Tag: bookworm

Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

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Hey Bibliofriends,

I’ve been a little MIA recently due to a certain artist releasing a double album (🤯), with a week’s worth of easter-egg dropping promo before it to boot. Needless to say my brain has been a little bit wrapped up in The Tortured Poets Department and therefore the reading and blogging have been slightly lacking. I have so many thoughts…!

Anyway… I found this Quarter Crisis Book Tag over on Lauren’s blog Little Bit of All That and the prompts were brilliantly centred around reviewing reading habits so far in 2024 that I thought it was a good way to remotivate me and bring me back into the zone! The original tag creator is Roisin’s Reading over at YouTube. I know we’re technically past the quarter point of the year, but I figure we’re close enough to it that this still counts!

How many books have you read so far?

So far in 2024 I have read 24 books. I’m 5 books ahead of schedule to reach my target of 65 by the time 2025 rolls around. April has been quite a successful month for me as I’ve been taking part in the Magical Readathon which you can read more about here and check out my mid-point review of that challenge as well. I’ve got 3 books on the go currently which I’m hoping to complete by the time April is done, however I fear that my audiobook is going to get a little sidelined for the rest of this month.

Have you found a book that you think might be a 2024 favourite?

Having read Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and House of Flame and Shadow in 2024 – they’re going to be very high up on my list. One book I was surprised to love as much as I did was Faebound by Saara El-Arifi. I gobbled up in in about two days! Something about the setting, characters and writing style just resonated with me and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Any least favourite book of the year?

It makes me a teeny bit sad to say this but so far, it’s either going to A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft (review here) or Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura. Although I haven’t managed to get around to reviewing ROTLH yet, I went in it for the archaeology and history but it turns out it was about 10% that and 90% smut… not quite what I had anticipated.

Most read genre?

Fantasy for the win here! It makes up a majority of my reading to be honest. Although I have also read Yellowface which is contemporary fiction, a Taylor Swift bio and I’m currently reading a non-fiction book about horseracing just to ensure that there is some variety in my reading diet!

A book that surprised me?

The Brothers Hawthorne surprised me as I didn’t think I would like this spin-off / continuation (whatever you want to call it!) after the main trilogy had ended. I am so glad I picked it up at the start of the year because it was spectacular! You can read my review here. I guess you could also say I was surprised by how much I took to the Game of Thrones audiobooks. It’s really got me back into the series and I’m currently on the final one!

A book that has come out in 2024 that I haven’t yet read?

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo has been sat tempting me on my shelf, along with A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal. They’ll most certainly be conquered within 2024 – that’s a guarantee!

One goal you made that you’re succeeding at?

Well I’m on track with my 2024 reading goal, but I’m also posting ‘quite’ regular content on my blog which was a mission I kind of rejuvenated a few months back. I’d neglected it for well over a year (maybe even two!) however, my life has recently balanced itself so I’ve been able to find time to write posts and enjoy making content again!

One goal that you need to focus on?

I find that blogging is almost two-parted. There’s the part where you churn out all of your posts and content, but then there’s the other part where you immerse yourself and engage in the community around you. I think that’s the part I need to focus on now, visiting other people’s blogs rather than focusing on my own. I also need to write constant reminders to myself to not leave it too long before actually writing a review of the books that I’ve recently read and just ploughing into the next read! 😂

Quarterly Year Crisis Book Tag is officially wrapped. What books have surprised you so far this year? Have you kept on top of your reading goals or do you have a specific goal you wish you could focus on more? Feel free to consider yourself tagged if you’d love to have your own go at this tag! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#Top Ten Tuesday – Characters I’d Like To Go On Vacation With!

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Characters I’d Like To Go On Vacation With! This could be short mini breaks each with a different character, or one big massive party! It was so fun to try and compile this list. I picked the characters first rather than thinking about whether they would all be able to co-exist on the same vacay – imagine putting Snape and Nina Zenik on a Bahamas Beach together…! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Go On Vacation With

This list started out in two halves… one part ‘Caribbean Booze Cruise’, one part ‘Ancient City Tourist Super-Sleuthing’ – but then looking at my list in total, I could actually imagine some of these characters stepping out of their comfort zones into the realms of ‘good times’ with a little positive encouragement! 😉 Make of that what you will! 😂

We’d start off my making our way through the secret passageways of ancient cities, being complete tourists and uncovering age-old conspiracies and forgotten treasure. Then we’re heading over to the marina to board the swankiest yacht around, setting our sails for tropical shores to relax and unwind. Any sunphobic creatures can stay below decks with their book haul whilst those of us keen to party will stay up top with endless mojitos and palomas! At some point we’ll discover a remote island with white sandy beaches, possibly go beneath a mystical waterfall and discover more long-lost treasure before ending with a beach bbq, plenty of rum and a possibly cameo from Captain Jack Sparrow to sail us all home! When do we leave…?!

