Mailbox Monday - Weekly Book Post

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme that was started by Marcia of To Be Continued. The aim is simple, for people to share what books they received in their mailbox that week. To check out everyone else's posts head over to the Mailbox Monday blog.

This week I received some really exciting books in the post. I was sent...

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

I had an eARC of this one from NetGalley but the formatting wasn't great so I was lucky enough to be gifted a physical proof of this one from the publisher. Which was a good job too because I was really enjoying the eARC. 

The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber

I was gifted this one by the publisher ready for the blog tour I'm taking part in towards the end of this month. It sounds quite different to what I've been reading at the moment but I'm looking forward to it. 

Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Another one I was lucky to be gifted by the publisher. A King Arthur retelling in space, Yes please!

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year so I just had to pick it up as soon as it came out. 

So like I said, I managed to acquire some really great sounding books this week. Are there any here that you're looking forward to reading?

What books did you receive this week?

Children's Book Spotlight - Spy Danger by Justin Davis

Spy Danger by Justin Davis 

Published 20th November 2018 by Blue Falcon Publishing

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

Synopsis (from publishers website)

Spy Danger, the second book in the Baker Family Series.

Pacing the dark, deserted rooms of Castle Arden, the scarred man checks his plan for the hundredth time.
The plan he has worked on for months.
The plan he is about to put into action!

The Baker children can’t believe their luck when they find out they are staying at a castle for the weekend.
But when they uncover a plot to steal forgotten treasures, Millie, Jamie, Zach and their dog Harvey know they have to act.
Are they smart enough to outwit the thieves?
Can they decode the clues in time?
Or has their spying put them in too much danger?

My Thoughts

This was a really cute chapter book ideal for young readers aged 6-9 years old. The characters were delightful, the children had a lovely, fun nature and were always up for an adventure. I liked that the parents played a role in this story too as often they can be missing from children's books. There was even an adorable dog included in the line up. 

The story and writing were quite simple which makes it an ideal read for the above age group. However, if you find yourself reading it with a child then there's enough there to keep an adult entertained too. I found that I enjoyed reading on to find out what happened next. The plot was fun, the mystery aspect offered a lot of opportunities for discussion and, thinking as a teacher, I think this would a good book to promote reading comprehension. It does say that this is the second in a series but I think the story holds its own enough to be read on its own. 

Overall I found this to a really lovely adventure story suitable for young readers. A great one to read together or for them to read on their own. I'll be keeping hold of this one for my sons bookshelf. 

Review - Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published 20th October 2016 by Rock the Boat

Star Rating - ****.5

Goodreads Challenge - 4/50

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Hanna Donnelly is the station captain’s pampered daughter and Nik Malikov is the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Together they struggle with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, blissfully unaware that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall with news of the Kerenza invasion.

Picking up about five minutes after Illuminae ends, Gemina is the electrifying sequel to the hottest YA novel of 2015.

My Thoughts

I loved this one nearly as much as Illuminae, although Illuminae will always hold a special place in my heart. This one picked up right from where Illuminae left off and I mean that literally, the events that happen in Gemina happen, pretty much straight after the events from Illuminae although Gemina has a different main setting and follows different characters. 

I was a little bit wary of jumping into a different setting with different characters as I loved Illuminae so much but I wasn't disappointed. Hannah, Niklas and Ella were a great cast of protagonists and worked so well together. I loved their interactions and dialogue, it was full of witty banter that was so fun to read. At the beginning of the novel Hannah came off as a spoilt rich kid and I'm glad this wasn't the way her character went. There was so much more to her and she turned out to be such a bad ass. Niklas was fantastic too, he acted like a bad boy but there was more to him too, he was super fun and genuinely cared about Hannah and his cousin Ella. The villains in this book were great too. As much as I love AIDIN in the last book, having villains as real people was a nice change. They were ruthless and focused on nothing but their end goal. 

