She did it again! It’s too bad that I am on a review slump at the moment because that book deserves all the praise and I don’t know if I’ll be a6 stars
She did it again! It’s too bad that I am on a review slump at the moment because that book deserves all the praise and I don’t know if I’ll be able to achieve that.
I am a huge fan of Kate Quinn and this book has her signature all over: -perfect plot with twists delivered along the way; -historical background where you can feel that the author did extensive research; -well fleshed out characters with extremely distinctive voices; -precise and sharp writing that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let you go before the very end. Also if you are listening to the audiobook (with the excellent Saskia Maarleveld) I advise you to listen to the interview done by Kate and Saskia. It is extremely enlightening .
The Briar Club takes place in the US, in the fifties under McCarthy’s rule and the fear of everything that was communist. People lived under constant threat of being accused of communist sympathies. Everyone could report a neighbor or a colleague. People suspected could lose their job at best, face death sentence at worst. That atmosphere was very well done, and added a weight to the story.
When I was talking about doing her research, it’s because every detail of that period rang true: from the baking shows to the feminine baseball league to the recipes. I was totally immersed in that time following the lives of Briarwood House’s lodgers with fascination.
But what is the Briar Club? At its heart it’s about second chances, redemption and above all else, found family. I LOVED seeing these strangers becoming friends and family, slowly building bonds for life, all mainly thanks to Grace and her sun tea, listening ear and Thursday dinners.
Imagine a family of four, two kids with a big brother and little sister living in a big house. One day the dad leaves and the mother, a real dragon, decides to rent rooms to put butter on the bread. The son, Pete, is sad but he is a great kid and does everything he can at thirteen to be the man of the house and please his mother, all while supporting his little sister. The tenants coexist, just exchanging polite greeting in passing. But that’s about to change when a Mrs Grace March enters Briarwood House and accepts the smallest accommodation possible. Thanks to her nurturing side, she will become the glue to that bunch of women from all ages and origins, helping them to form strong friendships. Said friendships will be put to the test when a murder happens and decisions have to be made.
I told you that the characters are extremely well fleshed out so it’s time to talk about them. -Pete, the landlady’s son is thirteen at the beginning, all blushing when meeting beautiful Grace for the first time. Trying to please his awful mother and very protective of his little sister who was bullied because of a cross eye. Pete was a sweet boy and I relished in seeing him grow and bloom under the women’s kindness.
-Nora comes from an Irish family whose every man is a cop, often a dirty one. She escaped her family and dreams to become head archivist. Ironically, she will soon fall for a gangster when she had sworn to always walk the line.
-Reka is an Hungarian war refugee, former art teacher and was robbed of everything when she arrived in the US with her late husband. Bitter and desperate she will finally find solace in the others friendship. Her story was used to uncover some unsavory side of the war refugees “business” and what some of their sponsors did.
-Fliss was our perfect English rose, mother of a small children that she is raising alone as her husband is a war doctor, living away in Korea. Her side of the story places the spotlight on the difficulties of being a perfect mother and raising a child alone while you dream of still doing the job you loved. I also appreciated the cameo to the Rose Code (my favorite Kate Quinn’s book) as Fliss is Beth’s niece!
-Then we will learn all about the women’s baseball league thanks to Bea, a very determined and independent young woman who desperately wants to live her dream even if her injury makes it all but impossible.
-Clare is a survivor and a morally grey character. She is the one you’ll warm up very slowly as she doesn’t have a lot of scruples. She is determined to reach her goal to own a house, whatever the means to reach that goal, until someone derails her future and forces her to reconsider what’s truly important.
-The last POV is Grace’s. Caring, warm and mysterious Grace. I won’t tell much about her as I don’t want to spoil the fun but Grace is truly someone incredible. You could say Kate Quinn kept the best for the end.
Just WOW! Can you convince others to read a book with only « Just WOW »? Probably not but it remains true t6 stars
When evil is sexy…
HOW I LOVED IT!!!!
Just WOW! Can you convince others to read a book with only « Just WOW »? Probably not but it remains true that this book is wow!
Long Live Evil will be in my top five by the end of the year!
I know I will have an awful time writing a coherent review because I loved that book so much that I feel like a boiling cauldron where everything wants to leak out at once!
It’s a story like none other! A one of a kind! It’s a story where the villains take the floor and evil twins talk in your stead. It’s wicked and gleeful! Amoral and funny like heck!
One of the many proofs that I absolutely adored that book: it has more tabulations and annotations than any book I have read these last months! When the synopsis says “The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners” that’s absolutely true! The banter or just Rae’s inner monologues were so funny and sarcastic that I was cackling! I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy and make TONS of graphics and add lots of quotes on Goodreads!
Long Live Evil strangely reminded me of Yellowface by RF Kuang because this was also a parody and sometimes a jubilant satire, of stories, books and characters. Sarah Rees Brennan dissected plots, characters arcs, characters building and worlds creation with sharp wits and a keen sense of self-deprecation. All to give us a mirthful tale where desperate characters embrace their inner villains to save what’s most dear to them, wanting to alter fate but ending up with an unexpected boon. Or is it truly?
What’s certain is that I will read the sequel and will now read Sarah Rees Brennan’s backlist!
To say I was apprehensive to read The Women would be an understatement. My first book by Kristin Hannah was The Nightingale and Audiobook Review
6 stars
To say I was apprehensive to read The Women would be an understatement. My first book by Kristin Hannah was The Nightingale and I absolutely loved it! Then I read Firefly Lane and that book destroyed me. Fourth Wind was too much for me. Too gloomy, hopeless and dark. I never finished the book.
And when, after having read about 30% of The Women and loving it so far I learned that there would be addiction, one of my biggest triggers because of friends having been addicted, I feared the worst.
But I read Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s story with passion.
That book is divided into several “parts”. The first is about Frankie being shipped in Vietnam as a naïve girl. She will be for a rude awakening and I think that Kristin Hannah did an amazing job describing nurses working on the field, till they couldn’t stand on their feet, with ears ringing for hours after an attack. That part was intense, angsty but also with moments of joy thanks to the sisterhood Frankie found with Ethel and Barb. There was romance too.
