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Debbiereadsbook (1413 KP) rated Two For The Road in Books
Jan 28, 2019
I loved this bookj!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Dylan saw Riley when he was just 15, Riley was suited and booted and Dylan fell in love. At 22, Dylan manages to wrangle to lift to work with Riley, in an effort to get his man. Because Riley is HIS: Riley just needs to see it too. But Riley is 20 years older than Dylan, and Dylan's dad's best fried, even if a bit estranged. Coming back to the village he was born to spend time with his dying father was a shock to Riley's system, but a much needed one. Leaving his partner of 20 years not so much of a shock as a revelation of just what had been going on behind his back for the bigger part of that relationship. Dylan is a breath of fresh air to Riley, who is lonely after his dad passed away. Chatting on the 45 minute drive to work every day brings the two men closer, and when Dylan finally declares his intention to make Riley his, all Riley thinks about is what would Dylan's dad think. Can Riley get past the age gap?
I started reading this and I was liking it. It was shaping up nicely for a 4 star rating. Not loving, just really enjoying it. And then SOMETHING! I've no idea what happened, or who said what, but something happened and I began to LOVE this book! I loved it from that point!
Dylan is young, yes, but he is old enough to know what he wants, more importantly, WHO he wants, and Dylan WANTS Riley. Riley is his and no one else's and Dylan will fight for Riley, even if Riley is scared and worried and all those negative feelings. When Dylan finds out why Riley is scared (not cos of the age gap, that's mentioned a lot!) Dylan steps up his advances a notch and poor Riley doesn't stand a chance. But Dylan's dad catches them, and Riley pushes Dylan away, running at the first hurdle. Dylan though, he doesn't. He'll wait til Riley comes round, cos he WILL come round, just as Dylan's dad will. And they do, wonderfully.
This is one of those books that you just fall into and inhale, you know?? Not too complicated, but you have to pick up the clues about Riley's past relationship. It's not overly explicit, but it is incredibly sexy, especially when Riley's experience is bought to light, even with being in a 20 year relationship (I did NOT like that man!) There is angst and turmoil, but it's not too heavy. Just enough for you to shed a tear when Riley breaks down and cries for what could have been with Dylan.
This really is a warm and fuzzies slash too stinking cute book! It also seems to be the first I've read of Milne, so my wish list is now a little longer.
So!
5 full and shiny and COLOURFUL stars (because after 20 years of white, Riley needs colour)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Dylan saw Riley when he was just 15, Riley was suited and booted and Dylan fell in love. At 22, Dylan manages to wrangle to lift to work with Riley, in an effort to get his man. Because Riley is HIS: Riley just needs to see it too. But Riley is 20 years older than Dylan, and Dylan's dad's best fried, even if a bit estranged. Coming back to the village he was born to spend time with his dying father was a shock to Riley's system, but a much needed one. Leaving his partner of 20 years not so much of a shock as a revelation of just what had been going on behind his back for the bigger part of that relationship. Dylan is a breath of fresh air to Riley, who is lonely after his dad passed away. Chatting on the 45 minute drive to work every day brings the two men closer, and when Dylan finally declares his intention to make Riley his, all Riley thinks about is what would Dylan's dad think. Can Riley get past the age gap?
I started reading this and I was liking it. It was shaping up nicely for a 4 star rating. Not loving, just really enjoying it. And then SOMETHING! I've no idea what happened, or who said what, but something happened and I began to LOVE this book! I loved it from that point!
Dylan is young, yes, but he is old enough to know what he wants, more importantly, WHO he wants, and Dylan WANTS Riley. Riley is his and no one else's and Dylan will fight for Riley, even if Riley is scared and worried and all those negative feelings. When Dylan finds out why Riley is scared (not cos of the age gap, that's mentioned a lot!) Dylan steps up his advances a notch and poor Riley doesn't stand a chance. But Dylan's dad catches them, and Riley pushes Dylan away, running at the first hurdle. Dylan though, he doesn't. He'll wait til Riley comes round, cos he WILL come round, just as Dylan's dad will. And they do, wonderfully.
This is one of those books that you just fall into and inhale, you know?? Not too complicated, but you have to pick up the clues about Riley's past relationship. It's not overly explicit, but it is incredibly sexy, especially when Riley's experience is bought to light, even with being in a 20 year relationship (I did NOT like that man!) There is angst and turmoil, but it's not too heavy. Just enough for you to shed a tear when Riley breaks down and cries for what could have been with Dylan.
This really is a warm and fuzzies slash too stinking cute book! It also seems to be the first I've read of Milne, so my wish list is now a little longer.
So!
5 full and shiny and COLOURFUL stars (because after 20 years of white, Riley needs colour)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Hey, That's My Fish! in Tabletop Games
Jul 1, 2020
How do you like your games, reader? Heavy and themeless? Dark and themey? ZANY AND KOOKY?! Well, this game is a combination of several categories of game type. I consider it cute and cutthroat. There aren’t many games that can fall into those two categories simultaneously, and maybe that’s why we like this one. Spoilers, sweetie.
