tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9544652793903459372024-03-13T22:22:14.496+00:00Scarlet's WebBook reviews for all things Fantasy, Ghost Stories, Horror, Paranormal, Suspense, Thriller and Dark FictionScarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-81022337841923399162017-08-13T17:28:00.001+01:002017-08-13T17:31:19.974+01:00Review: Bone White by Ronald Malfi<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<br />Bone White by Ronald Malfi <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /> <br />
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I would like to thank Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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There was a lot to love about Bone White but I found myself losing interest somewhere along the line. It started off great and I was thoroughly enjoying it but it slowed down nearer the middle and I wasn't as invested in the story as I had been up to that point. It's not that I was bored, I think the suspense was overshadowed by the main characters initial lack of direction once he reached the town of Dreads Hand and the repetitive way that every person in town seemed to treat him. The build up stagnates and meanders along for too long and although it does pick up again the dread and suspense never recovers enough for the ending to be as satisfactory as it should have been.<br />
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That being said, the writing was great and the descriptions of the surroundings were vivid and easily pictured in the mind's eye. The atmosphere really drew me in and the feeling of the cold and isolation of the forest came across well. It's just a shame that the middle section of the story didn't work for me.<br />
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<br /> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-40101295886250172882017-08-02T19:58:00.001+01:002017-08-02T20:03:46.772+01:00Review: Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4E80XEsYw4/WYIhhwZqzkI/AAAAAAAABOI/8yeugsre8ow99DeXciY7G7LHQZ-iAH77wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/31117620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4E80XEsYw4/WYIhhwZqzkI/AAAAAAAABOI/8yeugsre8ow99DeXciY7G7LHQZ-iAH77wCK4BGAYYCw/s200/31117620.jpg" width="128" /></a><br />
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Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed<br />
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<b>My rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_h.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank Headline for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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Gather The Daughters was a middle of the road read for me. The premise was interesting but it never quite reached its full potential. It didn't have the impact that it should have considering the subject matter. I wanted it to get under my skin but instead, I found it to be predictable and I was left rather disappointed.<br />
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The characters came across as carbon copies of each other. There is quite a large cast of young girls in the book and there was only one who stood out from all the others. Things did pick up character wise a little later on in the book but by then it was too late.<br />
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All in all, it was ok. I'm not sure I would recommend it though.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br />
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<br />Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-5990408158727414412017-07-20T15:56:00.001+01:002017-07-20T15:59:50.568+01:00Review: The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank HarperCollins UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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I have yet to pick up one of Karin Slaughter's books and be disappointed. The Good Daughter had me completely engrossed from start to end. There are so many fascinating layers to the plot, there's always something going on and the pages couldn't turn fast enough. Every time I thought I had all the information, another layer was revealed and it got better and better with every page turn.<br />
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The characters were complex and well developed, they were living, breathing, real people and I was right there with them throughout. I shared their pain, their fear, their anger, and their sadness. I can honestly say that I loved everything about this one.<br />
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Definitely one I would recommend.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br />
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<br />Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-14398057445271261782017-07-14T14:29:00.001+01:002017-07-14T14:32:22.916+01:00Review: Two Nights by Kathy Reichs<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Two Nights by Kathy Reichs<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I've been a fan of Kathy Reichs for years and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Temperance Brennan series so I was looking forward to Two Nights. Even more so when I learned that it was a stand alone, but I have to say, I was a bit disappointed.<br />
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I didn't particularly enjoy it, it held my attention enough that I finished it but I couldn't connect with the main character, or any of the other characters. They didn't feel real, they were just names on the page and not very likeable at all. The only thing that kept me reading was the plot. I wanted to know how it played out, but even then it was more out of curiosity than need.<br />
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Not one I would recommend.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-92168059822156439602017-07-10T19:44:00.001+01:002017-07-10T19:48:04.359+01:00Review: Savage Jungle by Hunter Shea<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Savage Jungle by Hunter Shea <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_h.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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Natalie and Austin McQueen set off on another adventure following on from their revenge on good ole Nessie. Like <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/review-loch-ness-revenge-by-hunter-shea.html" target="_blank">Loch Ness Revenge</a> it's one that's not to be taken too seriously and just enjoyed for what it is. It's a fast, fun, and easy read. It's every bit as enjoyable, humorous, fast paced, and as cheesy as the previous instalment, with lots of madness, creatures, action and adventure.<br />
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Well worth a read.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br /> You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> </div>
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-87490877995043444852017-07-08T16:25:00.001+01:002017-07-08T16:32:32.443+01:00Review: Kindred by Octavia Butler<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Kindred by Octavia Butler<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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As part of the <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page_18.html">TBR Canine Jar Challenge</a>, Kindred was chosen by Enya. Kindred is her third pick from the jar this year, her previous picks being <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/review-exorcist-by-william-peter-blatty.html">The Exorcist</a> and <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/review-middlesex-by-jeffrey-eugenides.html">Middlesex</a>. </div>
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I went into this expecting it to blow my socks off as I've seen many people raving about it, but that's not what happened. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, it was engaging, the plot was great, and I flew through it in no time, but it wasn't what I was expecting.<br />
