Category: Fantasy/Paranormal

Classic/Historical · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance

Witch-Hunt – Margit Sandemo

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3235317| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Seventeen year-old Silje Arngrimsdotter struggles to come to terms with the harshness of life in a high mountain valley among the witches and warlocks of the mysterious Ice People. Having fled there for her life with her adored ‘wolf man’ and two foundling infants from the Trondheim plague, Silje has bravely borne their first child.

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My thoughts:

 

The second book in the legend of the Ice people starts of a couple of years later after the ending in the first book. Silje is struggling with the burden of being a house wife, the weight of being a good mother, wife and the stress with poverty. There is dark clouds in the horizon and after unfortunately happenings, they have to flee the valley that have kept them safe for the last couple of years.

I have read this book before and it’s hard to try to review books I already read several times over. One thing I found now that I read it a third time and in adulthood is that it is a lot “easier” than I remember. It is still great and I love how intricate it’s starting to be, but it’s easy to follow, quick to read and not as deep as I remember. Not a bad book no. I would still give it the same rating as I did when I was younger. I only react over the different ways I perceive the book now.

For you who doesn’t know about this series, here are a short description.
The series is in 47 parts. We are following the Ice People with a start in the late plague ridden 16th century. It is about witches and wizards and a huge curse. Kings, queens and wars takes a big place in the story line. We are following them from generations through generations. Through birth, love, hate, good and bad stuff, war, more child births and eventually death. It is highly intricate and therefore should be read in order.

Contemporary · Fantasy/Paranormal · Romance

Escape from the green – Jessica Gadziala

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34608739._SY475_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis:
Amethyst
Determined not to be a pawn in my mother’s game any longer, I finally decided to take my destiny into my own hands.
But I had made a promise to myself many years ago when I used to dream about running away. If I was getting my freedom, he was getting his too…

Drake
Imprisoned. Enslaved. That was my life for longer than I cared even to admit, beaten and humiliated for what I was. Draca. Dragon fae. The supposed last of my kind. Except I wasn’t. But that was a secret I’d take to my grave.
I’d learned long ago to accept my fate, that freedom was not something I would ever know again.
But then one day after one of the worst snowstorms in my memory, the daughter of the man who had shackled me in iron chains to begin with burst into my barn with a key and a mission. Free me. And herself.
Things, though, often don’t go to plan. And we found ourselves stuck in the middle of something no one ever could have predicted. A war between the Light and Dark fae.
Our futures uncertain, we decided there was only one place to go.
Back to the land of my kind. To see if any were left. And if they would have us.

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My thoughts:

The magical land of The Green is on the brink of War. Where dark and light fairies lives together with a million other creatures. We have good characters, evil characters and those you feel are good but keep doing “evil” things. It is interesting, captivating and somewhat suspenseful. AND of course there is dragons in it. I could not have been asking for more. Unfortunately I just don’t feel for it.

I cannot say it was as good as the first one. It is good, don’t get me wrong, but it lacked some of the “umph” I felt from the first book. And it may not be that positive that I found Sal and Smokey more interesting than the two main characters the book actually was about. I do really hope Gadziala one day in the future write Sal and Smokey’s book. I would love to take part of that story.

This one however, I found it just okay. It was nice to spend time with, but I would not read it again in a near future.

Everyday things · Fantasy/Paranormal · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense

Haunted – Heather Graham

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950866| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Love is everywhere. . .

When does a gift become a curse?

Matt Stone doesn’t believe in ghosts. But there are those who are convinced his home, a historic Virginia estate that dates back to the Revolutionary War, is haunted. Pressured to get at the truth about some strange happenings at Melody House, he agrees to let Harrison Investigations explore the house. But he isn’t ready for beautiful, intriguing Darcy Tremayne.

As a paranormal investigator, Darcy has learned to believe in the unbelievable. And she’s given Matt fair warning: sometimes people don’t like the skeletons she finds. She never dreamed that the warning would apply to herself. For she’s about to discover that Melody House holds much more than a simple mystery form the distant past. What it holds is a very real and lethal danger, one that will cast her into a struggle against the worlds of both the living and the dead.

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My thoughts:

I have read a handful of Heather Graham books now and I so badly want to like them. It is stories I feel should be just right for me but I have to be honest with myself. Heather Graham is not an author for me and I need to stop wasting my time reading her books.

I can certainly see why her books are so popular and have the ratings it has. It just don’t fit me. It is too easy, to broken, gullible, I always predicts the endings and most of all, I don’t have fun while reading.

Before I started this book I wrote “I’m not yet ready to give up on her books because I really do like the stories”. But now I am ready. I’m done! It does not mean that it is bad books. I can see the appeal. They do have everything you could wish for. An exciting story and a believable plot even though it is quite excessive. Diverse characters and nice world building but the writing is not on point.

