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This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Author: Victoria Schwab

Original Release Date: 5th July 2016

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

My Overall Thoughts:

How this woman comes up with her ideas I’ll never know but I love them. This Savage Song is defiantly darker than your usual YA and that’s one of the things I loved most about it, Schwab doesn’t try and hide anything from her readers, she doesn’t fluff anything up for them or try and shield them from the horrors of her world. It’s right there in front of you which makes it such a tragic book.

The whole concept is heartbreaking, with posters growing from violent acts and what is considered the most monstrous of all actually being the most human. The way that Schwab crafts her characters makes you connect to them when they are nothing like you which is what I love about her writing and she does it exactly the same in this novel. Although I did prefer reading about August to Kate I still connected with them both and didn’t find myself rushing Kate’s chapters to read about August like I usually do when there are multiple perspectives. Also, no romance! One of the most amazing parts of this book is that the two main characters are male and female and there is no romance what so ever, just a mutual respect for each other and a budding friendship.

Like I could with all of Schwab’s books that I’ve read I could go on for ever about the depth and development to her worlds, she makes something that should seem out of this world so realistic. The world she creates in this duology is so like our own in so many ways yet like nothing I have ever read before.

As much as I enjoyed this book it didn’t quite match the emotion and love I have for her trilogy, Shades of Magic, so I couldn’t quite give it 5 stars but if you’re new to Schwabs books then this is where I’d recommend to start. It matches Shades of Magic in every aspect, character development, world building, thrilling plot, but for me Shades of Magic is just more my type of book.

Follow this link for more of my book reviews!

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Original Release Date: 4th Feb 2016

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

My Overall Thoughts:

When I first started reading this book I was slightly confused about the setting, was it western cowboy or Indian desert? Well it’s a little bit of both, mainly Indian desert but with a badass protagonist who could easily take out any cowboy with her pistol.

The characters are so rich and develop amazingly throughout the novel and although the goodreads synopsis above talks about the romance in the book it wasn’t a huge part of it. I did enjoy watching it develop but it wasn’t the main focus, there were other far more important things happening and I really enjoyed that part of it.

The world and the magic system itself weren’t the usual type I enjoy reading, I much prefer worlds with magic flowing freely but I was really drawn into Miraji and the different magical beasts and powers that you encounter throughout the book. The second half of the novel was definitely my favourite because there was more magic present but I don’t want to say much more else incase I spoil it for you all.

Although I loved this book the slower first half meant I couldn’t quite give it 5 stars. But it is an amazingly developed diverse fantasy that I would recommend to any fantasy lover or anyone looking to branch into the genre.

For more reviews head over to my blog!

A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

Author: V. E. Schwab

Original Release Date: 23rd Feb 2016

Genre: YA/Fantasy’Alternate Reality

Rating: 5 out of 5

My Overall Thoughts:

This book is just perfect. I was so worried it would suffer from second book syndrome, especially when I read that it was about a magic competition (it’s been done so many times!) but Schwab manages to make it so original. Although the competition is the main focus of the plot in this book there’s still so much else happening that half the time I completely forgot the competition was happening. Then when the focus was back on the Element Games I was sucked in and didn’t want those sections to end. There was the perfect balance of magic, competition and actual plot in this book.

The real winner for this series for me will always be the characters. I have never connected with characters that I am nothing a like so well. I was so worried they would all change after the events of books 1 (you can read my full review here) and they did change a little. But it was appropriate change for the events, they were still fundamentally themselves and I love these characters so much so it made me so happy.

I’m not going to say much else about this book because I could honestly ramble about it forever. All you need to know it this book made me laugh out loud, it made me cry, it made me smile, it made me want to throw it against the wall in frustration! (But I didn’t because it’s a precious book). It is one of my favourite series of all time (second to Harry Potter and joint with Percy Jackson) and I would recommend it to absolutely everyone even if fantasy isn’t your thing because this will make fantasy your thing.

