Review: The Study of Magic by Maria V Snyder

Guys, I am so so so excited to be reviewing this book. The Study series by Maria V Snyder is one of my all time favourites, I have forgotten just how many times I've read it through the years - and as soon as I saw the announcement that Maria was going to be publishing a Valek POV I knew I had to get it, and the first book A Study of Poisons did not disappoint. This, however is about the second book because oh my word guys, it was even better than the first!!

Here's the book:

 

Frankly, I think death is the best cure for stupidity.

As Chief of Ixia’s Security, Valek’s work is never done. After rescuing Commander Ambrose with, Yelena, his heartmate’s, help and seeing her off to Sitia, Valek discovers the nefarious scheme to overthrow their country is far more complex and far reaching than anyone could have guessed.

Valek must discover who is continuing with Brazell and Mogkan’s conniving plans, all while dealing with a tense political situation. The Ixian generals are questioning his abilities to keep the Commander safe, and whispers of a possible coup are circulating.

Will Valek be able to survive a plot that seeks to sabotage all he and the Commander have worked for? Also, having opened his heart to love, will Yelena still wish to be with him when all is said and done?

A companion novel to Magic Study, The Study of Magic reveals Valek’s side of the story. Find out what hazards Valek encounters and survives before he and Yelena are reunited once more.

I just can't get over this book - Valek is one of my favourite characters in an all-time favourite series (I need to have yet another read of the originals after this I think!) so getting to see his POV in the series is amazing, and I am so glad Maria decided to let us all see this by publishing these companion novels. The first book was a nice dip back into the world, and it was good to see Valek again, but this second book just blows the first out of the water!

I think this second book sat in my heart a bit more because Magic Study, the original series book, is all about Yelena being away from Valek and exploring Sitia, the country she was born in. In this though, we get to see more about what exactly Valek was doing during his time away from Yelena! I love this, you get to see so much more of an insight into his thoughts, and his day-to-day life with the Commander. In fact, I think being able to see more of Valek and the Commander's relationship is so eye opening - it's so much closer than it seems in the original series as it gets fleshed out a lot more here.

Also, guys, if you've ever read the original series I'm sure you love Ari and Janco - I mean, who couldn't love them?! - in this book we get to see some more of them too, and learn a bit more about how they met (which I think was a great addition), so it's definitely worth a read purely for that! Plus, you have to love seeing Ari and Janco's antics in any of the books, seeing it from Valek's POV just makes it that much better!

I could probably talk about these books forever, so I won't go on, but just know if you ever wanted to see what the love interest's POV is in a series, this is exactly what you need - you can even tandem read the original and these Valek POVs if that's something that would interest you, I've seen a few people say that was really fun, I may have to try myself!

Overall, I give this book 5 cats - I would give it more if I could! I cannot wait to see what the next companion novel will be like, Fire Study is already such an action packed book, it will be so interesting to see that from Valek's POV!

The Study of Magic is out now, so go grab a copy, and if you haven't read the original Study series I would highly recommend them too! Just go pick up alllll the books, you wont be disappointed!

Review: The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

 Guys, I just can't put into words how much I loved this book. I took part in the twitter poll version of this, essentially a choose your own adventure, and adored it then, so I knew when it was going to be published and have some differences to the twitter adventure that I would NEED to get it.

There's also the fact that I love the Truthwitch series from Susan so I knew I'd be reading this as well just because I like to see how other stories pan out from authors that I like.

Here's the book:

Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you…

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town―and the rest of humanity―from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night. Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal―and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie must enlist the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

Okay so, first things first, I HAVE to mention how beautiful the artwork is for this book, both in the beautiful cover and also the illustrations inside! I'll admit I was a bit biased with the ARC I got because I love gold foil, but then when I saw this cover I was like woahhh that's pretty, and once you've read it you can see why some of the details are there. But yes, I mentioned illustrations inside - there are illustrations of some of the Nightmares in there! Brilliantly done, I love being able to see what they look like as I can really imagine them when reading - I can't wait to see the next books illustrations too, it was confirmed that the illustrations will continue in that which I am so excited for.

Second thing: I finished this in one sitting it was so good! It's not often these days that I read things in one sitting, I tend to break them up into a few days more often than not due to my schedule, but I adored this book and I just couldn't put it down. Granted, it may have been because I wanted to see how different it was to the original choose your own adventure, but still I think even if you weren't part of that you would have a hard time putting this book down.

I think, and I'm being nitpicky here, the only downside to this was that I didn't get all the information I wanted - but yaknow, that is my own thing and I fully trust Susan to give us all the information in the future books now that we have finally got to know a bit more about the world, the Nightmares and the MC Winnie - I especially can't wait to see where the storyline about her father goes and I really want to see some more information about the Diana's and what they do, I'm hoping to see Susan dig into that a bit more in The Hunting Moon when it comes out!

Overall, I give this: 5 cats!

I really can't wait to see what happens in the next book - which has just had the cover reveal (OMG it's just as beautiful). Did any of you join in with the Twitter adventure? If so what did you think of the final book compared to that? I'd love to know!

ARC Review: Queen of Gods by Katharine & Elizabeth Corr

I was so excited for the final book in this duology, and I was so glad when I got approved to read it early on Netgalley! I have loved all of Katharine & Elizabeth Corr's books since I read The Witch's Kiss, and I'm sure I'll love them going forward too. However, I do have a weakness for Greek inspired books, which this is - throw in some Gods and Goddesses and I'm hooked!

