Review: Into The Crooked Place

Into The Crooked Place 
Rating: 3/5 
Buy or Borrow: Borrow 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review! 

Magic rules the city of Creije Capital and Tavia Syn knows just how many tricks she needs up her sleeve to survive. Selling dark magic on the streets for her kingpin, she keeps clear of other crooks, counting the days until her debt is paid and she can flee her criminal life.

But then, one day, with her freedom in sight, Tavia uncovers a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the realm she calls home. Desperate to put an end to her kingpin's plan, Tavia forms an unlikely alliance with three crooks even more deadly than her: 

Wesley, the kingpin's prodigy and most renewed criminal in the realm

Karam, an underground fighter with a penchant for killing first and forgetting to ask questions

And Saxony, a Crafter in hiding who will stop at nothing to avenge her family 

With the reluctant saviours assembled, they embark on a quest to put an end to the dark magic before it's too late. But even if they can take down the kingpin and save the realm, the one thing they can't do is trust each other. 

I was very, very excited for this book. I read and loved Christo's To Kill a Kingdom, it's one of my favourite books and so I expected big things from this. A gang of misfits, a heist...but with Christo's storytelling and her originality from To Kill a Kingdom? Sign me up! However, as I was reading this, I just wasn't as grabbed and invested as I'd expected to be. If I'm being completely honest, as I was reading all I could think was 'this is essentially Six of Crows just with a different magic system'. 

The magic system we were presented with was intriguing, and I was curious about it, there was a nice  amount of initial world building that was enough to pique your interest but not overwhelm you and I always love morally grey characters like Tavia. I was also loving the whole magic black market, gangsters thing we had going on. Karam I particularly enjoyed out of all the characters, she was badass and I liked the humour and banter there was between not just she and Tavia but all of the characters in the book. The cast of characters was diverse, there's some intrigue and there's a lot of magic sprinkled with some action. 

However, there's not much else that I really have to say about this book. It was an okay book, it wasn't anything that really stands out to me among the multitude of other similar books. Wesley really reminded me of Kaz Brekker and I thought it more than once as I was reading. The characters are interesting, but I don't feel like they had enough depth to them. I wasn't overly attached to or invested in any of them, though they were likeable enough. I enjoyed the f/f romance, but after a certain point it became a little bit repetitive and as much as I liked the initial world building, I'd have liked to delve deeper because unless I missed something....I still have no idea why magic was outlawed. Much like the characters, there just wasn't enough depth to it for me. 

The writing was good, as was the world building and there were some great twists to it. I just struggled to make it to the end of the book and if it hadn't been an arc I probably would have DNF'd it. I never found it hard to put down, I found it hard to pick up because I wasn't that enthused with it although it did pick up towards the end, I'm still not sure I'll pick up the sequel. It's a lot of struggle to get to the really good stuff, and it was a little too predictable at points. 

My main problem with the book is that it felt quite bland to me. I found that it didn't stand out from Six of Crows and Gilded Wolves and so on, which is disappointing to me because I was expecting Christo to put her own brand of originality on this and take what's becoming a YA trope and make it something new and exciting and different to everything else. But the entire time I was reading I could just pick up echoes of other books and it felt very same-y to me as I was reading which was the biggest disappointment for me when it came to this book. 

Review: Batman Nightwalker

Batman: Nightwalker
Rating: 4/5 
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review! 

Returning home from his lavish eighteenth birthday party, Bruce Wayne stops a criminal's getaway - disobeying the police and crashing his car during the chase. 

Sentenced to community service in Gotham City's Arkham Asylum, he encounters some of the the city's most dangerous and mentally disturbed criminals. Among these, Bruce meets the intriguing Madeleine who has ties to the Nightwalker gang that is terrorizing Gotham City.

She's a mystery Bruce has to unravel but can he trust her? The Nightwalkers target the rich, and Bruce's name is next on their list.

First thing's first, I loved the art style for this graphic novel adaptation! The art is just gorgeous, the character designs are wonderfully drawn and I really liked the aesthetic of them, but I loved the colour palette for this entire graphic novel the most. It's all black, white and grey with yellow being the only colour but it's only used for certain things...to accent things you could say and I really loved that choice! I also particularly liked the way the expressions were drawn on character's faces and the emotion that you could see in their eyes where brought across so well with the art, like the snide looks Bruce got in one particular panel. 

The beginning of this is intriguing, and there's action from the start including a nice and tense car chase. After that it's not long before we're presented with a mystery in the form of the Nightwalkers and then we're getting up close and personal with Arkham Asylum. Bruce is adjusting to life as a billionaire now that he's 18 and like Madeline says...he sees everything in black and white. Good and bad. He's also a little bit too nosy for his own good in this case! 

