June Wrap Up

I feel like although I bought a disgusting amount of books this month the amount I read compensates for it..slightly.

1. Is it Wrong to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon? Volume One 4/5

This I really enjoyed but didn't have as much information as I would've wanted. The questions I have will most likely be answered in subsequent volumes though. The mythology in this novel suited me down to a tea, I really like how it humanised them. In fact it was entirely brilliant with regards to how the Gods were a part of the story. I'm excited to see where this goes.

2. Black Bird Volume One 3.5/5

Somewhat bizarre but I liked it nonetheless. It was fun to learn about the different clans of demons all after Misao. I enjoyed the story but in some parts felt a little uncomfortable, the relationship Kyo keeps trying to force was Misao was odd to say the least. A little 50 shades of grey at times. I understand it in relation to the story but still. Ew. I do intend to continue on with the series.

3. A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger 3/5

I've never read a Kody Kiplinger novel before but I would like to read more. It wasn't groundbreaking or insightful but I read it in one sitting. Her writing was so easy to follow and straightforward. Almost addicting.

4. The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

I'll be posting a review for this soon.

5. Tales from the Kingdom by Sarah Pinborough

I think Beauty was my favourite story from this collection but I enjoyed all of them. I will say be warned they are rather 'sexy'. Not for younger readers. The way she changed aspects of the traditional fairytales was brilliant. I really liked how certain characters spanned all three stories.

6. Tokyo Ghoul Volume 1-7

I'll have a review up for this series soon.

7. Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman 3.5/5

I regret not re-reading Seraphina before I started this one. I think I would've enjoyed and understood this more if I had done. It took me a while to get into this but once I did I couldn't put it down. I didn't see any of the twists coming that happened and the new characters that were introduced were brilliant.

8. The Wicked and the Divine Volume One: The Faust Act 3/5

The 3/5 is only for the artwork really, I didn't understand the story. It was so difficult to follow. The only part I enjoyed was Lucifer. Best character by far.

9. Saga Volume 5 5/5

Finally! Saga is back on track and even more fabulous. I loved how this volume went, what hours happened to the characters.

10. I Hate Fairyland Volume One: Madly Ever After 5/5

If you haven't read this yet then what are you doing?! Bright murderous colours. A creepy old woman  trapped in a childs body. Just read it.

Those are all the novels, manga and graphic novels that I read this month.

What did you read?

Katie x

June Manga Haul

So I've recently started reading Manga and I'm loving it. It's such a unique reading experience with some amazing stories.

1. Is it Wrong to try to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon? Volume One

Bell Cranell has just become an adventurer, someone who fights monsters in a dungeon to help pay for his Familia. People that are loyal to one particular God or Goddess. Unfortunately he's the only person in his Familia and is infatuated with a girl he thinks he can never have.

2. Noragami Volume One

Yato is a God without a shrine or really any worshippers. To fix this he's set up a service to help the people that need it in exchange for a small fee that he hopes you use to build his own temple.

3. Noragami Stray Stories

Short stories set in the Norogami universe.

4. Blue Exorcist Volume One

This is one of my absolute favourite Animes. To fill in the wait for the next season I figured I'd give the manga a go. Rin was adopted at a young age along with his brother by a group of priests who moonlight as exorcists. Banishing evil from the world. Turns out Rin is half demon, the son of Satan and he's either going to be a help or a rather large hinderance.

5. Deadman Wonderland Volume One

After being framed for his classmates murder Ganta Igarashi has been sent to the bizarre prison/themepark Deadman Wonderland. The inmates of this hell hole fight on a daily basis for survival and to entertain the public.

6. Demon Love Spell Volume One

Miko is a shrine maiden thats no good at banishing spirits. Enter Kagura, a demon that lives off women's passion and love leaving many a heartbreak in his wake. Mike has managed to seal his power but now he's after her!

