Before we start on to the review, I need to fangirl a little bit. I got to meet Renée at BookCon (see the pictorial evidence below!) and she is just the sweetest. I was super excited to snag an ARC of the Beautiful in a giveaway later at BookCon – the cover is absolutely amazing and plays right into my personal aesthetic. In my excitement to meet Renée, I accidentally ended up in the middle of the line for the Starless Sea ARC drop, and idiot me left to be the first in line for Renée (hindsight is a bitch!).

PUBLICATION DATE: 08/10/2019

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY:  Fleeing from her past, young Celine lands in New Orleans in the midst of a mysterious murder spree. When people start being killed around her, she seeks refuge with a mysterious lady benefactor at the Cour des Lions, and gets pulled deeper and deeper into the supernatural mysteries of 1800s New Orleans.

OPINIONS: Sadly, this one did not quite live up to my expectations – that is not to say that I did not like it, but I was so hyped for it that my expectations went through the roof, and very hard to actually meet. As with Renée’s earlier books, the writing in The Beautiful is amazing, which is a large part why I decided to still give this book 4 ✶ despite its flaws. She has a talent for magical storytelling that pulls you right in and barely lets you leave her worlds.

I read the first half of the book in one sitting, staying up past my bedtime because I couldn’t bear to put it away. Mysterious characters in beautiful historical costumes, a mystery, and a feisty heroine are all catnip to me. I also loved the recurring references to Shakespeare, who I might slightly be in love with, blame my English degree! Celine is everything I love in a main character, flawed, struggling, but smart, rebellious and confident. She and most of the other central characters were fleshed out really well. There are some exceptions in the Cour des Lions, but that is likely due to to the extreme secrecy these characters stick to.

However, the plot starts to drag in the second half, leading to a extremely fast-paced climax/info-dump in the last 50 or so pages of the book, which ends up asking many more questions than it answers. To me, it would have made much more sense to slow down the end and instead have more resolution. I felt like the supposed vampires at the centre of The Beautiful did not come through enough, which might have to do with the above mentioned secrecy. I am very excited for book two, hoping that it will clear up much of the mess of the end of the first, and that it will work better as a complete story.

There is something more magical about reading a story before it is out for the world to see. Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an advance copy of this novel via Fairyloot!

The Storm Crow, like many books published recently, has a wonderfully designed cover, which I immediately fell in love with. I read this one a while ago, but never got around to actually writing the review, so it’s a short one today.

There is still time to pre-order (the first run has an amazing hidden cover with lightning!) from your preferred source, and add it on goodreads before it’s out.

PUBLICATION DATE: 09/07/2019

STAR RATING: 3/5 ✶

SUMMARY: One fateful night, Thia’s world was shattered. Their kingdom, Rhodaire, was attacked, she lost her mother, the queen, and the magical crows that had shaped her life and society were all killed. Thia lingers in a deep depression afterwards, until her sister Caliza, the new queen, is forced to send her to the enemy kingdom of Illucia to marry their prince. However, the sisters stumble upon a last, unhatched, egg and come up with a dangerous plan to try and win their freedom back…

OPINIONS: I was super excited to read this book when I received an ARC in a Fairyloot box earlier this year, and quickly got stuck into the story – the idea of magical storm crows as riding animals was thrilling, and the plot gripping. However, the book ultimately felt like the YA fantasy novel I had read a million times already, exhibiting flaws that are likely due to being a debut novel. That is not to say that I did not like it, I found The Storm Crow to be a solid, fun read and am curious to see how the author’s style and story will develop in the future.

