Review: The Last Witness by Claire McFall

Title: The Last Witness 

Author:  Claire McFall
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 
Publishing Date:  January 1st, 2020

Pages: 272
Genre: YA Psychological Horror

Series:  Stand Alone 
Source:  Paperback

 

A group of friends awaken a malevolent spirit bent on revenge in this haunting thriller from award-winning author Claire McFall
Heather agrees to a group camping holiday with Dougie and his friends because she's desperate to get closer to him. But when the two of them disturb a pagan burial site above the beach, she becomes certain that they have awoken a malevolent spirit. Something is alive out there in the pitch-black dark, and it is planning to seek deadly revenge.
One year later, Heather knows she was very lucky to escape Black Cairn Point, but she is still waiting for Dougie to wake up from his coma. If he doesn't, how will she prove her sanity—and her innocence? 

I discovered this book a while back on Edelweiss and thought it sounded quite good, so I requested it and then I kind of forgot about it for a while. So more recently Ash and I were at the lovely bookstore (prior quarantine) and she bought it. So I read it. This book wasn't quite what I thought but I can say I was unable to put it down. It for sure helped me out of a reading slump. I quite enjoyed it and I was very immersed into the story. 


There was a group of 5 friends that went out to the beach for a camping trip. Things happen while there that leads to 3 of the friends not returning home. Two have returned, one is being blamed for all that has happened. This story is told in the now and the then and narrated by the main character, Heather, who is a bit unreliable...at least according the to the state. She has to prove her innocence and prove her sanity before she can move on with her life. 

I really enjoyed this book. I am not going to be able to go into to much detail, I don't want to give anything away. What I will say is that this book had me from the very beginning. I didn't want to put it down. I was wanting to know more and more with every chapter. It was written well and honestly for the entire read, I had no idea where this story was going to take me....is it going to be supernatural, is it going to be a serial killer, or is it all just made up. I really didn't know. So the need to read was for sure there and I was hooked. 

Now there were some things that one should expect when reading this book, the characters are not narrated in the best light. This story is not made for a connection to characters, character growth, or any feel good moments. This story is meant to creep you out, make you unsure, and kind of give you the heebie jeebies. So that being said.... did I like the characters? Unsure... it didn't really matter. I kind of enjoyed thinking they were dumb and heartless but didn't really dislike them as there wasn't really time to get to know them. It was all superficial. There wasn't really romance but there were some kissy smoochy parts. Friendship bonds were kind of there but not really good ones. Really this is not a character driven book.... well that is not true either. I am babbling because I really enjoyed the book and can't really say why... so if I am intriguing you... read the book. 

If you liked shocking revelations, crazy and unexplained events, and a group of friends that have some real issues. Read this book. I liked it and the ending really made me like it and well worth the read. It was gripping and fast paced and a real page turner. 

I really loved this book!!!

Claire McFall's work is, in essence, all about first love and difficult decisions. Her novels take straightforward romantic narratives and hurl them into unusual and extreme settings, blurring accepted genre boundaries and creating new sub-genres of her own. She then charts her characters' reactions to these unfamiliar situations and the new and confusing feelings that beset them in a hyper-real, engaging, deeply poignant and literary manner. Claire is a former teacher from Scotland who now lives in sunny Colorado with her husband, two children, and pooch, Jazz.

Review: Of Beast and Beauty by Chanda Hahn

Title: Of Beast and Beauty

Author:  Chanda Hahn
Publisher: Neverwood Press
Publishing Date:  June 18th, 2019

Pages: 310 
Genre: YA Fairy Tale Retelling

Series:  Daughters of Eville 
Source:  Audio

 

Something evil this way comes.
7 Vengeful Sisters
7 Fairytale Kingdoms
7 Daughters of Eville

Everyone dreams of marrying a prince—except for me. I am nothing more than a pawn in my adoptive mother's diabolical plot against the seven kingdoms.I was the chosen tool, her sharpened blade that would cut the deepest into the heart of the Kingdom of Baist. But like all deadly weapons, my wedding is two-edged sword that could cost me my soul.

For I am Rosalie, one of the adopted daughters of Lady Eville, and it is my duty to enter into a loveless and hate-filled marriage with the narcissistic Crown Prince of Baist. My choices and heart are not my own to give. Yet even in the thick of dire situations, beastly vengeance can give way to beautiful attraction.

This book I discovered while on Audible. I was pursuing and this just sounded good. I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling. So on my TBR it went and I was finally able to read it. Ash had picked this one out for my February Bingo Challenge. I am so glad she did. This book was so much more than I had ever anticipated. I have read some good and some great and some so so and some not good at all retellings. I am picky since its one of my favorite genres. I really loved this read. It was good, it was different, it was a page turner. Yup I loved it.


