BOOKS | Most Anticipated New Books of 2023

 There are a lot of amazing books being released next year, but I have managed to narrow down all the ones I am excited about to a list of ten! So these are the books I am most looking forward to that are being released in 2023. These release dates are from Goodreads and they could change.

1. The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

Expected publication 3rd January 2023

Elfhame #4, The Stolen Heir Duology #1

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.
Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.
Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

- Goodreads.

I really loved The Folk of the Air series, it's now one of my favourites, so I am very intrigued about this continuation and what the future will hold for the characters!

2. A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Expected publication 28th February 2023

The Roots of Chaos #0

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose.
To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be.
The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate.
When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat. 

- Goodreads.

The Priory of the Orange Tree was such an impressive and creative epic fantasy novel, I know this prequel will be just as, if not more, fascinating to dive into.

3. Daughter of Winter and Twilight by Helen Corcoran

Expected publication September 2023

Queen of Coin and Whispers #2

Daughter of Winter and Twilight, sequel to Queen of Coin and Whispers, which picks up fourteen years after the original, with a princess navigating her place in a politically incendiary realm, where the bonds of history and family grow increasingly frayed, especially when old magic returns to the land.

- Goodreads.

I really loved Queen of Coin and Whispers and thought it was such a unique and lovely story, so I was of course very excited when I found out there was going to be a sequel! I'm looking forward to having more details about what will happen in this book and finding out what the cover will look like.

4. Mysteries of Thorn Manner by Margaret Rogerson

Expected publication 17th January 2023

Sorcery of Thorns #1.5 

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city's most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate's wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor's occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another...
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas - along with their new maid Mercy - will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they're due to host the city's Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel's ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

- Goodreads.

Sorcery of Thorns was such a wonderful story with the most loveable characters, it makes me so happy that we are going to see more of those characters in this novella!

5. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Expected publication 10th January 2023

(Emily Wilde #1)

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party - or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones - the most elusive of all faeries - lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all - her own heart.

- Goodreads.

 I have never read anything from this author before but this book just sounds so perfect and delightful, I can never resist a good faerie story!

6. Untitled by V.E. Schwab

Expected publication October 2023

Shades of Magic #4, Threads of Power #1

 The start of a brand-new trilogy called the Threads of Power, which will be set in the same world as the Shades of Magic series, featuring new leads, plus the entire cast from Conjuring of Light.

- Goodreads.

There might not be many details about what this new trilogy in the Shades of Magic world will contain, but I loved the first trilogy and thought it was so inventive and clever, so I am definitely excited for more, and I am always happy to read more from V.E. Schwab in general.

7. A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand

Expected publication 9th May 2023

The Middlemist Trilogy #1

Lady Gemma Ashbourne seemingly has it all. She's young, gorgeous, and rich. Her family was Anointed by the gods, blessed with incredible abilities. But underneath her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to guard against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin - embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family - often forget Gemma exists.
Worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne to possess no magic. Instead, her body fights it like poison. Constantly ill, aching with loneliness, Gemma craves love and yearns to belong.
Then she meets the devastatingly handsome Talan d'Astier. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She'll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks. According to popular legend, a demon called The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown is behind the families' blood feud - slay the demon, end the feud.
But attacks on the Middlemist are increasing. The plot against the Basks quickly spirals out of control. And something immense and terrifying is awakening in Gemma, drawing her inexorably toward Talan and an all-consuming passion that could destroy her - or show her the true strength of her power at last. 

- Goodreads.

This is another author I have not read from before but the story sounds so compelling and like it could be really thrilling, so I am intrigued to see what this one will be like!

8. Lore Olympus: Volume Four by Rachel Smythe

Expected publication 6th June 2023

Lore Olympus Volumes #4 

The rumour mill of Olympus is constantly churning, but Persephone and Hades are all anyone can talk about. With the constant gossip creating intense pressure on the pair, they decide to slow down their budding romance and focus on sorting out their own issues first.
But that's easier said than done.

- Goodreads.

I have really adored every volume of Lore Olympus I have read so far, it is such an enjoyable story with such a delightful art style, I am really looking forward to the release of the next volume!

9. A Duet with the Siren Duke by Elise Kova

Expected publication 15th August 2023

Married to Magic #4

In water as cold as death, the duet began. With it, she gained five years of freedom. But, her time is up. And now she will go beneath the waves and into the hands of the enchanting siren who claimed her as his sacrifice.

- Goodreads.

Although I had mixed feelings about the most recent book in this series, overall I think each installment has been an enjoyable romance and I am curious to see what a siren romance in this world will be like!

10. The Bone Season 10th Anniversay Edition by Samantha Shannon

Expected publication Summer 2023

The Bone Season #1, revised

This is not a completely new story, but I am still quite excited about this as Samantha Shannon has revised The Bone Season for this anniversary and I am very curious to see what this updated version will be like, what changes she has made and how the reading experience will be different. I am also excited to see what this anniversary edition will look like and if the cover will be similar or changed!

BOOKS | Review: Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Name: Among the Beasts & Briars

Author: Ashley Poston

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Date published: October 2020

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, fairy tales

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5

Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse - the magic - in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

- From Goodreads.

This was a truly wonderful fairy tale style fantasy. I was really invested in the storyline and what happened to the characters and felt like it all lead to a satisfying conclusion that really was the perfect ending.

