Review - The Stolen Girl by Zia Wesley

Title: The Stolen Girl (The Veil and the Crown #1)

Author: Zia Wesley

Synopsis:

The legend of Aimée Dubucq de Rivery, has survived on three continents for more than two hundred years. The Stolen Girl tells the first part of her extraordinary story, her adolescence on the Caribbean island of Martinique, and her voyage to Paris where her hopes of finding a husband are shattered. Resigned to live as an old maid at the ripe age of eighteen, she decides to become a nun and sets sail to visit her relatives on Martinique one last time. On the journey, she meets and falls in love with a dashing young Scotsman. But fate had other plans for Aimée, ones that were foretold by an African Obeah woman when she was fourteen years old.

My Thoughts:

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The legend of Aimée Dubucq de Rivery is quite extraordinary. She was a distant cousin of Joséphine de Beuharnais (Empress Joséphine later) with whom she spent her childhood together on the island of Martinique. 

According to the story both their futures had been foretold by a wise obeah woman and everything she said came to pass up to the last detail. The woman had said they would both become queens one day. The teenage girls squealed and clapped taking in the thought first, but the rest of the tale the woman told them began to trouble them as time went by. It seems neither of them could avoid what fate had in store for them eventually.

Aimée's destiny didn't lie in Paris as she first wished and imagined, although after she visited the city she didn't mind it very much after all. She didn't become a nun either, no matter how much her young mind had pondered the idea. Instead she was abducted by Turkish pirates and was gifted to the Sultan to be the jewel of his seraglio (harem). Tough luck, you'd say. Well, according to Zia Wesley and her book Aimée didn't have a miserable life in the harem at all. Interestingly Aimée's new way of life suited her sensual nature, excited and challanged her at the same time. What a twist!

Obviously the tale told in this book is romanticized in the extreme. Not by the author only, but by many other storytellers before her and by history itself. We are talking about a legend (there are theories that say that Aimée died on sea when the ship she was travelling with sank), and legends are very often sweetened up as time goes by. Let's not forget that the original happenings of this story took place short before the romantic era, so yeah... rely on the people of the 19th century to come up with fantastic stories about a beautiful white girl who gets abducted by pirates and gets to live an actually very comfortable life in an exotic place among hundreds of naked women.

Anyway, I live for heavily romanticized fiction (it's a weakness of mine...) and therefore it felt like this book was written for me. There's a lot of adventure in it: Aimée is born in Martinique where she is friends with Joséphine, she goes to France, visits Paris, lives in a convent, gets stolen by pirates, is taken to Turkey to be put in a harem... So much travelling, so much danger, so much... fun! She is also a virgin and a deeply catholic girl and it is interesting how she sees the situations she ends up in. 

Aimée starts out as an extremely naive character. With her willingness to obey everyone and her obsession with religion made her a bit annoying first, however later I warmed up to her a lot because she learns and accomodates easily to whatever goes on around her. The way she slowly pushed her christianity in the background and took on muslim habits was a bit surprising however, given how much her earlier years were determined by the religion she grew up with. She doesn't turn away from God completely I guess (no one asks her in the harem to give up her religion and she is often troubled by how much what she is asked to do goes against the word of the Bible), but she makes a conscious decision to adopt to the new habits of the people around her in order to survive.

The writing flows so well, I was lost in the story. The exotic setting and the rich descriptions delighted me. There was a lot of research put in this project, you can feel it while reading the book. I learned a lot about how a harem functioned at the time, what the women had to do, what they weren't allowed to do, how their days passed there. It was very fascinating.

I'm grateful this novel drew my attention to Aimée and her connection to Joséphine. I'll definitely read the sequel to learn how Ms Wesley imagnes Aimée's story continued.

Goodreads | Amazon

Review - Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood

Title: Nothing But Sky

Author: Amy Trueblood

Publication Date: March 27th, 2018

Synopsis:

Grace Lafferty only feels alive when she's dangling 500 feet above ground. As a post-World War I wing walker, Grace is determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, proving her team’s worth against flashier competitors and earning a coveted Hollywood contract.

