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25 book series I’ve Started and Not Finished

Happy Friday bookish people! I have been seeing a few different videos on BookTube where people look at the book series’ they have started and not finished yet. It got me thinking about how many series’ I’ve started and so I am making this post to share them with all of you! As you can tell by the title, there’s quite a few of them.. 25 actually which seems like a lot, well, it IS a lot but I honestly thought there would be more.

Let’s get onto the book series’ I’ve started and not finished!

The Spellslinger Series by Sebastien De Castell

I don’t know if there is a title for the series overall but I’ve just called it the Spellslinger series because the first book is called Spellslinger. My progress on this series is pretty good actually, I’ve read Spellslinger, Shadowblack, Charmcaster and Soulbinder so I only have two more books in the series left to read. And then I can start on the Way of the Argosi series which is like a spin-off series. I really like the blend of serious fantasy and comedy in these books and I find I can read them very quickly and enjoy every page. Also, on Monday I won the chance to be part of a zoom meet and greet with Sebastien De Castell which I am so excited for!

The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman

Again, I don’t know if The Invisible Library series is what these books are called but the first one in the series is called The Invisible Library. I haven’t read as many of this series as I would have liked to by now. I have read The Invisible Library and The Masked City. I’ve had the Burning Page on my TBR before but I didn’t get around to reading it. This series follows Irene who is a librarian spy, it is such an interesting premise for a character and the books have a variety of other fantasy creatures like Fae and Dragons.

Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo

I think I read this in the wrong order because I read the Six of Crows duology first – and loved them! – so when I read Shadow and Bone I felt I knew the world quite well. I have only read the first book in this series so far but I did enjoy it, especially the villain of the series, I do think this is a series I will get to eventually but it’s not one I’m in the mood to finish right now.

A Darker Shade of Magic series by V E Schwab

I got the first book in this series from a special edition box that Illumicrate did and it is a beautiful edition of the book. I loved the idea of having four different Londons and being able to travel between them. I have only read the first book in this series because the second and third ones are quite long but I am hoping to get to A Gathering of Shadows soon.

The Way Of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry

This series is set in Edinburgh and is a dark mystery series. I have read The Way of All Flesh, the first book in this series. I loved the atmosphere the book had and the mystery was eerie and dark and the reader is thrown right into the centre of the tension when the novel opens. I am looking forward to continuing this series over the Winter months hopefully.

The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert

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This series follows the three Brown sisters, Chloe, Dani and Eve and their romantic exploits. This is a genre I rarely read and if I do read it I don’t usually enjoy it. I read Get A Life Chloe Brown earlier this year and it surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t a five star read but it was still good. I have the second and third book in this series on my TBR for November so maybe I will get this series finished this month.

Ship Of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar

I was put on the book tour for the second book in this series, Secrets of the Stars so I bought the first book in the series Ship of Shadows as well and read that before the tour. I’ve put this series on the list because the way Secrets of the Stars ended I think there is going to be at least one more book in the series.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

This is a series I am very excited to continue with very soon. I own all the books in this series but so far I have only read the first one, A Court of Thorns and Roses. A Court of Mist and Fury is on my November TBR and I can’t wait to be back in the world of Feyre.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

In this series I have read Three Dark Crowns, the first in the series and I liked it but I didn’t love it. I want to continue the series but it’s not very high on my priority list. I liked the sibling dynamic of the first book and the magic elements.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder follows Pippa and Ravi, who she meets in the first book, as they try to solve mysteries that from what I can gather steadily get more intense as the series goes on. I loved the feel of the mystery in the first book and I am looking forward to diving back into this series with the second book sometime soon.

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

This series is so dark and mysterious and filled with folklore and superstition. I loved the Bear and the Nightingale, the first book in the series and I have been waiting for the winter nights to come again to curl up with a hot chocolate and continue this series.

Scythe series by Neal Shusterman

I read Scythe, the first book in this series a few years ago and I remember really enjoying the worldbuilding and the competition element of the first book and I want to continue the series but as with a few of the others it’s not high on my priority list because I don’t anticipate it being a five star series for me.

The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix

From this series I have read Lirael which is the second book in the series technically but Sabriel is sort of a prequel to the series. My partner was the one who got me to read this series and I ended up loving it. I don’t own them all yet but I am steadily buying up the series and looking for any chance to put them into my monthly TBR’s.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

This is one of my favourite book series’ I have read so far. I loved the first book, Caraval, and then I liked the second book, Legendary but not as much and I am excited to read Finale and finish up this amazing series. I’m worried the ending of the series will disappoint me but I am hopeful it won’t.

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

For this series I have read the first book and I have started the second book, European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman. I loved the different characters in this series and how the author has made it so the different characters are interjecting into the writing process.

Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer

I have read A Curse So Dark and Lonely from this series and I liked how it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling but it was so much more than that at the same time. I’m scared to read the rest of this series because of the reviews I have seen and how people say that it breaks their hearts. I cry so easily anyway so I will definitely cry at these books I think.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

I have read the Raven Boys, the first book in this series and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. I still intend to read the rest of the series but I’m not in any rush to do so.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

I have read Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair and The Hand on the Wall which is the main three from this series and I thought that would be the series finished but then the fourth book, The Box in the Woods, came out recently and of course I bought it because I loved the series and I am excited to continue with it.

Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco

This is another of my favourite series’ and I have read the first three books in it. I have read Stalking Jack the Ripper, Hunting Prince Dracula and Escaping from Houdini. My favourite of them was Hunting Prince Dracula and I didn’t enjoy Escaping from Houdini as much as the others but I am excited to finish the series soon.

The Prison Healer series by Lynette Noni

For this series I have read The Prison Healer and liked it and I think it has potential to be a great series. I own The Gilded Cage but I haven’t read it yet and Blood Traitor hasn’t been released yet.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I really enjoyed the mystery in the Thursday Murder Club and the original premise of a group of elderly people being the investigators. I love the comedy in the series too. I recently bought The Man Who Died Twice and I’m hoping to read it very soon.

The Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco

I loved Kingdom of the Wicked the first book in this series, especially the character of Wrath and the dialogue between him and Emilia. I am so looking forward to reading the second book in this series.

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

I read Serpent and Dove on my way to Hampshire earlier this year and I loved it, I gave it five stars but I haven’t gotten around to continuing the series yet.

Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

I have read the first book in this series and I enjoyed the premise of it and the found family aspect. It slightly reminded me of Six of Crows in that way and with the heist. I am looking forward to reading the second book and I love the title of the third book in the series: Glorious Poison.

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

This is the final series of my list of the book series’ I have started and haven’t finished yet. I read The Beautiful, the first book in the series and honestly I don’t remember a lot of what happened in the book but I do own the second book and I want to read it soon.

That’s it for this blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading about what series’ I have started and I haven’t finished reading yet, let me know if you have read any of these book series’!

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Rip It or Ship It!

Happy Friday bookish people! It’s a bit miserable where I am this morning but luckily I get to spend the next three days reading for a readathon challenge – hosted by MegWithBooks on YouTube, so I’ll be happy.

Today I’ll be doing the Rip it or Ship it challenge, I’ve seen a lot of people do it on YouTube and I thought why not try and do it on my blog. So I wrote down the names of two or three characters from each book I’ve read that I thought would work, put them all in a bowl and picked out two each time until there were none left…. I ended up with 40 pairs. Now, that’s quite a few so I’m only putting fifteen up today and maybe if you all enjoy it I’ll put up some more rounds later.

Onto the pairings!

1. Kellen (Spellslinger series) and Sameth (Lirael)

I would have to Rip this pairing (just imagine I’m tearing up the names..) because they are both quite similar characters, both find themselves in the middle of nowhere, in danger, with an animal sidekick who’s there to help but doesn’t do much helping.

2. Nathanial (Sorcery of Thorns) and Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone)

I have chosen to ship this couple. Because Nathanial can be quite snarky especially when you’re first getting to know him and Aline would be having none of that which I think he’d like, plus both of them technically have a form of magic which I think would be nice for their pairing.

3. Jaren (The Prison Healer) and Mary Jekyll (The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Duaghter)

Definitely not. This wouldn’t work at all. Mary Jekyll, although she does many unladylike things, sees herself as a Victorian lady and considering her opinions in the books Jaren would not be gentlemanly enough for her, she’d probably end up slapping him and goodness knows she wouldn’t be found in a prison – which is the only way they’d meet because that’s where he is..

4. Cardan Greenbriar (The Cruel Prince) and Cecelia Bassingthwaite (The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels)

This is an interesting one. I think I’m leaning more towards shipping it because their personalities probably would work well together, he would definitely be surprised by her and the fact that she goes wherever her mind takes her.

5. Nesta Archeron (A Court of Thorns and Roses series) and Thomas Cresswell (Stalking Jack the Ripper)

Yes! I ship this. Nesta could well be a bit much for him to handle but they both have very fierce personalities and their wits would battle well I think.

6. Emilia (Kingdom of the Wicked) and Blue Sergeant (The Raven Boys)

Absolutely not. Rip it. Emilia has gone through a lot so far (and I think she’s got a lot more hardship coming her way too) and I don’t think that her and Blue would mesh together, their opinions on things would be too different.

