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Merissa (12069 KP) rated Outcast (The Pack Prophecy #1) in Books
Aug 5, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
OUTCAST is the first book in The Pack Prophecy series and WOW! There you go, review done. No? Oh, okay, let me give you a bit more.
Kira was abandoned by her parents when she was very young and found by a wolf pack. She was loved and cared for by the Alpha's mate, and accepted into their family... until tragedy struck. The mother was killed, her best friend hated her, the Alpha blamed her, and she became the lowest of the low. Now it is the day that the new generation will transform. Secrets and surprises will rule the day, and Kira is right in the middle!
It turns out there is more to Kira than meets the eye, and the Alpha knew about it all along. Kira is a wolf shifter herself, now known as The Prophetess, who needs to save Wolfkind. Also, she now has multiple mates instead of one. Two of them accept her, but the Alpha's son, her best friend from childhood, rejects her. This may be a mating but Milo, Seth, and Jameson are HER consorts. At the end of the day, they will do anything for HER. What she says, goes. And that includes working through things that they don't necessarily like.
This is a tale of twisted greed, of weak becoming strong, of political and evil machinations, of hope and love. And I loved every word. I finished this book and immediately bought the second, with the third going into my calendar for release day.
A brilliant book that hooked me in. Roll on November for the third book! Absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 5, 2021
Kira was abandoned by her parents when she was very young and found by a wolf pack. She was loved and cared for by the Alpha's mate, and accepted into their family... until tragedy struck. The mother was killed, her best friend hated her, the Alpha blamed her, and she became the lowest of the low. Now it is the day that the new generation will transform. Secrets and surprises will rule the day, and Kira is right in the middle!
It turns out there is more to Kira than meets the eye, and the Alpha knew about it all along. Kira is a wolf shifter herself, now known as The Prophetess, who needs to save Wolfkind. Also, she now has multiple mates instead of one. Two of them accept her, but the Alpha's son, her best friend from childhood, rejects her. This may be a mating but Milo, Seth, and Jameson are HER consorts. At the end of the day, they will do anything for HER. What she says, goes. And that includes working through things that they don't necessarily like.
This is a tale of twisted greed, of weak becoming strong, of political and evil machinations, of hope and love. And I loved every word. I finished this book and immediately bought the second, with the third going into my calendar for release day.
A brilliant book that hooked me in. Roll on November for the third book! Absolutely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 5, 2021
Merissa (12069 KP) rated Dark Flame (Flame Born #1) in Books
Feb 8, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)
WHAT. A. BOOK!!! Dark Flame is the first book in the Flame Born series and I read it in one sitting, staying up waaaay past my bedtime because I simply could not put it down!
It's dark, it's twisted, you have no idea for sure just who is 'good' and who is 'bad', there is more intrigue than you can shake a stick at, AND I LOVED EVERY WORD!
Michael is a brilliant character. He thinks he's straight, but his girlfriend has just left him. Things are weird around him, and about to get stranger. Flanagan has a whole Viking vibe going on (which I definitely won't complain about), but some of the guys he works with are... less than pure, let's just put it that way. In fairness, that just made it even better. As for Alexei, wow, he's hot. I also don't trust him as far as I could throw him!
This was an amazing start to a series. You get all the world- and character-building you could wish for, whilst being carried away on a story that shows you there is more to this world than most know about.
I eventually went to bed, re-read the ending as soon as I woke up, and after that, I went straight to Kat Silver's website so I could read the bonus about Michael and Flanagan, but I couldn't find it! Trust me, I'm going to keep on looking until I do.
I loved this book, I can't wait for book 2, and you really need to read it! I can't believe this is her debut novel! Absolutely and utterly recommended.
* 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!
Feb 8, 2021
It's dark, it's twisted, you have no idea for sure just who is 'good' and who is 'bad', there is more intrigue than you can shake a stick at, AND I LOVED EVERY WORD!
Michael is a brilliant character. He thinks he's straight, but his girlfriend has just left him. Things are weird around him, and about to get stranger. Flanagan has a whole Viking vibe going on (which I definitely won't complain about), but some of the guys he works with are... less than pure, let's just put it that way. In fairness, that just made it even better. As for Alexei, wow, he's hot. I also don't trust him as far as I could throw him!
This was an amazing start to a series. You get all the world- and character-building you could wish for, whilst being carried away on a story that shows you there is more to this world than most know about.
