Review #147 - Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig

Details:

Title: Father Christmas and Me

Author: Matt Haig

Publisher: Canongate Books

ISBN 13: 978-1786890689

Synopsis:

It isn't always easy, growing up as a human in Elfhelm, even if your adoptive parents are the newly married Father Christmas and Mary Christmas.

For one thing, Elf School can be annoying when you have to sing Christmas songs every day - even in July - and when you fail all your toy-making tests. Also it can get very, very cold.

But when the jealous Easter Bunny and his rabbit army launch an attack to stop Christmas, it's up to Amelia, her new family and the elves to keep Christmas alive. Before it's too late . . .

Review:

Review #146 - Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card vol 5 by CLAMP

Details:

Title: Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card vol 5

Author: CLAMP

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

ISBN 13: 978-1632366597

Synopsis:

With the Final Judgment passed, Sakura thinks school life will be quiet, but then all her cards suddenly turn blank! The mysterious new power she discovers will change how she thinks about her powers...

Review:

Review #145 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Details:

Title: Thunderhead

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Walker Books

ISBN 13: 978-1406379532

Synopsis:

It’s been a year since Rowan went off-grid. Hunted by the Scythedom, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. Citra, meanwhile, is forging her path as Scythe Anastasia, gleaning with compassion. However, conflict within the Scythedom is growing by the day, and when Citra’s life is threatened, it becomes clear that there is a truly terrifying plot afoot.

The Thunderhead observes everything, and it does not like what it sees. Will it intervene?

Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

Review:

Review #144 - Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Details:

Title: Queen of Air and Darkness

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

ISBN 13: 978-1471116704

Synopsis:

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.

Review:

Review #143 - Blood and Sand

Details:

Title: Blood and Sand

Author: C.V.Wyk

Publisher: Tor Teen

ISBN 13: 978-0765380098

Synopsis:

FORGED IN BATTLE...
FROM THE DUST OF THE ARENA...
A LEGEND WILL RISE

The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic--and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus...

For teens who love strong female protagonists in their fantasy and historical fiction, Blood and Sand is a stirring, yet poignant tale of two slaves who dared take on an empire by talented debut author C. V. Wyk.

Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire--an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.

Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master's favor. Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end--and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus...

Review:

Review #142 - Explorers on Witch Mountain by Alex Bell

Details:

Title: Explorers on Witch Mountain

Author: Alex Bell

Publisher: Faber and Faber

ISBN 13: 978-0571332564

Synopsis:

Stella Starflake Pearl is eagerly anticipating her next expedition. Suddenly disaster strikes when Stella's father, Felix, is snatched by a fearsome witch. Stella must bring her magic ice princess tiara to Witch Mountain or she will never see Felix again! But no one ever returns from Witch Mountain...

Stella, Ethan, Shay, Beanie and reluctant Jungle Cat explorer, Percival, set off into the unknown. They will face terrifying bat caves, poisonous apple groves, outraged vultures, argumentative mushrooms and deranged broomsticks in their quest to rescue Felix.

Review:

Review #141 - Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Details:

Title: Small Spaces

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: GP Putnam's Sons Books

ISBN 13: 978-0525515029

Synopsis:

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

Review:

Review #140 - Ms Marvel vol 2 - Various

Details:

Title: Ms Marvel Vol 2

Author: Various

Publisher: Marvel

ISBN 13: 978-0785198369

Synopsis:

Kamala Khan may not be allowed to go to the school Valentine's Day dance, but Ms. Marvel will crash it - in an attempt to capture Asgard's most annoying trickster, Loki! And when a mysterious, and really cute, stranger arrives in Jersey City, Ms. Marvel must deal with...a crush! Then, it's the moment you demanded, as Ms. Marvel meets her idol: Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan battle side by side! The Marvel Universe's last days have arrived, but Ms. Marvel has no time for silly things like armageddon - she's got to rescue her brother and keep her city from falling into chaos.

COLLECTING: MS. MARVEL (2014) #12-19, S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014) #2; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2014) #7-8 (A stories)

Review:

Review #139 - The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

Details:

Title: The Explorer

Author: Katherine Rundell

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN 13: 978-1408854877

Synopsis:

From his seat in the tiny aeroplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him. He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries. If only he could land and look about him.

As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice. He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place. With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small.

Except, it seems, someone has been there before them...

Review:

Review #138 - This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada

Details:

Title: This Cruel Design

Author: Emily Suvada

Publisher: Penguin

ISBN 13: 978-0141379289

Synopsis:

In bunkers and strongholds across the world, people are celebrating. There's a vaccine to the virus that has ravaged the planet for years.

But the celebrations won't last for long.

The vaccine isn't working. The virus is evolving. Catarina - genehacker, reluctant warrior - must find the one person who can help her. A man who is guilty of unimaginable crimes.

