Tag Archives: Earth

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Birthright Trilogy

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the arrival

The Arrival (BirthRight Trilogy #1)

I am giving this 4.5 stars, not amazing but as close as you can get without being there. This story unfolds slowly but moves along to lay out what is important so that you can see it all tie together. The characters get a chance to develop in a natural way without having having to wait until the end to feel like you know who they are. Even the pets are allowed to have personalities that need a chance to get to know. The foundation is set to allow you to see that the girls are being prepared for all the things that they are going to encounter during their adventure and beyond. The thing that made this just a bit dizzying for me was the fact that it is told from the perspective of all the characters, even though they let you know at the beginning it is sometimes hard to be sure who is speaking/thinking until a name is given. It does make for more interesting however because you do not wonder about what they think about situations.

Catherine, Sian, Kassandra, and Laura are best friends and have known each other for years. They do everything together and support each other in all their separate and joint endeavors. Before the girls attend a costume party Sian convinces them to perform a spell to find their soul mates when they return home. When they arrive home they perform the spell and then all fall asleep on the floor right after never believing it would really work. When they wake up they find themselves in another place and confused as to how they got there, and also to how they can find their way home.

These girls found themselves in a land very different from the one they left behind but a place of magic, myth, and technology. They have a destiny that they would never have dreamed possible and the love that they sought.

I don’t know what I was expecting but this was way more than I thought I would get. Once The story started moving I found I did not want it to end because I was coming to really like all the characters. The idea that all those creatures we think of as only existing in fairy-tales and as part of mythology are real and can be a part of your life. The romance is sweet and romantic, not just a sexual attraction but that kind where you want it to be special. I flew through this book because I was just completely entranced by the whole thing. And now I need to get to the next book because it left me on a cliff and I want to know if things work out.

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

 

 

awakening-birthright

Awakening (BirthRight Trilogy #2)

I fell in love with this trilogy with the first book and am glad to have continued. After being a bit confused with the writing style at first, changes between character pov was hard to follow, I was ready this time and it was much easier to follow who was being focused on. The main characters have grown and are becoming even more real for me. The situations are getting more tense and the side characters are starting to come more into focus as they start to interact more with the girls. The relationships are deepening and coming to mean more to everyone. I really appreciate that they are growing into their love for each other and not simply in the midst of instant love.

The story begins 2 months after the attack at the end of book one with Cat and Alek both asleep after stopping Jenviet, while everyone waits for them to Awaken. The other girls have been given the whole truth about their situation and have chosen to deal with it in their own ways. Loi ( Laura) has stayed at the castle to wait for them to wake up, while Sian has gone to stay with Citaan and Gredel to help the soon to be parents, and Kassie has gone to the home of her man, Rumal, to get away from the pressure. No matter where they are though, they still want their friends to finally wake up.

When Catherine finally wakes she is told something which changes her way of thinking about her past and present. She at least has a little time to assimilate it all while she waits for Alek to wake up as well. When he finally does it is time to start training in earnest for the attack to destroy an enemy who has no conscious and would do anything to gain their powers. But as they train they are also aware of the fact that they all may not come back, including the men they have grown to love.

I really appreciated the attention to detail, but could have done with fewer training sessions and trips to the practice room. But since we were there so often it would have been nice to get more background on Patel and Rashid since we got so much more into Ignatius and his warped thinking. I do not like Iggy, he is a creepy guy who thinks he is better than everyone and is a nasty kind of voyeur. Once again we end things with a cliff-hanger (not my favorite thing)but it was a good one and I just have to know what happens next. This left me in tears because I so wanted things to be different. I say, go for it.

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I started this series with a one click free book and found myself loving the world that it took me too. The characters became friends that I wanted to see get everything that they wanted, I worried about them and did not want to have anyone hurt or killed. I am totally caught up in the lives of the four girls and their soul mates. While I was waiting for the conclusion, I don’t think I am really ready for it to end. With that said I still find that things drag a great deal with a little more description about nothing filling up when we could use more about what they are feeling or actually doing.

