Review: Soldier

Soldier
Rating: 5/5 
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Mira Ink! 

When forced to choose between the sinister Talon organisation and being hunted by her own kind, dragon-human hybrid Ember fled. Even if it meant losing Garret, the dragon-slaying soldier she shares a deep bond with.

Now Garret has uncovered secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragon-slayers alike. Can the danger reunite them?

It's nearly 2am and I have literally just finished this book. I finished it minutes ago. I am not over it, and I don't think I ever will be. I had such a bad feeling reading this okay, it's called Soldier, there's all these flashbacks to baby Garret and how he became 'the perfect soldier' and how he met Tristan and so on and as the book got closer and closer to the end I KNEW something was going to happen and then it did and the book just ends. It just ends. I can't even. I seriously can't. There was crying and swearing and book throwing and if it wasn't nearly 2am I'd be cracking out the ice cream. 

So. I just read page 373 of #Soldier by @Jkagawa my legit reaction? Well... pic.twitter.com/IEDg9mliYR

— Alisha Tarran (@realitysabore) July 29, 2016

Yep. That was me. Except the screaming was at a very low volume cause ya know....2am! I genuinely think this book might be the best in the series. But it's also the worst because of that ending. I loved where the book was going, there was the usual mix of plot twists you expect (I KNEW IT! I KNEW the whole thing with Dante at the end. I FREAKING KNEW IT!) and then there's the ones that you don't expect and you're kind of feeling all smug for guessing/knowing a plot twist and then this other twist will come out of nowhere and pretty much punch you in the face leaving you wondering what the hell just happened. 

The characters are going in some interesting directions, like I said, we get a lot of backstory to Garret this book and along with the usual POV's (Ember, Garret, Riley, Dante) we get the POV of Sebastian, aka baby Garret as I dubbed him. It was really interesting to see his childhood and how he came to the Order, how he was in the Order, how he met Tristan and so on and how he became the character we met back in the beginning of Talon. He's so determined in this book to atone for everything he's done. This book, I felt, was very Garret central. Ember in this book I loved. She's done a lot of growing up over the course of the books and when we see her in this book she's struggling to deal with everything that's happened and everything she's done. She's killed people and she's struggling with it because she still has so much empathy, but she's becoming more and more hardened to life and what happens, she's losing some of who she was in the first book. It's a brilliant change and I feel like Ember's reactions and how she deals with everything in this book is very authentic. 

Riley is trying to act more human for Ember, which was totally adorable, and he's still as determined as ever to protect his network and his hatchlings, however he's also determined to fight for Ember and it's an interesting dynamic between the two with no Garret around for a while, and then Garret coming back and shaking it up again. Wes. I have to mention Wes. He's my fave. Not just because I'm a fellow brit but because Wes cracks me up. Things are tense, they're emotional and it's all getting a little heavy and then there's Wes with one of his comments bringing a smile to my face! 

Dante was interesting in this book. I thought for a moment that he was possibly having second thoughts about Talon, he's been doing some thinking as he settles in to his new job and I actually started to root for him like 'woooo come to the dark side dude!' but then he was just...well..Dante. *sigh* We also have a brand new character this book and I'm super gutted we didn't get to see more of her! Jade is an incredibly awesome Eastern dragon and I LOVED HER. She's funny and badass and I felt for her and I just need more of her. She's totally amazing. 

The multi POV's I continue to love, because there's so much going on in the book, characters in different locations from each other then all these feelings going on and the POV's allow you to see what's happening with everyone, and what's going on with everyone, which was particular vital in the case of our love triangle. Baby Garret's POV added some extra intrigue too! I loved the changes. Just when you needed it to not change because OMG stuff was happening. BOOM. POV change to keep you on the edge of your seat! 

Soldier picks up close to where the last book ended. So we see Garret in London (woop woop!) hot on the trail of the Order and WTH is going on. Ember and Riley are tracking down the traitorous Griffin and Dante is....Dante-ing. Dante should watch his back, all I'm saying is....Dr. Olsen is totally shady and he's a little bit too in love with his little project. We all know how this ends up...except for Dante...because he's...well...Dante. Honestly that's all I can say about Dante. Damn him. There's some too spoilery but interesting stuff going on with Dante and Talon that's going to come in to play next book and I'm excited to see it unfold, especially as it'll be happening while everyone else is dealing with the aftermath of page 373. I'm intrigued to see if the Eastern dragons are going to be brought in to this more as well, I was fascinated by Jade and how her life had been compared to the Western dragons. 

