A book with more than 500 pages: Knight's Shadow

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

If you haven't read Traitor's Blade then piss off, don't read this! Go read that book then come back as I really won't want to spoil anything for you at all!

Now on with the review...

I adore the humour in these books. I'd completely forgotten how funny they are as it's nearly 18 months since I read the last one. It's brilliant and I am so happy it's there! Brasti is a huge source of it and he is a real babe. I have a massive soft spot for him. 

Falcio brings the turmoil to the novel once more. He is twisted and tortured inside, but you have to love him. He does the job, he has his morals and he has loyalty. Kest is so real, his turmoil is real and he is a very touching character. It's great to have them back and to get to know them even better.

I loved the story, I loved the style, the book just kept on giving and never lets you down. It's a perfect fantasy story and I am SO excited to read the next one!!! There are good old fashioned swords and arrows, not too much magic and not too much weirdness, so it's awesome. However, don't forget that there is real heartache and anguish in this book, as there was in the first one. While it is often tough, it really brings the book a sense of heart and that is magic in its own way.

Happy reading

BG

:-)

Review: Elizabeth is Missing

Publisher: Penguin

So, we get to our hotel room at The Betsy on Miami Beach and there is a little in room library. I am immediately drawn to this book and have to read it! 

The book is about Maud and her life and her friend Elizabeth who is missing it seems. The book is beautiful. You are in Maud's mind and basically experiencing an Alzheimer's stream of consciousness. It is amazing how the mind slips from remembering things of the past to forgetting everything in the present, how things link, etc. EH must have done a whack of research to present it in such a delicate yet convincing way.

Katy was a fantastic character also and I adored her. It was lovely how she interacted and dealt with Maud. It made the book as heart warming as it is heart breaking! 

The ending, I do have to say, was also very satisfying.

A very short review, I know, but I find it hard to express how this book made me feel, and how gorgeous I found it!

Read it!

BG

:-)

Review: The Rules of Wolfe

Publisher: No Exit Press

This, I am afraid will not be my most eloquent review as I'm once more writing from notes. I read this book on hols and I can tell you this, I couldn't put it down. I loved the style, I adored it. It was slightly tongue in cheek and the turn of phrase JCB has is right up my street! I thoroughly enjoyed that!

I loved the characters, I loved loved ones like Catalina, I loved to hate others, like the boss. They were all perfectly constructed and I could imagine them all in my head! Also, the fact that a lot was in Texas was brilliant as I love Texas and have spent lots of time there for work. I think that also contributed to my 100% enjoyment. 

It was a gripping page turner from start to finish as you get swept up in the plot and invest heavily in the characters. It was great to see the lines be drawn and erased over and over between things that are noble and moral and those that are down right wrong. You lose your sense of perspective on that as you read I feel. Also, you'll be freaked about how quickly people can adapt to the situations they find themselves in, no matter how shit. That was a brutal aspect of this book, but a real one at the same time.

A fantastic read and I can't wait for more Wolfe fun!

Happy Reading

BG

:-)

A book that was originally written in a different language: The Woman Who Fed The Dogs

Publisher: World Editions

So, this is indeed a translated book and I give it 9.9 out of 10. I've read some shockers in the past but I've not really read any that were better than this. I don't give it a 10 as there were one or two places that were a tad questionable.

Anyway, this is based on the story of a real woman who is in prison for being the accomplice of a murderer and rapist. In the book you never know if you feel sorry for Odette or not as you only see her point of view. In some ways I can't help but think that yes, she is one to feel sorry for, but in others you just can't comprehend how she let herself be taken in to it all! I was completely torn throughout. Also, her obsession with the mum murderer is rather upsetting. It makes O seem more capable of what she's done, more guilty, less manipulated.

M is obviously a hideous character. He is horrible, and I am glad the man he is based upon is in prison. But even though he is a monster, was O 100% manipulated?

I have another question for the book, was O's mum the reason she needed relationships with people who controlled and manipulated her. O's mum seems to be a monster in her own way.

I have BIG RESPECT for Gilles. MASSIVE respect. I do wonder if O's real son is actually like that and if so, you are very brave and I really do think you are worth a great deal.

The book is not one for people who can't take violence, sexual violence and graphic descriptions of such things. However, it is a very good read. I was gripped, horrified, enthralled, confused and completely wrenched from the inside. It really is hell of a book. It has also made me want to learn more about the real case, especially as the full story isn't there. It's tantalising.

Give it a go!

BG
:-/

A trilogy - The Pendulum Trilogy

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Hey all!

I'm back from holiday but I'm off on a work trip next week so I'm afraid things are still going to be a bit quiet. Also, for all you twitter bods, I'm pretty quiet on there too, and I'm sorry...some shizz is going on but I will pop in when I can!

Anyway, on with the review.

The Pendulum Trilogy.

When I got the books I had high hopes as they looked and sounded exactly like my kind of thing.

I've been reading them for AGES so please excuse the bullet pointed review. The first one was read last year!

The Pilgrims

- The sex scene made it take a VERY unexpected and dark turn. Up until that point I had thought it could be a YA and I had a bit of love for Eric.
- Other more fleeting bits of sex before this didn't seem all that real and were tame.
- Not 100% clear of the plot for a long while but I really wanted to know none the less.
- Was really struggling with this book to know if it was DARK AND TWISTY or light and fun!
- I enjoyed part 1 when I picked it up, but wasn't keen to read it when it was just hanging around closed.

Shadow
- The chapter style changed and this annoyed me.
- I still didn't get on with the writing style all that much.
- There was still no real plot!
- I was struggling even more to give two shits and even pick the damn thing up.
- I really didn't have any affinity to any character and the plot was well...plotless!
- This is a note "it has come to the point where my will to live diminishes with every page turn."

World's End
I finished World's End in the first few days of my holiday. I was reading it for ages before then, as I'm sad to say, I still didn't really get on with this trilogy. I will give it credit that the pace picked up from the slow plod of books 1 and 2 and there was more happening in a short space of time. However the plot seemed thin, dry and still pretty nonexistent.

I'm really sorry but I really didn't enjoy this trilogy. I made myself read it all for the 2015 challenge, but otherwise, I think I would have given up. Sorry everyone!

BG

:-(