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Zafia

My slice of heaven



2021 BOOKS

"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. " -- Rose Kennedy



“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. ”  -- Plato



“The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living. ”  -- Marcus Tullius Cicero



“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not a mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition and of unspeakable love. ”  -- Washington Irving



“We all wear masks and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing our own skin.”  -- André Berthiaume



“I am an invisible man. No I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe: Nor am I one of your Hollywood movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, simply because people refuse to see me.”  -- Ralph Ellison



“Without knowledge, life is no more than the shadow of death.”  -- Molière



“Everyone calls himself a friend, but only a fool relies on it: nothing is commoner than the name, nothing rarer than the thing.”  -- Jean de La Fontaine



“Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.”  -- Jean de La Fontaine


 

Hardship (Theirs Not to Reason Why #4) by Jean Johnson

Hardship - Jean Johnson

This one felt like it had slightly more action in it and I loved that. I think the Salik species is rather interesting, despite their food choice. I'm not a fan of the meddling of the Feyoris, but hopefully most if not all will have been squashed now. I'm really looking forward to reading the conclusion, only I don't think it'll have a happy end. I'll have to wait and see.

I'm curious as to see where Harper is gonna end up, because it doesn't sound like he is gonna stick. I loved Mara in this one - I hope she'll survive,

1

Hellfire (Theirs Not to Reason Why #3) by Jean Johnson

Hellfire (Theirs Not to Reason Why) - ACE

I would say so far that this series is very consistent with the writing style and I quite like that. I love Ia and what she does, not to mention why and how. There was this one particular scene I read a couple of times, just because it's so very well written and emotional. I don't like Sung, but the scene was great. I'm not sure I like Harper though. I think he is slightly annoying, but brilliant and helpful in what Ia needs fixing. I'm just not sure I care for the romance aspect. I can't wait to read the next book, because the ending ended in a cliffy and I want to see the result of it.

4

An Officer's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why #2) by Jean Johnson

An Officer's Duty: Theirs Not to Reason Why Series, Book 2 - Jean Johnson

I think if possible that this was slightly better than the first book. I absolutely adore Ia, not only her skills but her amazing will power and strength. I think she is one of my all time favorite female characters. The plot was wicked cool and I was thrilled to be able to follow Ia's journey and see her getting closer to her end goal. I especially loved the fighting scenes and how Ia navigated them. I can't wait to read the next book - as soon as this review is done I'm gonna start book 3.

I'm wildly fascinated by this author's imagination and I'll say this is one of the better sci-fi series out there imo.

1

A Soldier's Duty (Theirs Not to Reason Why #1) by Jean Johnson

A Soldier's Duty: Theirs Not to Reason Why - Jean Johnson

Sometimes I get my hands on a book that's just so good, that I wish that I could read it for the first time again and again. I think this is one of those. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I loved Ia.

Her strength was truly something to behold.

One of my favorite scenes was the last scene from hell week - that was just beautiful.

And the way she used her skills and knowledge to get her where she wants to be was pretty wicked.

I can't wait to read the next book - oh and I love her nickname.

1

Touched (The Marnie Baranuik Files #1) by A.J. Aalto

Touched - A.J. Aalto

Mmm this is a hard one to review I think. I liked it well enough, I just don't like Harry. I don't know perhaps he will redeem himself, but right now he's an ass. I don't think Batten is much better either. But at least I trust him more. And Chapel - he is not my fav either. I don't know what will happen in the next book, but it better damn well make me happier than this round. It was not that I didn't enjoy it, I just think there was an abundance of asses in this book. I don't trust neither Chapel or Harry. I don't get why Chapel did what he did and I certainly didn't get why Harry did it. I think her brother could be a fun edition to the series though, if he sticks around.

3

Blood Politics (Blood Destiny #4) by Helen Harper

Blood Politics - Helen   Harper

I'm not sure I quite liked the last pages. I think that was cruel and just there to add drama. I hope that business gets fixed promptly so they can get back together, although I think he was a bit of an ass for reacting that way or just plain stupid. I'm not sure which.

I'll probably read the last books as well, but just because it's the conclusion. Or maybe just do a bit of skimming.

4

Bloodrage (Blood Destiny #3) by Helen Harper

Bloodrage - Helen   Harper

That was not one of the best in this series I think. The whole academy setting bothered me a lot and didn't feel quite the same as the other books. There was not enough Corrigan or Solus and too much filler I think.

I was sad to see Brock and Thomas die. I didn't think they deserved that, although it may have served the purpose of forcing Mack to finally shift. That on the other hand was grand.