I eventually went to bed, re-read the ending as soon as I woke up, and after that, I went straight to Kat Silver's website so I could read the bonus about Michael and Flanagan, but I couldn't find it! Trust me, I'm going to keep on looking until I do.
I loved this book, I can't wait for book 2, and you really need to read it! I can't believe this is her debut novel! Absolutely and utterly recommended.
* 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!
Feb 8, 2021
Merissa (12069 KP) rated Shadow Fall (Shadow #2) in Books
Dec 8, 2023
SHADOW FALL is the second book in the Shadow series, continuing two years after Shadow Bound. While it could be read as a standalone, I would recommend you read it as part of a series.
In the last book, Custo died to give his best friend and Talia time to escape. During the torture that preceded his death, he found out that there was a traitor in the midst. It remains on his mind once he gets to heaven, and he finds himself desperate to return to Earth.
Annabella is a ballet dancer who is about to have her first time as a Prima, dancing the role of Giselle. She becomes so focused on her role, she opens a pathway to Earth from the Otherworld. A wolf has her in his sights and wants her for his mate. On his way back to Earth, Custo spots Annabella and the wolf and wants to save her, as well as Adam and Talia.
This was a twisted tale with some amazing descriptions, especially the Giselle parts. There were some parts I found a little confusing though, such as Annabella eating in the Otherworld. Consequences to someone else were mentioned once but never again, and I have no idea what would happen to her because of what she did.
Although I enjoyed the story, it didn't quite hit the same mark as Shadow Bound did, and I can't really tell you why. If I did half-stars, this would be a 3.5-star read. I am still looking forward to continuing with the series though, and finding out where Kathleen has gone to!
** 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!
Dec 4, 2023
In the last book, Custo died to give his best friend and Talia time to escape. During the torture that preceded his death, he found out that there was a traitor in the midst. It remains on his mind once he gets to heaven, and he finds himself desperate to return to Earth.
Annabella is a ballet dancer who is about to have her first time as a Prima, dancing the role of Giselle. She becomes so focused on her role, she opens a pathway to Earth from the Otherworld. A wolf has her in his sights and wants her for his mate. On his way back to Earth, Custo spots Annabella and the wolf and wants to save her, as well as Adam and Talia.
This was a twisted tale with some amazing descriptions, especially the Giselle parts. There were some parts I found a little confusing though, such as Annabella eating in the Otherworld. Consequences to someone else were mentioned once but never again, and I have no idea what would happen to her because of what she did.
Although I enjoyed the story, it didn't quite hit the same mark as Shadow Bound did, and I can't really tell you why. If I did half-stars, this would be a 3.5-star read. I am still looking forward to continuing with the series though, and finding out where Kathleen has gone to!
** 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!
Dec 4, 2023
Merissa (12069 KP) rated Apollo's Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings #1) in Books
Jun 3, 2022 (Updated Jun 13, 2023)
APOLLO'S RAVEN is the first book in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series and prepare yourself! You are about to enter a book full of twisted tales and layers of intrigue. I mean, come on! Curses, Romans, and Celts - what more could I ask for?
This is a long book, giving you ample time to lose yourself in Ancient Britannia, where Catrin sees Romans come to land through her raven's eyes. This event sets off a chain that will see her fall in love and come into her powers and many other things. Marcellus is there at his father's command, basically seeing if the timing for an invasion is good or not.
There is an instant connection between the two that could just be the infatuation between two young teens. However, as the story goes, it is true love and they are bound together forever. This, I found a little hard to believe as they know nothing about each other past their attraction, and constantly doubt each other, believing them to be betraying them, etc. I hope their relationship develops and matures as the books progress as both of them acted childishly at times.
I enjoyed the story but found some parts a bit difficult to digest. For instance, there was a whole lot more to druids than just being sorcerers or priests but none of that is mentioned. I was confused by the term 'druid powers' as that could encompass a whole manner of things.
Bear in mind it is the first book, so there are lots of things left unanswered. I am hopeful for more information in the following books. This was an enjoyable story and I look forward to reading more in this series.
** 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!
Jun 2, 2022
This is a long book, giving you ample time to lose yourself in Ancient Britannia, where Catrin sees Romans come to land through her raven's eyes. This event sets off a chain that will see her fall in love and come into her powers and many other things. Marcellus is there at his father's command, basically seeing if the timing for an invasion is good or not.
