Blog Tour Review - Wolf Light by Yaba Badoe

Wolf Light by Yaba Badoe

Published 9th January 2020 by Zephyr 

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 2/50

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Born in wolf light, the magical dusk, in Mongolia, Ghana and Cornwall, Zula, Adoma and Linet are custodians of the sacred sites of their homelands. Yaba's debut novel A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars was shortlisted for the 2018 Branford Boase Award and nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal.

When copper miners plunder Zula's desert home in Gobi Altai, and Adoma's forest and river are polluted by gold prospectors, it is only a matter of time before the lake Linet guards with her life is also in jeopardy. How far will Zula, Adoma and Linet go to defend the well-being of their homes? And when all else fails, will they have the courage to summon the ancient power of their order, to make the landscape speak in a way that everyone will hear?

Rich in elemental magic, myth and the mysterious magical dusk, Wolf Light is Yaba Badoe's defiant call to protect our environment, to conserve our heritage and to hear the ancient power that connects us.

My Thoughts

I read this authors first book in 2018 and, although I enjoyed it, something missed the mark for me a little bit with that one. However, I said in that review that I thought this author showed potential and I was interested in checking out anything she wrote in the future and I'm glad I managed to get my hands on a copy of this book. 

I really enjoy this authors writing style. It's quite flowery and lyrical, definitely fairytalesque and I think that it fits really well with the fabulist themes throughout the story. I found myself moving along with the flow of this story and as a result I finished it quite quickly and I felt quite immersed within the book. 

As with this authors previous work, this book features some interesting and important topics. This one discusses the impact humanity is having on our natural world through things like deforestation and I think this was a really interesting theme to focus a novel on. The magical way the author wove these themes throughout the book, I felt, worked really well and it left me with a lot of food for thought on the subject. 

This story is told through 3 different POVs from 3 very different characters from different parts of the world. I loved this diversity between characters, each had their own important places and people but this overarching theme brought them all together and I loved their interactions. This group of 3 female characters were fantastic, they each had their own individual personalities but they fit so well together and I loved the strong, supportive friendship group that they formed throughout this book. 


Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I'm glad I gave this author another chance. I particularly enjoyed the writing style and I really loved the group of characters in this story. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this authors future work and will certainly be picking up any more books that she writes. 

Author Bio

Yaba Badoe is an award-winning Ghanaian-British documentary filmmaker and writer. In 2014 Yaba was nominated for the Distinguished Woman of African Cinema award.She travels frequently to chair film conventions and lecture.Her most recent documentary was The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo. Her debut novel, A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars, published by Zephyr, was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 and has been nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal.

Twitter: @yaba_badoe

Thank you to the publishers, Zephyr, for the opportunity to take part in this tour. It's been great. There's still a lot more coming up on this tour so if your interested check out some of the other stops below. 

Blog Tour Review - The Written by Ben Galley

The Written by Ben Galley

Published 1st January 2011 by BenGalley.com (first published 25th October 2010)

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 32/50

I was gifted an e-copy of this book from The Write Reads Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

His name is Farden.
They whisper that he’s dangerous.
Dangerous is only the half of it.

A spellbook has gone missing from the libraries of Arfell – a very old and extremely powerful spellbook from the time of dark elves and demons. Five scholars are dead, the magick council is running out of time and options, and the Arka is once again on the brink of war with the Siren dragon-riders. 

It falls to Farden the Written mage to keep the world from falling into chaos. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Farden must recover the spellbook before an ancient enemy rises, even if it takes journeying halfway across icy Emaneska and back.

In his fight for answers, Farden will unearth a secret that not only shakes the foundations of his world, but threaten the entire future of Emaneska. Sorcery, death, drugs and the deepest of betrayals await.

Welcome to Emaneska.

My Thoughts

I read this book as part of the Ben Galley ultimate blog tour organised by The Read Writes gang. As part of this tour I was able to choose any one of the authors backlist titles to read and review and I chose The Written as it was the one that appealed to me the most. I was kindly sent a e-copy of the book however, I prefer to read in paperback and I was able to get a copy from my library so that is the edition I read. But, as far as I'm aware there are no differences between the two copies. 

I'm really starting to dive into the adult fantasy genre as opposed to YA and the synopsis of this one really intrigued me. I loved the sound of magic, journeys and dragons and, as the authors debut novel, I was excited to dive in and give him a go. As a result I can say I did really enjoy the story however, you could tell this was a debut. As I just said I was really drawn in by the synopsis and this did live up to my expectations. The author has really packed a lot into this novel but even though there's a lot going on you can see he's thought about the plot and the complexities of the story. However, I do feel like this could continue to be refined and I'm sure it is in the rest of the series. 

