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1250895340
| 9781250895349
| B0CQHNB74W
| 3.73
| 104
| Oct 01, 2016
| Oct 08, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Blood of the Old Kings is a Korean novel translated to English. As I've found with other writers from other countries there is a distinct type of storytelling/flow that wasn't specifically what I'm used to in American novels but might be more prevalent in Korean ones. I don't think if you didn't know the original was in Korean, you would be able to tell in the translation as it was smooth. I just want to mention the cover is fantastic and 3/4 of the reason I picked the book up . The story is experienced through three different characters. Each with their own arc in the story that impacts the others at some point. Through them the reader explores different parts of this Feudal world and some of the magic in it. With a foe powered by powerful magic that is harnessed from sorcerers after they die to run mechanical chariots, tanks and sometimes city killing machines. Loren has gone into the volcano where the last dragon is held prisoner to make a bargain. She will bond with him and go after the people who captured and occupy her land. She will attempt to drive out the people who killed her husband and daughter and so doing become King of Arland. The effects of her bargain are subtle at first but as the story goes on the reader gets to explore how her transformation is changing her and how a former teacher of the sword could become king of a nation. "A sword needs a scabbard, as fury needs restraint." Cain lives in a large city in the heart of the empire. He came there as a child when his parents were going to be killed for being part of a rebellion. Left in a strange city with no family, he has become the person other refugees and lower members of society come to when they have a mystery to solve. Now he is trying to solve the murder of a friend, the woman that first helped him when we came to the city. But, there is danger around every corner and Cain quickly finds that whatever she was caught up in might just get him killed too. As he uncovers a plot in the city, he sees how it is tied to the Princess who would become King of Arland and has to decide who he helps, the people in the city he has lived in most his life or the country of his birth. Arienne was taken from Arland as a child to go to the sorcerer school. It used to be a place where they were trained in spells and magic. The school is no longer that, it is more of a holding pen and brainwashing camp to keep people with magic because when they die they are turned into generators for the Empire to power cities and the war machines. She is doing the unthinkable; she is escaping the school and stealing one of the generators. If she is caught they won't wait for her to die, they will turn her into a generator now, which seems like a fate worse than death. The voice of the generator she stole is in her head and while he might have a use for her now and promises of teaching her magic, he has an agenda of his own as well. "Have you already forgotten what I said about that book? Think of who it was that wrote it. The wretch Lysandros, as befits an agent of the Empire, conquers through lies." Overall this is a pretty interesting fantasy story. I liked the characters and the journeys they are on, that are all transforming them into something more. Loren was one of my favorites as she accidentally inspires a broken nation to rise up against their oppressors. I do wish that a few of the battles had a little more detail to them but I think if you aren't a huge fantasy reader those will actually flow better for you. This read like the first book in a series, with the opportunity in future books to explore more nations and more stories of the primary characters. However, it ends in such a way that this could also be a standalone and left to the readers imagination the world the characters build after. In Korean, this is a planned trilogy so I assume if it does well in the US we will see two more books in this world. "Destiny may offer men and women who would be kings, but only the people may exalt them."...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 2024
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Oct 07, 2024
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Oct 07, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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B0CWCJ3JHM
| 3.73
| 104
| Oct 01, 2016
| Oct 08, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Blood of the Old Kings is a Korean novel translated to English. As I've found with other writers from other countries there is a distinct type of storytelling/flow that wasn't specifically what I'm used to in American novels but might be more prevalent in Korean ones. I don't think if you didn't know the original was in Korean, you would be able to tell in the translation as it was smooth. I just want to mention the cover is fantastic and 3/4 of the reason I picked the book up . The story is experienced through three different characters. Each with their own arc in the story that impacts the others at some point. Through them the reader explores different parts of this Feudal world and some of the magic in it. With a foe powered by powerful magic that is harnessed from sorcerers after they die to run mechanical chariots, tanks and sometimes city killing machines. Loren has gone into the volcano where the last dragon is held prisoner to make a bargain. She will bond with him and go after the people who captured and occupy her land. She will attempt to drive out the people who killed her husband and daughter and so doing become King of Arland. The effects of her bargain are subtle at first but as the story goes on the reader gets to explore how her transformation is changing her and how a former teacher of the sword could become king of a nation. "A sword needs a scabbard, as fury needs restraint." Cain lives in a large city in the heart of the empire. He came there as a child when his parents were going to be killed for being part of a rebellion. Left in a strange city with no family, he has become the person other refugees and lower members of society come to when they have a mystery to solve. Now he is trying to solve the murder of a friend, the woman that first helped him when we came to the city. But, there is danger around every corner and Cain quickly finds that whatever she was caught up in might just get him killed too. As he uncovers a plot in the city, he sees how it is tied to the Princess who would become King of Arland and has to decide who he helps, the people in the city he has lived in most his life or the country of his birth. Arienne was taken from Arland as a child to go to the sorcerer school. It used to be a place where they were trained in spells and magic. The school is no longer that, it is more of a holding pen and brainwashing camp to keep people with magic because when they die they are turned into generators for the Empire to power cities and the war machines. She is doing the unthinkable; she is escaping the school and stealing one of the generators. If she is caught they won't wait for her to die, they will turn her into a generator now, which seems like a fate worse than death. The voice of the generator she stole is in her head and while he might have a use for her now and promises of teaching her magic, he has an agenda of his own as well. "Have you already forgotten what I said about that book? Think of who it was that wrote it. The wretch Lysandros, as befits an agent of the Empire, conquers through lies." Overall this is a pretty interesting fantasy story. I liked the characters and the journeys they are on, that are all transforming them into something more. Loren was one of my favorites as she accidentally inspires a broken nation to rise up against their oppressors. I do wish that a few of the battles had a little more detail to them but I think if you aren't a huge fantasy reader those will actually flow better for you. This read like the first book in a series, with the opportunity in future books to explore more nations and more stories of the primary characters. However, it ends in such a way that this could also be a standalone and left to the readers imagination the world the characters build after. In Korean, this is a planned trilogy so I assume if it does well in the US we will see two more books in this world. "Destiny may offer men and women who would be kings, but only the people may exalt them." Narration: All three PoVs have a very district voice. Suzy Jackson is one of my favorite narrators for characters that are 16-25, She made Arienne's voice stand out in this narration capturing the strength and the unsurity the character has about her journey. Eunice Wong as Loren was able to make be feel for the mother who lost everything and the future King that wants better for her people. She was able to capture the essence of what I thought Loren character represented. Major Curda as Cain gave a really good performance as well. He is still so young in this tail and he was able to capture both his youth and the experience of his hard knock life in a major city of the Empire. All narrators brought the characters to life and performed their parts with clear diction and cadences that helped the story flow even when the PoVs changed. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 2024
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Oct 07, 2024
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Oct 07, 2024
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Audible Audio
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0356522792
| 9780356522791
| B0CPLXVL39
| 4.35
| 193
| Sep 24, 2024
| Sep 24, 2024
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it was amazing
