Friday 30 May 2014

The Light of the Oracle

****
4 Stars/5


Bryn, daughter of a humble stone cutter, is whisked off to the Temple of the Oracle as she has a natural talent for making prophecies. But not all is right in the temple and Bryn is in terrible danger from those inside the temple. The Light of the Oracle is a really good companion novel to The Seer and The Sword and The Healers Keep, which was a charming and sweet read, with interesting magic around birds. I liked Bryn as she was kind and a bit naïve, and I enjoyed her journey from being an outsider to being accepted. I liked this book and would recommend to have enjoyed Victoria Hanley other books. 

Tuesday 27 May 2014

The Healer's Keep

***
3 Stars/5


Two new students arrive at the Healer’s Keep who are hiding secrets, Dorjan is the first foreigner to be admitted to the Keep and can walk in others dreams, and Sara is the daughter of Kind Landon and Queen Torina. Across the ocean in Sliviia, slave girl Maeve is bought by the evil Lord Morlen and manages to run away with the help of Jasper, who has remained free using his wits. These four destiny are linked together to stop the dark forces taking control of the world. The Healer’s Keep is the sequel to The Seer and The Sword, and is a good book but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. This is because the characters were hard to connect to especially Dorjan and Sara, but I did like Maeve and Jasper more. I would recommend this book the fans of The Seer and The Sword.

Sunday 25 May 2014

The Seer and The Sword

****
4 Stars/5


For princess Torina of Archeld, her life changes the day her father seizes the peaceful country Bellandra and returns with a legendary sword, a crystal for Torina in which she can see the future and the former prince Landon. As Torina and Landon grow up, all is not good in Archeld and after a plot destroys both their lives, they must find a way to restore peace. The Seer and The Sword is a really good book with an interesting fantasy plot and a gentle romance. I like Landon as through the book he learns to be brave and fight for what he cares about, and I also like Torina as she matures during the book. I would recommend this book to people who like classic fantasy books with a fairytale feel about it.


Wednesday 21 May 2014

The Winner's Curse

****
4 Stars/5


Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for giving me this book to review.

17 year old Kestrel has 2 options in life, join the military and work with her general father, or get marry, but all she wants to do is play her piano. However, her life changes when one day she buys a young man at the slave but she doesn’t know why, and the slave Arin does not act like an average slave. It is not long before society starts talking about how close they have become and Kestrel has to hide her growing feelings for Arin. However, Arin has a secret which could cost Kestrel everything and everyone if she doesn’t play her hand right.

The Winner’s Curse is a really good YA fantasy book which is all about what people are willing to gamble. The book was well written and there was no info-dumping in it, the first half was enjoyable but not as good as the second half as I could not put it down.

I really liked Kestrel as she wasn’t like most YA heroines because she didn’t try to be kick-ass, she just wants to enjoy her music, although she could have been stronger and firmer as she let some people walk all over her, especially Arin. Arin irritated me in the first half of the book as he was meant to be a slave and it was important to his plan that he acted like one yet he doesn’t at all, but I really liked him in the second half as he showed respect to everyone despite everything that’s happened to him over the years. I did feel sorry for Ronan as he is a really nice guy yet it seemed to me that he was led on by Kestrel.


I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next book The Winner’s Crime. I would recommend The Winner’s Curse to fans of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen or Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. 

Monday 19 May 2014

Stone of Destiny

***
3 Stars/5


Thanks to Netgalley and Indie Inked for giving me this book to review.

Allison has realised how she feels about Ethan, the guy she has really liked for years, but he is acting strangely and being really mean towards her since coming back from Tautha de Danaan. Aoife is free and is willing to do anything to get Allison’s father, Liam, to love her, even by hurting Allison and her mother. Allison is trying to unravel Aoife plans but she discoves that Aoife has got a secret that she has been keeping for years. With Allison willing to anything to destroy amulet that keeps Liam from healing and being with her mother but with the Danaan not being human can she trust any of them.

Stone of Destiny is the good second book in the Danaan trilogy and I felt the story was better and more interesting than the first book. I felt in this book we got to know the characters better and there was more romance, although the book’s pacing was a bit too fast for me.

I liked Allison better in this book as she is more confident and thinks more about what she wants to do. I also liked Ethan more as we got to know him better and I liked the way he treated Allison, as he was protective without being controlling.


This ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. I would recommend Stone of Destiny to people who enjoyed reading The Forgotten Ones

Friday 16 May 2014

The Forgotten Ones

***
3 Stars/5


Allison wants to take on some of the her grandparents burden and help them take care of her schizophrenic mother, who has been like that since she returned from Ireland pregnant with Allison. This means she has always avoided relationships, even with Ethan, a friend of her cousins and the guy she has been crazy for since they were young. Allison’s life is turn upside down when her father, Liam, turns up saying he can help heal her mum. But when her mother goes missing, Allison is told about the Tuatha de Danaan, fairies, which Liam has been living with for centuries and now one of them has kidnaped her mum. Allison goes to another world, Tir Na Nog to save her mother and hopefully learn more about herself.

The Forgotten Ones is a good paranormal NA read with a very fast pace but a more YA feel about it. While I like this book as it is full of Irish folklore and the plot is interesting, I felt it had potential but was a bit let down as it didn’t reach it and was a bit confusing.

