5 Biblioshelf Musings about…Mirage by Somaiya Daud [Spolier Free]

April 10, 2019 The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Series: Mirage
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy (YA)
Publication Date: 28^thAugust 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 320
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Mirage is the debut novel from Somaiya Daud and is the first instalment in this Middle Eastern style Fantasy/Sci-fi series. There’s friendship, romance, droids, mythology and an epic planetary world for you to get your teeth stuck into. Here’s five spoiler-free musings I had about this brilliant novel.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and will travel beyond her isolated moon. But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place. As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty – and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.

Maram vs Amani
Maram is supposed to be the villain of this story, yet somehow I found myself sympathising with her the more her character developed and extra details about her upbringing were revealed. Don’t get me wrong, she starts off quite cruel and nasty, however in reality she is just a product of the Vathek world she was raised in, thanks to her father King Mathis. Whether or not Maram is the tragic hero of the story is subjective but the relationship arc between her and Amani was probably my favourite part of the book. Amani’s character on the other hand was almost the opposite of Maram’s. A humble village girl who is stolen away from her family and made to live amongst the riches of the Royal Palaces. Sooner or later, she starts to embrace the world that she’s been forced into and takes on more than just the ‘body double’. The interactions between Maram and Amani and the role they play within the story was incredibly well-written and I found myself looking forward to the parts of the book where their characters would intersect. With the way Daud leaves the ending of the novel, I’m really intrigued to see what happens next to this pair of characters.

“Could I live my life knowing I’d never stepped close to such a flame? Could I exist in the Ziyaana knowing I had chosen my shadowed half life, had accepted a horrible changing in my soul, instead of reaching out with both hands with something that might remake me? Arinaas’s flame might char my skin and break my bones, but in the end I would emerge remade, newer and stronger and a version of myself no one could snuff out.”

Mythology
If you love mythology and fairytales, particularly those with an Arabian feel, then Mirage should appeal to you. Myths, legends and folklore are the undercurrent within the novel and this is what gives it that fantasy-like feel. The stories of the Tesleet bird and Massinia, to name just a few, help to pad the story out and give what is a relatively thin plot more substance. In turn, they also add to the amazing world-building created by Daud.

“Hope. Hard won, soaked in blood, a hope that burned as much as it lit her way.”

World-Building

First off, the map at the beginning of this book is gorgeous. There are so many places in the world of Andala. If I could hop on a space-shuttle right now, I absolutely would. The Ouamalich Star System is so wide and vast; there are many, many places listed in this fabulous world that Somaiya has created and whilst a lot of them are mentioned and visited, a fair few are left unexplored. I’m hoping that they will have a part to play in the future of the series. To back this up, the writing in Mirage is incredibly rich. It appeals to practically every sense…and then some! I love a story where the writing is lyrical and descriptive so this is probably why Mirage appealed to me so much.

“I could feel the water in the air, cool, thin, but there. It carried with it the smell of lemons and oranges, and the sound of a hundred trees, waving gently in the wind.”

The Vathek
The Vathek are really the main drivers for the plot in this story. After all, they are the ones who have taken over the Andala Star System and imposed their rule. That being said, I would have liked so much more of the Vathek from this book. The storyline is fairly narrow and thin: girl gets taken from her home moon to be the body double of the princess and then faces the challenges that being the heir of an invasive regime brings. There’s a backdrop of a resistance which is lightly touched upon, the beginnings of a romance, which is subtle and twee but that (being honest) I didn’t really buy into. I can’t really explain why the Vathek wanted to take over Andala or what their motivations are within the book. We don’t really see a lot of King Mathis at all and to me, he is supposed to be the real villain as opposed to Maram. Hopefully these will get picked up more within the next book.

“In my experience, fear and hatred are great motivators for great evils.”