I loved Razel, the queen of Illucia and the villain of the story, so much. She is cunning and brilliant and ruthless, fiercely independent and controlling. She knows much more than Thia thinks, and successfully makes her life in Illucia very difficult. She is one of the few well-developed, multi-dimensional characters in the story, as sadly, most of them fall fairly flat. Maybe I am being a bit too harsh on Thia, but she frustrated me to no end. I found her to be excessively naive and self-focused, oblivious to anything not in her immediate trajectory. She wallows in self-pity and is blind to her surroundings, unsurprisingly leading to her ending up in the middle of a love triangle. It never occurred to her to question what she was told or be suspicious, while living in the enemy’s territory – which surprised me a lot, given that she had been raised in a court! Thinking about it now, I believe that my frustrations are due to Thia being the kind of character that things happen to, instead of a character who drives the story, which is very much my personal preference.

My very first Bookcon-ARC-review is here! I’m not sure why this book ended up being the first one I read, especially as I managed to snag ARCs of some of my most anticipated fall reads (Gideon! The Beautiful! And many more!)… But somehow, this one ended up on top of a pile while the others were safely stowed in Book Beaus and packed – and I do have to say, the suvivalist story proved a great escapist read for the journey back.

STAR RATING: 3/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 04/06/2019

SUMMARY: Teenager Tom Calloway is an introverted grump forced to go on a school trip to Costa Rica against his will. However, their plane ends up crashing in the jungle, and he and a group of his classmates are the only survivors. In order to stay alive, he has to face his strengths and weaknesses, and help lead the group to safety – and, worst of all, maybe even make some friends on the way!

OPINIONS: While there wasn’t much substance to this novel – as you might be able to tell from reading my reviews, I’m a sucker for social issues and equality in my reading fodder – I did enjoy myself a lot. It was a fun read and I felt for the characters in their perils. The characters are all well-written teenagers, with appropriate flaws and struggles, naivety, and a realistic sense of immortality despite having just encountered danger and death. Because, let us be honest, we are never more immortal than when we are teenagers. Despite that, the author does not hesitate to kill off his characters when they encounter the dangers of the jungle and survivalism, such as venomous snakes or heatstroke.

Ultimately, the story has the expected happy ending, where some of the kids, such as Tom, learn from their experiences, and others very expectedly do not. As such, it is a satisfying read, but not a book that I expect to be rereading or recommending all that often.

— DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! —

Have you noticed the new design? The move’s not perfect yet, but I’m super excited to have moved over to a real homepage rather than a preset wordpress blog! As I’m not that skilled in matters of webdesign, many thanks are due to my friend Lucas of  Loew IT & Design who helped my ideas come to life. He even diligently helped me arrange some of my favourite books for the banner (though we needed way more than we thought and at some point I just pulled out random stacks – have fun guessing which books belong in which category). I hope this helps me be better about posting regularly again, though my health is looking better again, which should help as well. I’ve been at Bookcon this past weekend and managed to grab lots of ARCs that I’m super excited to read and review for you! I’ll do a haul post later this week once I’m back home.

But without further ado, here’s today’s review of The Fever King by Victoria Lee (click to goodreads and bookdepository)

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 01/03/2019

SUMMARY: This is the first book in a very unusual duology, dealing with very current issues through a futuristic magic plague and it’s repercussions on the American South. Seventeen-year-old Noam is pulled into the complicated mechanics of government and resistance after he survives this plague and develops magic. He has to navigate his own issues of grief and loss with the greater good and find out which side he can trust.

OPINIONS: Now, first of all, this book charmed me by its love song to good whiskey. If I had to choose one kind of alcohol to survive the apocalypse, it would be good Scottish whiskey, with large amounts of peat, and various degrees of smoke. While I don’t necessarily condone the teenage characters using it to forget their problems, they do have one thing right, whiskey, like tea, has a tendency to make everything better. And Victoria Lee would probably agree with me when I say that Noam and Dara deserve every scrap of goodness they can cling to in the midst of this story.

