Review 2017

Review: All the Good Things by Clare Fisher (Blog Tour)

/ beckireads / Leave a comment

This review is part of the All the Good Things blog tour.

All the Good Things by Clare Fisher (cover via Penguin.co.uk)

Title: All the Good Things
Author: Clare Fisher
Genre: Contemporary, Crime
Source: The publisher
Publisher: Viking (1st June 2017)
Blurb:

Twenty-one year old Beth is in prison. The thing she did is so bad she doesn’t deserve ever to feel good again.

But her counsellor, Erika, won’t give up on her. She asks Beth to make a list of all the good things in her life. So Beth starts to write down her story, from sharing silences with Foster Dad No. 1, to flirting in the Odeon on Orange Wednesdays, to the very first time she sniffed her baby’s head.

But at the end of her story, Beth must confront the bad thing.

What is the truth hiding behind her crime? And does anyone – even a 100% bad person – deserve a chance to be good?

All the Good Things is a story about redemption and hope for fans of Nathan Filer, Stephen Kelman and Emma Healey

(Blurb taken from Penguin.co.uk)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

ALL THE GOOD THINGS is Clare Fisher’s debut novel. The novel is comprised of letter’s written by the story’s protagonist Beth, who is twenty-one years old and is in prison for doing a bad thing. Through the course of the twenty-two letters we gradually learn more about Beth and her life prior to her ending up in prison, we also learn about the bad thing she did to get there. Although I found Beth a hard character to like, I think Fisher does a great job weaving together a narrative that is both compelling and heart breaking, where you find yourself rooting for Beth.

Continue reading →

Review: A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong

/ beckireads / Leave a comment

A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong (UK edition)

Title: A Darkness Absolute (A City of the Lost Novel/Casey Duncan 2)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Detective Novel, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Sphere (7th February 2017)
Blurb:

The secret town of Rockton is the perfect place to hide. The only problem is – once you’re in, there’s no way out . . .

After a shaky start, Casey Duncan is settling into her role as the town’s much-needed detective. She’s also found love with Sheriff Eric Dalton, a man who appreciates her unconventional ways. But when Casey discovers a young woman trapped in a tiny cave in the mountains, she is soon caught up in a terrifying new case. Someone has been abducting woman and holding them captive deep in the forest. Is he from Rockton, or from the wilderness beyond?

Battered by winter storms and sudden blizzards, the town is cut off from the rest of the world. And as Casey races to find a killer, she becomes his next target . . .

With her gripping new novel, bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has written a heart-stopping, edge-of-the-seat, standalone thriller and a sequel to the highly acclaimed City of the Lost.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

A DARKNESS ABSOLUTE is the second book in Kelley Armstrong’s fantastic The City of the Lost Novels series. This book continues the story of Casey Duncan and her life in Rockton: a secret town in the Canadian wilderness where people with a past go to hide. Casey has settled into life in the town, and as a detective on the town’s police force. She is in a relationship with the town’s sheriff Eric Dalton, something they are both still adjusting to. When Casey finds a young woman trapped in a tiny cave in the mountains, she finds herself caught in a terrifying case where women are abducted and held captive deep in the forest. The question is, does the perpetrator come from Rockton?

Continue reading →

Review: Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

/ beckireads / 1 Comment

Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

Title: Etched in Bone (A Novel of The Others 5)
Author: Anne Bishop
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: ROC (9th March2017)
Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop returns to the world of the Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shape-shifters and vampires far more powerful than they are . . .

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders – a primitive and lethal form of the Others – the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them noew know to fear both the no-man’s-land beyond their borders and the darkness . . .

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relativelt unscathed, though Simon Wolfguard, it’s wolf-shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can  have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will end: with her standing beside a grave . . .