Now I need to mention the romance and love triangle without being too spoilery. This is a love triangle that has a very interesting twist. Ember isn't human...not entirely. So she's kind of like two people and her dragon wants Riley and her usual self wants Garret. There's some revelations in this book that have a bearing on all of this and it's going to be interesting to watch it play out. The love triangle is dealt with in this book. Ember makes her choice and it's all great and you're cheering away because there's kinda like this TID Wessa/Jessa thing going on, to some extent. But then the end comes along to ruin your life and Embers. So yeah. The more I'm writing this the more I'm staunchly heading towards denial. So yeah. That ending never happened and it's ALL GOOD YO. 

Soldier is a fantastic third installment in a series that is proving itself to be original, fun, humorous, fast paced, action packed, filled with adorable romance and plenty of emotions. So many emotions. So many......feelings. Each book leaves you wanting more and like I said..this book is the best but it's also the worst. Like...I'm half tempted to recommend that you all wait for the fourth book before reading this but...I want everyone else to suffer too :') Either way this book is mind blowing and gives the insight in to Garret that we've all been craving, I'm excited for the fourth installment and to see the revelations and plot twists of this book play out. I will be sure to have chocolate and ice cream in the house when I read it! (If you've read Soldier.....TWEET ME BECAUSE I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS DAMN ENDING!) 

Review: Sing

Sing

Rating: 4/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy 

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Multiplatinum pop icon Lily Ross’s biggest hits and biggest heartbreaks (because they are one and the same):


1. AGONY. (That feeling when her ex ripped her heart out of her chest and she never saw it coming.)
2. GHOSTS. (Because even famous people are ghosted by guys sometimes. And it sucks just as much.) 
3. ONCE BITTEN. (As in: twice shy. Also, she’s never dating an actor or a musician ever again.)


But this summer’s going to be different. After getting her heart shattered, Lily is taking herself out of the spotlight and heading to a small island in middle-of-nowhere Maine with her closest friends. She has three months until her fall tour starts-three months to focus on herself, her music, her new album. Anything but guys.


That is . . . until Lily meets sweet, down-to-earth local Noel Bradley, who is so different from anyone she’s ever dated. Suddenly, Lily’s “summer of me” takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself falling deeper and harder than ever before. But Noel isn’t interested in the limelight. She loves Noel-but she loves her fans, too. And come August, she may be forced to choose.

Okay so, straight up, I actually requested a different book from the publisher, and was sent the press release for this and asked if I'd like to read this one as well, so I didn't actually discover this myself, technically. Now, I don't usually like contemporary books, my only weakness being BB lit, and this isn't exactly that but I was intrigued by the synopsis because Lily sounded like an incredibly relatable character and this sounded a little bit different to the usual. 

I was not wrong! I completely loved Lily, I felt for her so badly, we've all been in her position. Well...not exactly her position but close enough! She was such a relatable character, and for a celebrity she was fairly down to earth. She was believable. She had two fantastic friends who where brilliant secondary characters, Tess and Sammy..I mean...if you've gotta be famous may as well rope your best friends in to working with you right? I think they're a large factor in Lily remaining down to earth and her being such a likeable character, the two of them where such brilliant characters and I loved reading about the friendship between the three of them. I also liked our male character, Noel, he was adorably awkward at points, and gave you the odd chuckle. I feel like he had a very realistic reaction to everything, and he was another character you could relate to on some level. 

There where actually a lot of brilliant supporting characters besides Tess and Sammy, Ray and K2, Terry, Sidney, the other boys. They where a lot of fun to read about! 

I enjoyed the developing romance and watching things between them grow. But the ending to it was very short and sweet, I usually go for cheesy so when I saw where this was heading I was expecting to be disappointed but I actually ended up liking the ending. I think it fit the situation perfectly, and overall Sing was a funny, emotional and heartwarming read. It's the perfect book to sit with on the beach, it's short and sweet and a nice light read! 

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Wishing For Wednesday #95

Hey guys! 
Look at me being all back on it with my WFW's! Scheduling is a beautiful thing! It's a Wednesday of sequels this week, and cracking ones they are too! 
First up is the sequel to a book by one of my auto buy authors! The first book blew me away and wasn't what I had expected and I completely loved it and I've been eagerly waiting to see what happens next! 
Second I've got the sequel to a book I reviewed not too long ago! It's by another auto buy author of mine and this series has such a great premise! It's a really good paranormal/supernatural read! 

The Flame Never Dies 

ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go. 

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.

Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.



The Flame Never Dies is out August 16th, pre-order your copy...here! 
Add it to your TBR....here! 

The Sight 

The paranormal war that engulfed New Orleans seven years ago is over. But the battle for the city is just beginning . . . 

Claire Connolly is a Sensitive, infected with magic when the Veil that divides humanity from the world beyond fell. Magic can easily consume and destroy a Sensitive, and if Claire’s secret is discovered she’ll be locked into the walled district of Devil’s Isle along with every other Paranormal left in the city.

