Book Review: Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

 Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy of Her Radiant Curse for an honest review.

Her Radiant Curse is a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes covering Ramaka or Channi's story.

Channi was made a Monster by her father's offer to sacrifice her to the Demon Witch Angma. Now cursed with the face of a serpent Channi is the opposite to her sister Vanna who is beloved. Vanna is the only person Channi trusts and who sees her as more than a Monster.

At 17 Vanna is to be married off for money and Channi is intent on preventing her getting married to some of the vulgar suitors. In doing this she gets mixed up in one suitors wrath and ends up over seas starting a battle to return to Vanna's side and protect her from the curse of the Demon Witch.

After The Dragon's Promise felt abit disjointed I was interested to read Lim's next offering and I must say this is a return to form.

Her Radiant Curse was a fantastic epic YA fantasy steeped in Asian Folklore. I was hooked on this book and couldn't stop reading.

The story was well crafted the characters were enjoyable and it gave us fantastic insight into Channi's origin. While being a prequel I wouldn't say you need to read Six Crimson Cranes first but it does give good context and there are some moments dropped in that lead you back to aspects of Six Crimson Cranes.

A fantasticly crafted story and I look forward to whatever Elizabeth Lim releases next. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: Never a Monster by Vanessa Len

 Never a Monster by Vanessa Len

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance reader copy of Never a Hero to read for an honest review.

Never a Hero follows the aftermath of Only a Monster Jane has reset the timeline saving her family and destroying the hero, Nick.

However in the new world she alone remembers what happened and that there is an enemy out there. Her friend Aaron has forgotten all that happened and is now an enemy. Nick the boy she loved is a stranger who doesn't remember her.

After a deadly attack forces Joan back into the world of monsters she and Nick are on the run as fugitives with Aaron chasing after them.

On the way Nick is getting dangerously close to discovering the truth of what happened to him. Joan must gather her old allies to face the enemy and save the timeline before it is too late.

Like Only a Monster I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.

I just love the characters and the world building fascinating with the monster world running parallel to the human world.

In this book we learn more about the enemy and what their plan was before Joan undid the hero.

While I loved the dynamic of Joan and Nick being on the run while being hunted down by the monsters I did miss the presence of Aaron this time initially at the start. Hoping he gets more time in the 3rd book!

Overall I thought the story was well crafted and that the book was such good fun a YA fantasy you could just sit down and read in one sitting. Already looking forward to the third installment! 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle

 Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the audio book of this title on exchange for an honest review.

Twin Crowns follows twins Wren and Rose raised apart with only Wren having knowledge of Rose's existence. Rose is heir to the throne and is marrying for her Kingdom.

Wren has been training all her life knowing that she would one day steal her sister's place in the palace where their parents were murdered. Her aim is to rise to power to protect the Witch community that she loves.

Wren switches places with Rose who ends up in the middle of the desert with a would be kidnapper. He takes her back to the Witch community where she learns of life outside the palace walls.

As coronation day looks who will ultimately wear the crown?

Overall this book wasn't for me I wasn't sure if it was the narration, the writing or both. I honestly thought I would love this witches, fantasy and romance are some of my favourite elements however this just fell abit flat.

The story seemed often surpassed by the ongoing romances with the plot taking a back seat. So much so that I found myself losing interest and missing bits of what had happened.

The characters while well written could have blended into one abit at points as they were abit generic.

I think overall the writing just felt abit juvenile which took away from the plot for me. Maybe that means I am just not the demographic, though normally I love a good YA story.

The narration while good generally just heightened that it felt juvenile to me and was abit cringey at points. 

However I have got the sequel on order so I will give that a chance to see if I deem it any better than the first installment. Hopefully it just didn't work for me in audio form. 

Thanks For Reading! 

Book Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

 The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of The Only One Left for an honest review.

The Only One Left follows Kit McDeere sent to work at Hope's End to care for Lenora Hope famous in the town for apparently murdering her Mother, Father and her Sister. Only the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she left Hope's End her home and the mansion where the massacre occurred.

Lenora was rendered mute from a series of strokes, her only means of communication with Kit are by tapping out sentences on a typewriter. One night Lenora tells Kit that she wants to tell her everything.

As Kit helps Lenora write out her story it becomes clear that there is more to the story than people know. Kit starts to wonder if Lenora is as harmless as she first thought.

I really enjoyed this thriller novel! Riley Sager's other books have always been either a hit or a miss with me but this one captured my attention and kept it right until the end.

