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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Glass Magician (The Paper Magician Trilogy, #2) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
The magic continues in Charlie N. Holmberg’s latest novel <i>The Glass Magician</i>. It is three months since the ending of <i>The Paper Magician</i> and Ceony is still apprenticing under Magician Thane – now mostly referred to as Emery. Despite the near death experiences of both the characters in the previous book, Ceony is well on her way to become a Folder – a magician that uses paper.
When an explosion occurs at a paper mill that Ceony is visiting, she realizes that not all her problems have been solved. Her defeat of an evil Excisioner has resulted in two more wanted criminals on her tail. Mistakenly, Ceony believes she can tackle this problem by herself, putting those she loves in danger.
As well as the characters from the first book, <i>The Glass Magician</i> contains a few new names including Delilah, an apprentice of a glass magician, who is a similar age to Ceony. Through Delilah the reader is introduced to another form of magic using glass or more precisely, in the case of this novel, mirrors.
In comparison to <i>The Paper Magician</i> there is a more romantic theme running throughout the book. Events of the past have brought Ceony and Emery closer together causing Ceony to fall in love with him, however she is uncertain whether Emery feels the same way. Even so, fantasy or steampunk remained the key genre.
A criticism I had of the first book was that the characters felt far too modern for the time period it was set in. The case was the same in <i>The Glass Magician</i>, although this may be more to do with the author’s writing style and therefore was unlike to differ. On the other hand the events in this book were more plausible and therefore less confusing which ultimately makes this a slightly better story.
Readers need to have read <i>The Paper Magician</i> before starting this book, as it requires knowledge of previous events, which are vital to the story line. If you loved the first book it is almost guaranteed that you will love the second.
The magic continues in Charlie N. Holmberg’s latest novel <i>The Glass Magician</i>. It is three months since the ending of <i>The Paper Magician</i> and Ceony is still apprenticing under Magician Thane – now mostly referred to as Emery. Despite the near death experiences of both the characters in the previous book, Ceony is well on her way to become a Folder – a magician that uses paper.
When an explosion occurs at a paper mill that Ceony is visiting, she realizes that not all her problems have been solved. Her defeat of an evil Excisioner has resulted in two more wanted criminals on her tail. Mistakenly, Ceony believes she can tackle this problem by herself, putting those she loves in danger.
As well as the characters from the first book, <i>The Glass Magician</i> contains a few new names including Delilah, an apprentice of a glass magician, who is a similar age to Ceony. Through Delilah the reader is introduced to another form of magic using glass or more precisely, in the case of this novel, mirrors.
In comparison to <i>The Paper Magician</i> there is a more romantic theme running throughout the book. Events of the past have brought Ceony and Emery closer together causing Ceony to fall in love with him, however she is uncertain whether Emery feels the same way. Even so, fantasy or steampunk remained the key genre.
A criticism I had of the first book was that the characters felt far too modern for the time period it was set in. The case was the same in <i>The Glass Magician</i>, although this may be more to do with the author’s writing style and therefore was unlike to differ. On the other hand the events in this book were more plausible and therefore less confusing which ultimately makes this a slightly better story.
Readers need to have read <i>The Paper Magician</i> before starting this book, as it requires knowledge of previous events, which are vital to the story line. If you loved the first book it is almost guaranteed that you will love the second.
Leigh J (71 KP) rated The Lost Boys (1987) in Movies
Nov 8, 2019
Best Movie Ever
Contains spoilers, click to show
Michael and Sam are Brothers who are moving, with their Mom Lucy, to Santa Carla following a Divorce. Santa Carla just happens to be the murder capital of the world. When they get to Santa Carla, they are met with an eccentric Grandpa and, shock horror!, no TV! Faced with the absolute atrocity that is no MTV, they decide to explore the nightlife of their new town and upon doing this, meet the beautiful and mysterious Star. Michael is instantly besotted and chases after her, leaving Sam at a local Comic Shop... and at the mercy of an intense duo called the Frog Brothers, who give Sam a comic called "Vampires Everywhere" and allude to the fact that he might want to read it to survive which Sam laughs off.
Upon chasing Star, Michael quickly finds out that she is part of a Gang of enigmatic young guys, their leader being the antagonistic David. Desperate to get closer to Star and gain some new friends, Michael goes along to their lair and is coaxed into drinking some "Wine" by the young men. Soon enough, Michael begins changing and finding out more about who David, Star and the gang really are... and who he really is now. Sam is also noticing changes in Michael, and suspects that Lucy's new flame, Max, is also involved with what is happening to Michael. But, after a terrifying reveal and a body count happening at a Bonfire, are Sam and Michael too late to save themselves? Does Max really have a tie to these mysterious Boys? Could they all hold the key as to why Santa Carla is the murder capital of the world?