7. Black Bird Volume One

Misao Harada can see demons. She's been able to for as long as she could remember and wishes for a normal life. One where she ins't an outcast. The only person who ever treated her normally was Kyo, her childhood friend who left. Now she's in high school and he returns in the nick of time to save her from a demon. Someone who wanted to eat her to gain her power for their clan. Turns out Misao is the bride of prophecy, and demons either want to eat her or marry her. Did I mention Kyo is a demon too, only he wants to marry her...

8. Tokyo Ghoul Volume 2-7

My favourite manga/anime. Its amazing. In a freak turn of events Ken Kaneki has become a half ghoul. The organs of the one who tried to eat him and now keeping his body alive and are making him hunger for human flesh. Feeling like he has no place in the world he asks the Ghoul of Anteiku for help. Chaos ensues.

Did you pick up any manga this month?

Katie x

June Graphic Novel Haul

My graphic novel collection has been growing at an alarming rate of late.

1. ODY-C Volume One: Off to Far Ithicaa

This has distinct Greek influences which I think is what drew me to it. It sounds amazing. Rather than Odysseus being a person it seems to be a ship that its crew are sailing back to Ithicaa on.

2. Rat Queens Volume Three: Demons

A group of badass ladies that drink and fight to their hearts content.

3. Daredevil Back in Black: Chinatown (1)

Daredevil has become one of my favourite characters in the Marvel Universe since watching the Netflix Original show. I figured it would probably be a good idea to read some more about him in preparation for season 3.

4. I Hate Fairyland Volume One: Madly Ever After

Think Orphan meets Sugar Rush Kingdom from Wreck it Ralph. Gert has been trapped in Fairyland for 30 years trapped in a 6 year olds body. That can make some people rather unhappy. Gert has gone on a rampage trying to finish this quest.

5. Wolf Volume one: Blood and Magic

Antoine Wolf is a reckless paranormal detective. The man with a death wish then has to cope with the responsibility of an orphaned teenage girl who might be the key to the impending apocalypse.

6. Paper Girls Volume One

Halloween 1988. Four girls on the cusp of Teenagehood deliver a story of the upmost importance.

7. Sex Criminals Volume One: One Weird Trick.

Two people meet who share a strange gift. When they have sex time literally stops. What could you do if time stopped but you kept moving?

8. Pretty Deadly Volume One: The Shrike

The story of the daughter of death.

What graphic novels did you get this month?

Katie x

June Book Haul

Working in a book store is both a blessing and a curse. Well, it's a curse for my TBR pile mountain.

1. John Dies at the End by David Wong

Basically Soy sauce is a drug in this world, there is an 'eye' and now I've touched this book I'm in the game. I know nothing about this book except its been something I look at over and over again. I think its the title that gets me. Either way I'm interested to see why soy sauce is now a drug.

2. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Earth is dying and a resolution is needed fast. Then its found, a planet hidden among the stars already terraformed and able to sustain life. However, humans aren't the first species to inhabit this planet, there was already someone there and they don't want to give up their planet.

3. A Thousand Nights by E.K Johnston

I'm pretty sure this has some links with Arabian Nights. When a King comes to the desert with the intention to take one girl as his next wife one of them will stop at nothing to save her sister even if it means sacrificing herself.

4. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird will forever be one of my favourite books. I simply adore it. In this novel we see Jean-Lousie (Scout) Finch as a grown woman. Originally this was the novel Lee attempted to publish but people wanted to hear about Scout's childhood instead.

5. Alice by Christina Henry

Alice isn't in wonderland anymore. She's in a hospital trying to remember what happened to her, why she's in hospital. All she can remember is a tea party, long ears and blood. A fire gives her the chance to escape this hell hole but as they say its from the frying pan and into the fire. Alice needs to go back to the Old City.

6. Slade House by David Mitchell

On one side of a high wall lies a narrow, dank alley; on the other, a sunlit garden; and between them, a small black iron door. This novel started out as a twitter story David Mitchell wrote in 2014 inhabiting the same world as the bone clock.

7. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark knows a lot of things, most of them don't seem all that useful. She doesn't know that she's about to lose her job nor does she know she's about to meet Will Traynor. A man whose desire to live has ebbed away ever since a motorcycle incident paralysed him.

8. Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

The book of before. Prior to the 'off with her head' the Queen of Hearts was a girl, a Princess. A Princess that longed for her fathers praise, the boy she loved but all that is jeopardised when a betrayal changes everything. The making of the Queen of Hearts.

9. Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

The second novel of the Great Library Series. No-one has original books anymore, the Great Library of Alexandria doesn't allow it. Anyone caught with an original book is to be punished, with extreme force. Jess Brightwell was a book smuggler, someone who carried books and delivered them. Basically like a mule, after all words can be as much a drug as anything else.

10. Red's Untold Tale by Wendy Toliver

Basically this is a story from the hit tv show Once Upon a Time telling 'Reds' (Little red riding hood) backstory.

11. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Maddy hasn't left her house in seventeen years. Olly is the guy next door and he's determined to find a way to reach her.

12. Stranger of Tempest by Tom Lloyd

I read the first page of this and knew I needed it. "For a damsel in distress, she was rather more spattered with someone else's blood than Lynx had expected. And naked. Very naked."

13. The Fall of Lucifer by Wendy Alec

A war between three angelic brothers for the human race.

14. The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson

A retelling of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.

15. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler.

A retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.

16. Shylock is my Name by Howard Jacobson

A retelling of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.

17. The Fireman by Jose Hill

A disease is spreading, it's name Dragonscale. Culminating is spontaneous human combustion.

What books did you get this month?

Katie x

Review: When We Collide by Emery Lord

Name: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Pages:337
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-1-4088-7008-2
Rating: 4/5

**I requested this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own**

Jonah Daniels lives in Verona cove and is trying to cope with the crushing weight of his Dad's passing. He and his older brother and sister have become default heads of the house now that his mother has locked herself in her room unable to cope. Vivi has come to Verona Cove with her mother and is charmed by everything it has to offer including a new beginning where the events of the past few months can be filed away, if only for a little time. Then their worlds collide and sparks fly.

I'm always interested to read books about mental illnesses/ emotional difficulties. Going into this novel I thought only one character struggled with this but I was very much mistaken. I liked reading about how these two characters interacted and helped each other with their struggles and make things worse in some cases. I related more to Jonah's side of the story having experienced loss for myself. I thought that grief in this book was handled very well. It showed an entire spectrum of how people deal with it. I also liked how the other mental illness was demonstrated (I won't mention what it actually was for slight spoilers) but I have no real experiences of it so I can't say whether it was accurate. The way Vivi was written and spoke really conveyed how hyper she could be.

The actual story was great. You could clearly see how each character progressed for the better and sometimes for the worse. I was very happy with how the novel ended, it felt like the right conclusion for this kind of story. Vivi to me, is the kind of person you meet but once in your life and you're never quite the same as a result.

While reading this novel you got to learn about untranslatable words which I'm now fascinated by. I love it when books have information like that. It adds to the entire reading experience.

I'd definitely recommend this for fans of All The Bright Places or Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Katie x

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Name: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 624
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 978-1-4088-5788-5
Rating: 5/5 (But let's be serious, there isn't a number high enough)

This is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. My review for the first book is here.

Sarah J. Maas is the queen of angsty love and apparently steamy romances. Oh my.

So this book virtually carries straight on from the first novel with Feyre struggling to come to terms with what happened Under the Mountain. Completely understandable. The novel from there takes a completely different direction but I couldn't be more happy with it. This was absolutely amazing. Looking back on the novel I feel that this instalment has even more Beauty and the Beast elements than the first one. Getting to see more of the different Courts in Pyrthian was so interesting.  They all sound so beautiful. The vastness of the land is unbelievable, I don't know how Sarah manages it.

Rhysand is my favourite. He's such a complex character. That is all.

