Happy 2023!

 

I'll be taking next week off, so come back here on the 10th January!

 

Wishing you all the best 💙

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Lumberjack under the Tree

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the last book review of 2022.

 

That's right, we're headed into 2023 at full-tilt now, which means that we're only about one blog post away from completely wrapping up.

 

So I picked what I hope is a good one.

 

At least, I liked it!

 

Which is saying something given I can be the world's harshest critic sometimes, even if I like the other books written by the same author.

 

But that's beside the point.

 

Thing is, I wanted a do-over from the book I DID pick from Keira Andrews for this holiday season, which I didn't love as much as I hoped to. I was cautiously optimistic about her novella, however.

 

And boy, did it turn out to be more than just alright!

 

Lumberjack under the Tree brings all the holly jolly you may have missed, plus more.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Our Italian Christmas Memories

 

"Family's where you act the worst, but are loved the best."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And here we are, we made it!

 

The last movie review of 2022, ladies and gentlemen, and although I wish I would have picked something a little more my speed in terms of how much I enjoyed it, this one still nails a couple of points along the way.

 

I knew it was going to be like this, however.

 

The first two movies of the review-show were much too good to be true, so naturally the follow-up was NEVER going to live up to the hype!

 

Ah well.

 

You win some, you lose some, right?

 

So without further ado, let's jump right into the holiday search for a delicious Italian sugo, as well as some common family decency, with Our Italian Christmas Memories.

 

Saturday Snippet: Merry Christmas

 

Happy holidays, everyone!

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Holiday Hat Trick

 

Hello everyone!

 

Can you believe there's almost only a week left for this calendar year?

 

I can't.

 

Time has LITERALLY flown by, and it's something that I haven't been able to really fathom, or figure out how to slow the entire thing down if I'm being honest with myself.

 

And now I'm staring at the end of the year and thinking 'where did the time go?'

 

But aside from that, we do in fact have another holiday story to look through, and it's another one about second chances.

 

Holiday ones usually are, come to think of it. People seem to be in a forgiving mood.

 

And in this one I return to the love of ice hockey while I'm at it, because I miss reading books on the topic. I may need to do some digging and find others in the genre again!

 

For now though, Holiday Hat Trick will just have to do the job twice as hard.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Long Lost Christmas

 

"Love's a risk, but it's the one thing that makes life worth living."

 

Hello everyone!

 

We only have a few days left until Christmas ACTUALLY arrives.

 

How crazy is that?!

 

I have no idea where the time has gone, but I'll say this: it obviously had a VERY good time, all things considered.

 

There's only about ten days left before the year turns as well, and I'm over here thinking to myself how and where.

 

But me maudlin will certainly not make this blog post write itself now, will it?

 

I've decided to finish off my Christmas movie marathon with the segment of Hallmark that I tend to enjoy more than Countdown to Christmas, which is Miracles of Christmas.

 

I don't know, the mysteries seem to get me!

 

And Long Lost Christmas might not have fired on all cylinders, but it definitely fired on some.

Saturday Snippet: Advent

 

Happy 4. Advent!

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: The Christmas Leap

 

Hello everyone!

 

This feels like it's a bit of a trend now, if I'm being completely honest.

 

And it probably is!

 

I mean, thus far, we've been surprised and excited by a Christmas-themed book every year for several consecutive years in a row when it comes to Keira Andrews.

 

Is it any surprise whatsoever that there would be ANOTHER one this year?

 

AND the promise of what's hopefully going to be a new one in 2023, too!

 

But I'm starting to just meander without purpose.

 

Keira Andrews was probably the first gay romance author I ever stumbled upon when I was trying to find books that I'd thoroughly enjoy in that particular genre.

 

I've since read quite a few, potentially all of them from her, but I'd have to double check.

 

The Christmas Leap is a sequel to another one of her works, and I'll be telling you all about it down below.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Time for Him to come Home for Christmas

 

"When you're truly meant for someone, it's never too late to get it right."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back for the second week of our Christmas movies, and we once again have what I'd consider a winner.

 

I think I've picked really good ones thus far this year, if I'm being honest.

 

And I've noticed, for my part, that I seem to have outgrown the old, girl goes home to small town for Christmas and meets her ex there again to rediscover the magic, trope.

 

Or maybe I just haven't found a good one with that this year yet.

