This series is just getting better and better, Danger's Cure sees Holly and her friends working together trying to track down one of the high-spec medThis series is just getting better and better, Danger's Cure sees Holly and her friends working together trying to track down one of the high-spec medi-pods that has the capability of curing the seekers. Unfortunately they're not the only ones hunting for them and with time running out for Mary the stakes have never been higher.
We see more of the group working together in this instalment and things get pretty dicey for them as a rogue government agency does everything it can to stop them finding the cure. There is more going on with the government than meets the eye so Holly and her friends are facing danger on all sides now. We finally start to see Case open up more about his background, even if it was reluctantly, but I'm glad that he seems to be coming more of a fully trusted member of the crew. It's understandable why they've been wary of him in the past but I'm hoping that now they know more about him they'll find it easier to trust his intentions. Daze as always steals the show and I love how they're all like a big, slightly dysfunctional family.
The action is really ramping up and we're learning more about this world all the time which makes for great reading. These are the kind of books I can pick up and easily devour in one sitting so I'm really glad that it's only a couple of months until book 5, Danger's Hunt, is being published. If you like Amanda Carlson's urban fantasy books you should definitely give this futuristic dystopian sci-fi a try!
Merged review:
This series is just getting better and better, Danger's Cure sees Holly and her friends working together trying to track down one of the high-spec medi-pods that has the capability of curing the seekers. Unfortunately they're not the only ones hunting for them and with time running out for Mary the stakes have never been higher.
We see more of the group working together in this instalment and things get pretty dicey for them as a rogue government agency does everything it can to stop them finding the cure. There is more going on with the government than meets the eye so Holly and her friends are facing danger on all sides now. We finally start to see Case open up more about his background, even if it was reluctantly, but I'm glad that he seems to be coming more of a fully trusted member of the crew. It's understandable why they've been wary of him in the past but I'm hoping that now they know more about him they'll find it easier to trust his intentions. Daze as always steals the show and I love how they're all like a big, slightly dysfunctional family.
The action is really ramping up and we're learning more about this world all the time which makes for great reading. These are the kind of books I can pick up and easily devour in one sitting so I'm really glad that it's only a couple of months until book 5, Danger's Hunt, is being published. If you like Amanda Carlson's urban fantasy books you should definitely give this futuristic dystopian sci-fi a try!...more
1st read - July 2016 2nd read - April 2018 3rd read - December 2020
Monstress is a dark fantasy comic with a steampunk feel to it and the artwork is abso1st read - July 2016 2nd read - April 2018 3rd read - December 2020
Monstress is a dark fantasy comic with a steampunk feel to it and the artwork is absolutely stunning. There are pages I could happily stare at all day long and this is definitely a book I'd be happy to reread because you spot new things every time you look at it.
Maika is a young girl caught in the crossfire of the ongoing war between humans and Arcanics. The Arcanics are a race with access to magic, some who can pass for human and others who look more like animals or are a cross between the two. Humans seem to be jealous and scared of the Arcanics so they set out to do what humans do best and destroy their perceived enemies. Maika is an Arcanic who looks human, she is missing an arm and has been branded with a magical marking but she plans to use her looks to infiltrate her enemy and get her revenge. There are a third group involved in the war, the Cumaea, who are allied with the humans but have magical abilities and they have been using the war as an excuse to carry out all kinds of experiments on the Arcanics. Maika ends up captured by the Cumaea but what originally looks like a trap may well have been her goal all along when she turns the situation to her advantage.
I don't want to say too much more about the plot but there is a lot going on in this graphic novel. It has a dark tone and there are some serious issues entwined throughout the story but it's an interesting world and I can't wait to see where Maika's journey takes her. I'm not going to say this was perfect, there were times when I found myself confused and wishing for more world building and then there were others where important details were given in a bit of an info dump that could be overwhelming. I actually read the book a second time and found myself catching lots little things I'd missed the first time around which made it much easier to follow.
In spite of my issues I still found it very easy to become invested in Maika's story and I particularly fell in love with young Kippa, a fox-girl Maika rescues along the way. The artwork is nothing short of beautiful and I have high hopes for the story now that I'm more familiar with the world and have started to get to grips with exactly what is going on. I'm definitely going to be purchasing the second volume when it releases.