The story itself was thrilling and fast paced although, I have knocked off half a star as the main storyline of this one was very similar to Illuminae in regards to two characters running around trying to save the ship from the bad guys. However, I loved Illuminae so much that I didn't really mind this. The story really turned on its head in the last quarter though and was full of twists and turns. There were times at this point in the book when you began questioning motives and you didn't know who to trust. It really was a wild ride! 

This book was also laid out in the same way as the last one, though the use of IMs, reports and transcripts. I love the way these books are written. It's such as interesting format and it really helps to make the story a quick and fast paced read. 

Overall, as you can probably tell I loved this one, just like I did the first. The ending of this book was fantastic and I'm glad I already own the last one as I know I need to get to it right away. 

Overall Rating (4.5*)

Review - The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Published 7th February by Tor UK

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 7/50

I was gifted a copy of this one from the publisher, Tor UK, in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

What if you weren't the hero?

Kihrin grew up on tales of long-lost princes and grand quests - despite being raised in a brothel, making money as a musician and street thief. One day he overreaches by targeting an absent noble's mansion, hunting for jewels. There he witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic ritual. Kihrin flees but he's marked by a demon and his life will never be the same again.

That night also leads to him being claimed as a lost son of that prince's royal house. But far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He must also discover why his murderous father finds Kihrin more valuable alive than dead. Soon Kihrin attempts to escape his relative's dangerous schemes, but finds himself in far deeper waters.

He becomes tangled in a plot to kill the Emperor, rob the Imperial Vaults, claim a god-slaying sword and free bound demons to wreak havoc across the land. Kihrin also discovers the old tales lied about many things: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love - and the hero always winning. But maybe Kihrin isn't fated to save the empire. He's destined to destroy it.

The Ruin of Kings is the first book in Jenn Lyons's epic new series.

My Thoughts

I was kindly gifted a copy of this, both an eARC from NetGalley and then a physical proof from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to dive into the eARC of this one as this would be my first foray in adult fantasy and I wasn't disappointed however, the eARC was not formatted great and I did nearly give up. I managed to finish with the physical proof and I was so glad I did as I really enjoyed this one. 

This book starts with our main character, Kihrin and his jailer, Talon getting ready to tell the story of how Kihrin got into his current situation. This is where the book becomes quite different as we follow two parallel storylines telling Kihrin's story from different starting points. Talon tells us Kihrin's story right from the beginning in 3rd person and Kihrin tells us his story starting up about halfway through in the 1st person. Along with these two stories in alternating chapters the book is also interspersed with footnotes from a 3rd character, the one who is supposedly writing down Kihrin's story. Now I know this sounds confusing and at times it could be but the story is not only complex but compelling, I needed to know what happened and therefore had to keep reading. Personally I preferred Kihrin's POV but they both provided us with key aspects of his story. 

Now, there were times when I found the story a little bit difficult to follow, specifically the family trees and timelines as there's an aspect in this book that means people can body swap but I found this didn't necessary hinder me from the main story. I also didn't really understand where the prophecies came into the story but this may be something that becomes clearer as we progress through the series. Going back to the families and the characters, I did find that I struggled to find myself rooting for Kihrin, he was just kind of average to me but I loved a lot of the side characters and all of their witter banter and interactions. A couple of my favourite characters included Teraeth and Tyentso. 

One of the things I do have to mention is the world building. The author did a fantastic job of creating this complex world. She gradually built it up throughout the story, adding on bits of information that were relevant without becoming at all info-dumpy. There were so many interesting aspects of the world that she created and I feel like we've only just touched the surface with so much more left to explore as we continue further in the series. 

Overall I really enjoyed this one. As my first adult fantasy book this really hasn't put me off the genre, in fact it's made me really want to pick up some more. For me, this is one of those books that I think would really benefit from a re-read. It's so complex that I feel like you would pick up a lot more information that you may have missed the first time round and I know that's what I'll be doing before the next one comes out.

