A wonderful adventure that Just. Feels. Good. to read!
585778
This is a fantastic story by Nosek that sets the stage well for future Ava adventures - I loved the writing style and fell in love with the characters! It's targeted to young adults, but even as a 30-year old I found myself eagerly turning the pages, appreciating the opportunity to reconnect with what my 13-year old self would have absolutely devoured. I particularly love who Nosek cast as the book's heroine - Ava is strong and strong-willed, independent and sharp, and she has both a clear wit and a mature understanding of her own emotions. She's an awesome role model, and I wish I could have discovered more female leads like Ava when I was younger. I highly recommend this book for kids and adults alike - anyone who wants to explore Nosek's alter-reality that will make you seek out the gems of good in your own world!
2970906
Let me start with, wow! I enjoyed this experience so much. I was in an unknown state of miserableness having not known that Litrpg was an actual genre. The story had me interested and rooting for Lyr and his friends from the very start. Assuming this book was self-published, there were way fewer grammatical errors than there have been in other self-published books I've read. Okay, so, let's go into my personal pros and cons of this book.

Pros:The main character was intelligent and resourceful but not obviously overpowered. Even though Lyr's class and one of his abilities were slightly uncommon, it wasn't like the author was jumping on the bandwagon of having a main character excel at an underpowered class when no one else had been able to before. The mechanics of the game were very easy to get used to and kind of had me remembering all my time played in games like Skyrim and WOW. The title did what books in the Litrpg genre are supposed to do, which is giving the reader the feeling of having true adventures and power in a game world. (Wow... I have never reviewed anything before and I now see why. I don't know where to stop.) Here let me sum it up: The plot was fantastic. Though some spots were predictable, others were a thrilling surprise. Characters were very believable for the most part. It was a great read!

Cons: Somewhere around 40-50 percent I started to feel myself lose interest, even though I didn't want to, but then it picked up gradually and the ride was great. This next part is more of an opinion, but I felt that everything revolved around Lyr. Like, without even needing to state it, everyone seemed to give over their stuff to him, ask him what to do next, and interact with only him for the most part. I know that a novel's goal is to give the reader the ultimate experience, but I did pick up that it felt completely tailored for the protagonist. Don't get me wrong! I loved it. I just felt that it would help to point it. To be honest, I had to dig real deep to come up with something negative to say.

Takeaway: This novel is great, especially for the author's first book, and deserves a read. The amount of four and five star reviews it has gotten in less than a month is astounding. It deserves a read and was really fun to experience. Everything about it was great, with maybe the only real flaw being a very minor amount of grammatical errors, which are to be expected. I can't wait for the next book!
4411571
Very enjoyable read -- the kind of book that just makes you feel good when you read it
2311198
What a great feeling to relax and sit back, knowing you are in the hands of a great storyteller! This is the feeling I had within just the first few pages of Steel Blues, by Jo Graham and Melissa Scott. (This book is a sequel to Lost Things , but can be read and enjoyed on its own.)

The series can be described as "Action/Adventure with a side of Paranormal." The two elements are integrated perfectly, neither overwhelming the other. The sense of time and place - The Great Depression - is very well conveyed, the sense of the team's financial desperation, and the same desperation they see around them as they fly across the country, with the counterpoint of clueless wealth and privilege and sensationalist journalism seeking to distract the public from the difficulties and challenges of everyday life (not so very different from what we're experiencing now.)

The paranormal elements, particularly the insidious lure of the Necklace of Doom, were very well written, the necklace affecting each character differently in a subtle but terrifying way. I also like the way Alma was recognized as the leader of the team, how she was responsible for calculating the fuel requirements, making the scary and difficult decisions, and always keeping her cool. What a great character!

This was a quick and easy read that left me eager for more. I'm looking forward to seeing this series continued
590553
Oh what a magical book!

 I was absolutely captivated by this sweeping, epic adventure from the first page. All week long I looked forward to savoring it at the end of each day like a warm bath--it's just the kind of book you disappear into and the whole world falls away
I mean first of all the concept--time traveling pirate ship? Seriously--how fast can we make this a movie?

But then there was lyrical, assured writing and a rag tag crew of complicated, vulnerable, deeply human characters, witty dialogue, a feisty, lovable MC and a central conflict with such entanglement and ache--pitting a daughter's longing for love against her own self-preservation--and oh, it's just so good. I am struggling to do it justice. You just have to read it.

A beautiful book with depth and heart, sure to be well-worn and dog-eared and loved by readers of all ages everywhere.
180051
I found this book easy to read and enjoyable. The writing style masterfully blends action, emotion and description.