The second part was Frankie coming back home. And something I never realized about Vietnam war, probably because we don’t talk about it a lot in our European schoolbooks, was that Americans were ashamed of that war. And when Frankie was back, after having saved lives and risked her own life, people would spit on her! Call her a baby killer! Her own parents were ashamed and she couldn’t talk about it. Even worse, people didn’t believe women went to Vietnam.
Can you imagine the devastation of coming back from a brutal war and being shamed for what you did. No one to listen to your trauma?
Well it went as well as you can imagine. The lack of support for veterans was astounding, even more for women whom no one believed went to war and if they did, they didn’t see the women as “true” veterans as they never “saw” combat. That “after the war” was devastating. “At twenty-five, Frankie moved with the kind of caution that came with age; she was constantly on guard, aware that something bad could happen at any moment. She trusted neither the ground beneath her feet nor the sky above her head. Since coming home from war, she had learned how fragile she was, how easily upended her emotions could be.”
And so, after hitting rock bottom thanks to PTSD, the third part will all be about healing.
I won’t go into specifics but I want to say three things: -First, the most important, Franke is a hell of a girl! She is real, she has flaws and she has courage. She had an incredible growth and I love Frankie. -Second: I want to punch Ryan so bad! -Third: the sisterhood is amazing. If you have watched Band of Brothers well, you could call that book Band of Sisters. “Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.”
It was harsh, hard, real. I cried so many times at the unfairness of it all. But it was also hopeful.
My only complaint: I think Frankie deserved an epilogue. For once Mrs Hannah… ...more
The plot in a nutshell: Salama Kassab had just finished her first year as a pharmacy student when the revAll the stars, all the tears and all the rage.
The plot in a nutshell: Salama Kassab had just finished her first year as a pharmacy student when the revolution began in Syria. Her father and brother were soon imprisoned, tortured somewhere. Her mother died in a bombing. And now, every day, Salama goes working at the hospital, learning to practice surgery, sew wounds, with barely any medicine available and on an empty stomach. Syria is her home, she wants to fight for it, she wants to stay. But dealing with PTSD, her fear has taken a life of its own, materializing a man, Khawf, who is pushing Salama to flee Syria and take with her Layla, her pregnant sister in law and best friend. Salama is torn between her duty to her country and her promise to her brother to protect Layla. Meeting Keenan, a young man that she was fated to meet does not help her to leave everything behind, even if the living conditions are appalling and danger everywhere.
It’s not customary for me but I will use part of the author’s review to build my own.
First, Zoulfa Kathou said: “ Even though everything written in the book has been documented and reported on the news and the internet for more than ten years, not a lot of people know what's going on. Which is why I wanted to make it into a story. In the end, that's what human life is; stories.” This is exactly what that book did for me: open my eyes! Of course I had heard of the Syrian revolution alongside the Arab Spring in 2011 but I had no idea what truly hid behind these words! To me, it happened to Syrian people. When you listen to it on the news, they are a mass of faceless individuals. You vaguely get that it’s tragic but… And then, your read that book. And it’s like a sucker punch. Because you see individuals. You follow some characters. And what happens to them, happens to you while reading. This is why words matter. Why stories are so important.
Then Zoulfa also said: “It's going to be a difficult book to read. Hopefully, you'll cry, but at times you will laugh, you will awww and if I'm really lucky, you'll throw it against the wall. If you do do that, drop me a message and tell me because then I would know I have done good. That I wrote a good book that gave you strong feelings.” And I can assure you that I felt EVERYTHING! I couldn’t stop crying big fat tears, sobbing even, when I was listening to it in my car or on my walks. And it was so much that I wanted to stop. Stop listening, stop being destroyed. And yet, I couldn’t. Because if we don’t listen to the stories, if we avert our gaze, things will never change. I was so afraid of what could happen as it was horror after horror, ordeal after ordeal, shocking revelations that left my head spinning that I had to peek at the last pages. Something I haven’t done in many years. But I HAD to know, to prepare myself mentally.
And lastly, Zoulfa wrote: “ But in the end, ultimately, I hope you close this book with a newfound sense of hope. With a fire burning in your heart that 'yes, I will change the world' because this world is waiting for you.” And somehow I saw the hope in the book but that was the hardest part for me: to grab onto that hope and not let go. What is certain too is that I’ll never look at refugee the same. I know the question of immigration is a complex one but this book sure did peel some of its layers to me!
I also have to add that Rasha Zamamiri did an extraordinary job narrating that book.
If you want to learn about Syrian revolution, if you want to learn about refugees, if you are not afraid to have your soul crushed, please read this book. But have a truckload of tissues at the ready. ...more
I discovered Jackaby series quite late but on the plus side, was able to gobble all four bAudiobook Review
5 stars
Narrator: the excellent Nicola Barber
I discovered Jackaby series quite late but on the plus side, was able to gobble all four books in one go! I was so happy when I learned that William Ritter would make another book set in Jackaby’s universe: the paranormal town of New Fiddleham, New England!
Of course now that Jackaby lost his magical ability, his sight, in such dramatic fashion (you have to read the previous books to understand) just for it to be gifted to Abigail Rook, his assistant, William Ritter had to make it about Abigail!
It’s quite the role reversal as now Jackaby is, if not her assistant, her associate! It’s him now that will have to rely on his brain only to help Rook solve the crimes! And I must confess that he is not as gifted as Abigail was… But then Abigail is not as handy as he was at using her sight to solve mysteries and catch villains either! This is all mayhem and messy but at least Abigail is giving it her all!
I loved listening to Nicola Barber’s impeccable and very expressive narration of that story full of humor, bravery, mysteries and dangers!
People of New Fiddleham are disappearing, paranormal people that is, and Abigail is still learning to master the Sight, distinguishing auras, guessing who is lying and following trails. But she’ll do it with gusto, helped somewhat clumsily by Jackaby who also has to find his baring and by the ever loving Charlie and the devoted Jenny, the ghost. I read someone comparing these to the Scooby Doo gang and they are spot on! And when her parents suddenly knock at her doorstep, matters get even more complicated as Abigail does not intend telling them the truth! What follows felt like a Vaudeville and was delightful!