  1. Robert Langdon – [The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Origin, Inferno by Dan Brown]
  2. Nina Zenik – [Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo]
  3. Ganymedes – [Voyage of the Damned by Frances White]
  4. Princess Samantha Washington – [American Royals series by Katharine McGee]
  5. Nesta Archeron – [A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas]
  6. Jameson Hawthorne – [The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes]
  7. Art3mis – [Ready Player One duology by Ernest Cline]
  8. Professor Severus Snape – [Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling]
  9. Mercy Birdsall – [The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen]
  10. Addie LaRue – [The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab]

That’s it! My Top Ten Characters That I’d Like To Go On Vacation With! Who would you be going off on your adventures with? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Magical Readathon 2024 – Mid-Point Update

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Hey Bibliofirends,

Can you believe we are halfway through April already?! It definitely feels like a ‘blink and you’ve missed it’ one. This month, I decided to do the Magical Readathon which is hosted by the fabulous G @bookroast! You can find out more information about the Readathon in general, my created character Nárendîl Damenor, chosen career paths and my monthly TBR in my previous blog post here.

Current Progress

I feel a bit like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with trying to complete 13 prompts and books, however the challenge has definitely motivated me to try and keep up my reading pace. I’ve completed 5 out of the 13 prompts so far which is almost halfway through. Returning to work today is obviously going to slow my progress so for the remainder of the month I’m honing down on the career paths which I want to take the most.

Completed Prompts and Books

✅ Animal Studies – A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
✅ Conjuration – Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
✅ Elemental Studies – Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
✅ Inscription – Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
✅ Lore – Reread The Legend of Dia

The next half…

Out of the 6 Career Paths I wanted to take, they’re still all open to me as I’ve managed to complete at least one prompt in each one. I’ve kind of ordered my remaining TBR list in the likelihood of what is going to be achievable over the next couple of weeks and which career paths are the most appealing.

Aeldia Excavationist is my most likely path as I only have to complete the Restoration prompt for that career and my book pick is Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros – I’m not going to be able to stay away from that one for too long!

Abjurer and Master of Elements are the two most likely runners up. I only have to complete my audiobook of A Dance of Dragons by George R.R. Martin to finish all of the Abjurer prompts and for Master of Elements there is, Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, Zhara by S. Jae-Jones and The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni to go…

Paths that may fall by the wayside and are being ruled out are: Star Whisperer, Craftsmage and Archmage.

That’s where my character Nárendîl Damenor is headed next on their first trip into Aeldia and Orilium! Are you taking part in the Magical Readathon this year? Feel free to drop me a comment and let me know your career paths or TBR lists! Wish me luck in the next half, I think I’m gonna need it!!

T xx

Easter Holiday Book Haul

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

Today marks the last day of my Easter holiday before the Trinity Term starts tomorrow! I cannot believe we are entering the final term of the year already. I’ve had an incredibly relaxing break and got to spend a lot of it with my partner who also took some time off work. We travelled to see my parents who live in Cornwall and also did some day trips around our local area and took a mini train adventure to Cardiff.

With all of that adventuring there was plenty of secondhand book shopping to be done and it’s fair to say that I had myself a little binge and bought 8 books! Here are my purchases!

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

After saying in a previous blog post that I probably wasn’t going to read this before the film (with Blake Lively in it) comes out, I may have caved in and bought a copy. It was only £3 and the spine is still in perfect tact!

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Turns out I’ve had this on my TBR list on Goodreads since 2020! I don’t know why I never forked out for a brand new book, but I was always on the quest to find a secondhand copy. Seeing it on the top shelf of one of my favourite second-hand bookshops earlier this week was like a treasure hunting dream come true!

