Saturday 27 June 2015

Fledgling Authors Chat 2016



Saturday at last! Well, it's been a long, long week huh? Now, I have some exciting news to share with you all. Introducing the...


And what is that, you ask? Well this Sunday at 3PM EST, join myself @thewickedpowers, Rachel @yaperfectionist and Kristen @Kris10MFAF for a Twitter chat to help celebrate some 2016 debut authors! We are so excited for this next year's round of books and can't wait for you to be introduced to these wonderful authors and their books.


Meet the gang


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We are very proud to welcome the following authors who are confirmed to be participating in Sunday's introductory chat. We've also included their Twitter accounts for you so you can give them a follow and their book's Goodread page for you so you can check out their book!


Into the Dim by Janet B Taylor @Janet_B_Taylor

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman @nicolecastroman

The Bride of Dusk and Glass by Roshani Chokshi @NotRashKnee

Liars and Losers Like Us  by Ami Allen-Vath @amilouiseallen

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig @heidiheilig

The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin @thatEmilyMartin

The Girl Who Fell by Shannon M Parker @shannonmparker

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae @Ava_Jae

Firsts by Laurie E Flynn @laurellizabeth

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake @ashleyhblake

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerhill @erinsummerill

Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie @KathrynPurdie

Flashfall by Jenny Moyer @_JennyMoyer

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro @skippingstones

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter @kkletter

Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers @SarahAhiers

Fear The Drowning Deep by Sarah Glenn Marsh @SG_Marsh

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie @skrutskie

The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry @EmilyHenryWrite

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin @jeffgarvinbooks 

Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh @JulieEshbaugh


Unfortunately Evelyn Skye, author of The Crown's Game, cannot be with us this week, but you should totally check out her amazing book!


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I will be hosting the introductory chat so make sure you're following me at @thewickedpowers!


Giveaway

We're giving you the chance to win ONE pre-order of a 2016 debut book. The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. (From The Book Depository!) The giveaway will run the whole duration of the few #FAC16 chats.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, will you be attending? And which cover are you most in love with and why do you like that one best?


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Mine is BLACKHEARTS by Nicole Castroman. How gorgeous is this cover?! Blackbeard origins FTW!


And finally, some other amazing debut events from fellow fantastic bloggers for you all to take a look at:



The Book Bratz - Debut Author Spotlight
A Perfection Called Books and Dana Square - Meet the Newbies (#MeettheNewbs)
The Artsy Reader Girl - Debut Dish
Fiction Freak - Get Your Debut On



Friday 19 June 2015

National Kissing Day: Top 5 bookish kisses & couples

Top 5 Bookish Kisses and Couples


It's National Kissing Day. So in honor of it, I'm posting my top-5 favorite book snogs. (Not in order because YOU CANNOT MAKE ME CHOOSE). There will be spoilers for books in here, so be careful!


1) The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo -- Alina and Nikolai

Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy #1) - Leigh Bardugo
I am a very proud Nikolina shipper. From the moment they met I shipped them with a burning passion. But alas, they and also my other favorite ship of Grisha (the Darkling and Alina) never happened. *Cocks shotgun and aims it at Mal* I honestly believe that Nikolai and Alina would have been amazing together and it pains me even now that their kisses -- no matter how cray-cray they were -- never amounted to anything more. *Allows shotgun to hit Mal* *Walks away* Damn you Mal!

2) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas -- Feyre and Tamlin

US cover for my new fantasy series, A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, coming May 5th, 2015! // AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH THIS IS AMAZING I CANNOT WAIT (but this is right smack bang on my GCSEs so I can get it as a reward XD)
Feyre and Tamlin. Can you GET a couple hotter than these two?! I don't think so. Their romance sizzled through the pages. I practically burnt my fingers and eyes reading these two. Sarah does an amazing job at creating scorching couples, I'll give her that! I'm also one of those people who ships Feyre with not only Rhys, but Lucien too. What can I say? Feyre is just SO shippable. I ship her with everything and everyone. Much like Sarah's other book heroine, Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass.