What I love above all else is that William Ritter stayed true to that universe. I found the same mix of candor, humor and quirkiness in that book that I had in the previous ones. And that’s a feat!
If you loved Jackaby you are going to adore Rook!
And if you have never read or listened to that series but fancy a cozy, roguish and funny paranormal mystery, go for it, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
I hope we’ll get other books in that series! ...more
Well this was fun but I feel robbed as I thought this would be a standalone! Now I have to wait for the sequel because of thaAudiobook review
4,5 stars
Well this was fun but I feel robbed as I thought this would be a standalone! Now I have to wait for the sequel because of that huge cliffhanger!
You have the “grumpy (the Villain): “sunshine” (Evie) trope and literally “the villain gets the girl trope”! And let’s not forget that this is a villain’s origin story and not in the way you would think of but, no spoiler!
Evie is trying to have a positive attitude in life. If life has given her an unfair share of lemons she is still trying to make lemonade! Her mother left home in dramatic circumstances and her father is gravely ill, leaving Evie with no other option than find employment to support her father and her little sister. Finding employment or rather decent employment is not easy and her last experience left a very bad taste! But when she literally stumbles (in Evie’s fashion) on someone hiding in the forest, menacing him with a knife, she does not expect to end up with a job offer! And yet, the greatest enemy of the kingdom, the Villain, is looking for an assistant and he thinks Evie is the perfect candidate. That’s how Evie ends up in his castle, managing a pool of interns, secretly sweetening her boss’s brew, trying to mellow the boss when he is in a mood and avoid walking on rolling eyeballs on the floor.
All would be well in her world if someone didn’t try to sabotage her boss’s work!
This is more of a tale’s satire than anything else. It’s funny and kind of dark but with a weird levity. I listened to it in record time, truly enjoying Evie’s adventure in the Villain’s world. Evil is hiring indeed!
Cherry on top: Evie is an extremely loveable female character. She is clumsy, naïve but smart and she has a heart of gold. She also is mischievous and loves laughing. Extremely witty, she won’t hesitate to banter with the formidable Villain. Giving the reader a real comedic show in the process.
I’ll be reading the sequel that’s a certainty! ...more
This sequel is as good as the first book and I need the third one already!
In this second instalment, weAudiobook review
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
5 stars
This sequel is as good as the first book and I need the third one already!
In this second instalment, we follow Winnie after she has passed her trials to become a hunter. Her family is back in the good graces of the luminaries and hes rejoined the Wednesday ranks. Winnie should be over the moon and yet, she is torn. She discovers that she loves being in the forest and that she does not want to kill all nightmares. Some like the werewolf do deserve to live in her opinion but then, where does that leave her with her loyalties? She is also deeply unsettled as the whole town is dead set on catching and killing the werewolf but Winnie knows the wolf is not evil. She knows it’s a new kind of nightmare “the whisperer” that is killing hunters but no one else has seen the “whisperer” and no one believe Winnie.
The only person that can help Winnie is Jay Friday. But even with Jay, she can’t tell him that she is also following the clues left by her father to find who is truly a Diana and who framed him!
This story confirmed two of my theories (that I won’t give as I don’t want to spoil your read) and I was very happy to know that I have been right all along!
It’s still shrouded in mystery and the nightmares, seen through Winnie’s eyes are strangely alluring. There was a melancholy seeping from the pages of that book that I found perfect for this time of the year.
Winnie is also a complex character, all in nuances and her being uncertain about where her loyalties lie made her even more interesting to follow.
It’s a perfect blend of character driven and plot driven story with still tons of questions unanswered at the end of the sequel. I recommend that series for lover of darker reads with morally grey characters, mystery, great lore and original world building. ...more
5 very enthusiastic stars! It will be in my top books of the year!
It’s been one of the best fantasy YA that I have read in the last months!
The opening5 very enthusiastic stars! It will be in my top books of the year!
It’s been one of the best fantasy YA that I have read in the last months!
The opening had me falling head over heels into the book with quotes like :”The Bonewood Trial had begun.” Because there is nothing more that I like than a competition in a book!
We begin with Wren, who is a bonesmith (someone having magic working on bones) and wants to become a Valkyr. A Valkyr is a warrior fighting ghosts and undead. They are usually paired up with a Reapyr, harvesting the soul of the dead. "death is as certain as the dawn, and just as a new day will come, so too will the new dead rise. ... and we will be there. so the living may thrive, and the dead may rest in peace."
To become a Valkyr, for which she has trained the last ten years, you have to succeed in the Bonewood Trial. But Wren doesn’t just want to succeed, she wants to be the best! And to finally earn her father and grandmother’s approval. Glory, here she comes! Yet instead of winning, she’ll fail spectacularly because of a betrayal!
And as such, she’ll be cast away, sent in a faraway fort guarding the Wall.
Fear not because action will find Wren when a prince is captured and taken beyond the Wall! Wren will dive head first after him, allying by necessity with an Ironsmith (he is the enemy and their kind was rumored to have disappeared).
Both will face countless dangers, lots of undead and revenants, a corpse queen. They’ll nearly die several times and some shocking truths will come up as well as even greater betrayals!
That story is incredible because it has:
-an amazing world building. With bone magic, iron magic, ghost magic etc. Lots of revenants and undead people you have to defeat in creative ways and much more. It’s very eerie and creepy; -non stop action! Wren is very reckless and she tumbles into danger and traps all the time, saving her skin just at the last moment; -a cocky heroine. I love cocky heroines! Even better when they are quite reckless because I know that I am in for a good banter and lots of adventures! -a broody (sexy) enemy turned ally; -a found family trope thanks to what will become a band of misfits; -lots of twists and betrayals, even if I had predicted some of the twists but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment; -secret identities and new power reveals; -and of course a cliffhanger as this is supposed to be a duology.
Trust me, if your like fantasy books with a big dose of eeriness, lots of action, a cocky female character, and enemies to lovers trope, you have found your next best read! Just give me the sequel already!