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More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Author: Adam Silvera

Original Release Date: 2nd June 2015

Genre: YA/Contemporary/LGBTQIA+

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

My Overall Thoughts:

This book was The Book Clubs personal choice for last August (I’m very behind on my reviews) and I went in pretty blind. I’d heard a lot of praise for the book and knew it focused on LGBTQ+ characters but that was about it.

The writing style is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, it felt very unattached and that really fit with the plot of the novel and the whole ‘company that helps you forget’ aspect. But I am a very character focused person, the plot of a book can be complete rubbish as long as I connect to the characters, so reading this was really weird for me because it was so unattached I didn’t feel attached to the characters.

But as I got further into the book I found myself getting attached without realising it. I was growing invested in what happened to Aaron, his family and friends and hoping for a happy outcome. I still wasn’t as attached as I normally am and I think that was because of the writing style of the novel.

I loved the story, the concept and I appreciate the reasons behind the writing style but the disconnect with the characters just did not pull me in as much as I was hoping it would. I couldn’t quite give this book 4 stars because it didn’t quite give me the enjoyment my other 4 star reads have but Adam’s novel is extremely important in today’s society and I would recommend it to people based on that alone.

Check out my other reviews over on my blog!

Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall

Author: Sandy Hall

Original Release Date: 20th Oct 2015

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

My Overall Thoughts:

I don’t usually read contemporary novels, I like to stay firmly in the fantasy genre but last year I had a sudden urge to dive into some contemporary and this book caught my eye. Not only is the cover gorgeous but the plot sounded cute and fluffy which is exactly what I needed.

Is this breaking the mould and unlike any other contemporary you’ve read before? No. Is it your typical cute story about two teens who have known each other but never got to know each other and when they do they fall for each other? Yes. There are a couple of surprises along the way (I won’t say too much, don’t want to spoil it for you) but nothing I couldn’t have predicted would happen.

The characters are very likeable and I really enjoyed that Teo wasn’t the typical overly popular jock but instead a friendly, down to earth guy who just needs someone to talk to. Jane is likeable as well, I was expecting her to be the manic pixie dream girl type but instead she was just normal. She didn’t always make the best decisions and wanted to do what was best for everyone else. The one character I really did like was Jane’s sister, again I don’t want to reveal too much but I would love a sequel focused on her.

Did this book blow my mind? No. But it did make me smile, it was exactly what I needed at the time. A quick read that didn’t take a lot of concentration, just something to breeze through in the sun when my brain was fried.

Read my other reviews over on my blog!

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I bought myself *another* Harry Potter set ✨

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And all the world is full of stories, but the strories are all one - Mitch Alboom

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The circus arrives without warning 🎪💫

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afictionalescape

Book Colour Challenge - February (Purple)

Here are the books I’m reading for this months book colour challenge. I’m really happy with my choices! I’ve already read Starflight and loved it, I’m really into sci-fi recently and this was exactly what I wanted it to be. I’m looking forward to reading Witch’s Pyre and finishing off the Worldwalker trilogy. And Scent of Magic is a book that has been sitting on my shelf for ages because I just haven’t got round to reading it. I loved the first book in the series though I read it ages ago, so I’m hoping I can get back into this series.

January

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Oh Niffler you are so stinkin’ cute! - #bookishfeatures#books#bookstagram#goodreads#igreads#bookstagramfeature#booknerd#bookaddict#reader#bookworm#instabook#bibliophile#bookish#bookgram#booklover#igbooks#bookstagrammer#booksofinstagram#libraryofbookstagram#bookphotography#booklove#readersofinstagram#bookdepository#potterhead#fantasticbeastsandwheretofindthem#jkrowling#Mar2017

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hanpula-deactivated20180216

January bookhaul. 📚

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superspacechick

A book I’m definitely reading this year (because I’m reading it right now 😉) is A Gathering of Shadows! I’m glad I’ll be all caught up for A Conjuring of Light in February. I’m actually enjoying this installment even more than the first. I love Lila / Kell / Rhys so much! ❤ #bookishrainbow17 #lilbookishjanuary

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