The writing was good, I didn't find myself getting lost or confused and I was able to follow the plot fine. This book did take me a long time to read though but I don't think that was anything to do with the book itself, I tend to find adult fantasy does take me a little longer. If you didn't already know this book is self published by the author himself and I think it has been published very well, especially for a debut, however, there were a few oddly composed sentences, repeated words and spelling mistakes that did affect my flow of reading at times. 

I liked the characters too. Farden was really interesting, I enjoyed his character development where he went from being reclusive and self centred to determined to save the world. I do feel we could of dived a little bit more into his personality at times though as I would of liked to have learned a little bit more about his past in the hope that this would of explained why he was so angry. Maybe this will come in the next books. My favourite characters overall though were definitely the dragons. I found them really interesting and I loved learning about their world. There was also a couple of twists throughout the plot involving some of the characters which were a little surprising too. 


Overall I think this was a really good debut novel. There's definitely some flaws however, to me these were overshadowed by my enjoyment and I had fun reading this story. I'm excited to continue on with this series and I really hope to do so very soon. 

This book is available from the following link: 

Amazon

Author Bio

Ben Galley is an author of dark and epic fantasy books who currently hails from Victoria, Canada. Since publishing his debut The Written in 2010, Ben has released a range of award-winning fantasy novels, including the weird western Bloodrush and the epic standalone The Heart of Stone. He is also the author of the brand new Chasing Graves Trilogy.

Twitter: @BenGalley

Thank you to The Write Reads for the opportunity to take part in this tour. It's been great. There's still a lot more coming up on this tour so if your interested check out some of the other stops below. 

Blog Tour - A Pirate's Song by Justin Davis

A Pirate's Song by Justin Davis

Published 13th June 2019 by Blue Falcon Publishing

I was gifted a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Ahoy there me hearties!
Are ye brave? Are ye strong? Can ye sing a pirate's song? 
Will ye search for treasures old, 
jewels and trinkets, pearls and gold?
Then climb aboard and join our crew.
Quickly now, there's work to do!

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a pirate or fancied hauling anchor and sailing the seven seas, then this is just the tale for you! This bright and beautiful rhyming picture book from award-winning children's author, Justin Davis, will capture the imagination of any budding sea dog!

My Thoughts

This book is super cute and I really enjoyed reading it to my little boy. I loved the bright coloured illustrations and these definitely captured my 8 month olds attention too. The illustrations are also quite simple and I think this will help to keep young children's attention as well. This story is also written in rhyme and has a very rhythmic flow whilst reading which is quite common in children's books but it always works really well. It means the story is fairly quick to read, fun to listen too and keeps children engaged. I like the repetition of the song throughout too as this will encourage children to join in with the story. There isn't really a message that comes through with this story, it's more just for fun which is okay but I did like that there were pirates of both genders along with a POC depicted within the illustrations. 

One of the things that I thought was really interesting with this book was the activities at the back. I think this added a little bit extra to the story and made it a little bit more interesting to children. I also loved the questions as this really helps to support children's comprehension and understanding of stories which is a key skill for them to learn. 

Overall I thought this was a cute children's book with bright, fun illustrations. I think this will be enjoyed by lots of children and I will be keeping this one on my sons bookshelf for when hes older as well as borrowing it to share with my class at school. 

Thank you to Blue Falcon Publishing for inviting me to be part of this tour. If you want to check out any of the other bloggers taking part you can check out the schedule below. 

Blog Tour Review - The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber

The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber
Published 22nd February 2019 by Pan Macmillan 
Star Rating - ***.5
Goodreads Challenge - 8/50

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

In the inhospitable lands of the Utah Territory, during the winter of 1888, thirty-seven-year-old Deborah Tyler waits for her husband, Samuel, to return home from his travels as a wheelwright. It is now the depths of winter, Samuel is weeks overdue, and Deborah is getting worried.

Deborah lives in Junction, a tiny town of seven Mormon families scattered along the floor of a canyon, and she earns her living by tending orchards and making work gloves. Isolated by the red-rock cliffs that surround the town, she and her neighbors live apart from the outside world, even regarded with suspicion by the Mormon faithful who question the depth of their belief.

When a desperate stranger who is pursued by a Federal Marshal shows up on her doorstep seeking refuge, it sets in motion a chain of events that will turn her life upside down. The man, a devout Mormon, is on the run from the US government, which has ruled the practice of polygamy to be a felony. Although Deborah is not devout and doesn’t subscribe to polygamy, she is distrustful of non-Mormons with their long tradition of persecuting believers of her wider faith.

But all is not what it seems, and when the Marshal is critically injured, Deborah and her husband’s best friend, Nels Anderson, are faced with life and death decisions that question their faith, humanity, and both of their futures. 