First, I’d like to say that if I adored Serpent & Dove I hated Blood & Honey, so much that I still haven’t read the last of the trilogy! BUT Wi4,5 stars
First, I’d like to say that if I adored Serpent & Dove I hated Blood & Honey, so much that I still haven’t read the last of the trilogy! BUT With the Scarlet Veil, Shelby Mahurin convinced me to give Gods & Monsters a chance because I adored The Scarlet Veil!
The Scarlet Veil is a great mix of mystery, some gore, budding romance, action and self growth. It has a dark and eerie atmosphere paired with a strong yet underestimated female lead.
I love that Célie Tremblay seems unassuming to everyone but will prove more astute and resourceful than even the Chasseurs (huntsmen). She will have a tremendous growth even if it’s under extremely dramatic circumstances!
After the war and having helped defeat Morgane Leblanc, Célie Tremblay decided to become the first huntswoman. Her fiancé, Jean-Luc, the captain of les Chasseurs is determined to keep her safe and considers Célie like a pretty doll. And that INFURIATED me! Granted, she was not handy with a ballasarde not was she very strong. But I detest when men underestimate women. And Célie had a great mind paired with good instinct. I think brain is worth more than muscles. She also had tons of compassion and not every problem can be solved in confrontation. Some honey will lead you way farther than vinegar!
So I was not surprised at all when Célie decided to investigate the brutal murders leaving people of Belterra exsanguinated on her own. In the process, she’ll soon become captive of Michal, the king of vampires also known as Les Eternels.
Célie had no idea vampires existed and that will come as a shock but she’ll hold her own! Never backing down and I loved her defiance! Michal is a very compelling character, always playing between light and dark border. He has killed to survive yet spare Célie’s life. Not hiding the brutality and sensuality of vampires, he’ll show a lot of restraint with Célie and above all else, will allow her to make her own choices! That was way better than her stuffing fiancé!
While at the hand of the vampires, Célie will also discover stranger powers she had no idea she possessed!
Thrown into a dangerous yet fascinating world, Célie will have to face her demons and find new allies yet never knowing whom to totally trust.
Mystery, action, twists, betrayals and romance that book has a lot to please fantasy fans. The male interest is also morally gray which is a perk! and I really need the sequel now as it ends on a huge cliffhanger and dramatic peak! ...more
The overall tone of this sequel is tense with a sense of urgency and desperation mixed with a swoon worthy romance.4,5 stars for a very worthy sequel.
The overall tone of this sequel is tense with a sense of urgency and desperation mixed with a swoon worthy romance. And it’s just perfect for the story as war is upon Iris and Roman, our rivals turned lovers.
The story opens just where Divine Rivals ended. Iris is back in Oath thanks to her brother, not knowing if Roman survived the bombing. She is shrouded in sadness and is experiencing PTSD like every soldier back from war. Roman is waking up, healed by Dacre but his memory has been whipped. Who was he? What was his name? How did he come to be with Dacre and his soldiers?
This was a stressful opening for me as I wondered how long Roman would suffer from amnesia!
But what I really loved was to get back the old letters exchange! Even without remembering Iris, thanks to the Alouette typewriters, Iris and Roman will soon correspond again. It was like fated mates. They were just destined to fall in love reading each other words. Talk about swoon worthy!
I don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’ll just tell you what you’ll find in this book:
-action and suspense. Iris and Roman have to find a way to defeat Dacre and they’ll go to very perilous moves in the process;
-new beloved side characters. Tobbias is a pilot taking part in car races and doubles up as a driver for Iris and Attie when they go report about the war again. He’ll soon become a friend and the reason they escape great perils;
-betrayals. Not just from Roman trying to beat Dacre at his game but from other characters too.
-sacrifices. This is war and people die. I will just say that Rebecca Ross made me cry and I’ll leave it at that.
-courage. As Attie said, it’s when things become desperate and you are offered a choice that who you are at your core is revealed.
-ROMANCE (in capital letters). I know we are not supposed to quote from advanced reading copies (#sorrynotsorry) so maybe the following quote has been altered in the final copy but when Roman says: “I know we are no longer rivals, but if we are keeping tally like the old days, you have far outshined* me with your wit and your courage. Which reminds me of one simple thing: how I love to lose to you. How I love to read your words and hear the thoughts that sharpen your mind. And how I would love to be on my knees before you now, surrendering to you and you alone.” Well I am swooning and melting. Iris and Roman’s love story is one that readers will remember for a long time!
To sum it up, I think this is a perfect sequel and a brilliant duology mixing war and romance, fantasy and mythology, threat and hope served by an excellent cast of main and side characters.
Thank you so much Harper Collins for allowing me to read that advanced reading copy! ...more
I received a free book from @PRHInternational and I was so excited to read that book! I love Ali Hazelwood’s books and I was very curious to 4,5 stars
I received a free book from @PRHInternational and I was so excited to read that book! I love Ali Hazelwood’s books and I was very curious to try her first young adult story!
She certainly didn’t disappoint!
I read that book in record time and had tons of fun!
Honestly one of the biggest perks of the book is the banter, especially Mallory’s siblings! But I digress…
What’s Check & Mate about?
It’s the story of Mallory who has renounced her dream of playing chess four years ago after something happened with her father. Until that day, she breathed chess , ate chess and dreamt of it. But after something happened (we won’t know what before a long time), Mallory stopped playing and with her dad out of the picture and her mom suffering from chronic illness, Mallory is now the sole provider for her mom and two younger sisters. She would have kept on living from menial jobs, struggling to make ends meet if not for her best friend Easton who signed her for a chess competition for charity. There she’ll beat the world champion, Ronan Sawyer, to everyone’s astonishment!
What will follow will be Mallory being recruited to play chess and a slow burn romance with dark and broody Sawyer!
Read that book if you love:
-competitions and underdogs. Obviously we’ll have several chess competitions and Mallory having no rating she was the underdog. I loved seeing her kicking behinds (metaphorically) and being the first astonished as she felt like a fraud!
-siblings interaction and great banter. I swear Darcy and Sabrina, Mallory’s youngest sisters are she devils but so funny!!!! I laughed so many time at their banter! This is an uncorrected proof but here is a sample of said banter, when Darcy (twelve) is talking to Mallory: “You should stop swearing in front of twelve-year-olds. Mrs. Vitelli says that my brain’s still all squishy. I’ll probably end up in juvie if you swear just once more.” Also regarding her siblings and their antics, Mallory is declaring “Mom says it’s puberty. I lean toward demonic possession, but who knows?”
