KieliAnne

Member Since: September 24, 2016

Reviews

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilsen

My overall rating

Recommended? You Betcha!

On: September 24, 2016

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen: 5/5
Genre: Fiction/General, Action & Adventure

Characters: Sage, Bevin Conner, Mrs. Turbeldy, Latamer, Tobias, Roden, Mott, Cregan, Imogen, Princess Amarinda, Kerwyn, Veldergrath, Errol, King Eckbert, Queen Erin, Prince Darius

Setting: Carthya, a country surrounded by Bymar and Gelyn to the north, Mendenwal to the east, Avenia to the south and west (map provided at beginning of book). Beginning with Mrs. Turbeldy's Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys in the village of Carchar, then later moving onto Conner's estate of Farthenwood several miles outside the town of Tithio, then lastly King Eckbert's palace in Drylliad.

Writing: The writing seemed well thought out. As information was revealed it gave new light to previous information/events in a way that made me question why I didn't put two and two together before it was revealed to me. I could guess at where the story was going but Nielsen keep me guessing as twists and complications were woven into the story at every turn of the page.

Storyline: (Summary from book cover) " In a faraway land, civil war is brewing. To unify his kingdom's divided people, a nobleman name Conner devises a cunning plan to place an impersonator of the king's long-lost son on the throne. Four orphans are forced to compete for the roles, including a defiant and clever boy named Sage. Sage knows Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point - he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of duplicity and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that may very well prove more dangerous than all the lies taken together." The story is mostly narrated by Sage, in the first person. We get a first hand glimpse of Sage in a way that his deviant exterior doesn't let others to see, which I believe made me like him much more than I might have otherwise (e.g. if the story was told in the third person from an anonymous narrator). The story really begins with Conner acquiring the orphans, continues with the day to day lessons and life of the boys as they prepare for two weeks, and then end with one boy being chosen and presented to the regents and public as the long-lost son of the king, and the night that follows that revelation.

Ending: In some ways I think I saw it coming, however there were still new twists and turns even up until the last few pages which kept my interest/intrigue and didn't disappoint me. The ending wrapped the story up nicely but still left room for a lead up to the next book in the trilogy. I am eager to see if many of the secondary characters will have roles in the rest of the trilogy, I hope so but if they don't I feel like that'd be alright based on how few loose ends were left. It even made me tear up a bit (in a I'm so proud of you sort of way).

Continuing the Series: I plan to continue with this series as soon as possible as I already have a copy of the second book The Runaway King (published March 1, 2013). This was the reason I bought and read this first book however after reading it I now believe I would have been eager to continue the series anyways.

Recommendation: This book is originally intended for an audience ages 10-14 however I didn't get the feeling at all that this book was childish in any way or that the writing was simplified in order to target that younger audience. I would recommend it to anyone interested in an adventure story that follows the day to day lives of orphan boys competing to be king. -

The Last Heiress by Bertrice Small

My overall rating

Recommended? You Betcha!

On: September 24, 2016

Title: The Last Heiress
Author: Bertrice Small
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: paperback
Published: 2005
Rating: 3/5

Elizabeth Meredith, the youngest daughter of Rosamund Bolton, is nothing like her sensible sisters. Impatient with fancy manners and careful speech, the young beauty has shunned the royal court in favor of a quiet life at Friarsgate. That is, until she learns that in order to protect the future of the land she loves, she must venture into the court of King Henry VIII to find a suitable husband. Elizabeth quickly scandalizes the royal court by forging a friendship with the king's friend Anne Boleyn and by indulging in a delicious flirtation with Flynn Stewart, a bastard brother of King James V of Scotland. But her real future lies back at Friarsgate, where her admitted weakness for Scots sends her into the strong arms of Baen MacColl. Yet Elizabeth's greatest passion is for her lands; and Baen MacColl's loyalties may lie elsewhere. Can Elizabeth and Baen overcome the barriers that threaten to separate them? And can Elizabeth, by following the calling of her heart, still protect Friarsgate?