I think the reason why this story hit me so hard, is because, at it’s heart, it is about humans, their relations, and how they manipulate each other. Without giving away too much of the plot, an unexpected twist at the end leaves Noam reeling to decide what is real, on top of the political machinations already dominating the story. And to me, this is much scarier than a magical plague that kills most it infects. Not knowing what to believe, not knowing what is happening, not being able to trust either side of the movements. Chaos. It’s scary because it’s real. It’s scary because it could happen to us. The magical plague is scary and interesting, and congrats to Victoria for inventing a fascinating system of magic, but it is not the main take-home message of the story. It is the metaphor used to show how our society could deal with segregation and difference, and how our society might develop in the near future…

Victoria writes this story beautifully and poignantly, with well-crafted, complex characters who are not afraid to show their flaws. Noam and Dara dare to fall in love in the midst of chaos, despite – or perhaps because of – their individual issues. However, there are very few female characters of importance in this story, and none of the central actors identify as female, which I was a bit disappointed about. Especially in a book as diverse as this, the lack of women really stood out to me.

— DISCLAIMER: I received a free review copy of this book via Titan Books in exchange for a honest review. Many thanks to Titan Books, Lydia Gittins, and V.E. Schwab for this opportunity. —

Now, I actually received this wonderful little parcel a couple of weeks ago, making an already good day into a great one – coming home after finding out that I got into a competitive MA that will allow me to pursue my dream of a career in publishing, I found a little golden package in my mailbox, containing an early copy of The Near Witch. I had applied for a review copy a little earlier, but hadn’t actually expected to be considered, so I’m super grateful for this opportunity! While I immediately started reading and devoured the book (congrats on another great one, V!) I ended up distracted by major life decisions and an (academic) article deadline last week, as well as a stolen phone. But now that that’s all sorted out, have a review of The Near Witch!

STAR RATING: 5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 12.03.2019 (republication)

SUMMARY: The town of Near does not like strangers. At all. So, when a strange young man appears to wander the streets and children go missing, the blame is easily assigned. However, Lexi believes that there is more to the story, and the old local legend of the Near Witch than the men of the town seem to accept, so she fights against hope for the survival of the missing children and the handsome stranger.

OPINIONS: Once again, Victoria manages to build a world that pulls you in, and does not want to let you leave again. I could not put down this book, which I would most accurately depict as a dark, whimsical fairy tale, addressing the issue of Xenophobia.

While Lexi does tend to fall into tropes common in YA novels published in the early 2010s, such as the insta-love with the mysterious stranger, these issues do not detract from the magic of the story as a whole. Lexi has much to offer in the way of a role-model for young girls, encouraging them to stand up for themselves and carve their own role in society. And this is the point where V’s magic comes in: she manages to take odd, outcast characters who are struggling, and make them appealing, making the reader take part in these struggles. Here, she grabs you and confronts you with blatant xenophobia, not that different to the one experienced by many minorities today, estranges you from your known world, and makes you want to fight for equality! I do hope that this message gets across to other readers as well, showing that literature does have an impact on our mentality.

And then we have the story. All the elements necessary to make me fall in love are there: dark and gloomy atmosphere, whimsical writing, strong characters, and a driven plot. For me, it most closely resembles a fairy tale, which has been one of my preferred genres to read, as it allows for the most beautiful, whimsical writing, with no intent to connect it to reality. Following the disappearances of several children from the village of Near, Lexi is the only one capable of seeing past the stranger, who appeared around the same time, and follows the old folk tales of the Near Witch. She realizes that there is more to the story than the village believes, and works to rehabilitate the past, something our society should work on more.

All in all, this is a wonderful book, to which I give the full five stars without hesitating. Thank you, Victoria, for being ahead of your time and fighting to get this story another chance! I myself regret only that I had not read it when it first came out – having found it on an old amazon wishlist recently – as it came out during a phase where I was silly enough not to read any books with less than 300 pages as a strategy to save money. I could have fallen in love with this so much earlier! Go forth, and read the Near Witch!

This must be one of the prettiest newly-published books I’ve ever seen. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the spine is reminiscent of older, hand-bound books. And once you take off that wonderful dust cover, the naked glory of the book really shines… And it’s contents are just as beautiful.

