Review: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin

Publisher: HarperTeen/Harper360

Released: 3rd September 2019

Source: Purchased

My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Find it on Goodreads

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all. (from Goodreads)

Do you like sarcastic and witty protagonists? Do you enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope? Do you like morally grey characters just trying to get by in life without dying? Then you’ll love Serpent & Dove, which has fast become one of my favourite books of the year.

First and foremost, Serpent & Dove is about witches, and one witch in particular: Lou. Lou was someone I immediately took to (maybe because we share the same morbid sense of humour but who knows really) and I loved that she just didn’t care what other people thought of her. She had a very difficult past and as result didn’t trust many people and didn’t have many friends. The friends she did have though, were fantastic. Her relationship with her best friend, Coco, was one of my favourite things about this book. Gotta love women supporting women and Coco really stuck by Lou even though she could have run off to safety by herself. Lou never forgot that, and it was clear how much they cared about each other. Coco was also fabulously hilarious and a powerful witch with cool abilities, so bonus points for that.

Lou was not the quiet sort; she didn’t intentionally search out trouble, and yet trouble always seemed to find her. In this case, in the form of Reid, a Chasseur (essentially a witch-hunter working for the Church) who absolutely did not want to be mixed up with Lou and her mess. But the world works in mysterious ways, friends, and so Lou and Reid found themselves married, much to their chagrin.

Is there anything better than the enemies-to-lovers trope? Than two people who hate each having to get married and then slowly realising that maybe they don’t hate each other after all? I’ll answer the question for you: no there is not.

I’m a sucker (cue Jonas Brothers) for this trope and it was executed perfectly. As Reid was a Chasseur, he started out pompous and arrogant and judgemental. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with Lou. Until he did. First he found her annoying, then he found her endearing. First she was crass, then she was funny. First she was tough, then she was vulnerable. I honestly just can’t get over how well Reid’s transformation was written. He went from someone so easy to dislike to someone I was so invested in that I was literally shouting at my Kindle for him to stop being an idiot. He slowly came to change his views, began to realise perhaps he didn’t know everything after all, perhaps Lou was worth caring about. He still made mistakes, but he realised them. The characterisation – ugh! I loved it.

There were actually a whole host of other great characters too, but I’ll just point out Ansel because he was exactly the friend Lou needed when she was living with Reid and the other Chasseurs and he must be protected at all costs. I swear if something happens to him in the next book…

Plot-wise, essentially there were witches, and witch-hunters hunting witches, except the witch-hunters didn’t know who the witches were and well, you get my drift. Many things ensued. I loved how there was no clear divide between who was good and who was evil. Yes, the Chasseurs were bigoted and brainwashed and knew practically nothing about the witches they were murdering, but then there were also witches killing people in the most gruesome ways and not caring who found the bodies. Lou herself had done very bad things, but also very kind things. I liked how everyone was a bit morally grey because it felt so much more realistic than saying witches are good and witch-hunters and bad and so the witches must win in the end. That’s just not how life works and certainly wasn’t how the world worked in Serpent & Dove.

The pacing was also excellent (I finished this book in a day because I couldn’t stop reading) and while some of the plot was ever so slightly predictable, the book was so addictive that I didn’t even care. And the ending! I need the sequel. Now.

Overall, I adored this book and highly recommend it to all fantasy readers (or anyone who enjoys a good romance). Read it!

PS: Reid swearing was everything

PPS: I wrote a bunch of notes about this book that I didn’t include in my review because it’s a couple of weeks after I’ve read it now and don’t know what I’ve written because I honestly can’t read my own handwriting… 

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Ranking Taylor Swift's "Lover" Against Previous Albums

I spent a lot of my teen years pretending that I didn't like Taylor Swift because I was "too cool" for that sort of music (I have never once been cool in my entire life and as an adult pretty much only listen to musicals). Secretly, my iPod was loaded with all her albums and I'd blast them at home and sing along to all the angsty lyrics with gusto.

Nowadays, I can be heard singing along to Taylor Swift (very badly) in public because honestly, who cares what other people think? So now that Lover has been released, I thought it would be interesting to rank all of Taylor's albums to date and decide where Lover fits in among my favourites.

So, going from worst to best, we have:

7) Taylor Swift - Taylor's debut. Super country, and not really my thing (I must admit, I have really enjoyed her transition to pop). Even teen Liz probably listened to this album the least, despite the multitude of angsty songs on it. I'd never been a huge fan of country music so I wasn't that into Taylor Swift yet - little did I know how that would change... Highlights: Should've Said No, Teardrops on My Guitar (also I'd Lie which was an unreleased song, but not sure which album it was related to? If someone remembers, let me know).

6) Fearless - teen Liz loooved Fearless. Even though it was still pretty country and internally I thought most of the songs on this album were cheesy as heck, I loved them anyway. As an adult, Love Story and You Belong With Me kind of make me cringe but there's no denying that teen Liz watched the YBWM music video about 100 times. Fearless, however, even now, has a bit more energy than the first album, and there are a few songs which I occasionally still listen to. Highlights: Fearless, That's the Way I Loved You, The Other Side of the Door.

5) Reputation - yeah, I didn't love this album. By this point, I was a grown woman and really over the whole angst thing, and it seemed like Taylor wanted to bring it back and I just wasn't feeling it. That's not to say there weren't some gems on this album (I constantly get Getaway Car stuck in my head) but the overall vibe wasn't for me. Plus I found the snakes kind of creepy, please tell me I'm not the only one. Despite all of this though, I probably listen to the songs on this album that I do like more often than I listen to any on Speak Now which is up next, so in terms of individual songs, the ranking would probably be very different... Highlights: Getaway Car, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, New Year's Day, Dress.

4) Speak Now - the first hints of moving to a more pop-y style, the last album where Taylor was rocking the curly hair. This was my favourite album for a long time, and still gets some regular plays. I distinctly remember watching the Back to December music video a bunch of times, and having rewatched it recently, I can confirm it's a 100% because of the actor who played Taylor' boyfriend/ex (remember back when the emo fringe was in fashion? What a time). Highlights: Sparks Fly, Long Live, Enchanted, Haunted. 

