Tag: Fantasy

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath by Ian Green

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Happy Tuesday bookish people! I’m very excited that today is my spot on the blog tour for The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath by Ian Green. Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I loved the uniqueness of this book’s plot. I had never read a book like this before. One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was it’s fantastic world-building. I felt completely engrossed in the world that Ian Green created and I read through this book so quickly because I had to know what was going to happen next. I loved that this book opened with an action scene, it hooked me in without me even realizing it.

The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There are many characters within this book and they all have a role to play, their personalities are very well created and balance against each other well. The main character that I was drawn to was Flore, there are so many layers to her character and I felt all of her emotions along with her.

The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The writing is one of the best I have read, it is clear and smooth and despite complex characters and plot lines I didn’t get confused at all, which with some fantasy books I do sometimes.

The Gauntlet and the Fist Beneath Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed my reading experience and I thought the world-building was masterful.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Fight the Storm.
Protect your people.
The endless rotstorm rages over the ruins of the Ferron Empire. Floré would never let the slavers of
the Empire rise again. As a warrior of the Stormguard Commandos, she wrought horrors in the
rotstorm to protect her people. She did her duty and left the bloodshed behind.
Fight for your family.
Floré’s peace is shattered when blazing orbs of light cut through the night sky and descend on her
village. Her daughter is abducted and Floré is forced into a chase across a land of twisted monsters
and ancient gods. She must pursue the mysterious orbs, whose presence could herald the return of the
Empire she spent her entire life fighting.
Destroy your enemies.
Now, Floré must take up the role she had sworn to put aside and become the weapon the Stormguard
trained her to be, to save not only her daughter, but her people…

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

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Happy Monday bookish people! Today I am bringing you my book review of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. I read this book this weekend just passed while I was down at my Partner’s Dad’s. My Partner always sleeps in a lot later than I do so I went down to the kitchen, got myself a cup of tea and read this book.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels Plot:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. Although it was set as if in Victorian England and mentioned places such as Bath and Devon, it also included elements of magical realism like houses that could fly with pirate flags on top of them. It felt both serious and witty throughout the novel and I mostly liked this but some times I was hoping it would focus on one at a time. I felt that this book focused more on it’s characters rather than the plot.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels Characters:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

In this book there are many characters and for the most part they have distinct personalities but I wish some of them had been more fleshed out, and more useful to the story. The main protagonist, Cecelia, is very adventurous and very determined to prove herself to the society so that she can be moved up from Junior to Senior and I felt that this was her motivation for most of the book (except for the end where I really feel her character was lost because of the decisions she made although I sort of expected them). I also felt Cecelia came across much younger than her age and a little whingy. The male love interest character was Ned, I liked his charm and his wit and the way he and Cecelia conversed. Also, he’s a pirate and I’m a sucker for a good pirate. Oh, and there’s also the only one bed trope for anyone who’s interested in that…

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There’s not much to say here, I think the writing fit the universe very well and I thought the dialogue presented all the characters to the reader – also the dialogue between Cecelia and ned were my favourite parts of this book.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels Overall:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I gave this book three stars overall because it was an enjoyable read, it had pirates in it but it just wasn’t quite enough for me. I plan on picking up the next book in the series though.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he’s under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her–hopefully proving, once and for all, that she’s as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Quotes

Favourite Book Quotes: Top 100: 10 – 1

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Happy Friday bookish people! It’s finally time to reveal my top ten favourite quotes! I have been having so much fun getting the quotes together and deciding which order I’d place them in and getting to tell everyone about them. I hope you’ve all been enjoying it too.

So, without further ado let’s get to my top ten favourite book quotes!

At number ten is a quote from a duology…

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

10. “No mourners, no funerals” – this being said to show that the characters are a group is something that I really liked about this quote.

Next is a quote from my favourite book….

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

9. “We are all stardust and stories” – this is so whimsical and beautiful, as the whole book is and it reminds me why I love the book.

At number 8 is a quote from a book recently turned into a TV series…

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

8. “Fine, make me your villain” – I think I gasped when I read this line in the book, and it was so good that they kept it in the TV series.

At 7 is a quote from a classic…

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

7. “I am a free bird and no net ensnares me” – this has always been one of my favourite quotes.

Next, is a quote from a book with a beautiful green cover…

A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

6. “The most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sat alone with a book” – yes, I can imagine that this is true, I don’t go to parties but if I did I would take a book.

