The Dark That Dwells: An exciting, action packed Space Opera that is coming July 10, 2020! Mark your calendars.
Genre: Adult | Science Fiction | Space Opera | Fantasy
4 out of 5 stars!
The Dark That Dwells is such a fascinating world. An action packed story filled with so many wonderful characters that were executed perfectly. I’m finding it hard to decide which are my favourites I may just need to come to terms and realize I enjoyed them all in their own way. Although I feel the most interesting character was the villain. This could simply be because I do love a good villain when they are done well, which in this case he definitely was. His back story truly shows why he is who he is and why he does what he does. In a lot of stories I read my connection usually lies with the main group and the villain is just in the background causing chaos. But when we have the inside story on the villain it makes me fall back on a quote I have heard (sorry I don’t remember where from and it may be paraphrasing) “Even if you’re the hero, your the villain in somebody else’s story.”
On top of great characters you have an extremely engaging story line full of powerful events. The beginning of this story started out with a mind blowing scene. Then the introduction to each of the 4 souls and a look into their history. Then a story filled with love, loss, hate, ruin, revenge and so much more it completely devours you as the reader.
Matt and Ryan are the most adorable couple and I can’t help but think they made such a great team writing this epic space opera. I can’t thank them enough for sending me a copy to read and review and I look forward to what they may have for us in the future.
Again be sure to mark your calendars for July 10th! and if you pick this read up I would love discussing it with you once you have completed it.
Poetry is something I really need to strive to read more of!
Even the most simplest poetry pieces can find a way to enrich our lives. Poetry can have the most powerful, hard hitting words. Divan of Shah is no exception! Shah has created this flow of emotions and uses some brilliant examples throughout his collection. Helping the reader to truly connect with what is being said.
Poetry is incredibly intimate! Each reader will consume the pieces different and find a way to relate it with their own personal lives.
Poetry is something we can come back to time and time again. It can be that pallet cleanser in between reads, the uplifting words needed during hard times or even that warm hug we may need. Poetry adapts to what we may need in that very moment.
Divan of Shah is full of love, lose, pain, life and will truly warm the heart.
Whether poetry is your jam or not I say pick it up! You may be presently surprised on how much it can touch your heart.
Genre: Adult |Fiction | Scifi | Space Opera | Fantasy
4 out of 5 stars!
Fascinating read! Amazing world building.
Not to mention the cover is absolutely breathtaking but once you dive into the story you see just how vivid the true guts of this story is!
When Palmer Pickering reached out to me to see if I would review her book, as soon as I read the synopsis I was sold. Of course I would, then she mentioned to me that if I enjoyed Dune at all she thinks I would enjoy her read since Dune is one of her favourite books. Then I was REALLY REALLY sold!
Palmer doesn’t focus on any one particular item in this story. Every piece of it is done just right! From the story line to the characters it’s the perfect balance. You have the twins, you have their connection, you have the people and their loved ones around them and you have chaos running rampant throughout. Fear was placed upon their people and all hope was placed upon Cassidy and Torr. Moon Deeds is the perfect mix of relationships, friendships, romance and hardship. Such a magnificent world both on and off the Moon.
I would be lying if I didn’t say there weren’t times I was confused. There is so much going on in MoonDeeds and if you aren’t concentrating you may miss a vital piece of the story. This was not a slight against the writing itself. My confusion was 100% my own, I was picking the book up at the wrong times while too many things were happening around me and interruptions were unavoidable. So, if I could give any tip on how to truly soak up each bit of this incredible read it would be to make sure while reading that you are able to give every bit of your attention to this busy world you are about to dive into.
I can’t wait to read on with this saga and to sink further into Palmer’s deep, in-depth world! Thank you again Palmer for sending me a copy for review!
Photo from my Bookstagram account: Nichi.I_ReadPastMyBedtime
Publisher:ย Mythology Press
Release Date: May 25, 2019
And of course thank you all for reading
Your BRIGHT Book Worm
-Nichole
Photo from my Bookstagram account: Nichi.I_ReadPastMyBedtime
“Perhaps so. I prefer his chances of it to those of a dancing kitten.”
