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Bury Me (Immortal Vices and Virtues: Her Monstrous Mates #6)
10.0
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Book
The world ended the night I was born. Coincidence? I think not. Stuck living in the catacombs...
Reverse Harem Steamy Paranormal Romance Why Choose?
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Jayden's Cybermountain (The Sanctum Series #1) in Books
Nov 15, 2019
I read this book on my recent holiday and it kept me enthralled, my eReader didn't leave my side and I was always itching to read a bit more to see what happened next.
At the start of the story Jayden is 11 and due to family problems is sleeping rough. One night he is given an opportunity to turn his life around from an unexpected source. Dubious at first, Jayden accepts and is soon settling into a new life, studying at a secret school where all the pupils are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Clearly there is a purpose behind the school, but what exactly is it?
This is a hard book to review simply because it's tough to give any idea of the story without spoiling it. And really this is a story I don't want to spoil for anyone.
Although aimed at young adults (particularly around 11, the same age as Jayden) as with all the best young adult fiction it's an excellent read for anyone.
The plot is really well handled; The journey of Jayden and his friends is one aspect, the purpose of the school another and the reader is kept on their toes by regular twists and turns. Some of these are totally unexpected, others are nicely flagged for the observant reader who will feel very pleased with themselves for having spotted the clue.
The characters are all clearly drawn and the descriptions are detailed enough to sketch them out out not laboured and allow enough space for the reader's imagination to add the finishing touches. All the main characters are very positive role models for young people and many will identify with them and hopefully appreciate how they develop. The writing moves at a really good pace and it is never slow and always grabs attention.
There are moments of humour - mostly around the student's antics either trying to break the rules or playing tricks on each other. Much darker threads are wound in with skill by Cope covering topics such as drug abuse, bullying and terrorism but these are never laboured and always dealt with sympathetically and optimistically. As a parent it is great to see these topics mentioned.
My 9-going-on-10 year old read this book and said it was 'great' and could he have 'more like that'. I don't think you could get a better recommendation.
Overall this is definitely a must read, not just for its target audience but anyone who wants to read a thoughtfully constructed, engaging and thrilling story. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
At the start of the story Jayden is 11 and due to family problems is sleeping rough. One night he is given an opportunity to turn his life around from an unexpected source. Dubious at first, Jayden accepts and is soon settling into a new life, studying at a secret school where all the pupils are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Clearly there is a purpose behind the school, but what exactly is it?
This is a hard book to review simply because it's tough to give any idea of the story without spoiling it. And really this is a story I don't want to spoil for anyone.
Although aimed at young adults (particularly around 11, the same age as Jayden) as with all the best young adult fiction it's an excellent read for anyone.
The plot is really well handled; The journey of Jayden and his friends is one aspect, the purpose of the school another and the reader is kept on their toes by regular twists and turns. Some of these are totally unexpected, others are nicely flagged for the observant reader who will feel very pleased with themselves for having spotted the clue.
The characters are all clearly drawn and the descriptions are detailed enough to sketch them out out not laboured and allow enough space for the reader's imagination to add the finishing touches. All the main characters are very positive role models for young people and many will identify with them and hopefully appreciate how they develop. The writing moves at a really good pace and it is never slow and always grabs attention.
There are moments of humour - mostly around the student's antics either trying to break the rules or playing tricks on each other. Much darker threads are wound in with skill by Cope covering topics such as drug abuse, bullying and terrorism but these are never laboured and always dealt with sympathetically and optimistically. As a parent it is great to see these topics mentioned.
My 9-going-on-10 year old read this book and said it was 'great' and could he have 'more like that'. I don't think you could get a better recommendation.
Overall this is definitely a must read, not just for its target audience but anyone who wants to read a thoughtfully constructed, engaging and thrilling story. I will definitely be reading the sequel.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tiny Ninjas in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
We at Purple Phoenix Games love Kickstarting games. We probably do it more than we should, but I am sure we are not alone in this. I, myself, have backed 59 games or game-related products to date (as of February 2019). Not all of them have been that good (I’m looking at you Shadow Days, IncrediBrawl, and A Duel Betwixt Us!), but some have been simply amazing. Where does this game about dueling ninjas rate? Pretty dang good.