(show spoiler)

I can't wait to read the next book.

Bloodmagic (Blood Destiny, #2) by Helen Harper

Bloodmagic - Helen   Harper

I quite enjoyed this book, although the ending was rather cliffy, but in a minor sort of way. I liked Corrigan a lot in this book and that Voice thing is pretty nifty. Alex was great - I hope he'll stay as a friend to Mack. I'm quite fond of the Mack Attack thing. 

The plot was nice, though with the green fire - that makes it a bit intriguing. I can't really wait to see what happens next at the training ground. Oh and Fae boy or man should I say. I'm not sure what to think of Solus at all.

1
SPOILER ALERT!

Bloodfire (Blood Destiny #1) by Helen Harper

Bloodfire - Helen   Harper

I think this is one of the best 1st book in a series that I have ever read. I really enjoyed every aspect of it and I loved Mack. I can't wait to see what happens next. I hate Anton though.

I hope he'll be really shitty so she'll be back to whack him. 

(show spoiler)

I think Corrigan was great and interesting. 

I would love to know more about Mack's heritage and how else that might influence her life.

I enjoyed the plot and the action and especially Alex and his personality.

Demon Possessed (Megan Chase #3) by Stacia Kane

Demon Possessed - Stacia Kane

I think not bad for a trilogy. It's not one of my favorites though, but I think it's worth the read anyway. I don't think Greyson ever stopped being secretive more or less. I'm not sure he ever was to my liking. And for being a psychologist Megan sure acted like one of her patients at times. I did like Nick though. I hope he will find his happiness. And Tera, maybe I'll imagine Nick and Tera together. The plot was great and so was the demon lore though parts of it may have disgusted me. 

2

Demon Inside (Megan Chase #2) by Stacia Kane

Demon Inside - Stacia Kane

I hope that Megan will truly embrace what she is in the last book, because it was painful to see her struggle so much. I would really like to know what Greyson feels about Megan. He is rather closed off. I still like the 3 Cockney guards, they're pretty cool. Nick is pretty great too. I think Megan either has to be more honest with Tera or I can't see them being friends at all. 

I enjoyed the plot in this and I can't wait to read the conclusion.

3

Personal Demons (Megan Chase #1) by Stacia Kane

Personal Demons - Stacia Kane

I enjoyed Megan's character and I think she was pretty fleshed out. I don't really like Brian, but maybe he can be a friend along the way. I think Tera was great and I hope Megan will learn more from her. I liked Greyson, but I hope to get to know more about him next book as well as Megan and her newfound demon friends. I absolutely loved the Cockney guard demons. I hope they'll play a role next book too. I can't wait to see what happens next.

6

The Devil's Backbone (Niki Slobodian #5) by J.L. Murray

The Devil's Backbone (A Niki Slobodian Novel: Book Five) - J.L. Murray

That was quite a conclusion. I would say that I'm pretty satisfied with it. I liked the plot in this one, although some parts were less enjoyable. I think it was a shame that Zoey never got to know Pineme. I'm glad the creator bailed though. Such a little weasel he was. I'm a bit sad that it's over though. I kinda liked Lucifer and Zoey.

The writing style in this series was very nice I think. 

1

The Devil Was an Angel (Niki Slobodian #4) by J.L. Murray

The Devil Was an Angel: A Niki Slobodian Novel: Book 4 (Volume 4) - J.L. Murray

Oh this was a very nice read. Slightly better than the other ones. I love Lucifer and I can't wait to read the last book and see what happens. I'm glad it's over with the bar.

The plot was great, though I wonder what impact it'll have on Eli. I hope Zoey will stay friends with Gage.

1

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Niki Slobodian #3) by J.L. Murray

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead (A Niki Slobodian Novel) (Volume 3) - J.L. Murray

The ending made me a bit sad. I was hoping there was a loophole somewhere.

I hope to see more of Lucifer though. Maybe he can be a replacement. I'm also curious about Pineme. I hope he turns out to be a good guy. I can't wait to see what happens next.

2

The Devil Is a Gentleman (Niki Slobodian #2) by J.L. Murray

The Devil Is A Gentleman (A Niki Slobodian Novel) - J.L. Murray

I can't wait to start the next book. That was quite an ending this one had. 

The plot was exciting and brutal at times. I can't wait to see what will become of Niki after what transpired in this one. And I wonder if it'll have any consequences for Sam. 

I quite like him, but I want to know which side he picked.

4