A group of people get together for a weekend in the country, and one of them is murdered. Everyone is a suspect, and they all are hiding something from the police. One man is known for having various affairs, while his poor wife is clueless that his mistress is in the same house. Edward worries that his relatives resent him for inheriting the estate where they all grew up. Midge is tired of being seen a child, and tries to attract Edward's attention. Lady Angkatell is so scatter-brained that no one can follow her silly conversations. They all have a motive for murder, but which one of them actually did it?

I loved this amazing mystery! I was surprised at every plot twist, and I had no idea who the murderer really was until the very end. It was wonderful to see how every clue was laid out, bringing speculation and suspicion on each character in turn.

The characters are all so different and dramatic. Their personalities are vivid and sharp, and I just loved the clever dialogue between them. It was a complete delight to see how they changed and confessed their little secrets. Each person has some complex relationship with the others, and the family dynamics between all the cousins was full of history.

Such a fantastic play! I would love to see it performed on stage someday.

Prince Suivne has gone mad after the battle of Moy Rah, and he wanders the wilderness running from all men. King Donald sends his best scholars to find Suivne and restore him to sanity through their art of storytelling. The storytellers find Suivne and use the stories and legends of Ireland to remind him of his lineage and obligations in the royal court.

I loved the way that each of these legends were bookended with the continuing story of Prince Suivne, and how each story had an effect on him to remind him of his heritage and to inspire him to courage and kindness. It's a clever and effective story structure and lends an extra meaning to each of the tales.

Most of the stories tell about some great king of Ireland who dies gloriously in battle. It can get pretty gruesome and violent at times. But a few of the stories ended happily with marriages and children and prosperity.

In almost every tale, the "fair folk" (fairies) are meddling in the lives of men, taking revenge or bestowing blessing. They are more in the character of demi-gods with elemental powers than the little pixies we think of as dainty fairies or leprechauns.

The hero is almost always saved by some magic sword or harp or spear that allows them to overcome all obstacles. But sometimes the hero overcomes through their own innate strength and cleverness.

I enjoyed the writing style, and the beautiful language transported me to these ancient times. I listened to some Irish music while reading, and that really immersed me in the rich culture and history.

This collection of Welsh fairy tales is a complete delight! Each story is about 2-4 pages long. The writing is in a traditional fairy tale style, and the stories usually include some sort of moral lesson about being generous, minding your own business, or being cautious around magic.

Leprechauns, brownies, goblins, changelings, and fairies abound through the stories! There are magical cows who produce ten times the milk of a regular cow. There are fairy rings where the fairies dance the night away, and if you step inside one you will be whisked out of the realm of man.

I enjoyed reading these stories, one or two every evening at bedtime. I found them refreshing and imaginative and fun!

This 1,000-piece puzzle is beautifully designed and thoughtfully crafted. The puzzle comes with a little 9"x6" poster of the art, so that you can use it as a little poster, put the art in a frame, or use it to help you complete the puzzle.

I love the cheerful artwork! This puzzle reminds me of my grandmother who lived near the marsh all her life, and loved to tell me about the animals and plants in the wild. The photos are so gorgeous and colorful! It's such a soothing picture and doing puzzles can be really calming.

I love everything about this beautiful puzzle! Even the box it comes in is very sturdy and well-made. I was especially impressed to see that the backs of the puzzle pieces are not just blank, but have a beautiful dusty rose color. It's delightful to see little details like that which make this puzzle really special and show the exceptional craftmanship and careful thought that went into the design and manufacture of the product.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book/product from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

SYNOPSIS:
Alexander is the heir to the throne of Theera-Enty. As foreign powers take control of the united worlds of Theera-Enty, Alexander struggles to keep his nation together. But it isn't only human-kind who are working against him. The legendary Guardians must protect Alexander by battling against demonic beings who whisper evil into the minds of men.

The pirate captain, Sosimo, is desperate to find a lost treasure. Alexander's half-brother, Salazar, will do anything to gain power, and the governments of different planets vie for control in a war that spans thousands of star systems.

This book has an epic scope as the people of Theera-Enty begin a fight against oppression, and Alexander struggles to understand a prophecy regarding the throne. A mysterious key might lead to a treasure beyond imagining but no one can unravel its secrets.

PLOT/ACTION:
This plot is full of so much action and twists and betrayals and big reveals! It really kept my interest through every chapter. There are several space battles and skirmishes throughout the book that amazed me from start to finish. It was fascinating, and full of emotional moments as characters had to face their worst fears and find the courage to keep going.

