Book Review: The Hatch; Joe Fletcher.

This book wasn't on my original list at all, but I've been really intrigued by this dark collection of poetry and it felt like a good ending to October, the month of spooks and scares!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Hatch
AUTHOR: Joe Fletcher
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Brooklyn Arts Press
PAGES: 122
GENRE: Poetry, Prose, Horror

RATING: 2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
“I will do such things,” King Lear shouts before the storm, “What they are, yet I know not: but they shall be / The terrors of the earth.”

Drawing upon Edmund Burke’s definition of the sublime—the odd beauty associated with fear and self-preservation; our astonished delight in what destroys, what overpowers and compels us toward darkness—these strange poems mine the sinister fault lines between weird fiction, expressionism, gothic horror, and notions of the absurd, cracking the mundane shell of our given metaphysical order. 

In the traditions of Nerval, Trakl, Schulz, Tadić, Poe, and contemporaries Aase Berg and Jeff Vandermeer, the wonderful disassociation brought to bear on the reader lies in the conjuring of unprecedented worlds, their myths and logics, their visions and transformations—worlds that resist interpretation almost successfully, and reveal to us the uncanny and nightmarish.

What I Liked:

• This is certainly as dark as I expected. There is plenty of grotesque imagery, bizarre visuals and apocalyptic atmosphere to capture the imagination and I expected it to be weird. I also appreciated the occasional dashes of black humour! Everything was very vivid and that was to it's strength.

What I Disliked:

• I just didn't feel anything while reading this. It's probably just because it isn't my cup of tea, but I was expecting to be creeped out or horrified. Or even, inspired. I wasn't. I made my way through this collection with a vague disinterest and nothing captured my attention in the way I wanted.

Overall Conclusion:

Hmm. This will probably really capture some people as it does contain very vivid imagery and a certain dark atmosphere in abundance. I just don't think any of it was particularly memorable for me. There was an air of disconnect between everything written here that made me feel even less of an emotional attachment to what is being written.

Book Review: The Twisted Tree; Rachel Burge.

This was a much quicker read than I thought it would be! I was really excited about this Netgalley request because the synopsis marked it as a Nordic YA horror, and that sounded perfect.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Twisted Tree
AUTHOR: Rachel Burge
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Hot Key Books
PAGES: 180
GENRE: Thriller, Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma's cabin and became blind in one eye.

Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor - only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.

Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in...

What I Liked:

• Burge certainly had a lot of the spooky atmosphere and tension nailed. She made sure I was never bored, providing constant twists and chilling moments, and I appreciated that after a much slower read. I really liked the setting too, a Norwegian village cut off from the mainland makes for the perfect place for bumps in the night!
• I really liked the references to Norse legends, myths and culture! I'm a big fan of ancient history and folklore, so this was right up my alley! I loved the mentions of Odin, the Norns, the Draugr and Yggdrasil. They were exactly what I wanted from this book.

What I Disliked:

• This was quite a short story and as a result, it suffered from some pacing issues. I particularly found that the climactic end just passed by far too quickly, with too much crammed in. It meant that some of the wrapping up felt too 'good' to be true, while other parts seemed very unresolved.
• I didn't really take to Martha, the MC. I loved the disability rep in this book, as blind characters with facial deformities are hard to come by, but she was filled with so much self-loathing and we were constantly reminded of it. I think her whinging about her looks and lack of attractive features took up half the book to be honest.

Overall Conclusion:

I really enjoyed a lot of elements of this. The spooks, the atmosphere and the lore behind it were great to read and there was a lot of action plot-wise. I wish I could have become more invested in the characters and romance side of things, but the self pity was a little too much for me. Also, I hope there's a second book in the works, or else I'm very confused about some of the unresolved plot at the end.

Book Review: Folk; Zoe Gilbert.

It's been a while since I've read a collection of short stories, and seeing as this one is so centred around folklore, it seemed the perfect Autumn read.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Folk
AUTHOR: Zoe Gilbert
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Publishing
PAGES: 256
GENRE: Adult, Magical Realism, Horror, Short Stories

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
The remote island village of Neverness is a world far from our time and place.

The air hangs rich with the coconut-scent of gorse and the salty bite of the sea. Harsh winds scour the rocky coastline. The villagers' lives are inseparable from nature and its enchantments.

