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Friday, 24 July 2020

The Ship of Shadows | Maria Kuzniar | Review

Aleja whiles away her days in her family's dusty tavern in Seville, dreaming of distant lands and believing in the kind of magic that she's only ever read about in books. After all, she's always been told that girls can't be explorers.

Aleja dreams of living the adventures she reads about in her favourite books, especially those of the famed British explorer, Thomas James, and she loves to hear the stories of pirates and magic that men tell each other in her family's tavern. She longs to board a ship of her own and sail the world, just like James did. Aleja's grandmother says girls shouldn't go chasing after adventure but Aleja doesn't believe her. Aleja knows that girls can do whatever they set their mind to, and although the men in the tavern don't always believe in the magic stories they tell, Aleja knows that they're wrong too. Magic is real and she hopes to find it as much as she hopes to explore the world.

Aleja's wishes all seem to come true when she finds herself on The Ship of Shadows, a temporary and accidental part of Captain Quint's crew. Aleja is soon setting sail to mysterious locations, helping to solve important riddles and clues, and having all the adventure she could ever want, and more besides. Maybe a little too much. Captain Quint has many secrets, and it turns out that being a pirate on a magical ship is most definitely not without peril. Not least of which is the terrifying pirate hunter on the ship's tail!

The Ship of Shadows is a fun and fantastical middle grade adventure, filled with magic, daring, friendship, and cake. Aleja's thirst for knowledge and adventure may land her on Captain Quint's ship, but it's the friendships she makes onboard that truly propel the story forward and that, along with Quint's mysteries, will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to find out how the adventure ends. Or, indeed, if it ends at all. Aleja is a charming narrator and, along with the rest of the crew, makes this an easy and fun read, perfect for all ages, because, I mean, who doesn't love reading about pirates sailing on a magical ship, full of hidden rooms, adorable, shape-shifting shadows, and oh, did I mentioned the copious amounts of cake?

Aleja is a dreamer, and although those dreams may seem at first almost impossible to achieve, and then, more dangerous than she might ever have imagined, she never gives up on those dreams, on her friends, or on herself. She certainly never entertains the idea that she should be denied adventure (or trousers) just because she happens to be a girl. I suspect all bookish children (or adults who were once bookish children themselves) will see a part of themselves reflected in Aleja, and I hope that she will inspire many of them to chase their own adventures! Although, perhaps not by running away on pirate ships. I have no doubt that she will.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley for review. All opinions expressed are the reviewer's own.

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Friday, 1 November 2019

Wayward Son | Rainbow Rowell | Review

The story is supposed to be over.

Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…

So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun.

This was the sequel we knew we wanted but thought we'd never get. It's the continuation to a story we thought we wouldn't see again.

Carry On was supposed to be a stand-alone novel when Rowell released it back in 2017, but here we are, two years later with a sequel in our hands. I really enjoyed Carry On and the world and magic and characters that Rowell created (you can check out the review I shared here on BB, or head on over to Sophie's review for a slightly different opinion), so picking up Wayward Son was a dream.

The story continues, with Simon and Baz now out of school in the real world, with Watford School of Magicks behind them. Penny is with them in England, while Agatha has skipped the country and is living in America. On a sudden whim, Penny gets Simon, Baz and herself plane tickets to America where they plan to surprise-visit Agatha. However, like you'd imagine, it doesn't all go to plan, and the three end up running into vampires at a Renaissance Faire, being chased down by a Normal, loosing their magic across the country, and discovering that Agatha might not actually be having the time of her life.

This was such a fun story! It's quite a bit smaller than Carry On, and quite a different feel. Moving from a British boarding school of magical education to the wide open spaces of America's highways is going to be a different story, but it was just as brilliant as the first book, if not more so.

As soon as I started reading I was reminded of each character's personalities and quirks, but the additional people that they meet in the US were their own kind of crazy (in the best way). If you've read Carry On then I probably don't need to tell you to pick up Wayward Son, but if you haven't read either, then they are a really fun read, full of magic, friendship, love, monsters and floral suits.

Rainow Rowell also dropped the news this past month that there was going to be a third book! From a stand-along to a trilogy! It's called Any Way the Wind Blows and while there's no word on when that'll be released, I hope it's sooner than two years away.

Have you read Wayward Son? What did you think?

