Review #66 - The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

Details:

Title: The Surface Breaks

Author: Louise O'Neill

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN 13: 978-1407185538

Synopsis:

Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice?

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Review #65 - Star Wars Shattered Empire by Greg Rucka

Details:

Title: Star Wars: Shattered Empire

Author: Greg Rucka

Publisher: Marvel

ISBN 13: 978-0785197812

Synopsis:

Journey with us into the time after the end of Star Wars: Episode IV Return of the Jedi! Writer Greg Rucka and artist Marco Checchetto take us past the destruction of the second Death Star--and into the chaos of a shattered Empire. Everything you need to know is right here! 

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Review #64 - Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Details:

Title: Sky in the Deep

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: Wednesday Books

ISBN 13: 978-1250168450

Synopsis:

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield--her brother, fighting with the enemy--the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother's friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she's spent her life hating.

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Review #63 - Saga vol 3 by Brian K Vaughan

Details:

Title: Saga vol 3

Author: Brian K. Vaughan

Publisher: Image Comics

ISBN 13: 978-1607069317

Synopsis:

Searching for their literary hero, new parents Marko and Alana travel to a cosmic lighthouse on the planet Quietus, while the couple's multiple pursuers finally close in on their targets.

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Review #62 - To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Details:

Title: To Kill A Kingdom

Author: Alexandra Christo

Publisher: Hot Key Books

ISBN 13: 978-1471407390

Synopsis:

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. 

With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most - a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. 

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavoury hobby - it's his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she's more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good. 

But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind's greatest enemy?

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Review #61 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Jason Fry

Details:

Title: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Author: Jason Fry

Publisher: Century

ISBN 13: 978-1780898414

Synopsis:

From the ashes of the Empire has arisen another threat to the galaxy’s freedom: the ruthless First Order. Fortunately, new heroes have emerged to take up arms―and perhaps lay down their lives―for the cause. Rey, the orphan strong in the Force; Finn, the ex-stormtrooper who stands against his former masters; and Poe Dameron, the fearless X-wing pilot, have been drawn together to fight side-by-side with General Leia Organa and the Resistance. But the First Order’s Supreme Leader Snoke and his merciless enforcer Kylo Ren are adversaries with superior numbers and devastating fire power at their command. Against this enemy, the champions of light may finally be facing their extinction. Their only hope rests with a lost legend: Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.

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May The Reading Force Be With You Readathon

In recognition of it been Star Wars month (May the 4th is traditionally Star Wars day and this year the movie Solo is also due to be released on May 24th) I decided to create my own readathon. 

So from the 4th May to 1st June the May the Reading Force Be With You readathon will be taking place.

The challenges are as follows:

1. Han Solo - Read a book with a lovable rogue or anti-hero
2. Leia Organa - Read a book involving a princess or a kingdom
3. Luke Skywalker - Read a book with a light cover
4. Darth Vader - Read a book with a dark cover
5. Rey - Read a book with a kick ass female character
6. Kylo Ren - Read a book involving revenge
7. Poe Dameron - Read a book featuring travel

8. Finn - Read a book involving transformation or change

9. The Droids - Read a book with sidekicks in it or cute animals on the cover

10. The Force - Read a book with magic in it

11. Force Ghost - Read a book of your choice

For completing different challenges you get different titles as follows:

1-2 Youngling

3-5 Padawan

6-8 Knight

9-11 Master

April Wrap Up and May TBR

So in April 2018 I managed to read a total of 15 books.

In order of reading I completed Charmcaster by Sebastien de Castell, The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse, Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman, Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst, Monstress vol 1 by Marjorie Liu, The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw, The Company of Eight by Harriet Whitehorn, I hate Fairyland vol 3 Good Girl by Skottie Young, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card vol 3 by CLAMP, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Princeless Raven the Pirate Princess vol 3 and 4 by Jeremy Whitley, Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust and Saga vol 2 by Brian K Vaughan.

  

 

Stats -  

Hardback = 4

Paperback = 2

Graphic Novel/Manga = 6

Audiobook = 2

Ebook = 1

 My 5 star reads were Charmcaster, Six of Crows and An Ember in the Ashes. Charmcaster was a brilliant instalment in the Spellslinger series, Six of Crows was an incredible ensemble heist story and An Ember in the Ashes was a great world building epic. The most disappointing read for me this month was Inkmistess, this had a lot of potential but was just lacking for me.

So in May I plan I have created my own readathon so information about that will be up soon and will form my tbr.

Review #60 - Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron

Details:

Title: Out of the Blue

Author: Sophie Cameron

Publisher: Macmillan

ISBN 13: 978-1509853168

Synopsis:

When angels start falling from the sky, it seems like the world is ending. For most people it doesn't. But for Jaya the world ended when her mother died, two weeks before the first angel fell.

Smashing down to earth at extraordinary speeds, wings bent, faces contorted, not a single one has survived and, as the world goes angel crazy, Jaya's father uproots the family to Edinburgh, intent on catching one alive. But Jaya can't stand his obsession and, struggling to make sense of her mother's sudden death and her own role on that fateful day, she's determined to stay out of it. Then something extraordinary happens: an angel lands right at Jaya’s feet, and it’s alive.

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Review #59 - A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

Details:

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight

Author: Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN 13: 978-1408890325

Synopsis:

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

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Review #58 - Saga vol 2 by Brian K Vaughan

Details:

Title: Saga vol 2

Author: Brian K Vaughan

Publisher: Image Comics

ISBN 13: 978-1607066927

Synopsis:

The smash-hit ongoing epic continues! Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and alien monstrosities, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters something truly frightening: her grandparents!

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OWL's Magical Readathon Wrap Up

From the 2nd to 29th April I took part in the OWL's Magical Readathon.

(video explaining it all here)

The challenges were as follows and I completed the highlighted subjects:

1. Ancient Runes - Read a book with a symbol on the cover
2. Arithmacy - Read a book with a number on the cover or in the title
3. Astronomy - Read a science fiction novel
4. Care of Magical Creatures - Read a book that includes magical creatures or features a magical creature on the cover
5. Charms - Read a fantasy book
6. Defence Against the Dark Arts - Read a book about/featuring secret societies/clubs
7. Divination - Read a book featuring prophecies

8. Herbology - Read a book with a nature related word in the title

9. History of Magic - Read a historical fiction book

10. Muggle Studies - Read a non-fiction book

11. Potions - Read a book about/with Alchemy

12. Transfiguration - Read a book that deals with transfiguration/shapeshifting or a book with a cat on the cover

Review #57 - Girls made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Details:

Title: Girls made of Snow and Glass

Author: Melissa Bashardoust

Publisher: Flatiron Books

ISBN 13: 978-1250171269

Synopsis:

At sixteen, Mina's mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone--has never beat at all, in fact, but she'd always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king's heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she'll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen's image, at her father's order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do--and who to be--to win back the only mother she's ever known...or else defeat her once and for all.

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