Book Reviews

 Hi, I'm Lydia and I am a bibliophile. Years ago my Aunt (a librarian) got me a book journal, it was to document my thought's and feelings about what I had just read. I filled its pages and set it down, forgotten, shoved away, packed in boxes and finally thrown away. But I always liked the idea of finding another one and filling it out. Well instead of wasting a tree why not use the technology to our advantage. I am currently going through all the books on my shelf to see which ones I want to keep so why not write about them.

May I present!

✰✰My book Journal ★★

1. The Thief Lord, Cornelia Funke ★★★★★
        On my bookshelf

    After the death of their mother and running from a cruel aunt  brothers Prosper and Bo make it to Venice. Aided by fellow orphans Hornet, Ricco, and Mosca the brothers hide in an abandoned theater being taken care of by the mysterious Thief lord. On the other side of town their aunt has hired the help of a detective by the name of Victor to find Bo and bring him home. Meanwhile the Thief Lord is commissioned by a strange man to steal an item valuable only to him. The truth will be found as everyone has something to hide. 

        I remember reading this in school and a few weeks ago I remembered part of the story line. As fate would have it while perusing  my local thrift shop I found a copy. While targeted for a younger audience Cornelia Funke still has enough mystery and adventure to keep adults entertained. The problem with a lot of older children's books is a lot of writers try to rush the story along and lose details.

Cornelia Funke is not one of those writers, she has a story to tell and she tells it. she writes in a way you feel you are there with the children running through the streets and looking at the Winged Lions. This is not the last time you will see her on this list as the Inkheart series is one of my favorites

 

I have missed a few but I will be picking this back up full speed soon

2. The Dragonrider Academy 1-7 by A.J. Flowers. (broken into episodes) ★★✰✰✰
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    After the jock tries to drown her Vivi is transported to a magical realm with Dragons, knights, nephilims, and an evil lurking closer than they think. The first person she meets is a boy named Killian claiming they are fated mates. Follow along her journey as she traverses this new world. 

    While this...series? (Can I even call it a series with an average of 62 pages per book?) This episodic book, has massive potential it has a long way to go. The characters are interesting, the story line is riveting, it makes you want to dive head first into this world of fantasy and magic! But you cant, The details are lacking, the characters are just thrown together for you to figure out how they work later, the story is rushed, and the world is skimmed over. While I understand sometimes you have an idea in your head and you just need to get it out there, one would hope with it being published it would be more solid. The book is full of tropes that were just thrown together and are supposed to make sense. 

I understand it is a fantasy but some things need a little more explaining. (SPOILERS) The main character is thrust into a world she has had no idea about, she forced this guy into a bond with her (Which after like 2 hours of pouting she is 100% ok with). She has never fought anything in her life, never gone to classes, and somehow she is fighting dragons because of her "goddess blood". She puts her "mate" and his dragon at risk of dying because she wants to hatch her own dead egg. And now all of a sudden she is immortal? (End Spoilers) All in all it was rushed and the only reason I finished it was because it was free and I was hoping it could redeem itself. 

3. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank ★★★★★
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    Having read this in school I never really associated with what was happening. While we were the same age as Anne the thought of living in fear, living in secret and losing your entire life could not be comprehended.

    Reading this as an adult is an entirely different experience. You can imagine every detail, you can see them shuffling around and you can almost physically feel her growing up. From the pre-teen innocence of first attraction and the earth shattering changes in friendships. To the teenager who has aged a million years talking about how there are two sides in her, the childish side containing her joy, cheerfulness and hope, the other a deeper, more thoughtful and resigned side.

    After finishing I went back and read the first few entries again and it made me stop to think. Life can change at any moment and although the events leading up to her going into hiding were not a surprise her life was changed forever. Many of us will have the fortune of never going through anything close to this in our lifetime. Although you may have bad days you are still alive, free to exist and not hated.

    The flip side of that is to look at how you treat others, even to this day we have hatred for people who are different, whether it is a religion or their ethnicity. If we do not want history to repeat itself than we must do better. About 1.5 million children had the same fate as Anne and her sister. They never got to grow up and show what they could do all because they were the "wrong" type of human. If you take away anything from this book let it be the thought and promise of not letting this happen to anyone else.

