Tag: four star book review

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!

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: No Number Nine by F J Campbell

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Happy Friday bookish people! I’m so happy that today is my spot on the book tour for No Number Nine by F J Campbell. Thank you to Literally PR 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.

No Number Nine Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book was very different to books that I usually read, I loved how the backstory of Pip gets revealed throughout the story. It kept the tension throughout the story about what would happen next and what secrets are people hiding. This book had intriguing character relationships and a plot that both flowed and constantly changed. I thought it was the perfect timing to read this book, especially with it’s links to Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics about to start. Although there was a dramatic undertone to this book I liked that the romance subplot was well developed and fit into the plot seamlessly. It also gave the book points for tension, which I think it is quite obvious I like in books.

No Number Nine Characters:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I really felt for Pip throughout this book, there were things she could have done differently but still it seemed like nothing could go right for her. When the book begins we know she has lost her sister and this gives Pip an interesting character dynamic because it is the catalyst for some of the events throughout the book. I’m not going to talk about any of the other characters in particular because I don’t feel I can without giving some spoilers but I will say that they each added layers to the story.

No Number Nine Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

For the most part the writing style of this book was something I enjoyed, it was clear and well written. The part I didn’t enjoy was that some sections are written in the style of a drama script. This confused me as I didn’t feel there was any need for it to be written in this way and it disconnected me from the characters in the scene.

No Number Nine Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars because I enjoyed the reading of it and I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

Blurb/Synopsis:

What do you do when your amazing, beloved sister dies?

Hide in your room for two years.

Sleep with a very, very wrong man.

Leave home and start a new life, lying to everyone you meet including your kind employer, your curious friends and the man you love?

Pip Mitchell’s an expert at making seriously bad decisions. But when her past, present and future collide at the Sydney Olympic Games, she’s going to have to decide whose side she’s on – or she’ll lose everyone she loves.

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan

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Happy Thursday bookish people! Today is the publication day of The Murder Box by Olivia Kiernan and I am part of the Social Media Blog Blast for the book. I’m so excited to tell you all what I thought about it! Thank you to Milly Reid, Quercus Books and River Run Books for giving me a Netgalley 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.

Onto the review!

The Murder Box Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

What can I say about this book? It was brilliant. I love a good murder mystery plot and this one got me invested immediately. There were many points that completely shocked me, I didn’t expect the twists that were intricately threaded into the plot. Predominantly following the detectives and their side of the investigation was interesting to me because I usually pick up mysteries that follow the Amateur Detective and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this point of view. I felt the pacing of the mystery was perfect, it didn’t take too long to get started and there were no lapses in action, this was well balanced with information about the detectives and their personal lives. Now, the ending, what a twist! I had a suspect in my head (I was wrong – and not to sound bad or anything but I do guess a lot of the killers in murder mysteries, honestly I probably read too many of them) and who it actually was caught me completely by surprise, in a good way because once it was revealed it made sense that was who it was.

The Murder Box Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really enjoyed how the author created this world and it’s characters. I haven’t read any of the other books in the Frankie Sheehan series but I definitely plan to now. I think it is a testament to Olivia Kiernan’s talent that throughout this book I had no idea which characters I could or couldn’t trust, that always makes a murder mystery good for me. As I said above, I liked getting an insight into the personal lives of the detectives as well because it allowed me to see who they really were and why, especially Frankie, were trying so hard with the case.

The Murder Box Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Kiernan’s writing is well written, incredibly well researched and has perfect pacing. It flowed well and read clearly, I hardly felt the few hours it took me to read it pass by that’s how much I was enjoying it.

The Murder Box Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars, a great read for me this month and I would tell anyone who loves a good, unique, murder mystery to pick up this book and give it a go.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Some games can be deadly

At first, Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan believes the murder mystery game sent to her office is a birthday gift from one of her colleagues. But when Frankie studies the game’s contents, she notices a striking resemblance between the ‘murder victim’ and missing twenty-two-year-old Lydia Callin.

As Frankie and her team investigate, a series of grisly crimes connected to the game are discovered across Dublin city and Lydia’s involvement with a shadowy network of murder mystery players becomes clear.

On the hunt for Lydia’s murderer, Frankie is drawn more deeply into the game. Every successful move brings her closer to the killer. But the real question is not what happens should she lose — but what happens if she wins.

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: How To Be Brave by Daisy May Johnson

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Happy Monday bookish people! It’s Monday and today is my spot on the book tour for How To Be Brave by Daisy May Johnson. Thank you to Poppy Stimpson for having me on this tour.

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.

Onto the review!

How To Be Brave Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The plot of this book was reminiscent of so many books that I read throughout my childhood, books like the Naughtiest Girl at School, Malory Towers, books with boarding schools as the setting. They were some of my favourites, there is something very intriguing about a boarding school and everything that goes on there, so I was especially excited to get to read this book. I loved that this story let the reader see some of the Mother, Elizabeth’s, story before focusing on the daughter Calla and her experience at the school. I loved that the duck (it will make sense if you read the book) was a thread that the author used to link all the stories together. This book is filled with fun, friendship and adventure that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

How To Be Brave Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The characters in this book are well written and interesting. I found myself wanting them to succeed with their plans. I liked that this book was written in third person because it helped me to view the whole scene as well as the characters. I felt that this was one of the reasons I became so recruited to the characters.

How To Be Brave Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I didn’t enjoy this part of the book as much, I still enjoyed it but this book has footnotes on some of the pages and for me I found this difficult to navigate but that is only my opinion, otherwise they add humour and I can see how they would help the reader understand some parts of the story. I also felt the pacing was a little fast for my reading style.

