The time hunters saga: review

Hello readers! I’m finally back with a review!

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This will be a general review of the first five installment in the series. There’s a sixth book that I didn’t read yet.

Title: The Time hunters

Author: Carl Ashmore

Genre: Sci -fi/Time Travel/Young Adult

General rating: 5/5

Add on: Goodreads

The time hunters is a great series, and even if GR says that’s young adult, an older middle-grade reader will find it really entreating.

I found it by chance on Amazon unlimited, and quickly became addicted, I easily gave all the first 4 books in the series 5 stars on GR, except for the fifth, with a solid 3 stars.

The plot is simple, at the beginning: Joe and Becky, brother and sister, are invited to spend the summer holidays with their Uncle Percy, an eccentric man who lives at Bowen Hall. They didn’t know that Uncle Percy is a time traveller!

Each book is set in a different era, a bunch of characters are a costant in every story, and it’s fascinating to read all their adventures. The reader will encounter a lot of famous character and creatures (yes, even dinosaurs!) during the time travels.

There are the villains, and they are really mean. There’s a great sense of family and friendship, to try to being kind and do the right things, but the books deal also with some darker pages of our history, like the Olocaust. Keep that in mind for younger readers.

I found myself crying and laughing and hold my breath during my reading sessions, and with the progress of the series, the plot became more violent, and darker and complicated, that’s why the fifth book hasn’t reached the 5 stars for me.

I still reccomend this underrated series, if you have read it or plan to, feel free to comment below! I would love to hear your opinion!

Wrap Up: August 2021

Hello readers! This time I’m not late to write my wrap up!

In August I managed to read 11 books with 1 DNF.

5 and 4 stars:

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I haven’t great expectations about Spectacle, due to the others reviews on Goodreads. Well, it turns out I’ve loved it! Can’t wait to read the second installment.

Maybe you don’t know, but I have 2 autoimmune disease, and The immune System recovery plan was very interesting!

3 stars:

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Murder in the caravan is the fourth installment in the Redmond and Haze mystery series. It was not as excellent as the others.

A lovely illustrated book about the Tooth Fairy, because You think it’s easy being the Tooth Fairy? Well, not so much.

2 stars:

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I really liked the fantasy part of Daughter of smoke and bone, but not the romance.

Il figlio del vampiro (eighth grade bites) was probably more agreeable for younger reader!

I’m preparing for Halloween, and One Eyed doll was on Scribd! Dolls are so creepy…

I’ve finally read all the 779 pages of La verità sul caso Harry Quebert (The truth about Harry Quebert affair) and I still think that Marcus is an idiot. Also, the author seems to dislike women.

1 star + DNF:

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I had to DNF A knife in the fog due to the lack of action. I was bored but I’ll try again in the future.

The perfectly fine house has a great concept: in a different reality where all the houses have at least a ghost, what happened to a not infested home? Unfortunately, the plot doesn’t follow this idea.

I think I’m not the type to enjoy contemporary books like Insifignicant events in the life of a cactus, but I really like the title.

And that’s all!!

Wrap Up: July 2021

Hello readers! I know I’m late, I’m so sorry. I thought I had time to write at the end of July, and then time flies and I was in vacation.

Anyway, in July I managed to read 12 books!

5 stars:

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A nature journal full of magnificent illustrations, Secrets of a Devon Wood is a beauty, perfect to gift to someone who loves nature!

The time hunters and the the sword of ages is the fourth book in the series, I can only say my heart is broken after finished it.

4 stars:

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Araminta Spookie and the her haunted house is so cute and with a lovely ending! Perfect to read in October, that’s why I’m reading it in July, I’m preparing for Halloween.

The Moria pearls is the second book in the Lady Diviner series. A delightful series with two lovely and brave ladies as MC.

I’ll never have the time to bake all the marvellous cakes and cookies in the book, so I dream about desserts with Baking with Mary Berry.

3 stars:

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I’ve listened to the audiobook version of Rebecca, very well done, maybe now I’ll watch the movie on Netflix.

Ghoulia has really cool illustrations, but the plot was a little weak, maybe it’s for younger readers.

The time hunters and the lost city is the fifth installment of the series, there are a lot of dramas and revelations, and I didn’t like the dark way the plot has turn.

1 star + DNF:

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The immortal Prudence Blackwood has an interesting premise, but it’s strange and it has failed to keep my attention.

A wonderful cover isn’t enough if the book seems to be written by a robot, totally empty of emotions, that’s why I DNFed The Queen’s poisoner.

The lost property office is the perfect example of a male author who isn’t good at writing female characters.

