Format: Paperback

No One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins UK to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
No One Saw It Coming by Susan LewisNo One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis
Published by HarperCollins UK on 08/15/2023
Genres: Fiction / Crime, Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Small Town & Rural, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: HarperCollins UK
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

Don’t miss this utterly gripping and emotional thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Lewis! Secrets lie at the heart of every family...

When the unthinkable happens...

Hanna’s world is crumbling.

An unimaginable crime has been committed, and everyone’s looking for someone to blame. Her loved ones are under suspicion.

Now Hanna must work out who is threatening her family – before it’s too late.

No one could have seen this coming...

Real readers love No One Saw It Coming

‘Master storyteller Susan Lewis blends emotional family drama, heart-stopping tension and nail-biting suspense’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A mesmerizing, immersive and emotional tale that is a struggle to put down’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Had me hooked from the start’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Best book I’ve had the pleasure to read in a very long time’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I haven’t been reading much lately, I think being a college student has gotten me into a slump – I read so much for school, I don’t want to read anything else when I’m done with my homework! But… I did manage to read a book over the past couple of days, so maybe I’ll get back into the swing of it! The book in question? No One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis – a mystery that involves family secrets, murder, and mental health.

Characters

The main characters in this story are hard to define in some cases. We have Hanna and Jack, a married couple who’ve been together for decades. Hanna is the main focus of this book – you’ll understand when you read it. There are Leo and Cait, Hanna and Jack’s two children, who each have issues of their own. Next comes Sebastian, Jack’s best friend, who plays a major part in the story line. Finally, for main characters, there is Riona… who isn’t quite who and what she seems.

You’ll meet other characters along the way – Jenny (Jack’s stepmom), Andee (Hanna’s best friend), Graeme (Andee’s husband), Sophia (Cait’s toddler daughter), Ishan (Sophia’s father), Freya (you’ll understand when you read it), and Blanche, who has her own chapters and is tied to Riona… it is complicated, and a few others.

I liked Hanna, Jack, Leo, Cait, and Sebastian. I liked Riona as well. I felt the characters were relatable and they felt like real people to me, not just flat characters on the page, which is good. Some of the more minor characters were also real, but some were just flat characters on the page, because while they played a part in the story, it wasn’t enough of a part for me to really care about them.

Atmosphere/Setting

Not being overly familiar with the layout of the UK, I am assuming that this book is set in Great Britain, as it is referenced that Riona came from Ireland and has an Irish accent. Not having a bloody clue about where anything in the book is (or even if the locations are actually real) did not detract from my enjoyment of this book in any way. It was a great setting for the novel and kept me from being overly bored with it – or overly critical if the book happened to be set in a place I know.

I do wish a bit more description of some of the areas in which the characters found themselves had been given – especially Riona’s home, but I suppose that might have spoiled part of the big twist of the book.

Writing

Despite being written using British English spelling and vernacular, I found the writing style to be easy to read and easy to digest. I didn’t get that feeling like I had no clue what was happening because Ms. Lewis did not write in circles as some mystery/thriller authors have been known to. I thoroughly enjoyed the book for the writing style and it is one of the reasons I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Lewis.

Plot

So the plot to this one is standard, but not standard at the same time. Someone is hurting Hanna’s family and she needs to figure out who it is and why they want to hurt her family. At the same time, there is a secondary plot involving one of the characters believing fully that they have found their long-lost sister, but yet keeping their distance from said sister.

I’m sad to say that I’d already guessed part of the big twist within the first quarter of the book. That isn’t to say that it was something that was telegraphed or easy to guess! I just recognized that part of the twist for what it was. It didn’t mean I didn’t want to know what would happen. I mean, no one had even gotten hurt yet! There wasn’t yet a mystery to actually solve when I figured out that part of the big twist. So if you figure that part out super early, just keep reading, there’s so much more to the story than just that part of the twist!

Intrigue

Despite having figured out the big twist of the book super early, I still found that this book had a huge amount of intrigue. Figuring out who had done each of the crimes that are committed because there are suspects, but no definitive answers – at least not until the twist comes up. Then, yes, there are answers. And what an answer it is! But of course, you have to read it, I’m not going to give it away here.

Ms. Lewis knows how to write a mystery that will keep you reading!