3) The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecket -- Elizabeth and John

Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker | Paperback: 368 pages | Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (September 1, 2015)
These two are a very recent addition to my list of favorite couples. I read The Witch Hunter a few weeks back and LOVED IT. They have one of the most adorable romances I've read in a long time. She and John TOTALLY deserve to be up here with the greats. John is fluffier than a Pomeranian and I am DESPERATE for book 2 to read more of their growing relationship. *Cuddles John and Elizabeth close*  

4) The Infernal Devices/The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare -- EVERYONE

The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments without the typeface xx
It is simply impossible to pick a ship out of Cassandra Clare's books. There's Clary and Jace, Magnus and Alec, Izzy and Simon and so many more. Plus the Herongraystairs ship that is Tessa Gray, William Herondale and James Carstairs in The Infernal Devices. Oh gosh then you have the ships in THAT book too! Nope, I'm going to stop right now and say that every kiss and couple in these books are my favorites.
Except that Sebastian and Clary one in City of Lost Souls. Hell nope. #SayNoToClabastian2015.

5) Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini -- Lily and Rowan

Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini • August 28, 2014 • Macmillan Children's Books https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22087268-trial-by-fire
Another brand-new favorite ship! I devoured the beauty that is Trial By Fire in less than a day. And made new book boyfriends in the process! Lily and Rowan easily made the top-5 list with how beautiful they both are. They're just so... UNIQUE! I could go on forever about just why they're such an amazing couple, really. Read Trial By Fire and find out why I love them so much for yourself! You won't be disappointed, I assure you!



So... that's it for my top-5! But there are LOTS more that belong up there. Such as Celaena/Aelin with Chaol, Rowan and Dorian, Penryn and Raffe, Karou and Akiva, Mara and Noah, Merik and *mumbles name because SPOILERS AND I CAN'T SAY* and Aeduan and *MUMBLE MUMBLE MUMBLE* Hmmm, and Jett and Flo, Dimitri and Rose, Peeta and Katniss, Harry and Ginny... Oh heck, I could go on F O R E V E R! 

What are YOUR Top-5 book kisses and couples? Let me know below!


Monday 15 June 2015

Vengeance Road Posse Post #1

Erin Bowman // author, type nerd, harry potter enthusiast

Yeehaw!

For those that do not know, Erin Bowman has an AMAZING new book coming out called VENGEANCE ROAD. What is it about? Read on below: 

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When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate. 

Doesn't this book sound like roaring FUN?! It sure does! It hits shelves on the 1st of September, but until then, Erin and the rest of the Posse have lots of fun stuff to get you excited. Want to add this book to your To-Read list on Goodreads? You can HERE.

Today over on Erin's TUMBLR we will be meeting the first of the VENGEANCE ROAD cast! First up will be the star of the show, Kate Thompson! So keep a watchful eye on Erin's Tumblr, partners! (I'm ridiculously excited to meet the guys. They're going to be H O T for sure!)

Also, since everything today seems to be all VENGEANCE ROAD (Even my ice cream is echoing the color scheme of the cover, no joke!) I thought I'd toss together an aesthetic of what first came to mind when I first read just what the book was about. Wanna see it? Scroll down, lovelies, scroll down!











As someone who has never read a cowboy book or really watched a movie or TV show with them in, I am unbelievably excited. The dialect is going to be so much FUN to try and learn. I suspect after finishing this book I'll be walking around saying HOWDY to everyone. There are weird stares coming guys. Very weird stares. There will be no crazy horse-riding though as I'm pretty much THE worst person at riding horses. Like... the actual worst. When I was 13 I started riding horses and the first time I ever got on one, I fell off, rolled down a very steep hill dotted with stinging nettles while screaming the entire time, crashed through a newly erected wooden fence and landed in a deep and stagnant pond where a bullfrog proceeded to jump at my face and right into my eye and gave me conjunctivitis for a week. Curse you frog, curse you! There are photos of this moment. They're passed around at Christmas over dinner... *side-eyes family.*

SO! Unfortunate riding incident aside, watch this space for teasers, graphics and quotes! Coming very soon, cowboys and cowgirls, very soon!


P.S. I was not joking about the ice cream. It is VENGEANCE ROAD cover in ice cream form. YUM.