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. A Tide of Black Steel is the first book in the new Age of Wrath series by Anthony Ryan. Based in Norse mythology with Vikings type seafaring peoples, I enjoyed the start and set up of what is going to be an epic journey. A Tide of Black Steel is set in the same world as the Covenant of Steel series decades later. I have not read the other series and don't think you need to in order to enjoy this one, but I'm now interested in checking it out as well. I enjoyed one of Anthony Ryan's other series, Raven's Shadow and so I was eager to see what he would come up with in this new series with a background of Norse lore to it. With the multiple PoVs, we travel through a land ruled by the Three Queens as a new foe from beyond the fire Islands has come to rage war and enslave an entire people. Ruhlin is a prisoner, stolen from one of the Islands after everyone else was slaughtered. He showed during the invasion what a great fighter he was and how his blood was special. We learn about the people in the lands past the fire Island as he learns what is to be expected of him at an upcoming celebration, where he will be pitted against others in gladiator style fights. As he makes some alliances with some of his fellow prisoners, he will try to find a way to escape their fates. A scribe, Elvine, taught by her mother will find that she will play a role she never intended when she is brought into one of the Queen's service. Her knowledge of languages will send her on a treasure hunt of sorts, starting with a map on a crazy man's back. It was Martyr Sihlda Doisselle herself who said this of truth: ‘It is as malleable as clay for the faithless, but hard and unyielding as stone for the faithful.’ The two other PoVs come from a siblings Felnir and Thera. One a captain and outcast with a crew built of former criminals and the other is the saint of the Queen of Justice and her right hand. They have an intense sibling rivalry going as each tries to best the other under the machinations of their grandfather. The one other thing that has pitted them against each other all these years just happens to be a woman who chose a life with Felnir over Thera. What a great adventure. A treasure hunt, a fight against a new foe, a stuggle for survival against all odds. There were so many thing that set this story up for success in my eyes. Characters with some unusual talents, a history that is unveiled slowly and then don't forget the betrayals that come that will knock your socks off. A Tide of Black Steel was a great set up to what will surely be an epic story. I adored all the characters for different reasons and while some might be a little naive, I think that will change with all the adventures they have seen in this story. If you have been a fan of Ryan's writing in the past or you just like epic Viking-esk adventures, there should be something in this book for you. There are no coincidences. Just threads not yet revealed as part of the same web....more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 10, 2024
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Sep 23, 2024
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Sep 23, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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1250900670
| 9781250900678
| 4.22
| 241
| Sep 17, 2024
| Sep 17, 2024
|
really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Bringer of Dust is the second book in the The Talents trilogy, picking up almost directly after the events in Ordinary Monsters. With the addition of a few new PoV characters and villains there will be a lot of tension, gruesomeness and obstacles to overcome for the characters. I would think of this as a mash up of Umbrella Academy, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children and His Dark Materials set in Victorian London. I wish I read Ordinary Monsters right before starting the book as it would have helped the story be fresh in my mind and while I think I got the gist of it, with some of the recaps through character interactions, it took a long time to get there. When you have a book that is ~600 pages long, I think sometimes it is smart to do a "the story so far" at the beginning to set the reader up for success. Still the story itself is interesting enough with hints of the first book here and there that I don't think I felt lost and eventually was reminded of enough of the key points by midway through that I did okay. Characters, they are the thing that make this story great. I love Charlie from the first book and his desperation to save Marlowe from the terrible fate that became him. Even if that means he has to go through a portal into a strange realm where most mortal people die. With the help of friends, old and new, he will try to find another portal to save his friend. The addition of The Abbess and Cracker Jack as new villains with some horrible minions, the level of the gruesomeness and horror aspects of Bringer of Dust definitely surpass the previous book. In this world, there are some truly terrible people willing to do horrendous things. Charlie seems to nice to be in a world like this but he will reach to protect those he cares about. I loved the addition of the Bone Witch talent and how her storyline eventually connects to Charlie and his search for Marlowe. The only thing in the story that threw me off was about the middle of the book shifts gears and get to spend time with Marlowe and Berghast's in the 'other' realm. This is a great way to learn about the prison created to contain the biggest bad in the book, but it seemed like it went back in time to when we started with Charlie and the other new characters. It took awhile to shift gears, but this was a great way to get some more of the backstory and find out some of the history of both the prison and the prisoner. Overall this is going to work well for people who love horror and grimdark and don't mind a really long story if it is interesting. There is plenty of action and things that make you fear for all of the characters. Expansion of the lore behind the story along with some set up for the final book, that will be a pretty epic showdown from what has been hinted at. There are some end-of-the-world type of huge stakes at hand. I think Bringer of Dust does a few things better than the first book. The pacing was actually a lot better, the characters and world better established and the twist just as intense if not more. Narration: Ben Onwukwe is a seasoned narrator and seems pretty perfect for this grimdark tale. His voice and cadence fits the tone of the story and builds on some of the suspense and drama of it. He has a great voice and did really well with the large cast of characters. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 09, 2024
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Sep 16, 2024
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Sep 16, 2024
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Audiobook
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B0D2LSZGFB
| 4.53
| 125
| unknown
| Sep 06, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or th This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Coven of Consequence is the second book, and final(?) book in the Eternal Enemies series/duology. We are back with Quiet, our grumpy witch hiding cute little insect helpers in her pockets. That might be strange but they go to a void space so don't worry about all the little creepy crawlies. And Rorick, not just a vampire but thee vampire, also fated to be with Quiet in this word and many others. There is a creepy clown circus associated with death that is tied to Quiet and Rorick. They seem to be at odds about what needs to be done about the clowns...honestly I can't blame them. “We aren’t investigating that bloody death circus,” he said, grinding his teeth. “I was clear on that!” If the witches have a god, her name is Hecate and she has a job for Quiet and Rorick, investigate his death. This will lead them on an interesting journey into Rorick's past and the man he was before he died to become the first Vampire. While the first book of the series Quiet and Rorick were enemies and partners in solving crime, this time around it seems that Hecate is more of their enemy. With an interesting connection to Quiet and goals of her own, it is hard to say if she is helping the couple or leading them into certain doom for her own gains. I enjoy Quiet and Rorick. They have great banter, trust and a complete understanding of each other. Even when they fight now, they are fighting to protect the other person, unwilling to lose them. They are off again on a new mystery to solve Rorick's first murder, figure out why death made him a vampire and let him return and figure out what is up with the freaky clown circus. Also, try not to die if it can at all be helped. This was a fun gothic mystery with so many cool elements. Flying artifacts *cough* broom *cough*, insect and arachnid familiars, ghosts, illusions, haunted spooky mansion, shape changing ichors and psychopomps of death. Not to mention an interesting train that might carry to supernatural living to places but also serves to ferry souls to death. There are a few spaces that the story gets a little complicated if you aren't paying attention but overall it is a pretty interesting a quickly read intrigue. Rorick and Quiet also get a little time to love one another. The depth of the things they are willing to do to protect and save the other are sometimes a bit scary, but they can be scary people when they aren't figuring out spells, alchemical equations and solving murders. It is almost the spooky season of fall and Halloween so if you are looking for some fun reading that will fall into the spirit of the season, the Eternal Enemies duology might just fit your needs. Death gave me wings....more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 28, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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B07TJBD5Z3
| 4.25
| 4,595
| Jun 11, 2019
| Jul 02, 2019
