The Stars Never Rise

The Stars Never Rise
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: BUY IT NOW
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher

Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her. But not everything is as it seems, not only in her town, but with Finn. 

OH MY GOD MY LIFE HAS BEEN RUINED BY ANOTHER BOOK! Seriously. Like not even being over dramatic, this is the start of yet another fantastic series, that I'm going to be totally obsessed with, and you all know how bad I am at waiting for the next book in a series, and this is going to be one of those series were I'm desperate for the next book, and counting down the days, and posting that GIF from Titanic everywhere whenever the next books get near to release and so on. It's THAT kind of book and worst of all, it had SUCH an ending, like a cliffhangery one, everyone was heading in to danger and it was like omg you can't just reveal the reveal like that and then leave me hanging?! And I have this horrid suspicion about Finn and what's going to happen in his future and it involves Mellie and her predicament and I'm really hoping I'm wrong and that it's just me expecting the worst because I'm on edge because of the Game of Thrones finale tonight, and all I have to say, Rachel Vincent, is if you're thinking what I am thinking....DON'T DO THE THING I BEG OF YOU DON'T DO THE THING. 

Right. Now that's out of my system, lets get this review done properly! So. I LOVED the Soul Screamers series, I didn't stumble across them until the series had finished back in 2013, and I was able to buy them all in a set, and I had a really jacked up sleeping pattern at the time so I was practically nocturnal, and anyway, I read one book each night and got them done in literally a week. Anyway, I totally loved them and couldn't get enough of them and as soon as I'd finished I wanted to start reading, the series was everything you want in a good series, there was action, romance, humour, and it was totally surprising. Like I didn't see half the plot twists coming, particularly in the romance aspect, and so once I was finished I was sad because it was over. 

Then, not long after, I stumbled across GoodReads with a brand new book page for a new book by the author, and I've been SO excited for this book and the wait has seemed like it's been *insert Titanic GIF here*, so yeah, it's been a long and painful wait for me. I know I shouldn't have expectations, but because I loved Soul Screamers and I love the author, I had pretty high expectations for this book, as well as abnormal levels of excitement every time something new came out about it. I was not at all disappointed. The Stars Never Rise met my expectations, and them smashed them in to dust. I haven't altered the synopsis, because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, or take away the surprise element. 

From the very first page, I was sucked in to this world that was original, and kind of scarily realistic. I don't know quite what it was, but I could picture this world and the Church so clearly, perhaps because I would imagine things are kind of like that in certain areas of the US, not like...that extreme, but you know with the small town and the very religious people and so on. I'm kind of wondering if that was were the author got the idea! 

Anyway, the world was very well created, like I said, it was frighteningly realistic, and then with the demons and the degenerates, it was all very different, and to my mind, it's unique. I mean there are a lot of demon books, these ones had a feel of Supernatural to them, but I still feel like we have more to learn about them. The world is built from the first page, and as you carry on reading it gets built up more and more, and you find yourself totally lost in this little town, that's startlingly vivid. I was absorbed in the world of the book, and to me, that's one of the big things a book has to do or get me to do, in order for it to make my list of favourites. As well as having huge doses of originality which this book does. 

The book had spades of originality with it's world, and the Church, and the demons and the degenerates and the exorcists and then the whole Finn thing, which has me so very curious and also fills me with a bit of dread at the possibilities for what could happen to his character. Either way, I was fascinated by the world and couldn't turn the pages fast enough, I was lost to the book, lost track of time, and nothing could distract me. It's rare for me to try and juggle eating dinner while reading a book, but I did it for the first time in pretty much years, I think, for this one because I couldn't put it down, and then it was Kindle, which is easier to hold than a book while you eat, and to be honest, it wouldn't have taken much persuading anyway for me to carry on reading. The book pretty much enchanted me. 

The book has such a rich background to it's world and a rich history, and it was such an intriguing one, with bits and pieces of it sprinkled throughout the narrative, getting you more and more intrigued and wanting to know more about what happened to create the current world, not to mention wanting to know more about the actual world in its current state. We see one small area of the world, and in the next book it looks like we're going to see more and I'm really excited to see what the rest of the world looks like. What's so bad about the badlands? I mean, it's hinted at, and things are hinted at, but I want to actually SEE it! 