This book, the fourth and final of the Friarsgate Inheritance series begins with Elizabeth as a young woman in her twenties who has been the Lady of Friarsgate since she was 14 managing her land and sheep with the help of her steward Edmund Bolton and a variety of servants. For the future of the property it is necessary for there to be heirs to pass down Friarsgate to when Elizabeth can no longer care for it, however Elizabeth would gladly never marry as she is very independent and her first love has always been Friarsgate, which was passed down to her by her mother after her elder sister refused to take on the responsibility of it.

Setting: The characters of this book travel back and forth from Friarsgate in Cumbria on the border of Engand and Scotland, Claven's Carn in Scotland near the border, Greyhaven in the Scottish Highlands, King Henry VIII's court at Greenwich and London, England, and several mansions owned by Elizabeth's uncle also in England. Everything takes place between the winter of 1530 and June 1536 during the reign of King Henry VIII specifically during the time he was still married but no longer with Katherine of Aragon to the end of his time with Anne Boleyn.

Characters: There are so many characters either directly included or just mentioned that I lost count. The main character however is Elizabeth the daughter of Rosamund Bolton (previous Lady of Friarsgate) and the late Owein Meredith (a welsh countryman turned knight of King James IV). Elizabeth has two elder sisters Philippa (now Countess of Witten) and Banon, and with her mother's second marriage to Laird Logan Hepburn she now has four younger half brothers; James, Tavis, Edmund, and Alexander, and one stepbrother John from Logan's first marriage. While still at Friarsgate she meets Baen MacColl, the Scottish bastard son of the Colin Hay (Lord of Greyhaven), and Tora Gunn who has come to purchase some of Friarsgate's well known sheep. In order to find a husband for Elizabeth she goes to King Henry VIII's court with her uncle Thomas Bolton (Lord Cambridge) where she meets the King, his mistress Anne Boleyn and Flynn Stewart the half-brother and messenger of Scotland's King James V.

Age Recommendation: Due to some explicit sexually graphic content, I would recommend this book first and foremost to adults but could also be read by some mature young adults.

Overall, I enjoyed this book however it took me ages to read. This was primarily due to originally reading this book only aloud back and forth with my mother. Click here for more details on that. However with me moving around for college placements, and work schedules it just didn't work out. We then decided to divide the book and read 3 chapters each week (only about 70 pages) on our own then on Sundays we would discuss what had happened, who the new characters were, etc. more like a book club. This worked a LOT better as you can see since we finally finished the book, together!

I read some other reviews (mostly one liners on Goodreads) of this book before & while I was reading this book and there was a lot of talk of this book being very repetitive, especially for those who have read the previous three books. However what I guessed they might have been referring to, I found really useful. I haven't read the previous books so I found the explanations of who everyone was in Elizabeth's family really helped me to understand where everyone fit in and some of what happened in the past in order to better understand the dynamics between some of the characters.

I feel this book is fine as a stand alone and I only decreased my star rating do to the excessive detail Bertrice Small goes into the bedroom scenes that I found somewhat unnecessary although that might be what some are looking for in a romance novel which is definitely more romance than historical. I do however plan to go back and read the rest of the series as I would like to read more about what Elizabeth's mother was like when she was younger as well as the years prior to this book when Elizabeth is growing up. -

Spirit Thorn by Zacharias O'Bryan

My overall rating

Recommended? Fugheddaboutit!

On: September 24, 2016

Title: Spirit Thorn (A Tale of Parallel Worlds)
Author: Zacharias O'Bryan
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Format: eBook
Rating: 1/5

Do parallel worlds exist? Searching for proof, Professors Rodger & Cassie Swift vanish. Kestrelle, a spirit girl claiming to know their fate, tells their son Braden he must brave a whitewater, tooth-sprouting river into a land where wise vultures predict the future and blue minds inhabit lava caves. Only two powers can help: Kestrelle's Blood Thorn and Braden's vine-painted guitar.

