Tag: ya

Biblioshelf Musings – Given to the Earth

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Hello Bibliofriends,

I read Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis (book 1 in this duology) when it came out back in 2017. It was one of the first books I ever received in my FairyLoot subscription and I became totally enamoured with the world featured in the story. As part of my 2020 reading mission to finally tick off some of those unfinished series, Given to the Earth was put on the August TBR list.

I originally intended to reread the first book in the series before attempting the finale however, with many books piling up on my shelves I settled for just reading the last few chapters of book one before embarking on the sequel. Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead for Given to the Sea, so if you haven’t read that yet and intend to… approach with caution!

Book: Given to the Earth
Series: Given Duology
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: YA | Fantasy
Publication Date: 10th April 2018
Publisher: Putnam’s Childrens
Pages: 368
Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Duty, fate, desire, and destiny collide in this intricately wrought tale, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

Although she was born to save the kingdom by sacrificing herself to the rising sea, Khosa’s marriage to King Vincent has redeemed her. As the Queen of Stille, she’s untouchable. But being Queen hasn’t stopped her heart from longing for the King’s stepbrother, Donil. And it hasn’t stopped her body from longing for the sea itself, which still calls for her.

While Khosa is made to choose between loyalty and love, Dara is on a mission for vengeance. Years ago, the Pietra slaughtered the entire Indiri race, leaving only Dara and her twin, Donil, alive. Now, spurned by King Vincent, Dara has embarked on a mission to spill the blood of Pietra’s leader, Witt, and will stop at nothing to show his people the wrath of the last Indiri. 

As the waves crash ever closer to Stille, secrets are revealed, hearts are won and lost, and allegiances change like the shifting sand.

My Musings

OK, first off I feel like I need to address the elephant in the room with this series: the narration.
The Given duology is told from the perspectives of around 6 different characters. Some of the characters have 1st person narration so we read the chapter directly through their eyes; the rest feature third person narrations and we witness the events as an outsider to the story. Although there are character headings at the start of each chapter, there is no pattern as to who talks when and the constant flipping between narrative voices has been a bone of contention between some readers. For me, I wasn’t particularly bothered or distracted by this. Did it make me feel more distanced and less connected to some characters…? Yes, especially coupled with such short chapters. However, it clearly wasn’t enough to put me off reading this sequel and finding out how the story set up in Given to the Sea ended.

The main reason I liked this duology was for three very specific creatures/beings that form part of Given’s world.
> The Tangata cats are vicious and travel in packs called clowders. They are feared by many but the feature of one Tangata cat was a particularly memorable aspect of the story.
> The Indiri are a race of people, of which only the twins Dara and Donil remain. They have spotted skin like that of leopards and have magic that can connect with the earth and nature. I found them to be really intriguing characters and it was Dara’s narrative that I was especially drawn to in this sequel. Her journey, after the events of the first book, leads her upon an unexpected path which kept me guessing as to how it was going to be resolved.
> Finally, the Hadundun trees which soak spilled blood from the earth and have razor sharp leaves were such curious additions. It is their role within the story that ends up shaping certain character’s actions and consequences.
It is these creations which mostly drew me into this series and made me want to read until the very end. Their presence makes the vaguely medieval-style setting come alive and is one of my favourite aspects of the whole duology.

The plot itself was fairly straightforward. In dealing with the aftermath of the events from book 1, the characters now need to find a way to either deal with the consequences or find an escape. At first, this seems like a fairly simplistic trajectory, but typical complications along the way result in a tension-building, action-packed resolution with some shocking twists that I wasn’t quite expecting! There is tragedy, which I probably would have been more heartbroken over had I built a deeper relationship with the characters, but it still feels as if the author was prepared to take some risks with how certain characters fared during the ending of this series and I have respect for McGinnis in doing that.

Overall, Given to the Earth was a very satisfying end to a series which keep me guessing and entertained until the very end.

Why Should I Read This?

For: intriguing creatures and beings which make a plain(ish) world quite unique.
For: a love triangle where you genuinely don’t know which one you’re really rooting for.
For: a fulfilling and enjoyable (and in one case – brave!) ending to a series.

If you enjoyed Given to the Sea then you’ll probably be content with the ending to this series. It’s a hard duology/book to review and describe – a little vanilla, but the good kind…with the bean, and I definitely like it!