Relationships

There are some pretty complicated relationships in No One Saw It Coming. First, there’s Sebastian and Riona’s relationship – where it seems she wants him as much as he wants her, but then it doesn’t seem like she wants him after all. Then there’s Cait’s antagonistic attitude toward her parents, especially her father, Jack, that no one seems to be able to figure out. Finally, there’s Jack’s relationship with someone else that Hanna didn’t know about (Hanna and Jack have flings/affairs but never keep them secret, except this time). So relationships in this book are complicated at best, but very interesting.

Ending

The book ends on a note that makes you wonder if perhaps in the future there could be a second book. After the big twist, after everything goes down and all is “well”, it seems like there could potentially be more to this story – as though book is finished but the story isn’t, if you know what I mean.

If Ms. Lewis was intending to write a sequel, I fully intend to read it!

Conclusion

Ms. Lewis has written a solid four-star book here. While it wasn’t “can’t put it down” good, it was definitely good enough to make me want to read more of her work.

The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann LynchThe Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch
Published by HarperCollins UK on 09/02/2022
Genres: Fiction / Action & Adventure, Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Urban & Street Lit, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: HarperCollins
Goodreads

‘Sharp writing... great plot’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Reviewer

‘[I] couldn’t put it down. A twisty read [and] I had no clue’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Reviewer

‘Readers will not see the twists coming in this thriller perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley and Shari Lapena’ Booklist

New Orleans: live music, endless drinks, brightly-coloured attractions, the perfect place for a party...

The bride-to-be
The best friend
The cousin
The mother-in-law
The sister
The groom’s friend

The bachelorette begins on a Friday night; all six women are excited for a chance to escape their everyday lives. But then friendly rivalries turn vicious, and a game of truth or dare turns deadly.

By the end of the weekend one of them will be dead...

Discover why readers are captivated by The Bachelorette Party:

‘I was absolutely invested from page 1 and couldn’t put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. Thrilling, suspenseful and a page-turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Awesome’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow ... literally blown my mind’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A twisty thriller that you will not guess’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was completely hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘From the first page to the last I was gripped’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Great writing and the characters really were fantastic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘So juicy... the suspense is amped up right from the first page and doesn’t end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An easy, fast-paced book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I read this book in one sitting... I was hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fast, entertaining read with a smart twist at the end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Suspense, intrigue and many twists and turns’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The cast of characters were complicated and unlikeable in the best ways’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I just want to thank HarperCollins for sending me this book – I got it late September/early October last year and just now got around to reading it. As per usual when it takes me awhile to get around to reading a book, I wish I’d read it sooner!

I could not put this book down. I think I started it around 8PM and finished it just after midnight. Ms. Lynch wrote this book with so many secrets, twists, and turns that I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what was coming next.

We have six main characters:

  • Rosalee – the bride-to-be
  • Tinsley – Rosalee’s cousin
  • Mara – Rosalee’s best friend
  • Bri – the soon-to-be sister-in-law
  • Elizabeth – the soon-to-be mother-in-law
  • Georgia – Rosalee’s fiancé’s best friend

All of them come with their own sets of secrets, reasons why they might be a murder victim or why they might have committed the murder. Oh, by the way, you don’t find out who was actually murdered until nearly the end of the book… even though you start off with the crime scene. It’s amazing!

Usually I have to try to guess who murdered the victim, but I know who the victim is. With The Bachelorette Party, not only did I have to try to guess who the murderer was, but who the victim was as well. I’m telling you, it makes the mystery even more fun when you don’t even know who died!

Interestingly enough, as much as I loved the book, I can’t say the same about any of the six main characters. None of the particularly spoke to me and frankly, all of them have something that makes them unlikeable. I will say my least favorite character was Mara – she rubbed me the wrong way from the moment she appeared. But I didn’t really like any of the others either.

The setting though – New Orleans… a creepy old gothic mansion that is purported to be haunted? Yes please! I’ll absolutely take that setting any day of the week.

Ms. Lynch’s writing style is beautiful and easy to read. You won’t find yourself bored or reading a ton of cliché phrases because the writing is exciting and doesn’t rely on tired phrases like everyone’s favorite “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding”.

I highly recommend you check out The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch if you are a mystery/suspense lover. You’ll be glad you did!

Credible Threats Book Cover

Credible Threats by Daniel Meyer

Published on by Charli

Today I’m bringing you a review of Credible Threats by Daniel Meyer. This book is a Urban Fantasy novel in the Sam Adams series meant for anyone Young Adult to Adult. This review is part of the Escapist Book Company blog tour for Credible Threats.