Spirit Thorn is a story that begins from the point of view of Braden a young human boy and then flipping back and forth between him and Kestrelle, a spirit "elf" girl. Each chapter is then interspersed with fragments of Braden's father's scientific journals giving a reference to phenomenons and other scientific theories that may explain some of what is happening in the story.

Although the Thorn is said to be important for nearly the beginning it's importance and origin of only hinted at throughout the book and is never fully explained. The same also goes with Braden's guitar which is said to be monumental in their quest yet is hardly stops anything when it is destroyed halfway through.

Setting: In a parallel universe in Oregon (oddly not mentioned until about half way through) where gasoline, and other usual modern amenities are a thing of the past.

Characters: As for character development this book is also highly lacking and left me with even more questions by the end instead of revealing withheld information or explanations by the end as many other books do. How Braden was portrayed his year long struggle/search to find out what happened to his parents seems to be glossed over so it evokes little sympathy. His later selfishness and lack of premeditated actions made him seem more like a secondary character than a main one and made me think how much the book could have kept most (if not all) its literary integrity and storyline if Braden was simply removed all together.
As for Molly, another non-human character, I would have appreciated more explanation of who she was (or more specifically what her job was in the eyes of the other creatures). She is identified as "The Singer" and you are left puzzled as to why it is important until at which time she seems to be paralleled with religious figures such as Jesus or Buddha.

Age Recommendation: Although this books is said to be for all ages I would adjust that to being best for pre-teens, particularly for those interested in books involving creatures of other races (mythical or otherwise).

Overall it is a fairly fast read and if you have nothing better to do go and give it a read after all it is free to buy but I wouldn't spend money for it which is disappointing for me as I had moderately high hopes for this one... -

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

My overall rating

Recommended? You Betcha!

On: September 24, 2016

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Format: audiobook
Published: 2009
Narrated by: Jenna Lamia and David Ledoux
Rating: 4/5

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Shiver is the first book of a trilogy about the Wolves of Mercy Falls. The story, narrated by the two main characters through each of their own points of view, is about a girl and boy who fall in love despite the boy becoming a wolf for part of every year as the weather gets colder. They work together to find a way for him to stay human this year.

Setting: This book is set in the fictional town of Mercy Falls. Most scenes involve the characters in Boundary Woods (behind Grace's house yet stretches a long way), outside Grace's high school, Grace's house, Beck's house, the town hospital, or somewhere in between. The storyline spans several years.

Characters: The two main characters are Grace and Sam. Also included at times are Beck, Paul, Shelby and the rest of the wolf pack, Grace's best-friends Olivia and Rachel, and very rarely Grace's parents. At the beginning of each chapter the temperature (in Fahrenheit, which means nothing to me) is mentioned to draw you attention as the days and nights get colder or warmer. This is important as to whether the wolf pack are wolves or humans externally.

Age Recommendation: This book is intended for young adults ages 14 and up. It contains some sexual content and violence but it is minimal.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and appreciated hearing it through an audiobook. Books about werewolves and other paranormal/shapeshifting topics aren't usually what I go for and I have a feeling I may not have read this book had I not been able to find it in audio. I do however think that the narrators did really well to infuse their characters with emotion and passion which was nice to listen to and brought a tear to my eye at some points. I also was glad for the lack of an urge to flip ahead for example to see if a certain character would be reappearing later on, thus spoiling the suspense for myself.

The Author's notes/explanation at the end was also nice as it gave an insight into who the author is and what makes her tick. As someone who has never read any of her other works I appreciated this feature at the end of the audiobook.