The world building was really fascinating and well written, I easily understood how the kingdom worked and its history, and how more of that history was revealed as the story went of was a very intriguing part of the story. The forest was written to be a very ominous presence throughout the book and was very creepy and sinister and the monsters were truly scary.

The characters were well written as well, all of them were interesting. Both the side and main characters kept my attention and there were some morally grey characters that were exciting to follow and were complex enough that you were not sure what they would do next.

The two main characters were wonderful and I really enjoyed following both of them. They each had flaws but were still so loveable and I really grew attached to them. Their romance was so sweet and lovely and I really felt their emotions and wanted things to end happily for them.

This was just a perfect book for me, with dark and enchanting magic and a really heartwarming romance. I would recommend this if you enjoy stories like Uprooted by Naomi Novik and The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid.

BOOKS | Review: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Name: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Date published: August 2022

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, contemporary, paranormal

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules... With one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and… Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for....

- From Goodreads.

This was a very sweet, heartwarming book that really got to my emotions and made me very happy to read. It had a good balance of lighthearted and serious moments and had a really joyful conclusion.

The descriptions of the setting, atmosphere and magic were all wonderful to read. I could really picture everything and felt really immersed in every scene. I loved how the magic was described, it was really exciting and fun and the author really showed how much Mika loved her magic and her joy of sharing her magic with other characters was so lovely and sweet.

I loved Mika as a main character, she had a great way of thinking about the world and she was so thoughtful and sensitive towards other people. Her relationships with the other characters were all interesting, and all of the other characters felt realistic and well rounded. Her romantic relationship with Jamie and the way everything developed between them was so perfect and I thought the way they communicated and how they treated each other with kindness was so nice to read and I really believed the feelings between them.

I really enjoyed the plot, there was a lot of room for character development and plenty of moments that helped build the relationships between the characters. There were some great funny moments as well as some really emotional and heartfelt ones. Overall it was a great story and everything I could want from a cosy fantasy romance.

BOOKS | Review: A Duel with the Vampire Lord by Elise Kova

Name: A Duel with the Vampire Lord (Married to Magic series #3)

Author: Elise Kova

Publisher: Silver Wing Press

Date published: August 2022

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, retellings, fairy tales

Pages: 421

Rating: 3/5

This review contains mild spoilers.

 

On the night of the blood moon, the Vampire Lord must die.
Floriane's position as the forge maiden of Hunter's Hamlet is one of reverence, for it is her skill that arms and protects the vampire hunters. She knows her place and is a faithful servant to the Master Hunter and her community... until the night of the blood moon. Until her brother is dying at the hands of the Vampire Lord Ruvan.
Wanting to defend her home at all costs, Floriane fights the vampire lord, ready to give her life if it means taking his. But Ruvan doesn't want to take her life... he wants her.
Kidnapped and brought to the vampire castle, Floriane is now blood sworn to the vampire lord. She is bound in mind and body to her worst enemy. But Ruvan isn't the fiend she thought he was. She learns the truth of the vampires: They are not mindless monsters, but a proud people, twisted and tortured by an ancient curse.
Ruvan believes that Floriane might be the key to ending his people's suffering. All Floriane wants is to defend her home. Loyalties are tested and the lines between truth and lie, hate and passion, are blurred.
When her dagger is at his chest, will she be able to take the heart of the man who has claimed hers?

- From Goodreads.

The way that A Duel with the Vampire Lord expanded the world of the Married to Magic series was interesting. The concept for the vampires in this world was fascinating, how they used blood for magic, each had unique abilities and were also under a curse. It was a different twist on vampires, but I felt it was not always executed smoothly and the explanations could be a little confusing.

The rules for the magic were also occasionally inconsistent, it was only a few small times but it was obvious enough that I noticed straight away so it seemed like the book could have used another round of edits to catch those kind of world building details.

I noticed the main character, Floriane, had a few similar personality traits to the main characters from the other books in this world, and her relationship journey with the love interest, Ruvan, felt similar to the way that the relationships in those other books developed too. It was different enough that I could still enjoy it as its own story, and I knew from the summary that it would be an enemies to lovers story, so I was not disappointed by that trope appearing again, and I think if you have not read any of the other books in this world yet it will not feel too similar to anything else, but it does feel like a pattern is beginning to develop with these books and if they continue with the same type of relationship it could get repetitive. As I said, I could still like the characters and relationship in this one, but I hope in the next one we get something a little different with a change in the dynamic between the characters.

I understood why Floriane was keeping things from Ruvan during the first part of the book because she could not trust him enough to open up to him and she thought she could protect her home that way, but I did not understand why Ruvan was not telling her more sooner since he wanted to persuade her over to his point of view and make her understand the vampire's side of the story, and yet he was not explaining everything. I understand it is best to slowly give out pieces of information rather than tell it to us all at once, but from the vampire's point of view I could not see why he was not explaining as much as he could.

This may be a strange comment but it was distracting that for a while at the beginning of the book, several days seemed to pass without any mention of Floriane washing or changing her clothes or even taking off her amour. I know some people do not mind those kind of details but I always find I notice them and this made me think again that the book could have done with more editing and including even just one mention of her taking a moment to freshen up would have stopped me wondering if she was just wearing the same clothes for several days. It is true that they were in dangerous situations a lot but there were enough opportunites where she could have taken a moment to safely change. She was covered in blood from fighting at one point and it was never so much as implied that she ever washed the blood off at any time.

