The Space Between Worlds is a book in which the multiverse has been discovered, and travel between worlds is possible. At least if the you in that world is dead. And of the 380 that have been discovered, Cara is dead in all but 8… So she has been recruited to traverse the worlds and in turn learn about the universe.

Many thanks to Hodder and Netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

STAR RATING: 3/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 04/08/20

SUMMARY: Of the 380 realities that have been unlocked, Cara is dead in all but 8.
Cara’s parallel selves are exceptionally good at dying – from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun – which makes Cara wary, and valuable. Because while multiverse travel is possible, no one can visit a world in which their counterpart is still alive. And no one has fewer counterparts than Cara.

But then one of her eight doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, and Cara is plunged into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and future in ways she never could have imagined – and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her earth, but the entire multiverse. (from Hodder)

OPINIONS: The Space Between Worlds sounded so good in theory, and still I kept pushing out reading it. I’m not sure what kept me from reading it for so long, but I didn’t pick it up until a few days ago, and when I did, I was disappointed by it. I expected to love it a lot more than I did. Trying to put my finger on what exactly kept me from connecting with it, I think that all aspects of the book ultimately felt too superficial. The plot was meandering and the relationships did not have enough emotional depth to them.

There were a few rather big plot holes that ended up not being explored further – they just stood there awkwardly and made things weird. While I really enjoyed the first hundred pages or so of The Space Between Worlds, the longer I kept on reading, the more I felt like it was a very mediocre book that wasn’t right for me. However, lots of others really loved it, so it might also have been a case of me not being the right reader.

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can find it on Goodreads here, and on Bookshop here. (affiliate link)

I was lucky enough to get eARCs for both Fable and Namesake via NetGalley, so I thought I’d do a double/series/duology review! These books are set in a fantasy world, a group of islands, and are pirate-inspired. They also have stunning covers, especially when looked at next to each other (yes, that is the main reason why I decided to do a double review feature). Sadly the UK versions aren’t as epic..

Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARCs and as usual, all opinions are my own.

STAR RATING: 3.5/5 ✶ (Fable) / 4/5 ✶ (Namesake)

PUBLICATION DATE: 01/09/20 (Fable) / 16/03/21 (Namesake)

SYNOPSIS OF FABLE: As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

SYNOPSIS OF NAMESAKE: With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems.

As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception, she learns that the secrets her mother took to her grave are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.

OPINIONS: Fable and Namesake feel less like a duology than like two halves of a whole. They read like one book that ended up split into two parts due to length, and organically meld into one story. Namesake picks up immediately after the end of Fable and continues Fable’s story. These books are a fun, distracting romp across the seas, keeping up the tension and a fast pace throughout. They are not deep literary novels, but great YA reads to get one’s mind off the real world in the current climate – I raced through both of them and if I had them at the same time, I would probably have binged the series.

Fable is pretty much your average YA heroine. Beautiful, smart, with an unusual power and in a precarious situation at the start – oh, and a heir. Fable and Namesake are not hugely inventive books or ones that avoid tropes, but to be entirely honest, for one I did not mind. I was out for entertainment, and Adrienne Young delivered. There is some character depth, but I feel like this series isn’t as strong as Young’s previous work. Much of what happens between characters is predictable, but that makes the books comforting to read in their way.

I really enjoyed reading Fable and Namesake and would recommend them to anyone looking to escape the real world for a while. Add them to your Goodreads (Fable and Namesake) and order them via Bookshop (Fable, affiliate link) or Blackwell’s (Namesake).

Arguably, The Witcher has been one of the biggest SFF franchises in recent years after Game of Thrones. And now it’s author is back with a new series – or shall we say, a new old series. The Tower of Fools was originally published in Polish in 2003 but is now being translated into English for the very first time. Much less a fantasy world than Sapkowski’s other world, this is set in a late Medieval Europe, referring historical movements such as the Hussites and the Wycliffites.

