If there is one thing that makes a great book even better, it is when
it has a cover that we love! The cover design is what catches the eye
as we browse through a bookstore shelf or check out the Amazon or
Goodreads recommendations. The right cover makes me look closer at a
book, to read the blurb and maybe make a purchase. A poor cover might
mean I never look at the blurb at all.
NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by
Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave
comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my
profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account.
This is my third and final part of my dinosaur and savage extinct beasts cover extravaganza!
I've been thinking about putting together a
book list for my upcoming summer reading to try and keep me motivated
from June until the end of August. The plan is to pick books for
challenges I'm doing so I can get ahead in those before we get into
autumn and winter, and to pick books from different genres so I don't
get fed up with reading and can switch between them as and when I feel
like it.
This list is not a set list of everything
I'm going to read. I prefer to think of it as a possibility list to give
me options in a lot of genres so I can pick by my mood. It doesn't
matter how many I get done as long as I keep reading through the summer!
The Alphabet Challenge
Two to go!
H-Hope's End (read)
X-X Variant
Y-Yuma
Series Catchup
I read The first three books earlier this year but want to catch up with the series this summer
1) Jaye Wells-Red Headed Stepchild (read)
2) Jaye Wells-The Mage in Black (read)
3) Jaye Wells-Violet Tendencies (read)
4) Jaye Wells-Green Eyed Demon (read)
5) Jaye Wells-Silver Tongued Devil
6) Jaye Wells-Blue Blooded Vamp
7) Jaye Wells-Rusted Veins
I read the first book in the trilogy earlier this year and want to finish it this summer.
1) JR Tate-Tornado Warning (read)
2) JR Tate-Drought Warning
3) JR Tate-Blizzard Warning
I read The First Days and Untold Tales vol 1 in 2015 but this is me just getting round to a series catchup. I want it finished this summer.
1) Rhiannon Frater-The First Days (read)
2) Rhiannon Frater-Deadly Night (read)
3) Rhiannon Frater-Untold Tales vol 1 (read)
4) Rhiannon Frater-Fighting To Survive (read)
5) Rhiannon Frater-A Very Fort Christmas (read)
6) Rhiannon Frater-Untold Tales vol 2 (read)
7) Rhiannon Frater-Siege
8) Rhiannon Frater-Untold Tales vol 3
Royal Challenge
These books take longer to read so I'll be pleased to get any of them done!
1) Kate Emerson-The Pleasure Palace
2) Diane Haeger-The Queen's Mistake
3) Laurien Gardner-Plain Jane
4) Margaret Campbell Barnes-My Lady of Cleves
Horror Thrills!
I want all these read if possible this summer, time allowing.
1) Ania Ahlborn-The Shuddering
2) Hunter Shea-The Montauk Monster
3) Jack Kilborn-Origin
4) Seth C Adams-If You Go Down To The Woods Today
5) Paul Mannering-Eat (read)
6) Clayton Dean Edwards-The Hollow Places (DNF)
SF/Dystopian
One good, one bad and two to go!
1) Rebecca Rode-Flicker
2) Jeff VanderMeer-Annihilation (read)
3) Alan David-Starfall Muta
4) PK Hawkins-Recon Marines (read)
Fantasy Fling!
I would like to have these read but are less of a priority.
1) Conn Iggulden-Darien
2) Seth Skorkowski-Damoren
3) Justin Somper-Allies & Assassins (read)
4) Donna Galanti-Joshua & The Lightning Road
Apocalypse Angst!
I read some bad apocalypse books this year so I hope some of these are better!
1) Norman Christof-Destination Lost (read)
2) Diana E Anderson-Premonitions 2
3) David Berardelli-And Darkness Fell
4) Andy Bennett-The Line
5) Jack Hunt-Days of Panic
6) Robert Boren-The Plan
Non Fiction
I should successfully finish this category.
1) Philipp von Boeselager-Valkyrie (read)
2) James Comey-A Higher Loyalty (read)
3) Nick Robinson-Election Notebook (read)
4) Norman Tebbit-Upwardly Mobile
Short Stories/Novellas
This gets a lot swept off the ereaders!
