Sunday, September 30

Joint Review: The Unfleshed - Tale of the Autopsic Bride






Hello all! Blodeuedd and I will be discussing "The Unfleshed - Tale of the Autopsic Bride" by Lisa Vasquez. Blodeudd is in red and I am in purple/black. 






Author: Lisa Vasquez
Title: The Unfleshed: Tale of the Autopsic Bride
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Pages: ebook
Published: January 21st 2017 
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Netgalley)


A plague has washed upon England’s shore, bringing death in its wake. While the sickness plucks the lives of the victims indiscriminately, something else moves in its shadows, using it as a cover. Victims without signs of infection have been brutally murdered and dismembered. Suspicions already surround the infamous Doctor Wulfe when his eccentric behavior takes a more sinister turn. His interest in the young Morrigan spirals into an unhealthy obsession. Angus manipulates her father, giving him hope of a cure in return for his daughter’s hand in marriage. But, when his bride-to-be awakens with an insatiable appetite, will she be forced to go through with the arrangement? Or will the plague save her from a deal made with a devil?


So this was Carole’s pick and all I am saying is that wow….this was a bad one ;)

Ugh - I had such a hope for this one.

Ha, I honestly do not know where to start. It was bad all over.
Yessss. Good in theory...bad in execution. Let’s start with the historical issues. This is supposed to be set in 1300s, but it read like a 1800s or 1600s book.

The thing that made me lol the most was the the mother, a noble lady went all omg yay! A doctor proposed to my daughter.  JOY!!!! Haha, yes why not let one of the serfs marry her when you are at it.

Ugh that did kill me.   

Yes it was the worst one. But there were so many other things. Like how they acted towards each other greeted each other. Like when he called them Mr and Mrs and I was all wtf is happening here? Or yes greeted her by name. Everything really. Names! Oh the names. Who names their kid Morrigan in the 14th century! Do you want her burned at the stake!? A pagan goddess. Really *biggest eyeroll in the world* I could go on and on and on.

No mother with even the slightest bit of nobility or even a rich lady (especially in the 1300s) would even contemplate the idea. The father was the only smart guy. And the names killed me too. If this had been a fantasy novel or a what-if, I think I would’ve been okay with these issues. A different world might’ve been okay with this. So many issues with the accuracy that it was hard to overlook. A couple here and there never make a huge impact for me...but this was littered with issues.

A few things are easily overlooked, but when the entire book is riddled with error it’s hard. I honestly believe that the author knows only one thing about the Middle Ages and that is that the black death came. And she did not seem to know anything about the black death either. All those people in Morrigan’s house should be dead too. Why was she the only one sick. Did the author realise how many freaking people died? No one even lamented about how God had sent this purge upon them.

I think she took the general idea and ran with it. Zero research. Zero thought. She just wanted to make a serial killer during this time period. Which would’ve worked fine since he was a doctor and could’ve easily gotten away with it. So not a bad theory and idea. She needed someone to edit hardcore.

I am honestly not sure where it took place either? Do you know? Just some town?

I want to say England? All I really know it was a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere.

That was another thing that annoyed me. The yes everyone lives in this town. Morrigan lives in this town, what in some townhouse? If she is the nobility around there I would think they could do better than some townhouse. And then suddenly there was more things around that house. It felt like she wrote something, then forgot and then wrote something else. Like when Morrigan looked out throw like the livingroom window and saw him. Ok so do you even know what a house looked like then? *takes a pause* I just can not handle stuff like this!!!! RESEARCH!!!!!!!!

SO many examples. A quick google search would’ve been good. Oh! So what did you think of our main killer here? He was creepy and gross. The author did do a good job of making him gross and creepy. That is the one positive thing I can say without a hesitation. LOL

I think it could have been good, but then she went on how he was molested and all that and it was weird….Why was he even that obsessed with Morrigan?

She was pretty? His obsession with her was weird and made little sense. She was nothing but rude to him just like everyone else. Not sure why she was so special...I honestly wished we had zero to little background info on him. I didn’t want to get to know him.

Were we supposed to understand him cos he had been dealt a bad card in life? Euwww, he murdered women and cut them up. Who gives an f. Just kill him now. I expected horror, not some gross guy and yes a badly written book.

Oh and I thought it was YA first, before the raping and torture.

RIGHT? Like a little bit of info would be okay, but we are supposed to hate him. He is a murderer and psycho who turns an innocent into a monster. Which...wth was she supposed to be? Like a vampire...zombie thing? She wanted to eat people...so I was so confused by all that.

