Yet another amazing book

I love Teri Terry. I was pretty sure of this already, but I’d only read one series from her – her Slated series. I adored it and sped through each book so quickly and so when I saw this book in the charity shop I knew I had to grab it and I’m so glad I did because I loved it!

This book follows one of two twins, who were separated at birth due to a prophecy that one would be evil and one would be influenced by her. The character development was amazing and done so incredibly well, as well as having an intricate magic system that’s well developed and easily understandable.

Basically, I loved this book, I read through it so quickly and found it incredibly hard to put down. I felt massively invested in the plot and also with the girls and the ending was intense and also made me think. The way Teri Terry left the book at the end means that the world carries on within your mind, and you think about it for a while after finishing the written word. She seems to have an talent for this and I think it’s a beautiful way to write a story and have it be poignant for many readers.

Teri Terry is a beautiful writer and I look forward to getting around to all of her books, she is 100% a favourite author of mine.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, a review

I adored this book, so so much! I read it back to back with Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and when I say back to back I mean immediately after each other. Combined they got me out of a reading slump, and I have managed to keep their storylines completely separate which to me, when reading them so close together, means that their plots were incredibly strong and engaging.

This book follows Paige Mahoney, who works within the black market. We get a good sense of this world and how it functions, before Paige is then kidnapped. Hidden in a city which has not existed for over 200 years, Paige must figure out a way to survive in a situation designed to kill her.

The world building done within this book was incredible and is fitted seamlessly within the storytelling. I enjoyed being able to grow alongside Paige as she learns more about the people around her, what is going on within her world, and also as she becomes more aware of her own abilities. The actual plotline is also incredibly engaging, with so many different moving parts and intricate pieces which have been balanced perfectly in order to make a world which I feel like could rival that of Harry Potter if the following books continue in this way. Of course it’s not the same magical book as the Potterverse, however, JK is renowned for her plotlines (in a similar way to the Whoniverse) and I feel like this series could also do this incredibly well.

I am so excited to read more books in this series, I own books 2 and 3 and plan to read book 2 in December. I’m just nervous to start them because I know it’s going to be amazing and also probably destroy me! I’m nervous to read it and not be anticipating it anymore! Isn’t that silly haha.

Have you read any of this series? Am I going to cry when I read the next two books? Let me know in the comments!

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton, a review

Where to even start?! This book is amazing and I urge everyone who loves fantasy to read it. Click here to see the Goodreads page and the synopsis of the book.

First things first, this is not a book that I personally could rush through. I knew as soon as I had read the first few chapters that I was going to take my sweet time with this book and enjoy every second of it! I picked it up in the first place as I found out that Alwyn Hamilton was coming to the NYALitFest that was held at the beginning of 2018 in Preston. I had wanted to read this series and this news was a bit of a kick up the arse to get on with it! I didn’t actually finish it before the event, as like I said, I didn’t want to rush it. But I’m glad that I took my time and really enjoyed the book.

Amani is a badass female character who I loved seeing come into her own as the book progressed and different plot points were revealed. The relationship between her and Jin develops very naturally, starting out as suspicious of a stranger in her small desert town, and slowly starting to trust each other and have each other’s backs. The nuances are intricate and seem to be setting up for further events in the rest of the trilogy.

I can’t wait to carry on with this series and be engrossed in this world again. I really do recommend picking this one up, and I hope you fall in love as much as I have.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman, a review

This book. THIS BOOK! Okay, so I loved it, starting here. 5 stars, no question about it. I really don’t know why I’ve not read more by him because I always seem to be completely engrossed within his writing and this book has just proved it to me. 100% recommend! Now, let’s get into an actual coherent review that isn’t just me going aaaahhhhh!!!

In this world, all disease, hunger and was has been wiped out. People no longer have a natural lifespan, as medicine can solve any aging issues. This sounds great, until you think about the massive overpopulation. To control this issue, there are Scythes. Scythes are the only people who are able to end a life, and they are commanded to do so. It is mostly a job that no one wants, but someone has to do it, and if you are recruited your family gets immunity from gleaning (their name for the killing done by Scythes). A good incentive to keep recruits incoming.

Citra and Rowan have been chosen by a master scythe to be his apprentice, only one of them will become a fully fledged scythe. Neither of them wants the job, but neither of them wants to give up the immunity it would offer their loved ones or the chance to be part of something. One problem. Master scythes can only have one apprentice, and the other scythes are not happy.

So much goes down in this novel, we learn a lot about the different arts of killing and when each method is used. Many are killed as kindly as possible and based on mathematics equations, but some have less kind deaths. There is also the internal politics of the Scythes themselves, there seems to be corruption high up in the ranks, but some haven’t noticed, and others are too scared to act against this group who are ignoring the basic rules of Scythdom.

It is one of the most perfect ya novels I have ever read, and I borrowed my copy from the library (poor student problems), and I 100% need to own my own copy in the future! One of my favourite reads so far in 2018 and I am super excited for Thunderhead when my library gets it in stock!

