Alastriona's Place

Threshing Day (The Empyrean, #3.5)

2026-10-27T16:10:40.819-05:00

Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This did not advance the plot any. Why she bothered to write this I don't know, it was a complete waste of her time and mine. Please authors if you are going to start a series finish the series before you move on to other projects, don't leave your readers hanging. Apparently I can place Rebecca Yarros in the same category as George R. R. Martin an author who doesn't bother to finish the series they started when something more lucrative comes along. Pity because I was really looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Age of Swords (The Legends of the First Empire, #2)

2026-10-22T07:27:26.234-05:00

Age of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Minna the Wisest Wolf in the World was killed by her best friend Suri. I really hate authors who act like it's OK to kill animals. Arion told Suri to sacrifice her and I could have lived with that as it was Arion's idea. But Suri didn't want to kill Arion so she killed Minna instead. And it turned out she didn't have to kill anyone. If they had just been patient and let Brin and Roan translated the tablets the way to kill Balgargarath was written on there.

When Persephone returns from the journey to the dwarfs home she becomes the King of the human tribes after Moya defeats the Gula challenger as her champion. Persephone and the other women returned with the knowledge written on the tablets by The Old One; how to make swords stronger than anyone else has, how to kill Balgargarath, and how Balgargarath was created.

Nyphron is outraged the humans didn't choose him as King because he is a Fairy. Malcolm suggest that he marry Persephone. The suggestion disgust Nyphron as he still views the humans as lesser beings.

Prince Mawyndule gets caught up in a plot to kill his Father King Lothian. Makareta spelled out the rebels intentions too make the Miralyith (those who can use the Art to work magic) the rulers of the other fairy tribes, before the attack. Prince Mawyndule blames the entire plot on Nyphron (who hates the Miralyith, because Lothian used Miralyith powers to kill his Nyphron's Father instead fighting fairly with swords).

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Fury in Death (In Death, #63)

2026-10-01T13:30:33.155-05:00

Fury in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mavis has her baby at the end of the book at the house warming party. It's another girl this time named after Peabody. Adora Dee who is probably going to be known as Dordee which is what Bella called her.

The book was sad the killer was a good man who lost his entire family wife, son and unborn daughter when he tried to do what was right and stop a corporation from killing innocent people with his work in order to steal their land, by going to the authorities. Failed by the justice system once he recovered he disappeared and now he is back to exact his brand of justice. Investigating the murders Eve uncovers the original crimes and vows to bring the corporation and those in it who were responsible for the deaths of so many innocents down.

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Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan (Goodreads Author)

2026-09-25T13:14:17.092-05:00

Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow there is more to Malcolm than first meets the eye. At the beginning of the book we are lead to believe that Malcolm's decision to help Raithe was a spur of the moment seizing the opportunity to escape type deal. In fact he seemed horrified that Raithe had killed Shegon. At the end of the book we discover that Nyphron (his master) had ordered him to kill Shegon. Suspecting that if he had followed orders and killed Shegon he would have been executed, he merely made it possible for Raithe to kill Shegon and then escaped with him. Not sure why Nyphron wanted Shegon dead and what he is planning, but he definitely not the hero I thought he was for protecting the humans.

Malcolm (human slave of the Fhrey) seems adapt at sneaking up on people and bashing them in the head. He also doesn't seem as defenseless as he makes himself out to be. He saved Raithe by sneaking up on Shegon and bashing him in the head. Raithe finished Shegon off by taking the sword Shegon had used to murder his Father and hacking his head off. At the time Raithe was laboring under the delusion that the Fhrey were immortal gods, and only hoped to slow him down.

The Miralyith tribe have been using The Art (magic that taps into the forces of nature) to set themselves up above the other six Fhrey tribes. With Nyphron's Father's death in the arena by the use of The Art Lothian insured that no one but a member of the Miralyith tribe would rule. Supposedly this is why Nyphron disobeyed orders to kill the humans, especially the God killer, Raithe and instead he and his men are protecting them.

Suri is the true heroine of the book. Abandoned at birth on the orders of her Father who didn't want his cheating to come to light she was raised by Tura an ancient mystic. Suri's powers in "The Art" are great enough that she can save her clan 1.) She warned them the Fhrey were coming and convinced Persephone to listen to the trees. So instead of trying to fight with Nyphron's group they let them in and banded together with them against the Fhrey. 2.) She used the Dherg markings from the cave to bind Arion's power after Malcolm knocked her out. Thus the destruction everyone predicted after Persephone forced everyone to heal Arion instead of killing her never happened and Arion got a chance to know the humans. When Arion discovered that Suri could use The Art she reevaluated her opinion of humans and sent Nyphron to save her from Grin the Brown Bear. 3.) When Grin was fixing to kill Minna (Suri's wolf friend) Suri set the bear on fire with The Art. And 4.) When Gryndal (First Minister to Fane Lothian) attacked Arion Suri was able to tell Arion to take the bandages off and that doing so would restore her ability to use The Art thus allowing Arion to defeat Gryndal.