Sci-Fi vs Fantasy
Is Mirage Sci-fi? Is it Fantasy?
If you’re not a Sci-fi fan, don’t be put off by the fact that this book takes place in a star system…it really isn’t your classical sci-fi novel. When Maram is first described as half-Vathek, I had some strange image in my head that she was half-human/half-robot. I don’t tend to read a lot of Sci-fi stories and for the first part of this book, I couldn’t really get my head around the fact that all of the characters in the story are human beings. The only real Sci-fi parts are the fact that they live on planets and moons in a star system, travel between those planets and moons on space-crafts and use droids as their servants. (Note to self: Vatheks are not robots!) Other than that, the rest of the novel has a fantasy-like feel. It is rich in terms of characters, both living and mythological. You can easily forget that this story takes place in a star system far, far away.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Mirage. The best way I can think to describe it is like an Arabian Star Wars story (I even pictured King Mathis as a bit like Darth Vadar if I’m being totally honest). It’s got brilliant female characters, an incredibly exotic world and a folklore all of its own. Daud really has the scope and ability to turn Mirage into a thrillingly exciting series, I can’t wait to see if she takes us there!

Have you read Mirage? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Top Ten Tuesday – Outrageous Things I’ve Done For the Love of Books

April 9, 2019April 8, 2019 The Biblioshelf3 Comments

Hey there Bibliofriends,

It’s Top Ten Tuesday time again! TTT is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme was the top ten outrageous things I’ve done for the love of books.

Now there is no way I can think of ten outrageous things I’ve done for the love of books. Being an INFJ personality type I’m only really outrageous in my head as opposed to my actions. In fact, apart from one anecdote which I’ll be sharing with you below, I don’t think I have actually done anything that outrageous for the love of books.

Without bursting into a Cher song, if I could turn back time I probably would have been one of those people in fancy dress queuing up outside their local Waterstones at midnight waiting for the release of the latest Harry Potter…that would be pretty outrageous…

I once got my friend to rip off part of an open wallpaper roll in John Lewis so I could use it as a background for a Bookstagram theme, which consequently was never used. I was worried we’d be chased down by store assistants or the alarms would go off when we left with it but they didn’t. At the time that felt kind of outrageous…

But probably the most outrageous thing I’ve ever done for the love of books is that I stole a book. Confession time! Let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time, there was a young girl called The Biblioshelf. To save her from utter boredom during the long summer break, her friend invited her on holiday with two strangers whom she had never met before. They boarded a flying metal can (commonly known as an aeroplane) where they were packed into plasticky seats like tinned sardines. Less than two hours later they were heaving their suitcases up the steep, cobbled paths of Edinburgh.
By day the girl spent her time wandering alone around the city; taking Harry Potter tours, visiting the Palace of Holyrood, exploring the Castle and climbing Arthur’s Seat. When the darkness came, her friend and the strangers would take her to comedy events and shows which formed part of a festival called The Fringe. From the Underbelly to Cowgate, The Banshee Labyrinth to Stramash, they took The Biblioshelf from place to place making her watch shows where people would tell jokes or funny anecdotes. Afterwards they would wile away the midnight hours and end up in bars along the Royal Mile singing and dancing with yet more strangers and their guitars.
On one of these nights, whilst seeking a table in an upstairs mezzanine of a loud folk bar, The Biblioshelf felt a gravitational pull to a nook towards the rear of the bar. There, hidden in a gloomy, unlit alcove near a large squashy sofa was a grand bookcase which was filled from floor to ceiling with books. Sitting upon the sofa, the girl immediately began perusing the spines, her eyes taking in the riches before her. One such tome seemed to call out to her and she pulled it down from the shelf. The book was all about William Wallace, the famous Scottish Knight most notably played by Mel Gibson in the popular film Braveheart. Now that she held a little bit of Scottish history in the palms of her hands, she couldn’t bear to part with it. It would be the perfect souvenir and memento of her amazing trip.
Upon leaving the bar, before she even knew what she was doing, she slipped the book inside her coat. All night long she carried it around, tucked secretly away underneath the fabric. She kept the book hidden all of the way home, her friends not even noticing the crime that had taken place that evening right underneath their noses.

There you have it – not the most outrageous story you’ll ever hear and I’m sure I wasn’t the first or only person to take one of those books off that shelf from that bar. I honestly can’t even say why I did it but I still have that book about William Wallace sitting on my bookshelf at home. Every time I see it, it brings back extremely fond memories of a great trip to Edinburgh and is definitely the most outrageous thing I’ve ever done for the love of books.
P.S. – please don’t report me to Bibliostealers Anonymous!

What is the most outrageous thing you’ve ever done for the love of books? Share your stories in the comments or feel free to leave me a link to your blog.

