“The rumours are true?” Gallo smiled mildly. The urgency that moved through him sometimes was gone again, and instead he was left with the steady thi “The rumours are true?” Gallo smiled mildly. The urgency that moved through him sometimes was gone again, and instead he was left with the steady thickening of his own blood. “Yes, all the rumours,” he said lightly “and all the nightmares.”
What a pleasant surprise this was! Don’t be fooled by the cutesey front cover – this fantasy has a dark side and I was absolutely hooked.
Mages, magic, sword play, pirates and dragons! What’s not to love?
Wydrin, aka The Copper Cat and her partner in crime Sebastian, an exiled Innsmouth knight work as sell swords. They provide their services to anyone needing protection on adventures, and they’ve been through many dangerous circumstances and travels together.
When they are hired by the mysterious Lord Frith to assist him in breaking into an ancient Citadel, Wydrin thinks they are in for a grand adventure. But they would never predict the drama and magic that is unleashed when they enter the Citadel and what follows after.
I won’t give too much away, but be certain that you are in for a truly wild ride, with demons, curses, magical creatures and lots of wine. There are battles for good and evil, where the lines aren’t always clear, strong friendships that outlast even death and just the tiniest hint of romance (which tbf is more than enough for me haha).
If you like heroic fantasy then I truly urge you to pick this one up – you won’t be disappointed.
*******************************
Why doesn’t this have more hype? Fantasy fans - stop sleeping on this book! It is so good!!!...more
"The truth is, if you really want to understand Riverdale and what kind of place it is, I have to tell you about the shadows. The town beneath the to "The truth is, if you really want to understand Riverdale and what kind of place it is, I have to tell you about the shadows. The town beneath the town."
I love Riverdale!
When I found out this novelisation was available I ordered it from the library immediately, and I thoroughly enjoyed being back in Riverdale with all it's wonderful characters. If you've watched the TV series, this book doesn't really offer anything new. It is set the day before the beginning of the series, so the day before everything kicks off. We pretty much know what happened the day before from watching the show, but in this book we get to read about it from the characters perspective, and we see what was going through their mind before they are all reunited/introduced.
Veronica is living the rich girl life in NYC, completely oblivious to how soon her entire life will be imploding. Betty is on an internship for a magazine in LA, becoming more independent, and trying to forget her ongoing crush on Archie. Archie is in a relationship of his own, but not one you'd expect or condone (at least I 100% did not) and one he must keep a secret at all costs. Jughead. Jughead is my love. I absolutely adore him, he is my favourite and he makes this series for me. He is struggling with his home life, distance from his best friend Archie and ongoing issues with people. (He hates people, I hate people. We are basically meant to be) <3
In between chapters are scattered bits of media. Like letters, emails, posters etc. to keep things interesting. Overall I loved this book!
"Happy endings are only stories. And stories are lies."
I had high hopes for this book. A warped version of Disneyland where the 'princesses' are kno "Happy endings are only stories. And stories are lies."
I had high hopes for this book. A warped version of Disneyland where the 'princesses' are known as fantasists. The fantasists are effectively robots, created by The Kingdom to serve its guests. To do anything they are asked without argument or comment, to 'make dreams come true.'
Right off the bat we are thrown into a court case, where Ana, one of the oldest fantasists is accused of murdering a member of park staff. The timeline shifts between these court hearings and Ana's meetings with lawyers etc. to chapters in the past, leading up to the night the crime occurred.
This book reminded me a lot of the TV program Humans. Where AI's grow and learn, soon they are able to think and perhaps even feel. The ultimate question in this tale is whether Ana does feel things like anger and love, whether she has developed the ability to lie.
It is a fantastic world that Rothenberg has created here - The Kingdom is the ultimate fantasy world where if you can dream it, it can be done. From recreating animals that have gone extinct, swimming with mermaids, skiing in the middle of summer and so much more. But behind this beautiful exterior is a vile place where the Fantasists are treated like property, and abused, where nothing is ever as it seems and some things are definitely too good to be true.
“Three horses and one ugly horse-faced girl.” “What they said...it isn’t true.” “Then why do they say it?” “That’s not the question4.5 ⭐️
Loved this!
“Three horses and one ugly horse-faced girl.” “What they said...it isn’t true.” “Then why do they say it?” “That’s not the question Isabelle, the question is why do you believe them?”
