September & October 2022

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I know I say this, but November definitely crept up on me. After a wildly successful reading month in August I fell into a reading drought. I just honestly did not feel like reading at all, hence no post last month and the fact that I’m posting about September and October together. Sorry about that, but reading is like that for me. When I was posting more regularly I always used to try and have enough posts to give myself 3 to 4 weeks wriggle room in case I just did not feel like reading. I know from when I was younger that forcing myself to read when I don’t want to just means that the slump lasts longer. I hope you had a more successful time reading in September and October than I did.

The front of the Falmouth Bookseller.

Whilst I might not have got any reading done in September, I did visit a couple of bookshops whilst I was down in Cornwall. If you’re visiting Falmouth or St Ives you should stop off at the bookstore there (if you make it to Truro, the Waterstones there is good too). They’re both relatively small stores, but they can contain some real gems – I’m not sure about the St Ives Bookseller, but the Falmouth Bookseller also does some author events.

The St Ives Bookseller

I’m a huge fan of Bernadette Banner on YouTube. She’s made some fantastic garments and her videos are always entertaining. I’ve had a quick flip through her book, and honestly I don’t think this is one book I will read in a single sitting. What I have seen looks really helpful and super informative.

Books I got this month.

Honestly, October saw more of the same on the reading front at least to begin with. I was starting to think it would be three months without me reading and decreasing the size of my tbr. Mid October saw me getting my boosters for the flu and Covid – honestly, although I had it pretty mildly I do not want to get it again. The likelihood of me getting any reading in this month was getting smaller, but then October 30th came and I was hit with the desire to read.

In September and October I managed to read 1 book and clear 0 from my tbr pile. Honestly this feels like a failure. It’s not. I know that reading for me comes in waves. I know I read a LOT of books back in August. But yeah. It’s especially disheartening seeing so many people on booktube and bookinsta reading dozens of books a month. I have to remind myself that I don’t want this to be a chore. I want it to be fun to share my thoughts and feelings with you about the books I read. Here’s hoping November will be better.

The only book I read this month.

In October I read Storm Echo by Nalini Singh which is the sixth book in her Psy-Changeling Trinity series. If you’ve enjoyed this series (and the previous one) then you will love this one too. I enjoyed seeing more of the Mercant family, with this book focusing on Ivan. I really enjoyed his relationship with his grandmother. Soleil was very mysterious and I enjoyed learning more about her. In a lot of ways for me the romance wasn’t the most interesting part of the book though it was well done. It was interesting finally seeing a bit more of how some of the Psys dealt with Silence, that it wasn’t quite as neat as it had seemed in the earlier books which has been hinted at but I think this is the first book where we actually see anything. There are definitely a few secrets revealed in this book. The ending has me curious about the next book. Sorry that’s a bit of a tease, but I don’t want to spoil anyone.

Thank you for sticking with me so far, I hope to see you next month.

B.

Reviewlets: The Alpha's Home by Dessa Lux & Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh

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The Alpha’s Home by Dessa Lux

The Alpha’s Home by Dessa Lux ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

So continuing The Protection of the Pack series I picked up a copy of the fifth instalment. This book focuses on Mike, and also introduces Grant and Jack. Grant and Jack are not in a good position when they meet Mike, so this book is a little slower than the previous books in the series but it is just as steamy. I liked that this book showed the less than perfect side of werewolves within this verse. I mean we get a bit of an idea from how Sam is treated in the first book, but this book really drives home the fact that Rusty, Sam, Mike, Nick and Brody are one of the more progressive packs. So if coercive control is a trigger for you, then I would approach this book with caution. That being said, I think the situation is handled well and consent is shown to be important. This book is good addition to The Protection of the Pack ‘verse, and I hope to see more in this series.

Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh (UK edition)

Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

In the third part of the Psy-Changeling Trinity Novel series we get to explore more of the world and meet some new faces. This book introduces us to Memory, a psy who was kidnapped as a child and abused, and Alexei a wolf changeling who discovers her cage. I really enjoyed the way Singh wrote the relationship between Memory and Alexei. As always, although the main focus is on Memory and Alexei, there is a lot going on within the Psy-Changeling world. This book shows some of the growth within the PsyNet and what that means both good and bad. A few familiar faces pop in, which I also enjoyed. I think that this is a great addition to the series, and I’m looking forward to the fourth book which will be out later this year.

August 2022

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I can’t believe it’s already September despite the fact that August honestly seemed like the longest month of the year so far – but that’s probably because I’m not a fan of the heat!! Still it was nice to see the sun even if it got a little hotter than I think anyone wanted and it was a little dry too where I am. I hope you had a good summer and managed to get some reading in. I’m actually really really pleased reading-wise this month.

By the time my last post went live I’d just recieved all the books I got last month, so I thought I’d share them here. They’re all books I was super excited to read. Only one of them was from a new to me series, which I’m really pleased with because as I said last month the goal is to get rid of my tbr pile.

The books I got end of July/beginning of August
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Reviewlets: The Beta's Test by Dessa Lux & A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews

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The Beta’s Test by Dessa Lux

The Beta’s Test by Dessa Lux ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

The third book in the Protection of the Pack series, like The Omega’s Pack, focuses on Nick and how he is coping. This book also introduces Brody, who Sam meets at work during Brody’s job interview. Like the previous two books in this series, there is a lot of sex in this book but it is also more plot focused. The Omega’s Pack got Nick to a place where he could start to heal and function, in The Beta’s Test Nick starts to learn how to be himself again. I really enjoyed following both Nick and Brody’s journeys through this book. Brody seems like a really awesome person, and I enjoyed the appearance of another geek. My copy of The Beta’s Test also included The Omega Learns a Lesson which is the fourth instalment of the series. I really enjoyed the return of focus to Sam and Rusty. The story is short, with just thirty-two pages but it packs a punch. I liked the fact that Lux shows in this story that even when things are going well that that little voice in your head can be real loud. I really enjoyed the fact that I got these two instalments together as they flowed well.

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews
(Illumicrate edition)

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

Before I go into any kind of review I just want to warn you that this book contains domestic violence that is both mental and physical, as well as self-harm ideation. If either of those topics has the potential to trigger you, then this is almost certainly not the book for you. That being said, I do think that Drews writes a really good debut novel. At its heart, A Thousand Perfect Notes is about obsession, love, and music. Beck is an interesting main character, and the premise of the book is well thought out. Though this book very definitely falls into the three star category for me: I liked it, but that was it. I would have liked there to be more of this book, as I think a lot of things were glossed over but then A Thousand Perfect Notes is in many ways just a snapshot of Beck’s life.

July 2022

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Hey, hi. Hello! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I can’t believe that I haven’t posted since 2020. It honestly doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Firstly, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have chosen to stick around. Sorry I haven’t been around. I was struggling pre-2020 with my reading, and because of that I was also struggling to write and post reviews regularly. Then the events of 2020 happened and everything that followed. I don’t think I read any books in 2020, or at least I didn’t keep a record of them. In 2021 I only read 10 new books that whole year. When I did read I struggled to find the words to share my thoughts on what I’d read. So honestly I’ve been floundering a bit on how to move forward with this blog.

Welcome to the first post of my attempt to clear my TBR pile.

Towards the end of June/the beginning of July I stumbled across a video by LilyCReads in which she challenges herself to complete her TBR pile by 2023. I looked at my TBR pile and thought to myself, you know what maybe I can do that too. So I’m going to try and post once a month updates on how I’m doing with this goal, along with reviews of what I read and maybe some other things – like if I buy any more books, or if I visit anywhere interesting. I don’t know if you will like it, but I hope you do and I hope it helps me to get back into the swing of reading. I will also be posting the few reviews I did manage to write that I haven’t posted yet.

An photograph of 19 books placed in a grid to show the full TBR.
My complete TBR pile at the start of July 2022.