T xx

Six for Sunday – Children’s Books I Love

April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 The Biblioshelf2 Comments

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

A new month brings a new bookish prompt in Six for Sunday world.

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme. April is all about children’s literature and as a primary school teacher I am definitely ready for ‘Kids Lit Represent’!

This Sunday, we are discussing children’s books we love. This was quite a difficult topic in many ways; not because I can’t think of any books I loved…but because as a child, I would always have my nose in a book. Many of them have a place in my heart for multiple reasons that I could probably write a Sixty for Sunday instead. I also feel that the meanings of books, or the reasons why you fell in love with them changes as you get older and the morals and messages translated within them also take on new life as society changes and adapts to our modern world. To me, this is why children’s literature is so fascinating; you could read it at different times or stages of your life and still take away something new.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Now… yes, I talk about this series a lot; yes, it features in nearly, but not every, list I write about books; yes, I am positive this comes under the umbrella of children’s books which is why it’s here!

Not only did this book keep my love for reading alive, even through those teenage years when “reading wasn’t cool unless you were reading Cosmo or one of your Nan’s Mills & Boon novels” (you can’t see me air-quoting and eye-rolling but believe me, I am…), it has also inspired so many children I have taught to actually pick up a book by choice rather than their Xbox or Nintendo and start to enjoy reading. That’s just one reason why I love it and why it’s here.

Wizziwig the Witch by Geraldine McCaughrean

When I was at primary school, my Mum was doing a course which involved going to the library a lot to use the computers; this was the 90s after all and we didn’t have one at home yet. When I went with her after-school, I would have the entire run of the Kids’ section, which was huge to a 7 year old. It was filled with squashy beanbags in reading nooks and was decorated with brightly painted animals on the walls. It really was a special place. Whilst there I read so many books, but one set that stood out was a set all about Wizziwig the Witch by Geraldine McCaughrean. I’ve mentioned them in a previous post but I never see these books anymore so they’re probably out of print. I’d hire them out of the library multiple times just to reread them. There was one with a crazy cooker, a singing car, a sweet machine and I’m sure there was another one with either a washing machine…or it could have been a time machine! Either way, I loved these books so much that I wanted to grow up and BE Wizziwig!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This was my first ever Roald Dahl book and it was a prize won from cereal tokens. I remember collecting the tokens, sending them off, then sitting on the stairs every morning waiting for my book to come in the post. When it did…😍Roald Dahl really is a staple in any children’s literature list; his storytelling is amazing and his books just seem to have an edge that others didn’t. Perhaps it was because he made up words such as ‘snozzcumber’, or perhaps it was because he created a plethora of amazing characters which were either talking animals, dream-eating giants or witches who hated children. I could have included any of his books here, but the whole pretense of waiting for a book to arrive in the post – let’s face it, this was my first ever book mail – and then finding out it’s all about a boy who inherits a chocolate factory…what kid wouldn’t love that!

Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood

As a child this book scared me slightly, however I used to know the words off by heart as it had lines which were repeated at certain points throughout the story and the plot was so cleverly constructed. Heckedy Peg is a witch who lures away a Mother’s children whilst she is out at the market. She turns them into items of food and their Mother, after she has tracked down Heckedy Peg, has to guess which of her children is which to break the spell and get them back. For children it’s a pretty frightening story which shows you what can happen if you disobey your parents and let strangers into your house. The illustrations were fantastic and highly detailed too.

The Red Herring Mystery by Paul Adshead

Part story, part activity book I loved trying to solve the mystery of who stole the ruby red herring. You had to use the text and the pictures to solve the clues and work out who the thief was. In true crime novel style, all of the characters had a hidden motive and backstory which attempted to catch you out. All of the pictures in the book also had a number of hidden fish and you had to try and find them all. It kept me entertained for ages and is still on my bookshelves today.

Flotsam by David Wiesner

Although this is a picture book it is one of my all-time favourites. It was the winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2007. I only discovered it a few years ago when I went on some English training for school. The two ladies who lead the course showed us how you could plan an entire curriculum topic just from that one book. It’s really changed my attitude to teaching through texts in the classroom. The illustrations are stunning and the story takes a few twists and turns that you don’t expect. I’d strongly recommend any teacher, or anyone who loves picture books to pick Flotsam up.