Find out more about this book here:

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Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

#SixForSunday – Favourite Characters in a Series

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

I can’t believe we are nearly at the end of May. It seems that so many things have happened this month yet it has been relatively chilled at the same time.

This week’s Six For Sunday is all about my favourite characters in a series. I am a massive fan of all of the big-name series out there which made it slightly difficult to pick just one favourite so there may be a few ‘special mentions’.
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.

  • Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
    There should be absolutely no surprises here. He is dark, complex, sneaky and loyal and although many people disagree, I still resolutely champion him as a flawed hero.
    iu-2
  • Manon Blackbeak (Throne of Glass)
    When she was first introduced there was no way that I would ever say Manon was my favourite character, but as the series developed and the layers of her character unfolded, she really grew on me. The kinship she had with her coven and her dragon Abraxos was endearing even thought you knew that she had a heart shrouded in steel. Such a great character to read about.
    iu-2
  • Gandalf (Lord of the Rings)
    What a character arc this guy goes on. I mean, Ian McKellan’s portrayal of him in the films is one of my key reasons for choosing him rather than the writing of him but for me he is one of the greatest wizards in literature.
    Special mentions from this series must go to: Arwen, Aragorn, Eowyn, Elrond… perhaps just everyone (apart from Saruman obvs!)
    iu-3
  • Nina Zenik (Six of Crows)
    There was so much I loved about Nina’s character. I especially loved how the relationship between her and Matthias’ unfolded. For someone who could be pictured in a superficial way, she had so much depth of character that you knew never to underestimate her by her appearance or looks alone.

    “No, I don’t mean in the big ways.” Nina’s eyes took them all in. “I mean the little rescues. Laughing at my jokes. Forgiving me when I was foolish. Never trying to make me feel small. It doesn’t matter if it’s next month, or next year, or ten years from now, those will be the things I remember when I see you again.”

  • AIDAN (The Illuminae Files)
    Now AIDAN isn’t necessarily on here because I champion him as a character – in a way he can be seen as one of the villains of the series. The reason he makes my list is because of his sheer audacity and resolve. He’s one of the most unique characters I’ve come across and definitely deserved his place on my favourites list.
    iu-4
  • Cassian (& Azriel) (ACOTAR)
    These guys have bromance down to a tee. They’re such a pair that I couldn’t separate them from my favourites list. I love the humour they bring the tale and they way they support the rest of their group. They bring some pretty special moments to the series and I love them for it.
    iu-5

There we go, tell me your series faves! Here’s your change to fangirl/boy about them! Are there any of my characters that you just can’t stand? As always, leave your link below or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

 

#SixForSunday – Series I’m Dying To Read

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends,

Well this weekend has seen a first for me – I celebrated my birthday in Lockdown on Friday! 🎉🎈🎂 It was quite strange not to be able to physically go out and spend time in the sunshine with family and friends as I normally would, but thankfully the joys of technology still enabled me to catch up with them and celebrate.

As a treat to myself and from birthday money generously gifted from family, I went on an almighty book splurging binge! I’ll be doing a haul post at a later date but let’s just say that all the space I cleared out from getting rid of the books I’ll never read again has quickly been filled!

That brings me onto this week’s Six For Sunday prompt which is ‘series that I wish I could get into’. There are loads of series I haven’t been able to getting round to starting purely because I can’t keep up with having so many different ones on the go at once. Here are the ones that I’m dying to read after I’ve finally finished the ones I’ve currently got on the go. Heading links should go to the series page on Goodreads.
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.

  • Nevernight – I feel like there’s so much hype surrounding this series and after loving The Illuminae Files I really want to explore this trilogy. Something tells me I may need to fully concentrate on it which is why I’ve been so hesitant at picking it up.
  • Shades of Magic – For the exact same reasons as above, the Shades of Magic series is one that I really have to pick up very soon. I’m really intrigued to see all the different versions of London and can’t wait to get into this world.
  • His Dark Materials – I read the first book Northern Lights as a child and to be honest, although I remember the gist of the story, I really want to go back to the very beginning so that I can finally read the next instalments. Especially as his newer works in this cycle have been widely praised.
  • Crescent City – This book is now finally sitting on my shelf (birthday treat!) and I know I’ve been saying that I’m holding off starting new series, I don’t think I have that much resoves when it comes to new SJM material.
  • The Daevabad Trilogy – I’ve been recommended this series so many times and there is a very exclusive set of this trilogy coming out very soon which I am keeping everything crossed that I can get my hands on!
  • Children of Blood and Bone – Yet another hyped up series that’s on my list and seems to offer something really dark and different!