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The writing was simplistic and easily readable. It didn't require much concentration or dedication to get through and I wasn't expecting that. I don't know if I am disappointed because my expectations were too high, or because the author approached the important topics of race relations and slavery using such simplistic language and writing style.<br />
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I went into it with something more complex in mind, a deeper hard to read story and message, but I feel it was overly simplified and somewhat dumbed down in order to entertain or make it a lighter read. I highly doubt it was used as a plot device for entertainment purposes, but at times it felt that way. Perhaps it's a victim of its time, had it been written more recently this wouldn't have been the case as today's readers are more open to the truth of the brutality and realism of slavery.<br />
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The above makes it sound like I didn't enjoy it, I did and I'm keen to read more by Octavia Butler, but I'm left with questions. The time travel just happens, there's no explanation given for Dana being pulled back in time. How was Rufus able to pull Dana back to his time? What effect did her interactions with her past relatives have on her present timeline, family, and bloodline?<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br /> You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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One for the DNF pile. I can't get into it at all, every time I pick it up I find myself becoming bored and I have to try and force myself to keep reading in the hope that it will improve.<br />
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I just don't care for the characters. There's nothing likeable about them in the slightest and I honestly couldn't care less what happens to them or where their stories are heading. I'm not a fan of the writing style either. Definitely not a book for me.<br />
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It's taken me 5 days to read 26%, time to admit defeat.</div>
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a>
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-79703090074650089652017-06-22T15:32:00.001+01:002017-06-22T15:35:27.585+01:00Review: Gork, the Teenage Dragon: A novel by Gabe Hudson<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Gork, the Teenage Dragon: A novel by Gabe Hudson <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_h.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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This is a DNF for me. I'm not a fan of the writing style, it's rather juvenile and reads like someone's high school English homework. The humour wears off very quickly, there are only so many times "my scaly green ass" can be found humorous or used as a descriptor. There was so much repetition throughout the book that it started to get on my nerves. At times it felt like every other sentence started with "Now, ..."<br />
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Not a book I would recommend.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> </div>
<br /> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-78153592508202923032017-06-16T14:25:00.001+01:002017-06-16T14:30:53.041+01:00Review: A Life Removed by Jason Parent<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UapLaYfZKA/WUPchchMPlI/AAAAAAAABL4/8r1L5m3NPTwgIEcGWoVNGLIr6WR8vUzVgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/35123131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UapLaYfZKA/WUPchchMPlI/AAAAAAAABL4/8r1L5m3NPTwgIEcGWoVNGLIr6WR8vUzVgCK4BGAYYCw/s200/35123131.jpg" width="125" /></a><br /> <br />
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A Life Removed by Jason Parent <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #666666;">Detectives Bruce Marklin and Jocelyn Beaudette have put plenty of criminals behind bars. But a new terror is stalking their city. The killer’s violent crimes are ritualistic but seemingly indiscriminate. As the death toll rises, the detectives must track a murderer without motive. The next kill could be anyone… maybe even one of their own.<br /><br />Officer Aaron Pimental sees no hope for himself or humanity. His girlfriend is pulling away, and his best friend has found religion. When Aaron is thrust into the heart of the investigation, he must choose who he will become, the hero or the villain.<br /><br />If Aaron doesn’t decide soon, the choice will be made for him. </span></blockquote>
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Yet another excellent book from Jason Parent. This was a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was engrossed from start to finish and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The characters are well written and fully fleshed out and there are plenty of twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. The descriptions were vivid and at times had me cringing but I couldn't look away from the page.<br />
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A Life Removed has a wee bit of everything that I enjoy: crime, thriller, police procedural, action, and horror, and there is plenty of each to please every reader. It never ceases to amaze me how well Jason Parent can meld different genres together and produce something that is a lot of fun to read rather than a hot mess.<br />
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The only mistake was mine... I picked it up late at night and ended up awake into the wee small hours because I kept having to read just one more page...<br />
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Definitely one I would recommend.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-10556470097298159222017-06-15T04:52:00.002+01:002017-06-15T04:58:22.951+01:00Guest Post: Genre-Splicing and Why I Do It by Jason Parent<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oT6u5xjiQd4/WUICsXW5NFI/AAAAAAAABLo/vPQCA8U1ezsW7CBbQlWC39rFVM12NKTWQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/35123131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oT6u5xjiQd4/WUICsXW5NFI/AAAAAAAABLo/vPQCA8U1ezsW7CBbQlWC39rFVM12NKTWQCK4BGAYYCw/s200/35123131.jpg" width="125" /></a>Today I'm delighted to bring you a guest post by the wonderful, the weird - you'll understand once you've read his post, the one and the only Jason Parent. This is one stop of many to promote the release of his new book <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Removed-Jason-Parent-ebook/dp/B071HJZV33" target="_blank">A Life Removed</a> <span style="color: #666666;">(<i>and his promotion to the front seat of the special bus, but shhh lets keep that just between us ;)</i> )</span> I'll be posting a review for A Life Removed tomorrow so be sure to keep an eye out for that.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GAgp1HejZck/WUIBpZam3OI/AAAAAAAABLg/FRUy_4nKjfAcfjcOqpj_o6wSnvghx-ArACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/jason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GAgp1HejZck/WUIBpZam3OI/AAAAAAAABLg/FRUy_4nKjfAcfjcOqpj_o6wSnvghx-ArACK4BGAYYCw/s200/jason.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Genre-Splicing and Why I Do It</b></span><br />
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Have you ever seen the movie <i>Splice</i>, starring Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley, where two scientists create a new lifeform through gene splicing? The fast-aging “girl” embodies the most resilient genes of the animal kingdom while retaining a somewhat humanoid form.<br />
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When I write, that’s what I want to create. No, not some gender-swapping (spoiler alert… oh, too late. Well you should have seen the movie eight years ago) abomination, but a mixture of all the most resilient features of the best genres: political satire, anamorphic romance, and robots who calculate and drink tea.<br />
