Review - Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko 

Published 18th August 2020 by Hot Key Books

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 22/50

I was kindly gifted and ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Nothing is more important than loyalty.
But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood.

That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

My Thoughts

I was excited to be offered a review copy of this book. I haven't really read a fantasy inspired by West African folklore and I was keen to dive into this one because it sounded so good. After finishing this book I can say I enjoyed the story overall but i definitely have some mixed feelings about it.

I will be honest after about 100 pages I was considering DNFing this book. I will say now that I've finished it I'm really glad I didn't however, for the first 100-200 pages I really struggled to get into the story. The writing was fine, but I felt the pacing of the story was a bit off. There was several big time jumps in the beginning and I think this hindered the character development and the world building. There were things happening that I didn't really understand and their were aspects of the story that I didn't feel were explained well enough which was a shame as the plot itself was really interesting. The story picked up in the second half and there wasn't really any large time jumps which helped me to follow the plot better and I found myself wanting to keep reading as I was keen to see how it ended.

I loved the characters however, I really liked the idea of challenging the stereotype of this world where only men can rule and woman are seen as a lesser being in the royal circle. Our main character Tar was quite complex, it often felt like she was being pulled in many different directions and I liked how she didn't just give in to the easy option. She continued to fight for what was right even though she could hurt herself and the people around her. I thought the idea of a sacred council all linked together was really interesting. I really liked the strong found family vibes this story gave off and I liked that the romance that went along with this was very much a slow burn as it could of quite easily been quite 'instalovey' with the way the characters bonded together.

Overall a bit of a mixed one for me. I enjoyed the plot and the characters however, I felt the execution wasn't quite right for my taste. I'm not sure if this is part of a series or if there will be any more books in this world but if it is then I may look at picking up the next one from my library.

Overall Rating (3.5*)

Review - Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Thorn by Intisar Khanani 

Published 24th March 2020 by Hot Key Books

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge (2019) - 68/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.

My Thoughts

I had never actually heard of this book before I received it in the post neither have I read the original fairytale that this book is based on, The Goose Girl. However, after reading the synopsis I thought it sounded exactly like something I would really enjoy and I wasn't wrong. As I said, I haven't read the source material but this didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book at all and I don't think you need to have read the original fairytale to enjoy this one.

This book is beautifully written. It is descriptive but not unnecessarily so and the plot moves along at a nice steady pace that keeps you engaged throughout. The magic is weaved well throughout the story and there are points where the magic makes the story feel quite atmospheric. There were also some quite hard hitting moments within this book. The story doesn't shy away from incidents and events and at points was quite brutal and that made it feel like a true fairytale.

I loved our main character Alyrra also known as Thorn. She was quite humble and really appreciated the small things. She just wanted to be happy and carve out a life for herself where she felt like she belonged however, as we progressed through the story she begins to grow as a person and starts to fight more for what she believes in. I really liked the relationship between Alyrra and Kestrin too there was no instalovey stuff happening and I felt the story really explored how they felt about each other. Even in the end, they are still not quite there and I appreciated this lack of romance and exploration of feelings.

Overall I would recommend this one for fairytale lovers. Whether you've read the original tale of The Goose Girl or not I think this story will be enjoyed by many.

Overall Rating 

Review - Re-Coil by J. T. Nicholas

Re-Coil by J. T. Nicholas

Published 3rd March 2020 by Titan Books

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 18/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Out on a salvage mission with a skeleton crew, Carter Langston is murdered by animated corpses left behind on this ship. Yet in this future, everyone’s consciousness backup can be safely downloaded into a brand-new body, and all you’d lose are the memories of what happened between your last backup and your death. But when Langston wakes up in his new body, he is immediately attacked in the medbay and has to fight once again for his life—and his immortality. Because this assassin aims to destroy his core forever.

Determined to find his shipmates and solve this evolving mystery, Langston locates their tech whiz Shay Chan, but two members are missing and perhaps permanently killed. Langston and Chan are soon running for their lives with the assassin and the corporation behind him in hot pursuit.

What Langston and Chan ultimately find would signal the end of humanity. What started as a salvage mission just might end up saving the world.

My Thoughts

I don't read much sci-fi as I tend to find much of it can be quite science heavy which isn't something I enjoy. The sci-fi I have enjoyed tends to be a little bit lighter, generally YA, however, the synopsis of this one sounded so interesting I thought I would give it a shot and I'm really glad I did.

