Truthwitch by Susan Dennard - Book Review

Title: Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Release Date: 5th January 2016 (14th January in UK)

Source: Arc won from twitter. Bought finished copies.

Synopsis: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch. (Taken from Goodreads)

Review

It has taken me some time to feel equal to the task of writing a coherent review of this book which I read for the first time around the end of July 2015 (yes JULY). I finished my third, possibly fourth – I have honestly lost count – reading of my beauteous US arc *pets fondly* around the start of December and it’s taken me until now to actually complete this review. Truthwitch is now out in the world (still officially a few days away for the UK although I do have my finished copy already) which is such a joyous thing to me after being so utterly invested in the journey of this book since last spring. Holy void wells we’re finally at the end of the road. O_O

First I’d like y’all to do something for me, to set the scene if you will. Cue up in another window this video and then read this excerpt of Chapter 1 of Truthwitch. Now hit play on that song and read the chapter, come back when you’re done. Ok? Great.

*jazzy interlude musak*

You done? DO YOU WANT TO READ TRUTHWITCH YET?! OF COURSE YOU DO! Because that’s basically how that first chapter left me feeling. We’re thrown head-long into the action from the first line and by the end of this opening chapter you’re already breathless with excitement for what’s to come. It’s so magically visual that with the song playing in the background you can practically see it playing like a movie in your mind.

If you want there is also a sneak peek at Chapter 2 over on the Witchlands site that you can read once you’re finished here, which I *highly* recommend you do- there’s loads of other cool stuff over there as well like character quizzes and the most awesome author interview.

*ahem*

Annnnd back to the review. I don’t want to go into too much detail of all the things I love about the story as it’s not fair to veer into Spoiler Town so soon after release. BUT what I will talk about is one of the BEST aspects of the ENTIRE BOOK. Which is the dynamic duo known as Safiya fon Hasstrel and Iseult det Midenzi. Threadsisters for life, literal soul twins, these girls are the most BAD-ASS of best friends. This book slays thanks to the epicness of Safi & Iz’s relationship. Right from the beginning you can see just how much they mean to each other and the lengths they will go to in order to keep each other safe. Like, murder is not out of the question if your Threadsister is in danger. *cracks knuckles*

Besides our two main gals there is a whole host of fascinating characters including two certain gentlemen whose POV we get to read from as well as the girls’ and let me tell you – you are almost definitely going to have a fav by the end so share nicely with the other folk. There’s plenty of Merik and Aeduan to go around :P. Although I would like to call dibs on Aeduan please. At least on Thursdays. If you want more info that that awful tease then you should check out this video (link) where Sooz herself talks about the boys of Truthwitch.

Another aspect of Truthwitch which is SPECTACULAR is the world-building. Just how fantastically vast the world is, you can see from the map in the front of the book (also on the Witchlands website – click everything it’s glorious), and as you read you’re surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of strange new lands and cities. Diverse cultures and people populate the Witchlands and over the four books in this series (oh yeah there’s gonna be four books people) I hope we continue to explore all the fabulous places on the Truthwitch map.

The other deliciously complex aspect of the world-building in Truthwitch is the vast array of Witcheries that people can possess and how the different elements which fuel magic are used across the Witchlands. The way Susan has woven the magic into the myth and fabric of the world is stunning and I cannot wait to see how everything progresses throughout the series.

It is a difficult thing for me to truly explain why I love Truthwitch so much. A lot of it is tied up in how long I have been following this book’s journey into the world and how much I admire and respect Susan for what an incredible world she has created. Reading this book multiple times has made me appreciate the extreme level of passion and care that has gone into its crafting and just knowing how much Safi & Iseult’s friendship is inspired by Sooz’s friendship with Sarah J. Maas honestly makes me emotional in many odd ways.

If you've ever read a post of mine or follow my twitter then you may know that my best friend on this whole damn planet is Jess of Jess Hearts Books – she’s just posted her review of Truthwitch because of course we’d get them done on the same day – even before either of us read Truthwitch we both related ENORMOUSLY to Sooz & Sarah’s amazing friendship from following them on social media. So when we entered Safi & Iseult's world we instantly fell in love with their relationship and the idea of Threadsisters – friends so close that the very fibres of their being are inextricably entwined – to the extent that now we use that word to describe our own friendship.

Truthwitch has become one of those books so dear to my heart that I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about near enough everyday. I've read it at least three times and it's highly likely that I'll read it another three times at least before Windwitch comes out. 

I know this review is awfully long and more than bit fangirly but believe me Truthwitch is more than worth every bit of praise I could lavish upon it. I strongly suggest you go out and get yourself a copy as soon as possible so you can lose yourself in the Witchlands like I have. I promise you won't be sorry you did.

Rating : Four & a half stars out of Five!

Ray x

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Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman - Book Review

Now this is quite possibly the fastest I've ever turned round a book review and I'm not even exaggerating. I finished this at 1am and not 12 hours later I've finished writing my review. But seriously y'all this *never* happens to me.

Title: Vengeance Road
Author: Erin Bowman
Release Date: 1st September 2015 (US)
Source: Bought
Synopsis: "Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal." (From Goodreads)

My Review

I heard about this book via Susan Dennard and also when Erin had a spot in Sooz’s Misfits & Daydreamers newsletter talking about morally ambiguous characters. A YA western novel is something I have never seen before and the idea of characters with grey morals and suspicious intentions was so interesting to me. Since I was coming to the US not long after it was released I made sure to put Vengeance Road on the list of books I needed to buy.

