Month: June 2020

TBR, Top Ten Tuesdays

❄️Winter TBR❄️

by amyleighreads14 Comments on ❄️Winter TBR❄️

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is the books I plan to read this Winter! I’ve gone over my previous seasonal TBR’s and I found I haven’t really been sticking to them a whole lot, I do however have a lot of fun compiling the list of book I am excited to read! 

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The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence

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Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

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The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

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Heart of Flames by Nicki Pau Preto

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Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

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The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

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The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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The Red Queen’s War Series by Mark Lawrence

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Reviews

Winterwood Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Winterwood Review

*Spoilers Below*

43822698This book is about a girl named Nora Walker who comes from a long line of Walker women who are rumoured to be witches. They have always lived on the edge of a haunted wood named the Winterwood that only Walker woman can traverse as finders of the mysterious objects that’s appear there.

I absolutely loved the overall premise and atmosphere of this book. I think it is definitely one of Shea Ernshaw’s strengths in her writing, I felt like I was actually there on the mountain experiencing the freezing cold along with Nora.

The history of the Walker women was super fascinating and I absolutely loved the fact that we got inserts from their history and their recipes they’ve come up with over the years. It added much needed depth and a sense of history that really reinforced the whimsical nature of these women and how each of their stories impacted Nora throughout the plot.

Nora at times I thought was a little naïve and unprepared for the situations that she walked into. Going to that party and trying to confront those boys and ending up stranded and locked in the room unable to help herself was a little frustrating at times. She definitely had the best intentions, especially when they built the fire too close to the trees, but she lacked a bit of assertiveness. Even when she was leading them to the Winterwood even though she knew they shouldn’t go in there she didn’t really do anything to prevent the situation.

The romance was a little too insta-lovey for me as well. They didn’t really know each other for that long and the fact that this girl literally went back in time to save him demonstrating how much she loved him was a tad much for me to be really convinced. If they had maybe spent a little more time together and actually cultivated a relationship I would be more inclined to believe it.

Other than that I was swept away into the story line and I just kind of enjoyed myself. The few plot twists that were thrown in there were entertaining, a few I predicted a mile away and others, especially Nora’s magical ability I didn’t see coming at all!

⭐️4/5 stars A quick, fun, kind of spooky, ominous read!

Reviews

Storm Front Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Storm Front Review

47212._SY475_Really enjoyed this!!!

This book is the first of a series called the Dresdan Files that has 15 books in total with another 2 being released in the near future! It revolves around a wizarding detective called Harry Dresdan in modern day Chicago and the antics he gets up to helping the police with any supernatural crimes.

This is really a cult classic that I had actually never heard of until quite recently. I’ve been trying to delve a little deeper into the fantasy genre and get around to reading some of these series that have been out and beloved by the masses. So I went into this book with my expectations quite high, and was pleasantly surprised.

Harry is one the most likeable characters ever! There is something about that him that immediately endeared him to me and I was very much attached to him right from the start. He has that leap without looking mentality which I really enjoy in our main protagonists; it makes them more spontaneous and natural in a way, more realistic. I can’t wait to find out more about his background and his education with his previous master and how that deteriorated in the books to come.

The way his two seemingly unrelated cases were entangled together and the way he uncovered the truth through his reasoning’s was highly entertaining. I had no idea what direction that plot was going to go in next and given his unpredictability I was enthralled right from the start. They way that information regarding magic and their rules and regulations was presented made sense and wasn’t overwhelming in any way.

It wasn’t the most sophisticated fantasy novel that I have ever read but it didn’t have to be. It was pure adrenaline, fast paced action with a couple of cool fighting scenes. I’ve heard Harry Dresdan is quite the gunslinger in the series and that wasn’t really highlighted at all in this book so again I’m just excited to find about more about his character and what he will get up to in the series to come!

⭐️4/5 stars it felt like an episode of Law and Order with a fantastical twist!

Book Lists

Russian Inspired Reads

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Russian Inspired Reads

Over the last couple of years I’ve tried tried to broaden my reading horizons and pick up books with different settings and cultures from my own and I’ve come across one particular setting that I have really enjoyed which is Russian inspired reads. Most of these are fantasy books and there is just something about the atmosphere and tone of these stories that immediately had me engaged!

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The Crown’s Game & The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye

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The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

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The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

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Uprooted & Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

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Reviews

A Winter’s Promise Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on A Winter’s Promise Review

40969531._SX318_Better than I was expecting!

This book is about a girl called Ophelia who is able to read inanimate objects and travel through mirrors. She can trace the origins of the object and is able to glean the owner’s thoughts at the time of touching the object.

Ophelia is one of those main protagonists who doesn’t see herself as special and would describe herself as scraggly and ugly. She doesn’t have much self-confidence, is timid and at the start just succumbs to the rules and regulations set forth by her and Thorn’s family. Usually when we have female main protagonists like this I end up hating them and becoming disinterested in the story but because the plot line was so compelling I was still very much engaged. She does show some growth over the course of the story line and develops a little more of a backbone, demanding answers and figuring out what was actually happening.

Thorn we didn’t see enough of in the book in my opinion. I was very interested in his character, especially his broodiness, which just appeals to me. Gradually we find out a little more about him and his background, why he is estranged from the rest of the Dragon clan. The twist at the end where Ophelia finds out he’s actually the one calling the shots confused me at first but as his plans become clear it does make sense.  I’m hoping he is a little more present in the next book. The banter between him and Ophelia was entertaining and I am starting to see a connection between the two of them, I’m interested to see how that progresses.

I loved the premise of the book; I found it highly unique and fresh. The world building could have been a little more developed; I was a little confused about the whole ark situation and what kind of world they are actually in. I would love a bit more history and origins of the different clans. I definitely want to find out more about what spurred the animosity between the different clans and how the heads of the families came to be! The magic system is what really grabbed my attention within the novel. How each of the different clans specialises in something and how that speciality manifests uniquely in each person. 

⭐️4/5 I’m intrigued, engaged and want to know more!