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Book Review: Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

June 27, 2021 theblindscribe

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:

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:

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:

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:

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!

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: A Murder at Rosings by Annette Purdey Pugh

June 25, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! Today is my spot on the book tour for A Murder at Rosings by Annette Purdey Pugh. Thank you to Anne Cater 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.

A Murder at Rosings Plot:

I enjoyed the plot of this book. It was an interesting take on Mary Bennett and Mr. Bennett and a lovely change from the many versions that focus on Mary’s sister, Elizabeth Bennett. The novel was quick paced and intriguing and I was soon engrossed in the plot and trying to figure out who had committed the murder. If I’d had a whiteboard and some sticky notes I would have made one of those suspects boards like you see on Police TV shows. There were enough twists to keep me guessing for almost all of the book because of the clever writing and well developed plot.

A Murder at Rosings Characters:

I think the characters in this novel were very well developed and I felt recruited particularly to Mary, the protagonist. I think it is a testament to the author that I did not become suspicious of most of the characters or believe them capable of being the killer for most of the book.

A Murder at Rosings Writing and Dialogue:

It took me a while to get used to the writing style of this book because it is written so well, and in a similar style to Victorian period literature and the Austen style of writing. I did get used to it eventually and then I found myself really enjoying the style, it reminded me of classics and I love classics.

A Murder at Rosings Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a well written and intriguing mystery that I couldn’t put down.

Blurb/Synopsis:

When Mr Collins is found stabbed to death in Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s garden, simmering tensions are revealed beneath the elegant Regency surface of the Rosings estate.

The prime suspect is Mr Bennet, who was overheard arguing with Mr Collins over the entail of Longbourn in the days before the murder was committed, and who stands to benefit more than anyone from the Rector’s death.

His daughter Mary uncovers a scandalous secret that holds the key to the murder. Can she prove her father’s innocence in time to save him from the gallows?

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon

June 21, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope everyone has had a great weekend. I’m so excited that today is my spot on the book tour for Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon! This was a great read and I’m very happy to share my thoughts about it. Thank you to TheWriteReads tours for having me as a part of this.

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

Instructions For Dancing Plot:

I surprised myself by enjoying this book. Contemporary Romance novels are way out of my comfort zone and I haven’t read very many of them. I really enjoyed that this plot didn’t feel like the typical contemporary plot line, I mean it was because it has the love story in it, but there were some unusual elements that made the story something else. I think that’s the main reason I enjoyed it more than I expected. I saw quite a few reviews before I read this book which said the story is heartbreaking and that a few of them have cried at this book. I have to say I agree, there are heartbreaking moments throughout this book and although didn’t cry myself I was very close. After I finished the book I was left feeling very calm and content, I enjoyed this book a lot.

Instructions For Dancing Characters:

There wasn’t one character in this book that I didn’t like. The friendship group were great to read about and the love interest was funny and intriguing. But my favourite character was Evie, the protagonist, I loved her personality and how she developed throughout the story.

Instructions For Dancing Writing and Dialogue:

I found the writing style difficult to get into at first but once I got used to it I began to enjoy the way Nicola Yoon writes. The dialogue is one of the best parts of this novel, there’s a lot of witty remarks and ‘banter’ between the characters in this novel and I thought this was a brilliant feature.

Instructions For dancing Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed it more than I expected to and it has made me think that I should try books out of my comfort zone more often.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.

As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.

Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: Embers by Josephine Greenland

June 18, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! Today is my stop on the book tour for Embers by Josephine Greenland. Thank you to Anne Cater and Random 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!

Embers Plot:

This book immersed me in the history and culture of the Sami people which prior to this book I had never heard about before. I found the plot intriguing and I really liked how the tension increased as each incident seemed to get more dangerous. This book focuses on the relationship between two siblings and although it is slightly unrealistic – my parents would never have let my sister and I go on holiday on our own to a place we had never been before. Mainly because we would have caused all sorts of trouble. I enjoyed how this mystery played out, the investigation was developed well and kept me curious about what happened.

Embers Characters:

I enjoyed that this book had two young siblings as the main characters because that is something I personally don’t usually read, so this book was out of my comfort zone. I also liked that this book contained disability representation because one of the main characters, the brother, has Asperger’s in this book. I’m not sure how correctly portrayed it is because I’m not as knowledgeable as I’d like to be on the subject.