Bounty hunter Liam Quinn discovered Claire’s secret, but refused to turn her in. Together they saved New Orleans from the resurgence of magic that nearly destroyed it. But now a dangerous cult is on the rise, and it will take both Claire and Liam—and magical allies within Devil’s Isle’s towering walls—to defeat the occult threat before magic corrupts them both...

The Sight is out August 18th, pre-order your copy...here!

Add it to your TBR...here! 

Pokemon Go! Book Tag

Because she knows me so well, Rebecca @ The Brunettes Bookshelf  tagged me to do this book tag and I'm genuinely so excited because I freaking love Pokemon Go! I used to watch the show as a kid and play the games on the old Gameboy Colour, and so as soon as the app came out I had to get it and I've been obsessed ever since which isn't good for my phones battery life or data usage but I'm catching actual Pokemon so who cares?! This book tag is completely brilliant and it's a lot of fun, so let's goooo....

Hmmmm, I know I actually only read it this year, but can I say Pride and Prejudice? I actually loved it a lot more than I thought I would! I have so many different editions, I'd read it again and again and I understand everyone's obsession with it now! Totally late to the party though. 

OMG The Diviners and Lair of Dreams totally. Not only did I stay awake until like 4am reading the both of them, but both of them creeped me out to another level so it was like..better stay awake and read more cause I won't be able to sleep anyway :') 

I'm going with Rebecca on this one guys....FEYSAND IS THE OTP TO RULE THEM ALL. God I have never shipped anything so hard. Especially on the basis of one book like I  liked Rhys in book one but the ship got me in book two within the first couple of chapters and I was like yep. Bye bye Tamtool, I have my ship, and my GOD I FELT ALL THE FEELS. 

Hmm...there's quite a few that could fit in to this category but I'm going to go with what I'm currently reading. Soldier by Julie Kagawa, it's the third in the Talon series and ya know....dragons. So it's totally fire hot ;) BUT it's also really fast paced so far. 

Eeveeeeeeeeee I freaking love Eevee! Anyway. The Parasol Protectorate! I got all the books from the library when I stumbled across the first one in there and I read like one a day. Then I went out and bought my own copies and re-read. I still need to read The Finishing School series, BUT I have read the first one and it was SO GOOD. That's the prequel series. Then you have The Custard Protocol which is the other spin off series which is set after PP and I just found out it's a duology so I'm gutted. THEN there's a new series coming which I'm really excited for! I just love the world of these books, it's all Steampunk and a really extensive and vivid world. 

Caravaaaaaalll by Stephanie Garber! I got the proof and it's gorgeous and has sprayed red pages and a stunning map and ugh. It's beautiful. But it also sounds completely awesome, I saw it on GoodReads but I didn't realise it was being publisher over here and when I found out it was there was much celebrating! 

OMG how can I choose one!? I have so many! Jennifer L Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Sarah J Maas, Alyxandra Harvey, Gail Carriger, Joe Abercrombie, Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, Victoria Schwab, Susan Dennard aaannddd Leigh Bardugo! Seriously. There's way more but I picked a few because I can't just pick one because I'll feel bad for all the ones I didn't say! Plus I suck at making decisions! All of these authors write so brilliantly and are so original and write such entertaining books. 

Hmmm...there's a few. Seeing as Strange The Dreamer is out this year I'll go with the author's other series...Daughter of Smoke and Bone! I've been meaning to buy these for ages I just haven't gotten around to it, and everyone raves about these books so much, they sound completely brilliant! I'll get to them eventually! 

It's gotta be The Song Rising, the third Bone Season book. I've been waiting for ages for this, I got an early copy of Mime Order so I've been waiting even longer. Sort of. It keeps getting put back and put back but there's finally a date...it's the 7th of March next year. Book Depository informs me that's 224 days. 224. How am I supposed to wait that long!? Although, it has to be said, I'm really gutted about the new covers! 

Ooohh I'm trying to think of one with like a dodgy cover or something. Hang on. *goes to look at bookshelves* I think I'll say Poison Princess by Kresley Cole purely because the original cover looked really cheesy and I was expecting one thing and the book was completely different and totally badass. 

Oh boy, the super expensive fancy edition of the Harry Potter Illustrated books and the leatherbound Harry Potter's and the really fancy edition of Assassins Apprentice. OH and the super fancy edition of Tales of Beedle the Bard. Yep. Need. But so poor. Plus you can't get the leatherbounds anymore and people want like 200 quid for them on eBay. Don't even get me started on all of the Juniper Books covers. 

I always read books, like always but the first one I can remember reading that I became completely obsessed with was Harry Potter. We had this day at school where you came in dressed as a book character (I was totally the Cat in the Hat) and some kid came in dressed as Harry Potter and no-one knew who he was supposed to be and I came home and told my mum he was some Potter person and she got the first two books and was reading them to me. After that I got every single book the day it came out and my aunt sent me the US editions so I have first editions from the US sitting on my shelves! After that I read way more and spent a lot of time getting books from the library. 

