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Aprille Legacy
I'm a self-published author from South Australia. My first book, Soul Fire, is a YA fantasy romance.
Dreamfever
How am I going to be able to wait a year for this book! Loving the politics, I need a conclusion!
Dreamfire: A novel
My interview with Kit Alloway! http://aprillelegacy.com/2016/01/17/author-interview-kit-alloway/
3rd July - Okay I can't stop thinking about this book so I'm updating it to 5 stars
This book needs more attention. Loved it, will be keeping an eye on this author.
SPOILER ALERT!
Thyme for Trust
Thyme for Trust is the last in the Janna Mysteries, and this was the first time I'd read it, despite having read the first three about four times each.I liked the way the series ended, even if I was Team Hugh.
There were a few bits that made me wrinkle my nose. A lot of it felt mechanical, and as if they only happened because Janna needed them to. The 'Siege of Wiltune' that made me hella worried from the back cover took up about half a page, and it only served to kill her father off, who stood in the way of her marriage to Godric. And Janna was sad for all of two sentences, until Godric scooped her up and she could announce her intention to marry him now that her father was out of the picture. Deus ex machina a little. Bothered me.
Also, the whole end with Robert of Babestoche killing another of his lovers off felt as though it played a part only for the mystery that needed to be solved by Janna. It was bloody obvious the whole time, and only seemed to serve the part of being the reason for getting Robert into court, where he could also be tried for the death of her mother. The whole scenario felt weird and forced, and very very transparent.
Also, I would've really liked to see Robert of Babestoche hang. Like, I wanted to read the scene with him dying. It would've been so damn satisfying.
I'm using this review space as kind of a commentary on the whole series, so I'll say this as well - the mysteries in these books are not shockers. Nothing really came out to surprise me. I kind of liked that though, I could piece the clues together on my own time.
Overall, I loved this series and read the last two books in a day. It's such an interesting insight into medieval England and the research was superb. Very glad I own some of these books, I'm sure I'll have a daughter one day who will love them just as much as I do.
Shut Up & Kiss Me
There is without a doubt that these are two very good authors working well together. The story is fluid and uncomplicated, with a good strong standard of writing.I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first. Please keep in mind I don't often read pure romance, so take this with a grain of salt.
First, I hate the phrase 'you're not like other girls'. It immediately puts down other women and I think I've made my stance about girl-on-girl hate very clear by now. I know how it was meant to come across here, but it still grated on me.
Second, it was all a bit cliche. Of course he's wealthy AF. It had a tad of a FSOG feel to it (I know I know, hold back the hellfire please), just in terms of the small town girl, meets a billionaire, is unaccostomed to his lifestyle. To be honest, it wasn't that bad. The characters themselves were very strong and escaped their cookie cutter molds early on.
I DID NOT see the ending coming, and to be honest, I got very worried. I've read 'Thicker Than Blood', also by these authors, and know just how ruthless they can be with their characters. They also don't shy away from the gore, which added a very unique slant to the story.
These writers write female friendships very well, and I loved the scenes between Mila and Nikki. They sounded adorable, and I could relate to their friendship very well. Nikki was also incredibly brave, and I'm glad she didn't fall by the wayside, but her character felt secure in the hands of these authors.
All in all, I enjoyed this more than most romances. I like this pairing of authors, and will continue to seek out their work.
The Land of Painted Caves
I'm out, I quit. What a load of shit. I'm actually quite angry at the moment. This is a series I have read over and over and have come to admire. This tripe does not belong with that series. THIS IS RUBBISH, it is crap, it should never have been released.The amount of spelling and grammatical errors I found would've been enough to put me off, but the lack of any kind of plot and RIDICULOUS character choices nailed the coffin shut.
I will never finish this book, and I don't fucking care to be honest.
What a load of shit.
Lilies For Love
Very much enjoyed, and I kind of like how long it's taking her to find out about her mother and father. Leaves the backbone of the story, while new plots crop up.I especially like the scenes between Janna and Hugh. I usually hate romance, but there's something about this one that I like. It's so inappropriate, as Janna constantly reminds us (and rightly so!) and I like how cautious she is. Not once does she 'throw caution to the winds' or anything stupid. In fact she leaves at the end of the book with even saying goodbye to Hugh! She knows they're too different to have a lasting romance and is trying to distance herself from him, while staying true to her quest. That is true character strength, and I admire it
I can only hope my local library makes with the goods tomorrow! (late night hours). I have 4, 5 and 6 on order :D Allegedly I've read 4, according to my Goodreads, but I remember little, and 5 and 6 are complete mysteries to me! I'm eager to finish this series - I've been reading it for about seven years now, I think.
The Shelters of Stone
Ohhh Miss Auel. I love this series, I really do, but unfortunately this is the book that has always held me back from the final book. I struggle to get through it.This book is 100% filler. Enjoyable filler, but filler nonetheless. Nothing. Happens. Whatsoever. Throughout. 800. Pages.
On this read through, I noticed more, read more into things that younger me skipped over. Ayla did the least amount of healing she's ever done in the series in this book, and I was saddened. I love reading about the healing.
This book contains some of the cheesiest dialogue, as well as the WORST sentences. I read several out loud, marvelling at how utterly ridiculous they were. VERY sloppy sentence structure sometimes. I was disappointed. It made the book feel cheapened, not as polished as the others.
This series has its ups and downs, and for me, this book is definitely one of the downs. However, I am finally, for the first time in five years, set up to read the final book. I can only hope there is some actual content in the last one.
Conversations with Spirits
An intrinsically woven story, laced with hints of humour and deeper issues.Trelawney Hart is a very well-rounded, 3D character. It's not hard to both love and hate him. He's a complete arsehole, but has also somehow managed to become one of my favourite fictional characters.
Incredibly researched, with an very distinct voice, Conversations with Spirits is a must read for fans of Sherlock Holmes. I drew the parallels between Hart and Holmes almost immediately. However, Hart is infinitely more human. His friendship with Billy was a source of happiness throughout the book. I loved the scenes of them together.
Beneath Hart's facade of drunken arseholishness lies deep grief. Having lost his wife, he seeks comfort from seances and the idea of the afterlife, until his cold, logical side caught up, turning him into the sceptic of sceptics.
Therefore, it was incredibly cruel what Price and Beasant did to him during the seance. Unravelling such a hard character really got to me. This was the part of the book that affected me the most.
Higgins is an author to watch. In fact, I'm incredibly disappointed there isn't another title of his that I can turn to immediately. Mr Higgins, if you read this, please take note of my displeasure. I demand another novel. You have too much talent to stop at one book!
Also, just adding my two cents for the fan cast - Ewan McGregor would be a perfect Trelawney, in my mind. In fact, I was picturing him throughout the book.
This is a very quotable novel, and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves. Well done, Mr Higgins, have yourself a cherry brandy.
The Storm
4.5. Left some things unanswered, but I enjoyed this one as well. Two book series are rare but refreshing.
Alienated
This book has officially taken the podium as my favourite read of 2015 (so far). I'm absolutely in love with this book and cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. I love Landers' writing style, and her characters are perfectly well-rounded. This book had me giggling like an idiot, and then gasping outloud the next page over. Sometimes I couldn't handle the awesomeness and just put it down for a moment, shrieked, and then kept reading.
Highly recommend, seriously, get your lookin' gear all over this book. Best romance I've ever read (and I'm not a romance fan, so go figure).