Time is ticking, she only has three days before shadowy gentech corporation Cartaxus will use lethal code to wipe out every person on the planet's surface.

Kill the hosts, kill the virus.

Forced to question everything she knows and everyone she trusts, Cat discovers that the biggest threat of all may be buried in her own mind.

The end of the world is approaching. Can she stop it? 

Review:

Review #137 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Details:

Title: Scythe

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Walker Books

ISBN 13: 978-1406379242

Synopsis:

In a world where disease, war and crime have been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed ("gleaned") by professional scythes. Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythes' apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation, they must learn the art of killing and understand the necessity of what they do.

Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe's apprentice and as Citra and Rowan come up against a terrifyingly corrupt Scythedom, it becomes clear that the winning apprentice's first task will be to glean the loser.

Review:

Review #136 - Frostfire by Jamie Smith

Details:

Title: Frostfire

Author: Jamie Smith

Publisher: Chicken House

ISBN 13: 978-1911077879

Synopsis:

Chosen for the honour of bonding with a frostsliver - a fragment of the sentient glacier that crests her icy home - Sabira embarks on the dangerous pilgrimage to the top of the mountain. But when a huge avalanche traps her on the glacier and destroys the pass, Sabira is determined to find another way home. In order to survive, she must face up to the merciless mountain - but there are dark and fiery secrets hiding in its depths ...

Review:

Review #135 - The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth

Details:

Title: The Light Between Worlds

Author: Laura Weymouth

Publisher: Chicken House

ISBN 13: 978-1911490036

Synopsis:

Six years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell were swept from war-torn England and into a woodland fantasy kingdom. Now back in the real world, eldest sister Philippa is relieved, but Evelyn is grieving for the magical place she called home. When she goes missing, Philippa must confront the truth of what happened to them, and the lengths her little sister was willing to go for a chance to return to the kingdom of her heart ...

Review:

November Wrap Up

So in November 2018 I managed to read a total of 12 books, .

In order of reading I completed Tyrant's Throne by Sebastien de Castell, Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend, A Storm of Ice and Stars by Lisa Lueddecke, Vengeful by VE Schwab, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith, Soulbinder by Sebastien de Castell, The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth, Frostfire by Jamie Smith, Scythe by Neal Shusterman, This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada and The Explorer by Katherine Rundell.

 

 

Stats -  

Hardback = 2

Paperback = 6

Graphic Novel/Manga = 0

Audiobook = 4

Ebook = 0

 My 5 star reads were Tyrant's Throne, Soulbinder and Scythe. Tyrant's Throne was an incredible ending for this series and I absolutely adored it. Soulbinder was a re-read (this time I listened on audio) and I still adored it. Scythe, well this book just blew me away. I cannot believe I waited this long to read it and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

This month all of the books I read were worth reading, none of them were too disappointing at all.

Review #134 - Soulbinder by Sebastien de Castell (re-read)

Details:

Title: Soulbinder

Author: Sebastien de Castell

Publisher: Hot Key Books

ISBN 13: 978-1471406737

Synopsis:

Kellen and his murderous squirrel cat, Reichis, are on their own. They've heard rumour of a mythical monastery, known as the Ebony Abbey. It's a place that outsiders can never find - but Kellen is getting desperate. He's been told that the monks inside the Ebony Abbey know more about the Shadowblack than anyone else - and that they even know how to cure it.

Then Kellen and Reichis are separated and for the first time, Kellen must face the world alone - and venture deeper into shadow magic than he ever knew he could.

Review:

Review #133 - The Wonky Donkey

Details:

Title: The Wonky Donkey

Author: Craig Smith

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN 13: 978-1407195575

Synopsis:

The Wonky Donkey – as seen in the viral YouTube sensation! After this video of a Scottish grandmother reading The Wonky Donkey to her grandson went viral, Scholastic is reprinting to meet the enormous surge in demand. Children will be in fits of laughter with this perfect read-aloud tale of an endearing donkey. By the book's final page, readers end up with a spunky, hanky-panky, cranky, stinky, dinky, lanky, honky-tonky, winky wonky donkey! With fun lyrics and illustrations, this picture book based on an award-winning song will appeal to adults and children alike.

Summoning Spells: A Summoner Readathon TBR

From 30th November until 30th December I am going to be taking part in the Summoning Spells: A Summoner Readathon. 

I will leave a link to the original blog post explaining it all here.

So based on the Summoner Series by Taran Matharu, each summoning spell has a different prompt attached to it and at the end of the readathon Kath (the lovely host) will be revealing what summoning level you achieved depending on how many prompts were completed.

The post linked above explains it in more detail so please do check that out.

Without further ado onto my TBR...

Review #132 - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Details:

Title: The Priory of the Orange Tree

Author: Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN 13: 978-1408883464

Synopsis:

A world divided.

A queendom without an heir.

An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.