 

Either way, tonight's movie choice is another really spectacular one, and it's actually part of Miracles of Christmas, which is the second programming batch that Hallmark usually puts out every year leading up to the holidays.

 

I picked it because of it's leading man, I'll admit, but it turns out the entire thing is really quite beautiful.

 

Time for Him to come Home for Christmas has a mouthful of a name, but I can assure you that it's really quite lovely.

 

Saturday Snippet: Christmas Tree(s)

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Mistletoe Misconduct

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week we're taking a bit of a walk down memory lane, if I'm being honest.

 

And I feel like I might have to go back and re-read the entire series from the beginning!

 

See, a while back, I ran into this book called Breakaway, by author Catherine Gayle. It wouldn't have caught my eye at all if not for the fact that it was a book about ... ice hockey.

 

I know, I know. I know what you're thinking.

 

What does ice hockey have to do with ANYTHING?

 

Turns out, rather a lot.

 

Because Ms Gayle wrote not only an (almost) whole series about an ice hockey team, but she included a couple of Christmas books in the lineup, too.

And because I really, really love the series as a whole, to the point where we've gotten at least, I decided to post about them on here.

We're starting with Mistletoe Misconduct.

Talkie Tuesday: The Royal Nanny

 

"Love always triumphs in the end."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome.

 

Welcome, officially, to the December weeks of movie blog posts in which I take the time to look at what this holiday season has to offer us.

 

Thus far, we're looking at a pretty darn good start all in all!

 

Last week, we started with the book review, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and this week, well.

 

This week is a VERY good movie, shall we say.

 

I wasn't entirely sure whether or not it would be, given Hallmark occasionally has moments when you're wondering who in their right mind approved a script like that, but I can't say much about this one.

 

In fact, I was VERY pleasantly surprised!

 

The Royal Nanny took a fairly traditional story and stood it on its head. And I loved it!

 

Saturday Snippet: Happy Holidays!

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Talking Dirty with the Billionaire Boss

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome.

 

Welcome to the next few weeks of Christmas-only themed blog posts, as we make our way through the magical month of December.

 

Yes, I say magical, because it IS magical, for me at least.

 

It isn't about the gifts and about the rush and the full stores and everybody being anxious, but it IS about spending time together with your family and loved ones, decorating, baking delicious goodies, drinking those warm beverages that always make you happy, etc.

 

For me, it's a time when my family tends to go a little bit overboard with the decorating (Chevy Chase comes to mind ...), but it's also sort of a time to unwind a little.

 

I get to spend it with the people that are nearest and dearest to my heart, and to top it all off I usually get to laugh so much it makes everything else worth it.

 

So without further ado, let's start with - you guessed it - my favourite contemporary romance author, Serenity Woods. Talking Dirty with the Billionaire Boss kind of came as a surprise, but it is an AWESOME read just the same.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Black Adam

 

"Some men are not meant to be heroes."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to the last non-Christmas related post for a while, as starting this Thursday we go into the yearly extravaganza that this blog offers.

 

I know, I know, everyone gets bored with it long before it's over, BUT.

 

I kind of like doing the themed posts for the one month that we get.

 

So I'm looking forward to it, aren't you?

 

Anyway, before we can do any of that, however, we do still have this one day of the regular posts left, so here we go.

 

This weekend was fun for me as I participated in a video game from afar (via video call) AND watched a pretty fun movie too while I was at it.

 

It had action, it had wit, and it had quite a good cast, not to mention the surprise at the end.

 

I'm talking about Black Adam, of course.

 

Saturday Snippet: God of War Ragnarok SOUNDTRACK

 

SPOTIFY

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes III

 

Hello everyone!

 

And so, we come to the end of our Sherlock Holmes journey.

As promised, this week I'm bringing this collection of short stories to a close, and starting something new and exciting come next Thursday.

Given that this weekend is the first Sunday of Advent already, I would say we're just about on time, wouldn't you?

Sherlock has had his run, and a fantastic run at that.

His time in the hansoms and chasing villains through the fog of London is basically at an end as he gives way to that inevitable Christmas cheer that's right around the corner.

As every year, I'll be covering some hopefully lovely seasonal books, but before we can get on to that, it's time to say a proper farewell to our super sleuth.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, ladies and gentlemen, one last time.

Talkie Tuesday: LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation

 

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

So.

 

Let's just come out and say it, shall we?