Beauty and the Beast retelling with quite a twist on things. It starts with a witch with a daughter who curses a king and forces his son to marry his daughter. They get married they hate each other. The prince thinks the daughter is wicked, the daughter thinks the prince is cruel. Oh and there is a beast roaming the woods killing villagers. The prince and the daughter must find a way to work together to save the kingdom from the beast. There is magic, romance, war, horror, there is a little bit of everything in this story.


My favorite fairy tale is by far Beauty and the Beast, so when I see a Beauty and the Beast retelling I am all over it. It's always a hit or miss. I went into this one not expecting much but hoping for a win. And I got a win. This book was a little slow to take off... What I mean by low is where it was going. It was still good to read, I just didn't see where it was going. So it was a bit before I was totally in, but I feel that if the author didn't take the time in the beginning to really build the characters, I wouldn't have been in as deep once it all went down. Beauty and the Beast is at the heart of thing.... I love story and it's a love story that completely transform characters. So l needed badly to understand and fall in love with the characters, flaws and all. That is what this author did. I completely fell in love with these characters. It was great. I can say that there wasn't one character I didn't strong hate, love, respect, connect too, and many times all of the above at different times in the story. They all had pasts, secrets, regrets, issues to overcome.

The main characters, Rosalie and The Prince, are just great. There was so much to love about both their stories. Neither one of them was really in charge of their own choices and destiny. They were both forced into a marriage that they did not want and a marriage fuled by fear. Neither one able to trust or to truly be who they were. It wasn't until they decided to work together for a common goal when they began to let the walls down and also learn to communicate in a way the other could appreciate and understand. It was then when a friendship could come into play and eventually love. I just loved the love story.

The love story wasn't the only relationship the book focuses on. There are past relationships of love and of family that has shaped the present. There are friendships old and new and there are family loyalties and dynamics that really come into play. They are all intertwined in some way and the way the author weaves them all together slowly to tell such a compelling story is just magnificent. I have always loved stories that are told in pieces, past and present. I feel in these, I really get to know all the characters so very well.

This story was really it's own, even though it was a retelling, it was loosely a retelling. This story had so much more than just the love story, in fact at times the love story was almost in the background. There was love of family, friendships, curses and magic, kingdoms at war, mystery, darkness. It was just wonderful. The writing is beautiful, the story was adventurous and dark. The world the story was set in was vivid and full of color. There were many stories inside a bigger story and it all blended perfectly.

I am really looking forward to reading more from this author, especially this world. Which I am in luck since there are more stories about the witches daughters.



I loved it, nothing but love in the heart and stars in the eyes for this one.

Chanda Hahn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reign An Unfortunate Fairy Tale. She was born in Seattle, WA, grew up in Nebraska and currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their twin children. She attended North Central University in Minneapolis Minnesota for Childrens Ministry. She was also a children's pastor, bookseller and children's librarian.

Books published by Chanda include the UnEnchanted series a.k.a. (Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series) and The Iron Butterfly series.

Chanda is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group. You can direct any inquiries regarding foreign, film, audio and translation rights to him. www.tridentmediagroup.com

Review: Reputation by Sara Shepherd

Title: Reputation

Author:  Sara Shepherd
Publisher: Dutton
Publishing Date:  December 3rd, 2019

Pages: 373
Genre: Adult Mystery Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

Aldrich University is rocked to its core when a hacker dumps 40,000 people's e-mails—the entire faculty, staff, students, alums—onto an easily searchable database. Rumors and affairs immediately leak, but things turn explosive when Kit Manning's handsome husband, Dr. Greg Strasser, is found murdered. Kit's sister, Willa, returns for the funeral, setting foot in a hometown she fled fifteen years ago, after a night she wishes she could forget. As an investigative reporter, Willa knows something isn't right about the night Greg was killed, and she's determined to find the truth. What she doesn't expect is that everyone has something to hide. And with a killer on the loose, Willa and Kit must figure out who killed Greg before someone else is murdered.

Told from multiple points of view, Reputation is full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals. It's a story of intrigue, sabotage, and the secrets we keep—and how far we go to keep them hidden. Number one bestseller Sara Shepard is at the top of her game in this brand-new adult novel.

Last year I read The Elizas by Sara Shepard last year and I loved it. I wasn't sure if I was going to give her adult books a chance because of my feelings for pretty little liars. But I did like her writing so I thought I would give it a chance. I adored it and when I saw she came out with a new adult book, I was excited. I wanted to read it asap and I did. I loved it! My favorite book of hers so far. So good. I loved the mystery, the characters, the stories, how everything weaved together. It was written well and it dealt with sexual assault on girls very well. I just loved everything about it. 

Aldrich University is a very well known prestigious university. The smartest and brightest kids get in. That is why it was a perfect target for a hacker to go in and make every email account for the university accessible for anyone to read. The story focus on Kit, the wife of a professor and daughter of the president of the university. After the email hack, Kit's husband, Greg,  ends up dead. She and her sister need to find the murderer and find out why he was killed. In the process secrets are discovered and there are numerous suspects because some of Greg's secrets were deadly. 

