Reviews

The Son of Sobek

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The Son of Sobek by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this e-book short story, Carter Kane is investigating rumoured sightings of a monster on Long Island when he runs into something else: a mysterious boy named Percy Jackson. And their meeting isn’t exactly friendly. . . .

My Thoughts:

I haven’t read the three books in the Kane Chronicles but I am a Percy Jackson Fan. I found The Son of Sobek to be a Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles short story mash up – which I quite liked. I needed a quick Percy fix and this did it, even though Carter was the narrator. It’s a fast paced, quick story to read and I would highly recommend it to any Carter Kane or Percy Jackson fan! Both Carter and Percy can tell that they are not from the same worlds but they come to an understudying, they come to a truce to fight a common foe (a monster) and at the end Riordan seems to be setting up what could be a very interesting and entertaining coming together of the Carter Kane and Percy Jackson worlds.

Four out of Five Stars.

The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2)

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The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn’t ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely — enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second instalment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

My Thoughts:

There was so much going on and so much happening in this book I’m not sure where to begin.

Non-stop action. More New Characters. Percy Jackson back and better than ever, even with the Hera brought on case of amnesia he has at the start of the book.

This book pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. I’m hanging out to read the next one! These books really do keep getting better and better!!!

I actually shed a tear when Tyson & Mrs O’Leary re-enter the story, lovingly and longingly looking for Percy. My husband asked me what was wrong and I blurted out something along the lines of “Poor Tyson he keeps looking for Percy and whenever he manages to track him, by the time he gets there Percy gone, poor adorable sweet Tyson’’ my husband just stared at me so I gave up trying to explain. I’m sure any of you who’ve met Tyson in the previous books will totally understand why I got upset reading about the kind hearted Cyclopes distraught looking for his brother. I was so happy Tyson & Mrs O’Leary got to join in the fight to save Camp Jupiter. The image of Percy riding Mrs O’Leary into battle ready was fantastic.

The last pages see the ‘Greek’ warship Argo 2 descending into the ‘Roman’ Camp Jupiter and you just know that the next books going to be just as good if not better!!

Five out of Five Stars – Outstanding and Spellbinding!!

Breakfast in Bed

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Breakfast In Bed by Robert Zimmermann

Goodreads Synopsis:

Erotic Romance flash fiction story – about 600 words in length.

Julie isn’t a morning person, but her husband Nick knows just the right way to wake her up.

 

My Thoughts:

Normally I don’t read from this genre but as the Author was Mr Zimmermann, whose Book Reviews and Poetry I enjoy reading, I thought I’d give it ago.

I was pleasantly surprised. We are given an intimate encounter between a husband and wife who still very much enjoy each other. Zimmermann gives us a sneak peak into the lives of Nick and Julie and we get to share in their morning ritual.

I read the story to my husband (that maybe too much information) and he enjoyed the story also.

So all in all you’ll find Breakfast in Bed to be a sweet little ‘love’ story for both sexes to enjoy – maybe even together 😛

The Visitor (4th of 18 Reacher Novels)

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The Visitor (4th of 18 Reacher Novels) by Lee Child

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sergeant Amy Callan and Lieutenant Caroline Cook have a lot in common. High-flying army career women, both are victims of sexual harassment from their superiors; both are force to resign from the service.

And now they’re both dead.

Their unmarked bodies are discovered in their homes, naked, in baths filled with army-issue camouflage paint. Expert FBI psychological profilers start to hunt for a serial murderer, a smart guy with a score to settle, a loner, an army man, a ruthless vigilante known to them both.

Jack Reacher, a former US military cop, is a smart guy, a loner and a drifter, as tough as they come. He knew both victims. For Agent-in-Charge Nelson Blake and his team, he’s the perfect match. They’re sure only Reacher has the answers to their burning questions: how did these women die? And why?

My Thoughts:

This book picks up right where Tripwire finishes. I was sucked in from the first page and didn’t want to put it down. We get the continuation and end of the Jodie and Reacher’s love story. I really enjoyed having Jodie in last two books, her character made Reacher’s seem more real, more desirable, more human and less superman. But I’d advise you to read Tripwire first or the whole Jodie thing won’t mean as much to you.