1) Logan Keys/Mike Kraus-The Long Fall (DNF)
2) EL Montclair-The Sky Grew Dark (read)
3) Brian McClellan-The Girl of Hrusch Avenue (read)
4) Nazri Noor-Penumbra
5) Patrick Kealan Burke-Sour Candy (read)
6) Ambrose Ibsen-The Lonesome Dead
7) Brian McClellan-Hope's End (read)
8) Catherine Glenn Holsclaw-Bigfoot
9) Jeff Strand-Facial (DNF)
10) Jon Athan-Butcher Road (read)
11) Brian McClellan-Green Eyed Vipers (read)
12) Brian McClellan-Murder at Kinnen Hotel (read)
13) Brian McClellan-The Face in the Window (read)
14) Brian McClellan-Ghosts of the Tristan Base (read)
Zombies!
I'm hoping the rest are either decent or quick DNFs...
1) M Van-Ash (read)
2) RL Blalock-Devour (DNF)
3) Lee Dunter-Crowded But Desolate
4) Jeff Favreau-Break Away
5) Linda Zimmermann-HVZA
6) Damon Hunter-Rot (DNF)
Dinosaurs!
A bit mixed so far but I want these read this summer.
1) Hugo Navikov-The Found World (read)
2) Michael Bray-The Island
3) Jonah Buck-Carrion Shadows
4) Rick Chesler-DMZ
5) Russ Watts-Jurassic Hell
6) Jason Rubis-Terror Birds (DNF)
Sharks!
It's not summer without sharks...
1) Chris Jameson-Shark Beach
2) SJ Larsson-Megalodon Apex Predator (read)
3) John Lee Schneider-White Pointer (read)
4) Alan Spencer-Space Sharks
5) Tim Waggoner-Blood Island (read)
6) Charles Pero-Waxing Deadly
Prince Anders, the ruler
of Archenfield, has been murdered, leaving his younger brother, Jared,
to ascend the throne. Sixteen-year-old Jared feels unprepared to rule
the kingdom and its powerful and dangerous court, yet he knows he can
rely on the twelve officers of the court to advise him. He also knows he
can just as easily be at their mercy-especially when it appears that
one of them may be responsible for his brother's death. Unable to trust
anyone, Jared takes it upon himself to hunt down his brother's
killer-but the killer may be hunting him, as well. Murder, betrayal, and
intrigue abound in Justin Somper's thrilling YA series debut. Exploring
the political machinations of the medieval court and the lives that
hang in the balance, Allies & Assassins is a gripping tale of a teen torn between duty and revenge.
My Review:
The sudden murder of Prince Anders after two years of peace has left the kingdom in chaos. Sixteen year old Prince Jared has never felt ready to be the heir, foever in his brother's shadow and not as good at anything his brother excelled at. Fear of failure as the new Prince is bad enough but he fears that the assassin might want to target him too. He is unsure who to trust and as the investigation continues, more suspects come into the frame. Is the assassin an enemy from a neighbouring kingdom who wants to restart the war? Is it one of the trusted Twelve who are there to assist the Prince in ruling the Kingdom? Is it a servant with free reign to roam the castle? Is it am ambitious family member who wants the Throne. With only one ally, Jared must find the truth quickly.
I picked this book up in a charity shop over a year ago and bought it on impulse despite not being that interested in fantasy as a genre, at least compared to my favourite genres. I was actually surprised to enjoy it more than I expected. The plot is a bit of a murder mystery with a bit of backstabbing and betraying going on, an investigation into the people at Court, as well as looking at the life and secrets of Prince Anders. I found it interesting and entertaining, and it did keep me wanting to find out who the murderer was and why.