No one’s ever questioned Grace’s ambition until Henry Patton, a mechanic with plenty of scars from the battlefield, joins her barnstorming team. With each new death-defying trick, Henry pushes Grace to consider her reasons for being a daredevil. Annoyed with Henry’s constant interference, and her growing attraction to him, Grace continues to test the powers of the sky.

After one of her risky maneuvers saves a pilot’s life, a Hollywood studio offers Grace a chance to perform at the Expo. She jumps at the opportunity to secure her future. But when a stunt goes wrong, Grace must decide whether Henry, and her life, are worth risking for one final trick.

My Thoughts: 

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace." 

Amelia Earhart

Wohoo, I found a gem, you guys. Don't y'all love reading about topics that are relatively new to you? I know I do. I've heard about wing walkers, but other than that I didn't know much about barnstorming before picking up this book. I'm so glad I did because not only could I travel to my favourite decade in the 20th century, I also got to learn about an interesting form of entertainment that captured many Americans' heart after the Great War.

Grace Lafferty is one of the coolest heroines ever, I'm telling you. She's a real daredevil, a sucker for adrenaline and she is fighting for what she loves with unwavering persistence. There are two things she wants to keep at all costs: her barnstorming family and the sky. If they don't make it to the World Aviation Expo she might just lose both. To avoid that end she does everything she is capable to: she practices her stunts all day, she saves money on whatever she can, she is even ready to abide the presence of Henry Patton, the team's new grumpy mechanic.

The strong theme of family and love in the book is heartwarming and most of the characters are not even related to one another. The brother/sister relationship between Grace and Daniel – the male wing walker in the team – is so pure, I melted every time they had a conversation. I also loved how Grace's presence in Uncle Warren's life slowly moulded the man into a more than decent father figure.

Beyond the family feels what made this novel extremely worthwhile for me were the little stories and details that adorned and rounded out the storytelling. Most men in the book had fought in the trenches just a couple of years before, which means the horrors of the war are still very fresh in their minds. Henry is affected the most, he's definitely suffering from shell shock. Grace doesn't know what that is of course, but she realizes something is not right with him and she is determined to make him open up to her. And so he tells her stories. My favourite was the one where Henry saved the life of his men by teaching a memeber of the enemy to dance.

The feminine power in the book is incredible. Bessie Coleman – the first black woman ever to gain a pilot licence – makes an appearance. I was so happy to learn more about her! She was quite a character and it's always a pleasure to read about women pioneers. Grace, of course, is also a character who bends society rules and follows her own mind; she wears pants and oil-stained shirts and doesn't give a damn what others think of her often manly ways. Oh, how I loved that!

The atmosphere of the 1920s seep through the pages: the clothes, old Hollywood, bootlegging, the Spanish flu, it's all there. Nothing But Sky will transport you right there, you'll feel as if you time travelled to Gatsby's age.

To sum up, this novel was a real joy to read and there are no words how much I recommend it to everyone who likes historical fiction and is just a tiny bit interested in aviation history!

Goodreads | Amazon

Review - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Synopsis:

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. 

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

My Thoughts:

I  think the hype around Red Queen is well-deserved. The book is a solid fantasy that transports the reader to a cruel world where the colour of people's blood decides about their place in the social hierarchy, since it renders them weak or strong from the moment they're born.

When Mare Barrow finds out she is special, she realizes her exceptional state can serve the Red cause. Only by that time she is involuntarily put on display at the Silver Court where the Royal Family does everything they can to hide her 'otherness'. A power play begins that shatters families and turns hearts.

Red Queen would have been a very quick read for me had I not signed up for a scheduled read-along that featured this title. The story pulls you in and you want to know what happens next. There are quite a few twists and turns along the way; there was a part towards the end that left me kinda shocked because it put Mare and Cal (the crown prince – love interest no. 1) in an entirely unexpected situation.