At the halfway point, the next quote is from a historical fiction novel…

White Princess by Philippa Gregory

5. “The white rose of York has been stabbed in it’s pure white heart and is bleeding scarlet red”

At number 4 is a quote from a book I read this year…

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

4. “Love makes fools of us all darling” – I love this quote, there’s just something about it.

At number 3 is a quote from a huge book..

Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

3. “Through love all is possible” – this would be a lovely quote to live by, and on top of that to know what this quote means to the characters in the book makes it even better.

At number 2 is a quote from a book I am excited to read soon…

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

2. “Hello, Feyre darling” – Yes! I want this on everything, t-shirts, blankets, EVERYTHING.

Finally, we are at number one….

My favourite book quote is from the second book in a four book series…

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

  1. “catch me if I fall alright? A smile curved his lips in a most delightful manner “I’ve already fallen hard Wadsworth, perhaps you should have warned me sooner” – of course this had to be top, Thomas Cresswell has so many brilliant lines.

So, that’s it – This is my top ten favourite book quotes, and if you go back through my blog you can see my top 100 book quotes. I hope you have all enjoyed reading these!

Book Tags

Three Bookish Things Book Tag

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Happy Wednesday bookish people! I am very excited to be doing this tag today, I was tagged by JenJenReviews and it really made me think, I thought it was going to be easy but I needed to have a long look at my books to answer some of them (not that I mind staring at my beautiful books).

Let’s get to the questions!

Three read once and loved authors

  • Kester Grant – I read her novel Court of Miracles and absolutely loved it, I can’t wait for the next book to be released.
  • Elly Griffiths – I picked up The Postscript Murders on a whim because it sounded interesting and I ended up reading it in one evening so I’m definitely looking to get the rest of her books at some point soon.
  • Deanna Raybourn – I read A Curious Beginning last week and now I need to know what happens in the rest of the series.

Three titles I’ve watched but haven’t read

  • The Vampire Diaries – I didn’t technically watch this one… my sister loved it and would always have it on the TV so I pretty much watched it all without intending to.
  • Shadowhunters – I have seen and loved the TV series on Netflix but I haven’t finished the book series, I did read the first one and I own them all but I haven’t continued them yet.
  • Game of Thrones – again I have watched all the seasons but I haven’t picked up the book series yet.

Three Characters you love

  • Audrey Rose Wadsworth from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco – she’s a very strong female lead and I just absolutely love her (and Thomas Cresswell, in my mind they come as a pair so they only count as one here)
  • Scarlet Dragna from Caraval by Stephanie Garber – one of my favourite books ever I had to pick the main protagonist from this series.
  • Wrath from Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – can you tell I love this author? She writes amazing books, and well her fictional men are pretty great too. I am excited to see wrath again in Kingdom of the Cursed which comes out in October.

Three series binged

  • The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black – what can I say, the second one ended on a cliffhanger so I had to pick up the third book straightaway.
  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
  • Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I read these while in secondary school and loved them and the spin off series.

Three favourite book covers

  • Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angelles
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  • The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

Three Goals for this year

  • To get more followers and friends – I only started a few months ago and the bookish community is so welcoming and friendly, I’d love to get more bookish friends in the next year.
  • Hopefully start a PhD – I’ve sent in my applications it’s just the waiting
  • To be less stressed – this is the most unlikely one, I’m always busy and I’m always stressed. I’d love to learn to relax a bit more.

Thank you for reading that’s the end of this tag!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

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Happy Monday bookish people! This is my book review for Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Kingdom of the Wicked Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There are two halves to the plot of this story, the princes of hell and the witches and the other half is the murders of girls in the town but both of these halves intertwine throughout the novel. Each action has a knock on effect. I loved how this story played out, the uniqueness of the princes of hell being based on the seven deadly sins. I was desperate to keep reading this book and to stay in the world, discovering new things in every chapter. The only thing I did not like was the ending to the murder, the identity of the killer, I personally thought it could have been better if it had been someone else.

Kingdom of the Wicked Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Emilia is the main protagonist in this story and she is strong-willed and family oriented. I loved being able to see her develop within this book, she got stronger and learnt to find her own way. The main prince of hell within this book was Wrath and my goodness, I knew Kerri Maniscalco creates brilliant male leads (hello, Thomas Cresswell) but Wrath is in a level of his own.

Kingdom of the Wicked Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really enjoy Kerri Maniscalco’s writing, it just works for me. There is nothing about it that I do not like.

