New Pompeii (New Pompeii #1) by Daniel Godfrey

New Pompeii (New Pompeii #1)

In the near future, energy giant Novus Particles develops the technology to transport objects and people from the deep past to the present. Their biggest secret: New Pompeii. A replica of the city hidden deep in central Asia, filled with Romans pulled through time a split second before the volcano erupted.

Historian Nick Houghton doesn't know why he's been chosen to be the company's historical advisor. He's just excited to be there. Until he starts to wonder what happened to his predecessor. Until he realizes that NovusPart have more secrets than even the conspiracy theorists suspect.

Until he realizes that NovusPart have underestimated their captives...  

My Review:

Historian and not yet doctor Nick Houghton gets recruited by a mysterious energy company called Novus Particles in this thriller by Daniel Godfrey. Once recruited, he is flown to an undisclosed location where he is to help with the language and culture of the Romans in a replica town of Pompeii. The inhabitants have been pulled forward in time (right before Pompeii's complete destruction) without knowing that their world was about to be destroyed... NovusPart hopes to use this New Pompeii for trading and money making purposes.. But the Roman culture is very different from the 'outsiders' who've arrived to study and exploit them. Roman culture is very brutal and the author does a great job contrasting our world with theirs. Soon, some Romans start wondering about things that aren't the same anymore (namely large chickens and orange carrots, not to mention the missing sea).. they want answers and will stop at nothing to get them.

I wasn't expecting such a good book when I purchased it. There is a story within the story here as well, and it wasn't until the end that I saw how the author brought these two stories together. The idea of pulling people forward in time was pretty cool. The technology has its limitations however which makes it more interesting.

The characters were believable and and the author recreated Pompeii very well in his story. Even though it's been a few years since I've been to Pompeii, certain memories were able to be awakened.
The book had me almost biting my nails at times.

'New Pompeii' is definately worth reading if you are a fan of historical thrillers. The author did a great job bringing this town and the Roman culture alive. Fans of Sci-Fi will also enjoy the unique take on time travel and its possible paradoxes. Happy reading! 

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Neverwhere






Under the streets of London lies a world most people could never dream of.

When Richard Mayhew helps a mysterious girl he finds bleeding on the pavement, his boring life changes in an instant. Her name is Door, she’s on the run from two assassins in black suits and she comes from London Below.

His act of kindness leads him to a place filled with monsters and angels, a Beast in a labyrinth and an Earl who holds Court in a Tube train.

It is strangely familiar yet utterly bizarre.

[This special edition presents Neil Gaiman’s preferred text for his extraordinary modern classic, illustrated for the first time (by Chris Riddell)

My Review:

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is a modern Fantasy tale about a young man named Richard Mayhew, who recently moved to London, and who is about to get himself into a world of trouble!

While walking with his fiancée, he stumbles across a beaten and bloody girl laying on the pavement. From the moment he decides to do 'the right thing' and helps this girl (named Door), his life is turned upside down. Richard finds himself nearly invisible to regular Londoners and finds out that his apartment is being renting out (with himself still in it) and that nobody at work ever remembers him being there. His journey to help Door will send him deep into the bowels of London Below. A London very different to one on the streets above.

I purchased the illustrated version of this book which was illustrated by Chris Riddell. I looked forward to his drawings and doodles on almost every second page. Without the illustrations, I would have given this book 4 solid stars, but the drawings brought the story to life and made the book that much more enjoyable to me.

This fantasy (which is directed at adults) was a very fun read and Neil Gaiman's humor shows throughout this book. A good example are the two evil assassins, Mr. Coup and Mr. Valdemar. Their banter and conversations brought a smile to my face even though I ended up hating them more and more. Both characters behave more like rabid animals, in that they live to kill and destroy. Mr. Croup is definitely the 'brains' of the operation, and his weirdness is accentuated by the fact that he also has a love for fine china.

Richard's journey takes him to strange angels, a court held in a moving subway train, and to a horrendous beast in a labyrinth.

This was (at the time) the first book of Neil Gaiman that I've read, and it has since put me on the path of reading other books by this awesome author!

This adult-oriented fantasy book is a fantastic read even without the illustrations. It's a tale of endurance, revenge, love, and double-crosses. I highly recommend this read to all of you which love urban fantasy. Get the illustrated version to add a bit more 'magic' to the experience.

Happy reading!!

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2)



It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

My Review:

A Gathering of Shadows by author V.E. Schwab is the second book in the Shades of Magic trilogy.

