalil, is killed by a police officer. Starr is with Khalil when he is shot--unarmed--and her life will never be the same. In the aftermath, the media begins to call Khalil a drug dealer and a gang member. But speaking up about what she saw isn't so simple, especially when not everyone wants to hear the truth.

You've probably heard about Thomas' debut novel by now--it's been getting a lot of coverage and truly, deservedly so. This is definitely a powerful, eye-opening, and timely story. Thomas has created an excellent main character in Starr, whose voice shines clear and strong in the book. Her struggle to fit into two worlds is one many can relate to: Starr's just happens to have life and death consequences. Starr has wonderful, supportive parents and two humorous brothers who fill out the book with a realism and warmth that's hard to describe. Thomas is superb in capturing her characters' voices, and I found myself easily able to picture Starr and her family. I especially loved such snippets that made them jump off the pages--for instance, the family settling down to watch NBA basketball, complete with all their little superstitions (I've definitely been there) was perfect.

Starr's story isn't always easy to read (nor should it be), but it offered strong insight into the systemic problems facing African American communities--much of it framed by Starr's pragmatic parents. I thought some things tied up too easily, but I was still very profoundly affected by the story. I loved Starr and her tough yet vulnerable self. I loved her parents, their love, and their history. Her brothers cracked me up. At its core, this is a story about family, as well as identity and race. It's important, serious, heartbreaking, and yet sometimes really funny. It's also beautiful, powerful, and definitely worth a read.
  
Second Place (Matchmakers #3)
Second Place (Matchmakers #3)
G.R. Lyons | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Second Place (Matchmakers #3) by G.R. Lyons
Second Place is the third and final book in the Matchmakers series - set in a world similar yet different to our own. We finally get to have Danny's story, and find out just what's going on with Eric and Bryan, and it's not at all what I was expecting!

Now, I was a bit worried about this one for a couple of reasons. I don't like reading about cheating per se. If it happened in the past, and the cheater is sorry, and it's relevant to the story, then I don't mind. And I really don't like love triangles. Threesomes/multi-partners are different, but triangles/squares/whatever, I don't do them. So going into this one, I knew that Danny had cheated, and Bryan was with Eric. Red flag warning for me.

I WAS WRONG! Any misconceptions I may have had went flying out the window once I started reading this story. It's angsty, it's heart-breaking, it's not at all what you might think. My admiration for Danny went sky high when he made a promise and kept it, years in the making, and walking through hell too. My heart really went out to him. I will say that I cried at this one. And it was f'ugly crying too. My heart was breaking for Bryan, and yet I still held hope because of Ellidan. So when Bryan goes to someone else, who does have first-hand knowledge of what it's like to lose a husband, I couldn't believe what I was reading. I may or may not have shouted at my kindle at that point, much to my children's confusion.

This is one helluva roller-coaster of a book, that will take you high and drop you down low. We still get to see Chance and Remy, and Shain and Ellidan, who continue to make my day whenever I read about them. Exceptionally well written, with no editing or grammatical errors, this book is an amazing finale to the series. Highly recommended by me.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!