I remember watching The Lost Boys as a kid and falling head over heels in love with everything about it; the way it looks, the music, The Lost Boys themselves (who became my style icons from then on!), the epic story... everything! It's such a great Movie, mixing Horror and Comedy perfectly and throwing in the most chaotic and horrific Vampire reveal I've ever seen (favourite scene, of course!). It's quite simply a joy to watch... I'm on my 500th watch already! LOVE it!
Upon chasing Star, Michael quickly finds out that she is part of a Gang of enigmatic young guys, their leader being the antagonistic David. Desperate to get closer to Star and gain some new friends, Michael goes along to their lair and is coaxed into drinking some "Wine" by the young men. Soon enough, Michael begins changing and finding out more about who David, Star and the gang really are... and who he really is now. Sam is also noticing changes in Michael, and suspects that Lucy's new flame, Max, is also involved with what is happening to Michael. But, after a terrifying reveal and a body count happening at a Bonfire, are Sam and Michael too late to save themselves? Does Max really have a tie to these mysterious Boys? Could they all hold the key as to why Santa Carla is the murder capital of the world?
I remember watching The Lost Boys as a kid and falling head over heels in love with everything about it; the way it looks, the music, The Lost Boys themselves (who became my style icons from then on!), the epic story... everything! It's such a great Movie, mixing Horror and Comedy perfectly and throwing in the most chaotic and horrific Vampire reveal I've ever seen (favourite scene, of course!). It's quite simply a joy to watch... I'm on my 500th watch already! LOVE it!
Ross (3284 KP) rated Doors: Field of Blood in Books
Apr 8, 2021
Finally at an end
This the third and final book in this set (though they aren't to be read in any specific order) was consistent with the first two books. The beginning, shared, quarter sets up an intriguing tale of a group of disparate experts tasked with rescuing the missing daughter of a rich businessman, who has disappeared after going through a mysterious door.
This book sees the group enter a door that takes them to an alternate version of middle-ages France/Germany and the reign of the Frankian empire. As with the World War II element of the second book, this was more or less a passing interest to the book rather than a key element of the story.
The group have found themselves in a version of history where women rule the empire and generally take positions of power, and a building conspiracy among men seeks to reverse this and look to change this in the history books. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the book, and one that could be plausible. Sadly, I couldn't see past some modern day people apparently conversing comfortably with people from the 9th century without issue, and there being no attempt to address this at all.
Meanwhile in the real world, we learn more about the doors, their use and the mysterious agency controlling them. We learn more in this one book than the other two put together, and between the three we now have a good amount of knowledge about these portals. Some aspects of their use don't add up though, as with any sort of time travel/portal notion.
The book ends fairly abruptly with a long voyage which is skipped over in a very 'sod it, that's the word count reached, wrap it up' style.
Overall, I was very disappointed with these books. While I liked having to piece together things from each book and start to get a feel for the world, I felt so much of it fell short. As with the other two books, it offered so much promise but fell flat.
This book sees the group enter a door that takes them to an alternate version of middle-ages France/Germany and the reign of the Frankian empire. As with the World War II element of the second book, this was more or less a passing interest to the book rather than a key element of the story.
The group have found themselves in a version of history where women rule the empire and generally take positions of power, and a building conspiracy among men seeks to reverse this and look to change this in the history books. For me, this was the most interesting aspect of the book, and one that could be plausible. Sadly, I couldn't see past some modern day people apparently conversing comfortably with people from the 9th century without issue, and there being no attempt to address this at all.
Meanwhile in the real world, we learn more about the doors, their use and the mysterious agency controlling them. We learn more in this one book than the other two put together, and between the three we now have a good amount of knowledge about these portals. Some aspects of their use don't add up though, as with any sort of time travel/portal notion.
The book ends fairly abruptly with a long voyage which is skipped over in a very 'sod it, that's the word count reached, wrap it up' style.
Overall, I was very disappointed with these books. While I liked having to piece together things from each book and start to get a feel for the world, I felt so much of it fell short. As with the other two books, it offered so much promise but fell flat.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated When Polly Met Olly in Books
Sep 3, 2019
I've seen this book on Goodreads quite often with friends rating and reviewing it so when I saw it on Netgalley as a "Read Now" and with me looking for good chick-lit writers that I'm going to buy again and again, I thought I'd give this a try.