First of all, how gorgeous is this book cover? It’s so perfect for the story and wonderfully eye-catching. The hardcover also has deckled page edges which I *adore*. If you weren’t already looking for it, the cover would definitely make you stop and take a look at the blurb.

One of the things that I loved most about Vengeance Road was our main character Kate. Her determination, her stubbornness, her scorching fury and most of all her voice. Ye gods this book had a voice that you’ll be hearing for DAYS after you finish. It’s written in first person present, in a dialect that quite literally twangs off the page from the very start. Never have I had such a strong urge to read a book aloud with the best accent I could muster to replicate the version of Kate I had in my head telling me her story.

Kate’s world is so harsh and brutal, people are fuelled by hate and fear with no qualms about killing innocents in order to get what they want. So when Kate’s father is horrifically murdered out of the blue there’s no one she can turn to for help. Her first instinct is to disguise herself as a boy, grab her Colt pistol and her Winchester rifle and start hunting down the bastards who killed her Pa. She’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get revenge and sure as hell ain’t gonna let anyone stop her.

I loved just how blisteringly angry Kate was for much of the book. Her rage drove her to do some pretty questionable things I’ll grant you, but under all that roiling darkness is the glimmer of person who still has a line, a limit to what they will or won’t do. Kate is so fascinating in that respect and I reckon we need more heroines like her in YA fiction.

The historical aspect of the story is rooted in the Goldrush fever of the late 19^th century where prospectors risked everything on the hope of finding a vein of gold to make them rich. But as you see throughout Vengeance Road, Gold makes monsters out of men. There’s also the unflinching portrayal of the relations between the white prospectors and the Apache natives who lived in the region at that time. You wince at reading how other characters react to Liluye, the Apache girl who Kate rescues. She is just one person but people treat her as if she were responsible for the actions of all of her people. Sadly that kind of prejudice endures and festers through history until its corruption taints even the present day.

It’s a harsh gritty world that Erin has brought to life and a scorching adventure that somehow feels longer than its 300 pages, with sudden twists that have you scrambling to stay in the saddle. Kate is a gripping heroine and I could very easily read three more books of her exploits in that gloriously distinctive voice of hers. Can you tell I’m a fan of it yet?

So if you’re in the mood for a gun-toting gal, hell-bent on revenge charging through the blazing Arizona landscape with murder on her mind, then I think you need to meet Kate Thompson in Vengeance Road.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

Well what do you think? Interested in Vengeance Road? Have you read it already? I'd love to know what you thought about it. :D

A little side-note that made me chuckle - this book takes place in 1877 and at one point a character is mentioned as having traveled west from Philadelphia. I couldn't help imagining that she left because of all that trouble with the dead walking around not long before :P (Folk who've read Something Strange & Deadly ought to get what I'm on about).

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this review if you're not still reeling from the fact that I've posted two reviews in one week after at least two YEARS with none.

Until next time.

Ray x

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Monster by C.J. Skuse - Book Review

Good Morning folks! (It's probably not morning in the UK but bear with I'm in Florida ok?). Today I am MASSIVELY excited to say that I have a BOOK REVIEW for y'all! This is probably the first review I've done on here since Seraphina in 2012 so yea... it's kinda a big deal for me anyway. I've been sitting on this review since APRIL because the book as you may already know from the post title is only now coming out this week! So at last I can share some of my feels with you.

Title: Monster
Author: C.J. Skuse
Release Date: 24th September 2015
Source: ARC borrowed from JessHeartsBooks who had received it for review from MIRAInk
Synopsis: At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of prestigious boarding school Bathory would be the biggest battle she’d face. Until her brother’s disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory’s assorted misfits. As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school’s hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory – a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school – run wild. Yet when the girls’ Matron goes missing it’s clear that something altogether darker is to blame – and that they’ll have to stick together if they hope to survive. (Taken from Goodreads)

My Review

 Advisory – This review contains a good dollop of swearing. The book itself also contains a fair amount of swearing and violence so if that’s not your thing then consider yourself warned.

I was able to read this months ahead of it's release date thanks to my dear Twinnie Jess but it's kinda been killing me that I couldn't really talk about Monster until now - spoilers dontcha know? Frankly this is one of those books where it’s best for sheer enjoyment of the story if you don’t know much beyond the fact that there are a group of girls who are the last students to leave the Bathory School for Girls before Christmas when a massive snowstorm rolls in and then well... shit gets fucked up from there.

One of the many things I love about CJ’s books is that every single one is completely different from the last. Some authors keep to a similar genre for all of their work but with CJ it’s a delightful lottery every time I get my grubby mitts on a new book. Her debut Pretty Bad Things (my review) was a riotous candy crime-spree through Vegas; Rockaholic was full of hilarious hijinks following an accidental rockstar kidnapping; Dead Romantic was a macabre FrankenRomance whereas Monster is an adrenaline-drenched thriller with a good dose of Baskervillian terror to keep you up at night.

Our main girl Nash has quite a lot on her plate at the start of the book; she’s working her raspberry socks off trying to impress the headmistress enough to win the Head Girl badge, trying to juggle all the pre-Christmas insanity on top of her newest worries for her big brother Seb who’s gone missing in Colombia. Oh yeah and then there’s that troubling incident where she might have seen the legendary Beast of Bathory. Not that she believes in it. ‘Course not because that would be fucking ludicrous.