This is the finale to a duology (you can see my review of the first book, Daughter of Darkness HERE), and wow what a finale it was! Now I just need to wait for the pretty Forbidden Plant exclusive cover to get into my hands and I'll be even happier! Here's the book:

Return to the Underworld...

Deina has finally found what matters most to her in all the world. And lost it. To save the one she loves, she's bound herself to the Underworld and an endless future of darkness.

But not even her sacrifice is enough to secure Theron or her friends' safety in the mortal realm. Aristaeus has seized power in Thebes and his tyrannical reign is a constant, looming threat to their lives.

So when Deina is offered the chance to destroy him and the gods altogether, she sets out on a new quest. But to succeed, she must turn away from everything she holds true.

In a game with the gods, the rewards are infinite... but the punishments are eternal.

Be prepared for a nail-biting race for survival in the breathtaking sequel to Daughter of Darkness.

The blurb says nail-biting, and wow was that true. I breezed through this book in less than a day and can definitely say this was a stunning conclusion to this duology! In fact, I'll go as far as to say this is one of my favourite reads of this year so far, I'll definitely be picking it up as a re-read in the future. I thought the last book was a ride, but this had so many twists that you didn't see coming and it really kept you on your toes guessing what was going to happen next.

One of the most interesting parts of this book for me was that we got to explore some more places - in the last book it mainly focused on the Underworld, but in this you also get to see the House of Zeus and the House of Poseidon as well as some other parts of the Underworld, and you also get to explore some of the other Theodesmioi houses which was interesting. I always like exploring new places in series because it really helps with the world building, and it was explored so well in this book, threaded in perfectly to the main plot line.

Characters wise, I have to say I liked seeing more of Thanatos in this book, and I will have to admit that I was routing for him throughout, but considering I love when Death is a character in books I tend to always end up routing for him despite the weirdness. Did anyone else end up loving Thanatos as a character? The triangle between Deina, Thanatos and Theron was such fun to read, and I loved the dynamic that Deina had with both of them throughout. (I know who I would have chosen if I was Deina, but unfortunately I can't transport myself to the universe, so it's up to Deina what she wants to do *sigh*)

Overall, I really think this is my favourite series from Katharine & Elizabeth Corr yet, and I really can't wait to see what they come up with next! I couldn't give this less than 5 cats, and I would give it so many more if I could.

Queen of Gods is out on the 20th July, and I highly recommend you go get your copy (especially the pretty Forbidden Planet editions with the different colours!)

Review: The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence

So I may have requested this purely because of the description that there was a giant library.... I mean, what book lover wouldn't do that? But this turned out to be an amazing random pick from Netgalley, and now I must know what's going to happen in the future books!

But for now, here's the book:

All books, no matter their binding, will fall to dust. The stories they carry may last longer. They might outlive the paper, the library, even the language in which they were first written.

The greatest story can reach the stars . . .

Evar has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.

Livira has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.

The world has never noticed them.

That’s about to change.

As their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time, each will unlock vast secrets about the world and themselves. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another.

I admit it did take a while for me to get into this book, mainly because I really couldn't figure out where this was going and how the two characters would come together - but it was definitely worth the patience as you get to the end and want to see so much more out of it. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book - I like to think that the slow burn in this one was really building up the premise and the world, ready to jump right into the action, but we shall see... One thing's for sure though, I'll definitely be waiting to jump back into this when the next book is out as I already want to continue with Livira's and Evar's story!

Although it may have taken me a while to get into, I can definitely see this as a book that you can read again and again to pick up little nuggets you didn't notice before. I think one of the things I'll be paying specific attention to is the quotes at the beginning of each chapter - I love quotes at the beginning of chapters in books but I think I passed them by, hopefully a reread I'll be able to see if they link in more.

The two main characters in this, Livira and Evar, are really well written. Specifically I loved Evar's character, seeing him begin to explore after his life trapped in the library was fascinating, he was just a joy to read. That isn't to say I didn't like Livira - seeing her character develop through the years was definitely interesting too. Also, no spoilers here, but if you've read it - how much did the Raven's name amuse you? It gave me a chuckle!

Overall, I give this book 5 cats!

It's definitely a book I'll be reading again, and after that ending I think the anticipation of what may happen in the next books may kill me! It's a book that keeps your mind cogs turning, and definitely one I'd highly suggest!

ARC Review: The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix

 So, yet again here I am reviewing a Garth Nix book - I can't help it he's one of my favourite authors, and I absolutely adored the first in this series (The Left-Handed Booksellers of London), so as soon as I saw it on Netgalley I knew I would have to request it - and I recently got the beautiful physical ARC which I am now in love with too! So, without further rambling, here's the book:

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet this time it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger. A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister the right-handed bookseller Vivien and their friend, art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery performed by an Ancient Sovereign and guarded by monstrous living statues of Purbeck marble. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone, a serial killer of awesome powers.

If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

One thing you have to know about this book is that you really jump right into the action, and it stays action packed the whole way through. I liked this about that as I've read quite a few things lately with slower starts, and I really wanted a fast-paced read which this was. It did however mean I didn't want to put it down, but where's the problem in that? I have been reading less and less recently and a lot slower too but it felt like I breezed through this it was so great.