I'll leave you with a few images of some of the characters so you'll be able to get a feel for the artwork:
Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
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Thoughts immediately after reading: Full review coming soon but in the meantime here's my rating
Artwork = 5 stars (some gory images & dark themes but there is no denying the illustrations are stunning!) World building = 3 stars (mainly down to the confusing way things are introduced & unnecessary info dumping) Characters = 4 stars
Merged review:
1st read - July 2016 2nd read - April 2018 3rd read - December 2020
Monstress is a dark fantasy comic with a steampunk feel to it and the artwork is absolutely stunning. There are pages I could happily stare at all day long and this is definitely a book I'd be happy to reread because you spot new things every time you look at it.
Maika is a young girl caught in the crossfire of the ongoing war between humans and Arcanics. The Arcanics are a race with access to magic, some who can pass for human and others who look more like animals or are a cross between the two. Humans seem to be jealous and scared of the Arcanics so they set out to do what humans do best and destroy their perceived enemies. Maika is an Arcanic who looks human, she is missing an arm and has been branded with a magical marking but she plans to use her looks to infiltrate her enemy and get her revenge. There are a third group involved in the war, the Cumaea, who are allied with the humans but have magical abilities and they have been using the war as an excuse to carry out all kinds of experiments on the Arcanics. Maika ends up captured by the Cumaea but what originally looks like a trap may well have been her goal all along when she turns the situation to her advantage.
I don't want to say too much more about the plot but there is a lot going on in this graphic novel. It has a dark tone and there are some serious issues entwined throughout the story but it's an interesting world and I can't wait to see where Maika's journey takes her. I'm not going to say this was perfect, there were times when I found myself confused and wishing for more world building and then there were others where important details were given in a bit of an info dump that could be overwhelming. I actually read the book a second time and found myself catching lots little things I'd missed the first time around which made it much easier to follow.
In spite of my issues I still found it very easy to become invested in Maika's story and I particularly fell in love with young Kippa, a fox-girl Maika rescues along the way. The artwork is nothing short of beautiful and I have high hopes for the story now that I'm more familiar with the world and have started to get to grips with exactly what is going on. I'm definitely going to be purchasing the second volume when it releases.
I'll leave you with a few images of some of the characters so you'll be able to get a feel for the artwork:
Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
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Thoughts immediately after reading: Full review coming soon but in the meantime here's my rating
Artwork = 5 stars (some gory images & dark themes but there is no denying the illustrations are stunning!) World building = 3 stars (mainly down to the confusing way things are introduced & unnecessary info dumping) Characters = 4 stars...more
After the terrible events in the previous instalment I knew going into Volume 8 that the characters would1st read - December 2018 2nd read - April 2020
After the terrible events in the previous instalment I knew going into Volume 8 that the characters would be struggling in the aftermath. This is a really difficult time for Alana, Marco and to a certain extent Hazel too, but I felt that the authors handled the situation with sensitivity. The tone of this book is more somber than previous ones but it does still have its lighter moments too and I enjoyed getting to visit a new planet and meeting some of the weird and wonderful inhabitants.
Petrichor in particular really stood out in this book, there were some fantastic moments between her and Hazel that melted my heart a bit and I really appreciate how many positive messages this series has about important issues in the real world not just this fantasy one. I also enjoyed learning more about The Will's background and the person who is holding him captive.
The volume ends on a positive note when certain characters are finally reunited and I'm really curious to see how the group dynamics are going to change now that all the main players are back together at last.
[image]
Petrichor always makes me laugh "Is this some kind of kinky thrupple thing?" LOL
After the terrible events in the previous instalment I knew going into Volume 8 that the characters would be struggling in the aftermath. This is a really difficult time for Alana, Marco and to a certain extent Hazel too, but I felt that the authors handled the situation with sensitivity. The tone of this book is more somber than previous ones but it does still have its lighter moments too and I enjoyed getting to visit a new planet and meeting some of the weird and wonderful inhabitants.
Petrichor in particular really stood out in this book, there were some fantastic moments between her and Hazel that melted my heart a bit and I really appreciate how many positive messages this series has about important issues in the real world not just this fantasy one. I also enjoyed learning more about The Will's background and the person who is holding him captive.
The volume ends on a positive note when certain characters are finally reunited and I'm really curious to see how the group dynamics are going to change now that all the main players are back together at last.