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Monday, 10 July 2017

Cupcakes, Trinkets and Other Deadly Magic | Meghan Ciana Doidge | Review

Summary:

Jade is a half-witch who owns a bakery. She doesn't really have much magic, not compared to Gran and her mom, but her magic is unique. She can sense other magic. Then again, living in Vancouver, there isn't much magic around so she doesn't get to exercise it a lot. Imagine her surprise when she senses a vampire at the door to her cupcake shop. That very same night, she senses an entire pack of werewolves on the dance floor with her. There's something going on to draw all these magical Adepts to Vancouver. Unfortunately, she didn't know how much it would revolve around her.

Review:

I was worried this was going to be a paranormal romance, of which I'm not the biggest fan. There was some hinting at it, but it ultimately turned into a nice murder mystery with paranormal goings on. If I read any more of the series, I know it will become a paranormal romance, so I'll just focus on this book, which I did enjoy.

I really liked reading this story from Jade's perspective. She isn't the smartest protagonist I've read, but she's got plenty of common sense that kept me from being frustrated. I can even understand her turning a blind eye to the evidence of who the killer is (though it is pretty obvious). Yes, the book has some sexual undertones, but she's able to make it take a back seat to the important stuff. Like surviving. And not getting bled by a hungry vampire. Or letting her magic get used to destroy others. You know, the important things.

This book has a delightfully simple aspect to it that I greatly appreciated. It all takes place in one town over just a few days. There's no out-of-nowhere surprises. There's no gimmicky explanations. There's no inconsistent character development. The book, the characters, the setting, the plot are all presented as is and I loved that! This is definitely an intriguing world.

If you would like to read a paranormal mystery, maybe a paranormal romance series, I really do recommend this. It's so charming!

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Friday, 24 February 2017

The Magician's Land | Lev Grossman | Review

Quentin Coldwater has been cast out of Fillory, the secret magical land of his childhood dreams. With nothing left to lose, he returns to where his story began, the Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic, but he can’t hide from his past, and it’s not long before it comes looking for him.

Along with Plum, a brilliant young undergraduate with a dark secret of her own, Quentin sets out on a crooked path through a magical demimonde of gray magic and desperate characters. But all roads lead back to Fillory, and his new life takes him to old haunts, like Antarctica, and to buried secrets and old friends he thought were lost forever. He uncovers the key to a sorcery masterwork, a spell that could create magical utopia, and a new Fillory--but casting it will set in motion a chain of events that will bring Earth and Fillory crashing together. To save them he will have to risk sacrificing everything.

No longer living in the land he loves, Quentin heads back to Brakebills to where it all began. There he works as a professor, until one day he's thrown into yet another adventure. This time he's taken back to places he visited in his younger days, and he's reminded of those loved ones he's lost, those he's left behind.

Back in Fillory, the remaining kings and queens have their own quests. Fillory is dying, and they have to save it. Coming at it from both sides, Quentin and his have to find a way to save the land the love, even if that means giving up everything.

While the first book is mainly from Quentin's perspective, and the second adds in Julia's, The Magician's Land brings in the thoughts and perspective from Eliot, Quentin's school friend and High King of Fillory. While Eliot is the intelligent one, the immature one, the crazy one, he still loves his land, and he and the others left in Fillory work hard to fix it. It was fun reading from Eliot's perspective, as he's a character that I enjoyed in the series.

The creatures in this book (and series) are so creative, and yet so simple at times. Grossman's writing and creativity shines through and it makes for an exciting and vivid read.

This final book is a lot shorter than the first two in the series, but it's still packed with great characters, plot twists, adventures and creativity. I thought it was a brilliant way to end a fantastic series, and while I will miss reading about Quentin and Fillory, it was a joy to read.

If you're after a series about magic, about friendship, about love and loss, about creating your own way in the world (or in another), or you just love a good fantasy story, pick up the first in this series, The Magicians, and have a read.

You can read my review on BB of the first in this series, The Magicians, here, and the second in this series, The Magician King, here.

Image from Goodreads.

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Friday, 10 February 2017

The Magician King | Lev Grossman | Review

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall. After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom. Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent's house in Chesterton, Massachusetts. And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them.

The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. It also introduces a powerful new voice, that of Julia, whose angry genius is thrilling. Once again Grossman proves that he is the cutting edge of literary fantasy.

Now the kings and queens of a magical land, Quentin and his friends are living it up in Fillory. But Quentin longs for adventure, so when an opportunity to sail to a little island to gather up taxes from the people there arises, Quentin jumps on the ship with Julia and off they sail. From there, his adventure gets a little more extreme than Quentin first thought a tax-collecting trip would go.