God this book spoke to me! Isabelle and her sister Octavia have always been called ugly, their mother is terrified no one will want to marry them and it’s caused no end of bitterness between them and their step sister Ella.
We all know the story of Cinderella - this one picks up right at the end of the Grimms version where Isabelle and Octavia are forced to maim themselves (chopping off parts of their feet) in order to fit into the glass slipper.
Naturally we know what happens next and Ella is off to the castle.
This is only the beginning of Isabelle’s story. I loved this because it doesn’t sugarcoat Isabelle’s behaviour - she was nasty to Ella, she learns this and is punished for it. Ella is also proven not to be a beautiful saint with no flaws. They are all human and all affected by how other people see them rather than how they see themselves.
“The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, but it’s the wolf inside who will tear you apart.”
There are anthropomorphised characters of Fate and Chance, both of whom are trying to control Isabelle’s life and get one over on the other. There is also the fairy godmother but not as you know her.
Personally I found there was so much to love in this. Learning that there is so much more to a person than their looks and being true to yourself is the most important thing.
“The days are hard, yes. But at night I have a candle and quiet and my books...a pretty girl must please the world. But an ugly girl? She’s free to please herself.”
**********************
Did not realise this was written by the same author who wrote A Gathering Light, which I loved.
"Kill him" a part of me says..."kill him before he makes you love him."
Hell fucking yes!!!! Guys this was fantastic. Non stop twists, turns, drama, b "Kill him" a part of me says..."kill him before he makes you love him."
Hell fucking yes!!!! Guys this was fantastic. Non stop twists, turns, drama, betrayal and MURDER. So Jude is the power behind the throne, controlling Cardan's every move, along with her fellow spies of the Shadow Court. I love Jude as a character - she is tough on the outside, but we know she hides her softer side, and she isn't afraid of doing what needs to be done aka MURDER! With Queen Orlagh of the Undersea making threats to Faerie, and collaberating with Balekin - Cardan's kin-slayer brother, running the Kingdom is far from easy. Throw in Jude's family issues with Madoc (her adopted father), her twin sister Taryn (absolute snake) and Taryn's husband Locke (asshole) and this makes for one wild ride. I loved how the plot twisted and turned, I loved never knowing what a character would do, and even when I had a rough idea Holly Black would throw in a curve ball. Absolutely awesome, I need the third book now, why isn't it November yet?
Wow! I’ll tell you now, this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it was 100% up my street.
Mind bending, so incredibly clever with such beautiful and hWow! I’ll tell you now, this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it was 100% up my street.
Mind bending, so incredibly clever with such beautiful and heartfelt language and messages. I’m astonished and reviewing this is gonna be bloody hard.
"He knew how he found the skeleton. He knew that the bones had been there for a long time. He even thought he knew the name of the kid who died. But he couldn't tell the grown-ups that. Because eventually, they would ask him how he knew everything. And he only had one truthful answer. 'Because my imaginary friend told me."
Ok, here goes nothing. We start with Christopher, a young boy living with his mother, they struggle to get by and Christopher has a lot of trouble with letters. One day while waiting for his mother to pick him up after school he wanders into the Mission Street Woods and isn't discovered until 6 days later, completely unharmed yet with a complete memory lapse of his time there. When asked how he got out, all Christopher will say is 'the nice man helped me.'
Many years before, another young lad David Olsom also wandered into the Mission Street Woods but was never found. What happened to him?
Since returning from the woods Christopher has gained himself an imaginary friend. He does wonderful things for him, Christopher becomes a genius overnight, his mother wins the lottery, he gets a group of friends and things are looking up.
Meanwhile we follow a collection of other characters, from Christopher's school friends, his mother's ex boyfriend, a local Christian girl Mary Katherine, the Sherrif and many more. If you like books with a variety of different characters you'll like this one.
Before long Christopher is being led by his imaginary friend. A villain called the Hissing Lady is out to get Christopher, and the Nice Man is determined to protect him. The most important task is to build a tree house, it will work as a doorway between the real world and the imaginary world. But Christopher must not be in the imaginary world at night, because that is where the evil lurks.
Soon Christopher is spending more and more time in the imaginary world. While the people in the real world are suffering from some kind of sickness which is making them all crazy. Violence erupts and the world turns into utter chaos.