This was a high action sci-fi thriller that kept me reading until the very end. A real page turner, the writing was fast paced and engaging and the story really kept me on my toes. There were lots of twists and turns that kept me wanting more. I thought the idea of being re-coiled was a really interesting concept and that this book explored the idea of being pretty much immortal in a different way to that which is usually explored in fantasy novels. This then led to a really great discussion surrounding gender, particularly biological gender. This book freely discussed how people can be re-coiled in a body whose gender is different from that of the person themselves. This actually happened to one of our main characters and I thought explored their feelings about this well.

I enjoyed both of our main characters too. They both had really distinct personalities and I enjoyed reading about them. They both seemed to have some shady history and this definitely played a part in them doing the right thing and I liked this morally greyness about them. I also appreciated the very little romance in this book. It was hinted at a lot throughout however, at no point did it over shadow the story and I enjoyed this.

Overall a really great read and one I would recommend to both sci-fi and thriller fans alike. I will be keeping an eye out for further books from this author in the future.

Overall Rating 

February Wrap Up

Who can believe we've made it to the end of February already. With February being the shortest month of the year I thought I would have fewer books read this month however, I managed to finish 8 book which is fantastic for me!

And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness (Audiobook)

Published 4th September 2018 by Walker Books

Star Rating - **

Goodreads Challenge - 8/50



The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
Published 20th February 2020 by Tor UK
Star Rating **.5
Goodreads Challenge - 13/50
Review - Blog Review

Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

Published 5th November 2019 by Tor Books

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 9/50

Review - Blog Review

 

Wardens of Eternity by Courtney Moulton

Published 21st January 2020 by Blink

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 10/50

Review - Blog Review



Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige 
Published 6th October 2016 by Bloomsbury Children's
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 14/50

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Illustrated Edition) by J K Rowling

Published October 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing 

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 11/50

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold 

Published 25th February 2020 by Balzer + Bray

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 12/50

Review - Blog Review 



A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
Published 7th January 2020 by Bloomsbury YA
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 15/50

Still no 5 star reads for me yet but I definitely had some good ones this month. My favourites were A Heart so Fierce and Broken and Red Hood. 

How many books did you manage to read this month? I'd love to hear about your favourite. 

Review - Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold

Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold 

Published 25th February 2020 by Balzer + Bray

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 12/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked.

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

My Thoughts

**BEWARE POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**

I requested this one because I really enjoyed Damsel by Elana K. Arnold when I read it last year, even though it was quite a controversial book, and I was keen to see what she did next.

The thing I loved most about this book was definitely the writing style. Elana K. Arnold writes in a really fairytalesque way and the story reads like a classic fairytale, even though it's set in the modern world. It's also written in the second person POV which threw me at first but after the first chapter I really got into it and it really worked for me. As you can probably tell from the title this story is inspired by the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale and I think this worked really well. It wasn't a direct retelling and there was a lot of original content however, there were very clear nods to the classic tale and I felt that it all blended together nicely.

This story really delved into a lot of modern day issues and I think it handled them really well. There was a lot of positive commentary surrounding periods, loosing your virginity and having sex for the first time which I don't think is spoken about often enough in books so I thought this was great. There was also a lot of commentary about toxic masculinity and sexual assault and how important it is to stand up for what's right and what you believe in which was good too. I liked the main character and enjoyed watching how her friendship with two other girls grew throughout the story. I liked this depiction of friendship and how they all supported each other.

I did find the ending a little odd however, the book spent most of the duration exploring how to challenge peoples views and opinions and it seemed that the girls believed murder to be the solution to all their problems which just felt a little bit off to me. That being said I really enjoyed this one and I think it is a really important read and it covers some really important topics. I will definitely be picking up anythings else Elana K. Arnold writes in the future.

Overall Rating 

Review - The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Published 20th February 2020 by Tor UK

Star Rating - **.5

Goodreads Challenge - 13/50

I was kindly gifted a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

What if you knew how and when you will die?

Csorwe does — she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.

But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard's loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.

But Csorwe will soon learn – gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.

My Thoughts

I was really looking forward to this one. I requested an ARC a few months ago but I wasn't able to get one due to it being so popular but I was lucky enough to get my hands of a finished copy unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype for me.

