Under Ordshaw: An Author’s Tale
29 May 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 5 Year anniversary, Phil Williams, Under Ordshaw
Today I’m really happy to be taking part in an event celebrating the five year anniversary of a book that first came to my attention through SPFBO. I read Under Ordshaw in 2018 and loved it, in fact it was a Semifinalist in the competition. Phil Williams is an author that I have no hesitation in recommending whose body of work goes from strength to strength. Ordshaw is a fantastic creation with infinite possibilities not to mention a labyrinth of underground tunnels and a posse of snarky fae. Anyway, don’t take my word for it – read the books. I’m really pleased to be able to share Phil’s story with you today so take a look at his journey below and click on the link to access a free copy (this is for a limited period only so jump on board quickly).
Celebrating 5 Years of Ordshaw
Five years ago today, Under Ordshaw was released and the world was exposed to a unique British city with the occasional magical/horrific twist. The series has now seen two story arcs completed with The Sunken City Trilogy and The Ikiri Duology; two new arcs started with The City Screams and Dyer Street Punk Witches, and a host of short stories. To celebrate Ordshaw’s anniversary, here’s a trip down memory lane – and as a gift of Under Ordshaw for free for the next few days (29th – 31st), available in all major eBook stores, everywhere.
What is Under Ordshaw?
It all started with poker player Pax Kuranes discovering a secret labyrinth under her otherwise normal (if rough) city. Also, she discovered some very unusual, but mostly horrible, monsters – and a community of rather offensive and violent diminutive fairies. All this in a city otherwise rooted in reality, with distinct, characterful boroughs and a deep, detailed history (inspired variously by some cities I’m most familiar with, such as London, Nottingham, Bristol and Luton (not a city, with spite)). The books mostly explore the seedier, darker side of Ordshaw, involving criminal gangs, shady government organisations and impoverished, rundown neighbourhoods, with some hints at the brighter, cheerier suburbs.
The Journey to the Story
Under Ordshaw was written and released over about 18 months, between 2017 and 2018 (alongside and overlapping my dystopian Estalia books). Blue Angel and The Violent Fae followed in 2019 to complete The Sunken City Trilogy (with The City Screams emerging somewhere in between). My plans for it emerged much earlier, though, while frequently riding the metro working in Prague, 2008 (a job that also inspired parts of Dyer Street Punk Witches).
The bare roots of the story came together in a screenplay around 2008. I spent two or three years revising it, taking it to producers and directors. In its earliest form, it resembled something of the final structure of Under Ordshaw, but followed the Barton family with no Pax in sight. At some point this warped, as screenplays do, into an animation involving talking penguins, and there were rumours at one point of Whoopi Goldberg coming on board. That all petered out, until some years later when I’d got a couple of self-published books under my belt, and had a burning desire to revive and combine a slew of older works.
A Shared Universe
I wrote Under Ordshaw with big plans in mind from the offset. There was to be an opening trilogy, but also a series of independent or loosely connected tales. Blue Angel hints at a character in The City Screams; The City Screams introduces a character from The Ikiri Duology; and Under Ordshaw itself references criminals discussed in Dyer Street Punk Witches.
My goal was to explore different tropes and story arcs framed in one particular Ordshaw lens: grittier action thrillers (in a vein of the emergent cinema of the 90s) with the propensity for wild fantasy twists and turns. There would be a witches saga, a haunted house tale, a Faustian story, secular crime stories and more. Then, there was also the opportunity for absolutely off-the-wall adventures, as Kept From Cages introduced.
Five Years in the Open
For all my lofty goals, Under Ordshaw got off to a fairly inauspicious start, and really owes the spark of life it found to Mark Lawrence’s SPFBO and the many wonderful contacts I’ve made following that. The book was a semi-finalist for Lynn’s Books in 2018 and Lynn kindly put me in touch with other bloggers who helped review and promote the series. It picked up momentum through the attention of a lot of great reviewers, which in turn has always encouraged me to keep hammering at my greater scheme. Never mind that sales have always been an uphill struggle, and Ordshaw doesn’t neatly fit the existing markets – the rewards are there in seeing readers’ responses to the series.
I have slowed down in recent years to split my focus over other projects, but little by little, Ordshaw has spread further into the world. We’re now up to seven novels in the series. Dyer Street has opened up a whole new venture, while Kept From Cages also reached the SPFBO semi-finals and went on to give Mark Lawrence himself a paper cut. And the books themselves are only improving as they go: I’ll forever love Under Ordshaw, but it is a particular starting point, with a certain roughness to it. Each entry that follows aims to expand and improve on that.
The Next Five Years
My plans for the future vary between the simple (add more books to the series) and elaborate (design Ordshaw animations and games; Ordshaw theme park?). What’s on the more immediate horizon are a sequel to The City Screams, with the long-overdue return of Pax and Letty, and the sequel to Dyer Street Punk Witches. There’s also an interactive story I’ve been itching to write forever. Then there will eventually be more from the Cutjaw Kids and Katiya and a couple of other standalone tales, and I’d like to go back to where this started and produce fresh screenplays from the books. Because the world needs more foul-mouthed fairies, criminal jazz musicians, weird monsters and punk witches, in every format.
For now, though, my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s come along for the ride, and everyone who’s yet to step into Ordshaw (don’t forget to grab your copy for free while you can!). I couldn’t have got anywhere near as far as I have without the support of a wonderful community of readers and writers, and I look forward to sharing more with you.
***´
Thank you so much to Phil for his contribution today. I think the story of his journey so far makes for fascinating and refreshingly honest reading and I look forward very much to seeing what he comes up with next.
Friday Face Off : Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
5 May 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Atalanta, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Jennifer Saint
Today I’m returning to the Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). I’ve missed these for the past few months and so would like to get back to comparing covers (and hopefully I will be updating this page with a new banner. This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is a very recent read (not yet reviewed in fact – watch this space next week) – Atalanta by Jennifer Saint, Here are the covers:
My favourite this week is :
I prefer the warmer tones and all the little details. Which is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
The Tyranny of Faith (Empire of the Wolf #2) by Richard Swan
4 May 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Empire of the Wolf #2, Richard swan, The Tyranny of Faith
My Five Word TL:DR Review: The gift that keeps giving
I would just mention that as this is the second book in the series the following review may contain spoilers (although I strive not to include any) so if you haven’t started this series yet (please do so immediately) and before reading further. Thank you.
To say I had initial doubts about requesting book 1 this is turning into a tour de force that would have been a crying shame to have missed. I love this series so far. No middle book syndrome here. No siree. What really puzzles me is how did Richard Swan just pop up and with his debut novel create such a satisfyingly good first book in series? It’s breathtaking. This is a rollercoaster of a ride emotionally, the characters continue to impress and the story is packed with treachery and surprise.
The story starts almost immediately where we left off in The Justice of Kings and Helena is still our excellent storyteller narrating events in such a refreshingly honest voice that it’s easy, if not impossible, to become attached. Rebellion is still stirring and Vonvalt returns to the Capital City, Sova, where he finds people openly speaking against the Emperor, not to mention fanatical preachers provoking dissention against the Magistratum. The Emperor immediately sets Vonvalt to work rooting out the culprits but before Vonvalt can turn his sights onto the real threat -Claver – his attentions are drawn away when the Emperor’s son is kidnapped and demands that Vonvalt seek answers and find his son.
I’m not going to elaborate on the plot as there are twists and turns here that I don’t want to spoil. What I’d like to focus on instead are the winning elements of the story.
Well, firstly, for me the characters are so well written. Helena, as I already mentioned, is refreshingly honest. She’s still a young girl and naive in many respects. Her emotions for Vonvalt are in turmoil, she feels attracted to him but at the same time feels that some of his actions of late are questionable and this is a feeling that is about to explode. It all leads back to my question during book one about who is responsible for keeping the Justices on the straight and narrow. And this is another aspect that feeds beautifully into the characters themselves, leading their actions and giving their motivations new meaning as we discover things from their past that they’re not proud of which continue to haunt them. And, we have four central characters with this instalment with Sir Radomir joining Bressinger, Vonvalt and Helena. They are an interesting bunch to read and the author lets us spend some quality time with thiem which really helped.
The writing is so easy to like. On the face of it, I feel like this should be a really ‘dry’ read with lengthy debates about justice, peacekeeping and faith and how it plays into the Magistratum, and to be fair there is plenty of food for thought here to really provoke the reader, but, at the same time the writing is so easy to engage with. The pacing is good and there’s a balance between the winning elements that is almost perfect. It’s not all action to the point that you just feel exhausted on behalf of the characters, but when there is action it’s gripping and tense. There’s a mystery taking place and although you know that things are going to go pear shaped (Helena does like to drop hints) the eventual reveals are still a surprise.
Not to wax lyrical, I loved the story with this. It takes a turn for the dark, Vonvalt is weighed down with his own issues, the Emperor isn’t seeing straight (as you might imagine with the kidnap of his son and heir) and Claver seems to have grown in strength. And may I say at this point what a fantastic ‘baddie’ Claver makes. Ooh, he’s so bad, I dislike him intensely but really like him in turns of the series.
The magical elements whilst similar to book one have increased in strength and I loved the times where the story took us to the demons and underworld, it’s decidedly creepy.
I am loving this series and can’t recommend it highly enough.
Also, can we just take a minute to look at that cover – I love it.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey
3 May 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't Wait Wedesday, Richard Kadrey, The Pale House, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey. Here’s the description and cover:
A gripping, snappy creature feature from the master of horror noir about two detectives—one dead, one living—hired by an embittered old landowner to banish a bloody cosmic monster from his ancestral home, perfect for fans of Cassandra Khaw, Charles Stross and Lucy A. Snyder.
Ford and Neuland are paranormal mercenaries—one living, one undead; one kills the undead, the other kills the living. Heading west to look for work and wait for the heat from their last job to cool down.
There Tilda, a young woman, hires them to track and kill a demon haunting a mansion in remote northern California for wealthy landowner, Shepherd Mansfield.
As Ford and Neuland investigate the creature they uncover a legacy of blood, sacrifice and slavery in the house. Forced to confront a powerful creature unlike anything they’ve faced before, they come to learn the biggest monster in this story might just be the person paying them.
Expected publication : October 2023
April Recap/May Reading
Hopefully I can do a similar post each month to keep track of which books I’ve read and which are outstanding. Unfortunately, given family commitments recently my reading went shockingly off track and so I’m trying to get back on schedule. I didn’t do too badly with Aprils books in fact there’s only one title outstanding. May, well, I think I must have had a conniption or something because I do seem to have a lot of books for the month of May – Oh well, they all look so good too. Where to start.
Firstly, what I read last month:
- A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
- The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
- The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
- A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher
- Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
- The Other Lives of Miss Emily White by A J Elwood
- Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
- A Touch of Light by Thiago Abdalla
I’m also just over a third into The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart and hoping to sit down to complete that over the next few days. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to read The Cleaving by Juliet E McKenna. I also have three reviews to write which I’m hoping to post in the next few days.
May’s books:
- Dragonfall by LR Lam
- The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
- Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill
- Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
- The Twenty by Sam Holland
- The Last Passenger by Will Dean
- The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
- Broken Light by Joanne Harris
- The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell
- Myriad by Joshua David Bellin
- On the Nature of Magic by Marian Womack
- Witch King by Martha Wells
Yes, this does look a little crazy, but, my June and July book schedules are not as hectic so I’m hoping to make some progress on any of my backlist books at that point.
That’s it for now. Happy reading everyone.
Booking Ahead Weekly Wrap Up
I’m trying to get back into the habit of doing a round-up of the week just completed and also take a look at my plans for the forthcoming week. I rather got out of the habit of doing so but I would like to reinstate this type of post as I feel it keeps me on track. So, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberly’s Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Books read this week:
I finished Atalanta by Jennifer Saint and I’ve continued to read my April reads. I managed to complete The Other Lives of Miss Emily White by A J Elwood and I’ve read about the first third of The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart.
Next Week’s Reads:
Hopefully complete The Bone Shard War – that might be the only book I fit in next week though as it seems to be quite chunky and it’s not really the sort of read that you can race through.
If I finish this one quicker than I expect I’ll move on to my May review books.
Reviews Posted:
- The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
- Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
- Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater
- The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
- Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
- The Other Lives of Miss Emily White by A J Elwood
SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review of Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater
28 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Finalist Friday, Olivia Atwater, Small Miracles, SPFBO
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is our final finalist review for #SPFBO 8. Reviews for Scales and Sensibility, The Thirteenth Hour, Tethered Spirits, Mysterious Ways, A Song for the Void, The Umbral Storm, Fire of the Forebears and a Touch of Light can be found here , here, here, here, here, here, here and here Myself and the Critiquing Chemist have been posting finalist reviews every Friday and this is our final review
So, to my final review which is for a book that definitely took me by surprise. Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater.
Well, Small Miracles is a very easy book to read. I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed it and this isn’t the first time I’ve read a book by this author (in fact one of her books was a Semi Finalist of ours last year) so I already had, not unreasonably, high expectations. So you could be forgiven for asking why this book took me by surprise. Well, I enjoyed Good Omens, but at the same time I’m not the biggest fan and so, with the understanding that this was a story written with that in mind (or at least a homage to that work), I did go in with some doubts. But, this is a different kettle of fish altogether. Yes, I can see the similarities, but, at the same time this has a much smaller frame in mind, the storyline doesn’t have world wide implications, more small scale ripples, and it simply won me over.