Allison is a normal hard working woman who I really liked and related to, but I felt she accepted the supernatural way too easily and quickly. I didn’t really feel much for Ethan as he was a player, and that would have been fine if he stopped so that he could try and win over Allison, but he didn’t really.


I am looking forward to the next book Stone of Destiny and seeing what happens next to Allison. I would recommend The Forgotten Ones to fans of Ever Shade by Alexia Purdy and Faelorehn by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson.

Monday 12 May 2014

The Language of Souls

****
4 Stars/5


Solena needs a herb to heal her dying grandfather, the only family she has left, but that involves going into the neighbouring hostile country Oden. When she is captured by a young solider and thought to be a spy she realises how much danger she is in. Rundan has always struggled to please his father, the army commander, but when he orders Rundan to take the young trespasser to the royal courts to be executed, he is conflicted as he does not want to harm her. After he gets hurt trying to protect her, and she heals him they grow closer, despite not speaking the same language, will Rundan chose to please his father or save the girl who he is falling for.

The Language of Souls is a really good fantasy short story, which is really romantic as well. While I would have loved to have more of this story but, unlike most novellas, I did not feel that there was part of the story which has been missed out.

Solena is a really nice person as she’s caring, determined and compassionated, although sometimes she is too compassionate. Rundan wants his father to like him but not at the cost of doing something that isn’t right, he is a scholarly person but is brave as well.


The Language of Souls is really good and I wish there will be more books in this universe, I would recommend to fans of Asleep by Elizabeth Darcy or Witch Song by Amber Argyle.

Saturday 10 May 2014

Nihal of the Land of the Wind

****
4 Stars/5


Thanks to Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media for giving me this book to review.

There is no one like Nihal in the tower she lives in, in the Land of the Wind, as she has pointed ears, blue hair and big purple eyes. All she wants to be is a warrior despite there being no female soldiers, which means she must learn to fight from her friends and her weaponsmith father and learn sorcery from her aunt and her best friend Sennar. When a disaster strikes the Land of the Wind by the evil tyrant, Nihal decides she must take action and get revenge on those she has lost with her black crystal sword. Nihal must fight and face difficulties she could not have imagined to complete her dream but will she be the same person at the end?

Nihal of the Land of the Wind is a really good book which is a bit slow to start but really picks up and is descriptive. The story is really interesting and reminds me of Tamora Pierce’s books, as it has action and a strong female lead.

While I enjoyed the story, Nihal really annoyed me as she is selfish and spoiled as she wanted everything her way and did not think of others. However, I really liked Sennar as he was kind, helpful and even when he was very busy, he thought of others, I hope there is more of him in the next book.


I really enjoyed this book and I hope the next book is translated soon as I looking forward to reading it. I would recommend Nihal of the Land of the Wind to people who like Tamora Pierce’s books.

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Life Lived Twice

***
3 Stars/5


Thanks to Sherrie Wouters for giving me this book to review.

When Tess meets a mysterious man in the airport bookstore, the moment lingers with her and she cannot forget him even though she does not even known his name. She also wants to get her independence in her last year of university, so she moves out of her parents and in with a guy called Dane who she becomes really good friends with. At the same time she keeps on having dreams about her being a girl called Laylah from the turn of the 20th century and her relationship with a man called Addison Taylor. As her dreams and the present start to blur will she be able to believe the truth.

Life Lived Twice is an enjoyable light romantic book which has a good story, however, I did find it a bit predictable. The characters are all well written and three dimensional.

I really connected to Tess as we are similar to each other, we are both shy, are awkward around guys and feel guilty about things we shouldn’t. I also liked Logan as he was sweet and kind but I felt we did not get to know him very well. While I really liked Dane I wish he had stayed as a friend to Tess, instead of it becoming a love triangle.


The ending was really bittersweet and I hope Sherrie Wouters writes another book in this series. I would recommend Life Lived Twice to fans of Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper or Evermore by Alyson Noel.

Sunday 4 May 2014

Fighting for Infinity

****
4 Stars/5


Thanks to Netgalley and All Night Reads for giving me this book to review.

Maryah’s soul is stuck at the mercy of the evil Dedrick, in a windowless room with fellow prisoner, Rina. At the same time Nathan is beside himself with worry for Maryah who has not woken up and Dedrick’s soul has visited the Kindrily house. With secret, lies and revelations surfacing Maryah struggles to know who to trust and how to get free. Guided by the enigmatic Rina, she finds out more about herself and that Dedrick has a diabolical plan and must fight both body and soul to save those she loves.

Fighting for Infinity is a really good finish to the Kindrily trilogy, as it is action packed, romantic and I could not put it down because I had to know what happened next. While for most of the book I did not know what was happening next and made me doubt what I knew about some of the characters, I guessed about the big surprise from near the beginning and I was hoping for a more unexpected twist.

Maryah is stronger in this book and while she is helpless at times, she never gave up and is willing to fight for those she loves. However, part of me was wishing that Maryah would not get her memories back, as Mary come across to me as a control freak and a know it all. I really like Nathan as he was worried and very protective of Maryah but was not possessive and knew that sometimes, but not all the time, she had to do things for herself. The new character Rina is mysterious and naïve yet wise at the same time and is a really interesting character.


I really liked this series and I hope there might be a spin-off maybe about Rina and I would like to read her other series the Sea Monsters Memoirs. I would recommend Fighting for Infinity to fans of the first 2 books Grasping at Eternity and Taking back Forever.