Thrown back to earth by complete accident on a quest to find magical keys, Quentin and Julia have to figure out how to get back to Fillory, and, like the description says, only the magic that Julia learnt on the streets from hedge witches can save them.

This is yet another great book from Grossman. While the story is a lot more Fillory-based than earth-based, it was really cool to be able to jump into Grossman's creative mind and see how he creates this magical land. The Magicians is told from Quentins perspective, but in The Magician King, Julia has a voice and we learn all about the things she learnt and got up to while Quentin was at school at Brakebills with his friends.

Side note: If you watch or have watched the TV show, The Magicians, based on this series, you may have noticed that the story of Julia in the show isn't in the first book. It's here in the second that we learn all about Julia, but they have pulled that from The Magician King and popped it in the show.

The characters from the first book are still present (those that made it through the first book anyway - no spoilers here!), and with the addition of some new faces, this is a fun but at times intense read. If you've read The Magicians, don't stop there. The Magician King is a great sequel, and while I think I enjoyed The Magicians a little more, this second book is still a brilliant read.

Read review of the first in this series, The Magicians, here.

Image from Good Reads.

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Friday, 27 January 2017

The Magicians | Lev Grossman | Review

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would.

After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.

I really liked The Magicians. The front cover of my copy says it's 'Harry Potter for grown ups' (let's not get into how Harry Potter is for grown ups anyway), but I would say it's this fantastic mix of HP and also the Chronicles of Narnia. It's set on Earth, but with magic running through it, and a leap into a magical land called Fillory definitely gives it a Narnia-esque feeling.

Quentin as a main character is great. I love it how he's not really the hero, but he's not always the bad guy. He's this mixture of brilliance and stupidity and depression and hurt and teenage dreams and drama, and that comes out so well in the book. The other characters in The Magicians are all so unique, each with incredibly strong characteristics and personalities.

The plot is fantastic. Much like Hogwarts, Brakebills is a hidden school for Magicians, and that in itself is well done and fun to read about. Their 'darker and more dangerous' journey is just that - it's dark, it's dangerous, it's horrible and horrific. But somehow it makes this book an incredible read.

You may be aware of the TV show that came out in late 2015 called The Magicians. Yup. Based on this book. While watching the show I did notice some things that weren't in the book, but having read the second in this series, I realised that took some of the story from book 2 and added it to the TV show. Be aware of that if you a) read this series and/or b) watch the show (which is done rather well, I might add).

If you're after a decently thick read about magic, about friendship and heartache, about stupid decisions and brave ones, about new worlds and stories coming to life, then give The Magicians a read.

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Monday, 5 September 2016

The Tower's Alchemist | Alesha L. Escobar | Review

The Tower's Alchemist (The Gray Tower Trilogy Book 1) by [Escobar, Alesha]

*Image from Amazon.

Summary:

In a time and place that mixes World War II with magic, Isabella/Emelie/Noelle is a spy for the SOE and an Apprentice-Level Alchemist who left the Grey Tower, where all people with magic get trained, to help out the war effort. Isabella gets assigned to go behind enemy lines to try to bring into custody Dr. Veit, who has used his knowledge of magic to create a chemical weapon called, simply, The Plague. Naturally, it doesn't go according to plan and she must find a way to destroy the chemical weapon, get out of the war-zone safely, all the while keeping herself out of the hands of Grey Tower Agents and the Black Wolves who wish to use her to get her father.

Review:

This was quite the adventure! I'm not gonna say it was all a fun ride because there was genuine emotional turmoil included, but that just helped to make it such a good book. This world's use and acceptance of the reality of magic was seamless. It never seemed out of place for someone to be able to create symbols and unleash the elements.

Isabella is a strong and intelligent woman, as someone in her line of work should be. Her tools of the trade mix traditional spy gear with magical gear. She has emerald glasses that let her see in the dark. She has red garnet lipstick that, when kissed, allows her influence over the kisser. A wonderful blend of spy and magic gear.

My favorite part of this book is the entire cast and crew of characters. It's so easy to feel for the people she meets behind the lines, the people who have lost everything, the people who are tired of fighting but continue to do so. It is written in such a way that much of the history of World War II is still there, there's just magic involved as well. The people of Britain are still conserving every ounce of food and cooking with even the most disliked ingredients (liver sandwiches, bleh). The people of France are on strict rations with curfews and are killed on the streets if suspected of any Marquisard activities or sympathies. This book almost brought me to tears through its characters.