BookCon Mail



A super speedy and short update! Well, haul! Righty-o! So my lovely friend Danielle over at Simply Thoughtful Books utterly made my weekend. Why? Because of THESE PRETTIES! They're so gorgeous, right?! I just HAD to share them with you. Within the pile of goodness, there's Shadowhunter swag galore and even an ARC of EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon! (And it's signed! YAY!) Also, 29 pages of LADY MIDNIGHT?! Yes, that was the first thing I read. I screamed as I read it, no regrets. The wait for that book is killing me and for real. It's like Jem's situation: the more I get of Lady Midnight, the more I live... but also die. Lady Midnight aka Yin Fen.





Emma is going to be my new girl crush, I just know it. Danielle has also sent me a poster but it's not here yet. Keep an eye out for the pretty!



ARC REVIEW: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

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My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
 

Published: September 1st 2015
PublisherDelacorte Books for Young Readers
Rating: 2.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC! And to Danielle who gave me a signed copy JUST as I finished. How cool was that?!



I am so conflicted about this book it's UNREAL. There are parts that I love and others that I absolutely loathed. I ended up finishing the book thinking both WTF did I just read AND awwh, that was sweet! Everything, Everything was wrong with this book for me.

Right. Maddy is a girl who is house-bound. She has one of THE rarest illnesses in the world called SCID. Basically, she is allergic to everything and anything. Her brother and father are dead, so it's just her and her mother. And they are VERY close. Like cross your fingers close.

Everything changes for Maddy when Olly moves in next to her. Yes, the boy-next-door-syndrome is back with a vengeance! I for one found Olly extremely cute, even if he did remind me of a guy I once knew back at school. That was weird on level 1000. Olly has his own issues, but none come close to Maddy's, of course.

I love the way the book was set out. There were drawings, diagrams, texts, emails and graphs. And more! I had great fun looking at these and they really added feel to the story. For the first 50% of this book, I had only a few quarrels, but I thought that was the worst of it. Nope, they weren't the only ones.

For me, sadly, the story took a dip into WTF-ville when Maddy decided to do something extremely stupid. Like I-could-die stupid. Annnnd... no one stopped her. Surely if Olly loved her THAT much he would have prevented this THING from happening, damn how much Maddy would have protested and been angry at him. Surely her safety should be a priority, not just her happiness? I never got the I MUST ESCAPE THIS PLACE!!! vibe from her before Olly appeared. Everything, Everything changed because of Olly appearing. (Excuse the puns. This book title is TOO perfect for them!)

Before I started this book I created a mental list of things I was expecting to happen in the novel. REALLY predictable things. In this type of novel, they're bound to happen. And sadly, yes, each and every one happened. The MASSIVE twist in the book was on my list as well. I'm actually still laughing awkwardly that that one WAS REAL! I was hoping for a new The Fault in our Stars, a new favorite book about a life-threatening illness, but it didn't come close to the way that book made me feel. And for that, I'm very disappointed.

I'll write up a few GOOD things about this book now. It's all sounding kinda morbid...


  • Olly was THE most adorable thing. Also in his messages, he typed like every young guy I've ever known: without capitals and punctuation. He felt REAL. (But I did have ONE issue with it. See below) And did I mention that he's ADORBS?!
  • The GORGEOUS AND BREATHTAKING COVER! Isn't that cover so pretteehhh?!
  • Maddy is half Japanese and half African-American. WHOOO, DIVERSITY!
  • The writing itself was captivating. I devoured this book in just a few hours, eager to finish.
  • Maddy is a reader! And she blogs! There's a number of books she's mentioned that I'd like to read now. Such as Flowers For Algernon. 
But yes, there were more bad things than good for me in EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, sadly. I won't list them as most are spoilers, but there are plot inconsistencies and moments that you just want to headbutt a brick wall from frustration. There were many aspects of Maddy's life that grated on me SO MUCH. Like the fact her entire life seems to be clinical white? Even her food is white. Like... is she allergic to color or something? But as she buys clothes in different colors later in the book, she can't be. So what's up with that? 

But I will talk about something spoilery. MEGA spoilery. If you don't want to read these MEGA EPIC WORLD-ENDING SPOILERS, don't highlight below!