Verlyn Webbe, born with a wing for an arm, unfurls his feathers in defiance of past shame; Plum is snatched by a water bull and dragged to his lair; little Crab Skerry takes his first run through the gorse-maze; Madden sleepwalks through violent storms, haunted by horses and her father's wishes. 

As the tales of this island community interweave over the course of a generation, their earthy desires, resentments, idle gossip and painful losses create a staggeringly original world. Crackling with echoes of ancient folklore, but entirely, wonderfully, her own, Zoe Gilbert's Folk is a dark, beautiful and intoxicating debut.

What I Liked:

• I really loved the supernatural and folklore elements to this book. From the very first tale, 'Prick Song', it was clear exactly the kind of book I'd be reading, and it really made me excited for what was to come. Spirits, creatures and events were used to explore some really dark themes in this collection, and I loved it! Favourite stories included 'Long Have I Lain Beside The Water' for it's take on grief, 'Swirling Cleft' for a sweet, maternal story about Selkies, and 'Verlyn's Blessing' about accepting your differences and being proud of them.
• Gilbert's writing was absolutely gorgeous. One of my favourite examples of this was found in 'Fishskin, Hareskin' which shone a unique light on postpartum depression. But I loved the atmosphere that her words cast upon these tale, and the way that they really interweaved to create a whole.

What I Disliked:

• Thanks to the lyrical style, at times the stories could be a little hard to follow. They require a certain amount of re-reading to pick apart what's happening, but in this case it's not necessarily a negative thing. I loved unpicking the symbolism personally.
• There were, as is the case in any collection, a couple of stories that didn't take my fancy in the same way as the others. 'Kite' I found to be a little confusing, and 'Turning' was almost entirely skippable because not a whole lot happened. That being said, they had their own merits and definitely contributed to the wider picture.

Overall Conclusion:

I really enjoyed reading these stories, and they were the perfect seasonal read for sure! Firstly, each story was unique and captivating, and I loved that they spanned a whole generation from the same place and we got to see different characters in each one. I would pounce on another collection like this from Gilbert, as  found it haunting, visceral and captivating from beginning to end. Also, I love that it was based around the Isle Of Mann!

Book Review: The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding; Alexander Bracken.

Autumn is upon us, and it's the time of year that I start craving an edge of the paranormal in my books. This one, despite being MG (an age group I don't read often), took my fancy because it contained what I wanted - witches, family curses, demons and magic.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
SERIES: The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding (#1)
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion
PAGES: 368
GENRE: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure

RATING: 3/5 Stars

Blurb:
Prosper Redding is the only unexceptional member of his very successful family — that is, until he discovers a demon living inside him. Turns out, Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. Now Alastor, the malefactor, has reawakened and is intent on destroying the Redding fortune, unless they can kill him in the body he inhabits, which, oh, wait, that's Prosper, and why is his grandmother coming at him with a silver blade? 

In danger from both the demon trying to take over his soul and the family that would rather protect their fortune than their own kin, Prosper narrowly escapes with the help of his long lost Uncle Barnabas and Barnabas's daughter, Nell, a witch in training. According to Barnabas and Nell, they have only days to break the family curse and find a way to banish Alastor back to the demon realm. Until then, Prosper has to deal with Alastor's vengeful mutterings inside his head (not to mention his nasty habit of snacking on spiders). And, every night, Alastor's control over his body grows stronger...

As the deadline to the curse draws nearer, Prosper and Nell realize there's more at stake than just the Redding family fortune. . . that there might be something else out there, something worse than Alastor, that could destroy the balance between the human and demon realms and change the world as they know it forever.

What I Liked:

• Plot-wise, the pacing of it was a lot better than my last Bracken read, 'Passenger'. I felt like it was actually going somewhere, and didn't find myself becoming bored as I read through it. I also liked a lot of the plot elements, and it was a good, spooky read with plenty of supernatural shenanigans to keep me entertained!
• I liked a lot of the character relationships, particularly between Nell and Prosper, because it developed slowly from the initial distrust to something akin to friendship. I think that my favourite character had to be Alastor though, and he was certainly unique in his input! He provided a ton of entertaining moments and I liked that he changed over the course of the book too.