The shape the story is taking really intrigues me. How the two lands come together in the novel is done so well. I'm so excited to see how everything plays out in the next novel(s). OH. The fight scenes and magic wielding is amazing. A good action scene makes me very happy and this book is full of them. FULL OF THEM.

Can we take a brief moment for this cover.... Thank you.

Have you read this? No? WHY THE HELL NOT?

Katie x


Now for the spoiler discussion.




** SPOLIERS**

**FINAL WARNING**

I was very much ready to throat punch Tamlin. How could he not see that Feyre was wasting away both physically and mentally before him? Because he treated her like a butterfly to delicate to do anything and nearly suffocated her. Enter Rhysand. The glorious, wonderful, complex Rhysand. I adore him and Feyre together. Feysand FTW.

Velaris. It sounds like such a beautiful place, I need to go but I can't which makes me so sad. Also the Summer Court sounds awesome. Even if they now hate the Night Court.

Rhys' inner circle is wonderful. Mor, I want her to be my best friend and I want Cassian and Azriel to be my older brothers. The new characters introduced were absolutely fantastic, I can't wait to read more about them.

How this book ended reminded me so much of the cliffhanger of Throne of Glass. We get this massive revelation and then have to wait..

Why so long?!

Anyway.

Tell me what you thought of A Court of Mist and Fury.

Review: The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig

Name: The Fire Sermon
Author: Francesca Haig
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Voyager
ISBN: 9780007563081
Rating: 4/5

Ever since the blast only twins were born. One perfect and pristine, the Alpha and one that had some form of deformity. Sometimes it isn't always visible, Cass knows this. She's an Omega, a seer. Someone who has visions. For years no-one could tell if Cass was the Omega or if her twin Zach was. Something that he resented massively and led him down a path of destruction.

This seemed to take an age to get going but once it did I was hooked. I stayed up until 1:30 to finish this. So worth it. The latter half of the novel was amazing. So action packed with so many twists and turns. I didn't cry but I was very close to doing so. The premise is amazing. I love the idea of only twins being born, so clever.

Cass is great. She's such a different character in comparison to the others in the novel. She has such a unique perspective. Its great how she isn't infallible even though she's a seer. We learn things as she does which makes the novel really enjoyable to read. Her relationship with Kip is adorable, they work together as a unit so well.

Have you read this?

Katie x

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Name: Passenger
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Pages: 486
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Quercus
ISBN: 978-1-78654-000-3
Rating: 4.5/5

Etta has been waiting for her violin debut for years and its finally just around the corner. However, in her warmup concert she's dragged into the world of time travellers, pirates and family feuds. Not exactly what she wanted to happen.

Read it. Quite simply read it.

I can't remember reading a book about time travel but I want to read all of them now! This has definitely whet my appetite for more time travel. I love the periods picked out to feature in the novel too, they're so cool! The way time travel worked in this book was really well explained too. It wasn't far fetched in the sense that it wasn't foolproof and there were always issues when travelling from one time to another. For example wearing clothes from that time.

I liked Etta as a character but she sometimes irritated me. I can't place my finger on why yet but something in the back of my mind keeps telling me theres an issue. I appreciated how driven she was whether it was about playing the violin or saving those she cares about. She's definitely wiling to do whats necessary. Her interactions with the other characters were some of my favourite scenes. Particularly when she came to the defence of Nick.

** "Oh my God, you are despicable!" Etta snarled.

"Careful, madam, blasphemy is still a sin -"

Even if Nicholas had been the gambling sort, he never would have wagered a single coin on her next words being "Then I guess I'll see you in hell!"**

Imagine me sat in a very quite room on holiday surrounded by pensioners quietly reading, then upon reading that bursting out in a cackle that would put Bellatrix Lestrange to shame. Yes. That happened.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was how quickly you were thrown into the action. With a lot of first novels in a series they take time to get into the crux of the story because there's so much information to tell the reader. This backstory was weaved throughout the novel which worked a lot better. No massive info dump.

Basically I'm horrified that I need to wait until until January 2017 to get the next book. I need it now.

