Rating: 4.5 STARS Genre: YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees. TW: Attempted rape of a child, child marriage, child abuse, murder (incl. children)
We selected this book for the April 2021 Turn The Page book club. Can I just say that this book really exceeded my expectations?! I haven't read any other books by Alexandra Bracken, and this book seems to have some mixed ratings, but the Hunger Games/Divergent comparisons initially put me off, as dystopian fiction isn't really my thing. Thankfully, while this book reminded me of both, for me at least, it outshone them. “Scars are tallies of the battles you’ve survived.” The book begins with a poem from Zeus before we're launched immediately into bloodshed as a new God murders an old God. It's a short but bloody and brutal introduction, setting the tone for the rest of the book. I absolutely love Greek mythology and had sort of forgotten how much until I started reading this book. And regardless of what happens, Artemis is still my queen! The first chapter introduces us to Lore, fighting in a boxing ring. She basically kicks ass and is immediately compelling in her ferocity and through her struggle with grief. “It wasn't that anger was inherently good or bad. It could lend power and drive and focus, but the longer it lived inside you unchecked, the more poisonous it became.” Lore's character makes this story work. Without her, it wouldn't have gripped me how it did, forcing me to keep reading even though the plot, for at least the first quarter/third of the book, is quite slow and drawn out. Miles, Lore's best friend and housemate really helped as well. He's funny, sweet and caring, with a sarcastic, edgy side that comes out later, and I love him! He deserves all good things, and I'd have loved some chapters from his POV. As Lore finds herself face to face with a wounded Athena on her doorstep, she's suddenly plunged back into the world she's spent seven years hiding from, and things get interesting. The entire story flits back and forth across New York as Lore does what she feels is necessary to avenge her family and save Athena. I really enjoyed the contrast of the new gods and the old gods, and while some of the history, politics, bloodlines etc was a bit confusing, I think the mythology and the backstory it provided added to the story enough to make it less dystopian in style and allowed the fantasy to take a better hold of the story. What really kept this plot moving was the sheer amount of twists and treachery. Honestly, it got to the point where I expected every single character to betray Lore with their ulterior motives, or to end up murdered themselves. At one point, things got so bad (in a good way) that I was begging Lore to just murder everyone, and had to take a quick emotional support break via a tub of Ben & Jerry's. “Monsters lived in the shadows. To hunt them, you couldn’t be afraid to follow. And the only way to destroy them was to have the sharper teeth and the darker heart.” The author did a fantastic job of revealing just a snippet of information, forcing me to keep reading, while never giving too much away. Until when she finally did, it had the most impact. Making it so that I couldn't stop reading. I was worried about the LGBT+ characters in this book who I was really hoping wouldn't go down the usual, 'let's kill them to hurt the chief character' route. While I don't want to give too much away, I really enjoyed the direction the author took, in a way that was much more compelling than the storyline between Lore and Cas, her childhood best friend. I really didn't like these two characters together at first as Cas seemed to tame some of Lore's wildness and the relationship felt a little forced after 7 years apart. I did, however, love the ending, which wasn't a cliffhanger (thank the Gods!!) and left me reeling from everything that had happened. There are some difficult themes dealt with in this book, as outlined in the trigger warnings above, but what the author does well is she uses them to make Lore an advocate for women's rights and a spearhead for change among the bloodlines (districts, factions.....) “Monsters had fangs, but that was why lionesses were given claws.” Overall, I really enjoyed the characters, the unexpected twists and deceptions and the brutality of this story which, while painful, felt necessary to the story and in keeping with the darkness of Greek mythology. I think fans of Percy Jackson, The Mortal Instruments, and The Hunger Games would particularly enjoy this diverse feminist fantasy. “A person alone could be controlled, but a person loved by others would always be under their protection.” Hello lovelies!
So, after sharing my March 2021 Book Wrap-Up yesterday, I figured it was only fair to take a look at some of the books I'm hoping to read in April & May. This is the first year I've really tried setting myself a TBR, because of the whole mood reader thing, but so far, so good. I've actually read everything that was on my Jan & Feb TBR, plus a couple of extra books in March, so I'm really pleased with myself and marginally optimistic that I can stick to it! So, let's take a look at my TBR for the next couple of months. As always, click the buttons beneath each book to add to your Goodreads or Storygraph TBR. Happy April!