I received an advance copy of this book from Escapist Book Co. to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
Credible Threats by Daniel MeyerCredible Threats by Daniel Meyer
Series: Sam Adams #1
Published by Self-Published on 11/15/2022
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Urban
Pages: 330
Format: Paperback
Source: Escapist Book Co.
IndieBound
Goodreads

Sam Adams, sixteen-year-old wizard, has zero interest in saving the world—but staying out of the line of fire isn’t an option for wizards.

When a new designer drug hits the streets, giving ordinary humans magical powers and leaving a trail of bodies in its wake, it threatens to turn his city of Williamsport’s long-simmering conflict between the haves and the have-nots into a full-scale war. The only one with the skills to protect the city, Sam finds himself thrust into a conspiracy far darker and more dangerous than he ever imagined, with tentacles stretching into the criminal underworld and the wealthy elite—and into the spirit world.

Fighting for his life, surrounded by enemies, Sam has to dig deeper than ever before to keep Williamsport from going up in flames.

But even magic has its limits.

Content Warning: Strong violence (including gun violence), car crashes, fires (including people being burned alive), stabbing, blood, injuries, child abduction/danger as well allusions to the possibility of his being murdered and the kidnapping of the main character, grief (including parental grief at the loss of a child), fatal overdoses and other allusions to drugs as well as underage drinking and peer pressure to drink, an instance of verbal abuse from a stepfather to his stepdaughter, classism, dead bodies, demons, possession, hazing, stampeding crowds, references to catcalling, someone's drink potentially getting spiked, a purely sarcastic reference to a man sleeping w/ an underaged girl, police brutality, chloroforming

Ok, so when the blog tour for Credible Threats was announced, it just seemed like it was going to be a great book and I wasn’t wrong in the least.

Sam Adams is our teenaged wizard and along with Sam comes a cast of characters – some good, some not so good – that is truly amazing. Every character had a purpose and if they didn’t, that character didn’t have a name.

This book is action packed – you could almost say it is an action/fantasy combination. The action starts early and doesn’t let up until the end of the book. This book was a page-turner and while I did put it down to do other things, it wasn’t because I wanted to.

If you’re looking for a good urban fantasy novel that combines magic, mayhem, action, and the mundane as well, set in a real-world setting, this is a great book to go with. At 4.5 stars, I highly recommend it!

Book Cover for Wild Court

Wild Court by Matthew Samuels

Published on by Charli

Today is my stop on the Escapist Book Co blog tour for Matthew Samuels’s Wild Court. This is an urban fantasy that deals with the paranormal. Thank you to Escapist Book Co and Matthew Samuels for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

I received an advance copy of this book from Author to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
Wild Court by Matthew SamuelsWild Court by Matthew Samuels
Published by Self-Published on 03/13/2023
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Urban
Pages: 524
Format: Paperback
Source: Author
Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

A secret organisation is losing the battle to maintain the empathy levels that sustain our planet’s barriers against the nightmare worlds.

Meanwhile, a young aristocrat safeguards a terrible secret, sponsoring an archaeology graduate obsessed with biblical artefacts. An all-knowing orphan worshiped by a cult joins a textbook exemplar of toxic masculinity and an introverted librarian. Together with a retired demon hunter, they’ll face the apocalypse.

Content Warnings: Frequent swearing, sexism, blasphemy, casual sex, binge drinking, speculative and unconventional biblical interpretations, toxic masculinity, frank references to masturbation, urination, farting, fouling ones clothes, anxiety, feelings of disorientation, panic and claustrophobia, public vomiting, horrific human transformations, people being killed, magic, air travel, fantastical monsters, portrayals of angels, blood, urine, faeces, vomit, aggressive interrogation of Christian doctrine and that of other Abrahamic religions, guns, flippancy about the egos of divine beings, misogynistic language, references to drug use, mugging, falling down stairs, nails being dragged down a blackboard

Trigger Warnings: Gore, gratuitous violence, bleeding from the eyes, ears, anus and mouth, exploding / harm to animals, tattooing / needles, contemplation of suicide, supernatural creatures killing and eating humans, murder, dead bodies, mutilation, torture, car crashes, people being shot, graphic injury detail, shooting and gun fights, references to human trafficking, injury and unpleasant deaths, brief references to the 9/11 and 7th July terrorist attacks, references to cruelty to animals and animal sacrifice

When I first read the description for Wild Court, I was intrigued. I’m not usually one for urban fantasy novels, but I wanted to give it a try. I’m so glad I did.

Wild Court has a unique spin on urban fantasy. It’s paranormal fantasy and it is done in a way that I haven’t really seen before. There is a slow build up to the full issue, but once the full issue is at hand, the book moves pretty quickly. Honestly, the slow build up is rather nice – it keeps the book from feeling rushed.