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Part-Time Gods is the follow up book to Minimum Wage Magic, which was storage wars in a magic c This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Part-Time Gods is the follow up book to Minimum Wage Magic, which was storage wars in a magic city where someone seemed bent on killing the main character. This DFZ series is set in the same world as the Heartstrikers series, after the events of the last book. You don’t have to have read the Heartstrikers series to enjoy time in the Detroit Free Zone (DFZ), but it is great to see some cameos of characters I liked from that series *cough* Bob *cough* and see what the mortal spirits are up to. “You—you mean you weren’t sent to save me?” One of the coolest things about this series is the setting. The DFZ is a city run by a magical God, it has buildings that move and change. If you default on your rent, then your place goes on the auction block, for someone like Opal and her newly acquired partner, Nick, bid on it against others, for the opportunity to make money on anything left inside and clean it up for the city to rent out again. Opal has a few problems in her life right now. She tried to outwit a dragon, who just happened to be her father (long story) and ended up with a huge loan to pay off to him. She was doing really good at it too until said Dragon put a curse on her to make it even harder for her to make the money to pay him back. Dragons. Now with the help of Nick, a cybernetically enhanced human with a questionable past, Opal is trying to find a way to not default on her load so she can be free from under anyone’s control. What was I supposed to tell him? That I’d gone on a journey of self-discovery through a never-ending forest and received a magical potato from a dead Shaman who was also a satellite body for the god of the DFZ? Even I thought that story sounded fishy, and I’d been there. I do like Opal for the most part. She has a lot of magical power potential and has tried her entire life to do anything with it but unfortunately most of the time it just ends up blowing up in her face. Girl also has some HUGE daddy issues, probably to be expected when you know you were named Opal because you are seen by your father as a pretty stone of little worth . Opal has a huge chip on her shoulder and she is going to prove to everyone that she can do it all on her own. What in the world did you do to make Yong so mad? The Dragon of Korea normally loves mortals. Seriously, last I heard, he had two hundred of you death-bound critters scampering around his lair! That’s the dragon equivalent of being a crazy cat lady, you know.” Opal has a lot of things to overcome in this book and her own stubbornness might be one of them. Growing up with a Dragon as a father, I can see how/why Opal has such a huge stubborn streak, but it definitely isn’t helping her in a few instances in this book. Seriously she paints herself in some huge corners and it got a little frustrating. Good news is there is a smidgen of a romance happening between Opal and Nick. It has a few kinks in it but I liked the start up of a possible relationship between them. We also get some time talking with the Spirit of the City and we get to see some of the motivations of a god walking among the people. The downfall is this story doesn’t wrap up at the end, we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger and will have to wait until the next book to see how all of the events play out. I enjoyed Minimum Wage Magic just a little more than Part-Time Gods, just because of the situation Opal was in, how laser focused she was on the tree she missed the forest. Still a lot of things happened and I have some big hopes for the next installment. Narration: Emily Woo Zeller did a great job with Opal and the rest of the cast. I really liked her portrayal of the story and she lent some authenticity to Opal’s Korean heritage. I liked her enough to look up her catalog of work to see what else she has done. I look forward to listening to her narration of The Bride Test and The Poppy War as I’ve already got those in my library. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jul 17, 2019
not set
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Jul 22, 2019
not set
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Sep 02, 2024
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Audible Audio
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0593530934
| 9780593530931
| 0593530934
| 4.08
| 924
| Aug 27, 2024
| Aug 27, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 4.5 hearts Sunderworld Vol 1: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry is the first book in a new series following Leopold, an incredibly ordinary guy just trying to figure out what the next steps in his life are going to be. He has no plan, is completely mediocre in every way and sometimes sees things that aren't there, like that burning racoon outside his interview. "The Executive called me 'remarkably unremarkable'," Leopold said dryly. "Average absolutely to the decimal point. Unspecial by every magical metric,' If we're going to insult my abilities, let's quote an expert." I was really excited to see something new from Ransom Riggs. He has a really interesting imagination and I was excited to see what the author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children came up with for a new story. Well we are off to a good start. Leopold takes us on a journey though a very different LA were certain people can cross over to Sunderworld. He has been seeing this alternate version of LA off and on since he watched some very old VHS videos he found of this place that was supposed to be made up, but might just be real, if you have the right kind of magic. Leopold is an easy kid to like. He seems a bit broken and is hanging on to anything that he has left from before his mother died. Including a old beat up Volvo. He is a little on the unusual side and doesn't have a lot of friends, but he is completely loyal to his best friend Emmet. You can tell there is going to be so much more to him once he figures out what is going on in his life and why he is seeing some of the characters that were in those VHS tapes in his waking life. After Leopold finds a book he and his mom used to draw treasure hunts and maps in he is on a brand new adventure that takes him and his best friend, Emmet, in and out of this alternate LA, through dangerous battles and explorations of new magic. It was a fun ride and I had a lot of fun in it. There are discoveries to be made, like is that guy saying he is Leopold's father, really his father or is something more sinister going on there. Who was Leopold's mom really? That treasure map seems extremely magical for something a regular person was supposed to put together. And this girl he found in Sunderworld, well, she seems pretty cool and might even be someone who could have some romantic potential at some point. We will probably get answers to those and many more questions in the next Vol. But what I do know is that our 'remarkably unremarkable' character, well there is a lot of potential there and I'm looking forward to exploring that in next books. Perfect for readers who are interesting in a trippy Alice in Wonderland type of vibe, with a secret world that seems a little bit on the crazy side, that might also include 'the chosen one' trope. We will see. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 19, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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Hardcover
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B0D5KT68QP
| 3.97
| 882
| Dec 15, 2022
| May 30, 2024
|
really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I don’t know what is going on…recently it seems like I’ve found a few more books that have angel/demon dynamics in them. I won’t say that Celestial Academy: Essence the first book in the Afterworld series has large religious intonations, because it definitely does not. It is more like various teams playing on the court. You have team Angels, they appear to be the upper crust of society now and make many of the rules in the human world. Then there is team demons who tend to run some of the shadier happenings in this world. There are also some fey, vampires, shifters, goblins and other supernaturals hanging out too. Then there is the bottom of the food chain so to speak, the humans. Most are sold into slavery to Angels, demons or others. They have been since the world was lost in the magical war twenty-ish years ago. This is the story of one of those Humans, Wen. Wen, well what can I say I loved her from the beginning. She has sass, an unusual talent, a really high threshold to pain, a mouth that runs away with her when it should just shut up and a propensity to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Owned by a demon she is doing everything to get out of his clutches along with her best friend and roommate Sarah. Wen will do whatever it takes, even if that means selling Angel Essence (something only she seems able to collect) to earn the money needed to buy their freedom. After she is busted by Godrick one of the Nephilim, whom she dubs Angelhole (see sassy), she is swept away to the Celestial school to be trained by none other than the sexy half angel she just can’t help antagonizing. As Godrick tries to whip her into shape, Wen just tries to stay alive in this magical school that seems to want her dead. There are fights and challenges to move to the next level. Wen, will have a shot to learn what she is capable of and possibly a little bit into the question of who/what she really is. With her bff Sarah also at the school, at least she has one ally. I hear this is like Zodiac Academy (ZA), but I haven’t read that series yet and so cannot comment on the similarities. Still that said now I want to jump into ZA as well. I always enjoy the magical school set up. Wen is roommate with four other women of various background and the five of them make up one team. They are supposed to learn how to work together to pass the tests coming at them. A little had to do with a demoness, a fey, a paltry human, a Nephilim and whatever Wen is. It was also nice that all the characters are around twenty so them lusting a little here and there felt slightly more mature and less icky. The romance aspect of the story is a really slow burn. The forced proximity wore Godrick down as Wen is likeable overall and her needling of him turned from aggravating to flirtatious. It is a fun relationship to watch.