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Actually, more like alcoholic shapeshifting cyborgs who attempt to save the world from a megalomaniac American president (yeah, like we’d ever have one of those) hell-bent on making Russian telepathic huskies birth litters of highly intelligent and genitalia-enhanced (or genetically enhanced, tomayto, tomahto) cyber-doodles to spread plague-infused feces across the planet… while a mysterious figure lurks in the shadows… who sometimes calculates and drinks tea. So, yeah, kind of like the movie, <i>Splice</i>.<br />
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Adrian Brody’s nose is genetically enhanced. I wonder if… never mind…<br />
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I had a point.<br />
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I think.<br />
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Oh yeah, genre splicing. Horror authors often claim their tales to be studies of the human condition as everyone experiences fear, there’s inspiration in overcoming it, or some other horseshit while peddling their Eyeball Worms Versus Mutant Sheep Colons Versus the Zombie Apocalypse novel (which I will be releasing next month). But don’t all genres reflect some aspect of the human condition? And don’t we secretly want a little love, mystery, drama, suspense, thrills, and maybe even humor mixed in with our kill, kill, kill, mutilate, cannibalize, kill, have a siesta, kill, rape dead thing, kill (which I will be releasing the month after next)?<br />
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I know growing up in the eighties, I waited patiently for that love scene I could expect from every R-rated horror film of the time, the one that made me all tingly in my underpants and by which I define true love even to this day. If that’s not true love in all its beauty, I don’t know what is. Frankly, I don’t know how Jason Voorhees had the heart to interrupt such lovers’ bliss on more occasions than my own quivering hand—<i>heart</i>, I said h<i>eart</i>—could endure.<br />
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What do you mean that’s not true love? Tom<i>ay</i>to, tom<i>ah</i>to, my friend. Pot<i>ay</i>to, pot<i>ah</i>to. Nellie Furt<i>ay</i>do. I’m calling her that from now on until someone gets annoyed enough to tell me to stop.<br />
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My point is (see I told you I have a point) is that you could eat hotdogs all day, every day (haggis for you Scarlet compatriots, except I don’t think anyone could really eat that crap once, never mind daily… as if hotdogs were any better), but eventually, you’ll crave wieners even less than the kind women seem to so often see in their inboxes. (I am saddened that no one has ever sent me a dick pic – I had to literally look up Brett Favre’s beansprout. Like really? No one felt I was good enough to see Brett Favre’s penis? But I digress… again). <br />
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Me? I like a buffet. So give me my horror with some sci-fi, some mystery, some thrills, and even some laughs, but timing is everything. Just as I don’t want to mix my cheesecake with my salad (ha, like I eat salad), I don’t want a love story to break out right when the president’s hot dog is being ground into haggis by a mysterious figure drinking tea, unless it’s meant to be funny. Then, I’ll roll with it.<br />
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But with a hotdog in that roll, not haggis.<br />
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<i><b>PS</b> - Don't listen to him, a wee bit o haggis beats a hotdog anyday! </i><br />
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<br />Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-27052318393239961562017-06-11T04:31:00.001+01:002017-06-11T04:34:44.916+01:00Review: Just Add Water by Hunter Shea<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOn26qib098/WTy58cUmlkI/AAAAAAAABLQ/AAfNfOpCblUWzmJ1DUnhMCwh8HwKsUFjACK4B/s1600/34440426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cOn26qib098/WTy58cUmlkI/AAAAAAAABLQ/AAfNfOpCblUWzmJ1DUnhMCwh8HwKsUFjACK4B/s200/34440426.jpg" width="123" /></a><br /> <br />
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Just Add Water by Hunter Shea<br /><br />
<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_h.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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Just Add Water was a lot of fun. Pure unadulterated trashy 80s horror kind of fun. It's packed full of blood, gore, and dark humour and was a blast to read. It's not a book to be taken seriously, but one where you have to just have fun with it and enjoy for what it is.<br />
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That being said, I was tearing through the pages and thoroughly enjoying myself and then all of a sudden was completely pulled out of the story. I initially thought it may have been a case of me reading too fast because I was having so much fun, but on re-reading it I discovered quite a silly inconsistency that should have been easily caught during editing. Up until that point, I had been having a riot and loving the ridiculousness and the chaos but I had been reminded I was reading and my immersion faded.<br />
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I did still enjoy the book a lot, it's just a shame that something that should have been easily caught and fixed during editing ruined the flow and immersion so early on.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br /> You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1570041/review-just-add-water-by-hunter-shea"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-81935005956506131972017-06-10T16:03:00.001+01:002017-06-10T16:07:59.144+01:00Review: You Will Grow into Them by Malcolm Devlin<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CTMuqyziW4/WTwKnruUUBI/AAAAAAAABLE/sUVByc_otbARBwt8iHk0gMBT3nlYNS14QCK4B/s1600/34262259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CTMuqyziW4/WTwKnruUUBI/AAAAAAAABLE/sUVByc_otbARBwt8iHk0gMBT3nlYNS14QCK4B/s200/34262259.jpg" width="131" /></a><br /> <br />
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You Will Grow into Them by Malcolm Devlin <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /> <br />
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I would like to thank Unsung Stories for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>The world is a far stranger place than we give it credit for. There, in the things we think familiar, safe, are certain aspects. Our fears and </i>desires given<i> form. Moments that defy explanation. Shadows in our home.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>In Malcolm Devlin’s debut collection, change is the only constant. Across ten stories he tackles the unease of transformation, growth and change in a world where horror seeps from the everyday. Childhood anxieties manifest as debased and degraded doppelgängers, fungal blooms are harvested from the backs of dancers and London lycanthropes become the new social pariahs. The demons we carry inside us are very real indeed, but You Will Grow Into Them.</i></span></div>
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'You Will Grow into Them' is a solid selection of short stories. The stories are varied and different and have a dark unsettling undercurrent. The author's writing style is engaging and draws the reader in, he manages to give the reader just enough information to get the story across while at the same time leaving room for the reader's imagination. This allows the reader to fill in the gaps and to embrace the strangeness and fantastical and let their imagination run with it.<br />
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While I didn't find them to be scary, I did enjoy the strangeness and unsettling feel of them. They made me think, had me reading between the lines and contemplating the effect and affect, and the reasoning behind what was taking place. I can't say I was a fan of every story in the collection, some stood out more than others. My two favourites in the collection were 'Her First Harvest' and 'We All Need Somewhere to Hide'.<br />
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As a whole, I would say that 'You Will Grow into Them' is a 4 star read. I did, however, rate each story individually as I read through the collection and you can find those ratings below:<br />