I did like the setting and atmosphere of the book, it was good to read at the beginning of October when the weather was getting colder and the nights were turning darker. Everything was described well and the vampires' castle felt very grand and imposing and sinister. That was all certainly a highlight of the book.

The dialogue did not always flow easily or feel natural, and I think that was one of the things that lead to me not feeling the emotions in the relationship as much as I would have liked to and it did not have as much impact as it could have had. I still liked the relationship overall but did not not really feel the chemistry between them that strongly. The strongest emotion I felt between them was when they were angry at each other and then I just got frustrated that they were not communicating well.

There were a few things set up at the start that felt like the beginning of a plot thread or like it was sending the plot in one direction or something that would be picked up later but never was, or was not seen through in a satisfying way. For example the plot point of Floriane being a forge maiden who was supposed to have an arranged marriage so she could have children to be future forge maidens and how this would secure the future and safety of the village, how she was not supposed to be with other men because of this, how she felt guilt and pressure around that, this was included from the beginning but not built up or developed throughout the story well enough to feel like a satisfying theme, it was only mentioned every so often. Some plot points in general were hard to follow, to remember where details came from or how characters had come to certain conclusions. Some of the conflict felt forced, as the plot points seemed to be added in because they needed to be, not because it was a natural progression of the story.

There was also not a lot of groundwork or foreshadowing or hints laid for the reveals towards the end of the book, they seemed to come out of nowhere. I also felt the plot was paced quite strangely, it felt like quite a long book, especially compared to the previous two, but the climax seemed to come on suddenly and sooner than expected. The conclusion after the climax could have been longer, it wrapped up everything pretty quickly and it would have been nice to just have a bit more time with the characters once everything was resolved. After seeing Ruvan and Floriane spending so much time in conflict and dealing with obstacles, we hardly got to see them together happily.

I was excited for this book, it had a lot of great ideas and I thought adding vampires to this world would be really exciting but unfortunately the ideas did not land very well in most cases. There was a lot of potential but it was not quite reached. I could still see myself rereading it at some point in the future as I may understand the plot better on a second read and perhaps I would like the book better then, and I will still be reading the next book in the world, as I am curious about what might happen in that one and how else this world might expand.

BOOKS | Review: Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

Name: Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales series #1)

Author: Olivia Atwater

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: June 2022

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, historical, fairy tales

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5

It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world... but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

- From Goodreads.

This book was just utterly wonderful. It left me feeling so happy and overall was just such a joy to read. The idea for the story felt very unique and an interesting storyline to follow. I thought the fact that Dora had half her soul taken from her and this left her unable to feel emotions as strongly and to react like other people was written very well and felt very creative. I could still connect to Dora and found her to be very loveable and endearing. She was very complex and self aware and I loved following her development. I also loved her relationships with the other characters in the story. Her friendship with her cousin Vanessa was so heartwarming and it was so lovely to see two female characters so devoted to each other and who were such a good comfort to each other and could be such a good influence on each other.

I also really loved Dora's romance with the Lord Sorcier, Elias, the way the relationship between them changed and grew was done so well. I loved the affection they had for each other and how the dialogue between them was so charming and witty. I think they have definitely become one of my favourite fictional couples already.

Another character I loved was Elias' friend Albert, he was a wonderful part of the story and it was lovely to see him becoming friends with Dora and them helping and supporting each other.

I thought the book did a great job of showing all the different parts of society. Dora and Vanessa faced difficulties being women of their social class at that time, especially Dora who found herself a bit of an outcast when she could not behave the way she was expected to, but they also saw the hardships of people who lived different lives to them and I thought all the discussions around that in the story were well done. I also liked that there was an overall theme in the book that said that we might not be able to change all the bad in society all at once but you can keep doing your best to do something yourself and you can still make some positive difference.

I liked how magic was involved in the story. The descriptions of how Elias used magic were always so enjoyable to read and I also enjoyed the elements of faerie folklore that were in the book and how they were used, they made it very mysterious and enchanting.

Overall it really was a fantastic book. I loved every moment and will definitely read it again and read more from this author. I would recommend this book if you liked Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones or An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson.

BOOKS | Review: Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Name: Down Comes the Night

Author: Allison Saft

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Date published: March 2021

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, gothic, mystery

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5

He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.

Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she’s been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend - the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself.

The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren’s patient isn’t a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.

With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they’ll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal’s illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.

- From Goodreads.

The author built a very interesting world to set this book in. It felt very atmospheric and every scene was described in such detail that it really came alive on the page. I could really imagine everything the main character described and all the different places she visited. The best place of course was Colwick Hall, I really felt how haunted and cold the mansion seemed to the characters and how unsafe they felt there.

I really liked the relationship between the main character and her love interest, I think they had such an interesting dynamic and I really liked how things slowly built between them. I thought that it was good that Wren was allowed to feel emotional and Hal made sure she knew that and did not make her feel weak for feeling anything, and he really appreciated her kindness. Not a lot of books have this because in fantasy worlds where there is war or other difficult things to face, characters are often made to feel like their kindness or other "soft" emotions will make them weak in a tough world and the idea that acts of kindness could actually help is dismissed as unrealistic, but Wren was allowed to be kind and emotional and make things right in the end and help change things with her kindness and without loosing her emotional side. This idea and theme was not always done perfectly throughout the book, but mostly I really liked it and was glad it was included.

