Review: Warlock Holmes - A Study in Brimstone

Warlock Holmes - A Study in Brimstone by G.S. Denning
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I laughed so hard the whole way through this book.

As someone who is obsessed with all things Sherlock Holmes, from the original Conan Doyle stories to Basil The Great Mouse Detective, when I saw Warlock Holmes: A Study In Brimstone I knew I had to read it.

The cover itself is striking and gives you a hint about the madness that may lay inside and it is all things good! There are four of the stories re-imagined inside here now entitled: A Study In Brimstone, The Adventures of the Resident Sacrifice, The Case of the Cardboard... Case, The Adventure of the Yellow Bastard, The Adventure of the _eckled _and, and finally Charles Augustus Milverton: Soulbinder.

Each of these tales were charmingly familiar to the original stories, but with an added hint of wackiness that I could only compare to Douglas Adams. John Watson still serves as the voice of the adventures and the insight into what is happening. It's just that this time he happens to be the only humans with whom we interact, so it makes seeing all of the supernatural things through his eyes all the more believable because he is just like the reader. Well to be fair he handles things a lot more calmly than I would and is much better at solving crimes.

Warlock Holmes as a character is ridiculous and lovely and manages to parody everything about Sherlock Holmes that is quite frankly ridiculous when you examine it, but in Warlock he gets away with it because he has such a charming air about him. Even while he was dragging you along into misadventure I feel you couldn't help but like him. It makes sense that John goes along with it.

My stand out character though (and I hope to see more of him) is Vladislav Lestrade. Vampire. Nihilist Vampire. I adored him. I've had a soft spot for the detective since he was re-imagined in the BBC's adaptation of Sherlock, but in this book he also really jumps off the pages for me. None of the bumbling detective from the start this Lestrade prowls, is unnerving and also the perfect gentleman despite his blood drinking habits. LOVE HIM.

I don't want to give too much away with this review, because I am going to be waving this book at every single person that I can and making them read it, but all I am going to say is that ending has me mourning that it isn't May 2017 yet. Bring on The Battle of Baskerville Hall.

As a final note I would say that I'm often disappointed by Sherlock Holmes parodies. They show no love or affection for the original stories and just purely make a mockery, which is all good and fine in its place. However, I call this book a triumph and far superior to that. The neatness of the writing, the references and the obvious good time that the author had with this book? It's all led to an utter success of a novel in my eyes.

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Review: The Flame Never Dies

The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flame Never Dies is the second in a series that doesn't hold back. I have to admit that I haven't read the first one before reading this, as I was give a copy of this book for free for an honest review from NetGalley. That being said Rachel Vincent's world building was good enough that I didn't feel lost for long and the customers were fleshed out so well that I immediately understood the group dynamics.

I have read Vincent's Unbound series before and so I wasn't surprised by the quality of relationships portrayed, but the dystopian setting of this book gave the relationships a deeper bonding this time round AND there was noticeable attention to relationships outside of the romantic ones. I loved the grouchy Devi and the sweet Maddock.

I don't want to ruin anything, but I was also impressed by the layers and tricks that were woven into the plotline. Some of them I figured out and I looked forward to their reveal, but these more obvious ones hid the sly twists that hit you in the gut. Leading to some scenes that were incredibly hard to read and I had to take a pause occasionally.

The ending sets up easily for the next in the series (I assume?!) and I am intrigued to find out how this rag tag band of misfits manages to survive... or not? You just never know!

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Review: London Belongs to Us

London Belongs to Us by Sarra Manning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Be still my beating heart. Jean Luc, you scowling Frenchman. I think I am in love. Can't beat a surly bloke in my eyes.

Ahem. Now onto the rest of this review.

This really is a love story to London. Our capital city that is always bustling in one of its boroughs, with the people and the sheer life and joy it holds. I have to say that in this time, when there is so much worry about just wandering around the city streets, it was a real pleasure to just wander round the city and see it through the eyes of Sunny. She is bright and innocent and while trying to find her douche of a boyfriend, and she ends up finding herself through London.

It's a riot of a ride and you never know what is going to happen next or where Sunny will go next and that is the thrill of this book. The wild characters and just everything about the writing of this story talks about the joy of London, even when awful things happen there is a community that cannot be denied.

I loved it. Every single second.

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Review: Tall Oaks

Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tall Oaks is a fascinating novel from debut author Chris Whitaker. The blurb on the back totally sucks you in and the book itself doesn't disappoint.

There's action right from the start as you're dropped right into the middle of it. Harry Monroe has been taken and this small community is reeling from it and trying to carry on as usual. There are moments of comedy (mostly surrounding the hysterical Manny and his friends) amidst the utter grief that seeps through the rest of the characters. You become attached to characters at one moment and then with a turn of the page no longer know if you can trust them. I've never read anything that made me doubt my instincts quite as much as this title.