Embers Writing and Dialogue:

There’s not much for me to say here. The writing style flowed very well and helped to keep me involved in the story. For me I felt that I needed something a little more from the writing although I couldn’t tell you what that would be, it was just a feeling that something was missing. Of course this is only my personal opinion.

Embers Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it was an enjoyable and well thought out mystery novel that had me learning about new places and cultures and helped to push me a bit out of my comfort zone.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Two siblings, one crime. One long-buried secret.
17-year-old Ellen never wanted a holiday. What is there to do in a mining town
in the northernmost corner of the country, with no one but her brother Simon –
a boy with Asperger’s and obsessed with detective stories – for company?
Nothing, until they stumble upon a horrifying crime scene that brings them into
a generations-long conflict between the townspeople and the native Sami.
When the police dismiss Simon’s findings, he decides to track down the
perpetrator himself. Ellen reluctantly helps, drawn in by a link between the
crime and the siblings’ own past. What started off as a tedious holiday soon
escalates into a dangerous journey through hatred, lies and self-discovery that
makes Ellen question not only the relationship to her parents, but also her own
identity.

AUTHOR DETAILS
Josephine Greenland is a Swedish–English writer from Eskilstuna, Sweden. She
has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham and a BA in
English from the University of Exeter. She is the winner of the 2019 Bumble Bee
Flash Fiction Competition by Pulp Literature, the 2017 Fantastic Female Fables
Competition by Fantastic Books Publishing, and also the runner-up in the 2018
Summer Solstice Competition by Wild Words. Her fiction and poetry have
appeared in Dream Catcher, Literary Yard, Soft Cartel Mag, Plum Tree Tavern,
Porridge Magazine, Litro and AHF Magazine. She has also been highly
commended in competitions by TSS Publishing and Cinnamon Press. In 2017, she
was awarded the Young Writer’s Bursary by Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.
In August 2019, Josephine began a PGDE course at the University of Edinburgh
to become a Secondary English teacher. When not writing or teaching, she
enjoys playing the violin, running and hiking. Embers is her first novel and was
written during her MA course. It is based on her own travels in northern
Sweden two years ago with her brother.

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

blog tours, Book Reviews

Book Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

June 17, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Thursday bookish people! I’m very excited that today is my spot on the book tour for The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. Thank you to Anne Cater and Weidenfeld and Nicolson for sending me a copy of this book to read and review for 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.

The Maidens Plot:

I’ll start by saying that I almost had to put this book down because of how easily drawn into the world I became. I could feel the dark atmosphere, the fear and the rising tension. The plot was beautifully intricate in a way that had me constantly guessing about what was going to happen next. I am very glad that I didn’t stop reading because the ending – and the final reveal – was very satisfying for me as a reader. I did have a suspicion of the who and the why but the author of this book cleverly interwove the plot with red herrings. I always enjoy a book that has me guessing, it gives me a lot of anticipation for how a story will end.

The Maidens Characters:

Alex Michaelides has managed to create a variety of well explored characters who all have an element of mystery surrounding them. I found that I was suspicious of almost every character at some point and although this was great for the suspense and the psychological parts of the novel, however, because of this I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters in the way I like to be when reading.

The Maidens Writing and Dialogue:

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. It flowed well and I felt that every part of the story worked better because of Alex Michaelides’ writing style.

The Maidens Overall:

I gave this book four stars because I think it is an excellent psychological novel that I enjoyed reading. I found it a bit too dark for my personal taste but I enjoyed branching out into a slightly different genre than I usually read.

Blurb/Synopsis:

From the author of the global #1 bestselling debut The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding literary thriller which weaves together Greek mythology, psychology, and murder…

St Christopher’s College, Cambridge, is a closed world to most.

For Mariana Andros – a group therapist struggling through her private grief – it’s where she met her late husband. For her niece, Zoe, it’s the tragic scene of her best friend’s murder.

As memory and mystery entangle Mariana, she finds a society full of secrets, which has been shocked to its core by the murder of one of its own.

