Thursday, 18 September 2025

A DEADLY EDUCATION

A DEADLY EDUCATION art by Kelsey Eng

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Book 1 in The Scholomance series
Narrated by Anisha Dadia
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Lesson One of the Scholomance: Learning has never been this deadly.

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.

There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.

El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.
Source: Info in the "About A Deadly Education" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50548197-a-deadly-education on 01/07/2022.


Buy Link(s):

  Audible Books


Maw-Mouth in the library
My Thoughts:
Usually I avoid school serieses. I've had enough of academies, etc., etc. But, this is Naomi Novik and for some reason I couldn't really get into the Temerarie series. I've given it a few tries. So this book got read instead. It also doesn't hurt that it has an audiobook version and I love audiobooks!

It took a bit of perseverance to get into this story at first. But once I'm in, I was swinging! But then again, this is Naomi Novik were talking about here, so, of course the book was a fun ride!

Anisha Dadia has a very British accent which fits Galadriel, "who lives just outside London". This is the first time I've heard her and I am already a fan!


Empirical Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (10 hrs and 59 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4.5


Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries



Books In The Scholomance Series:

Book 1: A DEADLY EDUCATION Book 2: THE LAST GRADUATE Book 3: THE GOLDEN ENCLAVES


 
Meet The Author

About Naomi Novik:
An avid reader of fantasy literature since age six, when she first made her way through The Lord of the Rings, Naomi Novik is also a history buff with a particular interest in the Napoleonic era and a fondness for the work of Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen. She studied English literature at Brown University, and did graduate work in computer science at Columbia University before leaving to participate in the design and development of the computer game Neverwinter Nights: Shadow of Undrentide. Over the course of a brief winter sojourn spent working on the game in Edmonton, Canada (accompanied by a truly alarming coat that now lives brooding in the depths of her closet), she realized she preferred writing to programming, and on returning to New York, decided to try her hand at novels.

Naomi lives in New York City with her husband and six computers.


The Narrator

About Anisha Dadia:
Actress. Writer. Voice Over Artiste. Comedienne and more.



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Wednesday, 10 September 2025

BITTEN VAMPIRE


Bitten Vampire by Brogan Thomas
Book 2 in The Bitten Chronicles series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook


Shattered by fate, transformed by blood. Can a feisty, middle-aged psychic survive her new life as a vampire — without losing herself?

Winifred “Fred” Crowsdale thought life couldn’t get worse after a decade-long relationship ended in humiliating betrayal. Then, her rambunctious husky chewed through a door, prompting her furious landlord to kick them out — and ban them from every rental in town. Her only hope? A mysterious, sentient house that offers them a home.

But Fred’s luck takes a deadly turn when a food-delivery gig in the Vampire Sector goes wrong… leaving her with fangs, an insatiable thirst, and a kill-on-sight warrant from the ruthless vampire court. Now she must fight to control her new supernatural powers while staying one step ahead of relentless hunters — and a dangerously enthralling vampire who wants her for himself.

Can Fred harness her evolving psychic gifts, protect her beloved dog, and outrun the lethal slayers?
Source: Info in the "About Bitten Vampire" was taken from amazon on 16/-8/2025.


Buy Link(s):


Valdarr
My Thoughts:
Woo hoo! The Wizard House has appeared again! But... does that mean that Lark does not get to explore her powers with the Wizard House anymore??...

Valdarr is not my kind of alpha male. But, hey, to each his own.

This series is urban fantasy. I do not expect plot twists in urban fantasies. I expect plot twists in crime fiction. True to form, the books in this series is not thick on the plot. Having said that, this book, I think, has the most beautiful plot yet in the entire Otherworld series and side-serieses.