Looking back on this now, I can see why I tend to read so many fantasy stories. They’re all about witches or magic on some way, shape or form. Others that didn’t quite make my list are:

Anything from Usbourne where you had to try and fins the duck hidden in the illustrations
Where’s Wally– can you tell I like finding things in pictures…?
Care of Henry by Anne Fine– A cute dog story where the cover had Henry’s name fit really snuggly onto his collar.
Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley– I read this in secondary school and bought a copy for myself a few years back.
The Queen’s Knickers by Nicholas Allan– another great one for the classroom!
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt(illustrations by Oliver Jeffers) – another great teaching resource

What would make your top list of children’s books you love? Have you read any of the ones on my list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

Enjoy your Sunday Bibliofriends!

T xx

O.W.L.s Magical Readathon – April TBR

April 6, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Hey Bibliofriends!

I already posted my Spring TBR in a Top Ten Tuesday post which you can read here.

But then… I discovered the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon hosted by Book Roast, who I must say has put in a commendable and tremendous amount of work to make the accompanying booklets that go with this readathon. As soon as I saw it, all other plans went out of the window! I remember seeing this last year and got super excited but it was far too late to get involved. By happenstance, it popped up somewhere on my feed at the end of March as a sort of ‘divine reminder’ to prep for it this year.

If you don’t know what the Magical Readathon is then you can check out some info Book Roast’s YouTube channel here.

I haven’t picked my Wizarding Career yet so I’m just going to try and work through as many O.W.L Exams as I can and see where that leaves me towards the end of the month.

Here is my TBR for the 2019 O.W.L examinations. I’m still looking for an Astronomy book so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to drop me a comment and let me know!

Subject	Prompt	Title
Ancient Runes	Retelling	Reflection by Liz Braswell [Disney Twisted Tales]
Arithmancy	Work written by more than one author	Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Astronomy	“Star” in the title
Care of Magical Creatures	Land animal on the cover	The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Charms	Age-line: Read and adult work	Five Give Up the Booze by Bruno Vincent
Defence Against the Dark Arts	Reducto: title starts with the letter R	Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Divination	Set in the future	Mirage by Somaiya Daud ✅
Herbology	Plant on the Cover	To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
History of Magic	Published at least 10 years ago	The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien
Muggle Studies	Contemporary	Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Potions	Next ingredient: Sequel	The Lost Sisters by Holly Black OR Legendary by Stephanie Garber
Transfiguration	Sprayed Edges	Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye

Are you taking part in the O.W.Ls Magical Readathon this month? What career are you aiming for? Which books made it onto your TBR? Drop me a comment to chat!

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday Bibliofriends. Happy reading!

T xx

Friday 56 – Mirage

April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

FriYAY Bibliofriends!

In Teacher-life we have broken up for the Easter holidays! I’m really looking forward to having some time to catch up with friends, family and of course…my TBR pile!

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

I’m currently reading Mirage by Somaiya Daud in a bid to catch up with my unread Fairyloot books. My edition has an exclusive cover and vibrant purple sprayed edges.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.

No longer prey, she said, as if I hadn’t been exactly that from the moment of my arrival. “I don’t understand.”
“Walk with a straight back” – she snapped the thin whip at my back – “with your shoulders and head high,” – another snap at my neck. “Again.”
And again and again.

It’s a bit like a Middle Eastern, Star Wars-esque kind of story and so far I’m really enjoying it. I honestly don’t know what is going to happen towards the end and I’m intrigued to see how the plot develops and where it goes. The scope for dangers is so huge that I’m desperate to find out what happens!

Have you read Mirage yet? What did you think? Drop me a comment to chat!

Happy weekend, whatever your plans are!

T xx

5 Biblioshelf Musings about… A Curse So Dark and Lonely [Spoiler Free]

April 4, 2019April 3, 2019 The Biblioshelf8 Comments

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Series: A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Publication Date: 29th January 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Pages: 477
Rating: 4/5 Shelfie Stacks 📚📚📚📚

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Brigid Kemmerer. The story is a dual perspective novel and alternates between Harper and Rhen’s narrative. It is set between Washington D.C and Emberfall, the fictional location of Rhen’s kingdom.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

Beauty and beast fairytale retelling!