In this book we get to see what Lila has been up to since she parted ways with Kell. We see Prince Rhy and Kell dealing with the repercussions of the Black Night and their actions in the previous book.

The Element Games, an international competition pitting the some of the best magicians against each other becomes the center stage for this story.

I love the world that V.E. Schwab has created and her world building and character development is among some of the most entertaining I’ve read. Unfortunately, this book didn’t give me the elements that I was hoping that it would (thrills and action). After being floored by the author’s first book, this sequel left me pretty disappointed.

The book started off with Lila and her life aboard a pirate ship. Now, I love pirate stories, but unfortunately the book didn’t go that direction either. Once she enters Red London, she tries to come up with a way to get herself into the Element Games. The Games were much too long and detailed for my taste. I didn’t quite care who was throwing sand around a wall of fire, etc. The most interesting parts were naturally, anything to do with Black or White London. A certain nemesis (who is to remain unnamed), also didn’t receive the time in the spotlight that they deserved.

I felt this book moved a lot slower than the first book, and while we did get to find out more about certain characters, the book left me wanting more action and more thrills.

After reading this book, I have decided to hold off reading the next (and last) book in this trilogy for now. I’ll get around to it eventually...

Happy Reading!

Threads of Suspicion (Evie Blackwell Cold Case #2) by Dee Henderson

Threads of Suspicion (Evie Blackwell Cold Case #2)

 

 

 

Evie Blackwell's reputation as a top investigator for the Illinois State Police has landed her an appointment to the governor's new Missing Persons Task Force. This elite investigative team is launched with plenty of public fanfare. The governor has made this initiative a high priority, so they will have to produce results--and quickly.

Evie and her new partner, David Marshal, are assigned to a pair of unrelated cases in suburban Chicago, and while both involve persons now missing for several years, the cases couldn't be more different. While Evie opens old wounds in a close-knit neighborhood to find a missing college student, David searches for a private investigator working for a high-powered client.

With a deep conviction that "justice for all" truly matters, Evie and David are unrelenting in their search for the truth. But Evie must also find answers to the questions that lie just beneath the surface in her personal life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 

The second book in the Evie Blackwell Cold Cases series by Dee Henderson, titled 'Threads of Suspicion', is a fantastic cold case mystery!

As mentioned in previous reviews, I usually don't jump into a series without reading the books in order, but as I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher (Baker Publishing Group) in exchange for an honest review, I didn't have much choice.
This book was one of three books that I recently took with me on my summer vacation. I'm very glad indeed to have taken this gem with me. In my opinion, the perfect companion on the beach and while reading in bed during the excruciatingly hot hours of the day.

As a former member of law enforcement and a prior investigator myself, it isn't all that often that I come across crime books with such wonderful procedural elements in them. The main character, Evie, is an extremely well thought out and complicated individual. In fact, all the characters in this book (including David) were well thought out and the author spent a good amount of time on extensive character development and on the chemistry between characters.

The plot development was also very extensive. However, the procedural elements and many theories in play might seem to slow the book down a bit for some readers. Personally I found the plot to move at just the write pace that a cold case mystery would require!

Even though this book works as a standalone, I couldn't help but feel that reading the first book, 'Traces of Guilt' would have given me more background and character info on our main character, Evie. Since finishing this book, I have added 'Traces of Guilt' to my reading list on Goodreads.

Lately, I have been very reserved in giving a book five stars, unless all the elements were spot on. With this book, it was a quick choice to rate it the full five stars. I believe the great suspense, the character development, the variety of suspects, theories and the extensive procedural elements of this book deserve the five star rating! I highly recommend this book to crime lovers and to folks who enjoy a good law enforcement/procedure book.

At this time, I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and to review this book. It made my vacation that much better!

Happy Reading!!!
 

 

 

Miraculous Mysteries by Martin Edwards (Various Authors)

Miraculous Mysteries

 

Impossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective fiction. Fiendishly intricate cases were particularly well suited to the cerebral type of detective story that became so popular during the ‘golden age of murder’ between the two world wars. But the tradition goes back to the days of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins, and impossible crime stories have been written by such luminaries as Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham.

This anthology celebrates their work, alongside long-hidden gems by less familiar writers. Together these stories demonstrate the range and high accomplishment of the classic British impossible crime story over more than half a century.  

