A really good story full of fascinating characters
352014
A really good story full of fascinating characters.  The bad guy seems almost unbelievably bad, to the point where I had to wonder why the town put up with him at all.  But the sleuth has enough driving her to make it understandable that she goes out of her way to get him.  A very enjoyable read on a chilly night in front of a fire and with a nice glass of wine!
989581
I really enjoyed "The Nine". I was intrigued by the characters. Fascinated by the world the author created.
And I really enjoyed the story.
I am not super critical when I am reading fantasy, if it flows smoothly and there are characters that I like, I am usually
content.
Some of the creatures were a bit far out, but I thought the author did a good job of describing how they overcame their
 physical weakness.

I would recommend it because I enjoyed it, but it may not be your cup of tea.
3185266
I expected to like this book; Courtney is a smart, funny lady who pays attention to detail and writes really well. I was interested to see how she redeemed Ned, the hero, who in her earlier book was the cause of a lot of trouble for other people.  But I was really amazed by how unusual, brave and compelling his story is.  Ned suffers from depression, what we'd call today clinical depression, and he challenges himself to live well in spite of that, to conquer the darkness that makes him want to hide, give up, or even die.  Ned's wife, Kathleen, was a weak young woman when they married, a social necessity due to being caught in a compromising situation.  But while Ned is away challenging himself in China for the first years of their marriage, Kathleen keeps busy running their estate and trying to improve the lives of those less fortunate. Specifically, she rescues women from situations of domestic abuse.  Neither of these characters knows what to expect of the other when they are reunited, and there were times in the book when I really wondered whether they could surmount the obstacles in their path.  I feared a magic wand or deus ex machina ending; instead, the "happy ever after" was brilliantly executed and wonderfully satisfying.  These characters are dealing, in a historical setting, with issues that still perplex and challenge us today; there's a fine line an author has to walk to make that work for me, and this is a fine example of how good it is when that happens.
2674501
Though this was a really good story and extremely well written, it does not stand alone well. There is so much background material I was missing that would have made the experience even more enjoyable. I plan on going back to read the others, but I kinda feel disappointed that the stories that unfold will not be as compelling now that I've been "spoiled". That being said, I totally enjoyed this read. Kelli Maine is a talented writer and her plot twists were well woven into the story and I was fascinated to watch it unravel. The characters were compelling, I think it's a fairly character driven series. The pacing was even, the settings detailed and the dialogue clever and appropriate.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
996616
This is a wonderful story of many twists and it was extremely interesting. Kay Marshall Strom is excellent in making characters come alive, and this book was obviously written by a well-researched author. I enjoyed the story through and through. It was touching, it was inspiring, it was exciting, and a worthy read. Throughout the story, Grace showed strength always, promising herself the one day- one day, she would see her husband again. Ms. Strom weaves together a delightful and thrilling tale, and I definitely will be reading more of this author. This book makes all five stars.

Five stars for:
Grammar
Editing
Well-developed Characters
Overall Exciting Story
1737323
A great story that drew me in from the beginning and kept me engaged throughout.
1971822
A nicely created world with a good story that keeps you interested. The author has created a good number of fascinating characters.
746270
The characters and their friendships were so real and engaging. The six friends' stories, what they meant to each other, wanting to know their secrets, and what they withheld from each other, kept me intrigued to the end. It's full of the complexities of love and friendship, loyalty, comfort, passion, and heartbreak. I thought this was a great read and interesting story.
4942267
This is a really fun read full of strong characters, interesting story, and thought provoking ethical questions.  I highly recommend this book to any fan of any of the aforementioned qualities. I truly hope to see the rest of the series in print soon.
3213701
While much of the story is beyond the boundary of what seems likely every part of it is possible. The characters became very real as did their situations. This was one of these books I could not put down because I felt by reading on I was helping the characters to get to the next step of their journey. A really fun and satisfying read. I found myself wishing the author had not ended the story but had kept it going through several twists in additional books.
689118
This story is about a reluctant hero having his world turned up-side-down.  He leaves the safe and secure path in exchange for one that is totally foreign to him. His new world moves from big-city urban US to rural Irish.  It is populated by a crew of entertainingly eccentric characters who were able to charm me and move me.  They made me laugh out loud and cry.

 It is mystery to me how the author sucked me into this story.  I found few if any scenes that didn't advance the story.  He has a great handle on the voices of the various characters.  It  was as though I was in the scene with them watching and listening.  The Irish rural life was well painted and detailed, but not so much that it bogs down the story.

At the end of the day, I have two criticisms.  First, I cant honestly say which character I liked and knew the best  I loved them all.  Second, I didn't want the book to end!  I wish all the books I read had such "flaws."
4790522
This was one of those stories full of great characters that blended together with their individual lives around the main characters and how faith & God was or would be a huge part of their lives...Couldn't put this story down til I was finished.  .A really good read...
458239
This was a fascinating story.  I liked the characters a lot.  It was a modern take on life, that took an unexpected old-world turn.  Religion, love, loss were all involved.  I liked it a lot
1694435
I think this is the best Mercedes Thompson book in awhile. I like and enjoyed the previous two, but this one is in that great groove of bringing the disparate elements of Mercy's world together and weaving a fascinating and fun story. This one also had a nice little everything isn't as simple as it looks element that made it a MUCH better story. As much as I enjoyed the expanding of the mythos and revelations of Mercy's heritage in the last book, I missed a lot of the supporting characters. In this one she brings many of them back and gives us glimpses of the evolution of those character's relationships without burying us in paragraphs of back story (That we've probably already read or having not will WANT to read) as so many other authors are prone to doing. I think she does this in a way that lets you enjoy the story, maybe perks an interest if unfamiliar but at the same time doesn't leave a reader feeling like they are missing something that impacts the story. Mrs. Briggs does a great job weaving in the over arcing story that is unfolding without it draping across this story like a heavy blanket.
  I know I look forward to reading more about this vibrant and dangerous world as it unfolds. There is so much left I see a long vivid journey ahead for these characters, and already wish I had taken longer than a day to read this. But like all good books I'll come back and read it again, probably even several more times.
4081465
It's easy to become immersed in the story and once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. The large cast of unique characters provides a cast of widely different personalities that can be related to with relative ease. Not only this, but the emotions in this book are very tangible as a reader. There is a good mix of romance, family, self-growth and even some mystery. The only disappointment I had was that there was not more of it, leaving a question or two unanswered. A definite read again.
3893244
The blah title really doesn't do the book justice. The mystery and conspiracy elements of the story fit very well together, and the characters and their odd senses of loyalty and chivalry were fun to read about. I love stories with strong female protagonists, especially in historical periods where women were mostly unimportant, and Gwen is a wonderful person to root for. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
4490728
This was a fantastic story and characters. I really enjoyed the  juxtaposition of relatively modern technology with the magic and traditional honor and martial arts battles. I was also fascinated by the sympathetic engagement with what we could easily call organized crime, which here is very distinct (additionally with the religious and educational aspects) from the criminals of the society.

The setting  unfolds in a way that plays off familiar movie tropes, but the characters all feel deeply human. Their personalities are unique and really well realized, many are individually relatable in one aspect or another. The story plays off the unfamiliar cultural expectations in a way that ended up resonating more personally.

 The world also has a depth to it that means I was often uncertain how the story would play out. There seems like there is more going on than any character is aware of. There are definitely no simple happy endings, but the arc of the story was satisfying... leaving a number of threads to lead forward to the next part of the saga.