I did notice however today when seeing a hard copy of this book in a store that the text for Shiver is all in navy blue and the following book "Linger" is written all in green. I think this is a neat concept that isn't often used and so I may revert to reading the hardcopy of the next book just for the colours. :) Or not as I hear this next book features even more talented narrators. -

Shadow Music by Julie Garwood

My overall rating

Recommended? You Betcha!

On: September 24, 2016

Title: Shadow Music
Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: paperback
Published: 2007
Rating: 4/5

For Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel, Scotland is a land of stunning vistas, wild chieftains, treacherous glens, and steep shadows-skullduggery, betrayal, and now murder. Prized for her exquisite beauty, the daughter of one of England's most influential barons, Gabrielle is also a perfect bargaining chip for a king who needs peace in the Highlands: King John has arranged Gabrielle's marriage to a good and gentle laird. But this marriage will never take place. For Gabrielle, everything changes in one last burst of freedom-when she and her guards come upon a scene of unimaginable cruelty. With one shot from her bow and arrow, Gabrielle takes a life, saves a life, and begins a war. Within days, the Highlands are aflame with passions as a battle royal flares between enemies old and new. Having come to Scotland to be married, Gabrielle is instead entangled in Highland intrigue. For two sadistic noblemen, underestimating Gabrielle's bravery and prowess may prove fatal. But thanks to a secret Gabrielle possesses, Colm MacHugh, the most feared man in Scotland, finds a new cause for courage. Under his penetrating gaze, neither Gabrielle's body nor heart is safe.

This book begins with Gabrielle as a small child and then gradually introduces her into adulthood where she is to marry a Scottish Laird in order to break the barrier between England and Scotland. It doesn't take long for something to go wrong. Since I had just previously finished a historical fiction I seemed to get a bit caught up trying to figure out the timeline of what was happening as well as where this land of St. Biel was, soon to discover it is fictional.

Setting: This book is set briefly in Wellingshire, England and then in the Scottish Highlands in medieval times during the reign of King John of England (1199-1216) and King William of Scotland (1165-1214).

Characters: Lady/Princess Gabrielle is the daughter of a well-to-do English Baron and Princess Genevieve of St. Biel (a fictional country that is now under English control). She is surrounded by her 4 guards sent to her by the people of St. Biel. My favourite character was tied between Lady Gabrielle and Colm McHugh, a Scottish Laird introduced about a quarter of the way through the story. Gabrielle is in some ways very naive and innocent yet would never want to put anyone out on her behalf, to the frustration of others, which is endearing. Colm on the other hand speaks his mind yet rarely shows his emotions or feels the need to explain himself. When they are together more often then not Colm leaves something unsaid which Gabrielle takes the wrong way and disappears before he can clarify anything. I found Colm seemed very cold and stern at first but as Gabrielle got to know him more so did the reader, seeing a different side of him. Other characters include a handful of other Scottish Lairds, lots of Scottish Clansmen, Clergy from a Scottish Abbey, Gabrielle's parents, the King of England (John), and two English barons who both want Gabrielle for themselves.

Age Recommendation: Due to some explicit content and violence I would recommend this book first and foremost to adults but could also be read by some mature young adults.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it didn't take me more than a couple days once I actually got to reading it steadily. I liked how each chapter was fairly short so the phrase "Oh I'll just read one more chapter..." came into my mind on several occasions (Usually resulting in me reading a handful more before I ever would put it down). I do however wonder why Julie Garwood decided to name the book "Shadow Music" and was surprised when the explanation of the title was revealed so early on in the book and seemed to not embody the main storyline at all.

I wonder if part of the reason I liked this book was for its own merit. I have never read any other Julie Garwood book so I didn't have any preconceived notion of what her writing was like, no other books of hers to compare it to, and definitely didn't have any particular expectations before reading it. -

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

My overall rating

Recommended? You Betcha!

On: September 24, 2016

I originally got this product as a sample for review. I have since repurchased it. I love how easy it is to use & how effective it is. On days where I don't have time to shower I can spray it on (at a distance or it'll make your hair white) and... +