How To Be Brave Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a fun, quick read full of heart and with a focus on family and friendships that I really enjoyed.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Calla North and her mother Elizabeth live a quiet but happy life together. Elizabeth happens to be the world’s leading expert on ducks—but unfortunately, being an expert on ducks doesn’t always pay the bills (no pun intended).

When Elizabeth is offered a well-paid research trip to the Amazon, it’s an opportunity too good to miss. But while her mother’s off exploring, Calla winds up at boarding school. No adventures are likely to find her there—or so she thinks.

Then Calla receives the terrible news that her mother’s plane has gone missing. Can Calla, her friends, and a motley crew of nuns defeat an evil new headmistress and find Elizabeth before it’s too late?

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar

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Happy Saturday Bookish people! Today is my stop on the book tour for Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar, the second book in the Ship of Shadows series. Thank you to Puffin Books and Random T Tours 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.

Secrets of the Stars Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book was an interesting and engaging adventure to faraway ports and across treacherous seas. The first chapter hooked me immediately, and not just because they were dressed in masquerade costumes although I did love imagining that scene. The worldbuilding was beautifully detailed and sensory so it was easy for me to become caught up in the adventures with the crew. I found the beginning was a little slow in pacing for my personal taste but once the action got started I raced through the book to find out how it was going to end.

Secrets of the Stars Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

One of the parts of this book that I really enjoyed was that the crew of the Ship of Shadows is an all girl crew, it presented a lovely dynamic to the story. The characters really brought out the themes of friendship and loyalty that are being developed throughout this story. The protagonist is someone you feel the need to root for as different events happen to her and this increased my enjoyment of the book Also, the shadows (I’m counting them as characters) on the Ship of Shadows are pretty cool.

Secrets of the Stars Writing and dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As I said above, the beginning was a little slow for me but once the pacing picked up I couldn’t really fault any of the writing in this book.

Secrets of the Stars Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a well written and engaging novel that had me rooting for the characters from beginning to end, and it may have even persuaded me to pick up the next in the series when it comes out.

Blurb/Synopsis:

THE SECOND THRILLING ADVENTURE FOR ALEJA AND THE CREW OF THE LEGENDARY SHIP OF SHADOWS

Excitement and wonder are in store for the pirates as they continue to their epic quest across the world. But time is running out, and as their quarry grows closer, so the perils of the sea grow ever greater . . .

Praise for The Ship of Shadows:

“A feast for the imagination . . . an enthralling adventure.” – Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song

“This swashbuckling tale has it all – storms in jars, magic kraken bells, lost cities and a truly unique pirate ship. I loved it.” – Alex Bell, author of The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club

“Thrilling, exciting and intriguing and I can’t wait for the next instalment!” Rhiannon, Waterstones bookseller

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

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Happy Sunday everyone! Today is my stop on the book tour for Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone. Thank you to The Write Reads and Scribner Books for giving me a NetGalley 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.

Mirrorland Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book is a dark psychological thriller. I’ll admit that personally this book was a bit too dark for me, but I still very much enjoyed the novel. It was fast paced and filled with tension, enough tension that I could feel my hands tightening on my ipad more than once. This book brilliantly shows what is happening both in the present with the disappearance of El and what has happened in the past between the sisters and some of the other characters. I liked the contrast of this, it gave the mystery another, in my opinion creepier, level that made the book even more interesting.

This book had the wonderful quality of the setting becoming that of not only a dark house in an isolated place perfect for mysteries, but also a child’s make believe world. This resonated with me as I’ve always been, and still am, someone who has imaginary worlds and stories in their head all the time. And then there was the ending. The ending was masterful. A complete twist that I never would have expected.

Mirrorland Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The characters in this book are very cleverly plotted and written. I did not know who could be trusted and who couldn’t throughout the whole of the book, that includes the main character Cat. Each character felt like they had their own background and their own secrets, I’m a very curious person and what I wanted most was to find out everything, to find out who was lying and what really happened. This is a testament to the author’s writing that I wanted to know these things so badly.

Mirrorland Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As I said above, Carole Johnstone’s writing in this book is brilliant. It completely immersed me in the world and in the story.

Mirrorland Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well written and cleverly plotted. Its one of my top books so far this year.

Blurb/synopsis:

Publisher: Penguin

Length: 320 Pages

Age/Genre: Adult Thriller

Publishing: 20th April 2021

ISBN: 9781982136352

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZXHFR2/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304146

Blurb

Twelve years ago my life began again.

But it was a lie.

With the startling twists of Gone Girl and the haunting emotional power of Room, Mirrorland is the story of twin sisters, the man they both love, and the dark childhood they can’t leave behind.

Cat lives in Los Angeles, about as far away as she can get from her estranged twin sister El and No. 36 Westeryk Road, the imposing gothic house in Edinburgh where they grew up. As girls, they invented Mirrorland, a dark, imaginary place under the pantry stairs full of pirates, witches, and clowns. These days Cat rarely thinks about their childhood home, or the fact that El now lives there with her husband Ross.

But when El mysteriously disappears after going out on her sailboat, Cat is forced to return to the grand old house, which has scarcely changed in twenty years. No. 36 Westeryk Road is still full of shadowy, hidden corners, and at every turn Cat finds herself stumbling on long-held secrets and terrifying ghosts from the past. Because someone—El?—has left Cat clues all over the house: a treasure hunt that leads right back to Mirrorland, where she knows the truth lies crouched and waiting…

A sharply crafted mystery about love and betrayal, redemption and revenge, Mirrorland is a propulsive, page-turning debut about the power of imagination and the price of freedom. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware, and Daphne du Maurier.

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