Spring is officially here in the UK and we've had some truly gorgeous sunshine over the past week, although the forecast looks like snow this week - go figure!?! March was definitely my best reading month of the year so far. I've loved everything I've read this month, including my very first 5-star read of 2021! So, here's a quick wrap-up of what I read in March. As always, click on the book title for the full review (if available). Happy Sunday book lovers, and happy Easter (if you celebrate!)
I don't, but I do love chocolate eggs, and this tag sounds like it'll be loads of fun! I found this tag on Pinot and Pages, but it was originally created by Rosie the Reader. Right, let's get to the questions! Rating: 4 STARS Genre: F/F Contemporary Romance Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love—and the inevitable heartbreak—is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass. Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account, Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate. But she knows it is most assuredly not Darcy... a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, who is way too analytical, punctual, and skeptical for someone as free-spirited as Elle. When Darcy’s brother—and Elle's new business partner—expresses how happy he is that they hit it off, Elle is baffled. Was Darcy on the same date? Because... awkward. When Darcy begs Elle to play along, she agrees to pretend they’re dating to save face. But with a few conditions: Darcy must help Elle navigate her own overbearing family over the holidays and their arrangement expires on New Year’s Eve. The last thing they expect is to develop real feelings during a fake relationship. But maybe opposites can attract when true love is written in the stars? TW: Cheating (past)
I'm really annoyed at myself for waiting so long to read this! It's an 'own voices' f/f romance, with lesbian and bisexual rep with influences from Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones, and it was so much fun to read. “There was only so much chafing a girl could handle, and Elle Jones had reached her limit.” Darcy and Elle are complete opposites. Meticulous, realistic, and standoffish on one hand and an ever-optimistic, free-spirited astrologer on the other, they're a match made in disaster! A blind date gone wrong, Elle and Darcy get off on completely the wrong foot, neither one expecting to see the other ever again. But a little white lie grows out of control, and the two soon form a truce through a mutually beneficial fake relationship. Fake relationship and slow burn, enemies-to-lovers are some of my favourite tropes! I love the tension and chemistry build between two characters who, at first, don't see eye-to-eye and have to fight their feelings for each other. Both characters are complex and well-developed. Darcy is struggling to cope with heartbreak and her meddling, over-protective younger brother. Elle is trying to make a success of her business while dealing with the constant overshadowing of her family and feeling like a disappointment. “Elle loved herself, but what a feeling it must be, being loved by someone else exactly as you are, quirks and warts and all. She wouldn't know.” Elle is definitely my favourite character. I love her carefree, ditzy spirit, which is a brilliant contrast to Darcie's standoffish persona (although she's a complete marshmallow on the inside). The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the misunderstanding towards the end, but I loved the steaminess! So, if you like grumpy cinnamon rolls and free-spirited optimists, you'll love this sweet and steamy LGBTQ+ romance. “Life would be a lot better if we all spent a little more time staring at the stars.” I was really excited to be able to get a one-off Illumicrate box this month. The box and the fandoms sound incredible and I can't wait to unbox it.