Maddy didn't seem, well, THAT mad at her mother for what she'd done?! This woman basically locked her daughter away and stole her life away from her. Stole her childhood, stole everything. EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. SHE STOLE EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. Maddy was never ill. NEVER. But... why didn't her nurse pick up on her mother? Surely her nurse would have known the symptoms for SCID if she was with Maddy? And her NEW NURSE! Two chances at someone having a clue what the symptoms for SCID was but nope! And how the hell does Maddy's mom PAY FOR EVERYTHING?! I know there was a payout because of her husband and son's death but... not enough to live on for all of those years with a 'sick' child. Also, the police should have gotten involved when the truth about Maddy came out. She should have been arrested for what she did! Or put in the loony-bin for a while. But no... she's still in the same house as Maddy, trying to TALK TO HER AND MAKE UP WITH HER!! Urgh, it made me so mad! Her mother IS going to places for a mentality check but things still don't happen. I don't care how ill you are and how much you 'love' your daughter, you shouldn't be allowed around her now. That's just my opinion but GAH. URGH. ASFDSLG *ANGRY NOISES*  And how the frickity frack could Olly ALLOW Maddy to run away! I get the crap about wanting to live, but running until you quite literally get ill and drop dead? Umm... Olly, the fuq dude? Also with Olly, he seems very well educated but can't spell for crap or anything. What's with that as well? We never did find out what happened to Olly's family, if that nutjob of a father left. (Or did he? I skimmed the last 10 chapters or so?)

So yeah. I loved part of this book and hated the rest. Maybe not Everything, Everything was wrong with this book, but most of it. Most, Most. You'll either love this book utterly and completely or hate it. There's no inbetween.  But if Nicola Yoon publishes another book, I'd definitely read it. I can easily see her writing some super-duper books in the future! This one was just a hit and miss with me.

So sadly:




Friday 12 June 2015

The Ramblings of a Fanfiction Writer.

The Ramblings of a Fanfiction Writer.



Whether it's AU (Alternate Universe) where Edward Cullen is a vampire firefighter (I strangely haven't read one about this?), or AH (All Human) where Jace Herondale and the rest of the The Mortal Instruments crew are now fully human and students at a school, you cannot deny the importance of fanfiction.

As a fanfiction writer myself, I cannot express just how much this form of writing has helped me during my life. I have been writing on fanfiction.net for almost 5 years now, and during those years, my writing has VASTLY improved and it's all because of that site. Everyone that writes fanfiction writes for a reason. My reason was because I was a very lonely teenager and I loved writing and wanted nothing more than to share my words with the world. No, I was not a very good writer, but I persevered. And it paid off in the long run.

Writing fanfiction not only gave me a platform where I could post my stories based on my favorite shows and books, it also introduced me to the world of constructive criticism. Through the guidance written in my reviews, I became a so much better writer which also led to me starting to blog and review. Also, fanfiction writing introduced me to other like-minded people who also wrote in the same category! Some of my longest online friends are the ones I met when I first started writing fanfiction. They helped me through my depression and teenage years and quite frankly, I'll always be indebted to them.

Fanfiction is a tricky subject to discuss, and it shouldn't be. The genre is one of love, it has to be said. Each story, no matter how good or bad it is, has a person, a real person behind them. You sometimes feel that what your writing is second-class and inferior to published works. There are many people who hate the fact people enjoy taking a beloved author's work and twisting it around using their imagination, and I just cannot understand why. I have never understood it and quite frankly, I don't think I ever will. There is nothing worse than being bashed for writing fanfiction, I assure you. It's soul-destroying and can easily knock a person's confidence, causing them to never want to write fanfiction again. I have been the subject of bullies a few times. Most notably when I was a writer in the The Vampire Diaries section of the site. In the end the sheer hostility of the fans caused me to give up on writing TVD fanfiction. A year later I even gave up on the show because of the terrible online fans and their relentless bullying. (Not towards me, thankfully). Fanfiction writing is a good, amazing thing that allows anyone and everyone to write. It should be encouraged, not discouraged.

Plus, you must remember that fanfiction writers are doing this for free. Every word and chapter is a labor of love. Whether it's Crack, Slash or well, anything. There are so many writers that carry on posting even when they get next to no views or one review. These people are heroes. If there's one thing writing fanfiction has taught me more than grammar and punctuation, that is PATIENCE.

