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Merissa (13197 KP) rated Ellie and the King's Pandemonium Candle in Books
Feb 2, 2023
ELLIE AND THE KING'S PANDEMONIUM CANDLE is a standalone book in a world far from our own, where Celestials live with their own rules and boundaries.
Ellie and Gil have been friends forever but it is only when another of Ellie's friends shows interest in Gil that she realises her true feelings. Because of her behaviour though, Gil is engaged to Agatha, leaving Ellie bereft. But then their world changes, with Gil reappearing but wounded, Ellie's panne (father) killed, and the town they live in completely destroyed, together with everyone they know. They are pursued by Kromer, a mad king who wants Ellie.
This story is about growing into yourself, growing into powers, and growing into a relationship. None of that is easy and it all takes work. The focus is on Ellie and Gil for the most part but Kromer does have his role to play. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the ending but I was left with so many unanswered questions. What happened to their world? Do they ever make it back? Did Nola survive? Do they rebuild? How do they rebuild? In other words, I need more stories from this world!
A very different story with its own quirks and foibles, I have no hesitation in definitely recommending it and I really hope for more!
** 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!
Ellie and Gil have been friends forever but it is only when another of Ellie's friends shows interest in Gil that she realises her true feelings. Because of her behaviour though, Gil is engaged to Agatha, leaving Ellie bereft. But then their world changes, with Gil reappearing but wounded, Ellie's panne (father) killed, and the town they live in completely destroyed, together with everyone they know. They are pursued by Kromer, a mad king who wants Ellie.
This story is about growing into yourself, growing into powers, and growing into a relationship. None of that is easy and it all takes work. The focus is on Ellie and Gil for the most part but Kromer does have his role to play. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the ending but I was left with so many unanswered questions. What happened to their world? Do they ever make it back? Did Nola survive? Do they rebuild? How do they rebuild? In other words, I need more stories from this world!
A very different story with its own quirks and foibles, I have no hesitation in definitely recommending it and I really hope for more!
** 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!
Brushstrokes from the Past (Soli Hansen Mysteries #4)
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WWII and the mid-seventeenth century are entwined in this fourth dual timeline novel about Nazi art...
Historical Fiction Mystery Sweet
Emanuela Orlandi and Ettore Majorana: Two Italian Mysteries Resolved?
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Discover the captivating true stories of Emanuela Orlandi and Ettore Majorana in this compelling...
The Glutton
9.0
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Book
One man with an insatiable hunger: a novel of desire and destruction in Revolutionary France, based...
Historical fiction France
Dr. Cares - Pet Rescue 911
Games and Stickers
App
Do you have what it takes to run a vet clinic? Why not find out! Take care of adorable pets and...
Heart's Medicine: Time to Heal
Games and Stickers
9.0
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App
From the creators of Delicious and Fabulous comes a new game that will make you fall in love!...
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Warrior Hearts Academy: Dragon Lost in Books
May 16, 2025
WARRIOR HEARTS ACADEMY: DRAGON LOST is the first book in the Dragons trilogy, but book 7 in the whole Warrior Hearts Academy series. You'll need to hold onto your hat as this book is BUSY.
This one starts after the Centaur trilogy, which I haven't read, so there were some parts that I didn't fully get. What I do know is that Bree was a centaur who was changed into something else by Isobel and told she was going to save the Realms. Hint - not true! Bree has grown up with her childhood friends and doesn't want to believe anything bad about them. This is to her detriment as they prove, on more than one occasion, that they are quite happy embracing their dark side. Bree has multiple beings inside her. A Gryphon, Caliel, is the most vocal, but there is also an equine and something big and cold. (You don't know for sure yet what it is.) So, that's Bree.
Then you have Razir, the black and purple Dragon, who has his own storyline going on, as well as Tez, who grew up as a human but is also something else. Tez's story also follows his own path, without really connecting with Bree or Razir. It is told from multiple perspectives, with their own stories being told. This meant I had to slow down my reading to make sure I didn't miss anything. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just saying.
I felt this book was more about setting the groundwork for their story. There is all the backstory for Bree that we absolutely need, as well as Tez, and figuring out how they all fit together with Razir. It is extremely fast-paced with lots of differing stories to keep track of. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all joins together (hopefully) in the next book.
It does end on one helluva cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned.
