Book Review: While the Light Lasts (Hercule Poirot #41) by Agatha Christie

While the Light Lasts 

by Agatha Christie

"These early short stories showcase Christie's talents across a range of styles from romance to the supernatural. Though these are not all crime stories, they reflect Christie's ability to deliver an unexpected twist in the tale.

The House of Dreams
The Actress
The Edge
Christmas Adventure
The Lonely God
Manx Gold
Within a Wall
                                        The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest
                                        While the Light Lasts"

My Review: 

I get this book a little by impulse after i finished Murder on the Orient Express and when i decided to buy more books from Christie i stumble upon this one in a promotion 1=2.

When i read the blurb i do not get the right impression about what type of book this was, in reality this is a collection of short stories written by the author during her life and not a full book.
Personally i do not like this format because the stories are so small that we can´t get the felling we normally got from her books, i mean there is not the sense of empathy with the characters neither the enthusiasm about discovering who the murder is and why she/he did it.

I gave 1,7 out of 5 * to this one, in general the stories are well written and my favorite one was "Manx Gold" but i was expecting more and i would love to see this collection of stories completely developed and with a full book for each one of them.

I only recommend this book to someone who likes really short stories and doesn't mind the little explanation about the plot line and the character's.

Book Review: Lilith's Puppet (From The Shadows Book 1) by Richard Le Tourneau

Lilith's Puppet 
by Richard Le Tourneau 

The year is 1810, five children stumble onto an ancient, terrifying secret that will affect the rest of their lives. While playing near an old oak at the edge of the forest, Henry, Howard, Rachel, Phillip and Thalia come across an age-old artefact that will unleash an unimaginable evil that will follow them to adulthood.

My Review: 

*** This book was given to me by the author to read and review. Although the opinions in here are all my own ***

The first thing i notice when i open the file that was send to me was the image on the cover, it was a little bit dark and sinister and make me think of a terror movie. I guess one could say that this is the type of cover that makes an impression at first glance. 

So i would like to start this review saying that i read a little bit of every genre but terror and horror one's are not my favorites and really not my type. That said the writing style is simple enough but for me the language is sometimes a little bit crude, i understand this use in this story and i guess it makes sense considering the plot but the author could have use more variations of some terms that are not so forthcoming. 

This book is divided between two key times during the life of the main characters, their infancy and later their adult life. I like this time lapse because in books that begin with very young characters i like to be able to see what happen to them after they grow up. 

For me the final of the book was lacking, i fell like in the end i miss something. I don't know if it was a better explanation about what happen to the main characters but i was left with the felling this story have not ended yet.... i do not know if this was the idea of the author or not to not finish things completely because he can return to this plot sometime and make a sequel. 

I end up only giving this book 1.8 out of 5* manly because i do not like this genre of books very much and not because i think the book was bad. I think it would be an amazing Halloween read and that for people you like terror and horror stories i would recommend they give this author a go. 

Book Review: Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express 

by Agatha Christie

"The murderer is with us - on the train now..."

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again...

My Review: 

So i have to admit that i only buy and start this book right now because of the movie, i do not like to see a movie based on a book without reading the book first and when a friend invite me to go see this one i though i need to read it today! 

I really enjoy 99% of Christie books and i think her books have a easy writing and a way of capturing the reader attention. This one has a very interesting plot and for me at least a completely unexpected final. It happens to me in books from this genre, to suspect someone during all the book and do not change my mind, in this one it was the opposite i think i suspect all the characters at some point but i never could have guessed the solution to this mystery. 

The only thing i could point out that may be a downside for some people is the fact that this book does not have much action, the most part of the books are interviews and the main character (Poirot) doing his thinking and connecting dots. For me it was not a problem because i sometimes like a book that makes me think and i do not mind fewer action. 

I went to see the movie some days after i finish the read and i recommend it but again i have to just say THE BOOK WAS BETTER!

Gave this story 4,8 out of 5* and let me say that this was my favorite read of November. It was a book i could not put down from the moment i start it and i as so curious to know what would happen, i definitely recommend this book to all the readers that love a good mystery and also to those that like a book with many twists that made you think and rethink about all the possible scenarios that the plot is going to take.

Book Review: The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire, #1) by C.J. Redwine

The Shadow Queen

by C.J. Redwine

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

My Review: 

This book was a complete cover buy for me, i love the cover and later when i read the blurb i add it to my wishlist.It was there for quite some time so when i finally decided to order it i have to start reading the same day it arrived. 

