Review 2016

Review: The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

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The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (UK/Zoella Book Club edition)

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (UK/Zoella Book Club edition)

Title: The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily (Dash & Lily 2)
Authors: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Electric Monkey (6th October 2016)
Blurb:

Twelve days.
We had twelve days.

It was going to take more than finding the perfect tree.

It was going to take a miracle.

Dash and Lily have been dating for nearly a year, but when Lily’s beloved grandfather falls ill, the repercussions take their toll on everyone. Even though they are still together, somehow the magic has gone out of their relationship and it’s clear that Lily has fallen out of love with life.

Action must be taken! Dash teams up with Lily’s brother and a host of their friends, determined to get Lily’s groove back in time for Christmas.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

THE TWELVE DAYS OF DASH & LILY by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a brilliant continuation of Dash and Lily’s story. This book starts just before the one-year anniversary of Dash and Lily’s relationship, during the run-up to Christmas. A lot can happen in a year; Lily’s beloved grandfather is ill, and this has turned Lily’s family’s lives upside down. And, although they are still together Lily and Dash seem to be drifting apart. Lily herself is definitely not in the mood to celebrate Christmas. Dash teams up with Lily’s brother, and the rest of her family, to try and reignite Lily’s love of Christmas.

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Review: Crimson Death by Laurell K. Hamilton

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Crimson Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (UK edition)

Crimson Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (UK edition)

Title: Crimson Death (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Novel, #25)
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Erotica, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Headlines (11th October 2016)
Blurb:

MY NAME IS ANITA BLAKE.
I’M A VAMPIRE HUNTER AND NECROMANCER, AND I’M ABOUT TO LEARN THAT EVIL IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER . . .

I’ve never seen Damian, my vampire servant, in such a state. The rising sun doesn’t usher in the peaceful death that he desperately needs. Instead, he’s being bombarded with violent nightmares and blood sweats.

Damian is at his most vulnerable, but now is the time I need him most. The vampire who created him, who subjected him to centuries of torture, might be loosing control, allowing rogue vampires to run wild and break one of their kind’s few strict taboos.

Some say love is a great motivator, but hatred gets the job done, too. I’m joining forces with my friend Edward to stop the carnage, and Damian will be at our side, even if it means travelling back to the land where all his nightmares spring from . . . a place that couldn’t be less welcoming to a vampire, an assassin and  a necromancer.

Ireland.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4 stars)
Review:

CRIMSON DEATH by Laurell K. Hamilton is the twenty-fifth novel in her excellent Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. This book sees Anita travel to Ireland at the request of her friend Edward, to deal with vampires running rogue – they may even been breaking one of the strictest taboos within their culture. However, traveling to Ireland means going to the one place Damian does not want to return to – the home of the vampire that made him – but Anita desperately needs his help. It doesn’t help that Damian is being bombarded with violent nightmares and blood sweats, as the rising dawn no longer appears to grant him peaceful death.

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Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

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Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (UK edition)

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (UK edition)

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, 5)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury (6th September 2016)
Blurb:

BLOOD WILL RUN.
DREAMS WILL SHATTER.
AN ARMY MUST RISE.

The assassin-queen has sworn not to turn her back on her kingdom again. Especially when she might be the only one who can raise an army to keep the Dark King from unleashing his beasts upon them all.

But Erawan will wield Aelin’s past, her allies, and her enemies against her.

With a powerful court trusting Aelin to lead them, and her heart devoted to the warrior-prince at her side, what – or who – is she willing to sacrifice to spar her world from being torn apart?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

EMPIRE OF STORMS is the fifth book in Sarah J. Maas’s brilliant Throne of Glass saga. Maas continues the story of the assassin-queen Aelin Ashryver Galathynius as she seeks to reclaim her kingdom and defeat her enemies. Regaining her kingdom is not an easy feat when she has to raise an army to keep the Dark King from unleashing his beasts upon the world. Aelin does have some aces up her sleeve though, in the form of her powerful court. But gaining an army isn’t an easy feat, not with Erawan hunting her and her companions, and old enemies lurking in the shadows.

