Review: Vengeance of Hope: Can freedom ever be for all?

Vengeance of Hope: Can freedom ever be for all? by P.J. Berman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vengeance of Hope by P.J. Berman is the debut novel set in the world of
Bennvika. We follow three main characters, Silrith, a princess; Ezrina, a rebel; and a lesser noble, Zethun as they stand up to tyranny and religious persecution. Will they succeed?

I have to say, this is one of the best stories I have read featuring strong female characters. It was refreshing to read about a female character who is actually strong in the ways that women need to be strong. Standing up for what they believe in and fighting for what's right.

Berman doesn't sugarcoat things, and he gets right to the heart of the trials and tribulations that are happening in the world he has created. Berman's writing is such that we see the effects of tyranny and oppression as they happen. Seeing strong characters fighting for what's right had me on the edge of my seat, rooting for the good guys and gals. This is definitely a must read and I highly recommend it. It is not for the faint of heart, though. It takes strong people to fight such actions and these characters definitely do that. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next installment, 'King of the Republic.'



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Review: Mossflower

Mossflower by Brian Jacques
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mossflower by Brian Jacques is the second book in the Redwall series. I'm reading this series in publication order.

This is such a fun book. I'm reading this whole series, and I just love the characters and the world Jacques created. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves talking animals in their fantasy.

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Review: The Policy

The Policy by Bentley Little
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Policy by Bentley Little is a story based around insurance, and for Hunt Jackson it is more than just insurance that he finds himself purchasing.

Bentley Little has a bizarre way of getting his stories across to the masses. With great writing and a fantastical imagination, Bentley gives you more than a story. This was such an intriguing read for me.

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Review: The Vanishing

The Vanishing by Bentley Little
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Vanishing by Bentley Little is a stand alone horror story about children disappearing or being murdered.

I wouldn't really call this a horror story, but it is the most bizarre story I have ever read. Little's writing is great and his imagination is certainly unique, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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Review: Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth

Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien is a collection of stories that further relate to the events in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings and tells more about the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring.

I loved reading Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth as I hadn't read this book before. It added to the stories that I am already familiar with. This is a great addition for collector's of Tolkien's work.

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Review: Tales from the Perilous Realm

Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien is a collection of Tolkien's novellas and poems which have been in various books over the years, but have not been released in one volume.

The following are included in this book:

Roverandom

Farmer Giles of Ham

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

Smith of Wootton Major

Leaf by Niggle

These are lighthearted stories and poems with a bit of humor. This collection was fun to read, and a great addition for Tolkien fans.





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Review: The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien is the story of how the creation of Tolkien's world came to be.

It has been years since I have read this book, and it was such a delight to revisit Tolkien's world from the beginning of the First Age. It is exciting and sorrowful, and I loved spending time with all the characters and visiting the places they traveled. This is a great read for lovers of Tolkien's work.

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Review: The Fall of Gondolin

The Fall of Gondolin by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fall of Gondolin by J.R.R. Tolkien is another tale of ‘Great Tales’ of the Elder Days. There are three books total in the ‘Great Tales’ of the Elder Days which include Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin.

I enjoyed reading these tales. Tolkien has brought to light more characters and their labors which provided me with great details of Tolkien's world he had envisioned. A lot of trials, loss, and tragedy struck the peoples of Gondolin.

I loved reading about some of the history of Tolkien's world. The characters are deep with trials of their life lead and their losses.

A big treat for me was reading Christopher Tolkien's telling of his father's revisions, additions, and his father's thoughts. This had to be a daunting task and with the help of Christopher's colleagues, he was able to bring to light these tales of the elder days and to give a bit of insight as to what Tolkien's father had in mind concerning his passion of his created world. Christopher Tolkien doesn't get the credit he deserves for helping bring his father's world to light, and I am without question indebted to him for his toiling efforts of bringing this epic story to a full and completed tale, as fully as he could, and bringing it to the public for our enjoyment. I will cherish these stories and will pass them to my children and grandchildren in the hopes of them loving this epic story as much as I do.

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Review: Beren and Lúthien

Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the Tales of the Elder Days as touched upon in The Silmarillion.

Beren and Lúthien is another story that finally has seen the light of day. I loved reading this tale and learning more about other characters in Tolkien's world. In addition, the poems were beautiful with beautiful prose. I had not realized what an amazing poet Tolkien was. This was an added treat for me.

I highly recommend anyone who loves Tolkien's work to read this. You will not be disappointed.

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Review: The Children of Húrin

The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien is a tragic story of The Children of Húrin, one of the unfinished tales in The Silmarillion.

Though The Children of Húrin was a great read, it was a tragic one, but I loved learning of what happened fully to Hurin's children, Túrin and Niënor. It has been years since I've read The Silmarillion, so this was a necessity read, for me.

I highly recommend lovers of Tolkien's work to read this tale.



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Review: Roverandom

Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien is a story based on an event that happened when Michael Tolkien was but a boy.

Four-year-old Michael Tolkien lost his favorite toy dog and his father created this story to give Michael an idea of what might have happened to his little toy dog.

This was such a fun read!

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Review: The Winter of the Witch

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden is the final installment of the Winternight Trilogy. Moscow is on the brink of war, and the plague has come, and one witch girl, Vasya, is determined to do what must be done to save her city.

This was an excellent ending to a wonderful story of one girl's determination and strength. Katherine Arden's ability to draw the reader in and hold them is outstanding. A brilliantly written novel of self discovery, determination, strength, love, and doubt in oneself make this one of my favorite stories.

A must read for anyone looking for a strong female protagonist.

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Review: NOS4A2

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill is a story about a young girl, Victoria McQueen, who has a secret gift for 'finding' things. When she 'finds' Charles Talent Manx, her life is changed forever.