Right. Okay. Nobody lynch me but...The Raven Boys. Everyone raves about these books. They are everywhere. I felt my interest waning the more I saw them everywhere. I finally read The Raven Boys and was so underwhelmed I couldn't be bothered with the rest of the books. Sorry. 

Oh God this one's hard. There's a couple of books I remember reading and thinking they're a little bit like this book or that book. The Crown's Game really, really reminded me of The Infernal Devices and I still can't quite put my finger on why but a large part of it was Nikolai who was so Will like! Not really a trope but that book had serious TID vibes but I totally loved it anyway. I also agree with Rebecca that ACOTAR and ToG are quite similar. 

Hmmm...the next Robin Hobb trilogy, Liveship Traders. It's only three books but they are quite hefty and while I loved the Farseer Trilogy...I need to be in the right mood to read these books! Like Game of Thrones I couldn't read back to back, I had to read a lighter book in between and if I wasn't in the mood it took me twice as long to read anything! I'll get there at some point though! 

I taaaagggg 

Sally @ The Dark Dictator 

Sophie @ Sophie Reads YA

Laura @ Laura's Little Book Blog

Sofia @ Accio Reviews

  

Review: This Savage Song

This Savage Song
Rating: 5/5 
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Titan! 

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

I don't even know how to begin reviewing this you guys, it was so freaking amazing! I love Schwabs books, I read A Darker Shade of Magic and completely fell in love and so I got all of her other books, I've read The Archived but I still need to read the sequel, Vicious and AGOS and I got sent this to review and I was freaking out because OMG NEW SCHWAB and it sounded so brilliant and I've been struggling to read a lot lately, it's taking me so long to read books for no real reason. I read like....2/3 of this in one sitting. I was only going to read a chapter or two and I read like...most of it in one go. I couldn't put it down, I was doing the whole "One more chapter" thing for hours. I was actually so reluctant to put it down but I really needed some sleep. So then I spent the next day doing whatever I had to do on my to do list, waiting for the moment I could sit down and finish this book. Then I finished it in record time and I was like...oh. It's over. But I need more!? 

This Savage Song has possibly the most badass opening chapter I have ever read. Seriously. This was my reaction to it over on Twitter...

Legit the opening chapter of #ThisSavageSong @veschwab pic.twitter.com/debsLKrq5J

— Alisha Tarran (@realitysabore) July 22, 2016

So I read that opening and I was like "Oh Kate....I'm going to like you" I mean, I just....I was reading that opening like "Oh my God..she isn't....oh she is....OMG FORGIVE ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED?! NOTHING PERSONAL?! SHE DIDN'T GO THERE" and like cackling to myself like a total weirdo but seriously. It gave me chills, it hooked me in, and it gave me a feel for Kate right off the bat. As did Augusts opening part, that gave you an insight in to what he was. 

I really liked August, bless him. He wants to help his father, he wants to be normal...human. He doesn't want to go around stealing souls, he's a badass but he's not really happy about it and I had to feel for him and his sister Isla. Kate in contrast wants to be just like her father who, to put it politely, is a monster. She wants to be at home in V-City proving to him that she is truly a Harker. But Kate isn't as cool and tough as she tries to be. She was equally as badass but in a different way to August, she was still relatable. I was rooting for the both of them, even when they where at odds.  You can feel for the both of them in different ways, they both just want to be accepted, to fit in. 

I just thought it was such an interesting concept, the monster that wants to be human and the human that wants to be a  monster working together, becoming friends and so on, and Schwab writes it so brilliantly. In my head, I was expecting August to be how Kate was, and Kate how August was, if that makes sense? Like August all cool and calm and collected for the majority of the time but Schwab writes him as...I kind of want to say human. You can see his vulnerabilities and you can feel for him, at no point are you like "omg you really are a monster" and starting to dislike him. Kate...I don't really know what I was expecting, part of me was expecting a regular girl who was a bit of an emotional mess perhaps, but I know Schwab and so I wasn't really counting on it. You see her vulnerable side a lot, but most of the time she's calm and calculating, everything is under the surface and as you read the book you see more and more of her and what happened to her and ugh. I loved Kate, she has metal nails you guys, it was awesome. The book is told from both August and Kate's perspectives so it goes a long way to letting you understand both characters, and see beyond the impressions they have of each other. They where brilliantly complex characters and Schwab brought them to life so brilliantly and believably. 