Kingdom of the Wicked Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because, I love it but I think I will love Kingdom of the Cursed even more.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Two sisters.

One brutal murder.

A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…

And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe—witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin… desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked Princes of Hell that she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

That is it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

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Happy Monday bookish people! This is my book review for The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman, it is the second book in The Invisible Library series.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

The Masked City Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The series is about a librarian spy called Irene and her librarian partner Kai, in this book Kai gets kidnapped and Irene must get him back. The plot of this book is full of action and very fast paced, it is intricately created and kept me guessing the whole way through.

The Masked City Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I love Irene’s character, she’s feisty and prepared to defend herself physically and intellectually if needs be. Kai is more charming and their conversations are very witty. I love the way they interact with each other in the first book and in this one. The characters are one of the most important features of this series and Irene is one of my favourite female leads.

The Masked City Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There’s not much I can say here, the writing is okay for me. Some of the language that is used can stumble me for a minute but mostly its clear and well paced.

The Masked City Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars because I am loving this series and I can’t wait to read the third one.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he’s been kidnapped by the fae faction and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds.

Kai’s dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people – and the forces of order and chaos themselves.

Irene’s mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it’s always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.

That is it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell

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Happy Monday bookish people! This is book review four of seven for today. This one is for Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell, it is the third book in the Spellslinger series.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Charmcaster Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is the third book in the series so I have already been immersed in the world Castell has built and this book continued the beautiful imagery that the first two presented. I loved the uniqueness of this plot and how it tied in details from Shadowblack and Spellslinger, it felt so comfortable for me to be back in this world.

Charmcaster Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As I said above, I was already immersed in this world so I knew the main characters Kellen, Ferius and Reichus very well by this point but there were some characters brought back from the first book that I felt added to the enjoyment of this book.

Charmcaster Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I love Sebastien De Castell’s writing style, he is effortlessly witty, charming and creates complex plots and characters. He also created a very flawed protagonist who really should not still be alive at this point but of course I’m glad he is.

Charmcaster Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book, the same as the other books in the series, is a four star for me because I enjoyed every moment of it and I can’t wait to begin the fourth book in the series which is on my August TBR.

Blurb/Synopsis:

The third book in the page-turning Spellslinger fantasy series.

‘I was getting almost as good at running away from enemies as I was at making them in the first place. Turns out, I wasn’t running nearly fast enough.’

Kellen has begun to master his spellslinging and the Argosi tricks for staying alive, and he and Reichis have found a career that suits them both: taking down mercenary mages who make people’s lives miserable. But Ferius is concerned that Kellen is courting disaster . . .

Perfect for fans of The Dark Tower, Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Lirael by Garth Nix

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Happy Monday bookish people! This is book review three of seven for today and is for Lirael by Garth Nix.

I got this book while in a bookshop with my partner and he suggested that I read it. Originally, he picked it up and handed it to me to read the blurb and I put it back on the shelf saying that I’d pick it up another time. Instead, my partner bought it for me so I read it on the drive up to Hampshire last weekend.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Lirael Plot:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book was so easy to fall into. The story, the world, the characters, everything about it kept me engaged in what was happening. I haven’t read the first book in this series yet but I definitely plan on getting the whole series now. I read this book extremely fast, even by my standards, it only took me three hours or just over and it’s a 500 page book. I couldn’t wait to see where each chapter would take me. I enjoyed getting to see a different viewpoint in some chapters when it changed between Lirael and Sameth but I was hoping to see more of Sameth’s viewpoint.

Lirael Characters:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The character of Lirael is one of the best female reads in any books that I have read, she is emotionally strong and it was nice to see this develop throughout the book. Plus, she is in the library a lot of the time and I couldn’t relate to that more. Sameth, now what can I say about him, to be honest I found him a little annoying and he complained a lot but I also saw a lot of qualities in him that I can see developing and creating a very strong male lead.

Lirael Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I love Garth Nix’s writing, I read another of his books last year and loved it so much, he has a way of writing effortlessly clever, humorous and heartwarming fantasy novels. I am looking forward to reading many more of his books.

Lirael Overall:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Originally I gave this book four stars but I could not stop thinking about this book so I had to change it to five stars, it’s now one of my favourite books of all time.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr’s birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.

In this sequel to Sabriel, winner of the Aurealis Award for Excellence in Australian Science Fiction, New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Monthly TBRs

August TBR!