[image]
Petrichor always makes me laugh "Is this some kind of kinky thrupple thing?" LOL
1st Read - August 2013 2nd Read - June 2015 3rd Read - August 2016 4th Read - February 2018 5th Read - July 2018 6th Read - October 2019 7th read - October 1st Read - August 2013 2nd Read - June 2015 3rd Read - August 2016 4th Read - February 2018 5th Read - July 2018 6th Read - October 2019 7th read - October 2020 8th read - January 2021
This story is part of the An Apple for the Creature anthology but I keep track of my rereads here because I don't tend to reread the entire book, just this particular story.
I already mentioned that I only really wanted to read this for the Ilona Andrews story Magic Tests and I have to say that was the best part of the book. It was worth buying just for this story alone and I'll definitely pick it up again when I do my next Kate Daniels re-read. I've always quite liked Julie's character, she can be a little annoying at times but I think she is a fairly typical teenager in that regard, and it was nice to see a story from her point of view. Although this story isn't essential reading as part of the series because it doesn't really effect the ongoing story arc it was nice to get to know Julie a bit better and I'd actually like to see more from her POV in the future. We've all seen how much Julie hates the boarding school that Kate sent her to and now she's home and living in the Keep she seems to think she can get away without going to school at all. Kate has other plans for her though and she has a very clever way of getting Julie to go along with them. We are introduced to some great new characters but the one I was most excited about seeing again was Yu Fong (you may remember him from Dali's short story Magic Dreams). I was already hoping he'd end up being a major character in the series and now I'm thinking he's more likely to re-appear thanks to his friendship with Julie. I loved getting to see Julie grow up a bit and actually work out a way to use her ability to help someone else and I'd definitely like to see her get her own book or spin off series in the future.
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2nd read:
Kate has mad parenting skills and I love the way she tricks Julie into attending school, sneaky Kate, very sneaky! Julie it great in this short, it's nice to see things from her POV for a change and it's fun to see how much she takes after Kate even though they're not blood related.
I also want to see a lot more of Yu Fong in the future please. His character has a LOT of potential :o)...more
Ilona Andrew's recently reposted all of the Twitter conversations between various Kate Daniels characters that they've written for fun over the years Ilona Andrew's recently reposted all of the Twitter conversations between various Kate Daniels characters that they've written for fun over the years on their blog so of course I had to read them again. You can find them all on Ilona's blog here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/kate-and... and they make for hilarious reading.
I'll be right back Conversation between Kate and Jim when Kate is running late for a pack meeting before Jim ends up dropping her in it with Curran.
The Wilson Building Curran and Raphael having a brilliant time bidding against Saiman in a property auction
The Dress Curran trying to be helpful by doing laundry while Kate and Julie laugh at the mistakes he makes
DABWAHA This is a debate between Kate & Curran against Nevada & Rogan (from the Hidden Legacy series) as they fight it out over which couple has the best series. It's moderated by Dina from the Innkeeper series and is a really fun crossover of 3 fabulous worlds.
Conlan's Birthday Text It's almost Conlan's first birthday and lots of the characters are trying to figure out what gifts to buy him. Has conversations with Jim, Dali, Andrea & Raphael and of course Kate and Curran.
I laugh every time I read these conversations so it's great to have them all easily accessible and in one blog post....more
Ilona Andrew's recently reposted all of the Twitter conversations between various Kate Daniels characters that they've written for fun over the years Ilona Andrew's recently reposted all of the Twitter conversations between various Kate Daniels characters that they've written for fun over the years on their blog so of course I had to read them again. You can find them all on Ilona's blog here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/kate-and... and they make for hilarious reading.
I'll be right back Conversation between Kate and Jim when Kate is running late for a pack meeting before Jim ends up dropping her in it with Curran.
The Wilson Building Curran and Raphael having a brilliant time bidding against Saiman in a property auction
The Dress Curran trying to be helpful by doing laundry while Kate and Julie laugh at the mistakes he makes
DABWAHA This is a debate between Kate & Curran against Nevada & Rogan (from the Hidden Legacy series) as they fight it out over which couple has the best series. It's moderated by Dina from the Innkeeper series and is a really fun crossover of 3 fabulous worlds.
Conlan's Birthday Text It's almost Conlan's first birthday and lots of the characters are trying to figure out what gifts to buy him. Has conversations with Jim, Dali, Andrea & Raphael and of course Kate and Curran.