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1 - Passion Play - 3 stars.<br />
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2 - Two Brothers - 3 stars.<br />
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3 - Breadcrumbs - 4 stars.<br />
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4 - Her First Harvest - 4.5 stars.<br />
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5 - We All Need Somewhere to Hide - 5 stars.<br />
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6 - Dogsbody - 3.5 stars.<br />
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7 - Songs Like They Used to Play - 2 stars.<br />
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8 - The Last Meal He Ate Before She Killed Him - 2 stars.<br />
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9 - The Bridge - 3 stars.<br />
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10 The End of Hope Street - 4 stars.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-35244821572982159052017-06-02T16:05:00.000+01:002017-06-02T16:10:25.245+01:00Review: The Wicked by James Newman<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDm8zV0EM38/WTF_I4xWzYI/AAAAAAAABK0/_NzWawu7opE-HeJWxHWprL1cM_z_uvJ9wCK4B/s1600/13648494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CDm8zV0EM38/WTF_I4xWzYI/AAAAAAAABK0/_NzWawu7opE-HeJWxHWprL1cM_z_uvJ9wCK4B/s200/13648494.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
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The Wicked by James Newman <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I received a free copy of The Wicked via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.<br />
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Well, that was a lot of fun. The Wicked is everything that I loved about the good old fashion trashy horror novels of the 80's. It's a bit of a car crash. It's cheesy, it's gruesome, it's fast paced, it's your stereotypical good vs evil horror, but that's why it's so good. It's a roller-coaster ride that blasts through the doors of every ghost train and haunted house in the park without allowing you to catch your breath in between. There's no fancy prose, no heavy wordy detail, no pages and pages of world building or character building. It's straight up horror, no bells or whistles and I had a blast reading it.<br />
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Definitely one I would recommend.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1567944/review-the-wicked-by-james-newman"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-33221259648225339372017-06-01T19:20:00.001+01:002017-06-01T19:24:24.745+01:00Review: The Night Brother by Rosie Garland<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w_qJMgXy4Co/WTBbVhK1xCI/AAAAAAAABKk/cwgXLaAnx6ENJ6NEBM-R2hjwjlI4jrGngCK4B/s1600/33153571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w_qJMgXy4Co/WTBbVhK1xCI/AAAAAAAABKk/cwgXLaAnx6ENJ6NEBM-R2hjwjlI4jrGngCK4B/s200/33153571.jpg" width="137" /></a><br /> <br />
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The Night Brother by Rosie Garland<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank HarperCollins UK for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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The Night Brother is a unique and unusual read and is unlike anything that I've read before. It's also a book that is hard to discuss without spoilers so this review will be rather brief and to the point.<br />
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At its heart, The Night Brother is a historical fiction novel but it also has a touch of magical realism and fantasy. It explores both gender identity and fluidity, and sibling rivalry. The plot was original and unique and the writing style appealing, but the overall concept wasn't clearly explained in the end.<br />
<br />I did enjoy it, the authors writing was engaging, it was a pleasure to read and it easily held my attention, but I am left with lots of questions. For example: Why was this happening to Edie and Gnome? Is it a curse placed on them and their family? Who placed it, when and for what reason? If it wasn't a curse then what was it? Was it medical? Psychological? There's was no clear explanation given. Had there been then this would probably have been a 4 star read for me but the lack of explanation knocks it down to 3 stars.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1567712/review-the-night-brother-by-rosie-garland"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-87776725281251478602017-05-26T21:01:00.001+01:002017-06-05T16:47:19.239+01:00<div>
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So much for getting peace to sit in the sun with my book. There's no escaping this trio.</div>
<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1565766/post"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-79830902310132377702017-05-25T19:58:00.001+01:002017-05-25T20:03:29.723+01:00Review: The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis<br /><br />
<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /> <br />
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I would like to thank Egmont Publishing for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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I somehow managed to miss this author's books as they were originally released many years before my own children were of age to read them. Last year I happened across his newer series, The Witching Legacy and have since read both books <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/review-power-of-dark-by-robin-jarvis.html" target="_blank" title="The Power of Dark by Robin Jarvis ">one</a> and <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/review-devils-paintbox-by-robin-jarvis.html" target="_blank" title="The Devil's Paintbox by Robin Jarvis ">two</a> and loved them. So when I saw this one I was eager to delve into it, especially as it's set in Whitby like the newer books.<br />
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The Whitby Witches was a lot of fun. It was full of adventure, imagination, and danger. I was completely swept along with the characters and their story. The writing was easy to read and the world was vividly described. It was wonderfully dark and atmospheric and a lot of fun all round. Everything was so easily pictured in my mind as I read. It was like being a child all over again, reliving that wonderful sense of adventure, danger and anticipation.<br />
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The only negative aspect, and it's not something that's particular to this story alone but something that seems to be a trend across many children's stories and books and something I'm more aware of now as a mother, is the fact that the majority of villains or bad guys in children's stories always seem to have some kind of disfigurement or disability. They are always "ugly" scarred or disfigured in some way. Why are we portraying this kind of message to our children? How a person looks doesn't portray whether they are good or bad. Beauty is only skin deep, the outside does not reflect who a person is on the inside. "Monsters" can look just like everyone else and just because someone isn't what most would class as "normal" it doesn't make them the bad guy to be feared. Perhaps that is too scary of a concept in truth for children but it's reality. Anyway, I realise this is a more general comment and not something particular to this book alone but it's something that I found myself contemplating after finishing this one so I wanted to comment on it.<br />
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All in all, The Whitby Witches was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm going to have to get my hands on the rest of the series now.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1565541/review-the-whitby-witches-by-robin-jarvis"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-49162193242752646072017-05-11T23:45:00.001+01:002017-05-11T23:53:51.073+01:00Review: Dark Asylum by E. S. Thomson<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Dark Asylum by E. S. Thomson<br /><br />