I will say, it is probably a book you could read without reading the first in the series, but I would highly recommend reading both (just because you get to know the MCs a bit more and you get a bit more backstory, especially of Susan which I think is important). And now I have to mention yet again my love for Merlin in this book, in my previous review for Left-Handed booksellers of London I did say how much I love him - and that love is just brought right back in this book too. He is just one of the most unique MCs and I just can't get over how well written he is.

One thing I think I always say is that Garth Nix is very good at creating creatures and characters in his books - this is repeated in both of his Bookseller titles. This book in particular had some rather terrifying new creations, and I loved trying to picture them all in my mind. On top of that, you got to meet some new Booksellers and hear about other bases that they have, which I hope means that we will get to see even more of this world in the future (fingers crossed).

I've just loved getting to return to the world of the Booksellers and the Ancient Sovereigns, and I give this book: 5 cats!

So, if you liked the first book I can assure you that you will definitely liked the second and I highly recommend buying this when it is out on the 21st March!

ARC Review: Daughter of Darkness by Katharine & Elizabeth Corr

 I have been looking forward to this book for so long, as Kat & Liz are great authors and I love all of their books so far. I did try to get my hands on a physical ARC, but with no luck I zoomed to Netgalley instead to request it! I may not know much about Greek mythology other than the odd bit, but I knew I wanted to read this as soon as I saw the description, and well the cover is absolutely beautiful so that made me want it even more!

Here it is:

Enter the Underworld in an epic new fantasy, where the Gods of ancient Greece rule everything but fate.

Deina is trapped. As one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on earth, her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world - unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out.

Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts.

So begins their perilous journey into the realm of Hades. . . The prize of freedom is before her - but what will it take to reach it?

Is it weird that I absolutely adore reading greek mythology books despite knowing barely anything about it? I think that for me it ups the fun as you get to see each author's interpretation of the myths and you can really get into them. I loved this version because it was just such an interesting read, and the idea of Theodesmioi, the name they give those chosen to serve the difference Gods by infusing some of their power into them at a young age, was absolutely fascinating to me.

The main characters were amazing, and I really love the narrator Deina, she's such a fierce lead and she really draws you into the book to join the journey that she's taking in the underworld.

And that ending guys, I mean, you'll definitely be itching to find out what happens because I was shocked by how it ended - but I have found that Katharine and Elizabeth Corr do like to write books that pull you in and get you invested, my favourite type of books! 

Overall, this book definitely had me want to research more about Greek Mythology again - the authors note explaining a few things about what they based their book on was so interesting, and it really made me happy to get some context as to what they decided to base the book on. That and the vivid descriptions of the Underworld really show you that they did their research, whilst not making you feel like you don't know enough to read.

So, I give this book: 5 cats! And I can't wait to see the rest of Deina's story and how she gets on in the next book (can I have it already pleaaaase?!?!?!)

Daughter of Darkness is out this week (4th August 2022) and I'd definitely get your pre-orders in, this isn't one to miss!

Review: I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman

I got given a proof of this lovely book when it first came out for a review. I probably left it a bit longer than I should have to review it, but it was such a good book I knew I had to post my thoughts, even if late! 
 
Here it is:

For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world.

Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Because that’s the problem with dreaming – eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

This book was like a blast of nostalgia from my teenage days when I had some serious fandom love - though I admit it was less boybands for me more books/films like Twilight. Though I did have a love for Blue, McFly and Busted! I will happily admit that.

It isn't often that I go to the contemporary side of YA, but I decided to start branching out - and so far nothing in this side has disappointed me - and they always make such a refreshing change from my usual fantasy YA. I also loved to see a take on modern day fandoms, as I was mainly a big fan when social media was just starting out so it was definitely interesting to read about this when social media is a lot more prevalent now and so I feel like fandoms are more investing than they were.

My favourite character had to be Jimmy. I loved him from the start, and kept on loving him throughout. I also haven't read a book where a MC deals with anxiety as intense as he did, so I think it really helped me to connect with him - you saw everything both his ups and downs and that was something that I think made the book so good.

Overall, I give this 4.5 cats. It was an interesting read, and I think I'll have to try some of Alice Oseman's other books too!

Have you read this book? Who was your favourite character? Comment below!

Review: Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

So I have been in a bit of a blogging slump, and after a few months I decided to come back with a bang and review this amazing book I was gifted by Tor Books - Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard. 

It's an usual review in that I haven't reviewed the first two books in the series (so please be aware the synopsis may contain slight spoilers!), but I loved all of them just as much as the third and you should go and pick the series up.

Here's the book:

Loyalties will be tested as never before.

The Raider King’s plans to claim the Witchlands are under way. Now, his forces sow terror in the mountains, slaughtering innocents. After finding the slain, Aeduan and Iseult race for safety. And despite differing goals, they’ve grown to trust one another in the fight to survive. Yet the Bloodwitch keeps a secret that could change everything . . .

When Merik sacrifices himself to save his friends, he is captured by the Fury. However, Merik isn’t one to give up easily, and he’ll do whatever it takes to save those he loves. And in Marstok, Safi the Truthwitch agrees to help the empress uncover a rebellion. But those implicated are killed and Safi becomes desperate for freedom.

War has come once more to the Witchlands. Perhaps if Safi and Iseult were united, their powers could bring peace. But chaos is not easily tamed.