I won't say anymore now as it's about there when the twists start coming in. If you don't like religious allegory then maybe pass this one because it is quite prominent. Personally I loved it, and I thought the way in which Chbosky handles the different aspects of the genesis story and retells them in his own way was simply fantastic.
(view spoiler)[It turns out the Hissing Lady is actually Eve. She offered to go to hell to try and protect people from the devil. By the end she returns to heaven which was lush. The nice man is actually Satan - such an interesting portrayal of the way he can cause people to go crazy and commit crimes., but also how terrifying this version of hell was. Where murderers are forced to stab themselves over and over. (hide spoiler)]
Finally the reveal at the end was just incredible. (view spoiler)[ Mary Katherine is a retold version of the virgin Mary, and she is expecting a child. (hide spoiler)]
This entire story just has so much in it, no wonder it is 700+ pages. But honestly I believed every page was worth it. ...more
"I shall found a priory of a different sort, and no craven knight shall soil its garden."
WThis, my friends is why I love fantasy
5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I shall found a priory of a different sort, and no craven knight shall soil its garden."
Wow! I have no words. I am blown away, spellbound, enraptured in this incredibly beautiful and complex world. I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Shannon's The Bone Season series, but this was something else entirely!
I don't even know where to begin. I guess the best place would be with the characters. We follow a large set of characters in a similar way to the A Song of Ice and Fire series. These characters are separated by religion, station and geography. In this world the East and the West have no contact. There is a huge divide between the East; where they worship Dragons as gods, and the West, where they fear dragons and believe they should all be destoyed.
Sabran the ninth Berethnet: Sabran is the current monarch of Inys. A group of lands that all fall under the religion of Virtudom - that of the worship of the Saint, Galian and the damsel, Cleolind. Sabran's family line is revered for being the reason that the nameless one, one of the most terrifying and powerful dragons; has not returned to murder everyone, after first being bound by Saint Galian. As long as she continues her family line (in history every Queen has had only 1 daughter, who has continued the line) then Inys will remain protected.
Ead Duryan: Ead is a member of The Priory of the Orange Tree, a sisterhood trained to destroy Wyrms (aka dragons) and to protect the realm from destruction. Ead has been sent by the Prioress to pose as one of Sabran's ladies, in order to be close enough to protect her from any harm. The Priory also follow the religion of Virtudom but with a twist. They believe that Cleolind (known as the Damsel to Inys) was the one who first bound the nameless one rather than Galian. They worship Cleolind as the mother rather than Galian as the Saint. They actually believe Galian was a bit of douche.
Tane': Tane' is like the Daenerys of this book, if you like. She doesn't have any obvious links with the other characters, and she resides in the East, where she is training to become a dragon rider. As we learn right in the very beginning, Tane' allows someone to breach the border keeping the East separate from the rest of the world. The East lets no one in, for fears of the draconic plague (a disease whose origins are unknown, but cause terrible burning for its sufferers). Her story is one of my favourites, as she serves such an important purpose as the book goes on.
"You have a ghost...do not become a ghost yourself."
Niclays Roos: I also really loved Niclays' character. He is an alchemist, previously of Sabran's court before he was banished and sent to the East. He also plays a part in the beginning with the smuggling of a man over the border into the East. Niclays reminds me of Davos a little bit (sorry for the ASoIaF comparisons, I can't help it) he manages to keep surviving despite numerous obstacles and losses. He makes a lot of mistakes, and his conscience definitely isn't the clearest, but he has a good heart and I could relate to his character a great deal.
As the nameless one is found to be returning once again to destroy the world. The East and the West must find a way to work together. The wyrm haters must learn to work with the water dragons of the East in order to battle the fire dragons and prevent a mass slaughter. With magic, myth, violence, heartbreak and war - this vast novel has something for everyone.
I'll leave my review here, as it's impossible to explain such a complex and imaginative world with powerful storylines and characters all interlocking and connecting. I will just say this - if you loved ASoIaF don't miss out on this one, it is truly incredible.
Actually just one final point I would like to reiterate. The fact that Samantha Shannon can create such believable religions for her fantasy and have characters who cling to these faiths so strongly was truly remarkable. I've read quite a few fantasy books where authors will refer to religions that exist in our world, rather than creating their own. If you are making a fantasy world, then everything in it should be fantasy, don't reference religions that would not exist in that world. Just my two cents.
