Rosie by Lesley Pearse

Rosie by Lesley Pearse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - over 4 days

Pages - 628

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Bought online (I think)

Blurb from Goodreads

Can good come from evil?

Will Rosie ever escape from her brutal brothers?

As a child Rosie Parker spent the war years battling her brutish half-brothers Seth and Norman on the farm under the less-than-watchful eye of her father Cole. But when housekeeper Heather Farley arrives, Rosie finds a mother - and a friend - to look after her.

Several years later, Thomas Farley comes to find his sister. Rosie can only tell him that she disappeared in mysterious circumstances, abandoning her small son Alan. Determined to get young Alan and Rosie out of the clutches of Cole and his sons, Thomas helps unearth a terrible truth about the family. A truth that forces Rosie away from the farm and out into a cruel world where she must somehow come to terms with her shocking past. Is it possible that the man who brought ruin on her family might also bring happiness to Rosie?



My Review

Rosie sets off a chain off events when she intervenes and rescues her little brother, Alan, from her father and brothers. Thomas Farley has come looking for his sister, who mysteriously went missing leaving behind her son Alan, and finds out about his nephew. Rosie has no idea how one action can impact on so many lives, she is about to find out.

Very family centred the story focuses on many aspects of relationships that revolve around the different individuals. Rosie and her brothers and father, Thomas and his sister, the relationships she makes when she leaves her family home and those that follow.

Rosie is focused on helping others and gets experience in a mental health hospital environment where she is met with hostility and many obstacles for one so young. The story has some very dark lines, sexual abuse, physical abuse, murder, sexual deviancy, relationships are a huge focus, friendship and loyalty. It pulls the reader in pretty much from the first chapter and whilst some of the scenes are very disturbing the bonds some of the people make and strength of character shown by some is inspiring.

A very mixed bag, some scenes so realistic it really is hard to get through due to the brutality of it but it is testament to the authors writing skills she can create such realism. I have read this author before and I absolutely will read her again, she is one of those authors you buy up her back catalogue based on the strength of what you have just read, 4/5 for me.

View all my reviews

Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater

Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 273

Publisher - Organic Apocalypse

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Sometimes spaceships disappear with everyone on board – the Lost Ships. But sometimes they come back, strangely altered, derelict, and rumoured to be full of horrors.

Opal is on a mission. She’s been seeking something her whole life. Something she is willing to die for. And she thinks it might be on a Lost Ship.

Opal has stolen Clarissa, an experimental AI-controlled spaceship, from the military. Together they have tracked down a Lost Ship, in a lonely nebula far from colonised space.

The Lost Ship is falling into the gravity well of a neutron star, and will soon be truly lost … forever. Legends say the ships harbour death, but there’s no time for indecision.

Opal gears up to board it. She’s just one woman, entering an alien and lethal environment. But perhaps with the aid of Clarissa’s intelligence – and an armoured spacesuit – Opal may stand a chance.

Can she face her demons and survive?


My Review

Opal is a woman on a mission, she has stolen a ship and took off looking for one of the Lost Ships, many have gone missing and rumours of horror on those that come back altered, Opal is driven to find one specific ship. With an experimental artifical intelligence (AI) built in, that she calls Clarissa, Opal puts her very life at risk both from the military and what lies waiting in the Lost Ship.

Oooh think Event Horizon with a bit of "Mother" from the Alien movies and that was the overall feel when I first started this book. The AI is a brilliant character add as just one human in space would take a lot of work to make engaging. The story breaks down into a fair few parts, the journey to find the Lost Ship, the understanding and development of the AI as the story unfolds. The bad guys who are chasing her, what lies within the ship awaiting and everything that transpires after.

The action on the ship is creepy and you are left with questions, well I was and sought out the author to find out if there will be another visit to this story. Thankfully there will be as I hate being left with unanswered questions and we are going to get another two books woohoo!

Opal is a fantastic character, complex, a history we learn a bit more about as we read on, she is heroic, loyal, strong and long long overdue in fiction. I loved the AI too and the relationship that formed between the two, the balsy choices and bravery through frightening encounters and life and death situations.

Whilst the build up was slow in the very beginning it created a tense, claustrophic and eerie atmosphere, perfect for space and kept me flying through page after page. Where was it going, could I trust X,Y,Z or rather could Opal, her choices, was that right, what would happen! I love when a book keeps you on your toes and I think sci-fi is such a tough genre as fans can be hyper critical. I thought this was a great opening to new characters and definitely a foundation book, the origins are done now I can't wait for the meat of it all, the where, why, what are they, what is next! 4/5 for me this time, I have read this author before but not this particular genre from them, I very much look forward to the next installment and will be rooting on my fav character(s).

View all my reviews