I’m really excited to see what is in story for the characters of this story in the next book. The ending wasn’t a cliff hanger, but the author definitively gave us a tease and dropped a little bomb to get the reader really excited to see where the next story is going to go.
Narration: I have listened to a few other books that Amanda Leigh Cobb has narrated. I think she is a good pick for this series as it is through Wen's PoV and Amanda delivers Wen's humor and snark really well. She brings out both the tough and the vulnerable sides of the main character while not diminishing the performances of the other characters. I enjoyed her performance of the novel and believe it added to my overall enjoyment of the book. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 19, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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Audible Audio
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1250892651
| 9781250892652
| B0CGRVVYDC
| 4.51
| 266
| Aug 20, 2024
| Aug 20, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The Dragon in Winter is the final book in the Kagen the Damned series. Like the endings to most epic grimdark fantasies we don't wrap everything in tidy little bows and happy endings. But we do get an ending and I will say overall it is a satisfying conclusion to this journey. “We’re all pretending to be heroes, dear heart,” she observed. “Everyone is looking to us now, so we had better play the parts assigned to us.” Mayberry did a great job of moving the story and keeping a lot of tension happening throughout. A lot of the chapters are really short, pivoting the reader between multiple PoVs quickly to keep the momentum of the story going until the last battle fought at the end. We, the reader, get to view this story through a lot of different character's eyes and it really helped with the pacing and the overall knowledge the reader is privy to, even when other characters are not. Even so, there were still a few surprises to be had along the way as scripts were flipped and various revelations made. The veils between the worlds are blurring and Kagen is one that can see between them sometimes. Loved by a faery, he has some protections that help to carry him through the story. Maralina, will do what she can to help the mortal man who chained her heart to him. They are doomed and we know it, but I really longed to see Kagen and Maralina reunited sometime in this story. There is so much going on though out the story. Kagen's brothers are traveling to the North looking for a lost brother and the last dragon in this world, Fabeldyr. The dragon brought magic to this world and her death will also be the death of all magic, she must be saved. The Witch King is gathering his strength and followers for a ceremony and transformation into a demigod. Kagen will need to defeat him before the ritual or all is lost. Alliances are made and the kingdoms will choose sides for the war of all wars. “By the cast-iron balls of the god of blacksmiths,” growled Tuke. “That was a flag of truce. He came over to parlay” So many of the characters had parts to play in the bigger story. The Widow finally starts to show what she has become and how she will contribute to the war. Tuke and Filia are really the best friends Kagen could possibly have. I like how they keep him human and Tuke's various references to different gods balls were some of my favorite lines in the book. Jheklan and Faulker had one of the arcs that was the most interesting to me as I was really excited to get to the ice caves and see the dragon. The Witch King is a fantastic bad guy. He was so easy to hate for so many reasons. The twist with him was both surprising and not surprising when it came. I had suspected for most of the book what the twist would be. The cost of magic was high and that was never sugar coated in our scenes with him. The Witch King was smart, ruthless and so cruel. But we the reader spend time in his head and so while I wanted him dead for so many reasons, I felt like he was one of he more intricate characters of the story and his chapters were fascinating. At the end, while most things were wrapped up and this is definitely a concluded story I couldn't help but be disappointed it was over. I want to see where some of my favorite characters were years in the future and new stories made with some of the characters I'd grown to love. I could see Mayberry possibly creating another story in this word, although it is unclear if it will be something he will undertake later. If you enjoy grimdark epic fantasy, I think this could be a good overall series for you. I enjoyed each book a little more than the last with the building of the characters, the world and the journey. ...more |
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1
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Aug 10, 2024
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Aug 19, 2024
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Aug 19, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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B0CS6XK25G
| 4.15
| 527
| Aug 06, 2024
| Aug 06, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 4.5 hearts Queen of Dreams is the second book of the Bound to Fire and Steel series focused on the thruple of Ash, Sanci and Zanya. I'm not always a fan of threesome relationships, but I like the way this one was done, it completely worked for me. There is definitely more that could be done in this world if the authors choose but this book wraps up a lot of the threads and could be just a great duology. Sanci is the glue binding Ash and Zanya together, however they will need to find a way to love each other and come together even in her absence when she is kidnapped by the Destroyer if they are going to get her back. I really enjoyed Consort of Fire, there was a new fantasy world to learn with interesting magic and magical being in it, along with a strong historic base the authors introduced. Add to that a lot of steamy scenes in-between all the traveling through the land while Sanci and Zanya figuring out how to kill Ash to save Sanci and it was a solid romantasy. But I think that Queen of Dreams flows a little better with was less time spent on the sex and more time spent on the actual story. Don't worry there are still a few really explicit and spicy scenes that take their time, but it doesn't overwhelm the story. I would say Bound to Fire upped it's game and the depth of the characters, plot and worldbuilding. “So many lifetimes ago, the world promised me that I would never be alone again. I waited three thousand years for that promise to come true. And it was worth it.” Zanya is learning how to handle her power and the newfound strength that has come with it. She doesn't trust herself and is afraid she could hurt Sanci if she can't learn to control it. Ash is trying to develop a relationship with Zanya as a lover, so he is not able to train her like he would another new born god. He will need to trust some of his court with his lover, if Zanya is going to come into her full potential. Sanci wants to help with all the upheaval in the country but has been sidelined for her protection. In a bid to help, she is accidentally captured to be in the betrayers court. She must use all the skill she was taught in order to get close to Ash and kill him, to save her Consort and the woman she loved since childhood. Sanci will need all of her power over the world of dreams to make this happen. One problem, sometimes you have to be on the verge of death to manifest into your full power and Sanci's journey is not easy and will leave some scars. Ash and Zanya need to get ready, while it is hard to leave Sanci in the enemies' clutches, they must trust her to fight the battle she was trained for while they prepare for the fighting that will come when the right opportunity arises. Sorin, known as the betrayer, was awful and twisted. I liked how Sanci was able to maneuver in his court and the allies she was able to make by playing political games. There are more ways to fight than just the sword. The culminating battle at the end was epic in scope and the conclusion to the story very satisfying. I can see how we may get more books set in this world as there are definitely more stories that could easily be told. I for one would be interested in reading any of them. Narration: Victoria Mei, Caitlin Elizabeth and Will Thorne reprise their roles for each PoV in the story. Each did a great job of capturing the main voice of the character they were narrating. I think Will was absolutely perfect for the deep timber I assumed the Dragon would have and his voice was my favorite. Victoria and Caitlin also performed really well and were able to capture both the strength and the vulnerabilities of the characters they were playing. There wasn't a PoV that I didn't like or that didn't carry the story well. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2024
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Aug 12, 2024
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Aug 12, 2024
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Audible Audio
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1250351308
| 9781250351302
| 4.18
| 11,496
| Aug 06, 2024
| Aug 06, 2024
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it was amazing