Hey, That’s My Fish! is a game of attempting to gather the most fish possible before climate change engulfs your little penguin minis. I mean, before the land sinks into the sea. To setup, place all the shuffled fish tiles in a grid of alternating 8 and 7-tile rows. Then, each player will, in turn, place their penguins on tiles showing one fish until their play pieces are on the board. That’s the setup. Quick and easy.
Like I said, the idea here is to gather the most fish to be crowned the winner. You can gather fish tiles by simply moving off them and onto another tile. Choose a direction to travel from your hex, and travel to any fish tile along a straight line – stopping before jumping over any penguin and not travelling over a blank space. Collect the fish tile from where you originally left and add it to your pile. Play continues in this fashion until all players are stalemated and can no longer make any further legal moves on the ever-shrinking board of fish snacks.
So here’s the rub with this one. It’s simple. Like, really simple. Pick up your penguieeple (sheesh) and move them to another hex tile in a straight line without jumping over any obstacle. Take the tile from which you left. Repeat. It sounds so stinking boring. But when you actually have your little peng… minis… and you are trying to get those elusive 3-fish tiles, but you have no way of getting there because your dang brother cut off your route so that only he and Josh can get them because they’re jerks – sorry. I got a bit carried away. But it really do be like that sometimes.
Components. This is an easy one. There are a bunch of cardboard hex tiles and some great little penguineeples. The penguins are brightly colored, and the hexes are very easy to understand and read. No issues here at all. Bonus: the pengeeples have such awesome little sassy poses hahahaha!
So what do I think? As a seasoned gamer and the most elder of our group, I absolutely adore it. It’s not the greatest game ever published, but sometimes you want to let off some steam and play a little cutthroat. So don’t let the cute penguins fool you – this is survival and you NEEEEED those little fishies! I have now owned this game twice (which my wife totally loves when she hears that), because I did miss having it available to me. So it is no surprise that we at Purple Phoenix Games give this little darling a fishy-fishy-bite-my-hook 18 / 24. Go on, grab a copy and destroy friendships!
Hey, That’s My Fish! is a game of attempting to gather the most fish possible before climate change engulfs your little penguin minis. I mean, before the land sinks into the sea. To setup, place all the shuffled fish tiles in a grid of alternating 8 and 7-tile rows. Then, each player will, in turn, place their penguins on tiles showing one fish until their play pieces are on the board. That’s the setup. Quick and easy.
Like I said, the idea here is to gather the most fish to be crowned the winner. You can gather fish tiles by simply moving off them and onto another tile. Choose a direction to travel from your hex, and travel to any fish tile along a straight line – stopping before jumping over any penguin and not travelling over a blank space. Collect the fish tile from where you originally left and add it to your pile. Play continues in this fashion until all players are stalemated and can no longer make any further legal moves on the ever-shrinking board of fish snacks.
So here’s the rub with this one. It’s simple. Like, really simple. Pick up your penguieeple (sheesh) and move them to another hex tile in a straight line without jumping over any obstacle. Take the tile from which you left. Repeat. It sounds so stinking boring. But when you actually have your little peng… minis… and you are trying to get those elusive 3-fish tiles, but you have no way of getting there because your dang brother cut off your route so that only he and Josh can get them because they’re jerks – sorry. I got a bit carried away. But it really do be like that sometimes.
Components. This is an easy one. There are a bunch of cardboard hex tiles and some great little penguineeples. The penguins are brightly colored, and the hexes are very easy to understand and read. No issues here at all. Bonus: the pengeeples have such awesome little sassy poses hahahaha!
So what do I think? As a seasoned gamer and the most elder of our group, I absolutely adore it. It’s not the greatest game ever published, but sometimes you want to let off some steam and play a little cutthroat. So don’t let the cute penguins fool you – this is survival and you NEEEEED those little fishies! I have now owned this game twice (which my wife totally loves when she hears that), because I did miss having it available to me. So it is no surprise that we at Purple Phoenix Games give this little darling a fishy-fishy-bite-my-hook 18 / 24. Go on, grab a copy and destroy friendships!
Ronyell (38 KP) rated Hen, His Wife (1990) in Movies
Aug 4, 2020
My Wife Is a Hen!
Wow! I have to say that even though I have watched lots of surreal shorts over the years, none of them quite compared to how weird this short was! It was interesting to see an animated short that is about domestic problems and one that has so much symbolism to it. There are so many different interpretations about what is really going on in this short and what kind of message it's trying to send to the viewers. So it would be almost impossible for me to describe to you about what I think the ulterior meaning behind this short really is. But, I'm going to give it my best shot and tell you guys what I think that this short is trying to say.