I loved how varied silver powers were in the story. They were like superpowers and they came in all shapes and kinds: someone could temper with nature, others could control metal or force people's mind to yield to them. These powers were amply used in the story for a myriad of purposes – good and bad. I found that creative.

The politics are intriguing. Silvers are desperate to hold onto power but Reds even without abilities are able to scare their overlords. I can't wait to see if later they'll manage to weaken the evil royals' grasp on the realm.

You cannot help but care for the characters and you'll find yourself trying to put yourself in their shoes. I found Cal especially fascinating because he struggles between two sides all the time and I myself couldn't figure out what I'd have done had I been in his place.

There are truly spiteful characters as well, like the Queen and Evangeline, Cal's betrothed. You'll love to hate them, I'm sure.

The story is rich, the characters make an impression, the world building is superb and I was not bored for one minute when I was reading this book. What's more to ask? I do recommend it to every fantasy-lover!

Goodreads | Amazon

Review - The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

Title: The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1)

Author: K.D. Edwards

Publication Date: June 12th, 2018

Synopsis:

Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.

With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family's death and the torments of his past?

My Thoughts: 

I received a free eARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Sun was the first novel I got approved for on Edelweiss, which means it's somehow special to me. The facts that it is an lgbtq urban fantasy, a debut novel and the author based its whole world on the Tarot deck made me want to pick it up as fast as I could. The reading experience was pleasant on the whole, however the book would have required a bit more polishing here and there in my opinion.

The plot was pretty well thought out, it started with an abduction and widened into a power game that sucked in a few scions of important New Atlantean families. I appreciated the mystery that surrounded the enemy because that meant Rune and Brand, our main duo, had to do some detective work to get to the bottom of things, not to mention they had to battle a creature that was part zombie part wizard (I'm gonna call it a zombizard, haha) without having any idea what it was capable of...

The book was very action-packed, and when I say very, I mean extremely, very, very, exceptionally, incredibly... TOO action-packed. I've never thought I'd consider it a disadvantage in a book but it is here. There are so many detailed fighting scenes in The Last Sun, I lost count by the end of the novel and the action seems to have taken the space and time away from the character and world building.

Interestingly enough, the side-characters are way better shaped than the main character. Brand – Rune's bodyguard – got the most attention, other than him, Quinn the seer and Max, the orphaned teenager they have to keep safe, are the ones that got some depth by the end. We see them through Rune's eyes, we receive information about them and see how much Rune cares for them, but Rune himself is somehow forgotten or so shrouded in mystery (perhaps intentionally?) that not even the reader can figure him out. I also kinda felt he was described and defined mostly by what happened to him when his father's court was destroyed and I felt it was a disservice to the character.

The humour in the book is excellent, it really is! I laughed out loud so much. It was something purely good and admirable about The Last Sun. Whenever there was a funny line I forgot about all the minor flaws and let me tell you, it happened often. All the bickering between Rune and Brand is priceless.

Even though the world building could have been a bit more organized, I liked how colourful the world itself was. There were a myriad of different creatures, like zombies, fairies, gargoyles, ghouls and so on. The places the characters visited were interesting and everything was filled with magic.

The magic system was very straightforward; the characters used sigils – objects filled with magic – to fight and defend themselves. I was glad this aspect was very easy to follow and there was logic to it (let's just say there are fantasy novels where the way magic works is not explained well enough).

As you can see I had some pros and some cons as well concerning this book but I'd say if you are a person who enjoys long fighting scenes and humorous pieces, give it a try! 

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Tour + Review + Q&A - Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Title: Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

Author: L. Penelope

Release Date: May 1st, 3018

Synopsis:

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in thebalance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

My Thoughts:

If you love the idea of fantasy and romance combined, you'll probably have a hard time putting down Song of Blood & Stone.

Jasminda has humble ambitions: after losing her whole family, she'd only like to keep her ownership of the family home and live there in peace. She knows that the Elsiran community shuns her for her Lagrimari looks – not that she can change the colour of her skin, can she? – and so she visits the nearby village only when she really needs something. Like this she doesn't have to bear the locals' frowning looks very often. 