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. T Kingfisher is on my automatic buy now list and has been since I first discovered the magic of her fantasy novels. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a loose retelling of The Goose Girl, which I have never read, so cannot compare the two. Kingfisher again did a fantastic job of drawing me into a new fairytale with interesting characters, acts of courage and a plan to thwart the evil Sorceress. Cordelia and her mother, Evangeline, have lived in a little town their entire life. She has been sheltered and sequestered in their cottage for most of it and has no friends. Her mother even forcefully controls her for periods of time to make sure Cordelia can't do anything to embarrass her or do anything that might bother Evangeline as most children are wont to do. It is horrific and one of my worst fears is to be controlled like that. Cordelia's only escape is when she rides the white horse they keep, but that too is a lie. After Evangeline throws a temper tantrum in their small village and kills someone, they have to find a new home and a new benefactor for her mother. So they steal away to a new place for Evangeline to weave her web. Hester escaped marrying the wrong man years ago, but it has made her unmarriable and now a spinster in her brother's house. The same thing that told her not to accept that marriage has woken her up in the middle of the night to let her know something bad is coming and beware. When Squire, her brother, brings home a widow to stay at their estate until other arrangements can be made, Hestor knows exactly what that trouble is, she just isn't sure what to think of Cordelia or how to save her smitten brother. But if Hestor can call in some reinforcements for a house party, maybe, just maybe, she might be able to throw a few wrenches into Evangeline's plans. This was such an interesting story. Told from both Cordelia and Evangeline's PoV, we are pulled through this strange story where two women will bond together in order to save a kind man from a horrible fate. There are a few twists, magic, mayhem and apparently warrior geese that may help to save the day. I liked Hestor so much. She and Richard were once lovers but she couldn't marry him so she set him free. But being with him again and working to save her brother has sparked some of those old feelings. This gave the story just enough of a romance push and I loved the idea of a second chance for them. The ending was so satisfactory for me and fitting for the characters. I really liked that all the women didn't really need a man to save them but at the end of the day the partnership shared was one of mutual benefit and didn't overshadow the strength of the women. Overall a new favorite from T. Kingfisher that I will relisten to again soon. Narration: Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens are the voices of Cordelia and Hester. Each Pov was distinct and I really appreciate that when reading alternating PoVs that the narrators sound different, as they should. Cordelia is 14 and Hester was closer to 50, so the use of two narrators added to that distinctive PoV for each. I can't say I've ever listened to either of the narrators before but their voices are crisp and their diction and pronunciation really good. I enjoyed both narrators about the same and each had their own flair to add. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
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1
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not set
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Jan 2024
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Jul 29, 2024
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Audiobook
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9781250356987
| 4.05
| 843
| Jun 04, 2024
| Jun 04, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Tidal Creatures is the third book in the Alchemical Journeys series and needs to be read in order to make any sense. Seanan McGuire focuses on the the lore of the moon and all the gods who have incarnated into this world in Tidal Creatures. People are chosen to take on aspects of different moon deities and travel across the sky of the impossible city at the heart of creation. The Alchemists are looking for a way to use them to finally make it to that Impossible City to rule the world. At its heart, Tidal Creatures is a murder mystery. Jane, the human aspect of Change’e, goes to meet up with one of the other moon gods as he travels back to the from his journey across the sky and pick up the key to the door. However what she finds is the aspect of Mani, another moon god, carrying a dead body. One of the other moon gods was killed on the path to their journey across the sky and no one knows why. Jane will enlist some help from a few other of the more powerful of the aspects of the moon to try and find the killer, and figure out how they got into the secret area in the first place as there is supposed to only by one key. The second thread of the story follows Kelpi. She thought she was transformed in a horrible lab experiment. But the truth is much different, the alchemists were trying to create familiars of the moon gods in order to find one of the more powerful ones. Kelpi is the incarnation of Artemis's Hinde. She has her own journey to take once she leaves the lab and will run into some people that might be able to assist her as she tries and finds the Goddess she was made for, before the Alchemists find her. The story is set at Berkley and Jane is avidly trying to avoid a certain professor there as she thinks she will be discovered. Said professor is Roger and as a reader I couldn't wait for him to enter the story since I loved most of the characters from Middlegame. Roger, Dodger and company do finally enter the story and we learn a lot of what they have been up to and why they haven't tried to get to the impossible city yet since they are the living embodiments of the Doctrine of Ethos and the city is theirs to rule. I enjoyed most of this story. The lore and creativity of the story is fantastic and Seanan McGuire remains one of the most creative writers with her worldbuilding and storylines. Most of her characters are rich, complex and mostly good even though they can be terrible and fierce when needed. That said, I think she has also fallen into something that I've seen a lot of writers do lately with some of the social concerns in the current world and they try to jam pack too many of those in small snips and snipes into one story. There were multiple times and characters the referenced white males in a negative connotation and twice it occurred at times I really didn't think it fit. Also the other "bad" person was a rich white housewife that was bored and just wanted to be special but there was so much emphasis on her 'privilege'. There are ways to put things into stories that do not take your reader out of the story and when they pile up and the author's bias shows it can be distracting. Overall, if you enjoyed Middlegame, I think this is going to fit into your life quite well and be very entertaining. I will say that the ending felt a little rushed but overall the pacing in the book is really good and kept me very engaged in the characters and the mystery. I loved Kelpi and her overall arc. The Alchemists are mostly a terrible bunch, evil scientists and all that, but they are also amazing at the things they create and their ambition towards their ultimate goal to get to the impossible city. While I did think this was the last book in the series, there is still going to be one more and I'm really excited to see how it all plays out and if we will get some of the characters from Seasonal Fears to contribute to the ending as well. Carry on to the Impossible City! Narration: Amber Benson is back again for Tidal Creatures, she did a great job on both of the other books of the series and so I'm happy to see her back to reprise her rolls of the prior characters and create new voices. She has a great flow for the story and I enjoy her cadence. Amber's narration makes sure you can tell all the voices apart and some of them carry almost a singsong effect, but I think that for those characters it is fitting. I enjoyed her performance and believe it adds to my overall enjoyment of the story. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 16, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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Audiobook
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1643973967
| 9781643973968
| B0CPJL5FGC
| 3.67
| 27
| unknown
| Jul 09, 2024
|
liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The Dishonest Miss Take is the first book written by Faye Murphy and the beginning of a new series. This is a blend of what is supposed to be Victorian England, steampunk and superhero/villain. Our heroine is doing community service for her past bad deeds when she ends up getting pulled into a bigger mystery of who assassinated her boss and why along with what is killing random people on the streets of London. Clara is a functional, someone with special powers, brought on by all the chemicals, pollution etc floating around in the air in London. She is pretty well known due to who her parents were and the life of crime they led. She is trying to live on the straight and narrow and doing her time with the Hero's Brigade, protecting the streets, as part of her community service. She didn't expect to get thrown into trying to track down the assassin who killed her boss to get a lead on who would want him dead. She didn't expect that the assassin would turn out to be someone she wanted to spend time with and work with to clear her name. Clara's investigation takes her down some strange roads and puts her in the path of a seemingly separate mystery of who or what, since it seems like it is a Dirt Monster, that is killing some of the innocents in London. With a little help for Morgan, the assassin and a few other people from the Assassin finishing school they will try to get to the bottom of a few mysteries. This has an interesting premise, but I don't think I'm the age demographic that is really going to enjoy this. For one, anytime you are in Victorian England, I expect some certain types of dialogue and turns of phrase instead of feeling like it is a big more modern in the language. But if I was younger and hadn't cut my teeth on so many historical romances I probably wouldn't have cared. That said it seemed like the book couldn't decide if it was going to be a sci-fi murder mystery or a romance. I wasn't really completely on board with the romance aspect of it so I wanted more in the who done it side of the story. Clara and Morgan were both a little hard to like as they swindled or murdered people for a living without any remorse and maybe didn't deserve it. Overall, I think this is going to play better with younger readers in their YA or NA years. This is definitely a first novel and as such there are some areas that could flow a bit better or transition better but I think that will come with time for Faye Murphy as she hones her craft. Solid first book and if you enjoy steampunk and F/F romances this might be something that will work for you. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2024
