As you might be able to tell, I love dragons. If the name of the blog Libri Draconis didn’t already give it away, this picture taken in front of my dragon wall should clarify that once and for all. So I couldn’t wait to read Fireborne after I managed to snag an ARC at Bookcon in the chillest ARC drop I have ever seen (Kudos to PenguinTeen for that!).

I actually read this one a while ago but I’m only now managing to catch up on all the reviews that are on my to-do list. I had my last official (paid) day at work today, though I’ll still be finishing up my project for the next few weeks. Together with the move to London coming up, this has made my last couple of months super stressful, and it’s not going to get better for a while. But I’m still trying to make sure I post a review every week or so.

PUBLICATION DATE: 15/10/2019

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Lee and Annie, young orphans, have grown up to become dragon riders in the wake of a brutal revolution in Callipolis. However, their respective pasts haunt them both, and they will have to figure out who to trust and who to become when the enemy nation of New Pythos attacks them with their own dragons…

OPINIONS: I really enjoyed Fireborne! The concept of different kinds of dragons was amazing, I loved learning about all the different types that the Callipolians had access to. It also meant a lot to me that the dragons were the ones to choose the riders, rather than the other way around. This ensured a clear bond between them, which ended up playing a central role in the story and character development.

The world building too was detailed and poignant, at its heart a revolution in the recent past, influencing the present. I’m a sucker for politics in YA novels, as you might have noticed in my reviews for State of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury or The Fever King by Victoria Lee. Fireborne follows in their footsteps, and creates a nuanced society dealing with the aftermath of a massive upheaval. Society changed immensely, not the least when it comes to dragon riders. I mentioned above that it was important to me that the dragons chose their own riders – while that might not have changed, the candidates did. Now, after a long tradition of important families being the only ones allowed to become dragon riders, every child is a candidate, independent of their background. However, many people still have issues with such changes, and it is an uphill battle for the heroes of Fireborne to find their place in society.

Both Lee and Annie have their own reasons for chafing against these tensions. While they may come from very different places, they both have to negotiate the ties of their pasts with who they want to become, facing strong opposition. The characters are extremely well written and their struggles elaborated perfectly. They are faced with many morally gray issues, and deal with those in a realistic way, making the reader feel for them. Fireborne is definitely one of those books that I will be recommending over and over again, and if my review has whet your appetite, find it on Goodreads and pre-order it here or from your favourite source of books.

Many highly anticipated books have a hard time living up to the hype – and then there are the few gems that are worth every drop of attention that they get. Serpent & Dove was one of those books for me. I hadn’t really been aware of it before I managed to snag an ARC at BookCon (thank you, Fierce Reads!) and it ended up being worth every second of that two hour line.

Funny story, actually, I was super early for that line, and it wasn’t allowed to start until a specific time. I ended up meeting a lovely girl (Shoutout to Monica!), and we decided to stick together. While the lady from the booth was constantly yelling at anyone who looked like they were queuing, we loitered around and looked at the ARC choices, and somehow ended up in the exact right spot when the lady allowed the line to start, making us the first to choose!

But anyway, you’re not here to hear about my BookCon anecdotes, so have a review!

PUBLICATION DATE: 03/09/2019

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Lou is a witch on the run, Reid a witch hunter. Circumstance has them meet and marry immediately to avoid scandal. Forced together they get to know each other, with Lou desperate to keep her true identity a secret, ultimately thrown into a quest to save the royal family and society as they know it. 

OPINIONS: Oh, how I fell in love with this book! Shelby Mahurin’s writing is gorgeous and the story had a way of sucking you in (same thing happened to my friend who was visiting, she couldn’t stop reading). Lou is a witty, morally gray character, who makes many, many questionable choices, but still manages to charm the reader to her side. Reid is adorable, and his struggles with his beliefs over the course of the story allow for immense character growth.

One of my favourite parts of the book was the magic system. Just like the characters, magic is complex and twisted, a mix of traditional witchcraft and rituals. The hunters have a very set opinion of witches, not allowing for the possibility of good magic, but through Lou, they start learning more about what they hunt and their minds start opening up.

I am actually having a really hard time reviewing this book, because I loved it so much that I’m likely not impartial enough any more! Witches and complex characters, especially in a historical setting to me are like light to moths. I get sucked in, and lose myself completely. This was truly one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year (out of 115ish). You should check it out for yourself – add it on Goodreads or preorder it from your dealer of choice (here’s a link to Book Depository).

— DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Harper Voyager through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! —

2019 is an amazing year for diverse fantasy, and Rena Barron’s debut novel, Kingdom of Souls is one of it’s gems. Not only is it beautifully written and unique, it also has a amazing cover (and ARCS even feature the 2019 Fantasy Snake, a trend which seems to be a marker of excellence – Serpent and Dove, one of my favourite books this year, of which you’ll get a review in a few days, and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House, which I haven’t got to read yet, but have heard amazing things of, are just two of the many examples. Although I only gave Kingdom of Souls 4 stars, I loved it, and will definitely be rereading it as soon as I receive my finished copy! For me, 5 stars are reserved for the very rare books that immediately join my all-time favourites, and stick with me, and have me thinking about for ages – I think I’ve only given out four or five 5 star ratings this year on over a hundred books. What I’m trying to say is that for me, 4 stars is likely what others would see as 5 stars!

PUBLICATION DATE: 10/09/2019

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: In a world where her mother is a powerful priestess with magical powers and her grandmother leads a clan of witch doctors, Arrah is powerless. Struggling with her lack of Magic, she becomes desperate when children start vanishing and decides to cast a ritual giving her power in return for years of her life. Her path to try and contain the looming darkness is perilous and unexpected, and she will have to go against family and friends to save them all.

OPINIONS: For me, Kingdom of Souls top feature was the beautiful writing, especially the descriptions of magic. Passages such as “Magic of all colors flutters in the air as gentle as wingbeats. I can’t be still when it dances on my father’s dark skin like lightning bugs. It flits out along his jaw and leaps onto his nose. My hand shoots out to catch an ember of gold, but it slips through my fingers. I giggle, and he laughs too.” or “Magic clings to the air, so thick that it stings my skin. It dances in the night sky above endless rows of tents quilted in vibrant colors.” are haunting and lyrical, and made me fall in love with the book. I can’t wait for Rena to become an established author – if her debut writing is this good, just imagine what years to come will bring!

I’ve you’ve been following my reviews, you might have noticed that character depth and development are something that is like catnip for me. And Arrah does not disappoint. She grows into herself over the course of the novel, and actively tries to overcome her issues. She is a deeply flawed character, but she is real and human, makes mistakes and fixes them, and we see her struggling with the things she is confronted with over the course of the story. This depth is not lacking when it comes to the more minor characters, who shine just as much.

I could rave on and on, but I’d likely end up spoiling the magic for you. So go and add Kingdom of Souls on Goodreads, and pre-order it from your favourite source of books. Pro-tip, Goldsboro has a special signed edition with sprayed edges which you can find here (this is the version I preordered). And in the meantime, I will have to think about my rating again, and see if the book does not deserve the full 5 stars after all…

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!