Thoughts on River of Souls
599445
First, I am a big R. McCammon fan. His Matthew Corbett series are really original and great.  And the I waited a long time for this to come out. This addition to the series is not as good as the others but I would still recommend it.  It has that wonderful quality few books attain, which is being a page turner which makes the fact that it is only 241 pages extremely disappointing to me.  Yes he gets the story squeezed into the pages but it should have been twice as long and in my humble opinion could have been crafted with more care and less formulaic structure. Its almost as if it was first written on poster board using a flow chart, chopped into chapters and then being written without the best concentration, enthusiasm and creativity. Seems something of the love for writing this series was missing. A lot of space was used up in rehashing things from the past books. And quite a number of times one just has to really tighten the belief suspenders and just go along with the story.  I get a feeling that the author is perhaps more tired and lacking the energy of creativity that he had previously. But Mr. McCammon has a huge talent so I hope he will focus on his health and happiness to shrug off the weight of the years like an old garment and return to blasting us with huge blazing tomes of grandeur as he has done so many times in the past.  I will forever be indebted to this great author who , with his wonderful books brought an added ray of being into my own life. Oh, defintiely buy the book and read it.
4196748
The first 2 songs were great. The rest, well a bit repitious and not enough of Hezekiah leading.  Sould Out is still my favorite. That song helped me through some very hard days. For at least a year I played it everyday to encourage myself to hang on. God Bless, Rita in North, SC
2135557
Reminds me of Kurt Harland's soundtracks for the Legacy of Kain video games, though it wanders around the genre map more, touching on metallic vocals on one track.  (They sound like metal vocals to me, but I don't listen to metal.  YMMV)
802881
I find this quite a difficult book to review. For starters I would recommend that readers new to the series should start at the beginning with Slave to Sensation as this, the 15th installment in the Psy/Changeling series, revisits almost all of the characters we have met in previous books and also takes up some old story lines. What makes this book different from others in the series is that it does not focus on a single pair (of lovers), but it is an ensemble piece. For me that is its greatest strength as well as its greatest weakness: we get to see all our favorite characters again and learn how they have fared since their own story "ended". Old connections are discovered and new connections are forged. We get to meet Isaac Beauclair, the husband of Jessie, who is the female trucker who helped Katya in  Blaze of Memory. There is Samuel Rain who continues to try to create a bionic arm for Vasic and Vasic lets him and there is Annie (from Stroke of Enticement), who finally gets to thank her saviour. There is also a much too small glimpse into the budding relationship between Nikita and Anthony and many other vignettes of our favorite characters. But because the book tries to integrate so many perspectives and different minor story lines I feel that it lacks some of the focus that distinguished previous books. There are what I would describe as two (three) major plot lines: the first one is the attack on Sascha and Lucas girl Naya and the subsequent hunt for those responsible; the second one is the disappearance of solitary water changelings and the successful recovery of one of them. But these two story lines actually raise more questions then they answer. We still don't know who was pulling the strings behind the attemped abduction of Naya and we also don't know what happened to the other water changelings that are still missing, nor do we know who has taken them or exactly for what purpose.

Meanwhile Kaleb discovers a further disintegration of the Net, Amara and Ashaya discover that Bos implant is going to fail (and kill him in the process), there is a new threat to the Trinity Accords rising on the horizon and we have some new players entering the arena. Dont misunderstand me: I did love meeting all my favorite characters again, getting to know new characters and there seems so many new plotlines to explore in future stories, but it was a bit much and felt a little scattered. The only story that actually gets resolved is Father Perez: we learn how he got involved in the rebellion and he is finally re-united with his lost love Nina.

I laughed and cried in quite a few places, and despite ist length of almost 500 pages the end came way too quickly. Nalini Singh is a masterful storyteller with an awesome imagination and the continued world building is superb, so I would rate Allegiance of Honor 4 stars. I do hope that in future books she will again return to a narrower focus.
3040507
This is an interesting world and I really wanted to like it but even this early on it's a bit too gory/horror for me. Which is silly because I think it would pair really well with The Diviners. But there you go. I wish this had gotten a bigger push near its release. Will definitely be recommending.
4027280
I loved the scenes that were painted in this book. It was so well described that I could visualize myself on the river, in the canyon, at the farm, everywhere the characters were. There's a scene where a character falls into the river, and the visualization was so vivid that I realized I was holding my breath with them. I get caught up emotionally in stories and share the characters feelings, but never have I gotten so caught up in the story that I had the same physical sensations as the characters. It was weird feeling, but I liked that I was able to get so attached to this one.