Madeline is suitably mysterious, she seems to relate to Bruce and you can empathise with her past. But you can't really trust her and I was constantly torn between wanting to trust her...but not quite being able to bring myself to. You could never really be sure if she was telling the truth or if she was lying and she's very manipulative but she certainly kept you on your toes.

As someone who's read the original book, I have to say this was nicely paced and we move through the story wonderfully from point to point with action, tension and suspicion throughout before everything wraps up perfectly. The key plot points and most important scenes have been picked out to be brought to life in the graphic novel, with the characters expressions getting across a lot of the emotion as well as adding to the tone and atmosphere of the scenes. None of the plot or feeling behind it is lost with this adaptation, and you can see the beginnings of Bruce becoming Batman with his need to solve mysteries and crimes. By the end of the volume Bruce has been set on his path to truly becoming Batman. We also get cameos from Alfred, Lucius, Harvey Dent and James Gordon as well.

Blog Tour: Angel Mage

Hello, and welcome to my stop on the Angel Mage blog tour! I'm so excited to be included in this blog tour, and I've got something a little special for you today...an extract from the book introducing one of the characters, Agnez! 

I'm nearly finished with reading the book and it is....stunning. I could so easily binge read this, it's not at all hard to read or heavy and if I could binge read the whole thing..I would have. I love Garth Nix's world building and the characters he creates and he never fails to draw me in to his worlds and have me getting lost for hours, Angel Mage is certainly no exception to that! I am so close to finishing the book and my review will be coming ASAP so keep an eye on my Twitter! 

Angel Mage is Garth Nix's first adult fantasy novel, and it's inspired by Dumas and The Three Musketeers in a gender equal world...but with Angelic magic and I can't begin to describe to you all how in love with the magic system I am! 

So what is Angel Mage about? Well...

More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of her country, Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.

Liliath’s quest centres round four young Sarancians, all seemingly different but who share something very important. There is Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic.

The four feel a strange, immediate kinship for each other from the moment they meet, but they do not know why, or suspect their importance. Only Liliath knows their secret, and she aims to draw them in to her complex plot, just as she manipulates the Queen and her musketeers and everyone else around here.

The four friends must learn to rely on each other and each of their unique skills if they’re going to stand a chance to outwit Liliath and the angels she commands.

Intrigued? Of course you are, how could you not be!? So if you're ready to delve in to this world...continue on for the extract...

Ugh, I love Agnez okay, I hope you guys will love her too when you read this! I can promise you that the writing and world building for this book are so rich, and it really does pull you in as you read! I had high expectations for this book, and I have not been let down thus far! 

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour... 

 

Blog Tour: Soul of the Sword

Soul of the Sword 

Rating: 5/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review! 

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos. 

If you read my reviews I'm sure you guys are well aware that I completely and utterly loved Shadow of the Fox when it came out. I love Julie Kagawas' books anyway, but the storytelling was rich, the world building was thorough and I was living for all of the Japanese mythology and yokai. Of course it had a fantastic ending that left me wanting more and Soul of the Sword has been one of my most anticipated sequels, I can seriously say that it didn't disappoint me at all, although it did go off in a direction I wasn't entirely expecting! 

Soul of the Sword is not here to play around. We kick off with an intense reveal, and we're immediately tossed straight back in to the world thanks to the cinematic writing that effectively pulls you back in like you'd never been away. There's a delicious amount of background on the Kage aka the Shadow Clan, and the demon sword Kamigoroshi as well as the demon Hakaimono, adding some more threads to the mystery to intrigue you. 

Yumeko is determined to save Tatsumi because she blames herself but I feel like she continues to grow as a character at a nice pace. She's learning more about her feelings, and how she feels about Tatsumi. She's also learning more about her powers and what she can do and she really gets to let loose with them, showing a slightly differing side of herself. Okame is still as snarky and hilarious as ever but we get to see a slightly more vulnerable side to him...I just wish he didn't beat himself up so much about stuff. Daisuke is forever calm and collected and I love him and Reika is the grumpy badass. I just love them together, and the banter and interactions they have, and how loyal they are to Yumeko and determined to protect her and get her to the temple. 

POV wise we get to see Suki again, we obviously get Yumeko's and we get Hakaimono as well as Tatsumi although we don't get to see Tatsumi much this book, obviously. I wasn't really expecting to get Hakaimono's perspective but I kind of liked him? Like sure he's an evil demon, but his narrative was on point with the snark and sarcasm and general bad guy aura he exudes. He's kind of bloodthirsty but he's also badass, I don't know. I guess I just appreciate a good villainous narrative, especially when there's the opportunity for said villain to perhaps become one of the team. 