-smart, selfless and courageous heroine Mallory is really thinking about everyone but herself. She works hard to provide for her family as her mom is unable to do it. And that’s not easy every day, especially when her sisters whine and complain, not seeing all she has sacrificed. Mallory is also exceptionally smart and I loved seeing her play chess, witnessing how her brain worked, never resting, always building chess strategies!
-dark and broody hero “who falls first”. Sawyer has a reputation! “Everyone in the community knows that Nolan Sawyer is a terrible, moody, ill-tempered ball of toxic masculinity. That he’s the poorest loser in the history of chess. In the history of any sport. In the history of history. Which, because he just lost against me, is possibly going to develop into a problem.” Yet with Mallory he’ll always be respectful and even admirative! He retained his mystery for a very long time in the book but we felt that he had feelings for Mallory. Even better, it’s a “he fell first” trope!
-slow burn romance between rivals to lovers. The relationship between Mallory and Sawyer evolves slowly and organically. From rivals to allies, friends and…more!
As you can see, I truly enjoyed that story and I can’t wait to get Ali’s next book because I adore her brand of romance!
Thank you so much for the free book PRH International!
Can you take a half star off because the author made a choice in her story that you don’t like? Well, I just did and it has to do with then ending and no, I won’t say more as I promised no spoiler!
Did I love this book that I awaited with great expectations? Absolutely! Did I love it as much as I loved Fourth Wing? Nearly. I have two complaints, one being Rebecca’s choice (see above) and that at some point it felt repetitive. And I have no idea why as this book is packed with nonstop action and lots of drama!
What I loved: -we are back at Basgiath (and it wasn’t a guarantee based on Fourth Wing’s ending); -the year will be brutal because, as the synopsis is saying, we have a new vice commandant and he is a real sadist. He also will target Violet a lot and be warned that at one point she’ll go through something unbearable! -Violet has still an iron will and an incredible tolerance for pain; -a surprise with the dragons and especially with an adolescent Andarna. And no, this isn’t a spoiler as Rebecca talked about it in an interview. And an adolescent dragon has the same attitude as an adolescent human so that was very fun to follow! Also know that there are a few twists with Andarna but again, I am not saying more. -Tairn! I adore that grumpy and formidable dragon! -the friendship as Fourth Wing is a tight unit and all these would die for their friends! It’s more than friendship, it’s found family really. -the “quest” and I won’t explain more about it, no spoiler remember? Just know that it will be like a puzzle that Violet will go to great length to solve. Also she will flounder a lot! -the action. There is always something happening! -that Rebecca used smut as a side dish and not as the main course! THANK YOU for not turning into Jennifer L Armentrout! Thank you for giving us very spicy scenes but in small doses compared to the plot! Please keep doing that till the end of the series!
What I didn’t love as much: -the romance. This will seem very contradictory because on the one end, it’s great to see Xaden so smitten with Violet and ready to sacrifice the world (like the villains do). But on the other hand, it didn’t have the angst that we obviously got when we are in the “enemies to lovers stage”. Also there were some very frustrating arguments between them and Xaden if willing to grovel and be more transparent was not ready to be transparent about everything and that was frustrating. -that Violet made all the wrong choices compared to Fourth Wing. I guess it’s called growing up but that was painful nonetheless. -a big plot twist that was hard to believe. Honestly, it was too extreme for me. Not telling more. -the length or rather that at some point it felt repetitive, maybe the failure felt repetitive, and I can’t exactly pinpoint what made me feel like that; -as I said about, a choice Rebecca made for the ending.
That being said, with the enormous pressure Rebecca was under and considering it’s a second book, I think it’s mission accomplished and it was a very good second book! I know that I can’t wait for book three. ...more
I loved it! Even if this is more a “setting the scene” book for the whole series to come than “stand on its own” book. Why? Because the relations5 stars
I loved it! Even if this is more a “setting the scene” book for the whole series to come than “stand on its own” book. Why? Because the relationships between the protagonists are just at their beginning and because we still don’t have enough information to know who the real villain is. But what a “setting of the scene” that is!
Many complain about the info dump but I loved that part. I read slowly because I wanted to absorb that new world, its colors, smells, intricacies. I loved discovering that rich world, its people, the city of Castellane, the Ashkar, enclosed behind walls that reminded me a lot of Jewish getho, the loss of complex magic, … That worldbuilding is intricate, the politics are complex and given the current world circumstances I wouldn’t be astonished if some witch hunt will ensue for Cassandra Clare even if she wrote it long ago. In that new world, we learn that the Sundering had destroyed all magic except small spells and the talismans of gematry, the ancestral magic of the Ashkars. “Because of that, Lin’s people were hated and envied in equal measure. Because of that, special laws applied to them. Because of that, they were not allowed out of the Sault, the walled community in which they were required to live, once the sun had gone down. As if they could not be trusted in the shadows.” The Ashkars are a people without land, forever moving and at the mercy of other people’s welcome.
We follow two main point of views: Kel and Lin, even if a third main character, prince Conor is crucial to the story. Kel is an orphaned boy taken at nine years old from the orphanage to become the royal prince, Conor Aurelian’s Királar or Sword Catcher. He is meant to stand in for the prince and protect him from danger. Kel had never known what it meant to be needed by anyone and when Conor asked him if he wanted the role, Kel realized that he wanted to protect Conor. He’ll be educated in all court manners, impersonating Kel’s cousin. It’s a unique opportunity for the orphan. But if he is forever with Conor, he’ll never truly be part of the Palace.
“You are uniquely positioned Kel Saren. You are both of the Palace and not of it, of the city and not of it. You stand in the place between.”