My Thoughts

I do enjoy reading a historical fiction every now and again and when I was offered a chance to partake in this blog tour I thought it would be a good opportunity to break up my reading. The synopsis sounded interesting and I was keen to give it a go. 

This book was not quite was I was expecting. Based on the synopsis I thought we were going to be getting a historical fiction with some elements of mystery and that is what we got but there was more to the story than just that. This book had quite a heavy focus on religion, especially the Mormon faith. I don't really know much about this faith so that made the story quite interesting to read and, although there wasn't a mystery as such, there was enough compelling elements that kept me reading. I've read in other reviews that this story was also influenced by real places, people and events so that also made it quite an interesting read. 

The author did a good job with the writing of this one. The setting was quite atmospheric, it's set in a small settlement, in the winter with lots of snow, and I felt really immersed in the world. It was quite a slow developing story however, I read it quite quickly as the atmosphere and the mysterious elements kept the story moving along. The author also provided us with some great descriptions of places and events throughout the story and that helped to keep my interest in the story too. 

I enjoyed the characters as well. They were a close knit community and they all looked out for each other however, they all had their own moral dilemmas to deal with. This made for some really interesting character dynamics. Deborah and Nels were two of the main characters and I feel like these were written particularly well. They had lots of conflicting feelings and emotions and this made for some interesting reading. Simon was another key character and, although he wasn't necessarily present throughout the story, the letters that the author interspersed throughout meant we got to know him too. 

Overall I quite enjoyed this one. Definitely a completely different story to a lot of the things I've been reading recently but it was nice to give something different a go. I enjoyed the slow and atmospheric pacing of this one and the character dynamics made for an interesting story. 

Overall Rating (3.5*)

Author Bio:

Ann Weisgarber was born and raised in Kettering, Ohio. She has lived in Boston, Massachusetts, and Des Moines, Iowa, but now splits her time between Sugar Land, Texas, and Galveston, Texas. Her first novel The Personal History of Rachel Dupree was longlisted for the Orange Prize and shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers. The Promise was a finalist in the Western Writers of America Best Historical Fiction Awards.

Thanks for Pan MacMillan for the opportunity to read and review this one and for allowing me to take part in the blog tour. You can check out the rest of the tour spots below. 

Blog Tour Review - Dark Game by Rachel Lynch

Dark Game by Rachel Lynch

Published 29th January 2018 by Canelo

Genre - Crime, Thriller, Police Procedure 

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 5/75

I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis

Kelly’s gut turned over as she realised the danger she was in. She heard no sirens. She knew that she was simply collateral. To these men who made a lot of money from the suffering of others, they’d have no problem snuffing her out.

After a scandal forces DI Kelly Porter out of the Met, she returns to her home turf in the Lake District. Crimes in the Cumbrian constabulary tend to be of the minor sort, but Kelly begins work on a cold case that shocked the local community – the abduction and brutal murder of ten-year-old Lottie Davies.
Meanwhile, Kelly is also investigating two seemingly straightforward crimes: a case involving an illegal immigrant, and a robbery following the death of local businessman Colin Day. But evidence comes to light that reveals a web of criminal activity beyond anything Kelly imagined. Behind the veneer of sleepy, touristy towns lies a dark and dangerous underworld. As Kelly threatens to expose those with much to lose, she risks paying the ultimate price to get to the truth…

Don’t miss this taut and gripping debut from a crime writer to watch. Perfect for fans for Carol Dwyer, Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons.

My Thoughts

This was a dark and gritty crime novel that intrigued me in places and kept me wanting to read until the end. It does get quite dark in places so be warned but if you can cope with some darker themes in books then I would recommend this one. Covering topics such as prostitution, human trafficking and money laundering there are several plot lines woven together into one final climactic moment. I'll be honest, I am in a bit of a reading slump, so the pacing of this one didn't feel as fast as I would of liked. However, I think if I was in my usual reading mood this would of moved along at a much faster pace. The chapters were fairly short which always keeps me wanting to read one more and this is something I really like in a thriller.

Kelly Porter was a great character. She was passionate about what she did and was determined to solve the case throughout the book. I also found it interesting to see her family relationships between her mum and her sister and I would like some more of this in subsequent books. There were lots of other characters in this book too but I didn't find them hard to keep track of. They all played their own part in the story and I thought everything fitted together well. 

Overall I enjoyed this story, it was just a shame I was in a bit of a reading slump whilst reading it as I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I wasn't. That being said it was a dark and gritty fast paced thriller with a twisty turny, interwoven plot that had be excited to reach the climax. 