There we go, what series are you waiting to buy or get started on? Do you have any anticipated series debuts coming out later this year? As always, leave your link below or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

 

 

Biblioshelf Musings about Anna K by Jenny Lee

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Hello Biblioshelf friends, ghosts, dust particles, tumbleweed…!
It’s been a while hasn’t it?!

Anyway I particularly wanted to share these Musings with you about the book ‘Anna K’ by Jenny Lee. I received a free copy of this pre-publication through the brilliant website Readers First (which I have discussed a lot before) in exchange for a review. Many thanks to them and the publishers Penguin Random House Children’s. Below is my original review of Anna K which was published on the Readers First website back in March but I’ve updated it slightly here as I couldn’t stop myself feel this is definitely going to be in my Top 10 Books of 2020.

Book: Anna K by Jenny Lee
Genre: YA (Personal and Social Issues – according to Readers First)
Publication Date: 5th March 2020
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children’s
Pages: 400
Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Anna K Synopsis – from Goodreads
Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna’s brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.

As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Storyis a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.

Anna K is billed as a Gossip Girls/Crazy Rich Asians rebrand of the classic tale of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I haven’t read Anna Karenina (I don’t know the plot and haven’t seen the movie) 😱, neither have I seen Gossip Girl (also 😱); so it was the sheer vibrancy of the cover and the reference to Crazy Rich Asians which first tempted me to request this book…and it did not disappoint! [Side-note: I had to rewatch Crazy Rich Asians immediately after I finished reading!]

The story is told through several different perspectives (the character list at the start will be your pal in the opening chapters), however once you’re familiar with the who’s who of Anna K’s world, Steven, Lolly, Kimmy, Dustin, Vronsky and Anna rapidly become your literary new best friends. Their narratives are told with a realness and purity that kept me fully engrossed and bothered about what happened to them – I feel like if I travelled to New York (Covid-19 aside…) I would actually bump into them at Grand Central or Greenwich. The rich-kid lifestyles of how the other half live are documented in fantastic detail while retaining a light-hearted sense of humour which made me want to hop into their universe. I don’t quite know how realistic it is, whether the 16/17 year old of NYC’s Rich List really go about their lives this way… but that’s the whole reason we seek escapism in fiction isn’t it?!

Love, in all its forms, is a theme which runs strongly throughout every chapter and this nicely balances out the urban, trendy vibe coming from the city settings. After-all this is a love story, even without knowing the plot of Anna Karenina I know that Tolstoy’s Classic was supposed to a sweeping romantic epic. Jenny Lee has portrayed so many different polarities and shades of love through these chapters and characters, and this is by no-means an exhaustive list;
> there’s the all-consuming ‘love at first sight’
> there’s the love infatuation which apparently is enough to change any ‘player’ into the chivalric ‘knight-in-shining-armour’
> there’s the nitty-gritty ‘you’ve betrayed me but it’s made me love you more’
> there’s ‘I love my animals more than humans at the minute’ love
> there’s ‘redemptive love’ both in relationships and to themselves
> and then there’s Dustin – lovely sweet Dustin!

All in all, Jenny Lee’s take on Anna K, reminded me of a Sex and the City style / coming-of-age tale just perfect for today’s new YA generation. It’s a glittering novel just perfect for getting swept away in and I am super excited that it looks as if it’s going to be made into an HBO TV Series!! More info here. Whilst there might be trigger warnings for drug misuse, animal injury, death of a loved one and mental illness, this novel tackles most of those things in a sensitive way (there’s a fair amount of recreational drug use) but it still is rich with things to love and enjoy. I simply could not get enough of this book!! I consumed it quicker than I would my Cantonese sweet and sour chicken – it was unputdownable!

T xx

Six for Sunday – Favourite Genre

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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

5 Biblioshelf Musings about ‘The Wicked King’

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After reading and loving The Cruel Prince, Holly Black’s sequel, The Wicked King,was immediately added to my TBR and I was thrilled to be lucky enough to win a copy from Hot Key Books through Readers First back in January. Now that I’ve finally got around to finish reading it here’s five things (as spoiler-free as possible!) I loved about The Wicked King.