That was really bad. She ate people but she went all oh I wanna do you! Ehhh, no, you should eat him, and then I mean eat his flesh and kill him. It made no sense at all.

It didn’t at all. I was okay with the fact she was eating people but then when he got her she was all okay with not eating him. She could control herself? No sense at all.

And one would think she would go for someone else then. I guess the author wanted smex, but it was all srsly? Why...Why?!

Out of anything...I didn’t expect that. It was weird and out of place.

I only read it so that I could laugh at it, like my fav scene, Victoria goes happy with joy that her daughter will marry a doc. Oh good times! Good times. Cos I truly wanted to dnf this since it was utter rubbish. But I also wanted to see how many weird things I could spot.

I would’ve DNFed it as well, but it did have me curious how all of this was going to end. I wanted the ending to be good, but it was eh. It was supposed to make you feel a touch bad, but I didn’t. No sympathy, no caring. Does that make me a monster?????!!!!

Ha, oh right the ending, I was all who gives a fig. I am glad it is over. Maybe she is writing a sequel

Oh no. I hope not. LOL.

Anything more to add

Mhmmmmmm….nothing else. All I know is that I am bummed. This sounded SOOOOOOOOOOO good, but it ended up being….not good. The idea was fun and original, but the story itself and the writing was left to be desired.

My thoughts would be: Do not read this book, not even for a good laugh. Also I came to think of those words that guy says at the end, The auto bride. It still makes me groan, it was so bad.


Indeed, indeed. Well...you’re turn. Good luck!!




About the Authors
Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.





Saturday, September 29

Movie Review: The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)


Film Title: The Undertaker and His Pals
Length: 1h and 3 min
Released: (1966)
Genre:  Horror, Comedy 
Rating: R
Where I Got It: YouTube


SUMMARY:

An undertaker and his two friends, who are restaurant owners, drum up business by going out on the town and killing people; the restaurant owners use parts of the bodies for their menu, and the undertaker gets paid by the families to bury the remainder. Their racket goes awry when 2 detectives suspect that something isn't quite kosher.

TRAILER:
N/A


REVIEW:
So my friend decided this was the movie of the evening to watch. I like horror films and I like horror films with some comedy. They do not list this as a parody. In all honesty though…it really was a comedy with some bloody parts and some creepy men riding around. 

The story follows these three men who are hunting people down for their restaurant and morgue services. Honestly…a clever idea that ensures money made and money saved. Clever, brutal men. 

But yes, this was pretty bloody and scary, especially for the time period. I believe it was in the 1960s that this came out. I found it more creepy and funny at the same time. 

The film doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is melodrama, ridiculous scenes, stupid jokes, and hilarious moments. Ooooo Leg of Lamb….my goodness. The most hilarious part was when one of the men was chasing a girl up some stairs. I won’t say more, but I was on the floor!

A silly, but creepy old-time movie. A good one for Halloween if you need a lighter horror film that will make you chuckle. I’ll give this 5 stars. Why? It was stupid, but perfect in every way! 





Friday, September 28

DNF: Murder of a Werewolf by April Fernsby

Author:  April Fernsby
Title: Murder of a Werewolf
(Brimstone Witch Mystery #1)
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal
Pages: ebook
Published: May 11th 2017
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)

Brimstone - a town where supernatural beings live - and where crime is on the increase. 

Just like her gran, Cassia Winter is a witch. The Winter witches are responsible for investigating crimes in Brimstone. The only problem is, Cassia doesn’t know she’s a witch yet. 


When Gran tells Cassia about her true nature, Cassia dismisses it as nonsense. But a terrible incident causes Cassia to change her mind. With her cat, Stanley, at her side, Cassia enters Brimstone and is soon investigating the murder of a werewolf. 


A super cute cover that drew me in with an interesting plot. 

However, looks can be deceiving. 

I had to DNF this one. I stopped about halfway through and I couldn't go forward. 

Cassia is a fool from page one. 

Gran should've told Cassia eons ago. 

And the mystery was decent, but not enough to keep me going. Super bummer. 

In the end, this one was not for me at all. I am bummed. 






Thursday, September 27

Book Blast and Book Giveaway - CLASH OF EMPIRES by Paul Bennett

Clash of Empires by Paul Bennett

Publication Date: December 8, 2016 Paperback & eBook; 224 Pages ISBN-13: 978-1540666628 Series: The Mallory Saga, Book #1 Genre: Historical Fiction     

In 1756, Britain and France are on a collision course for control of the North American continent. The eventual result can be described as the first world war, known as the Seven Year’s War in Europe and the French and Indian War in the colonies. The Mallory family uproots from eastern Pennsylvania, and moves to the western frontier, where they find themselves in the middle of war. Daniel, Liam, and Liza (the three Mallory siblings) become involved in the conflict in ways that lead to emotional trauma for each. The story focuses on historical events and includes historical characters. Clash of Empires is an exciting look at the developments leading to the events of July 1776, which are chronicled in the sequel as we follow the exploits and fate of the Mallory clan.