"Love and fear do strange things to our souls. The dreams they bring, those dreams that leave us drenched in salt water and gasping for breath as if we might die - those, we call unquiet dreams. And only the scent of a rose can avert them."
**************************** Pre review:
1) This book is available to pick up from the library!!! OMG THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!
2) I have like 7 other library books to pick up and I'll need some serious upper body strength to carry them along with this beast.
3) Not to mention the like 10+ library books I have at home..... (2 of which are Fire and Blood and War Storm which are also GIANT BOOKS)
Send help
**************************
How did I not notice that this was written by Samantha Shannon? Aka the author of The Bone Season series!! I need this!!!!...more
“I think it’s very easy to find yourself living a life full of regret…and that you should always make the courBeautiful and sad all at the same time.
“I think it’s very easy to find yourself living a life full of regret…and that you should always make the courageous decision, even when doing so seems hard.”
I picked this one up mainly because of the Narnia-like vibes it gives off. Another reviewer said that it reads like Narnia fan-fiction, which I would say I agree with, and that definitely isn’t a bad thing!
The chapters alternate between the past – where siblings Jamie, Philippa and Evelyn have been transported to a magical world known as ‘The Woodlands’ where animals speak, trees are alive and the entire realm is ruled over by Cervus, a powerful and peaceful stag. This is a world on the brink of war, and the children become swept up, and stay there for 4 years.
The other chapters are the present. When the 3 children have returned from The Woodlands and are adjusting to their old life, set during WW2.
Adapting is a lot harder for Evelyn than her siblings. She doesn’t fit in our world, she feels lost and isolated – dragged away from the one place she felt home, like herself. Don’t be fooled by the pretty cover – this book involves levels of depression, and coping (or lack of). Please bear this in mind before picking it up, there are some pretty dark chapters.
This was a different approach to the ‘other worlds’ trope. We get to see what happens once the adventure is over, and how some will struggle a lot more leaving it behind.
********************
Some serious Narnia vibes going on.... lets see how this one is...more
I just want to flip back to the beginning and read it all over again! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"In our choices lie our fate."
This was just as magical and creepy I just want to flip back to the beginning and read it all over again! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"In our choices lie our fate."
This was just as magical and creepy as I had hoped it would be! I absolutely adore the film Pan's Labyrinth. It is 100% my jam, the perfect combination of fantasy and darkness that just speaks to my soul, and the fact that this novel was taken on by Cornelia Funke - an author I have loved since reading the Inkheart trilogy as a tender teenager, it's fair to say my hopes were through the roof.
Ofelia and her mother live in Spain during WW2, moving to a large house in the countryside when Ofelia's mother remarries after the death of her father. Capitan Vidal is a true villain. He is cruel, deceptive, violent and vindictive. Angry that he was never loved by his own father he takes this out on the locals, and the rebels hiding in the woods.
Ofelia is lonely. She misses her father, has no friends of her own, and hates how Capitan Vidal's unborn baby is causing her mother so much pain and illness. So when a fairy appears and introduces her to a faun named Pan, and his mysterious Labyrinth - how can she refuse?
She is given 3 tasks to complete, in order to be welcomed into their Magical Underground Kingdom. Tasks that involve danger, terrifying creatures and dark magic. The more deep she gets into the faun's world the more she begins to wonder if he really can be trusted.
Meanwhile, there are several short fairy tales interspersed with the chapters in this book. They tell stories of how the Labyrinth came to be, and all the magic of its history - both good and evil. These stories are what made the book even more wonderful for me - as these are brand new, there aren't mentioned in the film and it is a tribute to Cornelia Funke's incredible imagination. Along with the wonderful pictures also included I was completely swept away.
I cannot rate this highly enough - if fantasy is your bag, then pick this up!!
************************
I can pick this up from the library. Repeat: I CAN NOW PICK THIS UP FROM THE LIBRARY!!!!!!
*hyperventilates*
1. I love Pan's Labyrinth 2. I love Cornelia Funke
But was this book the most incredibly magical, moving, imaginative and absolutely immersive gem I’ve read in a long time? Am I confused as heck? Yes.
