Monthly Wrap-up for January 2016

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Hi Guys,

I hope you’ve all been great! 🙂

So, as I had mentioned in my earlier posts I’ve decided to do Monthly Wrap-Ups. Considering how many books I’ve chosen to read and my daily workload, it is a little hard to complete book reviews for everything.

Therefore, I will update you all on a monthly basis and will just simply surprise you with random book reviews! 😛

Anyhow… here are the synopsis of the books I read this month:

Magician

He held the fate of two worlds in his hands… Once he was an orphan called Pug, apprenticed to a sorcerer of the enchanted land of Midkemia.. Then he was captured and enslaved by the Tsurani, a strange, warlike race of invaders from another world.

There, in the exotic Empire of Kelewan, he earned a new name– “Milamber.” He learned to tame the unnimagined powers that lay withing him. And he took his place in an ancient struggle against an evil Enemy older than time itself.

“Totally gripping… A fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid imagination.” — “The Washington Post Book World”

This book took me a little longer to get through. I had to show sheer determination to get through the first quarter of the book but, it really picked up in the latter half. This is how Fantasy books should be written. The main protagonist, Pug, is a pretty awesome character. His growth into a man of immense power is riveting.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it is spaced out over a time period of a few years giving all the characters enough time to grow and develop distinct, likeable qualities.

Everyone needs to read this book; quite a journey. 🙂

 

Little Black Lies

In such a small community as the Falkland Islands, a missing child is unheard of. In such a dangerous landscape it can only be a terrible tragedy, surely…

When another child goes missing, and then a third, it’s no longer possible to believe that their deaths were accidental, and the villagers must admit that there is a murderer among them. Even Catrin Quinn, a damaged woman living a reclusive life after the accidental deaths of her own two sons a few years ago, gets involved in the searches and the speculation.

And suddenly, in this wild and beautiful place that generations have called home, no one feels safe and the hysteria begins to rise.

But three islanders—Catrin, her childhood best friend, Rachel, and her ex-lover Callum—are hiding terrible secrets. And they have two things in common: all three of them are grieving, and none of them trust anyone, not even themselves.

I’ve been a fan of Sharon Bolton’s writing for a while and this book was no different. The plot is gripping and keeps you hooked right till the end.

The only negative for me was the backdrop of the book – not the location – but the marine aspect of it. Personally, I am not big into marine life so that didn’t grip me as much.

 

The Hunt for Atlantis

Following in the tradition of Clive Cussler and Matthew Reilly, Andy McDermott takes us a roller-coaster ride in search of the legendary Atlantis.

Archaeologist Nina Wilde believes she has found the location of the lost city of Atlantis and now she wants the opportunity to prove her theory. Someone else though wants her dead!
With the help of ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase and beautiful heiress Kari Frost, Nina faces a breakneck race against time around the world, pursued at every step by agents of the mysterious – and murderous – Brotherhood of Selasphoros. From the jungles of Brazil to the mountains of Tibet, from the streets of Manhattan to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the hunt for Atlantis leads to a secret hidden for 11,000 years – which in the wrong hands could destroy civilization as we know it…

This is the first Andy McDermott book I’ve read (definitely not the last) and it wasn’t a disappointment at all. It is the first book in the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase series. This is a fast paced, action adventure which, to me, was reminiscent of my favourite authors’s – Matthew Reilly – Jack West series.

 

Queen Song

Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life.

This is a Red Queen (by Victoria Aveyard) novella, prequel to Red Queen. This was a good short story, good background to Cal’s mother.

 

Steel Scars

Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation—Mare Barrow.

This is another Red Queen novella. This is wasn’t as gripping in my opinion. This one is more in conjunction with the other Red Queen protagonist, Mare Barrow.

 

NYPD Red 2

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City’s most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren’t prepared for what they see when they’re called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what’s really behind the murderer’s rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently–and Zach knows whatever she’s hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson’s newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you’ve never seen before.

This is the second book in the NYPD Red series (as the name suggests) by James Patterson & Marshall Karp.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading this book! There haven’t been too many James Patterson books in recent times that have been gripping enough, this one however had bye hooked right till the end.

Well written plot, surprising enough twists, and paced well are the things that work perfectly in this book’s favour. I’n all prepped to pick up the third book in this series.

 

And so peeps, those are all the books for January 2016. Here’s hoping for a busier February. 🙂

Happy Reading!

xx

 

 

 

 

 

A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton

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Well… this has taken me longer than I thought! Okay, lets get this started.

A Dark and Twisted Tide is the fourth book in the ‘Lacey Flint’ series from Sharon Bolton. After reading every book of hers, I always wonder what she could possibly come up with in the next and its always a surprise because the next one is ever better than the previous.

After the events in the third book – Like this, For Ever – ex detective Lacey Flint has left the team and joined the River Police hoping to live a quieter, less dramatic life. She has been in the midst of so many dangerous situations that she wants out of it for a while. It definitely sounded like a good idea at the time. She is living alone on a houseboat, trying but failing to get over the man she loves, undercover detective Mark Joesbury. Mark, however, is missing in action and as always happens, danger serves itself  to Lacey on a ‘bloody’ platter… Out for a swim one morning, she discovers a body wrapped in a burial cloth; a body that will catapult her back into the danger zone, something she questions if she missed. She can’t resist asking questions, Who is this woman and why was she hidden in the fast-flowing depths of the River Thames? And, who has been delivering unwanted gifts to Lacey? Someone is watching her very closely…. and she is pretty damn sure of it.

There are a few things I love about this series. One of them is Lacey Flint. She is a really well thought out character with a lot of depth – we’re in the fourth book and we’ve barely managed to scratch the surface – that is why I keep coming back to this series. You finish the book wanting more. Then you have the gorgeously described, enigmatic Mark Joesbury, who is always somewhere in Lacey’s life. Their developing relationship is pretty compelling. I’m totally rooting for these guys! 😉 The third main character being Dana Tulloch,  strong, perceptive, smart. She is Lacey’s ex boss and best friends with Mark Joesbury.

Sharon Bolton always (guaranteed) brings excellent mystery elements to her books and this one is no surprise. This book has enough twists and turns to keep you hooked on – a total page turner. For some reason, and this applies to every book that I have read of her, it gives you the eerie, spine tingling moments. The haunting feeling stays with you long after you’ve finished reading the book. I always feel like i’m reading a ghost/horror story.

In this book, I was really captivated with the backdrop, River Thames and Lacey’s relationship with it, which again has developed over certain incidents (as described in the earlier books). The way it is described is totally a Sharon Bolton trademark – strange, unknown elements, eerie prose – perfectly applied. The river holds hidden secrets, unchartered territory and the events that take place in its confines are truly memorable.

Sharon Bolton is an author whom I will highly recommend. I don’t recall exactly how I got on to her books but I’m really glad that I did. Sharon Bolton has – in my opinion – a very unique writing prowess. I have made it my personal mission to get as many people as I can, on to reading her books.

Get on to it folks – starting with Blood Harvest. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Happy Reading!! 🙂

 

Lacy Flint Series:                                                     

Now you see me

Dead Scared

If snow hadn’t fallen (short story)

Like this, for ever (Also goes by ‘LOST’)

 

Other Books:

Blood Harvest

Awakening

Sacrifice