 

I slept on this one. Like, there hasn't really been anything I've slept on quite as much as this particular movie.

 

In my defense I was GOING to work it into my review schedule. Honest! Then I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I never did, and here we are.

 

Back in August, Disney+ released what was basically a movie to teach us how to let go, couched as a vacation movie, and dressed in the swimmies and flip-flops, too.

 

And to top it off, it was happening in a galaxy we all know and love, at that.

 

How do you miss that opportunity? No clue.

 

So let's have our last look at summer, shall we? LEGO Star Wars: Summer Vacation, is here to take us all away from the cold and the upcoming snow.

 

Saturday Snippet: ANDOR

 

It all comes down to this.

Season finale on November 23!

 

Andor OFFICIAL TEASER 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes II

 

Hello everyone!

 

We are back for another round of 'who the heck did this and how?!'

 

Or, in other words, for another round of Sherlock Holmes stories.

 

It really looks to be the time for these, especially if you look out the window and, for most of the view if you're living in the Northern hemisphere, you get foggy outskirts.

 

I was just watching it crawl in yesterday, and man did it remind me of London!

 

I grew up watching Jeremy Brett playing Holmes, you see, and that was a proper, Victorian era one.

 

So this is legitimately right up my alley, which is why I keep going back to the books and reading them again and again.

 

Let's not keep our master sleuth waiting for too long then, shall we?

 

Because we haven't finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes yet, and the detective has this thing about unfinished business.

Talkie Tuesday: Horizon Forbidden West

 

"When it looks impossible, look deeper. Then fight like you can win."

 

Hello everyone!

 

So.

 

I totally slept on this blog post because I swore to myself, when the game was first released, that I'd be doing a review as soon as I could go through the playthrough on Youtube.

 

As I don't own a console myself, that's kind of the only way I get to experience these games (my computer is also definitely not game friendly!).

 

But then ... life happened? I guess?

 

I really don't even know!

 

Given that this was one of my two most anticipated games of 2022, one would THINK I'd remember it all earlier, but apparently not, so here we are.

 

Without further ado then, let's jump right into it.

 

Horizon Forbidden West is calling. And it is amazing.

 

Saturday Snippet: Sherlock

 

Just a little appreciation post <3

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes I

 

Hello everyone!

 

Continuing on in the vein of what we began with this week, I'll be taking a look at a compilation of short stories through the rest of November.

You guessed right, watching Enola Holmes 2 made me dig out and dust off my copies of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Victorian era sleuth.

And let nobody fool you, this is the perfect time to read them.

There's fog outside, the weather's particularly dreary (for the most part) and you just need something cozy to read while you wrap up and sip your hot beverage of choice. Doyle made sure, back in the day, to provide everything you'd ever need in that aspect.

So did several others writing on the topic of crime and solving crime, but I digress.

Tonight we take a look at the original who snooped around London way before Enola was conceived in the heads of Netflix producers.

There's a plethora of stories to choose from, but I picked the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

Talkie Tuesday: Enola Holmes 2

"If you stay true to yourself, the path will always find you again."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm actually almost right on the money with this one for the particular round we're in, which is a surprise considering I usually spend SO LONG before getting to a movie.

Looking at you, The Next 365 Days.

Yes, I'm still debating whether or not I'll sacrifice some more of my brain cells to watch that, as I've already seen the first two, but I digress.

Because tonight's choice has absolutely nothing to do with anything Italian mafia related.

Rather, we take a step back into the past to Victorian England.

And we have a look at the youngest of the Holmes brood once more.

Yep, that's right, it's time to pay a visit to the England of cabbies, top hats, chaperones and corsets, and just what on Earth was going on with the suffragette movement at the time.

Our sleuth is here to help us. We're talking Enola Holmes 2.

Synopsis Saturday: Tales of the Jedi

 

"Everywhere, there is life. Value it. Honour it."

 

Hello everyone!

 

As I promised when switching things up this past Tuesday, I come bearing gifts this Saturday evening, and they come from a galaxy far, far away.

 

You know we all love returning to it.

 

There are so many stories still to tell in any era to choose from that it's remarkable how there hasn't been even MORE to sustain us, yet here we are, and Dave Filoni seems to be doing something very right yet again.

 

Obviously his Clone Wars went on to become a HUGE success and managed to help fill in the blanks beteween Episode II and III, but these might be even better in some aspects.