So we meet Polly--a British ex-pat--who is being interviewed for a job at a successful dating agency. It turns out that Polly isn't so good at the dating thing in real life though, as shown in these quotes:
"Didn't you send him a peach and aubergine emoji with a question mark and a winky face when you were drunk?"
"What about that guy you called Mike for four dates then it turned out his name was Matt."
She gets the job and, quite quickly, she's asked to check out a rival firm who is stealing some of their clients. So Polly goes to the other firm as a possible client and meets Olly, the owner. They seem to have an instant connection, a spark, but Olly turns a little cold and clinical towards the end of her interview. They meet by accident a few more times as Polly explores the area surrounding her new office. We don't see him all that often in the book until near the end, to be honest. She's too busy trying to find the perfect partner and setting up dates for her clients.
As the books name suggests, they do end up together but not before hitting a few bumps along the way. It's on a really slow burn and does come a little out of left field when they finally admit they have feelings for each other but after that, the happiness they feel when they're together was really cute.
I loved the camaraderie between Polly and her friend Gabe, he teases her terribly at times but I had to smile. And her friendship with her boss, too, was pretty cool. They made quite a good team at the whole dating agency thing.
I think this was quite enjoyable and will look out for further releases to see if they're as cute as this one was.
So we meet Polly--a British ex-pat--who is being interviewed for a job at a successful dating agency. It turns out that Polly isn't so good at the dating thing in real life though, as shown in these quotes:
"Didn't you send him a peach and aubergine emoji with a question mark and a winky face when you were drunk?"
"What about that guy you called Mike for four dates then it turned out his name was Matt."
She gets the job and, quite quickly, she's asked to check out a rival firm who is stealing some of their clients. So Polly goes to the other firm as a possible client and meets Olly, the owner. They seem to have an instant connection, a spark, but Olly turns a little cold and clinical towards the end of her interview. They meet by accident a few more times as Polly explores the area surrounding her new office. We don't see him all that often in the book until near the end, to be honest. She's too busy trying to find the perfect partner and setting up dates for her clients.
As the books name suggests, they do end up together but not before hitting a few bumps along the way. It's on a really slow burn and does come a little out of left field when they finally admit they have feelings for each other but after that, the happiness they feel when they're together was really cute.
I loved the camaraderie between Polly and her friend Gabe, he teases her terribly at times but I had to smile. And her friendship with her boss, too, was pretty cool. They made quite a good team at the whole dating agency thing.
I think this was quite enjoyable and will look out for further releases to see if they're as cute as this one was.
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Debbiereadsbook (1569 KP) rated Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4) in Books
Oct 13, 2023
saved the best for last!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Assassins To Order series, and I strongly recommend you read books 1 to 3 first. OR at least, book 3 Duron. The Devil pops up first in that book.
I think, for me, Sayle and Oliver saved the best for last! I LOVED this, the final book.
Conrad is an assassin, and Kylo a police officer in Paraguay where the lost boys seem to originate from. Kylo has been chasing The Devil for 20 years and calling for an assassin to finally help him seemed like a good idea. Until Conrad gets off the plane and they scent each other: mates!
What I especially liked about this one was that Conrad is fully aware of his sexuality, while his brothers had not been. And Kylo calls to his Dom, much like his lion. And while Kylo is an Alpha male, a panther, he doesn't question Conrad and his connection and what Conrad can do for him, he just goes with it, and accepts what the Fates have planned for him.
Loved that Wyatt pops up, and who with and how THAT all plays out! Kinda saw that coming in the last book, but loved that it gets explained.
The Devil and what happens with all that was a surprise, and I loved the showdown! I'm still not entirely sure how many animals Conrad has, but they range from a blue dragon to a spider and everything inbetween. What happens between them all at the showdown was shocking but Kylo took it all in his stride. Loved that, while Conrad's lion is his most Dominant animal, the dragon has to have the last say!
There is talk of the other assassins, but only Wyatt pops up, The Thalassa guys are mentioned as well, but none appear here. I kinda missed them!
I'll miss ALL these guys, now both series are finished, but I think this really was a fitting end. I do hope we get some follow ups shorts!
I was waiting for this, and it did not disappoint.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 4 in the Assassins To Order series, and I strongly recommend you read books 1 to 3 first. OR at least, book 3 Duron. The Devil pops up first in that book.
I think, for me, Sayle and Oliver saved the best for last! I LOVED this, the final book.
Conrad is an assassin, and Kylo a police officer in Paraguay where the lost boys seem to originate from. Kylo has been chasing The Devil for 20 years and calling for an assassin to finally help him seemed like a good idea. Until Conrad gets off the plane and they scent each other: mates!
