My Rating: 5 Stars It was a breath of fresh air to read this fantasy novel that merges magic with dragons. It’s a page-turning, fast-paced adventure that had me glued to my Kindle. In a world ruled by magic, where mages rule supreme, Dragonborn (humans born with dragon blood) were slaughtered for unclear reasons. The novel tells the story of Andie, a 24-year-old with a big secret. Descendent from both magic and dragon blood, Andie most hide her true identity as she starts a new life at Arvall University where she will learn to control her magic. Together with her group of friends, the young sorcerer will learn that the Dragonborn line didn’t die completely and embarks on a journey to discover the truth about her people and herself and to bring justice to the falsely accused and abused. It was very hard to put it down and I ended up reading it in two days. I really liked the descriptions; they’re not very long and together with the great writing style is brought out the magic and the colour of the story. It made me want to jump into this world! I enjoyed reading about Andie and seeing the story in her perspective. I think she’s very well built as a character, she’s mature, logical and I could feel the weight of her secret throughout the story. Her courage, strength of character and her determination to correct all the wrongs that were done to her people were incredible to watch and read. I would have enjoyed it more if the ending didn’t end in a cliffhanger because now I’ll have to wait to see what happens! This storyline shows great promise and I hope that the next volume will not disappoint! It was my first time reading a novel from Ms Howell and I definitely wasn’t disappointed! I want to thank N. M. Howell for the chance to review her novel before it is published in exchange for an honest review.
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My Rating: 5 Stars Probably the most amazing historical novel I’ve read in a while! Wow! This book is so much; it’s hard to express the feelings and thoughts in an organised way. This is the first historical novel that I have read and reviewed from this particular historical period, that's why it took me a bit more time to put everything down. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy it! Let me start from the beginning. This epic tale of rivalry, ambition and conspiracy takes place in the 11th century Anglo-Saxon Britain. The chronological timeline takes us in depth to the events that lead to the fall of King Harold Godwinson and the rise of William the Conqueror to the throne of Britain. Familiar historical figures and historical facts come together to shed light into one of the most decisive periods of the English history. First off, the passion, the knowledge and research put into this novel was the first thing that blew me away. Between the description of the characters, the settings, the battles, the travels and the strategies, it was impossible to go dive into authentic, original and authoritarian novel. The harsh reality of history is not sugar-coated at all which really brought me back to a time-frame where the desire to conquer had no limit and no border. The second is the clever and magnificent way that this novel was written both in structure and style. The timeline structure was a great approach to get a broader vision of events and not to get lost in the sea of historical characters. I didn’t have the feeling that this novel had a main character. For me, all the characters had a role that contributed for the turn of events that led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and, even if they didn’t seem to be related at all, in the end everything comes together perfectly. I got to read and admire King Harold Godwinson, his intellect, his leadership and his politics. I loved every minute of it. The battle scenes were so exciting to read, I had my heart jumping all the time. By the end of the book it’s clear that, unfortunately, the best man doesn’t always win. I wish with all my heart that history didn’t happen the way it did. All of this because Holloway managed to do the humanisation of the characters so well that it was impossible not to feel for them. This is probably my favourite historical novel so far and I regret nothing! Definitely looking forward to read more of Mr. Holloway's work. Highly recommended read for the fans of historical novels, very very worth it! Thank you Mr. Holloway for reaching out to me to review your book and for sending the amazing paperback version. My Rating: 4 Stars I find it a bit difficult to put to words what I think about this book. I got mixed feelings but not in a bad way, not by far. I was amazed by the detail related to security, the military and the operations, definitely saw the background of the author in the novel and definitely got the feeling that he saw some of the things he wrote about. The novel tells the story of a group of men known as the Black Bastards with unique backgrounds that act together in a war against crime waves in the city of Johannesburg in South Africa. In vivid crime scenes and war settings, Casey Christie takes us on a journey with Sergeant Michael Night, an army veteran, his best-friend Constable Daniel Shaka, a giant also known as Zulu and Constable Nickolai Stanislov, former Russian Spetznaz operator and expert shooter against a crime lord known for his Satanic rituals, murderers and rapes. