Reviews by Saph
Saturday, April 13, 2024
#Review ~ Red Kingdom: A Dark Little Red Riding Hood Retelling (Fairy Tale Retellings, Book 2) by Rachel L. Demeter @RachelLDemeter #DarkHistoricalRomance #Medieval
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
#Review ~ Tim Burton: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work by Ian Nathan ~ #TimBurton #NetGalley
Publisher : White Lion Publishing; New edition
Publish Date: March 5, 2024
Hardcover: 192 pages
ISBN-10: 0711292612
ISBN-13: 978-0711292611
Amazon
About the Book:
This new and updated edition covers the full life's work of iconic director Tim Burton, including the Netflix phenomenon Wednesday and the start of development on Beetlejuice 2.
Tim Burton is one of the most popular and remarkable filmmakers of the last 30 years, being responsible for such films as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and Alice in Wonderland. He is famed for the visually arresting style of his films combined with highly original storylines.
A truly international filmmaker, Tim Burton has carved a reputation as one of the world's greatest creative directors. This stunning treasury explores the influences on his development as a filmmaker and assesses how he has captured the fruits of his imagination on screen.
Illustrated with many behind‑the‑scenes photographs and stunning film stills, chapters analyze the success and style of films such as Beetlejuice, Ed Wood and Mars Attacks!, and examine how Burton breathed new life into well‑known stories that include Batman, Planet of the Apes,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,Alice Through the Looking Glass and Dumbo.
Tim Burton: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work is a must for anyone who enjoys the creativity of films and is a fitting appreciation of one of Hollywood’s most dynamic movie directors. It takes you through his films, explaining how he got to where he is and why his films are so revered.
Monday, March 25, 2024
#MafiaRomance #Review ~ Brutal Prince (Brutal Birthright, Book #1) by Sophie Lark @SourcebooksCasa @Sourcebooks #DarkContemporaryRomance #Romance
ASIN: B08BNLPH6D
Publisher: Sourcebooks (Bloom Books)
Publication Date: July 15, 2020
Print Length: 376 pages
Amazon
Goodreads
About the Book:
A Match Made in Hell
The Griffins and the Gallos have been battling for control of Chicago’s underworld for generations.
Their bitter rivalry reignites when Aida, the youngest and wildest Gallo sibling, crashes a party at the Griffin mansion, accidentally setting fire to the library.
To stave off all-out war, her father arranges a marriage with Callum Griffin, eldest son and heir.
Cold, ambitious, and brutal, Callum is determined to tame his headstrong bride. Aida is more than capable of giving as good as she gets – starting with poisoning Callum on their wedding night.
In their struggle for dominance, who will break first?
My Review:
Brutal Prince is a mafia romance by a great author. I've been reading Sophie Lark's books since her Colors of Crime series (now known as the Underworld series) started. I love her creativity with her characters and world-building.
Aida Gallo and her brothers crossed a line when attending a party at the Griffin mafia. Sneaking into the home of the Irish Mafia wasn't even the worst part. Aida goes snooping around and gets cornered in the library. Hoping to escape without being recognized, Aida starts a small fire. Unfortunately, her plan doesn't work and while they do get away, they don't get away unscathed. What ensues is a marriage pact between the Gallos and the Griffins, and Aida is right in the center.
Mafia romances have become one of my favorite tropes. Realistically speaking, the mafia and the mob are not organizations that are romantic. Authors, however, are able to romanticize the idea and create magnificent stories filled with romance, suspense, and difficult paths to a happily ever after.
The characters were written well and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know them. Aida does make a mistake at the beginning of the book that alters the course of another's life, and for that, she was not one of my favorites. As the story moved along, however, I found myself warming up to Aida. The relationship that developed between Aida and Callum was a true enemies-to-lovers story. The hatred is palpable, believable, and intense. Their road to romance is not smooth and even but filled with bumps and barriers. Their path is also filled with undeniable chemistry and animal attraction.Thursday, March 21, 2024
#Review ~ The Pheeworker’s Oath by Adam Gaylord - SciFi, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery ~ @AuthorGaylord @MirrorWorldPub
Welcome to the -Week Virtual Book Tour Schedule for The Pheeworker’s Oath by Adam Gaylord - SciFi, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery
About The Pheeworker’s Oath:
Humans don’t belong on this world. The refugees who crash-landed on the Atipok homeworld can’t see or touch phee, the elemental power which flows through rock and stone like living rivers of light. From the moment of his hatching, healer Takey has manipulated phee to heal, bending strands to his will to mend muscle and bone for both human and Atipok alike.
But when the Atipok queen is murdered and her death blamed on an orphaned human child capable of pheework, the first of her kind, a rift is torn between the two races that could spell the end of humanity. Anti-human factions seize power and the Atipok army is on the march. Can Takey survive long enough to unravel the strands of conspiracy, protect the child, and broker a peace to avoid genocide without betraying his own people or himself?