I don’t think my goal is too unreasonable. I want to read 19 books in 6 months, which should be doable I think. I’m not going to force myself to read anything if it’s not for me – so with that in mind, I’m going to say that if I hit the 100 page mark and I’m still not interested then I’m going to give myself the permission to walk away from the book. A few of these books I got when I was subscribed to Illumicrate, but most are onces I picked up for myself. It was interesting to see all the books lined up, as I don’t store them altogether.

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Review: Archangel's War by Nalini Singh

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Archangel’s War by Nalini Singh (UK edition)

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, faces a new challenge that threatens the balance of the world.

The world is in chaos as the power surge of the Cascade rises to a devastating crescendo. In furiously resisting its attempts to turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael’s power, Elena and her archangel are irrevocably changed . . . far beyond the prophecy of a cursed Ancient.

At the same time, violent and eerie events around the world threaten to wipe out entire populations. And in the Archangel’s Lijuan’s former territory, an unnatural fog weaves through the land, leaving only bone-chilling silence in its wake. Soon its becomes clear that even the archangels are not immune to this deadly evil. This time, even the combined power of the Cadre may not be enough . . .

This war could end them all.

Series: Guild Hunter, 12 
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Gollancz (26 September 2019)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

Archangel’s War is the twelfth book in Nalini Singh’s brilliant Guild Hunter series. It continues the story of Guild Hunter Elena Deveraux and of her archangel Raphael. Tensions have been building for a while in the Guild Hunter world, and things really come to a head in this book. The Cascade has been causing chaos in the previous books which has left everyone reeling, there have also been whispers of prophecy. Singh brings together a lot of the plot threads that have spread over the previous eleven books, and in a lot of ways Archangel’s War can be seen as a series climax.

There is a lot going on in this book. A lot. It is also the largest book in the series. My copy has over four hundred and fifty pages. Despite its size this book is a real page turner. Once I picked up Archangel’s War, even though I strung it out over three days, I really did struggle to put it down. The story just pulled me in. Although there is a lot going on Singh managed to make it all easy to follow, and a really enjoyable read. It was also really easy to fall straight back into the world and the story, which I really appreciated.

This book is actually really difficult to talk about without the risk of potential spoilers. I really do feel that this is a book you should go into pretty much blind. It is a real treat for fans of the Guild Hunter series. As I’ve already said, things come to a climax in this book so I did wonder going in if this was the final book in this series. The good news is, at least according to Singh’s website, there are going to be at least three more books in this series which I am supper excited about. So whilst I say that this book brings this to a climax it is not the end.

I think Archangel’s War is a game changer for the series, and something fans will definitely want to dive into as soon as they can get their hands on it – sorry my review is so late, but I hope it’s helpful nevertheless. This might be my favourite book in the series, or at the very least it is one of my favourite. I love the way Singh writes Elena and Raphael, and the chemistry between them – and the very obvious love. They have both come along way from their first meeting in Angel’s Blood. I’m really excited to get my hands on the next book in the series, which probably won’t be out until later in the year.

Reviewlets: City of Ghosts by Victoria Scwab & Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson

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Sorry that this is late, in trying to fix the image placement I managed to completely delete one of the reviewlets. Anyway, I hope you’re doing well and looking after yourself.

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

This is a brilliant ghost story. It just pulls you in. Cass is a fun, interesting character and I really enjoyed following her and Jacob as they explored Edinburgh. I also really enjoyed the fact that Cass can see ghosts, and her parents write about hauntings and have recently started hosting a TV show about them. One of the things I most like about Cars is how independent she is, and I thought her surprise that there were more people like her out there in the world was really believable. I also thought Scwab’s ideas about ghosts and people that can see them are really interesting. I don’t have a lot to say about this book, but I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson, translated by Elizabeth Portch ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson

This was a surprise gift from my aunt, uncle, and cousin for my birthday. I used to watch The Moomins when I was younger, so I had a vague idea who everyone is but although this is the third book in the series it is the first book I’ve read. The book is quite short – one hundred and seventy-three pages – and each chapter is like a mini story, so it is quite easy to dive into and out of it. This edition includes some illustrations by Jansson, which are beautifully done. There is also a map of Moonin Valley at the front of the book, which I really enjoyed (I like books that have maps, they’re awesome). It is a lovely thing to hold, and I think fans will enjoy it to add to their Moomin collection. I was a little disappointed with the stories themselves as I found them quite hard to get into, despite them being quick reads. I did enjoy most of the book, so I can see why people read them and enjoy this series, but I don’t plan on getting any more in the series.