My Interpretation:
So apparently, the couple has been happy together until the husband's friend comes in and tells him that his wife is a hen. Now, it's quite obvious to the audience that the wife is a hen, so how come the husband didn't notice this until his friend told him? Did the wife looked way different when she and her husband first met or did the husband just ignore the obvious signs over the years? So, when the husband finally notices that his wife is a hen, he turns her out of the house. Maybe the husband was more upset about his wife deceiving him for all of these years and that's why he turned her out because she had betrayed his trust in her. So, the husband tried to live life the way it was before, but he missed his wife and he starts hallucinating his situation. It was then that he called her over the phone and begged her to come back to him. But then the ending comes up and... well, you have to see the ending of this short for yourself!
I just loved the way that Igor Kovaliov weaved this bizarre world as all the characters look so strange, what with the blue colored husband and the humanoid hen wife. And let's not forget the half human, half worm pet that the couple has! I also loved the fact that there is so much symbolism and random moments going on in this short as it made the narrative so disoriented yet creative at the same time!
I was a bit thrown off by the mysterious plot of this short. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation that happened between the couple or the various symbolism that jumped out at you with no warning. So, there were times where I was a bit confused about what was really going on and I even had to read several different interpretations from other people who have seen this short in order to understand what was really going on in this short.
Overall, "Hen, His Wife" is a great surreal animated short that gives us a more literal description of marriage problems and anyone who loves watching Russian cartoons or just really weird shorts will definitely enjoy this short!
My Interpretation:
So apparently, the couple has been happy together until the husband's friend comes in and tells him that his wife is a hen. Now, it's quite obvious to the audience that the wife is a hen, so how come the husband didn't notice this until his friend told him? Did the wife looked way different when she and her husband first met or did the husband just ignore the obvious signs over the years? So, when the husband finally notices that his wife is a hen, he turns her out of the house. Maybe the husband was more upset about his wife deceiving him for all of these years and that's why he turned her out because she had betrayed his trust in her. So, the husband tried to live life the way it was before, but he missed his wife and he starts hallucinating his situation. It was then that he called her over the phone and begged her to come back to him. But then the ending comes up and... well, you have to see the ending of this short for yourself!
I just loved the way that Igor Kovaliov weaved this bizarre world as all the characters look so strange, what with the blue colored husband and the humanoid hen wife. And let's not forget the half human, half worm pet that the couple has! I also loved the fact that there is so much symbolism and random moments going on in this short as it made the narrative so disoriented yet creative at the same time!
I was a bit thrown off by the mysterious plot of this short. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation that happened between the couple or the various symbolism that jumped out at you with no warning. So, there were times where I was a bit confused about what was really going on and I even had to read several different interpretations from other people who have seen this short in order to understand what was really going on in this short.
Overall, "Hen, His Wife" is a great surreal animated short that gives us a more literal description of marriage problems and anyone who loves watching Russian cartoons or just really weird shorts will definitely enjoy this short!
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Canvas in Tabletop Games
Feb 3, 2021
I do not have any natural talent for art. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying it, though! Whether it’s coloring, painting, or crafting, I like to let my artistic side run free. So imagine my surprise as I was perusing Kickstarter one day and happened upon Canvas. A game about ‘painting’ and creating unique, brilliant, and one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork, all without having to worry about my lack of actual artistic talent?? I was immediately sold! Now that I have the game in hand and have gotten the opportunity to play it, will it withstand the test of time, like a classic masterpiece?
Canvas is a game of card drafting and set collection in which players are trying to layer their cards to create unique pieces of artwork that will earn them Ribbons (VP) at the local art festival. To begin, set up the canvas mat, 4 random Scoring Cards, Ribbon tokens, and Art cards in their corresponding locations in the play area. Each player receives 3 sleeved Background cards and 4 Inspiration tokens. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
Playing over a series of rounds, players will take turns either Taking an Art Card or Completing a Painting. If you choose to Take an Art Card, you select an Art Card from the canvas mat and take it into your hand. The card furthest from the draw deck is free, but subsequent cards must be ‘purchased’ by spending Inspiration. Place 1 Inspiration token on every card preceding the one you take into hand. If you select an Art Card that has an Inspiration token on it, you collect that token for future use!
If you have at least 3 Art Cards, or a maximum of 5 Art Cards in hand, you must Complete a Painting. You will select 3 of your Art Cards to be sleeved with one of your starting Background cards. You may layer the Art Cards in any order you choose – but remember, only visible icons are used for scoring! Once you have Completed a Painting, you immediately score that piece. Compare the visible icons on your final painting to the Scoring Cards, taking any corresponding Ribbon tokens for successfully meeting their requirements. Play continues in this manner until all players have completed their 3 paintings. Players count up their cumulative scores from all paintings, and the player with the most points is the winner!