Because behind its idyllic beauty is a web of jealousy and rage which emanates from an exclusive set of students known only as The Maidens. A group under the sinister influence of the enigmatic professor Edward Fosca.

A man who seems to know more than anyone about the murders – and the victims. And the man who will become the prime suspect in Mariana’s investigation – an obsession which will unravel everything…

The Maidens is a story of love, and of grief – of what makes us who we are, and what makes us kill.

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

Book Reviews

Book Review: Deadly Curious by Cindy Astley

June 14, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday Bookish people! It’s time for another book review. This book was on My June TBR and my whatever you want-a-thon TBR. In case you are wondering it fit three prompts on whatever a thon which were: hauled in the last year, 5 star prediction and fit a TBR prompt which was from my own TBR game. This book did not turn out to be a 5 star for me but it was still a quick and enjoyable read.

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.

Deadly Curious plot:

I enjoyed the overall plot of this book. Especially the setting of Victorian London (I think it’s London but I’m not completely sure) and all of the complexities that came with it. For the first half of the book the mystery was gripping, especially because the book opens with a third person ‘clip’ of the murder which was a really nice feature of this book. I liked how this story came together and how the investigation was playing out. However, the second half of the book I found very predictable, it was very easy for me to figure out who the murderer was which did take away some of the enjoyment for me. That is my own personal opinion.

This book kept swapping perspectives between the female and male protagonists. I enjoyed this for the most part because it gave an extra dimension to the story and allowed the reader to get a glimpse into the minds of both characters. Although with the male character’s chapters I found they did get a bit repetitive, particularly with it always mentioning how he shouldn’t be letting the female protagonist investigate because she’s a woman.

Deadly Curious Characters:

I haven’t got a lot to say here. I enjoyed the male and female protagonists, both of their characters were clear and well developed. Cousin Daphne is an interesting character, I think she had potential but when I thought she was going to be part of the investigation she was sometimes there and sometimes not. I felt that this was slightly distracting, I wasn’t always sure what the point of her character was and then sometimes she was important to the story. There were quite a few other characters in the story but I can’t mention them here without spoilers….

Deadly Curious Writing and Dialogue:

The writing and dialogue in this book was done well. It consistently kept to the period and setting of the book and it was clear and easy to read. I read this book very quickly, I finished it within two and a half hours.

Deadly Curious Overall:

Overall I gave this book four stars because I did enjoy reading it but it had some elements that meant it couldn’t be a five star book for me.

Blurb/Synopsis:

1834. Sophia Thompson wants nothing more than to be one of the famed Bow Street Runners, London’s most elite corps of detectives. Never mind that a woman has never before joined their ranks–and certainly never mind that her reclusive family has forbidden her from pursuing such an unladylike goal.

She gets the chance to prove her capabilities when an urgent letter arrives from her frantic cousin Daphne, begging Sophia to come look into the suspicious death of Daphne’s brother.

As Sophia begins to unravel the tangled threads of the case–with the help of a charming young policeman–she soon realizes that the murderer may be even closer to her family than she ever suspected.

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

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

June 7, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! It’s time for me to put up another book review! The book I will be reviewing today is my second book of June and I ended up reading it on the car journey to and from Bristol. During the trip I also learned that my friend, and a lot of people actually, can’t read while in a car, which was interesting information.

As usual 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 Hatmakers Plot:

First I will say, I am not a huge Middle Grade reader. I actually picked up this book because I’d seen the author in the TV show The Tudors and I was curious about what she might have written. The plot is beautifully intricate, it captivated me from the very first page. There is themes of family, friendship and loyalty sprinkled throughout this book like the magic that is used by the characters themselves.

This book has elements of the fantastical, a little bit of theatre and plenty of hat making to keep all readers entertained. The beginning part of the book sets up the world and the characters excellently, it felt like I was living in that world with them. Then the second part of the book the pacing really picks up – there’s so much happening in this story that I had to just let myself go along with the story rather than try to figure out every twist and turn. I enjoyed doing this.