Review: Wild Country by Anne Bishop

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Wild Country by Anne Bishop

In this powerful and exciting fantasy set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, humans and the shape-shifting Others will see whether they can live side by side – without destroying one another.

There are ghost towns in the world – places where the humans were annihilated in retaliation for the slaughter of the Others.

One of these places is Bennett, a town at the nothern end of the Elder Hills – a town surrounded by the wild country. Now efforts are being made to resettle Bennett as a community where humans and Others live and work together. A young female police officer has been hired as the deputy to a Wolfguard sheriff. A deadly type of Other wants to run a human-style saloon. And a couple with four foster children – one of whom is a blood prophet – hope to find acceptance.

But as they reopen the stores and the professional offices and start to make lives for themselves, the growing community attracts the attention of humans looking to profit. And the arrival of the outlaw Blackstone Clan will either unite Others and humans – or bury them all.

Series: The World of the Others, 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: ACE (7 March 2019)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Wild Country is a very interesting book. It’s the second book in The World of The Others, a spin-off from Bishop’s The Others. I’m not totally sure when it is set in relation to Lake Silence, but the storyline runs parallel with Etched in Bone. It introduces a new settlement, that we get to see almost from the beginning which I found really interesting. As always there are multiple narrative lines with a lot of interwoven threads and the fun is trying to work out what is going on. There are also a lot of new characters to get to know.

Fans of the series, and of The Others will enjoy this newest addition. It has everything I have come to expect from a boy set in this world. Tensions are very high between the different groups, which is to be expected considering what else is going on in the world at the same time. Jana, Jesse, Tobais, Tolya and Virgil are all interesting characters, and I enjoyed following them through the story. I enjoyed the fact that this story focuses on trying to find a balance between humans and the terra indigene, and that this co-operation was very much the focus of the narrative.

Wild Country is a little slow to start, but this is typical for books in this series as long time readers will know. I think that this works to the story’s advantage as it helps to build tension, but also allows us as readers to get to know the new characters and place them within the world. Once things get going, they really get going though. This is helped by the alternating narrators, each giving us a little piece of the overall story. Bishop has definitely created a very interesting and complex and dangerous world, which this novel definitely emphasises but is also shows that even within the darkness and horror there can be moments of hope and light.

If you’ve enjoyed the other books in The Others and The World of The Others then I think this story will suck you in, and straight back into the world. If you’re new to the series then I don’t think that this is the book to start with, as there are spoilers. That being said, this book is one heck of a ride and I found it quite difficult to stop as I just wanted to devour it.

Reviewlets: Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo & The Omega’s Pack by Dessa Lux

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Wonder Woman Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

I’ll be honest, when I saw this in the August 2017 Illumicrate I wasn’t too sure about this book. I’ve tried reading Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone and it really wasn’t my cup of tea. I also don’t know a whole lot about Diana, I’ve certainly never read any of the comics she’s been in so going into this book was something of an adventure. But you know what? I actually really enjoyed this book. I thought having Diana and Alia as dual narrators with alternating chapters worked well. They both had interesting takes on the situation. I also thought the whole idea of a “warbringer” was really cool and well thought out and explained within the text. I would have actually liked to see more of this world, but I don’t think that’s likely. Still whether you’re new to the DC fandom or have been there a while, I think you will enjoy this story.