STAR RATING: 5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 10/01/2019 UK // 16/04/2019 US

SUMMARY: In a late early modern inspired world, young Emmett Farmer is sent to be apprenticed with a mysterious binder instead of taking over his father’s farm. He slowly learns about bookbinding, until he finds out what binders truly do. This leads to a series of events unravelling the darker sides of the craft, and ultimately to Emmett discovering his own past and finding love. (This one is really hard to summarize while trying to avoid spoilers!)

OPINIONS: I originally got pulled in by the beautiful cover, and the beautiful hardback ARCs I kept seeing on social media, and stayed for magic and bookbinding. But that is really not what this book is about. At it’s centre is love, love developing and love worth fighting for, but also love turned sour, abuse and issues of respect. And I should probably mention that the romantic relationship is between two men – which I find great!

The book is split into three parts, each uttely different, but equally captivating. In a way, they can be described as present, past and future – showing ‘present’ Emmett learning how to bind, flashing back to ‘past’ Emmett falling in love despite his best intentions not to like the man in question, and the third part opens the door for ‘future’ Emmett, who can recover his lost love and build a life according to his own desires. The writing is truly extraordinary, and somehow, fitting perfectly with the story and the physical book, both captivating and slow-burning. I tried to savour this book, trying to read individual chapters between tasks, until I got sucked in and read far past my bedtime.

Binding is a kind of magic, and binders are seen as witches by the general population – reminiscent of real-world history witch-hunt, a Crusade against them took part approximately 60 years before the events of this novel. Binders are born, not made, as I understand the story, and have black-out like symptoms to indicate their powers – these allow them to work willing subjects’ memories into bound books, allowing the subjects to forget. This can be a trade agreement, cathartic act, or even abuse. There is much debate about the morality of binding, and therefore the sale of books, and I found it very interesting to think about matters from this very different perspective.

The main characters, Emmett and Lucian, are extremely well developed and grow in their flaws and strengths over the course of the story. Their arcs drive the story, which is one of my favourite parts about novels, and I loved that this story allowed its magic to unfold slowly, without stuffing the story with unnecessary action. However, I do worry that this will put off many readers – but honestly, that’s their loss! The love story is incredibly well-developed and builds slowly and naturally, while also addressing class issues. This theme then becomes central to the third part of the book, where Lucian’s rich and powerful father consciously abuses his privileged position, abuses his servants (one of which his cycle of abuse and binding drives to suicide).

In short, please read this book, and be kind to the humans around you!

This is my first ever physical review copy! Many thanks to Tom Welsh and Owl Hollow Press for entrusting me with a copy of Anna Undreaming – and many apologies for taking so long to actually post the review.

Don’t worry, I’ll get to talking about the pretty in a second! But first a mental health sidebar, as I strongly believe that these things need to be addressed more openly – especially given that they play a role in the novel. Somehow being granted a finished copy to review put me under lots of pressure to write the review – which really, is quite silly, as there’s no difference between this and any of the ARCs I’ve reviewed via NetGalley. I have been constantly thinking about writing this review for the past three months, ever since I read and enjoyed the book while on holiday. We even took these great pictures at the beach, showing off the watery blues of the cover and I kept writing this review on all my to-do lists. But my depression and anxiety built it up to this massive dragon in need of slaying, rather than letting it be the text it is. It’s been an eventful time, and now I’m slowly getting back to managing my mental health again, which means it’s time to slay the dragon.

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 20/03/2018

SUMMARY: “Never play their game; their game is always rigged.” Anna’s mantra when it comes to men, and their games. She is a struggling grad student in an unfriendly city, and discovers that there might be more to her and her city than she had thought. She is pulled into a world of Dreamers and Undreamers, trying to save their world. Anna discovers that she is the rarest of them, an Undreamer, with the power to notice and disrupt dreamscapes, called Hazes. Accompanied by another Undreamer, Teej, and pursued by a Dreamer known as the Midnight Man, Anna struggles to come to terms with her past, while fighting for the future.