The book has a tonne of secondary characters that helped to bring the world of the book to life and helped to tell the story and I completely loved Isla, Augusts sister. She struck me initially as very kind if not all there, but then you learn something and she became mildly terrifying but I really liked her character and how she was there for August, my heart broke for her at the end of the book and I'm intrigued to see what this means for her. Leo. Augusts brother. There aren't really any polite words for him..you know when  you read books with angels in and they're all self righteous and everything? Like you want to punch them in the face because of it? That's Leo. He was such a....prat. I had such a bad feeling about him right off the bat. Augusts parents Henry and Emily where interesting characters, how they'd taken in these three and treated them like their kids, they really cared about August which was nice to see, you could see what made him want to be normal. 

Over with Kate we have Sloane the creepy ass Malchai...like.....so creepy. I don't know why but my brain flashed to the Gentlemen from Buffy briefly, before then picturing something else entirely. He is the character you love to hate. Seriously. Then at the end? Can't even. We also have Harker, Kate's dad. Now. I gave this dude the benefit of the doubt, I figured that he really did love his daughter, he just had trouble showing it or whatever and I was picturing August and Kates parents trying to find them and help them and being all parenty. No. This dude...I can't even. There is a scene and my heart broke for Kate so badly reading it. This guy is like...you think he's one thing but he's another and you hate him either way. Basically. I love how Schwab gives you such fleshed out secondary characters that you can have this kind of reaction to them to be honest! 

The book has a nice steady pace, and the world, the characters and the compelling writing...all draw you in. The plot of This Savage Song builds in to a crescendo, mimicking the music that's running throughout the book. I loved the emphasis on music in the book, it being Kate's way to cope, to calm down, to relax and so on, and August essentially needing it to live. Sunai use a song they have that's unique to them to do what they need to do and the musical emphasis in a world where there weren't really many nice things left in the majority of places was nice. Beauty in the darkness, I guess you could say. The world of the book is so vivid, it pulls you in and you get completely lose in it. Picturing everything as described. Schwabs world building is ALWAYS on point. She gives us an interesting history to it that makes you want to know more, and intricate politics that are easy to understand but not too simple. She also gives us plenty of other places in the world of the book that you're itching to check out. 

Schwab's writing is just...brilliant. I love her imagery, "The monsters rustled like leaves, or debris, a death rattle in the shadows" her writing and imagery goes a long way to set the tone of the book, the feel of it. It fits with the world she's created...desolate..dark....scary. Sure you can buy safety in one half of the city but it's just a paper thin facade. I loved how the Sunai's personalities depended on what brought them to life, Leo was self righteous because of the cultists, Isla scattered because of the bomb etc I thought it was a nice touch and made each of the three Sunai stand out and it was a really nice touch. Schwab genuinely has such an amazing imagination, she creates these worlds and lets you in to them and it really feels like you're there with the characters in each scene, the writing is atmospheric and it really helps to transport you to the world of the book. 

I really enjoyed the relationship between August and Kate. I wasn't sure what to expect, and usually I love a bit of a romance, but I actually really enjoyed the lack of it. It just wouldn't have been right in this book. I loved reading their growing friendship, watching these two opposites come together and work together and August wanting to help her because he felt she deserved to be helped. It was just brilliant to see these two characters come together, and see a friendship growing rather than a romance. I loved their interactions, their conversations, and I miss the two of them already. 

This Savage Song is incredibly original and unique with a brilliant emphasis on music, woven throughout the book. Schwabs world building is such that you can get completely absorbed in to the world and lose track of time, and this is one of those books you should probably read in one sitting unless you're a fan of super late nights! The characters bring the world to life, and their complex and intriguing to read about. The ending? Well I still can't even. That ending leaves you desperate for more and intrigued to see what's going to happen to our new favourite characters next! It's a truly unputdownable read, and it stays with you long after you've read the last page. 

Review: Dragon Lords

The Dragon Lords: Fool's Gold 
Rating: 4/5 
Buy or Borrow: Buy! 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Orbit! 

A brand new adventure fantasy: imagine Guardians of the Galaxyplanning a heist on Smaug's gold, for fans looking for something with a modern twist and some humor.

Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Hobbit in this rollicking fantasy adventure.

It's not easy to live in a world ruled by dragons. The taxes are high and their control is complete. But for one group of bold misfits, it's time to band together and steal back some of that wealth.

No one said they were smart. 

You guys...this book was so freaking hilarious I can't even! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, i'd been drawn on on the "Guardians of The Galaxy meets The Hobbit premise and as soon as I started reading this book it was not what I expected. It was a brilliant fantasy yes, but it was also completely hilarious which kept you reading just as much as the action. 