What I Disliked:

• While the characters were likeable, they were also very two-dimensional. I didn't see any real complexity in their personalities, and didn't really fall in love with any of them either (save for maybe Toad the changeling cat). They were, for the most part, pretty bland.
• The writing itself lacked a sense of maturity (mostly because of it's MG status) and alongside that came some pretty stilted dialogue. Also, in some of the most important moments things seemed to happen very quickly and left me having to re-read a lot. Not fun.

Overall Conclusion:

This wasn't bad. I liked a lot of elements within the plot, and especially the unique twist of Alastor as it gave the book an extra, pleasant vibe. That being said, I didn't fall for it either because it lacked the development to totally capture my attention. I did like the finale a lot, and will consider picking up the second in the series to see how things turn out.

Book Review: Doing It!; Hannah Witton.

Well, it has certainly been a while since I've read anything non-fiction and it made a nice change! I've definitely needed some changes in my reading choices this month in order to progress, and I'm pretty pleased with myself so far!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Doing It!
AUTHOR: Hannah Witton
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Wren & Rook
PAGES: 320
GENRE: Non-Fiction, Reference, LGBT+

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Figuring out how to build and maintain healthy relationships - with your family, friends, romantically and with yourself - is a crucial part of being a teen. It's not easy though, particularly in a digital age where information and advice are so forthcoming it can be hard to know who or what to believe or trust. Porn is everywhere, sexting is the norm and messages about body image are highly mixed. Hannah combats this by tackling subjects ranging from masturbation and puberty to slut shaming and consent in an accessible, relatable and extremely honest way. She is unembarrassed about bringing little-discussed topics into the open, and as such empowers teens to have the confidence to conduct relationships on their terms, and in a way that they feel comfortable with.

What I Liked:

• The fact that I almost punched the air and yelled at the top of my voice "FINALLY A DECENT BOOK ON SEX EDUCATION!" is definitely a big plus. I wish this book had existed when I was a teenager, and honestly, I think it should be in every school. There's a ton of information for young and old, inexperienced and experienced to peruse at their leisure. I actually learnt a lot!
• Hannah has a great voice. It's strong, confident, and eager to share and that's perfect for this kind of book. Also, I loved the anecdotal style, be it hers or other people. I also love that she didn't speak for people, and allowed them to use her book to tell their stories.

What I Disliked:

• There are no real dislikes other than the fact that there's a lot to cover and certainly can't be read in one sitting. Of course it isn't designed that way but the point still stands. This is very much an overview too, encouraging the reader to seek other sources of information and do research. If you're looking for specific information on a topic, you will need something more focussed.

Overall Experience:

I really liked this book a lot and I'm glad it was chosen as my next read! Sex is a necessary topic to cover: there's a lot of important information and it isn't spoken about nearly enough in day to day life. There are a ton of things that I was insecure about when I was younger, and to a small extent still am today. If I'd read a book like this my perspective might have been a little different!

Book Review: The Penelopiad; Margaret Atwood.

I've been waiting for a read like this to break the reading slump and get me all excited about reading again! I'm so relieved!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Penelopiad
AUTHOR: Margaret Atwood
SERIES: Canongate Myth Series (#2)
PUBLISHER: Canongate
PAGES: 224
GENRE: Adult, Retelling, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
In Homer’s account in The Odyssey, Penelope—wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy—is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan War after the abduction of Helen, Penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumors, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay, simultaneously. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters, and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and—curiously—twelve of her maids.

In a splendid contemporary twist to the ancient story, Margaret Atwood has chosen to give the telling of it to Penelope and to her twelve hanged maids, asking: “What led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?” In Atwood’s dazzling, playful retelling, the story becomes as wise and compassionate as it is haunting, and as wildly entertaining as it is disturbing. With wit and verve, drawing on the story-telling and poetic talent for which she herself is renowned, she gives Penelope new life and reality—and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery.

What I Liked:

• Atwood's writing is intelligent and witty, and that's what I loved most about this book. Penelope is not the most loveable MC, but she doesn't need to be. She's an incredible storyteller, and I found that I didn't care for Odysseus's adventures. Her account of life as a lady was far more interesting. I liked the unusual choral additions from the twelve maids, laced with a sharp bitterness. It really referenced greek culture and entertainment, but brought it into the modern age.
• This book really resounded with current events, especially the #MeToo campaign and the feminist movement. Social injustice and sexism are really big themes right now and it felt like the perfect time to read about them with the backdrop of an ancient story. Scarily, it doesn't feel like we have moved forward from these times a whole lot.