I am probably not going to be alone when I say this was my favourite book of this series so far - we got to see a whole lot of Aeduan and Aeduan with Iseult was even better. I loved that we got to delve into Aeduan's thoughts and past and really got to see him as his own character and it was so eye-opening, whilst also being slightly heart breaking too. Aeduan I have to say is my new book crush (yes the list is getting long but who can blame me?). When it came to the end of the book my heart was just invested, the writing was amazing and I will officially die with my ship of Iseult and Aeduan, they are so beautiful together and suit so well.

I may be gushing about them, but that isn't to say there's nothing else to gush about in this book - there is so much that it's hard to keep track. I don't think I'll actually be able to put into words how much this book sucks you in and gets you connecting with all the characters - there's just so much to unpick. Even though the main focus is on Aeduan you get to see so many sides to the other characters like Safi, Vaness and even Vivia - which I will say is such a surprise in this book. You really get to know Vivia more and really see what is going on in Nubrevna and I liked that little insight into her after everything that happened with Merik. Overall, I just think that this book is filled with numerous little threads that are slowly coming together to make a series that is going to be spectacular.

I can definitely say I am waiting with baited breath to see what comes in the next book, especially because it has been revealed it's going to follow Iseult - and wherever she goes Aeduan will follow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a spectacular follow up that will blow even this book out of the water for me.

As well as that I got gifted the paperback of this book, which also had a sneak peak at Witchshadow, the next in the series, and I can say that I audibly gasped when reading it - it cut off at such a teasing place that I know I will be pre-ordering it ready to get it as soon as possible. It's definitely looking like Susan will pull off yet another stunning book in this Witchlands series.

Overall, it's a no brainer that I'll be giving this book 5 cats!

If you haven't yet, I highly suggest you go and pick up Truthwitch, the first book in the Witchlands, as this is shaping up to be one of my favourite newly found series. Special thanks to Tor for helping me discover it and fuelling my obsession by sending me this book!

Review: Throne of Swans by Katharine & Elizabeth Corr

Oh guys, I am going to try my best to give this book the review it needs, but I doubt I'll be able to put into words how amazing the book was. I got the proof at YALC 2019, and decided to read it around the time it was going to be published - and I'm now kicking myself for waiting so long it was so good!

Here's the book for those wondering:

In a world where the flightless are ruled by those who can fly...

When her father dies just before her birthday, seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother - ripped apart by hawks that have supposedly been extinct since the long-ago War of the Raptors. 

With the benevolent shelter of her mother and her father now lost, Aderyn is at the mercy of her brutal uncle, the King, and his royal court. Driven by revenge and love, she must venture into the malevolent heart of the Citadel in order to seek the truth about the attack that so nearly destroyed her, to fight for the only home she has ever known and for the land she has vowed to protect.

Written in rich detail and evocative language, this is the start of an irresistible, soaring duology about courage, broken loyalties and fighting for your place in the world.

Okay, first things first: how beautiful is this cover? I went to a Hotkey brunch to do with this book, and we got to see a clip of how it was made by the artist, and wow what an eye-opener that was. Plus, as you all probably know, I'm a bit obsessed with gold foil on covers, and this has it, so yaknow, I'm like Gollum again with the shiny things.

Okay, to the actual content now. I managed to read this book in one sitting - it is a book that you just fly through (no pun intended) and that lets you jump into the world so easily. It's such a fantastical book, and you really connect with the MC Aderyn so easily - I was routing for her throughout the book and you really got to see her evolve after being raised solely in Atratys after her mothers death. You see her adapt to court and learn how to navigate the complexities of court life with the help of Lucien (and oh my I do love a bit of Lucien - but this is not the time to talk about him).

The world building in this series is what I love most, you really get a sense of what is going on in the world, and how the world is run, and that's not always the case in some books. It really helps you to immerse yourself into the book and feel like you are part of it. I think that the underlying issue of the flightless vs. the flighted is such a complex issue, and I can't wait to see where Kat and Liz take this in the second book.

One of the things Kat and Liz told us at the brunch was that the book was inspired by The Swan Lake - so if you like that, then you will love this series all the more. I've never really known the story of Swan Lake, but after reading this and hearing how it inspired the book I think I may have to take a look at it and see what it's all about.

Overall, this is just such a beautifully written book and I think it's going to be an amazing duology, I can easily see this becoming one of my favourite series - I don't know how I'll be able to wait for the next book!

I give this book: 5 cats!

Throne of Swans is out now, and I highly suggest you go and buy a copy - I know I'll be going out soon to buy a finished copy to go with my ARC as soon as I can!

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!

ARC Review: Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

So I got this ARC from Netgalley after I was one of the lucky few to get their wish granted by Harper Voyager (yay!). I'd been hearing so much about it I knew that I needed to try, and I'm so glad the wish paid off, it was definitely worth it!

Here's the book:

THERE’S MAGIC IN HER BLOOD.

Arrah is a young woman from a long line of the most powerful witch doctors in the land. But she fails at magic, fails to call upon the ancestors and can't even cast the simplest curse.

Shame and disappointment dog her.

When strange premonitions befall her family and children in the kingdom begin to disappear, Arrah undergoes the dangerous and scorned process of selling years of her life for magic. This borrowed power reveals a nightmarish betrayal and a danger beyond what she could have imagined. Now Arrah must find a way to master magic, or at least buy it, in order to save herself and everything she holds dear.

