Fuzzy Fairytales

"Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

 

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart." Goodreads

 

This book is what you can call a typical faery book. To be honest, you will probably find a lot of the different elements that makes up this book familiar already. Summer court? Check. Winter court? Check. Characters from classical literature, namely Shakespeare? Check. We have them all - Titania, Oberon and not to forget: Robin Goodfellow/Puck. Mind you, this Puck doesn't bear a lot of resemblance to the Puck we're used to.

 

I never managed to fall in love with this book, even though I wanted to. Mainly because of Meghan Chase herself. The time-span of this book is somewhat confusing, and our main character makes a lot of weird, or even stupid, choices. I guess it's fair to say I'm not a huge fan of the main character, but the friends and enemies she gains along the way is a lot more interesting. Want a hint? Ash. Wow. Now that's a character to pay attention to.

 

The world building in this book is..Extensive. You'll probably discover the never ending descriptions of fantastic creatures that Meghan meets on her way. Loads of them. Thankfully, the author takes a break from that from time to time, throwing in some pretty hilarious dialogues, often involving Puck.

 

“Ladies and Felines," he stated grandly, grasping the doorknob, "Welcome to Tir Na Nog. Land of endless winter and shitloads of snow.”

 

I ended up giving this book 3/5 stars. It's an okay book (maybe I've grown too old to put up with the idiocy of a wannabe heroic main character?), but like I said, I didn't really fall in love with it.

Long story short: life happened. Both at work and at home, and I was totally unprepared. I haven't read much in the past year or so, but I'm hoping that maybe, if I start writing reviews again, I'll be back in the reading game. Fingers crossed!

 

As a teacher I'm well aware of the fact that different people prefer different learning styles. I'm definitely a visual learner, and the written word is actually visual in it self. As a child I hated audiobooks. Whereas I could read a paper book for hours on end, audiobooks gave me absolutely nothing.

 

Today I've decided to give audiobooks a second try. They give me the opportunity to multitask, like folding laundry or mopping floors *sigh*. It's hard growing up, having to act all responsible and stuff..

This one was supposed to be staying outside for the summer, but the weather hasn't quite been on my side. The only bad thing about this, is the fact that it's so big I can't get it through most of the doors in my house. The grand plan was to keep it outside in the summer, and in my library in the basement during the winter. That didn't happen.. I'm just glad I have it at all, really. Feel free to spread the envy! ;)

"Without the bakery, without Mani, I was a dandelion seed in the wind, subject to the currents of fate."

 Solina is out on a mission, trying to figure out how and why her brother was murdered. Of the two, Mani was the "wild one", following his dreams and desires. Solina followed the path directed by others. On her own, a long way from home, she has a hard time figuring out who she really is, who she can trust, and how all that is happening fits in the big picture.

 

Mystery, myhtology, paranormal and just a little pinch of romance - perfect! And, of course, just to make it better: the occasional snarky reply -

"Gathering information from this bunch was like prying a dinosaur fossil from the ground with a toothpick."

 

Often, when it comes to debut novels, the author hits some bumps and holes along the way. This however, is about as good as it gets. I loved it! I need the next book. Like, now.

 

I recieved a free copy of the book courtesy of Red Adept Publishing and the author via NetGalley, in exhange for an honest review.

Where the last two books lacked momentum and action, this one has all that. The first two books didn't accumulate a lot of stars, 3 and 3,5, but this book on the other hand, has taken a major jump up the scale.

 

You know when you start reading a book, and you get that feeling where you just have to read a little longer before you put it down? The last two books (again) didn't have that. To put it short: they were slow. Very slow.

 

Dev is still evolving, and all the questions left from "Make You" still stands. Will Base join the hunters? When will "the Big Bad" turn up? Who will live, and who will die?

 

This is a well executed book, my only regret being that the end felt a little rushed. That said: if you can get through the first two books, this one is well worth your time. I loved the Ava Delaney series, and in this book the author presents some of the same writing skills as she did back then (I haven't gotten aroung to read "Lost souls" yet, but I will!).