I laugh every time I read these conversations so it's great to have them all easily accessible and in one blog post....more
This anthology is currently free to download on Amazon. Containing the first books from three different series it's a fabulous introduction to Pippa DThis anthology is currently free to download on Amazon. Containing the first books from three different series it's a fabulous introduction to Pippa DaCosta's writing & you're definitely missing out if she's an author you've not read before. I LOVE her gritty & dark urban fantasy & sci-fi stories full of fabulous anti-heroes, heart stopping action and incredible world building. I'll include my reviews for each of the stories below but trust me you want to grab this anthology while you can!
Shoot the Messenger (Messenger Chronicles book 1) - 5 stars
I'm a huge fan of Pippa DaCosta, she's yet to write a book I didn't love and the way she's always coming up with new ideas and trying new genres keeps her books fresh and exciting. As soon as she mentioned a new series with the tag line "fae in space" I was sold but then she threw in reverse harem and that just sealed the deal. I honestly think that Shoot the Messenger is her best book yet and that's really saying something considering she's written so many of my favourite series (the Soul Eater, Veil and 1000 Revolution just for starters!).
This is a futuristic sci-fi with a fantasty twist set in a time when the fae have been hidden from the humans for over 1000 years since the last big war. As the humans created more and more tek to keep up with fae magic our world became harder for the fae to survive in and since the last battle they've retreated to their home-world. No-one is under any illusion that the war is over but so far the fae have kept their distance and the humans have started to feel safe. Kesh has a unique ability to hide from tek and she uses that to remain off the grid, she earns her money delivering messages for the underworld but her life is turned upside down when the recipient of one of her deliveries is killed and she is framed for the murder. She is determined to prove her innocence but her evidence has been stolen by a warfae, someone who shouldn't even be in the same star system, and she has a Marshal hot on her tail and ready to bring her in.
I really don't want to go into any more detail than that because this is one of those books where you just need to sit back and enjoy the ride. This is a book with layer upon layer of secrets, lies, betrayals and so much more. Every time you think you have something figured out Pippa DaCosta will sucker punch you with yet another twist that you didn't see coming. The story is told from Kesh's point of view but none of the characters you'll meet, including our narrator, are completely good or evil. They're all hiding deep dark secrets and I think we've only scratched the surface of what is there to uncover. Kesh is a badass character, she's a fighter who knows how to look after herself but at the same time she has a vulnerable streak and she's also not always the most trustworthy person to have around. Life has taught her to expect betrayal and that it's better to be the one holding the knife rather than the one getting stabbed in the back so she doesn't always make choices I'd agree with but I found myself understanding her actions all the same.
As far as the other characters go I'm intrigued by both Kellee and Talon but we don't know either of them well enough to have uncovered their secrets yet. Both guys have done things that make me question their motives but they're also pretty sexy in their own ways so I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with all three of the main characters! I loved Kesh's AI buddy Sota too, he's not around for the whole book but he brought a lot of humour to the story so I'm hoping we'll see more of him as the series continues.
Shoot the Messenger is the start of an exciting new series and it's one I can't wait to continue. If you like stories with multifaceted, three dimensional characters and even more complex plots, books that will screw with your mind and leave your head spinning, then this one is definitely for you. Bravo, Pippa, bravo!
Girl From Above: Betrayal (The 1000 Revolution book 1) - 4 stars
There are only 1000 synths in existence, these highly advanced synthetic humans can be purchased the super rich so that their memories and consciousness can be transferred to the synth when they die. But if only 1000 of them were created who is #1001, where did she come from and why is she so different to the others? #1001 wants to live, she's managed to escape captivity and she has a plan but is it a coincidence that it's Caleb's ship that she ends up on? Caleb makes a living smuggling cargo but a stowaway synth is too hot for him and he knows he'll be in all kinds of trouble if he's caught. All he wants to do is get rid of her fast and if he can make some money while he's at it then he'll be happy to take the bonus. What Caleb doesn't realise is that he and #1001 have history and now it's high time to pay for the mistakes of his past.
Oh what a fun read Girl From Above: Betrayal is and if you like your characters morally ambiguous you are going to love Caleb and his crew. None of these characters are what you'd call good guys, they're all willing to bend the rules if it benefits them and they're all out for themselves above anyone else even if that means betraying each other. Caleb is the worst of the lot but somehow I found myself loving him anyway. As soon as I picked this up I started getting Firefly vibes and I have to admit picturing Caleb as Captain Malcolm definitely didn't hurt my enjoyment of the story.