The gameplay seems simple enough, right? Yes! It is very straightforward since you only have 2 options for each turn. Either draft a card, or complete a painting. Teaching time is minimal and the gameplay can move quickly. But THAT is where the simplicity ends, my friends. The heart of Canvas is in its strategy. Each game has 4 random Scoring Cards, which define how you will earn points. And each transparent Art Card has a number of icons at the bottom that will affect how you resolve each Scoring Card. By layering your Art Cards, you will cover some icons, while letting others remain visible. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to how to layer your cards, but are you clever enough to layer them for maximum points? Admittedly, the various layering possibilities coupled with 4 different Scoring Cards can lead to some analysis paralysis, as players try to figure out every combination they have to see what could earn the most points. But all in all, I have found the that the gameplay is never really at a standstill, because as one player is taking their turn, all others can be strategizing with their own cards.
Let’s talk about components. First off, I love the canvas mat – it really brings the theme to life and is good quality! The Art Cards are colorful and sturdy, and they really are clear enough to see even when layered upon each other. (I should say that I did remove the plastic film from the manufacturing process.) The Scoring and Background cards are nice, big, and easy to read and understand. My deluxe copy of Canvas has Wooden Ribbons and Inspiration tokens instead of the standard cardboard, and they are nice, chunky, and fun to play with. There are even 5 small wooden easels on which players can display their masterpieces! All in all, the deluxe components are great quality and really elevate the gameplay. AND the game box literally has a hole in the back so it can be hung on the wall, like a real piece of art! Such a creative and immersive approach to the game, that just puts a smile on my face.
If you’ve read this far in my review, I think you can tell that I really love Canvas. The theme is creative, the gameplay is simple, but extremely strategic, and the high quality components really make it feel deluxe. Is there anything I don’t like about it? Maybe that it makes my brain hurt sometimes when trying to figure out the best layering combo of my Art Cards. But seriously, this game is a new and unique twist on some of my favorite mechanics. Canvas is quickly making its way towards my Top 10 list, and this is one I will definitely be pulling out at game nights pretty often. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an eccentric 11 / 12. Give it a shot, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Canvas is a game of card drafting and set collection in which players are trying to layer their cards to create unique pieces of artwork that will earn them Ribbons (VP) at the local art festival. To begin, set up the canvas mat, 4 random Scoring Cards, Ribbon tokens, and Art cards in their corresponding locations in the play area. Each player receives 3 sleeved Background cards and 4 Inspiration tokens. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
Playing over a series of rounds, players will take turns either Taking an Art Card or Completing a Painting. If you choose to Take an Art Card, you select an Art Card from the canvas mat and take it into your hand. The card furthest from the draw deck is free, but subsequent cards must be ‘purchased’ by spending Inspiration. Place 1 Inspiration token on every card preceding the one you take into hand. If you select an Art Card that has an Inspiration token on it, you collect that token for future use!
If you have at least 3 Art Cards, or a maximum of 5 Art Cards in hand, you must Complete a Painting. You will select 3 of your Art Cards to be sleeved with one of your starting Background cards. You may layer the Art Cards in any order you choose – but remember, only visible icons are used for scoring! Once you have Completed a Painting, you immediately score that piece. Compare the visible icons on your final painting to the Scoring Cards, taking any corresponding Ribbon tokens for successfully meeting their requirements. Play continues in this manner until all players have completed their 3 paintings. Players count up their cumulative scores from all paintings, and the player with the most points is the winner!
The gameplay seems simple enough, right? Yes! It is very straightforward since you only have 2 options for each turn. Either draft a card, or complete a painting. Teaching time is minimal and the gameplay can move quickly. But THAT is where the simplicity ends, my friends. The heart of Canvas is in its strategy. Each game has 4 random Scoring Cards, which define how you will earn points. And each transparent Art Card has a number of icons at the bottom that will affect how you resolve each Scoring Card. By layering your Art Cards, you will cover some icons, while letting others remain visible. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to how to layer your cards, but are you clever enough to layer them for maximum points? Admittedly, the various layering possibilities coupled with 4 different Scoring Cards can lead to some analysis paralysis, as players try to figure out every combination they have to see what could earn the most points. But all in all, I have found the that the gameplay is never really at a standstill, because as one player is taking their turn, all others can be strategizing with their own cards.
Let’s talk about components. First off, I love the canvas mat – it really brings the theme to life and is good quality! The Art Cards are colorful and sturdy, and they really are clear enough to see even when layered upon each other. (I should say that I did remove the plastic film from the manufacturing process.) The Scoring and Background cards are nice, big, and easy to read and understand. My deluxe copy of Canvas has Wooden Ribbons and Inspiration tokens instead of the standard cardboard, and they are nice, chunky, and fun to play with. There are even 5 small wooden easels on which players can display their masterpieces! All in all, the deluxe components are great quality and really elevate the gameplay. AND the game box literally has a hole in the back so it can be hung on the wall, like a real piece of art! Such a creative and immersive approach to the game, that just puts a smile on my face.