I’ve said it before but I love how Mr Child and his Jack Reacher always keep you guessing. You think Reacher’s a goner but he always manages to get himself out. This book has all the fast paced page turning action and thrilling mystery you’d expect from a Reacher novel, but the twist, the who done it, I won’t say anymore or give anything away, but it’s my favourite yet!

Five out of Five stars for another enthralling Reacher investigation.

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus)

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The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jason has a problem.

He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids”, as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret.

Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools.

His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

My thoughts:

I was found it really hard to decide between 4 or 5 stars – This book is fast paced and I found it really enjoyable.

I was hesitant to delve into the next Demigod Hero series by Riordan knowing that Percy Jackson wasn’t going to be that main character all the time. I’m glad I did. With every Percy Jackson book I got drawn into his world a little bit more and that continued with this book.

So it seems with this series we still get all our favourite characters from the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, plus we get new demigod heroes.

In this book we get three new heroes and it really does open up endless possibilities and breathe new life into the world that Riordan has created. I really enjoyed this book, maybe even more than the Percy Jackson books, but they all tie in together and I think I really liked this book as much as I did because I already cared about the background characters, Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, Rachel etc.

In this the first of the ‘Heroes of Olympus’ series The Lost Hero (1 of 5), Riordan gives us four new characters you can’t help but like – Jason, Piper, Leo & Coach Hedge. “What about a compromise? I’ll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I’ll apologize.” (Coach Hedge) Rick Riordan, The Lost Hero.

It took me Four-Five books to fall in love with Percy, I liked him for the very start, but he really got me in the last two ‘The Battle of the Labyrinth’ and ‘The Last Olympian’. Just after this one book I’m already in love with Leo Valdez.  “Can we just call them storm spirits?” Leo asked. “Venti makes them sound like evil espresso drinks.” (Leo Valdez) Rick Riordan, The Lost Hero. Obviously when I say ‘in love’ I don’t mean romantically, just that I adore the Characters. I’m too old to romantically fall for the characters but I can see girls going crazy for them and I can imagine a younger version of myself going crazy for them!

Tripwire (3rd of 18 Reacher Novels)

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Tripwire (3rd of 18 Reacher Novels) by Lee Child

Goodreads synopsis:

Jack Reacher, ex-military policeman relaxed in Key West until Costello turned up dead. The amiable PI was hired in New York by the daughter of Reacher’s mentor and former commanding officer, General Garber. Garber’s investigation into a Vietnam MIA sets Reacher on collision with hand-less “Hook” Hobie, hours away from his biggest score.

My thoughts:

This book grabbed me that’s for sure, I didn’t want to put it down. This book has all the fast paced page turning action and thrilling mystery of the other Reacher novels I’ve read, but also you get to see the more loving side of Reacher through his relationship with Jodie. I would like to think he sticks with Jodie, but I know from reading later penned Reacher books that she’s nowhere to be found, maybe later I’ll come across another book that will tell me what happened to her and General Garber’s house. I really like how with Lee Child we get a running account of all the big players in the story and how they always all come together at the end somehow. I always find myself trying to guess the puzzle, then he gives you another piece and you’ve got to guess again. Mr Child and his Jack Reacher always keep you guessing.

Four out of five stars for another enthralling Reacher investigation.

The Demigod Diaries (Heroes of Olympus)

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The Demigod Diaries (Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Synopsis:

What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn’t take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads” (“who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion…all in one hour or less?

With his trademark wit and creativity, Rick Riordan answers these questions and more in three never-before-seen short stories that provide vital back-story to the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson books. Original art, enlightening character interviews and profiles, puzzles, and a quiz add to the fun in this action-packed collection.

My thoughts:

I found it very cute the way Riordan set up and linked the short stories as a training manual for Demigods. While I only gave this three stars as an adult, I think if I were a young teen (the demographic that this books is aimed at) I would go crazy over this and have loved it.

