BOOKS | Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

 Name: A Gathering of Shadows

Author: V.E. Schwab

Publisher: Titan Books

Date published: February 2016

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

Pages: 512

Rating: 5/5

Kell is one of the last magicians with the ability to travel between parallel universes, linked by the magical city of London. It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into his possession and he met Delilah Bard. Four months since the Dane twins of White London fell, and the stone was cast with Holland's dying body back into Black London.

Now Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila. And as Red London prepares for the Element Games--an international competition of magic - a certain pirate ship draws closer. But another London is coming back to life. The balance of magic is perilous, and for one city to flourish, another must fall...

- From Goodreads. 

A Gathering of Shadows had a wonderful sense of adventure that I really loved. The magic, the travelling, the new countries and characters that were introduced, they were all such enjoyable things to read about. 

The plot was unpredictable, I had no idea what was going to happen in the story. There were plenty of twists and turns that I did not see coming, it was very exciting to read. The well-written action scenes added to the enjoyment, especially the magic battles. They were very thrilling and creative in the way they used magic. 

I grew to love Kell and Lila even more, they both have such heart, they are such good people, with flaws that only make them more real and only make me feel for them more, and they try their best to do good in the end, even if they make a few mistakes along the way, and even when they have to make sacrifices to do good. I think they have definitely become favourite characters of mine. I would have liked more time and interaction between Kell and Lila in this book, but the tension between them because of the fact that they could not interact was fun to read and it was exciting to look forward to the point when they would meet again and recognise each other.

Overall, this was an incredible sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic that really set up for what should be an amazing third and final book in the trilogy, which I hope to read soon. I think it really developed the world and characters and deepened the story, and I am looking forward to seeing how that continues in A Conjuring of Light.

UNBOXING | Illumicrate Collections: A Darker Shade of Magic

 

When I first read A Darker Shade of Magic a few years ago, I loved it immediately, so when Illumicrate announced they were releasing a special box for the book, I knew I would love to get one, and when it arrived it certainly exceeded all of my expectations! Everything in the box was beautiful and so creative, I was very happy with it and felt it was well worth the price.

Four Londons blanket, designed by Yoshi Yoshitani.

Dust jackets, designed by rosiethorns88.

Pin, designed by Stacey McEvoy-Caunt.

Cloth, designed by Victoria Ying.

Book sleeve, with artwork by Laia López and lettering by Chatty Nora.

The Essen Tasch banner, designed by Sylvia Bi.

Acrylic character figures, designed by Monolime.

 Special signed edition of A Darker Shade of Magic, with sprayed edges and artwork by Em Allen on the endpapers.

Everything in this box was so unique and inventive, opening it was such a delight. I have never seen acrylic figures in a book box before, and I thought the banner was such a brilliant idea too, those were both such fun items to include. I also love how beautiful the book sleeve, the pin, and the dust jackets are, they are really gorgeous, and the blanket is so soft! The cloth is such a cute little item too, I am sure it will come in handy for cleaning my glasses. The book itself is such a beautiful edition, I am very happy to add it to my shelf.

Did you get this box? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! If you would like to find out more about Illumicrate, their website is here.

BOOKS | Review: Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie

Name: Bone Crier's Moon

Author: Kathryn Purdie

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Date published: March 2020

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance

Pages: 453

Rating: 4/5

Bone ​Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.

- From Goodreads.

The beginning of Bone Crier's Moon was a little cluncky, with all the exposition and explanation of the world and magic system that it needed to do. It was a lot to take in all at once and I was a little confused at first and had to read slowly to make sure I was remembering everything.

However, once I got into the book, I really loved Sabine and Ailesse's friendship, they were so sweet and joyful around each other, really cared for each other and would do anything for each other. They worried so much for when the other was in danger and I could really feel for their love for each other so strongly.

I really felt heartbroken for them when they were treated badly by Odiva. They both so badly wanted a caring mother, and she was so awful to them. My heart especially broke for Sabine, who was so often made to feel like she was not good enough. She was so sweet and had such a good heart, it hurt when people did not value that.

It was enjoyable to read the slow growth of romance between Ailesse and Bastien, how they gradually developed from truly hating each other and wanting to kill each other, to learning more about each other and their lives, until eventually they came to care about each other and love each other.

The plot was full of twists that I did not see coming and had plenty of action that kept me turning pages. Sometimes the pacing felt a little strange but overall I enjoyed the plot and found it engaging.