All of this and I've barely scratched the surface the Grey Tower vs the Black Wolves! The Order versus "vampires" that drink the blood of wizards to gain their energy. Plus, the hunt for Isabella's father who is believed to be a Drifter, a magician who can travel through time. There is just so much going on in this book, but it is so well balanced that it never feels overwhelming. It never feels like the author is skipping over important details.

This was a great read. If you like magic-in-the-real-world, or fictional stories set in World War II, or stories about magical forces at war with each other, I highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down!

This post was written by Rachel.

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Monday, 14 December 2015

Numinous | Emory Skwara | Review

*Image courtesy of Amazon.

Summary:

Lily and Sebastian Blackmoor are twins with an absentee father and a drunk mother. Lily is relentlessly bullied in high school by a girl named Piper. Life ain't exactly looking up. But Lily has a secret, she's been training in magic. Her cat, Blink, is actually a humanoid tiger that takes her to a secret grove and helps her train her natural magic abilities. It turns out, she and her brother are not human and are from the world of Rood'ravil. Of course, getting there is going to require a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice. Surviving in Rood'ravil will take even more.

Review:

I picked up this book for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that it has a big, smiling owl on its cover. The author promised a new kind of fantasy adventure and I am a sucker for the fantasy genre. Despite me being hit-or-miss with teenage protagonists, I did enjoy this book.

This is a long book. I actually had to take a break about half way through to move on to other things, but I was happy to get back to it. After the break, though, book read a lot faster. Also, there were several noticeable editing errors. At one point one character is credited with a line of dialogue, despite not being anywhere near the conversation. They do interrupt the flow of the book, but do not stop it.

The world created by Skwara is quite interesting. The various races and politics involved make me want to read a history of the place, get a better feel for how the races developed. You get some good information about it in the exposition, but it's barely the tip of the iceberg. Of course, the exposition and the action scenes emphasize that the world of Rood'ravil is not for all readers. There is a lot of blood and violence.

Skwara's characters are also easy to empathize with, especially Mark, Amanda and Ricky; the characters that never asked to be caught up in Lily and Sebastian's adventure. There are a lot of emotional gut-wrenchers in this book, but it just made the read that much better.

I do recommend this book if you're looking for dark fantasy adventure. You may need to take it in strides, but I felt that Numinous was well worth the time put into it.

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Monday, 5 October 2015

The Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest | Demethius Jackson | Review

Summary:

Welcome to Realm, a land of magic that has never known peace. The king has just been wounded and there's a massive army at the castle doorsteps. Leoden, the Hero of Legend, must find the Candle of Crest if King Maebus is to have any chance.

Review:

Last year I read and reviewed the prequel to this book and absolutely loved it. I still recommend it to friends. So when I found out that Jackson had written another Realmsic book previously, I started stalking the used book sites for a good copy. I was not disappointed.

Jackson wrote Realmsic Conquest: The Candle of Crest entirely in verse. Four line stanzas with rhymes that go back and forth between true rhymes and some slant rhymes. I got so into this book that I even started thinking in rhymes. He did this because he wanted "to demonstrate the use of rhyme as an art form beyond the scope of music and poetry." As someone who grew up on stories written in verse form, it was very easy for me to get into flow of the story. And for those that worry that writing in verse takes a lot from the story, Jackson also includes chapter summaries at the end.

As for the story, it is in true Realmsic format and reads like a myth or legend from ancient times. You have heroes, villains, wars, magic and more. It is a delightful, quick read that satisfied my need to read something different. If you find yourself a copy, I recommend picking it up.

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Wednesday, 5 August 2015

The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern | Review

*image via GoodReads

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not...

Two aged magicians set upon a task of pitting their two proteges, Ceilia and Marco, in a magical contest. The backdrop to this battle? The mysterious and fantastical Cirque des Rêves (or the Circus of Dreams) created solely for the purpose of being the stage for which the two will demonstrate and eventually fight for their lives.

What’s my verdict?
The Night Circus is probably one of the most unusual books I've reviewed for Blogger's Bookshelf and is actually quite hard to describe.

The book itself is very slow to start and not a novel you can consume quickly or in one sitting (which I certainly didn't). The plot lacks a bit of ompf and the conclusion felt a bit rushed and though satisfying, would've been resolved much quicker and with more cohesion. In a way, much like the way the Circus is portrayed, the book does often feel like a dream, cutting to and from narratives, timelines and perspectives. Marco and Ceilia's story also feels a little disjointed. Their contest actually doesn't play too much of a role until the very end and their romance is not actually as big of a deal as the blurb likes to make out.