The Fallen Angel of Temptations, Gadriel, is kind of suckered into taking on a job that should be a piece of cake, in payment for some gambling debts. Of course, nothing is ever quite so easy and what at first seemed to be a doddle of a job turns out to be quite the opposite.
So, I’m going to say nothing more about the plot. This is a fairly straight forward, contemporary story involving a number of characters trying to deal with loss.
Why did I like this. Well, it’s well written, the characters are easy to like and the pacing is spot on. I became attached to the people here and I was really entertained by the story. I thought it was really well executed and perfectly charming.
To be honest this is a really easy, utterly addictive book to read. It’s not particularly long but it packs a fantastic punch. I cared about the characters, I found myself eager to pick the book up (in fact, given this is relatively short I almost read it in one sitting) and I was completely won over.
The only criticism I have for this book is that it made me want chocolate, biscuits, cakes and just goodies in general. Seriously, have something to hand when you pick this up, a nice warming cup of chocolate and a few cookies couldn’t go amiss and would fit perfectly with the delicious feeling that this read elicits.
An absolute winner.
Our rating 9.5 of 10 stars
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S A Chakraborty
27 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: S A Chakraborty, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I loved it. Loved. It.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is, to put it simply, wonderful. Now go and pick up a copy and be happy (pretty please). What are you waiting for? Seriously, this is the sort of book that gave me that glowing feeling that I experienced as a youngster reading a fantasy adventure for the first time, feeling that amazing feeling of excitement and awe and wondering if there are more books like this out there, then sneaking under the covers at night to continue reading by torchlight. It’s just so enjoyable. I loved the characters, I loved the story and frankly, I want more. And more. And, I’m not trying to say that this is a book aimed at a young market (just to be clear) more making the point of that lovely happy feeling that it gave me and that made me feel reminiscent – like, who wouldn’t want to go back and experience that feeling all over again? Well, this book gave me that feeling and it made me smile.
So, plot. What do you get when you have a notorious lady pirate, retired into obscurity and hoping to live a quiet life before she’s bribed/cajoled and outright blackmailed into returning to the high seas to find a young female abducted from a wealthy family? Well you get sea monsters, mysteries, crazy characters, demons, much more, and so much downright entertaining fun that it should be illegal.
Firstly, the characters. I loved Amina, she’s a great character to read. I love her thought processes, she’s brave, she loves her family and clearly she is equally loved by those around her because her most trusty crewmates also join her on this dangerous quest – and they’re also really easy to get along with. Can I say, and I don’t know whether I’m supposed to even enjoy the rogue demon – but I did enjoy the rogue demon. Even the baddie was over the top bad – in a way that fit the story perfectly. Colour me happy.
The writing is superb. I gobbled this up like a hungry teenager. I couldn’t put it down. The pacing is spot on. The attention to detail and backstory flow really well
The setting, well, this is simply the icing on the cake. Clearly this is well researched (not to mention loved) and this comes across. I’m certainly not an expert on anything contained here but the culture and history are so well interwoven into the story and make the story come to life. And this is all managed with a remarkably light touch and surprising ease that I’m sure belies the actual reality.
Overall, I have no criticisms for this. I enjoyed it so much, witty banter, high stakes, high seas shenanigans, skullduggery, family, found family, family you hoped not to find, sea monsters, sorcery and so much more. I’m hoping for quite a few more of these and I won’t deny that I wouldn’t be averse to the demon making an appearance again. Just saying.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion freely given.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : Thornhedge by T Kingfisher
26 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, T Kingfisher, Thornhedge, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : Thornhedge by T Kingfisher. Here’s the cover and description:
From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.
There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
“The way Thornhedge turns all the fairy tales inside out is a sharp-edged delight.”
―Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor
Expected publication : August 2023
Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Thriller, murder-mystery and horror
I enjoyed Games for Dead Girls, it held my attention quite easily. The atmosphere is great, it was easy to imagine the setting and the tension was ever mounting. But, there are a few issues, not least of which are exacerbated by a slow moving plot, a number of threads that take a while to come together and an unreliable narrator.
I would advise you not to read the blurb for this particular story. I personally think it contains spoilers. Fortunately I couldn’t remember the description when I picked this one up so I got lucky in that respect.
So, this is a story with essentially two plotlines that will eventually become linked through the central character. We have, effectively three povs, or more to the point, three timelines. A post war (WWII) timeline that I won’t elaborate upon and a Charlie ‘now’ and Charlie ‘then’ timeline. In a way this can make the story feel a little jumpy at first as you flip back between the seemingly unrelated character from the 50s to Charlie aged 10/11 and present day as an adult. Charlie experienced a childhood tragedy that has had a dire effect on her life. As a child, Charlie had an active imagination, she liked to make up stories and elaborate on urban legends and local folklore embellishing them with dark and dramatic twists, unfortunately one of these tales gained traction and took on a life of it’s own with disastrous results. Now, as an adult, Charlie returns to the place that changed her life so dramatically. She’s clearly trying to stay incognito, dying her hair, etc, and she appears to be looking for something from her past. At the same time, it appears that a young girl has gone missing from the beach and Charlie’s amateur detecting soon uncovers the rather grisly truth that a number of girls have gone missing from this area over the course of the years, usually pegged as runaways and not investigated further. At the same time, Charlie is being watched. Okay, that’s it for my description of the plot.
Firstly, ‘the good’. I really liked the three timelines. They’re all very distinctive. For example, Charlie’s timeline as a child is really well done. The way she befriends another young girl on holiday, her attempts to impress her, the way they sneak around and fantasise about things – it feels like something out of a real childhood. Both their families, completely different, come across well. One, a large family, happy go lucky, loving their children but not necessarily keeping an eye on them 24/7 (in fact more often than not wanting the kids ‘out from under their feet’), the other small, secretive and a little mysterious, the father usually in a temper and the mum noticeably absent whilst the daughter takes any opportunity to get out of the way. Then we have adult Charlie. still not above spinning a yarn and definitely not the most reliable narrator – given what we read in her early chapters (not to mention her memory not always being the most reliable). She’s creeping around looking for something from her past – we eventually discover why this is so important to her but I won’t give it away.
The atmosphere and tension is also really good. I liked the settings described. The campsite from Charlie’s childhood compared with the now, similar, but slightly rundown version (or was her ten year old self simply wearing rose tinted glasses?). The small seaside village struggling to keep going. Everything a bit dingey and dilapidated. The cold also plays a contributory factor. Charlie is away ‘off season’ and the grey skies, cold and blustery beach and dark early nights all feed into the story really well.
Secondly, ‘the maybe not as good’. There is a complexity here which can be a little frustrating. To be fair, I didn’t particularly find it an issue because my natural curiosity usually wins the day and I can’t wait to find out what’s going on. But, the process of finding the who/why/when/where is a little slow and may be tedious for some. I actually read this one quite quickly and I would say that the two storylines do eventually converge to provide answers. I think this probably could have been simplified to make the story have a smoother feel though.
Thirdly, ‘the not so good’. Well, I mentioned that Charlie was an unreliable narrator. Clearly as the book begins we have certain elements described in a certain way – these elements, as we move through the book then seem to become something else, partly because we now have more knowledge but the execution of this felt a little ‘off’ for me and I don’t want to say why because it will involve spoilers. Also, you really do have to take a bit of a leap of faith with this one. Fortunately, reading plenty of fantasy and stories with magical realism this isn’t a daunting prospect for me but even so I did have a few ‘really?’ moments.
Overally, I think this book had a few bumps here and there but I actually found it to be a gripping read and very easy to get through, maybe a bit over chaotic in some respects, but the atmosphere and tension were really good and I enjoyed the murder/mystery/thriller and even light horror elements.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own conclusion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
I’m trying to get back into the habit of doing a round-up of the week just completed and also take a look at my plans for the forthcoming week. I rather got out of the habit of doing so but I would like to reinstate this type of post as I feel it keeps me on track. So, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberly’s Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Books read this week:
My last Sunday post was so long ago now that I barely know where to start. I’ve been doing some catching up this week. A bit of blog hopping plus I’ve managed to post a number of reviews and I feel like I’m making good progress there.
My reading has also been good. I finished off my final SPFBO book that I already reviewed on Friday. I also managed to read Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams and I’m a good third of the way into Jennifter Saint’s Atalanta and enjoying it so far.
Next Week’s Reads:
Hopefully complete Atalanta by Jennifer Saint. I’d like to press on with my outstanding April books to see if I can maybe squeeze in a couple more which leaves me with the following choices.
- The Cleaving by Juliet E McKenna
- The Other Lives of Miss Emily White by A J Elwood
- The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
Plus – I could have a look at some of the March books I didn’t have time to pick up – so many possibilities!
Reviews Posted:
- The Vanishing of Margaret Small by Neil Alexander
- Love Will Tear Us Apart by CK McDonell
- A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
- A Touch of Light by Thiago Abdalla
- A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher
Outstanding Reviews
- The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
- The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
- Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher
My Five Word TL: DR Review : I’m loving this author’s work
A House with Good Bones worked really well for me, it’s a Southern Gothic horror that manages to temper the creepy horror elements with a good dose of humour and brings us a wonderful central character who has a great outlook on life.
Sam is an archaeoentomologist – that’s a proper tongue twister that took me about 5 minutes to even spell correctly – the dig she is working on has been put on a temporary hold and following up on some concerns expressed by her brother about their mom’s slightly ‘off’ behaviour she decides now is as good a time as any to return to the family home and spend some quality time together. When Sam returns home though things are definitely off kilter. Her mum is behaving erratically and Sam worries about all sorts of scenarios, perhaps her mum is poorly or starting to experience dementia. What she doesn’t expect, with her straightforward, no nonsense, analytical brain, is a haunting.
There are so many unusual and quirky elements to this one and they all seemed to come together in a very pleasing way for me. The house and street where Sam’s mum lives is described with a certain charm. Her mum is a great character and the family dynamic between the two is refreshingly good. The tension is built up little by little and what starts out as slightly odd gradually becomes creepy before morphing into all out crazy.
Basically, as with many families, scratch the surface and uncover all sorts of skeletons. Sam’s gran was a strange woman, scary, intimidating, definitely not a soft and cuddly character. She made enemies out of most of her neighbours and ruled the roost with a firm hand. It seemed like Sam and her brother were only too keen to leave that particular nest that seemed to be lined with thorns rather than feathers. And, although Gran Mae has been dead for years it seems that she still has strong feelings on how things should be done.
To be honest Sam really won this particular show for me. She’s such a great character. Her determination to find reasonable explanations in the face of creepy situations, and not to resort to hysterics is such a winning element. On top of that she’s not the best at small talk or socialising and is constantly putting her foot in things which definitely made me smile more than once. She loves bugs and so isn’t freaked out by swarms of them simply handling things with calm resolve, she even takes the resident vulture population in her stride. And, she doesn’t want or need rescuing so, although there is a rather sweet friendship developing between her and the local handyman, she can stand on her own two feet thank you very much.
In terms of criticisms, I don’t really have anything, I did wonder at first why Sam’s mum didn’t try to talk to her earlier but to be honest – that conversation wouldn’t have gone well when I think about it.
Overall, I loved this in so many ways. Even the crazily twisted, over the top, nightmarish conclusion and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. For which my thanks. The above is my own opinion freely given.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review of A Touch of Light (The Ashes of Avarin #1) by Thiago Abdalla
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is our eighth finalist review for #SPFBO 8. Reviews for Scales and Sensibility, The Thirteenth Hour, Tethered Spirits, Mysterious Ways, A Song for the Void, The Umbral Storm and Fire of the Forebears can be found here , here, here, here, here, here and here. Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition – only one more to go after today.
So, to my eighth review is for an epic fantasy including a fierce warriors, a prince plagued with politics and backstabbing and a hunter hiding a curse. Oh, and trouble is coming.
AToL is a story that pretty much hits the ground running. We have three POVs and are thrown immediately into their current situations. Let’s say that all three of them are having problems.
Prince Adrian is grieving his brother. He doesn’t get along with his father and he wants answers. Nasha is a hunter living in the clan lands where life is harsh not to mention cheap. Lynn is a warrior gone rogue who is drawn back to her former life when she notices some troubling signs. All three of these characters are going to become embroiled in a much bigger plot with the spread of a madness that seems to be sweeping across the nation.
So, I do find writing a review for this book quite difficult. On the face of it there are so many elements here that work well for me and I have to say that I enjoyed the writing and the fact that the author clearly loves this world and the characters he’s created, but, at the same time this did create some issues for me.
The writing is solid but, I found it a little over descriptive, to be fair, this isn’t an overly long book but there are too many loose descriptions that bloat the story and slow down the plot. I do understand how difficult it is though when you love the world you’re building so much and this is probably a personal thing that many other readers will be okay with but it just frustrated me a little.
In terms of the characters, I liked them but I didn’t love them. I would say that the last third of the book saw more development but in some respects by that point I didn’t have that gut clenching fear that you feel when one of your favourites is under threat.
I think the plot was well thought out and intriguing. I enjoyed the three differing point of views and being able to observe the differences between them. I think my favourite character was the warrior (absolutely a coincidence that this character is called Lynn by the way!) – this was probably helped along by events that took place later in the book where her role actually started to really stand out.
