Κριτική Βιβλίου | Οι Φόνοι της Κίσσας

Οι Φόνοι της Κίσσας, το αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα του Anthony Horowitz, το οποίο κυκλοφορεί για την ελληνική γλώσσα από τις Εκδόσεις Διόπτρα, αποτελεί ένα εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο κείμενο-διατριβή στο είδος των βιβλίων μυστηρίου.

Με πλοκή που σε συνεπαίρνει, καταιγιστικές εξελίξεις σε κάθε σελίδα και μία εμφάνιση-έκπληξη από τον εγγονό της ίδιας της Άγκαθα Κρίστι, δεν μπορείς παρά να το καταβροχθίσεις!

Συνολική βαθμολογία: ★★★★☆

Σύνοψη

Η κύρια ιστορία εκτυλίσσεται στο Λονδίνο και ξεκινάει με την επιμελήτρια των εκδόσεων Κλόβερλιφ, Σούζαν Ράιλαντ, στα χέρια της οποίας καταφθάνει το τελευταίο χειρόγραφο μυθιστόρημα του Άλαν Κόνγουεϊ, με πρωταγωνιστή τον επιθεωρητή Άττικους Πυντ. Φτάνοντας, όμως, στο τέλος του χειρόγραφου, συνειδητοποιούμε, μαζί με τη Σούζαν, πως τόσο τα τελευταία κεφάλαια όσο και η λύση του μυστηρίου λείπουν. Σύντομα, γίνεται γνωστό πως ο συγγραφέας έχει πεθάνει, αφήνοντας πίσω του ένα σημείωμα αυτοκτονίας. Πρόκειται, όμως, όντως για αυτοκτονία ή για μία καλά σκηνοθετημένη δολοφονία; Από αυτό το σημείο και έπειτα, η Σούζαν ξεκινάει τη δική της περιπέτεια μυστηρίου, στην προσπάθειά της να ανακτήσει τα χαμένα κεφάλαια, αλλά και να ανακαλύψει τι πραγματικά συνέβη στο συγγραφέα τους.

Γιατί με συνεπήρε το μυθιστόρημα

Τόσο οι σκέψεις της Σούζαν, όσο και τα έγγραφα που περιέρχονται στην κατοχή της και παρεμβάλλονται στην ιστορία, μας βοηθούν να αναπτύξουμε τις δικές μας θεωρίες και να βρεθούμε πιο κοντά στη λύση του μυστηρίου. Έτσι, ο αναγνώστης βρίσκεται στο επίκεντρο μιας περιπέτειας στην οποία είναι ο κύριος πρωταγωνιστής, ακολουθώντας τα βήματα της Σούζαν.

Επιπροσθέτως, το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο θα μπορούσε να αποτελέσει διατριβή στο λογοτεχνικό είδος των μυθιστορημάτων μυστηρίου και τον τρόπο με τον οποίο έχει εξελιχθεί ανά τους αιώνες. Κάνει ιδιαίτερη μνεία σε σημαντικά έργα αναφοράς και σε μεγάλους συγγραφείς του είδους, ενώ χαρακτηριστικό του αποτελεί και η εμφάνιση-έκπληξη του Μάθιου Πρίτσαρντ, του εγγονού της Άγκαθα Κρίστι.

Τι στέρησε από το βιβλίο το 5^ο αστέρι

Η παρεμβολή των εγγράφων που περιέρχονταν στα χέρια της Σούζαν, ενώ έκαναν το μυθιστόρημα περισσότερο αληθοφανές και βοηθούσαν τον αναγνώστη να βυθιστεί στην ιστορία, ταυτόχρονα αποσπούσαν την προσοχή μου και με έκαναν να χάνω τον ειρμό μου.

Επιπλέον, ορισμένες από τις προσωπικές, αλλά όχι τόσο κολακευτικές, απόψεις του συγγραφέα διαφαίνονταν συχνά μέσα από τις σκέψεις της πρωταγωνίστριας, χωρίς να συμπεριλαμβάνω ορισμένα σχόλιά της, τα οποία θα μπορούσαν να αποδοθούν αποκλειστικά στην ίδια.