There were so many twists and turns and secrets that came to light. Normally I am able to figure these stories out before reaching the end but there were a couple of big twists towards the end that surprised me and I just did not see them coming.

If you are a fan of Thriller novels I recommend picking this one up it is definitely worth the read! 

Thanks For Reading! 

Book Review: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

 Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC to read for an honest review.

Some Desperate Glory follows Kyr who has been trained her whole life to avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised on Gaea station with the last of humanity, they are all training to face the Wisdom a reality shaping weapon that aided the Majoda in their victory over humanity.

However when Kyr's brother is assigned to certain death and relegates her to nursery Kyr knows she must take the mission into her own hands.

Alongside Avi a friend of her brother and a captive alien she's escapes from the station into a different universe to what she was taught that is more wonderous than could be imagined.

I have to admit I did not think this story was going to be for me and I will admit that I was completely wrong. This book was a fantastic queer Sci-fi novel.

It was smart, well plotted out and very well written.

Kyr our main protagonist can be hard headed and frustrating at times throughout the story. However her character has the most growth and the book gives a good message on learning to be empathetic in a cruel world.

The book has so many twists and turns and time slips that it's impossible to guess how the ending is going to go.

If you are a fan of the science fiction genre I would really recommend this story and I fully regret skipping the Illumicrate box that had this book in it. 

Thanks For Reading! 

Book Review: In The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

 In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC of In The Lives of Puppets for an honest review.

The story follows Victor Lawson a human who lives in a strange little home built into the branches with his inventor and Android father Giovanni Lawson, Nurse Ratched a pleasant yet sadistic nurse machine and Rambo a hoover with insecurities looking for love and attention.

One day Vic salvages and repairs an android labelled HAP this opens up a dark history shared between Gio and HAP relating to the Humans.

After HAP accidentally alerts other androids to their whereabouts the family are no longer hidden. Gio is captured and taken back to his former laboratory in the City of Electric dreams.

The rest of the family together decide to journey across the forest to rescue Gio and salvage their home.

I really enjoyed this story it was very different from my usual read and was very much in the science fiction drama. The description pens it as a Pinocchio retelling of sorts and while I see aspects of that I would say the rest of the story is very much its own work. Even with shades of The Wizard of Oz I would say following their journey to the City of Electric Dreams.

I loved the dynamic between Victor, Nurse Ratched and Rambo we then added HAP to mix and that just made the dynamic even better.

I also very much enjoyed the messages this story conveyed with teaching about love that isn't unconditional and the important message of family and treasuring the time that you have together.

Definitely worth a read if you are interested in the Sci-fi/fantasy genre and I will definitely by reading more of TJ Klune's books following this one. 

Thanks For Reading! 

Book Review: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

 Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance reader copy of Yellowface by R. F. Kuang.

The story follows authors June Hayward and Athena Liu both were at the same year of Yale, both had their debut published on the same year. However Athena is classed as a literary darling and June didn't even get a paperback release on her book.

When June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident she impulsively steals her just finished experimental novel on the unsung contributions of Chinese labourers to the British and French during World War 1.

June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent. She gets a new publisher and rebrands as Juniper Song complete with a new ethnically ambiguous author photo. After all doesn't this piece of history need to be told no matter who by.

However June is stuck in Athena's shadow  and evidence emerges threatening to bring June's successes down around her. How far will June go to protect her secret?

After struggling to get through Babel I thought I would give another of Rebecca's books a go and I am glad that I did.

I finished this book in a day and found it an enjoyable read which raises debate and social commentary on alot of important topics surrounding the publishing industry and diversity.

I really enjoyed the in depth look into the background of the publishing industry. This book is told from June's perspective in first person and while you know that it is not going to end well you just cannot stop reading.

June is not a saint she is two faced and dishonest and it is amazing the lengths she goes too to manipulate those around her and the narrative to keep hold of the success she has achieved from the stolen manuscript.

I also found it fascinating how we learnt more about Athena's character as the book went on through the perspective of June and how her character is crafted through these experiences and memories.

This book definitely felt like a social commentary on how the world of publishing works and an authors struggles within it and I was gripped by this! 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to seeing what R. F. Kuang comes out with next! 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: Shanghai Immortal by A. Y. Chao

Shanghai Immortal by A. Y. Chao

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance reader copy of Shanghai Immortal in exchange for an honest review.