I read this waaay back at the start of April (For reasons that people who have seen my review of Pretty Bad Things will understand) and I devoured the whole thing in one sitting. I love a good boarding school story and when you mix the isolation brought on by the blizzard, the group of girls from different cliques with their own secrets causing mischief, plus the menace of a wild beast roaming the snow, you have the perfect recipe for knuckle-biting tension and no sleep.

Even in the midst of heightening drama and the increasing terror that something awful will happen to someone you’re very much attached to, CJ still managed to stop me in my tracks with a line that cut to the core of why I read her books around April 7^th and that really encapsulates a lot of the book. That being the idea that the monsters you can’t fight are the worst monsters of all.

Suffice it to say, I was utterly clueless about how this book would end and HOO BOY was I left mind-blown and suitably awed. This is without a doubt C.J.’s best book so far and one that I plan to get my greedy hands on and re-read nearer to Halloween for all the creep-tastic chills and spine-tingling shudders.

You want a hair-raising boarding school thriller to keep you flipping pages well into the night? Go wrangle yourself a copy of Monster. Trust me, you’ll be sorry that you didn’t. 

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Whew! Thank god I've finally got all that off my chest! In all seriousness I can't overstate my appreciation for C.J.'s books in all their blunt, snarky, awesomeness. Even 4 years after my grandad's death I'm still finding comfort and distraction in her words. It might be a little weird to associate a reading experience with such a devastating event but as J.K Rowling wrote "words are our greatest source of magic" and it just so happened that C.J.'s were the words that helped me deal with a very difficult time. I am so grateful for her books for that reason.

A slight side-note that made me even happier about reading Monster - in the arc version (will have to see with the finished book) on the inside of the FRONT cover is a quote from ME! My review of Pretty Bad Things is quoted!! It is as In the Library of LadyViolet but it's me all the same! The same quote was in the back of Dead Romantic as well so now that's two books that I've been quoted in! Considering how I've never been a really "big" blogger it is something I find really exciting.

Anyway before the day runs away from me I shall be off.

What did you think to the review?

Ray x

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March/April Reading Update

What do you mean March finished over two weeks ago?!

Ack yea in the mayhem of my impending Camp Nano shenanigans I completely forgot to do a March Reading Round-off post. Not that it was going to be a long post because of course I read a mere Four books!

Seriously 2014 is going to be the year in which I potentially write a novel (I'm being optimistically pessimistic as you never know with these things) but at the same time I'm probably going to read the smallest number of books since I started recording my reading totals. It's mad I tell you. Not to mention that I have some serious End-of-Series reading to do over the next few months since Dreams of Gods & Monsters arrived today, The Forever Song is coming at the start of May and City of Heavenly Fire is due mid-May. I gots to re-read like a madwoman!

So March's reading comprised of a somewhat eclectic mix of books; a re-read of Divergent ahead of my excursion with Jess to the Movie Premiere at the end of March (which was pretty amazeballs although vaguely disappointing in that our "mingling with the stars" was limited to zoomed in pics on my phone from inside the cinema). Then came a feverishly excited devouring of Half Bad by Sally Green which I shamelessly stayed up until 1:30am reading. Two weeks passed before I finished another book - The Sum of all Kisses by Julia Quinn because I sometimes need a dose of Regency fluff.

The last book of the month was a more out-of-nowhere read - All you Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.  For those who have never heard of this book, it's the story which the upcoming (and awful looking) Tom Cruise film "Edge of Tomorrow" is based on. Basically a young Japanese man Keiji is flung into battle against an alien foe which has been systematically wiping out the human race. Keiji is bricking it as all his friends are dying around him and he can barely remember his meagre training. He manages to kill one of the aliens but he gets himself fatally wounded in the process. As he's dying he has an odd conversation with the legendary soldier Rita (more often referred to as the Full Metal Bitch), who has killed more of the aliens than anyone else left alive. Keiji dies and then wakes up... on the day before the battle. A bizarre loop of battle and death begins that Keiji has to try and figure out how he's going to break free of it.

I borrowed my boyfriend's copy of the book since I wanted to see what the story was like after hearing le boyf rant about his disgust of what the film had done to the book. It's a really interesting story that is a fun mix of Pacific Rim and Groundhog Day with some surprising emotional undercurrents. It is quite a short book - quite literally only 200 pages long so won't take very long to get through. I really enjoyed it and if you're at all interested in seeing the film STOP - go and buy/borrow this book and read it first. Trust me you'll feel completely differently about seeing the film afterwards. Tom Cruise has no business playing an 18yr old Japanese guy and Emily Blunt (as great as she is) can't really portray a 19yr old girl. Also as a disclaimer if you don't particularly like overly sweary books, this has a metric f**kton of f-bombs :P

April's Reading so far consists of two books; Joss Stirling's most recent book Storm & Stone which was a fun mystery/boarding school/thrillerish story. And this morning's re-read of Daughter of Smoke & Bone by the ever-lyrically masterful Laini Taylor (who I shall get to meet on May 1st with Jess *flails*).

So that's what I've been reading, let me know if you guys have read anything awesome lately.
Ray

p.s. Before anyone says it, Yes I am procrastinating writing my Scene of Doom *shhh*

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Book Review - Seraphina

So here we go! Let me know what you think to the review.

Review 
Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Genre: YA, High Fantasy, Dragons
Source: ARC provided to me by JessHeartsBooks and to her by the folk at Doubleday
Publication Date: 19th July 2012 (UK), 10th July 2012 (US)

Synopsis: The kingdom of Goredd is populated by humans and by dragons who fold themselves into a human form. Though they live alongside each other, the peace between them is uneasy.