This Cruel Design to break your heart!

I was lucky enough to win an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book in a Twitter giveaway, and I was so excited! I hadn’t actually read This Mortal Coil at this point (book #1 in the series) but it was something I’d had my eye on and this gave me the push to bump it up my TBR (to be read) list. Once I had read Mortal Coil I was hooked and had to use a lot of self control to not just dive straight in to Cruel Design! But personally I will mix the plot of series’ together if I read them back to back so I gave myself some time, and then dove in.

From this point on I will be vaguely outlining the plot of The Cruel Design (which is book #2) so there will be some spoilers for book #1. Don’t read ahead if you don’t want to be spoiled! You’ve been warned!

So we continue to follow our protagonist Cat after what they thought was code to stop the Hydra virus has been released, and the extra code hidden within has been given to every human on the planet. The code that Lachlan can use to control and reprogram humanity. They’re in a race against Cartaxus, the corporation that has their own adgenda and will do anything to reach it, whether that is working with or against Catarina, Cole and Leoben.

The virus is continuing to evolve pass the vaccine and they have to head to Entropia, the base of all extreme hackers and coders, to find the woman who runs it, and who used to work on the code with Cartaxus until she escaped, Regina. But more comes to light than the three were expecting, and everything that Cat knew might turn out to be a lie.

So if that plot summary doesn’t sound good to you then…. well I guess this book isn’t for you. But if it does, oh my genehacking coders, you need to pick it up! This book had me reading well past when I wanted to go to sleep. I used to do this a lot as a child and thought that I had just “grown-up” and that is why I’m not kept up by books anymore. Apparently, I was wrong! I was up until 3am finishing this bad boy, and if you follow me on Instagram (@autumnofpellinor) you’ll have seen my stories when I finally finished the book. Emily killed me in the absolute best way! I was heartbroken, shocked, confused, angry, and I needed more! I can’t believe I’m going to have to wait so long for part three of this series, but I’m also super excited that there is going to be a book three! For some reason, I had assumed it was a duology and was expecting it to wrap up in this book!

If this is a genre/topic you enjoy then this book will be unputdownable and absolutely amazing! I did have one or two little gripes, but that’s just me being a pedantic pain in the arse (and probably just feeling angry at all the amazing plot twists and turns!) and Emily Suvada has absolutely nothing to worry about because this book was pretty much perfect!

This book is set to come out on the 30th October/1st November (Goodreads says Oct, my ARC copy says Nov so keep an eye out on both dates) and I 100% recommend picking this beauty up! The cover artist(s) did an amazing job on the cover and the book itself will blow you away, and if you haven’t read book #1 yet then get on it! It killed me so much that I was lying on the floor of my flat kitchen (and my poor flatmate who had only known me 3 weeks got to see a BookWorm disintegrating through shock, anger and love – she’s recovered now don’t worry) and couldn’t do anything. I can’t wait to read the short story which goes along with this series, and also absolutely anything else that Emily comes out with in the future! She is now one of my auto-read authors!! (I finished this book 3 days ago and I’m still in “aaaaggghhh” mode, which should also be an indicator for how much I loved this!)

Have you read This Mortal Coil or Thie Cruel Design? What did you think? Are you going to pick them up? Comment below! I need someone to nerd out with about this series!

The Girl with all the Gifts – a review

I had seen this book floating around for a few years and really wanted to read it, so when I decided I was going to take a break from the Thursday Next audiobooks (by Jasper Fforde), I elected to get this on audiobook and give it a go. I am so glad that I did because I absolutely loved it! 4 out of 5*!!!

We follow Melanie, a young girl who is strapped to a chair each morning and wheeled into a classroom to learn along with many other children also strapped into chairs. Her favourite teacher is Miss Justineau, and she waits excitedly for every lesson with her, not caring about the other teachers on rotation. I don’t want to say too much more, as this is pretty much all I knew going into it and I absolutely loved finding out everything as and when it happened. Things change massively as this book progresses, Melanie really matures and I loved listening to all the different characters and their points of view, as there are chapters from all the different characters. Learning about this world and what has happened to it is incredibly engrossing and I can’t wait to delve into the second book in the series, which if I’m remembering correctly is not a direct sequel but just set in the same dystopian world.

If this is a book which has piqued your interest I really recommend picking it up, I was engrossed despite reading it over a month span via audiobook and absolutely loved the world. I’m really looking forward to reading The Boy on the Bridge eventually, although I don’t currently know whether I’ll listen to it or read a physical copy.

Cold Bath Street, read it!

A book set in the small, relatively unknown, city that I live in for my undergraduate degree? Of course, I’m going to read it! Cold Bath Street by A.J. Hartley is an engrossing YA novel which looks into the ghost stories that surround Preston and the truth of them.

