Book Review: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) volume #1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG. I loved this book. Yes this book has some mistakes, but other than that I liked it. I just fell right back in and enjoyed the ride, laughing at some parts (especially all the Wei Wuxian parts). The thing that shocked me throughout the book is the fact that Lan Zhan talked a lot, when in the show he barely said a word. But I did crack up when he got drunk, acting like a child as he tells Wen Ning to go away, and Wei Wuxian trying to make sure Lan Zhan didn’t do anything.

When they meet Nie Huaisang after all this time, why the first thing that came to my mind was, “Hand over the pokemon and no one gets hurt!” and Nie Huaisang going, “Okay, okay, take it easy, take it easy!” just cracks me up-it was so good. Then the whole thing with Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng…that’s an ooof, tbh. I knew the grape/Jiang Cheng hated Wei Wuxian, but to be that cruel to him (and Wei Wuxian giving out Mo Runyu’s name and not his real one)

But other than that, I really liked this book. It made me laugh, made me go ‘damn’ that one time when Lan Zhan told the seniors to drag him inside the house. Wei Wuxian became a favorite once again, and now I like the juniors and also Nie Huaisang, also I like the photo of Nie Mengjue-very different than the one from the show. He looks very handsome and hot, and I like that.

View all my reviews

 

Book Review: Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again, Chloe Gong KILLED IT in this book. I am still in emotional damage land, but it’ll be okay. I loved each and every moment of the book, and yes, I cannot wait for her next book in a new series, Foul Lady Fortune. The ending made me think about where Juliette and Roma now; did they actually die or did they fake their own deaths so they can go somewhere else and live their best lives?? Did they actually die??? What’s going to happen to them now??

And Benedikt and Marshall-how are they in Moscow?? Are they happy where they are??? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND NOT ENOUGH ANSWERS.

But let’s get into the book review, shall we?

First off, Shanghai is going through a bit of a change. With the Nationalists and the Communists about to butt heads, every Scarlet and White Flower are killing each other in the streets, and Juliette and Roma are trying to find the monsters that were still in town. They don’t actually do that, with both Juliette and Roma keep trying to kill each other, especially when it comes down to someone blackmailing the gangs to give them a huge bunch of money.

They thought it was the Frenchmen doing what Daxter (I believe his name was) told them to do when he died, but in reality, it was something else. Rosalind had betrayed the Scarlet Gang and her punishment was bad, and Juliette and Roma, along with Benedikt and Marshall (yeah about Marshall…) found out who was the blackmailier and when the found that out, they found out a bunch of things as well.

For example, Juliette didn’t really kill Marshall. Marshall was hiding in a White Flower safehouse, alive and well, but has also watched out for Benedikt. Marshall is also the son of the Kuomoingtang General, General Shu, which shocked me and threw me off a bit, because I thought it was Seo for Marshall. But it turns out that it is, since Seo is Marshall’s mother’s name. Then when the Nationalists and the Communists are attacking each other, along with the Scarlets and the White Flowers, that’s when Marshall learns about his father’s order and knocked him out (ha ha).

For Kathleen and Rosalind, those two never seen each other, but then once the whole Nationalists/Communists attack happened, Kathleen dropped that name and went back as Celia, and helping the workers before they were viciously killed by the Nationalists, thinking that they were Communists (no). But Celia survived thanks to pushing down a body as he let loose a gunshot, and Rosalind pulled her out under those bodies.

Also the ending kinda shocked me and left me with a whole bunch of questions, and seeing Alisa at the end made me smile, and the short story was really good. Cannot wait for a really good reread of this series, because it was that good.

View all my reviews

 

Book Review: Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by Alison Weir

Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen by Alison Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is very dense and very exciting at the same time. You are reading the story of the first Queen in the Tudor history that was kind, stood up for her rights, and also very devoted to her stupid husband Henry. But before I go into my rant of why the holy hell I really don’t like Henry, but at the same time knows every single damn thing about his reign and each of his wives. This time, we start with his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.

This novel blew my mind a bit. There were things I didn’t even know about Katherine until I started reading this book, and I have to say, I really love how we see things in her perspective. I like how she tried so hard to fight for her rights and Mary rights, as her husband Henry turns his back on her and falls in love and marries Anne Boleyn, which I really don’t hate that much (not anymore) but in the book I really did. You read about the reformation through Katherine’s eyes and how she felt about it, which made me love her more.