4. Fated Mates of the Sea Sand Warlords- Ursa Dax ★★★★✬ 4.5
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        I am unsure how I will be doing series on this list. Some like The Dragonrider Academy will be put together if my feelings are the same across the books. This one though every book is different and deserving of its own review. 

    1.  Alien Tyrant ★★★★✰
            Pairing- Cece/Buroudei

         While there were some...interesting...writing elements I have to give props to the author for an original story. While within the trope of the kidnapped woman falling in love with the hero because they are soulmates, it is not the stale wrung out overused ways some other authors do. Although it moved quickly the world building was phenomenal, the Author takes time to describe the alien race along with any creatures you come across. I laughed out loud many times and had to place it down a few times due to second hand embarrassment as well. I have already picked up the next book and look forward to continuing this series. 

        (SPOILERS) Cece was kidnapped on a run by a government approved space program. Her and about 20 other women were placed on a spacecraft for a mission to another planet. As they land their ship is destroyed by scorpion monsters leaving the crew dead and the women fleeing. Cece is bicked up by an alien named Ghan Buroudei (Ghan is a title for tribe leader) who claims to be her mate. Although humans don't feel the mate bond the same way the aliens do she soon falls in love with him and agrees to be his mate. She is approached by their God and is granted the language of the people. She convinces him to free the other women who had been picked up by another tribe. They band together with a 2nd tribe who's 2nd in command also has a human mate. Battle ensues leading one of the leaders dead, another gravely injured, and Cece with a plan to unite the tribes. (End Spoilers)

     2. Alien Enemy ★★★✰✰
            Pairing- Chapman/Fallo

          While I liked Chapman as a character Fallo is a different story. I get that he is supposed to be "The enemy", "The Mad Ghan" but he really does not have any redeeming qualities. It seems the author fell into the typical mindset of an angry character is angry, and yelly, and ready to fly off the handle at any moment. And while some characters are like that I would have liked to see a better rounding of his character besides just angry.

        (SPOILERS) This book starts as Cece is taken by Burodei but from Chapman's POV. Chapman and the other women are taken by a group of men belonging to Ghan Fallo, The Mad Ghan, or The Enemy as Chapman comes to refer him as. Throughout most of the book they can not speak to each other and just go off of body language and hand signs. They come together eventually and Ghan Fallo defends them against the other two tribes coming to attack them even killing one of their Ghans. They end up moving to the central location with everyone else.(End Spoilers)

     3. Alien Orphan ★★★★✰
            Pairing- Melanie/Taliok

            From the last book it is a welcome change of pace. Taliok has a well rounded backstory and is interesting as a character. I loved Melanie; unlike the last 2, Cece who fell head over heels and Chapman who had almost something to prove, Melanie is more reserved and questionable of the mate bond. While Taliok is understanding and moves at her own pace it is nice to see them tackle her personal hurdles together.  

        (SPOILERS) Taliok attacks Ghan Fallo at his mating ceremony in revenge for Ghan Fallo killing the previous Ghan of lis tribe. Talked down by Buroudei he and his tribe move into a cave off to the sides of the main camp. He silently observes Melanie who is wary of the aliens and has trust issues of an astronomical scale. His silent presence starts to wear her down as he promises to take her and Kat to the mountains of his home to collect rock samples to try and make a sunscreen for the humans. Taliok, Melanie, Galok, and Kat (Book 4) travel to his mountains for a few days While they are collecting samples They are attacked by men from Ghan Baldor's tribe (Book 6), one corners Melanie before she is saved by The Exile (Book 5). It opens her eyes to the new enemies who are out there and she agrees to be Taliok's mate.(End Spoilers)

     4. Alien Reject ★★★★★
             Pairing- Kat/Galok

              By far my favorite pairing so far. Kat is spicy and sarcastic not wanting to give into someone without a fight. Galok on the other hand is the happy go lucky, goofy, golden retriever type who will always be there. It was nice to see them progress without the man being influenced by the mate bond and them coming together almost naturally. We also saw some of the first glimpses of one of the two tribes that are not part of the "central hub". I look forward to finishing the series but it will take a lot to move Galok from my top spot.

