Review: A Season of Spells

A Season of Spells
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Sophie and Gray return to London, escorting the heiress of Alba to meet the British prince to whom she is betrothed. Sparks fail to fly between the pair and the marriage alliance is cast into further doubt when the men who tried to poison King Henry are discovered to have escaped from prison. Gray sets off to track the fugitives, while Sophie tries to spark a connection between the bride and groom by enlisting them in her scheme to reopen a long-shuttered women's college at Oxford. Many may believe that educating women spells ruin, but in the decaying college library lies the key to protecting everything they hold dear-as well as a dark secret that could destroy it all. 

I've completely and utterly loved this trilogy since book one, and I've been super exciting to see how it's all going to turn out. The writing is always completely gorgeous and authentic and really pulls you in, and the settings are vivid as well as atmospheric. The world and characters are original and interesting, the plots are always complex and have multiple threads woven in. The characters have depth and are intriguing and you can relate to  or sympathise with them. 

So I was gutted to find myself a bit disappointed with this book at certain points. But before I get to that, I'm going to talk about everything I loved! 

So, we're three years on from the last book and we're back in London! I am forever loving Sophie and Gray, they're adorable and such a good team! I kinda wish we got to see more of the two of them together! I completely and utterly love Gwen, she's one of my favourite characters, she's completely brilliant and I liked getting to see more of her in this book! I also really love her relationship with Jo although I was a bit disappointed by some implications but maybe I misread. Jo is tricky for me, because she has a tendency to bug me when she acts like a sulky child. Whenever she gets left out of things she genuinely acts like a sulky child and it bugged me last book and in this book it got to the stage where it was annoying and a bit ridiculous because you'd think after three years she'd have developed a bit more as a character. I might be wrong but I felt like she was a bit dismissive of Roland who was her friend in the last book. 

I completely loved finally getting more page time for Roland and Lucia! I've always been intrigued by Roland and I loved Lucia in the last book so I was excited to get to know her. I feel like Roland really comes in to his own in this book and becomes a stronger character, more badass and you understand him way better. He was also kind of adorable at some points. As for Lucia I loved her as much as I loved her in the previous book! She's such a badass, and she's intelligent and brilliant and aaahh she's another of my favourites! 

Lucia and Roland are quite the pair and I really loved their interactions. I shipped them so much it wasn't even funny. I was a bit worried it'd end up being the same as Sophie and Gray's romance or similar but I actually liked the contrast and the difference between the two relationships. Roland and Lucia really don't get on much in the beginning, they don't have the same interests and things are a bit awkward between them, so I really enjoyed watching them get to know each other and the romance develop that way. 

This book is kind of a continuation from Lady of Magick. In the second book we end up in Alba, which was great and I enjoyed getting to see a new part of the world and meet these new characters, but I had been expecting it to continue on from LoM more in the sense that we'd be in London and things would be wrapped up with some characters. That happens in this book. Unfortunately the ever unpleasant Amelia is back for this book, on the one hand I get her. I can see how and why she feels like she does and I don't really blame her. But on the other hand....she knows what her father did but she's so in denial. I've always found her an unlikeable character, but I was pleased to see her change in this book and grow up a bit. Things with her, and the traitors and Roland and everyone where wrapped up. I'd been so excited to see Sophie navigate her new status and bond with her siblings but that didn't happen in book two, buuuttt it was nice to see some of that in this book. 

The other thing I was pleased with was getting to learn aaaalll about Lady Morgan College. It was such a great mystery, and a huge point of intrigue. I was so curious and coming up with all of these theories, and I was kind of disappointed it took so long after it was introduced for us to finally get to it and solve the mysteries. I feel like it could have been done a lot sooner, but there was a gap and it was there at the end. I'd have liked to have seen more of it and explored it more. 

There are once again, plenty of plot threads that come together including some from the previous two books answering pretty much all of the questions we had. I do feel like some of these threads could have been utilised a bit more, and as much as I hate to say it...I do feel like the ending was a bit rushed. It was all going well, things where happening and I was looking at how many pages left like...there's no way this can be wrapped up in like 20 pages....but there's not another book...and then it was all wrapped up and tied up and I was like...um...okay. I just felt like the ending was a bit rushed and could have been expanded a bit more. It genuinely felt so rushed, and I'm fairly sure some plot points weren't resolved, but I'd need to re-read all the books to confirm. I'm just devastated that this is the weakest book of the trilogy in my eyes, and that the ending was so rushed. There's a pretty big gap of nothing in this book too, and considering that, it's even more disappointing that the ending had to be rushed.  