What the book lacks in plot it majorly makes up in gorgeous, wonderful and blissfully indulgent description. A lot of reviews comment that you cannot analytically review The Night Circus and I totally agree. There is no doubt Morgenstern holds incredible command over language. Many passages of the book are so beautiful and so richly detailed without it feeling too heavy and a burden to the reader - as can be the case with flowery fantasy novels. It's not action packed or cinematic in the traditional sense, in a way it was almost like a Wes Anderson film in novel form: quirky, a bit weird, some parts don't make much sense but GOD are the aesthetics amazing.

I have no doubt that this is book will divide readers - you'll either love it or hate it, there seems to be no middle ground here - though if you're a writer I would highly recommend reading this simply to revel in the writing itself. In a way, in hindsight, I'm grateful that I took my time with this. It demands your attention, not for the plot but for the subtle intricacy within the language itself and it's a truly fantastic example of modern magical realism.

Reading soundtrack

Wonderland: Taylor Swift; I'm Waiting Here: David Lynch and Lykki Li; Haunted: Beyonce; I Write Sins Not Tragedies: Panic! At the disco; Once Upon A Dream: Lana Del Rey; Glory & Gore: Lorde; Fire: Pvris

For lovers of...The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Amelie, and the Discworld series.

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Wednesday, 18 February 2015

A Darker Shade Of Magic | V E. Schwab | Reviewed by Ria

*image via Goodreads. Review preview copy c/o Macmillan-Tor/Forge & NetGalley

Like parallel universes? Well this book has four...

Grey London. Dirty and as dull as it’s name, void of magic and ruled by the looney King George.
Red London. Flourishing and a beacon of prosperity where magic is revered.
White London. Ruled by those blinded with power and murderous greed and magic can blind you right back.
Black London. Dead. Non-existent. Defunct.

Kell is a Red London traveller, adopted ambassador between the realms and a smuggler (just don’t tell the Prince about that last title). Though he sits in a privileged position at the right hand side Red London’s aristocracy, Kell dabbles in the dangerous hobby of offering ordinary people glimpses of the lands he is lucky enough to be able to travel between. Though a harmless plight at first, Kell soon gets mixed up with a petty thief who saves him from a shifty enemy. Together they're thrown into some seriously sticky situations and on towards adventure.

So what’s my verdict?

This was my first venture into Victoria Schwab’s writing and I’m very impressed guys. Colourful and fantastically rich, A Darker Shade of Magic introduces us to a world that’s both intriguing and tailored made for magical mishaps to happen.

Her key protagonist, Kell, to me suffers a little from what I’d like to coin 'displaced orphan syndrome’. He’s a little bit of a wanderer who doesn’t really fit in anywhere and navigates in the shadows of London(s). If anything he reminds me a lot of Hatter Madigan from The Looking Glass Wars (the large magical coat and reserved yet an endearing manner definitely help). We see most of the world though Kell’s travelling eyes - which definitely helpful as he takes us through all the different variations of London and his own special magical abilities.

In terms of the world itself, well, it’s vast to say the least. Though there are recognisable landmarks through each incarnation of London, the three (formerly four) kingdoms each rich with it’s own history, social structure and political imbalance - nice to know things don’t change no matter what universe you step in. I will say with this amount of world building within the first few chapters of the book, it does distract a little from the key plot of the book. By the time you get a rough idea of the cities you’re already itching to find out what the main conflict of the story, which for some may be frustrating.

Nevertheless, though this was only a preview excerpt it certainly whet my appetite for more!

Reading soundtrack:

Kill of the night: Gin Wigmore; London Calling: The Clash; My Song 5: Haim; Conquest of Spaces: Woodkid; Blanket: Urban Species ft Imogen Heap; Nicotine: Panic! At The Disco

For lovers of...The Looking Glass Wars, The Bone Season & Terry Pratchet

This post was written by regular reviewer Ria, get to now her here.

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Wednesday, 20 November 2013

St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised By Wolves | Karen Russell | Review

“I look for my sister but it's hopeless. The goggles are all fogged up. Every fish burns lantern-bright, and I can't tell the living from the dead. It's all just blurry light, light smeared like some celestial fingerprint all over the rocks and the reef and the sunken garbage. Olivia could be everywhere.” - Karen Russell, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell is a collection of short-stories that are mostly about children going through some kind of trouble while they do their best to grow into the strange world of adults. The stories are all different but still very much alike, filled with a lot imagination, a few magical elements and tons of strange quirky twists.