7.Julain Santos (Caraval) and Sherlock Holmes (The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter)

Hmm….. I love Julian but he is very mischievous and kind of lies a lot which I don’t think would go down well with Sherlock Holmes so rip it.

8. Eli Ever (Vicious) and The Darkling (Shadow and Bone)

I have to ship this simply because can you imagine these two together? They’d destroy the world.

9. Scarlett Dragna (Caraval) and Dorian (The Starless Sea)

If I didn’t ship Dorian with the person in the Starless Sea that is perfect for him I would probably ship him with Scarlett, she can be fiery and I think he could calm her when needed.

10. Lirael (Lirael) and Mal (Shadow and Bone)

Okay, ignoring the age difference here for a minute I think their personalities would go well together and they have a similar upbringing in that they don’t know their parents and they’ve been brought up in communities that have shaped them into the people they are.

11. Irene (The Invisible Library) and Jesper Fahey (Six of Crows)

Yes, I ship this. A librarian spy and a sharpshooter? Of course I’m going to ship this.

12. Cath (Fangirl) and Zachary (The Starless Sea)

I could see this working. They both really like books and are both quite introverted.

13. Kai (The Invisible Library) and Wrath (Kingdom of the Wicked)

I love a bit of chaos, I’d ship this. A dragon and a demon – what could go wrong…

14. Inej Ghafa (Six of Crows) and Reid Diggory (Serpent and Dove)

I think this would work. He would want to try and be over protective of her but I can’t see her liking that but I can see them working it out. If she doesn’t just stab him first.

15. Feyre Archeron (A Court of Thorns and Roses) and Jude Duarte (The Cruel Prince)

I could see these two being friends, and being a bit of a force if they worked together, they are quite similar.

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

Book Quotes

Favourite Book Quotes 50 – 41

Happy Friday bookish people! I’m back with my next installment of my favourite book quotes top 100. We are getting so close to finishing this list. I’m probably more excited than anyone reading this and I know what the top ones are because I chose them. We are past the halfway point and getting into some of my absolute favourite quotes, but some of them are coming from books I haven’t read yet.

Lets get into the quotes!

Up first is a quote from a book I’m very excited to get around to reading..

And I Darken by Kiersten White

50. “her spine was steel, her heart was armour, her eyes were fire” – this is such a lovely quote, it just feels very powerful, which is how I’m imagining the whole book will feel.

Up next is a quote from a book that I gave three stars…

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

49. “I want revenge and then I want my crown” – this quote is actually said by one of my favourite characters in this book.

At 48 is a quote from a little mermaid retelling…

To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

48. “In my heart I’m as wild as the ocean that raised me”

At 47 is a quote from a book I’ve already mentioned in this list…

And I Darken by Kiersten White

47. “she wanted a garden of evergreens, a garden of stones, a garden of swords” – this quote is just beautiful, the calmness of the garden and evergreen language compared to the stones and swords.

Up next is a quote from a book about witches…

Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

46. “I am fearful and something to be feared” – I can’t wait to get to read this book.

At 45 is a quote from a book that is on my July TBR..

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

45. “you will burn for you are an ember in the ashes” – fun fact I have a cushion cover with this quote on, it does not currently have a cushion in it but soon!

The next quote is from a book that has one of the most beautiful covers on my shelf…

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

44. “until the fire in the sun grows cold and the light of the moon is no more, until time blots out the stars” – MAIA AND EDAN!! that’s all I’m going to say about this.

At 43 is a quote from a very unique book…

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

43. “with pockets women could conquer the world” – yes, yes we could.

Up next is from another book on my TBR for this month…

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

42. “death incarnate, night triumphant”

And the final one for today’s list is from a very popular series…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

41. “she had often wished for adventure, for old spells and wicked kings” – me too.

That’s it for this week’s list and I’ll be back next Friday with the next ten, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Quotes

Favourite Book Quotes 60 – 51

Happy Friday bookish people! I’m back with my next set of favourite book quotes. Today is numbers 60 – 51.

I’m going to get right into it, I hope you enjoy it!

At 60 is a quote from a book I recently read and can’t stop talking about…

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

60. “You can’t heal a disease with a bandage”

Up next is a wonderful quote from a book that I’ve heard a lot of good things about…

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

59. “blink and the years fall away like leaves” – this is just a beautiful quote

At 58 is from a book that has a library in it…

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

58. “Dream up something wild and improbable”

The next book is going to show up quite often because the quotes are so good…

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

57. “I was never anyone’s sacrifice”

And another book that has already been on this list…

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwaab

56. “what is a person if not the marks they leave behind”

The next quote is from a Beauty and the Beast retelling…

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

55. “pity those who don’t feel anything at all”

The next quote is from a book I haven’t read yet but I own the whole series…

Ace of Spades by Amanda Foody

54. “she was a pistol wrapped up in silk, she was a blade disguised as a girl”

The next quote is from a very popular book series

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

53. “you could rattle the stars”

Up next is a quote from a book I read because I saw Meg With books on YouTube read…

The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter

52. “only an idiot would bring an important letter out in the rain”

The final quote for this list is from a book I’m very excited to get around to reading…

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

51. “There’s truth in more than what you can see”

So that’s it for this week’s list, we are at the halfway point, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Monthly Wrap Ups

May Wrap Up!