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Happy Saturday bookish people! July is coming to a close and I’m hoping August will be a great month, not just for reading but also for experience. Next week is my partner’s Father’s birthday and I’m going down to Cornwall for that weekend. Hopefully that will be lovely, I think it will be.

So, in July I ended up reading thirteen books and starting two others and I’m hoping this good reading will continue in August.

Again I’ve given myself a large TBR and that is before any book tour books, let’s get into it:

August TBR:

  • An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I started this one a while back but I’m excited to get back to it in August.
  • Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – I’m not that keen on contemporary but I won this in a giveaway and I’m willing to give the book a go.
  • The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis – I don’t know much about this book but from the blurb it looks good.
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Clune – I’ve seen so many good things about this book and I can’t wait to read it.
  • Legendary by Stephanie Garber – I absolutely loved Caraval, the first in this series, and I’m not sure if I will love this one as much because it follows Tella and honestly I didn’t like her much in the first book.
  • The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – Witches are a common theme in books I enjoy so I hope that will continue with this one.
  • Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
  • Rivers of London by Ben Aaronivitch – a supernatural detective just sounds amazing
  • Soulbinder by Sebastien De Castell – I’m very excited to continue with this series.
  • The Appeal by Janice hallett – this looks like a very unusual murder mystery and I’m looking forward to reading it.
  • The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman – I’m actually halfway through this book already, I started it a while ago and I’m excited to finish it.
  • The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry – another murder mystery that should be a good read.
  • These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan – the blurb of this sounds so good.
  • Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angelles – this is set in a circus and has a competition in it, it gives me a similar feeling to the night circus and I’m looking forward to it.
  • The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton – this one sounds like a light but still intriguing book.

That’s it for my August TBR! Have you read any of these books? Are any on your TBR?

Monthly Wrap Ups

July Wrap Up!

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Happy Saturday bookish people! It is the end of July… this month has felt like a long one for me. I submitted my new PhD application at the beginning of this month and I’m not sure how I feel about it, the first time I sent in an application I wasn’t confident exactly but this time any confidence I might have had was completely gone. Anyway, I also got to see family in July which was really nice!

So in terms of reading for the month of July: Once again I did not complete my TBR, I’m not surprised about this at all because I had a couple of book tour reads I had to do and I spent four days in Hampshire and I mostly mood read for that. I packed five books and read four over this weekend so even though I didn’t read much off my TBR I still read a lot of books, I think my final number was fifteen. I’ll know for sure at the end of this wrap up.

Let’s see what I did and didn’t read this month!

My July TBR and thoughts:

  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not get around to reading this (again) I will read it at some point but I need to be in a certain mood and have time to really get engrossed in the book, I mean Rhysand is in it so I’m definitely excited to read it.
  • A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn – I read this one! I took this one with me to Hampshire and read it in the hotel room on one of the evenings, I really enjoyed this book and of course now I want the whole series. I will be putting up a review of this book very soon.
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – I didn’t read this book. I am still very interested in this book I just didn’t have enough time this month.
  • Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin – I read Serpent and Dove in June and loved it, however I wasn’t ready to go back into this world yet so I will read this one in a couple of months time.
  • European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss – I have started reading this one but I have not finished it yet.
  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwaab – I haven’t read this one because I have a feeling it will make me cry and I didn’t feel like crying too much in July.
  • The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah – I didn’t get around to reading this one either.
  • King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo – I feel like I should read the final installment in the Shadow and Bone series first so I haven’t read this one.
  • Legendborn by Tracy Deonne – another one I haven’t read this month.
  • Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch – I have read this one. I wanted a light and fluffy read, I didn’t quite get this but it was an okay read.
  • Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M Danforth – big books strike again, I didn’t read this because it is a huge book.
  • Pumpkin by Julie Murphy – I read this one, this was my first read of the month, I really liked this one. I will have a review up for this book soon too.
  • Save the Date by Morgan Matson – I don’t read very much contemporary so I’m not surprised that I didn’t get around to this one.
  • The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden – again I was very much mood reading this month so I didn’t get to this one.
  • The Plague Letters by V L Valentine – I thought this book would be a bit dark for me this month so I didn’t read this one either.
  • Threadneedle by Cari Thomas – I didn’t read this one.
  • Finally Turtles All The Way Down by John Green – I di not read this one either.

So, from my TBR I read three books and started one other. Outside of my TBR I read some other books, these were:

That is my reading for this month, I read 13 books and started two others so overall this was another good reading month. I am actually pretty confident I will reach my 100 books challenge for 2021.