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 

Miraculous Mysteries (A British Library Crime Classic) is a smorgasbord of locked room and impossible crime stories. Published by Poisoned Pen Press in association with the British Library and edited by Martin Edwards. Locked room crime stories have long been a favorite of not only British readers, but of mystery lovers around the world.
Martin Edwards did a great job selecting sixteen short impossible crime stories from some of history's best mystery writers. Each story has a biographical note and introductory text written by Mr. Edwards. It gives the reader a chance to know more about the author and the work in question.
After every story, I wanted to put the book down for a bit, but always found myself starting the next story in the book.
My three favorite stories in this book are: 'The Haunted Policeman' by Dorothy L. Sayers, 'The Lost Special' by Arthur Conan Doyle, and 'The Miracle of Moon Crescent' by G.K Chesterton.
This book is akin to a can of Pringles chips.. The old jingle of 'Once you pop, you just can't stop', rings very true for this book.
I particularly love the classic covers that the British Library uses for their crime classics. Certainly a treat for the eyes as well! I have since then, added Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries, also edited by Martin Edwards to my reading list. I look forward to reading this book from Poisoned Pen Press come Christmas time.
All in all, a very good locked room anthology containing sixteen stories of some of history's best and most influential writers.
I highly recommend this book for crime and mystery lovers!

Happy Reading!!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1)




Most people only know one London; but what if there were several? Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare ability to travel between parallel Londons. There’s Grey London, dirty and crowded and without magic, home to the mad king George III. There’s Red London, where life and magic are revered. Then, White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. But once upon a time, there was Black London...

My Review:

Delicious. Even though not all the ideas in this book are original, the world-building, characters and magical system make up for anything we might have seen or heard before. Victoria (V.E.) Schwab's almost lyrical writing style is very pleasant and the pages seem to turn themselves in this must-read book!

The use of blood-magic, alternate Londons, and the creation of doors to reach these alternate worlds might remind us of plenty of other books, but the author puts her own twist on this, making for a very pleasant and thrilling read.

The characters are believable and well thought out and the two main characters (Kell and Lila) seem to have a chemistry that I hope will continue in future books.
The world building is spot on and the descriptions the author uses to describe the various Londons, placed me right in the action and I was able to 'feel' as if I was there.

White London and the Danes were definitely my favorite and I wish we could have spent a little more time there and found out a little bit more about this monarchal duo. I also wish I'd been given more info on the Holland's character, and of Vitari. I'm hoping that my questions regarding Vitari and Holland will be answered in the subsequent books.

All in all, a very entertaining and lovely dark read. The author succeeded on placing an original spin on ideas that have already happened before in other books. The dark and gritty feel of this story is certain to please readers across a wide range of genres. I look forward to reading the second book in this trilogy, 'A Gathering of Shadows', very soon. Happy Reading!

Iron Fist: The Fury of Iron Fist

Iron Fist Epic Collection: The Fury of Iron Fist








A Himalayan expedition to find the mystical city of K'un-Lun left nine-year-old Daniel Rand's parents dead, but he found the path to the K'un-Lun and there spent a decade training under its immortal inhabitants. He became an unmatched master of martial arts and spiritual control; armed with the shattering power of the iron fist, Daniel left immortality behind to set out into the Western world and avenge his parents' deaths. Packed with wall-to-wall kung fu action, Iron Fist runs a gauntlet through the Kara-Kai death cult, ninja adversaries, and mystic dimensions. COLLECTING: Vol. 1; Marvel Premiere (1972) 15-25, Iron Fist (1975) 1-15, Marvel Team-Up (1972) 63-64

My Review:

He channels his Chi, sends it down his arm, where his fist begins to glow, and then to smolder... to finally become like unto a thing of iron!!!

The awesome origin story of Iron Fist aka Danny Rand! This great volume collects the origin of Danny Rand along with his quest for vengeance for the death of his parents at the hands of a ruthless corporate powerhouse.
This volume collects issues from 1974-1977, a time when things were both simpler and much crazier in comics. The artwork is typical of the time and Byrne is able to shine with his penciling in a way that will leave the reader very happy. Storyline is good and interesting, even if the language of the 70s does irritate somewhat (albeit in a smirk-inducing way).
This origin story is quite different from the Netflix series currently on TV. It works for the comic, while the story on Netflix works for the show. If you've watched the show and think you know Danny Rand... think again! Pick this comic up and see what he's really made of.
Filled with lots of villains and surprise appearances by the X-Men, Wolverine and Spider-Man, this volume is not to be missed. Even Sabretooth had his first appearance in Iron Fist #14!
For lovers of 60s and 70s comics, kung-fu style action and comics from an era which was much simpler, I definitely recommend you pick this book up!
Happy Reading!