But when a dangerous storm starts to brew and her little cottage – the place she deems the safest in whole Elsira – is invaded by soldiers, she gets pulled into a chain of events that threatens to tear her whole world apart. The spy – a boy named Jack – who the soldiers brought with them is trying to convince her she is an important piece on a chessboard where the fate of both Elsira and Lagrimar will be soon decided. She finds it hard not to believe him because he looks and sounds like destiny. 

Jasminda and Jack manage to escape and they start to work together to ensure peace and prosperity in the two countries that have always been in war with each other.

Jasminda was born in Elsira but she is part Lagrimari, because her father came from the other side of the border. Since her skin is darker and that marks her as a Lagrimari, Elsiran people don't particularly like her. She is also a Singer like all of the Lagrimari. Her Song can create and heal, however, people are terrified of her power. Jack is the first Elsiran who sees potential in her and Jasminda is grateful for that.

I absolutely adored the world building in this book. The two countries share a history. Their two mysterious leaders from the past, whose identities are revealed through flashbacks, were once very close to each other. The reason why their relationship changed is very logical and believable, yet their tale is rather tragic. 

Jack, the male protagonist, isn't who he seems to be either and because of his true status him and Jasminda have to suffer quite a lot.

The Song as a power has interesting qualities; it makes a Singer capable of healing, growing crop or seeing into the distance, among other things. It is fascinating, though a bit all over the place and not much explanation is given how it works, unfortunately. Jasminda's Song, despite her being the MC is very weak, which I was happy to learn because I'm a bit fed up with super-strong protagonists, be they male or female. Her own Song doesn't develop, not even later in the story and yet she is the one who fights the good fight for the right of the Lagrimari (with a little help of course, but still... you see my point). It was a nice touch.

The romance between Jack and Jasminda is as tender as it comes. They care deeply for each other and stand up for one another when they need to. Their stolen moments are beautiful.

If you don't read this book for anything else, read it for the writing. It is phenomenal, it will blow you away. Oh, how I wish I could write like Ms. Penelope...

I'm sure I'll devour the second book just like I did the this one...

Goodreads | Amazon

Q&A with L. Penelope
 

What inspired you to write this series? What came first: The characters or the world? What was your inspiration for the magic of Earthsong? Were you inspired by other books? Movies? 

When I first wrote this book, up until the time I gave it to my first editor, I thought it was going to be a novella. It was always meant to be a fairytale-esque story of a girl’s journey from the margins of society straight to its upper echelons. The characters Jack and Jasminda were there before the world was ever clear in my mind. The first scene I wrote was the one where they meet in front of her cabin. I knew they were from different, warring countries and they came from very different sorts of lives, but that was all. Through the magic of revision (lots and lots of revision) I discovered the journey that the characters would go on and all the conflicts they would face. 

I love fantasy and there were so many inspiring series that I soaked in prior to writing the book, from Graceling by Kristin Cashore to Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. But I think this book owes its biggest inspiration to the Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. Her fantasy world felt well realized and complex, filled with incredibly detailed characters, groups, nations, and settings. But I also wanted to write a kinder, gentler fantasy novel that wouldn’t double as a doorstopper. And mix in a really strong romance like some of my favorites Nalini Singh or Kresley Cole. 

What were your favorite scenes to write for SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE? What was the hardest scene to write? Is there a scene or moment that really sticks with you? 

Though Usher, Jack’s valet, spends relatively little time on the page, I loved writing the scenes with him and Jack. When two characters have known each other for a long time, it can be really fun to play with how to show their relationship. Usher has known Jack his entire life and so the way they interact is unique. I also loved writing the visions that Jasminda gets from the stone. They were in a different voice, from a totally different perspective and the peeked in on a vibrant, fully formed world that’s different to the one of the main story. Hardest to write were the ones where Jasminda is confronted with the racism and bias of Elsirans. 

The scene that sticks with me is when Jack and Jasminda are in the army base and he sleeps on the ground beside her, holding her hand. I find it really sweet and romantic. 