"I feel both educated and thoroughly entertained by Mr. Bennett’s debut novel ‘Clash of Empires’. Rich in detail mined from the author’s clearly painstaking research, we find lessons that should have been learned from the distant past rising to the fore once more; cannons boom, bullets fly and tomahawks spin through the air as the war builds towards a brutal climax. A fresh voice and a cracking tale. Recommended!" - Author Gordon Doherty

Amazon US | Amazon UK | IndieBound

About the Author


Paul’s education was of the public variety and when he reached Junior High he discovered that his future did not include the fields of mathematics or science. This was generally the case throughout his years in school as he focused more on his interest in history; not just the rote version of names and dates but the causes. Paul studied Classical Civilization at Wayne State University with a smattering of Physical Anthropology thrown in for good measure. Logically, of course, Paul spent the next four decades drawing upon that vast store of knowledge working in large, multi-platform data centers, and is considered in the industry as a bona fide IBM Mainframe dinosaur heading for extinction. Paul currently resides in the quaint New England town of Salem, Massachusetts with his wife, Daryl. The three children have all grown, in the process turning Paul’s beard gray, and have now provided four grandchildren; the author is now going bald. For more information, please visit the Mallory Saga Facebook page. You can also find Paul on his Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Thursday, September 20 Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots 
Friday, September 21 Passages to the Past 
Monday, September 24 Donna's Book Blog 
Tuesday, September 25 Impressions In Ink 
Wednesday, September 26 SilverWoodSketches 
Thursday, September 27 The Book Junkie Reads 
Carole Rae's Random Ramblings 
Friday, September 28 Jathan & Heather 
Monday, October 1 Book Nerd The Lit Bitch 
Tuesday, October 2 Just One More Chapter
Wednesday, October 3 Svetlana's Reads and Views 
Thursday, October 4 A Darn Good Read 
Friday, October 5 100 Pages a Day 
Monday, October 8 CelticLady's Reviews 
Tuesday, October 9 Maiden of the Pages 
Wednesday, October 10 The Book Review 
Friday, October 12 Bri's Book Nook

Giveaway



During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a signed copy of Clash of Empires to one lucky reader! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. 

Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on October 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to US/Canada only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Clash of Empires Blast

Wednesday, September 26

Book Review: Be Careful What You Wish For by AC Hutchinson

Be Careful What You Wish ForAuthor: A.C. Hutchinson
Title: Be Careful What You Wish For
Genre: Short Story, Horror
Pages: ebook
Published: October 31st 2015
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)

When David Patzpowski takes his breakfast at a motorway diner, he discovers the clientele to be a little on the strange side.

A random freebie from Amazon! Just what I was looking for. Something short and something a touch spooky. 

The story follows the man who gets everything he wishes for. I can’t say much else…but he is visited by someone who has a message to send him. 

I felt bad for him in a way because I do not really believe he truly understood he had a gift. I don’t want to believe he is a baddie….but still…maybe he did know? He had to have an inkling, but then a certain event happened and I don’t think he really knew that it was a gift. 

But yes, this was a short one. I would’ve liked a little more backstory and more about the power. Was it a power? Was it karma? Was it luck? I wanted more detail. 

Overall, though, this was a pretty good read. Didn’t scare me too much, but it does make you think. I’ll give this 4 stars. 




Tuesday, September 25

Time for TV: Victoria (Season 2)





Recently Finished:



It took FOREVER for Amazon to have season 2 for free on Prime. I nearly caved and bought it, but I waited and I was given this! Yayy!

We get to see more of Young Vicky in the early stages of her marriage. I think we are about 6 years in now or so? It’s hard to really tell at some points because time seems to slide by and next thing you know the baby is now 5 or 6 and Vicky is preggo again.

The beginning of the show really does focus on her recovery from her first childbirth. Poor Vicky. She still has to prove herself to these men. GRRR men! She is the damn queen not a normal woman. I’m glad the PM and her hubbie realize this and just let her be her and do what she needs to do. 

