Book Review: Death at Epsom Downs
Death at Epsom Downs by Robin Paige
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this mystery and it kept my attention, but it wasn’t anything super special. A great book to read on a wintery night curled up in bed, but not amazing literature.
Kathryn and Charles are solving mysteries again, this time at the Epsom horse races. A conspiracy to dope the horses has resulted in a bookie being murdered, and of course, Charles is called in to investigate with Kate making her own inquiries in the background.
As always, I love the perfect understanding and love between Charles and Kate. Those two are a delight to read about!
The mystery itself kept me interested, but there were too many supporting characters for me to really feel invested in them all.
I enjoyed reading this book, and of course, I will be reading the rest of the series!
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Book Review: The Pilgrims of Rayne
The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Every single book in this series is amazing! Every chapter blows me away. I never know what is going to happen next, and I’m always surprised by the impossible plot twists.
This time Bobby is fighting to save the territory of Ibara and the small village of Rayne. Ibara seems like a peaceful paradise, but this territory holds a secret that even Bobby will have trouble with, and the Traveler from Ibara wants nothing to do with him. Continue reading
Review: Two Noble Kinsmen
Book Review: The Book of Wonders
The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I’m so disappointed in this book. The cover made it look wonderful, but the characters are two-dimensional, the story is trite, and the dialogue is boring. I read it all the way through, but it never really captured my attention or my emotions. Continue reading
Book Review: The Forgotten Sisters
The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love this series so much! Every book is wonderful!
In this book, Miri is asked to be a tutor at a Princess Academy for some distant cousins of the royal family. But Miri is not expecting to be teaching Poise, Elocution, and Etiquette in a backwoods swamp filled with reed huts, snakes, and alligators. As always, Miri is ready for a challenge, but when war threatens the peaceful country of Asland, the people are looking to Miri to solve their problems and bring peace. The political situation begins to unravel, and only Miri and her new Princess Academy students can expose the lies and deception that are plunging the country into a bloody war. Continue reading
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Book Review: Deerskin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was upsetting to read because the story focuses on a princess who is beaten and raped by her own father, runs away to survive a harsh winter alone in the mountains, where she is assisted by the magical Moon Lady, who gives her a dress made of deerskin. The dark subject material is handled well, because the princess eventually confronts her attacker and finds some emotional healing, but it’s rough reading about all that pain and abuse.
Usually I love this author’s books, but this one was not enjoyable because of the subject material. Her writing style is excellent, but there were many redundant paragraphs and too many details, which made the story slow.
Book Review: Rebel Genius
Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so impressed with this book! I loved every second of it! There are definite influences of the Italian Renaissance in the setting through the artwork, architecture, and names. The writing is full of action, mystery, and magic, and of course, the characters are absolutely delightful. They feel like real people, varied and interested, changing and growing all the time, each with their own secrets and agendas.
Giacomo is an orphan, living on the streets, when he mysteriously acquires a Genius, a little bird that is a companion to artists to inspire their imaginations and give them magical powers of creativity. But the evil ruler, Nerezza, sends her soldiers to kill all the Genius birds and their artists, and Giacomo and his new little friend are on the run. Giacomo teams up with some other artsy children, and they go on a quest to find an object of magical power to bring Nerezza’s evil rule to an end. Continue reading
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