 

Because what released just about a week ago were stories that you might have guessed at, but never truly witnessed until now.

 

So it's time to dig out those lightsabers, family. Tales of the Jedi need us to be at our best!

 

Tome Thursday: Ericksen

 

Hello everyone!

 

And then we return to BookSirens.

 

Well, no one can say I'm not consistent haha.

 

But I've been following this particular author since I VERY randomly stumbled over her first novel from the Guardians of Sziveria series, and I have to tell you it's well worth it.

 

I've read a whole lot of post-apocalyptic books by this point, but these kind of hit the cherry on top of the cake for me.

 

I mean, it's not often that the world is SO completely dismantled, after all, not to mention the fact that it doesn't really have much semblance to what we know and (mostly) love today, though I could of course be wrong and just not see it.

 

However, considering I'm now five books in, I'd like to think I know SOMETHING here.

 

Sarah Westill has created a world well worth stepping into.

 

Her Ericksen novella just goes to show that the statement still stands.

 

Tuesday: All Saint's Day

 

xx

*image not mine

Saturday Snippet: Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it ^^

 

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Bound by Blood

 

Hello everyone!

 

Yes, you're seeing this right, this is once again NOT an ARC that I' reviewing.

 

What news, huh?!?

 

LOL.

 

Anyway, a while back - and I think it was quite a while back - I picked up a retelling of the Arthurian legend and fell in love with it, for multiple reasons.

 

One, it felt much closer to what might have actually happened back in the day, in terms of realism and the fact that Arthur was not actually a medieval king riding around in full armour, and two, because it was a story in which he didn't want Guinevere, but her brother.

I mean COME ON.

I was hooked, but it took me a bit to return to the series, which is what I'm doing tonight as you can see. The Sons of Britain has six books overall so I play to go through all of them, slowly.

Tonight it's Bound by Blood's turn, the sequel one.

Talkie Tuesday: House of the Dragon

 

"The only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon ... was itself."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Saw this coming, didn't you?

 

I bet you have!

 

Or at least, you should have in any event haha. Because the best epic fantasy series to air on television this fall (for now) has just wrapped its first season and I AM HYPED.

 

Okay, there were mistakes. Tactical and story-wise, but that doesn't mean that the execution wasn't magical, however.

Considering we're coming off the horrendous last season of Game of Thrones, people naturally went into this new Westeros-based show with a lot of trepidation, myself included. Heck, I actively tried NOT to get excited, but ended up being so just the same.

I can't help it. I've ALWAYS wondered what it was like during the Targaryen hay-day, when they had all those dragons and were literally on top of the world.

If you're just as curious, dust that saddle off and let's soar above the clouds into House of the Dragon!

Saturday Snippet: The Red Queen

 

"Boo."

 

xx

*screencap by me

Tome Thursday: Of Roses and Rituals

 

Hello everyone!

 

We are back in the land of fairy tale retellings.

 

Tonight we have a look at probably my all-time favourite, and it's done very well too on top of everything, which just makes the whole thing better, honestly.

 

BookSirens once again comes in clutch and, yes, at some point I'll probably not review as many ARCs as I do at the moment, but it will not be this day.

 

Yes, I'm quoting Aragorn right now.

 

When all is said and done, BookSirens is an AMAZING online service and I'm honestly so stoked to be a member, it makes things easier for me because I read as much as I do (though to a lesser extent than in previous years, it has to be said).

 

So without further ado, let's jump right into it, shall we?

 

Of Roses and Rituals is calling, and it's a really, really good one!

 

Rings of Power: Alloyed

 

"One will always corrupt, two will divide; with three, there is balance."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Well, we finally made it.

 

The season finale is behind us, and with it, the mostly lackluster first season as a whole.

 

You may find this a harsh sort of criticism but, considering the incredibly high budget that Amazon threw at what I think they wanted to consider their flagship fantasy series purely because of the name attached to it - Tolkien - it really didn't deliver as much as it could have.

 

I've seen shows with a five time lesser budget do SO much better!

 

It felt as if, BECAUSE of the budget, the show creators thought they could do anything and people would love it precisely because of the money.

 

Newsflash, we don't watch shows for the money. We don't watch them for politics, either. We watch them for good, quality storytelling. 

The Rings of Power didn't achieve most of its goals, so let's look at the finale, Alloyed, to wrap it all up.

