Book review: Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood

I'm a long-time follower of Lucy Jane Wood on YouTube; she's the ultimate cosy content creator who loves Gilmore Girls and autumn as much as me. I particularly rate her book videos so I was absolutely thrilled when she announced she had written her very own novel. And the description sounded just as cute and comforting as her videos, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy! 

Book review: The Company by J.M. Varese

They say not to judge a book by its cover but in the case of The Company by J.M. Varese I am so glad I did. I'm not normally one for novels described as a "gothic thriller" as my mind instantly goes to scary horror scenarios and that's not my cup of tea. But the stunningly intricate design on this cover gave me the vibes of a historical fiction with a magical realism twist, such as The Binding by Bridget Collins and The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale, which is way more up my street. And I do think that's a more accurate categorisation of this haunting story.  

Book review: The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London #3) by Maureen Johnson

My edition: Paperback, published on 5 February 2015 by Hot Key Books, 374 pages.

Description: Grieving, shaken, and feeling very much alone, Rory's life as a member of the Shades of London has changed irrevocably. It's only been a matter of hours since Stephen was taken from her, possibly for ever. Her classmate Charlotte is still missing, kidnapped by the same people who tried to take Rory. Rory is no longer a schoolgirl haplessly involved in the dealings of a secret government unit. She is their weapon in a matter of life and death.

With hardly a moment to think for herself, Rory is back to work. Charlotte must be found -- as must Stephen, if he is even out there. Lines must be drawn and forces rallied. Something is brewing under London, something bigger and much more dangerous than what has come before. The Shadow Cabinet holds the key to everything, and it is up to Rory to unravel its mysteries before time runs out...

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Book review: Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

My edition: Paperback (proof), published on 1 August 2014 by HarperCollins, 528 pages.

Description: Detective Gabi Versado has hunted down many monsters during her eight years in Homicide. But she’s never seen anything like this.

He is a broken man. The ambitions which once drove him are dead. Now he has new dreams – of flesh and bone made disturbingly, beautifully real.

Detroit is the decaying corpse of the American Dream. Motor-city. Murder-city.

And home to a killer opening doors into the dark heart of humanity.

A killer who wants to make you whole again…

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Book review: Split Second by Kasie West

My edition: Hardcover, to be published on 13th March 2014 by HarperCollins 360, 368 pages.

Description: Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can't believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She's always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie's dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He's a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie's memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don't want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

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Book review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

My edition: Hardcover, to published on 16th January 2014 in the UK by HarperCollins 360 in paperback and ebook, 343 pages.

Description: Addison Coleman's life is one big "What if?" As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It's the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie's parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the "Norms", or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it's not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback's girlfriend. When Addie's father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she's unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear.

With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she's willing to live through... and who she can't live without.


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Author event: Rachel Caine at Foyles

On 23 May, Foyles Charing Cross in London once again held one of their fantastic author events, this time with Rachel Caine, author of amongst others the Morganville Vampires and the Weather Warden series.

What makes the events at Foyles different is that they deliver something extra beyond an already exciting opportunity for fans to meet their favourite authors at signing sessions. On top of the signing there is a talk and Q/A with the author and more often than not Foyles also provides an extra gift to attendees, for instance an ARC of a debut novel.

This time we received a pretty Allison and Busby bag (the publishers of Caine's popular Morganville books) which contained a Morganville bookmark, luggage tag and travel card holder. Great stuff! Make sure to regularly check the Foyles calender of events for upcoming events.

The main event was of course getting a chance to hear Caine speak about her work (she even spoiled the attendees by reading a chapter from the upcoming 13th novel in the series; Bitter Blood, which includes the cool new aspect of "ID cards" everyone in Morganville is obliged to have) and giving the fans a chance to ask their burning questions.

I didn't write down the questions and answers beyond a few key words and it was some weeks ago, but I'll try to describe the Q/A to the best of my ability behind the cut.

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

My edition: Paperback, published in 2011 by Scholastic, 482 pages.

Description: It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

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Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My edition: Paperback, published in 2011 by HarperCollins, 338 pages.

Description: The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

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Book review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

My edition: Hardcover, published in 2011 by Simon & Schuster, 452 pages.

Description: Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

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Book review: Shades of London #1: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

My edition: Paperback, published in 2011 by Harper Collins, 372 pages.

Description: The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target?

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Book review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

My edition: Paperback, published in 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 592 pages.

Description: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

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Review: Elixir by Hilary Duff

My edition: Paperback, published in 2010 by Simon & Schuster, 327 pages.

Description: Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea’s photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before.

When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.

Review:

This book started out very promising: extremely well written (I'm not commenting on by who as I think the quality should be central in a review about the story, not the debate about whether it was ghost written or not) and mysterious from the start with the unexplainable appearances of the image on Clea's photographs.

However as soon as we were getting closer to the truth behind the mystery, the story started making less sense and it seemed more time was spent on building a romantic relationship between two characters that lack chemistry, rather than on developing the plot in a satisfying matter.

