Prodigy, a review

Prodigy by Marie Lu is the second book in the Legend trilogy. This is, in essence, your standard YA dystopian with a girl from the rich and privileged side of society meeting a boy from the downtrodden side and learning that things aren’t as they seem. But don’t get me wrong, it’s still enjoyable!

I do think that this book suffers a little from second book syndrome, where not a lot happens. However, I did like the worldbuilding that we got, and the very end of the book was fascinating. I’m excited for Champion and seeing where the story finishes!

On CAWPILE I gave this book 7 out of 10 across the board (for characters, atmosphere, writing, plot, intrigue, logic, and enjoyment) which gives me a 4 star rating. Higher than I had been expecting and looking back on this a few months after having read it I think it should probably be bumped down to a 3 star read.

I’m still excited for book three, however, and I hope it’ll be a good finale!

Dark Days, a review

We’re onto the second trilogy within the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy! Dark Days is where the violence, the gore, and the death all start to ramp up

As per usual, this is a difficult series to talk about in a spoiler free review because there’s so much going on and I don’t want to accidentally mention something!

For what I can say, I like the development of Skulduggery and Valkyrie separately to each other. I think this is done really well with the circumstances and shows the events of the books well in terms of the mental impact on them. I also like how Val’s separation from her parents is handled more within this book and how it’s shown.

Of course, I adored the sharp wit, the stupid banter, and the fight scenes. As well as references to other nerdy things littered throughout!

I also like how the magic within the series is delved into more here. We learn more about the different uses if elemental magic, as well as the other branches and what advantages they hold. It fleshes out the world more and provides more depth for the other non-elemental characters actions (as Skulduggery and therefore Valkyrie have focused mainly on elemental magic).

On CAWPILE I rated this book:

Characters: 9

Atmosphere: 8

Writing: 9

Plot: 9

Intrigue: 8

Logic: 9

Enjoyment: 8

Which gives me an overall 8.57 rating which is a really good 4 stars! Is anyone really surprised at that??

Highlight here for trigger warnings: violence, death, bombing attempt and event, attempted murder, wrongful incarceration, torture, PTSD, lack of bodily autonomy, severe burn injuries

This is a series that I adore and it’s so much fun to be reading through them again! We’ve only got one book left to come in the series overall now so it’s nice that I’m “delaying” that ending by rereading through all of the books! Have you read any books in the Skulduggery Pleasant series? What do you think of it?!?!

The Stone of Destiny, a review

After seeing Caitlyn, Connor, and Eleanor raving about this (and after Caitlyn forcefully gifting me it, as she knows that’s the best way to get me to read anything) I picked up The Stone of Destiny by Caroline Logan and I’m so glad that I did!!

This is a YA fantasy which utilise Scottish folk lore, with this first book focusing on Selkies. Mystical folk who can turn between seal and human at will. Our main character, however, is a 19 year old teen who acts like a grumpy old grandpa and it is my favourite thing.

I adored this book, so so much. Ailsa rescues two selkies, brother and sister, from an attack of bloodthirsty raiders. From then onwards a bond is formed between the trio, and she travels with them as a guard to the capital city where the Prince has a request of the selkies.

The characters in this book? They’re utterly fantastic. So so so so good. Our main character Ailsa is so grumpy and so lovable and so strong! And our selkies? They’re mystical and magical and ethereal, but also so down to earth and relatable!

And the plot? Of course I don’t want to tell you too much cause Spoilers but I was so invested in the travelling that the groups did across this fantastical Scottish landscape. We got to see so much of the worldbuilding by Caroline Logan which is done so beautifully and really plays into the beautiful, wet, reality that is Scotland.

For my CAWPILE rating I gave this book:

Characters: 9

Atmosphere: 8

Writing: 8

Plot: 8

Intrigue: 9

Logic: 9

Enjoyment: 9

Which gives an overall 8.57 which is a high 4 star rating!! If you can’t tell. I love this book. So so much. And I’m so excited to carry on in the series!