If you’ve read this far in my review, I think you can tell that I really love Canvas. The theme is creative, the gameplay is simple, but extremely strategic, and the high quality components really make it feel deluxe. Is there anything I don’t like about it? Maybe that it makes my brain hurt sometimes when trying to figure out the best layering combo of my Art Cards. But seriously, this game is a new and unique twist on some of my favorite mechanics. Canvas is quickly making its way towards my Top 10 list, and this is one I will definitely be pulling out at game nights pretty often. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one an eccentric 11 / 12. Give it a shot, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Elizas in Books
Apr 12, 2018
Fun book-within-a-book psychological thriller
Eliza Fontaine heads to Palm Springs and finds herself at the bottom of the hotel pool. Eliza can't swim, and her family assumes this was yet another one of Eliza's failed suicide attempts, as she has a history of winding up at the bottom of swimming pools. But Eliza swears this time was different; yes, she was drinking that evening, but she's sure someone pushed her, even if she can't remember exactly how she wound up at the pool or even the hotel bar. The sole witness is the man who rescued her, so Eliza tracks him down. But as they attempt to figure out what happened, Eliza only grows more confused. She's about to get her first novel published, and it seems as if events from the novel are intertwining with her life. She thought her novel was fiction, but now she's bewildered, feeling followed, and wondering if she's finally losing her mind for good.
This was an odd little book and not at all what I was expecting. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, and the more I think about it, the more I should have realized that Sara Shepard is quite masterful at playing with our minds. This is actually almost two books in one: we get the novel itself; as well excerpts from The Dots, Eliza's debut novel, which is set to be published a few weeks after she's found in the pool. As we get deeper and deeper into The Dots, we're left to wonder how much its protagonist, Dot, is like Eliza--where does Eliza end and Dot begin?
It's really quite an ingenious setup and it's quite fun. I actually really liked the excerpts more at times. The novel revolves around the confusing question of identity, as Eliza struggles to figure out who she is and what she remembers about her life and past. My only struggle was that Eliza does a lot of thinking (aka talking or narrating) and I lost interest at some points when she talked on a bit. Still, most of the time, this was a pretty suspenseful book; it's certainly "trippy" and often confusing, as you work to puzzle out things alongside Eliza. I definitely didn't have everything figured out immediately, though I worked most things out as I went along.
Overall, this is a quick read (I read the entire thing during during two consecutive plane rides), and the book-within-a-book setup is fun and adds to the suspense. This isn't a read for those who love intricate, deeply plotted thrillers, but it's enjoyable and compelling and perfect for YA fans looking for a psychological thriller. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review; more at https://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
This was an odd little book and not at all what I was expecting. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, and the more I think about it, the more I should have realized that Sara Shepard is quite masterful at playing with our minds. This is actually almost two books in one: we get the novel itself; as well excerpts from The Dots, Eliza's debut novel, which is set to be published a few weeks after she's found in the pool. As we get deeper and deeper into The Dots, we're left to wonder how much its protagonist, Dot, is like Eliza--where does Eliza end and Dot begin?
It's really quite an ingenious setup and it's quite fun. I actually really liked the excerpts more at times. The novel revolves around the confusing question of identity, as Eliza struggles to figure out who she is and what she remembers about her life and past. My only struggle was that Eliza does a lot of thinking (aka talking or narrating) and I lost interest at some points when she talked on a bit. Still, most of the time, this was a pretty suspenseful book; it's certainly "trippy" and often confusing, as you work to puzzle out things alongside Eliza. I definitely didn't have everything figured out immediately, though I worked most things out as I went along.
Overall, this is a quick read (I read the entire thing during during two consecutive plane rides), and the book-within-a-book setup is fun and adds to the suspense. This isn't a read for those who love intricate, deeply plotted thrillers, but it's enjoyable and compelling and perfect for YA fans looking for a psychological thriller. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review; more at https://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Art of Hunting (The Gravedigger Chronicles #2) in Books
Nov 8, 2019
I read the first installment of the Gravedigger Chronicles, Sea Of Ghosts a little while ago and the sheer imagination really grabbed my attention. While waiting for the second book I read Campbell's first trilogy and this confirmed a grasp for creating very different, if very dark, fantasy worlds.
The first book follows the story of Thomas Granger, ex-Colonel with the elite 'Gravediggers' army unit now the owner and warden of a decrepit prison in a world that is literally drowning. Humans share the world with the intelligent and long-lived Unmer, for centuries their slaves until a band of telepaths overthrew them. In revenge the Unmer seeded the sees with thousands of small bottles - icusae - which are constantly producing poisonous 'brine', making the seas toxic and raising the sea level.
