Blog Tour: Storm of Ash by Michelle Kenney

There are no words to explain how excited I was to be a part of the blog tour for Storm of Ash, I've loved each book of this series and I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed by the finale, which turned out to be true. 

If you're interested my reviews for the first and second books are here: Book Of Fire [1],  City of Dust [2])

Here's the description for this one:

"As Talia treks back through the treacherous North Mountains, she knows only three things:

Pantheon has stolen nearly everyone she loves;

Her blood is the only control over the Voynich’s oldest secret;

And Cassius won’t stop hunting Arafel until every last outsider is destroyed.

Will Talia finally face her legacy and defeat Cassius before it is too late?"

Let's just start with one thing - this beautiful cover. I mean, what an absolutely amazing cover, and it just totally fits with the plot of this book so well, when you read it you'll soon find out just why it is as it is. 

Now that the oohing over the cover is over with, can I just say wow. Guys, this was everything I wanted from the last book in the series.... it's just the epic conclusion you need/want from any trilogy. Even if there were some heart breaking scenes throughout - it did definitely take me on yet another emotional rollercoaster like the last book (thanks for the feels Michelle). I couldn't keep up with all the emotions I was cycling through whilst reading this, but it was all worth it for how the series ended.

I have always said that Talia is such a good character, and in this book it was no different, she really had to navigate some difficult things throughout and she managed it brilliantly. I think that's why I like her so much, throughout the books you always see the shine of her outsider heritage, even in difficult times. I think 'feral cat' was definitely a great way to describe her.

Also, not spoiling anything but I'll just say I still love August, even with how much I like outsiders, I will forever be #teamaugust. Now I just need to find my own August in the real world *sigh*.....

One last thing: I seriously can't get over my love for Unus the Cyclops in this series.... He's such a beautiful, friendly character and rereading just made me remember all of that. The friendship between Talia and Unus is definitely one of my new favourite friendships from a series.

I really really hope to see more of this world that Michelle has built, but either way I know I'll be reading any future books that come from her.

Overall l give this book: 5 cats!

Have you read the series? If not I highly recommend them! And don't forget to take a look at some of the other stops on the blog tour for this!

Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher

I was so glad to be part of this Vox Blogger day, it was such a great read, definitely one I'l recommend to whoever will listen to me.

Here it is:

Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial--this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end. 

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

I'm going to make this a short and sweet review, as in this book women are, after all, only allowed 100 words. This will be more than that, but shorter than my usual ramblings in honour of the plot.

One word sums up this book: wow. It is is a chilling concept, and a book that keeps you on your toes until the end trying to guess what will happen. It really is terrifying to think that something like this could actually come to pass if people aren't careful.

Character wise - I think I have a new favourite "villian" in Reverend Carl - he is a horrible human and you really learnt to hate him while reading - though Morgan was a close second.

Just, to be quick, I blew through this book because it was so spectacular, and I just want more - I want to know what happened after the end of the book, and I just want more books like it.

I give this: 5 cats.

Have you read this book? If not, it's out now and I highly suggest you go and grab a copy! Comment below with your thoughts.

June Wrap-Up!

Yet another wrap-up for a busy travel-reads month! Some great things have been read and reviewed, and these are just a few of them with some mini-reviews attached.

Ruins (Sentinel #2) by Joshua Winning

I loved the first book in this series, but with so much to do it took me a while to get round to reading this which was a shame as it was even more action packed than the last book was, and kept me hooked when I had time to read.

I loved meeting all the new characters - my favourite being Nale with his faithful dog Zeus - and it was definitely interesting to see a few new POVs too - specifically Rae and Dawn (though Dawn's POV didn't last too long). I always think it's nice to get some back stories - and this book done that perfectly, which really helped me to connect to the characters a bit more. Though, I admit I still would have loved to see more of Malika's backstory!

Plus, I think this book was left in the most enticing way possible - it made me want to read the next one ASAP - but I'll be saving it for a little while longer. I give this book 5 cats!