An explosive fantasy set in a world of magic and legend with a twist you will never see coming.

Oh, guys, I really have no idea where to start on this book because it is so amazing. Like really, really amazing, so I don't know if my words will do it justice at all. But, my main love in this book was the imagery. Rena describes everything in this book so vividly and beautifully that you feel like you are inside the book alongside Arrah, seeing all the beautiful magic around her. I think the imagery is what really pulled me in and got me hooked.

It wasn't just the imagery that was written well, however, it was also the characters.Each character you meet seemed to have their own story, and everything seamed together nicely - it didn't feel like any one character had too little of a story or that all the different backgrounds got confusing. I think this was great as it really made it easy to keep up with the story despite the many different backgrounds.

In fact, I definitely wonder how Rena managed to think up such a complex, beautiful book as she did with characters and settings just flowing together so well - I asked this question as part of a Q&A Harper Voyager are having, and I can't wait to see if it will be answered!

All I know guys, is that I'm so glad I heard about this book - even if, I admit, the main reason I even thought to look it up and see what was happening was because of how beautiful the proofs that were flying about were. That's not to say the full cover isn't beautiful, it is, and I always get my head turned by anything with gold leafing on.

I don't know how I'm going to wait for the next book, as this will only be out next week, but I guess I'll just have to reread it until I know when the next one is out.

So, I give this book: 5 cats (and so many more if I could).

This book is out 19th September, go pre-order! I'm sure  you wont regret it. If you've read this book / want to read this, comment below I'll be interested to see your comments!

Review: The Red Abbey Chronicles by Maria Turtschaninoff

So today I'll be reviewing a whole series of books instead of just one - as I got gifted the whole series by Pushkin Press and thought they were so good, I couldn't just review one! Originally, I was approached about reading the latest in the series - Maresi Red Mantle, but when I was offered the chance to read the whole series I jumped, and I breezed through all 3 so quickly!

As it is 3 different books, I'll post the goodreads links to all 3, but here is the blurb of the most recent book, Maresi Red Mantle:

Maresi returns in the thrilling conclusion to the feminist fantasy epic The Red Abbey Chronicles

For Maresi, like so many other girls, the Red Abbey was a haven of safety in a world ruled by brutal men. But now she is a young woman and it is time for her to leave. She must take all that she has learned from her sisters and return to her childhood home to share the knowledge she has gained.

But when Maresi returns to her village, she realises all is not well - the people are struggling under the rule of the oppressive Earl, and people are too busy trying to survive to see the value of her teachings. Maresi finds she must use all the terrible force of the Crone's magic to protect her people, but can she find the strength to do so when her heart is weakening with love for the first time?

Goodreads links:

Maresi (Book 1)

Naondel (Book 2)

Maresi Red Mantle (Book 3)

When I first started on this series I was worried I wouldn't be able to get into it as there was so much to take in - the different Sisters, the different places in the Abbey, what the Sisters do etc. but all of that worry was for nothing. You soon get the hang of it and really get pulled into Maresi's life. I think the only thing I would have loved was more background to the Abbey and the history to everything - but you get a lot more background over the next two books to help you understand more.

The second book Naondel is actually all about how the Abbey started and the different Sisters and how they came together to eventually leave their lands and make the journey on the boat Naondel to get to where they would eventually create the safe haven of the Red Abbey. I think this was definitely a crucial book in the series, as you learnt just why the island helped the Abbey women and where the power of the land in the first book may have come from, as well as showing just why the Abbey was created to help women in need. Its such a powerful book, showing you a lot more of the world that the Red Abbey Chronicles is set in.

Lastly, we come to the most recent addition to the chronicles: Maresi Red Mantle. This follows Maresi as she leaves the Abbey to try and found a school in her homeland. This was different to most books I've read as it was all in letter form to people we had met in the first book such as Jai and Sister O. I think, in a way, this was one of the most beautiful books as it really shows Maresi growing into herself as she learns to readjust to life outside the Abbey.

I always love stories where the female MC really grows into herself, and this didn't disappoint. We see her go through first loves, and learning to accept that she is her own person and is allowed to be different. I think I especially loved that she showed her family that sending her to the Red Abbey was worth it - I think the scenes where she teaches her brother to read are some of my favourites, alongside the scenes with Maresi's sister who really supports her throughout with her ambition of opening a school.

I could talk about the series for so long, they really surprised me with how amazing they were, especially when read together, but if I did this review would be way too long. So, I highly suggest going to buy your own copies ASAP!

Overall, I give this series 5 cats!

Have you read this series? What do you think of them? Comment below!

Review: Magic Bitter Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg

So this is a lovely book that I got on a daily deal, and although I read this a while ago, I decided to re-read it because it was so intriguing!

Its such a sweet book, that mixes tiny little bits of fairy tales in as well, which made it all the better.

Here it is:

Maire is a baker with an extraordinary gift: she can infuse her treats with emotions and abilities, which are then passed on to those who eat them. She doesn’t know why she can do this and remembers nothing of who she is or where she came from.

When marauders raid her town, Maire is captured and sold to the eccentric Allemas, who enslaves her and demands that she produce sinister confections, including a witch’s gingerbread cottage, a living cookie boy, and size-altering cakes.