Glad Gryndal is dead he caused a lot of pain and suffering in his belief that he was better than everyone else and his plan to become Fane. Ferrol's Law prohibits Fhrey from killing Fhrey. The exception is the Fane or someone he designates. Gryndal had manipulated Lothian into giving him permission to kill Fhrey and he intended to kill everyone Fhrey and humans alike.

Persephone has become First Chair of Dahl Rhen by the end of the book and she has named Raithe her shield. Konniger (who had secretly killed Reglan in order to become First Chair) got what he deserved when the bear killed him.

*Who is Trilos and what is he up to?

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Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (Hoid's Travails, #2)

2026-09-14T08:32:57.022-05:00

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yumi appears to be a young girl trapped in a life of service and ritual. Then one day she is connected to Painter. His life went horribly wrong when his dream of getting into the Dreamwatch was crushed and he lied to his friends about it. Now he has a chance to redeem himself by helping Yumi.

And Hoid (Wit) spends most of the book as a statue in Design's restaurant. How he wound up bonded to Design seems to be a story for another book.

But it turns out Yumi's world is a lie. Her people were murdered by a machine they created and they are the nightmares that Painter and his friends battle. When Yummi destroys the machine the shroud that has kept Painter's world cut off from the sun unravels and the nightmares including Yumi disappear. But Painter is unwilling to let the woman he loves disappear and he paints her back to life.

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The Final Target by Nora Roberts (Goodreads Author)

2026-07-28T10:28:56.681-05:00

The Final Target by Nora Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyed the book immensely especially when Arden was decorating her home and interacting with the locals.

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Death Times Seven: A Daniel Pitt Novel

2026-06-09T05:21:29.380-05:00

Death Times Seven: A Daniel Pitt Novel by Anne Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing I am so sorry this is the last book about the wonderful Pitts. I have been there from the beginning when Charlotte and Thomas first meet and read with pleasure about their family through the years. In Anne Perry's last book Daniel is thrown into a murder trial when Toby's Mother is killed and his Father is severely injured. The police assume it's a murder suicide and barely investigate until Daniel with Toby's permission and help start poking around. One of the biggest discoveries they find with Miriam's help is that two separate guns were used. Daniel returns to London to represent Toby's client who has been accused of the murder of a young woman. With Miriam and Eve's help he discovers that a patch of pubic skin was removed and that it was omitted from both the police report and the pathologist findings. Miriam and Eve also discover that other young women have been murdered in the same manner and with the same souvenir taken. Revealing that a serial killer is on the lose Daniel looks set to win his case until the souvenirs turn up in his client's room. A room that was previously searched with nothing found and his client has been incarcerated in the time between. Someone is trying to frame the unfortunate young man. But who? Bizarrely Daniel and his helpers discover that the murder of Toby's Mother and attempted murder of his Father is connected to the trial. And that the police were threatened with injury to their loved ones to cove up the souvenirs and any evidence that would reveal the true killer.

I feel that Daniel was just hitting his stride as a lawyer and that there were many more exciting stories waiting to be written if Anne Perry hadn't passed away.

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Revenge Prey (Lucas Davenport #36)

2026-05-24T14:00:59.319-05:00

Revenge Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I found it tedious. I did like Sherwood and hope he appears in future books.

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The Widow by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

2026-05-07T20:37:51.167-05:00

The Widow by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It sort of drug in the beginning but the ending was fast paced and exciting.

The widow pretended to have a fortune, two greedy lawyers tried to take advantage, two stepsons tried to gain control of the fortune and one lawyer wound up convicted of murder, but who really poisoned the widow? And what did they have to gain?

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House of Ice & Shadows (Myths & Outlaws #2)

2026-04-10T11:22:00.001-05:00

House of Ice & Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After being held hostage by Queen Meara as a child X (Xaydin) hates Meara and anyone connected to her. He isn't too fond of Shifters either as a Shifter impersonated his Father and caused his Father's death because of a broken contract. He spends his time hunting apaswere (a race that tattoos contracts on their skin and kills anyone who breaks a contract), and is determined to kill the apaswere that killed his Father. When the book opens X is on a mission to kill the apaswere that holds the contract with Dash and Queen Meara.

Meara sends her daughter Gisela to protect the apaswere, but secretly sends Diflyn to kill the apaswere and Gisela. X and his family befriend Gisela before they realize who she is and X falls in love with her. In the end they overthrow Meara and Gisela becomes the new Queen with X by her side as her husband.