Highlight here for trigger warnings: child and baby death mentioned, violence resulting in injury and death, minor body horror

If you enjoy fantasy books I really do recommend picking this one up. It’s a YA book, aimed at teens, but it can definitely be enjoyed by an older audience looking for a less graphic fantasy than is prevalent in the adult sphere (don’t get me wrong, I love both!) and I’m looking forward to more of the same in book two!

A Torch Against the Night, a review

So Caitlyn from Mad Cheshire Rabbit finally made me pick up the second book in the Ember series because I thought she might come down and murder me quietly in the night if I didn’t pick it up. So I read it!

Of course, I did enjoy the book but that’s besides the point! This was quite a different vibe from book one, with that being set in a “school” environment and this one being travelling across the world that Tahir has built. This let us learn so much more about the characters as they’re challenged in different situations.

This book has so many twists and turns!! I never quite knew where to look. And the end?! The end. So it doesn’t leave you on a cliffhanger, but it does leave you on a cliffhanger and I’m really excited to get my mitts on book three and carry on with this series!

For my CAWPILE rating I gave the book:

Characters: 8

Atmosphere: 7

Writing: 7

Plot: 7

Intrigue: 7

Logic: 8

Enjoyment: 8

Which gives me an overall score of 7.43 which is a solid 4 star read!! Unlike my last review, I think this one is pretty accurate! I did really enjoy the twists and turns of the book, but it didn’t quiiiite hit that all time favourite mark for me.

Highlight here for trigger warnings: Character death, emotional abuse, fade to black sex scene, gaslighting, genocide, ghosts/spirits, manipulation, panic attack, rape (mentioned), slavery, torture, violence

I do have to say it’ll probably be a little while before I read the next book in the series, just with the way I’ve been reading lately. But I am excited for when I pick it up. And I’m sure Caitlyn will keep the series fresh in my mind!!

Have you read this series? What do you think of it?!

A Stranger in the House, a review

Well this was… fine?? I’d hoped for a lot more

I don’t know if I’m just going off thrillers? Maybe? Or maybe off a specific type of thriller? But this was just so…meh. We have a woman who isn’t who she seems, a husband who is confused, and a neighbour who’s a little too close for comfort.

I was just… not that interested. I kept reading this, rather than DNFing it, as I was interested enough to want to know how the story ended. But it wasn’t even worth it in the end for me. Everything was so predictable and boring. It felt like the end was supposed to be a surprise twist but it fell completely flat.

This concept had the possibility of really paying off and creating a great story and for me it just… didn’t.

On CAWPILE I rated this book:

Characters: 6

Atmosphere: 7

Writing: 6

Plot: 5

Intrigue: 8 (look I’m nosey)

Logic: 7

Enjoyment: 5

Which gives me an overall rating of 6.29 which is a lowwww 3 star. And even that feels generous. Possibly because I’ve had more time to think on this book and I’m definitely not hyped about it. If you asked me I’d probably give it a 2 stars

Highlight for trigger warnings: Murder, fertility issues, cheating, ableist language, abuse, rape by coercion, cheating recounted, domestic abuse recounted, amnesia (central theme), addiction discussed, (faked) suicide recounted, alcohol consumption, drug abuse discussed, infertility themes, blood depiction, dead body, physical injuries, hospitalisation, death of an ex-husband, murder (not on page), gun violence (not on page), car accident, disappearance of a spouse, stalking, home invasion

There are a LOT of them… and yet this was a tame book (for someone who doesn’t require trigger warnings, I’m sure I wouldn’t feel that way if any of these applied to me) Have you read this? Or any of Lapena’s other books? Do they get better? Let me know!!

Dead or Alive, a review

The most recent Skulduggery Pleasant novel!!

If you follow my reviews you might be wondering why I’ve jumped from book 3 to book 14 in this series. So I’m one of the co-hosts for the Dead Famous Readalong where we’re reading the full Skulduggery Pleasant series, one book at a time. But I wasn’t going to not read this just because I’m rereading the beginning of the series!!!

I post my reviews in chronological order of when I read the books (unless it’s an ARC with a time limit) and so here we are. Dead or Alive. Book fourteen in the series.

This is so. So. So different to the early books! Of course I knew that logically but seeing it side by side with the early books put it into stark contrast!