Although I enjoyed the plot and thought it was captivating to follow the mystery through to the end, I think it could have been made into a more concise story. Towards the end it felt like the plot was going back and forth a few times, making the same point a couple of times over, which I felt was down to the main character being indecisive and unsure when it really felt like she should have already come to a decision or realistion about certain things. This led to it feeling like the story could have wrapped up a little sooner, and while I did enjoy how the story ended and what happened in the final few scenes, I think the impact was lost slightly because it felt like the story had been stretched out for the sake of adding a little more angst.

Overall, I did really like this book, I thought it had an intriguing mystery, atmospheric setting, well written characters and a compelling romance. I would recommend it if you liked Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson or The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid.

BOOKS | Review: The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

Name: The Mask Falling (The Bone Season series #4)

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date published: January 2021

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, science fiction, dystopian, paranormal, urban fantasy

Pages: 528

Rating: 4/5

 

Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion's downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim's puppet empire.
The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim - her former enemy - at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war.
As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them - and could end with them...

- From Goodreads.

I really loved the descriptions of Paris in this book, it was a wonderful place to set the book and all the details were so well written and nicely placed in the story. I love it when a setting feels like a character in a book, London felt really alive in the previous books and Paris felt just as full of soul in this one too.

Sometimes it did feel like things were done to make the plot move forward, rather than because it made sense for the world or characters. For example, mostly I did agree with Paige's decisions, or at least understood them, but a couple of times it almost felt like she did things because the plot needed her to, and it did not match what she would do given her experience and what she had learnt in the previous books. But this only happened a small amount of times and it did not ruin my enjoyment of the story too much.

I liked that Paige felt the effects of the things that happened to her, both physically and mentally, how that was acknowledged and how she needed to take the time to recover and feel stronger again, and even when she felt better she was still affected by the memories of what had happened. I really felt all of her emotions around that and thought it was written very well.

The story continued to be unpredictable, as all the other books in the series have been so far. There were plot twists and surprises from beginning to end and it certainly kept me intrigued and trying to solve the mysteries all the way through. I liked that there were different layers to the story and different plot threads and storylines taking place at the same time, it was all woven together very intricately.

The ending of the book was especially well done, plot twist after plot twist, all completely surprising, with an epic finalé that suddenly appeared to leave you shocked and stunned. It was nothing I could have expected and it was thrilling to read.

Overall, even though there were a few small moments I had problems with, it was still an incredibly impressive book that answered so many questions that the previous books had asked while also setting up so many potential pathways for the rest of the series. I am so curious to see what will happen in the rest of the books and I am sure Samantha Shannon will continue to surprise me as she has already amazed me so much so far.

BOOKS | Review: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

Name: The Song Rising (The Bone Season series #3)

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date published: March 2017 (this edition March 2018)

Genre: Fiction, adult, science fiction, fantasy, dystopia, urban fantasy, paranormal

Pages: 363

Rating: 4/5

A rebel who becomes a queen
The hotly anticipated third book in the bestselling Bone Season series—a ground-breaking, dystopian fantasy of extraordinary imagination following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population.
But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.
Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it...

- From Goodreads.

As this is the third book in the series, I liked that the elements of the worldbuilding were changed up and new parts were introduced, each instalment seems to bring something different and unique which keeps it interesting and exciting. The characters were put into new situations and there was always something unpredictable happening. The world was expanded and we learnt so much more about what existed outside of the lives and communities that Paige and the characters around her had already known.

On the subject of characters, they continued to be really well written and fascinating. Paige is still a great main character to follow, and I am always on her side, hoping she will make it through and succeed. She went through a lot of difficult things in this book, and it was incredible to read how she persevered and survived, even through the worst. I also really like a lot of the side characters, especially Nick and Eliza. I hope we will see more of them both in future books in the series and hopefully there will be more development in Paige and Eliza's friendship. Nick and Paige's bond is already so strong it made my heart ache, I even cried at one scene between them towards the end of the book.

There were quite a few emotional moments in the book, and although not all of them made me cry like that one, they all got to me and really made me feel on behalf of Paige and the other characters involved.

The writing in the book was well done and balanced the emotional, poignant moments with dramatic and shocking ones, some calm ones, and even a few nice humourous moments. So while I was invested and felt the emotions of the story, I was not too overwhelmed and enjoyed the reading experience.

The only things that stopped me from giving it a full five stars were a few minor things, some character interactions where I did not feel the emotions or just did not connect with the moment, and a couple of moments where the exposition did not feel like it fitted as smoothly into the story as it could have done. Otherwise, I really liked this instalment in the series and am excited, if quite nervous, to move onto the next one!

BOOKS | Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Name: The Mime Order (The Bone Season series #2)

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date published: January 2015 (this edition February 2017)

Genre: Fiction, adult, science fiction, fantasy, dystopia, paranormal, urban fantasy

Pages: 501

Rating: 4/5

This review contains mild spoilers.

It is a dark time for clairvoyants. Scion is in league with the Rephaim, an extraordinarily powerful, otherworldly race that intends to make humans its slaves.

In an unprecedented feat of bravery, Paige Mahoney has succeeded in leading a mass break-out from the brutal camp, Sheol I, where she and other clairvoyants were systematically imprisoned.

Paige is desperate to reach the safety of the London underworld, but the ruthless leader of the Rephaim, Nashira Sargas, is not likely to let her escape so easily…

- From Goodreads.