About halfway through Elixer dropped from a solid 9 to a hesitant 8 out of 10 and the open ending as well as the unbelievable change of Ben's character towards the final chapters made me reluctantly decide on the final rating. It's a real shame that this novel got dragged into the currently overhyped young adult paranormal genre - focusing on romance rather than plot - as it had a lot of potential.

7/10

Review: Bite Club by Rachel Caine

My edition: Paperback, published in 2011 by Allison & Busby, 442 pages 

Description: After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire- accompanied by her friends and frenemies-to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville...

Review:

I have been a big fan of The Morganville Vampires books for a long time now and I was absolutely stoked to get my eager hands on a gorgeous review copy weeks before the official release in the UK. The British cover looks very appealing and the bright red title and details are really eye-catching and suitable for a book where the fanged ones are very central to the story.

Even though I have been avidly reading the Morganville books for years and have grown to love the characters I have to say that the last few titles left a lot to be desired and I feared that Bite Club would sadly go the same forgettable route. However, while the book felt like a very quick read the story itself was highly entertaining throughout and definitely captured my attention until the final page. And I have to say I really enjoyed reading it not only from Claire’s point of view but also Shane's. This was a clever move as without giving him a voice the choices the character made this time around would've made Shane very unlikeable very fast.

Most importantly: the main characters went back to their roots after feeling a bit ooc in the previous book Ghost Town, the inevitable show downs were finally dealt with, lose ends tied up and a new path paved for future storyline developments. Overall a great continuation of the Morganville stories and certainly a treat for fans of the books.

8/10

Review: Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

My edition: Paperback, published in 2009 by Puffin Books, 279 pages.

Description: Billi SanGreal is having her Ordeal. The last test before her initiation. But she hadn't expected this. Not killing a little kid.

Billi is destined to follow her father into The Order and protect the masses from the Unholy. From the thousands of evil, tortured souls that prey on humanity.

Billi is fifteen. Is a life of brutal fighting and deadly combat really what she wants? Or is temptation threatening to lead her astray..

Review:

I have to admit that Devil's Kiss is one of those books that has been on my to-read shelf for well over six months. I know, I know, but in my defence the shelf is ever growing and I usually pick my books off of it at random so it's not that I wasn't interested in reading it. I was in fact excited about it ever since I heard author Sarwat Chadda speak at Foyles bookstore in London back in June. There were several authors present and I initially went to the event for someone else but Chadda managed to make his book sound so fantastic I immediately purchased a copy (and not just so I could get it signed - though that was a nice bonus!).

I initially assumed the novel to be another one in a million supernatural romance as the genre has exploded in the last few year. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing overly spectacular either. However it blew me away from the moment I read the words "Knights Templar" (which, I'm pretty sure, was somewhere in the first chapter) and I saw some of the names of the characters that corresponded to Arthurian Legends (Arthur, Percival and Gwaine) - as both the Arthurian Legends and the Knights Templar are two topics I've always been incredibly fascinated by. And it only got better from that point on.

Chadda manages to combine not only the history and myth surrounding the Templars and King Solomon, but in this novel he also includes a wide array of supernatural creatures, from the currently more popular vampire like beings to lesser known monsters such as ghuls and grigori. On top of that he adds a huge dose of Christian references as well as various other religions and even astronomy makes its appearance. Surprisingly combining all that the story doesn't become overwhelming or confusing, no it actually works together. Brilliantly so even.

The book is also seeped in detailed descriptions of London (where it all takes place) and history, which manages to give the reader the feeling that they're walking in the footsteps of main character Billi. And besides the obvious supernatural storyline there's a second layer going into the relationship of Billi and her father that's very fascinating. More so because in the end it turns out that there is a far more important reason behind the way they act towards one another.

The only minor criticism I have is that I found the prophecy very general and vague. It could've meant anyone so I think the Knights jumped to conclusions there. But as I said, it's only a minor criticism and it didn't bother me while reading the book, I only thought of it afterwards.

In conclusion: I can't wait to pick up the sequel The Dark Goddess, which hopefully won't gather dust for six months on my to-read shelf before I start reading it!

9/10

Review: Valiant by Holly Black

My edition: Paperback, published in 2005 by Simon & Schuster, 336 pages.

Description: When seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. And when one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature with whom they are all involved, Val finds herself torn between her newly found affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

Review:

The concept of a modern fairytale (or Faerie tale as it's referred to in this book) isn't a new one, but Holly Black has created her own, very original world in which her stories take place - making her stand out from many other authors in the genre. In Tithe this world was first introduced and she expands upon it with the second book in the series, Valiant. Unfortunately, while it was an okay read the novel wasn't outstanding or even as good as Tithe.

It's not the blatant drug abuse criticized by many before me that bothers me, but the central focus of the story that shifts because of it is. The book is advertised as a modern Faerie tale, both on the front-cover and the blurb on the back. Yet the Faeries seems to take a step back to make place of a side story concerning Val running away from home, living on the streets and turning to drug abuse (magical drugs at that, but still). And because there isn't enough information about and involvement from the Faerie people until the very end I found I cared very little for their story.