I liked the characters – most of them at least, although I must say I wasn’t overly fond of Alice. It wasn’t that she was a bad character and she certainly wasn’t evil, she just had that obnoxious know-it-all air about her that annoyed me. Other than that, I was quite satisfied with the characters. I knew who to root for, who I should absolutely despise, and who was in neutral territory. All in all, great characters.

The writing style is easy to read. There are some things it took me a bit to figure out – since I’m in the US, I didn’t know that people in the UK call McDonald’s “Macca’s” and I was thrown off until I looked it up on Google. But other than a few terms that weren’t familiar as they are UK lingo, I was able to read through the book quite quickly. There aren’t any grammar or editing errors that I noticed.

The ending might seem anticlimactic or even rushed to some, but I don’t think it was. I feel like the ending moved at exactly the pace it was supposed to. There was a part of the ending that made me think “seriously dude?” but that was due to something a character did not anything bad about the ending. I gave this book a solid four stars as it is a great, fun read.

Book Cover for The Forbidden Realms

The Forbidden Realms by H. C. Newell

Published on by Charli

Our review for today is for H. C. Newell’s The Forbidden Realms. This is book 2 in the Fallen Light series. The front matter of the book actually says this book is to be read after book 1, Curse of the Fallen.

I received an advance copy of this book from Escapist Book Co. to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
The Forbidden Realms by H. C. NewellThe Forbidden Realms by H C Newell
Series: Fallen Light #2
Published by Self-Published on 07/31/2022
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Grimdark
Pages: 465
Format: Paperback
Source: Escapist Book Co.
IndieBound
Goodreads

Book II of the Fallen Light series.

Nerana is a sorceress. An exile. The Child of Skye. 
And she isn’t alone. 

After a vicious attack against the Order of Saro, Nerana finds herself lost in the wastelands of Aragoth. Forbidden of humans or evae, the desert is a land teeming with fire and vengeance, and Nerana’s only hope for survival lies in the trust of another. 

Aélla, a powerful evaesh sorceress, travels the desert on a pilgrimage of sacrifice and strength. Determined to enter the Realm of Elements and see her quest complete, she must survive the hardened warriors of the desert, the vaxros, who banished her kind from their land centuries ago. 

But the vaxros aren’t the only threat, and the weight of such imbalance could shift the fate of the world.

Content Warning: grief, violence, death, gore, horror, monsters, racism, cliffhanger

Ok, first, you’ll need to read the trigger warnings for this book. If you have issues with grief, gore, horror, etc., then I can tell you now, this book will not be for you… if Curse of the Fallen wasn’t for you, this one won’t be either.

A quick note about Curse of the Fallen – it took me two tries to actually read it. Not because it wasn’t a good book, it was a “right book, wrong time” situation, which I knew from the beginning when I was having trouble with it. The book was good, my brain just didn’t want to focus on it. I read Curse of the Fallen and The Forbidden Realms in the span of a week, so yes, they are that good because I usually don’t read fantasy novels of any sort back-to-back. Now…

After finishing Curse of the Fallen, I jumped straight into The Forbidden Realms. As in, I put Curse of the Fallen down and picked up The Forbidden Realms and started reading. We’re still following Nerana, Neer to those of us in the know, but we’ve got some new characters joining us for this journey. What can I say – I loved the characters I was supposed to love, hated the characters I was supposed to hate (don’t get me started on The Nasir). I was a bit confused as to who Aélla was at first, but then figured it out later.

I quite enjoyed our change of scenery for this book – so many series end up with every book being set in the same place and it can get boring or get old. Not so with the Fallen Light series so far. I love this because for one, it gives us a chance to see different parts of the world in which our beloved characters live. For another, it makes it so we don’t get bored with the scenery.

I really liked the plot to this one as well. Ok, we all know that the basics of a fantasy novel plot involve one or more people going on a quest to do or find something. But it’s how that basic plot is executed that makes the difference. Trust me when I say, this book follows the basic fantasy novel plot, but does so in a spectacular way.

I want to say one more thing about a particular character – Thorne gives me Winter Soldier vibes and I kept picturing Sebastian Stan ala Captain America and the Winter Soldier… metal arm, mask, etc… Just saying.

This book was a ride from the beginning to the end. I loved it so much and I can’t wait for the third book in the series. This was a solid four star read and I can’t recommend this series enough.

Dragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Published on by Charli1 Comment

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Dragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis & Tracy HickmanDragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Also by this author: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night
Series: Dragonlance Chronicles #3
Also in this series: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night
Published by Wizards of the Coast Publishing on 11/11/2008
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library
Amazon
Goodreads

The war against the dragon minions of Queen Takhisis rages on. Armed with the mysterious, magical dragon orbs and the shining, silver dragonlance, the companions bring hope to the world. But now, in the dawn of a new day, the dark secrets that have long shadowed the hearts of the friends come to the light. Betrayal, treachery, frailty, and weakness will nearly destroy all that they have accomplished.

The greatest battle they have left to fight is within each of them.

Yet, in the end, they will be heroes.

Oh come on, you couldn’t have thought I’d review Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Dragons of Winter Night but fail to review Dragons of Spring Dawning could you? Good, because if you’d thought I wouldn’t review the third book in the Chronicles quartet, you’d have been wrong.

Once again, we have death and betrayal in this book, so if you’re looking for those things, you’ll want to pick this book up. But again, read Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Dragons of Winter Night first. Trust me, you’ll thank me later if you do.

First we need to add a bit of direction – before you read DoSD get some tissues. Especially if you have already read DoAT and DoWN. Trust me, you’ll need them. Just get them. If you don’t cry, I swear, you’ve either read the books 100 times before and know what to expect, or you’re one of those people who aren’t moved by the death of a beloved character. No, I’m not going to tell you which one. No, I won’t tell you when it happens. You’ll have to read the book to find that out. But for the love of chickens, get some tissues!

There is betrayal in this book, but it isn’t exactly what you think. It’s betrayal and it’s not betrayal, which I know, doesn’t make any sense at all. But it’s the truth. Again, not giving you any details. I couldn’t begin to describe it even if I was willing to give details. It is definitely one of those “you have to read it to understand it” things. But you do still have betrayals in this book.

There are several things in this book that you absolutely will not understand if you have not read Dragons of Winter Night because there are several things that refer back to the happenings in that book. This book definitely requires it’s forebears to be read first.

Once again, the writing and world building are of the highest quality. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman make an exquisite writing team – they truly love the world of Krynn and the stories they’ve created and it shows in the books they’ve written. I’m honestly not sure how anyone who loves fantasy wouldn’t fall in love with Krynn, our faithful companions, and the stories in which they are featured – unless of course you don’t like epic fantasy, dragons, or misfit heroes.

I know I’ve been giving the books five stars all along, but it’s so difficult not to – they are stunning books and honestly, I can’t imagine them having less than a five star rating – at least not from me. These are easily some of my favorite books I’ve read this year and Dragons of Spring Dawning was no exception. I will never cease to recommend these books to anyone who loves fantasy or Dungeons & Dragons.

Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Published on by Charli1 Comment

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis & Tracy HickmanDragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Also by this author: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Spring Dawning
Series: Dragonlance Chronicles #2
Also in this series: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Spring Dawning
Published by TSR on 08/14/1984
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Fiction / Fantasy / Epic, Fiction / Fantasy / General, Fiction / Fantasy / Humorous
Pages: 395
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library
Amazon
Goodreads

Dragons

Creatures of legend. Stories told to children.

But now dragons have returned to Krynn. The darkness of war and destruction threatens to engulf the land.

A small band of heroes brings hope to the land. But the hope is fragile as a rose and many be lost completely, shattered by the bitter winds of winter.

Knights and barbarian, warrior and half-elf, dwarf and kender and dark-souled mage; they begin a perilous search for two artifacts that may help them or lead them to their destruction-

the Dragon Orbs...

and the legendary Dragonlance.

I have to say, if you’re looking for a fantasy book with suspense, intrigue, death, and betrayal, you’d do well to pick up Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman.[mfn]Just make sure to read Dragons of Autumn Twilight first, as Dragons of Winter Night is the second book in the series.[/mfn]

First things first – be aware that when you start Dragons of Winter Night, you’ll be starting about a month after the ending of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and in kind of an awkward spot as you’ll have little idea of what’s going on because the companions have gone on an adventure that we don’t get to read about.[mfn]I’m hoping that a later book might include it, even though that’d make no sense. You never know.[/mfn]

There’s a lot of suspense and intrigue in this middle book in the series.[mfn]I say series because Dragonlance Chronicles includes four books, although you generally don’t read the fourth book until much later in the recommended reading order – there are four books to read between Dragons of Spring Dawning and Dragons of Summer Flame in the recommended reading order.[/mfn] We meet a new character who becomes one of the companions of sorts, but there are reasons not to trust this new character. The newbie also has a secret, that will be revealed in due time.[mfn]Just a note, I actually guessed the secret long before it was revealed, but I think that’s just because I’d paid attention to some of the stories/legends told about before the Cataclysm.[/mfn] You’ll also get the chance to meet an old friend again – one who we last saw in Dragons of Autumn Twilight.