The characters the unwilling hero meets are so finely drawn I feel as if I know each one--a young lad with a pure heart and a ready smile, a beautiful, powerful woman and past friends who turn against him. As the stakes become higher, we wonder if Caleath can survive all his suffering, let alone reach his goal and free himself from the alien world on which he's landed or the wielders of dark magic who track him down.

When Caleath struggles ashore, supporting a well-fed man, I bonded with a hero who cares about his companion. I suffered with his pain from injury and exhaustion as I learned about his background on another world of slavery. The hero gradually reveals his flaws, which only endear him more as he fights and protects the people around him although they didn't value his admirable qualities. I want him to escape his enslavement from those who follow through the bitter cold and snow.

The beauty of the prose leads the reader into a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
2998551
This was a delightful read!  I savored it slowly because it is so well written and the characters are so likable.  There was at least one good laugh or chuckle per page.  Chapters are short  with no wasted wordage.  The subtitle summarizes the story and posits a promise that is fulfilled:: "comic, terrifying, romantic, loopy round the world journey in search of linguistic happiness" with young-at-heart professor Charlie Baker who is on a late-life quest to test the outer boundaries of literary translation, as well as his endurance, and who discovers adventure and romantic love (oh, Svetlana!) in very unlikely places.  An important take-away by the reader: do not attract the attention of the clandestine services.  Highly recommended!
3868827
I loved this book! It is a fun fantasy adventure with just the right combination of both elements. It has a great storyline and loveable characters. This book is full of insight and can really tug at your heart. I love the picture you draw from the description of the characters. I felt I could see each of them and felt as though they were my friends too. I never knew what was coming next, especially as the friends came across some not so friendly creatures in their quest. This is a very fun story to read. I highly recommend it to everyone.
1123504
This is one of the most well-built fantasy worlds I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. Although it is built around many familiar Tolkeinesque tropes, it has an uncommon depth of characters and settings that really set it apart. The book feels like it takes place in a living, breathing world with its own history and politics.

The plot is the perfect mixture of epic adventure and down-to-earth realism. It blends that amazing sense of the world hanging in the balance of the characters actions with a sense that these same characters are not merely unreal archetypes, but real people with real lives, that lends a sense of authenticity to the story and allows the reader to feel emotionally invested.

And, beyond all of that, it was an entertaining read, which, in my opinion, is the most important thing in a fantasy book. I was engrossed from beginning to end, and I plan to read the rest of the series.
1240365
An engaging book that is smart and sweet to the core! A wonderful fantasy adventure with characters who tug on your heartstrings! Would highly recommend!
4154488
I read a lot. A whole lot. A slow year of reading for me is about eighty books. And I'm really good about picking out the books I'll like. So, I read a whole lot of books that I really enjoy.

There are different kinds and levels of enjoyment though. I've read a lot of fantasy and swashbuckling adventure sorts of books, and I'm always amused by the brief escape they offer. They're like the old college buddies who you don't talk to much, but when they're in town, you have a good weekend. Then, you go back to your normal life a little more capable of handling it.

I read quite a few literary novels, too, and I usually end up feeling appreciation toward them. They taught me something, and I'm grateful for it, even though I'll never read any of them again if I can help it. It's sort of like those old friends from your hometown, I guess, who you love but also avoid when you go back home to visit.

Then there are those books that have provided me with a little of everything--the adventure and the laughs and the intellectual stimulation that have sustained me this far. Those, of course, are like the friends and family that are always there. I enjoy seeing these books on the shelves around me the moment I wake up or walk through my apartment door.

There's some other level though, too, I've noticed, which is more rare to find. Even having read as many books as I've read, I can only think of a handful of books that have provided such an experience. These books, I think, have offered me every gift those other books have and something a little more. They've touched my imagination in such a way so as to spark some senses of meaning and of communion with the rest of the world. Discovering "cosmos within chaos," I think Madeleine L'Engle once called this feeling. I'm not sure if that's exactly the right way to describe it. What I do know is that having finished such a book, I feel the profound urge (this sounds stupid) to hug people. And that is precisely what I feel, having finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I guess this should be a warning to J.K. Rowling. Having finished the final Harry Potter book, I'm overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude. If, by chance, I were to ever run into Mrs. Rowling, I would have difficulty fighting the urge to offer her a Hagrid-sized hug.
2641760
Filled with palpable characters, emotions, and situations! A wonderful book!
1728146
In creating the epic romantic adventure, "Joni, Underway", Authors Kelly Oram & Jonathan Harrow have written one of the ABSOLUTE BEST books I've read all year!!!**

Eliciting nearly the entire spectrum of human emotions, this novel takes us from the normalcy of Co-Ed life to the most fearless and thrilling kind of existence, physically, interpersonally and emotionally.

