Review #71 - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Details:

Title: The Bear and the Nightingale

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: Del Ray

ISBN 13:  978-1785031052

Synopsis:

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.

But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods... 

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Review #70 - A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe

Details:

Title: A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars

Author: Yaba Badoe

Publisher: Zephyr

ISBN 13:  978-1786697981

Synopsis:

Sante was a baby when she was washed ashore in a sea-chest laden with treasure. It seems she is the sole survivor of the tragic sinking of a ship carrying refugees. Her people.

Fourteen years on she's a member of Mama Rose's unique and dazzling circus. But, from their watery grave, the unquiet dead are calling Sante to avenge them:

A bamboo flute. A golden band. A ripening mango which must not fall . . . if Sante is to tell their story and her own.

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Fairyloot Unboxing October 2017

This is the unboxing of the October 2017 FairyLoot box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

FairyLoot is a monthly book subscription box mainly focusing on fantasy YA and YA crossovers. Each month you receive a new release book, mostly hardback and 4-6 bookish items which fit in with the theme.

The theme this month was Villainous

 (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Review #69 - This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Details:

Title: This Mortal Coil

Author: Emily Suvada

Publisher: Penguin

ISBN 13:  978-0141379272
Release Date: 2nd November 2017

Synopsis:

When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of Lachlan Agatta's death, all hope seems lost for Catarina. Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.

Only she can find and decrypt it, if she can unravel the clues he left for her. The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from Cartaxus, a shadowy organization with a stranglehold on the world's genetic tech. But it's too late to turn back.

As the pieces fit together it's clear there is one final secret that Cat must unlock. A secret that will change everything.

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Book Box Club Unboxing October 2017

In this post I am going to be unboxing the October 2017 Book Box Club box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

Book Box Club is a monthly book subscription box. Each month you receive a specially selected YA book release and 2-4 hand picked goodies which fit in with the theme. Book Box Club also hosts a members only online book club where subscribers get a chance to chat to each other as well as the author about the book.

The theme this month was Quests and Legends. (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Leafer Box Unboxing October 2017

So today I have another Leafer unboxing for you all! I am going to be unboxing the October 2017 double Leafer box which they kindly put together for me because I liked the sound of the Historical and Fantasy boxes The theme for Historical was 'Orleans' while the theme for fantasy was 'Nature's Wrath'. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

Leafer box is a UK monthly book subscription box focused on providing good reading material to avid readers around the world.

Review #68 - Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

Details:

Title: Even the Darkest Stars

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN 13: 978-0062463388

Synopsis:

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas.  Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.

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Review #67 - Because you love to hate me by Various

Details:

Title: Because you love to hate me

Author: Various (anthology)

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

ISBN 13: 978-1408882764

Synopsis:

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

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Belated Fairyloot Unboxing September 2017

This is the unboxing of the September 2017 FairyLoot box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

FairyLoot is a monthly book subscription box mainly focusing on fantasy YA and YA crossovers. Each month you receive a new release book, mostly hardback and 4-6 bookish items which fit in with the theme.

The theme this month was All That Sass

 (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Review #66 - Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Details:

Title: Godsgrave

Author: Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Harper Voyager

ISBN 13:  978-0008180034

Synopsis:

Conquer your fear, conquer the world

Mia Corvere, destroyer of empires, has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry do not believe she has earned it.

Her position is precarious, and she's still no closer to exacting revenge for the brutal death of her family. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia begins to suspect the motives of the Red Church itself.

When it is announced that Consul Scaeva and Cardinal Duomo will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself into slavery for a chance to fulfill the promise she made on the day she lost everything.

Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold, secrets are revealed and the body count rises within the collegium walls, Mia will be forced to choose between her loyalties and her revenge.

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Review #65 - Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Details:

Title: Nevernight

Author: Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Harper Voyager

ISBN 13: 978-0008179984

Synopsis:

Mia Corvere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Destined to destroy empires, the child raised in shadows made a promise on the day she lost everything: to avenge herself on those that shattered her world.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, and Mia must become a weapon without equal. Before she seeks vengeance, she must seek training among the infamous assassins of the Red Church of Itreya.

Inside the Church's halls, Mia must prove herself against the deadliest of opponents and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and daemons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Church is no ordinary school. But Mia is no ordinary student.

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

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Review #64 - Fireblood by Elly Blake

Details:

Title: Fireblood

Author: Elly Blake

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

ISBN 13: 978-1473635203

Synopsis:

Ice and fire are still at war.

Ruby has defeated the tyrannous Frost King, and Arcus, the exiled warrior who captured her heart, has taken his rightful place as ruler of the Frostblood kingdom.

But Ruby is the only Fireblood in a castle of frost and ice, and the courtiers will not accept her. Even worse, the dark threat released from the Frost King's melted throne is stalking the land, bent on destruction - and as the one who set it free, only Ruby can stop it.

To find the knowledge she needs, she must leave Arcus and journey south to the land of the Firebloods. But the homeland Ruby's never seen is treacherous, and friend and enemy wear the same face.

If she's to save both kingdoms, Ruby must figure out who she can trust - and unleash a fire powerful enough to do battle with darkness . . .

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Review #63 - Wicked Like A Wildfire by Lana Popovic

Details:

Title: Wicked Like A Wildfire

Author: Lana Popovic

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN 13: 978-0062436832

Synopsis:

All the women in Iris and Malina’s family have the unique magical ability or “gleam” to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love. 

But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line—but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?

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Review #62 - Frogkisser by Garth Nix

Details:

Title: Frogkisser

Author: Garth Nix

Publisher: Piccadilly Press

ISBN 13: 978-1848126374

Synopsis:

Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.

Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land -- and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.

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Review #61 - Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls

Details:

Title: Things A Bright Girl Can Do

Author: Sally Nicholls

Publisher: Anderson Press

ISBN 13: 978-1783445257

Synopsis:

Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote.

Evelyn is seventeen, and though she is rich and clever, she may never be allowed to follow her older brother to university. Enraged that she is expected to marry her childhood sweetheart rather than be educated, she joins the Suffragettes, and vows to pay the ultimate price for women's freedom.

May is fifteen, and already sworn to the cause, though she and her fellow Suffragists refuse violence. When she meets Nell, a girl who's grown up in hardship, she sees a kindred spirit. Together and in love, the two girls start to dream of a world where all kinds of women have their place.

But the fight for freedom will challenge Evelyn, May and Nell more than they ever could believe. As war looms, just how much are they willing to sacrifice?

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Review #60 - Mirror Mirror by Cara Delevingne

Details:

Title: Mirror Mirror

Author: Cara Delevingne

Publisher: Trapeze

ISBN 13: 978-1409172741

Synopsis:

FRIEND. LOVER. VICTIM. TRAITOR.
WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Sixteen-year-old friends Red, Leo, Rose, and Naomi are misfits; still figuring out who they are and who they want to be. Life isn't perfect, but music unites them, and they're excited about what the future holds for their band, Mirror, Mirror. That is until Naomi vanishes before being pulled unconscious out of the river.

She's left fighting for her life in a coma. The police claim it was a failed suicide attempt, but her friends aren't convinced. Will Naomi ever wake? What -­ or perhaps who - led her to that hospital bed? How did her friends fail to spot the warning signs?

While Rose turns to wild partying and Leo is shrouded by black moods, Red sets out to uncover the truth. It's a journey that will cause Red's world to crack, exposing the group's darkest secrets. Nothing will ever be the same again, because once a mirror is shattered, it can't be fixed.

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