The Omega’s Pack by Dessa Lux ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

The Omega’s Pack by Dessa Lux

This is the second book in the Protection of the Pack series. I thought the first book was interesting and had a lot of potential, so I was curious to try this book. The Omega’s Pack is almost double the length of The Omega’s Bodyguard, and it has many of the same issues as the first book – high on sex, low on plot. That being said I really enjoyed it, and what plot there was was interesting. I liked the way Lux wrote Nick and how he was handling returning from war in a very different way to Rusty and Mike. The fact that so much of the book focused on his and everyone else’s struggles was what I most liked about this book. The Omega’s Pack is a great second book as it builds from the base The Omega’s Bodyguard started. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this world. If you enjoyed the first book in this series then you will definitely like this one too.

Review: The Omega’s Bodyguard by Dessa Lux

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The Omega’s Bodyguard by Dessa Lux

Sparks fly when a protective alpha meets an omega in danger, but there’s a catch: this omega is still human, and doesn’t know what he could become with a bite from the right wolf.

Being an alpha werewolf made Rusty Jamison one of the best while he served in the Marines, a top team leader in the elite Force Recon. But now his instincts have made military life unbearable – he couldn’t protect his team without revealing what he was. He’s out of the Corps and taking his first job as a bodyguard, using those instincts while protecting his secret. But his client is the last thing Rusty expected: a latent omega, a human with werewolf blood just waiting for a bite to awaken his potential.

Sam Hurley has fended off plenty of unwanted advances in his twenty-four years. As a baby-faced computer genius, he’s used to being sought after for more than just his brains – but now someone is stalking him, and Sam is going ot need help getting him to take no for an answer. His new bodyguard seems like he’ll be able to do the job, but once Sam meets him he wants Rusty for a lot more than protection.

Series: The Protection of the Pack, 1
Genre: LGBT+, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Independently published (9 May 2017)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

Having read and really enjoyed the first book in Dessa Lux’s Wolves of the World series Omega Required, I thought I’d branch out and try another of her series. The Omega’s Bodyguard is the first book in The Protection of the Pack series. In it we meet alpha werewolf Rusty Jamison who is fresh out of the Marine Corps, and Sam Hurley a human with wolf blood who if bitten will become an omega. Rusty comes into Sam’s life when he is hired by a friend to help Sam with his stalker problem. The trouble is Sam has no idea he is anything other than human.

Going into this book I had super high expectations. The Omega’s Bodyguard is a really tiny book, and therefore a super quick read. There are just over one hundred pages. This did make me a little wary, but I actually really enjoyed the story and meeting Rusty and Sam. I will be honest, if this book was more plot driven it would have got a solid 4 (maybe 5) stars from me. As it is this book has definitely got me intrigued by this world, and I will be reading more of the series so I can discover more of the world. In a lot of ways this book feels like a teaser for the rest of the series.

As I’ve mentioned there isn’t really a lot of plot to this book, but then at 106 pages it’s not really much of a surprise. There are a few hot and steamy scenes that I think people who are into that kind of thing will enjoy. That being said, what little plot there is I think Lux writes well and makes interesting. The way Lux writes the werewolves of this world is interesting, and Lux has put a lot of thought into how they would work. They don’t appear to be known, so they exist in the shadows.

Lux plays with expectations of the genre, the omegas in this book are no wilting flowers but some of the alpha werewolves do play into the typical alpha werewolf trope you see in a lot of paranormal romance books. I liked the fact that this is not shown as a good thing. The pack dynamics were themselves interesting. There seems to be a lot of cooperation between packs, and a lot of I suppose checks and balances within the werewolf community to make sure no one over steps.

If you enjoy reading paranormal romances, and enjoy werewolf fiction then I think that you will enjoy this series if you think of The Omega’s Bodyguard as almost a taster for the rest of the series. I think you will particularly enjoy this if you’re looking for something a little bit different within the genre. As I’ve said, there are a couple of hot and steamy scenes but don’t be put off if that isn’t your thing as I think the story is engaging enough even with that. There is a lot of potential within this world, and I’m looking forward to exploring more of it.