Review: Now You See Me

Now You See Me by Emma Haughton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



First reads giveaway win (May 09, 2014)

I won a copy of Now You See Me through a first reads giveaway.

Now You See Me was a great read. The characters were well developed and full of depth, very easy to care about and become attached to. The main character Hannah was so well written that I felt like I knew her, her emotions and feelings were portrayed really well.

The plot kept me guessing for a huge part of the book, although I did eventually work out what was going on ahead of it being revealed. Even though I had guessed the twists that were in the book, it in no way ruined the enjoyment of reading. The book held my attention the whole way through, I just had to keep turning the pages to discover the outcome. The story flowed really well and I found myself totally immersed.

I would have liked to have read a little more from Danny's point of view, I know the why but I would also have liked to know how.


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Review: Robert the Bruce: King of the Scots

Robert the Bruce: King of the Scots by Michael Penman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of Robert the Bruce: King of the Scots from the publishers in return for an honest review.

I was given this book in e-book format and I found that it wasn't ideal to read on my paperwhite. I couldn't see the images in the book which were referred to while reading. I was able to see them however on my tablet but again it wasn't ideal, it was rather annoying having to scroll back and forth. I would definitely have preferred a hard copy, it would have been a much easier read.

Being a Scot I am proud of my heritage and love to study and learn more of my history, the era of Bruce being one of my favourites. If you are looking for a story, this is not the book for you. If on the other hand you like reading Scottish history, and you want to know how Robert the Bruce helped make Scotland what it is today and not the Hollywood pumped media version that everyone seem to think is truth, then this is the book for you.

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Review: The Cold Cold Sea

The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of The Cold Cold Sea from the publishers in return for an honest review.

This was such a heart wrenching and terrifying read, especially as a parent myself. You can't watch your kids 24 hours a day and it only takes you taking your eyes off them for a second and the worst can happen.

Olivia disappears, no one knows where or why or what's happened to her. Was she abducted, did she wander off and get lost or did the sea claim her? Children love the beach but the sea is such a dangerous place, taking your attention away from a child for a short time and then realising you can't see them anymore, not knowing where they have gone or what has happened, I can't even begin to imagine how one would cope.

Linda Huber does an excellent job of portraying the grief, fear, pain and terror in this chilling tale about a lost little girl. I was so engrossed in this book that I read it in one sitting. It was a powerful and emotional read that had me turning page after page desperate to know if there was a happy outcome.


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HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW - A Novel By Terry M West

 

I was offered a chance to review an ARC of  HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW. I am familiar with a few of Terry's other works and have enjoyed them, so I jumped at the chance to read this one.

I purposely avoided reading the reviews that Terry had linked to so I had no idea what the novel was about, I went in blind. Those of you who know me know I am not a fan of stories with zombies in them. It's not that I don't enjoy a good zombie story, I do, I just feel like they are everywhere at the moment and it's all been done several times over. That is certainly not the case with HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW.

So what is HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW about? Monster porn! Yup you read that correctly. The story revolves around Gary Hack, who is in the business of making pornography, pornography that stars the undead. Vampires, werewolves and zombies all make an appearance in his flicks. You see, Gary lives in a time where the undead are part of society, it's normal to see them out and about on the streets and as a result people have developed different tastes of what floats their boat.

Gary has a drug problem, his life hasn't gone where he'd planned, he's getting low on cash to pay for his habit and he finds himself tasked with the job of making pornography. Just how much have peoples tastes changed? How far is he prepared to go? Who really are the true monsters here?

HEROIN IN THE MAGIC is a dark and disturbing tale and it makes for uncomfortable reading at times, but that's what true horror is all about.  I did at one point put the book down, I won't tell you at which part (no spoilers from me!) but I just had to pick it up again and see where it went next.  It's not all rainbows and unicorns that's for sure, there are parts that will have you thinking "this is so wrong", but you just have to keep reading anyway.  I really enjoyed this read, it's definitely one that will stay with you after finishing.

HEROIN IN THE MAGIC NOW will be available on August 31st


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Review: Cruelty: Episode One-Five

Cruelty: Episode One-Five by Edward Lorn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I have yet to read something by Edward Lorn that I haven't loved and this was no exception. I've had Cruelty Episode One on my kindle for ages and have been holding off on reading it till the series was complete, but I was lucky enough to win a copy of Episode One - Five and it's been shouting read me every time I have opened my kindle and I couldn't resist. Now I gotta wait on the rest! :(

It has everything I love about how Edward tells a story, character depth that has you feeling like you've known the characters forever, dialogue that has you right there feeling part of the conversation and a plot that has you turning page after page.

I'm really looking forwards to seeing where this story ends, I went into the Cruelty series blind, I didn't read the blurbs or reviews as I wanted to just dive in knowing nothing. I'm really glad I made that choice, I had no idea what to expect and as a result I thoroughly enjoyed how the story grew and developed into much more than I was expecting from the cover alone.

I don't want to go into much more in this review as I want to wait till I have read the complete series and revisit the review knowing the whole storyline.

I'm itching to know what's coming next!

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Review: Secrets of the Dead: A Novel of Mummies and Ancient Curses

Secrets of the Dead: A Novel of Mummies and Ancient Curses by Simon Clark

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I received a copy of Secrets of the Dead: A Novel of Mummies and Ancient Curses from the publisher in return for an honest review.

I'm not sure where to start with this review, I enjoyed the story but I felt like something was missing. Don't get me wrong, the characters were for the most part well developed and the setting excellently portrayed, but I feel like there is a lot of things left without explanation.

Had the book been longer and a bit more explanation and back story put into some of the events that took place, and more build up given to the connection between the mummies and the family, I think I would have enjoyed it much more. Although I understand the connection, it felt like the story just skimmed the surface and was rushed, it wasn't really questioned or examined by Jack or Samantha which I found weird considering their profession.

I feel like there was a lot of missed opportunities in the story, the wandering mummies could have been seen by more people and more tension, fear and atmosphere placed into the tale as a result. Johns memories could also have been touched on more to add more depth to his character and story. The events in the first chapter were just shut from his mind for all those years and he didn't seem as affected by the few memories that came back during the story as he should have been.

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Review: ART

ART by Matt Shaw

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a free copy of Art through Goodreads when invited to a group read by one of the authors.

Having read a few of Matts books before I knew to expect the extreme, I have to say the level of extremity in Art exceeds the levels of previous ones read so far. Art is a collaboration which brings together the work of Matt Shaw and Michael Bray, it's impressive how well the two different authors have come together to create a seamless tale.

The story itself jumps back and forth between the two main characters, The killer and the detective in charge of solving his horrific crimes. It's disturbing, it's brutal and has plenty of blood, gore and cringe worthy moments. It hooks you from the first page and takes you on a journey that both fascinates and horrifies you at the same time, a tale definitely not for the easily offended.

You'll find yourself turning page after page, being drawn into the story in all it's grisly detail and intensity as it progresses. Just when you think you know where the story is taking you, it throws a huge twist at you that you're in no way expecting, one you'll both love and hate at the same time. An ending that is so disturbing and twisted that you're sure to have it in your mind for some time afterwards.

Art is a must read for all horror lovers out there.


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