I honestly didn’t get as much read in January as I would of liked.. but it was also a busy month for me personally, I did a big trip to London for my mums birthday right at the start of the year, I went back at the end for a few days for a concert and then I’ve been attempting to make real progress to get my room looking more normal after redoing it, plus getting ill smack bang in the middle! So yeah.. busy month. And because of that I did only get 4 books read! 4 is still pretty good in the grand scheme of things but I did have some books I wanted to get through (including ARCs) and unfortunately that didn’t happen. But alas, I’m looking to getting a bit more read in February. …Continue reading!
Book info ⭐ Name: Ink Blood Sister Scribe Author: Emma Törzs Release Date: May 30th 2023 Edition: UK Hardback Pages: 400 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Synopsis:
Joanna Kalotay lives alone in the woods of Vermont, the sole protector of a collection of rare books; books that will allow someone to walk through walls or turn water into wine. Books of magic.
Her estranged older sister Esther moves between countries and jobs, constantly changing, never staying anywhere longer than a year, desperate to avoid the deadly magic that killed her mother. Currently working on a research base in Antarctica, she has found love and perhaps a sort of happiness.
But when she finds spots of blood on the mirrors in the research base, she knows someone is coming for her, and that Joanna and her collection are in danger.
If they are to survive, she and Joanna must unravel the secrets their parents kept hidden from them – secrets that span centuries and continents, and could cost them their lives …
MY REVIEW;
I rated this book 4.5/5 stars!
When I give a book between 4.5 and 5 stars it means that not only did I get on massively with the writing but I also got on well with the story. For me a good book is one that I can really vibe with, one where the writing flows, the story doesn’t have to be the most original as long as it’s written in a way that keeps me engaged.. and this simply did. Once I started I found it difficult to put down.
Initially I thought we’d just be following the two sisters, Joanna and Esther, and their family but we actually got a third main character not shown in the synopsis but introduced very early on, Nicholas. The three main characters had very different lives from one another, whilst simultaneously having similar feelings from their lives, lives they hadn’t chosen for themselves.
Joanna was loyal to the cause, her love and desire to protect her fathers books meant she’d put a barrier between herself and the world. Esther was feisty and we find out throughout the book that her estrangement was nothing more than a desire to protect her family. And Nicholas and his story were much needed additions to the plot, his need to feel freedom whilst also being scared of the little experiences he’d had in the outside world wasn’t as black and white as initially thought.
Elements of the plot were easy to guess, but it was the writing that made me forget to even think about guessing throughout. It was engaging, it was vivid (although sometimes a little stagnant at points – hence knocking off half a star). The magic system was well thought out and easy to grasp, which considering my current dislike of urban fantasy, was a pleasant surprise. We had history and backstory when it was relevant and there wasn’t a huge amount of unnecessary info dumping.
I will say that this isn’t a fantasy heavy book, this book really focus’ on the characters and their interconnecting growth, it really dives into their isolation and how they all begin to overcome that. We see elements of magic, we learn about it’s relevance and it’s history but we don’t see a huge amount of it in use.. but to be fair I don’t think we needed to because the hyper focus on the characters themselves is done, in my opinion, very well.
I also enjoyed the fact there weren’t too many subplots thrown in for the hell of it. There’s a sprinkling of romance but it isn’t overwhelming. It was Esther’s romance however that felt more real and relevant and I’m glad the ending wrapped up what happened between that pair after Esther’s departure early on. Joanna and her partners attraction however could of either been completely left out, or should of been slower paced with an ambiguous ending, I would of preferred a ‘do they or don’t they’ ending for them than the very quick and sudden snap together they seemed to have.
Overall I just think the writing sold this book. Is the plot the most original? No, it’s honestly not. The main villain was easy enough to guess early on. But I got on so well with the writing that it didn’t matter that how much of the plot I could guess. Bits had me smiling, bits had me gripped, but most of all it had me wanting to carry on reading even when I needed to put it down! A very solid standalone, and for Törzs’ first novel, a very very strong start to her writing journey.
Book info ⭐ Name: Powerless Author: Lauren Roberts Release Date: January 30th 2023 Edition: UK Paperback Pages: 495 Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Synopsis:
She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.
The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.
Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.
When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.
MY REVIEW;
I rated this book 4/5 stars!
This was honestly a random pick up from my local WHSmiths, I had a book token that needed using so figured I’d have a browse. I didn’t know this was a TikTok hyped book, I just liked the sound of it. And I did actually really enjoy this story.
For a pretty chunky book there isn’t a huge amount of world building involved in the story, but I actually didn’t mind. I found the writing style and plot engaging enough that the lack of world building didn’t put me off. We did also have a map included in the standard paperback (not sure if they’re included elsewhere) which I found helpful to flick back to when we did get a new named location.
It did feel like typical YA writing.. but again, for me that helped with the flow of the whole thing. The world building, whilst on the sparse side was easy enough to follow, the magic system was simple but solid and the characters were honestly great. But the thing that this book did really really well was the tension. The tension was absolutely on point. Paedyn and Kai’s chemistry was brilliant. The teasing, the anger, the tension, the way they danced around each other was so good and was easily the best element of this book.
I’ve seen a few reviews (actually quite a lot 💀) that state this book has really bad editing, but if I’m being completely honest I must of been so engaged in the story that I really didn’t notice. Is it a perfectly written book? No.. it’s Roberts first time writing, I don’t expect it to be perfect.. but it was easy. It was an easy read for me. An easy, if not a tad long, fantasy read.
There’s a few plot holes, there’s a few world building issues, it’s trope heavy and has some pretty similar comparisons to other books but I still rated this book 4 stars because it made me completely forget my surroundings for a while. Which is always a sign of a decent read for me. Sometimes after a heavy fantasy you just need something easy almost as a palette cleanser.