I didn't think I would get as attached to these characters as I did. I really don't have much in common with them - as I am not a river guide, farmer, or Marine. Despite the differences I was able to fall in love with Madeline and Chris. There were things going on in Maddie's life that didn't involve Chris, things going on in Chris' life that didn't involve Maddie, and then there were the things that they were both a part of. I liked that Maddie and Chris weren't glued to each other throughout the story. It gave me a chance to get to know them as individuals as opposed to as a couple. From the first time they met I thought they would make a good couple. Madeline was a very stoic character. She kind of kept to herself and observe the world around her. Chris wasn't necessarily an extrovert, but he didn't seem to close himself off as much.

The story itself was pretty good too. There was a lot to the story, but it wasn't overwhelming. Each story line played itself out without interfering with the other story lines - well until they all become the same story line. It was intriguing to see how all these different parts were going to come into play. I usually have a pretty good idea of what the resolution to a story will be. But with this one I couldn't see how all the different parts were going to come together. I love reading books that I can't predict. There were so many pieces of the story that I didn't think were going to directly affect each other, so I was surprised when they did. Once all the pieces started falling in place I still had no idea that I would be in tears by the end of the book. The ending really through me for a loop. I honestly can say I was shocked and saddened while also being hopeful and excited.

While there's a romance built into the story there was also the environmentalist side of the book. I try to be earth conscious, but I'm far from perfect. But even at that I still was kind of appalled at some of the actions taken on behalf of the energy company involved in the story. I've never really read anything like it. It made me realize how uninformed I am. I know I can't change the world, but this book definitely makes me want to do more.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a review. This review is my truthful honest opinion.
3341861
Personally, I think Soros is the best book from the Corgan's world series. It is however, still quite pale in comparison to the Brion's. How I missed my Brions terribly and I wish there's a way to go back to that world as I think there are still a few Generals left? It takes a couple of books for me to find my bearings and be comfortable in the Corgan's world. It was a tad confusing for me at first especially with how they view religion and priests. The characters are still not as fleshed out as the Brions. I don't know much about Soros and even less about Kat. I wish there are more interactions between Kat and her crew. However, Vi Voxley did an awesome job in showing the reader just how formidable Soros is as a warrior and commander. I also love how fearless Kat is and how she truly believes in Soros. Although this can be read as standalone, I think it is best to start from Book 1 to fully understand and appreciate the Corgan's world.
1990386
Let me preface this by saying that I loved both Words of Radiance and The Way of Kings. However, I found The Way of Kings to be a notch above this in some areas, while this book was better in others. This time around the ending felt oddly rushed, while the buildup to it felt overly extended. Kaladin's arc remains in neutral, in my opinion, for the latter part of the book, which takes away from the pacing.

That said, the fight scenes are just as thrilling in this one as they were the first time around. We finally get a long awaited showdown between Kaladin and Szeth and it does not disappoint one bit! Sanderson's writing easily places you into the pages, and the sight of Kaladin and Szeth dancing about would be mesmerizing. Still, and this is just my opinion, but the emotional punch of the climactic battle this time around was not as great as that of Bridge 4 rallying to save the trapped Kholin men.

As others have mentioned however, I don't find all characters to be equally interesting. Kaladin is a favourite of mine, while I found Shallan's chapters to be a bit lacking. Thus, the book being so heavily focused on Shallan, made it slightly less enjoyable for me. I did enjoy her chapters more in this book than the first one, and her flashbacks were interesting, but some of her chapters dragged on a bit. As mentioned earlier, while Kaladin's chapters were interesting, his arc seemed to stall, which also took away from the enjoyment. On the other hand, Dalinar's story was engrossing and kept me entertained.

Overall, the writing and world building was much better this time around. I have focused on the flaws in my review but please note that if you had even a passing interest in the first book, you will love this one. Slight pacing and character preferences notwithstanding, this is another great entry into the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, is now one of the series I am most invested in (along with A Song of Ice and Fire). If you loved Shallan, you will love this book. The fight scenes are still top notch, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Highly recommended.
4953161
Without a doubt, the title story of this book is one of the best pieces of writing I have ever read. Meditative and lovely. It speaks of flyfishing like one might speak of breathing, and describes human actions with an honesty that I have found in few other writings. Symbolism, philosophy, nature, family, and smatterings of theology and geology wind through the book, like water rolling over stones. It feels like a river to read itthe rhythms, the beats, the pools and straights. Maclean wrote with a clean, clear prose, letting his thoughts and their meanings take center stage. I was impressed and moved.