This was such a good book to read, as someone who is familiar with Preston it was really interesting being able to identify many landmarks and areas which were mentioned in the book as well as being really interesting to learn more about the myths and legends of a city I have come to know and love. But, it is definitely something you can still enjoy if you’re not familiar with the city. The ghost stories that Hartley introduces are all fully explained, and any locations mentioned don’t need much backstory, they’re just little easter eggs for those who do know the city.

I really enjoyed how this book panned out, with Preston being a really interesting character to follow and the time setting (not in the present day) made the book feel a lot more personal as Hartley draws on his previous experiences of the city, rather than how it is now. The mystery of each character is played out so well (although I definitely knew how two characters were linked together very early on, it was nice to see the resolution to that) and I felt such a strong connection with many of the characters. This is within the horror genre but is not something to shy away from if that isn’t usually your thing. I will flat out not watch any horror movies, but this is more intriguing and interesting with a hint of the supernatural and I definitely recommend pretty much anyone pick it up.

Within the book, there are also beautiful black and white illustrations which really add to the atmosphere and uclanpublishing really did a great job with the structure and appearance of this book! If you like mystery and intrigue with a little of the supernatural, or if you are familiar with Preston city, then I definitely recommend this read! So glad I picked it up! And thank you to my amazing friend Ash who lent me her copy ❤

A Darker Shade of Magic

When my family asked what books I wanted for Christmas, I knew that this one had to be on the list. I’ve seen it so much around BookTube and Bookstagram and not only do most people seem to really enjoy it but the blurb sounds so interesting and I love the concept. I am so glad I went for it!

I gave this book 4/5*, but I can see myself giving the series as a whole 5/5* if this quality of writing is kept and if I love the following books just as much! The exploration of magic and humanity within this novel is in-depth and deeply developed, which makes the world feel that much more alive.

In case you weren’t already aware, the setting of this novel is that there are four different worlds overlapped with one another. Four different versions of London with minor differences such as river names, buildings locations, and the level of magic that is present there. There is grey (essentially our world), red, white and black. It used to be relatively easy for travel to occur between the different worlds, but then something happens within the black world that cannot be controlled, and so in an effort to prevent this from spreading to the other worlds and having four times the impact, black London is shut off and the three remaining London’s become more distant and much harder to travel between, with only certain limited individuals having the ability. As you’ve probably guessed, we follow one such individual and his experience coming from the red world but seeing the other two also. I won’t say any more to avoid spoiling this book for you, as Victoria Schwab has done so amazingly with this plot.

If you enjoy magical fantasy reads (Harry Potter lovers!) then this is definitely one to pick up. It isn’t a copy of any book I have read before (yes that includes HP) and the magical elements mixed in with a well-developed plot and interesting characters makes this such a must-read book!

Tattooist of Auschwitz will break your heart

This book was absolutely amazing and left me in tears once I finished it. The narrative follows Lale, a holocaust survivor and his time in the clutches of the Nazi’s, and this book is based on a real-life story from the author’s chats with Lale Sokolov and his son. We see his arrival at Auschwitz and how he managed to get into his position through a mixture of luck and work. As he settles in as best as he can in the life he is left with, we are shown him meeting a woman who he decides he justs has to talk to, even though there is a risk of death. We see him attempt to avoid trouble, whilst helping out those around him and attempting to give the kids living in his block some semblance of a normal childhood. There are some shocking moments, ones which will make you feel grateful to be alive and free and living in relative luxury, but thankfully there are also moments where hate is overturned and we get to see some beautifully happy moments come out of atrocious conditions.

Once I finished this book I cried for a good 20 minutes, full on sobbing, because this book is so powerful. It is written beautifully and gives such an insight into the world that was created to dehumanise people, and yet still there was hope throughout that may have been suffocated at times but always managed to keep breathing. This is definitely a must read and I need to get this book in a physical format so that I can read it again. Absolutely amazing and something I will recommend to everyone I know.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for a free eCopy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

Becoming Mrs Smith, a novella to break your heart

The first thing I need to address – this book made me weep. For some reason I am a masochist when it comes to WWII set books, I love them but they love to hurt me. This is 100% a 5 star read!!! This novella knows how to pack a punch!

This book is based around a woman living in South Decota (USA) before and during the second world war, showing her life and how she matures from a young girl into a young woman attempting to keep going in a world which seems to be limping onwards into danger. As the book is a novella, a lot happens in a very short time which makes it hard to explain without giving anything away! Our protagonist Violet leads a life of constant worry when her childhood sweetheart signs up to the war effort and she is left wondering whether she will ever see him again. This book absolutely wrenched my heart out, made me weep and managed to make me have pretty intense feelings about the next book in this series within 2 small paragraphs at the end of the book. Definitely a series I am continuing and will be recommending to all of my friends!

Tanya E Williams offers an excerpt of the book on her website: https://tanyaewilliams.com so definitely head there if this book sounds like your cup of tea. Thank you to Tanya and NetGalley for an eCopy of this book in return for an unbiased review, I have found a new favourite book and a series I will follow!