Ariadnis By Josh Martin

I got this book when I went to Drink YA in one of the goodybags, and it looked so interesting that I picked it up relatively quickly considering my TBR pile is getting larger and larger. I loved the premise, and the plot kept me hooked wondering just where this would turn out.

I think the one downside I could find was the short chapters, switching between the two MCs did confuse me a bit at first because I got a bit confused as to who was who and trying to figure out the two different cities, but I got over that and then I got sucked in.

I think one of the cutest things were the illustrations of the MCs on the back inside cover, they really helped me to imagine everything, that and the illustration of the two cities before the book started. Overall, definitely an interesting read, and I saw there was another book in the series which I will definitely be picking up! I give this book 4 cats!

Ascension by Victor Dixon

So, I got this on Netgalley, and then won a finished copy in a competition on twitter, but I was a bit late to read it. Which is such a shame because it was amazing.

I've not read many space books, but it seems to be something that's coming back, and I kinda love it because there are so many takes on space to go for, and this was just one amazing take on space travel. Speed dating has always interested me - how can you possibly meet someone and decide so quickly on if you like them or not? - and add in a bit of space this made this such an interesting read!

I already want the next book, even though this has just come out, and I can't wait to see what will happen to everyone after the crazy conclusion! I give this: 5 cats!



Under a Sardinian Sky by Sara Alexander

I got invited to a HQ event, where they showed off some upcoming books. A lot of them weren't my usual (AKA they were adult fiction not YA) but I picked up lots of new books including this one.

I adored it. That's all that I can say really. It was such a nice refreshing read, just what I needed when I was in a bit of a YA slump, and it made me really just want to go to Sardinia to see if it's as beautiful as the author described it.

I think what I liked most about this book was the fact that it was a mix of historical and modern day, which is something I do love in books, and it also had a tiny bit of mystery so I was left guessing what would have happened to the MC throughout. Plus, it was so nice to go back to a romance read, I used to read them a lot more a few years ago, but got into Fantasy after a while instead.

Overall, I give this 5 cats! I'll definitely be reading more like it (and I picked up the authors next book so that will be interesting!)

May Wrap-Up!

So, I've been super busy this month starting a new job, but I get loads of travel reading time, so I guess my wrap-ups are becoming a regular thing now!

As before, these aren't all the books I've read this month, some get a full review but will be posted whenever I get around to it.

Mini review time!

The Beasts Heart by Leife Shallcross

I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley, but finished it so close to the release date that I thought I'd just do a mini review in my wrap up instead. As you should know, I adore re-tellings - of any form usually, all the writers differences in plot always fascinate me, and this was definitely an interesting take on Beauty and the Beast!

I loved seeing a book telling us of the Beasts POV. I've only seen one other take on it, and both are so different that it was great. I loved the history of the Beast - the backstory was filled out nicely and it was one of my favourite bits. I also liked the way the mirror was used in this book - to only see Isabeau's family, and only when the magic allowed it. In fact - the magic of this story was what drew me in the most - it was so intriguing!

4.5 Cats to this book (only because it took me so long to get into it)

The Extinction Trials by S. M. Wilson

I got this in a bookbox a while ago, and only just got round to reading it. There's been a big hype about this book, and it left me wondering if it could live up to it - it could and it did. This was my first dinosaur based book, as I've never really been a big fan of dinosaur based things, but this changed my way of thinking and I'll definitely be reading more in the future.

I admit, I always take a long look at maps before, so I saw Blaine's shack on the map and wondered about him - and where he might come in, so I wasn't as shocked as I probably should have been when he was introduced, but it did have me trying to guess about his origins which was fun.

Overall, I give this 5 cats, and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book after everything that happened.

Carnivore by Jonathan Lyon

I got this book from the publisher, because I saw the cover and thought it was beautiful, and then the description had me intrigued. It's not often that I go out of my zone and read adult fiction, but sometimes I do and so far it's all been good.

This book was quite hard to read - not in a bad way, but because it was so intense and you had no idea where it would go. I've never read something as intense as this - and I warn you this is definitely not a book for those faint of heart and it has quite a lot of trigger warnings. But it was beautifully written - the descriptions in this were amazing, even if it was hard to keep up with the main character at times.