Fairytales are my absolute favourite thing to read; I even wrote my university dissertation on them. When I discovered this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling I knew I just had to read it. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding fairytale retellings recently so I’m pleased that this was a fresh and different interpretation on the original. Even if I hadn’t known prior to reading, it is made very clear that that this story is based on Beauty and the Beast. The novel sticks to the main idea of the girl falling in love with the monster to try and break the curse but diverts away from it in the fact that Harper actually does have a chance to get to know Rhen as a human before he turns. Therefore it’s almost like Beauty and the Beast but in reverse… Harper’s character is in no way a wallflower either and it was the style in which her character was written that was one of my favourite parts of the novel.

Harper

It’s Harper’s modernity that is what keeps this retelling fresh. She’s a girl from Washington D.C who is used to all of the mod-cons of today’s life. Not only that, but she has cerebral palsy and her brother is involved with some sort of violent loan-shark. I really liked the way that Brigid tentatively dealt with Harper’s affliction without it taking over the story – and I don’t mean that in an insensitive way at all. Brigid’s light touches on Harper’s condition resembled how living with a limp and the other aspects of CP is part of Harper’s reality everyday and how normal it is for her. Harper is very clear that she doesn’t want to be seen as weak just because of her CP and that strength shines through in volumes. I absolutely loved her character. She bounced off the archaic chivalry of Rhen perfectly and I felt like their pairing was a great match. Elsewhere in the novel, Grey broke up the dynamics between Rhen and Harper, I’ve heard in some places that their relationship is likened to a love triangle but I didn’t really see it in this way to be honest. I really liked the input of the Harper’s brother and Noah as well. Their reaction to Harper’s story and the world of Emberfall was brilliant and definitely had me chuckling in some places.

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

Kingdom and Peoples of Emberfall

Emberfall seems like such a fun place to be – if you rule out the fact that a monster terrorises through the whole country periodically… The castle is your typical magical abode with mysterious music being played on instruments by invisible hands; food turning up deliciously cooked and seemingly from nowhere; the opulent surroundings of Harper’s room which are at odds with the visceral room of blood and gore; it suited this fairytale to a tee! I was so happy that we also got to see the wider world of the kingdom and meet the people of Emberfall. When Emberfall comes under attack from neighbouring territories and the evil enchantress Lilith, Rhen’s protection and sense of guardianship over his kingdom give the novel an added depth which sets it apart from older versions of the fairytale. It also provides for more action within the story which allows it to become meatier than just your average retelling.

Brigid’s Writing Style

I loved how easy this book was to read. Every time I picked it up it was like sinking back into a big fluffy pillow. The split narrative was easily distinguished by having the name of the character at the start of each chapter but also through the different voices of Harper and Rhen themselves. Harper’s language was much more contemporary whereas Rhen had the refined elegance of a Crown Prince. It suited them really well.

“My father once said we are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately lose – just as a poor hand can win – but we must all play the cards the fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”

Ending

For me, this is the one aspect of the book that just lost a little bit of love. Everything seemed to happen so fast and before I knew it all of the action was over and we were setting up for the next novel in the series. We sent so long in getting to know the charcaters and the kingdom, as well as the build up to the battle and the transition of Rhen from Prince to Monster, that I felt the transformation elements weren’t as well developed as the rest of the novel. Right at the beginning when Harper is in DC and Rhen is in Emberfall, the very blood underneath their fingernails is mirrored between their two narratives and I missed these little extra details and nuances towards the ending of the novel. Then from out of nowhere it just seemed to end and I’m still not even sure I’ve actually read the ending correctly…

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed A Curse So Dark and Lonely. It had me completely hooked whilst reading and was everything I was looking for in a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It is definitely more than just your average Disney-style echoing. The characters and world-building tied in neatly with plot. Although the cliffhanger of an ending left me slightly confused about what was actually happening, I’m keen to see where this series goes next. The sequel, A Heart So Fierce and Broken is set for release on January 28^th2020.

Have you read A Curse So Dark and Lonely? What did you think? Drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Top Ten Tuesday – Things which make me pick up a book

April 2, 2019April 1, 2019 The Biblioshelf8 Comments

Yoohoo Bibliofriends,

It’s Top Ten Tuesday time again! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly list themed book prompt hosted by Jana @That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme was the top ten things which make you pick up a book. Here’s mine!