During her captivity, Maire is visited by Fyel, a ghostly being who is reluctant to reveal his connection to her. The more often they meet, the more her memories return, and she begins to piece together who and what she really is—as well as past mistakes that yield cosmic consequences.

From the author of The Paper Magician series comes a haunting and otherworldly tale of folly and consequence, forgiveness and redemption.

This is actually the first book that I'd read from Charlie Holmberg, but after this I went out and bought some of her others - and now her Paper Magician series is one of my favourites. After re-reading it made me adore the book even more than I did before! I picked up a lot more things than I did the first time round, and some of the things I picked up had me wondering how I didn't notice them.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the fairy tale references dotted throughout - I didn't catch that on the first read until part-way through but the second time round I really picked up on it and it was so much better because of that. In case you were wondering, some of the ones included were Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread Man tales.

I admit, the plot did frustrate me a bit the first time I read this - but only because you couldn't guess where it was going, and it did leave you a while before explaining what exactly happened to Maire, but it was actually a well written book - I just get frustrated when I can't guess what will happen.... but I guess that's actually a good thing for most people! I think I preferred the re-read because I knew what was happening and it gave me time to really pick up on things I may not have the first time around.

Most of all though, I loved how it all wrapped up in the end and I adored the epilogue the most of all. It really let you guess what had happened to Maire and fill in the gaps the way you wanted to, which is my favourite way of ending books.

Overall, 4.5 cats to this book!

Have you read this? Do you agree with me about it/did you guess what would happen? Comment below!

ARC Review: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Okay, guys, I have had this book a few months and I am already well into a re-read because it is just such a perfect mix of empowering and heart-warming, so I may ramble more than usual in this review. All I can say now is go buy it! I usually put that at the end but I will say it now because it is seriously an amazingly powerful book, that I think everyone really needs to read it.

Here it is:

'In an ancient city by the sea, three sisters - a maiden, a mother, and a crone - are drawing maps by candlelight. Sombre, with piercing grey eyes, they are the three Fates, and every map is a human life . . .'

Stepsister takes up where Cinderella's tale ends. We meet Isabelle, the younger of Cinderella's two stepsisters. Ella is considered beautiful; stepsister Isabelle is not. Isabelle is fearless, brave, and strong-willed. She fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. It doesn't matter, though; these qualities are not valued in a girl. Others have determined what is beautiful, and Isabelle does not fit their definition. Isabelle must face down the demons that drove her cruel treatment of Ella, challenge her own fate and maybe even redefine the very notion of beauty . . .

Cinderella is about a girl who was bullied; Stepsister is about the bully. We all root for the victims, we want to see them triumph. But what about the bullies? Is there hope for them? Can a mean girl change? Can she find her own happily ever after?

You will probably know by now that I love a good re-telling or re-imagining of the classics, and as soon as I saw this was a retelling of one of the Ugly Stepsisters I knew that I needed to read it. I was lucky enough to get given a free ARC copy for review by Hot Key Books, and I powered through the first read in a few days it was so good - I actually even went on to re-read the book within a month of my first read because it really resonated with me.

But, when you first open the book to a dedication that says: "To anyone who's ever felt that they're not enough.", you know that there is definitely going to be something interesting within the pages - and I was most definitely not disappointed.

I could actually speak about this book for ages, there were so many passages and so many quotes that just jumped out at me and really resonated with me, so much so that my book was covered in little sticky notes during my re-read (I'm current about 2/3 of the way through the re-read and so far there are 10 sticky notes). I've never actually sticky noted a book before, so you can tell how much I loved it just from that.

I really connected with Isabelle as a character - and I think anyone that ever thought they weren't enough, or who thought that they shouldn't/couldn't be who they really are, or even those that tried to fit into the box that they were put in growing up will connect with her too. Isabelle is strong, and slowly learns to believe in herself and who she really is through the book - you see her push through her problems and self-worth issues and decide she is no longer going to be who her mother wants her to be, instead she is going to be who she was supposed to be all along. It's such a powerful transformation and Jennifer writes about the struggle of the transformation beautifully, adding in one of my favourite characters of Tanaquill the Fairy Queen to help Isabelle find the missing pieces of her heart.

Okay, I have probably rambled enough - it's been a while since I've rambled so much for a book - but I don't want to have you reading forever, so I will sum up this book in one sentence: This is a beautiful story about learning to carve out your own path when everything is against you - even Fate.

(p.s I just have to say I have found a new book crush in Chance, and I think everyone who has read this will agree with me he's such a charming character)

Stepsister is out in a few days (May 15th) and I think you should all go buy a copy, this is going to be one book that I will definitely read again and again, and I think this is going to be one of my top reads of 2019! I give this: 5 Cats (and so many more if I could)

Blog Tour: King of Fools by Amanda Foody

So today on my blog I am part of the blog tour for the amazing King of Fools by Amanda Foody! I was part of the previous tour, and as soon as I was asked I knew I wanted to be a part of it as Ace of Shades was such as amazing book.

I was lucky enough to get an extract of the book for you all to see, so here it is:

This is a key beat from Jac's opening chapter--his first ever point of view in The Shadow Game series. Now that Enne and Levi have been made notorious by the events of the Shadow Game, Jac has become a wanted man entirely by association. And Jac has spent so many years as Levi's friend, listening to him go on about his destiny for greatness, knowing that Levi wanted this, that Jac has to unpack how he has now become collateral damage in his best friend's story.