What I Disliked:

• Nothing about this book really stood out to me as a dislike. I was hooked from beginning to end. The only thing, I guess, was that the characters felt a little one-dimensional at times. Particularly Helen, whom I would have loved to see some more depth from (especially as history remembers her for beauty alone, and no personality). That being said, this wasn't Helen's story and characterisation was not the point to this.

Overall Conclusion:

I'm so glad that I adored this for a couple of reasons: (a) I love Greek mythology and retellings, (b) I liked the last book by Atwood that I read but I really wanted to find some work of hers that I love and this fit the bill nicely, and (c) I needed to find a book to be hooked on again. I really enjoyed this read and it was perfect for the Summer too with the Greek setting!

Book Review: The Hound Of The Baskervilles; Arthur Conan Doyle.

I'm slowly working my way through these Sherlock Holmes books, and I'm glad that I am getting to read these as they are very enjoyable! Often I find that classics are less fun to read than watch (unpopular opinion alert) as they can be so heavy! But I think that Conan Doyle has hit the nail on the head here!

SOURCE: Borrowed
TYPE: Hardcover

TITLE: The Complete Sherlock Holmes (The Hound Of The Baskervilles)
AUTHOR: Arthur Conan Doyle
SERIES: Sherlock Holmes (#6)
PUBLISHER: Barnes & Noble Classics
PAGES: 98
GENRE: Mystery, Classics, Historical Fiction, Horror

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Could the sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville have been caused by the gigantic ghostly hound that is said to have haunted his family for generations? Arch-rationalist Sherlock Holmes characteristically dismisses the theory as nonsense. And immersed in another case, he sends Watson to Devon to protect the Baskerville heir and observe the suspects close at hand. With its atmospheric setting on the ancient, wild moorland and its savage apparition, The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the greatest crime novels ever written. Rationalism is pitted against the supernatural, good against evil, as Sherlock Holmes seeks to defeat a foe almost his equal.

What I Liked:

• Who doesn't love a good old-fashioned, chilling mystery set on the moors of England? With most of the Sherlock Holmes cases, it is usually clear that a human is behind it all. I liked that Doyle took a spookier route with this one and decided to add a sprinkle of the supernatural to keep the reader guessing.
• The characters are just as well-written as I remember. We get to see a lot less of Holmes himself this time, but more of a solitary Watson doing some digging of his own. This made a nice change, as it sometimes feels that Holmes keeps him around more to add to the decor than for anything particularly useful. Doyle gives a lot of flare and personality to every character he writes, no matter how prominent in the story they are.

What I Disliked:

• Okay, so I guess Doyle has dropped Watson's wife Mary for good? How...disappointing. Also, one of the problems of this being the most famous of Sherlock Holmes' cases? I kind of knew what was going to happen. It made the ending a tiny bit anti-climactic.

Overall Conclusion:

This was a really enjoyable story. Possibly...my favourite so far? Wow, a bold statement I know, but I really liked how Doyle changed things up a bit. Everyone knows I like a good dash of horror every now and then and this was actually really tense to read at times! I wish that Doyle had done a little more with his previously introduced female characters and I also wish that I hadn't already known so much about the story. But overall, I liked this a lot!

Book Review: The Magician's Nephew; C.S. Lewis.

Well, April hasn't been such a successful reading month for me and I was a bit disappointed with this one to be totally honest. I remember vividly watching The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe numerous times when I was younger and loving it! I honestly thought that the first in the series that the movie was based on would be right up my alley but sadly not.

SOURCE: Borrowed
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Magician's Nephew
AUTHOR: C.S. Lewis
SERIES: Chronicles Of Narnia (#1)
PUBLISHER: Grafton
PAGES: 171
GENRE: Children's Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Classic

RATING: 2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Narnia.

Where the woods are thick and cold, where Talking Beasts are called to life...

A new world where the adventure begins.

Digory and Polly meet and become friends one cold, wet summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when Digory's Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to...somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion's song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis before they finally return home.

