Six of Crows. Just. Amazing

I loved this book so much! I absolutely loved the dynamic between all of the characters and the tension present throughout most of the book as no one really knows where allegiances lie, not even their own.

Nina and Mattias together represent the first time I have genuinely cared about a romance within a book in many many years and I love seeing them interact and seeing their relationship develop. Although other romances have been portrayed well, this is the first time I have rooted for a couple and it has been one of my favourite parts of the book!

The plotline present is incredibly gripping as well and kept me engrossed in the story. The introduction to the world is done incredibly well, and doesn’t feel like an introduction but truly just part of the story as a whole. The progression of the plot deftly introduces more lore and information to the reader, which makes them more invested in the world, whilst also keeping them gripped with action, drama and worry for the characters. These characters are written very well, they have their heroic sides, yes, but they are also flawed and realistic, with many mistakes changing the course of the plot and altering carefully planned schemes.

I definitely need to grab Crooked Kingdom as I need to learn more about this world! I also wasn’t aware until I got part the way into this book that the Grisha Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising, were set in the same universe, and now that I’ve enjoyed Six of Crows so much they are definitely making their way onto my tbr so I can delve deeper into this amazing world Leigh Bardugo has created. One of my new favourites! 

Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter

The final book in the Embassy Row trilogy by Ally Carter, what an ending to a really interesting series! I’m not going to lie, Ally Carter’s books are 100% my guilty pleasures. I’m not into contemporary fiction and tend to veer away from that section with a vengeance, but for some reason, Carter’s books are just brilliant to me. They are incredibly quick reads (in the best way, i.e. I get super sucked in!) and so entertaining, and although there is the girly aspect within all her books, they also have action and intense scenes where ruin, injury and death are all real possibilities.

This series is focused on a girl named Grace, and how her life has changed after her mother dies in a horrible accident and she moves to the American embassy where her Grandfather lives in the fictional European micro-state of Adria. If you haven’t started the series yet and don’t want to be majorly spoiled then don’t read any further than this paragraph. I should have reviews up for the first two books in this series relatively soon, but you definitely don’t want to spoil the action for yourself!

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Okay, now for those who have read the first two books in this series (or who just really don’t care about spoilers!). Grace has just found out that she is, through many previous generations, the lost princess of Adria and her brother is the lost prince and rightful heir to the throne. This precarious position puts their lives in danger and results in them ending up on the run with Jamie still attempting to recover from the stab wounds he received in the midsts of a large crowd. Thankfully they have Alexi and Dominic (the scarred man) to help them stay hidden and stay safe whilst they work out how to proceed. Things speed up as Grace decides to take action in order to allow her brother the time he needs to rest and recuperate, and that is also when things start to go wrong.

This is such a fun, gripping and interesting read which despite looking very girly should still appeal to those who normally avoid that type of literature (like me!). I’ll definitely continue to read more of Ally Carter’s work and hope it stays at the same high standard!

The Fever Code, life before the Maze

Book #0.6 in The Maze Runner series, you might think that this number of books is unnecessary for this storyline but in my opinion, you’d be wrong. This book covers our main characters from book #1 and shows us their story before entering the maze. I loved spending time with these characters again and see some of their character development before their memories were wiped. There were a lot of sad points about their “childhood” (if we can even call it that), which emphasised that WICKED really did choose their name well. The way the children were manipulated and lied to throughout their stay, and how they were collected by WICKED to end up at the facility in the first place. Teresa seems to be surprisingly more and more in the wrong as the book carries on (James Dashner really doesn’t like her, I guess he knows best!) and makes some surprising decisions. It’s actually reasonably difficult to talk about this book without spoiling it as the main prospect is that it follows the names we know so well from Group A in the Maze in their time before insertion. If you’ve liked the books so far I’d recommend reading the sixth book released in the series to add more depth to your knowledge and enjoy being in this world a little while longer.

Adding to the world of Pellinor

I was so worried about starting this book, the four main novels from the series are my favourite books and I didn’t want to knock down my love for them. I have re-read The Gift (The Naming in the US) more than 50 times and the book is literally falling apart with pages loose and the cover tattered. Luckily, I ended up really enjoying this book! For me personally, it wasn’t as good as the original “The Gift” but it is still a great addition to the series and I loved being plunged back into the world.  The book delves further into Cadvan’s background, and also shows us more about Nelac and Dernhil and their own backgrounds and character development, and shows the relationships between many of the characters which had previously been developed before the time the other books are set in which then gives us a deeper understanding of the events in the original four books. Definitely a good read for anybody who either loved the original Pellinor series or for those who love high fantasy, and I’m very glad I finally got round to it. I need to re-read the series this year!!

Glass Sword, between the lines

For me, this was another five-star read (after giving five stars to Red Queen too). I sat up and read this all in one night/morning (mainly because I wanted to finish it before I got the train back to my University after visiting my parents for Christmas!). I really enjoyed getting to delve further into this world and see how everything is developing and progressing. You get to see each and every character evolve and come into their own as well as finding out a lot more of their background, motivations and emotions, as some characters seemed a little hollow in Red Queen. Don’t worry, they’re filled in inside Glass Sword! The ending made me even more eager to get into the next book and left me on an absolute cliffhanger which leaves Kings Cage as an enticing read which I’ll definitely be starting sometime soon!