**************

Jac struck a match and watched it burn like a votive candle. 

“I can turn on the radio, if you want,” Lola offered. “But Levi’s probably fine.” 

“I’d rather you didn’t.” 

“Afraid you’ll hear your name?” 

He inhaled his cigarette deeply. It was no secret that he worked with Levi; that he lived on 125 Genever Street in Olde Town, apartment 4C; that he covered the Wednesday through Saturday shifts at the Hound’s Tooth tavern. The whiteboots had probably already interviewed his boss, already rummaged through his home and what little he had. He tried to imagine what conclusion they could’ve drawn from his possessions. A loner, this one, they’d say. No decorations. No sentimentals. Jac had lived there for two years and still treated his place like it was temporary—a side effect of someone who’d never really had a home. 

“I wasn’t in a good place not that long ago, but I have been lately, or at least in a better one,” he explained. He didn’t normally share these details with anyone, even ones so vague. But he needed to unload his thoughts on someone other than Levi, someone who could feel sympathetic without also feeling responsible. “I guess that’s gone now.” 

Levi and Enne had made sure of that last night. 

He squeezed his hand into a fist. He knew Levi hadn’t wanted to start that shatz investment scheme that got him invited to the Shadow Game. And Levi had looked out for Jac time and time again, so Jac didn’t feel he had a right to be angry. Hell, he was angry at himself for feeling angry. 

But Jac also knew Levi and his reckless dreams. And if Levi was safe right now, then Jac would swear some part of his friend was mucking pleased—even if Levi had put everyone around him in danger. 

But he didn’t say that. Instead, he bitterly spat out, “I hate this casino.”

Lola pursed her lips, and Jac waited for her to say something about how, while he’d sworn his allegiance to Levi willingly, she’d been forced to give Enne her oath with a knife at her throat. Or how good people did bad things, and bad things happened to good people, and neither they nor their friends could really call themselves good people anyway. She was annoying and wise like that. 

But all she said was, “Deal the cards. You’re clearly very vulnerable right now, and I intend to take advantage of that.” 

Jac snorted and tapped his cigarette ashes into the rim of a teacup as he slid back into his seat. 

“Enne will hate that, you know,” Lola told him. The teacup was porcelain, covered in some floral design that Enne would find pretty. Jac realized Enne, who’d only lived here for ten days, probably didn’t possess much she could call her own, so he retrieved his cigarette guiltily and pushed the cup away.

Lola leaned over and slid it back toward him. “But fuck them.” The corner of her lips slid into a smile. 

Jac barked out a surprised laugh, and the knots in his shoulders loosened. Over the next ten minutes of Tropps, the teacup’s bottom steadily grew coated in ash. 

*************

And that is all for the extract post, now I'll share a few thoughts on the book before this blog tour post ends!

First, I can't believe how action packed this book was, there were so many points all coming together I seemed to spin through reading all of the action - but it was written so well that I never felt like I was being overloaded or left behind with the plot.

Secondly, I just have to mention that there are now 3 POVs in this book - and one of them is Jac. I adored Jac as a character in Ace of Shades, and I was so excited to find out that he had his own POV in King of Fools, which is why I was so glad I got an extract of his first chapter in the series. Now, it wasn't only because of how much I love Jac that I was glad he got his thoughts out in this book - I think it was really good to get in a POV that shows just how Enne's and Levi's plans have effected the others in the books, and even how much it will effect them as the plans change.

On that point, I think Enne is such a complex and beautifully written character - warring with herself as to whether she should be the woman she was raised to be - or if she should accept that she enjoys being a street lord and living in New Reynes. Watching her change and grow is definitely one of my favourite things about the series, and I think she's going to grow even more in the future, which I can't wait to see.

I could write so much on this book, but I think leaving you with a small extract, and a small review is for the best, so I will just say this: GO READ THE SERIES. It's such a unique series, with a setting that I've not come across before and absolutely love, that I think everyone will get something from reading it. I can't wait to see where Amanda takes the next book after it was left where it was - I don't know how I'll be able to wait!

Overall, I give this book: 5 cats.

Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour, below!

Review: The Exact Opposite Of Okay by Laura Steven

Okay, I read this before it came out, as it was an e-ARC sent from Netgalley for a review, but I adored it so much I had no idea how to do such an amazing book justice. But, after putting it off so long, I decided to finally try and put my thoughts into words that will show how great this book is.

First though, here's the book:

Izzy O’Neill is an aspiring comic, an impoverished orphan, and a Slut Extraordinaire. Or at least, that’s what the malicious website flying round the school says. Izzy can try all she wants to laugh it off – after all, her sex life, her terms – but when pictures emerge of her doing the dirty with a politician’s son, her life suddenly becomes the centre of a national scandal. Izzy’s never been ashamed of herself before, and she’s not going to start now. But keeping her head up will take everything she has...

It is so hard to put down how amazing this book is. I think it was just what I needed when I picked it up, and it's definitely one I'll read again, which is something I rarely say for books that aren't in my usual genre. In fact, as I don't think I'll do this book justice I'm just going to do my thing and ramble.