The premise was really interesting and that's what really sold this story to me. All of the key elements from the synopsis were there in the story however, it wasn't what I was expecting and I think this threw me off a little to begin with. That being said, the actual crux of the story was good and I enjoyed most of what I read however, I did have quite a few issues with the writing and pacing of this story. I found the transitions between key parts of the story to be quite clunky and I often found myself confused about how we got from one thing to another and how they linked together. Along with this the pacing was a bit off, we often covered long periods of time in a short number of pages and I don't feel like this was conveyed well. Also I felt like the action scenes could have been improved. When reading an action scene it felt like just as we were getting to the climax it just ended.

I did enjoy the characters though and I thought they were interesting. I liked how we seemed to have different races of characters from around this would although it wasn't explicitly said. Our main character and the others from her country had tusks and another main character, from a different part of the world, was described as having pointed ears. I liked the development of the characters throughout and their was a twist involving one of them that I didn't see coming so this was a nice surprise.

Overall I was disappointed with this one. Although I enjoyed the main points of the story itself and the characters were interesting the writing had a few to meany issues for me. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be continuing on with the story.

Overall Rating (2.5*)

Review - Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

/

Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

Published 5th November 2019 by Tor Books

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 9/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The Shroud of Prophecy tests fate to discover what happens when the path of good and right, the triumph of light over darkness, the only path to salvation… fails.

Everyone loves Mathias. So naturally, when he discovers it’s his destiny to save the world, he dives in head first, pulling his best friend Aaslo along for the ride.

Mathias is thrilled for the adventure! There’s nothing better than a road beneath his feet and adventure in the air. Aaslo, on the other hand, has never cared for the world beyond the borders of his sleepy village and would be much happier alone and in the woods. But, someone has to keep the Chosen One’s head on his shoulders and his feet on the ground.

It turns out saving the world isn’t as easy, or exciting, as it sounds in the stories. Mathias is more than willing to place his life on the line, but Aaslo would love nothing more than to forget about all the talk of arcane bloodlines and magical fae creatures. When the going gets rough, folks start to believe their only chance for survival is to surrender to the forces of evil, which isn’t how the stories go. At all. To make matters worse Aaslo is beginning to fear that he may have lost his mind…

My Thoughts

The premise of this one really intrigued me. The idea of flipping the chosen one trope completely on its head really appealed to me and I'm pleased so say it didn't disappoint. I found the plot really interesting. I loved the idea of the Foresters and the use of magic and it was because of these things that I enjoyed the story. The book itself wasn't actually very long for an adult fantasy however, it did take me a while to read. I did find it to be a bit slow in places but that being said I still enjoyed my reading experience.

The main thing that I felt let this one down was the characters. I enjoyed the ideas behind them, as I said before, the Foresters and the magic however, they fell a bit flat for me. I would of liked some more character development, especially of the main character and a little bit more of an exploration of the character himself as opposed to his constant inner monologue.

Overall I enjoyed the story and I thought the plot was interesting. It's because of this that I am planning on continuing on with the series and I hope we dive a bit deeper into the characters in the next one.

Overall Rating 

Review - A Queen on Hiding by Sarah Kozloff

A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff

Published 21st January 2020

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 6/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Orphaned, exiled and hunted, Cérulia, Princess of Weirandale, must master the magic that is her birthright, become a ruthless guerilla fighter, and transform into the queen she is destined to be.

But to do it she must win the favor of the spirits who play in mortal affairs, assemble an unlikely group of rebels, and wrest the throne from a corrupt aristocracy whose rot has spread throughout her kingdom.

My Thoughts

The big selling point for this book, or the series as a whole, is that one book will be released each month allowing for you to basically binge the whole series if you want to. I definitely think this is a great idea as I, for one, do not like waiting for the next instalment in a series.

This book is full of things I love in fantasy, royalty, politics, plotting, scheming the lot and I really enjoyed reading it. There wasn't necessary anything new in this story however, what was there I feel was done very well and the plot kept me hooked throughout. For a 500 page book it actually read very quickly. The writing was very detailed and the world building was great. The author has developed an extremely complex and interesting world but not one that was too complicated that you found yourself getting lost.