That's another thing, as you're reading, there's a very clear plot. Nina has to deal with Finn and co and the changes in herself, and get back her sister. It sounds simple, but there's so many twists and turns to the plot, it's hard to predict what's going to happen next so I was all fine with sitting back and enjoying the ride, being either shocked or delighted with the new developments. Now there's a couple of huge reveals, one involving Finn and one that I'm not even going to hint at, these two huge reveals not only surprised you and gave you plenty of intrigue, but they perfectly set up the next book without taking away from the plot of the first book. The second book was set up subtly and like an afterthought, but at the same time, you finish reading this, read the very last page and you're like, "YOU CAN'T END THERE!?" and so then you're having to deal with a book hangover and coming to terms with the inevitable wait for the next book. The world, the politics, the characters and the plots twists and turns all combine to make the plot fairly complex, but subtly so. Not "Damn I need to sit and think and concentrate, and write notes as I read to keep up" complex, but "deceptively simple until I smack you with my bomb drop and suddenly everything has changed and nothing is as you thought it was and now everything is intricately complex" complex. If that makes sense. 

The Stars Never Rise is very well written, it's easy to read, the prose flows smoothly and is paced perfectly. Little bits of info about the world and how things work are sprinkled throughout, and any larger passages with information are written concisely while giving maximum knowledge, and smoothly slotted in to the narrative. The world building is crafted subtly, the world becoming more and more real as you read. There's plenty of action, edge of the seat tension and suspense creating such a strong atmosphere it oozes off the page and engulfs you as you read, so you'll be reading a fight scene maybe, or one of the other tense scenes, and your heart will be racing and you'll be trying to read a lot faster than you actually can. This book is also quite dark, the darkness kind of oozes over the world and the plot, in the form of the, shall we say, punishments for broken rules and so on, among other things. There were a couple of grisly scenes that were so atmospheric you felt like you were there.  There's some humour and there's plenty of intrigue that will carry on in to the next books. 

There is romance, and I felt like, under the circumstances which were most unusual, it developed fairly naturally and I can't really say it's subtle, because Finn and his lack of filter, but at the same time, at times it was very subtle, it was just there and it belonged there. It's not really insta love, it's more like insta attraction, I don't usually like insta anything when it involves romance, BUT, (I have no idea how to word this so bear with me) it was written so very well, that like I said...it just fit. It seemed completely natural that it would happen, and it belonged there. There are, however, complications, very interesting complications that I have no idea what's going to happen with them. I literally cannot tell/see how they're going to pan out, I mean, I have a foreboding thought, but I'm usually wrong, so I have no idea how it's going to play out. So, you have this cute, warm and fuzzies romance thing going on, they clearly like each other, and at the end of the book....it's not all rainbows and unicorns and happily ever afters, because you know, there's more books, but also, there's a fairly huge obstacle to overcome. I'm SO excited to see how this pans out, seriously. The romance in Soul Screamers was so well done, and then everything flipped and I remember sat there with my mouth hanging open and my brain screaming "oh my god" at me, and I'm so excited because whatever the author does regarding these....complications, it's going to be big and surprising and totally  unpredictable! I have seriously never come across a romance like the one in this book. Ever. 

Now the last thing I need to talk/ramble about, is the characters. I LOVED the characters. Except for Devi, I kind of think she's a cow, but then I'm assuming there's a reason for it and maybe I'll grow to like her as more of her past comes out, and to be honest, she was kind of adding the humour at certain points and I found myself snorting so maybe I don't dislike her all that much. Each character is so well written because they all have a backstory that has contributed to shaping them and how they came to be part of this group, and the backstories for each character adds another dimension to them, making them believable and realistic, and making them pretty much step out the book. I'm so curious to know more about each of the gang and their past. 

Vincent has written another female lead that I managed to connect with near enough instantly and from that point on, I was in Nina's corner the entire book, rooting for her, watching proudly as her character developed and became kind of badass. Nina, to me, was such a mix of things, she was strong, she was brave, and she had a vulnerable moment or two I think, and she becomes so badass, she has so many dimensions, I really loved her character! You have to admire someone who's THAT good to her sister, I mean...I don't want to give anything away, but I think Nina, had the best reaction you could expect in this particular world, she was so supportive of her sister. I've also got plenty of admiration for her and the things she did so she and her sister could survive. I can't get over how much I came to love this character more and more as I was reading. I kind of felt like Mellie took her for granted a bit to be honest! 