But when a member of the royal family is murdered, and the crime appears to have been committed by a dragon the peace and treaty between both worlds is seriously threatened . . .

Into this comes Seraphina, a gifted musician who joins the royal court as the assistant to the court composer. She is soon drawn into the murder investigation and, as she uncovers hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace in Goredd for good, finds herself caught desperately in the middle of the tension.

For Seraphina hides a secret - the secret behind her musical gift - and if she is found out, her life is in serious danger . . . (taken from the Amazon.co.uk page).

My Thoughts
When Jess told me about this book that she'd received which was a high fantasy debut with dragons in it I was pretty intrigued. When she mentioned that Tamora Pierce (my literary idol and creator of over half the female characters I would kill to be) had blurbed this book and raved over it then I was all "sign me up to read it stat!" So after Jess had to have a parting of ways with the book due to to personal differences I offered to give it a home and review it as an additional thank-you.

I have to admit to reading it twice *ahem three times*. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a notorious re-reader but the books that get read more than once in the same year are the ones that you know are fantastic and are to be foisted upon anyone who you think will like them. (I'm not going to press-gang reluctants but if you look even slightly interested you *are* going to find yourself reading this book).

With Seraphina you are plunged into the prologue which introduces us to two of the main characters and a whole host of questions that get answered as the book progresses. In just three pages you are drawn to the infant Seraphina and immersed in a rich world that promises to become exponentially more detailed and fascinating with each turn of the page.

 Rachel Hartman has done a fantastic job of creating the world in this book; it's vast and has several layers of complexity. There's a well-developed society with religion, politics (heck religious politics), and such a depth of history as you can believe that this world has been living in a somewhat shaky peace with the dragon population for the last fourty years.

And that's another fantabulous element of this book; the dragons. The concept of dragons which can take human form is brilliant and it's shown off so well in the book with characters like Eskar and Basind who although they may look the same as everyone else think so differently and view the world in such an alien way that it's almost chilling how they consider humans. Also what I found fascinating was the detail put into the Dragon's society and their philosophy of Ard and keeping all emotions out of their lives. It's been a long time since I've read a fantasy book with that level of world development.

My favourite thing about Seraphina was the lady herself. As a character she is flawed in that beautifully human way but she's so relatable and likeable that you can't help but want to cuddle her when she's having a grumpy or sad moment. You feel along with her when she fights to keep her secrets and emotions in check and it makes your heart soar when she finds out that she's not quite as alone in her plight as she thought. She's also funny and snarky and made me chuckle on various occasions throughout the book. Seraphina is kind of girl I would love to be friends with; she's loyal and would literally chuck herself into danger for those she cares about.

The rest of the characters are a fabulously vibrant bunch of folk; with Orma's oddities, Glisselda's bubbliness and Lucian's Kiggs-ness they all come alive in the book and any author that can make me care a whole damn lot of a group of fictional characters is definitely on the way to becoming favourite of mine.

Overall the book is a cracking debut, with some beautiful writing, a fantastic cast of characters, and a compelling story that ends neatly enough that you're not left dangling off a cliff-hanger but with just-enough left undone to have you slavering for a sequel (and I am already getting antsy wanting to know what's going to happen!). So if you want a fantasy read that can give you a bit of everything with dragons to boot then get your hands on a copy of Seraphina this summer.

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 Stars!

Also just as a final note I got to admit that I prefer the US cover of Seraphina, it's very similar to the Temeraire books by Naomi Novik and the line drawings are vair cool. I will probably buy a finished copy of the US edition next month when I'm in Florida.

So there you have it! My first written review in months and months! I hope it's not entirely useless and let me know what you guys think!

Speak to y'all soon
LadyV

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Book Review - Words

Cripes, I started this review over a week ago :S I gotta sort myself out.

Title: Words
Author: Ginny Yttrup
Date: 7/6/2011 PM
Source: Received for Review from LTER
Description: Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn’t speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary. Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter’s death, Sierra’s control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself.
Brought together by Divine design, Kaylee and Sierra will discover together the healing mercy of the Word. (Description taken from LibraryThing)

My Review

I never thought I'd find myself reading a Christian Fiction book but when I got a message saying I'd won an ARC of Words, I thought why not give it a fair shot? The story sounded genuinely interesting despite my concerns about how strong the religious overtones were going to be.


The two main characters Kaylee and Sierra are remarkably developed for a debut novel, they both have complex histories and are wonderfully flawed. Although very mature for a ten year old Kaylee still has a childish personality that comes across in her POV chapters. She's got a quirky sense of humour which considering the horrors she's been through shows her amazing strength of character.


Sierra is a very admirable woman for actually taking it upon herself to help Kaylee out of her awful situation when so many people in this day and age would just walk away and stay out of what isn't their business. It gives a hopeful message that there are some truly good people in a world where evil people often get away with the terrible acts they commit in their isolated corners of society. 


On occasions the religious aspects of the book got a tad intense, I don't quite care for being told over and over that Jesus is the only way to find the truth/only way to forgiveness etc. but as it wasn't continuous through the whole book it didn't detract from the enjoyment of the story too much.


Overall it was an interesting and uplifting book with realistic and unique characters that make for enjoyable yet serious read.


My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars


Gawsh it's taken me *waaay* too long to get this review done. I really shouldn't watch tv and blog cos blogging will inevitably be procrastinated. 