Alek and Yakov have been kidnapped by Jenviet and presumed dead or broken. Cat’s link to Alek has been severed by Elena in order to keep her sane and spare the death of the man she loves. They are finally sailing to confront and destroy the evil that has tried to take over their world for centuries, she has only fueled their hatred by her actions of taking those they love. The girls are as ready as they can be for what lies ahead.

Ignatius is taking full advantage of Cat’s loss and hopes to worm his way into her affections and find himself as her King. But what they find at the end of their journey will surprise them all and bring back the hope they thought was lost.

I do love a happy ending and was afraid I was not going to get it this time. This is a great ending that ties everything up wonderfully and gives each of the characters a chance to shine in their own right. Good action, good romance, great villains!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Soldiers and allies of Elion, denizens of Gar’nyse, today we gather to do battle. Today we make a stand for those who can’t, for the innocent lives snatched, for those who stood against her and lost. For our loved ones in far away realms. I can’t guarantee any of us will make it home, but I can promise that victory will protect those loved ones and realms we left behind. Freedom from tyranny is a luxury few on Gar’nyse know. Here today we make a stand against the tyrant. Against those who desire to possess our world. Whether we rise or fall, all will know of this battle, of this stand we make. We will shake the ground. We will topple the castle and we will bring about the end of the DeNaga line!”
― Nicole MacDonald, Feel the Burn
“They said you’re an Elemental. You don’t look like an Elemental, more like a cheap maid from Slemnask.’ She spat the words out, the inference obvious. My rational voice had a field day while I observed her costume; a belt for a skirt and a belt for a top. ‘Pot, meet kettle,’ I replied in a pleasant tone.”
― Nicole MacDonald, The Arrival
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The Time Machine

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The Time Machine

The Time Machine

by H.G. Wells, Bernard Mayes (Narrator)

I have seen all of the movie versions of this book and this is the first time I have read/listened to it. I enjoyed it as a kid watching it and I totally enjoyed this original reading. The story is totally a product of its time with phrasing that would not be used today to describe members of other ethnic groups and the way they viewed the world was so different. But the thought that in 1895 anyone could imagine not only a time machine but be looking to the future.

We meet the Eloi and Morlocks in the year 8271. The more human looking of the two have become nothing more than cattle to those who reside under the surface.

If you have only seen versions of this in cinematic form you will appreciate getting a feel of what was intended.

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The Long Afternoon of Earth

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15980560

The Long Afternoon of Earth

I generally love science fiction from the 50’s and 60’s but this was one of those that was just a little to bland for even me.  It starts in a very distant future where mankind has been reduced t not even a shadow of its former self. There was no explanation as to how the changes to the planet and the lifeforms came about, we were just thrust into the middle with nothing said. I know this was thought to be a good book and example of the genre but it left me flat. The characters had no personality and did not make me care about them, the plot was totally uninteresting and did not seem to really be going anywhere.
It’s a decent book but very slow. The characters are not likable and I found myself rooting for their demise. Overall I would recommend it, but only as a last resort.
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Story Time

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15708814

Story Time

 

3.5 stars for the story of how the world came to an end. It was a little bit of slow going to start but started to pick up by the time things started really going wrong. The narrative was a bit choppy because you had one individual supposed to be telling the story but what you get are multiple stories going at once, which could get a confusing sometimes. So the flow was a little off but you can still follow where they are going, particularly if you catch some of the hints they throw out. Some of the characters are more believable than others, Naomi and her idealisms are a little hard to swallow after everything that happens, but most I could see living down the street.

In the year 2045 people have come together to hear NaNa Nay tell the story of the survival of humankind after the destruction of Earth. In 2010 the planet started to tear itself apart with earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, everything the Earth can throw at us. Naomi was a 20-year-old college student who was just finishing up her teaching degree when her world fell apart. She is lucky enough to be in a relatively safe location with her brothers and does not suffer as so many others do as time goes by. It is six long years before they are able to start to rebuild. Humans can learn from their mistakes, even if it takes world annihilation to do it.

This is a story of hatred, love, redemption, loss, heroism, and the human spirit to survive. Along with the natural disasters you get some pretty bad aliens and some pretty good aliens. A lot for such a small package.