Finn is another character I was delighted with, clearly there is something going on here, and I want to know what it is. I also want to know what's going to happen to him like....now! I want to know more about him and his past and what he is, exactly. Now as much as I love all the YA male love interests, Finn was refreshingly different. He literally has no verbal filter and it was completely brilliant, rather than him being all moody/broody/etc. I need more Finn! 

I also loved Grayson and Reese and I feel like there's more to learn about them, as well as Annabelle who we didn't really see much of, but I'm kind of suspicious of her because various other books/tv shows have made me quite distrusting of characters like her haha! There really is a whole cast of interesting characters that I have a desperate need to know more about! They, along with the world created, made it incredibly hard to leave the book at the final page. I did't want it to end! 

The Stars Never Rise is an original take on demons and religious fanaticism. The world was absorbing, harsh, dark and rich. The book was again, rich, dark, entertaining, atmospheric, gritty and completely absorbing, with characters with wildly different personalities, and intriguing backgrounds. The Stars Never Rise not only has humour, and action, but it has an atmosphere that slinks off the page and wraps you up so you feel it like a physical thing. The Stars Never Rise is full of twists and turns you don't see coming, and at times it has you on the edge of your seat. The Stars Never Rise is a fantastically strong start to yet another fantastic series from Rachel Vincent and I don't know how I'm going to cope in the wait for the next book!

In Dark Service

In Dark Service
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher

Jacob Carnehan has settled down. He's living a comfortable, quiet life, obeying the law and minding his own business while raising his son Carter ...on those occasions when he isn't having to bail him out of one scrape or another. His days of adventure are - thankfully - long behind him. Carter Carnehan is going out of his mind with boredom. He's bored by his humdrum life, frustrated that his father won't live a little, and longs for the bright lights and excitement of anywhere-but-here. He's longing for an opportunity to escape, and test himself against whatever the world has to offer. Carter is going to get his opportunity. He's caught up in a village fight, kidnapped by slavers and, before he knows it, is swept to another land. A lowly slave, surrounded by technology he doesn't understand, his wish has come true: it's him vs. the world. He can try to escape, he can try to lead his fellow slaves, or he can accept the inevitable and try to make the most of the short, brutal existence remaining to him...unless Jacob gets to him first and, no matter the odds, he intends to. No one kidnaps his son and gets away with it - and if it come to it, he'll force Kings to help him on his way, he'll fight, steal, blackmail and betray his friends in the name of bringing Carter home. Wars will be started. Empires will fall. And the Carnehan family will be reunited, one way or another... 

Holy wow this book is fantastic! I was sucked in from the first page, the world building is truly incredible, there's such detail, and the imagination used to create it! It gave my own imagination a bit of a workout! It's an extensive world and I'm hoping we get to see more of it in the next book. There were so many different elements to it, there's an old worldy feel, I got a bit of a western feel in the beginning and then there's a steampunk element. I was blown away by all the different inventions, the sky ships, the sky mining and everything. 

I loved how there were all these different things going on, one kingdom is very different from the more futuristic Vandians, I guess what I'm trying to explain is that there's different development in different Kingdoms/nations which was fascinating. The world is the biggest fantasy world I've read, the proportions are immense. There's such intricate and rich politics going on that match the complex plot. There's so much going on under the surface so there's lots of twists and turns and shocking surprises as more and more is revealed about how the two Kingdoms work and what's been going on. 

Some people might not get on with the writing, in the beginning, there are some action packed bits, but for the most part it is a bit slow, establishing the characters and the wold and so on, and then towards the end of the book the pace really picks up and then there's plenty of action all the time. So some people may give up before the book has really got started. The other problem people may have is that the writing is quite clunky/dense, in the beginning it's a bit of a slog, but as the action and the pace picks up, the writing gets easier to read. So if you just stick with it you'll be well rewarded, but those are the couple of things that might turn some people away.