The second main character is Lin. Lin is Ashkar and a physician. She had to fight to be able to learn medicine as no woman has ever done it before. She also is the granddaughter of Mariesh, the royal family’s councilor. Being a woman and being Ashkar is making Lin’s dream of learning every medicine possible a nearly impossible task. “There had been a time Lin had wondered what it would be like to study at the Academie, but its doors were closed to the Ashkars, and she’d abandoned that dream.” Lin is driven by her will to save her best friend, Mariam, who has been slowly dying since childhood. That will push her to acts of extreme bravery or stupidity according how you choose to see them (her last move had me so frustrated and wanting to throttle her).
It took a loooong time for these two main character’s paths to cross. And if I had expected a love story between these two, things seem to go another way with more of an “enemies to lovers” and “forbidden love” story to come.
Kel is on a quest to discover who is threatening the Aurelian family, tasked by the mysterious Ragpicker King to gather information even if Kel does not plan to work for him. By the end of the book we won’t be closer to discover who is the villain even if the situation is dire.
One of my main thoughts was also about Prince Conor. He had me feeling the same as I did for Cardan Greenbriar when I was underwhelmed by the end of the first book and prayed that he would have a hell of a character growth!
To sum it up, I loved: -the worldbuilding; -the mystery surrounding magic’s disappearance and possible reappearance; -Lin, smart, strongheaded, selfless even if her last choice drove me mad; -Kel without reservation; -my theory about the Ragpicker King’s identity; -the political intrigue; -the rough draft of love stories to come.
I hope that: -Conor will grow up; -Antonetta will play a bigger role. ...more
I don’t know what I could add to the 160.059 people so far who gave that book a rating of 4,19 !
I had that book on my radar sinAudiobook review
5 stars
I don’t know what I could add to the 160.059 people so far who gave that book a rating of 4,19 !
I had that book on my radar since its publication in 2020 but it took a fellow bookstagrammer to have me take the plunge. And I am so glad I did! I am now already reading the sequel, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur! That’s the best proof that this book was that good ...more
A brilliant 5 stars for the whole series and I am bowing down to Brandon Sanderson and Suzy Jackson, our fantastic narrator!
“I don’t tAudiobook review
A brilliant 5 stars for the whole series and I am bowing down to Brandon Sanderson and Suzy Jackson, our fantastic narrator!
“I don’t think most people want to do what’s right. That’s what makes doing the right thing noble. It’s a conscious choice. A hard one. If it were easy, then why would we respect it so much?”
Making this a coherent review will be hard as I was a jumble of emotions and elation after finishing that book! What’s certain is that it’s a very worthy conclusion to that amazing series that I know I’ll reread in the future!
Now that Spensa is out of the Nowhere, what can you expect of that book?
-A hell of a character growth! Spensa began this series being hotheaded and ready to bath in the blood of her enemies but after what she went through, she is deeply changed! At the beginning of the story, Spensa is so heavy. Becoming part Delver herself, she now feels everything, every emotion from everyone, even the enemies.That makes them real and not an anonymous force to fight. It’s harder to blow up someone when you are overcome by his feelings.
-Amazing friendship yet again. To cope with all these emotions, Spensa decides to see herself as a weapon to win that war. She is now changed, not totally human any longer and she is extremely powerful. And, as all the stories she so loves, she doesn’t expect to stay with her friends and family by the end of the journey. She doesn’t feel like she fits any longer, distancing herself from friends and family. BUT her friends are relentless and determined to accept her as she is. They’ll push and pull, will follow her on impossible missions, all because Spensa is still a part of Skyward Flight! And I love that the crew was reunited once more! Brendan shows us that friends and family are our strength. They help us shoulder life's blows, go through grief and pain without losing ourselves.
-Tons of actions and twists. That book is full of action and daring moves from Spensa in the first part. But she is not the only family member who has a leading role: Grangran will be amazing! Showing up in Spensa's cockpit and knitting all the while imparting some wisdom. Expect big surprises from Grangran! And when I read : ““I’m almost ninety, you know. I was starting to think I wouldn’t get to tear down any galactic empires in my lifetime, which would have been positively tragic.” It’s obvious whom inspired Spensa’s quips! ...more
“Signa needed to solve a murder, protect everyone she loved, and get to the root of who she was and what she could do.”5 stars How I loved that sequel!
“Signa needed to solve a murder, protect everyone she loved, and get to the root of who she was and what she could do.”
I think that sentence sums up the core of the story perfectly! I saw part of some twists (yes plural) coming but not entirely so the surprises were a delight! We get a peek into Death’s past with a new interesting and infuriating character: Fate!. He'll have me part wanting to slap him and part commiserating with his lot.
The sequel begins right where Belladonna ended: in the ballroom of Thorns Grove Manor just after Duke Wakefield has been poisoned. Soon enough, Signa’s uncle, the one who gave the duke his drink is whisked away and imprisoned waiting for his sentence. Signa knows Elijah wouldn’t have killed the duke and it will be a race to find the real murderer. Only… Fate is determined to make her task as difficult as possible as he has other plans for Signa!
“Signa steeled herself, shoulder back, and gathered every ounce of courage within her. If she had to play Fate’s game, then so be it. She was a reaper – a shadow of the night with a lethal touch. She would protect her family. Her home. And when she was through with him, Signa would ensure that Fate regretted the day he’d ever challenged her.” Signa is facing a big challenge but she won’t back down. She is brave and selfless. She’ll do everything to protect her family. And doing everything means using her reaper’s powers but also discovering other powers emerging.
The romance is still going strong in that book complicated by Fate’s designs! Fate is determined to steal her from Death, Death who bears the guilt of what he has done to fate in the past. But Signa is Death’s and Death is Signa’s, their love is still shining bright, something I loved a lot! And honestly, when Death says: “You are mine. For as long as you’ll have me, you are mine, Signa Farrow. I will burn this world to cinders before I let anyone take you from me.” Well I just swooned! ...more
5 stars “A promise is not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until y5 stars “A promise is not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until your pledge is fulfilled.
I am using the exact same quote that I used in A Dragon’s Promise as that story is not a continuity but rather the birth of what will happen many years after in the Six Crimson Crane Duology.
Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for sending me this advanced reading copy through Netgalley! This has no influence whatsoever on my review.
WARNING: don’t read this review if you haven’t read that duology already or you’ll have spoilers!