I thought The Mime Order continued the series in a really exciting way, adding some really intriguing elements to the plot and expanding the world in more fascinating detail.

There was a lot of mystery to the story in this book which I found to be completely unpredictable, I really had no idea what was going to happen next and thought all the plot threads were woven together well. The extra twist at the end of the book also set up an extra layer to what I thought would be the plot of the next book, and makes me all the more eager to pick up the next in the series.

We were introduced to more characters in this book, all of them with interesting parts to play in the story, who felt real and created engaging character dynamics and interactions. One thing I would have liked to see more of was the escapees from Sheol I having a bigger part to play and seeing more of them in the book, since they were so involved in the first one I did feel like I missed them in this one. A few of them did get to play an important part, but I would have liked to see Paige have a connection to more of them and keep in more contact with them, since no one else really knew what she went through when she was captured. Of course she did interact with the rebel Rephaim in this book and although they were somewhat on her side, they still did not really understand her as the other captive voyants would have.

On a similar note, the main weakness of this book and the reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars was because of Paige's romance with Warden. I still did not really feel their connection and thought I would have liked them more as reluctant allies or almost friends at this point instead of already developing a romance when I was still feeling the anger on behalf of Paige over how he treated her in the first book and still did not like some the ways he behaved in this one. I understood that he was Rephaim and would not act human but I could not excuse the things I did not like or understand Paige's feelings for him, but I might have liked it if it had happened later in the series.

However, since this was not the main plot of the book it did not ruin my enjoyment of the story and I still found plenty to enjoy about it. Paige continued to develop her skills with her clairvoyancy and we learnt more about the other types of clairvoyancy too in this book and I found that all fascinating and I think it still continues to be one of the most unique parts of this series.

Overall, this was a thrilling and riveting book that kept me wondering what would happen until the very end. It was all written in great detail with some really captivating character relationships and I am very excited to continue with the series and to see what happens next.

BOOKS | Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Name: The Bone Season (The Bone Season series #1)

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date published: August 2013

Genre: Fiction, adult, science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, dystopia

Pages: 466

Rating: 4/5

 

 

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant - and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

- From Goodreads.

I found The Bone Season to be a very inventive and exciting story that I did not want to put down. It had a few small problems but nothing that truly ruined my enjoyment and overall it was a great start to a series.

One of my favourite things about the book was the world it was set in. It is our world, but in a future with advanced technology, and with alternate history that diverged from our history 200 years back from where the book takes place. There is also clairvoyance added into this world, which makes it all a fascinating mix that I think was handled well. At first there was a strange mixture of a lot of explanation of the worldbuilding taking place at once, while at the same time not all of the names for everything where explained, but I managed to go along with it and still follow the story easily, and was soon enough very immersed in the story and its world.

My other favourite part of this book was Paige, the main character. I just completely loved her, I loved that she got angry, I loved that she was determined, and stood her ground, and I loved that despite everything and all the awful situations she had been in she still cared for other people and stood up for them too. Her particular type of clairvoyancy was very intriguing too and it was interesting to learn about it and see her develop her skills with it more over the course of the book.

I was not sure how I felt about the character of Warden. I definitely hated him at times as Paige justifiably did, and some of the things he did, if I was in Paige's position, I am not sure I would have been able to forgive him for. I did not like how her was forceful with her at times, and consequently as they became closer and formed a bond, I did not feel their connection as much as I would have liked. But I am still interested to see if or how his character develops or changes over the series and if that makes me like him and their relationship more.

All the other side characters were compelling and well-rounded and always added something to the scenes they were in. There were some of them I would definitely be excited to see more of in future books. 

Overall, it felt like a very unique book that always kept me curious to find out what would happen next and invested in the characters, particularly Paige. I will definitely be reading on with the rest of the series and I am excited to see what the next books bring.

BOOKS | Review: Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli

Name: Edgewood

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Date published: March 2022

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 2/5

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.

When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.

Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal - her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.

With the help of Hawthorne - an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day - Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.

- From Goodreads.

During the first few chapters of Edgewood, I felt unsure about the story and how it would go, I did not quite understand Emeline at first because despite growing up in a mystical place and having mystical things happen around her all her life, she continued to deny anything magical could be happening, and I struggled to connect with the story at the beginning because of that. Although I began to enjoy the story a little more once it moved into the forest and the Wood King's court, it was still frustrating that Emeline did not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation and how it had changed everything. There were a few moments where she felt more naïve or behaved more foolishly than seemed realistic for a character with her knowledge and experience. While there were moments I did like her and empathised with her, unfortunately I found it quite difficult to root for Emeline as the story went on. I could not quite understand her priorities and why answers to problems did not occur to her, or why at times, even though she seemed to care for her friends and the forest they lived in, she never seemed to be that focused on helping and saving them.

As the story did go further on and was more about the time in the forest and the time with the Wood King's court, the were more elements about it that I enjoyed. The sense of adventure, the different fairy tale and myth inspirations, and creative setting really made me intrigued to know more about the magical world and the creatures living there. 

However, the plot felt a little repetitive at times, although there were mysteries I was interested in seeing the answers to, it did feel like we kept going through the same problems over and over again without getting any closer to the solutions, so it did feel frustrating to read, even though I was excited to get to the end to find out how everything resolved. I also did not like the answers we got for some of the mysteries, I felt they did not completely make sense with the information we had already been told and I felt some of the backstories they filled in did not make sense for the characters we knew either, creating storylines for those characters that I felt were inconsistent. Some of the answers to the mysteries I think I would have liked more if they had been revealed in a different way and we got the story told differently, but some of the answers to the mysteries I really did just not like at all, and some of them made it hard for me to continue to root for characters I had previously liked.