I adored this book, it gave me so many laughs so quickly, and I always adore a strong female character - and Izzy was definitely that. She never let things get to her no matter how hard it got - and I definitely respect that, I wish I could be as strong as Izzy is sometimes. In fact, I think Izzy is one of my favourite contemporary characters that I've read so far.

One of my favourite things about this book was that it brought in so many different points so quickly - the elderly, employability when young without experience, friendships turned love interests, etc. I couldn't believe how much was packed in this book, and that was without the main plot too, nothing was focused on too much and they all got, what I think was, the right amount of discussion time.

I've been hit hard before by internet/social media problems (nothing quite so big as Izzy, but at the time it felt like it) and I think it was so important to read something like this and see that sometimes there's no need to let the internet take over your life, or if it does you can still bounce back with the help of people in your life.

But, I'm rambling. All I can say is this is an amazing book and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one. (oh and I need to do a shoutout to Dumbledore the dog - of course I couldn't forget him - small HP references are my life).

So, I give this book 5 cats!

Have you read this book before? What are your opinions? Comment below!

Review: The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington

So, I've been meaning to read this book since I won it in a competition, but have only just got round to it, and I am so so soooo annoyed with myself for not reading it before as it's such a spectacular book. I know for sure that its one that will be going on my top 10, and one that I'll definitely be re-reading in the future.

Here it is:

Rose, Ella, Marta and Carla. In another life we might have all been friends together. But this was Birchwood. 

As fourteen-year-old Ella begins her first day at work she steps into a world of silks, seams, scissors, pins, hems and trimmings. She is a dressmaker, but this is no ordinary sewing workshop. Hers are no ordinary clients. Ella has joined the seamstresses of Birkenau-Auschwitz. 

Every dress she makes could be the difference between life and death. And this place is all about survival. 

Ella seeks refuge from this reality, and from haunting memories, in her work and in the world of fashion and fabrics. She is faced with painful decisions about how far she is prepared to go to survive. 

Is her love of clothes and creativity nothing more than collaboration with her captors, or is it a means of staying alive?

Will she fight for herself alone, or will she trust the importance of an ever-deepening friendship with Rose?

One thing weaves through the colours of couture gowns and camp mud - a red ribbon, given to Ella as a symbol of hope.

Sometimes, you read a book, and you just know that it is one that will stick with you, and be something you'll remember. This was one of them books for me, it was beautifully written, both heartbreaking and uplifting at the right points, and I know that if you read it you'll probably say the same.

You were really able to connect with the main character, Ella with the way the book was written, and through her you soon ended up loving other characters - I adored Rose, you could really see that the friendship that bloomed between Ella and Rose helped to make the horror of Auschwitz that little bit better for them.

I loved that through the whole book Ella brought in bits of her past, to help her get through each day - it really helped you to show that she was a dreamer, and dreams of big things despite her current situation. It was so insightful to see what someone may have thought about during a time like that. I learnt little things that I never knew about the war and Auschwitz - its really made me want to start researching, and has bought out the history bug in me.

I just don't know how to do this book justice - it made you feel warm and tingly as well as made you want to cry at different points, and I very rarely feel so strongly about a book.

I give this book: 5 cats, and so many more if I could

Have you ever read this book? Comment below. If not, I highly suggest picking up a copy!

Goodreads Look-in!

So, I've been reading a lot, and because of this I can't always review the books I have read. So now, I'll be doing to occasional Goodreads look-in where I will be showing my ratings and a few thoughts of the books I have read.

Here we go:

A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood: 5 Stars. Such a beautiful book, really made me wish to be in the pages and part of the glitz and glamour.

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks: 4 Stars. Definitely a surprising ending, and a good venture out of my usual book genre, just goes to show I need to expand my genre's more often!

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning: 5 Stars. I adored this retelling, it gave some interesting views on everything and was just beautiful.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: 5 Stars. I re-read this series and it was just as breathtaking, if not more so than before. This is still my favourite book of the series.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas: 5 Stars. This was a re-read and wow I loved it, and that ending. I'm glad I decided to re-read near to the new/last book of the series coming out so it is fresh in my mind.

Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton: 4 Stars. I got into this quite slowly, but it definitely kept me wondering what would happen, and it ended in a perfect place to leave me wanting more.

Ariadnis by Josh Martin: 4 Stars. Definitely an interesting concept, and I loved the way it went through both POVs of the main characters. I can't wait to get the next book.

The Warrior Queen by Emily R. King: 5 Stars. An amazing ending to a great series, I loved seeing different characters and places, and I'm glad it ended the way it did.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl: 4 Stars. I've always wondered what happened after the first book as I've seen the movies, it was definitely an interesting way to take the series.

The Mystery of the Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah: 4.5 stars. I've always watched Poirot and never read one of Agatha Christie's books, I think I definitely need to now, and definitely need to read more mystery.

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold: 4 Stars. This book really intrigued me trying to figure out what was happening. I absolutely loved this take on princesses, princes and dragons, and the ending blew me away. I would say though it is quite a dark tale!

Arrowood by Mick Finlay: 4.5 Stars. I've recently got into reading mystery, and this one definitely didn't disappoint, I loved the setting, the characters and the story and I can't wait to read the second book. Definitely happy to have picked this up from HQ crime night!

This is just a few of the many books I've read and only reviewed on Goodreads, have you read any? What did you think of them? I'll be posting another Goodreads look-in in a few months!