There is an instant connection between the two that could just be the infatuation between two young teens. However, as the story goes, it is true love and they are bound together forever. This, I found a little hard to believe as they know nothing about each other past their attraction, and constantly doubt each other, believing them to be betraying them, etc. I hope their relationship develops and matures as the books progress as both of them acted childishly at times.
I enjoyed the story but found some parts a bit difficult to digest. For instance, there was a whole lot more to druids than just being sorcerers or priests but none of that is mentioned. I was confused by the term 'druid powers' as that could encompass a whole manner of things.
Bear in mind it is the first book, so there are lots of things left unanswered. I am hopeful for more information in the following books. This was an enjoyable story and I look forward to reading more in this series.
** 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!
Jun 2, 2022
Easter Basket Murder
Barbara Ross, Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis
8.0
Rate It
Book
Put on your springtime best and grab a basket, because Easter egg hunting is to dye for in this...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Moonville ( Gold Prophecy 1-4) in Books
Mar 1, 2024
40 of 220
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Please check Trigger warnings
Psycho gets the girl.
Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...
ZAND BYRON
Heโs larger than life. Heโs also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.
"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."
Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.
Zand: I donโt want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.
Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didnโt quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasnโt for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Please check Trigger warnings
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Please check Trigger warnings
Psycho gets the girl.
Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...
ZAND BYRON
Heโs larger than life. Heโs also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.
"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."
Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.
Zand: I donโt want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.
Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didnโt quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasnโt for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Please check Trigger warnings
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated What Once Was Mine in Books
Oct 25, 2021
๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐?
As you will all know by now, I am in love with the Twisted Tales series and have to read each installment as they are released. What Once was Mine is the 12th Twisted Tale book and the 7th written by Liz Braswell so to say I was excited would be an understatement.
As always, TT books come with a tag line to lure you in and this one is โWhat if Rapunzelโs mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?โ Yes, instead of the golden Sundrop flower, the ailing pregnant queen is mistakenly given a potion using the Moondrop flower, resulting in a silver-haired princess whose power kills rather than heals!
Of course, that casts the whole locking the princess in a tower concept into an entirely new light! However, many of the other elements remain the same as Disneyโs โTangledโ movie: Gothel is Rapunzelโs captor and โmotherโ, Flynn steals a crown and is on the run from the Stabbington brothers and Rapunzel is desperate to see the floating lights.
What Liz Braswell manages to do (very well, in my opinion) is to maintain all these similarities, keeping her readers rooted to the original story but also to bend the original fairytale into something a bit more mature, a bit darker and, in some cases, a bit more real.
โ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐จ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐, ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐จ, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฏ๐๐กโ
What Once was Mine is written from Rapunzelโs perspective. Now, this may be an obvious choice, but it also gives Braswell the opportunity to show her protagonist in a slightly more mature light than we are used to. Yes, Rapunzel is scatty, enthusiastic and teeth-grittingly cheerful about everything but she also believes she is dangerous and that she belongs in the tower for the safety of others.
Rapunzel has always been told that her hair killed her parents and that Gothel has been charged with her care and protection. However, what I really enjoyed about Braswellโs Rapunzel is that, although she begins with the same blind faith in Gothel as she has in the movie, she soon develops an inner turmoil of emotions with regards to her captor, questioning where she spends her days and recognising the little digs often made at the daughterโs expense.
As her journey continues, Rapunzel observes other mother-daughter relationships and her doubt and distrust of Gothel begins to build as a result. Lords, ladies and bandits alike are hunting for Rapunzel in order to claim her as their prize but this couldnโt be orchestrated by her mother, the only family she has ever known, could it?
โ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฏ๐๐ก. ๐๐๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ.โ
I have conflicting feelings when it comes to the darker elements of What Once Was Mine. The inclusion of the very real Countess Bathory took me by surprise and was quite gruesome in places: not a problem for a grown-up Disney nerd but Iโm not sure whether I will be passing this one along to the Mini Bookworm any time soon.
There is also the narrator of the story: a brother making up an alternative Rapunzel story for his sister while she is undergoing chemo. I understand this is an emotive topic for the author and I almost got it as a tool for the story-telling, enabling the use of quite modern, colloquial terms such as โmurderhairโ and enabling the creative inclusion of characters such as Maximus.
I really wanted this technique to be profound and make the story mean more, such as fairytales having an important place in the modern world for example. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me: it was an interesting tweak but it didnโt make me feel as much as I wanted it to.