The Hatmakers Characters:

It was very interesting for me to see this book through the eyes of Cordelia, the main protagonist, who is a child. It made me think back to when I was a child and all the wonder that the world seemed to hold. Cordelia was my favourite character in the book because she was very complex and had many layers to her story throughout. Also, one of my favourite parts of this book was her friendship with Goose, the son of the bootmakers, with which the hatmaker family doesn’t get along. It added an intriguing dynamic to this friendship.

the other characters in the story are all very well developed with their own stories and attitudes, the book has a particular focus on the hatmaker family but I still felt that the other maker families stood out in their own ways and had a role to play in the plot.

The Hatmakers Writing and Dialogue:

I haven’t got much to say for this category. I thought it was written very well, it was clear and the writing style complimented the plot and the pacing. However, because I’m not used to reading this age of book it took me a while to get used to it. That is just my own opinion.

The Hatmakers Overall:

I’m giving this book four stars overall because I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, especially the character of Cordelia. I got completely drawn in to the world and the magic and the mystery that needed to be solved. I will definitely be buying the next book in the series when it comes out.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Cordelia comes from a long line of magical milliners, who weave alchemy and enchantment into every hat. In Cordelia’s world, Making – crafting items such as hats, cloaks, watches, boots and gloves from magical ingredients – is a rare and ancient skill, and only a few special Maker families remain.

When Cordelia’s father Prospero and his ship, the Jolly Bonnet, are lost at sea during a mission to collect hat ingredients, Cordelia is determined to find him. But Uncle Tiberius and Aunt Ariadne have no time to help the littlest Hatmaker, for an ancient rivalry between the Maker families is threatening to surface. Worse, someone seems to be using Maker magic to start a war.

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

Book Reviews

Book Review: Love By Design by Effie Kammenou

May 31, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday Bookish people! What is everyone doing this bank holiday Monday? I have some University work and some job work to do later but hopefully that won’t take long and then I can spend the rest of the day reading.

Today is my stop on the book tour for Love by Design by Effie Kammenou. Thank you to Love Books Tours for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest 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.

Love By Design Plot:

I will say, this is not my usual genre. At all. I don’t read much romance so I don’t have much to compare this book to. I did enjoy the story overall, I thought the setting and career of the main character was interesting and not common in books that I have read before, or books that I have heard about from other people. This book has frequent changes of location throughout it and I did find myself getting confused with where I was and who was in the scene. This did take away a bit of my enjoyment of this book. I read the first book in the series a little while ago, Love Is What You Bake It, and I felt that the first book had a clearer structure and I enjoyed that one more than this one but there were still elements in this one I enjoyed, particularly the characters.

Love By Design Characters:

First, I loved that this book continued with the themes of family that it had in the first book of the series and that Mia, the main character in this book, had many scenes throughout the book where she interacted with her family and particularly two of sisters. I really enjoyed having chapters in this book from both Mia and Nicholas, the main male character of this novel, because it gave both of their points of view keeping my opinions on the characters balanced nicely. I understood what was driving both of them, their motivations and desires. Nicholas is an intriguing character, he made me feel many emotions – irritation, sadness, always wanting to know more about his character and what he is going to do next.

Love By Design Writing and Dialogue:

As with the first book in this series I enjoyed this author’s writing style and how she integrates the dialogue into the story. As I said above I did keep getting confused with this book but I don’t think that’s because of the writing style I think it’s because of my inability to change setting in my head quickly…

Love By Design Overall:

I gave this book three stars overall because it’s not my typical genre and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would after reading the first book in the series, but I also didn’t not enjoy it if that makes sense.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Mia Andarakis just landed her dream job at a luxury magazine. And even better, her boss is the handsome and enigmatic Nicholas Aristedis, a man she has crushed on from afar. But Nicholas isn’t who she imagined. Irascible and mercurial, his instant dislike for Mia makes it almost impossible for her to work with him.

Nicholas has faced many losses and heartaches in his thirty-two years. Determined to avoid heartbreak, he has closed his heart to love. But Mia awakens feelings in him he had long since denied. And soon he discovers their connection is deeper than he realized.

Mia and Nicholas embark on an adventure across picturesque locations as they launch a new publication and uncover the mystery behind her grandfather’s disappearance. But perhaps the greatest challenge is in learning to set aside their insecurities and fears. Can the two forget the traumas of their past? And will they ever learn to trust in the possibility of love? Find out in the second novel of The Meraki Series.