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Review: Lady of Magick

Lady of Magick
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy! 

In an ancient kingdom full of secrets, unease and myth, Sophie and Gray Marshall are about to be ensnared in an arcane plot that threatens to undo them both . . .

In her second year of studies at Merlin College, Oxford, Sophie Marshall is feeling alienated among fellow students who fail to welcome a woman to their ranks. So when her husband, Gray, is invited north as a visiting lecturer at the University in Din Edin, they leap at the chance. There, Sophie’s hunger for magickal knowledge can finally be nourished. But she must put her newly learned skills to the test sooner than expected. All is not well in the Kingdom of Alba, and before long the Marshalls find themselves beset by unexpected dangers. When Gray disappears, and none of her spells can find a trace of him, Sophie realises something sinister has befallen him. Delving into Gray’s disappearance she soon finds herself in a web of magick and intrigue that threatens not just Gray, but the entire kingdom.

As we start the next chapter of Gray and Sophie's lives, we're two years on from the end of The Midnight Queen and understandably Sophie is super stoked to get away from Oxfords sexist University and head to this worlds version of Scotland for a better educational experience. 

I love this series, I know the pace is rather steady but I love the way clues are scattered throughout the book so that when everythings revealed, things start to click in to place and you remember little things you read that led up to whichever moment or reveal it is. I love the way the author builds everything up and really sets the scene! Like...in The Midnight Queen, I can't be the only one that thought there was something mildly suspicious if not plain odd about the wedding....well in this book you see what it is and I was like HELL YES! I love the way the books have been joined together despite the time jump! Little threads that link everything together, and such attention to detail. Which reminds me, we get to see just how hard Sophie works which I thought was a nice touch, there's no way you can't be sucked in to the world and lives of the characters because you learn so much about them and what they get up to! 

I really enjoyed getting to see another part of this alternate Britain, and this time we're in Alba which is Scotland and I was so fascinated by all the history and lore we learned via Sophie! I was also super impressed that Sophie was trying to learn the language because you know...not many characters bother! Buuut back to Alba/Scotland...it was fascinating! I can tell a lot of research has gone in to these books, and I love how the author weaves it all in to the plot! Hunter does a very good job of showing the politics, and the political tensions between England and Alba, and I liked that you got to see how the people felt about it all, and how it impacted Sophie and Gray's friends and in some cases friendship. Hunter makes everything so authentic and vivid that you easily slip in to the world of the book. 

Everyone's back, Gray and Sophie obviously! I continue to love the both of them both individually and as a couple. They're so cute together but I like how authentic the relationship is, they put a lot of work in to it all, it's not all unicorn farts and rainbows. I just love how they support each other so much. I thought we saw an interesting side of Sophie towards the end part of the book when Gray was missing. She was completely unlike herself and she had such a struggle, it was fantastically done as was watching her overcome it. I kinda missed Gray a little bit, because we didn't get much of him! The focus was on Sophie and Joanna. 

Ah Joanna. I liked her in the first book, even if I wanted to throttle her once or twice, and the same can be said for this book. She was being less stupid this book, and making better choices shall we say. She's growing up, she's working in politics and there's some romance for her that I was totally shipping way back from the start of the book and reading like YAAASSS! Much as I like Roland and am curious to see more of him...I was quite pleased the author didn't go with the obvious and put he and Joanna together. 

Speaking of Joanna's romance...Gwendolen was a great new character and I really felt for her. I love how Hunter brought in new characters, and we got to get to know them so they weren't just random new characters thrown in all of a sudden, I just thought it was a nice touch. Like I said, I like Roland, I'm curious to see what book three holds for him, and I'm so curious to get to know Sophie's brothers a little more! Aside from Gwen we have a few other new characters who I adored, Mor, Rory and Lucia and I'm hoping we'll get to see all of them again not just Lucia! They became such good friends to Sophie and Gray and really rallied around and helped Sopie! I love the relationships both romantic and otherwise in these books! They're so fleshed out. 

