Tag Archives: Amazon.com

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (2011) – BR00169 (2019) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
November 13 2019

Plot or Premise

A witch who has ignored her powers feels them re-awaken in Oxford as she does research on alchemy and encounters a vampire interested in the same book.

What I Liked

The story is far removed from the world of young magicians or young love. Instead, we see a budding partnership, collaboration and even romance blossom between Dr. Diana Bishop, hidden witch, and Matthew de Clermont, vampire. But it is the richness of every place and event that overwhelms the senses…Oxford comes alive, his castle in France is a presence all on its own, the changing relationship between Diana the witch and Ysabeau the mother-in-law vampire, and even the life in America with Diana’s aunts. Each segment is visual, sensual, tangible to the reader. Yet at the same time, it combines all the magical elements with DNA tests and the use of science.

What I Didn’t Like

The sheer magnitude of the story is hard to keep straight with all the characters and the various histories that intertwine. There is also not enough info about demons, while an abundance for vampires and witches. And the ending is basically “to be continued”.

The Bottom Line

A fantastic start to a fantasy series.

Blue Moon by Lee Child (2019) – BR00168 (2019) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
November 11 2019

Plot or Premise

Reacher wanders into a town and accidentally flames the fires of a turf war between the Albanian and Ukrainian mobs.

What I Liked

The progression from what Reacher sees at the start to the war with the 2 mobs is awesome, and the almost slapstick element the way the mob interprets what’s happening reminded me of the Remo Williams series. Good escalation throughout.

What I Didn’t Like

The secondary characters were a bit, well, odd. Too ready to jump in and kill bad guys, and the waitress can suddenly figure out battle plans. Plus, Reacher is too violent even for him, regardless of the repeated justification of the shoe being on the other foot. 

The Bottom Line

Still classic Reacher, albeit more violent than usual.

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton (2018) – BR00167 (2019) – 🐸⚪⚪⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
November 10 2019

Plot or Premise

A woman dumped by a guy tries to create the perfect life that will bring them back together, whether he wants it or not.

What I Liked

There is a revelation about 60% of the way through that explains some of her behaviour, a pseudo-rationale to her logic, but even it is really far-fetched. The initial incidents are just plausible enough to be believable, and the light touch that makes it feel almost like a Bridget Jones’ Diary- type storyline makes the story seem all the more creepy.

What I Didn’t Like

She got dumped, and she creates these elaborate plans that all seem to go off without a “WTF?” moment, as they take place entirely from her perspective. But the light touch the author uses to make it seem like a chic-lit romance is so inappropriate. If the protagonist was a man, everyone would see this book for what it is — some sort of stalker / revenge fantasy hybrid. But even within the storyline, there are two violent episodes (one with him in a bathroom, one with his new gf) that are completely ridiculous.

The Bottom Line

Revenge fantasy disguised as a light romance

The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge (2019) – BR00166 (2019) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
November 10 2019

Plot or Premise

A Chinese-American woman trained as a ninja and now protects abused women in L.A.

What I Liked

The story works on three levels for me. First, there is a mystery to solve involving multiple bad guys, politics, and a new subway being constructed (the motive is obvious, the details are not). Second, she helps women get away from their abusers, and feels a bit in places like the Jane Whitefield novels by Thomas Perry. Third, she is choosing romantically between a nice guy and a danger guy, similar to the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. I had a small sense of deja vu that I knew this storyline as it progressed.

What I Didn’t Like

As the first story in a series, there is a lot of exposition going on. Explaining Lily’s background, her mixed Norwegian / Chinese heritage, and even some of her relationship with her parents. Her angst with her mother is brought up about six or seven places in the novel, while 1-2 would have been fine. Equally, her father’s colloquialisms show up way too often, “doncha know”. Plus, she explains kunoichi about three times, as if we didn’t see it the first two times. The repetition was a bit heavy-handed. 

The Bottom Line

Good debut, look forward to the next story.

No Second Chance by Harlan Coben (2004) – BR00165 (2019) – 🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
November 9 2019

Plot or Premise

A surgeon wakes up in the hospital, an apparent victim of a home invasion that left him shot in the head, his wife dead, and his infant daughter missing.

What I Liked

There were a fair number of possible red herrings running around in the story, and everybody gets suspected of something. His lawyer friend, his dead wife, his sister, an ex-girlfriend, a scummy adoption lawyer, even the police investigating the crime…all of them are a little bit off.

What I Didn’t Like

There are a couple of scenes that are completely over the top, and the ending is ridiculous. All of the work to find his daughter, with lives at risk all the way along and him accused of murder, and someone he knows knew the truth all along. But he’s semi-forgiving. Ridiculous.

The Bottom Line

Over-the-top plotting in places, ridiculous relationships, and absurd ending.