Overall, I liked this but it took me quite some time to really become invested in the story and characters. I confess myself perplexed, I expected to really like this, perhaps my expectations were too high on this occasion but I think this could work well for other readers and I certainly wouldn’t discourage others from picking this up.
Our rating 6 of 10 stars
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis (Bronte Sisters Mystery #4)
20 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Bronte Sisters' Mystery, A Gift of Poison, Bella Ellis
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Fitting conclusion to mystery series
And so another good series comes to an end. I’ve really enjoyed the Bronte sisters mysteries. They’re a lovely combination of family affairs, gothic mysterious endeavours and period drama with a great injection of detail from the Bronte sisters body of work. To be fair, I love the Bronte sisters and so I’ve really enjoyed reading these dark mysteries that take inspiration from their novels. Just to be clear though, I’m certain that these can be read without any prior knowledge of the Brontes so don’t be put off if you’re not familiar with their work – these make wonderful period mysteries and the sisters are entertaining detectives who often find themselves in bother.
In this particular instalment the women are called upon by a cruel man recently acquitted of poisoning his wife. An attempt on his own life has since been made and although the sisters are reluctant to take on the case they eventually come to the conclusion that they would, indeed, be best placed to solve the mystery one way or the other.
As I mentioned above this has been a series that I’ve really enjoyed. It contains so many winning elements for me as I do love a good mystery and although you wouldn’t call these cosy mysteries the period feel, the restrictions of the time, the dialogue and the family dynamics all come together to provide a comfortable setting even when things take a darker turn.
I loved the sisters and the way they interact. This particular instalment started with the three being somewhat out of sorts due to sibling rivalry, not to mention the horrible realisation that they were all beginning to come to terms with that their brother was unlikely to recover from his malaise, but, they eventually band together and each contributes to the eventual reveal.
The mystery here is intriguing. It has a supernatural feel to it, dark in places and really quite gripping. The sisters seem to move closer and closer to danger and I was absolutely intrigued about what was really going on here. Eventually, rational explanations are found but not without a struggle.
I thought this was a really fitting end to the series. Yes, of course I would have liked more, but at the same time this feels like the appropriate place to conclude.
I definitely recommend this series to murder mystery lovers who enjoy gothic period dramas.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Love Will Tear Us Apart by CK McDonell
18 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: CK McDonnell, Love will tear us apart, Stranger Times
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I am loving this series
Okay, let’s just cut to the chase. It’s been a while since I read this book and yet the feeling of absolute adoration for this series still feels strong. So, that being said I’m going to post up the blurb for the book before I begin That way I can focus on my feelings without going into the description too much:
“Marriages are tricky at the best of times, especially when one of you is dead.
Vincent Banecroft, the irascible editor of The Stranger Times, has never believed his wife died despite emphatic evidence to the contrary. Now, against all odds, it seems he may actually be proved right; but what lengths will he go to in an attempt to rescue her?
With Banecroft distracted, the shock resignation of assistant editor, Hannah Willis, couldn’t have come at a worse time. It speaks volumes that her decision to reconcile with her philandering ex-husband is only marginally less surprising than Banecroft and his wife getting back together. In this time of crisis, is her decision to swan off to a fancy new-age retreat run by a celebrity cult really the best thing for anyone?
As if that wasn’t enough, one of the paper’s ex-columnists has disappeared, a particularly impressive trick seeing as he never existed in the first place.
Floating statues, hijacked ghosts, homicidal cherubs, irate starlings, Reliant Robins and quite possibly several deeply sinister conspiracies; all-in-all, a typical week for the staff of The Stranger Times.”
So, for me this is a series that is going from strength to strength. If you love urban fantasy I strongly think you should pick this one up. I can’t deny that the connection to Manchester and all the other connotations are strong for me but I seriously don’t think that alone would be enough to make me enjoy this so much. The characters are great, I love them all and I don’t want any of them to come to harm. The setting is well done. Contemporary, ironic, sarcastic. I mean, I just love it. The plots are original, the dialogue is spot on and I can’t wait to read more.
This is a short review but that isn’t a reflection on how I feel for this book or this series. I heartily recommend this series to readers who enjoy urban fantasy, contemporary settings, batshit crazy happenings, a great cast of characters that feel like ‘found family’. I literally can’t wait to see what comes nest.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating : 5 of 5 stars
The Vanishing of Margaret Small by Neil Alexander
18 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Neil Alexander, The Vanishing of Margaret Small
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Ultimately heartwarming tale of injustice
The Vanishing of Margaret Small is a book that falls outside my typical style of reading but it caught my attention and I do love a story with a dual timeline so decided to give it a shot. I was granted an audio copy and I will say I really enjoyed the book in this format. The narration was really good.
I would say that the VoMS ddin’t feel totally unique to me in some ways, but, I read a lot of books and it stands to reason that certain themes or plots will eventually have a familiar feel. That being said, this is a lovely, heart warming, also terribly sad though ultimately uplifting story but what really kept me on board with this book was the central character. Margaret is very easy to like. She brought a smile to my face more often than not and even though I was at tims outraged at the way her freedom had been so cruelly and casually stolen from her she actually took things very much in her stride.
To sum this up quickly Margaret is, at a young age (7 or 8 I think), put into an institution for children with learning difficulties by her grandmother. She remains in this institution until she’s in her thirties when she’s told she can leave to live in supported accommodation. As a child Margaret received no education, owns no possessions, is badly dressed and often mistreated. As she gets older she’s often in charge of various tasks and obviously none of her time is paid for and to be totally honest her story is shocking (all the more so because stories such as these genuinely took place). Literally, because Margaret suffered from learning difficulties she was ‘vanished’ from society – how truly awful. Put me in mind of those young women who were similarly put in institutions for having become single mothers.
Anyhow, now in her 70s Margaret has been receiving letters and gifts in the post from an unknown source, signed simply ‘C’. Margaret has a slight obsession for the late singer and tv star Cilla Black and thinks that Cilla is communicating with her from the grave. She eventually confides in her support worker Wayne and the two go on a voyage of discovery.
What I really enjoyed about this. I loved the split timeline. To be fair I preferred the chapters where we cast back to Margaret’s time at the institution. She had a dreadful life really but. knowing no better, she had a strangely accepting way of taking life in all it’s worst guises and simply getting on with things. That being said witnessing the way Margaret manages to get herself round certain tricky situations was amusing to say the least. She may have missed out on a formal education but life has taught her some lessons of it’s own and it put a smile on my face to see how resourceful she was.
I love a book that makes me want to go back and examine things through history and this book did make me want to do more research so I have to applaud that.
The writing is good and in fact I was surprised to discover that this is a debut and the narrator does a great job of bringing Margaret to life.
Although this isn’t my usual type of read I enjoyed it very much. I think this will definitely appeal to readers who like a little history and injustice rolled up with a mystery.
I received a copy through Netgalle, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 stars of 5 (rounded up to 4 due to the ‘feel good’ factor).
Blogger’s Block
17 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Backlist books, Future Books, Return to blogging
Is blogger’s block a thing? I don’t know, I just made it up. I’ve been thinking about this for a little while, primarily because my blogging and reading for the past few months has been very quiet. I’ve had a very stressful few months to be honest and sometimes life just happens all around you whether you want it to or not. What I do know about these sort of periods is that you have to follow your own gut instinct and at that point mine was to retreat a little, not to mention I simply didn’t have the concentration levels I would have liked. So, that’s the reason I’ve not been terribly visible of late. I have kept up with my SPFBO judging commitments and continued to post a weekly review, along with my lovely partners the Critiquing Chemist, but I’ve fallen way behind both with other reading and reviewing (although I have fit in a few good books). I certainly owe an apology to all the publishers who have granted me review copies for books that I was so excited to read and haven’t yet reviewed and also to all my lovely blogging buddies who I’ve fallen behind in visiting.
So, the one thing I know for sure is that I’m not yet ready to give up my book blog. I feel that life is maybe back on a normal(ish) keel for now and so I’m keen to dive back in. Let’s see how it goes.
Where to begin then. Well, firstly, I’m hoping to pull together quite a number of outstanding reviews:
- The Vanishing of Margaret Small by Neil Alexander
- Love Will Tear Us Apart by CK McDonnell
- A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
- The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
- The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
- A House with Good Bones by T Kingfisher
Plus my two final finalist reviews for SPFBO. So, lots of posts incoming. In order to not go on a total mission I’m not going to post any memes for now although I’d like to get back to my Sunday catch up post.
I have got behind with a number of review books and so I’ve decided that my best course is to read the books that are due to be reviewed for the rest of this month and then try and slot in one or two of the backlist books that I wanted to read during February and March but fell behind with. Hopefully this is something that I can get along with okay.
So, books that I’m hoping to read going forward:
- The Cleaving by Juliet E McKenna
- Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
- The Other Lives of Miss Emily White by A J Elwood
- Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams
- The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
These are my remaining April books. I’m not sure I’ll fit them all in but I’ll give it a good try. Have you read any of these?
I’ve got some fantastic books to look forward to in May that I’m really excited to share but will leave that for a future post.
In terms of blog hopping. I’m going to start catching up with everyone soon. I’ve made the decision that I probably won’t try and read every post that I’ve missed between January til now (although obviously I’m scared of missing anything good!) because if I try to read everything I’ve missed I think I’ll just sink. So, I’m going to try and draw a line under everything and start afresh. I’ll probably still flip through a lot of the reviews but maybe not leave a comment at this point.
Anyway, that’s the plan. Of course we all know the saying about the best laid plans…
Wish me luck.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review of Fire of the Forebears by LA Buck
14 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Finalist Friday, Fire of the Forebears, LA Buck, SPFBO
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is our seventh finalist review for #SPFBO 8. Reviews for Scales and Sensibility, The Thirteenth Hour, Tethered Spirits, Mysterious Ways, A Song for the Void and The Umbral Storm can be found here , here, here, here, here and here Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition.
So, to my seventh review for a book that brings to us some solid world building and epic old school style fantasy.
Before I even begin to talk about the plot or other elements of Fire of the Forebears I would mention the one thing that became increasingly clear to me as I read this story, and that’s the author’s obvious literary loves and the influence they have had on the imagination and world building in this book. Tolkien and Lewis immediately spring to mind and you’ll understand why if you choose to give this one a shot as their influence shines through in a lovely way.
As I mentioned above this is old school epic fantasy, a tale of the underdog rising up to defeat tyranny. We have two key players whose pov chapters help us to see things from both sides of the coin and, of course, we have a ‘chosen one’ and a prophecy to boot.
To be totally honest FofF didn’t totally work for me and I wonder how much of that is related to the way that my reading tastes have changed over the years. I do seem to have less patience for longer books these days but I did give this one a fair chance to work it’s magic and in that respect I’m glad I decided to have a short break from this and return at a later date.
What I can say is that the author has written a fascinating world with plenty of winning elements. The themes of good vs evil run strongly throughout. We have talking animals, some which seem to have chosen a darker path and more power and others that try to live their lives with dignity and respect. Similarly, although I wouldn’t say I have a strong idea of how the magic works, there are definitely what I would call dark magic (elements of necromancy, for example) compared to the more pure elemental forms. In terms of the talking animals, this is risky for me as I think I associate this with a much younger audience although the author does a good job of integrating her different species and giving them a strong foothold in this world.
The characters. Kura and Triston. Kura and her family live a life of fear. Constantly on the lookout for the approach of soldiers, they are part of a rising rebellion although they’re going to become much more embroiled than they would like. Triston is the son of a King, he is in charge of getting this brewing rebellion under control and strives hard to please his father. What I really liked about these two opposing views is that the story is a little more rounded, not everything is always as clear cut as it first appears and to be fair to both characters they’re not so stubborn that they can’t be won over by a fair argument. There are plenty of side characters along the way but I won’t try to highlight them here.
In terms of those areas that didn’t work quite so well for me. Well, the two central characters didn’t really win me over. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike them, but equally I wouldn’t say that I had strong feelings for them and this lessens the tension, particularly during fight sequences. That brings me to my next issue which is the disparity between the two povs. Kura’s chapters involve a lot of fight sequences, it just felt a little relentless and almost to the point that I just wanted to slow down and spend a bit of time with the characters. Trison’s chapters on the other hand felt positively staid by comparison and yet I found myself looking forward to them. Also, although I think the world building is good I would say that there is a lot to unload here, different factions, animals, magics, good and bad (all with different names), etc. Helpfully there is a glossary at the back of the book, but flipping back and forth in the earlier stages, to check out definitions doesn’t help you to feel absorbed and definitely slows the read down.
Overall, in spite of some reservations I’m pleased that I pushed on with this after a slight blip during the first third. If you like old school epic fantasy with a slightly more modern tone then this could be the book for you.
Our rating 6 of 10 stars
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review of The Umbral Storm (The Sharded Few #1) by Alec Hutson
7 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO 8, Alec Hutson, Finalist Friday, The Sharded Few #1, The Umbral Storm
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is our sixth finalist review for #SPFBO 8. Reviews for Scales and Sensibility, The Thirteenth Hour, Tethered Spirits, Mysterious Ways and A Song for the Void can be found here , here, here, here.and here. Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition.
So, to my sixth review for a book that was easy to read and entertaining. I thought this was a great start to a promising series.