Lady of Magick has another complex plot with plenty of little threads throughout and clues for you to pick up on and try to put together. There's lots of twists that you don't see coming, and by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen and how it was all going to end! I read this in two sittings and became so engrossed in the book that I was completely oblivious to everything else. Seriously. Sam and Dean Winchester could have rocked up, baked me a pie and exorcised a ghost and I wouldn't have realised. 

Hunter expands on a world that she's created and brought to life brilliantly with rich history and intense politics, all while keeping it interesting so that you're intrigued rather than bored. You can really dive in to this world and get lost, at times it seems familiar but then you remember it's an alternate UK and we're in a different time period! I'd say Regency-ish. I was kinda sad not to see as much of Gray but I do love Sophie so I was excited that we got loads of her. Joanna is a mixed bag for me as sometimes I want to throttle her and I always found myself looking forward to Sophie's passages, but the longer the book went on the more excited I got for Joanna's. Especially as she was more sensible this book.

I will never, ever get bored of Gray and Sophie's relationship and how cute they are together, nor of how authentic the relationships and characters are. Hunter brings her story and her world and her characters to life so well, and you can really sink your teeth in to her books because she does her research and takes the time to set the scene, and set everything up with amazing attention to detail. I love it. I love her writing and her storytelling! 

Lady of Magick is full of betrayal, treachery, magick, action, adventure and romance, and once again there's a brilliant mystery that keeps  you guessing! I can't wait to for book three and I'm so intrigued to see which direction it'll go in, seeing as how we've had a 2 year time jump from the first book to the second, it's not the direction I thought it was going to go, but I'm so pleased with how it's turning out! I really hope book three isn't the last! 

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Review: The Midnight Queen

The Midnight Queen
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

In the hallowed halls of Oxford’s Merlin College, the most talented – and highest born – sons of the kingdom are taught the intricacies of magickal theory. But what dazzles can also destroy, as Gray Marshall is about to discover . . .

Gray’s Britain is a fragmented kingdom of many tongues, many gods and many magicks. But all that concerns Gray right now is returning as soon as possible to his studies and setting right the nightmare that has seen him disgraced and banished to his tutor’s home – without a trace of his powers. And it is there, toiling away on a summer afternoon, that he meets the professor’s daughter.

Although she has no talent of her own and has been forbidden by her father to pursue it, Sophie Callender longs for a magickal education. But she started a bookish rebellion in her father’s library long ago, and her sheltered upbringing conceals a mysterious past and what may prove a catastrophic future. Her meeting with Gray sets off a series of events that will lead them to uncover a conspiracy at the heart of the kingdom and into the legend of the Midnight Queen, who vanished without a trace years before.

Okay, just from the synopsis this sounded awesome and I knew I was going to like it...but upon finishing it....I LOVED it! Genuinely. I kind of expected certain things when reading the synopsis, and I'm not going to elaborate on them further because then spoilers and it'll take away the surprise factor for all of you, BUT....I was completely surprised by this book. It was so much more than I expected, there was more to it, and it really wasn't at all what I expected. It threw my expectations out the window and jumped all over them and it was totally awesome! I'm currently having that feeling when you finish a really good book that you loved...and you're feeling all smiley and happy and don't really want to start another book...yep. Book hangover! There are so many things about this that I loved, I'm not sure how I'm going to do this without fangirling, I'll try to keep it short and sweet! 

As soon as I started to read, I fell in love with the writing style, and the narrative. It fit so well with the world of the book and the atmosphere, and it really got me in to the world of the book. The point of view switches between Gray and Sophie, but mostly Gray, and I loved how smoothly it switched and how it added depth to the two characters, and I feel like it really added to the story and helped you to get to know the characters and connect with both of them, as they're both such an integral part to the story! I will say that while the book starts off quite slowly, things are being set up and it's so worth sticking with it! I'm hoping you'll be intrigued enough to stick with the steady pace before it starts to really get going, but just in case....give it a chance because it really does get so good! 