3) 1989 - moving more fully over to pop, this was also a favourite album of mine from a while. I loved the whole aesthetic that went with it, and I liked almost every song, including all the bonus songs. And while some of the lyrics were still like, revenge/sass-esque, it wasn't Reputation levels of angst. This was also when Taylor started to really go all out with her music videos - Blank Space is still a classic, I used to watch it a uni instead of writing essays! Highlights: New Romantics, Style, Wildest Dreams, Blank Space. 

2) Lover - so close to being number 1. In fact, I'm still not entirely sure. It's really only All Too Well that's holding me back. In any case, I love this album. Such a breath of fresh air, so different to Reputation, and it just generally makes me smile. The song Lover is so cute, I want to cry and the bridge to Cruel Summer... I can't stop singing it. I DON'T WANNA KEEP SECRETS JUST TO KEEP YOU and I love the whole pastel aesthetic (way more me than all the snakes). So many great songs, and only two (two!) that I don't like (The Archer & Cornelia Street if you want to know, which I realise other people absolutely love, don't hate me). Highlights: Lover, Cruel Summer, The Man, Paper Rings.

1) Red - I actually didn't like Red that much for a long time. I think it's because We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together had been overplayed on the radio and it put me off listening to album all the way through. I rediscovered it when I was older and it overtook 1989 as my favourite and has stayed there ever since. All Too Well is an absolute masterpiece and I don't know if anything will ever beat it for me. And I like pretty much every song on the album. Plus I had the chance to listen to 22 when I turned 22 and it was still relevant so that was fun. I'm so torn between this and Lover for the top spot; Red does still have a lot of the country vibe in some of the songs but then there are so many songs on this album that I absolutely love. We'll see if I change my mind! Highlights: All Too Well, Holy Ground, State of Grace, Red, Stay Stay Stay.

And that's it! Are you a Taylor fan? Do you agree with me on any of these? Let me know!

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Blog Tour: Review of The Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli

Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Caged Queen, the second book in Kristin Ciccarelli's Iskari series. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it - it's got dragons, magic, sisters, fighting - all the things I love in one book! On to my review.

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The Caged Queen (Iskari #2) by Kristin Ciccarelli

Publisher: Gollancz

Released: 27th September 2018

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Find it on Goodreads

Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished - until the day a terrible accident took Essie's life and trapped her soul in this world.

Dax - the heir to Firgaard's throne - was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa's people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she'd give him the army he needed if he made her queen.

Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax's promises go unfulfilled. Roa's people continue to suffer.

Then a chance to right every wrong arises - an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Relinquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good.

All she has to do is kill the king. (from Goodreads)

I have to admit, upon finding out The Caged Queen was a companion novel, rather than a sequel, I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as book one - I really loved the characters from the first book, especially Asha. However, I was proven wrong because The Caged Queen is every bit as good as The Last Namsara, and a fantastic continuation of the series.

Roa was the highlight of this book for me. She had married Dax because they had made a deal, and in her eyes, he had not fulfilled his end of the bargain. He was flouncing around flirting with every woman he laid his eyes on, but he was doing nothing to help Roa's people. She was worried that he'd end up even worse than his father and, desperate as she was to bring her sister back to life, she face a lot of difficult ethical questions on what action she should take. I loved seeing Dax from Roa's point of view, how she blamed him for what happened to Essie, how she had no faith in his ability to lead, and the way he changed in her eyes as she learnt more about him and what was going on around her. Above all however, I loved Roa's relationship with her sister Essie. They had been incredibly close when Essie was still alive - and death had done nothing to sever that bond between them. It was so nice to see such a fleshed out sibling relationship, and I think the ending was all the more poignant because of the work that had gone into building the closeness between the characters.

Dax grew on me, just as I suppose was intended. I started off disliking him as much as Roa did, though I knew from book one he wasn't really all that bad. It was his flippant attitude that put me off - but as we learnt more about him, we started to understand why he chose to act that way. He still wasn't my favourite by the end, but I definitely came to respect him more, and again, I really liked his relationship with his sister too. Asha and Torwin did make brief appearances in this book and it was really nice to see them again! 

Plot-wise, this was a slower paced read than The Last Namsara - it was by no means boring, but there was less action, less suspense in every chapter. That being said there was a more subtle tension running throughout the book - what would Roa do? What would be the outcome of her decision? There were so many characters with ulterior motives - it always seems that the humans are more dangerous than the dragons in this world!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was a great addition to the series. I shall eagerly await the next book Kristin Ciccarelli writes!

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Kristen Ciccarelli hails from Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula where she grew up on her grandfather’s grape farm. She made her living as a baker, a bookseller, and a potter, but now writes books about bloodthirsty dragons, girls wielding really cool weapons, and the transformative power of stories.

Website: https://www.kristenciccarelli.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheLuresDragons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenciccarelli/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristenCiccarelli/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15428577.Kristen_Ciccarelli

Many thanks to Stevie and Gollancz for letting me take part in this blog tour! Make sure to visit the next stops at A Daydreamer's Thoughts, A Dream of Books and The Book Hour tomorrow.

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Three Mini Reviews

This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1) by Emily Suvada
Publisher: Penguin
Released: 2nd November 2017
My Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of Lachlan Agatta's death, all hope seems lost for Catarina. Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.

Only she can find and decrypt it, if she can unravel the clues he left for her. The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from Cartaxus, a shadowy organization with a stranglehold on the world's genetic tech. But it's too late to turn back.

There are three billion lives at stake, two people who can save them, and one final secret that Cat must unlock. A secret that will change everything. (from Goodreads)

This Mortal Coil had a great premise but there were a few things throughout that stopped this from being more than a three-star book for me.

While I found the story really interesting and engaging (and unpredictable on top of that!), I was confused a lot of the time. That could have just been me reading too fast to really grasp what was going on, as is often the case, but even parts which I went back to reread were a bit unclear, and there was a lot that I felt was never explained.

I also wasn’t a huge fan of Cole and as I’m all about character-driven plots, it made it difficult for me to really care what was happening where he was involved.