That’s it for this book review, sorry that it’s shorter than usual, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

May 24, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Here we go, I told you I was putting up two book reviews today. The first was for The prison Healer by Lynette Noni if you’re interested in that you can see it here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/05/24/book-review-the-prison-healer-by-lynette-noni/

This second book review is for The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss, which is the first in a trilogy.

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 Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Plot:

I loved this plot. It’s so different to anything I’ve read before. I picked up this book after seeing Megwithbooks on YouTube talking about it. It combines two things I love: strong female leads and mystery books and it delivered on both. The beginning of the story did feel a bit slow, as it started to introduce the women who would become the protagonists of this story but the pace soon picked up. I spent most of the book trying to figure out the twists and turns that this book are full of. There’s not much else I can say about the plot of this book without spoiling it so I’ll just say that I highly recommend it.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Characters:

In this book you meet Mary Jekyll, Diana Hyde, Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau and Justine Frankenstein. Each of these characters have their own interesting personalities and realistic flaws. I found each of their introductions to hook me into the story even more and by the end I was wishing that I was part of their group – although I wouldn’t want to be a daughter experimented on by their scientist father. This book also has Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in it… this is a very interesting addition to the book and I am excited to see how they fit in the second and third books of the series.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Writing and Dialogue:

I really enjoyed the writing style in this novel, it gives me the feel of Victorian England straightaway. It transported me to the world of this story and kept me engrossed throughout.

This story also has the characters commenting on the story throughout in little interruptions and Authors Notes – I loved this addition, it gave insights into the characters and their relationships and also I found it quite funny.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Overall:

I had to give this book four stars because I really enjoyed it’s unique plot and intriguing characters.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

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

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

May 24, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Monday is here again so it’s time to bring you some more book reviews. I’ll be doing two today, starting with The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni, a recently released fantasy novel.

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 Prison Healer Plot:

This plot had great potential. There were so many elements that I love in books in The Prison Healer: interesting setting, elemental magic, themes of friendship and a competition. I really enjoy competitions in books, something about it always captures my attention. The setting in this book, definitely interesting, is a prison this gave the book a sense of danger always being right there waiting for a chance to take over. I think the magic was a great addition because it gave the story another level, a sense of us and them – being those with magic outside the prison, as only members of Royalty have magic, and those without magic inside the prison. This gave the world a conflict that goes above the plot of this one novel, and which I hope will continue in the next book in the series.

The competition element, was needed. Well, something a little exciting was needed. I was just starting to feel a little bored of the plot when the competition was introduced. It was a shame because before this there was one of the main elements of the plot which should have quickened the pace and caught my attention, but it didn’t. Although I enjoyed the competition part of this book, it had some very unique elements and was quite interesting, I felt that this part and the rest of the book didn’t fit together – like they were parts from two separate books pushed together. Because of this I also think the competition elements were fit into too small a section of the book, I would have liked it to be more developed.

The ending had a huge twist. One that felt a little too convenient for the story but also persuaded me that I should read the second book… I might not have without the twist.

The Prison Healer Characters:

There are four characters that make up the main cast of this book. Kiva is the protagonist and I really liked her character. She is fiercely loyal to her friends although I’m not sure friend is the right word…anyway, her development throughout the book is excellent in my opinion, I enjoyed seeing how she changes. The main male character, is very intriguing to me. I want to know more about him but I also don’t, does that make sense? Sometimes there are characters that I like being surrounded in mystery, it keeps them interesting. But my favourite character is Tipp, he works with Kiva and I would honestly do anything for him, he’s so sweet and innocent I just want to hug him but obviously I can’t because he’s fictional.

The Prison Healer Writing and Dialogue:

In terms of the writing style, I got along with it well. It was smooth and easy to follow the plot. I actually finished the book in under two hours so it’s definitely good writing for me. One thing I did like was the chapter sizes. They were the right length for me, not too long but not too short either. I liked feeling that I was getting more of the story in each chapter.

The Prison Healer Overall:

I gave this book three stars because it was an okay book. I did enjoy it and I want to see where the story goes in the series but I didn’t love it, it just felt too rushed for me. I would have rather had a longer book and a fully developed story.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.

When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.

Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.

But no one has ever survived.

With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling YA fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.

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