At the end of A Dragon’s Promise, I wrote: “What I also loved in this sequel was that we got to see her mother in law not as a villain but as someone who loved Shiori deeply and had made great sacrifices to protect her and her brothers. I was all misty eyes learning about her youth and what she went through. Knowing that she was finally loved was a balm for the heart.”
Well I was so happy when I realized that we would now have more or her mother in law’s story! Because Her Radiant Curse is her story, Channi’s story. How she got the face of a monster “thanks” to her awful father at a tender age, how she promised her dying mother that she’ll always protect her sister Vanna and how their fate will unfold, ending up on Channi being heartbroken and trying to heal by having a new family with seven orphaned children.
That story is centered around two main elements:
1) The curse that afflicted Channi but also in a twisted way Vanna’s curse
Channi was an amazing character and what was done to her, how she suffered as a little girl, trying to carve her ugliness out of her face really broke my heart. I was so mad at her father for sacrificing her to the witch! But at the same time, that curse is also what made Channi what she’ll be: a very strong and competent young woman. Channi also was a very compassionate person and even If the villagers and the kids treated her poorly, she’d never hurt them. Knowing what happened to her in the Six Crimson Cranes duology only made me want to hug her extra hard and change her future! Elisabeth Lim did a number on my poor heart here! All the story will see Channi determined to protect Vanna from her fate, protect her from the witch and maybe, hopefully, break her own curse in the process.
2) Sisterhood and the deep love these two siblings have for each other.
And in that way, it truly is connected to Six Crimson Cranes duology as my review at that time mentioned: “Family is also a big theme in that story and this is something that I loved reading about seeing how tight the family bonds were between Shiori and her six brothers. “ Vanna and Channi’s love was so heartwarming to read about! I don’t know if Elisabeth Lim has siblings but everything was in the small moments: the comb of each other’s hair to sleep, the press of both cheeks together, the gift of a wild orchid on every birthday and also in the sacrifices they’ll make for each other!
Once again, Elisabeth Lim’s writing is enchanting! I read that story like I would watch a vivid painting! Between lush jungles, sandy shores, fighting arenas, ships “powered” by dragon, going from humble huts through temples and palaces, the story is flying by, sweeping you off your feet. There is never a dull moment and all along we hope against all hope for another ending.
Elisabeth Lim has created a story filled with magic and action that will make you forget the world for a few hours, wishing that you could help Channi break her curse, save her sister and finally have peace....more
I got an uncorrected proof from Orbit Books and I couldn’t be happier! Emily Wilde has been one of my top books and I wanted to know what her 5 stars.
I got an uncorrected proof from Orbit Books and I couldn’t be happier! Emily Wilde has been one of my top books and I wanted to know what her next adventure would be!
The first thing to know is that this second instalment is true to the first book! This is still a cozy fantasy with our “grumpy/sunshine” duo. The grumpy being the still curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde and the sunshine is professional dazzler Wendell Bambelby, faerie king in exile. Emily is still socially inept, loving books and her studies better than human interaction. She remains rigorous and thorough in her research uninterested in life’s comfort. While Wendell, as it will be discovered, is approximative and flamboyant, never hesitating to fabricate his data. He is still very much in love with coffee and can’t stand an abode in disarray nor clothes in tatter! I love Emily and Wendell’s dynamic.
In this second instalment, as Emily’s encyclopaedia is finished, she embarks on a new project that she hopes will also help Wendell go back in his faerie realm: making a map of all the known faerie realms and their doors. The matter becomes even more urgent when Wendell ‘s mother in law sends assassins his way and that it becomes clear his life is in grave danger! Off they go to the Austrian Alps accompanied by Emily’s niece, Ariadne and by an unwanted Dr Farris Prose who will both prove helpful…somehow.
What follows is a story “à la Indiana Jones” but Heather Fawcett’s style! It’s packed with action, dangers, astonishing scenes like a faerie boat unleashed in a Cambridge museum in a desperate attempt to defeat Wendell’s assassins, enchanted pencils turning into swords (Emily’s of course as she has always one at the ready whereas Wendell keeps misplacing his), new faerie lore to get to know (most are blood hungry), great banter and lessons to learn.
Cherry on top here, Wendell will be the damsel in distress, all magic wielder that he is while no nonsense Emily will be his knight in dusty armor! And for romance lovers like me, let’s not forget the suspense of knowing if Emily will finally accept Wendell’s marriage proposal!
I read that book in one sitting and I already can’t wait for the third one! ...more
“But I will not run. I wouldn't be standing here if I'd quit every time something seemed impoAudiobook review
ALL THE FREAKING STARS IN THE UNIVERSE!!!
“But I will not run. I wouldn't be standing here if I'd quit every time something seemed impossible to overcome. I will not die today.”
GAAAAAWWWWD!
I don’t know how I will write this review to explain how mind-blowingly good that book is!!! Expect a long review ahead #sorrynotsorry.
Just to give you an idea: the audiobook (narrated by the excellent Rebecca Soler) is 20 hours. I listened to it in four days! And I never speed up my audiobooks. I did all the chores and gardening possible, I went for long walks, I even went early to bed staying up late just.to.keep.listening! I have read Rebecca Yarros’s other books (romances) and I loved that author but with Fourth Wing she is on a whole other level! RESPECT!
That book is my best read of
In Fourth Wing, you’ll find many of my favorite tropes/elements!
1) An underdog/with chronic illness main character. As the synopsis is saying, Violet Sorrengail had prepared all her life to become a scribe and not a rider like her mom, brother and sister. And that’s because Violet suffers from chronic illness that has her bones breaking easily and her joints in constant pain! But, surprise, surprise, mommy dearest will make her enter the riders school! The brutal, bloody riders school! Where all the other kids prepared and trained for years when Violet has…not. That means that Violet has a huge disadvantage compared to others and she’ll have to work twice as hard just not to die! Lucky for her, she is also the smartest of the bunch and she has a huge heart.