The setting was completely brilliant it came to life, and the characters are completely brilliant. You have Firkin the old drunkard who decides he's the "Priest of the Prophet"/"The mouth of the Prophet" and basically just wants free booze. Will who accidentally formulated the first plan and then just kept coming up with more. Like it reached the stage where he was like "I'm really sorry but...I've got a plan". I think I felt for Will out of all of them because of how much he'd lost, you could understand his motivation and his anger. You have Lette my favourite character, she's badass, she's a mercenary her language is atrocious which is hilarious, she's super skilled with a blade and she wants to be a better person. She doesn't want to kill people anymore. Balur is her 'tribe' he's essentially a giant lizard man and all he wants to do is kill people. That's what makes him happiest. He doesn't get Lettes desire to be better. Quirk is the final member of our crew and she studies magical plants and animals and coincidentally really wants to study a dragon. She's a magician who doesn't like her magic, doesn't want to use it anymore. She does alchemy as a hobby and is hilariously disapproving of the whole thing but then is like...ooh dragons. 

We have POVs from all of the characters and each has their own unique voice and has a hugely entertaining narrative. Although I think my favourite narratives may have been that of the dragons. Yep. We get the dragons POV as well and they are freaking hilarious. Mattrax, Dathrax and Kithrax pretty much think they're the s***. They are dragons to be fair, but I found their POVs incredibly hilarious. Dathrax in particular was such a pompous prat. 

I loved the interplay between Lette and Balur, their banter and relationship was both hilarious and heartwarming to a certain extent. I liked the relationship between Lette and Will and watching it develop, but it's not in your face, it's very secondary. Most of all I loved watching the group work together, the scenes with all of them where hilarious. They had such great banter between all of them and the scenes with them really came off the page. 

Fool's Gold is hilarious from page one, and it keeps on coming with the hilarity, not just in the narratives and dialogue but also in the chapter headings, there are gems such as "Totally Fucked" and "We're Going To Need a Bigger Boat". I honestly couldn't stop laughing I wasn't expecting it to be quite so funny. The world is rich, I'm intrigued by the Gods in it and was half waiting for them to make an appearance. Scenes spring vividly to life, even ones you could do without like Balur murdering people for instance. It's fast paced, hard to put down and incredibly entertaining with some truly memorable characters. I'm so intrigued to see what's going to happen next! 

Review: Imprudence

Imprudence
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Orbit! 

London is in chaos.

Rue and the crew of The Spotted Custard returned from India with revelations that shook the foundations of the scientific community. There is mass political upheaval, the vampires are tetchy, and something is seriously wrong with the local werewolf pack. To top it all off, Rue’s best friend Primrose keeps getting engaged to the most inappropriate military types.

Rue has got personal problems as well. Her vampire father is angry, her werewolf father is crazy, and her obstreperous mother is both. Worst of all, Rue’s beginning to suspect what they all really are… is frightened.

When the Custard is ordered to Egypt, transporting some highly unusual passengers, Rue’s problems go from personal to impossible. Can she get Percy to stop sulking? Will she find the true cause of Primrose’s lovesickness? And what is Quesnel hiding in the boiler room?

Imprudence is one of those books that you fall in to and kind of start to assimilate with the world, so apologies in advance if I sound a bit more...elegant than usual. Shall we say? I am so completely, and utterly in love with Gail Carriger's books. I can't even begin to describe how utterly fantastic they are!  A few years ago, I fell in to an obsession with steampunk when I stumbled across a book at the library. That book was Soulless, the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series which is the series that comes before this one! To be fair, you most likely could get away with reading The Custard Protocol without having read PP, but it's much more fun if you do read PP! There's also the Finishing School series which I still need to read and prequels all of them! ANYWAY. I read all of the PP books in like....five days. So like...a book a day. I was bereft when it ended, and went through a fair few steampunk books but as much as I loved some of them...they could never quite match up to the writing in Carriger's book, to the imaginative world that sucks you in. 

The book carries on from the last book fairly swiftly, we've now made it back to England and Rue is in a smidgen of trouble with our Queen. Oops? Things are starting to get tricky as plot lines from PP start to come in to play among others! That's the thing I love about these books, the plots are always complex, there's a couple of threads, with lots going on, that all weave together and you always end up being surprised. I don't know what I was expecting in this book, but at the end when the pursuers are revealed? It definitely wasn't the incredibly....creepy gentleman. Carriger takes care to make the two series interweave, when you read PP you're aware of something looming in the future and in this book it finally comes in to place and I feel like two of the PP characters have been brilliantly resolved, although I'm hoping to see them again! 

I love getting to see all of the characters I loved from PP, Biffy, Alexia, Lord Maccon, Akeldama, Floote, Quesnel all grown up and so on. We get to see how they're getting on and what's been going on with them and there are mentions of other characters as well, like Ivy and Genevieve! In Quesnel's case it's a chance to see more of him as he's more of a main character than in PP and like I said, he's all grown up now! But as well as the old characters there's a whole host of new characters! Spoo, Virgil, Tasherit, Percy and Primrose being a few. I'm kind of iffy with Aggie! Carriger brings old and new characters together perfectly, giving the old a presence without taking over from the new, and each of her characters is so lively and interesting and brilliantly brought to life with depth and heart and....I just love the characters okay! 