Παρακολουθήστε το 1o Ελληνικό Reading Vlog για το #Crimaython2020 με τις σκέψεις μου για το βιβλίο.

Review & Giveaway | Mistake of Magic by Alex Lidell

About the Book:

Title: MISTAKE OF MAGIC (Power Of Five #2)

Author: Alex Lidell

Pub. Date: June 29, 2018

Publisher: Danger Bearing Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 193

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!

Three trials stand between Lera and exile. Unless the training kills her first.

Quint magic has never chosen a human before, and the Elders Council is convinced Lera is a mistake. 

When the quint refuses to be cleaved apart, the enraged elders give them a choice: exile from Lunos or demotion to the lowest of trainees. Subject again to the humiliations and deadly trials they endured centuries ago, the males now face a new challenge—training Lera to survive. 

River, Shade, Coal and Tye will do whatever it takes to keep Lera safe. But Lera will do whatever she must to keep them together—even if it means putting herself in mortal danger.


My Review

* View my review of the first book in the series POWER OF FIVE here *

Alex Lidell has managed to write a completely addicting novel again, providing us with the kind of addiction that makes you put the book down after more than three hours of non-stop reading in the early hours of the day, only because your device died from battery. And, of course, it has you starting reading right from where you left off, the second you wake up the next morning.

If I thought the first installment of the Power of Five (PoF) series was an amazing read, I was in for the most pleasant surprise with Mistake of Magic (MoM).
In fact, it might have been the second in a series, but it was even more amazing than the first book! It was exactly what the second book should always be (and in most cases isn't, which makes it all the more awesome)! It extends the story line, the base of which was set on PoF, and strengthens both the plot, the twists and turns, the action and, of course, the relationships between the heroes.

Inevitably, my review for MoM will extend to the whole of the series so far, but that's an amazing thing for this series. Because, these books fall under the genre of Reverse Harem, but they are much much much more complicated than that. Our heroine, Lera, doesn't simply form a bond with all her guys right from the beginning, and certainly not right from the first book. Instead, it is a gradual process, which takes into account the unique personality of each of the characters. And, I couldn't love that more!!!

So, in the first book we thought Lera had gotten closer to Tye (at least around the end), but oh, the author liked to tease us during MoM, turning the tables, and surprising us around every corner. But, even if I was initially confused by the turn of events and the order with which everything happened (and despite the fact that I loved all of it), one thing I've learned to do while reading this series is to never doubt how thoroughly the author has thought out and set everything. And, I was right to do so!

I can't really go on without spoiling everything left and right from my excitement, but I definitely recommend this book to absolutely everyone (who is 18+, that is *wink wink*).

All in all, 6 out of 5 stars for a read that utterly amazed me, 

packed with action, sexiness, clever, playful, protective and brooding males and 

a female lead that became stronger and stronger with each passing page, 

blossoming into a person who rightfully belongs to the second most powerful quints of all time!

~~~

About Book 1:

Title: POWER OF FIVE

Author: Alex Lidell

Pub. Date: May 4, 2018

Publisher: Danger Bearing Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 312

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!

Four elite fae warriors. One mortal female. A magical bond they can’t allow—or resist. 

Orphaned and sold to a harsh master, Lera’s life is about mucking stalls, avoiding her master’s advances, and steering clear of the mystical forest separating the mortal and fae worlds. Only fools venture into the immortal realms, and only dark rumors come out... Until four powerful fae warriors appear at Lera’s barn. 

River, Coal, Tye, and Shade have waited a decade for their new fifth to be chosen, the wounds from their quint brother’s loss still raw. But the magic has played a cruel trick, bonding the four immortal warriors to... a female. A mortal female. 

Distractingly beautiful and dangerously frail, Lera can only be one thing—a mistake. Yet as the males bring Lera back to the fae lands to sever the bond, they discover that she holds more power over their souls than is safe for anyone... especially for Lera herself. 

Power of Five is a full-length reverse-harem fantasy novel. 

About Alex:

Alex Lidell is the Amazon Breakout Novel Awards finalist author of THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). She is an avid horseback rider, a (bad) hockey player, and an ice-cream addict. Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s life long love for YA fantasy books. Alex is represented by Leigh Feldman of Leigh Feldman Literary. She lives in Washington, DC.

Join Alex's newsletter for news, bonus content and sneak peeks: www.subscribepage.com/TIDES 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Book Bub | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a Signed copy of the book, notebook, & swag, US Only.

3 winners will win an eBook of MISTAKE OF MAGIC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2773/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/2/2018- RH WhyChoose- Review

7/2/2018- Book Briefs- Review

7/3/2018- Love in a time of Feminism- Review

7/3/2018- BookHounds- Excerpt

7/4/2018- Bri's Book Nook- Review

7/4/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

7/5/2018- Books a Plenty Book Reviews- Review

7/5/2018- Book-o-Craze- Review

7/6/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review

7/6/2018- The Booknerd Dragon- Review

Week Two:

7/9/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review

7/9/2018- Parajunkee- Review

7/10/2018- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review

7/10/2018- Reese's Reviews: My Addiction to Fiction- Review

7/11/2018- Book-Keeping- Review

7/11/2018- Fall Into Books- Excerpt

7/12/2018- books are love- Review

7/12/2018- K.L. Knovitzke – Author- Excerpt

7/13/2018- The Hermit Librarian- Excerpt

7/13/2018- Wishful Endings- Excerpt

New Release & Giveaway | Mistake of Magic by Alex Lidell

I am so excited that MISTAKE OF MAGIC by Alex Lidell is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Alex Lidell, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a Signed copy of the book, notebook, & swag, US Only and 3 eBooks of MISTAKE OF MAGIC, International, courtesy of Alex and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About the Book:

Title: MISTAKE OF MAGIC (Power Of Five #2)

Author: Alex Lidell

Pub. Date: June 29, 2018

Publisher: Danger Bearing Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 193

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!

Three trials stand between Lera and exile. Unless the training kills her first.

Quint magic has never chosen a human before, and the Elders Council is convinced Lera is a mistake. 

When the quint refuses to be cleaved apart, the enraged elders give them a choice: exile from Lunos or demotion to the lowest of trainees. Subject again to the humiliations and deadly trials they endured centuries ago, the males now face a new challenge—training Lera to survive. 

River, Shade, Coal, and Tye will do whatever it takes to keep Lera safe. But Lera will do whatever she must to keep them together—even if it means putting herself in mortal danger.

About Book 1:

Title: POWER OF FIVE

Author: Alex Lidell

Pub. Date: May 4, 2018

Publisher: Danger Bearing Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 312

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!

Four elite fae warriors. One mortal female. A magical bond they can’t allow—or resist. 

Orphaned and sold to a harsh master, Lera’s life is about mucking stalls, avoiding her master’s advances, and steering clear of the mystical forest separating the mortal and fae worlds. Only fools venture into the immortal realms, and only dark rumors come out... Until four powerful fae warriors appear at Lera’s barn. 

River, Coal, Tye, and Shade have waited a decade for their new fifth to be chosen, the wounds from their quint brother’s loss still raw. But the magic has played a cruel trick, bonding the four immortal warriors to... a female. A mortal female. 