I will now delete all the books on my kindle and hard disk and on Goodreads so I will never be tempted to start one of her books again. Because I will not waste my time with a book by her. Leave it to those who actually like her books instead. She deserves more than I can give as a reader.

Adult fiction/Erotica · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction

Vicious – V.E. Schwab

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36797830| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Victor and Eli started out as college roommates–brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find–aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge–but who will be left alive at the end?

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My thoughts:

It took me way too long to finish this book and I struggled so much. I can’t quite put my finger on what my problem is, but I do have some theories.

First off, I absolutely loved the theme, plot and the whole “X-MEN” thing. Interesting concept which felt well execute both in the scientific and philosophical view. I’m a sucker for everything when it comes to people with powers, magical or “natural”. So I really thought this would be a book right up my alley.

However, I felt constantly disconnected and the writing keep bothering me to no end. There is only so many times you can write a character’s name on one page until it starts to be repetitive. And the whole books is repetitive. I wish I had Victors sharpie to block some off. Put some black in

I can see why Schwab and this series has turned in to such a hype where readers and there dogs/cats keep raising Schwab to the skies. Maybe I had to high expectations? Maybe I’m just too old for it? Or maybe I just found it over dramatic and underwhelming. Completely loved the last twist in the end even though I could totally predict it.

Would fit perfect as a movie and if executed rightly, one I would see at least once a year just as X-MEN. I’m not sure if I will read more in the series, but I’m open for it.

children · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Young, New adult/College

The islands of Chaldea – Diana Wynne Jones

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18107099| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Aileen was supposed to grow up magical – just like the other women in her family. Unfortunately, she’s just found out that the magic seems to have skipped a generation… but that’s not her biggest problem right now.

In her world, there are four Islands of Chaldea. The largest and most magical island has been cut off from the other three for decades – and is slowly draining the magic from them.

But now a prophecy has come to light. Someone from Aileen’s island will gather a man from each of the three islands, bring down the magical barrier, and unite them with the fourth island again. And according to the king, that someone is Aileen’s Aunt – who insists on dragging Aileen along. AND the boy Aileen is sure she’ll marry (one day); the local boy with more brawn then brain. Someone seems to want to stop them too… someone with an interest in keeping the Islands apart. But still, with magic on their side, nothing can go wrong. Right?

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My thoughts:

Okay, so I needed a book that was published posthumously so I could tick that prompt off in the 2019 PopSugar challenge. I had some trouble finding anything I wanted to read, but after some googling I eventually settled on this one. Written by Diana Wynne Jones and finished by her sister Ursula Jones after Diana’s death. Apparently Diana was and probably still is, a famous and loved author all over the world. She wrote children’s/YA books often with a Sci-fi and fantasy theme. I personally never heard about her before this, so I was going in completely blind with not much to expect.

Apparently, according to some of the reviews I have read, and I quote, “Ursula Jones did not do the justice of the potential of what this book could have been”. I kind of agree with Xylia, whose quote I have included. I don’t have anything to compare it with, but I agree that it doesn’t feel that completed.

It started out okay with an interesting story and plot line. But in the middle it kind of fell apart, lost my interest and in the end I actually struggled to finish it. Perhaps a great book for a younger audience, but I felt It was supposed to be something more. And it just wasn’t there. Kind of flat and two dimensional. Nothing I would recommend and unfortunately, nothing I liked very much.

 

 

Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Shortstory

Norse mythology – Neil Gaiman

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37903770._SX318_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

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My thoughts:

Norse Mythology is something I know quite a lot about. In Sweden we study the mythology and vikings from an early age. We even have a “Viking camp” we do in school, where we learn how the Vikings lived, hunted, cooked food and so on. I can’t say I learned anything new by reading (audiobook) this book per say, but I have to say I really like the way Gaiman has put the tales to life. It is truly descriptive and beautiful in a way, I believe, everyone can enjoy. Neil Gaiman is also an fantastic narrator and perfect for reading his own books. I really enjoyed listening on him. It is also perfect for those who doesn’t want anything heavy to read right now. It is a bunch of short stories, gathered together in one book. Light and easy. Perfect for those “in between” books.

I have to be hones and say that I first wasn’t supposed to read it. Since I know so much about the topic, It wasn’t anything that interested me to read more about. But a prompt in this years Pop Sugar Challenge was actually the reason to why I read it. The prompt was to read “A book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore” and when googling what book fits that prompt, Norse Mythology kept poping up. Now I’m happy that I read it. It is fun, light and familiar. Almost a little nostalgic and it woke something in me which have been buried since childhood and school was finished with teaching us kids about our heritage.

Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Humor/Funny

Mort – Terry Pratchett

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828352| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.

After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death’s apprentice…

 

 

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My thoughts:

“The one thing I really like is the way Pratchett have brought up such an difficult topic as death in a way that was easy and not frightening.”