"A River Runs Through It" is a 5-star story, but the other two pieces in this collection do not measure up to the same standard. They're good, but not amazing. I was a little disappointed, frankly, and don't have much desire to talk about them beyond these words. It's the river I will remember.
4573993
I just finished "Bone River" loved it, (5 stars for sure) saw this book on the kindle first pick list, so why not.
It was a very interesting read, as the 4 main characters rotate in first person narration. You get a nice insight into their views and feelings as they trudge through life's path looking for something better. Odeli is a succubus destroying the lives of everyone in her path. She's had a history with Nicholas and he's out to stop her. Her sights are now set on Joseph and Sophie, the unusally 'close' twins. The story paints a beautiful picture of 19th century Venice, with it's cast of characters quite intriguing.
I couldn't put it down as the story draws you in, right up to the disappointing ending. That's what did it for me, 3 stars and no more.
3095885
I was lucky enough to be a part of the Soulshifter blog tour. For fans of Alyson Nel's Soul Seekers series, Soulshifter is the right book for you! It has spirit-walking which is totally awesome in my opinion. Barbara Pietron delivers a book that is fresh and exciting with a male lead that I absolutely adored. The lore was interesting and different, a new idea that hasn't been done to death. The characters were well developed and I liked the supernatural aspect of it a whole lot. Barbara Pietron had a set up for a really great book. Alright now moving on to what I didn't like about it... The set up was a little too drawn out, it took about 100 pages to set up the actual rescue of Emma then another 100 pages to actually save her. I would have preferred to see more of the Underworld, since it seemed to be a different type of Underworld. I mean one ruled by a king that steals innocent souls? Yes please! More info would have been great. Because of this I can only give this story 4 stars. It was good, but it could have been so much better. The ending... I mean the ending was great so I'm hoping there's a follow-up story to tie that up. One can only hope! Until next time happy thanksgiving everyone!!
613201
I don't normally buy video games on release, but I just could not refrain from getting this sequel to the amazing Dark Souls. Yes, the game suffers from consolitis, but keep the game's roots in mind.

The developers have little experience with PC games, and in spite of this they have managed to release an extremely well optimized game that could run on the weakest of laptops while still looking beautiful and retaining a smooth frame-rate.

The atmosphere is still there, the difficulty and sense of accomplishment surpasses its predecessors, and the new multiplayer and combat features are welcome upgrades. I do think the level design is slightly inferior and less memorable compared to Dark Souls' Lordran, but this could be due to the implementation of fast travel.

And please, make your first play through a special one by avoiding internet spoilers and guides.

Discover! Speculate about the lore! and Cooperate with random 'spirits'!
964076
Listen I hate the neverwinter saga.  For whatever reason it just wasn't as good to me (Companions is where I'm at so far and it's AWESOME though).
That said, Gauntlygrym was great.  The fight at the end had me both teary and excited.  More than usual I mean.  Mr. Salvatore, in his deviously clever way, usually makes me emotional with these characters.
129120
Deadmen Walking, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, takes us through the 1700s Caribbean life, where the Pirates reigned the seven seas, and all manner of creatures (alive and dead) roam about plundering for spoils. The book opens up with a war torn and doomed pirate ship heading to the wreckage of Davy Joness locker. The battered crew escapes the wreckage, and the captain -as good ones do- goes down with his ill-fated ship.

Next, you meet a young woman seeking the help of the notorious pirate Devyl Bane, under the guise of a young man, to find her missing (presumed dead) brother. When Bane sees a trinket that is linked to the blood of the archangel Michael, he quickly sets about escorting Cameron Jack to his ship to render aid to her cause. At this juncture, you may be thinking that the main story is centered around young Cameron Jack, her quest to be reunited with her captured brother, and the pirate Devyl, however, in doing so, your ship has been sorely steered asunder by the crafty Kenyon.

Devlyn Bane and his cursed crew of Deadmen (Hellchasers) are a varied group of mermen, hell bound creatures and demons all brought back from their deaths by the enigmatic son of Lucifer, Thorn. Thorn and Bane have their own bloody and twisted history together, yet Thorn has assembled the crew from the depths of hell despite the bad blood between them. Thorn has agreed to give them each a chance to redeem their own souls by becoming crew members. The crew had all lead lives that were beyond redemption, but they all had something good as well they had done before their death. That one act of kindness, or compassion, earned them the right to prove they were worthy of redemption. If the crew of the ship can redeem their souls, they will have another chance at life. But to get their chance, they must keep the gates that protect the human world from the ancient monsters.

You learn that the vilest demon attempting escape is Vine, a particularly nasty creature, that Bane sold his soul to the devil to trap her in her hellish prison. Vine also happens to be Banes ex-wife. She is hell bent to see that Devyl gets his due.

Traversing the seas with his sister-in-law Marcelina (who is also the Sea Witch, the ship that they sail upon), Bane and the Deadmen fight to return the wayward demons to hell as well as keep Vine in her own dark prison. Centuries of being trapped in a hole in the world, Vine is not one to stay there quietly. Little does Bane know, Cameron Jack (with her bloodline coming from the archangel Michael) is exactly what Vine needs to crack open the gates and reign hell on earth. There is much tension between Bane and Marcelina, but then again their history is also bloody and dark.

The storyline was captivating, spellbinding, and fascinating. The characters heart wrenching, gut-punching, and maddening. The tone overall racked with humor, beauty, and with a fun spirit. Deadmen Walking is so elaborate, you are really sucked in and left wanting to know what will happen next.