But was this book the most incredibly magical, moving, imaginative and absolutely immersive gem I’ve read in a long time? Also yes.
I enjoyed this so much more than The Night Circus!
"We are all stardust and stories."
Ok, where do I begin? I can honestly say I've never read anything like this book before. Zachary Ezra Rawlings finds a book in the library that isn't catalogued and becomes curious. Once he begins reading 'Sweet Sorrows' he discovers a world beyond his wildest dreams - and the weirdest part? One of the chapters in the book is a part of Zachary's childhood - he is reading about himself.
"Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift."
Pretty soon Zachary becomes obsessed with this book and will do anything to discover more about how it was written, and what it means that he is in the story. I won't say too much because I think it's best to go in blind and be swept away with the magic of this book.
"Because I haven't figured out the puzzle yet even though I don't know what the puzzle is. Because I feel more alive down here than I ever did up there."
The world of the Starless Sea is filled with wonder and imagination, don't expect to understand everything because honestly some of it just went straight over my head. But what really tipped this for me was the wonderful short stories between each chapter. Stories about fate and time, the moon and the sun, the Owl King and Princesses, swordsmiths and pirates. Erin Morgenstern's imagination is unparalleled, I just can't give it 5 stars because I didn't fully understand some parts of the world.
"If all endings are beginnings, are all beginnings also endings?"
****************** Just picked up this beauty from the library. I didn’t love The Night Circus - too romancy for me, but I could appreciate its beautiful and imaginative elements.
"Because caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in, and didn't let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than Just...wow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Because caring was a thing with claws. It sank them in, and didn't let go. Caring hurt more than a knife to the leg, more than a few broken ribs, more than anything that bled or broke, and healed again. Caring didn't break you clean. It was a bone that didn't set, a cut that wouldn't close."
What an epic trilogy this has been! That quote pretty much sums up my love for all of these characters. Dark magic has come to red London, leaving a trail of death and devastation in its wake. Kell, Lila, Alucard, Holland and a small crew take to the high seas to find something, ANYTHING that can defeat Osaron. Meanwhile Rhy (my darling love) is at the palace, trying to keep the people calm in the midst of panic and fear.
Despite me constantly stopping and starting this book, every time I picked it back up I wondered why I put it down in the first place! So much action and drama. We learn more of Holland's background (and I learned to love him as well).
"Dawn to dusk. A fresh start. A good end."
Plenty of stuff happens that I won't mention because spoilers. But this was such a wonderful round up of the trilogy, and I even got a bit emotional at the end! Love love love, and I will definitely be coming back for a reread!
"Death comes for us all...I would simply have mine mean something." ...more
"Unfortunately, no one is ever wrong at the right time. If they were, no one would ever be wrong - we'd all just be right.' 'I can't tell if that's t "Unfortunately, no one is ever wrong at the right time. If they were, no one would ever be wrong - we'd all just be right.' 'I can't tell if that's the whiskey talking or if you just said something profound."
I love Roxane Weary!!!!
Honestly this series is just great. If you like crime thrillers, do not miss out on these books. Roxane has got to be one of the most relatable protagonists - she is grumpy, disorganized, nosy and has quite the love for whiskey and in my opinion she is just great. She deserves the best!
Roxane gets a call from her brother Andrew in the middle of the night. A woman he once had a one night stand with years ago has turned up in his apartment, terrified, before suddenly fleeing again. When the woman - Addison, goes missing, Andrew is in the firing line.
Roxane has to find out what happened to Addison before her brother is set up. With a variety of characters ranging from the local crime Lord to Addison's best friends, and even people from the local gym. All the characters interlink, and it seems that everyone has secrets.
Kristen Lepionka is just so good at keeping you guessing. You'll never work out what happened, and the endings leave you shocked and definitely not disappointed!
This was amazing! Incredible! Absolutely loved it!
"Life out here is hard. We all try to get through the best way we can. But trust me, there's not a sThis was amazing! Incredible! Absolutely loved it!
"Life out here is hard. We all try to get through the best way we can. But trust me, there's not a single person here who isn't lying to themselves about something."