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Review: The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

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The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (UK edition)

The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (UK edition)

Title: The Bronze Key (Magisterium, 3)
Authors: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Sword & Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Corgi Books (1st September 2016)
Blurb:

MAGIC CAN SAVE YOU
MAGIC CAN KILL YOU

It should be a time of celebration. The Enemy of Death is dead; a severed head proof of his downfall – Callum, Tamara and Aaron, all students of the Magisterium, are heroes.

But when a fellow pupil is brutally murdered, Call’s worst fears are confirmed: there is a spy in his magical school.

No one is safe.

Now, using the powerful magic they’ve been taught, the trio must risk their lives to track down the killer. But magic is dangerous – in the wrong hands it could bring terrible destruction. And reveal the deadliest secret of all . . .

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Review:

THE BRONZE KEY is the third book in Holly Black and Cassandra Clare’s brilliant middle grade fantasy series Magisterium. This book continues the story of Callum Hunt – or Call to his friends – as he attends magic school. The Enemy of Death has been defeated, and Call is about to start his third year at the Magisterium. Call had a good summer with his father and best friend Aaron away from the world of magic; he hopes his third year will be less eventful than the previous two. Unfortunately that isn’t to be, as not long after his return a pupil is murdered.

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Review: The Graces by Laure Eve

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The Graces by Laure Eve

The Graces by Laure Eve

Title: The Graces (The Graces, 1)
Author: Laure Eve
Genre: Contemporary, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Faber & Faber (1st September 2016)
Blurb:

Everyone said the Graces were witches. I was going to make them mine.

Just like everybody else in her small town, River is obsessed with the Graces.

And just like everybody else, she’s been seduced by their wealth, their exclusivity, their beauty and their glamour. Perhaps even their magic.

But unlike everybody else, River knows exactly what she’s going.

Doesn’t she?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ (2 stars)
Review:

THE GRACES is the first part of a new duology by Laure Eve. It follows the story of River who has recently moved to a small town with her mother. In this new place there is a family called the Graces who everyone is infatuated with, including River who wants to get caught up in their world. The Graces have two daughters and a son – Thalia, Summer, and Fenrin – the youngest of whom is in the same year at school as River. Desperate to fit in, River concocts a plan to get noticed by the Graces and become part of their world.

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Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

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Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (UK edition)

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (UK edition)

Title: Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles, 1)
Author: Jay Kristoff
Genre: Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Voyager (11th August 2016)
Blurb:

From bestselling author, Jay Kristoff, comes a dangerous new world and a heroine born in darkness.

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Corvere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars, and daemons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no ordinary school, but Mia is no ordinary student. The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

NEVERNIGHT is the first book in a delightfully dark fantasy trilogy by Jay Kristoff. In this book we are introduced to Mia Corvere who was ten years old when she was given her first lesson in death. She is sixteen when the book starts, and is ready to take the first steps on the path to keeping the promise she made on the day she got her first lesson in death. This book introduces Mia and her world, and shows us the beginning of her story – when she attends the Red Church, which is no ordinary school.

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Review: Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong

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Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (UK edition)

Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (UK edition)

Title: Betrayals (A Cainsville Novel, 4)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Sphere (4th August 2016)
Blurb:

Olivia Jones knows a lot about betrayal. On the eve of her wedding, she discovered she was adopted – and that her biological parents were serial killers.

Liv has found sanctuary in Cainsville, but she’s learned not to trust the town’s mysterious elders. So when her boyfriend Ricky is linked to a series of murders, she’s reluctant to ask for their help. Meanwhile, things have turned complicated with Gabriel Walsh, her boss and sometime friend. The fact that their fraught relationship is connected to an ancient myth in which they were passionate lovers doesn’t help . . .

As Liv fights to clear Ricky’s name, she discovers that her own life is at serious risk. Soon Ricky, Liv and Gabriel are tangled in a web of betrayal. In order to survive, they will have to trust one another. But given their dark history, is that even possible? Or wise?