I did really like Cat – it couldn’t have been easy for her to realise she’d been lied to over and over again. I was also really concerned this book was going to be standalone (so many things unresolved!) but thankfully, it’s going to be a trilogy, and I will be continuing on with it. Though hopefully in the next book, the phrase “my darling girl” won’t be dropped about a hundred times…

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would pick up the sequel.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Released: 2nd January 2018

My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Find it on Goodreads

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. (from Goodreads)

The reason behind this rating is Cardan. I didn’t like him. I get what Holly Black was going for and I know he had a secret terrible life and all that, but trying to excuse his appalling behaviour in that way just didn’t cut it for me. It’s going to take a lot more than what we got in this book to change my mind about him, because at this point, I kind of sort of hate him.

Cardan aside, I did enjoy the rest of this book. It was very dark and unforgiving (how messed up is to live with the man who killed your biological father?!), which isn’t unusual for Holly Black, and you’ve got to give it to her for the world-building, which was great. I also really enjoyed the family dynamic between the sisters and while I often questioned Jude’s decisions (why Jude, why), I was always interested to see how she would deal with the situations she ended up in. While there were a few parts I saw coming, I am still very intrigued to see how things unravel after that ending.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I’m dithering a bit on whether to pick up the sequel, but I think my intrigue is outweighing my dislike of Cardan. I’m just really interested to see what Holly Black plans to do with his character, and of course, see where she will take the story next.

Royal Bastards (Royal Bastards #1) by Andrew Shvarts

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Released: May 30th 2017

My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Find it on Goodreads

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who’s been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards’ Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana’s uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey... (from Goodreads)

Most of my notes for this book consist of variations of the phrase “ugh, Miles” so from that, it’s probably pretty obvious that Miles was my least favourite character.

Moving swiftly on, I actually quite enjoyed this book. I do agree with others who have said that the modern language used was strange and jarring in this setting, but I kind of got used to it in the end, even if it didn’t make much sense.

I really liked Tilla and didn’t find it hard to sympathise with her situation. Her father was, err, not the best of men, but I could understand why she still felt this need to be loyal to him (even when he totally did not deserve it).

There were parts that were a bit too unbelievable to be anything other than an obvious way increase tension and drive the plot into a certain direction (cough Tilla you couldn’t have just gone to a less public place cough) but the overall storyline kept me engaged and I’ll be picking up the sequel to find out what’s in store for these characters.

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Review: There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Released: 5th October 2017
My Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Love hurts...

Makani Young thought she'd left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She's found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn't far behind.

Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets. (from Goodreads)

I loved Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins so when I found out she was writing a YA horror novel, I was a bit confused but also pretty intrigued. Being a squeamish scaredy cat who hides behind pillows whenever scary movies are on, I’m not usually one for horror, but I thought I’d give it a go since it was Stephanie Perkins and I’d liked her writing style before.

Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with this book. It was just a bit all over the place, but I think my main issue was that I didn’t really connect to any of the characters. For me, characters are the most important part of a book, and I felt like we didn’t really know anything about them.

Makani was our protagonist, and while I think she had great potential, I feel like her character wasn’t really explored as much as it could have been. For example, Makani kept mentioning how her parents hated her or didn’t care about her, which could have been really interesting to delve into deeper. However, nothing more was really said about it. We never found out why Makani’s parents felt this why, we never really got an insight into how this treatment made Makani feel - I mean, why bother mentioning it if it’s never going to be explored? Similarly, this “terrible secret” Makani seemed to have again had no point - it didn’t really tie in with the story and then when we found out what the secret was, I was more underwhelmed than anything else.

Ollie, the love interest, was a bit boring to be honest. I didn’t get why Makani liked him. I understand this book was inspired by teen slasher movies, which aren’t known for their character development, but I just didn’t care for their relationship and was skipping past the romance scenes. Honestly, I’m all for romance usually, but I guess I was expecting less romance, and a bit more tension and suspense.

I did like how diverse this book was and it was quite funny at times, but overall, the characters were lacklustre, and it wasn’t really scary. The murders were somewhat gruesome, but because none of the characters (especially the side characters) were very fleshed out, there was no real tension when someone died. The killer was also pretty disappointing - I won’t reveal who it was, but in the end, I still couldn’t understand their motive.

Overall, I didn’t much enjoy this book. I’ll still read whatever Perkins writes next, but I’ll try to avoid having such high expectations.

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Review: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S. A. Chakraborty
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Released: 8th March 2018
My Rating: 4.25 stars out 5
Find it on Goodreads

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.

But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for... (from Goodreads)

The City of Brass was a fantastic start to a new series. Hats off to S. A. Chakraborty, I haven’t been this excited about a new series in a while!

So first of all, let’s talk about the setting. This was world building at its finest. I could so easily picture the streets Nahri walked through in Cairo, the sand-filled desert as she and Dara made their way to Daevabad, the library she and Ali frequented, the clothes, the food – everything. I loved exploring the world and all of the rich details, and honestly, one of the reasons I’m looking forward to the sequel is to get back to it and explore more of Daevabad.

Speaking of Nahri, her chapters were my favourite. I loved how sceptical of everything she was; she’d had a hard life, and didn’t trust very many people. She was a top-notch thief and con artist, and used to living life looking out for a gullible mark. Even when she was exposed to a completely different, much more luxurious environment, she didn’t lose her shrewdness or her pragmatism and that’s what made her such a stand out character in my opinion. I also really liked seeing Nahri use her healing powers and discovering her limitations, and I’m excited to find out more her abilities in book two.

Dara…I had many opinions about. I was just intrigued by his background; he kept revealing tiny bits of his (very long) history to Nahri but there was so much more he was hiding, which Nahri could tell and frequently argued with him about. At the same time, she didn’t push hard on the topics she knew would be contentious; it’s almost like she didn’t want to know certain things. Their relationship was so complex and only got more so as they settled in Daevabad and it was interesting to see how the dynamic between them changed as time went on.