1. We need to talk about Cardan… future-hero or long-time villain?

Back in The Cruel Prince, I found Cardan to be a very self-absorbed character which I wasn’t that interested in…but now, in The Wicked King, I’m completely fascinated by him. And what’s more, I can’t work out whether he really is a long-time villain and is just as cruel and wicked as the titles of Holly’s stories suggests OR whether Cardan’s nastiness is all just a ruse before he swoops in to save the day. The way he plays back and forth with Jude was mirrored with the way I felt about his character. I’m secretly hoping that he’s some kind of flawed-hero who will come good in the end. I guess we’ll have to wait until The Queen of Nothing to find out!

 2. Who’s that Jude?

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by Jude and her growth of character in this sequel. In the first book I wasn’t terribly keen on her and I can’t actually put my finger on why. But it seems that her role as the seneschal of King Cardan has given her a new dimension. She is much more ruthless and calculating whilst at the same time battling against her feeling of being out of place in Elfhame. I like the way Holly Black explores that sense of not-belonging in the role/world you find yourself in and how she has Jude with this in the story.

“Once upon a time, there was a human girl stolen away by faeries, and because of that, she swore to destroy them.”

3. Diving into the Undersea

Sounds strange, but in a previous life I definitely believe I lived in the ocean…I think that’s why I am drawn to any stories about pirates, mermaids, sea adventures and underwater worlds. I was so happy that we got to see what The Undersea is like in The Wicked King; I liked the way the world is shaped from reef coral and sea kelp and how the Mer Folk go about on their turtles. I hope we get more of it in the finale.

4. Deception, Lies and Secrecy

The twists and turns in this book come in thick and fast. I really enjoyed the political intrigue and second-guessing which ran through the story. There are so many different court factions who all have their own loyalties and priorities which make for a fascinating narrative. I wound up constantly changing my mind about which characters were good and which were bad. Whilst I’d love to say that I figured out which character had betrayed Jude, I still wasn’t 100% certain until I read it in black and white. Add to that the mystery of good-guy/bad-guy King Cardan then The Wicked Kingcertainly kept me on my toes.

“Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to.”

5. THAT ending…!

It’s fair to say that Holly Black has mastered the cliff-hanger ending. Just when we were thinking that all was well – BAM – there goes the rug, pulled right out from under your feet and you’re questioning all you thought you knew about how this tale was going to turn out… It’s hard to describe without giving away loads of spoilers but it’s safe to say that I didn’t see it coming and, as alluded to before in my feelings about Cardan, I’m not entirely sure whether Cardan is protecting Jude and being the “hero in disguise” or whether he really has managed to get his own back after what Jude did to him at the end of The Cruel Prince.

“And the single last thing in my head: that I like him better than I’ve ever liked anyone and that of all the things he’s ever done to me, making me like him so much is by far the worst.”

Needless to say, the only way I will find out the answers to the many, many questions buzzing through my head is with the final instalment in this trilogy, The Queen of Nothing, set for release in 2020. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to Elfhame to see what lay in store for Jude, Cardan and the rest of the characters in this series. Again, thanks to Readers First and Hot Key Books for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read The Wicked King? If anyone wants to chat Book 3 or Cardan theories then feel free to drop me a comment below!

[Book Review] To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

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I have a heart for every year I’ve been alive.
There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle, just to check they’re still there. Buried deep and bloody. I count each of them, so I can be sure none were stolen in the night. It’s not such an odd fear to have. Hearts are power, and if there’s one thing my kind craves more than the ocean, it’s power.

If this book were a portal to the world it’s set in then I would immediately dive straight into it right now!

I’ve always been a major fan of any stories set by seas and oceans or involving pirates, mermaids and the like. I’ve read stories of sirens in mythology but nothing contemporary has ever hit the mark…that is until To Kill A Kingdom came along.
I knew I had to read it straightaway and couldn’t resist the lure of it when it came up as part of the Readers First draw. Readers First is a website that releases first looks on upcoming releases from a wide range of genres. If you write a first impression of the first look then you get entered into a prize draw to win a copy of the book pre-publication in exchange for a review. This was my first time actually entering for anything and I jumped for joy when I had the email telling me that I had won a copy and it was already on its way in the mail to me.

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy? [Synopsis from Goodreads]IMG_7774

Admittedly, from the blurb alone, my expectations were incredibly high and thankfully Alexandra Christo pulled it out of the bag with this brilliant debut. It’s clear from the first few pages that storytelling is a massive strength within this novel. Christo has such a lyrical way of writing that the story is almost like a siren song transcending off the pages straight into your mind.