Through her exile we see her dealing with sickness as she worries for her relationship, in which Henry keeps trying to get the divorce he wants in order to marry Anne Boleyn. She keeps her strength even through the trials and tribulations she went through-worrying about Mary, being an obedient wife, and also being a warrior, trying to keep her composure, even when Henry is exiling her and swearing up and goddamn down that they are not married-even taking away the title of Queen, something that Katherine is and it’s something that Henry’s men were trying to tell her that she didn’t have, that she was now the Princess Dowager.

I really like Alison’s writing, it was okay and exciting, nothing to run home and tell mama about. There were some parts I really didn’t agree with (Henry being a total dick, for one) but then after I read everything , I wanted to give this book a three star, but then after I thought about it, I decided to give it a four star.

Now for the rant about Henry VIII…YOU SIR, (even though he’s dead) DOESN’T DESERVE ANY KINDNESS, ANY HOLIDAYS, I HOPE YOU DON’T GET THAT PROMOTION YOU WANT, YOU DESERVE NOTHING!!!! Treating your first wife like that HOW DARE YOU, SIR?!

View all my reviews

 

Book Review: Murder at the Piccadilly Playhouse by C.J. Archer (Audiobook)

Murder at the Piccadilly Playhouse by C.J. Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Took me a couple days to read this via audiobook, and I have to say, I really like this book. This is my second time reading a C.J. Archer book, and I have to say, I really like the Cleopatra Fox Mysteries, and I want to read more of them.

One of the things I like about this book is that Cleopatra didn’t give up. She did stop the investigation a couple times in the book, but then she didn’t give up; she kept at it until it was over, till she solved it. There was still the whole ‘enemies working together but yet we yearn (well Cleo just secretly simping after Harry, tbh)’ thing in this book, but as I kept reading on, I really liked how she solved the murder while dealing with her grandmother, Fanny and her family.

I like the twist and turns in the mystery, and I was on the edge of her seat to find out what was going to happen next. Even though Cleo solves the whole mystery herself, I was glad she didn't give herself credit, only gave credit to Harry’s private investigation office, even though she asked him multiple times to give her a spot here, and he refused. But I can’t wait to read more of this series because I love it so much.

View all my reviews

 

Book Review: 5 Books All At Once!

Hey y'all and welcome back to my blog! I haven't been posting up anything because of the fact that I've been busy. But since May has been a huge reading month for me, I decided to do five book reviews-all at once. Each book I read I loved (one I really didn't...) but it's okay! June looks like a really good one as soon as I post this up, starting it off with Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong. So without further ado, let's get started with the book reviews!!

~*~*~*~*

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh hello Jane and Katherine, nice to see you again. I really enjoyed the book and I’m sad that things didn’t go the way I thought, but at the end of the day, I’m glad that Gideon Carr is dead. I was shocked when I read how he died-I thought Jane was going to kill him, but then Katherine killed him…it was actually pretty dang good. I loved it and now I’m also sad that the duology is over.

I liked the dual POV from Jane and Katherine. You get to see how they are doing while they are dealing with the aftermath of Summerland, then Jackson’s death, then Nicodemus, then them out in the wild west, trying to find their place to live. I actually liked how Jane became a bounty hunter and fell in love with Callie. I honestly wanted them to stay like that forever, until Callie just upped and left. As for Katherine, she was just heading to California with Sue and the others, trying to find a place to settle down. They do-I forgot the village where Jane’s mama was, but she was there, and Jane just felt uncomfortable there, because she wanted to do something else instead of staying in one place.

I enjoyed the pacing, it was really good, and when Gideon Carr finally died, I felt like a weight was lifted off Jane’s shoulder, because throughout the book she clearly has an obsession with Gideon and wanting to kill him so much, and she does see him again, thanks to Daniel Redfern. Even though Jane didn’t kill him, I was kinda wishing that she did. All in all, this was a really good book. I enjoyed it a whole lot. Wish there was another book after this, but I understand why the author made it into a duology.

View all my reviews

~*~*~*~*

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So this book…first time reading this book after it came out when I was in high school or middle school…and it’s okay. The whole going back in time I really didn’t like, because it threw me off and confused me. I don’t think I’ll pick up the next two books from the library, mostly because of the fear of reading another go back in time and things not sounding straight.

But I did enjoy the parts I like-like Karou using wishes, Brimstone reprimanding her, and then how the doors were burning and everything going to hell. It’s okay, I felt like it could be better but I just dealt with it as the story went on. Some of the chapters were short and sweet, the others were long and explains a whole lot. I did think that Karou going down the slide was fun and meeting Thiago who nearly chokes the hell out of her.