This world is dark, the characters are twisted and I was completely hooked. The blurb contains the following warning "Contains graphic adult content, including sex, drug use, violence, and a plethora of curse words. Not for the easily offended." and I definitely stand by that, it isn't going to be the right book for everyone but if you're like me that warning will just make you want to read it even more. I loved this story and can't wait to dive into the next instalment.
Hidden Blade (Soul Eater book 1) - 5 stars
I don't know how she does it but Pippa DaCosta consistently comes up with exciting new ideas and Hidden Blade is a breath of fresh air for urban fantasy fans. Egyptian mythology is fascinating but it's actually very underused in UF so I couldn't be more thrilled about this series. Imagine a modern day New York that is actually run by ancient Egyptian gods who are hiding in plain sight. The mayor and his wife? You might not know to look at them but that's Osiris and his wife (and sister) Isis. They've been married for over 3,000 years so even though they're still crazy in love that's bound to put a strain on any relationship!
Our main character Ace, also known as the Nameless One, is a soul eater and, alongside his business partner Shu, he protects the streets of New York from demons and things that go bump in the night. When his ex-wife Bast (AKA Bastet, goddess of cats and protector of the innocent) asks for his help investigating the murders of a group of pregnant young girls who were living under her protection Ace finds himself caught up in something bigger than he could have imagined. Already trapped in the effects of a powerful curse Ace now ends up with an even bigger target on his back and caught between the sights of two vengeful gods.
This is such a hard book to review because I want to tell you how amazing it is but I don't want to give you spoilers. Pippa DaCosta creates such brilliantly multilayered characters and Ace is one of her best. Thanks to his soul eater abilities he's full of darkness and constantly battles between his desires to devour everyone in his path and his hope to become something more, something better. You'll discover the details of his curse for yourself when you read the book but it's certainly a harsh punishment for his crimes and you can't help but root for him even when he teeters on the edge of doing terrible things. The Egyptian gods are as crazy as they are powerful and you definitely wouldn't want them as an enemy.
Hidden Blade is full of action, the author doesn't shy away from sending her characters to hell and back and I'm not going to lie that makes for a gut wrenching read at times. This book will take you through every emotion you can think of and may turn you into an emotional wreck at times but it is so, so worth it. Brilliant world building, fascinating mythology, wonderful multilayered characters that you will either love or love to hate and a fast moving storyline that will keep you turning the pages until the end - Pippa DaCosta most certainly has another hit on her hands and I for one can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!...more
I loved this short snippet about how Dina's parents, Gerard and Helen, first meet but it definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait for Dina to finI loved this short snippet about how Dina's parents, Gerard and Helen, first meet but it definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait for Dina to find out what happened to them and their Inn & I hope the family get to be reunited in the main series but I'd also really like a story set before the Innkeeper series too.
The Unbound picks up Mac's story a few weeks after the end of The Archived. She's still traumatised from everything that she went through and sufferinThe Unbound picks up Mac's story a few weeks after the end of The Archived. She's still traumatised from everything that she went through and suffering with nightmares and flashbacks about what Owen tried to do to her. Mac is in a very fragile state emotionally and I thought Victoria Scwhab handled her PTSD very well. She's afraid to sleep because of the nightmares, she's nervous about walking into the Narrows to carry out her job of Keeper and she's having a very difficult time convincing her parents that there is nothing strange going on.
As if that wasn't bad enough she's been put on warning my the Librarians and if they decide she's not capable of doing her job they'll have no qualms about wiping her memory and kicking her out of the Archive. When she finds out about a series of disappearances she realises they all have one thing in common, Mac was the last person to have contact with them before they disappeared, and now her paranoia only gets worse.
I think I enjoyed this story even more than the first one, I was glad that Mac was suffering with real life consequences to everything that had happened. I was also pleased to come across YA parents who actually take an interest in their child and notice when she disappears at odd times with no warning. It makes things more complicated for Mac but it was so much more realistic because of that.
I don't think I mentioned it in my review of the first story but I also really love Wesley, he's another Keeper so he knows all about Mac's secret life and he's the one person she can be completely open and honest with about what is going on. I did find it really frustrating that Mac continues to keep secrets from him and from her librarian mentor Roland but I could understand why she was trying to deal with her problems on her own. I still think she would have figured out things a lot sooner if she'd had their help though and hopefully she's learned her lesson from that....more
You can listen to this audiobook for free via the Read Me Romance Podcast
I made it through the first 4 chapters (I believe it's only 10 chapters long You can listen to this audiobook for free via the Read Me Romance Podcast
I made it through the first 4 chapters (I believe it's only 10 chapters long in total and, although I could be wrong about that, I did listen to 2 out of 5 instalments of the Podcast so approx 40% of the story) but the constant eye rolling was giving me a headache so I had to quit.