What I Liked:

• The thing I liked most about this book was actually what I'd hoped to get out of it - answers to some of the questions about Narnia. How was it formed? Who is the White Witch? And of course, some backstory on the mysterious professor Digory and his magical wardrobe. I was thankful that C.S. Lewis did answer those questions for me, and the story included a few symbolic additions which was nice.

What I Disliked:

• There was really no depth to this story, and that isn't just because it's aimed at children. The plot was pretty random, very short, and served only to expand upon the world we know and love rather than create it's own. There were so many missed opportunities for this prequel. Yes, it answered questions but it also created many more.
• I did not connect with these characters, and found them pretty one-dimensional. The two main characters, Digory and Polly were precocious children which made it almost impossible to care about them in any way. Especially Digory. Uncle Andrew had absolutely no backstory behind his disagreeable nature either. My biggest disappointment came from Jadis, later to become the White Witch. I wanted her to be so much more than the solely evil for absolutely no reason villain that she ended up being. Aslan had a just as disappointing God-like purity and I found it such a shame.

Overall Conclusion:

This book was a bit of a dud for me. It was nice to have a story hinting the origins of Narnia, both creation and Royal family alike (though I really found it a bit random too). I'd have liked more detail, plot development and character creation involved. Some of the character decisions were questionable too and though I liked the theological symbolism, it was all a bit too obvious for me. I haven't given up on this series though, and I'd at least like to read 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe' before completely making up my mind. Especially as these books are so short and considered children's classics!

Book Review: Children Of Blood & Bone; Tomi Adeyemi.

I have been gagging to read this book. Hands down it was my most anticipated read of 2018 and I'm so excited that I got to read it this month right as it came out, and watch it's success! I never had any worries about the hype train with this one!

SOURCE: ARC Sent By Publisher
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Children Of Blood & Bone
AUTHOR: Tomi Adeyemi
SERIES: Legacy of Orïsha (#1)
PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's Books
PAGES: 531
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers - and her growing feelings for an enemy.

What I Liked:

• The story is told from three POVs and I loved all of them. Zélie is the first - a staff wielding maji who is my newest favourite heroine of all time! I loved her attitude and courage, and her heart too. Amari took a little longer to grow on me but she really came into her own by the end of the book and I am really rooting for her continued character development! Lastly, my favourite anti-hero, Inan. He's infuriatingly misguided, but I adored him and he was definitely my favourite POV to read from.
• I haven't even started on the non POV characters, all of whom were really well crafted! Saran was a brilliant villain, and so complex which is my favourite thing to read. It's surprising how little work is put into the character development of villains most of the time. Obviously I loved Tzain, Zélie's older brother, and other great characters such as Mama Agba, Zu and Röen.
• Orïsha is beautiful. Adeyemi did a wonderful job of writing such a beautiful setting and I loved how much of it we got to see! In fact, her writing generally was very impressive. I was hooked all the way through this book, and keeping a reader's interest in a book almost 600 pages long is hard people! She never let up on that perfect pacing though and I was fully invested throughout the whole thing!

What I Disliked:

• There really isn't anything to write here. I'm serious. I adored this book from beginning to end, even though it took me a while to finish it, and I'm left totally blind-sided by that cruel cliffhanger! If I could change anything it would probably be that because it certainly didn't ease me out of the book gently.

Overall Conclusion:

Read this book. There are so many things that I've mentioned above that I loved about it and I haven't even started on the fierce representation for minorities here (there is not a single white character in this book! Finally!) nor the racial and social issues that Adeyemi represents through the friction between maji and non-maji. This read is empowering, magical and will grip you from start to finish!

Book Review: Spectacle Vol. 1; Megan Rose Gedris.

Graphic novels are becoming more and more of a favourite for me! I've always loved admiring the stunning art and the fact that they tell a story at the same time? Even better. It was the front cover that drew me into this one, but I'm glad I picked it up!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Spectacle Vol. 1
AUTHOR: Megan Rose Gedris
SERIES: Spectacle (#1)
PUBLISHER: Oni Press
PAGES: 136
GENRE: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Mystery

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
Pragmatic engineer Anna works as a psychic in the Samson Brothers Circus, but she doesn't believe in anything supernatural—until her twin sister Kat is murdered and comes back as a very demanding ghost. Sharing a room with her sister was hard, but now they're sharing a body while trying to identify the killer. With few leads, a troupe full of secretive folk, and strange paranormal occurrences popping up around the circus, solving the case seems near impossible. But the murderer in their midst may be the least of their problems...