Shanghai Immortal follows Lady Jing who is half vampire and half hulijing fox spirit. Pawned to the King of Hell by her mother when she was a child she has spent the past ninety years running errands, trying to control her temper and dodging the cruel taunts of the other hulijing courtiers.

When she hears of their plot to steal a dragon pearl from the king she seizes her chance to expose them.

However she has been tasked to watch over a mortal who is helping the King set up the Central Bank of Hell. With him in tow she starts searching for answers however as things start to get more dangerous she begins to question if this is worth the risk.

I really enjoyed this book I thought the ideas throughout were quite original, the world building was good and the characters were well crafted.

I really enjoyed Jings character despite her childish tendencies at the start and her relationship with Mr Lee throughout the book made this a sweet read. 

I noticed this was classed as adult fiction which was surprising as it read more YA despite the swear words used throughout. 

However that did not stop my enjoyment of this book. 

A fun story for fantasy fans with interesting world building and enjoyable characters. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: Babel by R. F. Kuang

Babel by R. F. Kuang

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the Audiobook version of Babel by R. F. Kuang to read in exchange for an honest review.

Babel is set in 1828 and follows Robin Swift an orphan from Canton brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. Here he is trained in Latin, Ancient Greek and Chinese to prepare him for the day he will attend Oxford University and the institute of translation known as Babel.

The tower is the world's center for translation and magic, specifically silver working which is the art of finding lost translation using enchanted silver bars.

For Robin Oxford is a utopia but as his time there continues he realises that as a Chinese boy in Britain he is betraying his motherland. As his time progresses he is recruited by the elusive Hermes society an organisation dedicated to stopping imperial expansion and the unjust war against China.

My thoughts on this book were mixed areas of the title I vastly enjoyed and I was wrapped up in the story other areas I felt could be cut down or not included at all.

This was an incredibly long audio book at 14 hours and it took me a while to finish it. The audio narration was very good I will say that but due to the length and wordiness of the book this title at points dragged, mostly due to a vast amount of reputation from the author or I suppose wordiness of sentences.

I wanted to love it as I had heard such great things but I had to deduct stars for that alone.

Overall I really enjoyed the characters and the group dynamic between Robin, Rami, Letty, and Victoire. This portion of the story I found incredibly interesting. However I am not sure I would ever reread this title again.

 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for a copy of A River Enchanted to read in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Jack Tamerlaine who has been studying music for 10 years on the mainland away from the isle of Cadence. However when you young girls start disappearing from the isle Jack is summoned back by the heiress and his former nemesis Adaira.

She wants him to play for the spirits that rule the isle, wind, fire, earth and water as they only answer to a bard's music. She hopes the spirits can help them find the missing girls.

However upon working together it turns out the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they expected with the secrets of Cadence threatening to reveal themselves.

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel, I had been in a bit of a reading slump and this book brought me straight out with it's charm and whimsy.

I loved the magical world Ross created and the characters within it and the inspiration from Scottish folk tales. I felt the main characters were well developed and I enjoyed the switch of perspectives throughout and found that I couldn't put the book down waiting for the mysteries to unravel themselves.

A title I would definitely recommend and luckily for me the sequel is already out so I shall be getting that to read next. 

Thanks for Reading! 

Book Review: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the advance copy of this book to read for an honest review.

The story follows Lore who at 13 escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath Dellaire. 10 years later Lore is a poison runner hiding her power of Mortem which is magic from death, however one accident and a job gone wrong leads to her powers being revealed. She is taken by the Presque Mort a religious faction sanctioned to use mortem working for the King. She is given a choice either use her magic to find out why entire villages have been dying overnight or be sent to the Burnt Isles.

Lore is sent undercover in the King's court under the guard of Gabriel a duke turned monk to keep an eye on the Prince Bastian. Romance, a love triangle and plenty of debauchery ensue. However Lore's past life in the catacombs is catching up to her even closer than she thinks.

This is the first book I have read from Hannah Whitten and I thoroughly enjoyed it I love a well crafted fantasy with a dash of romance and the hint of a love triangle.

I really enjoyed the interactions between the three main characters Lore, Gabe and Bastian. The dialogue was witty and I felt the relationship between the three was well crafted.

The world building was also well done and I was hooked on the premise and the storyline of life and death magic.

The story was well paced and I didn't want to put the book down. 

I am looking forward to reading the sequel! 

Thanks for Reading!