Granger sets off on a quest to find is estranged daughter Ianthe - herself an incredibly powerful but blind telepath - and so we see this strange and often brutal world, meeting Briana Marks the arrogant head of the telepaths and Ethan Maskeleyne, metaphysicist and hunter of Unmer treasure.
The book ends cataclysmically with Ianthe all but destroying the telepaths' power with her mind and setting the trapped Unmer prince Marquetta free at the same time as her father - now with magical armour and sword - arrives to rescue her himself.
The second book carried straight on from the first, detailing the aftermath of the battle and the Unmer's plans to once again rule, beginning with Marquetta's plan to marry Ianthe. Granger is naturally suspicious of his motives towards his only daughter. Marquetta also needs to eliminate another Unmer lord, Conquillas, who has been hired as an assassin by Briana Marks to kill Marquetta and his uncle. Conquillas is an Unmer rebel who has studied war and hunting until it is an art form to him. Marquetta plans to eliminate him by challenging him to a tournament which is rigged so that Conquillas cannot survive.
Learning of the plans, Granger decides to leave his daughter and travel to find Conquillas and warn him. But soon he has more to worry about as his Unmer sword literally has a mind of its own. Meanwhile Maskeleyne is on his own quest to discover why the unfortunate people who have 'drowned' in the brine seas (but still have a sort of life) are bringing him keys.
As can be seen from the brief description above this is a complex book. Although the story is told from four viewpoints - Granger, Ianthe, Maskeleyne and Briana Marks - the bulk of the story is carried by Granger (on his own quest) and Ianthe (following with the Unmer). Granger is a terrific character - he is gruff and insentimental and is not always a sympathetic character. But he is also very driven and always sees the solution to anything as a straight line, regardless of any obstacles on that path he will just bulldoze straight through them. Ianthe is more subtle as a character because she is essentially tagging along with Marquetta and apart from the marriage plot doesn't really contribute very much.
The world they inhabit is excellent. This is a different kind of fantasy world. Rather than being stuck in medieval worlds as tends to be the case, there is a lot of technology. There are guns and gas cutting torches for example. Everything seems to be very very old and anything enchanted by the Unmer is as dangerous to the innocent wielder as their target.
After the first book it is interesting to see more of the Unmer in action. Marquetta is a proud and determined prince, his uncle fills the role of scheming manipulator well and it is not clear if Marquetta follows his uncle or is merely another pawn in the play. Conquillas is also well drawn for the few scenes he is in, the consumate warrior and hunter while still being otherworldly and cold towards the humans that he deals with. Maskeleyne also comes to the fore in this book after being something of a villain in the first book in this book he is not at odds with the other main characters and so is a much more rounded person rather than a cipher to explain Unmer artifacts and move the plot along.
Yes this is a hard read; the chapters are long (there are only 8 chapters in the book) which means it is a long time between breaks in the narrative and the start does take a long long time to get going although a lot of the information is vital in setting up the rest of the book. Once it gets going however it flows well. In fact I would say the tournament at the end was a little rushed - some more insight into the early rounds would have been interesting I think - but as the main point is to get the final showdown this can be excused.
Overall, a fantastic second part and I eagerly look forward the the third installment.
Rating: Some slight swearing and crude references
The first book follows the story of Thomas Granger, ex-Colonel with the elite 'Gravediggers' army unit now the owner and warden of a decrepit prison in a world that is literally drowning. Humans share the world with the intelligent and long-lived Unmer, for centuries their slaves until a band of telepaths overthrew them. In revenge the Unmer seeded the sees with thousands of small bottles - icusae - which are constantly producing poisonous 'brine', making the seas toxic and raising the sea level.
Granger sets off on a quest to find is estranged daughter Ianthe - herself an incredibly powerful but blind telepath - and so we see this strange and often brutal world, meeting Briana Marks the arrogant head of the telepaths and Ethan Maskeleyne, metaphysicist and hunter of Unmer treasure.
The book ends cataclysmically with Ianthe all but destroying the telepaths' power with her mind and setting the trapped Unmer prince Marquetta free at the same time as her father - now with magical armour and sword - arrives to rescue her himself.
The second book carried straight on from the first, detailing the aftermath of the battle and the Unmer's plans to once again rule, beginning with Marquetta's plan to marry Ianthe. Granger is naturally suspicious of his motives towards his only daughter. Marquetta also needs to eliminate another Unmer lord, Conquillas, who has been hired as an assassin by Briana Marks to kill Marquetta and his uncle. Conquillas is an Unmer rebel who has studied war and hunting until it is an art form to him. Marquetta plans to eliminate him by challenging him to a tournament which is rigged so that Conquillas cannot survive.
Learning of the plans, Granger decides to leave his daughter and travel to find Conquillas and warn him. But soon he has more to worry about as his Unmer sword literally has a mind of its own. Meanwhile Maskeleyne is on his own quest to discover why the unfortunate people who have 'drowned' in the brine seas (but still have a sort of life) are bringing him keys.