The plot really does feel epic as there are dozens of worlds whose fates hang in the balance. The stakes are high, and that kept me in suspense.

THEMES:
There are deep themes about faith, spiritual warfare, friendship, courage, the nature of truth, and the proper roles of government and military. These powerful messages are so smoothly woven into the story that it never feels too preachy. It makes the story really meaningful. I especially appreciated the spiritual themes and the clear messages about God's love and forgiveness through Christ.

CHARACTERS:
I loved so many of the characters in this book! Alexander has some wonderful character development as the trials he goes through force him to mature and face his responsibilities. His faith grows stronger and stronger the more he realizes how helpless he is. I love that his character continues to grow through this second book. His character arc is wonderful!

The pirate captain, LaRouche, has the best sassy one-liners! He had me laughing so much. He's a very mysterious character who is hiding a lot of secrets. I was glad to see more development for him and get some more depth to his character in this second book.

I was also glad to see a little more development for Mei's character. I really like her, but I wish she had a little more depth to her personality, rather than just always reacting to Captain Sosimo's character. I wish she were a little more independent, and I wish we got to see more of the story from her perspective.

Another favorite character was old Caedmon, the holy priest. He is called the Faithful Voice of God because he is a preacher and prophet. I only wish we saw more of him in this second book, but a lot of the focus was on other characters. The few scenes he did have were very powerful!

I wish that Aulani's character had more depth. She just has one thing that defines her; she is good with learning new languages. Other than that, there is not much to her personality. She has so much potential for a good character, but the details are missing. There are some really weird plot holes with her character's story. Sometimes she acts in ways that don't seem consistent with what we know about her character, but she does it anyway because... plot reasons.

It's kind of the same thing with her brother, Jaiden. We know he wants to be a pilot, and he is good at instinctively being able to fly just about any spaceship. And there's not much else to his personality. He's sweet and innocent and ready for adventure, but I would have liked to see him really connect with people and show some more depth.

Despite some of the characters lacking the depth I wish they could have, I still really love these characters! I cared about them and what happened to them. I gasped in terror when they were in danger. I cried when they cried. I laughed with them at their silly jokes. There are so many great moments with these characters!

The villains are equally well-written, with disgusting personalities and cruel dialogue. Oooh, I just hated those awful villains!


WRITING STYLE:
The writing style is really powerful and exciting! But this book has multiple POVs in most scenes, and that is one of my pet peeves. It feels like sloppy writing. It didn't get on my nerves too badly, because the rest of the writing was so good, but it was annoying at times.

The book also needs a copy editor, since there are little grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors all over the place. There are a couple of little plot holes that could be easily explained or resolved with a good editor. There is also some "telling" instead of "showing" that got on my nerves too.

ROMANCE:
I was very disappointed in the continuing romance that Alexander has in this book. There are almost no scenes and very little dialogue between these two people who are supposedly in love. The reader is TOLD that they are in love, but we are never SHOWN anything that makes their romance real. It seems like their feelings for each other are practically non-existent. Every time that they are supposed to have some big emotional reaction in a scene, we are TOLD that they have an emotion, and it falls flat. I don't understand why this one relationship is so bland, when there are plenty of other friendships, families, rivalries, and other relationships in the book that are vibrant and fun and full of strong emotions.

Overall, I loved this book so much! I couldn't put it down, and finished it in just a few days.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

General Othello is newly married to the beautiful Desdemona. Iago is jealous of Othello's high position in the military, and pretends to be Othello's friend, but swears to get his revenge by making Othello miserable any way he can. Iago spreads lies that Desdemona has been unfaithful to her new husband, and plants a seed of suspicion in Othello's mind. Once Othello's heart is poisoned by Iago's lies, it means tragedy for everyone involved.

I am so impressed with this graphic novel! The artwork is beautiful and each panel shows a clear story. The classic story of Othello retains all its integrity, and the characters are powerfully depicted. This edition uses the original words of Shakespeare, and I enjoyed revisiting this beautiful play in a new format.

I love the beautiful artwork! I was glad to see that each character has such a unique style that makes them, their clothing, their hair, and face really memorable. There is also a family tree/character relationship chart at the beginning of the book to help you keep track of all the characters. I just love how the designs reflect the personality of each character, so that you immediately know whether they are trustworthy or not.

The tension and emotion of the story really comes through in the art. Even small changes in the coloring or lighting show a change in mood or scene, and as the characters develop and change through the story, the setting slightly changes to reflect that as well. As Othello begins to suspect his wife, his character is drawn more and more in shadow. And as Iago gains the upper hand, he is shown standing above the other characters.