Under the sea, it’s never so serene. There’s always screaming and crashing and tearing. There’s always the ocean, constantly moving and evolving into something new. Never still and never the same.

From the outset, the world building in this book is far from watery (pun intended)!  The rich vocabulary and exquisite descriptions immerse you headfirst into the world Christo has created. Seriously, I would happily hop on the first pirate ship I see on a quest to find the Diávolos Sea. I love descriptive books which is why I think this appealed to me so much but if you’re not into all of that then there’s plenty of swashbuckling action and entertaining banter to counteract it.

And the ocean, calling out to us both. A song of freedom and longing.

The story is written in alternating chapters following Lira – a siren princess known as the Princes’ Bane due to her passion for targeting and murdering princes, and Elian – a Midasan prince known as the siren-killer because of his commitment to sailing the seas and ridding humanity of the threat of siren monsters. When Lira’s callous and cruel mother, the Sea Queen, sends Lira on a quest to kill Elian the paths of the two main characters merges and takes them on an adventure which neither one was truly expecting.

Could it really be such a bad thing, to become a story whispered to children in the dead of night?

Raised by brutality, Lira is one true bad-ass. She’s witty, determined and filled with sass to the brim. A fantastic protagonist who conveys her story and her conflicting feelings effortlessly. I really liked the fact that she dared to be different to the other sirens, even if it meant going against someone as powerful as her mother. As for the prince…well, give me Elian over Eric any day! The balance between both him and Lira made for a brilliantly believable pairing despite their initial differences.

Although To Kill A Kingdom comes across as a retelling, it really is an original tale in its own right. I enjoyed the influences of Greek myths as well as spotting the various nods to both the traditional and Disney versions of the The Little Mermaid – the Sea Queen throws some serious shade on Disney’s Ursula; Lira’s transition from siren to human echoes both Ariel’s and the Anderson mermaid’s fates; and of course the subtle romance between prince and princess reiterates themes from both versions of the tale.

The storyline itself, deviates drastically from the well-known fairy tales. Christo has created an interesting narrative which weaves myth, fairy tale and fantasy together. The characters embark on a fairly simple retrieval quest which then branches out into variously wicked twists and turns to keep you on your toes, finally culminating in an epic battle of mankind and monsters to determine the fate of their world. I enjoyed the way that the action was interspersed with different settings and dialogues between the characters. Refreshingly, as a standalone fantasy novel, the plot is neatly wrapped up at the end of the story but there’s the snag…I wanted more! At times during reading I found myself doubting that this was actually a standalone. I couldn’t quite believe that the whole story could be wrapped up as I crept closer and closer to the end of the book. Whilst I wasn’t left with any burning questions which felt as though they hadn’t been answered, I do feel that the ending came about rather quickly compared to the level of build-up that there was to get there. I really hope Christo revisits this world that she has created, not necessarily to continue the stories of Elian and Lira, but just to see more of it come to life on the page.

If you’re looking for a stunningly enchanting standalone to absolutely lose yourself in, then this is the book for you. To Kill a Kingdom had everything I wanted in a YA fantasy novel – adventure, mysticism, humour, magic, a touch of romance and a kingdom that I actually wished was a real place. This novel will definitely stick in my mind for a long time to come and I can’t wait to see what Christo writes next.

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Published: 6th March 2018
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781471407390
Rating: 5/5 Princes’ Hearts

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my TBR which I still haven’t read!

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Hey Bookaholic friends,

I cannot believe Tuesday has come around again so quickly and it’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday! This week we are looking at the top ten books that have been on my TBR way too long. As there are far too many unread books on my shelves already, I decided to focus this post on the YA books which I’ve heard a lot about and feel like I should have read by now.

10.Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

One of the children I teach has read practically every Percy Jackson book published to date and it puts me to shame! I should really make a start on this series but feel like I’ve got so many series on the go at the moment!

9.Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I saw the movie of this book when it came out at the cinema and loved the concept! I’ve bought the first two books in the series but as yet, I am still to get around to reading them!

8.Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

This series is very hyped in the bookish community so I feel like I should read it just to tick it off my list. My first introduction to Laini Taylor was Strange the Dreamer and I enjoyed her eloquent writer’s voice and the way she told the story so I am hoping that I like this trilogy too, when I finally get around to it of course!

7.The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

Similarly to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, this has long been on my TBR. Arabian Nights is one of my favourite story themes so I really need to get a move on and start this series!