One of the first things we find out about the heroine is that she had never even fancied a guy before she saw a picture of the hero online. Um what? Virgin characters don't bother me but don't try to convince me that a woman in her 20s has only ever had a crush on one person (unless they're asexual but that's a whole different ball game!).
Then the first time the hero meets her he looks into her eyes and has a weird thought about being able to tell that she's never had a man before, oh she might have let boys touch her but he's going to be the "cocky bastard who is going to give it to her". Ugh no. Just NO. That isn't hot its cringeworthy and I have zero interest in reading further.
This was my first book by Alexa Riley and it definitely hasn't persuaded me to try more which is a shame.
As far as the audiobook itself goes it was professionally recorded and I thought the narrators were okay but I'm no expert as far as audiobooks go as I tend to get easily distracted while listening to them. I still really love the idea of the Read Me Romance podcast and definitely intend to try the other books that they've recorded but I'm afraid this one just isn't for me....more
I hate writing negative reviews, especially for books that don't have many ratings, but unfortunately I really struggled with this one. I didn't find I hate writing negative reviews, especially for books that don't have many ratings, but unfortunately I really struggled with this one. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable and it took me 25 days to read a 250 page novel because I had to force myself to pick it back up every time I put it down.
I think I just didn't gel with the author's writing style so don't let me put you off trying it but I can't give it a higher rating because it came very, very close to being a DNF book for me....more
Having agreed to work with demigod Kieran Alexis knows her life will never be the same. She can't turn her back on the ghosts that his father has trapHaving agreed to work with demigod Kieran Alexis knows her life will never be the same. She can't turn her back on the ghosts that his father has trapped but she worries about putting her two adopted children at risk so her decision is weighing heavily on her. Kieran has vowed to keep her safe and he's followed through on his promises to help Alexis' family and to provide protection for them all but deep down he knows that if his father discovers what they're up to then Kieran might not be powerful enough to save them all.
After loving the first book in this series I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of Sin & Magic and I'm happy to say that the series is just getting better and better. Alexis has spent so much time hiding her magical abilities that she has never really bothered to test out her magic and has no idea what she's really capable of so it was really interesting to see her start to push her boundaries. She is obviously far more powerful than she ever realised but it's a fine line between learning to use her powers and using them so much that she draws unwanted attention to herself so she's got to be really careful testing the waters.
I think one of the things I love the most about these books is the bond between Alexis and the two teenagers she basically adopted. There is a lot of love between Alexis, Daisy and Mordecai so while they may rub each other up the wrong way occasionally they always 100% have each other's backs. It's interesting to see how Kieran's Six (the men he trusts the most and has a strong bond with) all interact with Alexis and the kids, they seem to really appreciate the little family and make excuses to spend time with them and I enjoyed the interaction between them all.
Of course I also love the developing romance between Alexis and Kieran too, there has been an intense attraction between them since they first met but Alexis is wary so this side of the story hasn't been rushed at all which I appreciate. Kieran is quite surprised by the way he reacts to Alexis and it scares him that he doesn't think he can keep her safe but he's slowly starting to realise that she is powerful in her own right and perhaps working together they could be unstoppable.
I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series, I can't wait to see how Kieran's father reacts when he finds out what they've been up to but I have a feeling they're going to be in a whole heap of trouble when he does!...more
This book and model kit is a perfect Christmas present for any Star Wars fans in your life, young or old. Ignore the fact that it's marketed towards bThis book and model kit is a perfect Christmas present for any Star Wars fans in your life, young or old. Ignore the fact that it's marketed towards boys though because girls can have just as much fun making the model and to act like only boys can be Star Wars fans is actually pretty insulting!
This is a book of two halves, one side is a fairly small booklet but one that is packed full of information about BB-8 and has lots of puzzles like word searches and quizzes for youngsters to fill in. There are even instructions on how to draw your own BB-8 droid. To be honest this booklet is aimed at a younger audience and as an adult I was far more interested in making the model but I'm planning on buying a second copy of the book to give my nephew for Christmas & I think he'll love it.