Temeraire by Naomi Novik

Whilst in Cardiff, we found this fabulous bookshop called Troutmark Books down one of the tiny shopping arcades. If felt like they had miles of books, I could barely see the top shelves, let alone attempt to reach them. I’ve heard that the Temeraire series is supposed to be pretty excellent and after my recent enjoyment of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon film, what better time to start reading it!

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Funny story, I also bought this copy from Troutmark Books in Cardiff, but it felt a little like a forced buy. A few days earlier I had bought ‘One Dark Throne’ back in a charity shop and thought that that was the first book in the series (the title being ‘one’ and all…!). I couldn’t remember which Kendare Blake book I had actually purchased either! Picture me sat on the floor of a secondhand bookshop, amidst the stacks, trying desperately to get enough signal on my phone to load Goodreads and discover the order of the series – reader, I bought Three Dark Crowns anyway! Luckily for me I now own books 1 & 2 in the series! 😂🙈

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

See the above comment for this one! I can’t believe I purchased the sequel before the first instalment in the series but thankfully a quaint little bookshop in a ‘technically’ different country came to my rescue!

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

I have been intrigued by the premise of this story ever since the hardback came out in 2022 and it won the Book Prize. It reminds me of the type of magical realism Salman Rushdie writes about. My secondhand copy is a little battered and definitely well-read, however for the bargain price of 30p I knew that it was destined to be mine!

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

This is not my typical genre but when I was at University I got a First for a paper I wrote all about the d’Este family and the duchy of Ferrara in Italy which this novel is about. Obviously my purchase had nothing to do with the gorgeous cover either…! 👀

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Again not something of my typical genre, but I have heard such amazing things about this writer and this book so I figured now was the perfect time to start! I haven’t seen the Hulu series yet either so I’m going to be completely unspoiled!

That’s my bargain book haul – 8 books for the total price of £18.10! Obviously I have absolutely nowhere to put these having rearranged my shelves once this month already – eek! Have you read any of these? What books have you been buying this month? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Happy Scrabble Day!

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Writing this blog has introduced me to a whole range of new knowledge and information including the fact that today, April 13th, is National Scrabble Day! The popular word game Scrabble was invented by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1938. Alfred was born on April 13th 1899, hence why we celebrate Scrabble on this day.

As a lover of board games and etymology, it’s no surprise that Scrabble is one of my favourite board games. We haven’t played in a long time, namely because the last time my mother seemed to think she could take up to 30 minutes to decide what her next word was going to be…! 🤨

Nevertheless, in honour of National Scrabble Day, here are 10 of my favourite weird and wonderful words to spell with Scrabble tiles!

1) bedazzles = 30 points
Any kind of references to dazzling and sparkly things is going to make me happy. Bedazzles will score you a minimum of 30 points due to its double z but could net you a whopping score if combined with a triple letter or word tile.

2) mozzarella = 30 points
Following the zz theme, the cheese lover in me is always seeking ways to try and create this word!

3) queue = 14 points
We were always on the lookout for the ‘qu’ combination and the word queue was a popular choice to get rid of it!

4) jiffy = 21 points
“In a jiffy!” was always something that my Nan says when my Grandad is constantly pestering her for things! It seems to be a very British phrase and I love the sound of the word!

5) meadow = 12 points
Not necessarily a highscoring word, however meadow is one of my all time favourite words and I find it a useful way of using an ‘m’ and a ‘w’ tile together.

6) gherkins = 16 points
I used to hate gherkins as a child and would pick them out of any burger that they came in! Now my adult tastebuds have developed, I kind of love their pickly goodness!

7) jellyfish = 25 points
So the likelihood of acquiring all of these tiles is pretty slim but it’s still quite a cool challenge to try and lay it down.

8) quizzify = 41 points
Anything to do with quizzes, riddles and puzzles and I am there!!

9) bookish = 16 points
Come on, there had to be a little bookish word love in here too!

10) confuddle = 16 points
Hopefully you’ll get to confuddle your opponents with this whacky word!

Ten totally random Scrabble words that I love trying to create when playing! Happy Scrabble Day to those who celebrate! What words do you play? Have fun creating those words! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft. This review post has been sat with me for a fair while as it’s been a good couple of weeks since I finished reading it. Themes of dressmaking, the historical setting and the fact that this is a fantasy standalone had me reaching it from my shelves. The cover of my Fairyloot edition and the hidden detailing under the dust jacket were mighty fine too! Read on to find out more in my spoiler-free review!

