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tmlore's reviews
185 reviews
Cleopatra's Dagger by Carole Lawrence
5.0
Cleopatra's Dagger by Carole Lawrence
I have to say this book was surprising. I picked it up hoping to help another author find a comp title for their novel, but wound up in another world, forgetting about my comparisons altogether.
The way the author Carole Lawrence pulls you into Elizabeth van den Broek’s world is beautiful. Set in New York City in the 1800’s you’re pulled back to that time. You can hear and feel the city through her words.
There were few errors as there are in every novel, but they weren’t so bad that it pulled you out of the reading. I always love a well edited book.
Spoilers below this point…
There is a point while reading when the main character is caught in a sexual assault. You don’t see it coming, it’s completely thrown in, and you are as shocked as the main character when all is said and done. I must applaud the author for showing exactly how it happens. There is no warning, you never expect someone to defile you, or hurt you. The way the character handles the entire thing was so well written.
Being a survivor of sexual assault, I can say that this author did their homework.
The other ways that Carole pulls in the real world problems that have been happening for far too long is beautiful as well.
I am not easily surprised as I am a writer myself, so while I read I think of the many different ways an author can write a story and who the killers could be. However, I was utterly surprised by the killer’s identity!
Five Stars to the author!
Truly a wonderful read!
I have to say this book was surprising. I picked it up hoping to help another author find a comp title for their novel, but wound up in another world, forgetting about my comparisons altogether.
The way the author Carole Lawrence pulls you into Elizabeth van den Broek’s world is beautiful. Set in New York City in the 1800’s you’re pulled back to that time. You can hear and feel the city through her words.
There were few errors as there are in every novel, but they weren’t so bad that it pulled you out of the reading. I always love a well edited book.
Spoilers below this point…
There is a point while reading when the main character is caught in a sexual assault. You don’t see it coming, it’s completely thrown in, and you are as shocked as the main character when all is said and done. I must applaud the author for showing exactly how it happens. There is no warning, you never expect someone to defile you, or hurt you. The way the character handles the entire thing was so well written.
Being a survivor of sexual assault, I can say that this author did their homework.
The other ways that Carole pulls in the real world problems that have been happening for far too long is beautiful as well.
I am not easily surprised as I am a writer myself, so while I read I think of the many different ways an author can write a story and who the killers could be. However, I was utterly surprised by the killer’s identity!
Five Stars to the author!
Truly a wonderful read!
Crave by Tracy Wolff
5.0
I’m giving this book 5 stars because I couldn’t stop reading it. When I had to put it down I hated to do it! Fun story, lots of fantasy, and I loved the level of violence (which I normally don’t! Lol it was well written!)
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
5.0
get it for your kids, but read it yourself, too!
Great story! Action packed! Monsters, zombies, and an apocalypse… there’s enough story here for everyone! Kids learning how to be brave and fight for themselves. Learning how to work with one another. Five stars all the way.
Great story! Action packed! Monsters, zombies, and an apocalypse… there’s enough story here for everyone! Kids learning how to be brave and fight for themselves. Learning how to work with one another. Five stars all the way.
A Girl from Nowhere by James Maxwell
4.0
Review- A Girl From Nowhere (The Firewall Trilogy Book 1) by James Maxwell
As a reader I enjoyed the story and can I just add I was friggin thirsty the entire time I read it. Everything in the landscape of this world is so hot and dry and barren that I had to keep water next to me while I read to remind myself that I was not in the wasteland with Taimin and Selena.
The story is a journey of self discovery and the things you’ll put your body through to survive. I loved how I could feel Taimins pain and Selena’s struggles. I was right there with them both.
All in all, this book made me think Gladiator meets Daenerys Targaryen while she’s traveling with the Dothrak, after her dragons have hatched, and they’re out of water and all fixing to die —for 48 chapters.
Now, my review of this book changes a bit as I come at it from a different angle.
