Off the Cuff Ratings for Choices Stories and Series, Part 2:

*Will contain spoilers if you haven’t read the stories*

Introduction:

This batch contains some of my absolute favorites. The music often captures the essence of the stories, but the standouts to me are The Heist: Monoco and The Elementalists. The first being fun and whimsy and the second being quirky yet magical.

Aside on How I Spend Diamonds:

I’m a sucker for … pets, spells, collections. Favorite so far might be sassy cat from Wishful Thinking. I’ve not finished the story yet though, so I can’t tell for sure. The pet choices in The Elmentalists 1 and 2 are fun. I do love the little purple dog in the second book. I named the frog from the first one Tim, so of course, the puppy had to be Tiny.

I can usually resist … special outfits, most dates. Kind of just gives me the short version of the story, which is fine. The chapters range from about 20-40 minutes to read, depending on how quickly I skim.

Ratings Batch 2:

The Elementalists Book 1, 5/5 Stars: One of my favorites so far. I’m a sucker for buying spells. I intend to replay this one.

Endless Summer 2/5 Stars: Couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t like the graphics for one thing.

The Freshman Series 3.5/5 Stars: I’m only on Book 4, and I’ve enjoyed some of the story threads, but it’s not my favorite series.

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor 3/5 Stars: Largely forgettable ghost story. This one had flashing lights they were kind enough to warn me about, but I don’t remember much.

The Heist: Monoco, 5/5 Stars: Definitely a favorite. I love the replay value, though I do think my first cast pick was better. Still haven’t tried male MC, but I really like the female con artist I made. (Her name’s Mel.)

Hero 3.5/5 Stars: Typical comic book like action. Cliffhanger ending lost it some of my respect.

Home for the Holidays 3/5 Stars: It’s cool that the MC works for a publisher, but on the whole, the story is kind of forgettable.

It Lives in the Woods 3/5 Stars: I kind of slogged through this one.

It Lives Beneath 4/5 Stars: Actually liked this one. It pits the MC against cultists and tells a creepy ghost story at the same time.

Conclusion:

What makes something compelling to me is a solid story with characters I care about. The Elementalists has pretty high stakes for the main character. I like how it ran with the chosen one trope. Bad guys wants the MC for his own take-over-the-world scheme, but MC’s sister will fight for her tooth and nail. There are some cool themes throughout the stories, like family bonds.

Associate links to follow…

Amazon Prime

The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.

If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.

Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.

Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.

Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…

Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.

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