Book: A Fragile Enchantment
Genre: YA / Fantasy / Romance / Historical
Publication Date: January 2024
Publisher: Orion
Pages: 370
Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into every dress she makes is the same one that will kill her—sooner rather than later—and she’s determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family. When she’s commissioned to design the wardrobe for a nearby kingdom’s royal wedding, she knows this is her one chance to make something of herself.

Niamh arrives in Avaland, where young nobles are making their debuts into society during the candlelit balls and elegant garden parties that fill the social Season. The only damper on the festivities is the groom himself: Kit Carmine, prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a desperate political act. Beneath Avaland’s glittery façade, unrest is brewing, and an anonymous gossip columnist has been spreading rumors about corruption within the royal family. As Niamh grows closer to Kit, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom into something more…until the columnist starts buzzing about her chemistry with the prince, promising to leave her alone only if she helps uncover the royal family’s secrets. Niamh discovers that the rot at the heart of Avaland goes far deeper than she bargained for—but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

My Musings

I desperately, desperately wanted to love this book. All of the themes seemed to appeal to things that I enjoy – the regency element, the creation of dresses with a hint of magic, the enemies to lovers / forbidden love vibes…. but sadly, my overall reading experience just felt a little lacklustre – which is probably why it’s been so hard for me to cobble together thoughts.

Firstly, I couldn’t quite pinpoint the roots behind the setting of this book and these characters. Supposedly inspired by regency England, there is not much within the text to actually suggest that. From Niamh’s name, my main guesses were that the Machlish were supposed to be inspired by Ireland – however asides from her surname, little else in the book hinted to the Emerald Isle. There are brief mentions of the Fair Ones and place names which have an Irish vibe, however these are not referred to in greater detail. At certain points, the characters referred to Niamh’s surname Ó Conchobhair as O’Connor which was slightly confusing. Assumedly this use of watered-down name derivatives is to try and highlight the oppression of the Machlish from those in Avaland (or the English butchering of the Irish language perhaps?!), but it wasn’t clearly pointed out or developed into the plot. All in all, although the descriptions of gardens, court life and castles were quite decorous, I felt like there was a little bit of a missed opportunity here to widen the depths of this fantasy setting and craft an incredible world based on a place which is steeped in legend, folklore and political disputes.

The characters in the story offered enough drama to keep me winding my way through the story’s pages. Niamh is pure-hearted and just wants what is best for her family. I loved the way she can magically infuse emotions into the clothing that she stitches. She is a fairly well-balanced heroine in that she stands up for the greater good but with some cajoling will also pursue her heart’s desires at the same time. Kit Carmine, the Prince of Avaland – epic character name… a little broody, secretive and possibly misunderstood by those around him. I loved the snark and sass that he offered. His darkness was the perfect parallel to Niamh’s sunny disposition. The presence of a mystery gossip writer gave me total Bridgerton vibes, but ultimately didn’t have quite the same pull and witty sarcasm as Lady Whistledown. Rosa was a character which I was very intrigued by. Her magical talents were quite at odds with everyone else’s in the story. Her character exuded peculiarity and mysticism which was an excellent buffer against all of the regency romance.

Overall, A Fragile Enchantment has a lot to offer fans of Regency, Whimsy and Romance. The plot is revealed at a steady pace to the development of the characters, there are some twists and turns along the way, as well as the big reveal of the mysterious gossip-writer Lovelace. My particular Fairyloot Special Edition was exceptionally well designed with an incredible amount of detail on the hardcover by @bluelyboo and endpapers by @sashac_art. For me personally, I just wanted a little bit more depth and intrigue from what this book was promising and it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Have you read A Fragile Enchantment or is it on your TBR list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

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#Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Treasure Hunting and Mystery books

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is a freebie so I decided to take the opportunity to compile a list of my favourite Treasure Hunting books. I absolutely love the mystery and quest elements surrounding a treasure hunt. Easter eggs, the layering of clues, the placement of red herrings, tricky contraptions and puzzle boxes – all of appeals to the inner nerd inside me that just has to solve every unanswered riddle and loves to visit escape rooms in my spare time. So here are 10 of my favourites that I’ve read so far! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

The Inheritance Games Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

It was a no brainer that this was going near the top of my list. If Hawthorne Manor was a genuine tourist spot, you could count on it that I’d be visiting! Who doesn’t love a creepy mansion filled with hidden passages, trap doors, and puzzles in almost every object and antique?!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

An inter-reality quest across a creator’s multiverse to find three mysterious keys which lead to his hidden fortune… Initially, I had no idea what to expect when I went into this book. I think I only bought it because of the hype when it was announced that Spielberg would be directing the film version. As soon as I finished the final page of book 1, I knew immediately that this would become one of my desert island books that I’d treasure for a lifetime.