As a writer, I wanted to pull my hair out the entire read. Every rule that writers are supposed to follow, the author did not follow. I suppose once you’ve published as many books as he has, you can indeed do what you want, but it left me frustrated with the rules that the publishing industry forces on every other writer. Because there are many rules and yet most of those rules don’t apply to published authors at all. It made me crazy.
(Realize here that I thrive on rules. Please give me some rules so that I can follow them. Of course when I write my characters break all the rules, but that’s because I try to follow them in my life, I have to live vicariously through someone! Yes, please laugh at this with me. LOL)
Anyway… as a writer, I did not like how many times the POV shifted. There were so many different POV’s at one point that I just had to stop caring whose POV I was in because I was told (told, not shown) how every character felt, what they heard, or what they thought, no matter the POV.
There was more telling than showing in some places, which I understand, sometimes you just have to tell things to readers, (Neil Gaiman’s Masterclass straight up says, if you have to tell, then tell) but towards the end of the novel, it was tell, tell, tell, and tell some more.
By the time the book ended, I was glad that it was over. I won’t give away any spoilers, but while I was glad it was over, the author did a great job at making me want to pick up the next book despite all the things I didn’t like about the first one. Because again, most of my dislikes come from the writer side of me, not the reader side of me.
So, I suppose that while I sit here mad at myself for wanting to pick up the second book, I’ll pick it up, along with another few cases of water, and dive in. While the writer in me will be pulling out a blue pencil and rolling eyes, screaming… “show me, don’t tell me.”
As a reader I enjoyed the story and can I just add I was friggin thirsty the entire time I read it. Everything in the landscape of this world is so hot and dry and barren that I had to keep water next to me while I read to remind myself that I was not in the wasteland with Taimin and Selena.
The story is a journey of self discovery and the things you’ll put your body through to survive. I loved how I could feel Taimins pain and Selena’s struggles. I was right there with them both.
All in all, this book made me think Gladiator meets Daenerys Targaryen while she’s traveling with the Dothrak, after her dragons have hatched, and they’re out of water and all fixing to die —for 48 chapters.
Now, my review of this book changes a bit as I come at it from a different angle.
As a writer, I wanted to pull my hair out the entire read. Every rule that writers are supposed to follow, the author did not follow. I suppose once you’ve published as many books as he has, you can indeed do what you want, but it left me frustrated with the rules that the publishing industry forces on every other writer. Because there are many rules and yet most of those rules don’t apply to published authors at all. It made me crazy.
(Realize here that I thrive on rules. Please give me some rules so that I can follow them. Of course when I write my characters break all the rules, but that’s because I try to follow them in my life, I have to live vicariously through someone! Yes, please laugh at this with me. LOL)
Anyway… as a writer, I did not like how many times the POV shifted. There were so many different POV’s at one point that I just had to stop caring whose POV I was in because I was told (told, not shown) how every character felt, what they heard, or what they thought, no matter the POV.
There was more telling than showing in some places, which I understand, sometimes you just have to tell things to readers, (Neil Gaiman’s Masterclass straight up says, if you have to tell, then tell) but towards the end of the novel, it was tell, tell, tell, and tell some more.
By the time the book ended, I was glad that it was over. I won’t give away any spoilers, but while I was glad it was over, the author did a great job at making me want to pick up the next book despite all the things I didn’t like about the first one. Because again, most of my dislikes come from the writer side of me, not the reader side of me.
So, I suppose that while I sit here mad at myself for wanting to pick up the second book, I’ll pick it up, along with another few cases of water, and dive in. While the writer in me will be pulling out a blue pencil and rolling eyes, screaming… “show me, don’t tell me.”
Green Witchcraft: A Practical Guide to Discovering the Magic of Plants, Herbs, Crystals, and Beyond by Paige Vanderbeck
5.0
What a glorious book. I read it after a friend recommended it to me. I have enjoyed it very much and I will keep it around. Very interesting things inside.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
5.0
beautiful story
How much we can learn from books. ☺️ what a beautiful story. I have no other words for it… beautiful
How much we can learn from books. ☺️ what a beautiful story. I have no other words for it… beautiful