I give this book 3.5/4 cats. It was enthralling but totally not what I expected, and maybe a bit more intense than I thought. If I knew what I was going in to, I probably would have rated it much higher.

An Almond for a Parrot by Wray Delaney

I picked this book up for it's beautiful cover, and was slightly intrigued by the thought of a biography-like historical fiction so I bought it. I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but as soon as I started reading I got sucked right in to Tully's story - I especially liked how it went from her time in prison to her recollection - or 'memoir' of her time before she was imprisoned. In fact, I got so sucked in I almost missed my train stop because I couldn't tear myself away one morning!

There is one thing I will admit though, I wasn't expecting it to go into as much detail on her sex life as it did, and I definitely had a laugh at the terms Tully used during the more intimate scenes (I don't know if that's what they were called back then but wow they were weird) but other than that I had no complaints.

I give this book 4 cats. It is an adult historical fiction though, so maybe not for everyone!

Review: Show Stopper by Hayley Barker

I won a copy of this book in a competition by the Author (Hayley) and so after a couple months I decided to read it, because I had heard of it a few months before but not had the chance to buy it.

Can you guess what attracted me to this book? The cover. I can never resist a shiny cover with gold foil like this.

Here it is:

Sabotaged high wires.

Ravenous lions.

A demonic Ring Master.

A circus without a safety net.

Ben, the teenage son of a powerful government minister, attends on opening night and falls under the spell of Hoshiko, the tightrope walker and star attraction.

But as he steps beyond the dazzle and spectacle of the arena, to reveal the horrors that lurk beneath, can he find the courage to resist, to rebel, to help end the cruelty and the carnage?

Step right up for this heartbreaking and heart-racing story - the darker the danger, the louder you'll scream...

So, I admit, this wasn't what I expected from this book. I thought that it would be a Fantasy book that filled with magic in carnival form (as are most that I've read), but I was wrong. It is far from that. Instead I found a Dystopian book of the near future that tackles the issue of racism, where there are Pures (those born in Britain) and Dregs (those that are immigrants and not born English). It did remind me slightly of the Hunger Games, so if you like that, you may like this too.

This meant that it was much more dark than I expected, but I did love it. This book goes between two characters POV's and they were Hoshiko - a Dreg tightrope walker, and Ben - the Pure son of a government minister that wants to get rid of all Dregs.

One thing I would have liked to see more of in this book is world-building - or the history of the UK, as we didn't see much in this book, but I'm hoping that we hear a bit more on the rebellion that started the distinction of people into 'Dregs' and 'Pures' in the next books.

It's such a dark take on the circus - deadly acts that could easily kill the Dregs that participate in them, and regularly do actually kill them. I've not read a dark circus book before, so it definitely interested me. I must also say that the ending of this book made me want more - I can't wait to see where Hoshiko and Ben can go after what happened, but I know I'll be joining them on that journey if book 2 comes out (hopefully soon).

I give this book - 4.5 cats (Just because I would have loved a bit more of the history to this world)

Have you read this book before? What did you think? Comment below!

Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

So, I admit, this is a book that I had heard about in passing, but didn't think about reading until I watched the TV show (I know, I know, I should have read the book first, but surely a lot of people have done what I have done before).

The TV show had me hooked, and I really hoped the book would give me a lot more details and hook me even more. It did.

Here it is:

The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire – neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.

Brilliantly conceived and executed, this powerful evocation of twenty-first-century America gives full rein to Margaret Atwood's devastating irony, wit and astute perception.

So, definitely not my usual read, in fact, I very rarely go out of the YA genre, but I do love a dystopian novel, and as I'd seen the TV show I wanted to see if anymore details were given out in the book.

Now, the TV show was hard-hitting as it was, reading the book however really gets to you more than the TV show could. It's such a powerful book, and as you read you really begin to connect to Offred and hope for her freedom from the oppressive regime that she is a part of.