It is not all doom and gloom though, Rapunzelโs perspective of the world provides comic moments: her (limited) knowledge of the world comes from the 37 books that she owns, leading to a moose that is definitely a squirrel and a cat which acts suspiciously like a fox. We are also not deprived of the regulars of The Snuggly Duckling, indeed all of your favourites from the film turn up for this novel.
Braswellโs characterisation when it came to Flynn was spot on in my opinion. The observation by Rapunzel that there is the โrealโ Flynn and then there is the charming, roguish mask he uses was perfect! Gina was also a great addition, desperately trying to be an adventurer/criminal and not being taken seriously just because she is a girl. The relationship between her and Flynn was adorable and, of course, Ginaโs mother is just legendary.
โ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ; ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ง๐จ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข ๐ค๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ฎโ
The writing style isnโt for everyone and, I must admit, this is the twisted tale which I have probably put down and walked away from the most. However, if you can stick it through the slow sections the story is really worth it and provides a much-admired evolution of the Disney Princess.
Donโt get me wrong - in the animated movie Rapunzel is great and all but by the end she is a princess with a haircut and a smouldering husband. Braswellโs Rapunzel has magic that she needs to study, understand and control, she is a future Queen in the making and simply has more of a purpose than her animated counterpart.
โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃโ
What Once Was Mine brings a whole new depth to the characters of Disneyโs Tangled. It gives us a new (frankly, disgusting) villain alongside all our favourite characters and definitely presents a creative twist on the traditional story. Donโt worry, Rapunzel still gets her Happily Ever After, but she fought a little harder for it this time around!
As you will all know by now, I am in love with the Twisted Tales series and have to read each installment as they are released. What Once was Mine is the 12th Twisted Tale book and the 7th written by Liz Braswell so to say I was excited would be an understatement.
As always, TT books come with a tag line to lure you in and this one is โWhat if Rapunzelโs mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?โ Yes, instead of the golden Sundrop flower, the ailing pregnant queen is mistakenly given a potion using the Moondrop flower, resulting in a silver-haired princess whose power kills rather than heals!
Of course, that casts the whole locking the princess in a tower concept into an entirely new light! However, many of the other elements remain the same as Disneyโs โTangledโ movie: Gothel is Rapunzelโs captor and โmotherโ, Flynn steals a crown and is on the run from the Stabbington brothers and Rapunzel is desperate to see the floating lights.
What Liz Braswell manages to do (very well, in my opinion) is to maintain all these similarities, keeping her readers rooted to the original story but also to bend the original fairytale into something a bit more mature, a bit darker and, in some cases, a bit more real.
โ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐จ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐, ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐จ, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฏ๐๐กโ
What Once was Mine is written from Rapunzelโs perspective. Now, this may be an obvious choice, but it also gives Braswell the opportunity to show her protagonist in a slightly more mature light than we are used to. Yes, Rapunzel is scatty, enthusiastic and teeth-grittingly cheerful about everything but she also believes she is dangerous and that she belongs in the tower for the safety of others.
Rapunzel has always been told that her hair killed her parents and that Gothel has been charged with her care and protection. However, what I really enjoyed about Braswellโs Rapunzel is that, although she begins with the same blind faith in Gothel as she has in the movie, she soon develops an inner turmoil of emotions with regards to her captor, questioning where she spends her days and recognising the little digs often made at the daughterโs expense.
As her journey continues, Rapunzel observes other mother-daughter relationships and her doubt and distrust of Gothel begins to build as a result. Lords, ladies and bandits alike are hunting for Rapunzel in order to claim her as their prize but this couldnโt be orchestrated by her mother, the only family she has ever known, could it?
โ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐, ๐๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฏ๐๐ก. ๐๐๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ.โ
I have conflicting feelings when it comes to the darker elements of What Once Was Mine. The inclusion of the very real Countess Bathory took me by surprise and was quite gruesome in places: not a problem for a grown-up Disney nerd but Iโm not sure whether I will be passing this one along to the Mini Bookworm any time soon.
There is also the narrator of the story: a brother making up an alternative Rapunzel story for his sister while she is undergoing chemo. I understand this is an emotive topic for the author and I almost got it as a tool for the story-telling, enabling the use of quite modern, colloquial terms such as โmurderhairโ and enabling the creative inclusion of characters such as Maximus.