Have you read this?

Katie x

May Wrap Up

Sorry this post is a little late! When I was due to write it I ended up super ill. I still had to work as normal so by the time I got home the only thing I wanted to do was sleep.

I didn't read many books last month but what I did read I really enjoyed.

1. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken.

I loved this so much. A real enjoyable read that kept me hooked. I'll have a review up for it soon.

2. Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig.

This had such a cool concept, I've never really read a book about twins. Especially not a fantasy one. I'll have a review up for it soon.

3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.

OMG.

4. When We Collided by Emery Lord.

This was such a cute book! I'll have a review up for it soon.

5. Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris 3.5/5

I enjoyed this but I didn't love it. I liked that Loki narrated his own rise and fall and his personality but for some reason I just struggled to want to read this. It wasn't a book that I couldn't put down. I tended to read a few pages then I'd get distracted.

Those are the books I read in May.

What did you read?

Katie x

May Book Haul

I was naughty. I know.

1. Overbite by Meg Cabot.

This is the second novel in Meg Cabot's Insatiable Duology. Mean has the ability to predict how everyone she meets will die. Then she meets Lucien, the guy who death she can't see. For the first time she can see herself having a future with someone but it doesn't exactly go to plan.

2. This Savage Song by V.E Schwab.

OMG. OMG. OMG. More V.E Schwab-y goodness. Kate and August are about to inherit a divided city and all the problems that come with monsters and humans trying to live together. Chaos ensues.

3. Unbecoming by Jenny Downham.

This sounds like a cross between contemporary and a thriller. Secrets to be revealed, forbidden romance and all the wonderfulness.

4. Keys to the Repository by Melissa de la Cruz.

A novella from the wonderful Blue Bloods Series. A vampire/ incarnate angel type breed of people are among the highest class in society and they're being hunted.

5. Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz.

The seventh novel in the Blue Bloods series.

6. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.

Book characters that carry on living once you put the book down. IT'S TOY STORY IN BOOK FORMAT.

7. The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

The Man Booker Prize winner of 2016. I know very little except a lady may turn into a tree?

8. The Last Star by Rick Yancey.

The last novel in The 5th Wave series. The others have invaded earth and are systematically wiping out the humans in a series of wave. The fourth has been and gone, the 5th is on its way but no-one knows what it is.

9.  A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.

This needs  no introduction.

10. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

A book that follows the sidekicks not the 'chosen one.'

11. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I pretty much know nothing about this novel except for it has a lot of Russian folklore in it and magic. Sold!

12. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater.

The fourth book in the Raven Cycle.

13. The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente.

Basically, my colleague placed this in my hands and said you need it.

14. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan.

Apollo has lost his powers and has been sent to live amongst the humans. With the help of the people in camp half blood he must try to regain his powers.

Those are all the books I bought in May!

What books did you get?

Katie x

Review: Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

Name: Dreamland
Author: Robert L. Anderson
Pages: 3332
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Hodder
ISBN: 978-1-473-62099-5
Rating: 4/5

Dea has been able to travel through peoples dreams since she was six. There are a few rules that must be obeyed when traveling through dreams, for example never visit the same person twice. Then Connor appears, a guy that makes her feel normal. One by one she starts breaking the rules her mother set out and the lines between the worlds begin to blur.

The main reason this didn't get 5/5 is because of the ending. After all the work and trials Dea had gone through to avoid something she completely flipped and voluntarily went for this option. I was not okay with the ending but everything that came before that was great!

 I loved how the dreamland was described. In fact I loved the majority of the writing in this novel.

Dea and Connors relationship was adorable. I didn't initially like Dea's mother, she was god awfully irritating. Distant when Dea needed her and then overbearing and controlling at other points. I was not a fan. But reading on you understand why she's like that.

The story was really interesting, I've not read many books based around dreams so this was a new venture for me. I also like how they weaved in a little look at mental illnesses, though it wasn't a focal point it was a nice touch.

Overall I enjoyed this. I just wish the ending wasn't such a cop out.

