Looking to learn about Indian culture through historical fiction? My Bookish Banter has just the write up for you on the title The Henna Artist. -Sav
Title: The Henna ArtistAuthor: Alka JoshiGenre: Historical Fiction, Cultural (India)Publish Date: March 3, 2020# of Pages: 368Rating: 4.5/5Buy it*: …
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi | Book Review
Gimme Everything You Got is a feminist friendly rom-com! Check out the review by Kayla Reads And Reviews! -Sav
A feminist, sex-positive, and hilarious rom-com about a girl in 1970s Chicago trying everything she can to score—on and off the soccer field. It’s …
Happy Book Birthday: GIMME EVERYTHING YOU GOT by Iva-Marie Palmer
Hold on while I add this to my TBR… okay for real though this book talk about my favorite mythical creature, the Phoenix. I highly suggest you check out this review by Books are 42. -Sav
Title: Knightmare Arcanist Author: Shami Stovall Year of Publication: 2019 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Number of Pages: 338 Summary: From Goodreads: “…
#TheWriteReads #UltimateBlogTour – Knightmare Archanist by Shami Stovall
Need anew contemporary YA romance to read? Check out this review by Blogger Books. -Sav
I usually never read books in one or two days because I never have the time to do so – but yesterday, I went to the store at eleven am and spent the …
Save Me – Review
Do you like hot vampires? How about ancient and evil powers? If so, I suggest you check out this review by Dragon on a book. -Sav
The Fell of Dark was one of my anticipated releases for this half of the year, and I was lucky enough to read it early. I also wrote an anticipated …
Book Review // The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig
This book is right up my alley, and now I have to read it! Check out this awesome review by Grimdark Dad. -Sav
Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and …
Dread Nation – Justina Ireland
Well, I got home from work to find out our camping trip has been cancelled. I’m a bit bummed out about it, especially since we went and bought a bunch of camping supplies. Oh well, I guess I’ll do a review share tomorrow, so stop in for that.
Hey everyone!
I’m going camping today and I won’t have service, so I’ll be off the grid once I get off work. I’ll be getting some reading done, camping is one of the best times to read.
Have a good weekend everyone, I’ll be back Monday.
The short and sweet: This book isn’t a stand out fantasy novel.
The Bericean army was in Malabrim for the ninth straight fighting season. Over the past 9 years, Zybaro, the leader of a small band of unknowns, had evolved from his days as a minor usurper of a tiny kingdom. Now, almost the entire country of Malabrim was under Zybaro’s control, and his army was large enough to easily challenge Bericea’s army. Still, Bericea continued its raids into Malabrim, hoping to stem Zybaro’s methodical progress and thwart his tyrannical means of control. Zybaro had seized village after village, forcing anyone capable of joining his army and enslaving all who remained in deplorable working conditions to supply his army.
This latest conflict with Zybaro had pushed General Darnon to a decision, one he had resisted making for over a year. Though he still held grave reservations about the Prophecies, he was willing to support the clerics who would attempt the summoning. The details of the ritual had recently been discovered in an ancient tome. The clerics were confident they could bring forth the Summoned Ones of Prophecy, those mysterious beings who would aid Bericea in its time of greatest need.
Darnon also had concerns about the location of the summoning. It would have to take place farther into Malabrim than they had ventured in many years. And even if the ritual was effective, it would be a great challenge to get the Summoned Ones safely back to Bericea, in addition to the soldiers sent to protect them. However, Darnon felt that morale was so low, if they survived this battle, he owed his troops the hope the summoning ritual could bring.
Join the soldiers of Bericea and the Summoned Ones through a life-or-death struggle. The Summoned Ones was made up of a small college aged group of friends from a small Kentucky town near the Daniel Boone National Forrest, who find themselves somehow brought to a chaotic world through magic. Their epic journey will push the Summoned beyond the limits of their endurance. This unlikely group will discover many truths about themselves and experience another world beyond their imagination.
(Description from Amazon)
Much like this description, the book is incredibly long winded. The author describes everything in such painstaking detail that it feels like he doesn’t trust his readers to understand anything. Everything is broken down into such meticulous detail that it feels like the tone is overly slow and the plot is underdeveloped. It’s hard to keep interested when you have to read such large chunks of description.
This authors greatest skill is also his downfall. The descriptions themselves are great, but they’re just too long. I’d love to see this author cut this book down by 100 pages. That’s the main downfall for fantasy novels, they tend to be too damn long. If you can write like George R. R. Martin and weave a mega long fantasy together while keeping a productive pace, by all means do it. But, if you aren’t confident that the plot is carrying and that the pace is fast enough then you’re probably over writing. It’s a huge sin that a lot of fantasy writers commit, myself included.
I didn’t feel a closeness with any of the characters. They all felt like they were archetypes that the author was trying to add depth to, but they all continued to feel like the archetypes they’re based on. You have a jock, an annoying pretty girl, a strategic/smart character, etc., they were just too basic. I need there to be more depth and more reason to love them.
The plot was a genuinely interesting idea. The description above doesn’t explain that The Summoned Ones are modern day characters sucked into a fantasy conflict. I like that idea and the mystery that surrounds it, it made me want to know why these people were chosen as Summoned Ones. Unfortunately, the book is a slog to get through and it would’ve been a DNF if this wasn’t for a book tour.
I give The Summoned Ones a 2/5, I loved the concept but didn’t like the execution.