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

BETRAYALS by Kelley Armstrong is the fourth book in the brilliant Cainsville series. It continues the story of Olivia Taylor Jones, who found sanctuary in the town of Cainsville when it came out that she was the biological daughter of convicted serial killers. But Cainsville holds its own secrets. In this book, Liv’s boyfriend Ricky is linked to a series of murders. Determined to clear his name Liv seeks the help of her boss and friend Gabriel. All three soon get caught up in events and with an ancient story hanging over them, complicating their relationships who can they trust?

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Review: Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong

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Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong (UK edition)

Title: Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends, 3)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Atom (5th April 2016)
Blurb:

THE WORLD IS IN CHAOS. TWIN SISTERS MORIA AND ASHYN HAVE BEEN TORN APART, FORCED ON THEIR OWN SECRET MISSIONS.

Moria – strong-willed and brave – must confront sorcerer Alvar Kitsune, father of her once-friend Gavril. Meanwhile soulful, compassionate Ashyn faces an even more terrifying task. She must bring to life a dragon.

The sisters have been forced down separate paths. But the time is coming when they must face the greatest battle of their lives – together.

The third volume in the Age of Legends trilogy, Forest of Ruin brings this epic tale of romance, magic and power to its thrilling conclusion.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Review:

FOREST OF RUIN by Kelley Armstrong is the final book in the Age of Legends trilogy. This book concludes the story of twins Moria and Ashyn, Seeker and Keeper. At this point in the story the twins have been split up. Moria looks set to confront Alvar Kitsune the sorcerer who set events into motion, whilst Ashyn faces the prospect of bringing a dragon back to life. Yet even as the twins’ world balances on a precipice, there are those who believe that the twins can complete their tasks. Armstrong brings the trilogy to its dramatic conclusion in this final book.

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Review: My Sister’s Bones by Nuala Ellwood

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This review is part of the blog tour for #MySistersBones by Nuala Ellwood.

My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood (actual cover taken from Penguin.co.uk)

My Sister’s Bones by Nuala Ellwood

Title:My Sister’s Bones
Author: Nuala Ellwood
Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Thriller
Source: The publisher
Publisher: Penguin (9th February 2017, 1st November 2016 in ebook)
Blurb:

Kate Rafter is a high-flying war reporter. She’s the strong one. The one who escaped their father. Her younger sister Sally didn’t. Instead, she drinks.

But when their mother dies, Kate is forced to return home. And on her first night she is woken by a terrifying scream.

At first Kate tells herself it’s just a nightmare. But then she hears it again. And this time she knows she’s not imagining it.

What secret is lurking in the old family home?
And is she strong enough to uncover it…and make it out alive?

(Blurb taken from Penguin.co.uk)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood (uncorrected proof copy)

My Sister’s Bones by Nuala Ellwood (uncorrected proof copy)

MY SISTER’S BONES by Nuala Ellwood tells the story of Kate Rafter a war correspondent with a troubled past. Her mother has died recently and Kate returns home to help her sister settle the estate. Once back in her childhood home Kate is woken by a terrifying scream. She convinces herself that it’s just a nightmare. Until she hears it again. Convinced something is wrong Kate tries to investigate, but being a reporter who has visited some of the most dangerous and harrowing places in the world comes at a price. Determined to find out what is going on and to lay the past to rest, Kate struggles not to lose her mind.

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Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

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When We Collided by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens (7th April 2016)
Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life and only one thing has changed: his father used to be alive, and now he’s not. Reeling from the tragedy, Jonah must take care of his family.

Enter Vivi Alexander, new girl in town.

Vivi is in love with life. A gorgeous, unfiltered hurricane of thoughts and feelings, she transforms Jonah’s family and changes his life.

But there are always consequences when worlds collide . . .

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

WHEN WE COLLIDED by Emery Lord tells the story of Jonah Daniels and Vivi Alexander two seventeen-year-olds in Verona Cove, California. Jonah has lived in Verona Cove all his life. The only thing that has changed for him is the death of his father, and then everything fell apart. Vivi is the new girl in town. After a chance encounter Jonah notices her love of life and he and his family slowly get pulled into her orbit, or maybe she falls into theirs. Whatever happens, that summer two people’s lives collide in this gloriously dreamy story. Every action has a consequence.

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