I don't want to risk giving too much away, but the characters are engaging and you can identify with them for a multitude of different reasons and I couldn't say that I had a particular favorite. It is the whole cast of them that make this title, not one of them could have carried the story alone. Jim, the cop, who would have usually been the one to carry such a story on his shoulders has too many cracks to be able to survive the attention on him for the whole novel and the author handles this beautifully.

The ending of this book with stay with you a long time. I couldn't stop thinking about it last night because of the haunting way the series of events is explained.

I really feel that this was an excellent first novel and makes me hungry to see what comes next!

Buy Tall Oaks: Tall Oaks


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Review: Order in the Court

Order in the Court by Casey Lawrence
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book from NetGalley for a honest review.

I have to admit I didn't realise this was the second book in the series when I started it, but I actually think this works quite well as a stand alone novel even though I am going to pick the first one up to see even more of the backstory.

This book has some really important issues in it that I've never seen put together before, but it was written in such a way that it didn't feel like the author was throwing in issues just for the sake of it. Everything had a purpose and furthered the story line. One especially telling moment was when Corey was told that if she played up to the Asian stereotype then she jury was more likely to listen to her side of the story. Unfair? Absolutely. True? Sadly, it probably is. Appearances being deceiving are a huge part of this book and I felt like that moment really encompassed it.

The only downside that I found with this book was the was that the story jumped about, it made it quite hard to follow, and everything seemed to happen so quickly. There were so many fascinating characters and the potential was enormous that I would have enjoyed seeing it just a little more. The ending especially felt a little rushed to me, though I would hasten to add that it wasn't a bad ending!

Over all I went into this title totally blind and enjoyed it. I read it in one sitting and was certainly fast paced enough to keep pulling you along! It deals with issues within the LGBT community where Corey is bi-sexual and finds it difficult from a multiple of people to be able to accept that about her, she's suffering from PTSD and at the same time trying to live her life in the aftermath of something truly horrific. With the wrong protagonist it really wouldn't have worked but she is very relateable, likeable and flawed just like the rest of us!
Order In The Court

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Review: Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recieved a copy of this title from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Firstly I wanted to read this title because it is ridiculously pretty. The cover caught me instantly and I was so happy when I was able to get it. This style follows throught the whole volume and even the grotesque in it is somehow beautiful.

There is a bit of confusion about the world and what exactly is going on, that I didn't feel was entirely cleared up, but this is the first of many so I am willing to let that unfold. There is more than enough action going on to satisfy me when reading anyway!

The heroine is a mystery and delightfully frank in her actions. She is clearly on a mission and I will be picking up the second volume to find out what that is, and hopefully build upon the world and make it as rich as it deserves to be.

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Review: Truly Madly Guilty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my very first Liane Moriarty book, which astonishes me now I think about it and it won't be my last.

I have to admit that at first I found the start of the book a little slow for my personal taste, I was almost fed up with the mystery surrounding the day of the barbecue. I wanted to know and see why the fall out was so great! However, the deeper into the book I started to better understand Moriarty's technique and it made the plot richer.

There are seven central characters that you follow through the plotline and you see how the effects of a tragic incident effects them, while having to guess what it is that made them feel so guilty. I actually figured out what the incident was, I feel like the hints about it are a little unsubtle, but what it was totally explained why the characters were finding it so difficult to move on.

Erika and Oliver were the couple that I felt grew the most in the book. They have both had terrible childhoods, though you see more intensely Erika's back story. I think that Moriarty wrote her especially well, a woman who already had a mental illness with added stress? It was always going to be a tough call. Her husband, Oliver, I think was my favourite character. He's often underestimated by every character apart from Erika. He's insightful and smart and often in the book the only one who speaks any sense!

Clementine and Sam were infuriating for most of the book. I kept getting frustrated with them and the fact that they wouldn't just talk to each other. This does get explained later on in the book in a way that I was satisfied by, but I still don't exactly thing Clementine is a nice person. Of all the characters we meet she is the most self-centered!

Tiffany, Vid and Dakota are a charming family. They started of as quite unappealing, but they actually really grew on me. Tiffany is such a deep character and the caring and thought she shows for her daughter is lovely. I feel with her Moriarty is really pushing home that a woman can be beautiful, not just beautiful SEXY, and be smart.

There are a few plot holes and confusing transitions that I assume will be ironed out by the time of publication, so overall I really enjoyed this book and am pleased I gave it a shot.

~I recieved a free copy of this book for a honest review~

This review and others is also posted on: http://belleblogsbooks.blogspot.co.uk/


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