Covers – Now I know there’s that famous saying not to judge books by their covers – but there are some freaking amazing cover design artists out there nowadays that I think we can safely relegate that proverb to the olden days when books were leather bound and cover art was non-existent! I’m such a sucker for a pretty, detailed front cover.
Author faves – If there’s an author I like then it’s a dead cert that I’m going to try and read their entire back catalogue. I seem to have developed a go-to list of certain ones including Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Neil Gaiman and J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith.
Bookstagram/Goodreads hype – It’s fair to say that if the people I’m following are raving about a certain book and I start to see it all over my feed then curiosity gets the better of me and before you know it, I’ve bought another book to add to the never-ending TBR.
Offers – I loved it when Waterstones did their 3 for 2 offer. It seems that Blackwells are the only store that does this now as most places are buy one get one half price. You’d always end up getting the third book just because you were essentially getting it for free. Also sale items / charity shop bargains are winners. I’m forever scouring the shelves at my local charity shops or the reduced sections in bookshops just to find a bargain!
Favourite themes – witchcraft/magic/water/enemies-to-lovers/flawed or tragic heroes/fairytale retellings are all guaranteed to make me hit that ‘Want to Read’ button on my Goodrerads account.
An exclusive – Cover/chapter/interview/sampler…you name it! The idea of any kind of exclusivity is more than enough to tempt me into picking up a certain read or edition of a novel.
Seeing an author at an event – Cheltenham hosts their Literary Festival every October. It’s one of the highlights of my year and I always come away from the 10 days with a whole haul of new books from authors whose events I’ve been to; it’s an additional temptation when they’ve been signed too.
A sequel/series – If I love the first novel in a series then it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll have to pick up the next one just to find out what happened next.
Reviews – Whether they be online ones from my favourite bloggers or those little comment cards you see in the books shops, be persuasive enough in how much you loved it and I’ll fall for it hook, line and sinker.
Freebies – Readers First is a great website for getting free books. You read a first look, submit your first impression then you’re entered into a draw to win a copy of the book to review. For every review you write you get points and points lead to prizes – in this case, more books! I managed to get free copies of To Kill a Kingdom and The Wicked King through this website. It’s pretty awesome!

There we have it. What makes you guys want to pick up a book? Drop me a comment to chat!

Keep reading!

T xx

5 Biblioshelf Musings about…Onyx and Ivory [Spoiler Free]

April 1, 2019March 31, 2019 The Biblioshelf1 Comment

Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Series: Rime Chronicles #1

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: May 12th 2018

Publisher: Balzer & Bray (Fairyloot Exclusive Edition)

Pages: 512

Rating: 4/5 Shelfie Stacks 📚📚📚📚

Onyx and Ivory is the first in a series of books by Mindee Arnett called The Rime Chronicles.

Synopsis from Goodreads

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.

Magists

Ok, we need to talk about the Magists…These guys hold the monopoly on magic in Rime – if you’re not a magist then you shouldn’t be doing magic at all; you’re a wilder and you’re an outlaw. The only way to access magic in Rime is to buy it off a magist. This really struck a cord with me. Somewhere in the World Wide Web is an infographic which shows 10 major companies who supposedly control the world because they own pretty much every other ‘big business’ that’s out there saturating our mass market. Now I’m not going to go on a political rampage here, but I couldn’t help but link the role of the magists in Rime to these top ten companies. The way the magists are able to control everyone, including the royals who run the country, really pulled me into the story. I was immediately suspicious of them and quite incensed to be honest.

Horses

If you have read some of my recent posts then you’ll be getting to know that I love horses. 🐎 I am massively envious of Kate’s wilder ability to talk to them! The horse theme and Arnett’s love for these wondrous creatures definitely came through in her writing and really appealed to the horse-enthusiast in me.

Supporting characters

The band of supporting characters in this novel are absolute gold. Bonner’s loyalty; Signe’s sass; Dal’s dark humour; Raith’s mysterious-ness; Corwin’s Princely charms… I loved them all and they complement Kate perfectly! Each of them had their own role to play in the story and I found myself wanting to learn more and more about all of their backstories. A truly fabulous cast of characters.