As for the betrayal portion, there’s a good portion of that. From family betrayals to betrayals from friends, this book has its fair share of betrayal. I’m not sure which betrayal – the family or the friend betrayal hurts worse. Personally, the more surprising one was the friend betrayal. I’m obviously not going to give spoilers but I’m pretty sure if you’ve read this book before, then you already know what I’m talking about. The family betrayal goes on both sides of the family coin, with some betrayals worse than others. They’re no less heart-wrenching though.

Don’t get me started on how heart-and-gut-wrenching the death you’ll experience in this book is. I needed tissues – I’m becoming too attached to our noble companions. I won’t tell you who it is, but I will tell you that you’ve been with this character since DoAT and will likely either be very upset or even cry like I did when it happens.

All of this is beautifully written. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have their writing down to an art. Their passages blend seamlessly with each other’s – unless the authors themselves were to tell me who wrote what passage, I’d never be able to tell you. They also have the world of Krynn down to an art and a science – everything flows well, works well, and makes sense. They’ve built a world around Dungeons & Dragons that is mesmerizing, horrifying, and wonderful all at the same time.

If you’re new to fantasy or Dragonlance, start with Dragons of Autumn Twilight – it’s the first book in the Dragonlance Chronicles series. If you’ve already read it, go ahead and read Dragons of Winter Night. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this book because I’ve already started Dragons of Spring Dawning and you won’t understand what’s happening at all if you haven’t read Dragons of Winter Night first.

This is another five star read from the Dragonlance world and I can’t wait to read more.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Published on by Charli

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy HickmanDragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Also by this author: Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning
Series: Dragonlance Chronicles #1
Also in this series: Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning
Published by Wizards of the Coast on 11/11/2008
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General
Pages: 445
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library
Amazon
Goodreads

Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.

No one expected them to be heroes.

Least of all, them.

I first stepped into the world of Krynn – and Dragonlance, in 2002 with The Legend of Huma. I was working at a little used bookstore in Texas and had noticed that the small rack of Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance books we had got a lot of attention – and purchases. I enjoyed The Legend of Huma greatly and set out to read more books. My friend suggested reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight. So I obtained a copy and tried. I got less than 1/4 of the way through it and stopped reading. Then I picked it up a few months later, got about 1/4 of the way through it and stopped reading. I did this several times over the years. Finally, my friend who suggested reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight all those years ago, who is now my roommate, brought me the book[mfn]He actually brought me the first 8 books recommended in the reading order on Witty & Sarcastic Book Club’s post, and he hadn’t read the post![/mfn] this past Friday and told me I needed to read it. So I did. And I finished it this time.

Now I can’t understand why it took me so darned long to read it! I love the characters, I love the world, I love everything about it. I think my favorite character has to be Tasselhof Burrfoot, although I have to say Flint Fireforge and Fizban are up there too. Tas is so funny – always mysteriously finding other people’s belongings in with his, getting himself into awkward or bad situations. Flint is hilarious – especially his commentary on gully dwarves. And Fizban – I’ve never seen a more daft mage… he literally fights with trees. It’s utterly hilarious and you have to read about it to truly understand how hilarious it is.

I love the world of Krynn. I love the dragons[mfn]Even though all we’ve gotten so far are “bad” dragons.[/mfn]. One dragon in particular tugged at my heartstrings even though she’s technically a “bad” dragon. Personally I don’t think any of them are “bad”, just misguided and misunderstood. But that’s just me. I love dragons period.

The plot had enough plot points to keep things interesting and I appreciate that the book, even though it is part of a series, doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, nor does it end in an abrupt manner. It even ends on a happy note even though the struggle isn’t finished. It’s a satisfying ending and I enjoyed it very much.

Now, as to why it took me so long to read this book? I think in a lot of ways it has to do with the fact that I didn’t play D&D back then. Now that I do, I can appreciate the world, I can appreciate the stories and the plotlines that are going on. It’s like reading a D&D campaign without having to roll dice or decide what I’m going to do. I can just sit back and watch the characters handle their business on their own. That being said, if you don’t have an interest in D&D, you might not understand the books and you might find yourself on the bored side while reading them.