I will start this review by saying that when I picked up this finalist the page count did cause a little trepidation on my part as my concentration isn’t always as forgiving with more chunky novels these days. As it happens my concerns were groundless. I found The Umbral Storm a really easy book to get along with. I was always keen to return to the story, the writing was good and, long story short, I was so caught up that this felt like a much shorter novel. In fact I was surprised at just how quickly I got through this book.
Now, that isn’t to say I didn’t experience any bumps or blips along the way but for the most part this was an entertaining read and a great start to a new series.
So, let’s begin with the goodies.
The plot in brief revolves around three central characters. They’re unlikely companions and yet their stories become inextricably entwined. This is a world that was shattered or experienced some form of major event eons ago. Following this, what was believed to be the heart of the world, was shattered and shards scattered far and wide. Eventually it was discovered that these shards can imbue a person with great strength and magical abilities. Of course this involves assimilating the shard, and not everyone has the ability to do so, or indeed is fortunate enough to be chosen to do so. As a result, a number of ‘Orders’ gradually established themselves. Warriors with differing powers dependent on the number of shards they have imbued as well as the nature of the shard, for example there are fire shards, air, shadow and a number of others that grant powers much as you would assume given the nature of the shard. Obviously these shards are greatly sought after and the Orders themselves are not above shenanigans and thievery. As the book begins a sort of uneasy peace exists but things sit on the cusp of change and our three main characters are going to be caught in the thick of things.
Deryn is the lead character or at least he feels like he has the most time (but I could be mistaken). He has a harsh life, indentured to a cruel slave owner with no chance of happiness or freedom in sight, but his life and fortune are about to be tipped on its head.
Heth, similarly is about to have his life upended. He has led a relatively easy life of privilege, compared to Deryn at least. In fact these two characters couldn’t be further apart in terms of their positions in life. They get off to a bad start but their change in fortunes causes both to reevaluate things and Heth in particular needs to take a harsh look at some of his decisions and actions from the past.
Alia is like the glue that holds them all together. She has led a very sheltered background which I won’t elaborate on here but leave readers to discover.
Together the three will go on a journey in this progressive style, epic fantasy.
The world building is good. There’s a real sense of scope and history to this world and it feels like there’s lots to explore. I enjoyed the magic and use of shards and also really enjoyed when our characters were eventually taken to the Shadowshard stronghold.
The characters themselves. I will say that I wasn’t totally enamoured with Heth to begin with but he does grow as the story progresses. At the moment I would say Alia was my favourite which was slightly frustrating because she had the least page time. Deryn is a likeable character, the type of character who strives to do the right thing. At the moment I think there’s a little something missing that is preventing me from connecting fully with them but I think they all have space to grow within the series.
In terms of criticisms. I think the early part of the book can feel a little info heavy,but there is plenty to cram into these pages. This does result in a slight pacing issue although I didn’t really find this a problem for some reason. This definitely gave me Sanderson vibes which may not be to every reader’s taste but I enjoyed it – it made the read have a comfortable and in fact comforting feel for me. And, yes, I would have liked to see Alia have a more proactive role. but, there’s plenty of room yet for further character development as the series progresses.
As it is I enjoyed this. I liked learning about the world at the same time as the characters. I thought the writing was really impressive, the plot is good, the latter half has plenty of action and development, and there is the introduction of some very interesting elements that I would love to know more about.
Our rating 9 of 10 stars
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review for A Song for the Void by Andrew C Piazza
31 March 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, A Song for the Void, Andrew C Piazza, Friday Finalists
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is our fifth finalist review for #SPFBO 8. Reviews for Scales and Sensibility, The Thirteenth Hour, Tethered Spirits and Mysterious Ways can be found here , here, here and here. Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition.
So, to my fifth review, this week for a book that is positively chilling, in more ways than one.
A Song for the Void is a book that I loved, but also had mixed feelings about.
Historical horror, this story takes us back to the Opium Wars. These were turbulent times, beset by people warring for their own personal gains. Dr. Edward Pearce is a surgeon aboard HMS Charger. The doctor has been beset by personal tragedy which has led him down the path of drug abuse but he has been given a chance to prove himself once again and is thrust once more into the fray, little expecting that the odds would have changed so drastically.
I will say straight off that this story had me gripped. There is tension aplenty. The writing is superb. There’s a fantastic build up of psychological expectation coupled with a kind of intense claustrophobic fear and I confess I was hooked. At the same time, I didn’t totally love the ending. It moved into a different field of horror that isn’t one that I usually enjoy. But, that being said. this is a gripping read even if the cosmic horror aspects weren’t quite what I’d maybe expected or wanted.
So, Dr. Edward Pearce is not maybe the most reliable narrator. He’s experienced some shockingly awful experiences which has led him down the opium path. He has been given an opportunity by a trusted comrade and is determined to stay on the straight and narrow but his own personal backstory sometimes makes you second guess, as a reader, how reliable he really is.
Okay, I’m not going to over elaborate on the the plot here Instead I’m going to focus on a few key points.
Firstly, I loved the writing. This is the kind of book that I had no hesitation picking up. I was keen to continue with the story and everything flowed well. I mean, this book gave me the chills to read and I loved it for that.
Secondly, I thought the setting and the attention to detail were superb. I was fascinated. On top of which the ship setting was totally dismal, depressing and claustrophobic. You could feel the tension rise and the inevitable mutiny was just sat like a huge spider waiting to pounce. I mean, literally, I loved these aspects of the story. Everything was so dark, it was scary, it was tense – I couldn’t get enough.
Okay, that brings me to my slight reservations. I wasn’t totally in love with the latter chapters of the book where we disembark the ship. This is of course a personal thing. I’m not overly fond of ‘cosmic’ horror and I also found certain elements of the later chapters just a tad too much to bear – but, I will say I am a total wimp and I think horror aficionados will be puzzled by my squeamishness.
Overally, this is an author that I would definitely like to read more from.
My rating 9 of 10
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review for Mysterious Ways by Abbie Evans
24 March 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, Abbie Evans, Friday Finalists, Mysterious Ways
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is our fourth finalist review for #SPFBO 8. Reviews for Scales and Sensibility, The Thirteenth Hour and Tethered Spirits can be found here , here and here. Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition.
So, to my fourth review, this week for a book that I positively raced through. This was an easy and entertaining story that I practically wolfed down in two sittings.
I will preface this review by saying this is a very light, fun at times and easy read and at the time I picked this one up it was exactly what I needed just when I needed it. I don’t think Mysterious Ways is going to rock the literary world but in terms of an entertaining story set in a world where angels and demons have been reimagined in a most contrary style, this one kept me hooked and I can genuinely say I simply enjoyed this.
As the story begins we meet Isabella Varselak, Commander of the Solistopian City Watch, as she seems to find herself in something of an embarrassing predicament. Lured by the thoughts of a most delicious hunk of cheese whilst chasing a well known con artist, she appears to be caught in an elaborate mouse trap (fortunately not one that was intended to kill more to embarrass the commander and have a little fun at her expense). Basically, this opening scene is not only a good indication of the tone you can expect throughout the book (although there are occasions when things become decidedly darker), but it also acts as the catalyst for a journey of self discovery for Isabella.
Isabella has been Commander for a good number of years, she works hard, follows instructions and pretty much believes in the justice system, but for a little while now she’s wanted to perform more stringent investigations before sending those accused of wrongdoing to stand before the Judge.
I’m not going to go overboard in describing the world here. We have heaven and hell with all their convoluted dimensions, then we have the human playing field, a place where demons and angels can visit or exist providing they live in harmony and stick to the rules. The society is matriarchal, women being placed in positions of power. It’s very much a ‘brains’ versus ‘brawn’ type scenario, men being believed to act too irrationally when their tempers flare. To be honest, it’s all a little hastily drawn but providing you don’t try to overthink it the world is easy enough to imagine. What I really liked was the kind of role reversal in certain respects between the angels and demons. The angels, curse, have sex and love to take part in all sorts of sensory pleasures, the demons on the other hand are gloomy, abhor (mostly) any sort of physical contact and seem to take little, or no pleasure, in virtually anything.
There is a discussion raised here about idealism. Isabella is about to have her eyes opened and be shown that not everyone is equal in her world. Crimes are sometimes far too easily ‘solved’ with little or no depth of investigation or trial and the system of judging whether a person is innocent or guilty is deeply flawed. When Isabella begins to question the system her concerns are brushed under the carpet and she eventually takes drastic action to try and redress her mistakes of the past.
In order to go on this journey of self discovery Isabella needs to put her trust in someone else. Cerys is the con artist who has been leading Isabella a merry dance, but she knows hell, she knows how to get into it’s fiery dimensions and more than that she seems to have developed a friendship with Satan herself. Can Isabella really trust Cerys – well, I couldn’t possibly say,
In a nutshell, this was a breeze to read. I liked the characters, the relationships and the dialogue. I enjoyed the ‘turned on its head’ world and I found the plot easily entertaining.
In terms of criticisms. this could use a little finessing. Some of the elements are a little heavy handed and certainly you need to suspend your questions and not try to delve too deeply. But, it is fun and I enjoyed it.
I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating is 7.5 out of 10
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review for Tethered Spirits, Curse of Shavhalla #1 by T A Hernandez
17 March 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, Curse of Shavhalla #1, Friday Finalists, TA Hernandez, Tethered Spirits
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is my third finalist review for #SPFBO 8. My review for Scales and Sensibility and The Thirteenth Hour can be found here and here. Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition.
So, to my third review, this week for an author that I’ve read and enjoyed in the past. Tethered Spirits, Curse of Shavhalla #1 by T A Hernandez.
I enjoyed Tethered Spirits. The writing is easy to get along with the world building includes various elements that are woven into the story predominantly through the characters own individual backgrounds which helps to give it a rich feel and in a way it has an almost old school feel in that we follow a bunch of characters (three primary narrators and a few side characters) as they journey far and wide in search of answers.
I will say that the story kind of throws you straight into the middle of the action really. No build up or hand holding here. I don’t mind that in a way although at this point, without the benefit of time to latch onto any favourite characters as such, it reduces any tension that you might feel. That being said, things fairly swiftly develop and it’s easy to get caught up in the plot as the individual chapters flit between the three POVs.
Amar is the focal point for the story and all of the characters in point of fact. Fairly swiftly we discover that Amar is cursed. Some may not think of his condition as a curse as basically he is immortal, however, if Amar dies all his memories are obliterated. It’s something of a double whammy because he either watches those he loves grow old and die, or he dies and forgets about them anyway. Amar’s quest is to trace back through his history and discover the source of the curse and if possible, the way to break it.
Kesari is a young woman who feels like she’s cursed (although she isn’t, not in the way Amar is). Kes is haunted by a mistake from her past. She is a magic wielder, known as a Tarja and she is bonded with a spirit which is where her magic comes from. Bonding with this spirit (Lucien) feels, to Kesari, like the root of her troubles and she’s keen to break the tie, which is why she follows Amar and his companions on their search for knowledge hoping that someone will be able to help her too.
Aleida is a woman who has gone off track a little. Also a Tarja with a bonded spirit creature, she seeks a cure for her sick brother and it seems that a cursed immortal might be the place to look.
Off all our characters and side kicks go, almost down the yellow brick road, in search of wisdom and cures with shenanigans along the way.
Hernandez does a good job of making the story flow easy with relatively short punchy chapters. I enjoyed the magic system and the fact that nothing comes without a price and I think this is an author who is growing in confidence. This is a character rich story with different motivations and fears feeding heavily into the story. We journey on the high seas, encounter pirates and go in search of an ancient, long lost city.
Now, I did have a few reservations that kept me holding back in some respects. I struggled to find a favourite character really, to have that feeling where you’re really on board with someone. The characters did grow on me and I was interested in the curse and other aspects, the story was told well, but, I definitely had issues that held me back. I’m going to say that the characters have tunnel vision to an extent that you find yourself stopped in your tracks. They almost come across as naive, in their decisions and scope of their quest. There is also a little bit of repetition, which is in fairness par for the course for this type of story where the characters travel from place to place seeking answers, whilst being pursued and getting into scrapes along the way. It is a winning format but I didn’t quite feel the tension or anxiety.
Anyway, slight issues aside, I did enjoy Tethered Spirits and it’s absolutely a series that I’m keen to continue with, I’d like to see how they develop and what their next journey takes them on.
My rating 7 out of 10
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review for The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies #1 The Cruel Gods
10 March 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #1The Cruel Gods, #SPFBO, Friday Finalists, The Thirteenth Hour, Trudie Skies
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
Today is my second finalist review for #SPFBO 8. My review for Scales and Sensibility can be found here. Myself and the Critiquing Chemist will be posting a finalist review every Friday for the remainder of the competition.
So, to my second review, this week for Trudie Skies The Thirteenth Hour, #1 The Cruel Gods series. If you fancy a unique fantasy combining steampunk and gaslight fantasy with phenomenal world building then you should really check out this series. This first instalment gets off to an impressive start.
My initial first impressions. Well written, thought provoking in terms of a social commentary on the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ plus a cool look at the lottery of life that can see you born and living sometimes in a paradise or a personal hell. This is a story with a murder mystery as it’s catalyst with two great characters, both with rather fixed outlooks, at least until they meet each other.