I was especially impressed with the portrayal of the villain, Iago. He is such a complex character, and it was amazing to see how quickly his facial expressions could change from friendly and honest to sneaky and evil. His personality was blazoned on the pages!

Reading this manga was like having a movie playing in my head; it all feels so real and vivid as you are reading it!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This cute little book is full of inspirational sayings that encourage the reader to dream big and create beautiful things! Each affirmation or mantra guides you to make your dreams and goals a reality, pushing aside fear and embracing faith.

The book is divided into sections for Self-Love, Dream, Believe, Grow, and Create. The artwork in each section has a main color scheme: pink for Self-Love, orange for Dream, green for Grow, etc...
It's a clever way to give some structure to the otherwise random little sayings.

I loved the beautiful illustrations! Each quote or saying has a background of pretty artwork in bright colors. Some of them are just little doodles of stars or plants. Some of them are drawn to look like a sticky note or list. Every page is so attractive and sunshiney!

This would make such a cute gift book for a friend or loved one who is embarking on a new creative dream. It's such a tiny little book too. It's only about 3 inches across. Adorable!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This collection of inspirational sayings encourages the reader to meet obstacles with strength and courage, then forgive and find calm within themselves. One of the pages says "Work hard, then rest." Many of the sayings in this book are about finding balance between effort and rest.

This book is divided into affirmations for morning and night time. I really like that way of organizing things to give you a boost of encouragement throughout the day. You can start the day with a saying like "Today deserves your best effort." then wind down at night with something like "Calm your heart. Calm your mind."

I loved the beautiful illustrations! Each quote or saying has a background of pretty artwork in bright colors. Some of them are just little drawings of stars or plants. Some of them are geometric shapes. Every page is so attractive and sunshiney!

This would make such a cute gift book for a friend or loved one who needs a little extra encouragement. It's such a tiny little book too. It's only about 3 inches across. Adorable!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

A librarian sorceress knocks over some bottles of ink and accidentally creates a powerful cat that has magical properties. Like all cats, this inky feline does whatever it wants whenever it wants, and it seems unbound by the laws of time and space. The sorceress begins to realize that the cat could cause the unravelling of the universe, or could save her family and bring the realms together.

The plot is excellent, full of adventure and magic! I really loved the mixture of action and funny scenes. The writing is so clever and hilarious, but also touches on some more somber and serious subjects.

I loved the world-building in this graphic novel/comic! There are various dimensions or realms where magical creatures roam, and there is a long history of wars and oppression. The cat visits the different realms, meeting elves and dragons and giants, and changing the course of history. I feel like there is so much more to explore and learn about these magical worlds!

The cat is hilarious! He gets into the most insane situations, and then opens a portal to another world, and escapes in the nick of time. Right when the humans and elves are all in the middle of the action, about to be eaten by some horrific monster, the cat just sits there wide-eyed and says "Mow" in the funniest way.

I loved the colorful art style. It's so vibrant! The panels show the action really clearly, so that it was easy to follow the story. I especially loved the cute design of the cat. It looks so innocent and adorable, but it is hiding infinite cosmic power.

I was intrigued by the librarian sorceress's family. She has a whole bunch of brothers and sisters, and they have learned how to extend their lives, and are now thousands of years old. They are scattered across the realms, most of them ruling kingdoms of their own, some lost in the wastelands, some long dead. Little by little, we learn more about their history and how they conquered different realms, and how they came to be so estranged from one another.

It's very interesting to see this sibling dynamic; they love each other, but get on each other's nerves, and eventually there is a rift in their relationships and most of them go their separate ways.
I can't to read more of the volumes in this series, and find out more about this interesting family!

Warning: There is some violence in this book. A guy is beheaded, and it is a little gory. It didn't gross me out too bad though.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

This board book folds out to be 56" long! The reader learns the styles for each type of music on the train. There are musicians playing and singing country, rap, jazz, opera, mariachi, blues, classical symphony, and a bunch more! And of course, the conductor's baton pulls the train along fueled by music.

This is such a cute book! I just love the adorable illustrations and cool musician characters. It's colorful and full of interesting little details in the background of each scene.

This would be so much fun to read with a child, and teach a toddler all of the sounds for the different styles of music. Any kid would be crazy excited to play with this train and unfold all the pages!

Although the board book is sturdy and well-constructed, there is a possibility that little hands might tear the train at the hinges of each page where the structure is a little more vulnerable. But even the hinges are sturdy and thick. It would have to take a lot of damage before it could be torn, but hey, we all know how destructive toddlers can be. haha! Still I think this board book would hold up pretty well.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.