Like I said, Suki is still floating around as well and she gives us some insights in to the super mysterious Seigetsu and his little yokai pal Taka. I'm honestly not too sure what to make of him to be honest, I was hoping he wasn't shady but I was so untrusting of him. Shout out to him for all the ominous visions because of course I got attached to the character who's apparently going to die. Love that for me. 

While we didn't get to see Tatsumi as much this book we still got some of his past, and when he does make his return and get some interactions with Yumeko they of course pulled at my heart because I just want him to be happy okay. His background and his narrative just punch me in the heart every time. For those of you who love some romance, don't worry though, there's a side ship that pops up and I have to say...I ship it with my whole chest. I wasn't expecting it but I loved it, it added a nice dash of romance to proceedings along with a little bit of dread and angst considering the previously mentioned ominous visions. It's also nicely slotted in via the narratives we do have, with no additional narrative needed and I feel like it helps Yumeko with her own feelings and understanding of emotions. Either way....the new ship had me screeching and it's now my favourite! 

The rich storytelling and writing continues on from the first book, saturated with lush descriptions as well as legends and stories that pull you in and have you clearly envisioning the world and settings. It also gives you a thirst for more of the mythology! While Yumeko and co are held up by the Shadow Clan and there's some intrigue with the in-fighting amongst them, we have a more action and adventure vibe with Hakaimono and Suki. Of course everyone's narratives give us huge doses of mythology, yokai and Yurei nicely woven in and I'm just in love with the storytelling for this book! 

Although I will say, I feel like their talk of ballads and the whole 'anything less than the heroes giving their lives for honour, duty, sacrifice and the glory of the Empire' not being much of a story at all is a warning for how this series is going to end, it hit me with the biggest sense of foreboding. 

The plot once again builds up slowly with huge quest vibes, but these do mostly come from the other POVs than Yumeko for the most part, and Seigetsu provides magic and mystery to Hakaimono's blood and death. While the plot builds up more and more we've got banter, bonding and camaraderie along with imaginative, vivid and magical locations brought to life with the atmospheric and beautiful writing. The storytelling is fantastic, it sets a certain tone for the book and helps to draw you in, embellishing the world as it goes and then towards the end the pace builds up and we've got shock plot twists once again that leave you screaming for the next book! There's also been some very interesting developments for one character, a shadowy figure has been revealed and it all looks a little bit dire! 

Upcoming Releases: July!

June is nearing an end, and July is fast approaching! July will be quite the action packed month because not only have we got YALC for those of us who are going, we've also got some brilliant new releases gracing bookstore shelves! 
I've gathered a selection of the ones I'm the most excited about and think that you should be too! Let me know which July releases are on your TBR! 

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia
2nd July

When a tragic accident takes the life of seventeen-year-old Raven Roth's foster mom--and Raven's memory--she moves to New Orleans to live with her foster mother's family and finish her senior year of high school.

Starting over isn't easy. Raven remembers how to solve math equations and make pasta, but she can't remember her favorite song or who she was before the accident. When strange things start happening--impossible things--Raven starts to think it might be better not to know who she was in her previous life.

But as she grows closer to her foster sister, Max, her new friends, and Tommy Torres, a guy who accepts her for who she is now, Raven has to decide if she's ready to face what's buried in the past...and the darkness building inside her. 

I love Kami's Legion series and it's honestly so underrated and while I'm constantly stalking checking Kami's GoodReads page to see if there's going to be another book...I spotted that she's going to be giving us a brand new, DC related book. I watched Titans on Netflix and became completely obsessed, so obviously....I'm ridiculously excited for this! 

Pan's Labyrinth by Cornelia Funke &Guillermo del Toro
2nd July

Oscar winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro and New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke come together to transform del Toro’s hit movie Pan’s Labyrinth into an epic and dark fantasy novel for readers of all ages, complete with gorgeous and haunting illustrations.

This book is not for the faint of heart or weak in spirit. It’s not for skeptics who don’t believe in fairy tales and the powerful forces of good. It’s only for brave and intrepid souls like you, who will stare down evil in all its forms.

Inspired by the critically acclaimed film written and directed by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro and reimagined by New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke, this haunting tale takes readers to a darkly magical and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous men, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.

