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