Jacob was an interesting character, on the surface he appeared to be just a pastor, but he actually had a far darker past that I'm very interested in learning more about. I loved Willow, she was beautifully sarcastic and she may just be my favourite character. Carter, well, he interested me but mostly because at one point all the action was happening in his parts, he was an okay character, he saved others, he was hell bent on an incredibly stupid plan to escape and he was totally reckless but despite his faults he did save a lot of people. Duncan I really didn't like. He was quite a pathetic character to be honest, totally blind, and at the very end of the book I'm like "great he's going to be an idiot and turn on his own people" and because of Game of Thrones I now freely, when confronted with characters like that, say "I hope you get killed off soon". 

In the book you kind of see every scale on the spectrum of human behaviour. You have Adella, the manipulator who will do anything to survive. You've got characters that are all about helping others. There's such a variety of characters with such a variety of personalities and behaviours. There's those you root for and those you're just like "I really hope you get what's coming to you".  

In Dark Service has a mixture of things, it's humorous, it's heart breaking, it's shocking, it's brutal, there's mystery, complex politics. There's parts that will make you so angry on the characters behalf and parts were you just want to smack some characters in the face. I enjoyed the Wild West element a hell of a lot as it's very different from the usual fantasy books. In Dark Service is a very original read, and I'm excited to see what happens next to our characters. 

Wishing For Wednesday #43

Okay, this Wednesday is full of gold.
The first pick is totally Titan's fault, because they sent me a Mercedes Lackey review a while ago and so I was perusing the author's GoodReads page when I came across this and yeah. It sounds waaaay awesome!
The second pick is the NEW FREAKING PRINCESS DIARIES! An adult installment to be specific! I've read Meg Cabot books my entire child/teenage life and Princess Diaries is one of my favourite series ever so I was incredibly excited to find out there was going to be a new one!


The House of The Four Winds

The tiny nation of Swansgaard is a lovely place with abundant natural resources, including the royal family, which has been blessed with twelve daughters and a son. As this boisterous baker's dozen approaches adulthood, the king and queen lovingly tell their daughters, "You must make your own fortune, for we cannot enrich you without impoverishing our people or leaving our lands defenceless, and that we will not do."

Happily, the princesses of Swansgaard are eager to meet this challenge, for they yearn for adventures both near and far from home.
Clarice, an expert swordswoman, is the first to depart. Disguising herself as Clarence, she signs on for a voyage to the New World. The captain is vile and blackhearted, and the crew soon mutinies. Clarice becomes first mate - and finds her heart captured by the new captain, Dominick, who is, to his own surprise, increasingly attracted to Clarence.

Now outlaws, Dominick and his crew turn to piracy - though their hearts are not entirely in it. They soon run afoul of the Pirate Council, who orders them to retrieve the Heart of Light. All who have searched for this great treasure have vanished, with neither ships nor crews ever seen again and no sign of their fates ever discovered.
But none before have carried with them the sorceress Shamal, who stakes a claim of her own on Dominick's heart.

The House of The Four Winds is out June 30th, pre-order your copy....here! 
Add it to your TBR....here!

Royal Wedding

From Meg Cabot, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first new adult instalment, featuring the now grown-up Princess Mia!
Royal Wedding follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding - but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.
For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community centre, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements, Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.
But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone - especially herself - that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

Royal Wedding is out July 2nd, pre-order your copy....here!

Add it to your TBR...here!

An Ember In The Ashes

An Ember In The Ashes
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy buy BUY!
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. 
The Scholars used to be an Empire all of their own, but their mistakes cost them dearly. The Martials invaded and ever since the Scholars have lived under their cruelty and brutality since. Defiance is met with death. Resistance is met with death. Anything less than loyalty to the Empire is met with death, or the death of their loved ones. 

Laia lives in this world with her grandparents and her brother. They eke out an existence as best they can, selling jams and healing others. They live in the impoverished backstreets of the Empire, and they do not challenge said Empire. They've seen what happens when you do first hand. 

But Laia's brother has been keeping secrets, secrets that result in their home being raided. Secrets that result in her brother being arrested for treason and Laia is desperate to get him back. So she goes hunting those supposed to aid her. 

The Resistance. Laia makes a deal, in exchange for the Resistance freeing her brother from prison, she will risk her life by spying for them from inside the Empire's greatest military academy. By spying on the most dangerous woman the Empire has. 

It's there that she meets Elias, the school's finest soldier-and secretly, it's most unwilling. Elias only wants to be free. But a prophecy is about to change his hard laid plans. Elias is thrust in to a brutal and cruel Trial, as the Emperor's reign is destined to come to an end. 