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The Secret of Secrets (Robert Langdon, #6)

2026-03-24T14:39:13.400-05:00

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Somebody wants to destroy every copy of Katherine's book and they are willing to kill to do it, but why? And can Robert Langdon save Katherine and the manuscript?

#Science-fiction, #Prague, #books

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Pendergast: The Beginning (Agent Pendergast #0.5)

2026-03-12T06:49:00.890-05:00

Pendergast: The Beginning by Douglas Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book. Learning how Proctor came to work for him and their past together. Would love to learn more about their missions in the Ghost Company. Dare I hope there is a new series in the making about Colonel Pendergast?

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Stolen in Death (In Death, #62)

2026-03-07T20:07:17.821-06:00

Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Magdelana's back and this time she is scheming to bring Rourke down when she hires a thief to steal the Royal Suite that Rourke stole as a teenager from the Tate Museum. Not only does Eve have to take Magdelana for being an accomplice to murder she has to protect Rourke from his past.

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The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club, #3)

2026-02-26T08:29:06.140-06:00

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed it immensely and love the addition of Victor to the group. The Viking even turned out to be an OK guy once he stopped trying to have people killed.

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Twelve Months (The Dresden Files, #18)

2026-01-30T11:53:03.048-06:00

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliantly written. Harry is trying to get through his grief over Karrin Murphy's death. Navigate his engagement to Lara and find a way to cure Thomas and save him from the Svartalves Justice. Lara and Harry find common ground in their desire to save Thomas, but it's Harry's (accidental) entrapment of Lara that leads to Thomas' salvation. Because she used Harry to entrap Lara Mab grants Harry a boon and as she predicted Thomas' life was what he asked for. Mab steps in and helps Harry control Thomas' Hunger and gives Thomas the will to live when she threatens Justine and their unborn baby. Alas it's not a completely happy ending. In order to satisfy the Svartalves sense of justice over Thomas murdering Austri he has to turn over his infant son to be reared by them, and Justine can never know that she was pg or gave birth to a son in order to survive the ordeal of her possession. Justine is still in Mab's care when the book ends as Mab is trying to cure her.

More hints that Harry being Starborn is of the utmost importance, it's what allowed him to entrap Lara and we learn that Drakul is also Starborn.

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The Seven Rings (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #3)

2026-01-20T10:46:00.001-06:00

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the characters in this book especially some of the ghost. Clover is a hoot. Would really like to learn some of the backstories on the ghost is future books. I feel that Clover especially would have a lot to say.

Sonya gets the rings breaks the curse and marries the guy. Yes it's somewhat formulaic but it's a nice good triumphs over evil romance.

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Coyote Hills (Clay Edison, #6)

2026-01-12T11:28:00.002-06:00

Coyote Hills by Jonathan Kellerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Surprising plot twist. A rich couple are convinced their son was murdered although the police are calling the drowning accidental. They hire Clay to get the case reopened and he finds three other drowning victims with the same odd combination of drugs in their system.

The more Clay looks into Adam Valois' life the more unsavory activities he discovers. Was Adam really a victim or was he the killer?

One victim is still alive and Clay has to get him to talk to unravel the case and get justice for the victims.

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Circle of Days (Hardcover) by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author)

2025-12-17T07:02:00.001-06:00

The various tribes inhabit the plains but come together at the rites to celebrate and trade wares. Seft is born a flint miner but his Father and older brothers are abusive, when he falls in love with a herder girl, Neen, he joins her tribe at Riverbend along with his friend Tem. They are good at wordwork and Seft becomes the leader of the cleaver hands.

Seft and his sister in law Joia (a Priestess) dream of building the monument out of Stone instead of the wood it is currently built with. But they have to figure out a way to transport the stone to Riverbend before they can do this.

Han (Joia and Neen's brother) falls in love with a farmer girl Pia. The farmers view women as property and when Pia and Han run away together Stam hunts them down and kills Han and Fell (Woodlander). Stam then forces Pia to return to the Farmland with him by threatening to kill her baby Olin (named after Han's Father).

Fell's brother (Bez) finds the bodies. He visits Pia secretly at the Farmland and confirms that Stam killed his brother. He then kidnaps Stam and takes him back to his village for an execution to restore the balance.