<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank Little Brown Books and Constable for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.</div>
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For a good few years I have avoided historical fiction, it's a genre that I used to read a lot of but found myself losing interest in. There was plenty of it out there but I just wasn't feeling it - they were all starting to run into each other, none stood out and I felt that they all read much the same. That is, until I came across E.S. Thomson's debut novel <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/review-beloved-poison-by-es-thomson.html" target="_blank">Beloved Poison</a> and was blown away by how fantastic the book was. So fantastic, in fact, that it was my top read of 2016 and I have been recommending it to everyone ever since.</div>
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I was like a child on Christmas morning when Dark Asylum landed on my doorstep, but I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first because I was scared it wouldn't live up to the first book. I needn't have worried, I loved it every bit as much as Beloved Poison.</div>
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It was such a joy to be with Jem and Will again and to be back on the streets of Victorian London. The sights, the sounds, the streets, the smells, the mood, the atmosphere, all so vivid that I was transported easily to another time and place. Like with Beloved Poison, the world around me ceased to exist while this book was in my hands.</div>
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The author's knowledge of medicine and of the time period is clear to see in the historical detail within the story. It's also clear that she enjoys what she does and has put a lot of love and dedication into the book.</div>
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And can I just point out that cover! This is one of the rare occasions where you can safely judge a book by its gorgeous cover and know that the story inside is every bit as amazing.</div>
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E.S. Thomson has made me fall in love with historical fiction all over again.</div>
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Highly recommended. One of my favourite reads of 2017 so far!</div>
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a><br />
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-25576652013701918232017-05-07T19:03:00.000+01:002017-05-07T19:08:15.897+01:00Review: Beautiful Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<br />Beautiful Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I received a copy of Beautiful Sorrow through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.<br />
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I don't often read short story collections and when I do I tend to read them one story at a time in-between reading other books, but in this case, I was so captivated by the individual stories that I read them one after the other. They were all enjoyable but my favourite has to be The Boy Who Hung the Stars.<br />
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Beautiful Sorrows is the first of Mercedes M. Yardley that I have read and I have to say her writing is truly beautiful. It has a wonderful peculiar and ethereal quality to it. In fact, many words came to mind while reading: poetic, haunting, mystical, melancholy, surreal, to name a few. Her style truly is unique. I've never read anything quite like it before. Not only were her stories beautiful but they were also heartbreaking, chilling, and dark, all at the same time.<br />
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Reading Beautiful Sorrows was like experiencing the wonder and beauty of fairytales for the first time as a child, but in grown up form.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1560842/review-beautiful-sorrows-by-mercedes-m-yardley"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-82899681035663973912017-05-02T20:03:00.001+01:002017-05-02T20:06:18.230+01:00Review: Skitter (The Hatching #2) by Ezekiel Boone<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--60tTpXYJaE/WQjYVgzEv7I/AAAAAAAABI0/DUbmz3453U4F2YtaNSt4j-IsZZ3AsY2vQCK4B/s1600/31206128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--60tTpXYJaE/WQjYVgzEv7I/AAAAAAAABI0/DUbmz3453U4F2YtaNSt4j-IsZZ3AsY2vQCK4B/s200/31206128.jpg" width="132" /></a><br /> <br />
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Skitter (The Hatching #2) by Ezekiel Boone<br /><br />
<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank Atria Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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Skitter is book two in The Hatching trilogy. Having read and loved book one I was keen to make a start on book two. I enjoyed the first book but hated that it finished on a huge cliffhanger so you can imagine how disappointing it was to discover that the author leaves the reader hanging on the edge of yet another cliff at the end of the second book. I hate cliffhangers, they are annoying and frustrating and put me off reading more of the series because I feel like the author is trying to manipulate me into buying their next book- <i>want to know what happens next? Yes? Great! Come back in a year and give me X amount of pounds and maybe I'll tell you more, and if you're lucky I might throw in yet another cliffhanger just for shits and giggles so you'll buy the next one after that.</i> If your book is good, that alone is enough to make readers want to pick up the next one.<br />
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Skitter suffers from middle book syndrome. It wasn't as engaging or as fast paced and it also lacked the action and danger that was prevalent in the first book. It didn't have the same effect as the first book, I wasn't anywhere near as creeped out by it. It only progresses the storyline a few steps forward and you learn a little more about the spiders, but a little, and a few steps are not enough. It hardly progresses at all and nothing is resolved. It felt like a placeholder, something to keep the wolves from the door until the final book is released. There was nothing to get my teeth into, nothing to make it stand out on its own. It read more like an extension of The Hatching rather than an individual book. It picks up from where The Hatching left off and slowly ambles along for most of the book, the pace does pick up very near the end but very quickly leaves the reader hanging onto yet another stinking cliffhanger.<br />
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I have to say, I feel rather disappointed and let down by Skitter. It was OK but I expected more. I will still read the next one, it's the last in the trilogy so surely there won't be a cliffhanger, right? I hope so!<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br /> You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1559626/review-skitter-the-hatching-2-by-ezekiel-boone"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-49989778842842371462017-04-27T16:06:00.001+01:002017-04-27T16:18:50.613+01:00Review: Jackals by Stuart R Brogan<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Jackals by Stuart R Brogan<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_h.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I have to say, I'm kind of fed up with a lot of the horror books lately. A large proportion of the horror released of late has been either the same old stories told in a slightly different way or are labelled as "extreme horror" and are full of violence and gore thrown in for nothing more than shock value with no real plot to speak of. But, I'm glad to say that that wasn't the case with Jackals.<br />
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How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Who can you trust when the seeds of corruption and violence have wormed their way into every crack?<br />
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Jackals was one heck of a wild and gory ride. It's most definitely not a book for the faint of heart. The action kicks off in great gory detail almost immediately and keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very end. The author takes the reader on an action-packed adrenaline ride to the deepest darkest depths of depravity and exposes the sadistic, twisted, and primitive side of human nature.<br />