I really wanted this technique to be profound and make the story mean more, such as fairytales having an important place in the modern world for example. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me: it was an interesting tweak but it didnโt make me feel as much as I wanted it to.
It is not all doom and gloom though, Rapunzelโs perspective of the world provides comic moments: her (limited) knowledge of the world comes from the 37 books that she owns, leading to a moose that is definitely a squirrel and a cat which acts suspiciously like a fox. We are also not deprived of the regulars of The Snuggly Duckling, indeed all of your favourites from the film turn up for this novel.
Braswellโs characterisation when it came to Flynn was spot on in my opinion. The observation by Rapunzel that there is the โrealโ Flynn and then there is the charming, roguish mask he uses was perfect! Gina was also a great addition, desperately trying to be an adventurer/criminal and not being taken seriously just because she is a girl. The relationship between her and Flynn was adorable and, of course, Ginaโs mother is just legendary.
โ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ; ๐จ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ง๐จ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข ๐ค๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ฎโ
The writing style isnโt for everyone and, I must admit, this is the twisted tale which I have probably put down and walked away from the most. However, if you can stick it through the slow sections the story is really worth it and provides a much-admired evolution of the Disney Princess.
Donโt get me wrong - in the animated movie Rapunzel is great and all but by the end she is a princess with a haircut and a smouldering husband. Braswellโs Rapunzel has magic that she needs to study, understand and control, she is a future Queen in the making and simply has more of a purpose than her animated counterpart.
โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃโ
What Once Was Mine brings a whole new depth to the characters of Disneyโs Tangled. It gives us a new (frankly, disgusting) villain alongside all our favourite characters and definitely presents a creative twist on the traditional story. Donโt worry, Rapunzel still gets her Happily Ever After, but she fought a little harder for it this time around!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Wives in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is a very fast-paced domestic thriller. Expect many plot twists and disturbing revelations.
Synopsis:
Thursday is married to Seth. But he has two other wives, that he sees during the week. Thursday gets to see Seth on Thursday, while the other wives each have a day for themselves as well. The main rule is - she is not supposed to know the other wives, nor contact them.
When Thursday finds the name of his newest wife, Hannah, in Sethโs pocket, she does what every woman would - looks her up. She meets up with Hannah under a false name, trying to find out more about her and the husband that they share. But Hannah is not only pregnant with Sethโs baby; she also has bruises on her body. Is Seth capable of that? The Seth she is married to?
Realising she might not know who Seth really is, Thursday is on a mission to find out as much as possible about him and the other two wives, before he realises somethingโs up. With many twists and turns, Thursday realises things are not as they seem. At all.
My Thoughts:
The first half of the book gives us the idea of the situation. From Thursdayโs point of view, we get a glimpse of a very rare situation. How a woman feels when she is sharing a man with other women. The challenges and worries this entails. The constant battle to be better than the others, even though she doesnโt know them. The constant curiosity to know how they treat him, whether they are more beautiful than her, whether they can give him more than she can. The battle with herself, on why isnโt she enough. Why does he need other women to be happy? The loss of her baby, that changed everything.
The second half of the book is filled with plot twists, and I cannot say much more without revealing anything. It involves finding out the truth, violence, mental health hospital and many lies told by many people. I was very disappointed with the ending, and I will have to explain why below.
SPOILER ALERT - The below paragraph contains spoilers.
During the book, we kept having more and more plot twists. The story started becoming more and more twisted and tricky to unravel. And then, a few chapters before the end, the author explains this as one of Thursdayโs delusions. Seth divorced her when they lost the baby, but she could never move on and started believing this delusion that he has multiple wives. However, there are many inconsistencies to this, and they are all left for us to believe they are part of Thursdayโs delusions. Also, there are facts that donโt correspond. He still came to see her every Thursday (which was explained as cheating). Furthermore. he stole money from her bank account. He brewed some weird tea for her before she lost her baby. Somehow, I keep thinking that the plot became too twisted for the author as well, and she just decided to blame it all on Thursdayโs delusions.
SPOILER FINISHED.
I am still unsure on how I feel about this book. Perhaps I wouldโve been more satisfied if the explanation and the ending were different. The very last scene was shocking, and completely out of character. I cannot understand why this is how the book ended and I am very conflicted. This type of plot seems very similar to other books I have read before, and I donโt find it unique. However, I read this book in a day and it did intrigue me to find out more. Once you start reading, you cannot put this book down. But once you get to the ending, there is the conflict of whether it was a good ending of such a twisty book.