6.The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I have had this on my iBooks for so long and I keep seeing little fandom bits popping up all over Instagram. The reviews/opinions I have read are quite divided so I’m intrigued to read this.

5.The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Having just seen the last instalment of this as a film at the cinema I am now more motivated than ever to finally get stuck into this series!

4.Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Yet another fandom I keep seeing pop up and felt compelled to buy. For some reason it keeps making its way further down the TBR list but I will definitely make sure I get around to it at some point this year!

3.Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I absolutely adored The Language of Thorns so much so that I ordered all of Bardugo’s other books. I’m two thirds of the way through the Shadow and Bone trilogy and will start Ruin and Rising very soon. I am really looking forward to finally starting Six of Crows as many people have said how they enjoyed it more than Shadow and Bone.

2.Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

This has been pitched as one of the must-reads of the fantasy genres so it’s been on my To Buy list for ages and arrived just a few days ago despite being on my TBR list for well over a year!

1.A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Like Nevernight I’ve been meaning to purchase this trilogy starter for ages. Hopefully 2018 will be the year I can tick it off my TBR pile!

This week’s TTT seemed quite simple to start with…until I looked closer at how big my pile actually was! There are quite a few novels on here that didn’t make the cut to this post including, The Night Circus, Clockwork Angel, The Loney, Rebel of the Sands and Cinder to name but a few!

What made it into your Top Ten Tuesday this week? Which books have been on your TBR the longest? Have you read any of the ones on my TBR and what did you think? Let me know in the comments, I always love a good natter about books!

Until next time Bookaholic friends, have a good week!

Pinnacle – Book Review

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•   Published 6th February 2018 by Astraea Press (Paperback)

•   298 pages

•   ISBN-13:978-1621357339

•   Rated: 4/5 Magical Attributes

“Identifying her parents was the hardest thing ever, until Kaya learned she was the killer’s next target. Moving had thrown the ancient predator off her trail temporarily but with magical abilities manifesting, Kaya’s scent grows stronger and the attempts on her life become constant. Narrowly surviving each encounter, Kaya is desperate to stop her potential assassin, but it’s hard to kill a creature that changes its appearance and disappears without a trace. Kaya finds the support she needs to succeed in her small group of friends and her boyfriend Kenneth. Like so many things, they’re more than what they seem and with the killer having unsettling similarities to Kenneth and his family…Kaya can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection.”

Pinnacle is a brilliant debut from Lynn Veevers and really brings Lycanthropy into the spotlight. The novel has a wide-ranging cast of characters and gives the reader an in-depth look at the powers and heritage of the people within Kaya’s world. There is a lot of character-building which really immerses you into the plot.

At the beginning, I felt like there was a fair bit of info-dumping explaining all of the attributes and qualities of both the Natural and Afflicted Lycans and the Natural Mystics to bring the reader up to speed and into the story. As the descriptions were often quite lengthy and took place during conversations with numerous characters (some of which had been freshly introduced), I found myself having to pay close attention to what was happening to get my head around it all. With a little bit of perseverance, I came to understand more about the complexities of the various character traits. Afflicted Lycans = bad, they’re basically like the Terminators of the Lycan world; Natural Lycans are the good guys and have more than one form and Natural Mystics are like humans but with a specific skill or attribute.

Now Kaya is like the ultimate of the Natural Mystics and the plot revolves around her being the destined Pinnacle. Because of her heritage she has quite a range of different abilities which make her different from other Natural Mystics. She shows a lot of determination and adapts to her powers really well and quite speedily, especially when a new one will pop up out of the blue and show itself suddenly. At times, her relationship with Kenneth was a little cheesy for my personal taste, but I was pleased that the tone of the novel didn’t come across as an angsty teenage romance.

Although there were a lot of characters, you quickly felt like you got to know them as a fair amount of the text was centered around their interactions and conversations with each other. I don’t tend to read many books with werewolf or lycan themes but the likeability of the characters that Veevers created drew me into following their story through until the end.

My highlight of the book is where they journey to a cave in an attempt to track down and discover Senka, the main villain. This part of the novel was able to merge the world-building of the setting whilst also giving the characters a chance to demonstrate their skills in a battle-type situation. It gave the story a little more action and pace. I also felt that this was the part of the story where all of the main components came together and gave the story its link into the second novel Eximius.