Shatter me was on my shelf since… 2017 I think. I didn’t like it, dystopian and romance are not my fave genres.

And that’s all!

Have you read some great books during July?

Cover reveal: Shade by Chad Nicholas

Hello readers! I’m back from the land of not knowing how to survive without a proper treatment for my chronic illness to reveal the cover and the synopsis of the new book of Chad Nicholas.

I’ve read Nightmare by the same author last year, and I really liked! It’s a horror story with some disturbing elements, so please be aware.

Title: Shade

Author: Chad Nicholas

Release date: October 5th, 2021

Pre order on Amazon.com

Synopsis:

All they had to do was catch him.

At first, it was just another case, just another serial killer to stop. They had done it countless times before; this time shouldn’t have been any different, but soon days turned into weeks. Desperation set in, and the victims started getting younger. What were they missing? Why couldn’t they save the victims? They would have given their own lives to stop the monster, to finally put an end to his killing spree. In the end, they almost succeeded.

But then, eight months ago, everything went wrong.

From the aftermath of one monster, a new one is born; a killer more lethal than they could have possibly imagined, like something ripped straight out of their worst nightmares. With it comes a new potential victim struggling with the skeletons in her own closet and the guilt of past mistakes. The longer she waits for the new monster to find her, to kill her, the more she questions if, deep down, she wants him to.

The desperate hunt for a serial killer, an ex-soldier losing his grip on reality, and a victim who’s not sure she’s worth saving come together as past and present intertwine, in this explosive psychological thriller that begs the question:

Can you stop a monster without becoming one?

It’s a perfect book to read during October (Halloween Time! Can’t wait!!)

Wrap Up: June 2021

Hello readers!

We are now fully in summer, long days, a lot of sun, and I don’t have the willpower to read…

Anyway, in June I’ve managed to read 11 books, and I’m still 2 books behind on my Goodreads challenge.

5 stars:

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A ghost in the theatre is another great installment in the Ruby and Nessa Ghost hunters series! It’s funny and full of different characters, and also different ghosts!

A me le guardie! is the italian version of Guards!Guards! and I think I’ve never laughed so much and so hard with a fantasy book.

4 stars:

First in a trilogy, Ra the Mighty: cat detective is a great middle grade book about the cat of the Pharaoh and his friend, a scarab. They investigate all around the palace, and it’s great because of the setting, the location, and Ra, a wonderful but sometimes lazy black cat.

3 stars:

Unfortunately, Unlikely friendships gain only 3 stars for me, when Unlikely Loves has gained 5 solid stars. It’s sadder than the other one, and I knew some of the stories.

2 stars:

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Molte vite, un solo amore (lots of lives, one love) is a non-fiction book about reincarnation and soulmates. The more I think about it, the more I didn’t like the ideas behind this book.

How to talk in a humourous way about demons and exorcisms? Simple, write When life gives you demons. I really like the title and the cover, but it’s very superficial.

You are invited has the potential to be a great horror/gothic book… but it fails along the way. I was expecting more horror scenes, more ghosts, and then nothing, only human greed and influencer.

1 star/DNF:

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La fiera is a horror novella (22 pages), and it’s too short to develop a story.

I thought I will love Frozen Charlotte: creepy dolls, setting at the Isle of Skye in Scotland… In fact, I hated it. The author seems to hate Scottish people, and there’s a lot of violence againt animals and unrequited love. No thanks.

Loveless, childless, clueless and memoryless, I’ll add. I can’t remember a single thing about this book.

I’m the heartless person who DNF a middle grade book like The Unimaginary friend. Yes, I am.

And that’s all!

Happy reading month!

The ABC Book Challenge (L)

Hello! How’s everyone doing?

The challenge is to post some books that I loved and some books that are still on my TBR (please TBR, don’t hurt me), corresponding to each letter of the alphabet.

Personally, I found this challenge on A Book. A Thought. Go and check this great blog!

Please remember that maybe some books will be in Italian. I will write the English title too.

Previous Post:

The ABC Book Challenge (A)

The ABC Book Challenge (B)

The ABC Book Challenge (C)

The ABC Book Challenge (D)

The ABC Book Challenge (E)

The ABC Book Challenge (F)

The ABC Book Challenge (G)

The ABC Book Challenge (H)

The ABC Book Challenge (I)

The ABC book challenge (J)

The ABC book challenge (K)

Memorable books:

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I will probably never stop talking about how much I love The Last necromancer, sorry about that. I’ve read The Lady jewel diviner this year and it’s a lovely regency mystery/romance; if you love art you need to read Lettere a Theo (letters to Theo) the collection of letters written by Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. Un lavoro sporco (A dirty job) is the book that introduces me to Christopher Moore, but after years I have a relationship of love/hate with his books.