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Jun 22, 2024
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Jun 22, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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195236731X
| 9781952367311
| B0CWWVS37W
| 4.39
| 1,089
| Jun 04, 2024
| Jun 04, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the conten This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Hell for Hire is the first book in a new world and the new series Tear Down Heaven. Don't let the title fool you, for something with heaven and hell in the title this doesn't fall into much religious dogma, but instead makes up a whole new world with its own history and versions of the war between Heaven and Hell. Think of them more like countries or dimensions than actual "good" and "bad". Bex runs a mercenary crew of cast out demons. Since hell was conquered all demons are bound to warlocks, there are a rare few still free and Bex is determined to keep her crew firmly in the free category. She has picked up a new client and is supposed to spend the next month protecting him while he builds a new witchwood on the West Coast. Thing is, this is going to bring Bex and crew really close to some of the worst warlocks of the bunch. As she protects her new client, it looks like she will set her crew up for a huge fight against some pretty big odds. But they are the best demons out there and will fight tooth and nail for Bex because of who she is. Adrian Blackwood ran away from his warlock apprenticeship he never wanted but was forced into. He has one goal to start a magical Blackwood forest and he has planned this for a century. One problem, he knows that soon the warlocks he ran from will find him. His only chance is that Bex and her crew buy him the time needed to get his baby forest going and strong enough to keep his enemies out. With the help of his cat familiar, they will get to work and make some friends of the demons hired to protect them. “Adrian Blackwood, I’ve been your cat since you were seven and your familiar since you were thirteen. When you say ‘I’m worried,’ I know what you actually mean is ‘I’m about to do something colossally stupid,' I was really engrossed in this story. Rachel Aaron has created a very cool world with an interesting backstory to it. Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh overthrew the kingdoms of Heaven and Hell a thousand years ago. Since then he has set himself up as a god and king. Using warlocks, captured and bound demons, Heaven's Princes and the captured Princesses of Hell to take control of everything and rule the world. As information is teased out about the characters and the world I was more and more drawn into this underdog story. It is Bex and her crew of demons against the former man who overthrew Heaven, then become a god. There was a great blend of action, intrigue and perhaps a few hints that there might be a romance on the horizon. Hell for Hire had everything I wanted in a first book of a series. The introduction of the characters, set up of the world and lore and a redemption story to get behind. Learning how the crew got their start and Bex's history was quite an interesting journey but I loved how it played into the overall arc of the story. Adrian and his witchwood creation along with how he interacts with his familiar cat added fun to the story and some interesting visions of how the magic systems of this world worked. I have enjoyed many of Rachel Aaron's other series. This first book in the Tear Down Heaven series is really promising and leads me to believe I'm going to enjoy this story just as much if not more than other series I read in the Heartstriker world. This left off in a great place. Not quite a cliffhanger but a place full of suspense so that if the next book was out I'd be ready to jump back in. I was also happy that this never gave me religious dogma vibes ever. I was a bit concerned as I'm not really into current religion in my reading. I think Rachel Aaron did a great job making sure everything seemed like a something in a new fantasy world instead of current religion. Now you see, Drox said as the flames overwhelmed her. Rage is useless, a knife with no handle that’s as likely to cut yourself as the enemy, but wrath is directed. It has choice, intention....more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 10, 2024
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Jun 17, 2024
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Jun 17, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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9781250325952
| unknown
| 3.94
| 1,870
| Jun 11, 2024
| Jun 11, 2024
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really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Icon and Inferno is the second book in the Stars and Smoke series. This is a fun spy type story taking a famous pop star and using him as cover to get into places that the Panacea group (Offshoot of the CIA) might not be able to get into. Winter and Sydney get a second chance at both another mission and exploring the feeling they have for each other as they team up again to find a missing agent and try and stop an assassination. This is a really good follow up story to Stars and Smoke and while I don't think it was better than the first book, it was a great book for some character growth and overall story development. The chemistry between Winter and Sydney is undeniable and even though both have their exes a bit in the picture for this story it never really felt like a love triangle or square, it just pushed them into really evaluating their pasts and prior relationships to discover what they want in their futures. The plot to the story was fast paced and fun. There is a plot to assassinate the President of the United States and it is really hard to tell who is on team good or evil in this. In an attempt to thwart the assassination true alliances and huge deceptions will be revealed. It looks like Sydney might also be targeted in this story, which means her cover has been blown and someone in Panacea can't be trusted. Sydney and Winter will learn that they can only trust themselves and possibly find a bigger bond in that. The story ties up in the end really well and I think we will get to see more Rock Star Spy stuff in the future. Marie Lu has set this up well for at least one more story to the series. I liked the tone of the story and the nice blend of all the action with the romance between Winter and Sydney. Both were balanced well and never overshadowed the other aspects making it a really fun read. Sure you have to suspend some disbelief in this book, but I think that is known going in based on the concept of the story. Overall a great YA read with a good blend of both action and romance. Just a fun series so far. Narration: My first experience with Becca Q. Co was in Stars and Smoke the first book of the series. She looks to be a relatively new narrator to the scene with only a few titles to her credit so far. I think that will not last long as her performance of all the characters was great. Her diction and voice changes made it easy to tell who was talking and she was able to capture both the fun and solemnity of the characters in various situations. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 2024
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Jun 03, 2024
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Jun 03, 2024
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Audiobook
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B0CPQCQKVY
| 4.26
| 7,033
| May 2024
| May 17, 2024
|
really liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Bespelled is the second book in the Bewitched series. This is the second chance love story (mostly) of Selene Bowers, a pretty powerful witch and Memnon, the man she cursed to sleep for two thousand years in her last life. They are soulmates, bound to each other through space and time, but that doesn't mean it is going to be smooth sailing for them. Especially since Memnon is pissed he was placed in stasis for two millennia and can't wait to get his revenge, even if that revenge is on his soulmate. When we left our characters at the end of Bewitched, Selene has tapped into the memories of her past life and she now knows what happened and why she put Memnon to sleep. He is dangerous and brutal and a conqueror from a different time. But he is learning all of the rules of this new metal jungle and he is starting to make some plays to put himself back in power. He loves Selene, but it is complicated by the betrayal he believes she perpetrated on him in her past life. But, what if there were good reasons, what if he made a mistake? How will he earn back the trust of the woman he is bound to through the ages so they might build a life together. Meanwhile, witches and other magic welding creatures are dying in brutal ways and Selene wants to get to the bottom of it. Not just to protect herself but to also save some of her new found friends in the coven. Memnon will use all of his influence and newfound power to help the woman he loves and earn back some of the trust broken between them. God help any who harm or go after his mate, he will make them all pay. The stakes are high and no one is to be trusted. “Call me a monster, call me a devil, but you and I both know I will fucking shatter the rules for you .” He stares at me fervently. “Always for you.” I liked this story better than Bewitched, we get to see some of Selene's past life that really added credence to her power. She is growing into the sorceresses she is meant to be, even if she is unsure about the man she is fated to be with. I adore Memnon's character. He is not a nice guy; he is dangerous but unfailing loyal to those he calls family. He is also so tricky; it was fun to watch how he slowly lulls Selene back into his bed and finds ways to get into her heart as well. He is a predator and will be patient until it is the right moment to pounce and win his prey. He remembers the fierce warrior Selene used to be in her last life and knows she is going to need to find that woman warrior if they are going to survive against their enemies. There were so many danger filled and tense moments in Bespelled, I was on the edge of seat though all of them. The danger always felt right around the corner. There are plenty of sexy times though to enjoy between the bouts of certain death. The jump to Memnon and Selene's previous life added a lot of context the story and fleshed out our characters well. I sometimes got a little frustrated with Selene's refusal of their soulmate bond, but it did help to build some of the sexual tension between them. Memnon, I'm sure, still has plenty of secrets and even though they have tracked down some of the bad doers, there are more out there to be found and an enemy from their past to thwart still. I'm very interested to see what Laura Thalassa brings to the series next. She has written "bad men" very well in the past and I'm so excited to see what our unapologetic warlord is going to do in the modern world to take the power he craves. “Is this where you stab me and free yourself once and for all?” he says in Sarmatian....more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 22, 2024