Joe Hill's writing is captivating, his world building is impeccable, and I loved the Easter eggs throughout the story as a nod to his father.

For anyone who loves Stephen King, this is a great choice to read as Hill's writing and story telling is chilling.

A brilliant story I highly recommend.




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Review: The Story of Kullervo

The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Story of Kullervo by J.R.R. Tolkien is a compilation of drafts, notes, and essays, plus the short story of Kullervo who was tormented by the dark magician, Untamo.

It was interesting to read the 'extras' in this book. It gave me an idea of J.R.R. Tolkien's process of writing and insight into the story and how it came about.

I believe this a must read for people wanting to know of Tolkien's creative process.

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Review: The Fireman

The Fireman by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fireman by Joe Hill is a novel about a plague, Draco Incendia Trychophyton, also known as Dragonscale.

I love how Hill brings his characters to life, and the world he creates is chilling. With incredible writing, I recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian tales.

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Review: Heart-Shaped Box

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is a novel about rock star Judas Coyne and black, heart-shaped box and the dead man's suit it contains.

I absolutely loved this story! I have to say that I am loving Joe Hill's work as much as I do his father's.

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Review: I am Drusilla: vampire short reads(Kindle Single)Stand-Alone Books, An Original Short Story

I am Drusilla: vampire short reads(Kindle Single)Stand-Alone Books, An Original Short Story by Lucille Moncrief
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am Drusilla by Lucille Moncrief is a short story about High Priestess Drusilla and her love, Egino.

This is a short story of love and determination. This short is emotionally charged, drawing me in and not letting go. This tale is very well written, and though it is short, it is one of the best vampire stories I have read in a long time.



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Review: The Dead Orphanage

The Dead Orphanage by A.A. Allsop
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Dead Orphanage by A.A. Allsop has an alternative cover, and title of Peter Green and the Unliving Academy: This Book is Full of Dead People (The Unliving Chronicles 1) by Angelina Allsop. This story is about Pete Green, a fourteen -year-old boy who finds himself dead, but can't remember anything but his name, age and the fact that he is dead.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

For starters, I loved this story. It was fun, imaginative, and full of fun characters. The author takes us on a fantastic journey of a boy trying to find out who he is. He makes friends, and in doing so finds help. I loved the characters. The creatures are fun, and the world the author created is unique to me. I've not read about such a world before, and this story was delightful and emotional.

With that being said, this book could have used better editing, but it did not hinder my enjoyment and I'm looking forward to reading more of Peter's adventures.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars.








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Review: Horns

Horns by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Horns by Joe Hill is a stand alone novel about a young man, Ignatius Perrish, waking up after a night of drinking too much and discovering he has grown horns.

I have to say that Joe Hill's writing definitely gives his father, Stephen King, a run for his money. Superb writing and great character development give this story depth. I highly recommend this book to any Stephen King lover.

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Review: Haunted Tales

Haunted Tales by Samie Sands
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Haunted Tales by Samie Sands and other various authors is an anthology of poems and short stories.

1. The Damaged Doll by Kevin S. Hall: ***
2. Rebirth by Cecilia Hernando Doldan (poem): ***
3. The Evil Among Us by Nicholas Boving: ****
4. Fortuna and the Dead by Stephen Downes (poem): **
5. Joining In by Kody Dibble (poem): **
6. Graveyard Encounter (A True Story) by June Lundgren: **
7. Haunts & Horrors by Amy S. Pacini: *
8. Hyde and Seek - The Tale of Young Master Henry Jekyll (A sample of the play) by June
Rachelson-Ospa: ***
9. Caged by Justin R. Beeman: *****
10. When Ed Met Avril by Martha Jette: **
11. Your Knife by Debbie Johnson (poem): **
12. Final Revenge by Gisela Woldenga: **
13. The Changeling by Anthony V. Pugliese (poem): **
14. The Haunted Hoagie by Matt Mesnard: *
15. Demon Comes to Challenge my Faith by Martha Jette: ** Read like a textbook.
16. Better than his word by Rick Eddy: * Opinion piece.
17. Erebus by Michele Jones: ***
18. Prologue: Till Heaven Then Forever by Linda Heavner Gerald: DNF. Contained too many religious
opinions.
19. Henry's Ghost by Linda Jenkinson (poem): ***
20. Heart Surgery by Jake Elliot: **
21. The Pale Lady by Kally Jo Surbeck (poem): ****
22. Transcending by Ekta Rawat: * I couldn't make sense of this story.
23. The Ghost Sheets by Mathias Jansson )poem): *
24. Under the House by Will Zeilinger: ***
25. The Fall and Rise of Lucifer by Delaina M. Waldron: ** Two of the characters were mixed up.
26. Upside the Down Elevator by Kimberly Klemm: **
27. Cryptic Apparition by Amy S. Pacini (poem): **
28. Possession is Nine Tenths (A sample of the play) by Trisha Sugarek: ***
29. Poem by Rae Desmond Jones: *
30. Dark Portal (A True Story) by June Lundgren: ****
31. Shadow People by Michele Jones (poem): ****
32. Shadows and Ghosts by Cecilia Hernando Doldan (poem): ***
33. For the Love of God by Nicholas Boving: **** Loved this story.
34. A Household Mystery by Cecilia Hernando Doldan: ***
35. Played (A Sample of the Play) by Jonathan Ospa: ***** This story was fun.
36. The Town That Hell Spat Out by Kevin S. Hall: **** Familiar characters of horror made this
story fun.
37. The Replacement by Linda Jenkinson: * This story was a bit confusing.
38. Cursed Document by Samie Sands: ** Using words out of context ruined this story for me.

There were several issues with the poems and stories in this collection, but the good shorts more than made up for it.

Overall, I give this anthology a 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.



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