What I Liked:

• Let's start with the visuals, the key to any great graphic novel. Gedris sure is talented! I loved her art style, it was eclectic and unique. Particularly, I adored the randomly inserted page spreads character drawings. I mean, you only have to look at the front cover to get an idea of how pretty everything inside will be! It perfectly set the tone of the book too.
• The characters were well-rendered and definitely likeable. I really like stories set in a circus because you normally get a mix of personalities and this was no different! My favourites were the vain and seedy (but somehow adorable) ringmaster Jebediah Tetanus, and the shrill, overly-excited snake charmer with a heart of gold, Flora.

What I Disliked:

• I wasn't overly convinced when I fist started. Gedris has a very particular sense of humour that I wasn't fully on board with in the beginning, and Anna's blunt nature didn't help. As the plot progressed though it became deeply engrossing. I would definitely love to read more of this series!

Overall Conclusion:

All in all, I really enjoyed this read. It took a little time for me to get into it, and a lot of this is introduction to the characters, but I can really see this series going somewhere special! The Deputy Sheriff side-story was a little off from the main plot, but necessary in showcasing Anna's newfound powers, and I can't wait to see more of the overriding story arc feature and find out a little more about the other circus performers! Sister bonds are my favourite thing to read about, so this is perfect.

Book Review: Wintersong; S. Jae-Jones.

I'm pretty darned lucky that the moment I fell ill, I was reading this book. I'm certain that if I wasn't so heavily invested in it, I would have spent two days sleeping and not got through it at all because I had so little energy! This book really cheered up what could have been an awful weekend...

SOURCE: Illumicrate
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Wintersong
AUTHOR: S. Jae-Jones
SERIES: Wintersong (#1)
PUBLISHER: Titan Books Ltd
PAGES: 511
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind, her spirit, and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds―and the mysterious man who rules it―she soon faces an impossible decision. And with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

What I Liked:

• I really loved Jae-Jones' writing. Like, so much. It flowed nicely and mixed Liesl's ordinary life with her family beautifully with the wilderness and magic both above and underground. Fantasy is all about being visually appealing and it's often hard to get that right in a book. Kudos for the gorgeous visual descriptions!
• The characters were mostly fun too. I liked the Goblin King a lot. Swoon. Jae-Jones got the balance between his dark, cruel side and genuine, caring side just right (I'm a sucker for characters that dance between 'hero' and villain' with a slightly tragic backstory)! I found myself so intrigued as soon as Liesl met him and watching their love/hate relationship develop was a joy. Also, a big shoutout to my new favourite adorable side character Josef and his adorable lover Francois. I will go down with that ship forever!

What I Disliked:

• There were a couple of issues that I should probably mention. The first half was definitely better than the second, which was a little sad. This was mostly down to Liesl's personality change - which made me realise that I wasn't her hugest fan. She might have been a bit drab and judgemental in the first 50% but at least she was clever and cautious. In part two, she turns into a sulky, tempestuous, horny, overly-emotional, spoilt woman and it vexed me slightly. Especially as she's judged her sister so hard for those behaviours to begin with.

Overall Conclusion:

I'm not going to deny the couple of problematic areas there were: slut-shaming, 'musical' sex, and some weird pacing in the second half. But I literally could not put this book down because I fell so heavily in love with the world that Jae-Jones wrote and want more of it! I also cannot deny that five star feeling that the world gives me. Jae-Jones tagged a huge cliffhanger on the end too and I'll definitely be reading 'Shadowsong' with the hope that the characters will be a little better developed and I'll love it even more!

Book Review: Gilted; Jill C. Flanagan.

I've been putting off this read for a while now. It's an early Netgalley request that I received in haste, before realising that it's erotic fiction which is really not my thing. But I wanted something quick to start the month with, and the idea that there would be other elements (fast-paced thrills and supernatural powers) kept me interested enough. I need to start listening to my instincts more though, it would seem...

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Gilted
AUTHOR: Jill C. Flanagan
SERIES: Gilt (#1)
PUBLISHER: Wyrd Publishing
PAGES: 79
GENRE: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Romance

RATING: 1.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Ash needs to make money. Her brother is going to trial, her sister is pregnant, her mother’s health isn’t great and her father is a dreamer who spends all their savings on the next best thing. 