I definitely recommend it, if you love this genre. It will keep you on your toes. It also might make you think whether your husband has other wives as well. Just kidding :)
BLOG TOUR
This review is part of the blog tour for The Wives, organised by the HQ Team. Thank you to the publisher and the author, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Thursday is married to Seth. But he has two other wives, that he sees during the week. Thursday gets to see Seth on Thursday, while the other wives each have a day for themselves as well. The main rule is - she is not supposed to know the other wives, nor contact them.
When Thursday finds the name of his newest wife, Hannah, in Sethโs pocket, she does what every woman would - looks her up. She meets up with Hannah under a false name, trying to find out more about her and the husband that they share. But Hannah is not only pregnant with Sethโs baby; she also has bruises on her body. Is Seth capable of that? The Seth she is married to?
Realising she might not know who Seth really is, Thursday is on a mission to find out as much as possible about him and the other two wives, before he realises somethingโs up. With many twists and turns, Thursday realises things are not as they seem. At all.
My Thoughts:
The first half of the book gives us the idea of the situation. From Thursdayโs point of view, we get a glimpse of a very rare situation. How a woman feels when she is sharing a man with other women. The challenges and worries this entails. The constant battle to be better than the others, even though she doesnโt know them. The constant curiosity to know how they treat him, whether they are more beautiful than her, whether they can give him more than she can. The battle with herself, on why isnโt she enough. Why does he need other women to be happy? The loss of her baby, that changed everything.
The second half of the book is filled with plot twists, and I cannot say much more without revealing anything. It involves finding out the truth, violence, mental health hospital and many lies told by many people. I was very disappointed with the ending, and I will have to explain why below.
SPOILER ALERT - The below paragraph contains spoilers.
During the book, we kept having more and more plot twists. The story started becoming more and more twisted and tricky to unravel. And then, a few chapters before the end, the author explains this as one of Thursdayโs delusions. Seth divorced her when they lost the baby, but she could never move on and started believing this delusion that he has multiple wives. However, there are many inconsistencies to this, and they are all left for us to believe they are part of Thursdayโs delusions. Also, there are facts that donโt correspond. He still came to see her every Thursday (which was explained as cheating). Furthermore. he stole money from her bank account. He brewed some weird tea for her before she lost her baby. Somehow, I keep thinking that the plot became too twisted for the author as well, and she just decided to blame it all on Thursdayโs delusions.
SPOILER FINISHED.
I am still unsure on how I feel about this book. Perhaps I wouldโve been more satisfied if the explanation and the ending were different. The very last scene was shocking, and completely out of character. I cannot understand why this is how the book ended and I am very conflicted. This type of plot seems very similar to other books I have read before, and I donโt find it unique. However, I read this book in a day and it did intrigue me to find out more. Once you start reading, you cannot put this book down. But once you get to the ending, there is the conflict of whether it was a good ending of such a twisty book.
I definitely recommend it, if you love this genre. It will keep you on your toes. It also might make you think whether your husband has other wives as well. Just kidding :)
BLOG TOUR
This review is part of the blog tour for The Wives, organised by the HQ Team. Thank you to the publisher and the author, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Holliston in TV
Dec 17, 2017
Some good writing (2 more)
Great cast
What would happen if Friends met Hatchet in a dark alley
A horror/comedy series that leaves you begging for more
I love Adam Green!!!! The man has proven with this series that he can wear many hats in the industry. As can co-star Joe Lynch (director of Mayhem).
This show is everything a horror fan needs wrapped up in a 45 minute(first season) and 22 minute(second season) episodes. Some great dialogue and brilliant acting by co-stars Corri English (country band Brokedown Cadillac) and Laura Ortiz (The Hills Have Eyes remake) make this show easy to swallow and a fun time for even the mildest of horror watchers.
Don't forget some great guest appearances by Kane Hodder(Hatchet), Danielle Harris(Halloween 4 & 5), Derek Mears (Friday the 13th remake), Colton Dunn(hatchet 2), Ray Wise(Digging Up the Marrow and TV's Twin Peaks), Tony Todd(Candyman) and David Naughton(An American Werewolf in London) who all go to lengths to prove that horror is not the only genre they belong in.