One of the characters introduced towards the end of the novel seemed very interesting and I look forward to seeing how their character develops and what their role will be in the sequel. In general I think I will enjoy the next book a lot more now that most of the explanation of the magic and the gods and how all that works is done and I will have a better understanding of everything at the start of the next one.

Overall, Bone Crier's Moon was a fun and thrilling book with characters that I really liked and became attached to. If you enjoyed Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin then I think you will really love this one too. I definitely did and I am excited to read the next book in the series, Bone Crier's Dawn.

UNBOXING | FairyLoot: A Different Kind of Magic - June 2020

I was very excited when I saw the description for FairyLoot's June box, the theme of A Different Kind of Magic, along with the hints as to what would be in the box, really had me intrigued, and the box definitely did not let me down! Here is everything that was in the box:

Alice in Wonderland tea strainer.

The Shadows Between Us pin, created by jezhawk.

The Starless Sea patch, designed by dustandpages.

The Bone Season socks, designed by FairyLoot.

Avatar: The Last Airbender elemental coasters designed by noverantale.

Art print by arz28, inspired by Blood Heir by Amelie Zhao.

Theme art spoiler card and bookmark, Fairyscoop newsletter, and character art by arz28 with author letter on the back.

A Darker Shade of Magic tarot cards.

Advanced exclusive edition of The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna with sprayed edges.

Signed edition of Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee with an exclusive cover and artwork on the reverse of the dust jacket by arz28.

Overall this was a really brilliant box, with a great amount of interesting items. I think my favourites were the tea strainer and the pin! I will be looking forward to reading both of the books that came inside this box, and it is especially exciting that we got an advanced edition of The Gilded Ones! If you also received this box, let me know which item you liked best, and if you have read either of the books let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

If you would like to find out more about FairyLoot, you can visit their website here.

BOOKS | Review: The Dark Vault by V.E. Schwab

Name: The Dark Vault

Author: V.E. Schwab

Publisher: Titan Books

Date published: November 2018

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy

Pages: 697

Rating: 5/5

This review contains vague and non-specific spoilers.

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Mackenzie Bishop’s grandfather first brought her here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now her grandfather is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

- From Goodreads.

The Dark Vault had incredible description and the writing style was so immersive, I could really picture each scene and feel like I was right inside it. It was very atmospheric. Sometimes the way the action was written was not that easy to follow, but mostly I understood what was happening. There were just a few moments where perhaps it could have been more clearly written.

There were lots of little details in the writing that really made the characters come alive and feel real to me. There were also some very amusing and humourous moments in the writing that gave Mackenzie's narrative voice a lot of personality.

At times Mackenzie was so relatable it hurt, as Schwab made painfully accurate observations about everyday life through her perspective. Mackenzie was very easy to root for, she had flaws but they were relatable and she was such a good person at heart and tried so hard to do well, I grew very attached to her. I really felt for her and worried about her when bad things happened, and wanted things to work out well for her.

Reading about the relationship between the main character and her family was very bittersweet. Mackenzie's relationship with her father was very heartwarming, they cared for each other so much and tried to show it despite the painful time they were going through. I also really loved Roland, he was such a wonderful character and it really warmed my heart how much he cared for Mackenzie too.

I loved the interactions between Mackenzie and Wesley, you could really feel the connection between them and what it meant to them. Meanwhile the story and connection between Owen and Mackenzie was so emotional and passionate in a strange way. I liked how Schwab contrasted Mackenzie's relationship with Owen and her relationship with Wesley. Owen seemed to be a metaphor for how letting yourself feel numb when dealing with grief or other difficult emotions is a bad coping mechanism. Wes showed her how to let herself feel things when people touched her without it overwhelming her, but Owen let her block it all out, and that ended up being a bad thing. Her relationship with Wes was much healthier than her relationship with Owen, and I liked how Shwab showed that.

Exposition and backstory was done through Mackenzie's memories, interspersed through the present narration in a way did not feel too overwhelming or like information was being dumped on you all at once. It made the story very enjoyable to read.

The first book's plot was very thrilling. I did not expect any of the plot twists, even though they were well set up. It tied up enough loose ends to be satisfying but also left some intriguing questions to set you up for the second book. The second book was also wrapped up in a satisfying way with a great conclusion that left room to imagine what might happen in the future of the world of the book. I was glad I read it as one whole book rather than the two separate ones because I think that worked well and it felt like one complete story rather than two.