Ali was another character I had many feelings about. He had very strong beliefs on his family, his history and how Daevabad should be governed – he and Dara were total opposites in their beliefs but both were strangely drawn to Nahri who was a sort of neutral ground. At first I found his chapters a bit less exciting then Nahri’s, and was in more of a rush to get through them. When their storylines joined up, however, his POV grew on me and I became a lot more interested in his struggles and seeing what decisions he would make.

In terms of pacing, the first half of this book was a little slow, but once we got to Daevabad, things really started to pick up. This was also quite a character-driven book, which meant parts of the plot were a bit obvious at times, though the characters were so enjoyable that this didn’t really bother me, and there were still a lot of great revelations and reveals that I’m sure will continue in the next book. One of my favourite parts of the book was definitely learning about djinn and daevas and all the lore – it was nice that we got to learn alongside Nahri throughout. I also liked how much of a role the supporting characters played - there were no throwaway, there for the sake of it, characters, everyone was weaved really well into the story. And of course, the ending was as expected for a first book in a series – it definitely left me wanting more!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one!

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Blog Tour: Review of The Last Namsara by by Kristen Ciccarelli

Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Last Namsara. The Last Namsara is a debut fantasy novel by Kristen Ciccarelli and it's about - wait for it - dragons. If you know me at all, you know I love dragons, and The Last Namsara did not disappoint. Please see my review below.

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The Last Namsara (Iskari #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

Publisher: Gollancz

Released: 12th October 2017

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Find on Goodreads

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be dark—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up hearing in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her. (from Goodreads)

I knew I was going to like this book from the very first chapter. The book opened right in the middle of an action scene – I thought I would have to wait a while to see any dragons, but nope, they were there from the very beginning, and I was so grateful there was no faffing around with long introductions. I wanted dragons and I got dragons – but also so much more.

Asha, daughter of the Dragon King, was the Iskari, a title named after a goddess of old, known mostly for her destruction and chaos. As a young girl, Asha was responsible for an incident which caused the death and collapse of an entire town, and has been trying to pay penance ever since. Tasked with killing every dragon until none remained, Asha was a fierce hunter. But no matter how many dragons she killed or how many people she saved, she was still feared and reviled by her people. To start with, Asha was incredibly stubborn and narrow-minded, unwilling to think outside of the teachings she had followed her entire life. She was, however, incredibly focused and determined – once she set her mind upon a task, she would carry it out at all costs. I really enjoyed seeing from Asha’s perspective; her relationships with other characters were very interesting and very telling of what she prioritised in life. I especially liked seeing how she got on with her brother and the way their relationship changed throughout the book. Asha’s connection with the dragons was another one of my favourite parts, and I only wish we could have found out more about the dragons and where they came from.

Torwin was the slave of Asha’s betrothed and he started off quite a mysterious character. He seemed to know Asha somehow, or was at least more familiar with her than he should have been, and he was strangely important to several people with stations far above his own. I liked Torwin; I liked the way he seemed to be able to get people on his side and I’m really interested to find out more about him. To be honest, however, I didn’t fully buy the romance. This was mostly because Asha and Torwin barely spent any time together and it just seemed a bit rushed – some bits were pretty cliché and I couldn’t really believe how fast their feelings developed. I absolutely hated Jarek, Asha’s fiancé, though – he was one of the most awful people I’ve read about in a while. He was just sadistic the worst thing was there was really nothing else to him other than his love of making people suffer – I spent half the book hoping he’d fall off a cliff.

Plot-wise, I loved the dragon mythology in this book, especially the stories which drew dragons out and made them stronger. I do wish we had learnt more about the stories and how it was that they had such an effect on dragons, but I loved reading them and learning more about the histories of the Namsara. I also loved all the scenes where dragons appeared (can you tell that I really like dragons) and the tasks Asha had to carry out. I did find some parts of this book to be a bit predictable and saw some of the twists coming, but overall, it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the story. I think some parts could also have been developed more – e.g. Asha’s feelings on dragons after learning more about them and how she now viewed her past actions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. A promising start to a new fantasy series – highly recommended (especially if you like dragons!).

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Kristen Ciccarelli hails from Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula where she grew up on her grandfather’s grape farm. She spent her childhood running wild with her cousins, adventuring in the woods, building forts in the barn, and obsessing over books, dragons, and girls wielding really cool weapons. She wrote The Last Namsara for the girl she used to be (and sometimes still is).

Website: https://www.kristenciccarelli.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheLuresDragons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenciccarelli/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristenCiccarelli/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15428577.Kristen_Ciccarelli


Many thanks to Stevie and Gollancz for letting me take part in this blog tour! Make sure to visit the next stops at A City of Books and YA Under My Skin tomorrow.

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Review: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by FC Yee

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by FC Yee
Publisher: Amulet Books
Released: 8th August 2017
My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo's every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged.

Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven.

Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined… (from Goodreads)

I absolutely loved this book and I’m so happy there are going to be sequels because I seriously need more of these characters.

First of all, let’s start with Genie herself, because she was such an awesome heroine. As well as fighting demons and juggling forces from both Heaven and Hell, Genie was also dealing with daily high school life – trying to get into college while maintaining her place on the volleyball team. I admired her a lot for how she handled everything! Her reaction to finding out Quentin’s true identity (as well as her own!) cracked me up. It was so funny that she refused to believe it at first and her comments…I was dying, honestly. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the Chinese mythology and folklore – it was so interesting learning about these stories and I loved how seamlessly they were woven into the narrative. The way the characters adapted to modern life and how Genie interacted with them while trying to get her head around the laws of physics going down the drain was brilliant. I loved seeing Genie come to terms with her newfound powers and the responsibilities that came with them; her voice throughout the book was so realistic and I loved the way she dealt with all the new things she was faced with. I’m so excited for the sequels, a) because of the ending, but b) because I can’t wait to learn more about the Monkey King and the folklore surrounding him.

