Review: Herakles by Lizzy Ford

 

The last novella in the Omega miniseries. I unfortunately didn't like this character very much. I read this at the library and once again there was another person there just talking at the top of her lungs to the librarian and it was very very distracting. I just didn't care about this character. 

We were told the same thing that was mentioned in Cleon about how he had all these surgeries to make him look perfect and be strong and that is how he became the peoples Champion. 

The only thing that really got my attention and made this a three star is that we learn that he is the one who took Lyssa from her home and shot down Mismatch. He is trying to keep her and the priest safe. He wants to leave after getting them the house on the plot of land from Cleon and the priest tells him that Lyssa is the next Oracle of Delphi and that he need help erasing her memories and shielding her so she wont be found.

Herakles is against this because he feels that this is the same exact thing that was done to him. He ends up doing so and attaching the red cord to Lyssa's wrist that shields her. This was a great full circle moment and I will be reading Omega next month.

Review: They Whisper by Claire Fraise

 

A year and a half after buying this book after finishing and loving the first one, I finally read it and enjoyed it. It picks up right where the first left off. I was not confused or lost about anything. I didn't forget much, only minor characters and then the story reminded me immediately. 

The story picks up immediately with Shiloh and Max back at home. Max has been found and Leonard is dead. Francesca is freaking out about seeing Miles spirit and goes to the hospital to see him only to be told that he had just died. Turns out, Leonard jumped into Miles body and then killed a nurse to get into his body. Francesca put Miles spirit back into his body.

Shiloh and her mom are trying to move on from Shiloh's claim about her dad molesting her and a cop comes by to tell them that he made bail and he will resume his job as sherriff because it was an elected position. Shiloh is appalled and she starts getting questioned about his missing gun and how the crime scene of Leonard's trailer was tampered with. Shiloh goes to retrieve the gun, but it is not where she stored it.

Miles body starts to detoriate and they find out that an old circus freak show performer who was with Leonard is still alive and coming to town with the circus. They go and they learn that since Miles was dead too long, that his body is rejecting the soul. He can't blink and his is forming rashes and blisters on his body. He gets given a drug that is essentially bone dust and it helps rejuvenate him.

This book only had three POV's and thankfully one of them was not Miles because he became a downright asshole and was blaming Shiloh for getting him killed and choosing Max over him. He became egotistical. 

Francesca learns how to cross the void and to walk among the spirits on the other side. She unwillingly takes one of her dead friends with her and accidentally leaves her behind. The preacher who Francesca trusts, ends up betraying her to Leonard in the end because he really wants to cross over.

I was not a fan of the relationship developement between Jonah and Shiloh and how there was an almost sex scene. The story could have done without that. The ending had me hooked and Miles is now inhabitating the body of the rookie cop who wanted to take Jonah down because he was a bad seed. 

Review: Cleon by Lizzy Ford

 

The penultimate novella in the Omega series. This follows the rich dude Cleon from the previous novella from Niko's perspective. This follows Cleon after his father's murder. We learn that is the first born and he expects to take his father's place and gain his inheritance by birthright. He and his siblings feared their father because he was a tyrant at home but loved by the citizens because he was a two face asshole.

The supreme magistrate visits Cleon and he is expecting to be given his fathers title and the supreme magistrate shoots him down. Telling him that he knows that Cleon had his father killed and that he has the evidence of Niko doing the job sloppily and that actually Cleon did the magistrate a favor by killing him because no one could actually stand him.

The supreme magistrate gives Cleon a lowly position and sends him upstate. He leaves with his servants and when he is at his home, his only friend and now turned enemy has shown up with a priest to ask for safety and a place to hide so they can pray in peace and not fear repurcussions. Herakles is the name of the person who was once a friend to Cleon but we learn of his past and I felt so sorry for him and disgust at Cleon. Cleon was kind of a Dr Frankenstein and did experiments and surgeries on Herakles to make him the strongest and biggest fighter. 

This once again gave me a boost in interest for the next and last novella and I am hoping to get to the main novel in January.

Review: Something is Killing The Children volume 5

 

Really enjoyed the omnibus of volumes 1-4 so I needed to pick up volume 5. Was kind of confused with the beginning of this because it introduced two characters in a new setting. It takes place in Tribulation, New Mexico. We see a bloodied girl named Gabi in the back of a car demanding a lawyer. The guy driving the car is trying to figure out what the hell happened and he takes her to a bar where he can have someone watch her. She gets pissed and takes off. Our girl Erica from the previous volumes shows up offering an ear to listen.

We then see two peoplle wearing masks and we learn that they are from the counterpart of House of Slaughter named House of Cutter. The guy that shows up to the womans ritual tells her of the mission too eliminate a black mask.

Erica gets arrested for trespassing and she uses her one phone call to call a retired azure mask, the knowledgable ones. He tells her that she needs to call in the calvary for the type of monster that is loose and killing the kids in Tribulation. She eventually talks to the sherriff and she keeps her cover story as a reporter and Sherriff Carter is in way over his head and is desperate for help.