And Akiva…eh…he’s okay. He’s nothing that interesting, tbh. Yes he’s an angel, but all he did was dwell on who Karou is or what she looks like at all of that. He might be big and strong and all that, but to be honest he’s kinda…boring. Sorry if you liked him a long time ago. He’s just boring and not my type, and if he gets more interesting in the book, cool, if not, then okay.

I liked this book, the writing was okay, but I just thrown around with the whole other backstory for Karou/Madigal.

View all my reviews

~*~*~*~*

Neon Gods by Katee Robert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katee Robert has got a new fan in me. HO-LEE-SHYT this book was so good. I enjoyed this book, mostly because I went in with very low expectations. But the spice was really good, especially when Hades asks for consent. CONSENT YA”LL. That is the most sexiest thing I’ve ever read in a book, and when a man asks for consent, I’m down, I’m done, I’m yours. And the ending. Once again, HO-LEE-SHYT.

But I really loved how Persephone grew in the book, from being society’s darling to becoming her own woman, who won’t take no shit, even from Zeus and from the Thirteen. I think the one thing I really liked from this book is that they don’t have any of their God-like powers. They’re just people like you and me, and it’s almost like a royalty story, with the Thirteen and all that. I really enjoyed this book so much that I’m hyped to read the other books.

My favorite part is when Hades told Persephone, “You are a really shitty custodian to your body.” and that just blew me away. I was mad at first when he told her that, but then as Persephone told him that she didn’t even eat, I can see why. Good lord, girl. I also loved how Persephone trusted Hades with her, because she felt safe, which I started to really love as I kept reading.

I really do highly recommend this book, I really enjoyed it, it threw me around a couple times, and I love Hades and Persephone and their relationship SO MUCH, y’all. So, so much.

View all my reviews

~*~*~*~*

The Affair at the Victory Ball - a Hercule Poirot Short Story by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Basically this mystery was so quick, I felt like instead of Poirot solving the case, we got Rampo from Bungo Stray Dogs solving the mystery, and Atsushi was just…there in a way. I loved how quick he solved it, and even though it was a short story, I wish I knew what really went on in the Victory Ball, to learn and see what really happened. But it was short and sweet and I enjoyed it every much.

View all my reviews

~*~*~*~*~*

Siege of Darkness by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book wasn’t supposed to be funny-but it was. It was funny because of the fact that Drizzt whacked himself in the face with a tree. But after all that, this was once again a good book to read, and this time, it is a war for Mithral Hall. People did die, some did survive, one fell into his werewolf powers and killed a weapons master, and yes, Errtu was in this, but he wasn’t even that present in the book. Lolth was in the book was well, but good lord she’s very ambitious, even driving one of the oldest Matron Mothers to her death.

But let’s start at why this war for Mithral Hall is happening…

Matron Banere, with the help of the old dwarf magically hidden in a tooth, Gandalug Battlehammer, plotted out how she was going to take Mithral Hall and turn the poor dwarfs into slaves. She also wanted revenge for what Drizzt Do’Urden did to her and all of Menzoberranzan, so she starts to plot. Meanwhile, everyone in Mithral Hall is getting ready for this fight between the drow of the Underdark, and they get help from the Harpells, Silverymoon and Settlestone. Wulfgar’s presence was there when they talked about Aegis-Fang and how, if Wulfgar was alive, he would’ve been in the battle, though now I wonder what happened to him when he was caught by the damned yochlol, but I think we’re going to figure it out once I get to the next book.

The war was kinda slow. Jarlaxle was barely in it, in my opinion-he was just there, along with Quenthel and Triel. Even though Quenthel was killed by Drizzt and Matron Banere was killed by Bruenor Battlehammer (good for him), I think they were the stars, along with Drizzt and the others. I also like how the story kept switching with everyone, and the shocking thing in the story was that Lady Alurstriel showed up and helped the war.

There was a time in the book called The Time of Trouble, where magic went away, as if it never existed. Gwenhwyvar couldn’t go back to the astral plane, Bidderdoo tried to find a way to cure himself of being a werewolf, and the magic of Menzoberranzan was gone, and there was a little war breaking out in Menzoberranzan, with House Oblodara attacking another Matron Mother and killing her because she had her psionic powers…it was a whole-ass mess and I loved every bit of it. I can’t wait to read the next book of this series because I love it so much.

View all my reviews