The Thirteenth Hour brings to us a unique world that I’ll have a quick attempt at describing (with the proviso that there are probably much clearer explanations already in existence). The story is set in Chime which acts almost as a platform between 12 cities. Think of a clock, around the face are the twelve cities, each ruled by an individual God, the inhabitants created in that God’s image. At the centre of the clock is Chime, within Chime is a Gate, for each individual hour the gate opens for one city – it’s like the hand of a clock points in that direction for an hour giving each city its own time in the limelight, if you will. Chime acts as a portal to each of the cities, when that city is enjoying it’s ‘hour’ the portal is open. Chime itself is divided with an upper and lower world. The lower world is rife with poverty and refugees trying to escape unfortunate circumstances. Anyway, I’ll leave the rest of the world building for you to discover for yourself. I would just say this is a fascinating world with so much scope for other stories and characters.
The story revolves around a murder mystery which is where our two central characters meet. Well, meet is a very polite way of saying that one is hunting for the killer and the other is a suspect. Of course, nothing is quite as clear cut as that and the interactions between the two central characters teases out the arguments from both sides. Both are extreme to begin with but familiarity starts to blur the edges a little. Kayl is ‘godless’ she wants to live independently and without the rules of her ‘God’. She strives to help others in desperate need. Quen is a Warden of Chime. An enforcer of the laws and agreements that exist between the worlds and that keep things ticking along. Quen has his own strange abilities that play well into the story. He’s a quirky character and works well in contrast to Kayl. He works strictly within the laws but he isn’t unaware of the inequalities and strives to be fair. I have to admit that Kayl was my favourite of the story but the interactions between her and Quen were well drawn with excellent dialogue and helped to provide a more balanced view of where these two opposing trains of thought could potentially meet.
In terms of criticisms. Well, the uniqueness and in depth world building come with a price. There is quite a lot of set up with this one, although, as far as I can see it was all necessary. Perhaps a little fine tuning could increase the pacing a little. As it is there is a weightiness to the read, which meant that I took more time reading this than I would spend on some reads. Is that a bad thing per se? No, not really, this is more an observation. For me, this is a book that you need to take a little time over, savour it, enjoy the writing and absorb the detail – but, be aware that this isn’t a book that you’re going to race through. Personally, as mentioned, this isn’t really a criticism as far as I’m concerned. On top of the slight pacing issue, books with strong world building do sometimes have something of a power struggle between the characters and the plot and these elements did suffer from fluctuations in temperature. I did experience a few niggling moments where the plot seemed to go back and forth and slight feelings of repetition crept in.
However, those issues aside this was an enjoyable and well executed read with some great possibilities and scope for future instalments. This can be a harsh world, there is grimness here but that is tempered with witty dialogue and moments of humour and emotion. This is a series that I would definitely recommend readers to get on board with early. Such a lot of potential in the making with the Cruel Gods – which I’ve also failed to mention I just realise – this is a very well named series indeed because these Gods are definitely not soft and fluffy.
My rating 8 out of 10
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review which can be found here.
#SPFBO 8 Finalist Friday: Review for Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis
3 March 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO, Friday Finalists, Scales and Sensibility, Stephanie Burgis
What is SPFBO 8 Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
This year I am teaming up again with the ladies from The Critiquing Chemist. We recently announced our finalist. To check out all the Finalists simply follow this link.
Our finalist this year was Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson – if you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it – seriously, grab yourself a copy and tuck in. It’s positively delightful.
So, in spite of an absence of posts over here I have been reading my way through the current batch of SPFBO finalists and enjoying myself doing so. Both myself and my partners in reading have suffered bad news of late and I have to say it has had an impact (for me, obviously I can’t speak for others although I’m sure they feel similarly) and there has been a deplorable lack of blogging, chatting and anything related to books over here (quite shocking really but life has a way of taking over sometimes doesn’t it).
Anyway, from today going forward we will be aiming to post a finalist review every Friday – hence Finalist Friday – therefore one review per week from now until the completion of the competition (*insert here* something, something, something about the best laid plans).
Without further ado our first review is for Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis. I will mention that I read and reviewed a copy of this particular title prior to it being entered into the competition and so I will be repeating my thoughts and score below. In a nutshell if you like Regency, Romance and Fantasy this is for you.
This isn’t my first outing with this particular author and she’s an author that I not only enjoy but feel like I can rely on for a good book and Scales and Sensibility is no exception in that regard. Clearly, given the title, this is a story that takes influence from Austen so this was an absolute no-brainer for me as I love ‘Anything Austen’ and before I even begin to review this I would start by saying that I think Burgis manages to perfectly nail down the combination of Regency romcom and fantasy.
This is a story that centres around a character called Elinor Tregarth. Like many of Austen’s characters the Tregarth family have experienced financial ruin followed by dreadful loss. Elinor and her two sisters found themselves orphaned and in dire straits and were eventually sent to different members of the family. Elinor resides with her aunt,uncle and cousin Penelope at Hathergill Hall, unfortunately as ‘the poor relation’ she is treated rather badly by both Penelope and her uncle (and her aunt has little to say on the matter having been browbeaten by the two over the years).
As the story begins we meet Penelope as she prepares for her ‘coming out’ ball and witness her bad behaviour as she abuses her recently acquired dragon. Okay, by way of background dragons have recently been rediscovered, little is known about them and in fact one of the supporting characters is undertaking research looking into their finer points during the course of the book. The dragons in question are small creatures that can perch on a shoulder or sit curled in a lap and for some reason, a little like handbag dogs, they have become the most recent fashion accessory ‘must have’. If you don’t have a dragon, in fact, you’re doomed to social failure. Unfortunately, after one too many tantrums by her cousin, Elinor flees the Hall clutching the abused dragon known as Sir Jessamyn.
Now, I don’t wish to go overboard about the plot, suffice to say that Elinor finds herself in the most unusual situation that involves her returning to the family seat but, lets just say, in disguise.
There are plenty of elements to this story and they all come together in a lovely way. There’s the family dynamic that relies on a typical Austen theme of certain parties becoming reliant on others. There’s the class element that takes a look at the ridiculous gap between the ‘have and the ‘have nots’ that particularly feeds into a storyline involving one of the downstairs maids. There’s the romantic element involving a handsome young man who himself has ‘designs’ in mind (although is far too nice to see them through). There’s the introduction of a glamorous brother and sister who seem to love gossip and enjoy interfering, and of course there’s Elinor, hiding in plain sight and being pulled in different directions whilst maintaining a cool head.
In no particular order what I particularly enjoyed about this.
The plot builds slowly but surely to a very satisfying and dramatic finale.
The central character is really easy to like and is a warm and caring female who finds herself in an absolute pickle of a situation.
The dragon is a wonderful element to the book and the fantasy element is so seamlessly woven into this Regency story. Forget bonnets and ribbons – dragons are it (and seriously who can blame anyone – I would love a little affectionate shoulder dragon).
There are plenty of satisfying hints of Austen and yet enough originality to give this a slightly more modern feel with more accessible language and a few twisted tropes.
I loved the particular element (that I won’t mention) that finally gave the Aunt enough backbone to stand up to her tyrannical husband. I loved the route this storyline went down and the final way it played out. Huzzah!
The writing is excellent.
In conclusion, a fun, sometimes crazy always enjoyable, Regency romance with a delightful dash of dragons.
I received a copy from the author for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Don’t forget to check out the Critiquing Chemist’s review here.
Friday Face Off : Echo Man by Sam Holland
10 February 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books by Proxy, Echo Man, Friday Face off, Sam Holland
Today is another Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is another one that I read late last year, Echo Man by Sam Holland – an impressive debut about a copycat serial killer.
Here are the covers:
My favourite this week is :
Which is your favourite?
I like the injection of colour in this one and the way the title echoes.
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Friday Face Off : The Cloisters by Katy Hays
3 February 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Face off, Katy Hays, the Cloisters
Today is another Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is one that I read late last year, The Cloisters by Katy Hays a dark academia story packed with gothic(y) goodness.
Here are the covers:
My favourite this week is :
Which is your favourite?
Again, this week as last, I like both of the covers so this was a tough choice – but I couldn’t resist the above when push came to shoe.
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
The Ivory Tomb (Rooks and Ruin #3) by Melissa Caruso
2 February 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Melissa Caruso, Rooks and Ruin #3, The Ivory Tomb
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Superb conclusion to the series
Given recent family events I’m slightly behind with reviews so I’m going to keep this one short and sweet as I attempt to make some headway. This is in no way a reflection of my feelings for this book and the series as a whole which has been a wonderful reading experience packed with action, emotion and character development.
The first thing I would mention is this is not the type of book that you should read (in my opinion) as a standalone, the two previous books provide so much groundwork and seeing the characters evolve during the course of their journey is, for me, one of the most memorable parts of the series as a whole, which isn’t a reflection on other elements such as pacing (fast), action (breathtaking) and plot (excellent). The second thing I would also point out, is that if you haven’t yet read this instalment but are planning to do so you might want to be aware that spoilers may be lurking, although I generally try to avoid these.
Well, Caruso certainly delivered a dark and punchy story and an absolutely satisfying conclusion. I cannot tell a lie, the pacing is positively non stop, as is the action and the author mercilessly puts her characters and her world through the wringer. I reached a point quite early where I was literally feeling sorry for them! The world itself is left reeling from the devastation and destruction caused by the unleashing of the demons, it’s like the apocalypse has arrived and it’s running amok leaving bodies in it’s wake.
I really enjoyed the overall plot for the whole series. There’s a lot to take in and I’m not going to try and give an overview here but the scope of this series is very impressive.
And, for the romance lovers out there – and even for those who don’t fall into that bracket (myself usually included) – the relationship between two of the central characters is an absolute must read and was without doubt one of my favourite elements of the book – it’s so easily developed, no instalove here, great banter and an overall steady pace that is lovely to read.
This is an author that I will watch eagerly to see what she comes up with next. Clearly a great talent and unbridled imagination.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars.
Can’t Wait Wednesday : A Woman of the Sword by Anna Smith Spark
1 February 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Woman of the Sword, Anna Smith Spark, Can't wait Wednesday, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : A Woman of the Sword by Anna Smith Spark because I loved the Empires of the Dust series. Here’s the cover and a bit of information:
A Woman of the Sword is an epic fantasy seen through the eyes of an ordinary woman. Lidae is a daughter, a wife, a mother – and a great warrior born to fight. Her sword is hungry for killing, her right hand is red with blood.
War is very much a woman’s business. But war is not kind to women. And war is not kind to mothers and their sons.
Expected publication : April 2023
Friday Face Off : The Drift by CJ Tudor
Today is the second week of a new Friday Face Off (a meme originally created by Books by Proxy) – similar in many ways to what came before but different going forward. From 2023 I will no longer be posting prompts or themes to guide cover choices. Instead, having noticed that many of my most recent reads have had more than one cover, I thought instead it would be a change to highlight something that I’m keen to shine the focus on. So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week The Drift by CJ Tudor. I’m loving this author’s work and this is no exception. Really well done indeed.
Here are the covers:
My favourite this week is :
It’s really tough to choose a favourite this week because I really like both covers. At the end of the day it comes down to the simple fact that the red cover is so eye catching – it would definitely draw you in if you saw it on the bookshelf.
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence
25 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, Mark Lawrence, The Book That Wouldn't Burn, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence – because – Mark Lawrence!!
Here’s a little bit more info:
A boy has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.
A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.
The world has never even noticed them. That’s about to change.
Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.
Expected publication : May 2023
The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
My Five Word TL: DR Review : I loved everything about this.
It seems that Laura Purcell is not only the Gothic Queen but she also seems unable to do little wrong in terms of her creations. This is an author that I usually dance a little jig to whenever I discover that she has a new release pending and so far I’ve enjoyed them all – very much.
Set in the theatre this is a dark and atmospheric read. It revolves around five key plays that reflect the story as it progresses. It’s a tale involving plenty of drama, unholy deals that come at a price, jealousy, ambition and tragedy.
As the story begins we meet Jenny, she’s fallen on hard times following the betrayal of her own brother which has left Jenny and her siblings in dire straits. When Jenny is called to meet the wealthy wife of of the Mercury Theatre owner she is intrigued and a little amazed when she’s offered the job of dresser at the theatre – the very place where her brother betrayed not only her but the cast and crew of the theatre itself. It seems that the lady herself has suspicions about her husband and his leading actress and wishes Jenny to be her inside eyes – a spy no less – and Jenny is desperate enough to take the position. Of course, when she begins to find out she likes the actress in question, admire her a little even, it doesn’t help her to undertake her new role.
I loved this. The setting, the plot, the writing, the dark gothic feel, the characters, the strange blending in of theatre and supernatural elements with such a deft touch. Absolutely loved it and frankly I could read it again.
The theatre setting and Victorian period is perfect and seems to be Purcell’s domain. The theatres is brought to life beautifully, dilapidated and yet startling when the bright lights shine. This is a dangerous place and when things start to go wrong, it seems like bad luck has come calling
The leading lady, Lilith Erikson, is a beautiful and passionate woman, full of ambition and determined to grasp the nettle now. When she comes into possession of a strange watch, one believed to contain dark powers, her troubles begin. Her performances on stage are magnificent, she lives and breathes the characters, but off stage she loses her will. Jenny is a great character too and it’s a pleasure to read two such strong female leads. Jenny is basically good at heart and therefore conflicted with her newfound role as tittle tattle. She feels bad for spying on Lilith but needs must when the devil vomits into your kettle, she’s basically in between a rock and a hard place and must take any work she’s offered – and this is indeed a lucrative position.
