Hello!
I am here with a late Febuary 2018 Wrap Up! Still not really reaching the whole consistent blogging but fingers crossed I can get more organised this month and do the things.😂 Maybe by the end of the year you’ll get regular blog posts for me.
Tag: Fantasy
Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Publisher: Orchard Books
Published: 4 January 2018
Rating: 5 stars
“I know better than to be afraid of stories.”
December 2017 Wrap Up
Hello!
I am here with my December 2017 Wrap Up! These are the book I read in December.
I read a total of 6 books—2 YA, 3 Historical Fiction, and 1 Fantasy.
T5W: Genre Benders
Hi again! It’s been ages since I’ve done one of these and it’s Wednesday so why not? Today’s topic is Genre Benders – in other words those books that seem to defy genre labels.
This was last weeks topics but I was struggling to think of anything for this week’s topic so I’m just going to go with it.
Top 5 Wednesday was created over on BookTube by the wonderful Laniey at gingerreadslaniey and run by the lovely Sam of Thoughts on Tomes . Also you can check out the Goodreads page for past and future topics.
The books are listed in no particular order.
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
If you’ve been around my blog or Instagram for a while you may notice that I’ve become completely obsessed with Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. This book is one the list because I think it’s been marketed as a romance, which it definitely is, but that doesn’t take away from the urban fantasy, sci-fi elements that help to round out this world.
If you’re looking for a urban series that is filled with political intrigue and swoon worthy romances please, please pick this up!
Bayou Born by Hailey Edwards
This books is part detective mystery, part urban fantasy. I know it’s being marketed as an urban fantasy but the detective procedure is just as important to the plot. Which maybe a trope in urban fantasy but I still wanted to mention it!
Sound interesting I have uploaded a full review if you want to know more!
Cross Stitch/Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Time travel, romance all set in the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century. This was the first historical time travel novel and I, like everyone else, am completely in love with it. Diana has done a fantastic job of balancing the sci fi and historical elements.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Adventure, coming of age, romance, fantasy, retelling and historical fiction are just a few of the genres I can think that fits this novel. Madeline weaves together all these elements seamlessly in her beautifully lyrical writing. This is one of my favourite books of all time because it’s one of the few that actually shows the romance between Achilles and Patroclus. Highly, highly recommend!
Cassandra by Kerry Greenwood
Kerry Greenwood bring the myth of the Trojan War to life complete with the fantastical Gods and well researched time setting. Myth and history intertwine to give voice to silenced Trojan Princess, Cassandra.
I have a full review of this one if you’re interested! This one might be hard to track down if you don’t like in Australia, but trust me it’s worth the effort if you do!
That’s all for me. Comment down below and let me know if you’ve read any of these or some of your favourite genre defying books.
Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna
Bayou Born
Author: Hailey Edwards
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Published: 31 October 2017
Rating: 4 stars
‘The urge to pat him came out of nowhere. One did not pat grown men in praise for learning a new trick.’
I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.
This book is a mystery, thriller all wrapped up in an urban fantasy bow. Bayou Born follows the story of strange wild child who was found in the swampy bayou of Canton, Mississippi. She had no memories, no family and is covered in mysterious markings; swirls of metal bands embedded into her skin. The policeman, Edward Boudreau, who rescued her, adopts her. 15 years later Luce follows in the footsteps of her beloved father and joins the police force determined to prove her worth and distance herself from her controversial past.
Luce and her partner, Rixton, are working on finding missing girl, Angel Claremont, when there’s a call about a body in the swamp. On arrival they discover this isn’t the girl they were looking for because of the strange markings on her skin. Markings that match Luce’s own. A freelance security group called The White Horse show up on the scene to help. They’ve been hired by Angel’s parents to help with the rescue effort. The security group stays to help fish out the unconscious Jane Doe. Hope blooms within Luce. Maybe this is her chance to find out about her past, a chance to learn about her markings and her family. From here the story unfolds with Luce trying to find the missing girl and helping Jane Doe. However, there’s more of a battle ahead than Luce could possibly imagine. She may be an orphan without a past, but no one – including Luce herself – could ever be prepared for the truth of her dark, powerful destiny.