Quentin, [mini spoiler, highlight to read]aka the Monkey King[end of spoiler], was a character I grew to love. He was very odd to begin with (and Genie would agree with me) but as we got to spend more time with him, I couldn’t help but be charmed by him. The whole Chinese Batman talk had me cracking up, as did his various out of place comments and lack of understanding as to what constituted normal conversation/behaviour. I also loved his relationship with Genie – he respected her a lot due to their past connection and it was nice to see the dynamic between them begin to change. The romance was definitely unconventional, but you know what, I’ll take it, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

I loved Genie’s relationship with her parents, but especially her mother. We didn’t get to see too much of her, but what we did see was lovely. I especially loved the scene where Genie’s mum was upset with her and was ranting on about her “double life” – there were just so many laugh out loud moments in this book! Genie’s best friend Yunie was another great character and I’m hoping we get to see more of her in the sequel.

Plot-wise, I really enjoyed learning about Quentin’s past and how he had previously fought all the demons who has now escaped from Hell. There were a lot of parts I didn’t see coming and the ending was somehow funny, surprising and frustrating because it now just means I’m going to have to wait ages to find out what happens next.

Overall, this was an amazing debut by FC Yee and I am on board the hype train, because it’s really that good.

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Review: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist) by Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Released: 18th May 2017
My Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known. (from Goodreads)

Flame in the Mist was a strong start to a new series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Renée Ahdieh has in store for us next.

So this book has been marketed as a retelling of Mulan, but it really isn’t. I’m sure Mulan inspired it in a lot of ways but it’s not a retelling, and once you get over that, it’s much easier to appreciate the story for what it actually is.

Mariko, our main character, was on her way to marry the son of the Emperor (a deal forged by her father) when she and her company were attacked. Her loyal maidservant, Chiyo, was killed, and Mariko barely escaped with her life. Instead of returning home however, to be cleaned up and sent back out again to a loveless marriage, Mariko decided to take matters in her own hands to try and find out who attempted to murder her, and why. Mariko was a fairly likeable character, and I think she was pretty brave to dress up a boy and join a gang of thieves potentially responsible for the attack on her. In Mariko’s world, women had very little power, and for once, she wanted to do what she wanted without worrying about the consequences it would have. However, having lived an extremely privileged life, she was painfully naïve at times, and I was honestly surprised no-one in the Black Clan suspected her much earlier on. She may have been book smart and strategic, but she knew nothing about the lives regular people led, and it showed. However, she did face every challenge she met, and she didn’t back down, despite her lack of experience.

The other two main characters in this book were Ranmaru and Okami, and I really liked them both. Also, just to say, there’s no love triangle in this book! So yay! Anyway, Ranmaru was a ronin, a son of a disgraced samurai, and he and Okami had a deep connection that went back to their childhood. They were extremely loyal to each other, and while Ranmaru was the leader of the Black Clan, he trusted Okami implicitly and always valued his opinion. I really loved the dynamic between these two and enjoyed reading about them and learning about their backstories. Ranmaru was especially intriguing because I always got the feeling he was plotting something, but I never knew what. Okami was different in the sense that he didn’t want to lead, but was happy to follow orders. He also had an interesting power which we didn’t learn much about, but which I hope will be explored in the next book. He was responsible for Mariko once she joined the Black Clan and was one of few who thought there was something strange about her. I really liked reading about his thoughts on Mariko before he found out she was a girl, and while I think his acceptance of the truth was just a bit too quick, I generally liked his relationship with Mariko, and I’m especially curious to see how things will turn out for them, after the way this book ended.

Plot-wise, there was some parts of this book that I saw coming, but I was really surprised by the ending and overall, found Flame in the Mist to be a really exciting and compelling read. I loved the way the story flowed, and how Mariko’s loyalty began to be torn after spending time with the Black Clan. I also really enjoyed the parts about the Emperor and learning more about his previous actions and the consequences they had. Mariko changed a lot in this book and I am really looking forward to what she does in book two. She used to be so close to her brother Kenshin, who spent the whole of this book trying to find her, but now…I wonder what will happen between them. And after the ending, I really just can’t wait to read book two!

To conclude, Flame in the Mist was an excellent read, and I loved the world-building and getting to know all of the characters. Recommended.

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Review: Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz

Never Say Die (Alex Rider #11) by Anthony Horowitz
Publisher: Walker Books
Released: 1st June 2017
My Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

The world's greatest teen spy is back in action in a thrilling new mission: destroy once and for all the terrorist organization SCORPIA.

Following the events of Scorpia Rising, Alex relocates to San Francisco as he slowly recovers from the tragic death of his best friend and caregiver, Jack Starbright, at the hands of terrorists working for SCORPIA. With Jack gone, Alex feels lost and alone, but then, out of the blue, he receives a cryptic email--just three words long, but enough to make Alex believe that Jack may be alive. Armed with this shred of hope, Alex boards a flight bound for Egypt and embarks on a dubious quest to track Jack down.

Yet SCORPIA knows Alex's weakness. And the question of whether Jack is alive soon takes a backseat to a chilling new terrorist plot-one that will determine the lives of many.

From Egypt to France to Wales, from luxury yachts to abandoned coal mines, Alex traverses a minefield of dangers and cryptic clues as he fights to discover the truth. (from Goodreads)

As a huge fan of the Alex Rider series when I was younger, I was both very excited and very concerned when I heard there was going to be a new book. While I did think Scorpia Rising had quite an open ending, I was also so afraid that one of my favourite childhood series would be ruined! Luckily, this was not the case and I ended up really enjoying Never Say Die.

The book started four weeks after the end of Scorpia Rising. Alex was living with the Pleasures and adjusting to life without Jack, but anyone could see he wasn’t doing well. He was withdrawn and quiet, his grades were slipping and didn’t feel like there was any place he fit in. I felt for him because it was obvious he missed Jack and was going through a really hard time without her. The Alex of the previous books was always witty and clever; despite spending so much time out of school, he was always a good student. Seeing him stop caring about his education and friends was sad as a result. Then, something happened to give Alex reason to believe Jack wasn’t dead. And just like that, he was back to his old antics trying to find her, against the advice of everyone he knew, including Mrs Jones who didn’t believe Jack was alive.

I have to admit, going into this book as an older reader, rather than the intended audience, meant having to have a little more suspension of disbelief than I used to when reading this series. I also think things with the Pleasure could have been wrapped up a bit more, but overall, I was impressed. Alex really felt like Alex; his character didn’t undergo any strange personality changes or turnarounds like can sometimes happen when authors return to series they haven’t written for a while. I have always been fascinated by the way Alex thinks and gets himself out of difficult situations, and I think that was just as present as it has ever been in this book.