Genre: Adult | Fantasy
5 out of 5 stars!
Brilliant world building!
I’ll be upfront and say I have not read many books written in a medieval setting and I now know I need to read more! JP Harker’s exciting read Wildcat has brought this to my attention.
Right from the first page I was sucked into this exciting world filled with powerful characters. Wildcat gives you a little taste of everything… from vicious, life sucking battles to love and deceit you never know what will come next. You may even find some taking the lives of their very own loved ones.
JP Harker’s writing is captivating! The battle scenes are so detailed and vivid it really sets the picture in your mind. His characters are so engaging you can’t help but love them all and I’m not just talking about the protagonists, the supporting characters are also intriguing.
Rhia’s story line has a connection to the modern day. She struggles wanting to be fighting along side her people but also with wanting to start a family of her own and keeping her children safe. I saw this as today’s working Mom’s who love the idea of being home with their kids all day but have that urge, that want to be out in the working world. Rhia’s challenged throughout the whole story, she’s put through tick and thin and still she pulls through somehow. Memories and people linger with her, impacting so many of her future life decisions. She truly is a stunning character.
I can’t wait to get my hands on the next two completed books in the saga (#2 Leaping Wolf, #3 LionCub). Book #4 is currently in the works!
If you are a fan of medieval type reads with a mix of romance among many other things. I would highly recommend picking up book 1: Wildcat, see what you think.
Thank you very much to JP Harker for sending me a copy to read and review. I am now a new dedicated fan to his work and I am excited to see what else he comes out with in the future.
Today’s bookish post is going to be a bit different. Normally when talking about an authors work I review the work itself. Today we will be reviewing the author himself!
A while back Rob Shepherd reached out to me asking if I would be willing to read some of his work. Of course I said yes and he was so kind to send over 5 e-copies, a good variety. Now Rob never once asked me to review any of what he sent over, he was just happy to have another reader interested in checking it out. BUT… I am a blogger, so of COURSE I am going to review it.
I read one peace closer to the end of 2019 and really enjoyed it, jump ahead into 2020 and I still had not finished the other 4 pieces. I knew this was not fair of me and I needed to work hard to get some reviews out for him. So…..in the month of April I went on a bit of a Rob Shepherd reading binge. While reading through I thought instead of doing an individual review of each read separately, why not review them and the author all together.
I have had the privilege of getting to know Rob over the last year or so and honestly he is so very laid back, chilled and easy going. He also loves getting to chat with his readers and just getting to know them in general.
Now Rob’s writing style may not be for everyone. He really loves those odd, eerie, gruesome, horror-esk type reads but I myself love them. Also a lot of Rob’s work is short stories or novellas but honestly they are packed FULL of creepy goodness! Each of the 5 stories I read from him got a 4 or 5 star out of 5 stars!
On to the books I read and my individual star rating for each.
I thoroughly enjoy Rob’s work! His imagination is so dark and unique. I can’t wait to get my hands on more and I feel if those unusual, chilling reads are your thing than you may also enjoy reading Rob’s stories.
Thank you so much Rob for sending these e-copies to me. I appreciate it more than you may know!
In The Hills Above The Gristmill is one intense book.
Kalvin has shown his true talents as an author with this read. Which might I add is book one in a series I am now obviously VERY excited for. On top of this my mind is truly boggled knowing this is Kalvin’s debut novel!
The main character Paisley is absolutely fearless, she’s your ideal modern day paranormal investigator. At the request of the towns beloved preacher Hollis Grim, Paisley rushes to the very small, incredibly odd, extremely unusual town of Grey Water Ridge.
I was devoted to this read from the very first page…. Kalvin’s writing is immaculate. Each character introduced is so unique and different from the next. The story is eerie and the setting is purely chilling. I don’t think I have ever read a book where I was suspicious about so many characters all at once. Not once did I know for absolutely certain who was the true evil in this story….. Well maybe aside from one scene, but I guess you would have to read it for yourself to know what part I am talking about.