This was a fantastic start to a new series. The world building was amazing. I really enjoyed that we got to spend time with Luce and get to know the cases she’s working on before the fantastical elements kicked in. It was like the more Luce unraveled in the case the more it became obvious that it wasn’t the work of a regular person. The magic elements went in a direction that I did not expect but I super glad they did. I haven’t read many books like it.
I love seeing the relationship Luce had formed and how different they were. I also adore that a female friendship, between Luce and schoolteacher, Maggie, was at the heart of this novel. These relationships are hugely important to see especially given the bullying and ostracised nature of how the other people in Canton treat her.
Luce herself is a well-crafted character. Yes she is snarky and gives off a vibe of apathy but that’s not all. We see just how much she does care through her relentless word effort. She wants to fit it so much, despite what she may say, that she join a career where the staff take care of one another. Her humor is darkly funny and at time self-deprecating which again is another layer to keep her from being venerable. I found her highly relatable.
I cannot wait for the second book! So many questions left unsaid. Highly recommend for any urban fantasy fan out there.
October 2017 Wrap Up
Hello!
I am here with my October 2017 Wrap Up! These are the book I read in October, I kinda failed on the horror, spooky reading but hey Halloween is every day so I’ll get to all those spooky books sometime.
I read a total of 11 books which was way more than I thought. I read 1 Poetry Collection, 1 Middle Grade, 1 Historical Fiction, 1 Horror and 7 Fantasy.
Onto the ratings!
Dust of Many
Author: Brian M. Oldham
Published: December 2017
Rating: 4 stars
‘My hopes are my own,” she replied, squeezing Minia’s hand. “No one owns my dreams.”
I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.
The Sarpathian people are under rule of a barbaric nation after the catastrophic defeat on the pains of Godsfeld. Their emperor, Leo Dillianos of the House of Lily was dethroned and sent to live out the rest of his days in exile; his heir, Serilla, taking in by their enemy; and the surviving soldier’s, like Ward Captain Hyde, lock in chains and sold as slaves. In the three years since that battle a revolution has been bubbling and is about ready to attack. Forgotten by myth and memory a long burnished power begins its ascension — a power that may redeem or end the world once and for all. Will the Sarpathian Empire survive or crumbling into the history books?
I picked this book up because I really loved the sound of the premise, however struggled a little with it at the start. This is because I haven’t read much traditional style, epic fantasy so this was new to me and took a bit of a learning curve. Overall it was Serilla’s character and the world that peaked my interest and kept me reading, which I’m so glad I did.
The book is split into four perspectives— exiled Emperor Leo Dillianos, Leo’s daughter and empress to be Serilla Dillianos, the traitorous, smoothing talking Tarjun and Sarpathian Ward Captain Hyde. Not all characters get an equal amount of chapters, in fact I’d say the two main protagonist are Serilla and Hyde.
We see every little of this world, but the little we see I’m already in love with. We see the castle of Sarpathia and the ruins of the city. We also get to experience the shocking hardships of the mines and gladiatorial arenas all covered in gritty sand and blistering heat. The magic in this world is quite subtle so far and I’m looking forward to seeing which direction Oldhamn takes it.
Overall this is a pretty great start to a new series! I have so many questions and I need to know the answers. Highly recommend if you’re interested in epic fantasy.
5 Star Book Predictions
Hello!
How are you? Tell me all the things you’re reading!
Today I thought I do something a little different and share with you 5 books I have yet to read but think will be 5 star reads. I’ve been wanting to do this since I saw Mercedes from Mercy’s Bookish Musings video. I think it’s a really interesting exercise in seeing just how well you know your own reading tastes.
So the way this works is that I will share with you 5 books I think will be new favourites and why I think so. Then, once I’ve read them all, I will come back and share my thoughts and rating and see if I was right.
Onto the books!
The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
I recently went to the Historical Novel Society of Australasia’s conference and got to hear Kate Forsyth talk — spoiler she was amazing! This book tells the story of Dortchen Wild the wife of Wilhelm Grimm and how she share fairytales with her husband. This sounds like it is going to be a perfect mix of fairytale and history and I can’t wait.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
I’ve had this book to me recommended so many times by people who I trust so I think I should just get to it. It was everything I love in a book, awesome historical setting, magic, young adult protagonist, with a bit of crime.