The supernatural elements revolve around a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse from Greek mythology. These elements are subtly woven into the story in such a way that I think readers who don’t particularly love supernatural elements will still enjoy.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. The writing is fantastic, it provides the perfect balance in all ways, the theatre comes to life and the characters leap off the page. In a nutshell, I can’t say enough good things about this book. Put simply I loved it and like a greedy child desperate for more I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Reimagining of Sinister Serial Killers
Well, if it doesn’t sound too hideous to say that I enjoyed a sinister reimagining of a family of serial killers, I will say that this was a very good read. Perhaps not the kind of read that’s going to bring a smile to your face or give you any laugh out loud moments, but definitely a compelling tale that you read with ever increasing shock that is heightened even more with the realisation that this family really existed and spread misery across the Kansas plains with their low regard for life.
This is a reimagining of real life events penned by a wonderful author who clearly has an interest and has researched the subject well. It’s positively gripping and a little bit like watching a dreadful trainwreck.
It was a sad day for Cherryvale, Kansas when the Benders came to stay. Trying to leave a dark past behind they arrive on the prairie where they set up an Inn and dry goods store. The females of the family are not entirely happy with this new start, wanting to go further afield, but William Bender believes they can make a living being so near to a frequently used trail and so begins a short and bloody spell in America’s history.
The Bender family consist of a young woman, attractive and persuasive, known as Kate. Her mother Elvira who shares a love/hate relationship with her daughter, Elvira’s new husband William and William’s son John. Although the four originally intend to keep a low profile in Kansas they soon become impatient with the slow progress of their savings and begin to murder and rob the travellers who stop at their Inn seeking a room or sustenance. Put bluntly they soon become greedy, Kate, as I mentioned is a persuasive character and convinces her step father that the angels talk to her, her bloodlust needs satisfying and William is happy to be persuaded. Elvira, whilst not entirely happy with the killings and unkeen to draw attention, is at the same time greedy enough not to make a real stand. Then we have John. Besotted with Kate he plays a moody and aggressive character who is capable of shocking violence in order to impress. Along with the Benders we have an alternative voice in Hanson who lives at the nearby trading post. He visits the family regularly and gives a great outside perspective, particularly as he goes from the blushing boy who has a crush on his attractive new neighbour, to a frightened boy scared by the killings, to a suspicious boy who doesn’t want to believe the worst.
I’m not going to really go into the plot but look at what worked well for me.
Well, firstly, this is a gripping story, it’s bloody and shocking and doesn’t hold back the punches so be aware of that. I found it pretty horrific but at the same time unputdownable. On top of this I think the author does a first rate job of creating a tense atmosphere what with the bloodlust and fear and on top of that the fact that the family don’t absolutely trust each other, definitely makes for an edgy read. And there’s a great sense of place, the open plains and remoteness all playing into the story and lulling the family into a false sense of security.
Without doubt though I think Kate is the winning element of the story. She’s so bad. Always ready with an easy lie and a sweet smile she has no problem wrapping people around her finger and coupled with her constant scheming, dark moments of lust and remarkable lack of empathy she makes for a very strong leading lady. Happily though, although Kate steals the show the other characters are a strong supporting cast.
Overall this was a quick read, the pacing was really well done and Bruce manages to give you that feeling of ever mounting dread. The murders themselves are almost coldly and cleanly delivered which probably makes them a bit less gruesome than they already are and the characters create an immediate hook to keep you reading.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
22 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Booking Ahead, Caffeinated Reviewer, Weekly wrap up
I’m trying to get back into the habit of doing a round-up of the week just completed and also take a look at my plans for the forthcoming week. I rather got out of the habit of doing so but I would like to reinstate this type of post as I feel it keeps me on track. So, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberly’s Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Books read this week:
So, dad is still poorly and still in hospital. I’m currently looking after mum as it’s difficult for her to cope for this length of time not to mention lonely. I’ve still managed to do some reading and posting but not much time to actually sit down and blog hop. Hopefully I will catch up with comments and all your posts soon.
This week I managed to complete The Drift by CJ Tudor which I really enjoyed. I also read All The Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce. Another author who I’m a bit fixated on at the moment, this is from the work she seems to be enjoying that gives a fictional account of true life serial killers, the previous novel being In the Garden of Spite (or Triflers Need Not Apply as it’s also known). I’ve also started All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham which gets off to a very intriguing start. Look at the covers for last week’s reads – don’t you just love it when your covers conspire together to provide matching colours.
Next Week’s Reads:
Hopefully complete All the Dangerous Things then I’d like to press on with one or maybe two of my February reads and I do need to squeeze a SPFBO book in before the end of the month if I’m going to stay on track.
Reviews Posted since my last Sunday Post:
- Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
- How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
- The Drift by CJ Tudor
Outstanding Reviews
- Love Will Tear Us Apart by CK McDonnell
- SPFBO No.1
- SPFBO No.2
- The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso
- The Vanishing of Margaret Small
- The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
- All The Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce.
I will be trying to post three reviews again this forthcoming week.
Friday Face Off : How to Sell a Haunted House
20 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Face off, Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House
Today is the second week of a new Friday Face Off (a meme originally created by Books by Proxy) – similar in many ways to what came before but different going forward. From 2023 I will no longer be posting prompts or themes to guide cover choices. Instead, having noticed that many of my most recent reads have had more than one cover, I thought instead it would be a change to highlight something that I’m keen to shine the focus on. So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is another read that I enjoyed very recently. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.
Here are the covers:
My favourite this week is :
I like both covers but this one appealed to me because I hadn’t realised this was a toy house inside a house – I just like that idea for some reason! Which cover is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Winning format, creepy house, atmosphere
Episode Thirteen is perhaps not quite what I expected in some ways and I think that’s a good thing in this instance. I think I had in mind a regular traditional style ghost story with things going bump in the night. Instead this as a refreshingly unique feel, a style that I am an absolute pushover for in more ways than one and a group of characters that are expertly developed, plus things going bump in the night.
I’m not going to go into the plot (which is one of my constant refrains at the moment or at least it seems to be) but let readers discover things for themselves. What I can tell you is this is a story put together using found footage (whoops, that doesn’t really bode well in the first instance does it). The setting is a derelict and dilapidated mansion where a team of scientists undertook some dodgy experiments before seemingly disappearing into the ether – this also doesn’t bode well does it! On top of this the characters are producing a reality tv show that has proved a great success but is flagging a little, they’re determined to make this a winning episode – guess what, it’s episode 13 (unlucky for some) – what could possibly go wrong?
So, for me, the first thing that immediately drew me in was the format of story telling. I’m a sucker for epistolary style and this includes journals, blogs, camera footage, texts, etc. I just love this approach because you get a rounded feel for the characters and the action rather than simply following one pov. And that leads me to the characters themselves. I’m so overawed at how the author manages to develop all the characters in such a convincing way using this format.
The characters. They’re an eclectic bunch. We have the married couple, Matt and Claire Kirklin. They are almost like polar opposites. Matt believes in ghosts whereas Claire is all about debunking the stories using science. Fade to Black is in fact Matt’s creation, as a child he believed he was visited by a ghost and has pursued his fascination with the supernatural ever since. The element of Claire taking part as the ‘disbeliever’ waiting to be convinced is the winning element that originally boosted the show up the ranks. The rest of the team consists of a cameraman, an actress who brings the glamour to the series and a technician responsible for setting up all the paraphernalia needed. What I really liked about the characters is that they all have their own concerns and these play heavily into the story. On top of that I would say I struggled to find a favourite here and I think that’s because there are underlying resentments and jealousies not to mention egos that don’t always paint the characters in the best light. I mean, I love this because they come across as flawed and real. They have doubts and insecurities and these really come to the fore and send some of them over the edge.
The setting. The house is a great setting. The team are all so excited to be given access and can’t wait for the creepy goings on to begin. In fact the house itself is almost like a character. It takes it’s time to show it’s hand and revealing what it’s really capable of. In fact the team are super excited when they manage to capture ground breaking footage on camera. All I will say about this is what they’ve witnessed to this point is the tip of the iceberg, the main bulk of the monster remains hidden and the team teeter on the brink of a huge rabbit warren. I won’t say more.
To bring this to a conclusion, whilst I wouldn’t say I found this scary in particular I did find it easy to read and totally compelling. There’s plenty of atmosphere and the conclusion is not only downright creepy but I would say ripe for adaptation. The writing and pacing are perfect and I galloped to the end like a maniac. If you enjoy psychological hauntings this could be just the thing for you.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks, the above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The People Watcher by Sam Lloyd
18 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, Sam Lloyd, The People Watcher, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The People Watcher by Sam Lloyd. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed (aka as loved and gushed extensively about) two books by this author: The Memory Wood and The Rising Tide So, I’m very excited to see a new book on the horizon. Here’s the description and cover (not sure if this is the final cover at this stage though.
‘I watch them because I think they need help.’
Mercy Lake likes to fix things. To fix people. Trapped inside during daylight hours, hostage to her phobias, she uses the cover of night to watch the people in her town. And if someone needs her help, she steps in – secretly and with compassion.
When Mercy meets Louis, her lonely, unusual life is suddenly filled with excitement. Because Louis likes intervening in other people’s lives too, only he prefers a more direct – even violent – approach. As they grow closer, Mercy is enchanted but frightened by his actions. How many lines is he willing to cross? And how much is he prepared to risk?
And then there’s Nadia. Nadia knows she’s being watched, even if the police think differently. But with her own secrets to protect, she’s not going to wait around for the watcher to make their move. She’s going to stop them dead.
‘Small acts of kindness are far less effective than fear’
Expected publication: June 2023
The Drift by CJ Tudor
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Clever, ever spiralling downwards, horror
Well, this was a surprise. I don’t think I looked at the description for this one at all before I picked it up. I really like the author’s style and quite often these days prefer to pick up my reads knowing as little as possible. So, yes, this was a surprise. A compelling read, totally engrossing in fact, it’s not going to give you a grin on your face when you’re reading but it will keep you turning the pages into the early hours and it’s just the most unusual combination of post apocalyptic survival meets locked room mystery (well mysteries to be correct) that I’ve ever read.
I really don’t want to give away too much about the plot with this review because I’m keen to avoid spoilers, primarily because the story follows three POVs and certainly one of the ‘big’ intrigues is trying to figure out how these three characters are connected. What I can say without giving away too much is this is a novel that takes place in the near future (I don’t recall seeing any dates but that’s where I would hazard a guess). A pandemic has changed society beyond recognition killing great swathes of the population. Those that survived, known as Whistlers because of the noise they make when breathing, are altered into an almost zombie like state, a few becoming violent and bloodthirsty. The remaining population are basically trying to stay alive whilst hoping for a cure. I would say, before going further, that this isn’t a typical zombie apocalypse type story so if that isn’t usually your type of read then this may still be of interest. Of course, the Whistlers still play a part here, this is horror and it can be quite bloody and brutal in parts, but this is more a suspenseful thriller, a race against time and a locked room style mystery that is positively claustrophobic.
We have three key characters. Hannah, a young woman trapped on board a coach that has careened off the road killing a number of the passengers in the process and effectively leaving the others trapped on board. It doesn’t take long before a couple of characters figure out that the journey was sabotaged before it set off. Meg is an ex police officer who wakes up to find herself on board a cable car, she has no idea how she got there, her personal possessions have been removed, the car is stuck (very high above ground) and a storm threatens, on top of that there are others on board and one of them is already dead. The final character is Carter. He is based in a retreat with a number of other characters, the place is protected by electric fencing and digital locks but unfortunately the power seems to be faltering and with it any semblance of security (not to mention the locks on the doors in the basement).
I found this totally absorbing and I loved the way the stories eventually come together because it was completely unexpected – which could of course be simply a result of my tiny brain not making the necessary leaps to connect the dots – but, I think it’s very clever, well executed and compelling.
The writing is excellent, the characters really jump off the page, the pacing is perfect and there’s a steady stream of action mixed with periods of reflection. The dialogue is really good and manages to prevent the book from becoming dismal or too dark.
On top of this I loved that we start off with a number of players in each story and eventually they become less in number. It’s like a less cosy version of an Agatha Christie novel (think, for example, of And Then There Were None). Gradually, we lose characters along the way, the central POVs eventually start to discover more about their companions and eventually the reveals are made, with much drama and jaw dropping.
In terms of criticisms. Well, this isn’t a laugh out loud sort of story, the characters are in a fight for survival and quite often make shocking decisions. At the end of the day they’ve become almost immune to death and used to making tough decisions to stay alive – as is stated during the story ‘the earth is full of dead good guys’. The thing is though, this could very easily become the type of read that feels too dark and maybe drags you down but that’s not the experience I had. I think I was too caught up in the mystery of the three and how they would come together combined with the intrigue of each of their own separate stories and how they would each overcome the difficulties they were facing.
I enjoyed this very much, it was quick and clever, darkly humorous at times, horrific at others and frankly unputdownable. A cunning plot executed with confidence and ease.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
16 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Grady Hendrix, How to Sell a Haunted House
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Dysfunctional family and puppet hell
This is only my second read by Grady Hendrix, so take what I say next with a pinch of salt, but I’m beginning to associate this author with the clear phrase ‘expect the unexpected’. With a title such as this, yes I expected apparitions and entities, I don’t think I ever quite considered evil puppets, possession, squirrels from hell and imaginary demon dogs that invisibly stalk the house. Sounds a bit crazy and to be honest, it is. This is your basic modern-style horror that manages to combine horror, mystery, mayhem, dysfunctional family dynamics brimming over with sibling rivalry and secrets buried long in the past and a chaos that spills over into dark humour.