So what I thought of this book. This book just amazed me and surprised me. Like I said I did enjoy her other adult book, The Elizas, and thought I would enjoy this one too... but I more than enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down. It shocked me, it made me cry, it made me root for some not so good guys, it crossed so many grey areas. It was written very well and it was just amazing. 

One thing I loved about this book, it was told from many pov's. It wasn't confusing either. I was able to keep up quite well. Each individual was very unique and had a strong voice. So many personalities in one book. I can't name all the pov's at this moment, as I can't recall all their names, but there were quite a bit and they all came together to tell the story of what happened leading up to and on the night the murder happened. I really can't say I didn't like any of the characters. I loved them all. They were all so different and so strong in their own way. I feel that every one of their stories were so important. 

The setting was okay. I enjoyed it. I haven't read much from the university setting and I must say I wish there was more of them out there. It was very interesting and I wish that there would have been more details on the setting. It was done well but I feel compared to the story, it lacked a bit. 

The book in the end was really focused on assault on women. I loved how well this was done. There was a bit of women empowering other women and it made me really warm inside thinking about women standing up for other women. Sometimes I feel this lacks a bit. The reasons why women don't come forward, don't think they can speak up, this was done well too. I also loved how it told the other side of women taking advantage of men too. So it wasn't just one sided. The entire thing was just dealt with so wonderfully. 

The mystery was done well too. I had not clue , I mean no clue who did it. Everyone was a suspect in the book and a suspect of mine at one time or another. I was thoroughly confused on who the murderer was. I was shocked a bit but when it came out. Not totally, it made sense I could look back and see how it made sense, but I didn't see it until the author wanted me to see it. Great mystery. 

I really wanted more when it ended. The ending was complete and it was wrapped up nice. But I wasn't ready to leave this world, these characters behind. I would read more if there was more. I really did enjoy it. 

Truly just loved this book. If you like murder mystery and drama, read this book. 

Sara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line.

Board Game Break Time: Five Tribes

Board Game Break Time is a new feature we're bringing in, where we play board games and review them. 

Title: Five Tribes

Publisher:  Days of Wonder

Release Date: 2014

Designer: Bruno Cathala

Game Mechanism: Mancala, Set Collection, Point Salad

# of Players: 2-4  Best: 2

Ages: 13+

Play Time: 40-80 Minutes

  

Average Rating: 7.8/10

Average Rating: 4.7/5

Crossing into the Land of 1001 Nights, your caravan arrives at the fabled Sultanate of Naqala. The old sultan just died and control of Naqala is up for grabs! The oracles foretold of strangers who would maneuver the Five Tribes to gain influence over the legendary city-state. Will you fulfill the prophecy? Invoke the old Djinns and move the Tribes into position at the right time, and the Sultanate may become yours!

Designed by Bruno Cathala, Five Tribes builds on a long tradition of German-style games that feature wooden meeples. Here, in a unique twist on the now-standard "worker placement" genre, the game begins with the meeples already in place – and players must cleverly maneuver them over the villages, markets, oases, and sacred places tiles that make up Naqala. How, when, and where you dis-place these Five Tribes of Assassins, Elders, Builders, Merchants, and Viziers determine your victory or failure.

As befitting a Days of Wonder game, the rules are straightforward and easy to learn. But devising a winning strategy will take a more calculated approach than our standard fare. You need to carefully consider what moves can score you well and put your opponents at a disadvantage. You need to weigh many different pathways to victory, including the summoning of powerful Djinns that may help your cause as you attempt to control this legendary Sultanate.

~taken from BoardGameGeek

 

These are not the best pictures on this Christmas table cloth. It's hard to see but that is what I have. 

This game was on my to play list for a very long time. I heard great things about it but didn't want to buy it til I tried it. One night at a new gaming group, I learned this was the host's favorite game. So she taught it, we played it, I loved it. I asked for it for Christmas and I received it. Thanks Santa Baby!  So I have played this game about 4 times since Christmas, which is a lot for me since we play so many games. I still love it and it has made  my top ten favorite games list. Which is huge. 

The strategy in this game is not simple, the play, the rules, the learning of the game...simple, the strategy not so much. There is a lot to go into when you take your turn and which meeples to pick up. All the different meeples have different powers. You pick up the color you land with. So depending on which color and how many of that color, the point value can be huge or small. Your turn order depends on bidding for your placement. Which money is also points in the end. So choosing what to bid can be tricky. Risk vs. Reward is huge in this game. 

The game just looks great too. Like I said the table cloth takes away from the look of the game in the pictures, but its really pretty. The art work is all jinn and middle east looking, the colors are bright for the meeples but soft on the board. It just comes together so nicely. I am all about the aesthetics and the look of this game makes me happy. 

I just really LOVE this game! 

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