The Reckoning by Sharon Penman
For me, this might be a safe bet seeing how I have yet to give any Sharon Penman book less than 5 stars. But I thought I’d include it because it is the last in the series and that always worries me a little. This is the third in her Welsh Prince’s trilogy and follows Llewlyn, Prince of Wales who finds himself on a collision course with the feudal realm of Edward I.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
The Princess Bride is hands down one of my favourite movies, Westley was my first movie crush. I am hoping the book will also become a favourite. I have high hopes because William Goldman also wrote the screenplay. This story has everything; humour, fencing, fighting, true love, giants, revenge and pirates. What else do you need?
The Last Days of Leda Grey by Essie Fox
This is a book I brought because of the cover and I kept hearing about it. It’s not a period of history that I normally read but was one I saw drawn to after seeing it Historia Magazine. I haven’t hear anything else about this books but I’m excited. It follows silent actress, Leda Grey and her volatile love affair that left her recluse for over half a century.
That’s it for me. Comment down below and let me know what books you think will be 5 star reads.
Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
Author: Jessica Townsend
Publisher: Hachette Children’s Books Australia
Published: 10 October 2017
Rating: 5 stars
‘A tornado of questions swirled in her head, and all she could do was try to grab them as they flew by.’
I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.
Miss Morrigan Crow has known since she was born that she will die on Eventide. Although she is the daughter of the distinguished Chancellor Corvus Crow the people of Jackalfax, her family included, will not mourn her passing. Morrigan is wonderful and whimsical eleven-year-old girl, who is desperate to find family and appreciation, all the while resigned to accept the responsibility for all bad luck that plagues Jackalfax. This is the dark reality of being a cursed child. On the eve of Eventide Morrigan receives an invitation to the Wundrous Society sponsored by a man named Jupiter North. Survival and Nevermoor await her.
Morrigan Crow is a fantastic character. She finds herself as the blame of all kinds of disasters from a burnt batch of jam to a boy losing the spelling bee to the Crow’s gardener’s heart attack. But thanks to Jupiter she finds herself living in a hotel that adapts to its guests’ needs and mingles with a cast of crazy characters. She finds out that for her to stay in this wonderful world she must get into The Wundrous Society and in turn face four trails which aren’t what they seem.
This is why I love middle-grade fantasy. I flew through this. It was so much fun and at times suspenseful. There something about this genre that allows the worlds to be innovative, creative and refreshing. Cursed children, brolly rails, secret societies, giant talking cats, magic trails and my new favourite holiday, Hallowmas. Townsend has mixed the whimsy of worlds like Wonderland and Whoville with the dark humour of Lemony Snicket. The Trials of Morrigan Crow is a wondrous adventure, which will ignite the imagination of any reader.
Townsend hasn’t only created a relatable protagonist and an amazingly creative world; she also created a cast of amazing secondary characters. These characters are all well rounded and aren’t just there as props to support Morrigan. Jupiter North is really the child at the heart of this story. He is a mysterious man who is an explorer, hotel proprietor, member of the Wundrous Society and Morrigan’s Patron and guardian. I adore Morrigan and Jupiter’s friendship, mostly how the roles seem reversed with Morrigan being the reserved and sensible one. Along with Jupiter, we have, Fenestra the talking Magnificat, Jupiter’s broody nephew, Jack, a vampire dwarf, an opera singer whose voice summons woodland critters and Hawthorne, Morrigan friend and fellow competitor in the Wundrous Society trials. I adore all these characters and they have—Hawthorne and Jupiter especially—become some of my all-time favourite characters.
I have a feeling this book is going to create a new generation of readers much like Harry Potter did when I was a kid. Please, pretty please can we have some kind of TV or film adaptation! I need to see Nevermoor in Technicolor! All I can say is it’s going to be a long wait for the squeal and my Wundrous Society Invitation.
September 2017 Warp Up
Hello!
I am here with my September 2017 Wrap Up! These are the book I read in the second half of September. Since #TheReadingChallenge took place in the first half of the month and I’ve already wrapped up those books.
I read a total of 6 books which I am really happy about. I read 1 Picture Storybook, 1 Anthology, 1 YA, 1 Historical Fiction and 2 Fantasy.
Onto the ratings!
wordsoftheroses.com 