In this book we get a story from Luke Castellan’s point of view, a first-person Percy Jackson story, a Leo Valdez story and a short story debut from Riordan’s sixteen year old son Haley.

I will add that the short story by Haley Riordan is quite good and I think he’ll be an emerging author to watch.

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5)

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The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Synopsis:

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows.

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate

My Thoughts: 

NOOOOOO!!!! It’s over. I just wanted to keep reading, I couldn’t stop! I’ve got a major book hangover now, I don’t want to move on. I want to know how Percy and Annabeth’s lives turn out.

This the final instalment of the Percy Jackson series is fast paced from the start and I LOVED the opening line: ‘’The end of the world started when a Pegasus landed on the hood of my car’’ Blackjack is pure awesomeness in Pegasus form. Action, action, action, Kronos defeated (for now!), Nico getting his chance to shine, a twist with Rachel Elizabeth Dare and even a little bit of romance, Percy and Annabeth together at last. There is so much packed into this book, but it flows wonderfully. It also finishes leading the way for Riordan’s follow up series ‘’Heroes of Olympus’’ which gives us a fresh new bunch half-blood campers to get to know and have adventures with.

I wasn’t all that drawn in when I first started to read this series, but oh boy in the end it got me. I’ve just downloaded ‘’The Demigod Diaries’’ short stories involving well you guessed it Demigods, then I guess I’m going to have to purchase and read the “Heroes of Olympus” book series so I can keep living in this world Riordan has created (I better get my looooong to read down a little bit first, or the husband will be mad at me for buying more books hehehehehe)

Brilliant!! Five Stars!! Mr Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)

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The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Synopsis:

Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

In this fourth instalment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth – a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.

My Thoughts:

Oh wow, jam packed teenage action awesomeness!! This the fourth book of the Percy Jackson series and is By Far My Favourite (so far). So much happens in this instalment and the ending leaves you wanting to open the fifth book straight away.

I don’t even know where to begin.

All my favourite characters back together, Tyson, Percy, Grover & Annabeth Yay!!! And they all return alive by a mortal miracle. There’s danger at every turn, Pan is found, non-stop action the whole way though, Kronos awakens. We even get some teen angst romance in this instalment. This book reads really fast because you don’t want to put it down. But I will point out that you have to read the previous three books to know the characters backgrounds and to understand the drama or otherwise you’d be like “what the hell are these teenagers running around doing”.

Five Stars!!!!!

Well that’s all I’m going to say, I’m off to read number five now!!!!!

From Where I Stand

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From Where I Stand, Poetry by Robert Zimmermann

Goodreads Synopsis:

From Robert Zimmermann comes From Where I Stand, an emotional debut poetry collection. Zimmermann explores strained parental relationships, loss of life, and the despair associated with grief. Alongside these darker themes, he delves into the small areas of life that often go unnoticed but become the hope we are searching for.

My thoughts:

Just from reading the forward you already know your about to see a man’s soul laid raw on the pages that follow!

Now normally I look for myself in poetry and I find the more I’ll like a poem is due to whether or not I can place its emotions in my past or present. I went into this collection telling myself, you are not looking for yourself, you are here to learn about this man. Robert really has given us a look at the emotions and experiences he has been exposed to. After reading this collection of poetry I appreciate the man whose blog I’ve come to enjoy reading even more.

I really do think this is a great collection of work. Yes I did prefer the poems I could find myself in, but I found myself drawn into all the poems and at times wanting to jump through the pages into the past and smack Robert’s father in the face.

I find it hard to say I enjoyed these poems, because there is a lot of pain and anger and you can’t really enjoy that, but the collection was emotionally beautiful and I am glad I read it and I will read it again I am sure.

I read to experience what my life can’t give me and to escape my day to day and this book certainly did that, it took me and placed me in another’s life.

I would recommend this collection not just for poetry fans, as I think it’s more of a book for people who like to feel what others feel, to get a glimpse into other peoples life, anyone with empathy could get into this book.

 

I hope that makes sense, I am rather nervous writing a review on Robert’s work as I enjoy reading his reviews, oh dear, better go have some wine now!