Saturday Snippet: Twice Knightley RELEASE!

 

Today's the day! 

Grab your copy of Twice Knightley in My Bed.

 

xx

*image not mine 

Tome Thursday: Twice Knightley in My Bed

 

Hello everyone!

 

For the first time in what feels like ... quite a bit, actually, I have a book review that is not, in fact, from BookSirens.

 

Shocking, I know!

 

This one comes from an author near and dear to my heart, and really I just need to go right back through her entire bibliography and read them all over again, because the universe that she's interwoven through each of her works is breathtakingly beautiful.

 

And also, it's mostly all going down in New Zealand.

 

Do you need any more reason than that to escape? I don't think so!

 

The author I'm talking about is Serenity Woods. And if you've been following my blog for a bit, you'll know I have a TON of her books already reviewed on here.

 

This one, however, releases over the coming weekend. I consider myself exceptionally lucky enough to have been sent an ARC, so here you go guys. 

 

Twice Knightley in My Bed, just for you.

 

Rings of Power: The Eye

 

"Every war is fought both without and within." 

Hello everyone!

Well, only one more episode to go, and, dare we say a lot of us are feeling relieved?

Yes, yes, I'm sure you're wondering, but why are you still reviewing this if it's obviously a bit of a slog?

I'm a perfectionist and dislike not finishing what I start. So there.

I'll be seeing this through right to the end, though you will definitely also be getting some House of the Dragon thoughts from me when the time comes and THAT series comes to a close.

Not to mention possibly a few others.

But I'm certainly getting ahead of myself, as I first need to finish this one.

If you're wondering what you need to survive a volcanic explosion, I have to disappoint you by saying: you probably won't.

A lot of characters in Rings of Power did, though, as The Eye shows us.

Saturday Snippet: The Wheel of Time SEASON TWO TEASER

 

xx

*video not mine

Tome Thursday: Coward's Truth

 

Hello everyone!

 

Once more, I bring you a goodie from BookSirens.

 

Honestly, that's probably my favourite place to grab new books from nowadays, I'll admit as much. It's really a fantastic site, and the exchange of free ARC and review works really well if anyone asks me.

 

So tonight we take a look in something that's not too far out of my comfort zone.

 

It's got rulers, kingdoms, politics, gods, assassins, and space warriors for some reason.

 

This last one is probably the most confusing of them all!

 

The author, Christan Warren Freed, served in the military for over twenty years if I remember the biography information correctly, so each of his published stories features some aspect of that. This one's no exception either.

 

As it's the first book in what's going to be a series, naturally it's a set-up and the possibilities of explanation become larger the more you dig deeper, but you'll have to decide for yourself if this kind of story if for you!

Coward's Truth, a novel of the Heart Eternal, is up.

Rings of Power: Udûn

 

"New life, in defiance of death."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Two more episodes to go in this show and we are done with the first season.

Will we return for a second? Remains to be seen.

Obviously we already know Amazon is committed to this project with five whole seasons, though granted I'm not entirely sure how they'll continue to excuse it if it performs poorly.

Or, maybe it won't perform poorly, not that I'm convinced it's doing well either.

It feels more like, the amount of views it's getting is that macabre sort of showing that people are only watching because they want to see the next version of a train wreck!

But maybe I'm being too harsh. However, I will say that after six episodes of barely anything happening, it's difficult to really argue against the fact that the season has just not been as gripping thus far as it could have been, and arguments of 'it'll be spread out over 5 seasons you have to be patient' are moot point as we have to wait for a long time between seasons. That doesn't translate well into the waiting period, trust me.

However, we still do have a review to get through, so here it is. The Rings of Power: Udûn.

Saturday Snippet: Play It Loud VA

 

Key takeaway from the Vampire Academy show!

 

xx

*video not mine

Tome Thursday: Hearts & Crowns Trilogy

 

Hello everyone!

 

I hope your week has been great thus far and hopefully you won't mind that my first words in this blog post are directed to all my friends across the pond.

 

Hurricane Ian was never going to take prisoners, but honestly it sounds as though it might have HOPEFULLY been a little less bad than projected and predicted? Or was it even worse? Either way, my thoughts and prayers go to you out there, who prepped and now need to deal with the fallout.

 

I sadly have nothing truly substantial to give as far as that goes, but at the very least good vibes help, or they should somewhat!