Many thanks to Will O’Mullane and Gollancz for sending along a review copy. All opinions are my own.

STAR RATING: 3/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 27/10/20

SYNOPSIS: Reinmar of Bielawa, sometimes known as Reynevan, is a doctor, a magician and, according to some, a charlatan.

Discovered in bed with the wife of a high-born knight, he must flee his normal life. But his journeys will lead him into a part of Europe which will be overtaken by chaos. Religious tension between Hussite and Catholic countries is threatening to turn into war.

Pursued not only by the affronted Stercza brothers, bent on vengeance, but also by the Holy Inquisition, and with strange, mystical forces gathering in the shadows, Reynevan finds himself in the Narrenturm, the Tower of Fools. The Tower is an asylum for the mad, or for those who dare to think differently and challenge the prevailing order. The ‘patients’ of this institution form a gallery of colourful types including the young Copernicus, proclaiming the truth of his heliocentric solar system.

But can Reynevan escape the Tower, and avoid being drawn in to the conflict around him, without losing his own mind? (from Gollancz)

OPINIONS: In a nutshell, The Tower of Fools could probably be most closely compared to Baudolino by Umberto Eco in it’s meandering style and detached narration, crossed with George R. R. Martin’s predilection for grittiness and sexual content. However, I expected The Tower of Fools to be very much a 2020 book in terms of content and sensibilities, not realising when I originally picked it up that it was actually written nearly two decades ago. And that is definitely something that shows in the book itself.

It felt like the major emphasis of the book was laid on atmosphere and descriptions rather than a coherent plot or deeply developed characters. Not having read the Witcher books myself, I’m not sure how The Tower of Fools compares, but I do see how the world and characters here again would lend themselves to game adaptation at the very least. It is a detailed, visual world, at times even overly descriptive to the detriment of a streamlined reading experience.

What I did enjoy about The Tower of Fools were the historical descriptions, the details about the religious movements in a period of upheaval. I felt that the atmosphere of that came through well. Nevertheless, I think I would have enjoyed my reading experience more if the characters were more nuanced, if there had been more complex female characters, especially ones that were not objectivised. Sadly, Reynevan, the main character, considers women as pleasure objects more than anything else, so there was not much opportunity for women to appear as more than side notes to the story.

So, all in all, quite a mixed bag for me personally, and I don’t think I will continue with the trilogy. Nevertheless, you can find The Tower of Fools on Goodreads here, and on Bookshop here. (affiliate link)

Bone book! Though not the bone book that has the Discord served obsessed… Bone Harvest is a horror thriller about an ancient Celtic deity, Moccus, and his followers. Moccus returns every twenty-six years, and has to be fed with sacrifices… And in 2020, both his followers and the way the worship have changed. Dennie Keeling, a lonely old woman, ends up almost single-handedly fighting against the coming threat…

YOU SHALL REAP WHAT YOU SOW

Many thanks to Sarah Mather and Titan Books for sending me a review copy of Bone Harvest. All opinions are my own.

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 17/11/20

SUMMARY: Struggling with the effects of early-onset dementia, Dennie Keeling now leads a quiet life. Her husband is dead, her children are grown, and her best friend, Sarah, was convicted of murdering her abusive husband. After Sarah’s tragic death in prison, Dennie has found solace in her allotment, and all she wants is to be left to tend it in peace.

Life remains quiet for twelve years, until three strangers take on a nearby plot and Dennie starts to notice unnatural things. Shadowy figures prowl at night; plants flower well before their time. And then Sarah appears, bringing dire warnings and vanishing after daubing symbols on the walls in Dennie’s own blood. Dennie soon realises that she is face to face with an ancient evil – but with her dementia steadily growing worse, who is going to believe her? (from Titan Books)

OPINIONS: Bone Harvest is a compelling story about a little known Celtic deity. I found the religion/cult aspect around Moccus fascinating, and would probably consider that my favourite aspect of the book. As a whole, it was quite different to what I was expecting from the blurb, especially since Dennie’s story doesn’t start until a good hundred pages into the book. I really enjoyed my read though, as it also was something other than what I have been reading recently and it brought welcome change.

