Hi there!

I have just joined the BookLikes community and I'm looking forward to connecting with fellow booklovers, especially fellow crime-fiction addicts!

I've been hooked on crime fiction in books and on screen since about the age of six, thanks to some awesome mystery and adventure writers. It was about then that I decided I wanted to be a crime writer. It took a while...

Being a crime-fiction addict and lover of series books, you can expect lots of my reading to fall into these categories. You can also expect to only hear about the books I have enjoyed as reading enjoyment is subjective – but as I have honed my selections to my tastes over the years, I am rarely disappointed anyway. I rate books as I go and post my standouts in a “Good Reads” column each month on my website, including just a little blurb about each.

As for reviews of my books, I appreciate readers reading my works and sharing what you think. So, thank you.

I'd also love you to connect with me at my website, Instagram, Facebook or Amazon.

Happy reading!

Cheers,
Sandi

The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After a personal tragedy strikes Peter and Hannah Larson, they find themselves picking up their lives and moving house. Said house isn't what it seems - something lurks within, seeming to originate from the dark and gloomy basement. As the presence continues to focus upon the two, its determination only grows, causing obvious and damaging rifts between husband and wife. It appears to already know Peter in some intimate way, and shocking, deeply hidden secrets soon come to light.

(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Chris Sorensen for giving me the opportunity!

This turned out to be an extremely difficult book for me to form a solid opinion on and subsequently rate. After a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that I didn't really consider this one an outright horror novel, at least in regards to my own personal taste. When I instead thought of it as a supernatural tale with some horror elements, it made better sense in my mind. You see, in no way did I at all feel that uncomfortable, yet riveting unease that comes with something that ticks all the right boxes in the scary department. The typical tropes were there; the ghostly encounters, the ominous house, but something also felt missing and I had one hell of a time trying to figure out what. It could've been the absence of a sufficient build up, where time is given to properly establish a sense of dread, or maybe the haunting scenes merely didn't offer anything frightful. Essentially, it wasn't my sort of horror, I'd even go so far to say it was relatively tame in the scheme of things, yet I did appreciate the storytelling - twists included.

Peter and Hannah Larson were the sort of married couple you'd roll your eyes at - they were sickeningly perfect for each other. Their chemistry jumped out from the page, and despite dealing with the anguish of great loss, they found strength. They, of course, had their faults, which became evident throughout, but that only made them more relatable as people. I liked them, and I especially liked what Sorensen did with Peter. What revolved around Peter were secrets heavily linked to his past, and whilst the revelations kept coming, I too shared in Peter's shock. The two other characters that had a significant presence - that being Riggs and Ellen Marx, added a pleasant sprinkle of entertainment. I notably enjoyed Ellen's legitimacy at being an expert; she was no quack. If I could, I'd read a book all about her.

Despite the cleverness of some aspects, I can't deny that I felt that the story dragged at times. For me, there's nothing worse than feeling the onset of boredom, and there were moments that came dangerously close to that. I felt that the first half in particular could've used more time with the couple in the house, and less time in the Blind Rock bar for instance, which is where my interest really waned. I understand such scenes were for the benefit of character development, but my engagement primarily lay with Peter.

Sorensen's imagination certainly took me by surprise as I reached the end of Peter and Hannah's ordeal. Granted, the conclusion was all rather complicated, perhaps a little too complicated to understand right away, but it surely had a distinctive quality. It's rare that I come across an ending that changes everything so drastically, to the point where I need to pause and ponder over what I just read. I applaud the bold approach to implement such a memorable outcome.

In conclusion - Whilst the horror elements didn't do it for me, I mostly liked the story and background. It definitely had its ups and downs, but Sorensen is one author I'll be keeping my eye on.

Notable Scene:

The woman rushed toward him, and for a second he thought she was going to strike him him. Instead, she took his head in both of her hands and pressed her mouth over his. Peter felt her inhale abruptly - a reverse resuscitation.

© Red Lace 2018

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Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Four years attending the Magician's Keep, and Opal believes she's nothing but a disaster and a disappointment. Instead of being able to learn and practice new powers like other students, her one and only ability is placing a thread of magic within the glass figures she creates, which can then be used as a means for cross-country communication. Definitely not combat related, thus she is shocked to learn the Master Magicians have an assignment for her.

(WARNING: This reviews contains MAJOR spoilers.)

I quickly fell in love with the world of the much conflicted Ixia and Sitia all the way back in Poison Study. Not only was the book a perfect reminder of why I love immersing myself in works of fiction, but it created pleasant excitement for the future instalments penned by Snyder. It was then unfortunate that the following segments of the series only declined, leaving me disappointed and pessimistic. What my gripe essentially stemmed from was the character development of Yelena, and how she evolved drastically into a famous, almighty Soulfinder than could accomplish everything and anything. But whilst Yelena's magic varied to the extreme, Opal's was very limited... At first. It offered zero offensive and defensive capabilities, but it was extremely useful and beneficial to the Sitian council and magicians as a whole. This, after the sheer extent of Yelena's power growth, was refreshing and I welcomed the unique simplicity. Imagine my irritation that as the book progressed, new magical discoveries were made, each more powerful than the last. It's an easy assumption to make that history will repeat itself.

Opal suffered through quite a lot in her ventures, and made more one than one mistake along the way. Her insecurities could've been endearing, but I felt they became a little too much when she continuously refused to accept praise or compliments of any kind. She also displayed a hunger for power, which in itself was slightly off-putting, though to be fair, if I were considered a "one-trick wonder", I'd probably feel sour about it as well. Despite these faults, which definitely threatened her likeability, I thought she was an average protagonist with the potential for improvement. Perhaps if she was given room to breathe and grow into her own person, and not overshadowed by Yelena, which of whom played a part in this book and was mentioned regularly.