This book is even darker than the ones that came before and has so much character development within it. Val herself? Wow. So much. And so much about so many side characters that I don’t want to mention because they might not even have been introduced depending on where you are in the series! This really goes down a certain route and leaves us on a cliffhanger that’s painful and I NEED the next book now thank you Landy.

There are so many plot points and strings all converging together by this point, and yet Landy is handling them deftly. Interweaving them to create a rich tapestry of utter chaos and I fucking love it.

I can’t even begin to explain how complicated this is becoming. Party because of spoilers and partly because I just don’t want to. That is too much effort. But Landy has managed these plot developments and twists and turns so well that it feels natural to read. You already know all of the information, you have all the puzzle pieces, Landy is just slotting them into place.

I’m so so excited for the final book in this series. I do hope we get some sort of happy ending. It’s Skulduggery so of course it’s not going to be sunshine, rainbows, and kittens. But I hope there is some vague semblance of peace. Both for the reader and the characters. But unfortunately, that’s not up to me.

For my CAWPILE ratings I gave this book:

Characters: 10

Atmosphere: 8

Writing: 8

Plot: 8

Intrigue: 9

Logic: 8

Enjoyment: 9

Which gives us an 8.57 and a pretty high 4 star rating!!

Highlight here for trigger warnings: violence, death, guns, mental illness, police brutality, xenophobia

I’m both so so excited and so sad that this series is coming to an end! Here’s hoping it’s a good one!!

Deliverance of the Blessed – a review

Why am I onLY JUST REVIEWING THIS?!?!?! I read this, a book in one of my favourite EVER series, back in February after being given a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. I did pop up my rating on Goodreads and write a wee review but it has taken me FAR TOO LONG TO ACTUALLY DO THISSSS. Can you tell I’m annoyed at myself? I adored this book, I adore everything ever published in the Godkissed Continent! So let’s get into the good stuff!

This book is the first we’ve had that’s set in the First Country, one that keeps itself behind closed doors from the rest of the continent, so we’ve not heard a lot about it so far. We follow Kaylene, who is kept behind the walls of the sanctuary and away from the general population in order to keep them safe. She can’t be trusted to control herself. After the devastating loss of her partner life lost meaning to Kaylene, but when she meets an unknown woman the course of her life changes, and she determines that she’ll reach beyond the walls of death and bring her love back.

As always with Alice’s books, I need more!! As soon as this finished I was heartbroken that there wasn’t a sequel coming in the future that I could dive into! Despite this being (almost *wink*) a completely new cast of characters from previously I felt so emotionally invested in them straight away. The “magical” powers throughout this series manifest in different ways and I adored seeing how they presented themselves within those from this secluded nation with little knowledge of the outside ways.

The character development throughout was done beautifully, the way that they learnt the nuances of each others mannerisms and ways of being, as well as how their relationships deepened. As a group the dynamic altered throughout the book and I found that incredibly interesting and so realistic to real life! The strife as well as the intrinsic bond could be felt through all their words and actions and you could tell that these people had been together for many years.

The only reason that it didn’t quite hit 5 stars was that there was a beat of the plot that just didn’t quite feel natural. There had been some seeds laid to bring us to it but there was a bit too much of a jump for me and it pulled me out of the book a little. But that was literally the only downside!!! (other than there not being another sequel for me to read… please and thank).

Highlight here for trigger warnings: violence, wrongful persecution, loss of a loved one, death

Honestly if you enjoy reading YA fantasy then I can’t recommend any of the books in the Legends of the Godkissed Continent series enough! The way that they intertwin whist also standing on their own as in depth tales of each country? I adore them and I’m so excited to see where we get to go next!

The Singing – a review

Finally! My review of the 4th and final book in the Pellinor series!! It’s taken me a loooong while to get around to writing this (I read the damn thing in December!) so let’s get into it!

In the first two books of this series we follow Maerad’s pov, and then for book three we follow Hem. In this last book we follow the both of them, with the pov changing every few chapters. Similarly to what I said in my review about The Crow, when I previously re-read these books I skipped out on Hem’s sections a lot. They just didn’t call to me when I was younger and I just wanted to get into Maerad’s story! This time around, of course, that was completely different and I revelled in Hem’s story! Because it had been so long since I had read his sections it was wonderful to see what was essentially a new pov in the story for me. It added so much dimension to the tale and really brings the whole book together.

