Scott - Book Invasion
See my video review on my YouTube channel!
This was one of my anticipated reads because I LOOOVED The Border Keeper novella so much.
The Star Eater has that flare of the engrossing and mysterious. Information and explanations are not fed to the reader, you learn and things are uncovered as you go through the motions in real-time. That's something I really enjoyed about this. The world has some pretty awesome and unique elements and the magic system flowing through this world was really cool. The Haunts and the origins of them.
This was a very enjoyable book written with a unique voice and texture. The story is told from the POV of a thief traveling through these (irish-esque) land and the dialog, the slang and the vulgarities all reflect that. Lot of ‘tosser' ‘slipper' and those kind of things. You'll learn a lot about the vulgarities of the land throughout the book and that kind of led to it's enjoyment. There were plenty of quips and jabs and lots of action and an interesting crew of characters. Throw in a witch and an assassin animal companion and you have quite the quest.
I found the style a little difficult to get into at first but fell into the rhythm and terminology of it all. It was definitely different than anything else i had read before and I really enjoyed it.
Full Video Review on my Booktube Channel: https://youtu.be/IHPgPebLiQk
This was a really emotional book for an AI story. I loved the way the moral dilemas were played through Pounce's perspective and I loved the idea of a 4 ft fluffy teddy bear with an AR-15 blasting away robots. It was quite interesting to see how these events lead up to Sea of Rust and it was a great idea to explore what would happen to some of the AI once the humans have been removed from the equation.
Full review video here- https://youtu.be/B6rmS7lzQeY
This was a strong debut scifi with some familiar tones of retribution, loss, and found families. However the unique elements of the world, travel, creatures, and the good/evil relationship weaved throughout make this a really interesting and engaging read.
I had received a free audiobook for review from LibroFM.
tldr
Great audio. really slow build, final chapters it really gets good. then it's over. more questions
Greenloop. A self-sustaining town located near Mt Rainier Washington. Off-grid living at it's finest.
We receive an account of this entire story through the journal entries of Kate, who seems to have been tasked the journaling from a therapist or a doctor. Her first hand account puts us in the (at some times scatterbrained) mind of a city girl getting her first hand experience at country living.
The first half of the book is mostly about learning about the town and the various side characters within it and i felt that it wasn't really necessary to go into that much length about the way the houses are wired or her husband becoming a handyman. It all felt a bit slow to start and we haven't even gotten into any accounts of the Sasquatch yet. So for the opening and the middle i was a bit bored.
Then the final third to a quarter of the book has the pieces that I've been waiting for, the confrontation, the defense, the primal instincts and brutality is where it all picked up, then then it was all over and more questions opened up.
What was with that shut-in family? and that weird old lady? Is it truly over?
These questions were asked in the epilogue by one of the voices we learn has ties to main characters, which I thought was pretty cool.
This book didn???t live up to the blurbed expectations for me. I felt as though the plot trigger in the story came way too late and by that time I was bored and skimming waiting for something meaningful to happen. Then When it did it was very abrupt and short. Then the cast of characters shifted and I wasn???t invested in this new group. I thought the main character was a decent ???Everyman??? and I do appreciate the final ???message??? of the strong, I just felt like I didn???t have a strong foundation and was being muddled around. Almost DNF but I stuck with it and enjoyed the final ???reveal??? as well.
This book felt a little lukewarm for me for the majority of following Mia's adventures through Germany. I had expected a little more sci-fi but i had heard this one focuses more on the characters. I suppose this was similarly the case with the Themis Files. This whole time we're following the Kipsu vs The Tracker which was the part of the story i enjoyed the most. Who were this ‘race' of people and where did they come from. Why are they here and what are they looking for. It was great to learn about the previous ‘iterations' that came before them.
Good story.
This story was absolutely fantastic. I loved the action right from the get-go, and the ‘sight' that had woven this fantasy elements into real-world events. The demons at play here were perfectly disturbing and gruesome. The touch of the flashbacks that give the weapon it's ‘power' added layers to the bit of magic at play. Although it played upon the chosen-one trope with Maryse, I was totally there for it. I also loved the ‘offer' at the end and the perspective of who held the ‘real' power.