So this one is a riff off the old regular deck of cards game “War.” In War you simply blindly compare cards from your personal deck and the highest number wins… essentially. In Tiny Ninjas, however, that concept has expanded this very familiar game and made it really sexy. Well, as sexy as you can make a game with chibi-esque ninja artwork.
There is still comparison of strength, but you take turns being the attacker and the defender. As the attacker, you decide how many of your hand of 5 cards you wish to play this round, resolve their effects, and then you become the defender. On defense, you are able to use only the cards you didn’t use as the attacker, whereas the attacker refills their hand back to the hand limit of 5 cards. Uh oh. Did I plan well enough to have plenty of defense, or will my hit points be depleted?? This is essentially the game’s skeleton.
Each card has a special attack or defense ability and sometimes it requires you to roll one of the two dice that comes with the game to determine strength or proc abilities. We all know that once dice are invited to the game a certain amount of luck is also introduced. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing here. I like a small amount of luck in my games. For me, it’s just another little wrinkle to be applied to my perfect strategy.
But let’s talk about those dice. The dice themselves are really great quality, and the stamping is great, and the icons on the dice are really really good. But I have problems with the card iconography that corresponds with the dice. On the cards, icons are printed in a variation of a circle. The circle looks a certain way if you are to use the white die. And then the circle looks differently to indicate usage of the red die. But then there are circles that correspond to the ink colors of the white and red dice that are also different but the same. That irks me just a bit because I think there could be other ways to do that. I found myself constantly looking at the reference card (which, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INCLUDING THIS) but maybe that’s just me and my preferences. After a while I caught on and it didn’t impede my enjoyment of the game any longer, but it was annoying at first.
I have not mentioned any of the other components because, frankly, they are really really great. The ingenious box-becomes-the-game-board idea is wonderful, the life trackers that hang out on the sides of the dice tray are great, the dojo sensei trackers, the cards and art on them are all top notch. For such an affordable package, you really do get quite a production.
I have no other qualms about the components, or the game play. It’s truly a fun experience. That said, Purple Phoenix Games gives Tiny Ninjas a stealthy 15 / 18. Don’t let this one sneak under your radar!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/tiny-ninjas-review/
So this one is a riff off the old regular deck of cards game “War.” In War you simply blindly compare cards from your personal deck and the highest number wins… essentially. In Tiny Ninjas, however, that concept has expanded this very familiar game and made it really sexy. Well, as sexy as you can make a game with chibi-esque ninja artwork.
There is still comparison of strength, but you take turns being the attacker and the defender. As the attacker, you decide how many of your hand of 5 cards you wish to play this round, resolve their effects, and then you become the defender. On defense, you are able to use only the cards you didn’t use as the attacker, whereas the attacker refills their hand back to the hand limit of 5 cards. Uh oh. Did I plan well enough to have plenty of defense, or will my hit points be depleted?? This is essentially the game’s skeleton.
Each card has a special attack or defense ability and sometimes it requires you to roll one of the two dice that comes with the game to determine strength or proc abilities. We all know that once dice are invited to the game a certain amount of luck is also introduced. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing here. I like a small amount of luck in my games. For me, it’s just another little wrinkle to be applied to my perfect strategy.
But let’s talk about those dice. The dice themselves are really great quality, and the stamping is great, and the icons on the dice are really really good. But I have problems with the card iconography that corresponds with the dice. On the cards, icons are printed in a variation of a circle. The circle looks a certain way if you are to use the white die. And then the circle looks differently to indicate usage of the red die. But then there are circles that correspond to the ink colors of the white and red dice that are also different but the same. That irks me just a bit because I think there could be other ways to do that. I found myself constantly looking at the reference card (which, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INCLUDING THIS) but maybe that’s just me and my preferences. After a while I caught on and it didn’t impede my enjoyment of the game any longer, but it was annoying at first.