Hopefully the next few reviews won't take so long
LadyV

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Book Review - Random Magic

Ahoy there maties! This 'ere review is part of my contribution to the swash-buckling Random Magic blog tour. Twas supposed t'be a video review but with the blogger downtime and my own issues in trying to film the videos for my stop I've decided to do my review of the book in written form.

Title: Random Magic
Author: Sasha Soren
Date: 9/5/2011 PM
Source: Received for Review from the author
Description: When absent-minded Professor Random misplaces the main character from Alice in Wonderland, young Henry Witherspoon must book-jump to fetch Alice before chaos theory kicks in and the world vanishes. Along the way he meets Winnie Flapjack, a wit-cracking doodle witch with nothing to her name but a magic feather and a plan. Such as it is. Henry and Winnie brave the Dark Queen, whatwolves, pirates, Struths, and fluttersmoths, Priscilla and Charybdis, obnoxiously cheerful vampires, Baron Samedi, a nine-dimensional cat, and one perpetually inebriated Muse to rescue Alice and save the world by tea time. (Description taken from Goodreads)


My Review
I got asked if I wanted to review Random Magic because Sasha thought it's quirky nature would be something I would enjoy, being of a kooky persuasion myself. I mean a book about literary characters, mythology, magic, pirates and randomosity? Doesn't that just sound right up my street?


The story starts off in a lacksidaisical fashion as we are introduced to various characters who while being amusingly eccentric don't actually feature in the story except in the first and last few chapters. The scene setting is lavishly descriptive and oddly hunger-inducing (believe me you'll be hankering for a cup of tea and teeny sandwiches after reading about a tea party). It does take a couple of chapters to get into the main swing of the story but it's certainly a quirky way to begin.


The two main characters are Henry Witherspoon and Winnie Flapjack and I gotta say that Winnie is my kinda gal; wise-cracking, no-nonsense with a creative bent towards profanity. She tends to keep Henry at a distance but occasionally you do get a glimpse of her softer side which I love. Henry is rather adorable in a dorky way and I really enjoyed seeing him mature over the course of the book. I also loved all the back-and forth banter between Henry and Winnie although at times it did get a little confusing as to who exactly was speaking.


Trying to explain what happens in a book like Random Magic is nigh on impossible as it's like a trippy train of thought that skips through a variety of different literary worlds, greek myths, russian folklore, hell it gets pretty "Treasure Island" around Chapter 26 and there's apparently a sneaky anagramatical homage to Douglas Adams in Chapter 42 (I didn't spot it myself but I know it's there somewhere). The simple explanation for the adventures of Henry and Winnie is that they're searching for Alice and have to trek here, there and bloody everywhere to find her. What passes in the pages of this book is like a massively out of control game of hide and seek where Alice is totally winning. 


Sasha has created a really quirky and fascinating world and while it may at first seem befuddling, the further you tumble down the proverbial rabbit hole the more everything starts to make sense, especially when Winnie delivers a perfectly serious line that *would* seem ridiculous if it was in another book but in Random Magic it makes you think "huh, of course she's right!"


I am super grateful for being given the chance to read this book as it was a terrifically fun romp with a cast of zany characters through a lavishly described world that kept surprising me with what weird and wonderful creature came jumping out from the hedges next. Sasha is a seriously cool gal and I'd be vair interested to read whatever she writes next as I'm sure it'll be delightfully quirky.


My Rating: 4 out 5 Stars


Holy cow! I cannot believe how late I am with getting this review done, my original tour stop was on the 13th May and it's taken me until now to actually finish the fracking thing with all the crap Youtube was giving me and just my general lack of blogger mojo making it impossible to string my thoughts together. I have apologised a gallon already to Sasha for being ridiculously delayed with posting but I'll say it again - Sooo Sorry! :S


Next time I will have to be *Far* more organised with expected reviews as I cannot be this bad a second time.


LadyV

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Book Review - Pretty Bad Things

Evening all, I did start this back on Wednesday or something but when I watch TV while on my computer I never get anything bloggish done cos my brain can't concentrate on US crime shows and think up a coherent review at the same time, Grissom, Gibbs & Co. invariably take precedence :P

Title: Pretty Bad Things
Author: C.J. Skuse
Date: 11/4/2011 PM
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Description: Sixteen-year old twins in Candy-Store crime spree. Twins, Paisley and Beau Argent are in the headlines again. Last time, they were the 'wonder twins', when as six-year-olds they were found alive in woods after three days missing following their mother's death -three days spent looking for their dad. Now at sixteen, life's not so wonderful. Out-cast and exploited by their money-grabbing grandmother, they're still clueless about their dad's whereabouts. Until they discover an old letter from him. That's when they decide to hit the road - and make headlines again. Holding up fast-food joints might seem extreme but if they can get on the news, and tell their dad they need him, they might get the dream reunion they thought could happen. (Description taken from Goodreads)


My Review
I took this book out the library after reading the rave review of Rockoholic over on Jess Hearts Books. This is C.J. Skuse's debut novel and boy is it one heck of a joy-ride! Full of sass and sweet-toothed criminality!


Paisley and Beau were all over the news when they were just six years old after their mother killed herself and they went missing in the forest behind their house. Now ten years later Paisley is a somewhat maladjusted teen with a whole lotta "couldn't give a shit" attitude that has invariably led her to be expelled from numerous schools over the years. Her bitch of a Grandmother keeps her as far away from her brother as possible by sending her to the East Coast but after Paisley gets expelled from the posh boarding school she attends in Philadelphia she has to go back West to Skankmother's house in LA.