A great start to the Dragon trilogy and definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 16, 2025
This one starts after the Centaur trilogy, which I haven't read, so there were some parts that I didn't fully get. What I do know is that Bree was a centaur who was changed into something else by Isobel and told she was going to save the Realms. Hint - not true! Bree has grown up with her childhood friends and doesn't want to believe anything bad about them. This is to her detriment as they prove, on more than one occasion, that they are quite happy embracing their dark side. Bree has multiple beings inside her. A Gryphon, Caliel, is the most vocal, but there is also an equine and something big and cold. (You don't know for sure yet what it is.) So, that's Bree.
Then you have Razir, the black and purple Dragon, who has his own storyline going on, as well as Tez, who grew up as a human but is also something else. Tez's story also follows his own path, without really connecting with Bree or Razir. It is told from multiple perspectives, with their own stories being told. This meant I had to slow down my reading to make sure I didn't miss anything. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just saying.
I felt this book was more about setting the groundwork for their story. There is all the backstory for Bree that we absolutely need, as well as Tez, and figuring out how they all fit together with Razir. It is extremely fast-paced with lots of differing stories to keep track of. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all joins together (hopefully) in the next book.
It does end on one helluva cliffhanger, so consider yourself warned.
A great start to the Dragon trilogy and definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 16, 2025
Those Conspiracy Guys
Podcast
Those Conspiracy Guys is a weekly podcast where we discuss all types and genres of conspiracy...
postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Hazel Wood in Books
Feb 28, 2018
Review of The Hazel Wood
"Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice's life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice's grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate - the Hazel Wood - Alice learns how bad her luck can really get. Her mother is stolen away - by a figure who claims to come from the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD.
To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . ."
I'm not to sure how to start with this review. I found The Hazel Wood a real book of 2 halves, one half was very contemporary and not what I would have traditionally expected from a fantasy whereas the other was dark, twisted and incredibly chilling to read at times. I found that not only did I feel this way with the story but also with the characters too. I struggled immensely with the main protagonist Alice, I really couldn't warm to her at all and given her character arc perhaps there is good reason for her being written that way. Whilst she has clearly had to build up walls from the nomadic existence she has had with her mother, I just found her very frustrating in her manner. Juxtaposed with Ellery Finch, her partner in crime of sorts, it really brings out her brattish qualities. Ellery is fabulous though and despite his privilege and flaws I just really enjoyed his character. His fanboy status in relation to the book written by Alice's grandmother also gives us an insight into a few of the dark stories themselves, as he re-tells them to Alice in his own words.
For me the contemporary element was a bit too overwhelming, the breadcrumbs had to be laid and followed in true Hansel and Gretel style but I felt that it took a bit too long to get to where it needed to go. However, when it reached that point I really started to enjoy it more, the pace picked up and I got a sense of both excitement and dread as I was reading. The story telling becomes darker and you know you are very much in the Grimm fairy tale camp rather than Disney. Tricks and twists are plenty as Alice tries to fulfil an almost prophetic course to an ending which isn't quite what you may be expecting.
Whilst I enjoyed it immensely in places, at times I found it a bit of a slog - I need more fantasy in my fantasy. I think it would have been lovely as well to actually have more of the "Tales from the Hinterland" stories within the book as I feel that could have really added an extra dimension to the latter part of the story. From me, The Hazel Wood gets 3*
To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . ."
I'm not to sure how to start with this review. I found The Hazel Wood a real book of 2 halves, one half was very contemporary and not what I would have traditionally expected from a fantasy whereas the other was dark, twisted and incredibly chilling to read at times. I found that not only did I feel this way with the story but also with the characters too. I struggled immensely with the main protagonist Alice, I really couldn't warm to her at all and given her character arc perhaps there is good reason for her being written that way. Whilst she has clearly had to build up walls from the nomadic existence she has had with her mother, I just found her very frustrating in her manner. Juxtaposed with Ellery Finch, her partner in crime of sorts, it really brings out her brattish qualities. Ellery is fabulous though and despite his privilege and flaws I just really enjoyed his character. His fanboy status in relation to the book written by Alice's grandmother also gives us an insight into a few of the dark stories themselves, as he re-tells them to Alice in his own words.
For me the contemporary element was a bit too overwhelming, the breadcrumbs had to be laid and followed in true Hansel and Gretel style but I felt that it took a bit too long to get to where it needed to go. However, when it reached that point I really started to enjoy it more, the pace picked up and I got a sense of both excitement and dread as I was reading. The story telling becomes darker and you know you are very much in the Grimm fairy tale camp rather than Disney. Tricks and twists are plenty as Alice tries to fulfil an almost prophetic course to an ending which isn't quite what you may be expecting.