Perfect for fans of the movie and readers who are new to del Toro’s visionary work, this atmospheric and absorbing novel is a portal to another universe where there is no wall between the real and the imagined. A daring, unforgettable collaboration between two brilliant storytellers. 

I love Cornelia's books so I'm incredibly excited by this collaboration and I can't wait to crack on with the ARC of it...but I'm kind of procrastinating from starting it because I know it's going to be awesome! 

Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan
4th July

It's the summer before her sixteenth birthday, and Sabrina Spellman knows her world is about to change. She's always studied magic and spells with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda. But she's also lived a normal mortal life -- attending Baxter High, hanging out with her friends Susie and Roz, and going to the movies with her boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle.

Now time is running out on her every day, normal world, and leaving behind Roz and Susie and Harvey is a lot harder than she thought it would be. Especially because Sabrina isn't sure how Harvey feels about her. Her cousin Ambrose suggests performing a spell to discover Harvey's true feelings. But when a mysterious wood spirit interferes, the spell backfires... in a big way.

Sabrina has always been attracted to the power of being a witch. But now she can't help wondering if that power is leading her down the wrong path. Will she choose to forsake the path of light and follow the path of night?

Our exclusive prequel novel will reveal a side of Sabrina not seen on the new NETFLIX show. What choice will Sabrina make... and will it be the right one?

I grew up watching the original Sabrina TV show so I wasn't sure how I'd get on with this new Netflix show but I got completely engrossed with it, it's dark and has such a grimly fun vibe to it! Not only are we getting a prequel book for it though but it's going to be written by Sarah Rees Brennan who is one of my ultimate favourite authors and I couldn't be more excited! 

The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson
9th July

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

I got an ARC of this in Fairy Loot and it's been staring at me, accusingly from my TBR shelf...I'm hoping to get to it in July because i'm intrigued by the whole...elemental, magical Crows! 


Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
9th July

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined. 

Pitched as Project Runway meets Mulan, this was an instant TBR add for me! Let alone once I actually read the synopsis and this is one of my anticipated reads! 

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich
11th July

Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil's Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations...

Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember--so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?

In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward--one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.

Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching...

Dawn's book 'The Dead House' was completely brilliant, so when I spotted this on GoodReads I was already planning on adding it to my TBR, let alone when I investigated the book a bit more! My history loving self got a little bit giddy seeing '1851' and '1583', I can't lie! 

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
27th July

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own. 

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

Jazz Age? Mayan god of death? Inspired by Mexican Folklore? Sign me up! 

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen
30th July

A future chieftain

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.

A fugitive prince

When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.

A too-cunning bodyguard

Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own? 

Honestly everything about this book sounds fantastic, undertakers, mercy killers, a fugitive prince...I am definitely intrigued! 

June TBR

I'm being a little bit ambitious this month which is quite bold of me considering I didn't actually get to two books on my TBR last month but...here we are. 

I'd like to spend this month not only getting all of the books I've requested for review read and reviewed, including future releases I've been sent early, but I'd also like to crack on with some of the backlist books I have that I've been itching to get to as getting to do that this month has made me want to read aaaalll the books! 

So, my June TBR currently looks like this... 

King of Fools by Amanda Foody

On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Seance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.

Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Vianca Augustine’s estranged son. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.

As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: To sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive...

Or die as legends.

This is one of my most anticipated sequels of the year and I've been itching to get to it so I'm stoked the day is finally here! 

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's. 

I've already started reading this one and it's brilliant so far! It's been one of my most anticipated reads since last year and I'm still pinching myself that I actually got asked to review it! 

Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos. 

Perhaps my most anticipated sequel of the year, I completely loved Shadow of the Fox and was left wanting so much more so I can't wait to sit and binge read this in one go and get back to the characters and our quest! 

Spies in St.Petersburg by Katherine Woodfine

With Sophie still missing in action after their explosive mission in Paris, Lil decides to take matters into her own hands. On a new mission for the Secret Service Bureau, can Lil find Sophie in misty, mysterious St. Petersburg? Can they uncover the identity of their true enemy and can they trust anyone—even the Bureau? It's time for Sophie and Lil to put their spy skills to the test. 

This is one series that I thoroughly enjoy despite the younger age range it's intended for! The Sinclaires mysteries were a lot of fun and I was so happy to find out the series was continuing...but in this new series with a focus on spying more than crime solving! This series hasn't let me down yet and after the excellent job Woodfine did of helping us explore Paris, I'm looking forward to exploring St.Petersburg too! 

The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black

In Tithe, sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.