OPINIONS: The first thing that made me love this book is the fact that Anna is a very late stage philosophy grad student who struggles with mental health issues, which resonates with me. I wish there were more fantasy books addressing the insanity that is grad school in the humanities! In it’s ‘real world’ timeline, the book also deals with the dissolution of a friendship, and with what friendship is and should be. Tom Welsh has a wonderful insight into how people tick and interact, which shows throughout the story.

The story is tense and action-packed, but also has it’s lighthearted funny moments that break up the tension and made me laugh out loud (I’m usually quite insecure about that, so good on you Tom for writing jokes that I could not resist!). I mean, who can resist passages such as when Anna and Teej drink coffee: “Jesus, Teej! What’s your secret ingredient? Lava? This is hotter than the sun.” – “Oh, you’re one of those,” he responded. – “One of what?” – “People who drink cold coffee. Also know as Monsters!” – “Well, I like coffee that doesn’t strip the flesh from my mouth, yes!” Once again, Anna turns out to be a character that represents me more than any other book I have read in the past few months, at least. The combination of fast-paced action and hilarity make this an unputdownable read, and the beginning of an intriguing series.

As far as I know, the world-building is completely unique, and I have never read something like it. The concept of Dreamers and Undreamers is fascinating, and I can’t wait to dive into the second part of this trilogy once it is released! The only thing that I think could be improved is the prose, where it shows slightly that Tom is a relatively new writer, this being his – very promising – debut novel. My preference would be tighter, more descriptive prose, with a slightly slower pace, leaving more room for character development.

Anyway, you all should add Anna Undreaming to your goodreads account and/or order the book from your preferred local dealer of books!

— DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! —

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 18/03/19

SUMMARY: Rhun is your average teenage girl in a rigid world reminiscent of the nineteenth-century. Well, except for her fondness for cadavers and a desire to study medicine. On a whim, she decides to enter a local contest for a scholarship to the (all male) unversity, realizing that the contest doesn’t actually specify any kind of gender…

OPINIONS: oh, what a wonderful fuck you to the patriarchy this book is! Without discussing modern issues directly, Mary Weber manages to evoke social struggles women still face – to a lesser extent than Rhun does in the story – today. In the world this book is set in, gender roles are stricly divided, and all a woman is intended to be is a decorative wife. Education and any kind of power is reserved for the men. Rhun, however, figured that her desire to study medicine, in order to find a cure for the wasting sickness affecting the lower rungs of society, is more important than following the rules. She’s definitely a girl after my own heart,  fighting for the greater good against a government of crusty old(ish) men who have decided that an illness that does not affect them directly is of no importance. 

This shows not only the feminist struggle for equality, but also the very current issue of the rich versus the poor, affecting many modern societies. The story eventually brings this to a pointed climax, as not only had the disease been ignored and allowed to fester,  but had it’s origin in one of the young male elite and his carelessness. 

On top of these fantastic messages, the story is well-written, in a way where every piece of the puzzle fits together exactly as they are supposed to. The characters all have their intrinsic motivation to be part of the story, which is rare, and one of my favourite things to discover about a book. The plot is driven, with little unnecessary fluff or padding, and connects together nicely. I definitely want to check out Mary’s other books, as I believe that there is a lot we can learn from her craft.

Add the book on goodreads and preorder it wherever you prefer to buy your books – it’s worth it!

— DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! —

Look at this pretty cover! I knew I had to read this book as soon as I heard about it – so I’m very grateful to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing me with an advance copy. I’ve been loving Russian-inspired fantasy recently, and as I finished a very dissapointing book on the lead up to the Russian revolution (The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edwards-Jones) just a few days ago, I was doubly excited to refresh my memory of why I love these kinds of stories. Anyway, let’s get on to the review itself.