As can be seen from the brief description above this is a complex book. Although the story is told from four viewpoints - Granger, Ianthe, Maskeleyne and Briana Marks - the bulk of the story is carried by Granger (on his own quest) and Ianthe (following with the Unmer). Granger is a terrific character - he is gruff and insentimental and is not always a sympathetic character. But he is also very driven and always sees the solution to anything as a straight line, regardless of any obstacles on that path he will just bulldoze straight through them. Ianthe is more subtle as a character because she is essentially tagging along with Marquetta and apart from the marriage plot doesn't really contribute very much.
The world they inhabit is excellent. This is a different kind of fantasy world. Rather than being stuck in medieval worlds as tends to be the case, there is a lot of technology. There are guns and gas cutting torches for example. Everything seems to be very very old and anything enchanted by the Unmer is as dangerous to the innocent wielder as their target.
After the first book it is interesting to see more of the Unmer in action. Marquetta is a proud and determined prince, his uncle fills the role of scheming manipulator well and it is not clear if Marquetta follows his uncle or is merely another pawn in the play. Conquillas is also well drawn for the few scenes he is in, the consumate warrior and hunter while still being otherworldly and cold towards the humans that he deals with. Maskeleyne also comes to the fore in this book after being something of a villain in the first book in this book he is not at odds with the other main characters and so is a much more rounded person rather than a cipher to explain Unmer artifacts and move the plot along.
Yes this is a hard read; the chapters are long (there are only 8 chapters in the book) which means it is a long time between breaks in the narrative and the start does take a long long time to get going although a lot of the information is vital in setting up the rest of the book. Once it gets going however it flows well. In fact I would say the tournament at the end was a little rushed - some more insight into the early rounds would have been interesting I think - but as the main point is to get the final showdown this can be excused.
Overall, a fantastic second part and I eagerly look forward the the third installment.
Rating: Some slight swearing and crude references
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Do Not Become Alarmed in Books
May 10, 2018
Liv and Nora are cousins and practically sisters. They decide to take their families on a two week cruise down the coast of Central America. Both women cautious, they spend the first several days aboard the ship. When they finally decide to take an excursion, the men head for golf and the women take the kids on a zip line tour. This is when all hell breaks loose! From the bus breaking down, to six children going missing in a foreign country, this family vacation is definitely not going to plan. Told from the perspective of the children and the parents, as well other key characters that are introduced throughout, you dive deep into the story and it's hard to get drawn out!
This is the first book I've read by Maile Meloy, and I can't wait to read more! I think this is one of the very few times I have read a book with so many characters taking their turn to tell the story and not gotten confused by what is going on. The story flowed perfectly with the unbelievable around every turn.
I will say, not any of the characters in this story are likable, except for Nora's son, Marcus, but I don't think they need to be. You are still intrigued by what is going on and what is going to happen next. This does make you want to hug your kids a little tighter, if you have them. Tell them you love them no matter what and make you want to protect them even more than you already do. To me, this book was amazing and I highly recommend it!
Imagine, all your plans for the day going down the tube. Your tour bus breaks down, so you decide to wait at the beach while a new bus arrives. Then maybe you drift off to sleep while the kids are playing in the water near by. The kids are old enough to look after themselves and those who aren't, have the older kids to look after them. Now imagine waking up from what felt like just a moments rest, to find the children that were just there playing in front of you, have vanished. No where to be found no idea where they could have gone. What do you do, who do you call? You're in a foreign country and you opted not to get the international plan for you phone. Where are your children, and what is being done to them?
This is the first book I've read by Maile Meloy, and I can't wait to read more! I think this is one of the very few times I have read a book with so many characters taking their turn to tell the story and not gotten confused by what is going on. The story flowed perfectly with the unbelievable around every turn.
I will say, not any of the characters in this story are likable, except for Nora's son, Marcus, but I don't think they need to be. You are still intrigued by what is going on and what is going to happen next. This does make you want to hug your kids a little tighter, if you have them. Tell them you love them no matter what and make you want to protect them even more than you already do. To me, this book was amazing and I highly recommend it!
Imagine, all your plans for the day going down the tube. Your tour bus breaks down, so you decide to wait at the beach while a new bus arrives. Then maybe you drift off to sleep while the kids are playing in the water near by. The kids are old enough to look after themselves and those who aren't, have the older kids to look after them. Now imagine waking up from what felt like just a moments rest, to find the children that were just there playing in front of you, have vanished. No where to be found no idea where they could have gone. What do you do, who do you call? You're in a foreign country and you opted not to get the international plan for you phone. Where are your children, and what is being done to them?