Instead I was much more drawn to the secondary story, but because it wasn't intended as the main storyline this also didn't feel sufficient to carry the book. The characters (Luis, Lolli, David and even Val) lacked depth and their actions were stereotypical, both leading to me simply not caring about them in the end either. And that's a shame, because the idea behind the book is fantastic and both story lines within have a great potential which occasionally shines through - particularly in the last few chapters where everything comes nicely together.

If only the characters would've been fleshed out more and the author could decide on the focus of the story, perhaps I would've felt more invested all throughout the novel.

6/10

Review: The Magnificent 12 #1: The Call by Michael Grant

My edition: Paperback, published in 2011 by HarperCollins, 249 pages.

Description: Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy is not cut out to be a hero. But one day a three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears and tells Mack he is one of the Magnificent Twelve - an elite team who must save the world from the greatest evil its ever faced. Mack must travel the globe and track down the other eleven kids who will fight the coming terror.

But it all sounds a bit dangerous and Mack never planned to be a hero... Will he answer the call?

Review:

The Call is the first part in Michael Grant's The Magnificent 12 series and fills our 'ordinary' world with monsters, an evil princess, 12 year-old heroes, wizards and a very friendly but often quite daft Golem. Besides the entertaining storyline, the book is also incredibly humorous throughout. For example take this quote from the start of the second chapter:

"Grimluk was twelve years old. Like most twelve-year-olds he had a job, a child, two wives and a cow. No. No, wait, that's not true. He had one wife and two cows."

While intended for younger teens The Call can also be read by an older audience as there are quirky references that make it fun and that younger children likely won't pick up on. Take for instance this slightly rehashed Lord of the Rings quote:

"But there was one bully to rule them all, one bully to find them, one bully to bring them all and in the darkness pound them."

In short: a young audience will most certainly be entertained by the first book in The Magnificent 12 series. As for the older readers, they shouldn't expect a literary masterpiece, but The Call is a fun read and definitely worth checking out.

7.5/10

Review: Ash by Malinda Lo

My edition: Paperback, published in 2010 by Hodder Children's Books, 291 pages.

Description: With her parents both gone, Ash finds herself a servant int he house of her ruthless stepmother and there seems no hope of finding happiness again. But Ash is unaware of her mother's legacy, and that it will lead her to a magical place. A place where love, identity, and belonging are all waiting...

Review:

Ash is a retelling of the Grimm fairytale Cinderella, made apparent by the fact that her name is very familiar to the Dutch name (and the German one, and probably a whole load of other ones) of Cinderella and the fact that the character is holding a glass slipper on the cover of the book - which surprisingly doesn't even make an appearance in this novel, so shame on whoever did the cover art! But that's largely besides the point as it's the story that I was interested in.

For the most part the book follows the classic fairytale of a little girl that after the death of her father is used as a servant by her evil stepmother and occasionally evil stepsisters (though one of the stepsisters actually isn't all that bad to her in this novel). With one big difference: author Malinda Lo has taken the fairy part of the word fairytale very literal - as they do exist in the world described in this book and as a matter of fact have a very central focus in it. And I don't mean a cute fairy Godmother with a twinkling wand singing "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" as seen in the Disney adaptation, but the creatures that will lure humans into their fairy rings to never be heard of again. Nasty stuff. Another big difference to the original story is the addition of the Hunt and most notably the King's Huntress, a character very important in Ash.

While the book started out very promising it unfortunately doesn't deliver in the end. There are many lose ends in regards to the fairies as the final few chapters heavily focus on concluding the romantic storyline of the book. This is a shame as in the beginning this wasn't the main focus and because of that the story that appealed to me so much when I started reading Ash seemed to have gotten lost somewhere along the way. Overall it wasn't a bad read, but the book would have been more satisfying if it didn't dismiss one storyline in favour of another.

7/10

Book review: The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

Book data: Hardcover, published in 2010 by Hyperion Books, 557 pages.

Description: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first audio book in The Heroes of Olympus series.

Review:

If you thought that the Percy Jackson series was already fantastic, wait until you get your hands on the sequel/spin-off series Heroes of Olympus. It combines the brilliance of weaving Greek mythology seamlessly into the modern day world as displayed in the first set of books but now adds the Roman Gods and stories to the mix as well.

In the first book - The Lost Hero - Riordan uses his flair once more to make something that shouldn't be able to fit together seem like a perfect match. I mean, in many ways the Roman Gods are the same as the Greek ones, just with different names and (slightly) altered personalities. Yet in the book they can both co-exist without one story undermining the other.

Not only that but the story takes the word epic just one step further. Fighting Titans and protecting Mount Olympus in Manhattan seems child's play compared to the rise of the big bads in the first book of this new exciting series. And judging from the last few chapters this is nothing compared to what's the come - the biggest battle of them all has been wiped from history and the past may repeat itself if our heroes can't find a way to stop the seemingly inevitable from happening again.

Most fun for me was that while reading The Lost Hero and getting to know the three new main characters of Jason, Piper and Leo there were plenty familiarities to make me feel at home in the world as written down by Riordan. We get to visit Camp Half-Blood again and many of the characters from the first series make an appearance in one form or another. And judging by the title of the next instalment it seems very likely that the famous Percy himself will be the central character once more in the upcoming book.

10/10