Laia and Elias's destines are intertwined, and their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. But everyone is keeping secrets, some aren't who they seem, betrayal is everywhere and there's a darkness coming. 

Okay, so, I changed the synopsis a bit, to try and give you guys a better idea of what the book is about and what's going to go on without giving too much away because seriously this book is way too awesome. 

I was excited to read and review it, but at the same time I thought I knew what to expect. I kind of assumed that it would be about Elias and Laia falling in love and so on, and that'd be it, with some action but I was so very, very, delightfully wrong. I wasn't sure what this was categorised as but it wasn't YA like I was thinking. I have never been more glad to be wrong, because this? This is one of my favourite reads of 2015 so far, I need the next book, like, yesterday, and it's one of my favourite new series.

It's very rarely that I get hooked on a book to the point that I'm like "Oh look....it's 4am...who needed sleep?" but it happened. I would have finished this in a matter of a day, maybe or two, but as I embarked on the book, there was a family tragedy type thing, and then there was no time to read and to be honest, I kind of just sat listlessly for a while doing nothing, but then I was always thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it, and it may have taken me a lot longer to pick up a book if I hadn't had this book and the characters stuck in my head, and it was like the book was a little demon thing, staring at me and going "read me, read me",  and so while it took me way longer than it normally would have, and while I was finding it really hard to put down, I was also kind of glad it took me so long to read because I was enjoying being totally lost in this vivid world. And now I'm back to my normal self so there we go. This book is magic. 

This book is kind of like crack to be honest. You're reading it, and you're saying "only a couple of chapters because it's really late and you should be asleep" so you read a couple of chapters, but then the chapter will end on a mini cliffhanger and you're like..."I can't sleep after that!? I'll be thinking about it all day, I'll probably even dream about" so you read a couple more and then it happens again, and it only gets worse as the book goes on. Towards the end I seriously couldn't be pried away from the book with a crowbar. I was trying to read as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next, how it was going to end. 

This book surprised me at every turn. Not least in what actually happened, but in the plot. There were twists and turns everywhere, twists and turns that shocked you and hit you like a bomb. Ones you weren't expecting because this book is very difficult if not impossible to predict. It's a rollercoaster ride you're riding blind. I loved every minute of it. It's so rare for me to find books that I get lost in and have no idea what's going to happen, which is one of the many reasons I loved this book.

I was caught in the story from the first page. It's fast paced, the atmosphere is a physical thing you feel as you read, the tension ramps up and up, it's nail biting and edge of the seat. The prose is slick and concise. There's detail, plenty of detail, but rather than being pages and pages of information being dumped on you, you get all the background info from dialogue and the odd bit of narrative, and some of it you're finding out with the characters. 

I love a rich history, and this book has it. Rich background, rich history, a complex political system, and it has magic and the supernatural combined with the fighting and the more...non supernatural and magical elements. It's late and I can't find the words I'm looking for, sorry guys! ANYWAY. The richness of the history/background, combined with the characters and the world building to create this world that just comes to life as you read. It's vivid, you can picture everything, and the atmosphere, history/background and characters add more and more layers and dimensions to the world, bringing it more and more to life. Clearly it's an extensive one, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it in the next book! 

As I was reading, I got some very strong Roman Empire vibes, as well as modern day issue vibes. Those were combined with the original world, characters and so on, to create such a unique and original and imaginative world. But don't get me wrong, this book is very blunt, there's blood and gore and violence and it's got a lot of brutality, and it was all combined to create this totally gripping read that keeps you hooked. But at the same time, there were bits that made me chuckle, mostly comments, and there were a good few lighter bits, it's a perfect balance. Although, having said that, the world is so horrific that you, or at least I, actually get pretty angry at it, the author has created it and the nastier characters so well, you actually want to crawl in to the book and kick their asses. 

The plot itself is very complex, you've got the politics going on, the Resistance and their plans and Laia and her dealings with them, Darin and what exactly he's been up to, Elias and his life and the Trials, then there's the whole Commandant thing and she's so shady it's unbelievable and who she's working with and what she has planned. There was a moment, when the Commandant reveals something to Laia and you realise how complex this plot is and everything that's going on and has gone in to it has created this plot you're reading one way, and then this bit of dialogue has blown it open and revealed a far darker upcoming plot, and has set up the next books very nicely while not taking away from this book, or rendering this as a set up book. Like, it is a set up, but it has it's own complex plot going on, and the setting up of the next book, much like the romance is very secondary and very subtle. 