I had listened to the audio and the narration by Channie Waites absolutely sold this. From the Georgia accents, singing in the shouts, to the screechy eerie voices from the ‘mouths', to the accent, sing songs, and Gullah speak of the ‘Aunties'. Bravo!
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/6aL0KfwJis4
Going into this book i didn't know what to expect. The title seemed as though it was poking fun at itself and perhaps the whole thing would be some bad take on impoverished folk playing D&D. But do not let the title fool you. It's not that at all.
This is an ‘rural-fantasy' about Magic, spirit realms, and a young queer man who is cast away and put into a psych ward by his small-town family for his magical ‘sight' abilities to see into the spirit realm . He then has to work on re-building those burned bridges with his family who he dropped contact with in order to save his sister-in-law at the request of his older brother. Along the was we follow Adam as he comes to terms with who he is personally as well as magically. Alternating his site on a whim between the real-world and the magical realms really played well to add intrigue to the world around him.
The story is a bit funny here and there just to keep you engages and warm up to the characters, it keeps the story feeling fresh and enjoyable. The writing really takes you places with the use of synesthesia where our Main Character associates colors to moods and smells to magical objects that really immerse you in the story.
There is quite a cast of characters that appear in this story including reapers, Manticors, Elves, and even Leprechauns. They were all done really well, each with their own emotions and motives that they play to.
All in all I feel that this is really a well-rounded and solid story that possibly suffers from a poor title. I would recommend that you check it out.
Such a hard hitting, raw, and devastating read. I was unnerved, cautious yet eager to see where the story goes. A great selection for #WomenInHorrorMonth!
Fav quote:
???There were people who hurt others thinking others would hurt them. And then there were people who hurt others knowing would t hurt them back. The world was all comprised of people just causing hurt.???
Much like descending into a dark and musty basement this story gets darker and more frightening as you progress. Descending into discoveries that just keep getting darker and darker and doesn???t let up. I was curious, then freaked out, then appalled, then angered, then scared for the characters life and my pulse quickened towards the culmination. Very well done with the atmosphere and the subtleties throughout.
This was an amazing and horrible horror book. Horrible in the best way that a horror book can be. It's actions are so egregious that you HAVE to find out what happens and the way that Bennett spins this tale and buid the suspense is masterful. 2 brothers purchase an old motel that their father used to run but after some renovations and some discoveries, visions, and sounds, and even secret doors start to unveil themselves.
This was a great story that keeps you guessing around every corner and doesn't let up on the pain inflicting onto the main character.
I felt that this does have many of the same steps as a horror haunting story yet the remote atmosphere and the small outskirts of lawless Texas put this in a setting familiar yet terrifying. Bennett's characters are real and their story seems real and authentic.
A powerful and wholly-entertaining debut! Fear, dread, monsters and death. A adrenaline driven post-apocalyptic journey though an unknown catastrophe that surrounds you with fear of the unknown. Jurassic-park meets Pitch Black. (and almost a ‘Terran vs Zerg' matchup in there for those who get the reference.)
I really loved the pacing and the alternating timelines and POVs and the way they intersected. The mystery of the characters as we dove in with little background. The fear of the outside world as well as the fear of the minds whom you cannot crack.
I was really taken for a grin at the ending and literally laughed and clapped at the ending as i applauded the author for the surprise, the ride, and the characters.
This would make a great film as the pace and action were constant and kept me coming back.
3 stars - see full video review here : https://youtu.be/WHA7M8yUd1A
While there were many flaws in this story i felt that the hunt was a bit too overdone and there was too much time spent on each topic. Plus it seemed as though the secondary characters pulled all the weight here and that made for a lousy experience.
I just wrapped up this audiobook and after a cringe fest (in a good way) of awful things I absolutely loved it! It played all the right keys of a brutal haunting/possession/nightmare story with a spotlight on what damage can happen to young minds when mistreated. This book pulled my heartstrings out of pity, all the while seeking retribution for later actions.
The teeth though. That makes me uneasy every time. Well done!
See full video review here - https://youtu.be/RRNldvJ0OMQ
I immesely enjoyed this audiobook for the action and humor and brutality of it all. I also enjoyed the scifi touch and the small town atmosphere. While taking place among high school students the humor is a bit crude and sophomoric which is true to the characters and I really enjoyed it.
