Wednesday, 20 November 2024

MONEY FOR OLD BONES


Money For Old Bones by Joe Talon
Book 2 in the Lorne Turner Supernatural Thrillers
Genre: supernatural thriller
Format: ebook / paperback



Lorne Turner needs a break, so when he's offered the job of security guard and handyman at an old rectory in the Lyn Valley he takes it.

He thought he'd gain a little space and perspective. A little quiet from the noise in his head, from his demons, from his beast. Sadly, The Rectory doesn't provide the haven he needs.

As the rain falls, waters rise, and old graves move.

The grave of a witch, who cursed the village. The grave of a soldier, who tried to escape the Hanging Judge after the Monmouth Rebellion. The grave of a priest, broken by love and grief.

When the whispering of Exmoor’s dead turns into a scream, Lorne has to act.

The original families of Scob must face their debt.

Lorne, Ella, Willow, and Heather need to find a way to balance the scales before more lives are lost.

Can they survive the haunting misery of the old bones? Can they save each other from the beckoning darkness?

And the rain. Always the rain.
Source: Info in the "About Money For Old Bones" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59593081-money-for-old-bones on 03/07/2022.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


Stoke Pero Church
My Thoughts:
Lorne Turner of the Lorne Turner Supernatural Thrillers by Joe Talon is the British version of the American Charlie Parker of the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly.

I googled Stoke Pero church and there is actually such a church in Somerset, England. I've lived in Wales for about a couple of decades now and I didn't know that there was a Monmouth Rebellion in the past! And that is true too! Now, how's that for realism?

Joe Talon is also funny at times. Like, "...heard a car slogging through the mud, revving itself into a cardiac arrest". That made me laugh! I know! I know! It might not be funny to some...


Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 4
Plot = 3


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Lorne Turner Supernatural Thrillers:
Book 1: COUNTING CROWS Book 2: MONEY FOR OLD BONES Book 3: DEAD OF THE WINTER SUN Book 4: SALT FOR THE DEVIL'S EYE Book 5: BAD WATERS RUN DEEP Book 6: THE ALCHEMIST'S CORPSE Book 7: THE SPIRIT GLASS Book 8: THE DEAD ALSO HAVE SECRETS


 
Meet The Author

About Joe Talon:
Joe Talon is an author used to walking on the wild and darker side of life. A place where you're never quite certain if the world is full of rainbows or shadows.

Having grown up on Exmoor, Joe has been fascinated by the mysterious and spooky places that dwell in the dark woodlands and quiet combes. Joe has created a world just a little sideways from ours in this new series. It is full of shapes moving on the edge of our vision when they shouldn’t and cold spots in warm places. For Joe, there is always the question, 'what would I do if'?

The creaking door isn't just a draught.

The footfalls not friends but foes.

The scream is not a crying fox it is...

What spare time Joe has is spent with six dogs, lots of walks and exploring the strange worlds just the other side what we think we know to be real.

You can find Joe via joe@joetalon.com or www.joetalon.com

If you'd like to try Joe's first novella for free then please visit the website and download Forgotten Homeland.



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and paperback editions of this book were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Tuesday, 5 November 2024

EMERALD BLAZE

 

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
Book 5 of the Hidden Legacy series
Narrated by Emily Rankin
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook


About Emerald Blaze:
As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers — powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.
Source: Info in the "About Emerald Blaze" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39909220-untitled-catalina-book on 16/06/2020.

Buy Link(s):


Rosebud
Rosebud
My Thoughts:
Tried to read this book slowly. Make it last. Savour it. I take breaks purposefully. I usually listen to audiobooks at 1.25 or 1.5 speed. At times even 2. I dialled down the listening speed to 1. I was partially successful in making it last... still too quick!

I missed the ferret heist from the previous book. But having Rosebud fed my addiction too!

I didn't see a golden lion tamarin monkey. But I did see a golden-headed lion tamarin monkey at a safari visit a long time ago.
golden-headed lion tamarin


I have questions though. If the round metallic rings with flowers growing from it is a construct made by the thing in the pit, the Abyss, why did the creatures controlled by it attacked Catalina and Linus at the start of the book? I would think that Aran would be the one with the most reason to want to kill Catalina and Linus. It turned out that neither Aran nor Cheryl controls the Abyss. So why would the Abyss want to kill Catalina and Linus then? After I read Emerald Blaze, I hoped that an answer will surface in the next book that I looked forward to reading it. I also wanted to know what other harebrained things Marat Kazarian would do after his shenanigans in the pit.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (12 hrs and 41 mins)
Plot = 5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries


Hidden Legacy Books:
BURN FOR ME Book 2: WHITE HOT Book 3: WILDFIRE Book 3.5: DIAMOND FIRE Book 4: SAPPHIRE FLAMES Book 4.1: A MISUNDERSTANDING Book 4.2: PAY ME Book 5: EMERALD BLAZE Book 5.1: COOL AUNT Book 6: RUBY FEVER


Meet The Authors

About Ilona Andrews:
Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.


