My Rating: 5 Stars An amazing, memorable read! The Book of Whispers was the winner of the Text Prize 2015. In the 11th century, in the time of the Crusades, the young Luca de Falconi is anything but ordinary. Born with the ability to see demons, Luca hides who he is and what he can do. When his father joins the Prince on the Crusades, Luca finds his way to the holy pilgrimage, not satisfied on staying behind to take care of their estate. Taking only a secret book written in a cryptic language that his father gave him, Luca embarks on a journey that will reveal secrets, corruption and evil lurking in the shadows. When a mysterious girl named Suzan joins him, he realises that he isn’t alone; Suzan has powers of her own. Together, they have to discover the secrets of the book and stop the unknown plan of demons as the crusaders make their way to Jerusalem to free it from the Saracens. This novel brings everything together perfectly: romance, adventure, loss, magic, change and history. The descriptions are incredibly written. From the vicious, violent confrontations to the harsh conditions of the Crusades through hot sand, burning sun and lack of water, they served as a reminder that even though we don’t talk about them any more, it was still one of the biggest bloody periods in history. The descriptions of the sights and ancient places are mesmerising and the way Jerusalem is portrayed is breathtaking. It’s definitely a place that I would like to visit for its rich history and architecture. The plot is complex, fast-paced and clues to understand the book of whispers are revealed in a good pace; not a single moment of boredom from this historical journey. The romance between the two main characters is beautiful and it complements the story-line perfectly. The way I interpreted it was, even in the darkest moments, there is always something good that should be kept and fought for. An amazing novel that I highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Text Publishing, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.
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My Rating: 4 Stars A great, gripping and refreshing debut! I would definitely jump into this world if I could! The novel takes place in a steampunk world where genies grant wishes in exchange of a person's time. Elizabeth Wicker is a seventeen year-old with a heart condition that lives with her mother and attends school girls of her station. The protocol of this school, however, dictates that she will be sold to a noble family as a maid after she turns eighteen. So, once the time comes, Elizabeth is sold to her bully that is a member of one of the most powerful families in the country. Her nightmare of a life takes a darker turn when her mother is killed by a stranger and she is forced to turn to the time collectors. When she suddenly dies of a heart-attack, she is revived with a mechanical heart. Elizabeth races against time and is taken on a journey that will require a great sacrifice. Will she be able to make it? At what price? A refreshing and gripping novel right from the very beginning. This was the first novel I read where genies have this kind of power over humans; it’s unique and very well thought. The story-line is pretty solid and it runs on a steady-pace. In the beginning the descriptions of this steampunk universe are great and the characters are all amazing. The third-person perspective allowed me to have a broader sense of the events, which I appreciate. The writing style is addictive and compelling. Elizabeth is a good main character. She has the insecurities of a teenage-girl but she’s also impulsive and a fighter. A kind-hearted heroine with an innocent side, not afraid to do what she needs to: an admirable character that I could sympathise with. The chemistry with Klaus, the main male character, is nice and smooth. I would like to know more about his past but like this it just adds a very nice spice to the story, the fact that he’s the mysterious type. A refreshing debut in a unique and unexplored world that I hope to read more about in the near future. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it to any readers looking for something different and new. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Ragnarok Publishing, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars Great art and a fast-paced story, a nice read. Living in Louisiana with her father, the shy high-schooler Melanie has a pretty uneventful life. She works at the local bookstore with her classmate Zoe and tries to be there for her father when she can. Things change the night she’s walking home from the cemetery. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Melanie receives the Wraithbornn, a power destined for a member of the warrior monks called Valin. When she starts seeing spirits at school, Zoe is the only one that believes and helps her. With demons after her gift, Melanie will need all the help she can get if she wants to get out alive. The art of this graphic novel is great: bright colours, details, especially in the fighting scenes and a perfect balance between the drawings and the text. The story is well-balanced since there are moments of action and moments to recover from those moments: the action takes place when demons appear and they fight; and slower moments when both Melanie and Valin are trying to figure what happened. Even so, I didn’t grow bored at all. Melanie is a good main character. Her shyness and the way she reacts to the unfortunate events around her make her very human but at the same time I could see her courage and how she grows along the novel. Zoe is an awesome character and my favourite. She’s a good friend and her powers make her the perfect companion for Melanie that tends to panic. Overall, a good story! