Review: Arena

Arena by Holly Jennings
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was given a copy to review free by NetGalley


Given a chance to read this book I thought it would be interesting as it sounded, I was a bit hyped up for it as well, since it dealt with gamers and it being 'big' in the world. I wasn't happy with it, as it turns the world of gaming into what we see about rock stars being involved in drugs, sex, and fame.

The main character is Kali apart of a team where she's got a friend with benefits who OD's in her bed. The team and Kali have a hard time struggling through it and adjusting to their new team member. Kali takes an interest in him and realizes she's as badly addicted to everything as everyone else and with the new guy's help and Taoist bible as Kali calls it is able to break free from her addictions. The focus is more on the addictions and Kali's life verses what the game is about as it doesn't seem all that interesting.

The flow of it seems fine, but it feels like it was lacking something. Things were predictable within the writing and as it was more focus on the life outside the gaming world of the player, rather than the game it feels a bit misleading. It's a decent read but it was hard to stay connected and finish the book.

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Review: Mr. Thorne & the Witch

Mr. Thorne & the Witch by Diana Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First off I love the way Diana Green writes. It's full of energy and the characters seem real, like you could actually see some things happening. It's wonderful to see a writer who can bring so many characters to life that you love or hate. The flow of the book is good it doesn't feel out of place

Malcom is a sweet heart of a man, he has a heart of gold, he also is a strong individual. Which mixes well with Karene's personality. Karene is a kind, but she's also suspicious of people, and has a good judge of character. She knows Malcom is a kind person and wants to repay his kindness in some way. So when Malcom hires Karene to make fireworks she agrees. You can tell the two have feelings for each other even if it's just slowly happening. Karene has some things which she doesn't want to tell Malcom in order to keep him safe since she's running from a feud, can use magic and gets into a bit of trouble as well. She makes do with what she can and together they both work on overcoming everything.

For me personally it was hard to get through some of the book. I like fantasy but it felt a little too much romance for my taste. But, in that I think the book is great over all, everything flows together and with miss Green's description you can definitely see how things come together and imagine it in your head. It is a good book, with enough to keep an audience captive till the end.

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Review: Doctor Who: The American Adventures

Doctor Who: The American Adventures by Justin Richards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this from net Galley for an honest review.

I was excited to receive a chance to read a Doctor Who book as it's been a dry spell for anything of Doctor who for a while. The thought of being able to read the doctor's adventures in America? Through out our history was something I was definitely looking forward too. Justin Richards isn't a stranger to Doctor who as he captures the twelve doctor's character and explores certain times through out history as the Tardis get's a little cranky and flings the doctor about. There were times I could actually hear Capaldi's voice as the doctor talked! That was the most exciting thing for me because it sounded very much what the 12th would say verses one of the other doctors.

They are all different short stories and not all of them move at a good pace through. If you're expecting it to move fast pace or to be a little lengthy you're going to be disappointed. It's a small series of short stories, but it does show Capaldi's doctor in different light with the same characteristics that he has in the show. There are a few stories that to me took a bit to move through but once they got moving it was like watching it on TV. It was really fun to be reading it and seeing it and watching the doctor as your reading it.

Over all the book is great and does well to hold you over for a little bit. While waiting for the Christmas special.

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Review: Charlaine Harris' Grave Surprise

Charlaine Harris' Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

I've enjoyed reading the books involving Harper Connelly so when I got a chance to read the comic I was ecstatic! Having read the book it was based on didn't really influence my dislike or like for the story. I like that it is all in one book instead of broken up into parts, that way you can continue to read the story. This explains harper's gift of being able to sense the dead. It's pretty spot on to the original book which I loved.

With that being said you don't have to read the first book (comic book set) in the Harper Connelly series to know about Harper. It's explained in the story and gives enough background like your reading the first book of the series. The drawing's are crisp and lined well, it's not messy or blurry on the pages. The art work feels like it suits the character's instead of feeling out of place with it. Sometimes the art doesn't feel like it fits the characters but in this case it does. I love the visual aspect of Harper and Tolliver and how everything else is drawn.

The story still draws me in like I was reading it the first time. Harper Connelly can see how people were murdered, not who killed them but how they were killed and tries to bring some console to those who are willing to pay her for it. She's hired by this professor as he tries to prove she's a fraud and not the real thing. She proves him wrong but in doing that she ends up finding a body of one of her past cases that she never could find.

The mystery of how did the young girl end up from the two cities, and who really did kill her? Why did it happen?
Harper digs deeper to find out the reasoning behind the madness. There's some bumps along the way, an FBI agent who never got over the case, a phsycic who needs to talk to Harper because it's important, the angry one time lover of Tolliver; Harper's own feelings, and more people dead.

Once she figures it all out everything becomes clear, and she has to get to her brother before he ends up on the not living list too.