The Relay

‘Running the gauntlet’ is the phrase I would use to try summing up what the Relay Riders have to do every day whilst delivering things around the world of Rime. And perhaps it’s my mischievous side coming through but this sounds like such a cool job! You get to ride your horse all across the country whilst trying to avoid the dangerous nightdrakes that come out in the dark…only to find that you then have to start dodging the daydrakes too – Royal Mail eat your heat out, these guys are the badass, tough-nuts of the Postie world! I’m definitely adding Relay Rider to my list of ‘fictional jobs I wish I could do’.

Storytelling

It didn’t take long at all for me to become engrossed in this story. The world building, characterisation and plot devices were everything I wanted from a fantasy story. I liked the suspense of trying to guess who the villains were (and whilst I guessed some of it, I definitely didn’t get all of it). I was rooting for the romance between Kate and Corwin. I was intrigued by the types of magic both from the magists and the wilders. I was thrilled by the fight scenes.

All in all, this made for a brilliant series starter which is why I gave Onyx and Ivory 4 Shelfie Stacks and put the sequel, Shadow and Flame, straight onto my TBR.

Have you read Onyx and Ivory? Did you love it as much as I did? Drop me a comment and let me know! ☺️

Txx

Top Ten Tuesday – Audio Freebie

March 26, 2019 The Biblioshelf4 Comments

Happy Tuesday Bibliofriends!

This Top Ten Tuesday was so incredibly difficult for me due to the fact that I rarely listen to audiobooks. I also don’t listen to music when I read as I prefer the quiet (even though SOME PEOPLE in my household clearly don’t understand the fact that when undivided attention is on my book I am therefore unable to read and talk at the same time… *cue the eye-rolling and huffing*)!

For some reason I just feel like it’s cheating and I’m not actually “reading” at all. Also, I find that I tend to forget what happens in the story a lot easier with audiobooks than I do with reading physical books. Yep, I’m one of ‘those people’. Sorry not sorry!

However, more recently I have admittedly been scrolling through the audiobook catalogues in a fit of desperation just to try and give my reading challenge a bit of a boost! I’m already on my second one this year and trust me, that’s a record! So for TTT this week I decided to gather together my own random list of audio things to do with books…

Some musically bookish accompaniments…

10) Harry Potter Soundtrack

Ok, so my thinking here is that I’ve become so in love with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that when I read the books I cannot help but hear the movie soundtrack in my head. The two things have become synonymous with each other in my brain and John Williams is a soundtrack genius!

9) The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack

Likewise with Harry Potter above, there’s just something about the soundtrack of LOTR that sends me immediately back to Middle Earth. For me, Howard Shore really got to the heart of the mash-up between Tolkien’s world and Peter Jackson’s vision.

8) Holst’s Planets Suite

I’m not the biggest classical music aficionado. I rarely get those really hard music questions on University Challenge correct, however Holst’s Planets Suite is one of my favourite pieces of classical music of all-time. It’s probably something to do with the Land of Hope and Glory vibe and I Vow to Thee My Country which are quite patriotic songs here in England. Mind you, if I listened to this whilst I was reading then I would probably be more focused on humming along to the tune than actually reading the words of my book!

7) 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music

This album is perfect to satisfy all of my classical music needs in one go. It’s surprising how many of the tunes are actually familiar when you hear them. I could definitely have this on as a bit of background noise when I’m absorbed in a good book.

6) The Fantasia Soundtrack

Fantasia was one of my favourite Disney movies as a kid and I still love it today. The way the cartoons were designed to match the different pieces of music is fantastic and again the lack of words to sing-a-long to would help me tune into my book a little bit more.

Audiobooks I’ve read/listened to:

5) The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (read by Paul Michael)

I think I bought this as a CD set because it was on sale. I can honestly tell you that I loved the premise of Dan Brown’s novel (as always) but I have no recollection of what actually happened! I couldn’t even begin to guess which character would have been the bad guy! At least I have a physical copy now for a re-read… at some point… when my TBR is not as full…

4) Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl (read by Chris O’Dowd)

Chris O’Dowd is such a fantastic narrator and his voice was perfect for this childhood classic. I sometimes play these audiobooks in my classroom during art afternoons and the kids love it.