Romance. Ah romance. How subtle you were, creeping up while I was occupied with the other happenings of the book, but being so very natural and so very perfectly done. I'm going to straight up say that while Keenan is okay, I'm fully on Elias's team okay. For a minute or two over the course of the books, I did think there was going to be some mad love square? Pentagon? But everything was handled very, very well, and it kept you guessing. If there were to still be an upcoming love triangle, and the elements of it in this book, although I'm not sure whether there actually was a love triangle, it's very well done. That's all I'm going to say, mostly because I'm still undecided if there was an actual love triangle, cos I was like "ELIAS OMG" and pretty much liked to ignore Keenans existence. Sorry Keenan. No offence. 

Anyway, there were lots of feelings, and you could understand both sides feelings, there was a best friend has feelings for me type situation and then an "I like both" moment, but then at the end I feel like it's mostly been solved and it's hopefully a matter of time until my ship is sailing. Either way, I enjoyed the subtle romance, while squeeing every time Elias was adorable. 

Elias really is adorable though, for a trained killer. He's such a complex character. All of the characters are complex, some you don't even realise quite how complex until much later like the Commandant, she's definitely complex and very interesting. Anyway, Elias is brilliantly created, he was believable and you could connect with him and feel for him and you were on his side the whole way through. He was so sweet to Laia, his conflicts were so natural and so very real. He had such intense chemistry with Laia, and with her you saw his softer side I think, the scene with the dancing? I can't even. He's had a different upbringing to the others at the school and I think that's one of the things that sets him apart from the others, not the others are all bad, his friends, Helene in particular, is also an interesting character to me, I wasn't sure whether I liked her, there were moments I did and moments I didn't, she has a lot going on and you don't realise how much until near the end. I'm intrigued to see where she goes. 

Laia is a character that some people might not like, in the beginning she could be described as weak, she runs away and so on. What makes her complex, is the drive she has to save her brother, her determination to save him is, frankly, admirable and inspiring and so very brave. What makes her complex, is all of her fears, the thoughts she has and the way she keeps pushing herself. Her character development over the book is a thing of beauty, and you connect with her and you're right there with her, cheering her on as she develops in to this badass who, well, you'll see at the end! I was rooting for her the entire time, and cheering her on and I was so proud at the end, of how far she'd come. 

The Commandant and Marcus. What a......well, there are no words to accurately describe how truly evil they are. Cersei Lannister looks practically saint like compared to the Commandant, and Marcus? Well, I've a mind to think him in the same category as the Mad King, but then I have this foreboding feeling that he's going to be so much worse. I'm willing to bet that he's worse than every character you have ever hated put together. I'm so ready for him to get what's coming to him, and Mazen. To quote Evie O'Connell, "nasty little men like you always get what they deserve", but then that's kind of an understatement. 

The book is told from both Elias and Laia's points of view, which also helps to fuel the "I need to pee, I haven't eaten in hours and I need sleep, BUT I CAN'T STOP READING" thing, because one would leave you on a cliffhanger and you'd have to get through the other, heart pounding and totally on edge before you could find out what happened! Both of them have different voices, and both of them had very engaging narratives. There were no scenes repeated word for word but from two points of view, the flowed smoothly, continuing the story, filling in the gaps so you had a complete view of events. 

I can ramble on and write as much as I want but I don't think there are enough words to describe how truly amazing this book is. I enjoyed every page, I loved the characters that weren't pure evil. I got so lost in this world that reality ceased to exist as long as I was reading, and this book pulled me out of a funk and a crappy time a lot faster than any other book would have. The world is imaginative and original, the plot complex. You won't be able to put the book down so I'd advise getting plenty of sleep to tide you over before you start! 

An Ember In The Ashes adds another unique voice and imaginative world to a genre I love with all my heart, and I have a feeling this series is going to fill a void left over when a few of my other series have ended. I only just finished the book but already I want to go back and read it again, and it's going to become a well loved book of mine, and most likely of yours as well when you pick it up! 