I like the Vicky they have. It still weirds me out about her colored contacts. Sometimes it looks real…sometimes…not so much. Just have her have her natural eyes or cast a blue-eyed woman. Giving someone a wig is way easier. But the actress has done well and I am surprised. I was a little uneasy with her, but she has slid into the Vicky shoes and has done well. I like Albert. He fits well. I LOVE Ernest, but I am biased because I adore the actor. He can do no wrong ;) Except I am a little mad with Ernest. FOOL! Damned fool. SMH. Did you not learn? 

The rest of the cast is good. I also love how they tie in the servants and their stories. Everything fits nicely. Yes, the show is about good ol’ Vickey, but I feel they keep it more interesting showing everyone else. The servants get a story. The hubbie and his brother get a story. It is all nice and it flows perfectly. 

My only real issue is the time passages. It can be a little jolting when they skip a couple of years and you are unaware until you see the kids all older or etc. Lots of material to covers, but I would like some sort of notification when there is going to be more than a few months’ time jumping. 

Overall, I love, love LOVE this show. I want to start with season 1 again and re-watch the whole show. SOOOO when is season 3 coming out? This left me with tears and I must know more! The time jumps and the eye contacts bug me a touch, but overall this is a really good show. I’ll stamp this season with 4 stars. 



Monday, September 24

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: A Blade so Black by LL McKinney


Paperback, 384 pages
Expected publication: September 25th 2018 by Titan Books Ltd
YA UF PNR
For review

My Thoughts:
Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland being that what Dreams is made of, nightmares and all kinds. And Alice being a teenager who is attacked by a nightmare and saved by Addison Hatter. Yes the Mad Hatter is just some 20 year old (who is immortal and older) and not mad at all, or attending tea parties. Instead he is a fighter that protects us little mortals.

Alice was a normal teen, who is now a superhero of sorts. Her mum was SO over protective. I mean I am all for a mother who is present in YA lit, so many are not. But this mum worried all the time. And yes I get it, we d hear about the black girl who was shot by cops while doing nothing at all. So of course Alice's mum wants her safe and sound at home. But how much was Alice really home? Maybe her mum was right to be mad. Can't have your kid running wild now can we. Honestly how did Buffy do it?

Addison, well he is mysterious and we learn more later. He is in exile and at the same time he has to protect the Wonderland/Earth border. And of course they will hook up some time, what else is an immortal guy for...yes I do wish he had been 20 for real instead.

The bad guy, oh I fear he was the down part of the book. It was all good until the bad guy showed up. He talked like a modern snotty teenager. He was all over Alice. It was frankly weird. Why is she so special? I wish he had been scary or evil. Not so meh.

Personally I wanted more, more of something. A stronger book.

Conclusion:
But it was an interesting story, and a different Alice. More will come as the ending was evil. 

Blurb
The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally. 

Sunday, September 23

Audiobook Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Author: Jenny Han
Narrator: Laura Knight Keating
Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1)
Genre: YA & Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published: April 15th 2014 
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

I've been hearing about this book for a while and now there is a movie. I want to watch the movie, but I wanted to read the book first. I nearly caved and watched the movie but then I saw this on Audible so huzzah!

The story follows Lara Jean who is a teen girl and as we all can relate was super into the idea of love and boys. To help herself get over her crushes and "loves" she wrote them goodbye letters. She lists why she loved them and why she is no longer in love. She never sends them, but keeps them as memories. This is a cute idea BUT alas...something happens and they are all sent out to these boys. Oh dear.  But, like everything in life, maybe some good will come out after all. 

This was a sweet and cute book. I liked Lara Jean and I could relate to her in a lot of ways especially in my High School days. Lots of similarities and a head full of love. I had lots of crushes (thank god I didn't write letters to each one...I would be needing to fight them off). Poor girl. I can't even imagine the horror! I died for her when she realized what happened. I totally figured out what happened and who is to blame. The mystery was not crazy there...easy to figure out. BUT Lara Jean has these men to deal with and can't sit and figure out the whys and hows. 

But yes. This was sweet with some drama. It took me a while to really get invested. Maybe it was because I was hoping for instant drama...but there was some character and world building. Once a certain event happened, I was hooked. Slow to start, but worth it in the end. 

I did not like Peter or Josh or any of those boys you liked. Nope. Lara Jean you deserve the sun. You are an utter sweetie!!!!! I dread what will happen in the next book, but I shall try it. haha. 

The narrator sounded super young. Way younger than 17. But it worked overall. I may just read book 2...we shall see.

In the end, I liked this. It was sweet and it was interesting. I adored Lara Jean and I want her to be happy. She deserves a good boy. The narrator was okay...sounded too young for the character. I'll give this 4 stars overall.