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Dazzling Mage

Dazzling Mage

There isn't really much to tell about myself. I'm your average bookworm, who's dream is to live in the most popular book store or huge library.

I'm a college student. I'm from the United Arab Emirates. My interests aren't clear right now (do I even have any?), but I do like music and learning new things. Writing is another favorite and... more »
  • Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • member since February 19 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 120 reviews
  • Definitely Dead
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Barmaid Sookie Stackhouse has her work cut out for her. Hanging around with supernatural creatures is the last thing she wants to do, but she can't ignore the calls of Louisiana Vampire queen, as well as pack up whatever she's inherited from her dead vampire cousin, Hadley. Little does she know that the trip would entangle her in a recent political tension between vampires that might be lethal to all supes- and herself.

    Even though the charm with this series is wearing off a little, but I like how Sookie shines when she's outside her mundane life in Bon Temps. Also, there are more tidbits revealed in this book seems promising in the future books. I've already settled that this series is a guilty pleasure, and I love some of the characters, and some developments in it. I just hope it is not too drawn out. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Boy Next Door
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Melani Fuller is always known to be a little late to work. Now, however, she has an excuse. After rescuing her old neighbor after a violent assult, Mel has landed the job of looking after her pets for sometime until her next of kin, and infamous womanizer and photographer, Max Friedlander, comes to pick up the responsibility. Max, however, is unwilling to give up his time with a supermodel to be with his old, but rich aunt. He is willing to send a substitute to take care of things while he's away. The solution, however, brews more trouble than anyone could have imagined.

    Unlike Boy Meets Girl, I enjoyed this exchange of emails better. It was humorous, with a funny set of characters (and a certain boss) to weave funny scenarios. I do find the abrupt ending a little annoying, but at the same time, it was a good place to stop. It's a worthy light read. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review 4 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Graveyard Book
    • Rated 3 stars

    “After a child escapes an attempted murder, he finds a safe haven in a graveyard, where the resident ghosts agree to raise him as their own. There, Nobody Owens is safe, looked after by his ghostly foster parents, his mysterious, and not all human guardian, and in his environment, encounters much of the supernatural around him. But Bod knows that outside the graveyard, someone is after him, and means to kill him as well.

    As much as I admire Neil Gaiman's work, I couldn't really get into this. Probably because I didn't have time to bond with this book properly, or that it was targeted towards a younger audience. I still found it enjoyable though, especially towards the end. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Saturday, November 28 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Secret Life of Prince Charming
    • Rated 4 stars

    “All her life, Quinn constantly warned by her mother, aunt and grandmother against falling in love with Mr. Wrong and getting her heart broken. Quinn believes there's a bit of exaggeration until she experiences a bad break up, and then she finds certain objects in her father's house, whom she recently reconnected with. Objects that Quinn is certain belonged to the women who used to be in his life. Teaming up with her sister and the half sister she's never gotten to know, Quinn is determined to return the objects in return for stories that piece together who her father really is.

    This book started out a little choppy and disconnected. I felt it didn't flow well at the beginning, and it dragged a little too. At first, the idea of "returning objects that were taken" didn't seem to weight that much, or fit that much into the idea od the popular perception of love among women. But the more I read, the more I enjoyed the journey these sisters took. I remembered what I liked about Caletti's writing, and that's the astounding amount of realism she puts into her stories. There's no "happy ending", but a believable tranformation and a valuable lesson. Definitely recommend it.”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Thursday, November 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Journalist Mikael Blomkvist suffered a long year of trial over a libel incident, damaging his reputation as well as his magazine. After the trial, he is approached by a rich industrialist, Henrik Vanger seeking his help over a 40 year old possible murder mystery- with no body. Convinced that he needs a break, Mikael accepts the impossible task, unaware that Vanger hand-picked him after a thorough investigation report by a peculiar, odd and a genius security analyst, Lisbeth Salander.

    Although it had a slow start (not the dull sort), this book redeems it by the chilling storyline half way through. The writing style is simple, and nice. The information and background story building up was thorough, but not over done. And the different story lines were paced pretty well. Also, the big mystery was a Criminal Minds sort that chills you to the bone. The characters were complex, and there was a good balance between them all. They weren't completely revealed to us, but there was enough about them to make them both mysterious and likable. The only problems I had was the Swedish names and areas!