I have enjoyed both The Dry and Force of Nature by Jane Harper, but The Lost Man is definitely my favourite so far! Cameron Bright is found dead in the roughest part of the Australian outback, where temperatures reach 40 degrees and a few hours exposure is all it takes for someone to lose their life. His brothers Nathan and Bub are left behind to work out what happened - most people assume suicide, as his car is found fully operational and filled with emergency supplies. But Nathan isn't sure. Cam had a wife, two daughters and a fully functioning business with running the family property - why would he have felt the need to take his own life.
The best part about Jane Harper's books are the ways she sets the scenery, the stifling temperatures, where the closest neighbours are 3 hours apart, where locals have radio's in order to keep in touch. It is life at its most extreme. Nathan in particular - after a messy divorce, lives alone on his land - sometimes going for weeks at a time without human contact. He lives for the visits from his son Xander.
"People pretend to themselves that they are fine all the time. Everyday day, and for years on end."
My other favourite thing with Jane Harper's books is how there isn't a need for some massive twist at the end. There is a small enough pool of suspects, and we know it has to be one of them. The real question is which one? When everyone seems to have a motive. There is Nathan who was in love with Cameron's wife Ilse, there's Bub who stands to gain a slice of the family property after Cam's death, Harry who has worked for the family on the land for years, but has recently fallen out with Cam, what about these two mysterious looking backpackers who have begun working on the land but no one knows anything about them?
There are so many secrets and lies, and hidden agendas with all of these characters, I was completely gripped from start to finish. The reveal at the end surprised me, but it was still believable. Overall this was a fantastically written crime novel and Jane Harper is one to watch!
"Someone can decide it's in their best interests to agree to something, but a choice is only really a choice if there's a genuine alternative." ...more
"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
Yes! The Tillerman Cycle is so bloody good! 😊
Book number 3 in this s "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
Yes! The Tillerman Cycle is so bloody good! 😊
Book number 3 in this series moves us away from the Tillerman family, and we meet Jeff and his father. Jeff refers to his father as 'the Professor' and they aren't overly close, when Jeff's mother has finally had enough and leaves them behind, Jeff is lost. He quickly decides to just get on with things, that his mother's abandonment 'doesn't make any difference' to him. But a few years later when his mother gets in touch to invite Jeff to visit her in her hometown for the Summer, Jeff jumps at the chance to leave behind his stuffy and unemotional father and be reunited with his mother. He has a wonderful summer, meeting his peculiar great-grandmother, Gambo and his Aunts, exploring Charleston and discovering his family heritage. Jeff cannot wait to return the following year. However, the second time around isn't half as magical as Jeff had hoped. His mother is never around, constantly off with a new boyfriend & regularly borrowing money from young Jeff. His Gambo has changed as well -negative and grumpy and not interested in Jeff at all. The entire second trip serves as a wake up call for Jeff and we see how unhealthy his relationship with his mother is and how toxic she truly is for him.
It was refreshing to read a story in which the mother is the problem and the father is supportive and caring. Usually the father's are always portrayed as the bad guy. The characters were well written, with plenty of depth. Both the parents had flaws and weaknesses, as well as good traits, so there is no good guy/bad guy. I also loved finding out how Jeff ties in with the Tillerman family. I got about half way through when it clicked for me and I remembered who he was. Wonderful writing, wonderful characters, wonderful story. Onto book 4!...more
"Hardship is boring as all hell. Gotta find laughs if you can't stay drunk."
What a great fantasy series this is! I did find this one ever so slightl "Hardship is boring as all hell. Gotta find laughs if you can't stay drunk."
What a great fantasy series this is! I did find this one ever so slightly harder to tackle, it's a good 100 pages longer than book 2 and a lot of the content was quite political and less fast moving.
Locke and Jean have managed to escape their latest escapade on the high seas and are now firmly back on land. Before long they have been swept up by the Bondsmagi and forced into another heist filled with deception and trickery. The narrative switches between the present day, and flashbacks to when the Gentleman's Bastards were young and given an important task by father chains, to become part of a group of players, and learn to work together. We finally get to meet Sabetha in this book - which is great as we'd heard so much about her in the first two books. Her on/off relationship with Locke kept me on edge, particuarly when it turns out that Sabetha had also been hired by the Bondsmagi to compete against Locke and Jean.
With all the double crossing and secret keeping we have come to expect from Locke Lamora, there is plenty to keep the reader interested. So much intricate world building, and a big twist at the end. I'm not sure how long we will be waiting for book 4, so I may reread the first 3 before that happens.