What I especially liked about this one was that Conrad is fully aware of his sexuality, while his brothers had not been. And Kylo calls to his Dom, much like his lion. And while Kylo is an Alpha male, a panther, he doesn't question Conrad and his connection and what Conrad can do for him, he just goes with it, and accepts what the Fates have planned for him.
Loved that Wyatt pops up, and who with and how THAT all plays out! Kinda saw that coming in the last book, but loved that it gets explained.
The Devil and what happens with all that was a surprise, and I loved the showdown! I'm still not entirely sure how many animals Conrad has, but they range from a blue dragon to a spider and everything inbetween. What happens between them all at the showdown was shocking but Kylo took it all in his stride. Loved that, while Conrad's lion is his most Dominant animal, the dragon has to have the last say!
There is talk of the other assassins, but only Wyatt pops up, The Thalassa guys are mentioned as well, but none appear here. I kinda missed them!
I'll miss ALL these guys, now both series are finished, but I think this really was a fitting end. I do hope we get some follow ups shorts!
I was waiting for this, and it did not disappoint.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (13427 KP) rated Hot Fey Moon (Wildeward Academy #4) in Books
Aug 10, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
HOT FEY MOON is the fourth book in the Wildeward Academy series and we rejoin Victoria and her coterie as they prepare to leave Wildeward. Frankie is back in the fold but hasn't... erm... 'completed' his bond with Victoria.
I LOVE THE LODGE!!! Ms Blythe, please! I'm begging you. Somehow, please get Victoria back to the Lodge. I'm not bothered about the Academy, but if she could get her Lodge back, I'd be eternally grateful. Thanking you in advance!
Ahem, now, back to the story. Achoris continues to be shady although this time you find out a little more about it. I can't wait for his story, just to find out all about him. He keeps so much hidden.
Frankie and Victoria want to complete their bond but the timing is never quite right. This is unfortunate as he becomes hot property once they're in Fairyland. Oh, and what a wonderful place that is. Really made me want to go for a visit! And because I know the written word doesn't always convey the meaning, let me just clarify that that was sarcasm! What a place. And those cuffs. Eurgh!!!
Some secrets are spoken, but more are still kept hidden. Teasers abound (I think I know who the wolves were with Flis) and the story continues to amaze. The ending was just perfect. Victoria is showing her strength and it is simply perfect. I love how I am drawn into each book fully, loving the story and the character it focuses on. But, once it has been completed, with the hints given by this amazing author, I am immediately looking forward to the next.
This series continues to enthral me with every word and scene. A fantastic story that I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending... but, please, start from book one so you get the full picture.
** 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!
Aug 10, 2021
I LOVE THE LODGE!!! Ms Blythe, please! I'm begging you. Somehow, please get Victoria back to the Lodge. I'm not bothered about the Academy, but if she could get her Lodge back, I'd be eternally grateful. Thanking you in advance!
Ahem, now, back to the story. Achoris continues to be shady although this time you find out a little more about it. I can't wait for his story, just to find out all about him. He keeps so much hidden.
Frankie and Victoria want to complete their bond but the timing is never quite right. This is unfortunate as he becomes hot property once they're in Fairyland. Oh, and what a wonderful place that is. Really made me want to go for a visit! And because I know the written word doesn't always convey the meaning, let me just clarify that that was sarcasm! What a place. And those cuffs. Eurgh!!!
Some secrets are spoken, but more are still kept hidden. Teasers abound (I think I know who the wolves were with Flis) and the story continues to amaze. The ending was just perfect. Victoria is showing her strength and it is simply perfect. I love how I am drawn into each book fully, loving the story and the character it focuses on. But, once it has been completed, with the hints given by this amazing author, I am immediately looking forward to the next.
This series continues to enthral me with every word and scene. A fantastic story that I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending... but, please, start from book one so you get the full picture.
** 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!
Aug 10, 2021
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated A Game of Thrones in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Full review can be found on my blog: www.diaryofdifference.com
This book will shake and break your heart. This book will make you realise that life is anything but gentle. But this book will also bring you the greatest adventure you have yet to see.
I have bought my whole book collection back in 2014. I have been procrastinating with this series for four years. And today, while writing this review, I thank the old gods and the new, for convincing me to read the first book.
I am probably one of the last people that have reviewed this book, and I assume you all already know a lot about the Game of Thrones series.
It is a book about one Iron Throne, and all the wars, fights, betrayals are about who will be sitting on that throne, and who will be in charge of all kingdoms.