 

Right now it's actually sad to see the story ends. Now, when it finally turned out to be so well written! Anyways, three books is enough for the storyline, so I guess it's a good thing she didn't try to squeeze out another one, just to keep it going. :)

OK, so I just signed up for a reading challenge over at goodreads. I'm usually not too good with those challenges. Life tends to get in the way.. I'm keeping my hopes up for this one though!

 

1. Levels: 
   Flip Flop: 1-4 books
   Wedge: 5-8 books
   Gladiator: 9+ books
   
   1. August 4 is Friendship Day. Read a book from the shelves of one of your Goodreads friends.
   
   2. August 9 is Book Lover’s Day. Read anything you want!!
   
   3. August 16 is National Tell a Joke Day. Read a book that makes you laugh
   
   4. August 16 is National Thriftshop Day. Read a book that you got for free or cheap. Borrowed books count, too!
2. 
   5. August 22 is Be an Angel Day. Read a book featuring angels or demons. 

• Fledgling - Katrina Cope
  
  6. August 22 is also National Tooth Fairy Day in the US. Read a book featuring fairies. (The Fey or any creature you traditionally think of as a fairy.)
• The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
  
  7. August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. Read a book with a kickass heroine.
• Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews
• 
  8. August 27 is Global Forgiveness Day. Give another chance to an author or series you had previously given up on or are thinking about giving up on.
• A Local Habitation - Seanan McGuire
  
  9. August 30 is Frankenstein Day. (Also, Mary Shelley’s birthday.) Read a book with a scary monster or mad scientist/doctor.
  
  10. Legend says champagne was invented by Dom Perignon in August 1693. Read something “bubbly”. Anything light, fluffy, funny, or a quick, easy read. 
  
  11. The Panama Canal is opened on August 15, 1914. Open a new-to-you world by reading the first book in a new series or a book by a new-to-you author.
• Seas of Dark Storm - Amber Silvia
  
  12. The Waffle Iron was patented by Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York, on August 24, 1869. Read a book with a “yummy” character. (You define ‘yummy’.)
  
  13. The Beatles begin their last US concert tour in Aug 1966. Read the final book in a series that has ended or the most recently published book in and ongoing series.
• Magic Shifts - Ilona Andrews 

14. August is Romance Awareness Month. Read any kind of romance book.

• Heart of Ice - Sibelle Stone

3,5 stars.
I’m sorry to say that this one follows the same recipe as the first installment: No twists and turns, and close to no mystery. A couple chapters in, and you can probably predict who the antagonists are. The whole book is quite predictable. One difference though: this book ends with a sort of cliffhanger – good! There are also more action in this book (on all levels), even if it takes it time getting there. Overall I liked this better than the first book, and I will be reading the third and last one. Meaning: even though I’m critical, I won’t say it’s a waste of time, or that you shouldn’t read it. I’m just saying the author can do better (”Ava Delaney”). Oh, and she really needs to write where the story takes place. Dublin, Ireland. Mentioned in one sentence in book one..

Dev no longer tries to maintain the ”Queen Bitch” attitude, and that’s one of the greatest things about this book. You can clearly see how she has changed from the first book, and how she struggles to live a normal life. Of course there is no such thing for Devlin O’Mara, and deep down she knows it, no matter how hard she tries to tell herself otherwise.

Girls are going missing, the police are getting nowhere, and somehow they’re all connected to Dev. Sully can’t be back. He’s dead. She saw Base kill him. Yet her house is marked with a red x, and people are behaving suspiciously close to the same way they did when Sully was around.

The ending is actually quite good. It’s almost worth reading the whole book just for that. Off to read the third and final book in this series!

I love the thought of easy meals with almost no prep-time! Looking at the cover and the blurb, I really wanted this to be the book for me.