Don’t just take my word for it. There are other reviews for this book out there. I recommend you check some others out, or if it so pleases you, you can purchase a copy by following this link.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
The book I have been so impatiently waiting for is finally published! If you’ve been around for a while you’ve likely heard me mention this book before, The Only Good Indians is a book I’ve been anticipating for months. I put my preorder in on June 5th and here I am!
But, I have a book review due on the 16th so I will have to read this one as soon as I’m done 😭
Here is the description:
A tale of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.
Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.
(Description from Amazon)
If you’d like to purchase a copy of this book, and experience it with me follow this link! I will get a portion of the profit at no extra cost to you.
Hey everyone! I won’t be posting today because I have some stuff I have to go do to sort out my new job. I’ll be back with a new post tomorrow.
Have a great day to you all.
I almost forgot to do my July goals! Also I’m excited to say that I’ve been hired to be the receptionist at an addiction counseling clinic. Due to this awesome life development I’m going to take it easy on my goals so that I’m not overwhelming myself. Here are my goals:
So there we have it! My goals for July. What are your goals this month? Let me know in the comments.
If right now I had to make the decision to read books from one author for the rest of my life, I’d pick J.R.R. Tolkien.
Why him and not J.K. Rowling, since I love Harry Potter so much? Because he has a ton of books under his belt and he’s built an entire universe based around Middle Earth. He has languages, religions, and histories. I could get lost in his world for the rest of my life and still not know all the mysteries.
The Lord Of The Rings is one of my favorite series, right behind Harry Potter, and the story give me everything. It’s beautiful, it’s sad, and it’s terrifying. The characters are amazing and so lovable, and lets not forget that in a time of men being the heroes, Tolkien had Éowyn slay the Witch King. I adore the lives he’s created in his work, they inspire me.
A lot of people don’t realize how deep the roots for The Lord Of The Rings are. There’s The Silmarillion, the histories, The Hobbit, and many other wonderful works. Tolkien wrote poetry and children’s books. He was an extraordinarily talented and versatile writer, I would not be lacking in reading material.
Tolkien also wrote a version of Beowulf that I’ve been trying to get my hands on for a few years. I could get it online but I’d like to get it second hand to support local businesses. I had a coworker tell me how awesome it was and I’ve been dying to get my hands on it ever since.
If you had to pick one author to read for the rest of your life who would it be? Let me know in the comments.
Have you ever become attached to a couple in a book? A couple that you shipped so hard that your heart would be broken if something happened to them? This is my top 5 favorite lovebirds!
I love Alana and Marko. They are a beautiful forbidden love story, like a super badass Romeo & Juliet. They travel the Galaxy to save each other and their daughter, all the while fighting bad guys and struggling to survive. They’re hard not to love, even though Alana can be really annoying and Marko can be too soft. They are a good thing and I admire their love for each other. Not to mention, they are amazing parents.
I love Geralt and Yennefer for the exact opposite reason I love Alana and Marko. Geralt and Yennefer are complicated, and they don’t understand their love for each other the way Alana and Marko do. But, even though they struggle with their feeling they always try to help one another in the end. Geralt will risk everything for her, and he is her sweet spot. They represent the difficulties of love, and how scary it can be to have someone as your weakness.
These two are the kind of love that happens on accident. Éowyn is depressed and pining over Aragorn when she meets Faramir. He pulls her out of her slump and they fall in love. I wish this had been covered properly in the movies because it is really beautiful.
In the darkest of times, often love is what pulls you through. This couple embodies that sentiment so well. They need each other and find each other at the perfect time. They are the necessary love. The kind of love that can only come from the atrocities of war.
They are relationship goals! They fit like a puzzle! Mrs. Weasley is explosive and over protective, while Mr. Weasley is calm and playful. They are like wine and chocolate, complimentary. Together they are the perfect leaders for their many children, and they are successful in love and parenting.
This is the couple I try to emulate. They have their flaws but their love is always in sync.
These two personify young love, and how sweet/bittersweet it can be. They fall head over heels for each other. Jack is the sweetest guy and Damien is so smart, they make a great couple. Every time they appear together I smile. I can remember the sweet feeling of high school love. I’m still with my high school sweetheart, and they make my heart flutter in remembrance. They take the cake for book romances. They endure so much, but their love never dies.
Do you have a favorite book couple? Let me know in the comments.
Percy is the most relatable character that I think Riordan has written. He’s successful due to dumb luck a lot, he’s constantly confused, and he really didn’t ask for the challenges he’s been given. I find myself being able to put myself in his shoes a lot.
I took one of those quizzes, like the Buzzfeed quizzes, and as it turns out I would be a child of Poseidon. That’s why I think I can relate to Percy so much, he’d be my half brother in that universe. I see a lot of myself in Percy, and growing up it was great to have a character that felt like me. I read these in middle school or early high school, I can’t exactly remember, and Percy was always my favorite.
I find solace next to the ocean, I grew up about 15 minutes away from the Pacific, and it’s always been a big part of my life. I learned how to swim when I was about three, and I’ve loved water ever since. There’s something about it that’s freeing. Granted, I do most of my swimming in the river or lake and not the ocean, because the ocean is dangerous around here, but I love water nonetheless.
If I could have Percy’s powers I’d take them in a heartbeat, his are coolest in my opinion. He can heal in the water, breathe underwater, and communicate with sea creatures. Percy is like a cool Aquaman. I’d totally be happy to be the daughter of Poseidon and wield the powers of the ocean.
Have you read Percy Jackson? Who do you think would be your Greek god/goddess parent? Let me know in the comments!
Sav’s Review 