Katie x

Review: The High Lord by Trudi Canavan

Name: The High Lord
Author: Trudi Canavan
Pages: 642
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-962-8
Rating: 5/5

This is the third and final book in the Black Magician series so I shan't give a synopsis because spoilers.

This was definitely my favourite book of the trilogy. There was so much action, intrigue and even a little romance. It ended up taking a completely different direction to what I thought would happen and managed to shock me a further three times with subsequent events. I don't think a book has ever managed to surprise me so much. It helped that what I wanted to happen also happened.

Sonea turns into such a strong character in this novel. She doesn't take sh*t from anyone. Its great. She even puts the High Lord in his place which is so much fun to read about.

I liked seeing how the politics within the Guild worked when they were trying to sort out plans and missions for people. It really showed how imperfect they are which the lower classes needed to see. At least I wanted them to see that.

The ending of this novel had me in bits for both happy and sad reasons. Read it. You'll see what I mean.

Katie x

Review: The Novice by Trudi Canavan

Name: The Novice
Author: Trudi Canavan
Pages: 577
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-8419-961-1
Rating: 4.5/5

This is the second book in the Black Magician's trilogy so I won't give a synopsis because spoilers.

What I will say is that this novel took a dark turn, a very dark turn.

I liked how there were multiple plot lines going on in this novel with Rothen still at the college and Dannyl now an ambassador. We got to see more of the country and learn more about each part which I really enjoyed.

We started to see Sonea develop as a person too which was really interesting. After her change of rooms she matured as a person and dealt with Reign and his cronies for the most part. I'm loathe to mention to much about what actually happens in this novel for fear of giving away anything.

Akkarin also featured a lot more in this instalment, I'd been wanting to know more about him from the start.

I felt this overcame the second book slump very well. It didn't feel like a filler book, just natural progression.

Katie x

Review: The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan

Name: The Magician's Guild
Author: Trudi Canavan
Pages: 465
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-960-4
Rating: 4/5

**Synopsis taken from the back of the book**

 "Each year the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city streets of beggars, urchins and miscreants. Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no one can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as impenetrable as they believe.As the mob is herded from the city, Sonea, a young street girl, furious at the authorities' treatment of her family and friends, hurls a stone at the shield, putting all of her rage behind it. To the amazement of all who watch, there is a flash of blue light and the stone passes straight through the barrier and cracks a magican on the temple, rendering him unconscious.After five hundred years of order, the guild's worst fear has been realised - an untrained magician is loose on the streets. She must be found, and quickly, before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her, and the city that is her home." 

Having been told multiple times that I need to read these I finally picked up the first novel in the Black Magician trilogy. I was not disappointed. The world is so well developed and, if you forget about the magic, believable. Sonea is such a great character. I've heard a few people say that they aren't fond of her which admittedly I can see why. She's very naive in this first novel but you need to remember, she is a child. 

Rothen. The most awesome Magician ever. The way he looks after Sonea is adorable, she's like the daughter he never had. I like how he interacts with the other Magicians too, you can see the respect they have for him.

I felt the start of this novel was awfully slow. Sonea's hiding phase seemed to go on and on but once the story actually picked up pace I really liked how it played out. The emphasis on the hierarchy within Imardin was done very well too, if it annoyed me to no end how Reign managed to get away with so much. 

I went straight out to get the rest of the books in this series. 

Have you read this? 

Katie x 

April Wrap up

Considering I was travelling a the end of April I had a pretty damn good reading month. May hasn't be as successful up to now. I didn't end up reading as much as I thought I would on holiday.

1. The Fall of Icarus by Ovid. 3/5

I adore Greek and Roman culture so I really liked this but considering this excerpt it titled 'The Fall of Icarus' it didn't focus much on Icarus but Daedalus. I found it difficult to follow in some parts too. Greek literature tends to be rather 'waffly'.

2,3&4. The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan.

I have reviews coming for each book soon.

5. Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson.

I also have a review coming for this soon.

6. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. 4/5

I thought this was great after I realised that this novel follows two timelines. Now and then that track Lena's progress post Alex. I loved the turn that this novel took. It was great to see Lena in a position of power actually doing something. THE ENDING. I knew it had to happen.

7. Requiem by Lauren Oliver 4.5/5

I felt like this was a satisfying conclusion for the most part. The ending similarly to Dreamland (I'll talk more in my review) seemed to appear out of nowhere. I wanted to see what happened with Lena and the guy. However, romance notwithstanding the last lines were so damn powerful.

8. Lumberjanes Volume Three - A Terrible Plan by Stevenson, Watters & Nowak 3.5/5

THE ART STYLE CHANGED. TF. I liked the old one so much better, it fit this graphic series so much better. I also don't like how the group was split up for the majority of this trade. It focused more on a romance than them being a kicks group of friends. That being said I still liked the story, just not as much as I liked the previous ones.

What did you read in April?

Katie x

April Book Haul

Lets not focus on the fact I had to take two pictures for this haul, kay? Thanks.


1. Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard.

I adored Red Queen and Glass Sword so I needed to get this. Red Queen Review Glass Sword Review.

2.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

I don't know why I haven't read this series already. I know I'm going to love it.

3. The White Rose by Amy Ewing.

The concept of this sounds so interesting. A world where pregnancy is a death sentence. Thats all I really know. Colour me intrigued.

4. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken.

Time travel and pirates. What more do you need? I've already read this one too so I'll talk more about my thoughts in a review.

5. The Novice by Trudi Canavan.

As soon as I started reading The Magician's Guild I knew I'd need to get the others.

6. The High Lord by Trudi Canavan

^^ See previous

7. Tales from the Kingdoms by Sarah Pinborough

The stories of Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty retold.

8. Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney.

The second book in the Iron Witch trilogy. Its been years since I read the first one so I think I'll need to reread that.

9. Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

A really cool sounding middle grade adventure. Isabella has longed to travel to the foreign lands her father once mapped. When her best friend disappears she has the chance to do just that.

10. Half Lost by Sally Green.

I have been waiting for this! I read the other two books in this trilogy, they weren't amazing but they were enjoyable.

11. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

A graphic novel about the child of a radical Marxist and the great-granddaughter or Iran's last emperor.

12,13 & 14 The Internment Chronicles by Lauren Destefano.

So I bought the third book accidentally... But they sound great! It is forbidden to think about the world outside of the city. Morgan's brother gets to curious and does exactly that.

15. Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta

Nor turns seventeen and is entrusted with the secret of a freshwater spring hidden within the caves near her rural village. A responsibility that holds more than she first thought.

16. Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer.

Delilah manages to do what many of us want. She brought the Prince in her book to life.

What books did you get this month?

Katie x

Review: Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Name: Queen of the Tearling
Author: Erika Johansen
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books
ISBN: 978-0-857-50247-6
Rating: 4.5/5

Kelsea Glynn has been hidden away from everyone and everything. On her nineteenth birthday the soldiers came for her. They came to escort her to the palace. Her palace. At age nineteen Kelsea must take up the role of Queen, if she makes it to the palace before she's killed.

This is simply amazing. Kelsea isn't described as the typical beautiful heroine, instead she's quite plain which I think is brilliant. In comparison to women like Celaena Sardothien Kelsea stands out because she doesn't have her looks to fall back on. She can't fight particularly well either but she makes up for it with her wisdom and courage. She has the balls to do things that terrify the other male leads. She's so damn cool. The other characters around her are pretty awesome too. I like how Kelsea is literally surrounded by the burliest of men but still holds her own and puts the Mace in his place.

With regards to the plot I like how it played out and the subtle use of magic weaved into the plot. Truthfully, it's been a little while since I read this so my review isn't as in depth as it once would've been. I've been on holiday for three weeks with my family so I'm trying to catch up on all my posts. Wish me luck!