 

However.. The pantry list is quite extensive, and a lot of the recipes (especially in the lunch/dinner section) calls for quite an amount of pre-prep. Minced meat and cooked rice/quinoa to mention just a few. A lot of those recipes just doesn't seem to be worth the bother of microwaving, rather than cook a full meal and then reheat the leftovers later. Mind you, there are quite a few interesting recipes in this book, I'm just not sure they're as easy to "whip up in a whim" as the book claims.

 

The breakfast section, however, is good enough.

 

A big drawback design wise: the pictures of empty, dirty mugs. And there are quite a few of them throughout the book..

 

All in all an OK book, but be aware that the five minutes called for to make a meal, is after all the pre-prep is done. Make the lunch/dinner recipes full size and reheat them instead. A lot of the recipes really do look delicious!

I can’t really decide what to think of this book. I believe the closest I’ll get is ”it’s OK”.

Despite what some others have mentioned in their reviews, I actually like the main character, with all her obvious flaws.
Devlin O’Mara is called ”the Queen Bitch”, a role she has worked hard to claim and maintain. With her life being the way it is, she needs to be a bitch to survive. Taking care of her alcoholic mother, battling demons from the past, and always keeping people at arms length. That’s what she does. And underneath this all, is a lost girl. A girl longing for normal.

One day a new kid arrives at school. A creep, and a weirdo. An Edward Cullen wannabe, wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket indoors, all day. Normal is no longer an opition.

The story evolves around Devs closest friends and family, and of course the new guy, which she really can’t stand. So far, so good.

And this is where I start having issues with the story. I love the characters and how they are depicted. I love the fact that there is no romanticizing the mythical creatures. And I hate that it takes forever for things to start happening. There are no twists and turns. You don’t have to read for long before you know who is who, and what is going to happen. That in itself isn’t so bad. I can survivet hat, even though I’d like a bit more mystery to the story. The problem is that you have to read two thirds of the book before the protagonists are done talking, and the real action begins. From here on the book is actually quite good. I just wish it didn’t take forever to reach ”the top”.

A major fan of the ”Ava Delaney”-series (which I’m about to re-read), I have to say: this was falling short. I know the author can do better! That said: I hate quitting and read the rest of the series. Not a waste of time, but not the best books I’ve read either. It was OK, plain and simple. Oh, and she needs to tell her readers where the story is taking place! Dublin, Ireland. Mentioned in one sentence, quite a few pages into the book..

I love the thought of easy meals with almost no prep-time! Looking at the cover and the blurb, I really wanted this to be the book for me.

However.. The pantry list is quite extensive, and a lot of the recipes (especially in the lunch/dinner section) calls for quite an amount of pre-prep. Minced meat and cooked rice/quinoa to mention just a few. A lot of those recipes just doesn't seem to be worth the bother of microwaving, rather than cook a full meal and then reheat the leftovers later. Mind you, there are quite a few interesting recipes in this book, I'm just not sure they're as easy to "whip up in a whim" as the book claims.

The breakfast section, however, is good enough.

A big drawback design wise: the pictures of empty, dirty mugs. And there are quite a few of them throughout the book..

All in all an OK book, but be aware that the five minutes called for to make a meal, is after all the pre-prep is done. Make the lunch/dinner recipes full size and reheat them instead. A lot of the recipes really do look delicious!

Time to "set up shop"!

 

I didn't hear about booklikes until today, and figured this might be a fun way to sort-of-blog. The thing is: I know that as soon as school starts after summer, time will fly. I used to read a lot. Then I grew up and became an "adult". That sometimes sucks.. All the things you have to do! So, this is me, trying to read more books than I have for the past ten years. Trying to take back my spare time.

 

I won't be producing reviews on a fast-track - going for "slow and steady"! :D I even signed up for NetGalley! At least I try..!;) 

The last installment in a series. That should offer some closure, right? This one didn't. Good thing you can jump right on to "the Cain Chronicles" then.