My dystopian dreams fullfilled

This book is AMAZING. Before I get into my babbling about how much I loved this book, first I’d like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC for this book. Okay, back to the amazingness that is Dhonielle Clayton’s writing and this story she has managed to beautifully capture on paper. I sound incredibly cheesy, but I genuinely didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. The cover of this book suggests a girly contemporary (not my thing), but the synopsis sounded promising so I thought I’d give it a shot. We start out being introduced to the “Belles”, and our main Belle Camellia Beauregard. The normal people of this world, in our fictional city of Orléans, are born grey, with it being said that it’s a curse from a God. The Belles are born with not only coloured skin, hair and eyes, but also the ability to change the features of others from colourings to the physical shape of their bodies. This is, as you probably guessed, is coveted by the rich in this society and the Belles are therefore allocated to different “houses” which belong to the highest of the society, with the “favourite” Belle being allocated to the Royal Palace to work with the Royal Family and those they deem worthy. But there is a darker secret that lies beneath this seemingly sweet exterior, and when Camellia starts to uncover these secrets everything starts to fall away.

I absolutely loved the world building within this book, I liked the world when it was perfect and pristine, but as the darker tones come in and more about Orléans is discovered I really enjoyed learning the cities dark secrets and the issues which are present in our societies but seem greatly enhanced here. I personally feel like the message from this book can be likened to that of George Orwell’s 1984, in that if our society continues to behave in a manner which is detrimental to the majority of the population then a higher power will take over and remove freedom whilst retaining its illusion. In 1984 this is done to relationships between families and friends, whereas in The Belles this is instead done to both outer and inner appearances (as The Belles can also influence personalities, although outer beauty is focused on in this first book).

This book is definitely a brilliant addition to the dystopian genre, with me wishing that the sequel was available the second I finished the book (I’m not even lying I went to go check and it’s not even on Goodreads!! 😦 ). I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book to support Clayton and add to my shelf and I 100% need to read the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it! I may just be adding to the hype-train for this book, but personally, I believe it to be worth it.

Just Henry by Michelle Magorian

Just Henry is an engrossing book based around the time of WWII. The book follows the life of a young boy, with a father who died in the war, living with his mother, step-father, gran and younger sister and his days at school and his love of photography.

Due to the stigmatisation which was common in those days and enforced by his grandmother, Henry is tested when partnered with two boys in school as one is a bastard (born when his parents were not married) and the other has a deserter for a father. He also meets a woman whilst trying to get into an age restricted film at the cinema and soon becomes friends with her. Through help from his unlikely friend as well as from his mother, teacher and what he truly believes; Henry becomes friends with these two boys.

He also develops (see what I did there) a love for photography and through help from both his teacher and his unlikely friend he starts taking pictures and learning how to make the best of the limited number of photos.

This love of photography and his close new friendships turn out to be crucial during a plot twist involving his father, gran, sister and a lot of worry.

The twist within this novel will have you glued to the pages as Magorian again manages to reel the reader in and not let go, this novel will grab you from the start and you’ll love learning about life in the post-WWII period as well as seeing the changes which occur at this time and how the characters develop.

Recommended for:

Those who love the WWII era.

This is my favourite era in history, meaning that I fell in love with this book almost instantly. The plot is easy to follow but also interesting and seems to stick to the historical accuracy of the time. The book shows what life was like once the war ended and how the countries landscape was changed, not only physically but mentally as people adjusted to others who were different with more ease.

Age recommendation:

Young Adults+

This book is aimed at ‘young adult’ readers with language and themes which may be slightly too mature for younger readers but which is simple enough that it is understandable. I would suggest that the reading age is around 12+ although this will vary from person to person, and many adults will enjoy this book as I still love it myself after many years.

Sorry for not posting in a while, I’ve had a busy summer! I hope you are all having a great time while the nice(ish) weather lasts!

Comment what books you would like me to review next 🙂
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Minus Me by Ingelin Rossland

This is an amazing book about a young girls life after she almost passes away at a diving competition. She is brought back by a mysterious boy who keeps appearing when she least expects it. This book will grab you with short, easy to read, chapters and an interesting plot with a major twist at the end.

I managed to finish this book in 2 hours whilst doing other things around the house, it is so absorbing and I would love to re-read this book a million times. Sadly I have an advanced publication meaning I have to return this to my book store where I work but I am contemplating purchasing the book once it is for sale in my store!

Recommended for:

Teens

This is very much a teen novel, I can imagine older readers finding the writing style too childish. However for those who like the teen style, such as myself, it is a very good book.

Age recommendation:

13+

This book does have a plot which can upset readers, it made me cry and I’m an adult! So those giving to younger children should probably read this book first to ensure their child is ready to read it.

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Theowlemporium

The Princess and the Snowbird by Mette Ivie Harrison

This is a classic boy meets girl story with a fantasy twist. Liva is the daughter of royalty who now live in the woods, with her mother in the form of a hound and her father in the form of a bear and Liva able to take any form she chooses. Jens is an outcast boy, not accepted by his father as he has no magic within him and cannot hunt. The two meet in the forest and are drawn to each other every moment since, keeping a look out for each other once they go their separate ways.When a threat appears the two set out to protect what is important to them, as well as stopping all magic from being destroyed.

This book is beautifully written and, although it is short at only a little over 200 pages, will leave you unable to put it down as you strive to discover what happens to Liva and Jens.

Recommended for:

Anyone who loves fantasy books with magic and romance as well as those who prefer short stories with depth.

The book manages to include a vast amount in the short novel and the use of magic is different to any other book I’ve read with the romance aspects not being too prominent or taking away from the story.

Age recommendation:

Teenagers.

This books is intended for teens, as shown by the publisher being “Harper Teen”. There are some moments which younger children may find disturbing, however children from the ages of 10 and up should be fine with the content included in this book. As always, if you’re not sure about giving this to a younger reader, read it first and determine for yourself if they can handle the scenes within.

Comment what books you would like me to review next 🙂
Theowlemporium