To keep this as spoiler free as possible, the only explanation I will give for this book is that the two are coming together after time apart, the book follows their journey towards each other and also their journey once their are together which is the end point of the entire series. (right look I know that’s vague but do you want spoilers? No! Go check out the first 3 books and come back!)

The continuous development of the new characters we met with Hem in his story, as well as returning to characters we hadn’t seen since the first book, really rounded out this world and made it feel real. I am so emotionally invested within this world that every battle and every fight is tense, even though I know the outcome! Visiting old friends again is a wonderful way to round out the series and to suggest a direction of events for after what is shown in the books, and I think Croggon does this really well to a point where certain events are suggested but she leaves it open enough for you to come to your own conclusions.

As always the “academic” sections at the beginning and the end of this book are fantastic. I adore all that they add to the world without bogging down the text itself, and the context that they give you to read this tale within.

Is anyone surprised that I loved this reread? No! Now I just need to re-read the prequel and to finally get my butt in gear and read the eBook novella’s that came out a while ago!

Delicates – a review

Delicates is the sequel to Sheets, a cute spoopy graphic novel about sheets coming to life as ghosts in a laundromat. Our main character Marjorie has become close to one of these ghosts, a young boy called Wendell. But when she returns to school she’s finally accepted by the popular girls and is scared of spending too much time with Wendell in case her secret comes out. Everyone would think she was a freak who sees dead people!!

Delicates by Brenna Thummler

Similarly, Delicates is a lovely graphic novel which is aimed at a MG/YA(Middle Grade/Young Adult) audience to talk about difficult topics. Whilst Sheets focuses on grief, Delicates focuses on mental health and bullying.

Sadly, whilst Sheets handled the topic with grace and, ironically, delicacy, Delicates seemed a little too forceful. The message seemed to be pushed so hard that at points it was literally on the page. I’m not sure if it’s just my age not being the target demographic that meant that I found this so blatant and obvious, but it did mean that the beauty of the message was lost for me. I do, however, think that it is of course an incredibly important message for young people to receive and maybe this delivery method would work for more people.

Overall I’ve given this read a low 3 stars (6.43 on CAWPILE to be precise), and I would definitely recommend for people to pick it up. The art style, in my opinion, is gorgeous and the message positive and important. I just don’t feel that it was that well imparted, but as mentioned above I’m not the target audience and this may have paid a part in this.

Publishing tomorrow March 23rd 2021, go check this book out and pick it up if it sounds interesting!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Purpose by A.B. Endacott – a review

Yet another amazing book from Alice, I’m so close to finishing off her entire published works with one book left after this one! Dark Purpose is the second book in what I’m calling the “Dark Trilogy” that follows a healer Freya, who is of the Pious faith which is banned in her country. As tensions rise across the Third Country, Freya must decide who she must be in order to fight for the world she wants, even if that means turning away from everything she holds dear.

After the abrupt ending to the first book I was so excited to delve back into this world and read about which direction Freya was going to go in this battle for power. Having read about her character in Queendom of the Seven Lakes I obviously know a little about where she ends up but following this story from before that time is incredibly interesting and Alice has written this uprising beautifully.

There are so many different intricacies which would go into planning an uprising and Alice manages to hit on them so well. We aren’t shown them all, as Freya isn’t involved in every aspect, but they are alluded to as well as having Freya mention certain aspects and this detail really adds depth and realism to these events.

Freya’s active participation in the uprising in this book is so much fun to read about, she has so many reservations whilst also guiltily revelling in her power. Something that I believe we would all do if given this gift! I also really enjoyed how her work at the hospital developed and played a key part in the story.

I wasn’t so keen on how Symon’s character developed in this book. This isn’t against Alice, just more that I really don’t want poor Freya to have to deal with this! I can already envision some of the basics of what’ll happen in Dark Heart (the next and final book in the trilogy) and noooooo!!!!

Have you read this series, or anything from A.B. Endacott for that matter? She is an amazing Australian, self-published author and I adore her writing so so much. I will read everything she ever publishes!