FULL DISCLOSURE!!! This may not be for everyone. There is a lot of character play from many other of Kenyons novels and her different worlds that causes some bulking and what could be considered information overload. I kept in mind that this was the first novel in her new series, and some ground laying and history was needed. If you love a steamy love scene, a brawling bunch of pirates, angels and demons and people trying to escape from hell (wait, this sounds like a movie!), then this novel is for you! Overall, I rated this novel a 4 out of 5 stars, as once again, in my opinion, Kenyon has knocked it out of the universe.
941934
*Im posting this as part of the XpressoBookTours Scar of the Downers Blog Tour. I recieved a free ebook copy of this in order to do so.
***I posted this on June 25th somewhere else, and now here as well.

  Scar of the Downers is an interesting new fantasy book. It is full of survival, strength, growth, trust, and the fight for freedom. It involves the Downers being treated like slaves, barely ever being fed and always having to do as their master asks. They are treated so poorly and cruelly, but then they have help and suddenly everything is looking brighter. Its about friendship and trust and its a tale written to make scared characters a little braver, a littler more trusting, and a lot more loving.

What I Like:

  *The World-Building || The world building was well done, in my opinion. I mainly enjoyed the description of the evil lurking within the land and the cursed King, how Ungstah is described as darker than other cities so much so that travelers can feel the change once they're close enough. It made for a much more scary type of vibe, and really helped the mystery grow where the King and his Guards are involved.
  *The Action || I love action, period, but I especially loved it in this book because of the magical elements. Aniel has this sword, right? And so, it can turn into water and end the lives of the Ash Kings, and it can also turn into fire. How cool is that?!
  *The Characters || Well, most of them. I enjoyed reading about Crik (hes probably my favourite), Jak (or maybe he is), Tinker, Chaser, Aniel (shes wicked cool), Talorc, Edem, and Gabril. I wasn't so much a fan of Kilvar, Bhoor, and the other cruel Downer owners. I know they have to be cruel in order for the story to work as it does and I can understand that, I just don't like them because if they were real Id want to punch them in the face so bad. Overall though, the characters were great and I enjoyed the different voices us readers got to hear as we read. The visual we got was much richer because of that.
  *The Writing || It flowed well, and despite the filler-like vibe I felt most of the time, it was still a very enjoyable read because the writing really lured me in.

What I don't like:

  Theres not much; Its mainly the pace. Throughout most of the book, I felt like it was all  a large filler. Not much seems to happen. I kept reading and all I got was that they were treated poorly (they were always hungry, thirsty, and dirty, always scouring the streets for whatever they could find), they needed to get money so Jak wouldnt be sold (because their owner has a dept he needs payed but refuses to part with the silver he gained from killing a man, and so they stole from a house down a street), they aren't that fond of some of the other Downers (Slink especially, since he always seems to sneak on them when they're walking down the street), the Ash Kings almost killed them multiple times (since they were out on the streets during curfew trying to get food and money), and their owner is a cruel, cruel man. And yet, as you should realize, most of it happens in the same streets over and over again. It worked well with the story, but made the pace more slow and akin to that of a filler chapter.

  I also didn't like how quickly Slink changed. At first hes this annoying, slightly creepy Downer that Crik and Jak weren't fond of, as he was always sneaking up on them and even stole food from them once. Then suddenly when Aniel saves him hes all nice and supportive and gets along with the others real well. I think there should have been more time taken to develop his change. Other than that though, I really enjoyed reading Scar of the Downers.

  So, overall, Scar of the Downers was a very enjoyable read, despite the slow/filler-like pacing. I would recommend this to you lovers of action and fantasy.
2768948
Well, Xenocide is so similar to Speaker for the Dead that it is almost just the 2nd half of that story.  I love the development of Ender and Val.  Also, Card continues to force me to reexamine my beliefs.  He challenges me  to open my mind and want to understand more and experience more of other  ways of thought.
564291
I have read a good handful of Beverly Lewis's books. I had a hard time with The River for several chapters. Once it picked up for me, I was quite interested in solving some of the mystery surrounding little Anna's death. Anna's sisters Ruth, and Tilly aren't Plain anymore, they live among the Englishers. Tilly is married with twin girls of her own, and Ruth is trying to sort out God's plan for her next.

When an Anniversary trip becomes much more than just a "visit" home, it is time for answers, healing, forgiveness. A time for open doors, and closed ones, and it's not going to be easy at all.

The River was different, but pretty good. I could see the Author pouring out her heart with the Dad and his multi-complex situations. I did feel for this family torn apart in so many ways, and yet I was sad I couldn't engage well with the first half of the book.

I received this book for free. I was not required to leave a review of any kind. I did so of my own volition. My opinions are my own.