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that provided so much detail on the police/military procedures! It made me feel like I was there, sitting next to this trio planning, observing and executing high-risk operations. The novel is fast-paced and the vivid descriptions of the streets of South Africa and the cruel events that take place there are both amazing and terrifying. The plot is amazing and very well designed; no details are left to chance. The writing style is great, it makes the story easy to follow and the unique terminology of field gives depth to the story. The characters are also great, I enjoyed discovering more about them as the story moves along and their depth really gave the feeling they are real people. Sergeant Night is definitely my favourite character, he is a very complex character that shuts down his emotions to deal with painful moments in his life. His special bond with his two mates and Lisa, his on/off girlfriend reveal the more human side of a man that spent years in military settings. Another character that surprised me was the bad guy, also known has uSathane or “The Devil”. He is simply terrifying, probably because there are still a lot of people like him in the world. The character may be fictional but what he does, the crimes he commits and the methods he uses are still very much real. Furthermore, Christie joins the spiritual part of the African culture when he introduces the witch-doctor. The “Devil” is the ultimate villain: a human-being (if you can call him that) believed to be immortal that uses fear to control the people and possesses the means to keep that control. A great read that kept me on my toes. I definitely want to read more of Casey Christie’s works in the future! I want to thank Casey Christie for sending me a digital copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. My Rating: 5 Stars I'm suffering from the post-book syndrome. Another brilliant work by the one and only Ms Genevieve Cogman with the brilliant third volume of the Invisible Library saga. Twice as packed with action than the first two volumes put together, a lot more trouble and difficult decisions for Irene. A mind-blowing finale felt me completely breathless, shaking and crying that I have to wait until December 2017 for the next novel! Our hero, Irene, is currently suffering from her early behaviour towards the disregard of Library rules. As punishment, she is sent on minor missions with her friend and assistant Kai while taking residence in the world of Vale, the great detective. But since when does the life of a Library spy runs smoothly? When the doors to the Library start to malfunction and explode all together, Irene must use all her wit and her ability to prioritise to: escape a building on fire, retrieve a book from the Crystal Palace in Saint Petersburg, save the life of a dear friend suffering from Chaos contamination, save the Library from complete destruction in the hands of ex-librarian and traitor Alberich and, in the bottom of that list, if possible, not die in the process. What can possibly go wrong? Just like the previous books, The Burning Page had me gripped to its pages right from the beginning. As I didn't have to wait very long for the action to start and to see Irene and Kai at their best when things go horribly wrong. I really enjoyed seeing that development of Irene's relationships and how they change her. She was used to being alone and in the third novel, she still struggles to balance logic with emotions. Kai has also grown since the first book and after his near-death experience in the Masked City, I definitely saw the change in him towards Irene and Vale. Vale is a difficult character to analyse being the Great Detective with super-power of deduction. I was surprised to see his interaction with Irene and I can wait to see how their relationship will develop in the next books. The villain is revealing himself to be quite frightening and unpredictable. I really enjoyed seeing more of him in the volume, I definitely like the depth of his character. Alberich is a complete mystery and even though his plans seem to be very straightforward I can't shake the feeling that there is a lot more behind that faceless shadow. In some parts of the book, he really made me question if there is some truth in what he says, because, really, why would he lie about it? The plot was amazingly written, it's getting more and more complex and even so, all the loose ends are perfectly tied by the end. The explosive and unexpected finale left me breathless, a bit sad and a whole lot of surprised! Just... Wow. Definitely counting the days for the next book "The Lost Plot" coming out in December 2017! My Rating: 5 Stars How to end a trilogy: just like Ms Pacat does! The brilliant end for a fantastic collection! She really outdid herself in this novel, coming to the completion of a wonderful story leaving no loose ends. This book brought me to that dilemma "I want to finish it but I don't want to finish it" and I can honestly