Yes. Patience. When you first begin writing fanfiction, you dream about becoming one of those people on the Most Reviewed page. You want nothing more than to be one of the most reviewed writers in your category. Fanfiction fame, basically. Those with thousands upon thousands of reviews and loyal fans that read your every chapter and word.

I was one of them for sure. It was my goal on the site. My ultimate goal. And after two/three years, I made it. I reached my goal: one of my stories had over one thousand reviews, over one thousand views and it even had a loyal fanbase. But then... it was over. And suddenly I was faced with the dreaded two words: What now?

It took a long time for me to decide what to work towards after smashing my goal to pieces. Eventually I decided that my new works would be centered around mental health, drugs, addiction and what I was suffering at the time: depression. I wanted to introduce people to the painful reality of what depression is really like and show them it without full-on romanticizing it. Mental health issues and depression is nothing to see as all lovey-dovey, I can tell you that now. I wrote these in the hope of helping out other depressed people, to encourage them to stay strong and carry on. I'm more than delighted to say that I've had endless impossibly long messages from grateful readers. That I helped them recover from depression. I'd love to post some of these messages up, but privacy issues, of course. They all made me cry. Happy cry. VERY happy cry. All I've ever wanted was to help people through my words. And I have. To me, that is worth more than all of the reviews and views in the world.

Anyway, fanfiction writers all have different frames of mind: each story is personal to them, even if they don't realize it. Say, a scene could be something they long for themselves. The more I get to know about fic writers, the more I see of them in their fics. And that is amazing, personally.

In all my years, the main points I have learned from writing fanfiction are:

  • How to create realistic storylines
  • How to make friends
  • How to improve my grammar
  • PATIENCE
And most importantly...

  • TO NEVER GIVE UP. 
Giving up is a fanfiction writing sin. And one that I have committed too many times to count, sadly. Sometimes you have a moment of madness and think "why the hell am I even doing this?!" and seriously consider deleting all of the precious words that you've wrote so far. Just don't do it. You'll regret it.

As you've gathered from my ramblings, fanfiction is a very difficult topic to talk about. We are writers, yet not. Yes, some fanfiction writers are lucky enough to become published authors, but that is only a TINY majority. Personally, I don't think I will ever become a published author, but I will always carry on writing my The Mortal Instruments fanfiction and my current two novels (The Dark City and Ocean of Ink and Teeth).

Fanfiction is a giant family. A giant, dysfunctional family that lives on crack-fics and smut. And I love being a part of it. It's not a secretive world as some people like to think. We're loud and proud. Much like Magnus Bane. We are Writing Warlocks.

My fanfiction can be found HERE 
If anyone wants to chat fanfiction or story ideas or anything, my PMs are always open!

Wednesday 10 June 2015

ARC REVIEW: THE WANDERERS by Kate Ormand


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The Wanderers by Kate Ormand

Flo lives an eccentric life—she travels with a popular circus in which the main acts star orphaned children with secret shapeshifting abilities. Once Flo turns sixteen, she must perform, but she’s not ready. While practicing jumping a flaming hurdle in a clearing beside the circus, she spots a dark figure in the trees and fears he saw her shift. The news sends the circus into panic.


In Flo’s world, shifters are unknown to humans with the exception of a secret organization—the EOS, referred to as “hunters.” Hunters capture and kill. Shifters have heard stories of their kin taken to labs for testing—a place they will never leave—while hunters deem the others useless, a danger to society, and eliminate them. To avoid discovery, shifters travel in packs, constantly moving, and keep themselves hidden. Up until now, the circus was the perfect disguise.



When the elders notice four specific hunters have been attending the show each night, the tension in the camp rises. Believing she brought the attention to the group, Flo feels the dread and anxiety the most, causing her to make a mistake during her performance—a mistake that triggers a violent attack from the hunters.



Flo manages to flee the torched circus grounds with Jett, a bear shifter who loves her, the annoying elephant triplets, and a bratty tiger named Pru. Together they begin a new journey, alone in a world they don’t understand. They unravel secrets and lies that surround the circus and their lives and discover an unthinkable betrayal by the people they trusted the most.