My biggest issue with the story was the ending. I wished it’d played out slightly differently. I wish instead of Paedyn essentially having to go solo with her now facing off against the brothers that instead Kai had ran off with her. I think having the two brothers at loggerheads for the next book would of been intensive. But alas Kai is by his brothers side.. for now. I can see where the second book will go but I’m looking forward to it none the less.
I hope Roberts gets a decent set of editors for the sequel. I don’t think this series will ever be at the top of anyone’s lists.. it unfortunately does follow a very stereotypical YA fantasy route.. but I think Roberts has writing potential and with some issues ironed out it could be a solid debut series. Would I encourage people to rush into reading this book? No. But if you’re looking for something easy then I don’t think this is a bad book to turn to. And I will be keeping an eye out for the second book next year!
Book info ⭐ Name: The Book That Wouldn’t Burn Author: Mark Lawrence Release Date: May 1st 2023 Edition: UK Hardcover Pages: 576 Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Adult Fiction, Time Travel
Synopsis:
A boy has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.
A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.
The world has never even noticed them. That’s about to change.
Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.
MY REVIEW;
I rated this book 5/5 stars!
Wow. What a book. I was excited to read this book before I dived into it, sometimes you get a feeling, sometimes you just know you’ve picked up something special. I loved this book. I’m not someone that gets on well with the heaviness of adult fantasy/sci-fi but I didn’t want to put this book down, it’s a hefty piece but it had such a good balance throughout. The writing style just flowed, there was solid world building but there was never too much info dumping at once, the action kept coming and allowed the plot to constantly move forward. Sometimes you just find a book with writing you just completely connect with.. and this was 100% one of those cases.
“In you I see a spark like no other, and when you’re grown, I hope it will become such a light that it will show us a way out”
This book isn’t a quick read, it’s whimsical and eerie and complex and set over differing timelines. It’s a book that makes you think, it takes what you think you know and twists it completely.. and that’s the point. We live through our own lens and this book really drives home the fact that actually multiple lenses see the same thing completely differently. Our two main characters, Livira and Evar, actually have views and experiences that cross over but are actually seeing the world via two very different sides.
And my god the library, a literal world of its own, it was beautifully described.. the eerie-ness of it sparked both curiosity and caution. Something both our main characters were well aware of throughout. The beauty of getting lost among endless rooms of books whilst also being terrified of not being able to find a way back, a very real possibility and a very real reality for some unfortunate souls.
“Yute told me a great writer once said that fiction was easy – all you have to do is sit in front of a blank page and bleed”
I enjoyed both Livira and Evar’s POVs, the differing pace of their individual storylines just worked. It was made clear promptly when things had changed, there was a real threat of both of their timelines becoming tangled and unclear. But it wasn’t the case here. The time skips for Livira felt short and snappy but frankly we didn’t need more detail, we could tell she’d changed and matured whilst also maintaining that sense of curiosity and passion. Passion to answer the never ending list of questions she desperately wanted answers for.
And for Livira’s years it was simply days for Evar. Such an interesting concept and so well executed. Because despite it being mere days for Evar he’d still experienced such turmoil, yet despite what he’d seen, despite growing up with such limited contact he still remained caring. Those around him had tried to shape him and to an extent he had changed, but he was still their glue, he was still compassionate and protective. He was sharp and soft all the same.
“All of us steal our lives. A little here, a little there. Some of it given, most of it taken. We wear ourselves like a coat of many patches, fraying at the edges, in constant repair. While we shore up one belief, we let go another. We are the stories we tell to ourselves. Nothing more”
The twists.. they were incredible. I only really guessed 1-2 plot points, the rest were complete shocks. Even with the various clues dotted about throughout, the direction the book took just blew my mind. And when the cogs started fitting together in that last few chapters… just wow. I was shocked at just how many twists and turns there were and absolutely kicking myself for missing them, because this book does such a good job of trying to making you figure out one element that you completely brush past another.
There’s so much substance to this plot, there’s politics and war and relationships and timelines and it all felt relevant. All these little puzzle pieces, a 10000 piece puzzle and somehow by the end you’ve got most of them in place. But there’s just enough pieces that haven’t found their home that you want to carry on the story even with the first book now finished.
“You’re the one who taught me to look for connections. The key to any mystery is in the threads, however faint, that join its pieces“
I can’t wait to see what the second book brings. What adventures and wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff we get to explore next. It will be interesting to see how certain relationships develop and what revelations come out, we certainly got left with enough questions by the end of the book that need answering in the second.
(I totally haven’t already broken one of my blog goals of being consistent and of trying to post 2-3 times a week… nooooo…. not me… no way *sarcasm detected* I’m a failure at life 😂)
So just because I’m totally original and completely missed the prompt for a ‘top 5..’ something or other and because honestly I have no idea what to post at the moment I’m doing a ‘new and upcoming YA releases I’m just not bothered about’ post! *If anyone could tell me where this prompt came from originally that would be great so then I can credit the owner!*
This post is legit just going to be me rambling but I figured it’d be interesting to see what 2019 releases I’m genuinely not bothered about and why! I’m going to select 5 books.. which are relatively hyped/well known new and upcoming releases that I just can’t get aboard the hype train with!
New year new TBR’s. I’m kinda iffy about doing TBR’s because half the time I don’t stick to them but hey ho… I’ll never know unless I try right! Plus this year I do want to attempt to be a little more organised! I’ve lined up 4 books (one for each week) that I want to read this month… technically 2 of them haven’t arrived yet but they’ll be here soon so… 😂
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