             (SPOILERS) Throughout the last book Galok was flirting with Kat even though he has not been called to see his mate. Their story starts directly after the last one ends. Galok is so pure and honest in trying to win Kat while all she does is snark back and use human slang to confuse him. No matter how much she snaps and pushes him away he comes back to dutifully follow her. He gives off major golden retriever energy. Through talking to the other women she is convinced to give him a chance and asks him on a date. He takes her to a beautiful oasis in his old territory. On the way back they stop at the ship to start analyzing the samples. They are attacked by Ghan Baldor's man and Galok is gravely injured. With the help of Zoey (A woman who had hid in the ship and not left) Kat was able to get him to the pools where he was healed and shown that Kat is his mate. (End Spoilers)

    5. Alien Exile ★★★★✰
             Pairing- Zoey/Kor

             At first I was a little unimpressed with the story, but it grew on me. I can get behind the kangaroo/human, aliens but adding lizard features was a bit odd. Trying to picture him was difficult at first but I was able to work around it. Kor is by far the most romantic and sweet talking MMC we have met so far. I look forward to seeing how the story progresses especially with the new threat looming over them. 

         (SPOILERS) Just starting to get accustomed to the alien tribes she was introduced to Zoey is standing outside when a human drone floats in front of her. Before she can react the drone is shot out of the sky by a spear unlike any she has seen the warriors wield before. While the humans begin talking about what this means for them the warriors are sent out to capture whoever threw the spear. Kor not one to be trapped ends up knocking out and tying up the three sent after him delivering them safely back home. his mother was the same species as the sea sand people while his father is a lizard man from the sea, he has mostly "kangadude" features while his tail, coloring and hide are those of the Sea people. Treated as an enemy he just want's to see Zoey. Chapman agrees under the condition he goes to his fathers people and convinces them to build an alliance with the three gathered tribes for when the humans arrive. Ghan Fallo, Chapman, Taliok, Galok, Kor and Zoey head out across the sands into Ghan Baldor's territory. Along the way Zoey warms up to Kor and by the time it comes for him to leave to the sea she agrees to be his mate. Ghan Fallo is sent back to the main camp with a warning that Baldor is gearing up for an attack, we meet Kor's mother who later agrees to come back with them. When Kor meets the sea people he is immediately attacked and imprisoned only being released by his cousin breaking him out and coming with him to meet the rest of the group. Once the cousin knows he is telling the truth she goes back to the sea people. Returning shortly the Hakah (Leader of the sea people) agrees to travel to the main camp with two of his men to come up with a plan. (End Spoilers)

     6. Alien Hunter ★★★★★
         Pairing- Theresa/Baldor

          I loved this book, Baldor has not taken my top spot but he is a solid 2nd. There wasn't as much story progression as I would have hoped seeing how the last book went but the progress it did make is interesting. I love how the author is making all of the relationships different so it doesn't feel like reading the same thing over and over again. Although they are starting to get a bit predictable. I am intrigued to see how the author fits pregnancy into the story line. 

        (SPOILERS) This one picks up right where the last one left off. Baldor gets his men ready for war against the combined tribes. His attack fails with him being caught by Kor and many of his men ending up injured. The Ghans take him aside and explain everything about the new women and how they have formed an alliance. He runs into Theresa coming out of the healers tent. He proceeds to strip naked and hold his loin cloth over her head to protect her from the sun. She still is angry with him for attacking her people but out of everyone she wanted a mate the most. He ends up sleeping outside her tent and when she wakes she finds his wound has festered. We find out that Cece is pregnant which has the women mixed between excited and scared. They take a trip to the Lavrika pools to collect more Lavrika blood (Magic healing juice) and become close. Theresa is still hesitant due to the fact he is hiding something from her and he wants to take her back to his home land. On a trip back from the ship she learns he had a mate previously who had died while he was away which is why he is always by her side. The Ghan's meet and agree to send one man from each tribe to the fifth tribe to try and explain what is going on so the last tribe does not try and attack like Baldor's tribe did. A freak sandstorm comes in where Baldor risks his life to get to Theresa eventually protecting her from being crushed by a shelf. She agrees to be his mate and after a few weeks of some fun figures she is pregnant as well. The men sent out return with the news that the last Gahn is dead and a fight/tournament is happening to decide a new Gahn.  (End Spoilers)