Published: September 1st 2015
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Rating: 5 hearts

Thank you to Sky Pony Press who sent me a review copy!




"I wish I could stay here with him until the water turns violet."


So. What does THE WANDERERS have to offer?

  • An extremely likable and strong heroine.
  • An adorable romance.
  • One killer storyline.
  • Feels. Lots of feels. Crying ones are definitely involved.
  • Characters that stay with you long after you've turned the last page.


The Story

First of all, THE WANDERERS blew my expectations out of the water. I cannot express how much I love this book. Last night I was awake until the wee hours of the morning just so I could finish, and it was SO worth it. (See my half-crazed midnight tweets for proof! Haha!)
THE WANDERERS is one of the most unique books I've ever read. A brilliant new take on shape-shifters. The story is fast-paced and full of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat, not a single moment or page dull. Kate Ormand has done an AMAZING job at crafting this gorgeous piece of literature.

The Characters

THE WANDERERS is chock-full of interesting characters. Our main protagonist, Flo, is sixteen and a shifter. I won't say what animal she changes into as that was one of the main things I was eager to find out when I began reading the book! I loved Flo. I want to take her out of the novel and hug her tight. Both before and during the book (and no doubt after) she has faced so much hardship and pain. The same goes for Flo's (adorable) boyfriend, Jett, who is a bear shape-shifter. I simply adore Jett. Flo and Jett have THE most adorable romance, and I'm waving the Flojett shipper flag high and proud. While romance is not a big factor in the book, there's enough of it so that you don't feel like there should have been more to make the story even better. It was the perfect amount of romance for me, and I'm a massive die-hard romance lover.

The secondary characters are just as amazing as Flo and Jett - each one has their own story, their own animal shape and place in the world of THE WANDERERS. The only issue I had with the tons of characters was the fact I kept forgetting who could turn into what animal. But it wasn't that big an issue.



And finally... Right now I'm on the verge of insanity. Why? I'm hoping that THE WANDERERS is NOT a standalone. I think I'd actually sniffle and cry if it IS a standalone. After that ending... I need more. MOAARRR. Kate Ormand has hooked me and reeled me in well and truly. If you like animals, exquisite storylines, cute romance and strong characters, you need this book. Not want, need.



















A more detailed review will come nearer the release date.

Tuesday 9 June 2015

REVIEW: THE WITCH HUNTER by Virginia Boecker


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The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker


Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Grey doesn't look dangerous. A tiny, blonde, wisp of a girl shouldn't know how to poison a wizard and make it look like an accident. Or take out ten necromancers with a single sword and a bag of salt. Or kill a man using only her thumb. But things are not always as they appear. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters in Anglia and a member of the king's elite guard, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and bringing those who practice it to justice. And in Anglia, the price of justice is high: death by burning.


When Elizabeth is accused of being a witch herself, she's arrested and thrown in prison. The king declares her a traitor and her life is all but forfeit. With just hours before she's to die at the stake, Elizabeth gets a visitor - Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in Anglia. He offers her a deal: he will free her from prison and save her from execution if she will track down the wizard who laid a deadly curse on him.



As Elizabeth uncovers the horrifying facts about Nicholas's curse and the unwitting role she played in its creation, she is forced to redefine the differences between right and wrong, friends and enemies, love and hate... and life and death.


Published: June 4th 2015
Publisher: Orchard Books
Rating: 4.5 hearts

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy!


"I was afraid of being alone.” My voice is quiet, small. I don’t know if they can hear me over the sound of the men shouting on deck or the waves lapping against the ship’s hull, but I keep going. “Of dying alone. Caleb says we all die alone, but I don’t think that’s true, not really. It’s different to face it alone. To know that no one is coming, that no one will ever come. To know it’s just you and that’s all it’ll ever be—”
I break off then , turn around to find the four of them staring at me, a chorus of horror and fear and sympathy on their faces.

First of all, what does The Witch Hunter have to offer?
  • A kickass heroine 
  • A romance to die for
  • More cute guys than you can shake a stick at (seriously!)
  • An extremely compelling and well-thought out storyline
  • Spellbinding magic and scenes that will literally take your breath away
There is SO much more, but if I wrote them all down, I'd end up writing the entire story. Basically, if you like your heroines tough and your storylines all heart-in-your-mouth, get this book. Immediately.