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"<b><i>They are without doubt some of the most dangerous people out there and the worrying thing is that ninety-nine percent of the population doesn't even know they exist..</i><i>.</i></b>"<br />
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Nobody is what they seem. Take nothing, and no one, for granted. Heroes and villains emerge in the most unlikely of places. There is no safe place for the reader or the characters. The twists and turns keep you on your toes, they mess with your head, you're never quite sure what's around the corner or who's going to turn on you next.<br />
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Definitely one I would recommend.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br />
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<b>Jackals, Synopsis</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eryejJTrJxs/WQIKXIkaZLI/AAAAAAAABIA/Orz0HvlC4uwdpUCvJMwqNQbWhv7o9BlEQCK4B/s1600/Jackals%2B-%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eryejJTrJxs/WQIKXIkaZLI/AAAAAAAABIA/Orz0HvlC4uwdpUCvJMwqNQbWhv7o9BlEQCK4B/s200/Jackals%2B-%2BCover.jpg" width="129" /></a>From the aftermath of a brutal massacre at a rural police station, two survivors leave behind a swathe of bodies and a cryptic sigil painted on the wall, in blood.<br />
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A disgraced Detective Inspector begrudgingly starts to investigate the crime scene but as the facts begin to emerge the trail appears to lead into the highest echelons of power, making the policeman himself the next target.<br />
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As the conspiracy spirals ever deeper and with no-one to trust, both prime suspect and policeman are forced into an unlikely alliance to prove, not only their innocence, but the existence of a force so ingrained into our society, it could rewrite the very fabric of human nature.<br />
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<b>Stuart R Brogan, Biography</b></div>
<a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1558136/review-jackals-by-stuart-r-brogan"></a> <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rxVYIdUz2KE/WQIK7sSzvsI/AAAAAAAABIM/LgxNk_bCPoUeNYK53AILfP1ka3uHaGwpwCK4B/s1600/Stuart%2BR%2BBrogan%2B-%2BAuthor%2BPic%2Bflipped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rxVYIdUz2KE/WQIK7sSzvsI/AAAAAAAABIM/LgxNk_bCPoUeNYK53AILfP1ka3uHaGwpwCK4B/s200/Stuart%2BR%2BBrogan%2B-%2BAuthor%2BPic%2Bflipped.jpg" width="175" /></a>Stuart R Brogan is a former nightclub bouncer and unwaveringly proud Heathen who loves nothing more than expanding people’s minds with Pagan related Non-Fiction or blowing people’s brains out with fast paced, gut wrenching, thrilling horrors.<br />
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Harley lover, extreme metal drummer and avid movie nerd, Stuart has never followed the crowd but instead carved his own path and danced to his own tune. Since his early years, Stuart found escapism in both the written word and the silver screen. A huge fan of 80’s Action / Horror movies such as The Thing, Aliens, Predator & Die Hard and literary heroes such as Shaun Hutson, Clive Barker, Richard Layman and Brian Lumley, Stuart endeavours to bring an unapologetic cinematic eye to his fiction in the hopes of rekindling his childhood sense of wonder, all whilst blowing through vast amounts of ammunition down his local shooting range.<br />
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Stuart currently resides in Glastonbury, UK with his long-suffering wife and man eating Shih-Poo dog “Poppy” where he co-owns a kick ass Viking / Asatru shop, fiercely named “Shield Maiden”<br />
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-5415093672988121322017-04-26T01:45:00.001+01:002017-04-26T01:45:59.516+01:00The Thrills of Writing Horror by Stuart R Brogan<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3I4lECpHPw/WP_qqQfoQMI/AAAAAAAABHM/bTbGJ328MB40zXPyFp77YgZORMj7D5X7gCK4B/s1600/Stuart%2BR%2BBrogan%2B-%2BAuthor%2BPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3I4lECpHPw/WP_qqQfoQMI/AAAAAAAABHM/bTbGJ328MB40zXPyFp77YgZORMj7D5X7gCK4B/s200/Stuart%2BR%2BBrogan%2B-%2BAuthor%2BPic.jpg" width="175" /></a>A question I find myself asking more and more these days, is when does a thriller novel stray into the realms of horror? Is there a definitive line in which an author has to cross before one genre wholeheartedly turns into another or is it just semantics and personal opinion? <br /><br />As an author I obviously have my own preconceived ideas of what horror is with regards to my own work, yet whilst having discussions with not only other authors but friends, it has become apparent that we all have our own personal line to cross and that line varies widely. Personally, when I write, I like to keep it as realistic as possible, that’s not to say some may view my work as a little far-fetched, but to me realism is at the very heart of horror. I have said many times before in interviews that I prefer the impact of social conditioning and human emotions as opposed to the supernatural element, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t explore such topics in later works. At present though, I feel a deep seeded need to at least try to keep the horror grounded. <br /><br />The old saying of “Horses for courses” is apt when we explore our reading habits within the horror genre. Some authors are superb in weaving a vast supernatural yarn that keeps the reader firmly in the books grip, causing us to hide beneath the duvet for fear of antagonising some deity baying for blood. I myself have a very fast paced and kinetic style, I aim to keep the reader turning the page either through sheer fear or the constant adrenaline rush. Some may dislike my style yet others love it, again it depends on the reader. Even as an author there are some other writers that I personally can’t get into, that’s not to say I don’t rate them or their work, but I just can’t get into their style or “voice”. Maybe I am trying to over analyse the whole question, maybe I seek to find an answer that needs not be found or maybe I’m just losing the plot and should just get back to writing! <br /><br />Within the horror genre there are many sub categories. From the ghostly supernatural tales to the extreme horrors from realms unknown, all of which have their advocates and their objectors. Regardless of the sub-genre there are plenty of authors plying their trade and reaching excellent sales figures, not to mention thrilling fans from around the world. These warriors of the written word appear to be dancing to their own tune and loving every minute, and quite rightly so. The level of effort and dedication it takes to weave such stories is immense. <br /><br />Horror can come from anywhere; it can be the monster lurking in the closet, or the ardent serial killer next door. As authors, we aim to thrust our protagonists into life or death situations, thus taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride through a vast array of emotions, the need to make the reader gasp with excitement or terror driving us forward to push boundaries and delve ever deeper into what terrifies us. <br /><br />When I was writing my first novel, Jackals, I can honestly say that I didn’t pigeon hole the style. I knew of course the level of brutality and violence would cause some to label it extreme but to me, it was just the story I “needed” to write. Each scene had to push the story forward. Of course, that’s not to say my future works may not be as gory or violent but rest assured they will always be intense and contain the visceral intensity I am rapidly gaining a name for. Fast forward to the present time and I am happy that people are calling it action / horror because I am a huge fan of both, not just in the written word but on the silver screen. It would seem I am fortunate to have found my place within the horror realm and my sole aim is to improve with each new book I release. Be it horror, or thriller, it will