Life of 60 Sahaba ( Islam Quran Hadith - Ramadan Islamic Apps )
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Aaron Falk is an investigator for the federal police in Melbourne. There, he follows money trails left by criminals. And while he may live a rather solitary life, at least he's also left behind his childhood home of Kiewarra, where the locals literally ran him and his father out of town. But all that changes when Aaron finds out that his best friend in Kiewarra, Luke Hadler, is dead. So is Luke's wife, Karen, and their young son, Billy. Luke apparently killed Karen and Billy before turning the gun on himself: the only person he spared in his family was his baby daughter, Charlotte. Aaron grew up as a second son to Luke's parents, and they call on him now to look into Luke and Karen's finances. Were things really so bad that Luke would enact such violence? As Aaron and the local police sergeant, Raco, begin investigating, it's quickly apparent that the case isn't as cut and dried as it seems. But the people of Kiewarra have long memories, and they still blame Aaron for something that happened over 20 years ago. Is Aaron safe in his hometown? And can he clear Luke's name--if it even needs clearing?
I have been hearing about THE DRY since before its release and wasn't sure it would live up to the hype, but I was wrong. I really, really enjoyed this novel and read it over the span of about 24 hours. My only regret about the entire experience was that it was over so quickly. This was an incredibly well-written, interesting, and intricately plotted novel that just flowed effortlessly. The story at its core is a dark one, and the town of Kiewarra is a sad and depressing place: the townspeople find it easy to believe Luke killed his family because everyone is down on their luck. The town is plagued by a horrible drought (hence the title), which spells certain doom for a community that makes it living primarily on farming. Luke and Karen had bought their farm from Luke's parents, and many think he killed himself because the farm couldn't remain profitable. Harper does an excellent job at portraying the people of Kiewarra--the small town town becomes almost another character in the novel. She does an excellent job of depicting depressed small town living.
In fact, I loved all the nuanced characters in THE DRY. You know when an author just captures her characters' voices perfectly? That was this book for me. Falk just slides effortlessly off the page, and I was completely taken with Sergeant Raco, as well. But you can also easily visualize all the people in Kiewarra that Aaron encounters. While the story primarily takes place in the present-day, we get key flashbacks to the past, when Luke and Aaron were teens, and they hung out with two other kids, Gretchen and Ellie. The slow buildup to a big event surrounding this foursome also creates incredible suspense, as both stories (what happened with Luke and family and what happened when all four were kids) unravel in parallel. It's remarkably well-done.
I enjoyed how the story kept me guessing the entire time, which isn't easy to do. Even when I had a decent inkling what happened with Luke, there was still so much I hadn't figured out. I was completely captivated by the story and frantically turning the pages to find out what had happened--both in the present and the past. I could see the setting, the people, and the town so clearly. The novel truly hooked me from the very beginning and never let me go.
I'm very excited to see that this might be a series featuring Aaron, as I really loved his character and Harper's writing. I read a lot of thrillers, but this one packaged everything together perfectly, and I highly recommend it. 4.5 stars.
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I have been hearing about THE DRY since before its release and wasn't sure it would live up to the hype, but I was wrong. I really, really enjoyed this novel and read it over the span of about 24 hours. My only regret about the entire experience was that it was over so quickly. This was an incredibly well-written, interesting, and intricately plotted novel that just flowed effortlessly. The story at its core is a dark one, and the town of Kiewarra is a sad and depressing place: the townspeople find it easy to believe Luke killed his family because everyone is down on their luck. The town is plagued by a horrible drought (hence the title), which spells certain doom for a community that makes it living primarily on farming. Luke and Karen had bought their farm from Luke's parents, and many think he killed himself because the farm couldn't remain profitable. Harper does an excellent job at portraying the people of Kiewarra--the small town town becomes almost another character in the novel. She does an excellent job of depicting depressed small town living.
In fact, I loved all the nuanced characters in THE DRY. You know when an author just captures her characters' voices perfectly? That was this book for me. Falk just slides effortlessly off the page, and I was completely taken with Sergeant Raco, as well. But you can also easily visualize all the people in Kiewarra that Aaron encounters. While the story primarily takes place in the present-day, we get key flashbacks to the past, when Luke and Aaron were teens, and they hung out with two other kids, Gretchen and Ellie. The slow buildup to a big event surrounding this foursome also creates incredible suspense, as both stories (what happened with Luke and family and what happened when all four were kids) unravel in parallel. It's remarkably well-done.
I enjoyed how the story kept me guessing the entire time, which isn't easy to do. Even when I had a decent inkling what happened with Luke, there was still so much I hadn't figured out. I was completely captivated by the story and frantically turning the pages to find out what had happened--both in the present and the past. I could see the setting, the people, and the town so clearly. The novel truly hooked me from the very beginning and never let me go.
I'm very excited to see that this might be a series featuring Aaron, as I really loved his character and Harper's writing. I read a lot of thrillers, but this one packaged everything together perfectly, and I highly recommend it. 4.5 stars.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;