The other side of the book contains several sheets of foam board with all the pieces you need to make your own BB-8 model. The pieces are easy to pull out (you may want to use the end of a pencil to push out the smaller parts) and the instructions were clear and easy to follow so I had no problem putting the model together. I'd recommend taking your time, reading each step before you get started and only removing the pieces from the book as you need them so you don't mix anything up. If you do that you'll be finished in no time.
The finished model is much bigger than I expected it to be and surprisingly sturdy so it makes a great addition to my bookshelves. I like the fact that BB-8's head is moveable too. This set will definitely be a hit with Star Wars fans young and old, more for the model than the puzzles but as a whole you'll get a couple of hours of entertainment out of them and you end up with your own BB-8 model at the end so it's a winner.
There's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the firThere's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the first story about them was published. I grew up reading the books, also having them read to me long before I was able to read them myself, so I'll always have a soft spot for them all and they always put a smile on my face. Thats why I was so excited to discover Egmont have created the Now We Are Grown Up collection of Winnie-the-Pooh quote books aimed at adults. These are gorgeous little hardbacks that are perfect for dipping in and out of and each one includes fabulous quotes from the stories by A.A. Milne along with E.H. Shepard's gorgeous original illustrations.
Each book collects quotes related to a different mood or feeling and as I'm sure you can guess Winnie-the-Pooh: Little Somethings & Smackerels for Food Lovers is all about Pooh's love of all things edible but, of course, honey in particular. There are so many fabulous quotes but I've included a couple of my favourites just to give you an idea what you can expect:
There's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the firThere's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the first story about them was published. I grew up reading the books, also having them read to me long before I was able to read them myself, so I'll always have a soft spot for them all and they always put a smile on my face. Thats why I was so excited to discover Egmont have created the Now We Are Grown Up collection of Winnie-the-Pooh quote books aimed at adults. These are gorgeous little hardbacks that are perfect for dipping in and out of and each one includes fabulous quotes from the stories by A.A. Milne along with E.H. Shepard's gorgeous original illustrations.
Each book collects quotes related to a different mood or feeling and as I'm sure you can guess Winnie-the-Pooh: Deep Thoughts & Ponderings for the Wise shares some of our favourite Bear of Very Little Brain's wisest musings, along with insightful comments from many of his friends. There are so many fabulous quotes but I've included a couple of my favourites just to give you an idea what you can expect:
There's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the firThere's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the first story about them was published. I grew up reading the books, also having them read to me long before I was able to read them myself, so I'll always have a soft spot for them all and they always put a smile on my face. Thats why I was so excited to discover Egmont have created the Now We Are Grown Up collection of Winnie-the-Pooh quote books aimed at adults. These are gorgeous little hardbacks that are perfect for dipping in and out of and each one includes fabulous quotes from the stories by A.A. Milne along with E.H. Shepard's gorgeous original illustrations.
Each book collects quotes related to a different mood or feeling and as I'm sure you can guess Winnie-the-Pooh: Doubt & Disquiet for Worriers gives Piglet a chance to show us that even the most timid can be brave and usually things aren't quite as bad as you thought they would be. There are so many fabulous quotes but I've included a couple of my favourites just to give you an idea what you can expect:
There's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the firThere's something very special about Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends which is why these characters are still so popular nearly 100 years after the first story about them was published. I grew up reading the books, also having them read to me long before I was able to read them myself, so I'll always have a soft spot for them all and they always put a smile on my face. Thats why I was so excited to discover Egmont have created the Now We Are Grown Up collection of Winnie-the-Pooh quote books aimed at adults. These are gorgeous little hardbacks that are perfect for dipping in and out of and each one includes fabulous quotes from the stories by A.A. Milne along with E.H. Shepard's gorgeous original illustrations.
Each book collects quotes related to a different mood or feeling and as I'm sure you can guess Winnie-the-Pooh: Gloom & Doom for Pessimists gives Eeyore his turn in the spotlight but that doesn't stop our gloomy friend from always looking at the negatives. There are so many fabulous quotes but I've included a couple of my favourites just to give you an idea what you can expect:
Imagine a world where after you die a kind of copy of your soul is taken to the Archive to be kept as part of the world history. These copies, also knImagine a world where after you die a kind of copy of your soul is taken to the Archive to be kept as part of the world history. These copies, also known as “Histories”, contain all of your memories and thoughts but they aren’t real people so they are kept unconscious in special drawers a bit like books on a shelf. Occasionally these Histories wake up and escape from the library and it’s at that point where Keepers, like Mackenzie, are called in to capture them and bring them back to the Archive.