say that Damen and Laurent became one of my favourite M/M couples of all time. Picking up from the grand finale and cliffhanger of Prince's Gambit, Damen and Laurent don't have a moment to recover. Intrigue is taken to another level, constant interference and betrayal as both King and Prince fight their way to win back their thrones. As Vere and Akielos unite against a common enemy, the two royals struggle with attraction and feelings for each other. Will they fall into the plot that could end both their lives and their kingdoms? Shocking twists, heart-stopping revelations and a finale that will leave your heart pounding! I really raced through the pages of this volume, much like I did with the others. The third book is twice action-packed than the other two books combined and the fast-paced story-line didn't allow me to stop reading until the very end. It was very gratifying to see justice done and to see beloved characters have a great ending. Okay okay, I admit that I warmed up to Laurent a bit, but just a bit! I really saw the development of his character along the trilogy and in the end, it made a big difference. One of the things that made the difference is that Damen didn't back down no matter how much and what means Laurent used to push him away. What he needed was really someone that could see behind all the walls he built around himself, all the defences and truly listen to that he has to say. An amazing end, even though I would have liked another chapter with more details on Damen and Laurent maybe a few months later after the alliance was made. But still, it's a trilogy that I will keep recommending over and over again for a very long time. I hope that Ms Pacat will write again soon because a talent like that needs to be in the spotlight more often than not! My Rating: 5 Stars Just... Wow. Ms Pacat did it again and I think I developed an addiction in the process. Two volumes in two days and I must say I regret nothing. Absolutely perfect, still as fast-paced as before with a style of writing that makes it impossible to stop reading. I must say though, that I'm still not a fan of Laurence. Before that, there is a brief description of the second volume of the Captive Prince trilogy. Tension is building between Laurence and his uncle. Forced to travel to the border with Akielos as a punishment for childish actions and as an attempt to have him killed, Laurent must unite forces with Damen in order to avoid a war between their countries. Surrounded from both sides by usurpers and unknown traitors, the two kings must fight for their lives, their freedom and their people while trying to ignore the growing sensual tension between them. Can Damen keep his identity a secret for much longer? In this book, I could see the rising tension between the Regent and Laurence. The Regent's determination to get ride of Laurence that was very well concealed in the first volume is completely revealed and it shows the length of his greed and thirst for power. Laurent is still a very complex character and, like I mentioned in the review of the previous novel, I believe that he has some sort of trauma from his childhood and I don't mean his brother's death. I can't bring myself to like him though, and it's probably related to how he uses people to achieve his means no matter the consequences or cost. On the other hand, Damen is a character that doesn't let his nasty experience in Vere change who he is and who he's meant to be. He proved to have more King material than Laurent could ever hope to have: the knowledge in battle strategy, how to make the troops happy and avoid conflict, how to predict situations and act under pressure. Furthermore and most importantly, he has the heart of a king, his people come first. I absolutely loved the ending. It was simply perfect and very gratifying. No doubt that this trilogy made it to my Top favourite. My Rating: 5 Stars For once, I have no words. There are a lot of feelings and lot of things to write, I just need to figure out how. This book came as a surprise, a very bloody surprise, but I loved every second of it! Just, wow! I'm sure that Mr C. S. Lewis would roll in his grave if he read this novel and I don't think he could have ever imagined such a Dark Wonderland. It's fast-paced, brilliantly thought and written and it will make it impossible not to read it in one sitting. Let's see if I can describe the plot without revealing too much. If you've read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, you'll find that the only thing this story has in common is the characters. The story starts in a dark, miserable place, a hospital for the crazy and the rejected of society located in the Old City, the poorest and the most dangerous of places. Inside one of the many rooms, sits Alice, a shadow of who she once was, with no clear memory of her past and only fragments of horrible events that lead her to that place. Alice has no hope of ever escaping until, one night, a fire breaks out, allowing her to escape her prison. Along with the only friend she's ever known, they are destined to fight a dark shadow and face their past. In a place that no one and nothing is what it seems, Alice most thread carefully, for an old friend