Katie x

Review: Firewalker by Josephine Angelini

Name: Firewalker
Author: Josephine Angelini
Pages: 335
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 978-1-44726085-1
Rating: 3.5/5

The second instalment of The Worldwalker trilogy. For a synopsis of the series click here.

I loved how this novel picked up from the last one and how it developed. It felt very organic. However, the ending just didn't seem right, in about ten pages we lost an important character and were randomly transported to a different place. It left the most irritating cliffhanger.

The character development in this was great though I felt some of the decisions that were made didn't reflect the characters. Particularly when Lily chose to confront the Sachem. Certain people were also forgiven far too quickly for my liking. If you've read Trial by Fire you know who I'm on about. Then there was the whole coming back to 'our' world. It seemed inevitable that they'd come back and also that they would return to Lilian's work but it was done in such a convoluted way.

I enjoyed this even if it was heartbreaking. It wasn't as good as the first instalment but still a good read.

Katie x

Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Name: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Pages: 412
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Tor
ISBN: 978-1-4472-8204-4
Rating: 5/5

Safi is a Truthwitch, able to sense when a person is lying, a form of magic many would kill to possess. Iseult is a Threadwitch able to see the Threads that bond, build and break. After a rather nasty encounter with a Bloodwitch the girls realise they must flee the city but not before Safi has to attend a ball. Being the Domna of the fon Hasstrel family has its obligations, but the ball throws in some complications for the girls.

Female friendships rock. Safi and Iseult have such a wonderful connection in the novel. They genuinely remind me of myself and my best friend Emily. (She would so be my Threadsister) Their interactions were hilarious. I also liked how different they were in looks, personality and back story! Even with the underlying plot they each have their own hurdles to overcome which really added to the novel as a whole.

Merik. Oh Merik. He's such an unfortunate soul. Having to deal with that heinous sister and a Threadbrother with breathing issues. I like how conflicted he was over everything, he struggled with doing the right thing for his people and being kind to Safi and Iseult. I'm always appreciative of a male character with flaws. Let's be serious no-one is perfect... but Merik comes close.

I thought the book was paced perfectly. Never a dull moment but it was easy to follow. The fight scenes were done brilliantly too. Very much enjoyed those. The world building is amazing. I need  to know how Susan Dennard came up with all the names and places. Its so dang cool!

Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone. Its fab. Just read it. Kay?

Katie x

Review: Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini

Name: Trial by Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Pages: 373
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 978-1-44726082-0
Rating: 4.5/5

Lily is allergic to everything. She's been restricted by her reactions and outcasted by her mothers psychotic ramblings. All she wants is to go to a party with her best friend Tristan and maybe just maybe he'll finally feel the same way about her. But its never that simple is it? After someone slips vodka in her drink Lily's reactions are exposed for all to see. Embarrassed and humiliated she wishes she could just disappear. She does.

This is one of those books that has been sitting on my shelf for far too long going unloved. Thank heavens for the TBR Jar of shame. I'm so happy I read this. It was slow to start which is why this isn't a 5 star review but I soon found myself wanting to get back to it, constantly thinking about the characters.

I adore Lily. I think she's so resilient, fun and caring. She's the one main character that doesn't have a flaw that really irritates me. I doubt this will ever happen again. I liked her interactions her the Tristan from her world, they were real and believable. Even if it meant that Tristan had to be a tool. I'm glad that the otherworld Tristan is a little nicer.

Rowan. Why is the character named Rowan always a gorgeous caring man that makes real world guys pale in comparison? Because authors are evil, thats why.

Story wise I liked how this flowed. It felt natural and enjoyable but a little slow in some parts. I love Lillian. As a 'villain' I think she's brilliant. Gideon however is a about as intimidating as a wet dishcloth. You don't really want to have to deal with it but if you have to, you will. In comparison so Carrick he really is a dishcloth. I feel like Carrick is going to end up being a greater villain just from how he acts. I don't like him. I don't like him at all.

Overall, I loved this.

Have you read Trial by Fire?

Katie x