What advice would you give aspiring authors, especially authors or color, striving to have their stories and truths shared? 

I would tell aspiring authors to really investigate your goals and be frank with yourself about why you want to do this. It’s a difficult path emotionally, creatively, and professionally and what will get you through the low points is being very clear about your “why”. It can also be incredibly rewarding, but knowing what you’re getting yourself into is key. 

Writing and publishing are two different disciplines. Your “why” will inform whether you pursue traditional publishing or seek to self-publish. It will keep you going through rejections, delays, bad reviews, disappointment, and the imposter syndrome that we all go through. 

The other very important thing is to have a community to fall back on. Whether that’s a chapter of a professional organization like RWA, SFWA, SCWBI, and others, or a Facebook group, critique group, or writer’s circle, having others to commiserate and celebrate with you makes the journey much easier. 

Is there a character in SONG OF BLOOD & STONE that you most relate to? How do you select names of your characters? 

I think Jasminda represents various aspects of myself both as I am and as I’d like to be. She’s definitely bolder than I am, but her struggle to feel a part of things is one that I understand. 

As for naming my characters, for each nation, I asked questions about how the names should generally work. Things like: which prefixes and suffixes are common? Which letters and sounds are prevalent? Which letters or sounds either don’t exist or are more rare? So the Elsirans have a lot of double vowels in their names. Qs, Vs, and Zs are prominent, but there are no hard Cs. 

Lagrimari names generally don’t use Js. I set up which suffixes were for men and women and the types of sounds the names would have. There are only 9 last names in Lagrimar, corresponding with the Houses. Jasminda as a name is an exception. Her parents didn’t follow the naming conventions of either country for her or her brothers. Because their interracial relationship was unique, they wanted their children’s names to be distinctive as well. 

If you had to choose a song that, according to you, describes Jasminda and Jack's relationship perfectly, which song would you pick? 

There is this unreleased song by Alice Smith called “Forever Yours.” Alice Smith is one of my favorite singers and it’s a shame she’s not super famous. There’s a version on YouTube that’s really haunting and beautiful. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0fP_7HRQzs) I think the song sort of works from both Jack and Jasminda’s perspectives. There’s a heartfelt desperation to it that kicks me in the gut when I listen to it and dovetails with their relationship.

What do you most hope that readers take away from SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE?

I really just hope readers enjoy the story and the characters. Jasminda is a heroine that I had been longing to see, so I hope people get as much joy and heartache from her story as I did when I wrote it. 

Can you tell us more about the next books in the series? What are you working on now? 

Book 2, WHISPERS OF SHADOW & FLAME, follows a parallel timeline to SONG. It’s about Darvyn, a character we hear about in SONG who was the Earthsinger responsible for disguising Jack. The disguise’s failure gets Jack captured and he wonders what happened to Darvyn. So in WHISPERS, we find out. But it also pushes the story forward, showing what’s going on in Lagrimar in the days before the Mantle comes down and setting up the next challenge that Jack, Jasminda, and Darvyn will face. 

Book 3, CRY OF METAL & BONE picks up the story of how Elsira and Lagrimar deal with the fall of the Mantle and the new threat facing the nations. 

I’m also working on a brand-new series with dragons ☺ 

What are your favorite books you would recommend to readers? 

Among my favorites of all time are Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover, Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor and Sheltered by Charlotte Stein. I could go on and on, but I’ll leave it there. 

About the author:

Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of new adult, fantasy, and paranormal romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents: an eighty-pound lap dog and an aspiring feral cat.


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Review - How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Title: How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch #1)

Author: Adriana Mather

Synopsis:

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

My Thoughts:

"As all of you know," says Mr. Wardwell, "when citizens of Salem were convicted of witchcraft in 1692, they were sentenced to hang. Witchcraft was a capital crime, and people believed that if they killed the individuals practicing it, they could keep the devil from taking root in their communities."

Holy moly, have I just found my favourite YA book of the year?? Of course there's always a chance there'll be competition but at the moment I doubt I'll soon come across another young adult novel that will capture my attention as much as How to Hang a Witch did.