3) The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (read by Kelsey Grammer)

This is my ‘currently listening to’. My first motivation for downloading this was that it was free on iTunes. The second was that this is one of those classic Sci-Fi reads that is probably on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list. And thirdly, I need to do whatever I can to help me get my read count up! I’m kind of enjoying it so far although it is quite hard to keep up with the story, especially when I’m listening to it in the car on the way to work!

2) Mythos by and read by Stephen Fry

I am so glad that I downloaded this and listened to it on the long journeys down to Cornwall and back. Fry is an excellent orator and his storytelling really bought the Greek myths to life. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves either audiobooks or the Greek myths.

And finally…The ultimate reading soundtrack…

1) SILENCE – Reading is the chance to escape whatever is going on in this reality and jump into a new world. For me, the perfect way to absorb right into that is with no sounds around at all. There are so many distractions around already from the TV or mobile phones etc. that sometimes it’s nice to switch off completely with a good read and the sound of silence.

Woohoo, I made it through to the end…if you’ve cared enough to read this far then thank you! I’m not managing to get around to writing as much as I’d like to recently as my head is filled with so many things taking up much more of my time than I’d like; which then in turn leaves me frustrated and angry as I really don’t want to neglect my blog again. Thankfully, the Easter holidays are nearly here and I should be able to try and get ahead of myself rather than try to keep chasing my tail all the time! Anyone else have patches like that?

To all of the readers who continuously read my posts and like/comment on them – I love you guys!

Happy reading everyone! 3 more sleeps until the weekend!

T xx

Six for Sunday – Favourite Genre

March 24, 2019 The BiblioshelfLeave a comment

Happy Sunday bibliofriends!

Six for Sunday was quite an open topic this week with it being ‘Favourite Genre’ so I went for six sequels from my favourite genre, YA Fantasy, that I’m really looking forward to reading.

Ever since I caught wind of ‘bookstagram’, I kept seeing pictures of absolutely gorgeous books. It was all I needed to kick my reading habit into overdrive and all of sudden I just had to have a book subscription box and get my hands on all of the books I had seen hyped and raved about all over Instagram.

So rather than list six of my all-time favourite YA Fantasy novels (which the universe could probably guess anyway…) I thought I would list 6 YA Fantasy sequels that are on my ‘got-to-get-my-hands-on’ list which I haven’t got around to reading yet or are due to be released within the next year.

Rage by Cora Carmack

Sequel to: Roar

I loved the elemental magic in Roar and the way they harnessed the power of storms. I’ve heard some fairly mixed reviews about this story and I feel like it’s one of those marmite ones that people either love or hate – obviously I’m in the ‘love-it’ camp! Bring on Rage!

Fierce Like A Firestom by Lana Popović

Sequel to: Wicked Like a Wildfire

Wicked Like a Wildfire was so beautifully written. The magic was quite different to anything I’d read before and the way the author set the scene and described Cattalo (the real-life city Kotor) in Montenegro made me put the place on my travel bucket-list!

Shadow and Flame by Mindee Arnett

Sequel to: Onyx and Ivory

Now I don’t know whether or not Mindee Arnett intended to write a seemingly real-life message into the heart of her story, but the way I interpreted the magists and their monopoly on magic in Rime made me draw so many parallels with the way our world is governed today by huge corporations and organisations. Obviously I really enjoyed the story as well, particularly the cast of characters. As I’ve only recently finished reading it I’m hoping to get a Biblioshelf Musings written up fairly soon.

All the Wandering Light by Heather Fawcett

Sequel to: Even the Darkest Stars

I remember being really sucked into this story. The mountain setting was so dramatic and really heightened the tension. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao

Sequel to: Empress of a Thousand Lanterns

Empress of a Thousand Lanterns was one of my favourite reads from last year. This Evil Queen retelling was riveting and I’m so keen to find out how that dramatic ending all panned out!

Evermore by Sara Holland

Sequel to: Everless

The premise of Everless really sucked me in! The idea of letting your blood and using the iron in it to make money – the literal meaning of ‘time is money’ was such a brilliant concept. Add to that the legendary tale of the Alchemist and the Sorceress that weaves through the narrative…This sequel was immediately added to my TBR after closing the last page of Everless.

So there you have it, have you read any of these books? What YA Fantasy sequels are on your TBR list for 2019?

Enjoy the remains of the weekend!

T xx