not diminish the rush the reader feels when they delve into the book. <br /><br />The bottom line is that the lines are becoming ever more blurred when it comes to modern horror. A Thriller can easily give way to horror if pushed a little and vice versa. Some may argue that a thriller is the “threat” of something bad happening yet “horror” is the actual thing taking place and to some degree, I would agree with such a statement but when all is said and done who really cares? As long as the reader is taken on one hell of a ride and they are able to escape the modern world for a few hours then what does it matter what label is placed upon it? My idea of personal horror would be stuck in a room watching boy bands on repeat! <br /><br />If you are an author then just write! Forget about labels and genres and write what speaks to you. If you are a fan, then explore what’s out there, don’t limit yourself to just a handful of authors, be brave and take a punt on that unknown who has just released their first novel. Share with your friends and spread the word because we authors couldn’t do what we do without you, the reader. There are so many excellent story tellers out there that you are literary spoilt for choice. <br /><br />Thriller or horror? As long as it captures our imagination and forces us to sleep with one eye open then it matters not. Forget the label and get reading unless of course you are too scared. <br /><br />Until next time…<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b> Stuart R Brogan, Biography</b></span></h2>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99o-WQE862Y/WP_tCfvxehI/AAAAAAAABHg/hypRTIJ9WFMrUxBRH1EFtgz8fa9Opfe4wCK4B/s1600/Stuart%2BR%2BBrogan%2B-%2BAuthor%2BPic%2Bflipped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99o-WQE862Y/WP_tCfvxehI/AAAAAAAABHg/hypRTIJ9WFMrUxBRH1EFtgz8fa9Opfe4wCK4B/s200/Stuart%2BR%2BBrogan%2B-%2BAuthor%2BPic%2Bflipped.jpg" width="175" /></a>Stuart R Brogan is a former nightclub bouncer and unwaveringly proud Heathen who loves nothing more than expanding people’s minds with Pagan related Non-Fiction or blowing people’s brains out with fast paced, gut wrenching, thrilling horrors.<br />
<br />Harley lover, extreme metal drummer and avid movie nerd, Stuart has never followed the crowd but instead carved his own path and danced to his own tune. Since his early years, Stuart found escapism in both the written word and the silver screen. A huge fan of 80’s Action / Horror movies such as The Thing, Aliens, Predator & Die Hard and literary heroes such as Shaun Hutson, Clive Barker, Richard Layman and Brian Lumley, Stuart endeavours to bring an unapologetic cinematic eye to his fiction in the hopes of rekindling his childhood sense of wonder, all whilst blowing through vast amounts of ammunition down his local shooting range. <br /><br />Stuart currently resides in Glastonbury, UK with his long-suffering wife and man eating Shih-Poo dog “Poppy” where he co-owns a kick ass Viking / Asatru shop, fiercely named “Shield Maiden”<br />
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-48794169057229487212017-04-24T22:17:00.001+01:002017-04-24T22:23:34.626+01:00Review: The Girl Who Beat ISIS: Farida's Story<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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The Girl Who Beat ISIS: Farida's Story<br /> <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank Square Peg for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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<i>"This is the story of what happened to Farida after she was captured: the beatings, the rapes, the markets where ISIS sold women like cattle, and Farida's realisation that the more resistant she became, the harder it was for her captors to continue their atrocities against her. So she struggled, she bit, she kicked, she accused her captors of going against their religion, until, one day, the door to her room was left unlocked. She took her chance and, with five younger girls in her charge, fled into the Syrian desert..."</i></blockquote>
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I honestly don't know what to say about this book, or even where to start with reviewing it. It feels wrong to try and break it down and comment on writing style, star rating, etc.</div>
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This book really brings home how easily your life can change. One day you're enjoying the long hot summer days and the next you and your family are fleeing for your lives. Farada could be your daughter, your sister, your niece, she deserves to be safe, to live without fear just like everyone else. The suffering she endured was atrocious, yet she never gave up. Her story is a remarkable story of hope, faith, courage, and strength. It's not an easy read, but it is important that experiences like Farada's are told. It is important that the world is made aware of the atrocities that are occurring in order to better understand the horrors that refugees are running from.</div>
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The Girl Who Beat ISIS is a book that everyone should read.</div>
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1557243/review-the-girl-who-beat-isis-farida-s-story"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-30647979915522204302017-04-20T22:40:00.001+01:002017-04-20T22:43:19.415+01:00Review: The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank Penguin Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.</div>
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The Witch Finder's Sister is a fictional tale based on the life of Matthew Hopkins - a witch hunter believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 300 women between the years 1644 and 1646. The story is told through the eyes of his sister Alice who experiences his obsession first hand and recounts the tale to the reader.</div>
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Initially, when I first started reading the book I thought I was going to love it. The writing style appealed to me, it felt like Alice was talking directly to me and I was excited to read more. But, unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. It concentrated too much on Alice's emotions, inner thoughts, and memories. She was a bystander lost within her own past and present, looking in rather than looking out at the horror of what was actually taking place. There were so many missed opportunities to escalate the storyline and to ramp up the tension, but they were missed because of the way the storyline advanced in regards to Alice's character.</div>
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As a reader, I only got little peeks into the true horrors of what Matthew was doing. Right before the witch hunts approached their worst, just when things were starting to get interesting and were really about to kick off, the author decided to lock Alice in the attic, which of course resulted in the reader being locked in that attic alongside Alice.</div>
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What happened in that dark attic? Not much at all - meanwhile, Matthew and his witch trials are causing chaos. The trials are approaching their worst, hundreds of women are being killed, months of mayhem and murder are taking place, and the reader is sat in the dark with Alice. There was so much going on outside that attic that the reader was excluded from, all the chaos and horrors that would have made this a book to remember, and instead we're given a just few pages of Alice in the dark. What a let down that was.</div>
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The book is categorised by the publisher as being adult general fiction, mystery, and thriller, but to be honest there wasn't much mystery or thrills to be found. The pacing was very slow, there wasn't enough action, and characters were hard to connect with. The ending, in particular, had me rolling my eyes.</div>
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Not one I would recommend. The blurb and the cover quotes promised much and delivered little.</div>