Adriana Mather (an actual descendant of Cotton Mather, a man who played an important role in kick-starting the trials) draws a clear parallel between what happened to those poor women in 1692 and modern day bullying. While she provides plenty of information about the trials, she also gives us a modern tale that we are all sadly familiar with; Samantha is tormented by her peers at school as well as by an unknown antagonist.

Samantha Mather moves to Salem with her step-mom after her dad falls into a coma. Her last name doesn't really help her win the heart of the locals (she always ends up in situations where people ask for her family name. – Let the girl get a library card without having to suffer your reproving looks FGS, people!). She especially clashes with a group of girls who call themselves 'The Descendants' and treat Sam as enemy no.1 from the first moment she steps into class.

I absolutely enjoyed this old-new setting, this mixture of past and present. The Descendants, the great-great-great (?) granddaughters of the women who were hanged back in the 17th century, wear black clothes and practice strange rituals. I didn't think actual witchcraft would be present in the novel, but it was, and not only did it manage to make the plot all the more colourful, it also added the feel of real danger to the story.

Not only the former and present inhabitants of Salem came off the pages but the city itself too. The places Samantha visits are described vividly. Some of these are dark and menacing, those were my personal favourites (the black house, the hanging location...). In the Author's note Ms Mather writes about her first visit to Salem, when she found accommodation in a mansion that was roumored to be haunted. Her spooky experiences in the town are just as much woven into her book as the past of her family, which just makes How to Hang a Witch all the more fascinating.

The plot was really well done, the author showed us masterfully how group hysteria works inside a community. The fact that even the adults appeared to hate and blame Sam for the suddenly high mortality rate in Salem was shocking (I'm looking at you, Mr Wardwell!). Towards the end things seemed to be a bit rushed for no reason, but eventually everything got wrapped up nicely.

If you've heard about How to Hang a Witch before, you probably already know that there is a love triangle and if I also let you know here that Sam is a clumsy teenager with no verbal filter you will see that the book has its general YA novel traps. Because... *shouts* We've seen it before! But hey, I promise you'll fall for Elijah, the ghost boy with a heart-breaking past, and he spends an awful lot of time around Sam so... (Just pretend Jaxon doesn't exist, shhhhh). Okay, I'll stop before I go into full fangirl mode... What I wanted to say is that I wasn't bothered by the love triangle this time.

I also loved that the story involved strong family ties that were worth to fight for. 

"It is the greatest evil of all, to separate people who love each other."

I could get carried away and write pages about this novel but I don't think it's necessary in order to convince you that I totally fell in love with How to Hang a Witch. I'll pick up the second book, Haunting the Deep, soon to see how Sam's adventures continue.

Goodreads | Amazon

Review - Oops, Caught by Alli Reshi

Title: Oops, Caught (Expanding Horizon #1)

Author: Alli Reshi

Synopsis:

Mark Noland can’t figure out how he got into such a fix. How does an ex-mercenary (okay, an almost-reformed mercenary) get himself caught, stuck in a holding cell, on a hostile alien planet? Held captive by strange bug-like creatures who’d just as soon eat him as look at him. How can a simple mission go so awry? To make matters worse, Noland’s not alone. His fellow prisoner, a certain high-ranking, elite Stella officer holds him responsible for their failed plan. Yeah, it was supposed to be a quick in and quick out sort of mission. But no… Officer Gavnson just can’t let it go.

It’s not so easy trying to plan an escape when Noland keeps getting distracted by how his mission partner so very nicely fills out his uniform. And he suspects Gavnson is hiding something, too. As tensions run high, secrets are revealed that will change the both of them. There’s nothing like gunfights and running for your life to make that special bond.

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

I would give the first half of this novella a higher rating than I'd give the second half. I rarely come across a situation like this but here it is. The first part deserved three stars (pineapples) in my book, the second, one. The overall result: a sad two-star rating.

Noland and Officer Gavnson are shut up in a cell together. A mission went wrong and they both got caught by the Awoknain, nasty bug-like creatures who aren't famous for their hosptality. They have to plan their escape and define a not-so-clear relationship between the two of them.