If you like fantasy and you like D&D[mfn]Or Pathfinder as 1st edition for Pathfinder was based on the rule set for D&D 3.5.[/mfn] I’m sure you’ll love the Dragonlance books. Even if you aren’t, give them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Published on by Charli
Thunderhead by Neal ShustermanThunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Also by this author: Scythe, The Toll, Gleanings
Series: Arc of a Scythe #2
Also in this series: Scythe, The Toll, Gleanings
Published by Simon and Schuster on June 4, 2019
Genres: Death & Dying, General, Science Fiction, Social Themes, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

“Intelligent and entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Even better than the first book.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.
Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes.
The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.
As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.
Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene?
Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

SPOILER ALERT: There are a couple of spoilers given in this review. I apologize, but I found it very hard to talk about the book without giving anything away.

If you’re looking for a second novel in a trilogy or series to frustrate the crap out of you, this one will do nicely. I’m not even kidding.

In this second book, we see that Citra is getting along fairly well as a Scythe and the Rowan is playing a bad-guy-who-is-actually-a-good-guy role. I kind of figured that would end up happening, but that’s isn’t the frustrating thing.

We also see the return of Scythe Rand and Scythe Goddard. No, I won’t tell you more than that. You have to read the book to understand. But trust me, when it happens you’ll be frustrated, annoyed, and a bit awestruck as it is a big on the ingenious side.

Thunderhead has a plot that takes no time to get going and honestly, this book was the fastest read of the three so far. I read this book in just over 24 hours – it took me over a month to read Scythe and finish it because I just wasn’t invested in the story (and because I was in a reading slump). Now? I’m invested. Holy cow am I invested.

It’s hard to review Thunderhead without giving everything away, because pretty much everything I could talk about would be a spoiler and I’ve already given a couple of those out. So all I’m going to say is, it will frustrate you. You will get pissed off about the ending. And you’ll definitely want to read The Toll after it’s over to find out what happens next.

This one is fast-paced and edge-of-your-seat good, which is why I gave it 5 stars. Let’s hope The Toll is too.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Published on by Charli1 Comment
Scythe by Neal ShustermanScythe by Neal Shusterman
Also by this author: Thunderhead, The Toll, Gleanings
Series: Arc of a Scythe #1
Also in this series: Thunderhead, The Toll, Gleanings
Published by Simon and Schuster on November 22, 2016
Genres: Action & Adventure, Death & Dying, General, Science Fiction, Social Themes, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 433
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.

When this was chosen as the book for the Barnes & Noble YA Book Club for December, I was a bit disappointed. Up until December, all of the books had been new releases, so it didn’t make sense to me for them to choose Scythe. Then I figured maybe they’d do all three from December through February, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. I’m glad they did choose it though, because I wouldn’t have ever picked it up otherwise.

For me, the book was hard to get into. It just seemed like it was very boring and slow to get going. Once it did get going, it was a great book. But wow, the book was just slow to get going. I get why it was slow to get going – after all, we had to have some sort of reason why Scythe Faraday would choose Citra and Rowan as his apprentices, but I wish it would have moved a touch faster.

Once it picks up though, it picks up. It’s hard to put it down after a certain point in the book because now you’re invested and honestly – you need to know what the heck is going on around that place. I don’t want to give anything away but – yeah, you’re not going to expect plot twist number one – and plot twist number one sets the stage for the rest of the book.

As for characters, I liked Citra a lot, didn’t care much for Rowan. I found him to be rather a pain in the butt and wasn’t all that fond of him. I liked Scythe Faraday a lot, loved Sycthe Curie, and would cheerfully have yeeted Sycthe Goddard right out of the story if I could have. I also actually kind of liked Sycthe Volta. The rest of Goddard’s flunkies needed to be yeeted with Goddard. And finally, High Blade Xenocrates needs a spine… I’m just saying.

The plot twists in this book are what make it so great. You get several and each time, it’s hard to telegraph what’s going to happen next. One of them shocked the heck out of me because I thought I’d figured it out and then BOOM – completely different! Holy cow. And let us not forget the ending – that is one heck of an ending to a book.

I just started Thunderhead, so you can expect a review for that one soon.