The Story

When I read the summary, I went into TWH with a clear picture on how this story was going to go. But I was wrong! So very wrong. In a good way, thankfully. TWH was fast-paced, instantly hooked my attention and reeled me in. And for someone who doesn't usually like witch-related books, I knew I was going to love this book.

The story revolves around a girl named Elizabeth Grey who is, you've guessed it, a witch hunter. From the moment we meet her, we are thrust into Boeckers magical version of  the Reformation of the 16th century. Her vision of this era is nothing short of genius. The plot is intricately woven together, not a single moment of the story is dull. Although a few scenes were devoid of that extra-special 'spark', I enjoyed this book enough to put it on my favorites shelf.

TWH had all of the elements I love the most: hot guys, pirates, romance, mystery, magic, witches and even a beautiful masquerade ball. I'm not sure how historically accurate the book was, but from what I know of the 1500's, it was very close. Although, I am still put-out that we were never told exactly WHY magic was banned. I might have missed it in the book, but from what I've seen in other reviews, I think there was no explanation? Also, there was no in-depth discussion about how everyone is able to perform magic. Fingers crossed that in book 2 we get more information on what makes a witch a witch.

The Characters

First of all, I'm not quite sure what Elizabeth saw in Caleb, exactly. For the first 3/4 of the book, I wasn't interested in him at all. Surely if you were THAT close, you would have defied orders and gone in to save her despite what was planned. I guess there's a lot about Caleb and Elizabeth we just don't know.

(Spoilers below. Highlight to read)

I wasn't particularly bothered when Caleb died. In my eyes he hadn't redeemed himself enough to warrant tears.

Elizabeth Grey is easily one of my most favorite of heroines despite her few flaws in the book. She is a character that grows and changes as the book progresses. Her transition from being a tough witch hunter to something she never could have imagined is beautiful, truly. Through the pages you can see for yourself how her frame of mind changes, and how she acts around the people she once would have called her enemies.

Which brings us to...

Nicholas Perevil's crew.

These were my favorite characters of TWH. Each one is so likable and well-crafted. I started out hating a certain female character in the crew, but by the end of the book I loved and adored her. The love-interest sneaked up on me, that's for sure! I barely noticed him when we first met him, disregarding him almost instantly. Actually, I thought Elizabeth's love-interest was actually George! And I'm still kind of gutted that it wasn't him - he was a complete cutie-patootie. Plus he's absolutely hilarious, which made him so very lovable. Each one of the crew -especially Nicholas- has a killer background. I can't wait to read more about these characters in the next book!

Overall Thoughts

Wow, after reading back what I've wrote so far, this has come out very mixed. I feel the need to stress that I personally adored this book. But while I loved Boecker's stunning new take on witches, I think that there will be a majority that don't. This book is one of those that you'll either love intensely or simply hate. It's a matter of personal taste, not the writer's storytelling ability. But as I practically leap at books set in historical eras and times, I LOVED The Witch Hunter. This review is the hardest I've had to write in a long, long time. I will never be fully satisfied with this review, and I've rewrote it three times over two days. It's just... so difficult to fully express how I feel about this beautiful book!


"Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear."

Finally, I should also add that this book is a treasure-trove of meaningful quotes.

Rating: 4.5 hearts





Saturday 6 June 2015

Books Through My Life


I didn't suddenly begin reading one day. Rather, I've been reading my entire life. My earliest memories concerning books is when my mother came home one day when I was six and gave me Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. I still have my very first copy. Brown now and stained around the edges, doodled in and torn and faded in places, it's been VERY well-loved. It now sits snug with the rest of my copies on its own shelf enjoying retirement. Unless, of course, I wish to revisit Hogwarts. Which happens very often.

Harry Potter

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Harry Potter taught me everything I know today about acceptance, love and so much more. These books were my bible and JK Rowling my God. Heck, I grew up having a mental relationship with Draco Malfoy. I hated him, yet loved him. By the time I got to the final book, I was sighing wistfully for him to Slytherin my Chamber of Secrets. I have zero regrets about that. (I blame Tom Felton in the movie adaptations for causing my crush to turn so out-of-control!)