I won't give you the synopsis; that one you can read in a million other places. I will, however, give you a short review of this series as a whole (it's a pretty quick read).

Both the "Seasons of the Moon" and "the Cain Chronicles" 1-4 was devoured in a short period of time (three days to be exact), still I needed a nights sleep to fully digest it before reviewing.

I liked this series, I really did. Still I was uncertain as whether to give it three or four stars. I've plowed through the books in no time, so it's got a good drive, it's not that. It's Riley.

She still annoys me A LOT! I get that this is aimed at YA, and I'm not, but still Riley, and Riley alone, annoys me to death.
See past that, and you have an array of really interesting characters, vividly depicted environments and a great story line.

I was given a free copy of the book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

First of all I have to say I was surprised by how well written this book is. Normally there is a lot to pick on when it comes to "read and review"-books. This one? Not so much.

The characters are well developed, and the storyline itself is smooth and flowing. I really liked this book!

The authors way of describing the characters make you feel you really get to know them, and the book has a wide range of likeable characters, along side some not so likeable.

This book has it all: Interesting characters, a good story, romance. A definite "should read".

I received a free copy of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Avalon Redding, a fire mage in search of a purpose and identity.
The storyline itself spans from ok to good. The reader is provided with plenty of details to be able to participate in the world of Avalon and how she feels and sees the world around her (though I have to admit the main character herself is a bit too selfish and self centered for my liking).

When I first started reading the book, I found the writing style to be a little blunt and unrefined. This did get better through the book, and I sort of got used to it too. What saves the story are the vividly depicted descriptions of Avalon Reddings surroundings.

My major issue with this book is the spelling errors, which occurs quite often. Even I, who is by no means a native english speaker, found this really annoying.

I was given a free copy of the book by the author himself, in exchange for an honest review. And an honest review you’ll get! I landed on 3.5 stars, with the benefit of the doubt, rounding it up to 4.

This is a classical good vs. evil fantasy book with an abundance of magical creatures. Dragons, elves, vampires and knights in shining armor – you’ve got them all. Though I have to admit I found the presence of vampires a bit disturbing. Guess it’s because to me they’re more connected to the more “modern” fantasy stories.

There is a lot to be said about this book. First of all: the story itself is great, starting off with a brilliant, vividly depicted prologue that set my expectations really high. Unfortunately, except the description of She’Ma’Ryn, this is the only part of the book where I really felt the wow-factor kicking in.

The book is made up of short action-packed chapters starting off with a quote from various characters in the book (I really love the quotes). However: There’s a lot of action, and not much of anything else. Every opportunity of character/world building is skipped in favor of another fast-paced action-filled event. To me this book is more like a draft than a finished book. It has great potential, and I would love to see it re-written in the future (again), but this time doubling the number of pages with the character and world descriptions the author occasionally shows he’s capable of.

As of now there are too many logical flaws and gaps in the timeline that were close to driving me nuts while reading the book.

Like the time-issue. The way the book is written, you immediately get the impression of the events happening over a short period of time. And then, all of a sudden, Vartan is a master at casting spells (he didn’t even know how to use magic a couple of chapters back) due to his training with the dragons - which means some time must have past. And then, Andrielle kissing Dryden – where did that come from? Last but not least: Nymira, exhausted, and all of a sudden ending up dead with no explanation whatsoever? I could give you heaps of examples, but I guess you get the picture.

I feel bad for criticizing so harshly, because it is a good book. It’s just that it’s so easy to see the unexploited potential of what could have been one of the best classical fantasy books ever (and I’ve read my fair share)! Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, as long as you can live with the longing for what is not told. Will I read any sequels? Yes, definitely. This was (as far as I know) the author’s first book. And with this promising start, it’s bound to get better. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that this guy has the skills to write amazing books. Give him some time and experience (and the patience to not only write the action-scenes!) and he’ll probably rise and shine.:)