Book Review: Rhapsodic (The Bargainer #1)

Rhapsodic (The Bargainer #1) by Laura Thalassa

Publishing Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Lavabrook Publishing Group
Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want... at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects.

But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more.

For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken. 

If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

I rated it 5/5 "it was amazing"

Desmond Flynn is King of the Night and is a Bargainer for a sideline. A girl owes him 322 bargains and he has come to collect. What does he want in return? 

"I'll be back tomorrow night, be prepared for more than just a kiss." 

From the very beginning this book got me hooked. I keep comparing Des to Sarah J Maas's Rhys but later I've stopped because they are completely different. Not just the physical description but Des is a different person with a different background (which I'm so excited to read in his Novella 'The Emperor of Evening Stars').

I love stories where two people have this huge history together and the way the book was written, to jump between the past and the present and how they somewhat parallel to their arguments and revelations.

Overall this was a very exciting read, my heart pounds whenever Des and Callie are in the same room. I could feel their electricity jumping out of the pages of the book. This is my first Laura Thalassa book and it certainly wouldn't be the last. I also heard so much about her other series and will check those out soon too. This book deserves more praise because this is truly one of the gems.

Book Review: Scarlet Rose #1: "I Knew I'd Meet You" (Graphic Novel)

Scarlet Rose #1: "I Knew I'd Meet You" by Patricia Lyfoung

Publishing Date: November 28, 2017
Publisher: Charmz
Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Maud, a dreamy young woman, who loves justice, lives in France in the 18th century. The incomprehensible murder of his father forced him to rejoin Paris where his grandfather, a noble whose existence she was unaware, saw. It crosses the road of the Fox, a brigand of the highways that she admires. But she still does not know anything about the secret that her father bequeathed to her and that a mysterious individual covets. 

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

I rated it 5/5 "it was amazing"

Thank you Papercutz for the copy via NetGalley.

This Graphic Novel is fun, easy to read, and has a good sense of humor.

It starts with the murder of Maud's father, a past revealed to her and thus she travels to live in Paris. Her huge crush on a bandit calling himself "The Fox" has lead her to a conclusion of becoming a bandit herself - Scarlet Rose.

Guilhem is quite cute but I can't really tell of his age based on the drawings. Their facial expressions are right and I love how they change to impossible human faces to exaggerate an emotion.

I believe the english translations have just begun and I can't wait to read the next installment. This is my first Graphic Novel series so I'm not very familiar with the slang. Is it called an 'installment', an 'issue' perhaps?

Book Review: Beowulf

Beowulf by Jacqueline Morley

Publishing Date: October 1, 2010
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
Synopsis from Goodreads: 

This retelling of the first great epic poem in the English language recounts the story of Beowulf, his heroic struggle against the monster Grendel, and his final fight to the death with a ferocious dragon. Barron's " Graphic Classics " offer easy-to-follow retellings of immortal literary works. They introduce elementary and secondary school students to many of our culture's great plays, novels, and epic poems, and encourage boys and girls to discover the joy of reading the masterworks in their original form. "Graphic Classics " titles tell absorbing stories with high-quality color illustrations complemented with short narrative sections and dialogue balloons that capture the spirit of the originals. They also present background material to help young readers understand when and why the literary work was originally written. " Graphic Classics " titles are available in both paperback and hardcover editions.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

I rated it 5/5 "it was amazing"

This was a fun read. It works for all ages.
I always wanted to know the story of Beowulf but I didn't want to read a really thick book for it. This comic book was very helpful as it has great art with synonyms for words that are less familiar.

If you need to write an essay on a classic, choose comic books especially from this publisher because it's easy to read and it has a lot of pictures.

Book Review: Geekerella

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Publishing Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Quirk Books
Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. 

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

I rated it 5/5 "it was amazing"

“I hate that I’m falling for someone I don’t even know.”

My take on the plot.

Before Ella’s father died it was always him, Ella, and Starfield reruns - the sci-fi tv series that they both loved so much. Now a reboot of Starfield is being made into a movie with Darien Freeman as the lead, Carmindor. Ella isn’t convinced he’s worthy of role and she ranted about it in her blog Rebelgunner. Darien runs into her blog post and is enraged by Rebelgunner. Darien accidentally texts the wrong number which was Ella’s and thus begins their relationship divided by a screen. However, Darien doesn’t give out a name and Ella calls her as Carmindor while Darien knows she’s Ella, he doesn’t know she’s behind Rebelgunner. 

“There’s just me stranded on the wrong side of everything that I love.”

It’s very modern and I love how I am brought to the world of cosplay and cons. I have never been to one before and the way Exelsicon was described in this book feels like I was in there too. I am a fangirl myself and this book just made me become a fan of a non-existent show! I wish Starfield were a real tv show, or at least a comic book. How about a novel? Even a serialized novel would be great.

“I fell in love across the cell signals and late-night texts with a girl I barely knew.”

Ella is no short of Cinderella’s character she’s not even a geek, she’s an ordinary fangirl like most of us while Darien is a different kind of Prince Charming. Being in behind the scenes on a major film made me realize how hard it is to be an actor and the different roles of the crew. Darien being an unsure prince because his life is being run by his father slash manager and is also forced to be on a diet to maintain his abs.

I pretty much enjoyed seeing the major aspects of Cinderella being incorporated to their story. It’s not even cliche, all the characters are very realistic, the events also realistic. It’s a refreshing take on a classic. The ending didn’t seem rushed either though I did feel a different rush getting to the end. It was well paced, it worked out well for the characters. I even wish for a sequel. I want to know what happens to their lives after the end. Oh and Rebelgunner’s blog post was the perfect closing remark for the book.

There’s so many things I could talk about this book without even spoiling anything but I don’t want this review to be so long. All I could say is read it. Pick up this book and read it. It’s not what you think it would be.

Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.