I love Rue, I love her general personality, she doesn't back down easily, she'd not afraid to jump right in to things, and she doesn't dwell on her status in the country as a metanatural and the negativity that goes with it, she's daring and courageous and bold. She's basically a hell of a lot of fun to read about as she narrates through all these crazy adventures, I love how she's determined to kill with kindness as it where with Aggie and I adore her friendship with Prim, and the banter the two share. They really are the perfect pair! I live for their scenes together! I find it very intriguing to see the relationship Rue has with all three of her parents, considering how she had to be raised, and while it's true to character, her relationship with Alexia did make me a little sad, but it also made me chuckle. 

I also completely love Quesnel! He's completely adorable, although I doubt he'd relish being called that. He's just so laid back and flirty and likes to have fun and then when it comes to Rue he's just....adorable. Protective but still let's her do her own thing...after much shouting and gesticulating. I ship Rue and Quesnel so badly, I can't lie, I did since Prudence and in this book I was waiting for things to develop and I fangirled a lot because I love the two of them together, and there where obstacles in the way, and I wanted to bash their heads together because of all the ridiculous fuss from the two being so blind...but I got such intense warm and fuzzies once or twice, I'm trying to decide if I may or may not love them more than Alexia and Conall! 

Imprudence is hugely entertaining, and has plenty of moments that have you chuckling, as well as a few heartbreaking moments like with the pack, and the parasol pledge. It's got a good mix of emotion and ends up being rather like a rollercoaster ride, but then I did read this book mostly in one day, after re-reading Prudence of course because why not?! I love how original the book is, the world Carriger has created, the history and lore to it, the characters and so on. It's incredibly immersive and once you started reading you fall in to the world, everything is so vivid and the author paints a picture with her words. It's an incredibly rich world, one you can't help but wish you could visit. 

It's incredibly well researched, the historical bits that is! And it's obvious from the little details thrown in here and there that make the book so authentic, along with the writing style! I love how Carriger writes these books, the authentic writing, amusing narrative, complex twists and turns and research all combined with many other elements to bring you a unique and hugely engrossing read. The descriptions of the devices and gadgets are spot on so you get an idea for how they look and how they function, and they bring your imagination to life. The book is mostly set on a dirigible and there's a great amount of detail to how it works without overloading you with tonnes of information, it creates an authentic setting and has you feeling like you're right there with the characters. Honestly the attention to detail is amazing! 

Imprudence is a brilliant continuation of The Custard Protocol and I'm excited to see where our crew are going to head next and what trouble they will get themselves in, especially considering the ending of this book! (The rather unladylike words 'effing Templars' may have been muttered). I'm intrigued to see what's going to happen with certain characters and their relationships, Prim for one, Rue another! I'm hoping the wait won't be too long because I'm always sad to leave this world! Plus I have a burning desire to know more about things that a character knows, that even we don't know from the PP books! There's just so much more of this world left to be explored, more of the characters to get to know, and more relationships to cheer on. Things where wrapped up rather nicely, but there's still some things left to intrigue...to make you wonder. I really, really, desperately need the next book! I've come over all bereft! 

Genuinely, I can't even begin to tell you guys how much you should read these books, wether you're a steampunk fan or not, they're a great place to start if you're looking to get in to steampunk books! They're just so brilliant, and they really stand out from other books and please do yourself a favour and check them out! This series just gets better and better and I'm always so excited to see where it's going next! 

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Wishing For Wednesday #94

Hey guys! 
I've been so lax with my WFW posts....oops? I kept forgetting because I've been really busy and usually I schedule them ahead but I've been a complete fail lately I know!
This week I have two sequels for you that I'm really excited for! I completely loved the first books and I've been eagerly awaiting these two books! 
First up is the sequel to a book that just...blew me away. Ancient Egypt...romance....ugh it was perfect, and I'm so excited to see what happens to the characters next! 
Second, the sequel to a book that was fun, and full of magic and just completely adorable romance! I've been missing the characters a lot, not going to lie and I'm so excited for this next installment!  

Recreated

Lily Young thought traveling across the globe with a reawakened sun prince was a grand adventure. Now she’s about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

When Amon and Lily part tragically, he transports himself to the Netherworld—what mortals call hell. Tormented by the loss of his one true love, he’d rather suffer in agony during Lily’s mortal years than fulfill his duty to protect humanity.