I have to admit that I had quite high expectations when I started reading this book. I thought that a collection of short-stories filled with surreal elements and quirky strange children would be right up my alley. And in some parts this collection did live up to my expectations because I really enjoyed a few of the stories! My favorite stories were Haunting Olivia, St.Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves and The Star-Gazer's Log of Summer-Time Crime. These were the kind of stories that I kept thinking about even weeks after I finished the book. Then there was a few stories in the collection that I liked or thought were pretty decent. But then there was a few stories (maybe two or three?) that I couldn't get my head around.

So, I have pretty mixed feelings about this book because there is a few stories in here that are really worth reading! I think that Karen Russell is a talented writer with an amazing imagination. But I didn't think every story was worth my time. I guess this is the case with most books with short-stories. Every story is not going to please every reader.

I think that St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves is an interesting book, a reading experience I wouldn't want to be without. But I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Some stories were a bit too strange even for my taste and some stories were too much alike to stand out from each other. With some really good and unique stories and some that I could live without I give St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves 3/5 stars.

This post was written by regular reviewer Niina, get to know her here.

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Sunday, 2 June 2013

Carter Beats the Devil | Glen David Gold | Review

Carter Beats the Devil, by Glen David Gold, was one that was recommended to me by a work colleague. She described the book to me and a bit about the characters, and I knew I had to read it. Rather than just getting it from the library, I bought it. I don’t normally just buy books based on other people’s opinions, but I think I had a ‘ah, what the heck’ moment and just went for it. I’m so glad I did. This one will be one I re-read at some point, for sure.

Set in the early 1900s, Carter Beats the Devil tells the story of Charles Carter, a magician, and his journey through the ups and downs of trying to make it in the magic business. I found that there were two sort of key events in the book. The book starts off at a similar time to when it finishes, and then jumps way back in time and continues from there. If that makes sense... The first chapter tells the reader two things: 1) Carter has bet the devil in his final performance of the night and 2) the President was found dead, just hours after seeing Charles Carter’s show.

After these key points are established and the questions are raised (did Carter kill the President? How does he beat the devil? etc), the story splits into sections. Some chapters are from Carter’s perspective; some are from that of the detective investigating the President’s death. The language used is very fun to read, and though it’s long, the words used and the descriptions of things are such that it doesn't really feel as long as it actually is. That probably doesn't make sense…just go with it.

With mysteries and questions, a lion called Baby, a disappearing elephant, a skeptical brother, a woman called Sarah, and a whole lot of magic, Carter Beats the Devil is great read. The characters were fun – and some, of course, were horrible – and there was a good amount of humour as well as the serious stuff. There were a few chapters near the beginning that I didn't think were all that necessary – details about Carter’s life when he was very small, that I didn't really seem to link with the future/present Carter – but overall it was very clever, captivating and extremely well thought out.

I think I will definitely be paying attention to more of the books my colleague suggests in the future.

Image from Goodreads

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Wednesday, 15 May 2013

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard | J. K. Rowling | Review

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard consists of five short fairytale style stories from the wizarding world created by J. K. Rowling. Each story is followed up by additional notes from Professor Dumbledore himself, who explains the morals found in each one and discusses the controversy some of them caused within the wizarding world. Through Dumbledore’s commentary we also get to learn a little bit more about magical terms, history and life at Hogwarts.

My favourite of the five stories would have to be the one I already knew well, The Tale Of The Three Brothers, which was beautifully depicted through animation in The Deathly Hallows film adaptation (part one). I also really enjoyed learning about Babbity Rabbity And Her Cackling Stump, a tale noted for one of the earliest literary mentions of an Animagus and The Fountain Of Fair Fortune which promotes pro wizard-Muggle marriage.

As well as the variety of stories the book is also beautifully designed with illustrations, also by Rowling, interspersed throughout adding that extra magical fairytale feel.

This post was written by regular reviewer Erin, get to know her here.
Photo © Erin Elise

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Sunday, 12 May 2013

The Name of the Wind | Patrick Rothfuss | Review

"My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me."

If you're into fantasy books and tales of magic, you could not pick up a better book. This story is a story within a story.

Kote is the owner of the Waystone Inn. At first glance, he's just a normal bartender. But there is so much more to this man than meets the eye. When Chronicler, a man dedicated to writing people's life stories turns up at the door, he sees that Kote is actually Kvothe (pronounced "Quothe"), a mighty sorcerer. Chronicler manages to get Kvothe to tell the story of his life. As we go through the story we learn of the hardships which Kvothe has put up with from his childhood as well as his amazing adventures including going to University at a younger age than most people are allowed in and learning the Name of the Wind.