The Farmer's lead by Troon steal The Break from the herders a place where the cattle can pass through to get to the river to drink. Ani ( a village elder and the Mother of Neen, Joia, and Han) talks the herders out of resorting to violence to get back the land. But eventually this leads to disaster. The cattle desperate for water stamped through the break destroying the farmers crops and the farmers threaten to kill the cattle if they do it again. Ani looking for a non violent solution tries to get the farmers to return part of the break so the cattle can get to water but they refuse. Seft comes up with the idea to ask the Woodlanders for part of the wood in exchange for cattle, and proposes to build a path through the woods for the cattle to get to the water. The Woodlanders agree and the herders start clearing the path, but Scagga stupidly decides to burn the vegetation instead of carrying it to the plains and sets the entire woodland on fire. The Woodlanders no longer have enough woods to survive and the Farmers gleefully start plowing up the burnt woods laying claim to it. The Woodlanders ask for recompense (food) from the herders for burning their woods and the Farmers for stealing the land but they refuse to provide food to the Woodlanders. With no way to feed his tribe Bez decides to steal the food they need. Troon retaliates by killing all the elderly, young children and pregnant women left in the Woodlanders village when there is no one there to protect them. Angered by the massacre Bez leads his people to attack Riverbend during the Midwinter Rite when herders and farmers will both be there and burn the Monument. Bez is wounded during the attack and dies shortly after from infection. The rest of his tribe flee to unknown parts. Scagga insist on leading an attack on the Woodlanders to wipe them out for the attack but discover that they are all gone. Chapter 22 ends with Joia singing the song of the dead for the Woodland Tribe that is now extinct.

When Joia and Seft recruit people to bring the stones to Riverbend Troon leads an attack on the herders and the vistors who are with them. Desperate to prevent Troon from killing everyone Joia suggest stampeding the cattle. All the male farmers who are with Troon are killed except for Shen. Shen returns to Farmplace and attempts to take over but Duff has the backing of the women and they force Shen to leave.

The book ends with Stonehenge being built completely of stone.

The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, #2)

2025-12-10T12:36:00.001-06:00

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit I never suspected the killer, but I do suspect Donna and Bogdan will be involved by Book #3. The Bullet That Missed

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Pendergast #22 Angel of Vengeance Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child

2025-11-12T08:35:00.001-06:00

Framed in Death (In Death, #61)

2025-10-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

Framed in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found it slow going at first as I never connected with the victims but once Eve got on the scent the book picked up and provided a riveting read. As the oh so rich enabling Mother wound up in a cell along with her egotistical son who couldn't accept the fact his artwork was mediocre at best.

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My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Goodreads Author), Neil Smith (Translator)

2025-10-15T18:20:00.002-05:00

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliantly written as always, I laughed, I cried and I really wish there could have been more happy endings.
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Badlands (Nora Kelly, #5)

2025-10-09T18:23:00.003-05:00

Badlands by Douglas Preston
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Corrie Swanson needlessly killed two coyotes ruined the book for me. Sadly they seem to think it is alright to kill animals they killed a dog in Crooked River and I stopped reading them for a long time. I had hoped it was a one off event. Sadly it appears they are fine with killing animals.

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Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author)

2025-09-11T15:59:00.001-05:00

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cassie's life seems picture perfect when movie star Alex River's ask her to marry him, but the honeymoon is barely over before the abuse begins. Only her pregnancy forces Cassie to flee to protect her unborn child but once her son is born she goes back hoping that this time Alex really has changed only to discover that he hasn't.

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Onxy Storm Questions

2025-09-09T07:12:00.000-05:00

This is sort of a follow up to the previous post who took the eggs and why? One theory was that someone took the eggs to Unnbriel in trade for their help with the war, but they demanded two of each kind so wouldn't that necessitate 12 missing eggs?

Another possibility is that the eggs were given to the Irids. Maybe not just for safe keeping. The Irids were horrified by how Andarna turned out, and have a low opinion of the other dragon breeds. Maybe Andarna suggested it was the fact she was raised in Navarre by the other dragons that lead to her willingness to use her magic for violence. And that if the hatchlings from the other breeds were raised by the Irid they would be more peaceful like them.

Did Andarna come back alone or was Leothan with her? Nothing suggest that Leothan was with her, but I have a suspicion that Andarna didn't just leave because she wanted to know her family but because she thought she could get them to help. In other words I think she always planned to come back.

If Xaden took the eggs which everyone seems to think happened that means Tairn, Andarna and Saeygl were involved, and killed their elders. The dragons obviously have to know what happened but they aren't telling their riders. My theory is that dragons challenge each other for leadership. Tairn/Andarna (and Saeygl) took control of the Empyrean by challenging the Elders that died and winning. (Andarna was already a member of the Empyrean as the only Irid) Therefore now Tairn (and Saeygl) decide what the Empyrean will and will not do. Tairn at one point told Violet he was willing to break the Empyrean's rules. Or did the Elders actually die? Is it possible that the Elders took the eggs to a secret hatching ground and disappeared and that telling the humans they died was a way to explain their absence. Whatever is going on Tairn and Andarna would know, but they aren't telling anyone even Violet.

As always the Dragons are the key.