When Louise receives an unexpected call from her estranged brother to say their parents have died in a terrible car crash she immediately makes her way back to the family home. When she arrives she’s in for a number of surprises, none of them pleasant. The attic has been nailed shut, the car accident seems a little suspicious, things keep going bump in the night, the house is unsaleable with it’s current bad vibes and brother and sister can’t agree on anything. And that’s only scratching the surface because things are about to get much worse.
I’m really trying not to give away too much about this book. I really enjoyed reading it, it’s strangely fun, it’s absolutely compelling, the characterisation is great. It’s a perfect demonstration of how there are two sides to every conversation and that memory can be a trickster. On top of this it’s a great look at families and the strange hierarchies that we perceive that are perhaps more imaginary than real. I also love the whole idea that we’re haunted by family both past and present.
One thing for sure I really enjoy this author’s style. He has a sort of tongue firmly planted in cheek way of writing that makes his horror funny even if it shouldn’t be and that makes me think he enjoys the writing as much as I enjoy the reading.
On the whole a wickedly imaginative story with a good dollop of horror and quite frankly the most atrociously creepy puppet ever.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
I’m trying to get back into the habit of doing a round-up of the week just completed and also take a look at my plans for the forthcoming week. I rather got out of the habit of doing so but I would like to reinstate this type of post as I feel it keeps me on track. So, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberly’s Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Books read this week:
So, as I write this post my dad is very poorly. He’s in hospital and in a very bad way. I can only keep my fingers and toes crossed that he pulls through. I don’t expect to be reading much but you never know, the distraction might be what I need but I suspect that I simply won’t be able to concentrate.
The past week I managed to finish Thirteen by Craig DiLouie which was so good and also finish my listen of The Vanishing Act of Margaret Small – packed with emotion. I also picked up and devoured the latest Laura Purcell – and it was good. My next book is the latest CJ Tudor. I’m blasting through this. It’s gripping.
Next Week’s Reads:
I suspect I will have completed The Drift before this post goes live. Then I’ll move onto the latest Camilla Bruce, All The Blood We Share. Which leaves me with one audio book to be read in January and my next SPFBO so I might be able to start thinking of February reads. I do have a LOT of February reads. But, as I said above, everything hinges on the next couple of days.
Reviews Posted since my last Sunday Post:
- Love Will Tear Us Apart by CK McDonnell
- SPFBO No.1
- SPFBO No.2
- How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
- The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso
- Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
- The Vanishing Act of Margaret Small
- The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
Bear with me over the next few days. I started the New Year so happy and with great intentions but now – well, life is strange. That’s all I can say.
Friday Face Off : The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
13 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Ana Reyes, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, The House in the Pines
Today is the second week of a new Friday Face Off (a meme originally created by Books by Proxy) – similar in many ways to what came before but different going forward. From 2023 I will no longer be posting prompts or themes to guide cover choices. Instead, having noticed that many of my most recent reads have had more than one cover, I thought instead it would be a change to highlight something that I’m keen to shine the focus on. So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is a very recent read that I enjoyed although it didn’t quite work out as well as I’d expected. That being said I would recommend it, it was intriguing but had slight pacing issues in the middle. The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes.
Here are the covers:
My favourite this week is :
Which cover is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeriesby Heather Fawcett
12 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I need more of this
This book had me hook, line and sinker within virtually the first few pages. I simply adored it and can’t wait for more. I suspect that this will be firmly on a lot of ‘best of lists’ by the end of the year and in fact, because I managed to squeeze this in at the end of December it made my list for 2022. I don’t know how much more gushing I can provide to tempt you to pick this up but if you enjoy scholarly style stories told in journal format by a slightly prickly professor with a love for anything fae set during the 1900s and with a mystery running through its core, not to mention a sprinkling of romance, delicious banter and chemistry and an adorable dog. Here you go. My work here is complete (nearly anyways).
I won’t go overboard with descriptions of the story itself serve to say we have a Cambridge Professor who has made it her ambition to pull together the most comprehensive encyclopedia of faeries. Of course this requires extensive research and as the story begins Emily has arrived at the remote village of Hrafnsvik in Scandinavia. The weather is inhospitable and the inhabitants of the small village only slightly warmer (as first appearances go). Of course, Emily is something of a prickly pear herself with more interest in her studies that in people, feelings and polite conversation so she frequently misreads situations and blunders around creating awkward situations as she fails to think of social conventions and basic niceties. Emily soon realises that she’s going to need to curry some favour if she’s to complete her research in time and what do you know, assistance arrives in the form of Wendell Bambleby, a colleague of Emilly’s who is perhaps her polar opposite. Wendell has a languid charm, good looks and a certain form of arrogance that could be irritating I suppose but I found the unexpected friendship between the two worked really well.
So, what did I love about this?
Firstly, I love the period this is told in. The writing lends itself really well and the two central characters, both respected scholars, have a somewhat elaborate way of talking and writing that I just loved. I wouldn’t call this a stickler for historic detail in terms of dialogue and social conventions but for me this has all the charm without being too fussy – which is something I love. And, I will say that the dialogue is just wonderful and amusing.
I’m a complete pushover when it comes to journal style narration. I really liked Emily and it was a pleasure to read her thoughts. She has a no nonsense approach to things, quite often walking into potentially difficult or threatening situations with quiet confidence. I mentioned that she can be prickly but at the same time she doesn’t mean to give offence, it’s simply that she speaks her mind and sometimes others take umbridge and so reading her thoughts, as she jots the days events down, was so refreshing because quite often she’s baffled and trying to work out where she went wrong.
The plot is intriguing. There’s plenty of fae shenanigans and in fact the story takes a very dramatic turn which I certainly didn’t foresee. There’s plenty of tricksy behaviour and the author manages to instill darkness and threat with changelings and other fae who are yet more dangerous.
There is a romance – and not only does it not overwhelm the plot (which could be laid at Emily’s door as she is absolutely determined not to see Wendell in that light at all) but it’s delightful to read.
I really enjoyed Fawcett’s style. This book is utterly charming, although it certainly has dark elements so be aware of that, but the writing is so good. I got a fantastic feel for the place, the people and the fae and it all flowed so well with an easy pacing that made it impossible to stop reading.
I should probably leave it there. I’ve no doubt gushed enough for one review. Lets just this is an absolute gem of a book, Whimsical, witty and absolutely charming.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Devil’s Playground by Craig Russell
11 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't Wait Wednesday, Craig Russell, The Devil's Playground, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The Devil’s Playground by Craig Russell. Here’s the description and cover:
A riveting 1920s Hollywood thriller about the making of the most terrifying silent film ever made, and a deadly search for the single copy rumored still to exist. This is the breakout from Craig Russell, author of The Devil Aspect.
1927: Mary Rourke—a Hollywood studio fixer—is called urgently to the palatial home of Norma Carlton, one of the most recognizable stars in American silent film. Norma has been working on the secret film everyone is openly talking about…a terrifying horror picture called The Devil’s Playground that is rumored to have unleashed a curse on everyone involved in the production. Mary finds Norma’s cold, dead body, and she wonders for just a moment if these dark rumors could be true.
1967: Paul Conway, a journalist and self-professed film aficionado, is on the trail of a tantalizing rumor. He has heard that a single copy of The Devil’s Playground—a Holy Grail for film buffs—may exist. He knows his Hollywood history and he knows the film endured myriad tragedies and ended up lost to time.
The Devil’s Playground is Craig Russell’s tour de force, a richly researched and constructed thriller that weaves through the Golden Age of Hollywood and reveals a blossoming industry built on secrets, invented identities, and a desperate pursuit of image. As Mary Rourke charges headlong through the egos, distractions, and traps that threaten to take her down with the doomed production, she discovers a truth far more sinister than she—or we—would imagine. This is Craig Russell’s strongest novel to date, and one that will resonate with American readers.
Expected publication : June 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books for 2023 (first half)
10 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Anticipated books 2023, That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s topic:
Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023
It’s my first Top Ten Tuesday for quite some time so I couldn’t resist looking at some of my forthcoming releases: All books are linked to Goodreads should you wish to check out the descriptions. (Ahem, I may have unwittingly sneaked in an extra books!)
January
The Drift by CJ Tudor
The Muse by Laura Purcell
All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce
February
The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan
The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce
March
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller
April
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
May
Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill
Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Liked but didn’t love it
I will start this review with the positives. I certainly think this is an impressive and fairly unique debut, Ana Reyes succeeds in creating a great atmosphere and I enjoyed her style and would be keen to pick up any books she writes in the future. I also enjoy a story told in a dual perspective and added to that a slightly unreliable narrator and you have my attention. But, I felt like the pacing was off a little – for me at least anyways. I reached a stage where I was becoming a bit annoyed, at this point, instead of enjoying the suspense I found myself becoming frustrated. This could of course be my reading mood at the time but I just felt too much ‘drag’.
Anyway, a little about the plot.
As the story begins we meet Maya, in a loving relationship and living in Boston. However, look a little closer and it turns out that Maya is keeping secrets. She has become addicted to painkillers to try to keep at bay the mysterious death of her best friend and is really struggling with withdrawal because her supply has dried up. On top of this, after witnessing a strange YouTube video in which a young woman dies unexpectedly her memories from that time begin to creep back in unwanted – the reason being, the unknown man in the video, who was talking to the woman just before she keeled over, is Frank, Maya’s love interest when her own best friend died in similar circumstances. Maya decides to return to her home to finally search for answers.
There is so much here that is done very well. I got a great feel for Maya and her best friend Aubrey. They have a close friendship until Maya’s interest in Frank begins to drive a wedge between the two, ultimately leading to jealousy. The relationship between Maya and Frank is also really well done. Frank seems to be too good to be true. He’s elusive and mysterious, giving very little away about himself whilst at the same time manipulating Maya who seems to experience disturbing memory lapses during his presence, which she generally puts down to time flying when she is in his company. He’s an unusual character, his charm barely masking a general feeling of something more sinister lurking beneath the surface. You have an overall ‘bad’ feeling about him.
The story jumps back and forth to Maya’s highschool days and the present time (approx 7 years later) when she’s trying to kick addiction, hold down a job, keep her relationship steady and discover the missing elements of that mysterious summer from her past. On the whole I enjoy a split timeline and that was the case here. Between the past and present we jump back to the strange encounter with Frank and the author begins to lay the trail of crumbs that something is not quite right. At the same time we jump forward to the present where Maya struggles with her withdrawal and begins slowly to recall events from the past.
I mentioned the atmosphere. On the face of it this is a regular story where something just feels off – mainly anything in relation to Frank – but steadily Reyes builds up the tension. I can’t deny I was fascinated to read the final scene with Aubrey and found the jaunts to the house in the woods equally compelling and would have liked more.
Okay, the only thing that really held me back here was the pacing. I definitely felt myself flagging by the middle. Of course I was desperate to know what was really going on so I was turning the pages like a maniac but, put simply, for me the eventual reveal was too drawn out and in fact, considering how quickly the ending then rushed in it felt a little unbalanced. I must also mention that the unreliable narrator feels as though it is slightly overused (although I usually like it)- or perhaps I’ve simply read to many similar books recently.
Regardless of my slight reservations I do think this was a good read and the conclusion felt unique to me. I enjoyed the writing and would love to see what this author comes up with next.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating is 3 of 5 stars
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
I’m trying to get back into the habit of doing a round-up of the week just completed and also take a look at my plans for the forthcoming week. I rather got out of the habit of doing so but I would like to reinstate this type of post as I feel it keeps me on track. So, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberly’s Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Books read this week:
I was shocked to realised that I didn’t post a wrap up last week – whoops – I was obviously getting carried away with the holiday festivities. Plus my daughter came to stay which was lovely so less time for reading and blogging. In other news I’ve finally shaken off the lurgy, I still feel tired if I over exert myself but otherwise I feel good. That being said my dad has just gone into hospital which is very worrying. Hopefully he will be better soon but in the meantime it’s a bit distracting so if I go missing on here that’s probably why.
So, firstly, Happy New Year to everyone. In reading news I managed to complete The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes. I also managed to fit in The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso which is the third and final book in the Rooks and Ruin series and was a very dramatic conclusion. The past week I’ve been reading Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie which is very good and also listening to what is perhaps a strange choice for me, the Vanishing Act of Margaret Small by Neil Alexander. It’s an easy listen that I hope to complete soon.
Next Week’s Reads:
Hopefully I’ll complete my two current reads fairly quickly as I’m close to the end of both and then I have three books that I’m very excited to get to. All The Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce, The Drift by CJ Tudor and The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell. Literally, I’m so excited for these three books. Fingers crossed they live up to my lofty expectations.
Reviews Posted since my last Sunday Post:
None for the past week – I need to catch up.