I have not mentioned any of the other components because, frankly, they are really really great. The ingenious box-becomes-the-game-board idea is wonderful, the life trackers that hang out on the sides of the dice tray are great, the dojo sensei trackers, the cards and art on them are all top notch. For such an affordable package, you really do get quite a production.
I have no other qualms about the components, or the game play. It’s truly a fun experience. That said, Purple Phoenix Games gives Tiny Ninjas a stealthy 15 / 18. Don’t let this one sneak under your radar!
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/tiny-ninjas-review/
Merissa (13742 KP) rated Wilder (Birds of a Feather #1) in Books
Nov 20, 2018
Wilder (Birds of a Feather #1) by Lena North
Wilder is the first book in the Birds of a Feather series, and it starts many, MANY years after The Dreughan Trilogy. Wilder has just lost her beloved grandfather and also learns more about her family. Some surprises were in store for her, and she struggles to deal with them all. Funnily enough, the biggest surprise was easy for her. The hardest was dealing with people she thought she knew, and finding out they had a whole other life that didn't involve her. With a whole new family to contend with, plus a love interest, there is a lot going on for Wilder.
First of all, the thing that I ADORED in this book was the appearance of Vilda, Sannah, and Troy! I loved how they made their appearance, and their appearances after. For me, it helped to wrap up their trilogy, and I loved every single time they were mentioned.
There is plenty of action in this story, and it is different from The Dreughan Trilogy. For a start, it is set in a contemporary time, not medieval. A whole new bunch of characters and abilities light the way, giving this series a great introduction in a well written story. There are some editing and grammatical errors, but nothing that spoilt my enjoyment of the story.
A great beginning to the series, and I can't wait to continue. Definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
First of all, the thing that I ADORED in this book was the appearance of Vilda, Sannah, and Troy! I loved how they made their appearance, and their appearances after. For me, it helped to wrap up their trilogy, and I loved every single time they were mentioned.
There is plenty of action in this story, and it is different from The Dreughan Trilogy. For a start, it is set in a contemporary time, not medieval. A whole new bunch of characters and abilities light the way, giving this series a great introduction in a well written story. There are some editing and grammatical errors, but nothing that spoilt my enjoyment of the story.
A great beginning to the series, and I can't wait to continue. Definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Mister in Books
Nov 30, 2019
The passionate new romance from E L James, author of the phenomenal #1 bestselling Fifty Shades Trilogy
London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth, and estates, and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.
But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past. Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? Can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?
From the heart of London through wild, rural Cornwall to the bleak, forbidding beauty of the Balkans, The Mister is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the very last page.
I enjoyed reading this. It was an easy read and it didn't take long to finish. I think the wrong thing to do is compare it to 50shades personally I think I enjoyed this more. It was gave us a bit of adventure as well as her famous sex scenes! I'm looking forward to reading future projects.
London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth, and estates, and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.
But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past. Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? Can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?
From the heart of London through wild, rural Cornwall to the bleak, forbidding beauty of the Balkans, The Mister is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the very last page.
I enjoyed reading this. It was an easy read and it didn't take long to finish. I think the wrong thing to do is compare it to 50shades personally I think I enjoyed this more. It was gave us a bit of adventure as well as her famous sex scenes! I'm looking forward to reading future projects.
The Life and Reign of Edward the Fourth: King of England and France and Lord of Ireland: Volume 1
Cora L. Scofield and Ralph A. Griffiths
Book
Edward IV, (1442-1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11...
Teenagers - Haynes Explains
Book
The Haynes Manual is one of publishing's most famous and enduring icons. More than 200 million...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Inside Out (2015) in Movies
Sep 25, 2020
Standard Pixar affair - easy to look at, appealing to a younger audience whilst simultaneously bludgeoning adults with relatable emotional moments that make you want to curl up in a corner somewhere and weep.
Inside Out ticks all these boxes without a shadow of a doubt.