By now, I am an old Brogan Thomas fan. So, yes, I enjoyed this book!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 4
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Creatures of the Otherworld Series:
Book 1: CURSED WOLF Book 2: CURSED DEMON Book 3: CURSED VAMPIRE Book 4: CURSED WITCH Book 5: CURSED FAE Book 6: CURSED DRAGON


 
Books In The Rebel of the Otherworld Series:


Books In The Bitten Chronicles Series:
Book 1: BITTEN SHIFTER Book 2: BITTEN VAMPIRE Book 3: BITTEN BY MAGIC


 
Meet The Author

About Brogan Thomas:
Brogan lives in Ireland with her husband and their eleven furry children: five furry minions of darkness (aka the cats), four hellhounds (the dogs), and two traditional unicorns (fat, hairy Irish cobs).

In 2019 she decided to embrace her craziness by writing about the imaginary people that live in her head. Her first love is her number-one favourite furry child Bob the cob, then reading. When not reading or writing, she can be found knee-deep in horse poo and fur while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

FRAMED IN DEATH


Framed In Death by JD Robb
Book 61 in the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: sci-fi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Manhattan is filled with galleries and deep-pocketed collectors who can make an artist's career with a wave of a hand. But one man toils in obscurity, his brilliance unrecognized while lesser talents bask in the glory he believes should be his. Come tomorrow, he vows, the city will be buzzing about his work.

Indeed, before dawn, Lt. Eve Dallas is speeding toward the home of the two gallery owners whose doorway has been turned into a horrifying crime scene overnight. A lifeless young woman has been elaborately costumed and precisely posed to resemble the model of a long-ago Dutch master. Can Eve unravel the twisted mind of a serial killer before he strikes again...
Source: Info in the "About Framed In Death" was taken from amazon on 26/12/2024.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
After 61 books down the line... by now I think JD Robb has covered all angles in a crime fiction that there is... havin' said that, it is a credit to her story telling quality that this series' staying power...

I got reminded in this one why I am not a crime fiction fan. In crime fiction, of course you have a crime! But I did not want Leesa to die! Nor any of them! In my head I begin imagining alternative stories where they all live...

This is the first time ever that I can remember that an arrested unsub got away by using the loops in the justice system. Kudos for a first in a long-time series!

This is a JD Robb book, of course I enjoyed it!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (13 hrs and 11 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The In Death Series:
Book 43: APPRENTICE IN DEATH Book 44: ECHOES IN DEATH Book 45: SECRETS IN DEATH Book 46: DARK IN DEATH Book 47: LEVERAGE IN DEATH Book 48: CONNECTIONS IN DEATH Book 49: VENDETTA IN DEATH Book 50: GOLDEN IN DEATH Book 51: SHADOWS IN DEATH Book 52: FAITHLESS IN DEATH Book 53: FORGOTTEN N DEATH Book 54: ABANDONED IN DEATH Book 55: DESPERATION IN DEATH Book 56: ENCORE IN DEATH Book 57: PAYBACK IN DEATH Book 58: RANDOM IN DEATH Book 59: PASSIONS IN DEATH Book 60: BONDED IN DEATH Book 61: FRAMED IN DEATH Book 62: STOLEN IN DEATH


 
Meet The Author

About JD Robb:
J.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Forgotten in Death (St. Martin's Press, September 2021) is the 53rd entry in the series.


The Narrator

About Susan Ericksen:
Susan Ericksen is a Renaissance woman. In addition to being an Earphones-winning audiobook narrator and director — she's a writer, an amateur linguist, an actress, a mother, and a wife. In the 1980s she joined former classmate David Colacci in western Michigan, where he was artistic director for the Hope Summer Repertory Theater. Twenty miles away, a fledgling audiobook publisher called Brilliance was looking for narrators.

Susan has recorded around two hundred audiobooks for Brilliance, BBC Audiobooks, Tantor, and Hachette. "It was a natural step. As repertory theater actors, the whole point is to be able to do Shakespeare one night, a musical the next night, and Noel Coward the next. So you have multiple personalities and multiple character voices and physicalities. These are such valuable skills for doing audiobooks."



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.