Now after reading pretty much the first chapter, I wanted Paisley to be my new psycho BFF. She is so dang cool and quick-witted that she can turn almost any situation to her advantage even if that means she has to deck someone or pull a gun on them. Her behaviour is so outrageous that I was literally laughing out loud and totally rooting for the Grandmother's downfall cos dude if that woman ain't a world-class bitch!


Beau was adorkable as the more straight-laced twin who was always a tad sceptic about the whole Vegas crime-spree idea but I gotta give props to the guy for being hard-core enough to still go along with it all while maintaining some sense of morality (I worry that Paisley's got lost a *looong* time ago). I also loved how clueless Beau was about his own good looks, oh if I were 5 years younger... :P


C.J. Skuse has created a fantastically bonkers story that has a really good message at the heart of it - Paisley and Beau are so determined to find their father after being estranged from him for so many years (partly through Buddy being in prison but also cos the Skankmother's maid hid his letters to the Twins), that they're willing to do almost anything to reunite with him- in this occasion that means getting onto the news by holding up a series of Candy Stores. Family is so important to Paisley that she would literally kill to keep her father and brother close to her, although obviously she's not gonna shed any tears if she has to off her Grandmother to achieve this.


The writing is crackling with humour and wit and you feel so endeared to Paisley and Beau that you don't bat an eye at how angry and insane Paisley is at times. I ended up reading this at a time when I myself was seriously angry and pissed at the world and its unfairness so I really empathised with the Twins and all the crap they got dealt in life. 


Between this book and C.J's sophomore novel Rockoholic (which I read two days later) I found a way to laugh during a time when I thought I would never want to laugh again and the world seemed so unfair for taking away my grandfather so suddenly. I was able to at least function and keep a sense of perspective while still being whisked away to a different reality where my situation didn't feel so devastating.


So a massive thank you to C.J. Skuse for writing two fabulous books which really helped me to hold onto my sanity during a truly hellish week that I would give anything to have it so it never happened. But as life is shit like that sometimes I've had to accept it and just try to keep moving forward with my good memories to comfort me when I think about that day one month ago.


C.J. you rock. Your book rocks. Your other book rocks (I'll be reviewing it as well soon). And damn I can't wait to read your third book in 2012 cos I'm sure that'll rock too.


My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars




I know this review has veered into slightly personal territory but I'm sure y'all can understand that at the time of reading I was in a severely emotional state and that affected my reading and interpretation of the book so obviously that inter-relation is going to come across in my review. 


LadyV

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Book Review - The Lady in the Tower

So sorry it has taken me this long to get this review done. I started it ages ago and just couldn't get it finished before the end of April. Now I'll actually be able to write April's reviews although being a month behind sucks big-time. Ah well at least I'm not gonna run out of books to review any time soon :P

Title: The Lady in the Tower
Author: Marie-Louise Jensen
Date: 25/3/2011 AM
Source: Gift
Description: "Spring 1540 I am afraid. You are in grave danger. Mother, will you run away with me if I can free you?" The servants call it the Lady Tower: the isolated part of the castle where Eleanor's mother is imprisoned after a terrible accusation. For four years Eleanor's only comfort has been their secret notes to one another. A chance discovery reveals a plot to murder her mother. Now Eleanor must free her before it is too late. But with danger and betrayal at every turn, she can trust no one. Especially not her father. Eleanor must use all her cunning to survive. For she soon realises that it is not just her mother she needs to save ...but also herself. (Description taken from Goodreads)


My Review
I hadn't heard anything about this book when I picked it out of  a massive bag of books that my friend Jess was culling from her library but since I feel that one can never have too many historical fiction books I decided to keep it and one lazy morning last month I devoured the whole thing in one sitting.


It's been a while since I read a historical fiction book set during the Tudor period, I had a Phillipa Gregory phase which fizzled out when I heard that her books were rather more frivolous with factual inaccuracies than other books, not to mention the diabolically bad film adaptation of the Other Boleyn Girl being terribly off-putting of the genre. This book was rather refreshing in that it doesn't focus on King Henry and his shenanigans although he does feature in the story.

Eleanor Hungerford is a young noble whose family lives away from Court, she lives to ride her horse and practice jousting although she'll never be able to actually compete in a tourny. Her father is a rather cold, ruthless man who had his wife locked away for witchcraft just so he could bring in a new woman to take her place, although his plan to have his wife poisoned failed so he can't yet remarry.

I really quite liked Eleanor although she was somewhat naive and overly trusting of her father's new woman which caused a heck of a lot of trouble for her and her mother who she was trying to rescue from her Tower prison. But her determination to free her mother even if it put herself in danger was really admirable and brave especially for a young girl surrounded by men who will not care who they remove to achieve their goals.

I also really liked Stanton who was the young Lord who was arranged to be married to Eleanor. For a large portion of the book she disliked him immensely as she didn't know who to trust with all of her father's plotting and scheming. I thought she was rather hard on him considering all he did for her and he was so sweet sometimes! I'm glad Eleanor came to her senses eventually :P

The story itself was really interesting as it's based off of true events (although I can't say as to which parts are historical or fictional). I really loved all the jousting mentioned as I'm wierdly nerdy and love all the knightly stuff - Eleanor's own tilting escapades were really enjoyable to read about and I got such a fab Shero vibe as it reminded me of Kel from Protector of the Small who spent loads of time working on her tilting.