Know Who You Are | Live Like it Matters by Tim Tebow and A.J. Gregory

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Know Who You Are | Live Like it Matters by Tim Tebow and A.J. GregoryKnow Who You Are. Live Like It Matters. by Tim Tebow
Published by Crown Publishing Group on May 16, 2017
Genres: Christian, Inspirational, Juvenile Nonfiction, Religious, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Social Topics
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
Source: Waterbrook Multnomah
Goodreads

American sports icon Tim Tebow shares how he faces pressure head-on and the wisdom he’s learned—not from what the world says, but from what God says in His Word The world does not define you Nobody said your life would be easy. And the older you get, the more difficult it seems to become. Deep down you may know your value as a person isn’t defined by wearing cool name-brand clothes, scoring points for a sports team or even by having a huge number of social media followers. And you’re right! Your identity resides in something—in fact, Someone—much greater than anything this world can offer: the only identity worth having . . . is found in Jesus Christ! Tim Tebow will guide you through thirty-six weeks of lessons, each based on a key Scripture, to discover who you are—by learning more about whose you are! You’ll have the opportunity to write down your thoughts, feelings, and ideas on topics such as:• Building godly character• Maintaining great relationships• Standing out from the crowd• Doing things that matter in the big picture Get ready to live bigger than ever before . . . with your faith and identity secure in a God who loves you beyond measure!

If anyone thinks this book is *just* for home schooled children, they’d be wrong. This book is actually good for any teen, and even good for some adults to be honest. The fact the Tim Tebow was home schooled is most likely the reason behind him determining the book would be for home schooled kids.

This book gives 36 helpful weekly lessons on figuring out who you are and how following the Lord can make your life better. Each lesson comes with a writing exercise to encourage the reader to think about the lesson that was provided. While I read the book in 2 days because I wasn’t following the lesson plan, I would be more than willing to go back through the book and do the writing exercises.

36 weeks is equal to approximately one school year, so parents can use this book during their curriculum if they home school or just as a weekly study for their kids in general. I think this book is an excellent tool for helping kids find their faith and figure out who they are in Christ.

I also think that new Christians might benefit from this book, even though it is geared towards teens. It can be hard to figure out who you are in Christ at any age, especially if you’ve grown up in a family where faith is not a big part of your life.

Tim gives good, solid accounts of when he was a child/teen and how situations were handled. He admits he made and makes mistakes, something that it is good for anyone to see – that nobody is perfect.

This was a solid 4 star read and I have to say, I’ll probably be going back through the book and doing the writing exercises for myself.

He Calls You Beautiful by Dee Brestin

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

He Calls You Beautiful by Dee BrestinHe Calls You Beautiful by Dee Brestin
Published by Multnomah on 2017
Genres: Bible Study Guides, Biblical Studies, Christian Life, Religion, Spiritual Growth, Women's Issues
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Source: Waterbrook Multnomah
Goodreads

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.... --from the Song of Songs
Did you know that God loves you with a passion--and He wrote a love song to help you experience that love in a personal way?
Tucked away in the pages of Scripture is one of the most fascinating and most misunderstood books of the Bible: the Song of Songs. Although the Song of Songs details a passionate, earthly love story, it is intended to illuminate the best love story, the intense love God has for us, His beloved.
In He Calls You Beautiful, Bible teacher Dee Brestin explores this love song from God to reveal transformative truths for each of us, whether married, single, or widowed. With rich contemporary illustrations and insight from biblical scholars, Dee shows how God uses poetry and exquisite images to illuminate the intimacy that Jesus longs to have with you.
God calls you to know His love not only in your head but also in your heart. He sings over you a song of love, a song of salvation, a song of hope. A Song of songs.
Includes an in-depth Bible study for use individually or in a group setting.

I’m generally looking for new Bible study books and when given the chance to review He Calls You Beautiful I thought I’d hit the jackpot. Finally, someone could explain to me why in the world Song of Songs (Song of Solomon in some Bibles) was even included in the Bible, because it just didn’t seem to fit.

Sadly, I just wasn’t impressed by this book. It was difficult for me to get interested in it. The writing isn’t bad, in fact, the writing is beautifully done. But for some reason the material presented just didn’t resonate with me. Perhaps it is because I’m not in the right time/place in my life, so this isn’t a message that I need to hear?

I love that the book includes Bible study material for both individuals and small groups. The subject matter is such that when I saw that it included Bible study materials, I figured it would be specifically for individuals because, well, the message is to each person individually. The message would seem to be that Heavenly Father and Jesus love you. The message is for you. But, it’s really for everyone because God and Jesus love everyone.

I gave the book 2 stars because it’s not horrible and in all honesty, if I come back to it at another time in my life, it might well work out for me a lot better. Perhaps right now just wasn’t the right time for this message for me.