Good thing she was brought up to con people. Even better that she has always had a little bit of ‘mind magic’ as her Mam calls it. 

Small cons are all she’s ever done. This time her family needs a big chunk of cash and the best way to do that is a long con. 

The target? A honeypot scheme involving a powerful man running for Governor. 

And the Gubernatorial candidate’s Communications Officer? Too bad he’s the first guy she’s been interested in, well, forever. 

Even though politics are dangerous, politicians may be deadly.

What I Liked:

• To be honest...not a whole lot? I think the concept was a really cool-sounding one. I normally enjoy books with con-artists (especially if it's a family thing) and the fact that the had powers too? Awesome. The powers were a big draw here. That, and the cover.

What I Disliked:

• Oh boy, get ready! Let's start with the writing shall we. I think that if a book is written well then you can't really fault it because it means the story just wasn't for you. However, if a book is a bit of a jumbled mess and OH SO REPETITIVE then you certainly can. This is a short enough story (which turned out to be a bit of a blessing) without saying the same facts over and over.
• The characters? Meh. I didn't like protagonist Ash. She spent far too long talking about how much she loved her twin sister but also her sister is way better and prettier than her and she's so ugly because she's not stick thin and blonde. Ugh. Ash's family pretty much sucked too, with little to no depth other than a phone call. Let's not even go there with Charles but Lee? Am I supposed to root for a guy who refers to women as 'colleagues or fucks' in his mind? Just because he doesn't say it out loud doesn't make it alright.
• There's really not a lot of anything in this story and it's paced so badly.  There's way too much explanation and not enough action, meaning the 'finale' is over in ten seconds. It falls pretty flat too. I wanted to at least have a bit of substance in there but no... even the erotica was reduced to reflections upon the sex and a very badly handled rape scene. Trigger warning for those affected by that sort of thing: it hits you like a ton of bricks, is there for pretty much no reason other than to further plot, blames the victim a lot and just made me want to throw up.

Overall Conclusion:

This book felt like a waste of time. Bad writing, poor character building and terrible pacing. It was too short, but I was actually pleased about that in the end because it meant I got through it quickly! I liked the idea of certain elements here but they weren't executed well at all. Kudos to the cover designer though, it looks so awesome! I just wish the content had matched.

Book Review: Six Of Crows; Leigh Bardugo.

I hope you're all prepared for the gushiest review EVER. I adored this book and am still smiling about how good it was! I enjoyed Bardugo's 'Grisha Verse' series a lot but never expected to be this blown away by 'Six Of Crows'!

SOURCE: Won
TYPE: Hardcover

TITLE: Six Of Crows
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: Six Of Crows (#1)
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Company
PAGES: 462
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as a Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

What I Liked:

• Above everything, the characters! There were six main players and each of them had a distinctive viewpoint and personality, which made them all interesting! My favourites were Kaz (I'm a sucker for a bad boy with a cane and a tragic past) and Inej (badass female protagonist is badass). Also, let's quickly touch upon the OTPs in this because there was more than one and I died again and again because of them. Especially Kaz & Inej! That slow-burning, romance filled with tension will keep me hooked for weeks after reading this!
• The world-building took me by surprise actually. It's the same world as the Grisha Verse series but I realised that while Alina journeys to many different places in short spaces of time, I preferred the detail in this, even if there were less places to cover. I hope Bardugo continues with this trend! I felt that I learnt a lot more about the Grisha themselves and liked the small nods to her other books (oh HI THERE ZOYA). 

What I Disliked:

• Uhh...nothing? Seriously! This book was flawless and has me gripped. I need 'Crooked Kingdom' to be in my grasp now because THAT CLIFFHANGER. I don't know how I feel other than feels. That's all I've been reduced to.

Overall Conclusion:

Thank you Bardugo for making this book awesome. It is the first book in a LONG time that has reminded me why it is I love reading so much! To fall for new characters, explore new worlds and pretend, even if it's just for a moment, that magic and spies and thieves exist and make cool plans to win the day! The ultimate band of anti-heroes is my dream book, because I live for anti-heroes.

My 2018 Challenge Sign-Up Post!