Books on my TBR:

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Have you read some of these books?

Any reccomendation?

Until next time, happy reading!

Wrap up: May 2021

Hello readers!

We are finally in June, do you like the summer days or you prefer colder months like me? I suffer the heat, and I’m still waiting for the Covid-19 vaccine…

Anyway, in May I’ve read 11 books, with one DNF.

5 stars:

Only this book has gained 5 stars: Unlikely loves is so beautiful I’m still crying only thinking about it. It talks about love between different species of animals. One of my favorite stories is about a male zebra and a female donkey.

4 stars:

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A prequel novella to The Lady Diviner series, A pendant for trouble tells us how Elinor well… gets in trouble (nothing serious) and how she turn to live in the country. I missed Miss Zooth here!

A collection of drawings by Dorè, all about London. Beautiful.

I found A ghost in the garden on Kindle Unlimited (Italy) and immediately began to read it (I read everything with ghosts) and I’ve loved it! Ruby and Nessa are hilarious MC, the story is interesting and captivating.

3 stars:

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I’ve loved the previous two volumes of this series, but Murder at the mill was a little downhill for me. The murder was gruesome, but predictable, and Captain Redmond wasn’t on the scene for most of the book.

I wasn’t expecting much from Alex Van Helsing, Vampire Rising, but in fact is was really enjoyable and well written!

2 stars:

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It pains so much to gave 2 stars to these 2 books: from The Devil apprentice I was expecting something different, more adult fantasy and more horror, but it reminds me a YA or older middle grade, and the plot wasn’t convincing me; the cover of The claws of evil is one of the best I’ve ever seen, but the plot is too similar to the movie “I, Frankenstein”. Like they are the same. And the MC isn’t too bright…

1 star + DNF:

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The DNF of the month is The Hangman’s daughter: I was at about 30% of the ebook, and the daughter was in like… two pages? Also, I hate when the summary isn’t correct.

I’ve read Paper magician in italian, so I don’t know if it was also a problem of translation, but oh my, I hated Ceony. And the part inside the heart? So weird.

Dumas is one of my fave classic author, but L’assassinio di Rue Saint-Roch (Murder on Rue Saint-Roch) was just bad, always talking if was a copy of The murders on Rue morgue (Poe) or not. Poe was better Monsieur Dumas, I’m sorry.

How was your reading month? Have you read some beautiful books?

Tell me in the comments!

Wrap Up: April 2021

Hello readers! I was trying to be more active on the blog… and I’ve failed. I’m sorry!

Anyway, in April I’ve read a total of 12 books with 1 DNF.

5 stars:

Only one book earns 5 stars this month: Empire of ruins is the third volume in the Hunchback Assignments series, and I’ve loved so much! Action, adventure, Egyptian ruins in Australia…

4 stars:

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The last volume in the Art & Design dedicated to The Hobbit movies has plenty of awesome arts and details.

The audiobook version of The sleeper and the spindle was so good!

Modo: Ember’s end is a graphic novel featuring Modo and Octavia from The hunchback assignments series. It was fantastic!

3 stars:

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Trapped in room 217 was another great volume in the Haunted States of America series. The setting is the notorious room 217 of The Stanley Hotel, Colorado. If you are a Stephen King fan, you know that hotel.

Island of doom, the last volume in The hunchback assignments series was a bit disappointing. I’ve read immediately after Empire of Ruins, but is seems like the author was in a rush to finish it. Too much drama between the characters too.

2 stars:

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I’ve loved Bring me their hearts, the first volume of this series by Sara Wolf. So what happened here with Find me their bones? Why Zera, our Heartless MC has become a whiny girl with a love story “Twilight”style? Why the plot was so boring? I don’t know, but I don’t want to finish this series. Oh, and I really dislike the new covers!

Highgate is such an interesting and beautiful cemetery, and I was eager to read something set in this location, but Highgate by Struthers was a sad sad book with little to zero paranormal elements and a lot of violence against women.

The thorn queen is a strange book: beautiful cover, great prose, interesting plot… but with a confusing description of the characters and too many fantasy elements in a middle grade/YA book.

1 star/DNF:

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The big bow mystery is the first locked-room mystery, as you can see on the cover, and it’s the last one (of this series) for me. Incredibly boring.

The bear who wouldn’t leave is a horror story with a possessed Teddy Bear. Too short to fully develop a plot.