Now, starting off, I am still not sure why people would send armies and armies of soldiers in order to win the throne, when it seems that no matter who becomes a king, that person gets instantly killed. And no kingdom respects each other, and kings and lords keep fighting off and wasting resources for a lost purpose, so there’s that as well.
We have many houses, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Tully, Arryn, Targaryen, Tyrell, Greyjoy, Martell, etc - and they all feature with something unique to their house. Most importantly, they all either want the throne, want revenge or want them both.
But just to clarify - I loved the book!
George R.R. Martin is a genius! He has created this amazing world, and characters that are so alive that make you either hate them or love them, but with all your heart. He has created relationships so tangled and stories so well written, that he puts other authors to shame.
The book is written from a third person perspective, and each chapter features a character. And with each chapter, George moves the time gradually, so we are not stuck in a loop of time pause. I enjoyed this method quite a lot! It kept the story line going very smoothly.
‘’Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.’’
There were so many characters I admired. But my connection with these characters in this book is unlike any other connection I have made. I usually either love or hate a character. But here, I judged actions, and relationships, and things people said and did!
I liked Eddard Stark’s bravery, and his manliness, but I didn’t like the fact that he was too honest for his own good.
‘’Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?
‘’That’s the only time a man an be brave’’.
I loved Arya’s fierceness, but I didn’t like her stubbornness.
‘’For the second time today Arya reflected that life was not fair.’’
I liked Sansa’s politeness, and girlishness. She had all the perfect manners, but she also would betray family for love.
I loved Jon Snow’s story, and how he overcame his past, and learned to live with it.
‘’Let me give you some counsel, bastard.‘’ Lannister said. ‘’Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.’’
I loved many other characters for things they did, and hated many others, but I cherished the difference in each and every character, and that was the beauty in it - that even though an author can create so many characters, he can make them so different from each other.
In this book, you will encounter everything: mostly mean people, ready to kill everyone and anyone standing in the way of their plans. You will read about a story of a family that falls apart, a kingdom that vanishes, a fight between kings, how a little girl will learn life in one day, how a mother will watch her children disappear, one by one.
This book will shake and break your heart. This book will make you realise that life is anything but gentle. But this book will also bring you the greatest adventure you have yet to see.
I have bought my whole book collection back in 2014. I have been procrastinating with this series for four years. And today, while writing this review, I thank the old gods and the new, for convincing me to read the first book.
I am probably one of the last people that have reviewed this book, and I assume you all already know a lot about the Game of Thrones series.
It is a book about one Iron Throne, and all the wars, fights, betrayals are about who will be sitting on that throne, and who will be in charge of all kingdoms.
Now, starting off, I am still not sure why people would send armies and armies of soldiers in order to win the throne, when it seems that no matter who becomes a king, that person gets instantly killed. And no kingdom respects each other, and kings and lords keep fighting off and wasting resources for a lost purpose, so there’s that as well.
We have many houses, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Tully, Arryn, Targaryen, Tyrell, Greyjoy, Martell, etc - and they all feature with something unique to their house. Most importantly, they all either want the throne, want revenge or want them both.
But just to clarify - I loved the book!
George R.R. Martin is a genius! He has created this amazing world, and characters that are so alive that make you either hate them or love them, but with all your heart. He has created relationships so tangled and stories so well written, that he puts other authors to shame.
The book is written from a third person perspective, and each chapter features a character. And with each chapter, George moves the time gradually, so we are not stuck in a loop of time pause. I enjoyed this method quite a lot! It kept the story line going very smoothly.
‘’Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.’’
There were so many characters I admired. But my connection with these characters in this book is unlike any other connection I have made. I usually either love or hate a character. But here, I judged actions, and relationships, and things people said and did!
I liked Eddard Stark’s bravery, and his manliness, but I didn’t like the fact that he was too honest for his own good.
‘’Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?
‘’That’s the only time a man an be brave’’.
I loved Arya’s fierceness, but I didn’t like her stubbornness.
‘’For the second time today Arya reflected that life was not fair.’’
I liked Sansa’s politeness, and girlishness. She had all the perfect manners, but she also would betray family for love.
I loved Jon Snow’s story, and how he overcame his past, and learned to live with it.
‘’Let me give you some counsel, bastard.‘’ Lannister said. ‘’Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.’’
I loved many other characters for things they did, and hated many others, but I cherished the difference in each and every character, and that was the beauty in it - that even though an author can create so many characters, he can make them so different from each other.
In this book, you will encounter everything: mostly mean people, ready to kill everyone and anyone standing in the way of their plans. You will read about a story of a family that falls apart, a kingdom that vanishes, a fight between kings, how a little girl will learn life in one day, how a mother will watch her children disappear, one by one.