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

ETCHED IN BONE is the fifth book in Anne Bishop’s brilliant The Others series. This book continues the story of Meg Corbyn and the inhabitants of the Lakeside Courtyard after the events of the previous four books. With the others having taken action against the humans who threatened them, the humans who survived their anger are still struggling to find the balance that may guarantee their survival. The Lakeside Courtyard may have escaped this turbulence relatively unscathed, but all the residents are aware of how fragile the peace is. When Lieutenant Montgomery’s brother turns up, the Courtyard is thrown into chaos.

Continue reading →

Review: Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs

/ beckireads / Leave a comment

Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (UK edition)

Title: Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson 10)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit (9th March 2017)
Blurb:

MECHANIC. SHAPESHIFTER. FIGHTER.

Mercy Thompson has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But when her bond with the pack – and her mate – is broken, she’ll learn what it truly means to be alone.

Attacked and abducted in her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against Alpha werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form, Mercy escapes – only to discover that she is alone in the heart of Europe without money or clothes.

Unable to contact her pack, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, but first she needs to figure out which is which . . .

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

SILENCE FALLEN is the tenth book in Patricia Briggs’s brilliant Mercy Thompson series. Although not a werewolf, Mercy has settled into her place in her pack. After some pack bonding, Mercy finds herself attacked and abducted by the most powerful vampire in the world. This vampire plans to use her against her husband and the vampires of the Tri-Cities. Never one to sit and wait for rescue and unable to contact her pack, Mercy escapes from the vampire in her coyote form only to discover she is no longer in the US – instead, she finds herself without money, passport, or clothes in Europe.

Continue reading →

Review: Grind by Edward Vukovic

/ beckireads / Leave a comment

Grind by Edward Vukovic

Title: Grind
Authors: Edward Vukovic
Genre: Contemporary
Source: The author
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2 February 2016)
Blurb:

ZIVA’S LOVE OF COFFEE IS DOUBLE-EDGED . . .

Throughout her life, Ziva has lent her talent freely to those desperate for a glimpse into destiny’s promise. Predicting the future with chilling accuracy, she understands the cost and has sworn never to divine her own truth.

Having fled the economic aftershocks of the Balkan war, Ziva struggles adjusting to her new life and clings to the remnants of her past. Until she meets Isaac.

Against her better judgement, Ziva reads for herself and what she sees will change her life irrevocably.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

GRIND is Edward Vukovic’s debut novel. It is a contemporary novel set in Australia. It follows the story of Ziva, who was born in the old Yugoslavia, and followed her brother and his wife to Australia fleeing the economic aftershocks of the Balkan war. Ziva does her best to fit into this strange new place, and to not upset her brother on whose good will she is reliant. Ziva clings to the customs her grandmother taught her, and the gift she inherited from her, despite her brother’s pointed disdain. Then she meets Isaac, and things change for both of them.

Continue reading →

Review: Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran

/ beckireads / Leave a comment

Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran

Title: Moranifesto
Authors: Caitlin Moran
Genre: Autobiography, Essays, Feminism, Humour, Non-Fiction
Source: The publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Ebury Press (9th March 2017)
Blurb:

Review: The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown (Blog Tour)

/ beckireads / Leave a comment

This review is part of The Witchfinder’s Sister blog tour.

The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown (UK edition)

The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown (UK edition)

Title: The Witchfinder’s Sister
Author: Beth Underdown
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: The publisher
Publisher: Viking (2nd March 2017)
Blurb:

‘The number of women my brother Matthew killed, so far as I can reckon it, is one hundred and six…’

1645. When Alice Hopkins’ husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.

But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women’s names.

To what lengths will Matthew’s obsession drive him?
And what choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan?

Based on a true story, this beautiful and haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, The Miniaturist and Burial Rites.

(Blurb from Penguin.co.uk)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

THE WITCHFINDER’S SISTER is Beth Underdown’s debut novel. The story is set in England in the seventeenth century, and follows the story of Alice Hopkins. In 1645 Alice is forced to return from London to the small Essex town of Manningtree to her brother Matthew’s house, after the death of her husband. She and Matthew left on poor terms, and she has not spoken to him apart from the letter she received notifying her of their mother’s death. The Matthew Alice returns to is very different from the brother she remembers. He now has powerful friends, and soon Alice hears that he is gathering a list of women’s names.