Genres:
https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-tour-schedule-for-pheeworkers-oath.html
From Aimee Ogden, Nebula Finalist:
A compellingly alien protagonist, who also has the deeply-held and familiar belief that a better world is possible.
In THE PHEEWORKER'S OATH, neither compassion nor cruelty are traits limited to humankind. There are no easy answers to the complexities of human refugees building a new home for themselves on a different world--but it is easy to care about the compellingly alien Takey, and about his deeply-held and familiar belief that a better world is possible.
From Rachael Jones, WFA Finalist &
Tiptree Award honoree:
The Pheeworker's Oath is a timely science
fiction tale about a stranded human colony dependent upon the Atipok, aliens
with near-mystical abilities that allow them to control their environment and
their very bodies. It is a fascinating examination of how manipulative leaders
harness fear of the other to gain power, and how the only way to break that
power is to find kinship with the very beings you've been told to fear. This
adventure story showcases timeless themes and intriguing worldbuilding. Come for
the cool alien powers, stay for the lizardlike Atipok--but don't you dare call
them Lizards!
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING:
Paperback:
Ebook:
AMAZON:
Adam Gaylord (he/him) lives in Colorado with a
wife that is smarter than him, their two monster children, and a very handsome
dog. When not at work as an ecologist, he’s usually writing, baking, drawing
comics, or some combination thereof. Look him up on GoodReads or find him on
Twitter/BlueSky @AuthorGaylord.
Connect with Adam Gaylord :
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
The Pheeworker’s Oath by Adam Gaylord - SciFi, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery ~ @AuthorGaylord @MirrorWorldPub ~ Read an #ExclusiveExcerpt
About The Pheeworker’s Oath:
Humans don’t belong on this world. The refugees who crash-landed on the Atipok homeworld can’t see or touch phee, the elemental power which flows through rock and stone like living rivers of light. From the moment of his hatching, healer Takey has manipulated phee to heal, bending strands to his will to mend muscle and bone for both human and Atipok alike.
But when the Atipok queen is murdered and her death blamed on an orphaned human child capable of pheework, the first of her kind, a rift is torn between the two races that could spell the end of humanity. Anti-human factions seize power and the Atipok army is on the march. Can Takey survive long enough to unravel the strands of conspiracy, protect the child, and broker a peace to avoid genocide without betraying his own people or himself?
I looked the girl over, then
shook my head. “Setting aside the very real chance of death by dehydration,
she’s more than just physically trapped. She’s trapped within her own mind.
Unless her parents were secretly pheeworkers, which I doubt, then she’s had no
training. She needs a guide to coax her out of her own head or she might
destroy herself.” Small bumps arose on the girl’s naked skin. I pulled a
blanket from the nearby debris and draped it over her. The poor thing was just
a nestling. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her, which might explain why I
didn’t take the time to consider the implication of my next words. “There is
another option. I can take her to Salitat and get her the help she needs.”
Hassan’s thick eyebrows arched
skyward. “I didn’t think humans were allowed in Salitat.”
“They’re not,” I conceded,
equally surprised by my offer. “It will be a risk.” That was an understatement.
Anti-human sentiment had been increasing. To bring a human to Atalan could
easily be construed as treason. I would be putting us both in danger. “But I
don’t think she has any other options.”
Hassan sighed, massaging his
temples with one large, calloused hand. “Very well, I’ll pull together a few
men and we’ll—”
I help up a hand. “No one else.
Only the girl.”
“But I can’t let her go alone,”
Hassan protested.
“She won’t be alone.”
“You know what I mean. I can’t
just let you take her.”
“Then she will stay, and she will
die.” I didn’t like being so blunt with Hassan. He was a caring man and a good
leader, but the situation was grim. I shouldn’t have made the offer in the
first place and there were no other options.
I could see conflict play on the
human’s features. He looked around, like he was searching for another way.
“Crap,” he said finally. “Gimme a minute.” He stomped off in the direction of
his people.
I watched him, mulling over
another consideration I hadn’t shared. In the thirteen solars since their crash
landing, other than some initial hostilities and the Battle of the Red Plain,
humans and Atipok had managed a tenuous peace. We mostly kept to our own, them
in their adobe villages, us in our stone cities. But there were a few
individuals, such as myself, who worked to bridge the gap. I felt it was my
duty as a healer to help them. I’d taken an oath to do so. And over time I’d
developed a certain respect, even a fondness for their ways. But my time with
them had also revealed their tendency toward violence. They loved their
weapons. I rarely saw an adult human who wasn’t carrying a plasma pistol or
rifle. Even now, Hassan carried one of each, a pistol on his hip and a rifle
across his back. Such things were unknown to us before their arrival and while
they were no match for skilled pheework, humans still managed to kill each
other on a regular basis. I sometimes wondered how readily they would abandon their
makeshift towns in favor of our great stone cities if not held at bay by their
fear of phee. If this girl represented a new trend, if humans gained the
ability to pheework, it would completely change the balance of power between
our species.