Locke and Key Series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Admittedly, it was the Netflix adaptation based on these graphic novels that captivated me to the series. I thought the Keyhouse was genius, especially with all of the many variations of what the hidden keys could unlock or do.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

I know these books tend to have a bit of a bad rep, however I love the attention to detail Dan Brown puts into his stories, even if he does take some factual liberties. Angels and Demons is one of my favourites in the series due to the landmarks that Robert Langdon visits along the way. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Rome and see all of the architecture and artwork Brown references here and it really puts you in the heart of the novel’s quest.

Rabbits by Terry Miles

This novel is based on the podcast of the same name. I was completely hooked by both. The layers of conspiracies and mystery that this weaves about a game that you’re not sure if you are or you should be playing… it reminded me of a similar game we used to play in High School, but obviously without the sinister consequences of Rabbits! Weird coincidences, freakish disappearances – this book will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to work out what on earth is going on!

The Languedoc Trilogy by Kate Mosse

This series blends history and mystery together perfectly. With dual narratives and shifting time periods, Kate Mosse has sucked up all of these influences from the Languedoc region of France and merged them into three fantastic stories about time-spanning quests to discover the ultimate truths.

The Shakespeare Secret by Jennifer Lee Carrell

With so many conspiracies and curiosities surrounding Shakespeare’s life and works, there’s no surprise that people have written fiction about it. I really loved the murder mystery element of this and the parallels and influences based on Shakespeare’s famous plays.

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

This isn’t quite a ‘mystery’ in the same way that my other picks are, however I loved the mountain quest element of this duology. It has quite a unique settting and a quirky cast of characters which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

This was one of the first historical mysteries that I remember reading and at the time, it taught me quite a lot about the Knights Templar. I loved the attention to detail that Khoury puts into his world to really set the scene and explain where these conspiracies are coming from and the myths that they are rooted in.

The Red Herring Mystery by Paul S. Adshead

And just to really cement by love of mysteries, this is a book that I adored as a child! It’s about a mystery at a dinner party and there are tiny golden fish images hidden in all of the illustrations to find. It brings back fond nostalgic memories of reading as a child!

That’s it! My Top Ten Treasure Hunts and Mystery Books. Have you read any of these selections? Are you a fan of the mystery genre? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Biblioshelf Musings – House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

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Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about House of Flame and Shadow [Crescent City #3] by Sarah J. Maas. My brain is literally all over my kitchen floor right now after finishing this book – and I’m kinda grateful for that considering I thought I’d be finishing this book in Starbucks, whilst waiting for my car to be serviced, and everyone around me would witness the fully blown mental breakdown that often comes at the end of a Maas tale. 🙈 Luckily, Urd helped me to escape that fate! I’m not sure whether this post is going to form as an actual ‘review’ or whether I’m just going to be rambling on about my feelings and theorising about where the Hel this series goes next!

🚨 Needless to say there are spoilers ahead for the entire Maasverse so if you are not up to speed with ANY of Maas’ other books, you might want to pop back to this at a later date…! 🚨

Book: House of Flame and Shadow [Crescent City #3] by Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: January 2024
Publisher: HarperTeen / Magpie
Pages: 835
Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.

My Musings

Erm, excuse me – I don’t mean to be rude… but I think my edition of HOFAS is missing a few pages… particularly towards the end… it’s missing an epilogue with a rather twisty cliffhanger…? Right?!

Not five minutes after finishing this book, I had to go on Google and just check whether or not this was the final book in this series – I never had it pegged down for a trilogy, however with that final chapter having all of this weird closure… it’s something I’m not used to as a Maas reader. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing or saying that I dislike the ending, I had just hoped that we wouldn’t necessarily be having quite so much finality just yet.