I really really liked this book despite the fact it took me about a month to read as its about 662 pages. It is the first book in "The Kingkiller Chronicles" and it is believed that there is going to be three books in the series but I believe there will be more as I've read the sequel (The Wise Man's Fear). If you know anyone who is into this series, you will know how annoyed they are as the third one will not be released for quite some time.

I love the story because it is has so much adventure to it. There are so many amazing elements to this book, it has romance, it has instruments, it has poverty, it has....red hair. There is just so much in this book which reminds me of a true fairytale and I think if you are interested in those sorts of stories then you will really enjoy this. As I've said before in previous reviews, I love seeing different author's views on magic or how they interpret it in their books and I think there was a lot of imagination put towards this element of the book, not to mention all of the amazing detail that is shown in this book. I really wanted to jump into this world as it's just filled with fantasy. The characters in this book are just amazing as well and brilliantly described.

But I have some slight problems. There were some parts of the book which I really didn't think were necessary. Some parts were just really slow and I had a hard time getting through it at some point. I could very well have stopped reading the book at some points but I was determined to persevere with it and I am glad I did. I do have some more problems with the second book for reasons I won't go into because I'll just turn this review into a rant storm. But those were my only problems with this book in particular.

I will give Name of The Wind a four and a half star rating because it was a really great story and I'm interested in reading the series again before the third one comes out (whenever that will be.) I definitely recommend it to people who are really interested in fantasy books and are wanting to jump into an epic and gripping story.

This book was reviewed by regular reviewer Lucy, get to know more about her here!

Photos by Lucy

3 comments

Monday, 22 April 2013

The Book of Tomorrow | Cecelia Ahern | Review

I picked The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern up when it was first released and read it in 2 sit in’s. Forget everything else I had to do on those days, they didn't matter because all I cared about was being completely lost and utterly engrossed in this story and finding out where it was going to take me next. Since then I’ve gone back to this book on numerous occasions and each time found I could lose myself in the story over and over again.

In an unexpected twist this is actually a book written about a book. There is also obviously a main character, she is a young, selfish and spoilt teen who moves in which her Aunt and Uncle, being forced to get used to the simple things in life and forget about her fancy holidays, big house and expensive clothes. She ends up with a book from the travelling library, yet all of its pages are blank… however it does not take long for the pages to magically become filled with details…

The Book of Tomorrow is magical, mysterious, heart-warming, funny and unique, there is not a book that I have come across that is anything like this one. The touch of magical which appears in many of Ahern’s book is what makes me go back to them time and time again. She makes the ordinary, exciting and the chic-lit storylines become fascinating and captivating.

If you like books which take you away from reality (but not too far) and have an open mind, The Book of Tomorrow is definitely for you. 5/5 stars

1 comment

Sunday, 31 March 2013

Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch | Review

Peter Grant has spent the past few years training to become part of London's Metropolitan Police Service. However, when he gets the news that he's going to be spending the rest of his life on the other side of the police force - the side where paperwork gets sorted and the whole day is spent in an office - things seem to be taking a turn for the worse. That's before he meets Inspector Thomas Nightingale. The last wizard in all of England. After seeing what can only be a ghost, Peter is quickly taken under Inspector Nightingale's wing and he becomes the first wizard apprentice to be taught magic in fifty years.

Once Peter starts working for Nightingale, he starts to see a lot of weirdness. He meets the Gods and Goddesses of the rivers of London as well as vampires, trolls, demons and a dog that just won't leave him alone. Join Peter in the first installment of this amazing series.

So I became aware of Rivers of London when my dad came home with it and would not stop bugging me to read it. It was only when I reached chapter two that I realised why. This book is so gripping and action packed that you will not want to put it down. Ben Aaronovitch has brought a whole new meaning to the word magic and I found it really interesting to see the different terms and conditions on how magic must be used.

The characters in this book are really memorable and really stand out. I thought it was an amazing and original idea to make gods and goddesses of the rivers of London. A couple of examples of these are Beverley Brook and Lady Tyburn. There's also the lovely Lesley May who is Peter's colleague and she helps to get information for him when they go out to work.

I loved how modern it really was. There are books like Harry Potter and Beautiful Creatures which are modern but they still seem very fantastical books. Then you have Rivers of London which takes you through lots of landmarks in London and I think this helped me to get a very realistic image of what was going on through the book and it just seemed that if there is such a thing as magic then this is how it would look like.

