Read this after it was recommended to me by someone who enjoyed my recommendations, and it did not disappoint!
The story follows Little Bird - the lastRead this after it was recommended to me by someone who enjoyed my recommendations, and it did not disappoint!
The story follows Little Bird - the last of her people - on her quest to save humanity. It's sci-fi but also has an apocalyptic feel to it, and the stakes feel dire.
The artwork is phenomenal, and the characters really come alive. I loved each and every one of them.
I was swept up in the story so easily and really enjoyed it from start to finish.
Highly recommend for fans of graphic novels....more
Narrated by Pearl Hewitt Presented by Inner Realms Publishing
A cosy fantasy perfect for Halloween season.
This was a Listen Now on NetGalley and I needeNarrated by Pearl Hewitt Presented by Inner Realms Publishing
A cosy fantasy perfect for Halloween season.
This was a Listen Now on NetGalley and I needed something to listen to, so this ticked the box.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't cosy fantasy! The story follows Hannah, who heads to Maple Hollow after the mysterious disappearance of her Aunt Jewelia (and I'm glad I was listening, because the spelling of that name alone would have done me in - yikes!)
The atmosphere is perfectly Halloween-y, with dark and stormy nights, pumpkins and cats. Hannah is a likeable enough protagonist - very wholesome and sweet. She introduces herself to everyone in the town as she meets them, and quickly becomes a friend to several. Meanwhile, she sets about trying to learn more about the town's history, in order to solve the mystery of her Aunt's disappearance.
I liked the narrator, and her voice enhanced the vibe of the story. On paper, this would likely have disappointed through lack of excitement, but with this narrator it was like I got exactly what I was supposed to out of it. Low stakes and easy clues leading to a simple resolution.
Admittedly, the easy nature of the story meant I wasn't 100% tuned in, 100% of the time. I also had to listen at 2x speed so that I didn't doze off. Still, it was easy enough to follow and I didn't seem to miss much.
Overall, it was an easy listen that was a pleasant way to kill some time. I'd recommend it for fans of cosy mysteries - particularly those who like a sprinkling of fantasy and a dash of Halloween.
This was definitely more middle-grade than I expected; like Yu-Gi-Oh meets Ranger's Apprentice.
The story follows 14-year-old Mateo as he's betrayed byThis was definitely more middle-grade than I expected; like Yu-Gi-Oh meets Ranger's Apprentice.
The story follows 14-year-old Mateo as he's betrayed by his master and sent to a military training camp. Here, he'll learn how to survive, and hopefully how to become a Duelist.
So, essentially the story is a training montage only lengthy and drawn out. Mateo meets a couple of other misfits that he bands together with immediately - him telling them what to do because he's a know-it-all whereas the other two are incompetent idiots. Obviously.
Mateo is definitely the kind of character that always rubs me the wrong way. He's a brown-noser who always figures things out first and is the pet of whoever is in charge, and he tells everyone else what to do and they generally obey without question. He's such a bland character.
I did like the other two, though - nothing particularly new, but I did like that they had their own things going for them. The characters on the whole are nothing particularly fresh, and as such a lot of the interactions are familiar scenes. I didn't care too much for any of the characters, but young ones who don't read a lot should find themselves relating to at least one of them.
The card/duelling system was a little too much for my fantasy tastes. Cards slot into a person somehow which I didn't totally understand, but then I was never a big Yu-Gi-Oh kid. I think collectors of 'duelling' cards like Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering will understand this a little better and appreciate it on a whole other level. For me, it seemed like a bit of a gimmick that just wasn't enough to save a rather bland story from being completely unoriginal.
After reading, I can conclude that I'm very much NOT the target audience for this one. It wasn't for me at all, but I think there's plenty here that younger readers will enjoy. It's an adventure story which keeps things relatively simple while setting up for a grander adventure to come.
It's strange - the thing I liked most about the book is the same thing that cheapened it for me.
The story follows medical student, Amy, who is due to It's strange - the thing I liked most about the book is the same thing that cheapened it for me.
The story follows medical student, Amy, who is due to spend her first night on a psych ward as part of her training.
Long has mental illness been associated with horror, and it's only in recent years that that damaging narrative has started changing, so I wasn't sure how this was going to go.