And the DNF of the month is The Mangle Street murders! I can’t stand shitty male main characters and male authors who aren’t capable of writing female characters.

And that was my reading month! Hope yours was better than mine!

Wrap Up: March 2021

Hello readers! March seems always eternal to me, like January XD

In March I managed to read 12 book with 1 DNF.

5 stars:

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You can read my fangirling review of Constantine Capers here. I’ve loved it so much.

Even if I’ve read the first volume in Italian, I had to buy the other books in English, since they stopped publishing it in my country. The Sleepwalker tonic is even better than the first volume.

4 stars:

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I’ve read My Fair Footman online, I really like the drawing style!

Everyone has read The Prince and the Dressmaker has loved it, and now I understand why!

3 stars:

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Widdershins is loved and famous, but I didn’t felt the same love for it. It’s cute sometimes, but it’s also painful.

Miranda and Me is not exactly a book, but there are plenty of photos of dogs, and ducks, and I love dogs ❤

I’ve finally read the Italian version of Shakespeare’s Sonnets! Some of them are beautiful, but some of them are not translated in the best possible way.

The fear hunter is cozy mystery with a little bit of magic and a male love interest that’s like Dwayne The Rock Johnson, just in case you’re interested ;-p

2 stars:

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I was super interested in Mama’s last hug, but I liked only the first and the second chapter. A lot of notions and “discoveries” are well known to every pet owner/lover, and I didn’t appreciated the mentions of experiments on the animals.

The sixth victim talks about the murders of Jack The Ripper… The second POV of the book is much more interesting that the one of MC.

1 star/DNF:

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Hippo instead of horses or cars? Sounds good, right? Well, no.

Do you want to feel confused and in desperate need of taking notes because the plot is absurdly complicated? Welcome to The Hotel Between!!

And that was my reading month! How was yours?

Tell me in the comments!

ARC Review: Constantine Capers, the Pennington Perplexity

Title: Constantine Capers: The Pennington perplexity

Author: Natalie Brianne

Expected publication: March 16th 2021

Genre: historical fiction, crime, romance, steampunk.

Trigger warning: death, memory loss, kidnapping, violence, blood.

Add on: Goodreads

Goodreads rating: 4.33/5

My rating: 5/5

Summary:

You wouldn’t expect a detective with Sherlockian deductive skills to have amnesia, but Byron Constantine is hardly the detective you’d expect.

London 1888

Aspiring artist Mira Blayse isn’t concerned with upper-tier society or conforming to Victorian expectations—she has a murder to solve. At least, she thinks it was murder. Her parents’ deaths in 1870 couldn’t have been by accident, but the more she investigates, the less she seems to find. Sitting at a café, she sketches a mysterious stranger, not realizing that she’s penciling in the features of the man who will help her solve the case once and for all.

Byron Constantine lives day-to-day, desperately trying to hold onto his memories, only for them to slip through his fingers. Some days, he doesn’t even know that he’s lost four years of his life. As he manages to continue his work as a private detective, he realizes that maybe he doesn’t need his memory after all. That is until he wants to remember Mira Blayse.

With her keen eye for detail and his remarkable deductive skills, the two become entangled in a criminal investigation. As they uncover the secrets of the past, they must work together to stop history from repeating itself again.

Review:

I absolutely adored this book! I usually like historical crime fiction, so I was expecting to enjoy it, but in the end I was totally in love with the characters, in particular with Byron Constantine, the male MC. It’s unusual for me to fell in love with a character like this, but believe me, even if he has memory loss, Byron is a gentleman, kind and honest soul. He is protective and attentive to Mira, and he worries for her cat, Nero, all alone at home without food.

As an owner of a black cat too (Hello Kiki!) I found lovely and admirable to integrate so much Nero in the plot. So basically, everytime Nero or Byron where on the scene I was like this:

Even if I’m not good at drawing, I instantly feel a connection with Mira too, the female MC, with her personality, her strenght and her independence!
The mystery is well developed, captivating and intense, but the strong part of this book, for me, is about the characters.
All of them are well described, with a unique voice. You can tell the difference between them even from the dialogues, as it will always be, as it is in the real world.

The historical part, and even the fantasy/steampunk one is well researched. It’s set in 1888, so my weird part obsessed with Jack The Ripper is satisfied too.
I totally recommend this book to all the historical fiction lovers! And I can’t wait for a new installment!
Thanks a lot to Natalie for writing such an amazing book, definitely will be one of my fave reads of 2021! And thanks to Booksirens for another amazing ARC.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.