My theory on this is that with four main houses on Midgard’s world, surely the next novel has to be The House of Many Waters right… so are we having another ACOTAR situation where after book 3, the main narrative now moves onto one of the side characters (à la A Court of Silver Flames)? Hmm, who do we know from the House of Many Waters who has taken on a central part in Crescent City… Tharion Ketos. I’m predicting that he’s now taking over the main storyline from Bryce and Hunt and we’re going to find out how his life pans out with the Viper, River and Ocean Queens, plus his (rather sassy) wife Sathia.

Throne of Glass stan that I am, by far my favourite reveal was about Lidia’s ancestry. It had always been hovering at the back of my mind (in the same way that any ‘stag’ symbolism has me immediately thinking of the Lord of the North), that there had to be some connection in these books with the world of Erilea. References to the shifter fae with their elongated canines had me absolutely screaming internally! I was getting major green-eyed Reaper envy of all the Prythian links and cross-overs, with hardly any references at all to my beloved Fireheart… enter The Hind! I had so many Kingdom of Ash flashbacks when Lidia strode out onto that battlefield! It even reminded me of the Yielding of the Thirteen and my eyes were immediately welling up. And omg Brann… Brannon! *kicks myself for not spotting this link sooner…* Asides from the creepy-ass ‘fertility ritual’ stuff, I am so here for this ancestry line and neeeeed to know more!

Overall, I’m satisfied with how this all played out. Nesta and Azriel got some pretty epic cameos which I loved, especially the mirroring and parallels between the two worlds and their hidden cave systems and carvings. The mists, ley lines and thin places elements are setting up so much in the way of crossovers for whatever Maas brings us next within her multiverse [clearly someone’s been watching a lot of Phase 1-3 Marvel! 😍].

The fight scenes towards the final summit with the Asteri were incredibly intense, fairly predictable SJM self-sacrificing stuff, but I enjoyed seeing Jesiba’s softer side and her forfeit for Bryce towards the end. All of the Midgardians and Princes of Hel pulling Bryce and Hunt out of that Black Hole had me in absolute floods, even if I did know deep down that Maas wasn’t really going to kill Bryce off. It was a pretty epic finale, I’m not even sure how anything on Midgard could even follow that, hence the reason for all of my procrastinating over where the supposed next book in this series goes. I can’t really imagine Maas writing up a whole novel on setting up a new Midgarian senate and energy system.

I rewatched the Today interview that SJM did when bringing out House of Flame and Shadow purely to see if I could glean anything I hadn’t already picked up on. Clearly we know that there’s still some major shit going down in Prythian, hence the giving of the Starsword over to Nesta – something tells me it’s going to become a vital weapon in a future battle. I’m also insanely curious as to the ’emotional’ secret project that SJM is working on after the next ACOTAR instalment. Any thoughts on what it is? Could we be diving back into the Throne of Glass world, maybe something about Manon and the witches…? A Princes of Hel novel? Or something entirely new?

Hopefully if you made it this far, you’ve definitely read all the Maaslore that’s currently available and I haven’t just ruined anything for you. I’m so desperate to chat about this series so if you have any thoughts, theories, major gaping plot holes which you also feel the need to talk about, as always, drop me a comment below to chat!

T xx

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#Top Ten Tuesday – April Showers: Watery Worlds on my TBR

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Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! I hope you enjoyed the Easter bank holiday weekend if you celebrate it. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is the April Showers and could be anything rain related. After spending a large proportion of time thinking of all the rain/weather related books on my bookshelf, I found myself struggling to get a complete list. Therefore, I decided to twist the theme slightly this week and bring you ten of the watery worlds and swashbuckling stories that are on my TBR shelves just waiting to be devoured. All book synopses are from Goodreads. If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

The Kingdom Beyond the Waves by Stephen Hunt

Professor Amelia Harsh is obsessed with finding the lost civilization of Camlantis, a legendary city from pre-history that is said to have conquered hunger, war, and disease with the creation of the perfect pacifist society. Without official funding, Amelia is forced to accept an offer of patronage from Abraham Quest, the man she blames for her father’s bankruptcy and suicide. She hates him, but he has something that Amelia desperately wants–evidence that proves that Camlantis existed and that the Camlantean ruins are buried under one of the sea-like lakes that dot the murderous jungles of Liongeli.