- Love Will Tear Us Apart by CK McDonnell
- SPFBO No.1
- SPFBO No.2
- Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
- How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
- The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
- The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso
I shall be trying to fit in a few reviews more than usual in the next couple of weeks in a bid to catch up. Wish me luck
Friday Face Off : Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
6 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Friday Face off, Heather Fawcett
Today is the start of a new Friday Face Off (a meme originally created by Books by Proxy) – similar in many ways to what came before but different going forward. From 2023 I will no longer be posting prompts or themes to guide your cover choices. Instead, having noticed that many of my most recent reads have had more than one cover, I thought instead it would be a change to highlight something that you’re keen to shine the focus on. So, from today onwards come up with one of your reads that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
This week the book I’ve chosen was one of the very last books that I crammed into the end of the year and I loved it, it even made my favourites list of the year. I’ve not posted a review yet but that will soon be happening. For now, let’s take a look at the book, and more importantly the covers.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde #1) by Heather Fawcett.
Here are the covers:
These are all lovely covers. The last cover is the one I’m must familiar with and it is a gorgeous cover that really drew my eye. However, my favourite this week is :
The reason I’ve chosen this one, apart from it’s a beautiful design of course, but at the same time if you look closely enough it clearly makes reference to some of the darker elements in the story, and given this is a book about tricksy fae, I like that this one has a more ominous feel.
Which cover is your favourite?
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
The Good Intentions Book Tag
Last year, about this time, I came up with my Good Intentions Book Tag. Put bluntly I’m not very good at sticking to resolutions so instead decided to come up with a tag based around the most popular ‘resolutions for this time of year. Today I’m going to look back at that list and also come up with some new intentions for the next twelve months. This is my Good Intentions Book Tag – after all you can have good intentions at any point in the year:
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Exercise more : This is a book that is a real chunkster, in fact you will need help to even pick this book up:
Last year I came up with a great chunky book for this prompt. Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff – and unfortunately I still haven’t got round to picking this one up. Whoops. I did squeeze in a backlist read that was also something of a chunkster though so I’m going to say that things even out. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky. Guess I’ll have to make Empire of the Vampire this year’s book.
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Lose weight : A book that is not a chunkster; a short story or novella. A book you could probably read in one sitting:
Last year I read Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente. This year I’m going to go with a book that I really enjoyed by an author that I really like. Western inspired with demons and angels. Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse. I would be overjoyed if this is a world that the author decides to revisit.
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Eat healthy : A book that is good for you. This is a book that made you feel so happy that you wanted to give it a big hug:
The book I highlighted last year for this prompt was The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow which I will say, one more time at least, is a beautiful book. This year, one of my reads that gave me all the gooey vibes (well I did have more than one but have decided to go for just the one) Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
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Fulfill your ambitions : A book that has a lot going on. Plenty of different threads, points of views and action but everything eventually comes together in a very satisfactory fashion:
For this prompt last year I went with The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley (#1 Ashes of the Unhewn Thrown). Which was a fantastic read and on my ‘best of‘ list and likewise the book I’ve chosen this year was also one of my favourite reads of 2022. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandell
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Spend more time with the family : A series of books that you love and that has developed more than you ever anticipated:
I used the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs for this prompt. It’s a series that I’m loving although I need to check and see if I’m uptodate or not. The latest series that has a great ‘found’ family feel and I just love it is the Stranger Times Series by CK McDonnell. I am adoring this series and can’t get enough of it.
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Tick off an item from your bucket list : Reduce the tbr. Choose a book from Mount TBR that you would like to read this year:
Well, I admit I failed with this particular prompt. Last year I highlight two books – and to be perfectly honest I’m going to choose the same two books. I’m absolutely determined to read both of these. T
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. I’ve seen some excellent reviews for this one and I’m excited to read it.
And, December Park by Ronald Malfi because I read and loved his latest book Come With Me (in fact it’s on my ‘Best of’ list this year and so I wanted to check out some of his earlier books.
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Save money : A book that was an absolute bargain – you would have to be crazy in fact not to have bought this book:
I bought The Hollow Places by T Kingfisher last year for the bargain price of £1.99 for kindle. I’m loving this author and so would like to pick this one up this year.
This year I managed to snag a few bargains and one that I’m very keen to pick up is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
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Get Organised : A book with a glossary, maps, useful words, lists of people – this book is one helpful book, it wants you to know ALL the things and it’s not afraid to use footnotes and other devices to help you do so:
I choose a great book for this last year and one that I heartily recommend Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. This year I’ve gone for the second in series. The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne – not only a fantastic second instalment but it also includes a list of characters and a map.
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Start a new hobby : A book that is outside your comfort zone. Perhaps everyone was raving about this book, maybe it was over-hyped, you hesitated to pick it up in fact, but when you did – you loved it:
Finally, a book that is outside of my comfort zone. To clarify, for the most part I read SFF, I also like to read a little crime/thriller/horror and also some history. So, I’m not really going to include those in books that fall outside my usual reading zone. I’ve gone for romance. Last year I chose The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. I loved this book when I read it and still have lovely memories of it – it would be interesting to reread it actually to see if I still feel the same way.
This year I chose a lovely book, A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. I loved this, and whilst I’ve chosen it for the romance elements it also has fantasy and murder mystery with it’s pages.
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That’s my top ten Good Intentions Book Tag which compares last year to this.
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Only One Left by Riley Sager
4 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, Riley Sager, The Only One Left, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The Only One Left by Riley Sager. The description for this one is fantastic.
Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.
At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dea
As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.
Expected publication : June 2023
2022 Recap
I read some great books in 2022. Here’s my ‘Best of‘ list for the year where I finally managed to choose 10 absolute favourites. Today, I want to take a look at some of my other reads from last year and spread the love. Let’s take a little backtrack month by month:
January got off to a great start. My first read for 2022 was The Maid by Nita Prose which I loved. Quirky and unusual. A bit out of my usual reading zone but it was such a lovely read that I highly recommend.
January was a great month but obviously I’m not going to simply list all my books. That being said I have to give a little shout out to The Great witch of Brittany by Louisa Morgan and The Haunting of Las Lagrimas by WM Cleese. Check out my reviews, witchy goodness and may I say I love the way Louisa Morgan writes and the ghostly Las Lagrimas is a little more of an old style story that gave me the creeps.
Skipping ahead to the shorter month of February I had a few good reads, one of which is already on my Best Of list. On top of that I read another Lucy Foley book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Paris Apartment This is a great read where the apartment block itself is almost like one of the characters. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.
Next up I have to mention one of my SPFBO books from the month of March, Shadows of Ivory by T.L. Greylock and Bryce O’Connor was such a good read (note to self to check out if book 2 is out!). I also read Sundial by Catriona Ward – an author who is simply on fire at the moment. I love her dark imagination.
April was a very quiet month for me with family issues taking over and leaving me little time to read or blog. I managed to squeeze in three of my SPFBO books and I also made a start on the latest John Gwynne book – again this has already been highlighted on my Best Of list so I won’t go over the same ground here. May was a crazy hectic reading month and in fact four of the books I read were favourite reads. On top of that I also loved The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper,Elektra by Jennifer Saint ,Black Tide by KC Jones and The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow by Rachel Aaron.
June was another lovely reading month and two books in particular that I’d like to highlight are The Path of Thorns by AG Slatter which is a gorgeous gothic read with fairytale vibes. Stringers by Chris Panatier was my second book by this author and I think it’s definitely cemented him as an auto read for me. I loved Stringers. So original and a lot of fun.
July and August were again fairly quiet months but still with some excellent reads. Old Country by Matt Query – this is a very creepy story indeed – gave me a case of the heebie jeebies. Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi another fabulous book by this author who I first discovered through Come With Me. Highly recommended. Finally, a wonderful debut novel by Mitriel Faywood called A Gamble of Gods (to be honest I read this earlier in the year but I held onto my review to be closer to release date) A wild combination of fantasy, sci fi, romance that takes place in an eclectic bunch of settings ranging from off planet to contemporary.
September was a busy month with some excellent reads. Two of my SPFBO books stood out in particular, The Blood of Crows by Alex C Pierce and Between Ink and Shadows by Melissa Wright.
I tried to fit a few dark books in for October plus a few what I’d call Halloween reads. Cackle by Rachel Harrison was a great witchy read that makes me want to pick up more books by this author.
I don’t know how I managed it but I was on a roll during November managing to squeeze in 12 books. I’ve already highlighted a number of these during my Countdown to 2023 so would give mentions now to The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke and The Creeper by AM Shine.
Which brings me to the final month of the year. December. I managed to read the last in the Rooks and Ruin series by Melissa Caruso which was a very dramatic and satisfying finale (review yet to follow) and The Cloisters by Katy Hays, I loved this, gothic, dark academia – just my cup of tea.
Don’t forget to check out my best of list and here’s to another great year of reading in 2023. My complete list of books read in 2022 is here (although it needs some updating).
Happy 2023 to everyone 😀
Best of the Best
1 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alice Feeney, Best of the Best, Emily St John Mandel, Heather Fawcett, John Gwynne, Mark Lawrence, Quenby Olson, Richard swan, Sarah Pinborough, ST Gibson, T Kingfisher
Every year, around this time, I pull together a top ten list of books that I’ve read. This is usually a difficult choice because over the course of 12 months I usually manage to fit in a good number of books and given that I don’t force myself to read those that I’m not enjoying these are mostly all good reads. This year is no exception although for once (in perhaps 15 years) I haven’t read 100 books. This is a new all time low for me which I put down to a mid year hiatus where I read and blogged very little. My reading is back to normal now, I’m pleased to say, and I have plenty of great books to look forward to so far this year. So, this is part 1 of my ‘Best of’ list. I’ll be doing a further post to highlight some of my other great reads but this is about choosing my absolute favourites. Without further ado:
January
The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence
In a nutshell. This book has so many winning elements. A thrilling adventure. A twisted ending. Characters that you can love (and hate), a jaw dropping conclusion and also one that is packed with emotion and a series that manages to be fantasy and science fiction combined.
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
This story compelled me to keep turning the pages into the early hours. I loved the choice of narrator, the world is developed with (more than likely) deceptive ease, the murder mystery is intriguing and more complex than first meets the eye and, well, put simply, it just won me over so easily and quickly. I can’t wait to read the second instalment which is now waiting on my shelves.
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
I would say that not only did I like Insomnia but I liked it even more than Behind Her Eyes. It’s a perfect jumble of crazy mixed up, spiralling out of control, sleepless insanity. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on it turned out I was wrong and I just love the way that the ending is totally out there – let’s just say #wtfthatending
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
Gwynne is an author who excels at action scenes and all them are breathtakingly described. I had my heart in my throat every time shields locked wondering whether any favourites would fall under the axe. There’s also wonderful moments of camaraderie and banter, or cunning snippets of other scenes playing out and weaving the story together. The pacing is just so well planned and I loved the way that as the story progresses you have these shorter chapters that really pack a punch and I have to acknowledge it drove my reading on into the early hours with the age old ‘just one more chapter’.
Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher
Fairytale style stories are absolutely one of my favourite reads and I’m always on the lookout for more. This is an author that I hadn’t read before but have wanted to do so for quite some time and now, with the benefit of Nettle and Bone under my belt, I can genuinely say that I will be visiting all her previous books. I loved this book so much. It’s full of everything that I enjoy, it’s got elements of old fairy tales but as the same time feels unique. It takes us on a wild ride to a far away kingdom. There are princesses in distress, people who can talk to the dead, a dog that came back to life, amazing characters and the beginnings of a sweet romance.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandell
I am in complete awe of this author and can’t even begin to outline how impressive this book is. On the face of it this is a standalone story that fundamentally connects the lives of four people who share an experience through a strange anomaly, a glitch in the system if you will, that in the future will be scrutinised and investigated by a time travel agency. Dig a little deeper and this novel actually brings together elements from the author’s previous works (definitely The Glass Hotel and also I think Station Eleven) in the most eye popping feat. If that wasn’t enough, one of the characters is an author herself, of a post apocalyptic book that has become a bestseller. There are so many little twists and turns in this book all finished off with a mouth dropping conclusion that is simply brilliant. Read it – please.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
I picked this one up and was immediately intrigued with the storytelling voice. There’s an almost ethereal feel to the way the narrative is delivered and this is strengthened by the unusual setting and the dysfunctional family that we are introduced to. Feeney starts out with a captivating hook, she then lets us run on the line enjoying the freedom to explore the remote setting and the histrionics of the Darker family before reeling us in to a climatic and dramatic grand finale. Brilliant.
A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson
I will say from the outset that I loved this. I was gripped from beginning to end and couldn’t put it down. This is my catnip. Retelling famous stories from the point of view of side characters, victims or misunderstood characters is popular without a doubt at the moment and I for one am enjoying this trend. Dowry of Blood is no exception. Take the classic vampire story, Dracula, and take a look at him and his life through the eyes of three of his ‘children’. Dracula’s chosen ones. A story with a message.
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
Miss Percy is an absolutely delightful, regency period, fantasy of manners style story that won me over with ease. The writing is wonderful, the plot is well thought out and totally absorbing, the characters are Austen-eque but with a slightly more uptodate sensibility and for those readers out there who usually shy away from fantasy elements, but who are in good need of a period drama, I implore you to give it a try, because, whilst I cannot deny that the inclusion of a dragon definitely falls most firmly into the realm of make-believe, the way this story is told, it feels almost less sensational than forgetting to wear a bonnet. Please give it a try, I’d love to discuss your thoughts about this one.
Emily Wilde Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
I don’t have a link to a review for this book yet as it’s a recent read that I’ll be posting about shortly. I did love this book though and highly recommend it. Simply superb.
Books and travelling with Lynn 