Wishing For Wednesday #42

Hey guys!
So this week I've got two for you, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself though, I think!
The first is different to my usual, but it sounded intriguing, and I do love a good mystery!
The second I'm ridiculously excited for it because it's right up my street and I need it like...yesterday! And the cover is gorgeous!
So everything is linked, feel free to add or not add!


The Jezebel Remedy

Lisa and Joe Stone, married for twenty years and partners in their small law firm in Henry County, Virginia, handle less-than-glamorous cases, whether domestic disputes, personal injury settlements, or never-ending complaints from their cantankerous client Lettie VanSandt (“eccentric” by some accounts, “certifiable” by others).  When Lettie dies in a freakish fire, the Stones think it’s certainly possible that she was cooking meth in her trailer. But details soon emerge that lead them to question how “accidental” her demise actually was, and settling her peculiar estate becomes endlessly complicated. 

Before long, the Stones find themselves entangled in a corporate conspiracy that will require all their legal skills—not to mention some difficult ethical choices—for them to survive. Meanwhile, Lisa is desperately trying to shield Joe from a secret, dreadful error that she would give anything to erase, even as his career—and her own—hangs in the balance.
The Jezebel Remedy is out June 9th, pre-order your copy...here! 
Add it to your TBR....here!

Tangled Webs

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.
Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

The Jezebel Remedy is out June 23rd, pre-order your copy...here!

Add it to your TBR....here!

#FantasyIRL

Hey guys, so when I was sent my proof copy of An Ember in the Ashes it contained some cards, really really cool cards with quotes on....and questions. Why the questions? Well....

"Although set in a fantasy world, the themes running through An Ember in the Ashes often resonate with modern life. It got us talking about how we often read fantasy not just to escape, but also as an outlet- a way to deal with the tougher situations we find in ourselves in. As Katniss, Triss and now Laia fought their battles, we thought about ours"

Harper Voyager thought that by asking ourselves the questions, we'd open up a wider conversation about all sorts of topics/issues.

I debated about how and where to do this, I was thinking about Twitter, but we all know I ramble too much and so 140 characters just wasn't going to be enough, so blog post it is!
These question cards don't half make me feel like some sort of badass presenter on some sort of question show....anyway, here we go!

It's easy to let fear CONTROL your actions-it governs Laia's decisions from the outset in An Ember in the Ashes. And in reality, the pressures of modern life can be just as difficult to navigate.

We all have moments where we feel out of control of our own lives. What helps you regain control? 
What helps me regain control? Back when I smoked, I'd sit outside, have a cigarette and listen to a song or two. Now I do the same...just without the cigarette haha. Sit somewhere, listen to a couple of songs and have a cup of green tea. Or just scream in to a pillow. Either works. 

Have you ever been a victim of peer pressure, or felt pushed in to doing something you don't necessarily agree with? What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation? 
To be perfectly honest, back at school I was bullied for being fat, so I'd do pretty much anything to fit in, which is sad but there you go. I started smoking because all the "cool" people at school where doing it and the people I was hanging out with where doing it, so I started in like sixth form and I used to go out for cigarettes with them and everything. 
I'm not really sure what advice to give, it's such a hard position to be in, and I think it takes some intense inner strength to stand up to people and say no, depending on what's going on. I think there's a lot of movies and tv shows that are popular these days that show you that it's okay to stand up for  yourself and be a bit different, so I would say that even if you don't feel strong, if you really do not want to do something, just say no, because ultimately you'll feel better about yourself. To be honest, I reckon saying no and not following the crowd will probably gain you more respect from them than going along with them. My advice horrendously sucks, I know. 

POWER. There are plenty of examples of abuse of power around the world and in An Ember in the Ashes, the impact of power both on the powerful and powerless is key. 

We all feel powerless sometimes. Have you ever fought against someone in a powerful position and stood up for yourself- if so, how did you do it? 
I feel powerless plenty of times, the closest I came to fighting against someone in a powerful position was my manager at the last shop I worked at. I put up with a lot of crap, was treated like dirt and so on, I put up with it for a long time, but then a time came, and I stood up for myself by removing myself from the situation. I'm not that much of a badass that I decided to fight the system haha. I just did what was best for me, and sent a very diplomatically worded "I quite" letter.