One thing I liked about this book is that you see little bits of Offred's rebellious mind in some of her narrations. Throughout the book you mainly see Offred as someone who has been made into someone who doesn't go against the regime and believes in the regime she is a part of, but there are also a few little points in the book where her old self comes out to shine, and I found these parts of the book so interesting.

One thing I didn't like, the book didn't really use quotation marks and that stumped me a bit throughout and I found it hard to keep up with the narration, but that is the only thing that bothered me about the book, and it is such a small thing that you eventually get used to that it's not even much of a complaint.

Overall, I liked the book, it gave a little bit more detail for me, and I definitely liked my foray out of the YA genre. In fact, I bought another book outside of YA because of this book, and I hope to find it just as good.

I give this book: 4 cats!

I liked both the book and the TV show, which is quite unusual, have any of you got opinions on either the book or TV show too? Comment below!

Review: Magpie's Song by Allison Pang

So, this was a later request of mine from Netgalley, but as it was soon to be published (August 8th) I thought I'd read and review it before my other Netgalley acceptances!

So, as I said, this book is due to be published on August 8th, and before I even review it I'll tell you it is definitely one to read! I was drawn to the cover on Netgalley, and the description had me intrigued, so I decided to be hopeful and request it. And, voila! It got accepted, and I was so happy, as it was my third acceptance from Netgalley!

Here it is:

In the slums of BrightStone, Moon Children are worth less than the scrap they must collect to survive. It doesn’t matter that these abandoned half-breeds are part-Meridian with their ancestors hailing from the technologically advanced city that floats above the once-thriving, now plague-ridden BrightStone. Instead they are rejected by both their ancestral societies and forced to live on the outskirts of civilization, joining clans simply to survive. Not to mention their role as Tithe, leading the city’s infected citizens deep into the Pits where their disease can be controlled. 

Nineteen-year-old Raggy Maggy is no different, despite the mysterious heart-shaped panel that covers her chest. Or at least she wasn’t… Not until her chance discovery of a Meridian-built clockwork dragon—and its murdered owner. When the Inquestors policing the city find Maggy at the scene of the crime, she quickly turns into their prime suspect. Now she’s all anyone can talk about. Even her clan leader turns his back on her, leading her to rely on an exiled doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost to keep her hidden. In return, all she has to do is help them find a cure for the plague they believe was not exactly accidental. Yet doing so might mean risking more than just her life. It also might be the only key to uncovering the truth about the parents—and the past—she knows nothing about.

Isn't the cover just beautiful? I had an e-book version of this book, but for the cover alone I am very tempted to buy the paperback version when it is out. In the kindle version, the breaks in the book are separated by the pretty feathers illustration like the ones on the cover, and it makes the book all the more spectacular (I hope it's like this in the paperback too).

I liked this book because it had so much going on in it, it was never slow, it was fast-paced and busy and I love books like that. For me, books that are fast paced and never-stopping are much quicker to get through and this book especially made me feel like I was trying to keep pace with Maggy, whether she was running over rooftops, shimmying up drain-pipes or just trying to find a place to hide. It was just such an action packed book. There is even a little bit of a romance for those of you who like that in your books (a bit of a slow-burn though).

The main character Maggy is my favourite, though I do love some of the other characters too. Come on though, she has an iron heart, a mysterious one at that, one which no-one knows where it actually came from, other than that it is technology from the flying city of Meridion (which no-one has gone to since the mysterious plague broke out in Brightstone). It is the one mysterious thing in this series that I am itching to find out about: why Maggy, an orphan, was given this iron heart in the first place.

I'll warn you now, the end of the book will leave you wanting more as it stops just as you expected more action (I even tweeted the author Allison Pang and told her how much I wanted to read the next book in the series even before the first one had come out).

One thing I actually thought was great about the book was that at the beginning of each chapter was a little rhyme. Granted, they are similar to our rhymes, but with a much darker twist to them, but they were interesting little starts to the chapters and kept me amused through out waiting for the next one on the next chapters.

The next book in the series will be called Magpie's Fall (publication in December) and I know I will definitely be trying to get a copy of it! 

I definitely would recommend this book to Fantasy and SciFi lovers out there, and it can be bought from August 8th!