    But it was a satisfying read. I wasn't sure if I'd be reading the second book at first, but now, I'm definitely adding it to my list. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Sunday, October 25 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Jude
    • Rated 2 stars

    “After witnessing his father's death, Jude is pinned down as the the murderer after he was unwilling to speak about the true events of that night. All Jude wanted to do, after reuniting with his mother after 15 years, was to live as normal a life as he could. So when his mother's companion and commissioner steps in with an offer that could make it all stop, Jude takes it. But he never expected the depth of the sacrifices he has to make in order to make his mother happy.

    This book was on my reading list since I was 16. So when I recently found it, I was so overjoyed. That joy was stopped short after a few chapters into the book. The book was slow and dull. Morgenroth had nothing new to offer in her story. Some might as well have come from legal drama shows.

    The book lacked description. In fact, it was hardly there. So I had to imagine vague characters, who were under developed. What was really disappointing is that the story had good tale threads. But it was like the author cut it out midway, then towards the end, she clumsily taped it back in. The progress of the story depended on major info dumps in the dialogue. Also, the main character Jude... I'm sorry, but I don't understand his drive. I almost thought he had an Oedipus complex.

    It was a huge disappointment. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Thursday, October 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Lovely Bones
    • Rated 5 stars

    “On December 6, 1973, Susie Salmon goes through a horrific ordeal before she is murdered. Now, in heaven, everything is within her reach, except for a life on Earth. Unwilling to leave her life behind, she narrates the changes her family goes through. The life her friends choose. And her murderer, only a few houses away from hers.

    This book is so beautifully written. A plot driven by tragedy, Sebold manages to rip hearts to pieces and mend it back together in the most naturally painful way. The one thing that impressed me was the growth of the characters. I've read another book about family tradegy. Sebold's characters were not cut out boards of flesh and blood, but were flesh and blood. It was an exhilarating rush, terrifying, crushing-- all emotions delivered in one. Really good read.”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Saturday, October 3 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
    • Rated 4 stars

    “Left a good sum of inheritance, Precious Ramotswe uses it to achieve her goal and dream- being the first lady to become a detective in Botswana, Africa. Fittingly naming it The Ladies' No.1 Detective Agency, Precious accepts any number of usual cases- from thievery, cheating husbands, and wayward daughters. Through these cases, the agency, and Precious, slowly builds up it's credability and place in Botswana.

    I got attached to the characters and the setting. At first it was a little hard to get into, mostly because of the setting and the characters in them. I've never read books about Africa (save for Cry, The Beloved Country, but that was different), but once you get into this book, it's so enjoyable. McCall Smith's writing is simple, subtle, and although the it's all over the place with different cases, it's still nicely done. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Saturday, September 26 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Catching Fire
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Following the event of the Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta must deal with the consequences the Capitol has set for them. Their survival in the Games is seen as defiance to the Capitol, and the autorities are not happy. Suddenly, events start veering out of control as Katniss struggles to prove her "love" to Peeta amidst District revolts, and the Capitol's decision to teach them all a lesson.

    It's so easy to get back into this world, it's like my second home. Collins delivers once again. The pace was excellent, and the story moved well. I was only worried towards that end, when it seemed like a repeat of the Games in the last book, but I'm glad that it took a slightly different direction. I was also expecting a conclusion to Katniss/Peeta/Gale relationship, but I'm left to hang until the next installment! Thoroughly enjoyed it. ”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Monday, September 21 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Book of Atrix Wolfe
    • Rated 4 stars

    “On a winter night, just before the army of Kardeth moved in to invade Pelucir, a monsterous being created of dark things and magic swept through, killing many from both sides. Twenty years later, the Prince of Pelucir, Talis, finds a book of magic written by one of the greatest mages alive, Atrix Wolfe. When the Queen of the Wood finds Talis, she is convinced that finding Atrix would bring back her lost daughter. Meanwhile, in the castle of Pelucir, a plain, pot scrubbing girl is slowly pulled into strong magic...

    I've always admired McKillip's writing ability and style. It's poetic, and most of the times deals with magical elements, yet there are so many underlying messages and constant themes. I loved how easily she brought the characters together. The story had predictable patches, but it was still a lovely read. Expect a dream like narration.”

    Dazzling Mage wrote this review Friday, September 18 2009. ( reply | permalink )
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