ANYWAY, I loved the opening to the book, it intrigued me and it was atmospheric, and my interest was officially grabbed. Sure I was kinda hoping for some of it to be hurried on in the beginning but now upon finishing it, I'm glad we got the chance to get to know Sophie and Gray before everything happened and things where revealed! I really liked Gray, I liked watching him go from his stuttering, student self, to a more confident guy as the story progressed. Gray is genuinely intelligent, and I empathised with him going against what his family wanted him to do. Also bless him getting dragged in to everything in the beginning! I really liked that Gray saw Sophie as equal! Speaking of Sophie, I also completely loved her! I understood her frustration and empathised with her and her situation as well, and then her new circumstances after the big reveal. I loved how determined she was to learn despite everything, and I loved Gray for helping her. She has such a burning curiosity and she's such a kind and caring person. Sure she had her wobbles, but they where completely understandable considering her situation and I think we'd all have been in the same where we in her position! I loved both of them, honestly, I felt like they where both really refreshing and I loved reading about them! 

On the romance front, I loved watching them get to know each other, and watching the feelings develop and then having that whole thing where they completely love each other but don't know the other does and it was so cute. I feel like they're kind of perfect for each other, they make a great team. They appreciate each other, Gray doesn't treat Sophie like every other male. He helps her to learn Magick and he believes in her and trusts her and Sophie is the same. Gray's there for her, and he helps her when she has problems and ugh. So cute. I got my warm and fuzzies and I ship them so damn hard. 

Back to characters before I list all the reasons I love my ship! We had plenty of supporting characters that I hated, looking at you Callendar, Amelia and King as well as assorted others. Genuinely I wanted to punch the King so much. And Callendar. Ugh. But we also had plenty that I loved and hope to get to see more of in future books! Joanna, Sophie's younger sister, she was brave and daring and I loved her personality so much even if I wanted to throttle her at the end a little bit! I loved Jenny, Gray's sister and I wanted to know her more, and see more of her! She's the only member of his family that we get to see and I loved the relationship between the two! I wasn't too sure about her husband at first from what had been said about him, but I actually ended up really liking him! I really enjoyed the friendships between all the characters in the group, I loved the camaraderie and how they all worked together to solve the plot! And what a plot it was, it really kept me guessing! 

While the characters are totally fantastic, they aren't the only fantastic thing about the book. The plot for one, like I said, it kept me guessing and there where plenty of twists and turns. It had a steady pace and the momentum picked up more and more as the book went on. I was expecting one thing from the synopsis, but the book delivered another and it was SO damn good. I loved all the intricacies to the plot, and trying to figure things out and being wrong, it kept me on my toes! 

Alongside all of that, we have the world of the book. Damn. I love it. I want to fall in to this world and never come out. It's so damn vivid as you're reading. I'm not sure how to describe it! It seems kind of familiar in places, but it's also completely different. I thought we where modern day when I started reading, but then I realised we where not, and then I re-examined the map and saw a familiar map...but it was also different with new names and new countries! The writing style complements the world of the book, it felt very Victorian to me, or some point past Victorian, way in the past either way. And the language helped to bring the world to life and draw you in to it as you read. ANYWAY, everything's been changed around, it's kinda alternate but it's such a rich and vivid world. I definitely got Jane Austen vibes from the language and the world and...other things. 

I loved the way the magic system worked, I loved the different kinds of Magick, and reading about them and I want to know more. I also loved and want to know more about the religion of the world as there are a lot of different gods and goddesses and Priests of this and Priestesses of that, I need to know more! I'm also curious about the politics, as some dealings are mentioned! Genuinely, Hunter has created such a fantastically imaginative setting, and such a rich and extensive world that I want to know more and more about it, and I'm excited to read the other books and uncover more! 

The Midnight Queen is insanely original and imaginative, and it'll give you that feeling when you want to visit the world...see the sights....and it'll let you get completely lost in the book too! The characters, the language used in the writing, all of it help to draw you in to the world of the book and it's a damn intriguing one! The characters are well created and memorable and you want to know more about the secondary characters! Gray and Sophie are so relatable and such a breathe of fresh air, plus they're totally made for each other and the romance will give you the dose of the warm and fuzzies that are quite often required! I just completely loved this book, and how it was not at all what I was expecting, it was better! I'm sad to be back in the real world, I'm not going to lie to you! 

The Midnight Queen combines action, adventure, intrigue, mystery, magic and romance, but it also features a lot of other cool things. A secretive and dastardly plot, going right up to the higher ranks of society......a nice little flit across the country, with a cover story of course....which means...disguises! A masked ball....a touch of Austen....a group of many characters of varying reputation and occupation working together to unravel said dastardly plot....and much more!  I'm definitely going to be needing to read the other books!