Friday Mini Reviews #42: Ginn Hale, Jim Butcher & Lucy Robinson
Champion of The Scarlet Wolf by Ginn Hale (Champion of The Scarlet Wolf #1)
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
Five years after abandoning the Sagrada Academy (Lord of the White Hell universe),
Elezar Grunito has become infamous in the sanctified circles of noble
dueling rings for his brutal temper and lethal blade. Men and women of
all ranks gather to cheer and jeer, none of them knowing Elezar’s true
purpose. But a violent death outside the ring marks Elezar as a wanted
man and sends him into hiding in the far northern wilds of Labara.
There, creatures of myth and witchcraft—long since driven from Cadeleon—lurk in dark woods and prowl the winding streets. Soldiers and priests alike fear the return of witch-queens and even demons. Elezar soon learns that magic takes many forms, some too alluring to resist, others too terrible to endure. But just as he begins to find his place in this strange new country, the past he left behind along with his school days returns to challenge him once again.
There, creatures of myth and witchcraft—long since driven from Cadeleon—lurk in dark woods and prowl the winding streets. Soldiers and priests alike fear the return of witch-queens and even demons. Elezar soon learns that magic takes many forms, some too alluring to resist, others too terrible to endure. But just as he begins to find his place in this strange new country, the past he left behind along with his school days returns to challenge him once again.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
6/10
Comparing to the first two books, Elezar's tale is a weak one. If you remember, he is Javier's best friend, who along with Atreau is forced to flee from an enraged widow after Atreau messes uo with her husband in a truly spectacular manner. While Atreau pretends to be Fedeles, Elezar is his varlet, and as such is free to conduct discreet sensitive missions for his Prince. Along the way he meets a ragtag street witch, Skellan, and the pair of them do well saving each others lives and saving the city from an awakened demon. The problem is that it's all. so. slow.... Plus Elezar as a Cadeleonian doesn't really go through the same struggles to accept his own love for other men the way Javier had to with Kiram. I don't know... It was muddled until the very end, where it redeemed itself slightly.
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По сравнению с парой первых книг Джин Хэйл о Жавьер и Кираме, повествование о похождениях Элезара, лучшего друга Жавьер, планку не держит. Ну очень вышла медленная книга, запутанная и перегруженная обыденными деталями. Мне понадобилось несколько недель, чтобы её добить. Да и сам Элезар в принципе просто плывёт по течению и приобретает кое-какой характер под конец книги. Скеллан более менее ярок, но ему нужно было уделить больше времени на экшн, чем разговоры. В общем, не очень, но скорее всего продолжение буду читать.
Dead Beat by Jim Butcher (Harry Dresden #7)
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
There's an entire world that exists alongside the everyday life of mankind. There are powers, nations, monsters, wars, feuds, alliances - everything. Wizards are part of it. So are a lot of other things you've heard about in stories, and even more you've never heard of...Vampires. Werewolves. Faeries. Demons. Monsters. It's all real.
Harry Dresden knows full well that such creatures exist. Paranormal investigations are his stock-in-trade, and Chicago is his beat as he tries to bring law and order to a world that exists on the edges of imagination. Luckily Harry's not alone in this struggle. And though most inhabitants of the Windy City don't believe in magic, there's a department that's been set up within the Chicago PD to deal with "strange" cases: the Special Investigations department.
Karrin Murphy is the head of SI and a good friend of Harry's. So when a deadly vampire threatens to destroy Murphy's reputation unless Harry helps her, he has no choice. The vampire wants the Word of Kemmler and all the power that comes with it - but first Harry has to determine what the Word of Kemmler is. Now Harry is in a race against time - and six necromancers - to find the Word before Chicago experiences a Halloween night to wake the dead.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
8.5/10
This is one of the most creative, fun books in the series, peeps! First of all Bob The Skull gets all scary, secondly, Harry gets his ass kicked magically by some weird creatures, thirdly, "Polka will never die!" is a slogan you will not forget, plus his demon makes the first appearance, and as a coup d'etat he gets to ride a zombie t-rex! How cool is THAT?!
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Одна из наиболее занимательных, весёлых книг серии! Череп Боб показывает свою страшную социопатичную сторону, Гарри надирают задницу странные магические существа, "Полька никогда не умрёт!" это слоган, который вы не сможете забыть в скором времени, его демон делает первые шаги по манипуляции, и, наконец, Гарри умудряется покататься на зомби тиранозавре в Хэллоуин, и это вообще нечто... В общем, не пропускайте!
A Passionate Love Affair With A Total Stranger by Lucy Robinson
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
A Passionate Love
Affair with a Total Stranger by Lucy Robinson, author of The Greatest
Love Story of All Time, is a hilariously funny and gorgeously romantic
story about falling in love when you least expect it. Charley Lambert
has put considerable effort into achieving a perfect life. She has The
Job. The Wardrobe. And The Flat. Her womanising, junk food-loving
housemate Sam lowers the tone a bit but that aside, things are peachy.
Then she breaks her leg in three places, watches her unrequited love
propose to someone else and - worst of all - is forced to hand over her
job to her nasty deputy while she recovers. Workaholic Charley fears
that she will soon go mad. Desperate for something to do, she discovers
her talent for helping the lovelorn online. And then William arrives in
her inbox. Within hours of his first email, her world starts to change.
Helpless, she watches herself fall in love with this man and begins to
realise that she's not who she thought she was. But will she be brave
enough to turn her back on her old life - all for a total stranger?
Laugh out loud and fall in love with Lucy Robinson's A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger Praise for Lucy Robinson: 'Romantic and laugh-out-loud hilarious' Cosmopolitan 'Prepare for public-transport belly laughs' Glamour Lucy Robinson is the author of The Greatest Love Story of All Time. Prior to writing Lucy earned her crust in West End theatre production and then factual television, working on documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five. Her writing career began when she started a dating blog for marieclaire.co.uk where she entertained readers with frank tales from her laughably unsuccessful foray into the world of internet dating. Lucy was brought up in Gloucestershire and now lives with her boyfriend in South London. She is writing her next novel while working on various television projects and plotting a return to academia.
Laugh out loud and fall in love with Lucy Robinson's A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger Praise for Lucy Robinson: 'Romantic and laugh-out-loud hilarious' Cosmopolitan 'Prepare for public-transport belly laughs' Glamour Lucy Robinson is the author of The Greatest Love Story of All Time. Prior to writing Lucy earned her crust in West End theatre production and then factual television, working on documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel Five. Her writing career began when she started a dating blog for marieclaire.co.uk where she entertained readers with frank tales from her laughably unsuccessful foray into the world of internet dating. Lucy was brought up in Gloucestershire and now lives with her boyfriend in South London. She is writing her next novel while working on various television projects and plotting a return to academia.
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
8/10
I love books like that! It's about transformation and finding what's important in life, it's sweet and funny, and it's inspirational. Charley Lambert is a scary workaholic, so when she breaks her leg and is forced to slow down, she starts falling apart and slowly realises that the life she worked so hard to achieve is a list of chores and doesn't really make her happy. She starts helping hopeless daters online, and accidentally falls in love herself through a series of letters. Thoroughly recommended, this is a true feel good summer read :)
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Я очень люблю истории наподобии этой! Они о людях, которые крутятся как белки в колесе, и только когда вынуждены сделать перерыв, понимают, что счастья им их бешеный ритм жизни совершенно не приносит. Трансформация, которая происходит с ними после этого может вдохновить кого угодно. Рекомендую от всей души, весело и идеально подходит для летнего чтения!