I am still unsure how I felt about the ending, because some parts of it were quite satisfying and wrapped up some of the storylines in a way that I liked and had been hoping for, but in other ways I was still left feeling not quite content and it did not really have everything I wanted after all that the characters had been through.

There was so much potential in this book. The magical world was so fascinating and I really wanted to get immersed into it, but we did not explore it as much as I would have liked. There were quite a few characters I did like and that I always enjoyed seeing more of, mainly some of the side characters, but I struggled to connect to the main character, although sometimes I did really feel her emotional struggles. While I liked the romance between the main character and her love interest, there was not quite enough time with them together for me to get truly invested, and a couple of moments that they did have together fell flat for me. The plot left me feeling disappointed as I thought it could have gone in some really exciting directions, but I ended up feeling a bit lost with where it did go. Overall it could have been a really great book for me and I could see why someone else might enjoy it, but ultimately I struggled with it too much to rate it highly and was left feeling conflicted.

BOOKS | Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Name: Poison Study (Poison Study series #1, The Chronicles of Ixia series #1)

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Mira Books

Date published: September 2007

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, adventure

Rating: 4/5

Choose:

A quick death

Or slow poison...

Yelena has a choice – be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived.

Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognise whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can’t. And who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head?

When Yelena realises she has extraordinary powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death...

- From Goodreads.

Poison Study was an incredibly exciting and intense adventure with plenty of different plot threads weaving together that kept me turning the pages, invested in finding out what would happen next.

I thought the world was built well, the country it was set in, its history and politics all felt real and interesting to unravel and come to understand over the course of the story. I enjoyed the descriptions of the settings and felt they added to the mood and atmosphere of the story well.

My favourite part of the story was definitely the characters. Yelena was a great main character to follow as I loved seeing her grow and learn throughout the novel, and I thought her conflict and pain over her past and her struggles to feel strong despite that were very endearing. I also really enjoyed her dynamic and interactions with Valek, who was a very intriguing character, and I always looked forward to seeing him in a scene and seeing what he would do.

The side characters in the story were also well written, all of them engaging, whether they were likeable or hateful, they definitely added to the story and gave it plenty of depth.

One of the things that did take me out of the flow of the story once or twice was the writing of the action scenes, which I did not always find easy to follow or to picture in my mind, but this did not lessen my enjoyment too much and I am hopeful it could improve in the other books in the series, which I absolutely plan on reading.

Another thing I should mention is that this book does deal with some more serious topics, such as abuse and sexual assault. In general I felt this was dealt with carefully, but there were a couple of small scenes I felt unsure about and that were certainly not easy to read, so if that is something that could upset you, I would be cautious when reading this book.

Overall it was a really great book that was very quick to read as I was enjoying my time with it and was very invested with finding out how it would end. I became quite attached to the characters I liked and will certainly be reading on in the series to find out what happens to them all. I recommend this if you like the politics and danger of books like The Cruel Prince and the world building of something like Shadow and Bone.

BOOKS | Review: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Name: Gallant

Author: V.E. Schwab

Publisher: Titan Books

Date published: March 2022

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, mystery, horror, gothic

Pages: 310

Rating: 5/5

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal - which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home - to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant - but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unravelled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

- From Goodreads.

This was a wonderfully atmospheric story that really immersed me in the world of the book and got me caught up in all the action and emotions. Everything was described perfectly, in detail that really added to the mystery and suspense. It made me feel fear for the characters and curious as to how the mysteries would be resolved and how everything would come to an end. This was enhanced by the beautiful illustrations that were interwoven throughout the book and were really crucial to the story.

I loved the main character, Olivia, my heart really felt for her and her desire to find her place in the world and have a family. I also do not remember reading many mute characters before and I really felt Olivia's pain and frustration as she wanted to make herself heard and make noise in the world, and when she so badly wanted to cry out and scream but could not, it was so heart-breaking. I loved that she fought for herself and had real determination and at heart really yearned for a sense of belonging.

I also really liked the other characters in the story and felt they each stood out as real, interesting people, even just the characters we knew through backstory. As this was not a long book, and it took place over quite a short amount of time, we did not spend a long time with these characters, but I still felt we got to know them quite well and even became quite attached to and really worried for some of them.

Overall, this was a very well told gothic style mystery with very strong characters at its heart that I found very easy to get lost in. I ended up very emotionally connected to the story and even cried at the end. I would absolutely recommend this if you have enjoyed V.E. Schwab's writing style in the past because I feel this definitely has her style, although the story certainly feels like something I have not read from her before.

BOOKS | Review: The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

Name: The Witness for the Dead

Author: Katherine Addison

Publisher: Solaris

Date published: July 2021

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, mystery, steampunk

Pages: 313

Rating: 5/5

When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had set the bombs that killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his father’s Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it. He lost his place as a retainer of his cousin the former Empress, and made far too many enemies among the many factions vying for power in the new Court. The favour of the Emperor is a dangerous coin.

Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honestly will not permit him to live quietly. As a Witness for the Dead, he can, sometimes, speak to the recently dead: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered.