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher WildStorm, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars I’m fully aware that I’m reading this collection backwards, but I honestly say that it doesn’t make a difference to me. These tiny books are a treasure and it’s a true pleasure to read them no matter in which order I receive them. Beauty Within is just as good as Poor Unfortunately Souls and I would give it more stars if I could. You think you know the story of the selfish, arrogant and proud prince that got cursed to live as a beast until he found true love and has loved in return? Think again. In this novel, you will have a glimpse at the past of a prince that is the fruit of privilege, richness but also loneliness and superficiality. I fell completely in love with this perspective of the story of the Beast. The story-line is very well-developed and the style of writing is as beautiful as always. I really felt like I got to know Beast a bit better and to understand him in a level that the Disney version didn’t allow me to. It’s different, powerful and a bit scary. I couldn’t imagine that Miss Valentino could come up with such a version of the punishment that Prince Adam goes through before the curse is complete. I will not give any spoilers, but I can tell you the punishment is slow, painful and has a psychological side to it that is both perfect and a bit cruel. Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s very efficient. Like I wrote on my previous review of “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, villains aren’t born evil; there are circumstances outside their control, the environment they spend their childhoods in that shape who they become in the future. In the real world, we do bad choices and chose wrong paths but in the end we learn from our mistakes and just like the Beast, the thing we fear the most is unjust and cruel judgement. A great book that I highly recommend to all the fairytale-fans out there! My Rating: 3 Stars An apocalyptic scenario with time-travelling and a story of romance: it’s the best way to describe this novel. An enjoyable, quick read. This is the story of Isabel and Diego, a couple whose relationship could change the nightmare that they call reality. From a nuclear war to a deadly virus wiping out the human race, the world is at the end of the line. The solution: to travel back in time and change their relationship before it began. The race against time begins as Isabel journeys through the past and learns about love, loss and the power of forgiveness. Can she and Diego change the fate of the world? I would definitely say this is more romance than sci-fi since the story-line is based on a couple and their relationship even if the post-apocalyptic reality is very well thought and developed. Although I’m not a big fan on having the romance running in the front lines, I found myself enjoying the interactions between Isabel and Diego. Their relationship, like them, is very real and human. In general, all the characters are quite likeable and I could relate at least in a point or two with them. The story-line is well thought and organised and the style of writing pulled me into the story. The different points of view made me loose myself a few times since we see through the eyes of three different characters. The ending made my heart jump and I’m very curious to know the fate of the main characters in the next book. I recommend this book to fans of romantic stories taking place in dystopian post-apocalyptic scenarios! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Rocky Mountain Press, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars I am a big fan of the dystopian genre. For me it’s both interesting and scary to think of which realities might actually happen and how humans deal with the changes. This is one of the reasons I really enjoyed Aftermath, since it’s more focused on the re-building phase than the actual moment of the apocalypse. Aftermath takes place in a near-future where the world is broken and people are divided. After the fall of several bombs in the different areas of the US territory, people must adapt to a new environment and fight for a new order in society and government. Through the eyes of seven characters, you will be taken on a journey through human nature and instinct of survival in a world where the person to trust is oneself. I really got into this novel and after I started I finished it quite quickly. The setting is brutal: it really brings out human nature and what we are willing to do to survive, instincts that only manifest in extreme cases. I think this setting really got to me since I believe it’s very possible to happen in the future, taking in consideration the daily news and ongoing wars. The style of writing is very good and the story-line is very clear and easy to follow. I could see and feel the dedication and the passion of the author on the novel. I got a bit lost in the beginning while reading the past of the characters but in the end I think it was a very good way of showing not only the story of each character, giving them depth; but also to have a better idea of what happened before the bombings. The organisation of the factions was very cleverly thought and described but at the same time a bit brutal, since the people captured by a fraction have absolutely no choice but to submit and obey. The characters are all unique in their one way and they all contribute to the story, which proves the good technique of the author when it comes to not leaving loose ends. I didn’t feel like a character was more important than others at all. The ending was shocking and the cliffhanger was painful to deal with! I want more! I am hoping that the author continues to write in this style and that a second volume is on its way. I recommend this book to fans of dystopian literature that goes more in depth to the characters than the actual apocalypse. I want to thank the author Joe Reyes for reaching out to me and sending me a free copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. My Rating: 5 Stars Engaging, addictive and amazingly written, Reckless had me glued to its pages! I’ve read Inkheart a few times and I can’t help but simply fall in love all over again with the writings of Cornelia Funke. Once upon a time, a young boy named Jacob discovers this alternative world where he may escape his troubled past. For years he jumps back and forth between worlds becoming a master in finding lost enchanted objects until that faithful day, the day his little brother Will follows him into this magic world. But appearances are deceiving: this world is a very dark and dangerous place where happy endings aren’t waiting in the end of the story. When Will is viciously attacked, Jacob races to save his brother life before he becomes a blood-thirsty monster with skin made of stone. I can’t get enough of the dark-fairytale