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May 27, 2024
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May 27, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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B09NP3QFPD
| 4.49
| 4,848
| Feb 06, 2024
| Feb 06, 2024
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it was amazing
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Red Side Story is the long awaited *cough* since 2009 *cough* sequel to Shades of Grey, in the series of the same name. Set in a dystopian world where people see only one color usually and an entire society has been built around rules and hierarchy based on the color you can see. But, as we found out in the last book, this strange land and the people in it are far from the utopian society that Monson and all his rules tried to create. And there are so many ridiculous rules. Eddy (a Red) and Jane (a Grey or low Green) are awaiting their hearing for the death of a Yellow that happening in the prior book. After Jane opened Eddy's eyes to some of the happenings around them in their chromatic based society, he isn't quite the good little citizen he was before, but let's be honest, he was never that good (see the last Rabbit incident of the last book). Sent to East Carmine to learn some humility and do a chair survey after trying to improve queuing in lines Eddy has stubbled into a mystery of the ages. He has questions, as we all do, after the first story. Things like; what was the thing that happened, why are there no spoons, what is up with the metal swans, why does everything (including the citizens) have a barcode, who are the riff raff etc. There are so many mysteries out there to solve. The humor of this book is just up my alley. It is smart and funny, with so many little jabs throughout. I really enjoyed the concepts of this society especially when we learn why it was set up in the first place. Jane and Eddy are great together and I really do adore they way they make their rebellions against the society they are living in. With the danger of being 'greened' around every corner for our two lovebirds they will have to be very clever indeed if they are going to find all the answers before those answers get them removed from whatever this experiment is. I had so much fun with all the clever little things that are thrown into the story and all the oddities this dystopian culture has just adopted. Like animal watching and logging barcodes for fun, or using a RISK game as a map, along with how literature has been changed for books, well known to the readers, to have morals of the story completely changed to reinforce the Monson doctrine all the residents are supposed to live by. Really this is just a unique story that I've never read anything of the like and kudos to Fforde for how well he knocked Red Side Story out of the park. I'm hoping the next book in the series doesn't take 15 years to get here but I'll wait that long for another great addition to the series. Let the loopholery continue. Narration: Chris Harper is a new to me narrator. He did the English humor great in the story and made the book so much fun. I liked his dialoguing with the characters the most as it was hilarious at times. I was able to distinguish between all the characters very well and follow the story without getting distracted. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 18, 2024
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May 25, 2024
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May 25, 2024
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Audible Audio
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1838021272
| 9781838021276
| B0CHSJJMLH
| 3.69
| 157
| May 23, 2024
| May 14, 2024
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liked it
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of m This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 2.5ish Don't Pick A Book Just For the Cover Stars Seeker is the debut book for Samuel Griffin and the first book in The Sentinel Archives Series. This isn't going to be for everyone due the the nature of the prose of the writing. Written as a regency or in a historical voice of sorts, the main character takes the reader through her personal journey to become a Seeker, someone in a secret type of society looking for huge leviathans of the deep. They are who are stirring once more and will the the force that could turn the tide of a the war. Shay Bluefaltlow takes us through her journey as she struggles to live up the expectations placed on her to become one of the few secretly searching for the elusive scent song unique to each of the leviathans. A young girl in a strange place, the story is almost written in the flowery musings of a teen in her diary, if said diary was from a regency era. She is introduced to a strange world full of dangers and some espionage as she tries to make her way. Sponsored by a group of benefactors yet to be revealed she is guided through her training. Because of her age some of her rebellions, secrets and poor choices, while frustrating, can at least be understood. The action at the end was the most interesting part of the book as the actual leviathans come into play in a battle at sea. The actual story is pretty decent and the world interesting with the idea of the Seekers and Leviathans and whatever their connection will end up being. However, I really struggled with the writing style. At times it was really hard to focus on the story through the prose as it took awhile to get from point A to B to C in the story. I believe the author lives on the poetical side of the fence and that is very much reflected in the story. So if you are a fan of some of other authors of the past like Dickens this will probably be an easier and more enjoyable read for you than it was for me. I do applaud the author for committing to this writing style whole heartedly but I think it will really factor into how much a reader likes the story within. I really enjoyed the idea of the story and the plot is really interesting in the fantasy aspect. I'm not huge into the classics though and so I struggled through reading. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 10, 2024
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May 20, 2024
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May 20, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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9798855506723
| 3.67
| 2,812
| May 07, 2024
| May 07, 2024
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it was ok
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the con This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The Deer and the Dragon is the first book in the new series No Other Gods, by new to me author C J Piper. This is a book that isn't going to be for everyone. I am not a religious person and have read a lot of stories with the concept of demons or the veil. Still this book has elements I really struggled with that impacted my experience with the story. Always a risk when using modern religions and pantheons. Marlow has been able to see through the veil to some extent most of her life. Problem is because of her highly religious upbringing and parents she just thinks she is crazy. The man that visits her must be a figment of her very active imagination and the more she sees him the more delusional she believes she is. Most of the time she self medicates with either recreational drugs or prescriptions from her various therapists to keep the demons away literally. At twenty-six, she has spent much of her adult life in this state of being while she writes books about various pantheons of mythology and religion. Until the day she realized, she isn't really crazy and the man she banished from her life is a prince of hell, her soulmate and she is determined to find him. I struggled with this book for a few reasons. First, is the main character Marlow. I never found much empathy or fondness for her. She is very self centered, even most of the friendships we see her have in the book are very one sided as I don't see her contributing to those friendships much. She lives in various states of indulgence, from the drugs and alcohol use to the money she spends on the nice things in life to how she sees the people around her. When we meet her the only reason she accepted a second date with a person was because of the location he was taking her for dinner, then we find out she has a ton of money so why accept that date? Second, is her backstory with the escorting. Marlow worked as an escort for a few years and while I was hoping to see how that work gave her skills to work people it seemed like a really fluffed up version of that life. She fell into the industry after one very small conversation with a person on the street in a foreign country and it was a very rose colored experience for her. Third, and probably the hardest for me is that in this Heaven and God are the bad guys and all the other pantheons (Greek, Norse, Hell etc..) are in a cold war of sorts with Heaven. Marlow is now the linchpin to that war because of a sacrifice Caliban made to save her. This story did have some really interesting and cool moments and I did start to enjoy it a bit more after Marlow accepts that she isn't crazy and the being beyond the veil are real. That is quite a bit into the story though at about 50ish percent. I liked both Caliban, Marlow's love interest and Azrames a demon from Hell that helps Marlow find Caliban after he drops out of communication with everyone. But that all happens really late in the story. There is one other main side character, Fauna who is from Marlow's Norse heritage, who comes to help her when she is coming to the realization that her 'delusions' are true and she is the reincarnated lover of the Prince of Hell. Fauna is chaos and sometimes her character is fun but she also calls Marlow a lot of names, not all of them undeserved but sometimes derisive. Still Fauna's character is a lot of fun and that is when the story starts to pick up some speed. This should work well for people who don't have any religious hang ups and don't mind Heaven being the bad guy in story. Also notable to the story pansexuality, sex work, gender announcements, religious trauma and reliance on drugs. I'm really on the fence if I will continue the series based on my own struggle with the religious notations in the book. Narration: Luna Rey is a new to me narrator. I enjoyed her performance and the voices she used for all the characters in the story. She did well with the parts of the story that were supposed to feel heavy or light and helping to evoke those emotions. Her voice separation was really good and I never had issues distinguishing characters. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 05, 2024