Now Celehar’s skills lead him out of the quiet and into a morass of treachery, murder, and injustice. No matter his own background with the imperial house, Celehar will stand with the commoners, and possibly find a light in the darkness.

- From Goodreads.

This was a wonderfully intriguing story following one of the side characters from The Goblin Emperor, Thara Celehar. I was worried I would not enjoy this book as much because Maia, the main character of that previous book, was one of the main things that I loved so much about it, but I really fell in love with the main character of this one too. It was really interesting to follow him, see the world from his perspective and see what his life was like in more detail.

I was surprised by the change to first person since The Goblin Emperor was written in third, but it worked well and I enjoyed reading the narrative style.

It was fascinating to see more of the world and different places in this book, I found all the details of where Thara Celehar lived and worked and travelled interesting to learn about. The world in The Goblin Emperor felt real already, but this book allowed us to see more of what we could not in the previous one, with the same intricate detail of the previous book.

I found the mysteries of the story compelling and was excited to read to the end to find the resolutions to all of them. I think they were woven into the story well and I found the conclusions satisfying.

The side characters all felt well-rounded and interesting too, and I became really attached to a couple of them, as well as Thara Celehar. I especially like the interactions he had with Pel-Thenhior, who was a wonderfully lively character.

I am glad to know there is going to be another book after this one as I am always happy to read more from this world and this book has shown me I would love to see more of Thara Celehar and the people he knows. I would definitely like to see another book following Maia, but this book pleasantly surprised me by how excited it made me to see more from Thara Celehar's perspective.

BOOKS | Review: A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova

Name: A Dance with the Fae Prince

Author: Elise Kova

Publisher: Silver Wing Press

Date published: August 2021

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, retellings, fairy tales

Pages: 374

Rating: 4/5

Katria swore she'd never fall in love. She's seen what "love" means through the cruelty of her family. So when she's married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she's leaving. Feelings are off the table.

But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.

As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.

Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings - magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne - and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.

The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?

- From Goodreads.

This was a wonderful addition to this world, and although I preferred the first book in this series, A Deal with the Elf King, I still found this story to be really enjoyable. It expanded the world, introduced us to new intriguing characters, and gave us a captivating romance to follow.

I really liked the side characters. Elise Kova created a group of supporting figures that really added to the story and had a lot of personality. The main character of Katria also had a lot of heart and it was easy to see why she was interested in her love interest, Lord Fenwood.

However, as mentioned, there was something that made me prefer A Deal with the Elf King to this book. While the plot was exciting and I liked all the characters, I think it was something lacking in the romance that made me love it just slightly less. I still liked the relationship between Katria and Lord Fenwood, but there were a few moments where I did not feel the impact of the emotions between them as strongly as I would have liked, and in general I think I expected the relationship to develop differently.

I liked the fairytale retelling elements of the story, the Cinderella influences were done well. I do not often read many Cinderella retellings as I prefer other fairytales, but this was still done in an exciting way and mixed with the other parts of the story well. I also liked the Eros and Psyche twist to the story, although I would have liked to see more of that part and see it more explored for a bit longer.

Overall, it was a lovely, romantic story that added to the world created in A Deal with the Elf King and made me eager to continue with reading this series.

BOOKS | Review: Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

Name: Echo North

Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Date published: This edition January 2022, first published January 2019

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, retellings, fairy tales

Pages: 393

Rating: 5/5

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: if she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books- turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

- From Goodreads.

Echo North was such an enjoyable story to read, I loved how fairy tale inspired it was, how focused it was on storytelling, and how you could see the influences of different fairy tales on it. The way the author built stories into the world and made them important was so clever and felt fascinating to read.

In general the author was very creative and imaginative and it was a joy to read all the descriptions, the world was so interesting and detailed and inventive.

The plot felt very adventurous and I found it hard to put the book down because I was in so much suspense waiting to find out what would happen and how all the mysteries would unravel. There were quite a few surprises at the end that I did not expect and I enjoyed how, even though it was based on well known fairy tales, the author still made the story unique and added twists of her own.

I really adored the romantic elements of the story, how slowly they built up and how beautifully they were written. I was so invested in the characters and them working things out so they could be happy together in the end, they just made my heart ache in a marvellous way.

Echo was also a lovely main character to follow, I loved the journey she went on and could really sympathise with her. I felt I could really understand her emotions and why she made all her decisions, and enjoyed seeing her develop over the course of the novel.

Overall this was a really perfect story for me, a lovely fairy tale adventure with a beautiful love story, and I will absolutely be adding it to my favourite books. I am sure it will be wonderful to reread and I will definitely be happy to read more from this author.

BOOKS | Review: The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

 Name: The Winter Duke

Author: Claire Eliza Bartlett

Publisher: Titan Books

Date published: October 2020

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, retellings

Pages: 383

Rating: 4/5

All Ekata wants is to stay alive - and the chance to prove herself as a scholar. Once Ekata’s brother is finally named heir to the dukedom of Kylma Above, there will be nothing to keep her at home with her murderous family. Not her books or her experiments, not her family’s icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness, and no one can find a cure.

In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother’s captivating warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without - and within - her ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love... or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s magic and power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield them both.

- From Goodreads.

The Winter Duke reminded me of The Goblin Emperor in the way that it was about a character thrust into a powerful position when they had not been expecting it and certainly had not been prepared for it, but were determined to do their duty and learn to do the role they had suddenly acquired. The characters and worldbuilding were different of course, but I liked the similar elements.