Being a Keeper is a dangerous job and it can be really difficult to juggle its challenges alongside real life, especially as Mac isn’t allowed to tell anyone about the Archive or her role in it. It gets really hard to explain her constant disappearing act to her parents but the whole family is already in crisis since the death of her brother and this is just one more way they’re falling apart. As Mac finds herself having to deal with more and more escaped Histories she starts to question everything she thought she knew about the Archive but she has help from a fellow Keeper to try and figure things out.
I have no idea where Victoria Schwab gets her ideas from but I love how completely different each of her series are from each other. You never know quite what to expect from one of her books and I love it when an author can keep me on my toes by constantly surprising me! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like The Archived before, the world she has created is totally unique and really intriguing so I can’t wait to continue the series.
This story focuses a lot on grief, it’s not been long since Mac lost her younger brother and it was really hard to see how badly that has affected her entire family. They’re all dealing with it, or not dealing with it as the case may be, in their own ways and that side of the story felt incredibly realistic. Mac is also dealing with the loss of her grandfather, the man who introduced her to the Archive and who was the rock who she had always been able to turn to in the past. She’s a bit adrift at the beginning of the story and makes some stupid decisions because of that but she was always relatable and easy to root for. I still have a lot of questions about the Archive in general and think there are a lot of secrets still waiting to be uncovered so I’m really looking forward to continuing the series. ...more
This bind up contains the first two books in Lexi Blake's Thieves series (Steal the Light and Steal the Day) and it's currently available to download This bind up contains the first two books in Lexi Blake's Thieves series (Steal the Light and Steal the Day) and it's currently available to download for free on Amazon so now is the perfect time to give the series a try if you haven't already started it!
I've already read the first 5 books in this series and absolutely love it so it's definitely one I'd recommend if you're an urban fantasy fan.
Here's my review for the first book Steal the Light to give you an idea what the series is about:
Zoey is a thief who specialises in stealing arcane artefacts, as the only human on her crew she often finds herself in dangerous situations but she's usually quite good at getting out of them too, especially with the help of her vampire ex-fiancé and the witch and werewolf they work alongside. That is until the day she is tricked into signing a contract with a demon and now her very soul is at risk.
I'm fairly new to Lexi Blake's writing, I've recently been devouring her rereleases of the books she previously published under the pen name Sophie Oak and when I realised she also had an urban fantasy series (one of my favourite genres) I just had to dive in. Steal the Light was a fab start to the series and I plan to devour the rest as soon as possible.
Zoey had her heart broken when her fiancé and childhood sweetheart, Daniel, died in a car crash. She was overjoyed when he came back as a vampire but then he was dragged away by the vampire council and when he returned two years later he wasn't the man she knew and loved. Zoey still desperately loves him but Daniel keeps her at arm's length and insists that there can be no future for them other than friendship. They work together and make a good team but Daniel's heart is completely closed off from her. When they are tricked into searching for a fae artefact for a demon the job leads Zoey to faery prince Dev and for the first time she finds herself attracted to someone other than Daniel. Romance is complicated though and she really should be focused on getting the demon off her back and saving her soul.
Normally I shy away from books with even a hint of a love triangle in them, it's a trope that has been done to death in UF and it's one I'm really sick of reading about but knowing Lexi Blake's penchant for writing menage stories I'm kind of hoping that this one will have a much different outcome to most! I actually thought the triangle was handled really well here and I have a hard time deciding which of the guys I like most. There is a lot of history between Zoey and Daniel and you can feel how much she loves him, he has always been the centre of her world but the new, brooding and secretive vampire is not the Daniel she fell in love with and he refuses to let her get close to him again. Dev, on the other hand, is far less complicated. He is warm, funny and leaves Zoey in no doubt that he is attracted to her. Dev gives her the attention she has been craving for such a long time and he makes it all so easy.
We know all along that Daniel is keeping things from Zoey but I have to admit I was angry with him when the depth of his deception was revealed towards the end of the story. I know he was trying to protect her but I hate it when people keep important things hidden from their loved ones so I could understand why Zoey felt so betrayed and I wasn't at all surprised by how things played out. I'm hoping that we'll see him start to redeem himself in future books though and I'm also looking forward to learning more about Dev.
Steal the Light has great main characters, plenty of humour, lots of action and all the heat you'd expect from a Lexi Blake book so I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series....more
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