(This is a No Spoilers Review.)

I laughed long and loud countless times, cried like a baby more than once, and, in the end, came away from this journey (for it was not merely a reading) so profoundly satisfied in soul that, well, I don't think I have ever experienced that sort of profound satisfaction before in a novel.

It was a quick, easy, throughly enjoyable read, and though I LOVED it, when it ended I was wholly content. Normally I want more, I don't want to leave the world or its characters upon completion of truly great books, but this was so incredibly well-crafted, so amazingly well written (you can hear Kelly Oram's delightful 'voice' throughout, which is awesome because she is, arguably, one of the greatest contemporary RomCom writers of our time), that it just hit the perfect sweet spot; one I never even knew existed.

 If you're looking for an fast, fun, uplifting, witty, romantic, possibly soul-effecting adventure novel, look no further; "Joni, Underway" is the novel you seek.

Due to mild profanity, and mild sexual content, by movie standards, I would rate this PG13.

**For reference purposes, I read at least half a dozen novels per week.
4796725
What a wonderful adventure story - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Boys of all ages will love reading this book, and although I can't vouch for the girls, I suspect they would enjoy it too.

Heidi has managed to blend fantasy, and the harsh reality of Africa in such a way that it draws you in, and makes you want to find out more.

The story moves along at a steady pace that kept me turning the pages. Her characters are believable and real. I could feel their pain and be exited with them in their achievements.

Highly recommended.
945507
Wonderful adventure that I could not stop reading. The main character comes to life with colorful stories that made me long for the next.  Waiting anxiously for the sequel!
1685378
"Creeping along the docks in the dark, looking for the steamship Marry Bell, Emilie was starting to wonder if it might be better to just walk to Silk Harbor."
From the first sentence, Emilie and the Hollow World pulls you into an incredible adventure and leaves you out of breath. We follow Emilie, sixteen-year-old orphan girl who ran away from the her guardians. Emilie just wanted to escape to her cousin in the other city, but fate had other plans for her. Because, one wrong ship and confusing battle later, Emily is a stowaway, but not on a steam-ship. No, she's on a ship powered by magical aetheric currents that is bound to a dangerous expedition to another world inside the planet (yep the planet is hollow).

Fantasy, adventure and journey to the center of the planet - comparison to the Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth is mandatory. But although Martha Wells's novel has the same spirit of adventure, discovery and wonder, this is not a retelling and worlds we are about to discover are unique and original.

We don't learn much about Emilie's country of origin except that it's similar to Western European culture in 19th century, so I think that Emilie and the Hollow World can not be labeled as neither steampunk or alternative history. No, as soon as we embark on the expedition, this novel is pure fantasy. And the Hollow World is FULL OF WONDERS for us to discover. After Books of the Raksura series, Martha Wells again leaves me breathless with her wonderful descriptions of sunken cities, original cultures and species.

I liked Emilie very much. I think she really grows up in this book. Emilie finds courage and learns from her mistakes. I especially liked the fact that there is NO ROMANCE. Yes you heard me. Emilie is a real tomboy and enjoys climbing and making mischief with her friends. She never had any other interest in boys. Some would say that it's not normal for a 16-year old girl but as we discover more reasons why Emilie ran away from home and how her guardians treated her, I think that you can better understand why she never allowed herself to look at any boy from a romantic angle. And, realistic or not, I found no romance aspect refreshing.

I feel like a broken record, but I must repeat again how I simply adore Martha Wells style of writing. It's so fluid and easy to read that you will with surprise reach the end of the book in no time. Although the ending is not a cliffhanger and Emilie and the Hollow World is currently a stand-alone novel, I would love to read more about Emilie and her adventures. Lucky for me, I saw at Martha Well's website that 'Emilie and the Sky World' is going to be published in 2014 by Strange Chemistry and I honestly can say that I can't wait!

I recommend this book to fans of: Jules Verne, adventure and/or fantasy books for any age, travelling expeditions, discovering new species and continents...

Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
4245708
A fantastic adventure - full of mystery, action, and excitement. I highly recommend this story for both boys and girls, and for adults who love a good story. There are a handful of instances where the wrong word is used which interrupted the story flow as I stopped to make sense of the sentence (the/they, we/I etc) these would not show up as typos in a spell check, but could be easily fixed. Imaginative settings, likeable characters, and an interesting storyline kept me happily turning the pages. WJ Scott, Children's Author,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hieroglyph-TC-s-Adventures-Book-1/dp/B016IZYDE4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hieroglyph (TC's Adventures Book 1)</a>[...]