The animation is wonderful as usual and is arguably Pixar's most colourful film to date. The concept of emotions can be complex at the best of times. It's a concept that most people will struggle with for their whole lives and is something that will truly never be understood. Inside Out tackles this with aplomb, using colour coding to make it accessible to kids, and exploring just how complicated feelings can become especially as puberty begins to hit. It's very clever in its execution as well.
The majority of the story takes place in Riley's head, as her emotions Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust all struggle to keep everything balanced as she starts to hit roadblocks in her life. One thing leads to another before Joy and Sadness are ejected out of the "control centre" and desperately try to find their way back, leaving the other emotions to handle the pains of growing up.
It's one part emotional family drama, and one part bonkers sci-fi adventure, and it works really well with the help of a great voice cast.
Inside Out doesn't quite hit the lofty heights of the best Pixar efforts for me, but it's still damn good and surely will appeal to everyone in some way, no matter what age your are.
Inside Out ticks all these boxes without a shadow of a doubt.
The animation is wonderful as usual and is arguably Pixar's most colourful film to date. The concept of emotions can be complex at the best of times. It's a concept that most people will struggle with for their whole lives and is something that will truly never be understood. Inside Out tackles this with aplomb, using colour coding to make it accessible to kids, and exploring just how complicated feelings can become especially as puberty begins to hit. It's very clever in its execution as well.
The majority of the story takes place in Riley's head, as her emotions Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust all struggle to keep everything balanced as she starts to hit roadblocks in her life. One thing leads to another before Joy and Sadness are ejected out of the "control centre" and desperately try to find their way back, leaving the other emotions to handle the pains of growing up.
It's one part emotional family drama, and one part bonkers sci-fi adventure, and it works really well with the help of a great voice cast.
Inside Out doesn't quite hit the lofty heights of the best Pixar efforts for me, but it's still damn good and surely will appeal to everyone in some way, no matter what age your are.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Manumission in Books
Oct 1, 2022
178 of 230
Kindle
Manumission
By R.A. Hatton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A REBELLION IGNITED BY A FORBIDDEN LOVE.
Within an old kingdom, our elven race of warriors keep humans as slaves, and we thrive.
Until the rebellion started, disturbing the peace and hurting the innocent, now I hunt them, and I will find their hidden base.
When my man servant is killed during an ambush, rage for the loss of a slave brings confusion and chaos into my otherwise commanding and structured life.
He was so much more, meant more to me than my society allows.
I have no time to grieve as a new alliance of enemies has emerged from within my city, and they have plans for me.
Forced me to take part in a traditional breeding programme, but I am nobody’s breeder and I will defy their rules.
Yet, when I meet him, the branded human scheduled for death, he awakens a desire from within that I never knew existed.
He makes me question the rules and I begin to discover the truths long buried in blood.
My name is General Truda and now I must choose between obeying the laws of my species or to free the forbidden human, who repairs my heart.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Or had a strong story and very good character and world building. It was an easy straightforward read that kept you really interested in the outcome. I’m hoping this writer does more in the future.
Kindle
Manumission
By R.A. Hatton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A REBELLION IGNITED BY A FORBIDDEN LOVE.
Within an old kingdom, our elven race of warriors keep humans as slaves, and we thrive.
Until the rebellion started, disturbing the peace and hurting the innocent, now I hunt them, and I will find their hidden base.
When my man servant is killed during an ambush, rage for the loss of a slave brings confusion and chaos into my otherwise commanding and structured life.
He was so much more, meant more to me than my society allows.
I have no time to grieve as a new alliance of enemies has emerged from within my city, and they have plans for me.
Forced me to take part in a traditional breeding programme, but I am nobody’s breeder and I will defy their rules.
Yet, when I meet him, the branded human scheduled for death, he awakens a desire from within that I never knew existed.
He makes me question the rules and I begin to discover the truths long buried in blood.
My name is General Truda and now I must choose between obeying the laws of my species or to free the forbidden human, who repairs my heart.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Or had a strong story and very good character and world building. It was an easy straightforward read that kept you really interested in the outcome. I’m hoping this writer does more in the future.