What advice would you give to someone in a similar position? 
I would give the advice that no matter what you do, you should remain calm, put forward your arguments sensibly and don't get angry and start screaming and shouting out accusations. Perhaps write out what you want to say before hand and refer to it while you're talking. Depending on the situation you could perhaps find a couple of other people who feel the same to join you when you make your case, but make sure it doesn't turn in to a lynching. Or do what I did, depending on the situation, and remove yourself from it if you can, because you should take care of yourself first to be honest. 

The burden of DESTINY is discussed throughout An Ember in the Ashes. Regardless if whether you believe in destiny or not, modern life generates its own expectations and pressures - whether from yourself, or your surroundings. 

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason and your destiny is laid out for you? What do you think you can do to change your own destiny? 
I think life seems less crappy if you believe that everything happens for a reason. Like, you don't get the job you want...you can keep positive by saying "well, everything happens for a reason, so something better will come along". It's taken me a while to be ridiculously positive all the time, and it's a lot to do with a book I read called the Secret, which is all about positive thinking and to maintain positivity, it's better to think everything happens for a reason rather than crappy things just happen. I didn't get a job I wanted, then the next thing I know, I'm on an acting for film course, and I've got my first acting job so there you go. 
I'd like to think my destiny is laid out for me, but I'd love to know what it is. It makes me feel better to think the universe has a plan for me, while I have no idea what the hell I'm doing! 
To change your own destiny....it's your destiny, I'm not sure whether you can, I'd just roll with it, but then if it was a really rubbish destiny or one you didn't want then you're going to have to fight hard to change it. Perhaps it's all about choices? Perhaps the easiest choice is the one leading to your destiny, and the harder one is the one that veers away? Maybe you have to change yourself? 

What makes you happiest now - and how does it differ from what made you happiest this time last year? 
This time last year the same things made me happy that make me happy now, but the years before, what made me happiest was going out with friends to clubs and being out until ridiculous times. In the past year or two, what makes me happiest is either curling up with a movie or a book, a blanket and a green tea, or if I'm feeling social, I'm happiest going out to a pub with my friends, or a restaurant and having a few drinks. I'm 22 and I don't really enjoy clubs anymore to be honest! I'm back to reading more in the past couple of years than I was when I was partying multiple times a week, so I'm happiest with a book, or a quiet night out with friends! Also, there's only so many times you can take the night bus back from London before you can't take it anymore! 

Elias struggles with the notion of FREEDOM in An Ember in the Ashes - he desperately wants to make his own decisions, as we often do in reality. 

Modern life often means doing things we don't want to do (as in fantasy). What do you do to keep yourself feeling positive during a difficult day? 
I'm one of those people that really doesn't like being forced in to doing things I don't want to do haha, however, whenever I really have to do something I don't want to do, it usually lowers my mood, so I have a playlist for each kind of mood, it's an acting thing, and I whack on my feel good playlist, have a listen and a dance, and I remind myself how lucky I am each day, and keep reminding myself how grateful I am for everything in my life. I'll talk to my best friend, because she always makes me laugh and laughing is a great way to improve the mood, and then when I get back home, I usually stick on a Disney movie or an episode of Once Upon A Time. I have many, many ways to keep myself upbeat on a crap day haha 

Are there any songs/places/people that make you feel happy? 
My best friend makes me feel happy, we pretty much talk all day every day about all kinds of stuff, both serious and total nonsense. Sometimes our conversations get totally ridiculous as well and we can't help but laugh at our own stupidity. 
Songs that make me happy, there are so, so many, Disney songs, (I freaking love Disney so anything Disney, film, song, whatever lifts my mood right up), I genuinely listen to "I'll make a man out of you" before nights out sometimes, when I'm getting ready. I also sometimes work out to it because I'm that sad! Any song that has a good memory attached will also put a smile on my face! I would be here all day listing them, there a quite a few. Any song I can have a good dance too as well. 
Places, my room used to make me happy before....neighbours and issues. Hmmmm.....there's a place out the side of our house, where we used to have a pond, but even without the pond, in summer, it's a great place to sit in the sun and read. And then, I'm not just saying this because I'm a book blog, but a bookshop or a library. Because nothing makes me happier than browsing through books and finding new reads. I could also say the spoons in Wimbledon to be honest haha! Gigs used to make me happy as well or festivals but I haven't been to one in a year or two! 

And there you have my rambling answers that make no sense whatsoever haha!