Overall Rating

Mailbox Monday - Weekly Book Post

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme that was started by Marcia of To Be Continued. The aim is simple, for people to share what books they received in their mailbox that week. To check out everyone else's posts head over to the Mailbox Monday blog.

This week I received...

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

I know what your thinking, I'm sure we saw this one in a library book haul a couple weeks ago. Yes you did but I was offered my own copy as part of a trade so I grabbed it as I think I'm going to like this one. 

That's all for this week. I am waiting on a couple of parcels but I think the snow has held them up so you'll see them soon.

I'd love to hear what you received this week. 

January Wrap Up

We finally made it to the end of the month! I don't know about you but January always feels like a long month to me but, we've reached the end and with that my wrap up of the month. 

I managed to read 5 books this month, 2 of which I finished on the last day of January which I was really pleased with. Here are all of the books I read. 

Tangleweed and Brine by Deirdre Sullivan 

Published 18th October 2018 by Little Island

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 5/50

Review - Goodreads Review

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by Colm McElwain

Published 1st February 2012 by Matador 

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 1/50 

Review - Blog Review

Origin by Dan Brown

Published 3rd October 2017 by Bantam Press 

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 2/50

Review - Blog Review

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published 20th October 2016 by Rock to Boat
Star Rating - ****.5
Goodreads Challenge - 4/50
Review - Blog Review

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Published 8th January 2019 by Hot Key Books

Star Rating - *****

Goodreads Challenge - 3/50

Review - Blog Review

Currently Reading

• The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Have you read any of these books? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Review - Origin by Dan Brown

Origin by Dan Brown

Published 3rd October 2017 by Bantam Press

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 2/50

Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that ‘will change the face of science forever’. The evening’s host is his friend and former student, Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old tech magnate whose dazzling inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world. This evening is to be no exception: he claims he will reveal an astonishing scientific breakthrough to challenge the fundamentals of human existence.

But Langdon and several hundred other guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is blown apart before Kirsch’s precious discovery can be revealed. With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape, along with the museum’s director, Ambra Vidal. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

In order to evade a tormented enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate labyrinthine passageways of hidden history and ancient religion. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal uncover the clues that will bring them face-to-face with a world-shaking truth that has remained buried – until now.

My Thoughts
I've read and enjoyed all of Dan Browns's other novels, especially the ones in the Robert Langdon series and I've been meaning to get to this one for a long time. I wasn't disappointed but it wasn't my favourite in this series, I felt it was a little lacking in some areas. 

If you've ever read any of the other books in this series then this plot will be very familiar to you. Most of Dan Browns books follow the same basic plot line and, for me, that's okay as that's what makes me enjoy his books. I did feel this one was a little bit lacking in some areas though. There wasn't as many puzzles and as much problem solving as there has been in previous books. We spent a lot of time in the same place and this meant it sometimes dragged a bit in places. As usual there are a lot of quite heavy historical, religious and scientific themes and sometimes these became a bit too technical for me. That being said, I felt the ending was adequate. There were a few twists and turns along the way and some of the outcomes were unexpected. 

I felt that the writing was quite slow to start which is a shame as I usually fly through Dan Brown's books. However, this did pick up about half way through and became a bit pacier and page turning. As I said earlier there is quite a lot of technical language used. As well as this at times the writing was quite fact heavy, again especially in the beginning. You were given a lot of information and explanations and sometimes I found myself getting a bit lost. I did manage to catch up though and I was okay in the end. 

I always enjoy Robert Langdon's character in these books. He's not your normal reckless protagonist, he's a logical thinker and often thinks before acting which you don't usually see in certain types of characters. I quite enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters too. There were a few morally grey characters and there were times throughout this novel where you didn't know who to trust. 

Overall I enjoyed this one for what it was which was your standard Dan Brown novel. It was nothing groundbreaking but if you've read and enjoyed his other books then I think you would like this one. 

Overall Rating (3.5*)