Never a bored moment in this book, the story never falls flat. Even while Kalvin provided some history on the town of Grey Water Ridge I was intrigued. Usually (for myself anyhow) when an author is trying to add that extra knowledge and incite into the plot I find it drags a bit. More like excess filler that doesn’t really need to be there and may create the reader to lose interest. That was not the case with In The Hills Above The Gristmill. The history added to the story, rivalries were present even back when and horrible things happened. This information only helps you understand this town and the people in it even more. I also enjoyed the direction Kalvin took while writing this into the story.
Highly recommend this read. I can’t wait for book two in the series….. Kalvin, if you’re reading this.. hurry up! ha..ha. I guess you can call me a big fan of his work!
Alright! So first off, this is a re-release.. how exciting! I LOVE this trilogy so much.
So roughly a year back I read the first book in this trilogy and at the time it was called “Black Dawn.” Before I dived into the second book Mallory reached out to let me know she was re-releasing the whole trilogy with some amazing changes and was wondering if I would read and review it once completed. Of course I was super excited, so I held off on reading the second book and patiently waited for that moment.
Photo from my Bookstagram: Nichi.I_ReadPastMyBedtime
Now it’s April 21, 2020 and the first two books in the re-release of the Black Dawn trilogy came out today! Book 1: Heir of Lies and Book 2: Queen to Ashes and shall I say what a fantastic start to this trilogy. I thought I loved book one back when I original read it but oh… this is even better!… How can that be?
The Black Dawn series is one extremely packed fantasy read! It’s full of magic, power, love, lies, jealousy, corruption, war, evil, darkness… even some shape shifting! This trilogy has a little something for everyone.
Mallory’s writing is flawless! An incredible plot and she executed it perfectly!
Heir of Lies invites you into this world, provides the perfect story detail and introduces each character with perfection. Leading you up-to Queen of Ashes were you will be hit with all the dark, evil action!
Don’t get to captivated by the characters though! You may not know exactly what side they are on…. they could be the start of all evil!
So excited for book three to come out! Can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Thank you so much Mallory for sending me copies to read and review of this VERY exciting re-release. This is one thrilling release day!
Publisher: MM Books
Release Date: April 21, 2020
And of course thank you all for reading
Your Corrupted Book Worm
-Nichole
Photo from my Bookstagram: Nichi.I_ReadPastMyBedtime
The Slave Players is definitely a mix of some truly heavy topics.
Megan Allen has created a whirlwind of emotions with this read. Among all the racism and corruption there is a light that is shone through and with it comes some of the most heart warming moments.
The story starts out with such a gut wrenching scene that leads this community into complete chaos. I found the roll switch where the black took power, enslaved the white and the resurrection of the KKK (of sorts) to be a powerful touch. It really puts a different perspective on things and shows all the sadness that was forced upon African Americans during slavery.
Megan’s writing is absolutely brilliant. The story flows from one perspective to the next smoothly, the characters are memorable and the story line is set up perfectly. I found this read to be absolutely compelling and yet extremely heart breaking.
The only thing I was missing in the end, was closure for those who’s lives were lost at the beginning of the story. I wanted to know that true justice was served.
If you are looking for a read that will impact your emotions and will stay with you for a long time, this is one for you.
I would be lying it I didn’t say when I first read the synopsis I was sceptical on how I would feel. Not for any other reason than… I do love animals but sadly I do also eat meat. I don’t think I could ever kill my meal, buying my meat in stores is enough for me. I guess you could call me a “Cellophane Hunter”. I honestly thought a read with this topic would be so hard to push through but surprisingly it wasn’t and it was so very good. Although I can’t say that I don’t consider nearly every day to becoming a vegan since I read The Meat Hunter a few weeks back.
Again Megan’s writing is flawless. Although The Meat Hunter does get very gruesome..(maybe not best to read if you get queasy easy) but it was packed full of so much humour and the research and details was on point. I learnt so much about the meat industry that has left me completely shocked.