Happy Tuesday Bookish people! I’m a day late with this one but it’s finally the end of May. This month has been a difficult one, there’s been good parts to it of course but there’s also been some horrible parts. Nevermind, June is a new month and hopefully it will be a great one!

This month I will admit now, my TBR was mostly forgotten about. I had quite a few book tours I was taking part in and towards the second half of the month I was losing my motivation to read because of what was going on in my life.

So, onto the wrap up.

My May TBR:

  • The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni – I did read (start with a good one, however, this does not continue..)
  • The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton – I did not read
  • A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – I did not read
  • Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly – I did not read
  • Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch – I did not read
  • Lore by Alexandra Bracken – I did not read
  • Six Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon – I did not read
  • Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – I did not read
  • Turtles All The Way Down by John Green – I did not read
  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read
  • A Masked City by Genevieve Cogman – I did read! (surprised you there didn’t I)
  • A Gathering of Shadows by V E Schwaab – I did not read
  • Radio Silence by Alice Oseman – I did not read
  • Yes, No, Maybe so by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Seed – I did not read
  • Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – I did start this but I didn’t manage to finish it within the month

So.. my TBR went pretty terribly, I read two and started another. But I did read other books that weren’t on my TBR which were: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss (which I loved!), Love Is What You Bake Of It and Love by Design by Effie Kammenou, Things To Do Before The End Of The World by Emily Barr and You Had It Coming by B M Carroll.

Altogether I read eight books this month which isn’t bad I suppose but it felt like I had a terrible reading month. Hopefully I’ll enjoy my reading more in June… I’m about to post my June TBR so check that out too if you are interested in seeing what I’ll be reading in June.

That’s it for my May Wrap Up, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

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

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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!

Monthly TBRs

April TBR 2021

Happy Wednesday bookish people! It’s already April and the spring flowers are starting to bloom. I read a very good amount of books in March, twelve I think, and I’m hoping April will be just as successful. I’ve already read one of the books off my April TBR yesterday and I enjoyed it. Once again I’ve given myself a huge TBR, because of course. Outside of my TBR I have some books to read for some exciting book tours that I can’t say anything about just yet…

Onto my TBR!

  • Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles – I’ve realised pretty recently that anything to do with circus elements and I’m already excited for the story so this could end up being a new favourite!
  • The Cousins by Karen M McManus – I read this yesterday evening because I was drawn in by the blurb and I really enjoyed it, I ended up giving it four stars and if you’re interested in reading my thoughts on it I’ll be putting a book review up very soon.
  • The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theodora Goss – I saw Meg With Books on YouTube talk about this series and I thought the premise sounded so interesting, I can’t wait to start reading this series!
  • Furyborn by Claire LeGrand – I’m not sure on this book, it’s a chunky book.. anyone else find big books intimidating?
  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – after reading A Court of Thorns and Roses earlier this year I’m so looking forward to reading the next book in the series – I need more Rhysand!
  • Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin – Oh I’ve been looking forward to this one! I’ve heard such good things about it and also from what I’ve heard the dialogue between Lou and Reid sound very cheeky, which I know I’ll love, and it’s enemies to lovers (one of my favourite tropes).
  • Wicked Saints by Emily A Duncan – I must admit I don’t know much about this book, at all. I don’t know the plot or the character names… this is going to be an interesting read..
  • Blood Heir by Amilie Wen Zhao – Again I don’t know much about this book but I got it in one of my previous Illumicrate boxes and the cover caught my interest.
  • Save the Date by Morgan Matson – after how much I liked Fangirl I’ve decided that I obviously need to give contemporary books more of a chance so hopefully I’ll enjoy it.
  • The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – this book caught my attention because of the first line and I think the protagonist is going to be unusual and probably morally grey. I love morally grey characters.
  • Master of One by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett – I’m thinking this could be a five stars for me because Fae, and it gives me big Six of Crows vibes…
  • All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace – Pirates. That’s all I’m going to say about this one.
  • The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I love a good mystery book and I’ve heard really good things about this one.

That’s it for my April TBR, let me know if you’ve read any of these and what you thought of them! At the end of April I will post a wrap up and we will see how well I did or not.