Amelia will blackmail her old friend Commodore Black into ferrying her along a huge river on his ancient U-boat. With an untrusty crew of freed convicts, Quest’s force of fearsome female mercenaries on board, and a lunatic steamman acting as their guide, Amelia’s luck seems to be going from bad to worse. Her quest for the perfect society has a good chance of bringing her own world to the brink of destruction…

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.

Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

Sing Me To Sleep by Gabi Burton

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn’t struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren’t for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom’s brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they’re forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who’s plaguing the city. There’s only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling pirate tale.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer — the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder — and more peril — than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

1718: Puppeteer John Chandagnac has set sail for Jamaica to recover his stolen inheritance, when his ship is seized by pirates. Offered the choice to join the crew, or be killed where he stands, he decides that a pirate’s life is better than none at all.

Now known as Jack Shandy, this apprentice buccaneer soon learns to handle a mainsail and wield a cutlass – only to discover he is now a subject of a Caribbean pirate empire ruled by one Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard.

A practitioner of voodoo, Blackbeard is building an army of the living and the dead, to voyage together to search for the ultimate prize: the legendary Fountain of Youth.

The Assassin’s Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What’s it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers

Captain Bluebear tells the story of his first 13-1/2 lives spent on the mysterious continent of Zamonia, where intelligence is an infectious disease, water flows uphill, and dangers lie in wait for him around every corner.

“A bluebear has twenty-seven lives. I shall recount thirteen and a half of them in this book but keep quiet about the rest,” says the narrator of Walter Moers’s epic adventure. “What about the Minipirates? What about the Hobgoblins, the Spiderwitch, the Babbling Billows, the Troglotroll, the Mountain Maggot… Mine is a tale of mortal danger and eternal love, of hair’s breadth, last-minute escapes.” Welcome to the fantastic world of Zamonia, populated by all manner of extraordinary characters. It’s a land of imaginative lunacy and supreme adventure, wicked satire and epic fantasy, all mixed together, turned on its head, and lavishly illustrated by the author.

That’s it! My Top Ten Watery Worlds and Swashbuckling Stories on my TBR. Have you read any of these selections? What books make you think of April Showers? Feel free to leave me your link so I can visit your own TTT post! As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

Magical Readathon 2024 – April TBR!

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Hi Bibliofriends!

A few years ago, my friends and I stumbled on this amazing Harry Potter readathon hosted by G @book_roast which centred around a 2-part challenge with the aims of earning your OWLs and NEWTs. Fast forward a few years and G has created her very own Magical Readathon complete with worlds, callings and guilds! I’m finally in the headspace where I’ve watched all of the videos and am ready to embark on my Novice Path on the way to Orilium!

What is the Magical Readathon?

If you’re brand new to Book Roast’s Magical Readathon, the best place to head to is G’s channel over on YouTube. There, you will find a beginner video to tell you all you need to know to begin your quest and the link to the G Drive containing all of the important files and information. It can be a little daunting to start off with, but after watching a couple of videos, the rest of the way is pretty easy and incredibly fun!

My Character

I’m not sure I have enough creative energies to pick my own character so I have very much gone with the ‘pick one thing’ from each list option!

I used a couple of different elvish name generators to come up with the name. I think it means ‘Fire Friend’. I chose the wildling and providence based on what I’ve been used to growing up (we live in a very green part of the country thankfully!).

I purposefully left my Calling blank at the moment. I shortlisted a number of different callings which I wanted to try and pursue and I think I’ll see which one I end up with based on my reads that I achieve during the month. Shortlisted callings are: Aeldia Excavationist, Star Whisperer, Abjurer, Craftsmage, Master of Elements and Archmage.

My Magical Readathon TBR

With my indecisiveness around which Calling I wanted to pursue, I decided to create a list of all the prompts needed for those particular choices and created my TBR list from that. The number next to each one refers to how many of the Callings feature that School of Magic as a required skill. I’ve purposely left Psionics and Divination blank at the minute as I couldn’t work out how to do a prediction bingo prompt and the likelihood of me ticking all of these off my list by the end of April is quite slim! 😂

That’s my Magical Readathon TBR and April Reading Goals all wrapped up into one! Are you taking part in the Magical Readathon? Do any of my April book choices make your monthly TBR too? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx