After finishing Mooniana: The Secret of the Lost Chronicles of Sophia, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to say in my review because of how thought prAfter finishing Mooniana: The Secret of the Lost Chronicles of Sophia, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to say in my review because of how thought provoking it was, even though I did find some of the thoughts and beliefs of some of the characters to be a little too radical in my opinion. On the other hand, I spent many days after that simply thinking about the book and what I had read. The first thing I know I'd like to say is that I really enjoyed the blending of Greek, Norse, and Indian/Hindu mythology. It was that aspect of the book which caught my attention when I was given the opportunity to read and review this book. That was one of my favorite aspects of the novel, and it held my attention to the very end. I also thought her use of actual historical events from 1991 to the recent past was an interesting choice, but it definitely worked well in the novel, and offered an entirely different point of view on what was going on at that particular time in history. I also loved the fact that it was set in Germany, Denmark and Northern Italy.
There are nine Muses in Greek mythology, and six of them have incarnated upon the earth in various human females, each one representing a various art. The ones in this book were: Polyhymnia, Terpsicore, Erato, Melpomene, Uriana and Euterpe. I don't think there was one that I'd single out as my favorite, but if I had to pick one that I thought was the most prominent character, I think I'd pick Christiane, the harpist, who personified Erato. I found her sister Marliz, to be a fascinating character as well, and she represented Melpomene.
On the other hand, even with a list of characters at the beginning of the book, I think one of the things that slightly detracted from my enjoyment of the book was the fact that by the time I had read to the end, there were times that I was a little confused about who was who, since they had three different names: their human name, the name of the Muse, and a “secret name”, which were used interchangeably throughout the book. Even through this, I thought it was a minor thing, and I still enjoyed the story.
As far as more secondary characters, I liked Paul Vallidin and Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow, along with Titania and Oberon, Iris' helpers. Overall, I'd give this book a 4/5 platypire rating....more
**A complimentary copy of this was provided in exchange for an honest review.**
Greek mythology? Yes, please. I've always been interested in that subje**A complimentary copy of this was provided in exchange for an honest review.**
Greek mythology? Yes, please. I've always been interested in that subject, and I'm drawn to books that draw upon that for inspiration and is incorporated in a novel. The book Bright Fire, in particular, focuses upon the story of Hades and Persephone mainly. Those aren't the only two that make an appearance though; Hermes and Cassandra do as well.
In this book Delfia is a high school student whose life is changed when she finds out who she really is after the her parents are killed on her birthday. Alec is assigned to be her guardian and protector. Delfia's best friend Lyla is soon involved as well. Overall, the characters were well drawn, and I liked them, Delfia especially. She had a snarkiness about her that I enjoyed. Some of the dialogue had me laughing out loud, including a reference to Twilight. Extra points for the mention of Lord of the Rings as well.
Now, for the things that might be improved upon. The book flowed well, which kept me reading. On the other hand, I didn't really think the sense of suspense was as well developed as it could have been, and the ending was rather abrupt. There were quite a few grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes which, on occasion, threw me out of the story. Aside from that, I enjoyed the story, and the ending left plenty there for a sequel.
What do you get when you mix American Indian folklore with Aztec mythology? There's a good chance you'd come out with something like the Obsidian MirrWhat do you get when you mix American Indian folklore with Aztec mythology? There's a good chance you'd come out with something like the Obsidian Mirror. There are a lot of books out there which draw on Greek mythology, and I usually enjoy books in that particular genre. Other books draw on Norse, Celtic and Egyptian mythology, and I also like those. I haven't read many that incorporate Native American and other North, Central, and South American mythology into their story lines. It is that aspect which initially sparked my interest in this novel.
I knew, just from casual reading, about Coyote and I was also familiar with Quetzalcoatl. Both of them make an appearance in this book. Out of all the characters, the two that became my favorites were Coyote, known as Chaco, and Fred, a mannegishi (taken from Cree folklore). After I completed the book, I thought back, and came to the conclusion that the characters are really an ensemble. There wasn't one that stood out as being more powerful (relatively speaking) than the others, and there were times when they needed aid from the others when they were in a difficult situation.
Sierra Carter may have been the female main character, but she needed all of the others to be successful in the task that had fallen to her. These others include Kaylee, her friend who practices Vodun, along with Mama Labadie; Rose, the shaman, and Clancy, the security guard/cop at BDSC. I've already mentioned Fred and Chaco. I think all of them felt like they were well developed, and I really liked all of them.
While there were points in the narration where I wasn't quite sure where it was going, I found that by the end, I had really enjoyed this novel. My rating is 4/5 platypires....more
*I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
“Wow.”
That was my reaction as I read the closing words *I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
“Wow.”
That was my reaction as I read the closing words of The End is Now by Connor Titus. It's a post-apocalyptic book with angels, demons, and various other groups which finally come together at a place called Mt. Empyreal which is near Fates Keep. What's unique about this particular novel is that there are actually two books by two different authors which detail the same events, but different points of view. The other one is Guardians of Man.
What I loved about The End is Now is that as a reader, I was dropped into the action right away and it didn't let up until the very end. All communication has been knocked out in the town, with a strange snow that has fallen. Things aren't what they seem, and the people in the town soon find themselves dealing with a battle between angels and demons. There are some familiar elements in the story, but I loved the combination of history and mythology, with actual historical events mentioned at various points in time. I loved the twists that the author used in crafting this story while using those elements. It added depth and had me engaged and interested through the whole novel, and I came to the conclusion this is not your typical end-of-the-world book.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but if I had to name some that stood out as my favorites, the angel known as The Commander would be one, as well as Khrystle and Jessica.
Engaging from the very beginning, I recommend this book to those who enjoy dark fantasy, apocalyptic stories, and books with angels and demons. My rating is 5/5 platypires....more
I've always been interested in Classical mythology (Greece and Rome) and Egyptian mythology too. So when I started to read Blood on the Moon by CassieI've always been interested in Classical mythology (Greece and Rome) and Egyptian mythology too. So when I started to read Blood on the Moon by Cassiel Knight, I was drawn in from the beginning, and enjoyed the entire book. I thought the pacing was good, and it held my attention to the end. There were scenes in the book when I laughed out loud as well. Having read Blood on the Moon, I hope there's a sequel. I would like to see how the story continues, as I want to read more about all the characters.
The main character, Mia Langdon, is an archaeologist, and from the first page, I couldn't help but think she was a combination of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. That's definitely a positive thing, as I love the Indiana Jones movies. Because of that, I liked her. She was strong, tough, and determined, while caring about those that worked for her. I also loved how she could be sarcastic at times. There were several secondary characters that I grew to like - Harrison, Sebastian, Jewel and Sophie. I was drawn to Ryder as well, just because of the mystery surrounding him. I'll also admit that as far as secondary characters, he ended up being one of my favorites.
This was a good urban fantasy book, with incorporation of Egyptian mythology as well. Because of that, I would recommend it to those who like those genres. I give it a 5/5 star rating. ...more
When I was given Prelude to review, I was given the opportunity to read and review Creatura. It was a book I definitely liked. I've had an interest inWhen I was given Prelude to review, I was given the opportunity to read and review Creatura. It was a book I definitely liked. I've had an interest in mythology since I was younger, and I thought that the author Nely Cab blended them well to create something new. I liked the concepts she used in creating the background story, while including some familiar elements. The pacing of the book was good, with questions being left unanswered until it was time to address them from a story-telling point of view. This was the type of book that started off with a bit mystery when we're first introduced to Isis, and I wanted to continue reading to find out what would happen next.
As far as the main characters, I definitely liked Isis. From the moment she was introduced, I was interested in learning more about her and her story. She was smart, tough, and I enjoyed watching her character development as I got further into the book. I also liked David Chios. There was a definite air of mystery about him, and that was the case from the moment he was introduced. I'll also say that I thought that he and Isis made a great couple. I also liked many of the secondary characters. Nyx was probably my favorite, based on the interactions she had with Isis, but I also liked Eryx.
Overall, I definitely liked Creatura, and I can't wait to read the next book. My rating is 4/5 stars. ...more
I've always loved when an author takes the time to expand on part of the world-building that is brought up in the main books of a series, and that's dI've always loved when an author takes the time to expand on part of the world-building that is brought up in the main books of a series, and that's definitely the case with Prelude. This is a book that focuses more on the mythology of the world, and things that had happened before the events of the main story. In my mind, it helps to flesh out the story, while allowing a reader to learn more. With that said, I definitely enjoyed reading more about Deus and Starr. I loved the interaction between the two of them, and there were a couple of moments when I laughed out loud.
It was interesting to see how their relationship progressed over the course of the story. Even though Prelude is a novella length story, I definitely enjoyed reading it, and give it a rating of 5/5 stars....more
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