Distractingly beautiful and dangerously frail, Lera can only be one thing—a mistake. Yet as the males bring Lera back to the fae lands to sever the bond, they discover that she holds more power over their souls than is safe for anyone... especially for Lera herself. 

Power of Five is a full-length reverse-harem fantasy novel. 

Excerpt:

Four hours and then we’ll be there. Asking the Elders Council to accept our oath as a quint. My chest tightens, nausea shifting my stomach. If the rest of the Elders Council is anything like Klarissa- the gorgeous, manipulative viper who tried to have me killed- then the five of us are walking into a predator’s open maw.  

I’d expected that the decision to remain a quint would bring a calm finality with it. The knot on a braid’s end. It didn’t. If anything the knot is at the braid’s beginning, with the weave still to come. With snags to be untangled along the way.

My head spins as Shade reluctantly sets me on my feet, the enormity of the past quarter hour hitting me as brightly as the light. What in the bloody stars have I done, swearing to be a warrior that I can never become? A shiver runs down my spine. What if we never leave the Citadel, the males trapped here like caged animals because of me?

My body begs me to defend it. Something inside me rises to answer the plea, the sensation so native that I know the something inside me is mine- and yet I”m just as certain that I’ve never felt it before. Don’t even know what it is.

It’s all for me, I realize. The males’ willingness to endure humiliations that should be hundreds of years behind them. To drop to their knees on the hard council floor and accept runes that trap them in a place they despise. My throat constricts, a sense of belonging, of fierce connection, filling my soul. I don’t know how I can ever repay the four warriors for the gift, but I will.

About Alex:

Alex Lidell is the Amazon Breakout Novel Awards finalist author of THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). She is an avid horseback rider, a (bad) hockey player, and an ice-cream addict. Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s life long love for YA fantasy books. Alex is represented by Leigh Feldman of Leigh Feldman Literary. She lives in Washington, DC.

Join Alex's newsletter for news, bonus content and sneak peeks: www.subscribepage.com/TIDES 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Book Bub | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a Signed copy of the book, notebook, & swag, US Only $25 Amazon Gift Card, US Only.

3 winners will win an eBook of MISTAKE OF MAGIC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review | "My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel" by Kitty Curran, Larissa Zageris

Title: My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel

Author: Kitty Curran, Larissa Zageris

Pub. Date: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Quirk Bookss

Pages: 352

Format: Digital arc by NetGalley

Find it here:

Goodreads blurb:

The romance novel that lets you pick your path, follow your heart, and find happily ever after

You are the plucky but penniless heroine in the center of eighteenth-century society, courtship season has begun, and your future is at hand. Will you flip forward fetchingly to find love with the bantering baronet Sir Benedict Granville? Or turn the page to true love with the hardworking, horse-loving highlander Captain Angus McTaggart? Or perhaps race through the chapters chasing a good (and arousing) man gone mad, bad, and scandalous to know, Lord Garraway Craven? Or read on recklessly and take to the Continent as the “traveling companion” of the spirited and adventuresome Lady Evangeline? Or yet some other intriguing fate? Make choices, turn pages, and discover all the daring delights of the multiple (and intertwining!) storylines. And in every path you pick, beguiling illustrations bring all the lust and love to life.

My Review:

Why aren't there more books like My Lady's Choosing?
And, what I mean by that?
Interactive novels, where you are the heroine and choose your own path among sometimes hard options, dealing with action, sexy potential romantic interests and a lot of suspense to see where your next move will take you.

I decided to write my review after the very first adventure I went on, because I was very impressed by this book, but I definitely know that it can offer whole evenings full of endless adventures and steamy interactions.

In fact, the very first adventure I embarked on included a sexy Scots man, whose motives and actions weren't always clear, a lot of intrigue with dangerous and tricky (and very, very hard) options available (I honestly still wonder how I made it out of all this alive AND with a happy ending), intelligent dialogues, a big mystery and a lot of action.

You might wonder how it is possible for a single path of this book to end up being so full of adventure that kept me glued to it until the (happy, thankfully, in my case) end.
And, this is exactly the magic of this book.
When you first open it, read the introduction and meet the characters you never imagine the completely unexpected  plot twists appearing before you, as well as the big journey you have just embarked on.

If you love interactive novels, this one won't disappoint you. On the contrary, it will prove to be a totally amazing experience.
If you haven't tried interactive novels before, or even if you do not usually enjoy them, I can assure you that this book is so full of story and intrigue and the fact that you can decide what you want your heroine to be, from a witty and intelligent woman to an adventure-seeking person travelling in the wildest places with the wildest people, will surely blow you away.