Twisted Sister's Dee Snider is a series regular as Cable Station Managere Lance Rockett and provides the viewer with some great one liners and laugh filled on screen moments that can not be easily forgotten. Dave Brockie or Oderus Urungas as he was better known to metal fans as the lead singer of the band Gwar also appeared regularly as Adam's imaginary friend who lived in his closet and came out occasionally to give words of wisdom, advice and shots to the nuts. Sadly Dave lost his life in April of 2014 causing Adam to put the series on hold for the time being because of the death of his longtime friend.
Holliston is nothing short of brilliance to people who not only love the horror genre. it is nothing short of amazing. With laughs, scares and even a few tears shed during its brief interlude on Fearnet.com. This show will forever remain in my heart and mind as one of the best sitcom/horror shows I have ever watched. Give it a try people
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This show is everything a horror fan needs wrapped up in a 45 minute(first season) and 22 minute(second season) episodes. Some great dialogue and brilliant acting by co-stars Corri English (country band Brokedown Cadillac) and Laura Ortiz (The Hills Have Eyes remake) make this show easy to swallow and a fun time for even the mildest of horror watchers.
Don't forget some great guest appearances by Kane Hodder(Hatchet), Danielle Harris(Halloween 4 & 5), Derek Mears (Friday the 13th remake), Colton Dunn(hatchet 2), Ray Wise(Digging Up the Marrow and TV's Twin Peaks), Tony Todd(Candyman) and David Naughton(An American Werewolf in London) who all go to lengths to prove that horror is not the only genre they belong in.
Twisted Sister's Dee Snider is a series regular as Cable Station Managere Lance Rockett and provides the viewer with some great one liners and laugh filled on screen moments that can not be easily forgotten. Dave Brockie or Oderus Urungas as he was better known to metal fans as the lead singer of the band Gwar also appeared regularly as Adam's imaginary friend who lived in his closet and came out occasionally to give words of wisdom, advice and shots to the nuts. Sadly Dave lost his life in April of 2014 causing Adam to put the series on hold for the time being because of the death of his longtime friend.
Holliston is nothing short of brilliance to people who not only love the horror genre. it is nothing short of amazing. With laughs, scares and even a few tears shed during its brief interlude on Fearnet.com. This show will forever remain in my heart and mind as one of the best sitcom/horror shows I have ever watched. Give it a try people
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Merissa (12069 KP) rated Make Me Yours (Isle of the Forgotten #3) in Books
May 19, 2017
Make Me Yours (Isle of the Forgotten #3) by Tiffany Roberts
Make Me Yours is the third full length novel in the Isle of the Forgotten series, and we focus on Gaelin who we have met before, and Mayra, who was alluded to in Make Me Whole. Gaelin knew that he would meet his mate on the Isle, but never thought that he would be partnered with a demon! May has done enough that she actually sees being on the Isle as being free for the first time in 200 years. Now, of course, things aren't going to go smoothly for these two, even if the whole 'matedom' is mentioned a lot sooner than in the previous books. There is the whole evil necromancer, twisted Justicar, and not forgetting Mayra's twin who is controlled by a blood bond with the aforementioned necromancer! So there is plenty here to keep you occupied as you read the latest instalment of this brilliant series.
Whilst Morthanion and Aria remain my favourites of the series, it was great to catch up with the others in this book - even Quil who didn't get a full book. Whilst I can appreciate the whole alpha male protecting his mate, I thought that the equality within the relationship was a bit better in this book, as Mayra is a demon in her own right. Definitely the yin to Gaelin's yang. These two worked and played well together, whilst Gaelin was still in protective mode, so everyone was happy.
With an overall story arc, I would recommend that this is read as part of a series, rather than a standalone. It was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. Plenty of action and a surprise at the end, I loved every word. Definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait for the next book to come along!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whilst Morthanion and Aria remain my favourites of the series, it was great to catch up with the others in this book - even Quil who didn't get a full book. Whilst I can appreciate the whole alpha male protecting his mate, I thought that the equality within the relationship was a bit better in this book, as Mayra is a demon in her own right. Definitely the yin to Gaelin's yang. These two worked and played well together, whilst Gaelin was still in protective mode, so everyone was happy.
With an overall story arc, I would recommend that this is read as part of a series, rather than a standalone. It was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. Plenty of action and a surprise at the end, I loved every word. Definitely recommended by me, and I can't wait for the next book to come along!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!