Book Reviews

Book Review: The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my review of The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant, the second book in the Hatmakers series.

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. If you haven’t read The Hatmakers there is likely to be spoilers for that book here.

The Mapmakers Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

So, in this series we follow Cordelia Hatmaker who is living with her family members in their hat shop and they are one of seven magical families, their hats are created using magic. At the end of the first book Cordelia has just found a map brought to her by a boy who was on the ship with her Father, who she still believes is alive. She thinks that the map will lead her to her Father.
I loved every part of this plot. There are brilliantly created villains, new allies, people who you might not be able to trust and people you might have misjudged in the previous book. One big part of this plot is the quest narrative which I really liked – you as a reader are discovering things along with Cordelia, finding out where the map leads to but the story is filled with intersecting plot points that build up to what happens at the end.

The Mapmakers Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Cordelia Hatmaker is the protagonist of this story and she has to constantly find new levels of bravery to keep pushing forward. I felt like in this book you see Cordelia having to grow up a little bit more, and definitely before the time she should be growing up, because the world is changing and a lot of responsibility gets put on her shoulders.

The Mapmakers Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I already knew I loved the writing style of this author. Her plots are so intricate and absolutely filled with magic.

The Mapmakers Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I had to give this book four stars because I immediately got back into the hatmakers world and I was recruited to Cordelia’s character, I felt for her the whole way through.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker in this soaring magical sequel to The Hatmakers. Perfect for fans of NevermoorA Pinch of Magic and Harry Potter.

Ever since Cordelia discovered the hidden map in her father’s precious telescope, she’s been searching the streets of London by starlight and trying to uncover its secrets. She’s sure that her missing father is out there somewhere, and that if she follows his map, she’ll finally discover the truth about his disappearance.

She never expects to stumble upon a secret society of Mapmakers – or to learn that magic isn’t limited to the few Maker families, but is instead is all around, if you just know where to look . . .

But danger is lurking around every corner, and Cordelia must convince the rival Maker families to work together for once – not only to bring her father home, but to save the very essence of magic itself . . .

A gorgeous adventure from exceptional new storytelling talent, Tamzin Merchant, featuring beautiful illustrations by Paola Escobar.

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

Uncategorized

The Most Beautiful Books I Own

Happy Friday bookish people! I can’t believe it is March already! I thought it might be fun to share with you all some of the books I own that I think have beautiful covers.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

Shadow and Bone Collectors Edition by Leigh Bardugo

Where Dreams Descend and When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Traitors Ruin by Erin Beaty

The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Lily by Rose Tremain

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Hatmakers and The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

That’s it for this post, I hope you enjoyed it. What are some of your most beautiful books?

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 13 – 13th December – The Best And Worst Books 2021

Happy Monday bookish people! Merry Bookmas day 13! I am really excited to be writing this post. I will be talking about what the best and the worst books are that I read each month. I had to think very hard about which books I wanted to feature because some months there were lots of books that I enjoyed and then I had to choose between them which one I liked most and that was hard. Then other months there were books that I really didn’t like so it was overall quite a balanced year.

January

For my favourite book I read in January I was trying to decide between two options, both were fantasy books and they were very different to each other. I ended up choosing A Court of Thorns and Roses as my favourite book of January because it’s a book I still think about and not just because I haven’t continued with the series yet.

For the worst book I read in January I chose The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag, actually I didn’t even finish the book this year. I Dnf’d it at about the halfway point of the book. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for it at that point or if I just found the plot a little boring but I do plan on giving the book another chance at some point.

February

My favourite book in February was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell which surprisingly is a contemporary romance and not at all what I was expecting but I really loved it.

My least favourite book in February was What A Way To Go by Julia Forster. There was nothing about the book that I liked, that doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love this book it just wasn’t for me.

March

My favourite book was The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theadora Goss which I saw some of my favourite youtubers talk about and so I read it and loved the premise, I am excited to continue the series.

My least favourite book of March was Skyseed by Bill McGuire. It’s another book that just wasn’t a genre or plot that I enjoyed.

April

My favourite book for this month was Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin and I can’t believe it took me so long to read that book because it is definitely a contender for my overall favourite book of the year.

My least favourite book was Mirrorland by Carole Johnston. I couldn’t sleep after reading this book I just found it way too scary for me so I didn’t end up enjoying it.