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br /> You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1554728/review-the-witchfinder-s-sister-by-beth-underdown"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-80465744310431409232017-04-09T22:17:00.001+01:002017-04-09T22:27:41.543+01:00Review: Becoming by Glenn Rolfe<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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Becoming by Glenn Rolfe<br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_h.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_i.png" /><br />
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Becoming took me back to the horror books of my teens, to the creature features with cheesy covers that my love of horror was built on, and created a feeling of nostalgia that added to my enjoyment of the story.<br />
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Whilst I enjoyed the plot it was the characters that made this one. Although it's a pretty short read the characters were well fleshed out and the dynamics between the different characters made them feel real. There was an overall dark atmosphere but I would have liked the horror to have been turned up a touch. Don't get me wrong, there were enough scares and crazy goings on to appeal to most horror lovers, but personally, I would have liked more.<br />
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All in all, it was a quick and fun read and it easily held my attention throughout, however, I would have liked to have known more about the lake, what resides there, and the history behind it.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br />
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<b>Synopsis </b><br />
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<i>Something ancient has wormed its way up from the earth....<br />A change has come today.</i><br />
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After Michele Cote's best friend disappears, no one believes her story of about the thing responsible for his abduction. Forced to figure out the mystery for herself, Michele encounters terror she has never known, and witnesses the impossible.<br />
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When other members of the community begin to change or vanish, Sheriff Shane Davis must look beyond reason to stop the evil seeping into this small town. With help from an unlikely source, Sheriff Davis will come face-to-face with the truth. <br />
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You can't destroy what you don't understand. For the small town of Avalon, Maine, the future is about change...for better or worse.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Praise for BECOMING</b><br /><br /><br />"A vital part of this generation." -<i>Brian Keene, author of THE COMPLEX and THE RISING </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">“Old-fashioned creature feature…BECOMING is raw horror.” – <i>The Haunted Reading Room </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br />“Classic horror. Original and entertaining.” – <i>Catherine Cavendish, author of THE PENDLE CURSE and SAVING GRACE DEVINE </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br />“BECOMING shows that Rolfe is indeed, becoming a force to be reckoned with. Back in the day when John Saul, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King, were getting started in their horror writing careers, this was the type of story they would write and I would want to read.” – <i>Horror Novel Reviews</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /> “BECOMING is a creepy horror tale with depth. Rolfe proves he's a master of capturing the essence of small towns--how communities come together, for good or ill. Claustrophobic!” - <i>J.H. Moncrieff, author of CITY OF GHOSTS and MONSTER IN OUR WAKE </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zUXuOyen4Yc/WOqm7c6MudI/AAAAAAAABGU/nI6MDw2wv-EbVaMiBWQMo8xOWbGo8jKrgCK4B/s1600/13178013_995828120525467_3877201783238192038_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zUXuOyen4Yc/WOqm7c6MudI/AAAAAAAABGU/nI6MDw2wv-EbVaMiBWQMo8xOWbGo8jKrgCK4B/s200/13178013_995828120525467_3877201783238192038_n.jpg" width="125" /></a><i><b>BECOMING</b></i><b> is the latest
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Get your copy of BECOMING here: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmybook.to%2FGetBecoming&h=ATMy8aX-UMzLnLkszjCBLuajaWwlkdgc3dm7AJ0DRwtV55GkkS4I-_XVqVteD4e-AezI_zAENrr0Vagmxi_xVFHLfGcal_nB_UoxRhmyMKqz1I-kBfdg7dXNCCv72JFXI8w">http://mybook.to/GetBecoming</a><br />
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Visit Glenn at <a href="http://www.glennrolfe.com/">www.glennrolfe.com</a> <br />
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Follow him on Twitter @grolfehorrror <br />
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Find him on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Follower. (That last one is Glenn’s idea of a joke).<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a>
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Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-954465279390345937.post-51584715302396092172017-04-06T01:27:00.001+01:002017-04-06T01:31:04.554+01:00Review: The Devil's Paintbox by Robin Jarvis<style> .set-middle { vertical-align: middle; } </style> <br />
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The Devil's Paintbox (The Witching Legacy #2) by Robin Jarvis <br />
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<b>My Rating:</b> <img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><img class="set-middle" src="http://booklikes.com/include/template/www/img/star_a.png" /><br />
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I would like to thank Egmont Publishing for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book.<br />
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The Devil's Paintbox is the second book in The Witching Legacy trilogy by Robin Jarvis. I previously read the first book The Power of the Dark back in March 2016, you can find my review for that <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/review-power-of-dark-by-robin-jarvis.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but I have to say, I enjoyed the second book much more than the first.<br />
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It's been a year since I read the first book and I was surprised by how easily I slipped back into Lil and Verne's world. The writing was wonderfully vivid. The plot was engaging, fast-paced and action packed from beginning to end. It sets the imagination on fire and I could easily see everything clearly in my mind's eye as I read.<br />
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The Devil's Paintbox is full of colour, adventure, magic, and imagination, but at the same time it's dark, ominous, and creates a feeling of foreboding. This is the kind of book I would have loved to have read as a child, under the covers with a torch. I could almost feel the excitement and anticipation that young me would have felt, along with the need to turn the pages whilst being apprehensive about what's to come.<br />
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Definitely one I would recommend. I didn't want to put the book down, it was a lot of fun and I read it in one sitting. My niece and the kids in my reading group are going to love it.<br />
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Reviews also posted to my blog: <a href="http://scarletaingeal.blogspot.co.uk/">Scarlet's Web</a> <br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamblingsOfABookReviewer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarletAingeal">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/+ScarletAingeal">G+</a> | <a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/">BookLikes</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/profile/Scarlet-Aingeal">LibraryThing</a> <br /> <br />You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/scarlets-web-18372595">Bloglovin</a> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://scarletaingeal.booklikes.com/post/1549745/review-the-devil-s-paintbox-by-robin-jarvis"></a> Scarlet Aingealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08455734063095250983noreply@blogger.com0