It was a snow white retelling, with easy writting style and a very fluent language. I guess you get almost what you are expecting from this book, i mean if you know snow white you can guess prety fast what the main plot of this one is going to be. 
However i was a little bit surprised with some twists that the author add to this book, mostly Lorelai brother. 

About the main character's i like but do not love them, the development of theirs personality are sometimes lacking but they have a sweet romance. This is the kind of book you read easy in a day or two and i get curious about the next books in this series, although they are separated reads that do not have relation between them. 

I gave this one 3,4 out of 5* and i recommend it to someone you loves fairy tales retelling's.

Wizardry Student Box _ October 2017

Unboxing WSB Ocotber 2017

Hi guys, today i bring another unboxing but this time it is a totally new subscription box named Wizardry Student Box (WSB) and i will give all the details before i start the review of this month. 

So this is a bimonthly box, it is only released every two months and this one is related with year two of Harry Potter. 

Every box will contain 4 to 7 items Harry Potter related: 
- 1 or 2 handmade items 
- 1 or 2 House related items 
- 1 exclusive item 
- 1 or 2 items related with each school year

 When you subscribe you have to tell your t shirt size and which Hogwarts house you belong to. The box cost me 30 € (about 27,76£) already with shipment and this is only for a month box, you could also chose other payment options: 4 boxes for 115 € (about 106,45£) or 7 boxes for 190 € (about 175,89£).

This box is sponsored by the online shop called "Loja da Magia" and i will leave the sites bellow for you to take a look. 

http://www.lojadamagia.pt/

http://wizardry.nloja.com/

So without further ado let's start this unboxing =D and i know i'm a little bit late with this post but magic is magic and i hope you will like this box!

So when you open the box this is what you are going to see. 

 I think they were extremely careful with the order and with the way they packed things and they try to make sure nothing will be broken in the mail so in my opinion 5 * for packing. 

The itens this month are all related somehow with the chamber of secrets book and i love the idea that each box is about a school year at Hogwarts. 

 The guide with all the items of this book was printed in a paper that resemble the entrance to the chamber of secrets, again i like it and i think it is a good little detail. 

 I was expecting to see a t shirt and i was not disappointed this time,  it's grey with the hogwarts's crest in it and i really like the material and you can tell that it is high quality. 

They include a pillow case, and OMG i just love it!!!

The design is brilliant, again is themed for the second book but really take a good look at it.... i think this is one of a kind item.

Next we received a poster with the famous scene from book two, where the phoenix fight the basilisk.

A coloring book, that i personally adore since i'm a sucker for coloring things and i love to color when i'm listening audiobooks. A little pumpkin with some candy in them and the sentence "follow the spiders", again this demonstrates the care they put into this box and i was so happy with a reference to Halloween. 

The next item is the usual bookmark with the golden trio and i would love them to do a bookmark series. They could do one with ginny, luna and neville for instance. 

The last items in this month box is a replica of Tom Riddle diary and when you open it up....

Surprise, you get a Dobby reference and a pair of socks from your Hogwarts house. 

I just love this item, the imagination behind it is brilliant!!!

In resume this month box have 7 items and of course my favorite one is the pillow case close by Tom's riddle Diary, if i have to choose a less favorite item i think it will be the bookmark, just because i have already it. 

I will order the next box of course and it will be delivered next week (shame on me for doing this post so late), i'm expecting something marauder's related since it will be related with 3º book, and i would love some item abour sirius since he is my favorite character. 

If you order one of those please let me know and show some pictures of it =D 

Book Review:King's Cage (Red Queen #3) by Victoria Aveyard

King's Cage 

by Victoria Aveyard 

"In this breathless third installment to Victoria Aveyard’s bestselling Red Queen series, allegiances are tested on every side. And when the Lightning Girl's spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down."

My Review:

This is the 3 book from the Red Queen series by victoria Aveyard, and i know that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this series but i really like it a lot. 

For me the beginning of this book was a little slow with a lot of conversation and little action, but later it fasten up and the final is once again breathtaking and leaves us salivating for the next one in this series. 
There are also some less positive aspects in this book, again i consider the chapters a little to big for my liking and there are some situations where the behavior of the main character's leave me wanting to strangle them. 

About the main character's i have to confess that i cannot dislike Maven 100% and sometimes i wish he can be recovered. I'm super curious about the final book that will be released in 2018 and i can't wait to read it. 

I gave this one 4,4 out of 5*, it is not my favorite from this series but the plot is interesting and for someone who like the previous one's they will definitely like this too.

Book Review: Bando de Corvos (The Others #2) by Anne Bishop

Bando de Corvos 

by Anne Bishop

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader - wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet - and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

My Review: 

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader - wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet - and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.