One thing that amused me was when the story moved to Bath, I won't say exactly how we end up there as it's spoilerish but I will say that I got a distinct Jane Austen vibe a la Persuasion during that part of the book. I know this is set during the Tudors and not the 19th Century Regency but it really felt like an Austen book with  the romance storylines taking centre stage in Bath of all places. If anyone else who has read this book got this vibe please tell me so I don't feel quite so nutty.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable read which has put me back into a historical fiction mood as I really want to get stuck into the mounds of Elizabeth Chadwick books I have hoarded away. The characters were all really interesting and the book flowed nicely. The mix of political intrigue and romance was balanced really well and it was generally an all-around good book.

My Rating: 4 out 5 Stars


At last I have done all the reviews I wanted to write for my March books, if anyone wants to know my thoughts on a book that I haven't reviewed then do take a look at the 2011 Reading List and leave me a comment about it.
LadyV

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Book Review - Lament

Evenin' all, this is gonna be rather an interesting review since most folk should know that when it comes to my YA Paranormal preferences, Faery books are pretty low on my list of favs. However this one was different...

Title: Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Date: 22/3/2011 PM
Source: Gifted by Jess
Description: Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old  faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .(Description taken from Amazon)


My Review
It has taken me quite a while to get round this book since I acquired it from the lovely Jess back in August and I actually tried to read Ballad last April cos I got confused about which book was first so that I managed to figure out which way up to hold the book is a miracle in itself :P


I'll own up to feeling slightly confused again when I started reading this because after the very cryptic prologue and how we were launched straight into Deirdre's meeting with Luke I had a hard time grasping when Dee was supposed to have dreamt about Luke (unless the prologue *was* her dream in which case it could have been a tad clearer). I also usually have slight quibbles with how quickly the girl seems to fall for the faery/half faery boy but this time it didn't bother me as much since Dee has enough sense to admit that it's kinda odd how much she's drawn to Luke when she barely knows him.


A big factor of what made me really like this book was Maggie's writing and the work she put into all the Faerie lore and Celtic influences. As with Shiver & Linger, Lament has such beautiful descriptions and it makes it a real pleasure to read. Add all the gorgeous Celtic songs and it creates a haunting atmosphere which is so perfect for the disturbingly ambiguous nature of faeries.


The other thing which also made me laugh and endeared the book to me was James. He's cute, funny and really cares about Dee like the poor best-friend-in-love that he is. He has some of the best lines in the book which really cracked me up. My fav moment with James is this -

 "I can show you some things he can't, as well." James let the shop door close behind him. "Lovely." James' attire was a bit strange- he had accessorised a t-shirt that read You: Off My Planet with an iron fireplace ash scoop, which he held over his shoulder like a rifle. The combination was oddly appropriate. (Pg 171)

 Seriously isn't that the *best* bit of description ever? I can literally see James strolling in looking all bad-ass with the ash scoop and it really tickles me. Kudos to Maggie for being so awesome with her character creation.


The story moved along rather nicely and the tension definitely racked up a bit leading up to the climax. I did really like the ending as everything was wrapped up neatly enough that it could stay as a stand-alone book although I'm still looking forward to picking up Ballad again. I know it features James more and since I love that boy it'll be sooner rather than later :P


For the normally anti-faerie person like me reading Lament was a refreshing experience with its fab combination of scrumptious writing, detailed lore and complex characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book although I don't think I could ever dislike anything Maggie Stiefvater writes cos that woman is just pure awesomeness.


My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


I technically started this review back on Thursday but it's taken me a pathetically long time to finish so apologies. Enjoy your Saturday night my lovelies!


LadyV

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Book Review - Temeraire

Disclaimer - I wrote this review early last week at a stupidly late hour so any incoherency is due to that fact.
I thought I should post something to bring some levity to the blog after my IMM post this morning.

Title: Temeraire
Author: Naomi Novik
Date: 21/3/2011 PM
Source: Bought
Description: Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.
When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire. (Description Taken from Goodreads)

My Review

I was intrigued enough by the mere premise of this series - dragons in the Napoleonic wars - to get the first book as soon as I could find a copy. As you start reading it you almost feel sad that it's historically-based fantasy and not purely historical fiction because heck knows *I* would have loved History lessons even more if it involved Dragons!

The whole mythology surrounding the origin and usage of dragons in warfare etc. is so well though out that it makes a hell of a lot of sense and fits really well with the time period. A century or so later and I reckon that even dragons would become outmoded and antiquated as the Industrial Revolution swept through Europe.

As far as characters are concerned there is a whole host of colourful persons in this book. I really liked Will Laurence for how well he stepped up to the task of handling a dragon despite having to give up his naval career. He's brave, smart and has an excellent moral compass especially when it comes to the treatment of dragons and not just his own. His sense of duty is strong enough that he'd risk offending his fellow aviators to ensure the well-being of the dragons he meets.


Speaking of dragons, Temeraire is possibly the most fascinating creature I've read about in a long time - he's fiercely intelligent, extremely quick at learning and far more articulate than any human can ever hope to be. I also believe that he has a pretty decent sense of humour as far as dragon humour must go :P. The mystery behind his origins was really intriguing and when all is revealed it's not wholly unexpected but still seriously cool nevertheless.


Overall it's a fabulous adventure and a most exciting start to what seems a very promising series and I can't wait to continue with it in the near future. I'm sure that warfare with dragons can only get more fascinating and Laurence and Temeraire still have lots to learn about being in the Corps with a long war ahead of them.