Overall Rating

The book is available from the following links:

Amazon UK    Kobo UK    Google Books UK    Apple Books UK

Author Bio

Rachel Lynch grew up in Cumbria and the lakes and fells are never far away from her. London pulled her away to teach History and marry an Army Officer, whom she followed around the globe for thirteen years. A change of career after children led to personal training and sports therapy, but writing was always the overwhelming force driving the future. The human capacity for compassion as well as its descent into the brutal and murky world of crime are fundamental to her work.

Twitter: @r_lynchcrime

Blog Tour - Triple Cross Killer by Rosemarie Aquilina

Triple Cross Killer by Rosemarie Aquiline

Published 5th December 2017 by Fiery Seas Publishing 

Genre - Thriller

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 86/50

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis

Have you ever wondered what really happens to Santa Claus letters? In Detroit and Sarasota some children’s letters are diverted and reviewed by Nick Archer, a religiously obsessed, narcissist. Nick responds, leaving a trail of devastation in the two cities. 

In Detroit, co-ed partners and wise-cracking lovers, detectives Jaq McSween and David Maxwell, team up with Sarasota detectives Abel Mendoza and his partner, Rabbit, to find this daunting killer.

When Jaq’s friend, the lovely nurse, Rita Rose, takes a chance on love again, she gets caught in Nick’s web. Working with the ME, she joins in, adding her perspective when events take a sinister turn. 

Can this diverse team of characters pool their insights, barbs, and taste for bad food to save Rita when she discovers the final clues or will she become the next victim?

My Thoughts (so far)

So unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control I have been unable to finish this book completely in time for my tour stop and provide you will a full review. However, I am just over half way through so I thought I would give you my thoughts so far. 

I'm quite enjoying this one at the moment. It's a genre I tend to enjoy and I haven't read one in a while so it was nice to dive into. For someone who doesn't really read contemporary romance stories it was nice to find a 'Christmas' themed book in a genre I enjoy. I say Christmas lightly however, as I'm not sure anyone really wants to celebrate murder at Christmas time but it was an interesting setting and plot point non the less.  

 

The story is told from some interesting and unusual perspectives. You can see from the synopsis that you already know who the 'bad guy' is before you even begin and for the first half of the book you seem to be one step ahead of the detectives. I've just reached the point in the story where the detectives seem to catch up and I'm interested to see where it goes from there. The revelation of who the killer is and why is usually the plot twist in books like this but that doesn't seem to be the case here so I'm intrigued to see what will take it's place. I'm definitely keen to continue with the story and I will pop back in once I've completed it and update you with my full review and thoughts. 

My Final Thoughts

I finished this book the day after I posted this with my initial thoughts. I'm back today with some final added thoughts on the story. 

The writing in this book isn't particularly fast paced either. It was quite a slow burn but that was okay. There was however a lot of fast moving information backwards and forwards between the cases and characters. In my opinion this fit with the working of a detective, who often throw around different ideas and theories and follow several different leads all at once. I did find this hard to follow at times along with the use of some technical/detectivey language throughout. This didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story however. I also enjoyed the idea of criminal profiling being used, Criminal Minds is one of my favorite shows, I just wished there was more of it.

I enjoyed reading about the characters as well. They fit well into the story and all had their own personality. I wish I read the synopsis a bit more thoroughly before diving in though as I found myself getting a bit caught up on the comments David made towards Jaq. I found out eventually that they were an item so it wasn't as misogynistic as I first thought. I found Nick really creepy. I didn't like him at all, in a good way you're not meant to like him. The way he acted towards Rita was horrible, I often found myself shouting at her to just tell him to do one. I wasn't overly keen on Rita and Nicks scenes however, sometimes I found they read a bit more like a romance novel and I don't like romance novels.

Overall I found this to be quite an enjoyable story. I enjoyed the plot and the characters were great. I would definitely consider reading more in this series. 

This book can be purchased from the following links: 

  

Amazon           Barnes and Noble                     Kobo                        iBooks

Book Trailer 

Author Bio

 

Rosemarie Aquilina is the mother of five children. Elected as a 30th Circuit Court Judge serving in the General Trial Division, after having served as a 55th District Court Judge in Mason, Michigan, she takes pride in public serve. 

In 1986, Judge Aquilina became the first female JAG Officer in the history of the Michigan Army National Guard, she retired in 2006 with twenty years Honorable Service.  She is an adjunct law professor at both Western Michigan University—Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Michigan State University College of Law and has earned teaching awards at both institutions. Judge Aquilina is the former owner of Aquilina Law Firm, PLC, and former host of a syndicated radio talk show called Ask the Family Lawyer. 

Thanks for stopping by to check out my stop on this blog tour. I'm sorry I was unable to provide you will a full review at this time but hopefully my thoughts so far have piqued your interest. I will be back soon to post a full review once I've finished this one.