May

My favourite book of this month was Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Another romance, I am surprising myself by reading outside of my comfort zone this year.

My least favourite book this month was Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. So, I’m not loving every book I read that is outside my comfort zone. I didn’t really like the characters in this book and that made it a struggle for me to read it.

June

My favourite book was The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant. It’s a fantastic middle grade book that I would highly reccomend.

My least favourite book was I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan because I hit a chapter that felt too disturbing for me, there was something about it that didn’t sit well with me so I Dnf’d it for the moment.

July

My favourite book of July was A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. It was nice to read a murder mystery that is set in Victorian times and I ended up realising I love books set in this period of time.

My least favourite book was Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. Now, I liked the book but it wasn’t a stand out book for me.

August

My favourite book was The Appeal by Janice Hallett because it was so different and engaging and one of the best mysteries I read this year.

My least favourite book this month was The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. There was a lot about this book I liked, such as the pirate style assassin Ned who I loved but there was something missing for me but I can’t pinpoint exactly what.

September

My favourite book of this month was A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by holly Jackson without a doubt. I loved this book and I am still thinking about this book now months later.

My least favourite book of this month was The Woman In The Woods by M K Hill. The mystery itself would have been okay but the characters were so hard to like.

October

My favourite book of this month was City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, it was a reread but I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

My least favourite book was Once Upon A Crime by Robin Stevens. I am not the biggest fan of short stories so I liked the writing but I needed more from the stories.

November

My favourite book of this month was Take A Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert – another romance book!

My least favourite book of this month was the Howling Hag Mystery by Nicki Thornton. The plot was too predictable for my liking, even as a middle grade book.

December

Now, I’m writing this in December so I am gong to say what I predict will be my favourite and least favourite books of the month. I think my favourite book will be either Eliza and her Monsters or All of us villains. My least favourite book I predict will be In the Crypt with a Candlestick.

That’s it for the best and worst books for 2021, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 7 – 7th December – The Best Book Covers of 2021

Happy Tuesday bookish people! Merry Bookmas day 7. Today I am going to be showing you what I think are the best book covers of 2021, now I’m not just showing books that were published in 2021, I’m not even sure if there are any published in 2021 on my list, but the books that I have read in 2021. I have chosen my top ten and it’s a collection of books I wanted to read and books I was on a book tour for.

Up first is…

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A Craig

This book is a retelling of the twelve dancing princesses and it has one of the most beautiful covers of all the books I own.

How The King of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories by Holly Black

This is a companion to the Cruel Prince series by Holly Black and depending on the version there are white, black and purple covers that I’ve seen.

Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu

This is an interesting books about witches and the power of women

The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

This is a middle grade book that has a beautiful dust jacket and a beautiful cover under the dust jacket

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

The colours on this cover are fantastic

Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon

This cover fits the book perfectly – I have posted a book review for this book on this site this year as part of a blog tour

Secrets of the Stars by Maria Kuzniar

Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell

The illustrations on these covers are so detailed

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holt

and finally…

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

That’s it for my favourite book covers of the books that I have read so far this year, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Monthly Wrap Ups

June Wrap Up!

Happy Wednesday bookish people! So we’re here, it is finally the end of June. This month has been completely up and down for me in terms of my general life but in terms of reading I think it might have been my best month of the year… I did not complete my TBR but I was part of a bunch of book tours for this month so I was prioritizing them.

Also this month I was taking part in the Whatever-You-Want-A-Thon which was created by Maddie at Book Browsing Blog on YouTube. This was so much fun to be part of, I was part of team dreams and drama queens and I think it was one of my biggest motivations to read this month.

Onto the wrap up!

My June TBR and Thoughts:

  • Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell – I read the first chapter.. I’m not going to count this as reading because the first chapter is only about ten pages.
  • Deadly Curious by Cindy Astley – I did read this one! You can find my book review of it here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/14/book-review-deadly-curious-by-cindy-astley/
  • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – I did not read this book.
  • Fable by Adrienne Young – I did not get around to this book.
  • The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I did read this book! My review of it is here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/07/book-review-the-hatmakers-by-tamzin-merchant/
  • I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan – I started this book while travelling to Bristol and back during this month but I wasn’t in the right mood for how dark this book is so I stopped reading at the halfway point.
  • Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova – I did not read this.
  • Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett – I did not read this either.
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I didn’t read this.
  • One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake – I didn’t read.
  • Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – I did not read.
  • Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – I read this! and LOVED it, I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to reading this.
  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri maniscalco – This was a reread but yes I did reread this! You can find my review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/04/26/book-review-stalking-jack-the-ripper-by-kerri-maniscalco/
  • The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner – I read this one also!
  • Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M McManus – I did not read.