This is my first encounter with the Discworld universe and the numerous writings of Sir Terry Pratchett and to be honest, I’m quite confused and this was not an easy review to write. I have read some reviews due to my mixed feelings and several has mentioned that Mort may not be the best book to start with due to that Pratchett’s writing style still was in development and the Discworld was not yet fully realized. Other felt just as confused as me, but also said that this should not affect our opinion of Pratchett and to be open minded for reading more of his books in the future.

Mort, the book about a boy who became Deaths apprentice, is a highly praised book all over the world and by readers in all ages. And it breaks my heart that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted. I really, really wanted to like it but I just didn’t feel the magic other readers was talking about. It had a promising beginning with intriguing characters and a nice story. It was witty and clever, but did not affect me as much as I was expecting and it took me some time and effort to get into it.

The writing style is easy, and I can see why it fits readers in so many different ages and cultures. The one thing I really like is the way Pratchett have brought up such an difficult topic as death in a way that was easy and not frightening. However it was just not enough for me.

 

Classic/Historical · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance

Spellbound – Margit Sandemo

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51ZgfQcxO0L._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Winter 1581: a deadly plague outbreak robs sixteen-year old peasant girl Silje of all her family. Homeless, starving and shepherding two abandoned children, she stumbles out of the corpse-strewn streets of Trondheim on Norway’s northern coast.

Heading desperately for the warmth of the mass funeral pyres blazing beyond the city gates, she encounters in the shadowy forest one of the infamous Ice People, a fearsome, strangely captivating ‘wolf man’. He offers help – and she feels irresistibly drawn to him. But what is the terrible fascination? And where will it lead?

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My thoughts:

“It is a great start on a series who will take place over several centuries.”

This is probably my third or fourth reared of the first book in the Legend of the Ice People series. A book series, written by a Norwegian author and published in 47 parts. Yes. It is 47 books in this series and myself have not read more than eleven. Now I’m fortunate enough to have found and bought the whole series in hardcover. They do not print them anymore, not in Swedish at least, so second-hand was the only option. So now my challenge is to read all the 47 books. It will probably take me a couple of years but one day I will make it.

It is an historical fantasy about The Ice People who have a curse riding through the generations. The first book is about Silje and her travels in the plague ridden part of the Norwegian mountains where she meets some of those people and one of the cursed ones. She is strong and a motivated character in a way that you can relate with her. We meet some of the ground laying characters and gets to know the history and story of the Ice People. It is a great start on a series who will take place over several centuries.

It is easy to read and it have been translated to English. How easy it is to get hold of the books, i do not know, but they must exist out there somewhere if you are interested.

 

Fantasy/Paranormal · Graphic Novels/Comics · Thriller/Horror

Death Note – Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata

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9267091

| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects–and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Will Light’s noble goal succeed, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?

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My thoughts:

“The death god is quite funny even though he looks like something taken from nightmares.”

I find myself split in my opinion about the first volume of Death Note. I actually don’t like the main character that much and usually you are supposed to do that so I’m quite confused. The main characters is supposed to be the hero you are rooting for and wish the best of luck to. But Light is no hero. He started something with good intentions but later turns just as bad as the bad guys he is targeting. In the end he is no better than those criminals he’s erasing from this world. The death god is quite funny even though he looks like something taken from nightmares.

And the story is good and exciting. I really like the way it is built, the artwork and the feel of the book. It ended when the suspense was at its peak and I just had to throw myself on my phone to order the next on in the series. Its that good. Now I just have to wait two weeks for the second one to arrive. hehe

I’m not an avid reader of graphic novels but I’m beginning to understand the appeal and I really recommending this one.

Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Young, New adult/College

Hollow city – Ransom Riggs

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23164983| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerising) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

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My thoughts:

“If it was not for the cliffhanger in the end, I would probably have enjoyed it even more.”

The second book in the Peregrine’s children series follows right at the end of the first one and also ends on a cliffhanger. Just want to make a note of that. It is a great, complicated story with a imaginative plot. Some of the reviews I have read have found the second book not nearly as good as the first one. I however actually like it more. It may or may not be because I saw the movie of the first book first, but I really enjoyed the second one. I like that it was more that happened since the children now is traveling instead of being in that one house.

In comparison I would have given the first book three stars (I will not change) instead of the four I gave, since I found the second one to better than the first. I even found it a little funny at some times and it surprised me. I’m loving that. And the pictures, oh it makes the whole book more fascinating and a feel of completion.

It is as well written as the first book and a lot more detailed. We meet more characters, receive more history and we get to know more about the friends and enemies of this world. It is a brilliant dynamic which Riggs has done a fantastic work describing in a way I cannot put my words on. If it was not for the cliffhanger in the end, I would probably have enjoyed it even more.