Rating - 3 /5 ★★★

My Review

A girl who was being chased by a pack of wolves and was about to die was rescued by the Nhil people. A nameless girl with a blank mind and no memories of her past, know only the language of the Nhil people—who offer her a house to live with them. After being rescued by a group of wolves, a man intends to die without remembrance of his past or a name. He is driven to the distant smoke, where he meets a beautiful girl who is uncannily similar to him—an empty mind, no recollection of the past, the same mark on the thing—and who speaks an unknown foreign language to him. Yet when they touch, both their mark burn like a warning; every creature and element warns them to stay away, but they only see glimpses of their past when they are together.

Fantastic writing! Pepper's writing is brilliant and engaging from the first line. I'd heard a lot about Winters' work but had never read it. With its little nuances and new world, the beginning of this novel is quite intriguing. The girl's and man's pains appear to be related, and the emotions of loneliness, love, and agony intersect in the beginning and middle.

Slow detail is excellent in fantasy to immerse you in the world, but this book becomes painfully slow after a while and harder to read, with some events and pieces of information repeating themselves. The constant focus on the small details became tiresome after a while, and I only wished for the story to move forward. I grew uninterested and bored. Too much information was flung at me without explanation, and the plot was riddled with gaps and ended on a predictable cliffhanger.

It's not for my high-fantasy romance; far from it. I went into this book with an open mind and no real expectations, but still, I feel disappointed. It has a brilliant idea and excellent writing, but the implementation falls short.

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Rating - 4 /5 ★★★★

My Review

Korl, a young prince, remained silent and watched his enemy, Akhuts, steal the Chest of Doom, leaving him with years of remorse, fear, and disgrace for his family. The Chest of Doom is a mystical box that can corrupt whoever opens it and destroy the entire world. A journey to find the Chest of Doom, decided by the Council of Four before the Akhuts, offers Korl the opportunity to reclaim what he lost during that unfaithful night. Korl joins his elder brother and a magical Frostania on their adventure to battle the terrible powers of Akhuts. Korl had to defy time and fate to bring peace to each kingdom.

Legend of Broken Blade has an intriguing fantasy world with many distinct races, each with its own deep, great, and powerful history. Its plot revolves around a quest to discover a magical artifact and has a lot of adventure, mystery, and spectacular twists and turns. Korl is a young prince who miraculously grows from a boy to a legendary warrior while confronted with a deadly foe and his own insecurities and fears. The entire adventure is exhilarating and culminates in dreamlike heroism.

The author did an excellent job of world-building, with many diverse personalities, each with their own flavors and languages. Korl is a relatable character who is not ashamed to flaunt his imperfections. With each passing page, Korl reminded me of a teenage boy with tears, love, fear, courage, and overwhelming emotion. The start of this story is fascinating and intriguing, but then several events repeat themselves, with the predictable end yet catching readers with the incredible bravery of the warriors. It is a fast-paced novel written in an easy-to-read style for readers of all ages, with vivid descriptions.

Drama, emotion, loss, sadness, and action abound in this magical epic fantasy.

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Rating - 4 /5 ★★★★

My Review

The Hooligan Turned Holy Man by Harsha Shastry is an inspirational and uplifting story about a young man who journeys from being a street thug to becoming a holy man. At the beginning of the book, we meet Sindu, a young reporter who intends to expose the new godman, Sangli Baba. Sindu later learns that he is a man who has lived a life of crime and violence on the streets of Bangalore. He is a hooligan and a thief. As the story progresses, the reader is taken on an emotional journey with Sangli Baba as he undergoes a transformation from a hooligan to a holy man. Two opposing thoughts collide, leading us to explore every inner notion.

It is easy to empathize with Sangli Baba as he struggles to make sense of his life. He began to question his past and pull to the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. He gradually starts to understand the power of love and forgiveness and discovers the beauty of life. With the help of his spiritual mentor and the guidance of the other holy men he meets, he is able to find the courage to turn his life around.

Harsha Shastry, the author, has created a gripping novel that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. He expertly paints a vivid picture of life on the streets of Bangalore and the struggle to overcome a life of crime. It has intriguing characters and anecdotes that bring the story to life. His writing style is engaging and easy to follow.

Overall, The Hooligan Turned Holy Man is a fantastic book that will make an indelible impression on the reader. It is a story of transformation, hope, and redemption that will linger with the reader long after completing the book. It’s an inspiring read that will encourage readers to think more deeply about their life choices.

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The Book Blurb

Scarlet sets off to discover Beira's famous hammer, where she meets Amhlaidh, the grumpiest troll, who accompanies her on her eventful quest and reveals how to get the hammer. She encountered several mythological animals, monsters, and deities. The folktale guides Scarlet in discovering that you can't take anything that doesn't belong to you by using historical stories.

It's a light fantasy book that introduces me to several Scottish folktales, and the illustrations help me visualize them. It is an enjoyable read that made us smile. Scarlet and Amhlaidh's conversation are hilarious. The details are vivid, and the adventure is fast-paced, mainly admirable for children.

A charming short fantasy read that fills every check of your adventurous ride.

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Sonia has a life everyone envies a successful professional at the media company and a perfect loving husband, but not everything lasts. Sonia is highly ambitious, which helps her to flourish in her job. She has a boss, Rishabh, who complicates her work, and a colleague, Mehul, who admires her, but that also complicates her personal life and makes it difficult for her husband, Sameep, who has loved her since the first time they met at college. But one mistake from the past and one from the present further complicate her already messed-up life. With the burden of the past and the mistake of the present, she is struggling to find balance in her personal and professional lives.

This book shows the dark side and a bit of the harsh reality of corporate life and the relationship front. It has a story of uncomfortable topics and tension that grows with every page. The story switches between past and present with pretty small chapters, and the narrative is hooking and impressive enough to hold me in place for hours. Every character in the novel has a flaw, and Jain has done a fantastic job with it.

Sonia is a mess of childhood trauma and mental illness, which the author did wonders in portraying. Sonia's character is perfect in the start, puzzling in the middle, and unpleasant towards the end. Mehul and Rishabh are the ones you can find anywhere in the corporate world. Sameep is the one I find myself connected with and the only character likable to me; he sheds light on Sonia throughout the book.

The climax is good and unexpected, but still not satisfying. It was even more disheartening since Sameep is the one I connect with the most. To give it a happy end, it lost the chance of an impressive sad end. The author mentions the rare disorder but hardly talks about it rather than finding the solution, giving the impression that there is no way because of its longer effect. An open mind is needed for this book because it talks about infidelity. It is encouraging or justified in this book which is personally unbearable to me.

An entertaining and refreshing read tangled in a lot of drama and chaos of emotions.

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The Book Blurb

Aura is saved from her recent attack but finds it hard to grasp the reality of her being the last living, breathing Aether. Her bond with her mates is now strong than ever, and three of them are more willing in the process, but one is still seeking a way out. Riven owns the numerous keys to her life's locks, which may free her and break him in the end. Figuring out her place in the new ordeal, the politics of royals, haters in students, and assassins after her life and her mates is not enough. Aura must also find a way to make a place in her mates' lives. With the betrayer everywhere waiting for a chance to kill them all, the new unknown power of the bond and one wrong move can destroy the entire game.

Again, the novel sweeps you in with its rapid pace, compelling characters, magical world, and unexpected twist. This book is more concerned with relationships than the plot; the secrets revealed are attention-worthy, and the confusion is gripping. It becomes tedious due to the recurrence of twists and the predictable cliff-end. But not enough to not take a dip in the final book.

A fast-light magical action with a dash of drama entices you to re-join them.

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