With the mystery solved and the Police taking the murder into custody it seems to have helped everybody heal. Harper and Toliver are seen leaving the city heading to their next job.

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Review: Miss Ridley & the Warlock

Miss Ridley & the Warlock by Diana Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this copy from the Author for a honest book review.

Set in 19th century London Miss Gemma Ridley (our heroine) is trying to escape a scandal surrounding what her father wrote in his personal journals. She's lost her job and is now going to try and be a governess for a squire Kenrick. Her first meeting with the squire puts her at unease but she decides to try and stick it out. Over a few days Gemma falls in love with the children and even encourages their behavior in exploring things and getting to know different animals. Edwina is the oldest child and likes to play pranks. She's seems to have the ability to talk/understand animals. Though Gemma has problems believing in magic due to how she was raised. Kenrick encourages his children as he is a warlock that works for a fae of the blue court even though it is not the most ideal situation.

Our Hero Kenrick loves his children very much, and enjoys Gemma's quirky humor and her company. Though he's been discourage from having relationship with her by his mother, and sister. They didn't want a scandal but Kenrick isn't a normal type of squire nor does he care for politics. As he wants someone who will love him and take care of his children as their own. He decides that he can finally move on from his wife and let's himself love Gemma.
(view spoiler)[
Our bad guy Lord Deven is a warlock using black magic that killed Kenrick's wife and cursed his children. The fae of the red court contacts Deven and convinces him to strike at Kenrick and the fae of the blue court. To do this he is sent back from the colonies to London and meets Gemma. She looks a lot like Caroline and he decides that Gemma will be used as his sacrifice to bring back Caroline. Kenrick and Deven end up fighting it out with Gemma slowly dying and Edwina comes saving the day with her magical abilities. (hide spoiler)]

The writing is well put together and flows wonderfully. It's never a bore just wanting to get to something else exciting. It's got the action and romance that keeps you reading to make sure everything turns out alright. I love most of the characters for the most part, except for the one lady trying to win Kenrick's heart. Even Lord Deven is written in such a way he's likable as a bad guy, his ways are twisted but it's written in such a way you can't help but to enjoy all of it. For this being a first book in the series I'm quite pleased over how well it is written and enjoyable all the characters are. This book get's 4 stars for

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Review: Dragon Wife

Dragon Wife by Diana Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pride and Stubbornness entangle

Orwenna is our heroine and the king's niece with a gift in magic. Now with humans the gift of Magic isn't welcomed and looked on as evil. She keeps her abilities hidden from other's so she isn't looked down upon. Huroth our hero is a dragon and chieftain of the dragons who lived in Dragonvale. He's awakened from his slumber and works on finding the rest of his clan and makes an alliance with Orwenna's uncle. During this alliance the two meet and a spark ignites within them both.

The book skips several years where the King needs to dragons to help protect his people. Orwenna goes after the Liaison in secret, as the job ends up falling onto her to bring the dragons to help the king. Loosing people and a dragon things become hard and a bit rocky for Orwenna as Huroth offers things to the king so he can ask Orwenna hand, but things get meshed and messages mixed up. After the mix up in messages Orwenna gets to go see Dragonvale and the two after some hardships get through everything to be together.


The book flows rather well, and you can envision some of the places that Green talks about. The writing paints a picture of how places are suppose to look and the emotions described into it shows you the character growth and understanding. Her characters feel real and not made up or just sketched onto a piece of paper. I really do like Orwenna she's got a fire in her; when she decides to go what she wants it makes you want to cheer for her and makes you happy. Though it's looked down on in that era, you can't help but to congratulate her. Huroth is a dragon and use to thinking as a 'dragon' or 'animal' rather than trying to deal with human emotions that confuse him. He learns the best way to earn Orwenna's trust is to be truthful and explain things to her. You watch the man/Dragon struggle with his pride and go through the steps trying to prove he cares for her and she isn't a breeding tool. It's rather fun to read and some parts felt longer than others. It was a good read over all and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Review: Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from net galley for an honest review.

Dark Triumph is the second book in his fair Assassin. I have to say this is my favorite book thus-fair. I didn't like Ismae's book, I had trouble finishing as it was just boring and making me dislike the character. But Sybella was a character that I was interested in the first book and her book didn't fail me. The first couple of chapters are slow but it does pick up as we get into her past and learn why she was such a wild child when we first met her.

There is romance between Sybella and the Beast, but we've learned that the beast isn't as horrible as his name sounds or as people think of him. He isn't the normal handsome guy but he is a kind person and tries to protect Sybella in many ways, yet lets her protect herself as well. He doesn't try to control her and he accepts Sybella for who and what she is.

The book flows rather well as long as you get past the couple of chapters. The character's have a great dynamic, and mesh well compared to what I felt for the first one.

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