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NightDrake

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NightDrake

NightDrake

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a great short story! You were able to get the story fast and know exactly what was going on without having that feeling of something missing. Before the end of the first chapter I knew what was going on in this world and then just had to sit back and let things flow over me. Though things moved quickly I did not feel like I was being rushed to a conclusion, but that I was being led to the start of something.

The world changed in 2066 when the Earth’s axis was reversed and calamity reigned as deserts became a part of the ocean and wide swaths of the coast disappeared under those waters. Three hundred years later and mankind lives a harsh life, but there were others that had only been thought myth who surfaced with the change. The Strange are shifters, hobgoblins, telepaths, and all manner of creature.

Nisha the Heartless is a mercenary who will deliver anything, no questions asked, for the right price. She hates the Strange and just wants to make her money and move on to the next job. Drakor is the cargo she will be moving, though she is unaware.

I was ready to dislike Nisha even though she was obviously the focus, but she is much better than I thought.

I really liked this story and wish there could be more about these characters. Maybe if I wish really hard it will happen one day. 🙂

 

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Claimed

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Claimed (Brides of the Kindred, #1)

Claimed (Brides of the Kindred #1)

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh!My!Goodness! I loved this! I have not really read much sci-fi romance/erotica but if this is what I can expect then I will definitely be reading more. It got my attention from the first chapter and would not let me go. Everything flows so well that I was able to follow half asleep (I really wanted to keep going)and I was enjoying Baird and Olivia sparring.

Baird is a Kindred, an alien who came to Earth along with his race to help when the planet was attacked. They are genetic traders and only asked for the right to choose brides from the female population for their help. They were defending the planet from a menace called the Scourge who rape and destroy every planet they come upon. Baird finds his bride, Olivia, through dream sharing while he is a captive of the Allfather aboard a Scourge ship and once he escapes wants to claim her immediately. Olivia has just finished nursing school and looking forward to life with her twin sister and friends, the thought of being claimed is not something she is happy with. She has to spend thirty days on the kindred ship while her intended is allowed to attempt to seduce her into staying, she is determined that it will not happen.

There are three kinds of Kindred; Ragers (Beast), Tranque (Vampire), and Twins (two inseparable brothers). There are no women and these warriors need them to continue their race. Baird is a beast kindred and much bigger than normal Earth men, in a yummy sort of way. Just one more little thing, each week is broken up into specific actions: during week 1 is holding, week 2 is bathing (together), week 3 is tasting, and week 4 is full on press. And they have to sleep in the same bed every night.

I’m not sure if I liked this because of the characters, who I loved, the bad guys, who I hated (in a good way) or just the story itself. It all came together in a way that made for a compelling story with danger, love, sex, and family.

Evangeline Anderson has given me a series that I am ready to follow to the end. It has all the things I love. Romance, sex, aliens, interstellar war, and family ties.

“Just tell him to keep his hands to himself and his python in his pants.”
― Evangeline Anderson, Claimed

 

 

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The End

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The End - Visions of ApocalypseThe End – Visions of Apocalypse by N.E. White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this anthology which consists of twelve tales of the world ending you can find apocalypse scenarios of various type. Computer viruses run amok, unknown menaces from space taking out the planet, or the ever popular infection of the human race. The stories are all fairly short which makes for a relatively quick and enjoyable read.

While all of the stories were well written, even if you had no idea of how the end came about, there were four that made me like this more than I might have otherwise.

The most fun for me was Empty Nest, Mother Nature (the planet) decides that she should speak to someone in charge about her future plans for the Earth. You can imagine the scramble as everyone around the world wants to be the person that actually gets to converse with our home. Not so much an apocalypse but earth moving at least.

Burning Alexandria was more of a claustrophobic story than apocalyptic because the action all takes place within a home. All we know about the outside world is that it is cold and heat needs to be generated. This is about one man but does not say how the world fell apart.

The love story in Silver Sky seems to be the main focus while the impending end of the world is secondary. But at least we get to know what is going to happen to cause the planet to end. As with most shorts you don’t really get a chance to like or dislike the characters before it ends.

Finally, Julia’s Garden has a group of scientists hold up and trying to find a cure for a peril they created. They are all going slowly crazy as they wait for the end.

If you like end of the world plots then this is a good place to get a fix and not a zombie in sight.

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