"I don't expect life to make sense...but it would certainly be pleasant if it would stop kicking us in the balls." ...more
“We can slide down chimneys and slip locks and rob coaches and break vaults and do a fine spread of card tricks...but I hate to tell you that the one “We can slide down chimneys and slip locks and rob coaches and break vaults and do a fine spread of card tricks...but I hate to tell you that the one class of criminal we really haven’t associated with, ever, is fucking pirates!”
Still thoroughly enjoying this series! Locke and Jean are on another impossible mission to swindle the rich out of their money. What they don’t bargain on is the Bondsmagi come for their revenge, using a wealthy man as their means. Locke and Jean end up coerced into doing what this man says, in the hope that he won’t follow through and kill them. This task involves piracy. Something Locke and Jean know nothing about. So they hit the high seas, with all the trouble, violence and superstition that comes with it. All the while Locke’s mind is stirring up ways that they can still come out on top. I’m always blown away with the level of detail and thought that goes into Locke and Jean’s missions. Double and triple crossing - it’s amazing he can keep track of which character he is playing at which time! These books are exciting and thrilling, albeit quite complex at times. I will definitely be picking up book 3.
“I want to hug you. And I want to tear your gods-damned head off. Both at once.’ ‘Ah,’ said Locke. “Near as I can tell, that’s the definition of family right there.” ...more
I don’t hand out 5 stars ⭐️ lightly. Usually only for books that shock me or are unlike anything I have ever read.
However, having just finished this I don’t hand out 5 stars ⭐️ lightly. Usually only for books that shock me or are unlike anything I have ever read.
However, having just finished this YA fantasy- I honestly cannot think of a single thing I didn’t like.
So screw it 5 stars from me!
“Sorrow, for that is all she brings us.”
Sorrow Ventaxis is the daughter of the Chancellor of Rhanna, an empire who have had a tempestuous relationship with their neighbour Rhylla for many years.
On the day of Sorrow’s birth, a peace treaty was arranged between the two empires on a slippery and unstable bridge where the two borders meet. There Sorrow’s brother Mael fell off and was killed, her mother then died giving birth to her.
Rhanna was never the same since. Her father fell into a drug induced grief, never to truly surface. Leaving his 18 year old daughter and advisors to run their country.
But when a shock return throws everything into question, Sorrow realises her enemies are everywhere. Even in plain sight.
This book had everything I need, political intrigue, fantastic world building (including a map - I love me a book with a map!), a bit of romance but not so much that it takes away from the plot, characters to love and hate.
Overall I loved this story and I need to get my hands on book 2 immediately!...more
Just as pulse pounding the second time around. Full of back stabbing and secrets, complex world building and wonderful characters. My only Reread 2022
Just as pulse pounding the second time around. Full of back stabbing and secrets, complex world building and wonderful characters. My only dislike is the weird Stockholm syndrome relationship between Paige and Warden.
*****************************
Original review
"Words give wings even to those who have been stamped upon, broken beyond all hope of repair."
Yes! I loved this book just as much as book 1! I was fully invested in Paige's story, having escaped from the Rephaim's Colony and returned to her home in Seven Dials. Jaxon is glad to have Paige back, and he will not lose her again. When the current Underlord of the Syndicate is viciously murdered, everyone is under suspicion, including Paige. Meanwhile the Rephaim are hovering around London. A group of rebels are trying to bring down Nashira and they require Paige's help.
"But I knew now that I lived in a facade, and that puppet masters dwelled in the shadows."
Full of action, twists, violence and drama - I was hooked. I'm still not 100% sure about the romance, but there we are. I'm never comfortable with relationships where there is about a 100 year age gap. (Literally) So Paige must work together with the Rephaim, to become Underqueen, become ruler of the Syndicate and in turn use that power against Nashira. But there are secrets everywhere, and we soon learn that the Rephaim may have been in league with the Scion government, and no one can be trusted. Not the other Mime Queens or Mime Lords, not the Scion government, and sometimes not even those who you've known for years.
Be on your toes! No one is as they seem! 4 stars!
"And because our actions will speak loud and clear to Scion who would never listen to our words...ours will be the Mime Order." ...more
Loading...