world, Mirrorworld. It’s scary, creepy and it is really the worse that can happen in the stories that are supposed to end with “and they lived happily ever after”. It reveals the true meaning of the stories that we all know so well, in my opinion. There are new characters, new monsters but at the same time there are also those beloved characters from Grimm Fairytales, so it creates some familiarity. The style of writing is amazing. I would have read it in German if I knew the language better, but with the English translation I still got to understand and really feel the story. About the characters, Jacob is definitely the type of character that I enjoy reading about. He demonstrates his love and worry through actions and not words and although sometimes it seems like he doesn’t care at all, his actions show the bravery one needs to have while facing adversity. He is a great anti-hero with all the qualities and flaws that come with the title. However, Will is the opposite of his brother, and I think the intention was to have on one side the boy that suffered through hard times and tries not to grow attached to people, whereas on the other side, the young, innocent, untainted boy that just wants his brother’s attention. They complete each other perfectly and together they have this amazing brotherly bond that I couldn’t get enough of. An amazing book that I will definitely re-read soon and that I recommend to all the fans of a dark world of tales! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Breathing Books, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars I thought it was impossible to like the second volume more than I did the first one, but apparently it is possible! Terrific art combined with a great adventure story and a lot of old fashioned codes and riddles. Absolutely perfect! Lady Mechanika’s journey starts when a stranger knocks at her door. A daring adventure: to find an old weapon in the heart of Africa while trying to be one step ahead of the secret societies that would love to get their hands on the artefact. But things never run smoothly for the Lady and when she is confronted with a life threatening choice, what will she choose? First of all, the artwork is breathtaking. Even though the story takes place outside the city designed in the first volume, Steampunk is still very much present and still as beautiful as before. Furthermore, the supernatural is also still present and for me it was even more detailed than in the first volume The storyline was very nice to read even though I was a bit disappointed not to see a direct connection to the first graphic novel. I would have enjoyed seeing the development of Lady Mechanika’s search for her maker. Even so, I loved every minute of this reading and I was addicted to it until the very end. I can’t wait to see what surprises the next volume will bring! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Aspen, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 5 Stars It was love at first sight with this graphic novel and even though you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I’m very glad I did! It does help that I’m a big fan of Steampunk. This is the story of Lady Mechanika, a half-human half-machine in her search to discover her identity and her maker. As her journey takes her to the city where she was found, the Lady investigates a peculiar death of a young girl much like her at the local train station. Does it have anything to do with her? Was it the same person that transformed her? In a Steampunk world where Man and machine are one, nothing will stand in her way until she gets her answers. There isn’t anything I didn’t like in this graphic novel: the artwork is breathtaking, absolutely brilliant and the colours go perfectly with the dark and industrial setting. It was amazing to see how this world worked and it was impossible not to love the beautiful landscapes. The story-line is very well thought and it’s steady-paced. Details of this world are all around the story, but not enough to be boring. Lady Mechanika is a great character: elegant, graceful, quick with the guns, seemly cold and detached but with a caring heart hidden underneath. She doesn’t care if it’s human, machine or not human at all, if they need help she will give it. However, don’t piss her off. Lady Mechanika doesn’t care about power or hierarchy in society, if anyone stands in her way or even threatens her… well, you have to read it to find out the rest. Loved every minute and I’ll start the second volume very soon! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Aspen, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. My Rating: 4 Stars The first Rebirth comic that I actually loved! Wow, Harley Quint is definitely my favourite anti-hero and in this comic makes her justice! For the story arcs I just have one phrase for you: Harley Quint, aliens, zombies and her own personal gang. Craziness, humour, action! What’s not to love? The art of the comic is amazing. The colours, the drawings of the characters together with the witty and humours dialogues create the perfect combination for an addictive read. I took my time to appreciate the art though, even in the parts where it gets really bloody. Harley’s character is very well drawn, specially her crazy expressions in particular moments, like in life-risking situations and when she’s hungry (it’s actually pretty funny too). I really like the gang Harley put together. They all get along perfectly and it was surprising to see that they actually get along even if they’re all crazy I their own way. The loyalty amongst them was a pleasure to see and read, specially the seen where Harley gets herself in a pickle and they’re there to back her up even when they stare at death right in the face. The only thing I didn’t like very much is the sexual vibe between Harley and Poison Ivy. Their friendship and bond is unique and powerful but let’s not exaggerate either. I did like to see Harley with Deadwood. I was surprised with the chemistry they have and thinking about, they would make one hell of a couple! Loved every page and I can’t wait for the next volume! Definitely recommend it! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher DC Comics and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. |
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