I had to present this girl to the
queen.
Hassan returned looking no less
frustrated. “I asked around and nobody seems to know if she has any other
family. Her group’s been on their own for the last couple years, really
sticking to themselves. She’s all alone now.” He looked down at the girl. “My
guys think I should decide but…”
“You think it should go before
the council,” I finished for him.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Genres:
https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2024/03/book-tour-schedule-for-pheeworkers-oath.html
From Aimee Ogden, Nebula Finalist:
A compellingly alien protagonist, who also has the deeply-held and familiar belief that a better world is possible.
In THE PHEEWORKER'S OATH, neither compassion nor cruelty are traits limited to humankind. There are no easy answers to the complexities of human refugees building a new home for themselves on a different world--but it is easy to care about the compellingly alien Takey, and about his deeply-held and familiar belief that a better world is possible.
From Rachael Jones, WFA Finalist &
Tiptree Award honoree:
The Pheeworker's Oath is a timely science
fiction tale about a stranded human colony dependent upon the Atipok, aliens
with near-mystical abilities that allow them to control their environment and
their very bodies. It is a fascinating examination of how manipulative leaders
harness fear of the other to gain power, and how the only way to break that
power is to find kinship with the very beings you've been told to fear. This
adventure story showcases timeless themes and intriguing worldbuilding. Come for
the cool alien powers, stay for the lizardlike Atipok--but don't you dare call
them Lizards!
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING:
Paperback:
Ebook:
AMAZON:
Adam Gaylord (he/him) lives in Colorado with a
wife that is smarter than him, their two monster children, and a very handsome
dog. When not at work as an ecologist, he’s usually writing, baking, drawing
comics, or some combination thereof. Look him up on GoodReads or find him on
Twitter/BlueSky @AuthorGaylord.
Connect with Adam Gaylord :
Friday, March 15, 2024
#Review ~ Chasing a Highland Dream by Lisa Hobman ~ @LisaJHobmanAuth #Romance @BoldwoodBooks
About the Book:
Since having to drop out of her design degree, Bella Douglas has been unlucky in just about everything life has thrown at her.She’s lost more jobs than she cares to remember and to top it off she’s still single, despite her Granny Isla’s best attempts to set her up with every eligible bachelor in the Scottish Highlands. Currently PA to her best friend, aka, Lady Olivia MacBain, at Drumblair Castle, Bella is yet to find a role that sets her soul on fire. But when disaster strikes for Olivia, Bella steps into the breach to rescue her bestfriend from a fate worse than a bad interior designer.
When Bella and her Granny find themselves homeless, they relocate to the castle where a handsome new neighbour brings mystery, intrigue and a spark of romance.
Is Bella finally on the track to find true happiness? Or do more catastrophes lie ahead? And does true love hide where you least expect it?
Chasing a Highland Dream is the second book in the The Highlands series by Lisa Hobman.
Chasing a Highland Dream is an emotionally-rich novel. The characters are well-written, 3-dimensional, and complex. I enjoyed Bella and the way the author portrayed her character. She is sensitive, loving, strong, and determined. I love how she puts herself out there when Olivia's design firm backs out of a contract.
I enjoyed the author's writing style, the story, and how everything came together. I was pulled into the story from the beginning and kept thoroughly engaged. The author wove a masterpiece together, filled with romance, love, anxious moments, tenderness, frustration, and disbelief. I was captivated by this wonderful story.
My Rating:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaJHobmanAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaJHobmanAuth
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lisahobmanauthor
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/LisaHobmannews
BookBub profile: Lisa Hobman Books - BookBub
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Release Day #Review ~ Sherlock Bones and the Horror of the Haunted Castle by Tim Collins ~ A Puzzle Adventure #MiddleGrade ~ Illustrated by John Bigwood
Book Details:
Paperback: 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1780559224
ISBN-13: 978-1780559223
Reading age : 7 - 9 years
Grade level : 2 - 4
About the Book:
Sherlock Bones, the world’s greatest dog detective, and his trusty sidekick Dr. Jane Catson are back for another crime-solving adventure.
When a wealthy dog spots a ghostly figure haunting her kennel in the Catpathian Mountains, she come to Bones and Catson for help. Bones is convinced there are no such things as ghosts ... but even he’s at a loss to explain the creepy sounds and strange goings-on that he and Catson encounter after a night in the crumbling kennel. Things get even more spooky when Bones is suddenly called back to London, leaving Catson to crack the case on her own. Can Catson unmask the ghost and escape the haunted kennel in one piece?
The fourth book in Buster’s Sherlock Bones mystery fiction series features 28 puzzles – including spot-the-differences, number chains and tangled line games – that are woven into the action, so the reader feels immersed in the exciting detective plot. Told across 14 chapters, this thrilling story is perfect for middle-grade readers.