Continue reading →

Review: Goldenhand by Garth Nix

/ beckireads / Leave a comment
Goldenhand by Garth Nix (UK edition)

Goldenhand by Garth Nix (UK edition)

Title: Goldenhand (The Old Kingdom Series, 5)
Author: Garth Nix
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Hot Key Books (4th October 2016)
Blurb:

Lirael is no longer a shy Second Assistant Librarian. She is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with dead creatures to battle and Free Magic entities to bind.

When Lirael saves Nicholas Sayre after he is left unconscious by an attack from a hideous Free Magic creature, she finds he is deeply tainted with Free Magic. Lirael must seek help for him at the Clayr’s Glacier, her childhood home.

But even as she returns to the Clayr, a messenger is trying to reach Lirael with a dire warning from her long-dead mother, Arielle, about the Witch With No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning?

Once more a great danger threatens the Old Kingdom, and must be forestalled not only in the living world, but also in the cold, remorseless river of Death.

Goldenhand is the long-awaited fifth instalment of Garth Nix’s New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

GOLDENHAND is the fifth book in Garth Nix’s sprawling young adult fantasy Old Kingdom series. This book continues the story from ABHORSEN, so there will be some spoilers from previous books in this review. When the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, Lirael, gets called to deal with a Free Magic creature that is the Wall she discovers Nicholas Sayre unconscious and deeply tainted with Free Magic. Unsure what is going on, or how to help him Lirael decides to seek help at her childhood home, the Clayr’s Glacier. Meanwhile, a messenger is searching for Lirael with a warning from her mother about the Witch With No Face.

Continue reading →

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

/ beckireads / Leave a comment
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (UK edition)

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (UK edition)

Title: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes 1)
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Voyager (11th February 2016)
Blurb:

UNDER THE MARTIAL EMPIRE, DEFIANCE IS MET WITH DEATH

When Laia’s grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother is arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels.

But in exchange for their help in saving her brother, they demand that Laia spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff, the Empire’s greatest military academy. Should she fail it’s more than her brother’s freedom at risk . . . Laia’s very life is at stake.

There, she meets Elias, the academy’s finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined – and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Review:

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is the debut novel of Sabaa Tahir, and the first book in an intriguing young adult fantasy series with lots of potential. The book is set in a traditional style fantasy world. It tells the story of Laia, a young Scholar, and Elias, who is just about to graduate as a Mask. Their paths cross after Laia loses her family and desperation sends her to the rebels, who demand that she acts as a spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff the Empire’s military academy, the place Elias is receiving his training, and it’s not long before their paths cross.

Continue reading →

Review: This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab

/ beckireads / 1 Comment
This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab (UK edition)

This Savage Song by V. E. Schwab (UK edition)

Title: This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, 1)
Authors: V. E. Schwab
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher:  Titan Books (7th June 2016)
Blurb:

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city, a grisly metropolis where the violence has begun to create real and deadly monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the inhabitants pay for his protection. August just wants to be human, as good-hearted as his own father – but his curse is to be what the humans fear. The thin truce that keeps the Harker and Flynn families at peace is crumbling, and an assassination attempts forces Kate and August into a tenuous alliance. But how long will they survive in a city where no one is safe and monsters are real . . .

Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Review:

THIS SAVAGE SONG by V. E. Schwab is the first part of an intriguing new series – Monsters of Verity. The story is set in a dark divided world where monsters walk the streets. Kate Harker and August Flynn are the children of the two men who run the divided city of Verity. Between them Harker and Flynn hold the city, but their truce is thinning and the peace it created crumbling. If the truce breaks it will mean war. Kate and August get caught in an assassination attempt that forces them to create an alliance. The only trouble is, they’re not sure whom they can trust.

Continue reading →