In terms of the actual story, I did guess some parts but I thought it was interesting where it ended up, especially the ending (sneaky old Mrs Jones, I knew she had something she was hiding). While I missed characters like Smithers (the gadgets!) and wished Sabina had been in a bit more, I really really enjoyed this book as a whole and I’m honestly ready for the next one (there will be a next one, right?).

If you’re a fan of the series, read this book. If you’re new, well you’re going to have a lot of fun catching up.

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Review: Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
Publisher: Amulet Books
Released: 2nd May 2017
My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Jordan Sun is embarking on her junior year at the Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts, hopeful that this will be her time: the year she finally gets cast in the school musical. But when her low Alto 2 voice gets her shut out for the third straight year—threatening her future at Kensington-Blaine and jeopardizing her college applications—she’s forced to consider nontraditional options.

In Jordan’s case, really nontraditional. A spot has opened up in the Sharpshooters, Kensington’s elite a cappella octet. Worshipped…revered…all male. Desperate to prove herself, Jordan auditions in her most convincing drag, and it turns out that Jordan Sun, Tenor 1, is exactly what the Sharps are looking for.

Jordan finds herself enmeshed in a precarious juggling act: making friends, alienating friends, crushing on a guy, crushing on a girl, and navigating decades-old rivalries. With her secret growing heavier every day, Jordan pushes beyond gender norms to confront what it means to be a girl (and a guy) in a male-dominated society, and—most importantly—what it means to be herself. (from Goodreads)

I absolutely loved this book. I was really in the mood for a great contemp and it was exactly what I wanted it to be.

Jordan was such a fantastic main character. Words can’t express how much I loved her. I literally related to her in the very first line of the book – I pretty much have an existential crisis every Monday morning. As an Alto 2, Jordan kept getting rejected from parts in musicals for not having a conventional female vocal range. She also had a lot of other things going on; her mum and dad (who suffered from chronic pain) were having money troubles that were inevitably affecting her and making her feel guilty and she was still getting over her ex-boyfriend while also trying figure out whether she was attracted to girls as well as guys. She felt friendless at her school and didn’t really have anyone to turn to. Apart from the fact that I really appreciated being able to read about a Chinese-American bisexual character, Jordan was so likeable. Her narrative was hilarious, her voice was so believable and I really liked how dedicated she was to her craft. So determined was she to do something instead of mope around, miserable that she’d failed another audition, she dressed up as a boy and joined an all-male a cappella group. After all, what did she have to lose except her dignity? There was a bit of suspension of disbelief involved there, but honestly, it was so funny because even Jordan was questioning how everyone was buying her charade and it just made me smile.

I can’t tell you how much I loved Jordan’s friendship with all the boys in the Sharpshooters. First we had Trav, the leader of the group, and most mysterious. I wish we had got to know him more, but he was the sort of quietly loyal type – prone to frustrated outbursts, but a good guy inside. Next we had Isaac who I adored. He was both adventurous and reckless and yet intensely shy and uncertain at times. I loved his relationship with Jordan the most and he was so sweet and understanding. I liked that things weren’t all cool and calm between them, there was awkwardness, but also an excitement on what could be. Thirdly, we had Nihal, who was another of my favourites. His and Jordan’s friendship was so natural and easy, and I really liked the side story about Nihal’s own relationship with a certain member of the Minuets, another a cappella group (whose character I was really hoping would develop, but alas, it did not. I would have liked more resolution on it). Then there was Jon Cox and Mama, who were both hilarious and loyal and kind of the backbone of the group, the reliable ones you know would always be there. Erik and Marcus were newbies to the team, too, freshman who had to acclimate to the group dynamic like Jordan did. Marcus’s rants about politics always made me laugh and essentially, I just really liked all these characters. I apologise because I have gone on far too long.

Plot-wise, Noteworthy is quite slow-paced, with much of the story involving the Sharpshooters’ rivalry with the Minuets, preparing for a competition in December and Jordan coping with being a girl during the day and putting on her boy persona at night during rehearsals. But there were lots of other things going on too, and in my opinion, even though this wasn’t an action-packed fast paced book with tons of twists and turns, there was never a dull moment. It explored lots of different themes really well, including sexuality and gender, and I only wish it were a bit longer, because I would have loved to have seen what happened after the ending! (But this is what happens with all good books.) I loved all the performing arts parts of the book and learning about music and theatre (even if I wasn’t quite familiar with all the technical terms). There were a few things I think could have been developed or explained a bit more (the whole situation with Connor and his father, for one), but overall, this was a fantastic book with an amazing set of complex characters, and I am so happy that I got to read it.

Overall, Noteworthy is a real stand-out contemp, and I can’t recommend it enough.

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Review: The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari

The Best Kind of Magic (Windy City Magic #1) by Crystal Cestari

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Released: 16th May 2017

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Find it on Goodreads

Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber's pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher), but after five seconds of eye contact, she can envision anyone's soul mate.

Amber works at her mother's magic shop--Windy City Magic--in downtown Chicago, and she's confident she's seen every kind of happy ending there is: except for one--her own. (The Fates are tricky jerks that way.) So when Charlie Blitzman, the mayor's son and most-desired boy in school, comes to her for help finding his father's missing girlfriend, she's distressed to find herself falling for him. Because while she can't see her own match, she can see his--and it's not Amber. How can she, an honest peddler of true love, pursue a boy she knows full well isn't her match? (from Goodreads)

This book was so cute, I really loved it. It had a little bit of a shaky start, but after a few chapters, I was fully engrossed, and I’m very much looking forward to the sequel.

Amber was a fab main character. Apart from being really funny, she was very relatable. As a matchmaker, she was often looked down upon for not being a “proper” witch. It wasn’t that she wasn’t powerful and good at what she did, but rather that what she did was very specific, and didn’t have many other applications. The other witches viewed her as not really one of them, and Amber often felt left out because she wasn’t allowed to attend coven meetings or really know what was going on in the witchy world. Sometimes she thought her own mother wished she could be different and carry on the family tradition, and I could really sympathise with her. That being said, she was a top notch matchmaker, and seemed to know a lot about the supernatural world. Amber could be a little judgmental at times, but she had a tough time at school and I could understand why she acted that way. I also found myself deeply relating to her on a person level when she was talking about group projects – they really are the worst.