Whilst I enjoyed it immensely in places, at times I found it a bit of a slog - I need more fantasy in my fantasy. I think it would have been lovely as well to actually have more of the "Tales from the Hinterland" stories within the book as I feel that could have really added an extra dimension to the latter part of the story. From me, The Hazel Wood gets 3*
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Our Little Secret in Books
Apr 12, 2018
Excellent, well-written suspense novel from debut author
"All love stories are crime stories and all crime stories, love. If you say that's not true, you're not looking properly. Perhaps when two people join, it's inevitable, the things they'll damage in each other." ~Angela to Novak*
Angela is being held for interrogation at the police station. Detective Novak wants only thing from her--to know where Saskia is. But Angela cannot comply; instead, she tells Detective Novak a story, one starting with her senior year, when she fell in love with a boy named HP. As she tells her tale, it becomes clear it is one of love, sadness, betrayal, and anger. Does Angela know where Saskia is? And can we trust her?
This was a really fascinating and different book, and it was so refreshing to read something that felt original and unlike so many of the suspense novels I've read lately. I will say upfront: Nay is an excellent storyteller, and I found this novel to be wonderfully written. Parts of this story actually hurt me to read, because it was so vividly told. I could so clearly picture the events unfolding and visualize this tale of teen love gone wrong.
I loved the idea that our entire book is Angela, trapped at the police station, telling the story of the last several years of her life to Detective Novak. It seems unconventional, and it is, but it worked well for me. It took the unreliable narrator trope to a different level, and it was so much better than the drunken, rambling, angry unreliable narrator that we see so often. Angela tells her tale of woe and bitterness to the Detective, with only minor interruptions as he provides some pieces of new evidence that occasionally cast doubt upon her viewpoints. As such, we are left to guess how truthful she is being with all of us. Every statement she makes is charged with double meaning. I found the entire thing to be incredibly compelling and oddly fascinating. I was completely hooked, madly flipping the pages to find out what happened next. Even more, I was amazed at how Nay created sympathy toward a character who wasn't all that likeable at times. I was rooting for her, even when I knew I probably shouldn't.
I felt this faltered only a little near the end, where I wasn't quite sure I was on board with everything, but it certainly wasn't enough to diminish my love of the novel. And the actual ending is excellent and basically redeemed it all. Overall, this was an excellent, well-written, suspenseful novel. Angela is a dynamic and complicated character who immediately draws you in with her narration. I was constantly second-guessing her as I read and found the entire novel to be incredibly powerful and satisfying. Apparently this is Nay's first book, which is even more impressive. Can't wait for the next one. Definitely worth a read! 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
*all quotes from an advanced reader copy and subject to change
Angela is being held for interrogation at the police station. Detective Novak wants only thing from her--to know where Saskia is. But Angela cannot comply; instead, she tells Detective Novak a story, one starting with her senior year, when she fell in love with a boy named HP. As she tells her tale, it becomes clear it is one of love, sadness, betrayal, and anger. Does Angela know where Saskia is? And can we trust her?
This was a really fascinating and different book, and it was so refreshing to read something that felt original and unlike so many of the suspense novels I've read lately. I will say upfront: Nay is an excellent storyteller, and I found this novel to be wonderfully written. Parts of this story actually hurt me to read, because it was so vividly told. I could so clearly picture the events unfolding and visualize this tale of teen love gone wrong.
I loved the idea that our entire book is Angela, trapped at the police station, telling the story of the last several years of her life to Detective Novak. It seems unconventional, and it is, but it worked well for me. It took the unreliable narrator trope to a different level, and it was so much better than the drunken, rambling, angry unreliable narrator that we see so often. Angela tells her tale of woe and bitterness to the Detective, with only minor interruptions as he provides some pieces of new evidence that occasionally cast doubt upon her viewpoints. As such, we are left to guess how truthful she is being with all of us. Every statement she makes is charged with double meaning. I found the entire thing to be incredibly compelling and oddly fascinating. I was completely hooked, madly flipping the pages to find out what happened next. Even more, I was amazed at how Nay created sympathy toward a character who wasn't all that likeable at times. I was rooting for her, even when I knew I probably shouldn't.
I felt this faltered only a little near the end, where I wasn't quite sure I was on board with everything, but it certainly wasn't enough to diminish my love of the novel. And the actual ending is excellent and basically redeemed it all. Overall, this was an excellent, well-written, suspenseful novel. Angela is a dynamic and complicated character who immediately draws you in with her narration. I was constantly second-guessing her as I read and found the entire novel to be incredibly powerful and satisfying. Apparently this is Nay's first book, which is even more impressive. Can't wait for the next one. Definitely worth a read! 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
*all quotes from an advanced reader copy and subject to change