So if dragons are your thing or even just historical fiction then I really recommend giving this series a look-see as it's a fab mashup of two of my favourite genres.


My Rating: 4 out 5 Stars


I wouldn't usually post a review on a Sunday but I still am so backlogged with reviews and I'm not reading a whole lot at the moment (well I am but since I'm juggling several books I'm not finishing much) so I thought why not get this posted since I did technically write it on Tuesday or something but extenuating circumstances delayed my being able to type it up.


Has anyone else read this series? Let me know if you please...
LadyV

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Book Review - Where She Went

Good evening my dears, I would have liked to have done this review for yesterday but it is proving to be quite a difficult set of thoughts to pin down so apologies for any general vagueries and incoherency.

Title: Where She Went
Author: Gayle Forman
Date: 17/3/2011 PM
Source: Borrowed from Jess
Description: It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other. (Description taken from Goodreads)

My Review

When I read If I Stay last year I was utterly amazed at how one small book could be so beautifully moving in the face of its tragic subject matter. Needless to say I was desperately excited to read this book and leapt at the chance to borrow a finished copy before it's official release day (Which is today I believe - although I saw copies of it in a bookstore last week :S).

What I loved most about this book from the outset was having it from Adam's POV - I want to give that lad such a big hug it's unreal. Seeing how he has tried to protect himself from hurt in the three years since Mia left him does make him come across as a bit of a Rockstar Douche but you can feel how much pain he hides under that exterior and my heart really went out to him. I especially loved all the song lyrics at the start of certain chapters (I think it was the "present" ones).

Another thing I really like about Gayle's writing - besides how darn gorgeous it always is - is how wonderfully we drift from what's happening in the present with Adam and Mia back to memories of how things were before and after she left. I also really liked how the blanks between Where She Went and If I Stay get slowly filled in from Adam's side over the course of the book and you can begin to understand why Adam is the person he is at the start of the book.

Although I know that it was Mia who went through the incredibly harrowing experience of being in the car accident and all the long months of recovery after she woke up from her coma, I can't help but feel like Adam got a pretty raw deal too. He had to spend three years wondering why the girl he loved so much he couldn't bear to lose her, just left him without any sort of explanation. That was some major heart-stomping shit right there and it actually made me dislike Mia a bit (although I'll grant you her reasons for doing what she did are somewhat understandable).

The setting of New York for the present sections of the story really made me wish I could visit the city since I am kind of in love with the idea of pulling an all-nighter whilst wandering the streets of Manhattan as I'm sure there's endless amounts of cool stuff to see when the majority of the people have gone to sleep - although I won't deny that I'd probably be just a wee be terrified of what else may lurk in the dark :P

Overall I really enjoyed how Adam and Mia reconnected over this one night although it didn't move me to tears like If I Stay did (but that could have been down to my mood when I read it cos normally I'm a big baby and cry at everything :P) it was still a truly wonderful read and I highly recommend it. If you've not read If I Stay then seriously what have you been doing? Yes this review may have spoilered the ending but the existence of the book at all kind of does that as well so just get on and read it already!

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 Stars

*sigh* I am so glad I've got that done, it was one of those books that you kinda need review with some sense of eloquence and I find that really darn hard sometimes. If I pulled it off then hurrah, if not well I'm sorry but it's my thoughts either way.

Now if you'll excuse me I have some Supernatural to be watching

LadyV

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Book Review - Tortall and Other Lands

Evening Folks! Another review for y'all today since I'm on a bit of a roll with posting right now.

Title: Tortall and Other Lands
Author: Tamora Pierce
Date: 9/3/2011 AM
Source: Bought
Description: This collection of fantasy stories contains all the tales from Tamora Pierce's land of Tortall. In addition to pieces previously published in anthologies, Tortall & Other Land contains two new stories. The collection encompasses stories about characters both old and new. (Description taken from Goodreads)


My Review
Now normally I don't tend to read short story collections since they're often a bit hit & miss with me but obviously if Tamora Pierce has a collection of short stories then I am guaranteed to pick it up because I fangirl over Tammy's books. So in the interest of expediency I shall review each story in the collection in one sentence.


The Dragon's Tale - Loved this story! Kitten is the cutest baby dragon ever and being able to see through her eyes is so fab.


Elder Brother - An interesting look at what happened after Numair turned a mage into a tree and somewhere else a tree turned into a man. 


The Hidden Girl - A good moral but not my favourite story


Huntress - a genuinely creepy contemporary story with a fantastical element. 


Lost - Another fab story with an appearance from my favourite Tammy creatures - darkings! Gotta love those cute little buggers


Mimic - Interesting story about a peculiar lizard.


Nawat - I personally love the Trickster books and Nawat is one of my fav characters, in this story you get to see a very different and almost worryingly crow-like side of him as he struggles to cope with his new role as a father. 


Plain Magic - Amusing story about a girl whose village try to sacrifice her to a disgruntled dragon


Student of Ostriches - Story about the life of a character mentioned in an Alanna book. Liked it.


Testing - This was more autobiographical than fiction. But interesting nevertheless


Time of Proving - Very short and generally forgettable story. 


Overall I liked the collection although there were a couple of stories I didn't care for much. The stories I liked the most were the ones that featured characters or creatures I already knew and loved.


My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


Ok so this review took me longer than expected since it is apparently impossible for me to concentrate on my computer while I'm watching TV (I know it would be sensible to not have the tv on while writing reviews but I'm not a sensible person am I? :P)


LadyV

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