Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Review: Driftmetal by J.C. Staudt

DriftmetalDriftmetal by J.C. Staudt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An intriguing concept, both in world and species. Imagine cities drifting, and imagine also techsouls, and I just know you are intrigued. This is well written and the tale is told from the view of a character possessing some dubious traits. Not your usual sci-fi read at all! Hugely enjoyable!

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Review: Lagniappes Collection II (Crimson and Clover) by Sarah M. Cradit

Lagniappes Collection II: A House of Crimson & Clover Boxed Set (The House of Crimson & Clover)Lagniappes Collection II: A House of Crimson & Clover Boxed Set by Sarah M. Cradit
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven’t read the main series these short stories refer to, but I enjoyed this entire read nonetheless. And, indeed, I look forward to reading the actual series now! Well done to the author; good all on its own, but also a brilliant invite to read on …

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Comfort Zone!


Saturday, September 16, 2017

Review: UnCommonly Good (Special Edition) - Short Stories


Brilliant short stories, some twisted, some insanely imaginative, all of them excellent. Loved this!


Review: Red Ground by Ken Fry

Red Ground: The Forgotten Conflict: Massacres in Sierra LeoneRed Ground: The Forgotten Conflict: Massacres in Sierra Leone by Ken Fry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A harrowing read; a definite eye-opener. This isn’t the first Ken Fry book I’ve read, but it has been the most difficult, although not due to the author’s writing, rather the subject matter. So much death and deception, and yet also with threads of hope and goodness. A must read, in my opinion.

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Butterfly girl :)


Thursday, September 14, 2017

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Boring Words! and their alternatives :)

My colleague Jack Mulligan sent me the link to his latest infographic (28 BORING WORDS and what to use instead), shared below. Due to the restrictions from Blogger regarding size, we have cropped the original for readability here. Please do pop on over to Jack's POST for the original :)

Thanks for sharing, Jack!






Thalassophile


Thursday, September 7, 2017

Review: Muse by Kylie Quillinan

Muse (Tales of Silver Downs, #1)Muse by Kylie Quillinan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A bard and his muse! Had to read this, and I wasn’t disappointed. This is a fairy tale in the Brothers Grimm vein, with twists and turns throughout. I lapped it up and feel it deserves 5 stars!

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Review: Court of the Phantom Queen by Liz Meldon

Court of the Phantom Queen (Lovers and Liars: Immortal Wars, #1)Court of the Phantom Queen by Liz Meldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The gods of ancient times seek a solution to the One God phenomenon, especially Athena, and to that end she travels to Ireland, to the godly kingdom where Morrigan awaits, also known as the Phantom Queen.

Anything with ancient times is reading material for me and I loved the spin placed on the mythology of the past here. Well written, a flowing style that kept me reading. Intrigue, betrayal with a twist of romance – definitely worth it. I look forward to reading the next book, to find out what Athena will get up to in Odin’s court.


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Some are bent


Wednesday, September 6, 2017

A book and it's title!

The Infinity Mantle is currently being translated into Portuguese, and the translator asked me to explain the meaning of the title in order for us to come up with a suitable Portuguese one. It was an easy answer, because I know exactly why I chose it, but I wonder if you, as reader, do. Those of you who have read The Infinity Mantle will certainly have an idea or more, and you’ll probably be correct too, but for those of you who will still grab a copy and get lost in the world of Valaris, I thought I’d expound a bit.




The title is definitely a play on words and meaning.

For starters, one of the main antagonists is Infinity, the dara-witch, a blue-skinned evil that entraps the innocent simply by looking at them. Death for those innocents becomes infinite torture. Secondly, our main protagonist is Rayne of the Mantle. The Mantle is a secret organisation training sorcerers and charged with keeping safe the mighty Maghdim Medaillon.

Therefore, The Infinity Mantle, as these two characters become embroiled in a manipulation to control Valaris.

There is more to it, though.

You will meet the Guardians of the Dome, immortal (infinity) protectors of worlds and civilisations unable to field great armies in order to defend themselves. Valaris is one such world and civilisation. The people of Valaris have been deliberately kept ignorant of great events, and all magical abilities are regarded as monstrous, something to wipe out without mercy. They are therefore defenceless; they labour under a mantle of ignorance.

Therefore, The Infinity Mantle, as the immortals came to the aid of the defenceless.




And one final nuance: The greatest evil ever to befall Valaris is the Darak Or, an infinity of evil from another realm who brings with him the mantle of absolute darkness. He aims to annihilate all, and not even the dara-witch Infinity will stand in his way – THE INFINITY MANTLE!

And if you’re wondering what the title for the Portuguese version will be, we have decided on ...

O Manto da Eternidade – Eternity’s Mantle!



*For more on The Infinity Mantle and the entire series, do enter the Lore of Arcana page*

Zen Things


My story isn't sweet