So I appreciated that Amy's view of the patients is quite compassionate; it comforted me immediately and I was ready for some real twists from a more considerate viewpoint.
Unfortunately, it ends up being quite dull, with most of the 'thrill' coming from questioning who is telling the truth. The story still banks on the instability of the patients, and while I enjoyed questioning who was worth being afraid of, the conclusion soured it all for me. I kept waiting for more.
I did find it an addictive read, but it wasn't as thrilling as others by this author and I felt the treatment of mental illness to be a little contradictory. Still, an interesting read and entertaining enough for a few hours....more
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky Presented by Brilliance Audio
Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.
Firstly, this book sold Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky Presented by Brilliance Audio
Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.
Firstly, this book sold itself to me with the promise of supernatural happenings, and I was sadly disappointed on that front. Also 'haunted secrets' - where were the secrets?? I was bored, bored bored.
My favourite part of this entire novel was the building of the relationship between Nora and Euan, and how it spoke about the loss after. This evoked some really strong feelings in me and I was sucked in completely.
However, once Nora starts to move forward it all just became a tangled mess of love affairs and damaged people and relationships and also FARMWORK which was so incredibly dull. Nora went from a character I adored to a character I loathed, and nothing interesting justified how long this story dragged on for. When the 'supernatural' finally turned up, I rolled my eyes and that was me emotionally done. From then on it was listening just to be done.
On the plus side, the narration was well done. She did a great job of defining characters with different voices, and added a lot of feeling to the story. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.
If this hadn't been an audiobook I think I would have straight up quit halfway. As it was, it really became a chore to listen to, and I was happy when it finally ended.
Perhaps fans of historical fiction will enjoy this more than I did, but there wasn't much beyond the narrator that could redeem it for me.
The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be iThis was SO GOOD. Very eerie!
The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be in the unusual town she finds herself in.
From the get-go, I had no clue what was going on and loved every second of it. The people of Withered Hill are completely nuts, but at the same time there's a sad logic to the way they behave and the choices they make. Even their bizarre rituals make their own kind of sense.
The grey morality of this book was my favourite aspect - questionable things are done that have a clear logic, making the reader question who is really in the wrong. At the same time, there is a real menace over the town, creating an atmosphere that will make your skin crawl.
The book alternates between 'Inside' and 'Outside', so we witness the days leading up to Sophie's entry to Withered Hill, which are equally menacing. I really enjoyed the contrast, and followed events in each section with rapt attention.
I did enjoy the ending, but it felt a little heavy-handed on the exposition. Honestly, the way it wrapped up was mostly perfect but I still want MORE.
This was easy to devour, and is the perfect book to snag for Halloween season. It's an extraordinary blend of horror, thriller and mystery, with a fast pace and some clever considerations.
Kindaichi takes a bit of a backseat in this one, as our narrator stars. He's caught up in the troubling murders happening inSeries still going strong!
Kindaichi takes a bit of a backseat in this one, as our narrator stars. He's caught up in the troubling murders happening in the Village, and Kindaichi's solving of the crime is almost a background feature of the startling story.
Really enjoyed the telling here, and another great cast of suspicious characters to follow. There are some great contemplations of madness and motives that really tangle the story nicely.
I would have liked more puzzles to solve, and for the rhymes to have meant more, but otherwise I followed along eagerly.
Still enjoying this series a lot - won't be getting rid of these books any time soon!...more
Psykhe is a great character, and I found it so easy to empathise with her. She's a mortal seemingly curA delightful re-telling of a lesser known myth.
Psykhe is a great character, and I found it so easy to empathise with her. She's a mortal seemingly cursed by the goddess, Venus, and so calamity abounds.
I always enjoy the contemplation of 'an act of the gods' versus coincidence. How much of Psykhe's pain could have been avoided if not for coincidence? But then how dull our stories would be.
This tells the tale of Psykhe's life and how her path inevitably crosses with that of the god, Eros. Yet I found what I most enjoyed about this story was the human-ness of it; less of the gods causing chaos and more just a girl trying to survive in a world that submits to their fickleness.
The language is gorgeous, though this is a less complex story than others I've read from this author. I liked that it was an easier read, to be honest. I was able to lose myself in it and just relax and enjoy the ride.
A delightful story with plenty within its pages to consider. Fans of mythology retellings should get a kick out of this one....more
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