Amani was another great character! She was Amber’s best friend and I really believed their relationship. Amani was very funny too, and she knew that Amber often felt like she wasn’t good enough because she was “only” a matchmaker, and did her best to be there for her. She was often a bit on edge when it came to her precognition though, and I would definitely love to see more of that in the next book, and get to explore her power a bit. It was interesting, and the way she never wanted to reveal anything about Amber’s future had me curious. And her reaction to Vincent! I am very intrigued to see what happens there (is there hope yet?).

Charlie was really lovely, and I very much enjoyed seeing his relationship with Amber develop. He originally approached her for help finding his missing stepmother, but as he became more acquainted with the supernatural world, he and Amber got a lot closer, and it was so cute! I do wish we had found out a little bit more about him (maybe in the next book) but overall, I liked him. He was sweet and had a lot of great lines that made me smile and laugh. I could completely understand Amber’s struggle in regard to her feelings for him – he wasn’t her match, and her whole business was finding people their matches. She kept thinking that surely she would be a fraud, a terrible person for being with Charlie when she knew some other girl was really the one for him? It was a difficult situation to be in!

Plot-wise, this book started off a little slow, and the writing was kind of cheesy to begin with, but as I said, a few chapters in and I was really engaged. I loved exploring Amber’s supernatural world and seeing how she used her matchmaking power. I actually wish this had been explored a little more, because I wasn’t a 100% sure how Amber’s powers worked (but then, neither did she!) and it was strange that she was still putting so much stock in who was and wasn’t a match when she was in such a tangled situation herself. However, I know this is a series (and I am very glad), so hopefully we’ll get some more answers in book two (especially after Kim joined the mix! Kim! And what did the Fate guy mean?! So many questions!). I am personally hoping the next book will be from Amber’s POV again, just because I really enjoyed her narrative, but I’ll still be reading it even if it’s not!

Overall this was a very fun, very adorable read, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something fairly light-hearted with a bit of magic. Now to wait for book two!

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Blog Tour: Review of Dream Magic by Joshua Khan

Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Dream Magic blog tour. Dream Magic is the sequel to Joshua Khan's middle grade fantasy, Shadow Magic, and contains zombies, ghosts, a gigantic flying bat and lots of magic. If that doesn't appeal to you, I don't know what will! Please see my review of Dream Magic below.

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Dream Magic (Shadow Magic #2) by Joshua Khan
Publisher: Scholastic
Released: 6th April 2017
My Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

In a world ruled by six ancient Houses of Magic, a girl and a boy begin an epic and dangerous journey of discovery...

Lilith Shadow, princess of darkness, is struggling with her growing powers. Castle Gloom is filling with ghosts, zombies roam the country and people throughout Gehenna are disappearing. Then Lily is attacked in her own castle by a mysterious sorcerer known as Dreamweaver and his army of jewel-spiders whose bites send victims to sleep. Thorn, and his giant bat Hades, must save Lily from the realm of sleep and help her overcome the evil Dreamweaver in order for her to reclaim her kingdom. (from Goodreads)

After enjoying Shadow Magic, I was excited to start reading Dream Magic, and wasn’t disappointed! It was a fun and action-packed read that will appeal to fantasy fans of all ages.

In Dream Magic, the dead just weren’t staying dead, and Gehenna was overrun by zombies and ghosts and vampires while living people were disappering. Necromancy was the magic of the Shadows – but as Lily was a girl, she wasn’t supposed to have magic. The fact that she did – and that she was a powerful witch at that – initially terrified people, and Lily didn’t really know what to do. She didn’t enjoy ruling, it wasn’t supposed to be her job, but after the death of her parents and her brother, she was the only Shadow left. She had enough problems without some strange dream magic infecting her people; she was only thirteen and she was dealing with so much! All while keeping her great sense of humour too. I liked Lily because she wasn’t your typical ruler – she was nothing like Gabriel (who returned in this book – with no improvement to his personality) and was more concerned with doing what she thought was right than keeping up her appearances. She was also a strong witch and quite clever, and while she might not have liked ruling, I think she was actually well-suited to it.

Thorn was continuing his work as a squire, though he wasn’t seeing much of Tyburn or Lily these days. His only constant companion was his pet bat Hades (whom I adored). Of course, things never stayed calm in Gehenna, and Thorn managed to get involved in trying to solve the dream magic mystery with Lily. Lily and Thorn got closer in this book, which was nice to see, and I liked that Thorn was becoming more confident in himself within Gehenna. It wasn’t a place he was used to, and he knew that as a squire, no matter how many heroic deeds he did, he’d never truly be recognised for them. But even so, he didn’t care, and continued to do what he could to help people. He was also a lot cleverer than people thought, and I liked that he was always proving those who underestimated him wrong. I did miss Tyburn in this book, and would have liked to have seen his relationship with Thorn develop a bit more, but I’m sure that will be explored more in book three.

Plot-wise, there were a lot of twists and turns in this book and I really enjoyed reading about dream magic and the Dreamweaver. The illustrations were a nice touch and I felt they really added to the story. The jewel spiders made me shudder – I hate spiders of all kinds, jewelled or not – and was creeped out every time they popped up! I also liked how the book touched on morality, and whether something bad can be justified if it’s for the good of everyone else. Things weren’t always clear-cut, and while this book didn’t go into detail on the topic, it was interesting to see it discussed. I’m really intrigued by how Lily’s relationship with her father’s ghost will change after the revelations of this book, and look forward to book three!

Overall, Dream Magic was a really enjoyable sequel to Shadow Magic, and I’ll be continuing this series to find out what happens next.