Speaking of worldbuilding, this world was so fascinating and unique, with wonderful descriptions. I liked the concept of the kingdom Above and Below, and the magic and different people who lived in each place, it was intriguing to learn about it all as the story unfolded.

There were some moments in the story that felt like they could have explored the emotion more and gone into more depth. These moments did not connect as much as they could have. For example, the romance between Ekata and Inkar was good but did not quite connect with me. I quite enjoyed it but did not fall in love with it, not in a way that had me turning the pages desperate for more interactions between them.

My feelings over Ekata as a character were conflicted. I really did feel for her and wanted her to do well and sympathised with her struggle, I just think her growth and character development could have been written better to be more satisfying.

The ending of the story could also have been a little more satisfying for me. The political intrigue and mystery elements of the plot were very fascinating and I mostly enjoyed reading it and trying to work out who had done what, however some of the details and answers to the mystery could have been explained better and in the end I was still a little confused.

Overall I enjoyed the reading experience and was excited to get to the end to find out what happened, there were just a few places in the story where it did not live up to the potential or did not quite hit the mark so I could not fall in love with it completely. 

BOOKS | Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

 Name: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Date published: First published 2013, this edition published 2014

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance, dystopia, horror

Pages: 419

Rating: 5/5

 

Coldtown was dangerous, Tana knew. A glamorous cage, a prison for the damned and anyone who wanted to party with them.
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. 

- From Goodreads.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a different and fresh take on vampires that I found intriguing and thrilling to read about, and at some points it was even quite scary and intense. Holly Black certainly made vampires her own in a complex and fascinating way.

I really enjoyed the writing style, it flowed smoothly and I found it easy to read, and it made the story quite addictive as I did not want to put it down. 

The plot was a wild rollercoaster with an incredible amount of twists and turns. Holly Black books are never predictable and this was no exception. I had no idea what was going to happen and was quite nervous to find out how it would all end.

As usual with Holly Black books, the characters are all complex and fascinating, even the characters you truly detest. Everyone was interesting and felt like you might find them in the real world. My favourite characters were Tana and Gavriel, who I felt were both very well written, had backstories that were compelling, and you could understand and root for them, even when they had to do awful and horrible things. Their romance was perfectly done and all of their moments together were captivating and I loved the way their relationship was built up.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this book if you are looking for a unique and modern vampire story with a riveting plot and engaging characters, and if you enjoyed Holly Black's other books, this still has her excellent writing style and unpredicatable twists, even though it is one of her earlier books.

BOOKS | Review: Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar

Name: Midnight in Everwood

Author: M.A. Kuzniar

Publisher: HQ

Date published: October 2021

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, historical, romance, retellings

Pages: 348

Rating: 5/5

 

There’s nothing Marietta Stelle loves more than ballet, but after Christmas, her dreams will be over as she is obligated to take her place in Edwardian society. While she is chafing against such suffocating traditions, a mysterious man purchases the neighbouring townhouse. Dr Drosselmeier is a charming but calculating figure who wins over the rest of the Stelle family with his enchanting toys and wondrous mechanisms.
When Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance, she discovers it carries a magic all of its own. On the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, she is transported to a snowy forest, where she encounters danger at every turn: ice giants, shadow goblins and the shrieking mist all lurk amidst the firs and frozen waterfalls and ice cliffs. After being rescued by the butterscotch-eyed captain of the king’s guard, she is escorted to the frozen sugar palace. At once, Marietta is enchanted by this glittering world of glamorous gowns, gingerbread houses, miniature reindeer and the most delicious confectionary.
But all is not as it seems and Marietta is soon trapped in the sumptuous palace by the sadistic King Gelum, who claims her as his own. She is confined to a gilded prison with his other pets; Dellara, whose words are as sharp as her teeth, and Pirlipata, a princess from another land. Marietta must forge an alliance with the two women to carve a way free from this sugar-coated but treacherous world and back home to follow her dreams. Yet in a hedonistic world brimming with rebellion and a forbidden romance that risks everything, such a path will never be easy.
- From Goodreads.

Midnight in Everwood was a perfect winter fairy tale, and an incredibly inventive retelling of The Nutcracker. I enjoyed every moment of reading it and wanted more, not wanting it to end.

The descriptions were so magical and whimsical, so detailed in such a lovely imaginative way. All the settings, the clothes, the characters, it was all so delightful to read. The parts in the magical world, in Everwood, were my favourite, but even the set up in the real world and the descriptions of the society, how difficult it was to navigate, was interesting to read and well written.

Marietta was an enchanting main character, I loved how she was full of imagination and spirit and found ways to be brave even in the most terrifying circumstances. I liked that she tried to be aware of when she had privilege and when she made a mistake or spoke badly she tried to make things right. Her passion for dancing was wonderful to read and I admired how she was determined to prioritise her love for dance and make it a part of her life.

I also loved the friendships Marietta developed with other women in the book. Dellara and Pirlipata were such fascinating characters and the bond she had with them by the end of the book was so heartwarming and had me quite emotional.

There was also a romance in the story that I absolutely adored. Everything about the way Marietta and her love interest interacted was written so perfectly and it was so clear how much they came to love and care for each other. The way they spoke to each other and the way Marietta thought about their relationship was written so nicely it just made me so happy to read.

This was just such a magical adventure, I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a heartwarming fairy tale to read over winter, it just has the perfect atmosphere.