The beginning was so much fun! What I expected. I liked Noland, he had a few tricks up his sleeve and he had an entertaining personlaity. He bought time for them coming up with an insane idea, they were also able to escape the cell because of his heroism. 

The way out was exciting too: first they hid, then they fought their way through the bugs; at this point the book had all the potential to turn into a very decent Firefly-esque story. However, once they reached a spaceship that was fit to escape in, this sci-fi tale started to bleed from many wounds.

It was obvious while they were at the bug-base that something was not right with Gavnson. He wanted to sacrifice himself all the time, it seemed like he was eager to die. Noland started to ask him about the war they fought on the same side and what happened since, but Gavnson didn't open up easily.

He was also very willing (almost pushy) to engage in sexual activity with Noland who kept turning him away (even though he wanted him too... the bugs told them they have to mate and Noland thought Gavnson was only willing because he didn't want to be tortured, but it was so clear it wasn't the only reason). 

The second half of the novella was a huge disappointment. Stuck on a spaceship with hours to spare Noland finally prodded Gavnson into telling him about his past and why he chose to come on the mission with Noland and his group. 

The story we get is confusing and incoherent. Noland's fleeting presence in it doesn't really explain Gavnson's infatuation with him since they'd never actually talked or at least it is not clear if they've talked since the war or not. I found this part a bit muddy, past happenings were too vaguely described to give us a full explanation regarding Gavnson's motivations or his behaviour.

The writing takes a turn for the worse here too. It is repetitive and preachy. The subject they talk about is important but the converation is full of clichés, not to mention a talk like this is unlikely to occur between two persons who have started to get truly close to one another only a few hours ago.

Yet another unfavorable review from me, I know. At least I liked the beginning this time...

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Review - Ain't He Precious? (Sex and Sweet Tea #1) by Juliette Poe

Title: Ain't He Precious? (Sex and Sweet Tea #1)

Author: Juliette Poe

Synopsis:

Welcome to Whynot, North Carolina, population 3,872. It has one stoplight, one bar, and the one-and-only Trixie Mancinkus.

Eleven years ago, Trixie graduated Harvard Law, turned down a job offer from one of the most prestigious law firms in Boston, and headed home to Whynot to open her own firm. Not only did she leave behind the big city, but she also left her boyfriend of three years. And just so we’re clear… that would be me.

So what am I doing in Whynot at this very moment? It seems Trixie needs help with a legal case and for some insane reason, she called on me for assistance. I’ve been in town for five minutes, and I’m every bit as out of place as I feel. Trixie is all sweet, southern curves to my tailored suits and high-priced haircuts. It’s a culture clash of north versus south and about the only thing we have in common is our physical attraction to each other.

But I have a new motto since coming to Whynot: When life hands you lemons, all you need is a little sex and sweet tea to make things better.

My Thoughts:

I swear to God I really wanted to like this novella but it lacked the charm with which I hoped it would sweep me off my feet.

Sure, there was southern family coziness, which was nice and the small town surroundings were described in a very attractive way but these things didn't really make up for what I felt missing regarding the romance side of the plot.

We have Ryland and Trixie who haven't met for eleven years. Before, they'd been in a serious relationship and planned a life together. They broke up because Trixie wanted to move back to Whynot while Ryland wanted to stay in Boston. After eleven years Trixie invites Ry to Whynot to help her with a legal case and things start to warm up between them.

The situation was a tiny bit unrealistic for me. I mean, they haven't talked for eleven years. Maybe it's just me but I would totally not call an ex I haven't talked to for ages to ask a favour of him, especially if the favour includes a long plane ride. I'd rather look for another solution, but then maybe Trixie didn't have another lawyer friend to turn to... Anyway, it was strange.

Once Ry arrives he finds Trixie standing on her desk in her office changing a light bulb and  what is the first thing he does? He checks out her ass, that's what. I was rolling my eyes at this part and at many others later when Trixie's physical appearance was emphasised over...well... any other qualities of hers. Probably right now you're wondering why I read romance if it bothers me. The answer: I've read romances before where I didn't come across this issue. 