All in all, 5 stars because this was amazing and I want to wrap up the review because I can't get early enough back to this novel, 

explore all the possible options and head on new and exciting adventures. 

Review ⤞ Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Mask of  Shadows
(Mask of Shadows #1)
by Linsey Miller

⤞ GOODREADS BLURB ⤝

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home. 

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. 

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

⤞ MY REVIEW ⤝

Admittedly, this is one of those stories that I started and wasn't really sure I would like.
Because it is a controversial book. And, unfortunately, I am not used to reading that many novels who share this trait. But, that would never really stop me from reading a book, unless the storytelling or the way the book was written was painful to me.
Fortunately, this book had neither characteristic.

In fact, I so enjoyed this story, that I found myself more and more immersed into it, despite my initial hesitation. The plot had everything, from honor to vengeance, from (sometimes a little raw) violence to heartwarming romance, all the way to an agonizing cliffhanger.

Sal, our protagonist, was brilliant, honest and even kind in an honorable way.
His/her/their quest for avenging the death of all Nacean people through various ways, was the focus of the book. And, I found myself empathizing with this goal. For Nacea had been the victim of vicious shadows and the even more vicious warlocks who had created them.

It was such an easy read, and I am anxious to find out more about what happens next to Sal and to a particular other person I grew to love through the protagonist's eyes. Although, I have to admit, there are plenty more characters that grew fond in my heart through the struggles and pains they endured during this book.

My overall advice to everyone thinking about picking up this book is this:

Do not be put off reading the controversial blurb. This is the second book I've read this year that deals with controversy around gender identity and both of them haven't failed to amaze me with their awesome plot and unique qualities.
If you like the rest of the plot and you only hesitate because of that, please don't. You really won't regret picking this book up.

All in all, 3,5 stars for a book that was controversial and I loved every part of it, 

even if it had a little bit more violence and fighting than I would have liked otherwise.

⤝ ⤞

⤞ Find the book on Amazon ⤝

 ⤞ Find the book on Book Depository ⤝

Reviewed ♠ Maestra (Maestra #1) by L.S. Hilton

Maestra (Maestra #1)

by L.S. Hilton

Goodreads blurb

A shockingly original thriller - the launch title of Zaffre, the new fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing Fiction

Judith Rashleigh works as an assistant in a prestigious London auction house, but her dreams of breaking into the art world have been gradually dulled by the blunt forces of snobbery and corruption. To make ends meet she moonlights as a hostess in one of the West End's less salubrious bars - although her work there pales against her activities on nights off.

When Judith stumbles across a conspiracy at her auction house, she is fired before she can expose the fraud. In desperation, she accepts an offer from one of the bar's clients to accompany him to the French Riviera. But when an ill-advised attempt to slip him sedatives has momentous consequences, Judith finds herself fleeing for her life.

Now alone and in danger, all Judith has to rely on is her consummate ability to fake it amongst the rich and famous - and the inside track on the hugely lucrative art fraud that triggered her dismissal.

Set in the exotic palaces and yachts of Europe's seriously wealthy - plus graphic sex. With a heroine as wickedly perceptive as Amy Dunne and as dangerous as Lisbeth Salander, this marks the beginning of a sequence of novels that will have readers around the world on the edge of their seats and holding their breath. 

My Review

I have to admit that I had very high expectations when I picked this book.

I was actually ogling it in physical and online bookstores for several months.

However, when I actually got the chance to acquire it, and started reading it, the verdict didn't end up being so positive.

The opposite, in fact.

At first, it was okay, our heroine (whose name I have to think very hard about, in order to remember, after all those different ones she has used) was just a hardworking girl, who had made her life entirely on her own, with no help whatsoever from anyone else. And, (at first, let me emphasise) I actually admired her for it.

But, then, she just became power-money-fashion-sex hungry, interested only in herself, setting up dangerous tricks and even ending up killing people that didn't fill into her plans.

Somewhere around that point I had started being fed up of her whole attitude and her character in general, and the constant extremely detailed descriptions of every single piece of outfit she was wearing.

All in all, I'm disappointed to say, and try hard to avoid any strong verbs or nouns, that this book deeply tired me and almost forced me to drop it and never pick it up again, but I kept going just because I was curious as to how many more people would the heroine get rid of and play around like they were nothing.