Overall I really enjoyed Pinnacle, it was thrilling to read a book which had little complexities layered throughout its narrative. It really made me pay attention to the storyline and what was happening. For a debut, this is an ambitious and valiant attempt into the foray of paranormal YA fiction. I would definitely recommend this to older, more mature readers due to the exploration of relationships involved and some scenes which include violence and a character death. If you liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight and The Mortal Instruments for their werewolf elements and prefer books which focus heavily on character development and interactions then you would probably enjoy reading Pinnacle.

I would like to thank Lynn for giving me the opportunity to read Pinnacle before its release date and cannot wait to see what happens next in the forthcoming sequel Eximius.

Everless – book review

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  • Everless by Sara Holland
  • Published 4th January 2018 by Orchard Books
  • 368 pages
  • Rated: 5/5 Blood-irons

“Time is a prison. She is the key.”
This book felt like it bled me dry – pun definitely intended! I binge read it in a couple of days and am waiting on tenterhooks for book 2! I received this book in the December Oh So Regal box from FairyLoot.

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Everless is the debut novel by Sara Holland and is the first in a so far untitled series.
“In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything – even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.
Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.
There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever … and possibly the future of time itself.”

The concept of ‘time is money’ has been around since the Ancient Greek times and has slowly trickled its way through history when it was, albeit mistakenly attributed to Benjamin Franklin who’d used it in his 1748 essay Advice to a Young Tradesman. In the world of Everless, time literally is money; citizens go to have their blood bled, diminishing their life span, which gets melted down into blood-irons, the currency of Sempera. Those blood-irons are used for paying rent to the time collectors (read tax collectors) on behalf of the rich people who own all of the land and villages.
For me, Holland has struck gold (pun again intended, sorry not sorry) by weaving elements of our own realities into this fantasy environment. I’m not sure if she did this intentionally but Everless smacks of that old Robin Hood story of the rich stealing from the poor, something which can still be prevalent in many countries today. The idea of the elite and the 1% owning everything whilst we peasants have to ask permission or apply for licences just to be able to do simple things like drive, pay taxes on the wages and incomes we spent our own hours of life earning just to be able to afford a living, be registered at birth, have a National Insurance number, pay VAT on goods we buy in shops, who really does own the ground we actually walk upon…? The list is everless! I could go on forever with this! So as you can see, Holland really hit my nerve with her Semperean world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, purely for the parallels that I read in it of our own lives on planet Earth.

Jules in the opening scene reminded me so much of Katniss Everdeen and Feyre Archeron, the way she hunts through the woods trying in earnest to find food to trade or sell. She has no self pity and enough sass to make her a believable and strong lead character, although at times, just a few, I feel that I’m more invested in her story and what is happening to her, rather than being concerned with the person that is Jules herself…if that makes sense?! Mostly, everything she does, whether out of naivety or her own admitted selfishness is for her Papa and the good of her friends and family. She has a determination and grit which desires to see a little bit of justice in the world, someone who is not afraid to stand up and fight for what they believe in whilst still retaining humility and nervousness about how she can accomplish what she needs to. Her story throughout the novel really intrigued me as it begun to unravel and although I guessed or had my suspicions of some elements within the plot, others pulled the rug out from under my feet and were so unexpected that I would actually gasp aloud whilst reading and immediately Snapchat my friend who was reading the book at the same time as me! Some of those moments…that is what I live for in a book! Fair play Sara Holland, you kept me on my toes!

The Sorceress and the Alchemist were great plot devices and well laid out. I loved how they merged with the characters within the story and it gave the book that traditional fairy/folktale feeling. It’s got me wondering whether theirs is an old tale which inspired Holland to write Everless or whether she’s just taken two well known character tropes and devised their narratives from that. Either way, I really enjoyed the dynamic that it brought to the story.

If you love a good ending which leaves you dangling off the precipice of the White Cliffs of Dover then Everless should satisfy that need. Towards the ending, the story increasingly quickens in pace, just as the world around Jules starts to unravel yet knit together at the same time! And then…bam! In the space of a few pages, again drop-jaw moment, something happens from out of the blue and you end up shouting, “I knew it!” out loud in front of your family and doing 😱 face multiple times as the book finishes in front of your very eyes! Ok, there are unanswered questions to do with minor characters which I’m not sure will be revealed in the second book as I don’t know how they would link to the main plot. Shoving that aside, if I had enough blood-irons I could spend eons raving about what I love in this story and I only hope that I’m not waiting lightyears for the next instalment!