I laughed with Harry, I cried with him. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Shapes The Minds Of Kids Everywhere. Yes, SHAPES, not SHAPED. Because he's still going strong.



The Inheritance Cycle


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I was barely even a teenager when I found Eragon. It was a cold day at the public library and I was scanning the kids section for something new. 
And then I saw it: A BOOK ABOUT DRAGONS. Aka, my favorite thing EVER. 
Thanks to Eragon, my vocabulary improved greatly and my English grades soared. This was my first ever venture into high fantasy (that wasn't Harry Potter), and I'm very sure right now that it's because of Eragon that I love fantasy so much. At first the complicated words and made-up language was hard to understand, but then I read and reread the book so many times that it no longer became a concern. I walked around everywhere with a copy of the book under an arm. Sadly, I don't have my original copy, for it got lost when we moved houses long ago, but I do have another old copy of it that I bought when I was fourteen. It's very battered by now, the poor thing. 

Just the other day I bought the final book in the series. If you're an Inheritance Cycle fan, you'll know that there was an IMPOSSIBLE wait between the third and fourth books (almost 4 years) and in that time, I grew up and the books ended up pushed to the back of my bookcase, myself given up waiting on the final book. When it did come out, I couldn't be bothered to read it. I'll reread them all one day and finally read the last book. I owe that to my teenage self. 


Twilight


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EVERYONE read this when they were a teenager/young adult. Don't try and deny it. And I... I was a massive fan of the books. I went to school with glitter on my face. I had a Team Jacob t-shirt. I worshiped the books and thought them the best thing ever.
And then the movies happened. And I, like others, dropped Twilight like a hot plate and decided to never speak of it again. But I don't regret loving the books: they were what got me into romance and Young Adult fiction. If it wasn't for Twilight, I don't think modern-day YA would be this global. Twilight revolutionized the YA genre. And for that, I'll forever be grateful. 

(Whoo! Team Jacob!)


The Hush, Hush Saga


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The angel genre was MASSIVE when I first began reading YA as a young teen. One day on LiveJournal, I happened across an aspiring author, and her name was Becca Fitzpatrick, the author of, yes, Hush Hush. I followed her story as she went from unpublished to published, supporting and cheering her along the way. I guess this was my first ever series of blog posts! So yeah, I began reading more widely, mostly looking for books about angels and demons. Which led to... 


The Mortal Instruments

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The Mortal Instruments. My life CHANGED once more when I began reading these. I actually remember when it very first came out, and how CLOSE I came to entering the fandom a whole two years earlier: one day in a bookshop, I could only pick one book, and they were City of Bones or The Demon Trappers.

I bought The Demon Trappers. When I went back for City of Bones, it was gone and after that, faded from my mind. Until 2009 when I happened across the third (and then, final book of the trilogy). I knocked City of Glass off the shelf and the words on the pages caught my attention. The scene was the one where Sebastian shot the arrow that killed Hodge and then he promptly kicked everyone's arses. Quite frankly, I fell totally head-over-heels for that murderous bastard and bought all three books there and then so I could learn more about him and the others. But mostly just for him. Thanks Seb for introducing me to these books!

The ending killed me. BROTHER AND SISTER? WHAT THE EFF? I ended up making an account on Twitter called JonathansRunes so I could chat to other TMI fans. Yep, I totally went through the initiation all new TMI fans face when they join Twitter -- everyone acts as if Clace ARE brother and sister so you read on and think they really are related. It's evil, but it's great. 

And with the account on Twitter, I was suddenly exposed to a vast range of amazing books like Mara Dyer, Divergent, Angelfall and more. Another notable book that came into my life is Throne of Glass by Sarah J.Maas. Celaena has taught me so much it's unreal. Also, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I discovered my love of fantasy once more with all of these books. TMI also led me to blogging, and with blogging came reviewing. And now here I am! All thanks to these books. Last year when the final TMI book came out, it hit me hard. It was like closing a final chapter that was started when I was a teenager. 

Books HAVE shaped and changed my life, there's no denying it. From Harry Potter to Twilight to The Mortal Instruments, they have each had a profound impact on my life. And I will always love them. (Yes, even Twilight).