Molly was one fantastic character! She was so confident and bold yet she had this innocent side to her and she most certainly knew when to put each of those traits to action. I grew to really love her as a character, add Michael Lair’s character into the picture and that made for the perfect story with some great twists and turns.
The Meat Hunter truly is one of a kind and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Of course I repeat… only if you have a strong stomach! It is so detailed, some of the moments may not sit right for you.
Publisher: Burn House Publishing
Release date: March 20, 2020
I can’t wait to see what Megan comes out with next!
Thank you so much to Megan Allen & Burn House Publishing for sending me these e-copies to review. I am most certainly a new fan of Megan’s work.
A แดแฉIแY-TแฉแชE แฏOแแชEแแชแฉแแช!
The Slug Queen Chronicles is packed full of fairy-tale goodness! From Santa to the Tooth-fairy to The House with Chicken Legs… My son and I adored this read.
Be sure to have your concentration hat on when you read this fabulous series. The Slug Queen Chronicles introduces so many characters through-out and it may get a bit confusing at times but it is so worth it in the end.
S.O. Thomas has created a fascinating world with the most lovable characters. Cricket meets some of the most incredible creatures in this world and the most amazing friendships bloom throughout. I won’t say who our favourite characters were, because I don’t want to give anything away. You will just have to read it for yourself!
The Slug Queen Chronicles has got to be one of the most exciting, vivid, colorful worlds I have dived into for some time. Such a brilliant concept and S.O. Thomas executed it perfectly!
My son and I are in love with this world and all of it’s creatures! We both highly recommend this middlegrade read and are so thankful to S.O. Thomas for sending us an e-copy for review!
Publisher: Ichigo Black Books
Release date: March 28, 2020 — OUT TOMORROW! Be sure to go and get your hands on it!
Take a look at the cover! If that doesnโt pull you in enough the moment you read the synopsis you will be hooked.
I have been craving sci-fi recently and Magna-Blade was exactly what I needed. Even more of a treat when I found out it was set in a well known city in Canada!
People have survived a life changing war with some of the most dangerous weapons around – Magna-Blades. But no-ones safe just yet!….Someone knows more is coming and they are working tirelessly to stop it! Questionโs are …Will they succeed?…Can they do it alone, or will they need help?
Evan has created this revolutionary setting! You still have your high, middle and lower class, people are suffering, hunger, drugs and crime are still present and a form of law enforcement is in place. It reads as if you are in today’s setting with a futuristic twist. This was a huge yes for me! I enjoy stepping out of the real world while reading but really appreciate when there is still be a relate-able feel to it. Helps to really grasp the idea and makes for an engaging read!
The characters are perfectly placed in this world. I try very hard not give any spoilers away while reviewing so I wonโt give any names or details. But I will say I really connected with a few of the stronger, main characters. When they were faced with hardships or tough situations it hit hard! Evan’s characters are extremely memorable. I thoroughly enjoy a read where there is a perfect balance between the story line and the characters and I found that was exactly what Magna-Blade did. The perfect amount of detail throughout.
Now you may be wondering why I gave this read a 4 stars when I obviously enjoyed it so much. The one reason I removed a star from my rating is…. the beginning of the story is very fast paced. Almost as something you would see in a immediate scene at the beginning of a movie, to get you quickly up to date on whatโs going down. Although this is fine and a lot of reads do this to give the reader some details before they really dive into the story. What got me was there were parts that had me lost or confused. I felt like I was missing a bit of the story that was critical to understanding things as you went on, perhaps details that are important and were glazed over a bit too quickly. Donโt get me wrong! As you go you will understand what is happening and you will get a glimpse of the past. I just feel some bits could have been touched on more.
All of this being said. I obviously really enjoyed this read and gave it a high rating. What makes me very excited about how this read ended off is I felt as if the story was left a bit open but also with enough conclusion at the same time. Which I really appreciate because I donโt feel like I am needing more…. yet if a sequel came of this I most definitely would be jumping at the chance to get my hands on it!
Of course I would recommend this read especially if you are a sci-fi fan. You can never go wrong with such a strong, vivid world like this!
nichi.i_readpastmybedtime 