So firstly I want to state that I'm not going to be nearly so hard on myself challenge-wise this year. I'll be taking part in a few because there are so many good ones but I'll be using them to guide my reading rather than dictate it. I want to try and spend more time on my blog creating more original content so challenges are going to have to take a little step back.

That being said, I'm really excited to have picked so many good ones! A few you will probably recognise from last year but there are some new ones here too!

Hosted by Novel Knight

Everyone has a huge backlist right? Not just me? To be honest I love reading New Releases and I will definitely be doing that this year, but I feel it's important to go back and read some of those older reads I never got round to! This particular challenge includes any books released PRIOR to 2018, which is awesome! Also, I get to be part of a team, which you'll see on my blog sidebar after this post is released! Exciting!

Goal: 20 Books

Team: Novel Knights

Hosted by Celebrity Readers

While we are on the topic of reading books I ought to have read by now, let's talk about my inability to finish the series I start. I really want to catch up with this actually because there are so many good ones I'm missing out on, and what I love about this challenge is that it includes being totally caught up with a series as a 'finish', even if there is still another book due in, say, 2019! I definitely plan to play catch-up this year, wish me luck!

Goal: B-List (5-8 Series)

Hosted by Unconventional Book Views

Just because I intend to play catch-up this year doesn't mean I won't read anything released in 2018 too! I want to create a good balance this year, like I managed to in 2017, and I've found this challenge a lot of fun the last couple of years I've taken part.

Goal: Newbie (1-30 Books)

Hosted by Bookish Things & More

I entered this challenge last year and got through THIRTY of my Netgalley/Edelweiss reads as a result! That's amazing, and without it I know my percentage would be ridiculously bad. There's no way I'm not doing this again!

Goal: Silver (25 Books)

Hosted by Ginger Mom & The Kindle Quest

And here is another new one! Like I said, I'm being more relaxed about these so I thought it would be cool to see how many 'letters' I could tick off book title wise. I'm not expecting to get all 26, even with the freebie, but when I get a little stuck picking my next read, this might come in handy!

Goal: Flamingo (11-15 Books)

Hosted by Mommy Mannegren

Again, this will be more of a guide than anything. Sometimes I get readers block (probably because there's so much choice) and need a little help picking my next book! I'm working to expand my reading too, I already managed to do that a lot in 2017, so I'm hoping to do it even more this year!

Hosted by Book Riot

I almost didn't add this to the list, but I couldn't resist because I can already visualise the reads I'm going to use for a lot of these categories. I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself though, as with the others.

Hosted by girlXOXO

Everyone knows this is an old favourite of mine. How could I say no this year? I'm sad that the Key Words Challenge I usually take part in will no longer be running alongside it, but this is a great, category based challenge and I'm a big fan of themes.

Book Review: Fairest; Marissa Meyer.

I adore Marissa Meyer's 'The Lunar Chronicles' series so much, and I actually bought this book with gift money as a little treat for myself. I always felt that Levana could do with a tad more development. I wanted to understand what made her so cruel, and with this novella I finally got to!

SOURCE: Gift
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Fairest
AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer
SERIES: The Lunar Chronicles (#3.5)
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PAGES: 224
GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Retelling, Fantasy

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told...until now.

What I Liked:

• Meyer did a really good job expanding her already fantastic universe here. We got to see more of life on Lunar, and how it got to the state it was in. I loved watching not only Levana's rise to power, but also more about Sybil Mira, Selene and her mother and even Winter. I loved that expansion, loved seeing that Channary really was horrible and that wasn't a lie. Meyer is so good at this.
• I mean really, what else did I expect from Meyer's universe? Or her writing? It was exquisite and I was hooked from page one. I loved the way that every revelation came about, and the amount of times I said 'Oh! That explains so much!'. These were nuggets of information I didn't know I needed!

What I Disliked:

• Really, there was nothing. This book was so good. I kind of wish it had been longer? I'd have definitely read another 100-200 page prequel to 'The Lunar Chronicles'.

Overall Conclusion:

I loved this prequel novella, and placing it between 'Cress' and 'Winter' is perfect because it gives insight into the characters we already know while introducing us to new ones that will be met in the next book. However, it doesn't really matter too much when you read this. It's still insightful and well-written, and really helps to develop one of the best book villains of all time!