 

For us though, it's time to circle back around to the book we'll be reviewing tonight, or well, books really as it's a full trilogy.

 

I'm always excited when I see the word OMNIBUS stamped on a cover anywhere, so this was no exception. I'd never read anything by Natalie Murray before so I was also just excited to find another author I could potentially really enjoy.

 

So without further ado, let's have a look at the Hearts & Crowns trilogy omnibus, shall we? Don't forget to hold tight to that precious gem as we travel through time.

 

Rings of Power: Partings

 

"Sometimes, to find the light, we must first touch the darkness."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I know I keep saying this every single week but, after watching a couple of videos about the topic, I can cheerfully say I probably know or have nailed down some of the reasons this show isn't getting the kind of universal acceptance Amazon might have wanted for it.

 

Then again, it has the misfortune of airing next to House of the Dragon.

 

ANY show, unless firing on all cylinders, would have been judged and found wanting in comparison to that!

 

But I digress, right off the bat.

 

I'll definitely go into more of the reasons once I recap what happened during last Friday's episodes, but honestly I BESEECH anyone watching this to actually pick up the books and read them.

 

I have nothing against fan fiction - I write it myself - but fan fiction doesn't usually masquerade as something official.

 

Rings of Power: Partings FINALLY gets the show moving again, at least.

 

Saturday Snippet: Strong Security™

 

House Strong - keeping you safe since 90 AC

 

xx

*images not mine 

Tome Thursday: Fire & Blood

 

Hello everyone!

 

So with House of the Dragon being a smash hit on HBO - but did anyone REALLY expect anything else? Really? - I thought it was time to have a little look at the book that the show is based off of.

 

And no, unlike with Game of Thrones, there's no WIP attached to it ... at least not for the era the show's covering.

 

Which is the best thing possible given we know what happened when the original show ran out of published material and needed to figure things out on its own. I'm not saying it was all horrible, but the steady decline was quite obvious, just the same.

 

House of the Dragon has no such imminent problem on the horizon because the entirety of the Dance of Dragons is written out and detailed down to the last squire fighting on one side or the other.

 

This removes a lot of uncertainty and potential problems, as well as, supported with the knowledge that Martin is actually an executive producer on the show and consultant, we all know it's going to be OKAY. Or at least, that's the general consensus.

 

So without further ado, let's dive right into it, shall we?

 

Because before the Starks and Lannisters went at it, dragons ruled Westeros, with Fire & Blood.

 

Rings of Power: The Great Wave

 

"The Faithful believe that when the petals of the White Tree fall, it is no idle thing."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And we're back once again to dig a little deeper into Amazon's huge budget blockbuster show - I mean, we all know just how much money the company threw at this, right?

 

I feel like I keep repeating myself every single week, but I will say that, for the amount of money spent, I don't really see the results being executed all that well YET, and at this point we're halfway through the first season, which is slightly concerning.

 

I'm not the only one thinking like this, either, as there is a fair number of people who share my views, but we digress in any event.

 

Regardless of all of the above, we did witness SOME plot progression this last episode.

 

Not all of it was completely bad, and certainly not all of it was completely good.

 

Besides, the visual effects remain rather stunning no matter what one thinks with regards to the writing and characters, so you know.

 

Rings of Power's fourth episode, The Great Wave, gives a lot of pomp and substance, but the core of it is still somehow ... hollow.

 

Saturday Snippet: Vampire Academy OFFICIAL TRAILER

 

The first four episodes just dropped this Thursday!

 

xx

*video not mine

Tome Thursday: An Heir Comes to Rise

 

Hello everyone!

 

After pretty much a month or two of just ARCs and books from BookSirens, I come to you with something a little different tonight.

I totally wanted to read more of the series before I started the blog posts but alas!

I needed a book for tonight. This was it.

If you enjoy books like the ones written by Sarah J Maas (who, coincidentally, I still need to finish one series from) then I am pretty sure you're going to LOVE this one.

It has unique world-building, likeable characters, and a pretty spread out array of them to start with.

And the character numbers just keep on growing as time goes by, too.

There are currently four books in the series, with at least one or two more planned based on all that I've read and heard, so you have PLENTY of time to hop on the bandwagon and join the rest of us!

 

C.C Peñaranda came up with something pretty unique in An Heir Comes to Rise. Why don't you go ahead and keep on reading?