The woman from the House of Cutter is pissing of a random woman in the airport who is a loud mouth one who is complaining about everything. The Cutter woman kills her and as Cecilia Slaughter clean up the mess. 

Chapter 24 starts off with the couple fighting about the guy not finding his bathing suit in the bag his wife packed for him and she tells him to do it himeself next time, and he throws a fucking fit about wanting a relaxing vacation. I hate assholes like him. There children are in the pool and they see a pervy guy watching them. They scream at him to go away and it steps out of the shadows with a massive mouth in the stomach area. Erica's octopus with the monster has found Gabi where her family was murdered.  

Miss Cutter is in a meeting with the Dragon and Cecelia and Cutter is certain that there is still someone in the order helping Erica slay monsters. She demands to see every letter and correspondence from every single person in the House of Slaughter, ad the Dragon grants the request.

Erica finds out that the octopus is leading Gabi to the monster. Gabi figures that if it is a bad octopus and she is a bad kid, then they match. The octopus leads Gabi to the pool where the kids are dead and Erica shows up to try to kill the duplicitype by herself. It gets away and while she is on her way to the hospital she gets a phone call from Big Gary who is being tortured and is eventually murdered by Cutter. The volume ends there, so I will be getting volume 6 soon.

Review: Niko by Lizzy Ford

 

The novella that I thought I would dislike the most ended up being a favorite. I gave this a 4 star. Niko is moping about Theodocia still leaving him and trying to get into this guild. He goes to this gladiator guild to try to earn a spot and a wealthy sponsor. 

He has to answer a questionaire about his past and we learn that his father and mother were not the best and he ended up killing them and burying them on the farm. He then grew up on the streets and only loved one woman in his life and that he hates her for it. After the questionaire, he and the other guys who are wealthy boys who are bored and think they can get whatever they want go into the ring to prove their worth. 

Niko ends up teaming with a military dude and he immediately kills him because Niko considers him his only competition. The creature that they have to battle ends up killing the rest of the men while Niko eventually slays the monster. He wins and when he meets the wealthy sponsor, a man named Cleon, he learns that due to his patricide and violent past, he cannot be a member of the gladiator guild.

He does however get a job opportunity from Cleon that will make Niko worth the money that will be sent to Theodocia and their child. Cleon informs Niko that he wants him to take out his father and he will be handsomely rewarded and if the job doesn't happen, Niko and possibly Theodocia will die.

The story ends with the plan going in a different direction. 

I really like stories like this where the character has to be like a hit man. 

Thanksgiving Week// Sunday Post #75

 The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly from The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Look at me posting for the second week in a row. It is Thanksgiving week and I am excited for the food. 

Last week was uneventful until Wednesday when we had a major family problem that came to light and it has changed plans for this week. This problem has changed plans for this week and will be a major focus starting in the new year. It also affected my reading plans and everything else. It made me question why I was wasting time reading when I need to focus on this immediate problem, but I can't do anything until New Year and it won't be such an expensive ordeal.

Today, we went to an event in our town where they hosted a free Thanksgiving dinner and gathering and it was good. We also got to hear our new mayor speak and it was re-assuring and hopeful to hear what plans she had to help the town. 

I am glad to say that my Christmas shopping is almost done and I may start my shopping in September from now on because it is honestly less stressful and I am looking forward to Christmas and I am a grinch. I have the plan to start shopping for my kids father daughter dance at the end of next month, and my oldest has Prom coming up this year as well, so ALL the dress shopping.

Like I said my reading was impacted this week, but not alot. But with Thanksgiving I am not sure how much I will be able to get too, so this may be my graphic novel and manga week.

current read

Review: Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

 

ANOTHER 5 star romance in the stats for the year. I have been wanting to read this for the past two years but my library had a hold list miles long and when it was not on hold, it was the middle of summer. I love summer and do not rush the holidays. I requested this weeks before Halloween and was able to renew it before other people started requesting it. Thankfully, I read this when I did because this is more based around Thanksgiving and that is my second favorite holiday.

The story starts off immediately with the plot of the book. Our main girl Stella is a conudrum and asks one of her employees and closest friends to be her fake boyfriend. I was drawn to Beckett instantly. I liked how he was described and could picture him looking like my hubby. I am kind of glad that the relationship took a different turn and that Luka ended up agreeing to be the fake boyfriend.

While reading this, I was comparing this to The Pumpkin Spice Cafe because of the sabatoge that was happening at the farm and a jilted character who got the short end of the stick. I really loved Luka's family. One of my favorite things to include in books is a big Italian family. I am not Italian, but the familial dynamic reminds me of my family and my great grandparents who were the rock and central hub of the family. It is one of the things I miss around the holidays and this brought so many memories to the fore front and gave me conversation topics during dinner with my hubby and kids.

There was one part of the book where I got really pissed off and I was on Team Luka. I was not a fan of Stella. It was the morning after their first time and Stella said the most stupid asinine thing and she deserved to be throat punched. I don't condone violence, but this bitch definitely needed it. 

I am looking forward to the second book, but I don't think the relationship between Beckett and Evelyn will be a favorite because they were each other's one night stand.