Heartbroken, Lily seeks refuge on her grandmother’s farm. Yet she can feel Amon’s pain, and she has been having dreams—dreams of Amon continually suffering.

For before he departed, Amon gave Lily something very special, an item that connects them even though they are worlds apart. Now Lily must use this object to free him, and to free their realms from darkness and utter chaos. She will do whatever it takes.

Reawakened is out August 11th, pre-order your copy....here! 
Add it to your TBR....here! 

Royal Tour

Stolen memories, a lost diary and a race against time...

Having saved Princess Evelyn (and become her new BFF) Sam must accompany Evelyn on a world tour, so she can keep the princess (and everyone around her) safe with a power-binding potion. But Sam also has another reason to scour the globe. Someone has tampered with her grandad's mind, and Sam is the only one who can unlock his memories to save him and the family business. And that's not all that's at stake. The stolen memories contain the recipe to a potion which many would kill to get hold of. With the post powerful people in the world desperate for the recipe, Sam must save her grandad in order to save everyone else... 

Royal Tour is out August 11th, pre-order your copy....here! 

Add it to your TBR...here! 

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Review: New Pompeii

New Pompeii
Rating: 4/5 
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

In the near future, energy giant Novus Particles develops the technology to transport objects and people from the deep past to the present. Their biggest secret: New Pompeii. A replica of the city hidden deep in central Asia, filled with Romans pulled through time a split second before the volcano erupted.

Historian Nick Houghton doesn't know why he's been chosen to be the company's historical advisor. He's just excited to be there. Until he starts to wonder what happened to his predecessor. Until he realizes that NovusPart have more secrets than even the conspiracy theorists suspect.

Until he realizes that NovusPart have underestimated their captives...

I'm not going to lie to you guys, I mostly jumped to review this because I'm a huge history nerd and Pompeii has always intrigued me, so I was like...ooohh..New Pompeii.....OOOHHH MICHAEL CRICHTON and basically lost all cool and was like GIMME GIMME. 

This book quickly sucks you in, the opening is chilling and sad, the narrative is intriguing and compelling. We have a dual POV. Nick who's failing to get anywhere with all his applications for research being turned down who's hired by NovusPart to work on the project. Living in the fake Pompeii...walking among its people he realises something isn't quite right. The Romans aren't as oblivious and accepting as the company thinks. We then have the narrative of Kirsten alongside that, she disappeared from Cambridge University thirty years ago and is taking a bit of a trip through time. Kirsten offers us an intriguing narrative at the beginning of the book and she keeps you reading while Nick faffs about before gets to New Pompeii. I was so entranced by Kirstens narrative...was she dead? What happened to her? and so on, and she provides us with more information on the corporation and the people who run it. The narratives appear to be separate from each other but there's an event. I'm not going to go in to more detail because spoilers but there's a part in the book when your entire view point changes, and you realise how everything has come together and you want to read more about both characters desperately and I'm like 99% sure there is a sequel so I'll be all over that! 

This organisation is so freaking shadowy you don't even understand. You're reading about it and you know there's something off with the whole thing, there's a triumvirate in charge of the corporation but one is missing, there's an anti NovusPart organisation trying to bring them down, then there's the Roman's and their leader who are by no means as stupid and oblivious as the NovusPart people think they are. Although it could be said that one of the McMahon was having way too much fun pretending to be Roman to probably take notice. Like dude....a toga? Really? Calm down. This book is so well written, it's so complex. There's tangled timelines, what could have happened, what did happen, there's information missing and plenty of intrigue. It was pretty difficult to put this book down once it really got going. There are surprises and plot twists all over the place that you don't see coming and it really makes you think. There are some really thought provoking ideas in the book to do with history and changing things and what could have happened and so on and the morals of it all. 

I completely and utterly loved how the author explored the 'What if' of Pompeii meeting the modern world. Those scenes where utterly thrilling to read. The author has clearly done his research as the book has a very authentic feel to it when you're walking the streets of New Pompeii with Nick. I know it says on the book that it's reminiscent of Michael Crichton, now I haven't read Jurassic Park, and the film is probably totally different from the books BUT I did get that Jurassic Park vibe....a scholar being brought in....arriving and seeing New Pompeii....being in this little bubble of land filled with history to explore and examine. Definite Jurassic Park vibes, but like....if the raptors wanted to beat you up a bit and make you fight for your life before they tore you limb from limb. 

New Pompeii is perfect for history nerds, sci-fi nerds...hell even fantasy nerds, I kinda think the book is a little of all three! You guys know I don't really read SF, it's not what I go for, but I can't resist anything to do with Pompeii and I completely loved this book. It's fascinating and addicting, thought provoking and full of action. I'm so intrigued to see what happens in the next book! I'm also refusing to believe there isn't another book because after that ending there HAS to be another book...right!?