Of course the love triangle ticked me off, as they usually do. I just don't understand how they can appeal to anyone. It seemed, at least to me, that Opal settled with Ulrick because Kade didn't reciprocate her interest - it's ALWAYS selfish, in one way or another. It doesn't matter which one I favoured (Kade though), it just becomes unbelievably tedious.

However in regards to the other characters, I believed there to be a satisfactory variety. I actually became a little fond of Leif, whereupon I initially hated his immaturity. Zitora I liked, Pazia was a tad annoying, as was Ulrick. Kade was a delight, and I immediately wished him the love interest. The plot itself was eventful, yet at times confusing as it veered off into different directions. I don't think it needed to be as complicated; sometimes a straightforward story does the job just as well. I very much liked the in-depth look at the Stormdancers in particular, and I would've loved if they were focused on a little longer. Hopefully they make appearances in the next two books of the Glass trilogy.

Speaking of glass, I enjoyed the detailed scenes of craftsmanship found throughout the pages. I never thought I'd find an interest in such a thing, but the writing was very well done and inspired me to perform some additional research. I do appreciate when an author can ignite enthusiasm on a certain subject otherwise ignored.

In conclusion: Looking forward to delving into more Chronicles of Ixia, but let's hope they rise to the standard of the very first. It just strikes me as the protagonists get overly powerful, which takes all the fun out of them struggling for their survival.

Notable Scene:

The roar of the wind and sea ceased the moment the monster wave engulfed me. For one heartbeat, my world filled with gurgling sounds and foamy green light. Then the force of the crashing water slammed me into an unyielding object. The sea grabbed my limp body and tossed it about. Confusion dulled the pain until my forehead smacked into a jagged rock.

© Red Lace 2016

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Hello book lovers! So I'm finally back (yes, I know, finally) and I'm going to start off with books coming out in January! So here's my wishlist and books coming out in January:

January 5

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Steel Scars by Victoria Aveyard

Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

This is where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

January 12

Underwater by Marissa Reichardt

January 26

The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry

Night Study by Maria Snyder

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Title: Passenger

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Release Date: January  05, 2016

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever

REVIEW:

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me an e-ARC of Passenger in exchange of an honest review.

Everything about this book is new to me. Aside from being attracted to the book's cover, another reason why I asked for an ARC of this book is that after I watched Once Upon A Time. I started obsessing over Killian Jones a.k.a Captain Hook. I used to hate the idea of reading something which include pirates or even ships, now I wanted to give it a try, a chance. I was hesitant for I badly want to read it, but I don't want to dislike it.

First things first. The characters.

Nicholas Carter, a cool pirate. LOL. He knows when not to or when to give in to his anger. A real gentleman. Nich calculate things undoubtedly well, smart.

Henrietta Spencer, oh what a lovely name, is a concert soloist. Indeed, an outstanding protagonist. Who wants to make her mama proud. Who gave up everything for her debut. She's a full-spirited girl which made me like her more.

A 17-year old violinist who's about to make her dreams come true suddenly woke up in a different era, time. Information kept on loading, secrets that her mom, Rose, hasn't told her have been revealed. Secret including things about herself, their past.

The romance. Oh I really don't know what to say 'cause it was just so perfect, not too cheesy, not even boring, just average. And it kills me every time they spit out lines that literally send bolts of electricity through my veins.

“Know this, pirate,”he said, his hands gripping the railing, “you are my passenger, and I will be damned before I let any harm come to you.”She was unsure how to respond to the fervor of those words. “Another rule?”she managed finally. “A promise. If I see that you’re in danger from Ironwood, I will help you escape myself. But should you try to leave on your own, know that I will go to the ends of the earth to bring you back."

I almost lost air when I read that line. I loved how they developed, how their romance developed. There's only one thing I disliked, they happen to want each other in such a short period of time, but it didn't also bloom immediately. Also, it's a good thing that the story didn't just revolve around the lovers.

The story. Honestly, I was confused, I didn't know what was happening. I felt lost. I kept on re-reading some lines, parts. The whole thing was new to me. I've never read anything with violins, pieces, ships, directions, masts and oh, riggings. Some words, terms are new to me so I still need to Google it. I loved it though, how I've learned new things from this book. This book added knowledge. Yet I'm thankful that somehow, I've started understanding it. The story... it was epic! The word built was incomparable. Time traveling is a hard one to make, but the author has made a great work.  I just can't express my thoughts as to how her writing is so amazing I don't want to stop talking about it but I need to.

This book made me learn a lot of things. 

1. Bravery when most of the characters like Etta, stood up for what they believe in. Fight for what they know is right.
2. Freedom of choice.

"I want you to remember that— it’s our choices that matter in the end. Not wishes, not words, not promises."

     3. Time traveling. I've always seen time traveling as adventurous, exciting. Now that I've read this book it made me realize that traveling through time is beyond dangerous. I remember watching OUAT wherein characters were forced to travel time and they almost ruined someone's future. What happens when you try to alter the past? Well altering it means having to alter the future too. Bad or good things may happen. Worst is you maybe erased, you won't exist.

 Overall, I love this book! I adore it! But the ending, oh I so wanted to continue sobbing for the book ended beautifully, yet it'll leave you hanging. It'll leave you wanting more.

Hands down to Alexandra Bracken for making such a remarkable book!