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Joshua Khan was born in Britain. From very early on he filled himself with the stories of heroes, kings and queens until there was hardly any room for anything else. He can tell you where King Arthur was born* but not what he himself had for breakfast. So, with a head stuffed with tales of legendary knights, wizards and great and terrible monsters it was inevitable Joshua would want to create some of his own. Hence SHADOW MAGIC. Josh lives in London with his family, but he’d rather live in a castle. It wouldn’t have to be very big, just as long as it had battlements.

*Tintagel, in case you were wondering. (from Scholastic)

Website: http://www.joshuakhan.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerjoshkhan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9831940.Joshua_Khan

Many thanks to Faye and Scholastic for letting me take part in this blog tour! Don't forget to visit the next stop tomorrow at Bart's Bookshelf.

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Review: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Released: 7th March 2017
My Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves. (from Goodreads)

The Bone Witch suffered from a few cliché tropes here and there but overall, I quite enjoyed it. It’s not the best fantasy book I’ve ever read, but I would be interested in reading the sequel.

Tea was a fairly likeable main character. Okay, at times she was a bit boring and a stereotypical overpowered heroine dithering over what to do, but I was really intrigued by her story, and how she ended up having a black heartglass in present day. We got a few hints (the chapters were set up in a way where bits from the present day were matched with what was happening in past – think The Name of the Wind) but a lot was still left a mystery, and I do want to find out what exactly happened. For example, Tea stated that she had visited the Oracle 28 times, but we only saw a handful of visits in the book. I am wondering when the rest occur (and why!), because there isn’t that much of a time gap between the present day and the story from the past.

I have to say I wasn’t a fan of the romance, but luckily, there wasn’t much of it. There was a hint of a love triangle with Prince Kance and his cousin? Guard? (I have honestly forgotten his name), but I wasn’t really interested. I’d rather have learnt more about heartglasses. The whole idea of giving your heartglass to someone else if you loved them seemed entirely too risky to me, especially since there wasn’t really a benefit, and I would have liked to have learn more about this practice, as well as more about heartglasses in general and the different colours they could be.

Plot-wise, admittedly, not a lot happened. As I said before, the book was split with some scenes from present day, and some in the past, and I was reading mostly for clues as to how Tea changed from a seemingly innocent girl who was just trying to bring back her brother, to a killer who had no qualms about hurting people. Present day Tea was a lot more interesting that past Tea but we didn’t know what caused her to become that way or how things changed so drastically. Not a lot actually happened in the past scenes to show why this occurred, but there were some signs that got me interested. While I had a lot of issues with the pacing of this book and some of the characterisation, I think I’ll read the next one purely because I want to know what happens to Tea to change her so much.

Overall, this was a fun read to pass the time, and while it had its issues, if you like this sort of split narrative with a continuing mystery, you may enjoy this book.

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Review: The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

The Ship Beyond Time (The Girl from Everywhere #2) by Heidi Heilig
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Released: 2nd March 2017
My Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Find it on Goodreads

Nix has spent her whole life journeying to places both real and imagined aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. And now it’s finally time for her to take the helm. Her father has given up his obsession to save her mother—and possibly erase Nix’s existence—and Nix’s future lies bright before her. Until she learns that she is destined to lose the one she loves. But her relationship with Kash—best friend, thief, charmer extraordinaire—is only just beginning. How can she bear to lose him? How can she bear to become as adrift and alone as her father?

Desperate to change her fate, Nix takes her crew to a mythical utopia to meet another Navigator who promises to teach her how to manipulate time. But everything in this utopia is constantly changing, and nothing is what it seems—not even her relationship with Kash. Nix must grapple with whether anyone can escape her destiny, her history, her choices. Heidi Heilig weaves fantasy, history, and romance together to tackle questions of free will, fate, and what it means to love another person. (from Goodreads)

While I did enjoy The Ship Beyond Time overall, I have to admit that at times, I found it confusing and a bit difficult to follow. As a result, I don’t think it was as good as The Girl from Everywhere, but I have liked reading this series as a whole and would still recommend it to fans of time travel and adventures on ships.

Nix was one of the reasons I kept on with this book even when I found it a bit unclear at times. I really liked her character, and her relationship with her father was very interesting in this book. In book one, I really didn’t like Slate, and to be honest, I still wasn’t his biggest fan in this book either, but I did like seeing how the relationship between father and daughter had changed and how Nix was adapting to this. One thing that I will point out is that I predicted the meaning of Joss’s fortune (Nix losing the one she loves) from the start, so the ending wasn’t really a surprise to me. While this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book as a whole, I did kind of spend the whole time waiting for Nix to realise what was going to happen.

Kashmir got his own point of view in this book, and while it was nice to see from his POV, I felt his character wasn’t really as developed as he could be. I really wanted to know more about Kashmir but I felt like this book was all about his relationship with Nix and whether or not he could be saved and I don’t know. He got a bit cheesy at times, and I would have loved to explore his backstory more and what that meant in relation to his feelings for Nix (he touched on this in his own chapters, expressing his concerns about it, but I would have liked more detail). He was a great character though, and continued to be that voice of reason who always offered good advice.

Blake was Blake. I didn’t really like him in the first book, and I didn’t much like him in this book either. I understood why he was there though, and it was actually a bit sad to see that he was really similar to Nix and they could have been close friends in another life, if things had been different.

Plot-wise, this is where I was confused. I really struggled with the mythical places and travelling there by map, the whole Ancient Greece debacle, how they somehow managed to change the past but people retained memories in dreams (and there were all these alternate universes they could see in dreams - what?! This never came up in the first book!) and how [spoiler, highlight to read]Nix’s mother was somehow saved with no consequences. How? Plus, whatever happened to Dahut? I liked her[end of spoiler]. Navigation was also never fully explained and in the end I was just reading without understanding because I was too confused by it all. I doubt everyone will have the same problem, but I’ve always needed really clear explanations when it comes to books like this; I don’t like being forced to fill in blanks myself or pick up on really subtle hints or metaphors or whatever. It gets lost on me. I also found the ending a bit abrupt, especially since there’s not going to be another book.

Overall, while I did like this book, I did have a few problems with it. It’s a good read to pass the time, but I found it too confusing to fully appreciate (perhaps if I were more familiar with the myths in question, I’d be less puzzled by everything).

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