The plot was interesting too, I particularly enjoyed Cressa's storyline and would of liked a bit more from her (if you've read the book you'll know what I mean) but Cerulia's story was interesting too, especially as we neared the end of the book. Cressa was probably my favourite character. As the story went on her character developed in such an interesting way and she became determined to do what was right for her daughter and her country. I found Cerulia's character a bit annoying at first however as the story went on she grew on me and towards the end of the book she really became her own distinct person, I feel like there's a lot more to come from her as the series continues.

Overall I really enjoyed this one and I would recommend it to lovers of classic fantasy. I'm pleased I haven't got to wait long for the sequel because I'll definitely be picking it up at the end of this month.

Overall Rating 

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. 

Review - Spellhacker by M.K. England

Spellhacker by M.K. England

Published 21st January 2020 by HarperCollins Children's Books

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 67/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

In Kyrkarta, magic—known as maz—was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and, of course, outrageously expensive.

Which is why Diz and her three best friends run a highly lucrative, highly illegal maz siphoning gig on the side. Their next job is supposed to be their last heist ever.

But when their plan turns up a powerful new strain of maz that (literally) blows up in their faces, they’re driven to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spellplague—and possibly save the world.

No pressure. 

My Thoughts

I haven't actually read anything by this author before however I was super drawn in by the synopsis and I'm pleased to say it delivered. I really enjoyed this genre blending book and all of the story that went along with it. There are elements of fantasy and sci-fi throughout this book, as well as it being set in a world with dystopian traits so there's definitely something for everyone in here.

The writing was fast paced and engaging and I finished this book in a couple of days and that's something I haven't done for a while so the story really did pull me in. I liked the magic system too, I thought it was quite unique and I liked how we didn't just have magic wielders and mundane people in this world but we also had the addition of something called a techwitch which is someone who can wield the magic, or Maz as it's known in this world, with the help of technology. It felt like the author had put a lot of thought into the magic system in this world, we had lots of different strains of Maz that all did different things, I also liked the addition of the glossary pertaining to the Maz at the start of the book, this was really helpful.

The characters in this book were great too. I loved all of the LGBTQIA+ rep and it didn't at any point feel like it had been shoehorned into the story to further the plot. It was natural to the story, which I appreciated. I also loved the friendship group and found family aspect that surrounded these characters. I loved how they looked out for each other and I enjoyed the commentary on found family vs blood family. The one thing I will say is that, as an adult, I did find Diz's character a little frustrating. She had a lot of anger and frustration pent up and a lot of her issues could of been solved if she had only talked to someone about them however, I think this will be very relateable to a lot of teenage readers.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The plot was fast paced and I really enjoyed the magic system and the blend of genres within the story. The characters were great to and I really appreciated the diversity throughout. I will definitely be adding this authors other books to my TBR list.

Overall Rating

Review - The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons

The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons

Published 31st October 2019 by Tor UK

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 63/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

You can have everything you want if you sacrifice everything you believe.

Kihrin D'Mon is a wanted man.

Since he destroyed the Stone of Shackles and set demons free across Quur, he has been on the run from the wrath of an entire empire. His attempt to escape brings him into the path of Janel Theranon, a mysterious Joratese woman who claims to know Kihrin.

Janel's plea for help pits Kihrin against all manner of dangers: a secret rebellion, a dragon capable of destroying an entire city, and Kihrin's old enemy, the wizard Relos Var.

Janel believes that Relos Var possesses one of the most powerful artifacts in the world―the Cornerstone called the Name of All Things. And if Janel is right, then there may be nothing in the world that can stop Relos Var from getting what he wants.

And what he wants is Kihrin D'Mon.

Jenn Lyons continues the Chorus of Dragons series with The Name of All Things, the epic sequel to The Ruin of Kings.

My Thoughts

I read the first book in this series earlier on in the year and I was really excited to dive into this one. I didn't love it as much as the first but it was definitely a solid sequel.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the first book was the unique writing style and this one followed suit in that respect. As with the first book, we follow one story told by two different perspectives however, I found this one a bit easier to follow as we follow the story in a linear fashion unlike the first book. The other thing I really like about these books is the world and the story development. It's very detailed and I think the author did a great job at creating a really well thought out story.