In Valiant, the companion to Tithe, seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, 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. When one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature, Val finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

In Ironside, the sequel to Tithe, the time has come for Roiben’s coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing—her love for Roiben. But when Kaye drunkenly declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest to find a faerie who can tell a lie. Unable to see Roiben until she has fulfilled his quest, Kaye finds herself in the center of the battle of wits and weapons being waged over his throne.

This is a bind up of all 3 of Holly Black's Modern Faerie Tales books! I've been told such good things about this trilogy and told to read them by a friend of mine but never did get around to it and then struggled to get my hands on copies of them..but luckily Simon and Schuster is letting me review a copy of the omnibus! I can't wait to see what all the hype is about! 

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

Welcome to the Kingdom… where ‘Happily Ever After’ isn’t just a promise, but a rule.

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species―formerly extinct―roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty―and what it truly means to be human. 

When I was asked to review this, I'd dimly heard of it, like I think I spotted it on GoodReads and so it registered in the back of my mind. But reading the press release had me begging to review this because it sounds awesome, and the way it was pitched instantly piqued my interest! 

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends...

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him. 

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

I stumbled across this on Twitter and I was getting super hyped from it because of all the good things I've heard about it...and then I got approved for it on NetGalley and I'm planning to spend one Saturday relaxing and binge reading this with a tonne of snacks for a self care day! 

Crowfall by Ed McDonald

A sorceress cataclysm has hit the Range, the final defensive line between the Republic and the immortal Deep Kings.

Tormenting red rains sweep the land, new monstrosities feed on fear in the darkness, and the power of the Nameless, the gods who protect the Republic, lies broken. The Blackwing captains who serve them are being picked off one by one, and even immortals have learned what it means to die. Meanwhile the Deep Kings have only grown stronger, and are poised to deliver a blow that will finally end the war.

Ryhalt Galharrow stands apart from it all.

He has been deeper into the wasteland known as the Misery than ever before. It has grown within him - changed him - but all power comes with a price, and now the ghosts of his past, formerly confined to the Misery, walk with him everywhere.

They will even follow him, and the few surviving Blackwing captains, on one final mission into the darkness. 

It's time to see how this story is going to come to its grand conclusion! 

I'm not planning to read every single one of the next batch of books, these are just some of the books from my own personal TBR that I'd like to get to soon and I'll be picking one or two from the list to read! I don't really like having a fixed, rigid TBR because then I get slumpy if there's nothing I fancy on my immediate TBR so this way I've got a couple of choices! 

Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King

Everley Donovan is living on borrowed time. The lone survivor of her family’s unexplained assassination, she was saved by an ingeniously crafted clockwork heart. But the time she was given won’t last forever. Now, every tick-tock reminds her how fragile her existence is and hastens her quest to expose Killian Markham, the navy admiral who shattered her world and left her for dead. But Everley’s hunt for justice will be a long and hard-won voyage.

Her journey takes her to a penal colony on a cursed isle, where she will be married off and charged to build the new world. It is here, and beyond, that hidden realms hide, treasures are unearthed, her family secrets are buried, and young love will test the strength of her makeshift heart. When Everley discovers Markham may not be who he seems, her pursuit for truth is bound to his redemption, her tragic history, and her astonishing destiny. 

I've been looking forward to this book so bad and it was Amazon's book of the month for May so I treated myself as it was a bargain! I'm loving the sound of the synopsis and it should be an excellent read! 

Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson 

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.  

I'm not going to lie, this trilogy has been sitting on my shelves for a while, and seeing as the author has just started on a new series I'm determined to finally get this trilogy read this year! 

Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen

In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.

A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON

Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences. 

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET

Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world. 

A DANGEROUS QUEST

When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice. 

Another of my anticipated reads of the year, I'd quite like to do a book discussion for this on my YouTube although it probably won't be until July because of when in the month I'm likely to get to this! 

Timekeeper by Tara Sim

An alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, where a damaged clock can fracture time--and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

A prodigy mechanic who can repair not only clockwork, but time itself, determined to rescue his father from a Stopped town.

A series of mysterious bombings that could jeopardize all of England.

> A boy who would give anything to relive his past, and one who would give anything to live at all.

A romance that will shake the very foundations of time.

The first book in a dazzling new steampunk-fantasy trilogy, Timekeeper introduces a magical world of mythology and innovation that readers will never want to leave.  

I meant to get to this for the Asian Readathon but I didn't quite manage it, so I want to get to it this month instead! I've had this on my shelves for a while (story of my life really, isn't it?!) and the sequel too, so I'm plotting to read Timekeeper this month and Chainbreaker the next...although I'm not sure when the third book is out in paperback so who knows when I'll get to that!