This book is the first book in a series and I really urge you to read it as the story gets better and better in the sequels Moon Over Soho and Whispers Underground. The fourth book is called Broken Homes and comes out in June this year!

So in conclusion, I really loved Rivers of London and give it a four and a half rating out of five. I do have to warn you that there are a few disturbing bits in it, though the story is so good I didn't really mind it. I would definitely recommend this to people who are fifteen and older and for lovers of science fiction and magic.

This book was reviewed by regular reviewer Lucy, get to know her here!

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Sunday, 6 January 2013

The Alchemyst | Michael Scott | Review

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #1)

The Alchemyst is the first in a series of books called The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel. Josh and Sophie Newman's lives change when they witness an attack of magic which breaks out in Nick Flamel's bookshop. Shortly afterwards, they realise that Nick Flamel is actually the great Nicholas Flamel, the greatest alchemyst of all time. His death apparently was six hundred years ago but to this day the tomb lies empty. The secret of eternal life lies in a magical book and with it, you become immortal. However, the book is now stolen by the evil Dr John Dee and it is up to Josh and Sophie Newman to save not only Nick and his wife Perry but the whole world.

I have only read the first two books in this series but they are both un-put-down-able books and I can't wait to continue the series this year. The Alchemyst is a great start to a great series. It is filled with fantasy creatures and full of adventure. I would definitely recommend this series to people who might be a slow reader because the chapters are really short and you get through the book in a couple of days. I would also recommend it to people who love the fantasy genre and who might be looking for something similar to Harry Potter. I must admit that I thought there was a serious link to Harry Potter when I read the title. But there really isn't as the series starts in San Francisco. I won't give any spoilers but they do have portals which go from place to place and The Historian, which is the sequel to the Alchemyst, is set in Paris.

I'm going to give this series four out of five stars because it's a brilliant series. I definitely think it's quite an underrated series and more people should read the books. So if you're looking for something which is fantasy related or anything to do with magic then this is your book. If you also want to get stuck into a new series then I would love it if you would give this a go!

This book was reviewed by regular reviewer Lucy, get to know her here!
Photo from Goodreads.

3 comments

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

The Graveyard Book | Neil Gaiman | Review

“It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.” - Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book is a story about a boy called Nobody Owens (called Bod by his friends and family). The peculiar thing about Bod (apart from his name) is that he lives in a graveyard. Why does he live in a graveyard then? Because he's adopted by two ghosts, Mr and Mrs Owens who adopted him when his whole family got murdered by a man called Jack. The Owens family and their ghost friends keep Bod in the graveyard to keep him safe from Jack who's for some reason still out to get him.

Bod's days are filled with playing with ghost children among the graves, having conversations and getting educated by ghosts who all lived during different centuries. And then there's Silas. Bod's mentor and guardian, someone who Bod really cares about but can't quite figure out. While all this is going on Bod still feels the need to communicate and interact with humans, But while gets closer to the human community he also gets closer to danger...

The Graveyard Book is the second book I've read by Neil Gaiman. While I was pretty disappointed by Stardust I really enjoyed The Graveyard Book. The book is mainly directed to a younger audience but I think both adults and children can really appreciate this story. I really liked the fact that the story is set in a graveyard. There can't be any place that's more mystical and interesting than a graveyard? And the whole idea that Bod can communicate with ghosts who've lived through different centuries is so fascinating! Just think about all the wonderful stories Bod gets the opportunity to listen to! I almost wish I grove up in a graveyard myself. I also really found the characters in this novel really well-written and interesting. Bod is a really likable yet different kid and Silas is a really mysterious yet lovable character. And of course I loved the ghosts, because like I said before, the ghost really give the story an interesting twist. Like any good children's fantasy this story also touches a lot of important and real subjects like friendship, family, trust and identity.

The only complaint I might have is that I struggled a bit with getting into the story through the first chapters, and I kind of wish that I had gotten the opportunity to read this when I was younger because I think I would've appreciated it even more! So this is definitely a book I'm going to read for my future (hypothetical) children! And it also made me interested to read more of Gaiman's books (if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments!) So, yes, I gladly give The Graveyard Book 4/5 stars.

This review was written by regular reviewer Niina, get to know her here.

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where our team of writers love to talk all things books, sharing reviews, features, lists, interviews and more.

Getting lost in a book is escapism at it's finest and it's what everyone who contributes here thrives on.