2) A war academy to make dragon riders Basgiath War college is brutal and pitiless! Dragons don’t respect weakness and incinerate the weak. That means that Violet will have a huge target on her back and some of her classmates (total sickos) will want to eliminate her as she is seen as the weak link in the squad! “Your arm is shot, Sorrengail,” Tynan hisses, his face pale and sweaty. “I’m used to functioning in pain, asshole. Are you?” I raise the dagger in my right hand just to prove that I can despite the blood that runs down my arm and drips from the tip of my blade, saturating the wrap across my palm. My gaze drops meaningfully to his side.” The opening sees Violet who has to overcome the first ordeal: the parapet! As all aspiring riders, their first test is to enter the college! And you do that walking on a very narrow parapet, hundreds of feet above the ground and with blasts of wind! And of course, no wall or rail! You fall, you die. Every day of their education, students died. And their death was commanded to the god of death. But Violet having a big heart also means that Violet feels deeper than others and can be crushed by friends death. "People die, it's going to happen over and over again. It's the nature of what happens here. What makes you a rider is what you do after people die." See why such college is especially hard for her? That also means that we have lessons in dragon history, fight classes, agility tests (and again, you can fall to your death) and if you make it to that point, riding lessons. Where you can also die falling from your dragon. Needless to say that with her illness, Violet is in for a hell of a challenge! Honestly, my thoughts at the beginning were that Violet made me think of Spensa in Skyward. And that’s why I loved Violet so much! She may have a weak body but she has a will of iron! She is one of my favorite FMC EVER! I loved her confidence and her faith in her own abilities! She bet on her countless time, even when others told her she was weak and that she would die! That girl is BADASS!
3) Dragons The dragons in that story were incredible! Spectacular, lethal! They were so fierce and would incinerate any student who looked afraid of was deemed unworthy. "It seems.... cruel, but the first rule of living at Basgaith is never question a dragon. They tend to cremate anyone they find rude." If you love books where dragons are not just an accessory but a centerpiece, this is THE book for you! Also, that Presentation Day had me trembling for Violet and her friends! But when you bonded with your dragon, you had…. “Presentation Day is unlike any other. The air is ripe with possibilities, and possibly the stench of sulfur from a dragon who has been offended. Never look a red in the eye. Never back down from a green. If you show trepidation to a brown......well, just don't." -Colonel Kaori's Field Guide to Dragonkind.”
4) Magic There were all sorts of cool powers that the student were granted once bonded with their dragon. And no way to predict what your powers would be beforehand!
5) Rebels We learn that there was a past rebellion brutally quenched with all rebels killed and their kids forced to enter Basgiath to become rider. As we’ve stated that becoming a rider is very dangerous, it was akin to a death sentence for most.
6) Romance! It’s not a romance first kind of book. It’s a romance second kind of book. But it’s a slow burn, enemies to lovers kind of love story. With the love interest being intense, commanding and sexy as hell! And if you love your scenes sexy and spicy, you won’t be disappointed! Same if you don’t like books where sex is overcrowding the story. You have heat BUT as support to the main epic story.
7) Found family Despite everything her sister told her, Violet can’t help but help her classmates. She’ll always defend the weak. And that will lead her to find friends at the academy. A real second family. All the side characters were very well developed and gave a new depth to the story.
And of course, there is also betrayals and lies and big BIG twists!
I won’t detail more as it would go into spoiler territory.
Just know that Fourth Wing is an epic story of a girl whose death seemed nearly inevitable due to her illness but she’ll more than raise up to the challenge! Violet had my heart, my soul and my undivided attention! I feared, swooned, cheered, cried, …I went through every emotion possible! And ended up with a huge book hangover.
And with that big twist at the end, I NEED the second book NOW!
Do me a favor would you? READ THIS BOOK and you won’t regret it....more
I would never have discovered that jewel of a book if I didn’t see it on Mogsy’s blog! And I am so gAudiobook review
5 stars
Narrator: Imani Jade Powers
I would never have discovered that jewel of a book if I didn’t see it on Mogsy’s blog! And I am so glad that I visited her that day because that book is an absolute treat! I couldn’t help thinking of Disney’s Rapunzel reading that book. Not because Elodie escapes a tower but because like Rapunzel, she takes her fate in her own hands and does not wait for the prince to save her.
I have seen mixed or bad reviews on Goodreads on that one and I guess it depends if you are the targeted audience or not. I am not a teenager but I still adore YA books and Disney movies. I guess that explains why I adored that story.
This is a clever twist of the classic fairytale where the prince is the villain and the princess is in a deadly predicament. Elodie will literally be thrown by the prince into the dragon’s lair without any weapon to defend herself! Said dragon has been alive undefeated for centuries. There was a bargain made with the people of Aurea and each year three princesses have to be sacrificed to the dragon. We don’t have the classic warrior princess that we see in many stories! Elodie was never trained in weaponry or hand to hand combat. With a sprained ankle, in a wedding gown complete with a tiara, she will truly have to use her wits and obstinate will to live if she hopes to survive. That made the story riveting and very refreshing!
Elodie is a character you can’t help but love. When we met her, we can see that she cares deeply for her people of Inophe. Her isle is poor and Elodie has a golden heart. That’s why she is ready to marry a prince she has never met: to insure her people’s future. She also has a deep connection with her younger sister, Flora that she raised since birth. That sisterhood warmed my heart all along Fortunately, Elodie is no meek flower. She was always climbing trees, racing horses, building houses to the utter despair of her mother in law who wants Elodie to be a “proper lady”. That tomboy upbringing and her games of designing mazes for her sister to solve will be Elodie’s greatest asset in this story! She might not be trained in war but she is far from powerless.
We will see all the ordeals she went through in the dragon’s lair, all the burns she got, twisted ankle, dislocated shoulder and more! Her pugnacity was remarkable truly! I was rooting for her all along, wondering how she was still standing after all she went through. This was brutal, desperate but Elodie was so determined!
Another thing absolutely incredible is the language of the dragon! Evelyn Skye explained how that invented language is fully functional and was created by her 13 years old daughter, linguist prodigy! If you are interested, we have tons of explanation, grammar etc at the end of the book. Congrats to the narrator for her pronunciation too!
And I absolutely adored the ending! How not only her intelligence but also her empathy will be crucial to Elodie’s salvation.
I have learned that this will become a movie or a show on Netflix and I can’t wait! ...more
Sophie "Beware Of The Reader"
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