Dr Rudi Carter

Going to use this thread as a record of the books I read this year. Challenge of 104. 1. Duel with the Vampire Lord by Elise Kova. 4.75 ⭐ A really unique take on the lore of Vampir, so a refreshing read. Well written with characters you really cared for.

80. The Six Deaths of the Saint 5 ⭐ Cannot believe that such a short story could deliver such an emotional response. Absolutely loved this - so much emotion and heart packed into 30 pages.

79. Amid Clouds and Bones 4.5 ⭐ Delightfully dark and intoxicating. I adored the relationship between Mildred and Atakan, as well as the addition of Vane. It was darker than I had expected, but just the right level. Full of hate, lust, and eventually love. Brilliant.

78. The King’s List (ARC) 3.25 ⭐ Explicit scenes aside, feels like this was written for a YA audience. dialogue and interactions were formulaic , told us all rather than allowing inferences. Take it for what it is and it won’t be disappointing, it just won’t blow you away.

77. Captured by the Vampire Knight (ARC) 3.75 ⭐ The magic was interesting, with witches and vampires always making for a great tale. I liked the dynamic between Natalie and Rayhan, but at times felt like the romance was rushed, making the depth feel forced.

76. Merriment and Mayhem 3.5 ⭐ Bit too cliche and saccharine for my liking. Forgiven somewhat as it was Christmas based.

75. Between the Pines 4 ⭐ A more heartfelt and deep book than I had expected it to be, which was a pleasant surprise. Loved the main characters and will enjoy reading the other stories of the side characters.

74. All by my Elf 3.5 ⭐ Although the snowstorm trope is used frequently, the circumstances around this one were definitely unique. The situation of academia was perfectly captured, and the main characters were sweet and charming. A lovely little festive story.

73. The Knight and the Butcherbird 4.25 ⭐ Creepy, haunting, yet beautiful. A dystopian novel at its finest. For such a short story, it will be one to stay with me. Such skill in so few chapters.

72. Only Santas in the Building 4 ⭐ A sweet little Christmas tale. Likeable characters and an interesting plot.

71. Dirty Therapy 2.5 ⭐ Too quick to be believable. Even in a shorter novel like this, there was definitely scope for better story development. The dialogue was rather basic and cringy at times. The storyline was good, but the execution was lacking.

70. A God of Wrath & Lies 2.25 ⭐ Other than the few explicit scenes this book felt like it was written for a very young audience. Everything was stated rather than allowing interpretation, speech was limited and lacking subtlety. concept was interesting but poorly executed

69. You Better Not Pout 2.75 ⭐ Least successful of the series I would say. Start was a bit dull and focused too much on the family, but it did have a nice ending.

68. Taming the Heart 3.75 ⭐ An enjoyable read with likeable main and side characters. Not the most original, but it was well executed.

67. Kiss of the Basilisk 3.75 ⭐ The less said the better. Dark, depraved, and chaotic. Some moments of tide emotion amongst the rest. Definitely an experience. I will be reading the next one to see how much worse it can get.

66. Legends and Lattes 3.25 ⭐ Is it possible for something to be too cosy? I liked the premise, and will likely read the next - but only when I need to not think too hard but still want to read. I did enjoy the naming of items and the concept, but it felt a little too comfy.

65. All Wrapped Up In You 3 ⭐ An easy read. Didn’t love the female main character as much as in others, so was happy that this was only a short story. I liked the premise, and on the whole it was well written.

64. Bad Bishop 4 ⭐ Dark, violent, vulnerable. Had some original concepts despite the well used tropes. An enjoyable read.

63. Crucible 3 ⭐ Not sure how I feel about this genre at times. The possessiveness was uncomfortable at times, and the relationships always develop too quickly.

62. Merry and Bright 3.75 ⭐ A charming little story, and one I would have loved to see as a full length story.

61. When the Wolf Comes Home 3.25 ⭐ Not what I expected - not in the sense that it was much better than I expected, just different. Some very clever moments, but also some odd ones too. Not as dark & scary as others seem to claim. A little misleading left me wanting more.