So from my TBR I read 5 books and I started another two… that’s not bad. On top of this I read some book for book tours which were: Happy Ever After: Financial Freedom (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/03/book-review-happy-ever-after-financial-freedom-isnt-a-fairy-tale-by-the-seven-dollar-millionaire/ ), The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (Review here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/17/book-review-the-maidens-by-alex-michaelides/), Embers by Josephine Greenland (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/18/book-review-embers-by-josephine-greenland/ ), Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/21/book-review-instructions-for-dancing-by-nicola-yoon/ ), Murder at Rosings by Annette Purdey Pugh (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/25/book-review-a-murder-at-rosings-by-annette-purdey-pugh/ ), Fake News by C J Dunford (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/25/book-review-fake-news-by-c-j-dunford/ ) and Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone (Review here:https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/27/book-review-mirrorland-by-carole-johnstone/ ).

I read 12 books and started another two so June was a pretty good reading month, hopefully July will be just as successful. That’s it for my June wrap up, I hope you enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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!

Monthly TBRs

June TBR!

Happy Tuesday bookish people! It is the first of June and that means it is time to show you what I am planning on reading for this month.

So… May went okay it didn’t go terribly or brilliantly – I managed to read eight books, if you are interested in my May Wrap Up you can find it here: https://theblindscribe.com/2021/06/01/may-wrap-up/

Once again for June I have a mountain of books on my TBR – for a couple of reasons. First, my TBR game just loves giving me doubles and so many extra books – I always begin with twelve but end up with more. Secondly – and I am VERY excited about this… in June I am taking part in Whatever-You-Want-A-Thon. A readathon that has been created by Book Browsing Blog on Youtube. I am part of the team Dreams and Drama Queens. That team name is very fitting for me.. anyway, there’s all sorts of prompts and points you can get for different books – if you’re interested in it go and check out her channel on Youtube where she explains it all.

As well as my TBR books I also have some books to read this month for book tours and for publishers so we will see how well I do.

So onto my TBR for June!

  • Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell – I am looking forward to reading this one, it is the third book in the spellslinger series and I have enjoyed both Spellslinger and Shadowblack.
  • Deadly Curious by Cindy Astley – a murder mystery set in Victorian London, it sounds like a very interesting premise.
  • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – I’m not looking forward to reading this one as much. This is the second book in the Raven Boys series, I thought the first book was okay but not brilliant and I do want to continue with the series so hopefully this will make me push through.
  • Fable by Adrienne Young – I’m so excited to read this one. The cover is beautiful, it gives me pirate themes… I’m excited.
  • The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I got this book for Easter from my parents and it is going to be the first book I read this month, I’ve been dying to read it since I got it but I hadn’t been able to get it onto a TBR until now.
  • I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan – this book sounds so interesting, a girl witnesses her best friend be abducted and later hosts a cold case podcast type show where she is anonymous, there’s all sorts of secrets surrounding everything and it sounds like it could be a new favourite.
  • Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova – I can’t actually remember what this book is about but it has been on my Tbr for a while so it’s time I got around to reading it.
  • Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett – I have had this one on quite a few TBRs and not gotten around to it so hopefully I will this month.
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I loved The Starless Sea, also by this author, and anything circus I’m drawn to so hopefully I will enjoy this one.
  • One Dark throne by Kendare Blake – I’m not excited to read this one, it’s another series that I thought the first book was okay and I want to continue the series but I’m not very excited about it.
  • Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – The cover is beautiful, the plot sounds interesting… it is a very big book though.
  • Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – I need to read this book, it sounds great and I’ve seen a lot of people recommend it.
  • Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – this will be a reread for me, I’m buddy reading it with some other whatever a thon people which I am very much looking forward to.
  • The Lost Apothecary by Sarah penner – this book sounds very different to anything I’ve seen before so I’m looking forward to reading it.
  • and finally Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M McManus – I’ve read the cousins by the same authot and enjoyed it so I’m hopeful for this one too.

That’s it for my June TBR, I hope you all enjoyed it!