I liked that the second book dealt with the trauma from the events of the first book. Mackenzie was so clearly effected and the author made sure to show her struggling with recovery, and made it clear that it was okay that she was affected badly by something bad happening to her, that it was okay to ask for help, and that it was not a flaw in her character that it was taking her time to overcome a traumatic event.

Overall I was really surprised by how much I came to love The Dark Vault. I grew attached to the characters, I found the plotlines exciting and the mysteries intriguing, and I found the premise to be unique and well executed. I would love to read more of Mackenzie's story if V.E. Schwab ever writes it.

BOOKS | Review: Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran

Name: Queen of Coin and Whispers

Author: Helen Corcoran

Publisher: O'Brien

Date published: June 2020

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance

Pages: 457

Rating: 5/5

This review contains vague and non-specific spoilers.

When teenage queen Lia inherits her corrupt uncle’s bankrupt kingdom, she brings a new spymaster into the fold ... Xania, who takes the job to avenge her murdered father.
Faced with dangerous plots and hidden enemies, can Lia and Xania learn to rely on each another, as they discover that all is not fair in love and treason?
In a world where the throne means both power and duty, they must decide what to sacrifice for their country - and for each other...

- From Goodreads.

I loved the main characters of Queen of Coin and Whispers, Lia and Xania, and thought they both had enthralling storylines. Their romance was captivating and so lovely to read. They faced obstacles and argued with each other, but in the end when it really mattered they did all they could for each other and really loved each other.

Both Lia's and Xania's persepectives felt necessary, important and distinct. The story would not have been as good without both of them so the dual points of view felt beneficial rather than repetitive or unnecessary as it can in some books. It would have been nice to have a couple more chapters from Lia's perspective towards the end of the book. I understood that we did not get chapters from her for a while to build tension but perhaps once everything was resolved there could have been more chapters from Lia as she dealt with the after affects of what happened at the climax of the novel. The rest of the novel was quite balanced in their perspectives but the end was much more focused on Xania so it felt a little strange, although it was nice that the novel started in Lia's perspective and ended with Xania's.

I liked that both Xania and Lia both had parts of their families still alive and supporting and caring for them, while also occasionally presenting problems. In young adult books there are often missing parents or families so it was refreshing to see familial relationships explored in this book. I also liked that Xania had a step-parent who was good and truly cared about Xania as step-parents in fiction can often be bad and it was nice to see a different approach to that.

I did find the political and mystery plot lines a little confusing at times and not always easy to follow and perhaps would have found a map at the beginning of the book to be useful. But by the end and once all of the mysteries had been revealed and solved, I understood better what had happened and found the plot points had been resolved in a satisfying way. I was intrigued for the whole book and never predicted what happened next and always enjoyed reading it.

I thought the structure of nobility with the way the people were organised into steps was unique and interesting to read. In general the world-building and creation of the society they lived in was very well done and fascinating to read about.

Overall I really loved this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good romance between women with royalty, political intrigue, and mystery. I really felt for and loved the characters, was fascinated by the setting, and thought the romance was very well written. It was a really excellent book, especially for a debut, and I will certainly be looking forward to reading more books from this author.

BOOKS | Review: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

Name: Of Fire and Stars

Author: Audrey Coulthurst

Publisher: Baker + Bray

Date published: November 2016

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance

Pages: 389

Rating: 4/5

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile kingdoms.
But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a land where magic is forbidden.
Now Denna has to learn the ways of her new kingdom while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation - and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine, sister of her betrothed.
When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, they discover there is more to one another than they thought - and soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.
But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms - and each other.

- From Goodreads.

Of Fire and Stars is lovely story with well-detailed world building and a very sweet romance.

I enjoyed both perspectives of each main character. Both were likeable while having flaws so felt well-rounded and real. Their romance built slowly and was not just believable but very sweet and I enjoyed them being together.

The other characters in the story were also fleshed-out and felt real. That, along with the detailed world-building which created an intricate setting, made the story feel very immersive and not at all flat or shallow.

The pacing of the story and the slow build up to the climax of the book was enjoyable to read. I know some people prefer action-filled plots where a lot happens, but I prefer slower-paced stories that focus more on detailed descriptions of the world and thoughtful character interactions and development and I think this book did well on those points. When action did happen in the book, especially towards the end, it was well-written and impactful.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable book to read, that kept me interested and excited to continue the whole way through. There were some points where I was uncertain if I liked the direction the plot was taking, but by the end I was happy with how it went and I look forward to reading the sequel.