After this month, I'll be getting the Illumicrate book-only boxes, unless any full-box spots open up! Before we get started, here's a quick reminder of the March 2021 theme reveal: Our March theme is FIGHTING SPIRIT! 💛 Our chosen book this month follows a soldier and a princess both with divided loyalties. Should the soldier be loyal to the homeland she barely remembers, or the nation she was conscripted to fight for? Will the princess choose her desire to claim her rightful throne, or the opportunity to aid a colonised land? There are many battles to fight and with their budding feelings for each other complicating matters, which path will they both take? 💛 If you like yearning, scheming and #WomenWithWeapons then this North African-inspired debut is absolutely the book for you. Our Illumicrate Edition comes with exclusive sprayed edges, an exclusive hidden cover and is signed by the author! Both the book only & full box option also come with a matching pin designed by @stacey.mcevoy.caunt 💛 Our featured fandoms for March are The Court of Miracles, Kingdom of the Wicked, Winternight, The Bone Witch and an officially licensed The Dark Artifices item! This is also a @rosiethorns88 mug month! Our items this month are all beautiful and useable, we can't wait to bring you some reveals. I have no idea what book this is but it's a diverse, f/f fantasy, and it sounds fantastic. I'm also really excited for the Winternight item and the mug, I haven't had a new mug bookish in forever! Okay, let's get unboxing! Obviously, there will be spoilers for this box beyond this point, so stop reading now if you don't want to know what's in this one. ⠀ Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Malice by Heather Walter! I'm SO EXCITED to share my review of this book with you! I haven't stopped thinking about it since I put it down and I really, really can't wait for it to release on April 13th! Less than two weeks to go! Huge thanks to DelRayUK and Rachel Kennedy for the ARC copy of this book and for allowing me to be part of the tour. Keep reading to check out the synopsis (queer sleeping beauty, villain POV), my review (5 STARS!!) and don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour! Rating: 5 STARS!! Genre: F/F Fantasy, Fairytale Re-telling, Romance Series/Standalone: Malice #1 How I got this book: Paperback ARC via DelRayUK Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss. You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after. Utter nonsense. Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either. Until I met her. Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse. But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world. Nonsense again. Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I-- I am the villain. There are also SIGNED hardback copies of Malice available to pre-order now from Forbidden Planet! Do you see now why I was so excited to read this?!
It's not every day that you get a queer, feminist Sleeping Beauty re-telling from the villain's perspective! I should start by saying that I made a couple of assumptions before reading this book:
I guess I should also mention that Sleeping Beauty is one of my least favourite Disney fairytales (I haven't read the original). I hate how two-dimensional Aurora is; I hate that a kiss from a practical stranger wakes her from her curse and equals true love. I enjoyed the Maleficent film adaptation and the mother/daughter true love spin, but it really intrigued me to see what Heather Walter has created in Malice, giving us a new villain, a feminist princess, and an f/f romance. The world that Heather has created is fascinating, particularly the fey, new creatures called vila, and the graces. I love that she's retained the essence of Sleeping Beauty while also drastically changing the characters and the world itself into something much more compelling. I found the magic particularly intriguing, where the graces are controlled and must draw blood to use their magic. Alyce is a brilliant protagonist. She's flawed, like many of us, and her insecurities make her even more relatable. She has a moral conscious, be it somewhat grey from the treatment she's endured at the hands of those afraid of her and cruel to her, and while ridiculed for her physical appearance and feared because of her unusual blood, she maintains an essence of goodness and a willingness to trust in others. Seeing Alyce develop and grow as a character was easily the best and most compelling part of this book. Aurora at first seems in complete contrast to Alyce. Born into privilege as a princess and naturally beautiful, but just as trapped by circumstance and those around her. I also love how the author has breathed new life into the curse aspect of this dark fairytale, giving it new meaning and a darker, more tragic history. As Alyce and Aurora discover more about themselves, and each other, dark secrets lead to fresh revelations in shocking twists and turns similar (in that they took me by surprise and kept me guessing) to those in Holly Black's Folk of the Air series. I loved the relationship build-up between Alyce and Aurora. It's almost a slow burn in that it takes time for the two to become close as they go warily (on Alyce's part) from strangers to friends to lovers, facing challenges along the way. The one sex scene was really refreshing in its honesty and is beautifully written. As well as the two main characters, the side characters in this novel are well developed and feature heavily in the plot which is fast-paced and gripping, I honestly couldn't put it down and read the whole thing in a couple of sittings. The ending completely blew me away. I'd gone in expecting a happy ending, and I'm so glad that the author took things in a different direction. It showed Alyce's growth as a character perfectly and left me feeling completely awed and in love with her. She's just incredibly badass. I cannot wait for the next book and to, hopefully, see more villainy and epic action from Alyce, who has quickly become one of my favourite characters of all time. If you love the kinds of shocking twists found in books by Holly Black and Jay Kristoff, paired with feminist, sapphic heroes and villains, you'll devour Malice by Heather Walter. It's easily the best book I've read so far this year! Also, if you enjoy bookish podcasts, you can catch my review of Malice by Heather Walter on Episode 7 of the Turn The Page podcast. |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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