Prince Jared is a good MC, easy to like and have sympathy for. He has never wanted to be the heir to his older brother as he never had the same interests ie hunting, and has no idea of how to be a ruler. He knows he has to pick the right person to be his heir in case something happens to him as well but it is hard when he doesn't know who to trust. He finds unexpected help in the form of Asta, the apprentice to Elias the medical man. Asta is struggling to prove that she is capable of doing her job, questioning her mentor about things she thinks he has missed and is unwilling to investigate. Elias is happy to just do the autopsy and let others piece together the investigation but when Asta thinks an innocent man is being blamed, she decides to speak to Prince Jared about her fears.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. There was the ambitious mother of the Prince, Elin, who is determined that things are going to be the way she wants things. She is somewhat ruthless and wants to make decisions for Jared who is too intimidated to argue. There is the wonderfully ambitious cousin Axel, who was already plotting against Prince Anders and is desperate to be chosen as the heir to gain power for his side of the family. There is the distraught Silva, widow of Anders who is realising that despite being pregnant, her husband was having an affair with someone else. I liked the mysterious falconer Nova and her gorgeous birds, Logan the Poet who organises so much for the Prince and Kai. Actually I liked pretty much all the characters and the way they were written. There was enough development there for me to get to know the characters and enjoy the story.
There is also a lot going on in the plot that the reader can try to work out. Is the murder political and personal? Who did it and did someone else plan it? Has somebody close to the Prince betrayed him? Who was Prince Anders having an affair with and was that connected to his murder? Is one of the Twelve involved in the murder plot? Was Silva the real target of the assassin to kill her baby? Was the second death accident, suicide or murder? I was thinking about what was going on in the plot the whole time and trying to decide who was the killer and which woman had the affair with the Prince. That was fun! I certainly did have a few ideas about what was happening and was right about the affair but wrong about everything else! I liked the subtle twists as the plot went on and the incidents that followed the original murder.
The story was good enough for me to want to read the next book and I was ready to do that. Then I found out that the author was only contracted by the publisher to write two books and that he supposedly finished the second book with a cliffhanger. Why would the author do that? If you are contracted to do two books only, you MUST finish the story in two books or you are cheating the fans! A lot of fans of the series said that it all seemed set up for a third book that was never going to happen, leaving an unfinished series. I'll be honest that this has really put me off reading the second book in the series and it is so frustrating! I wanted to see more of this world but it seems I'll never read the whole stort. Bummer!
Read June 2019
3/3.5 stars.
Welcome to my feature Chuckles Weekend
Roundup where I will be looking at what books I've received, anything
interesting I've done or bought or watched and other random stuff. I'll
be taking a look back at what happened in my blogging world too, sort of
like The Sunday Post that some of you do!
Please note that I'll be visiting your
STS/SP as normal, but I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by
Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave
comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my
profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I am the only one who does that
on my social media! I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sometimes,
I have problems leaving messages on blogs hosted by
Wordpress-they try to block me because I deleted my account with them but I will persevere as it only happens the odd time!
****************
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to
feature some of those neglected
books sitting on your bookshelf. You might
be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. Go to
Carole's blog and add your blog post link in to join in the fun! Hosted
by Carole at https://carolesrandomlife.blogspot.co.uk/
This seems
like a fun feature and I have been planning to take part since Carole
launched this so at last, here we go! I have a TON of unread books to
choose from in various genres and I'm looking forward to sharing some of
them with everybody.
When Chile’s San José
mine collapsed outside of Copiapó in August, 2010, it trapped 33 miners
beneath thousands of feet of rock for a record-breaking 69 days. And
across the globe, we sat riveted to television and computer screens
while journalists flocked to the Atacama Desert. While we saw what
transpired above ground during the grueling and protracted rescue, the
story of the miners’ lives buried below the earth’s surface - and the
lives that led them there - hasn’t been heard until now.
In Deep Down Dark,
this master work of a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Héctor Tobar
gains exclusive access to the miners and their stories. The result is a
miraculous and emotionally textured account of the 33 men who came to
think of the San José mine as a kind of coffin, as a “cave” inflicting
constant and thundering aural torment, and as a church where they sought
redemption through prayer, while the world watched from above. It
offers an understanding of the families and personal histories that
brought “los 33” to the mine, and the mystical and spiritual elements
that surrounded working at such a dangerous place.
I was one of the TV viewers who was glued to my screen for days as the crisis unfolded and the rescue was prepared. It was pretty emotional watching the men all safely leave that mine as sadly, men in that situation quite often die before rescue. As soon as I heard about the book, I had to go and find it. I have had this since October 2017 and I also have the film 33 which I really need to watch.