that once lost her, wants her back, no matter the cost. Absolutely fantastic. I must say congratulations to Ms Christina Henry for the brilliant show of imagination and the beautiful writing. I could feel the emotions of the Old City, the hospital and of the characters in each word, it's like it really exists. In some way, it does. For me, the Old City is a place where all the wrongs of society come together, along with all the people that are forgotten in a society ruled by the people with money and power. Ms Henry doesn't put any sugar on it, this reality is cruel, colourless, cold with very few people to trust in. The characters are incredible and their nature is so deep that even if the story is narrated from Alice's perspective, you get to know the other character very well. Alice has an amazing character and I really liked how she was developed. I could see the loss of the innocence and the cold crude logic and intelligence that she possesses even if she was locked up for years in the hospital. Even so, Alice managed to still have her sweet and compassionate nature for those that suffer. The male protagonist, Hatcher, is a troubled soul and a complex character. The only consistency in behaviour and character I could see was his love and affection for Alice because his behaviour in general and his actions are very hard to predict. If you want to meet a Dark Wonderland, I highly recommend you read this novel. A brilliant piece that I'm very proud to have in my book collection! My Rating: 4 Stars Fantasy is also an interesting genre to pick especially when the reader takes a chance with an author and his work for the first time. For me, this book was really beyond what I expecting in a positive way. This is definitely a book for the mature public. From the fantasy, the sex scenes, the death scenes and the gore it shows the darkest and the most violent reality of the world. Joseph Hirsch didn't hold anything back on this book. The medieval environment and atmosphere with the old English language were definitely one of the things that got some so much into the story in the beginning. Not only that but Hirsch doesn't make the reader wait too long before the action starts which for me is perfect since I'm an impatient reader. I have to admit that in some parts I had to take a break since some of the scenes got to me, but I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it. But again, definitely needs to be pointed out that it's for a mature public. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Black Rose Writing, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars A beautiful first issue of Monstress. I wasn't expecting it to be so gory, violent and bloody but I actually enjoyed it very much and I'm can't wait for the next issues of Marjorie M. Liu. The first thing that made me choose this comic was the cover. Sana Takeda is an extraordinary artist and the artwork of this issue is just mesmerising and made a big impact for the rest of the story. I adored the colour and the oriental influences and the steampunk-like of the landscape. In this universe, after a great war, the world is ruled by humans that dominate monsters. On the contrary of the story lines that I found so far in this types of genre, which is refreshing. I really liked the main character, Maika, a battled monster-human creature seeking revenge, cursed by a monster that she doesn't understand. It's a bit disturbing, but completely worth it! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Image Comics, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars I received this book before and I didn't read immediately, that a bad decision that was. I read this book in 4 days and highly enjoyed it. The story of a detective and his partner set out to hunt a group of three individuals that kidnap, rape and kill innocent young women. If they took someone you hold dear to you, would you put the law aside and make your own justice? A very thrilling novel packed with action with the main character, Detective Jason Coulter running against time to find his girlfriend knowing that her fate is the same as all the other victims before her. I have mixed feelings for the main character. It's very easy to slip into his shoes when it comes to the question of 'what would you do if it happened to you'. His determination, dedication and his willingness to go beyond the rules to make justice make him a fierce adversary. Those bad guys better watch out! I liked seeing the partnership between Coulter and his partner Dave, especially because they are, in terms of character, different but still compliment each other very well. You can definitely see the friendship and the loyalty between them. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the humour in this book because it balances really well the very serious scenarios of the novel. I can definitely see the old-school humour and I absolutely loved it! John Levitt did an amazing job! I definitely recommend this book especially for the fans of action-thriller novels! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Endeavour Press, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. |
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