The Narrator

Emily Rankin
About Emily Rankin:
Emily Rankin (previously credited as Emily Janice Card) has narrated numerous audiobooks, coauthors the manga series Laddertop, and created the popular web short Jane Austen’s Fight Club. She is a narrator of award-winning audiobooks. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three kids.




FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Friday, 1 November 2024

THE DRAGON MAGE Boxset1 (Books 1 to 3)


The Dragon Mage (Books 1 to 3) by Scott Baron
Books 1 to 3 in the Dragon Mage series
Narrated by Gary Bennett
Genre: science fiction fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Charlie had all the luck. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the good kind.

Sucked through a wormhole, Charlie's spaceship crash landed on a distant world, yet somehow he survived. But survival was about to get a lot harder as he found himself not just stranded on a new planet, but in another galaxy entirely. One ruled not by the laws of technology, but by magic. A realm of space pirates, deadly assassins, alien gladiators, and even dragons. For the spaceman from Earth, it was enough to make his head spin.

And that was only the beginning.

Welcome to the Charlieverse.

Contains Books 1-3 of the 12 book Dragon Mage series:
1. Bad Luck Charlie
2. Space Pirate Charlie
3. Dragon King Charlie
Source: Info in the "About The Dragon Mage (Books 1 to 3)" was taken from amazon on 26/06/2024.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


Zomoki
Hunze
My Thoughts:
This is my first Scott Baron read and I'm glad that I stumbled upon this author! He is a keeper!

The other thing that I think makes this book wonderful is the fact that Scott Baron used current science to base his science fiction on. Kinda like what Gene Roddenberry did which is one of the many factors that made Star Trek such a successful TV series! And yes, I am a trekkie girl.

Charlie, for all his likely high IQ, can be such a dimwit sometimes. So everybody around him calls "it" magic and call certain things "spells", which to him is energy source and possibly a software, still can't get it through his thick skull that, that is the way people in his current world perceives things and he cannot teach these people who lived with magic and spells their whole lives, science and the principle of conservation of energy...

So, we have a protagonist who is brilliant and stupid at the same time...

I know somebody like that...

I like the Rapunzel retelling. A new twist to an old tale.

The first two books were good, as in, the "stupid" element was not glaringly big and obvious. The third book however... Charlie and Bawb must not finish off Malalia while she was down. Oh, no! That would detract the drama of the big battle with lots of lives lost and the magic show down. Because Charlie and Bawb had to face Malalia when she is at full strenght! Of course they do. **face palm**

And how do you send your men away when there is still a battle supposedly raging around you?... If you withdraw your men from the battlefield in the middle of an engagement, that means you lost the battle... Then wouldn't it follow that you would be taken as prisoner?

I do not like it when the plot does not make sense.

Ara
At 1,163 pages long, this is not a short read!

This book makes references to old movies like "Man Friday" which I had to look up to understand what it was referring to. This made the going a little slower, on top of it not being a short read, indeed!

This is my first Gary Bennett audiobook and I would listen to him again.


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (30 hrs and 17 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 4.5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Dragon Mage Series:
Boxset 1: THE DRAGON MAGE SERIES (Books 1 to 3) Boxset 2: THE DRAGON MAGE SERIES (Books 4 to 6) Boxset 3: THE DRAGON MAGE SERIES (Books 7 to 9) Boxset 4: THE DRAGON MAGE SERIES (Books 10 to 12)


 
Meet The Author

About Scott Baron:
A native Californian, Scott Baron was born in Hollywood, which he claims may be the reason for his off-kilter sense of humor. Before taking up residence in Venice Beach, he spent a few years studying abroad before settling into the film and television industry, where he has worked off and on for some time. Scott not only writes, but is also involved in indie film and theater both in the U.S. and abroad.


The Narrator

About Gary Bennett:
Gary Bennett is an award-winning SAG-AFTRA audiobook narrator with a passion for truly giving the listener a front-row seat to the story. He’s narrated over 180 audiobooks (so far!) for publishers including Blackstone, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Harper Audio, Hachette Audio, Tantor, Dreamscape, Podium Audio, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and others.

Gary has trained with top coaches for narration and accents and dialects, records in his professional home studio, and he loves performing multiple accents (British, Scottish, Italian and Eastern European are his favorites) as well as multiple and complex characters (spies, wizards, trolls, ogres, vampires, and conflicted heroes & villains are always fun).

He's a huge fan of thrillers and urban fantasy, and also loves recording science-fiction, mysteries, romance, and non-fiction. (He's also a proponent of the Oxford Comma!)

MY BACKGROUND:
Born and raised in California and then in Bozeman, Montana, Gary now calls the greater Seattle area his home, and he's a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks!



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.