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 07/05/2019

SUMMARY: Anastasia Romanov is a mischieavous, sassy, and smart teenager in the early twentieth century. However, as she was born royalty, she and the rest of her family are suffering under the revolution and the ensuing Boshevik regime. Brought to exile in Ekaterinburg, the story follows the last month of the old czar’s family, their captivity, and the relationships with their oppressors and guards. However, in this retelling of the Russian revolution, there is magic. Once openly practiced and available, it has now been outlawed, although Anastasia still protects a magical artefact that might save them all…

OPINIONS: I loved this book more than I probably should. I think I read it within a day or so, craving it whenever I was at work or busy – it really should have been longer and told more of the story. I think it’s intended as a standalone, but I would love a sequel.

The characters are really at the centre of what got me so hooked on this book – all the main/important characters are well fleshed-out, and relatable, although some of the minor characters/family members never become quite real. Anastasia, Zash, and Alexei are amazingly complex characters, who try to do their best within their circumstances, which is not always the objectively right thing – I love that Nadine Brandes dares to let them have flaws, and make mistakes. It is a story that makes sense in itself, and while greatness is thrust upon those characters, it is done in a natural way, and doesn’t seem to be as forced as the ‘chosen one’ trope tends to be.

Magic in the universe of Romanov is fascinating. Reminiscent more of rituals than of the Harry Potter brand magic that we are all intimately familiar with, spells are based on so-called Spell Ink. This is a crucial ingredient to any and all magic, and it’s something that the characters struggle to gain access to. I like the idea of magic as craft, dependent on more than just immediate want – which is also an idea that is central to my own WIP, which will hopefully be finished at some point. Magic is a struggle, in a way, and an obstacle the characters need to overcome in order to be able to profit from it, a concept that does seem pretty unique in currenty fantasy.

I can’t wait for this to be published next spring so I can see what other people have thought of this. Having reviewed Fawkes by the same author earlier this year, I have to say that while her earlier historical novel was good, Romanov is a thousand times better. I’m excited to read more of her work as her career continues, as I feel her craft is progressing by leaps and bounds. For now, preorder Romanov anywhere books are sold, and add it to your Goodreads shelf!

— DISCLAIMER: I received a eARC of this novel via NetGalley – thank you to both Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the opportunity! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. —

Wow, I just realized exactly how long it’s been since my last post! Life has been insane on my end, and time has simply flown by. Luckily, I’m on holiday for a week now, and I hope that I can manage to prepare a few posts to ensure that I’ll get around to posting more regularly again! But now, have a review of the wonderful Empress of All Seasons!

As the eARC I received did not have a cover yet, I haven’t been able to take a picture that does the book justice, but I hope that I can remedy that once my finished copy arrives (I liked this so much I immediately had to preorder it!) – for now, have the cover image from the publisher’s website.

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

PUBLICATION DATE: 08/11/2018

SUMMARY: Mari, a teenage girl who grew up in a village of women with supernatural powers, a society despised by the culture they are part of, is sent to compete to become Empress and steal the Emperor’s fortune. However, she accidentally falls in love with  the future Emperor, not knowing who he is, making her mission much more complicated. Things are not what they seem, and the story is full of intrigue, vengeance, and conflicting interests.

OPINIONS: Based on Japanese mythology, and it’s historical feudal system, this is a fascinating tale of tolerance and the lack thereof. The main characters are all wonderfully multi-dimensional and grow throughout the story, which is like catnip for me. It is rare that charaters have such a natural growth process over the course of a story, and I think that this is a large part of why I loved this book so much.

While the main story is about tolerance and the future of the whole Empire and it’s society, and can in parts be seen as an allegory for the flaws of our current society, the side plot of the competition for the future Emperor’s hand reads like a fairy tale. This mix is what makes this book stand out from the many great books published this year, and lets it tell its story in a unique way. The ending is unexpected, not the traditional happy end too many stories feature, but amazing and empowering.

Thank you, Emiko Jean, for giving us this wonderful story, and readers, go and get yourself a copy!