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May 13, 2024
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May 13, 2024
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Audiobook
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9781705295847
| 3.64
| 5,354
| May 07, 2024
| May 07, 2024
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really liked it
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Release Day! 07May2024 This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion Release Day! 07May2024 This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 4.5 hearts Sweet Nightmare is the first book of The Calder Academy , a spin off to the Crave series set in the same world with a few cross over characters. I have not read the Crave series and kept up just fine, but I'm sure there are some nuggets in here for those who have read the other series. Set at a school for the magically blessed...vampires, witches and fae oh my, Calder academy is where you get sent when there isn't a good place to keep you and your magic or you are a bit out of control. Clementine has been there her whole life. Not because she is bad, but because her family runs the school and her mom is in charge of it all. Clementine wants nothing more than to get off the Island she has lived on her whole life. Her mother, on the other hand, is never going to let that happen. She is stuck in the school, stuck on Trickler duty (trust me it isn't fun) and stuck trying to avoid the boy she has loved her whole life that ghosted her three years ago. Well, as much as you can ghost someone you go to school with on an Island off the coast of Texas. Jude and Clementine were everything to each other, until they weren't. She never found out why, but with a storm coming to the Island and everyone getting ready to evacuate, she might just have a chance to find out why. I adored Clementine and Jude. I loved their pet names for each other, their banter, the longing...oh the longing. I was engrossed in the story and couldn't wait to find out more about their history and why a boy who is so clearly in love with the girl would walk away like he did. I just knew it was going to be good and man was I right. But in the middle of all of that, there is danger around every corner. The hurricane is getting closer to the Island and the ward keeping all the not so well adjusted kids without their magic is failing. Chaos is a bunch of teenagers getting their magic back all at the same time. Something strange is going on and with the storm everyone's nightmares are released too. Clementine, Jude and friends will have to fight for their lives and try to find a way survive or get off this crazy Island. There was quite a bit going on with the plot. Some twists, turns and pretty big surprises near the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the imagery of this story. I would classify it is a bit romance, a bit urban fantasy and a little horror lite to it. The ending isn't a cliff-hanger but does give the reader a lot to ponder on before the next book in the series. I am looking forward to digging in deeper to some of the revelations made and getting to know a few of the characters a little better especially Remy and Izzy who I hear are in the Crave series. “The past is set, but the future can change.” Narration: Suzy Jackson narrates the majority of this book, all but one chapter in fact. I have enjoyed her is a few other series and think she plays the young spunky protagonist well. A few of the voices sounded a little similia for some of the very minor characters but other than that she was again phenomenal and a perfect pick to be Clementine. Andrew Wehrlen only got to do one chapter as Jude but I hope he gets more voice time in the next book. I enjoyed the audio narration as I believe it added to the excitement of the story. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed. Listen to a clip: HERE ...more |
Notes are private!
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May 02, 2024
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3.73
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really liked it
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Oct 07, 2024
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3.73
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really liked it
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Oct 07, 2024
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Oct 07, 2024
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4.35
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it was amazing
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Sep 23, 2024
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4.22
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really liked it
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Sep 16, 2024
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Sep 16, 2024
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4.53
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really liked it
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Sep 02, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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4.25
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really liked it
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Jul 22, 2019
not set
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Sep 02, 2024
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4.08
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really liked it
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Aug 26, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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3.97
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really liked it
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Aug 24, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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4.51
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really liked it
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Aug 19, 2024
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Aug 19, 2024
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4.15
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really liked it
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Aug 12, 2024
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Aug 12, 2024
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4.18
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it was amazing
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Jan 2024
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Jul 29, 2024
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4.05
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really liked it
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Jun 24, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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3.67
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liked it
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Jun 22, 2024
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Jun 22, 2024
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4.39
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really liked it
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Jun 17, 2024
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Jun 17, 2024
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3.94
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really liked it
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Jun 03, 2024
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Jun 03, 2024
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4.26
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really liked it
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May 27, 2024
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May 27, 2024
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4.49
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it was amazing
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May 25, 2024
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May 25, 2024
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3.69
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liked it
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May 20, 2024
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May 20, 2024
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3.67
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it was ok
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May 13, 2024
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May 13, 2024
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3.64
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really liked it
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May 06, 2024
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May 06, 2024
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