carefulofbooks: November 2018

Tuesday, 27 November 2018

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:

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...

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.

Review #131 - Vengeful by VE Schwab

Details:

Title: Vengeful

Author: VE Schwab

Publisher: Titan Books

ISBN 13: 978-1785652486

Synopsis:

Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Victor Vale and Eli Ever. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Great partnerships, now soured on the vine.

But Marcella Riggins needs no one. Flush from her brush with death, she's finally gained the control she s always sought-and will use her newfound power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She'll do whatever it takes, collecting her own sidekicks, and leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, against each other once more.

With Marcella's rise, new enmities create opportunity-and the stage of Merit City will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.

Details:

Title: A Storm of Ice and Stars

Author: Lisa Lueddecke

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN 13: 978-1407174044

Synopsis:

Blood-red lights have appeared in the sky over the frozen island of Skane, causing a cloak of fear and suspicion to fall over the village like a blanket of snow. In a desperate attempt to keep out the plague, the village elders barricade its borders - no-one, no matter how in need of help, will be permitted to enter in case they bring infection with them. Teenager Janna refuses to turn her back on people seeking refuge and is banished to the swirling snow and lurking darkness beyond the village. Can she survive?

Details:

Title: Wundersmith - The Calling of Morrigan Crow

Author: Jessica Townsend

Publisher: Orion Children's Books

ISBN 13: 978-1510104440

Synopsis:

Imagination, discovery and friendship await Morrigan Crow when she escapes her deadly curse and joins the Wundrous Society. It promises her protection and belonging for life - but then Morrigan doesn't receive the welcome she hoped for...

Morrigan is a much-feared Wundersmith. So, instead of the Society helping Morrigan to embrace her power, she is only taught that all Wundersmiths are evil and she must suppress her mysterious ability at all costs.

To make things worse, Nevermoor is quickly turning from a place of safety into one of danger. Society members are going missing, someone is blackmailing Morrigan's new friends, turning them against her. And Ezra Squall, the evillest man who ever lived, is determined to lure Morrigan from the Society by promising to reveal the true nature of the Wunder that calls to her, which is becoming ever harder to resist...

Has Morrigan's dream of escaping her cursed life ended before it truly began?

Details:

Title: Tyrant's Throne

Author: Sebastien de Castell

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

ISBN 13: 978-1782066842

Synopsis:

Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, is on the brink of fulfilling his dead King's dream: soon, Aline will take the throne and restore the rule of law once and for all.

But in Tristia, nothing is ever that simple. In neighbouring Avares, an enigmatic warlord has risen, and his closest ally is none other than Falcio's old nemesis Trin. With the armies of Avares at her back, she'll be unstoppable.

Falcio, Kest and Brasti go racing north to stop her, but in those treacherous climes they discover something altogether different, and far more dangerous . . .

Review #127 - Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Details:

Title: Kingdom of Ash

Author: Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN 13: 978-1408872918

Synopsis:

Aelin Galathynius's journey from slave to assassin to queen reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world .

She has risked everything to save her people - but at a tremendous cost. Locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will to endure the months of torture inflicted upon her. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unravelling with each passing day.

With Aelin imprisoned, Aedion and Lysandra are the last line of defence keeping Terrasen from utter destruction. But even the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save the kingdom. Scattered throughout the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian must forge their own paths to meet their destinies. And across the sea Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen - before she is lost to him.

Some bonds will deepen and others be severed forever, but as the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight if they are to find salvation - and a better world.

October Wrap Up and November TBR

So in October 2018 I managed to read a total of 11 books, this was pretty good considering one of them was over 900 pages long.

In order of reading I completed Saint's Blood by Sebastien de Castell, Magic Misfits: The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris, Mirage by Somaiya Daud, Otherearth by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, Saga vol 9 by Brian K Vaughan, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee, The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle, The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby, Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James, I Hate Fairyland vol 4 by Skottie Young and Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas.

Stats -

Hardback = 4

Paperback = 1

Graphic Novel/Manga = 2

Audiobook = 3

Ebook = 1

My 5 star reads were Saint's Blood, Saga vol 9 and Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. Saint's Blood was an incredible third book and I cannot believe there is only one book left in the greatcoats series. Saga vol 9 is obviously the ninth book in the series so I won't say much other than that was an evil cliffhanger considering we won't get more for a year. Lady's Guide was amazing, such a fun sequel and empowering too.

This month none of the books I read were very disappointing which was nice, a couple could have been better but overall I liked everything I read.

So in November I am hoping to read the following. This is somewhat ambitious but I'm hoping to get a good amount read.