While the cult of Moccus is a bloodthirsty cult and there is a fair share of gore, most of the horror is really down to psychological suspense. The boundaries between reality and imagination become murky in this story, especially combined with Dennie’s early-onset dementia. The characters are pretty much all morally very gray to clearly on the side of evil, which makes for interesting reading. I think there is not a single character who is morally blameless in the whole book.

I do feel like the book could have been a bit tighter, maybe cut down a bit on some of the slower bits to enhance tension and speed up the pacing, but all in all it was a solid read. If your appetite has been whet, you can find Bone Harvest on Goodreads here, and on Bookshop here. (affiliate link)

This is Not a Ghost Story is a haunting tale, one where you don’t really know where up and down are or what is going on. You most definitely don’t know what is real and what isn’t and that is what makes it’s charm. However, there were some twists that took me aback which make me unsure how to rate this book. Hence, I am not going to give this one a star rating, just a written review.

Massive thanks to Harper360YA for sending me an ARC of This is Not a Ghost Story in exchange for a honest review. As usual, all opinions are my own.

PUBLICATION DATE: 17/11/20

SUMMARY: I am not welcome. Somehow I know that. Something doesn’t want me here.

Daffodil Franklin has plans for a quiet summer before her freshman year at college, and luckily, she’s found the job that can give her just that: housesitting a mansion for a wealthy couple.

But as the summer progresses and shadows lengthen, Daffodil comes to realize the house is more than it appears. The spacious home seems to close in on her, and as she takes the long road into town, she feels eyes on her the entire way, and something tugging her back.

What Daffodil doesn’t yet realize is that her job comes with a steep price. The house has a long-ago grudge it needs to settle . . . and Daffodil is the key to settling it. (from Harper Teen)

OPINIONS: Ever since finishing This is Not a Ghost Story a couple of days ago I’ve been trying to figure out how I feel about it. I thought I knew what to write for most of the way through the book, and then the ending made me feel a completely different way about the story. I think I disagree with some of the fundamental messages that the ending itself sends, while I really enjoyed most of the book.

For the most part, This is Not a Ghost Story is a book about Daffodil, staying in a small town in the middle of nowhere, looking after a house. Except that a load of unexplainable things happen and you as a reader are captivated trying to figure out along with Daffodil whether something supernatural is going on or whether she is going crazy. This makes the book compelling and easy to read in a single sitting.

However, and this is where it might get a bit spoilery, so feel free to ignore this paragraph, the way the story resolved included some morals that I just don’t think I can go along with. The way love is portrayed as all-powerful and the ending is seen as rather positive keeps bugging me because I completely disagree. To me, it was upsetting, and I’m not sure if I would recommend the book to teens. As I said in the beginning, I haven’t been able to really pinpoint my feelings towards This is Not a Ghost Story ever since I finished reading it. It’s an odd one for sure, and it doesn’t help that I loved it for about 95% of the way.

If you want to have a read for yourself, you can add it to your Goodreads here, and pre-order a copy via Bookshop here. (affiliate link)

Here it is, my first review for a book out in 2021 (I think!). I’m so glad that this year is almost over and I thoroughly hope for a quiet 2021. But The Ravens starts the year off with a bang, and if this is anything to go off, we’re in for a great year reading-wise. Situating itself in that very top end of YA that really should be New Adult, The Ravens is a college-set mystery about a sorority of witches. And if that isn’t the ultimate temptation for guilty pleasure reading, I don’t know what is – and it’s also a fantastic book!

Many thanks to Kate Keehan and Hodder for the eARC of this wonderful novel, and as usual, all opinions are my own.