My favourite part of the first book through was the characters, I particularly loved Kihrin however, he isn't very prominent in this instalment and I think that's why I didn't love this one as much as the first. In this book we follow Janel and Brother Qown's story that led to them to be where they are at the beginning of the book. Kihrin is here in the background and you do get his witty remarks between each section of storytelling but I just didn't find Janel's story as compelling as Kihrin's. I also felt that at times the story became a little bit long winded and it could have been shortened in places, with less repetition between perspectives. That being said I liked the references to Janel's appearances in the first book and how all of this tied together and I liked the final section of the book when we jump back to present time and the action with Kihrin again at the forefront of the story.

Overall, as I said before, I think this was a very solid sequel that expanded upon the story that was set up in the first one. There were a few interesting twists and turns, especially in the final part that kept me wanting more. I think the author has created some really clever storytelling full of interweaving plots and narratives and I'm really excited to pick up the third and final book in this series to see how everything ends.

Overall Rating (3.5*)

Review - The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman

The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman

Published 8th October 2019 by Quirk Books

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 58/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Inspired by a true story, this supernatural thriller for fans of horror and true crime follows a tale as it evolves every twenty years—with terrifying results.

Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot’s Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot’s Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them—until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise’s burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses.

Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it’s told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a ’70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot’s Creek. Amber’s experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the ’90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber’s best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her—or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again…

My Thoughts

I was sent this book unsolicited from the publisher and I'm usually quite wary of unsolicited review copies but this one sounded so intriguing I couldn't help but give it a go. The synopsis of this one sounded perfect for the Halloween season and I was right. The story was creepy and the writing style was extremely atmospheric which made it the perfect Halloween read. The thing I loved most about this one was the storytelling. I loved the way the author told the story using four different timelines all following the same urban legend. We started at the beginning with the original legend and then moved through the years with the remakes, but it all linked back to the very beginning. It was really clever, all of the stories interconnected well and I think this made the story quite unique. Not only did the stories connect but so did the characters. Our female MC was featured in all 3 of the remake story lines and all of the male MCs had the same traits. I'm not really sure how I feel about the male characters, which is the reason why I gave this one 4 stars. Each of them came across as quite possessive of the story they were telling and therefore the female MC however, this did fit quite well with the story and definitely added to the creepy vibe. Overall I quite enjoyed this one. It was very creepy and atmospheric and definitely makes a great Halloween read, perfect for the spooky season. Overall Rating

Review - The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt

The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt
Published 5th September 2019 by Pan Macmillan

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 56/50

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

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt is a stunning contemporary fantasy debut about another London, a magical world hidden behind the bustling modern city we know.

Alice Wyndham has been plagued by visions of birds her whole life...until the mysterious Crowley reveals that Alice is an 'aviarist' capable of seeing nightjars, magical birds that guard human souls. When her best friend is hit by a car, only Alice can find and save her nightjar.

With Crowley's help, Alice travels to the Rookery, a hidden, magical alternate London to hone her newfound talents. But a faction intent on annihilating magic users will stop at nothing to destroy the new aviarist. And is Crowley really working with her, or against her? Alice must risk everything to save her best friend--and uncover the strange truth about herself.

My Thoughts

I was really intrigued by the plot of this one. It was a great sounding concept and the ideas were really interesting however, I don't feel like they were executed in as much depth as I would of liked. I wanted more of the magic system and more information about aviarists and why they were so rare in this world. The setting was interesting too, I loved the idea of an alternate London however again, I didn't think this was explored as much as it could of been. We seemed to barely scratch the surface and I just wanted more.

The main character was really frustrating too. She was headstrong, which was great but, she often dived head first into bad situations without thinking which then resulted in her having to be rescued, a lot! There was also a lot of secrets and lies between our female and male main characters and I think the aim of this within the story was to keep you reading to find out more but this resulted in the above actions from the main character and this made for a bit of a frustrating reading experience. Also don't get me started on the romance! I didn't like it, it was far to tropey and cliche and in fact a little bit pointless.

The writing itself was fine. It was a bit slow to start and it did struggle to capture my interest in the beginning however, it did pick up the pace about half way through which kept me going until the end. The ending itself seemed to set up for a sequel too that explores more of the magic system but I'm not sure if I'll be picking that up.

Overall it was an okay read. One that, the more I read the more enjoyable it became however, I don't think I will be picking up any sequels.

Overall Rating