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 05/01/21

SUMMARY: At first glance, the sisters of ultra-exclusive Kappa Rho Nu – the Ravens – seem like typical sorority girls. Ambitious, beautiful, and smart, they’re the most powerful girls on Westerly College’s Savannah, Georgia, campus. But the Ravens aren’t just regular sorority girls. They’re witches.

Scarlett Winter has always known she’s a witch – and she’s determined to be the sorority’s president. But if a painful secret from her past ever comes to light, she could lose absolutely everything…

Vivi Devereaux has no idea she’s a witch. So when she gets a coveted bid to pledge the Ravens, she vows to do whatever it takes to be part of the magical sisterhood. The only thing standing in her way is Scarlett, who doesn’t think Vivi is Ravens material.

But when a dark power rises on campus, the girls will have to put their rivalry aside to save their fellow sisters. Someone has discovered the Ravens’ secret. And that someone will do anything to see these witches burn . . . (from Hodder)

OPINIONS: I loved loved loved The Ravens. I stayed up late and read the whole book in a single sitting as the story was so captivating I simply needed to know how it ended. I think part of what I enjoyed was that it featured the university experience rather than the high school experience of much of YA, which again, feeds in the need for the industry to lean into a New Adult category. The characters were just this tad more adult in the crossover space, dealing with issues in a different way that how YA readers might be used to.

Another of my favourite aspects was the way the world was built around a magic based on tarot cards. And I’m kind of obsessed with tarot cards right now, so that’s right up my alley. In this world, every girl has the potential to be a witch, some stronger, and some less so, and those that end up in Kappa Rho Nu definitely have magic.

The Ravens is a story of magic, sisterhood, but also betrayal and the corruption caused by too much power. It is well-written, excellently paced and lives up to the expectations raised by the concept. I highly recommend picking up this wonderful book for a night of escapism. Although: trigger warning for a parent with terminal cancer, as that might be hard for some readers to stomach.

If you want to join Kappa Rho Nu yourself, you can do so on Goodreads here, and copies of The Ravens are available on Bookshop here. (Affiliate link)

Um, I’m a huge Shakespeare nerd. And a few years ago, my best friend whisked me away on an adventure to the magical city of Shanghai. So, These Violent Delights is right up my alley combining some of my favourite things, and you can bet I begged my ass off to receive a review copy. I’ve read it twice already and it’s not even out yet – that’s how much I love it.

Massive thanks to Kate Keehan and Hodder for sending me an ARC. As usual, all opinions are my own.

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 17/11/20

SUMMARY: The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang-a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love . . . and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns-and grudges-aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. (from Hodder)

OPINIONS: This is so good. It is the most amazing debut novel and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Except maybe make it queerer, but a girl can’t have everything. It takes the best parts of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and turns them into its very own better version. The characters are nuanced and smart, flawed and growing, full of wishes and goals, striving towards their future.

The central romance between Juliette and Roma is slow burning and believable, hinging on the past and dealing with its fair share of issues, rather than falling into the tropes of insta-love that the original depends on. This is just one of the ways in which Chloe Gong has managed to improve on the Bard’s work. These Violent Delights is full of tension and feeling, not letting the reader catch their breath throughout the story. Its pacing is excellent, showing not only the author’s talent, but outstanding editing as well.

Additionally I loved the setting in colonial Shanghai. Recognising places from my own visit evoked a sense of nostalgia, while the book itself subtly addressed issues of colonialist ideology and landscape making the reader consider issues they might not have encountered before. These Violent Delights is many-layered and the reader discovers a new thread running through the story on each read.

I highly recommend These Violent Delights to anyone who has the slightest inclination towards YA and the various subgenres it addresses. Chloe Gong really is an author to watch and I can’t wait to keep reading her work. Add the book to your Goodreads here, and order a copy via Bookshop here! (I get a tiny commission from orders through the link, allowing me to keep up the site)