The number of sex scenes was just right and they were well placed inside the novella, I just wish they hadn't talked during them (I like sex scenes being described, not littered with dialogue).

I could relate to the the problem Trixie and Ryland faced back then and now; that they wanted to settle down in different places, yet they wanted to stay together. It's a tough dilemma to solve and they both had to get their priorities straight before they could plan a life together.

The ending was a bit too convenient for me but all is well that ends well, right? I wish I could give Ain't He Precious a higher rating but this is the highest I can muster because of the issues I mentioned above.

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Review - Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt

Title: Sawbones (Sawbones #1)

Author: Melissa Lenhardt

Synopsis:

Outlander meets post-Civil War unrest in this fast-paced historical debut.

When Dr. Catherine Bennett is wrongfully accused of murder, she knows her fate likely lies with a noose unless she can disappear. Fleeing with a bounty on her head, she escapes with her maid to the uncharted territories of Colorado to build a new life with a new name. Although the story of the murderess in New York is common gossip, Catherine's false identity serves her well as she fills in as a temporary army doctor. But in a land unknown, so large and yet so small, a female doctor can only hide for so long.

My Thoughts:

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Life at the Frontier in post Civil-War America was not a bed of roses, least of all if you happened to be a qualified doctor AND a woman. This is what Melissa Lenhardt proves us in Sawbones, the first book in her western trilogy that runs under the same name.

Catherine has to leave New York behind urgently after she gets accused of murder. She has no idea why one of her former patients holds a grudge against her, however she has no choice but flee if she doesn't want to hang. She believes her best chance to disappear is in the west but her journey through the Colorado prairie is paved with danger. She has to build her life from zero again in no man's land among people she is not sure she can trust, bearing the stigma of a woman who practices what was considered a man's profession at the time.

For me the strongest quality in Sawbones was the plot. Although it took some time, I got to the point where I was genuinely interested what happens next. Ms Lenhardt is good at building up tension and she doesn't shy away from major plot twists either – when I was only a few chapters in, the story took a totally different course than I thought it would in the beginning. First I wasn't sure if I liked the new situation but soon I became immersed and couldn't stop guessing what would come next.

The second best component I'd say was the romance. Captain Kindle, the love interest, is a very entertaining flirt. He strongly reminded me of Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind (that's a compliment in my book). I liked that his and Laura's (Catherine's) acquaintance actually went back to the war and yet they started out as strangers to each other.

Catherine, the heroine, however was a character I simply couldn't like. Her being a representation of an issue – the way men treated (smart) women at the time – stole away any possiblity of character development. She is without flaw from the beginning and she mainly does what she was created to do: comes up with snarky remarks whenever she is verbally attacked (mostly by men). Don't get me wrong, I like her sharp tongue, but I think the situations when she has to use it are unnecessarily numerous in the book. I hope I'll see some changes later so I can grow to like her in the sequels to come.

The villain was mysterious in the first half of the novel and he had a decent backstory, which I appreciated. I also liked most of the side-characters and the way life in the fort was described.

I'd like to continue on with the series because of the gripping plot. I don't read enough western anyway, which is a shame...

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Review - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Synopsis:

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

My Thoughts:

It's not easy to write about this book, just as sometimes it wasn't easy reading it. Not because The Kite Runner is a bad book – on the contrary; it is an exceptional piece of literature – rather because the story of Amir and Hassan inlvolves so much tragedy that sometimes I had to put the book down and give myself some time to overcome the emotions it evoked in me.

However, when I wasn't having one of my emotional breaks I read it in big chunks. Mr. Hosseini's writing is definitely the most beautiful of all the authors' I've read this year so far. It's lyrical and touches your soul at the right times. He is amazing at storytelling, I felt I was really involved in the happenings and Amir and Hassan were like friends to me; I cared about them, I wanted to know their fate.

Amir is our narrator. His whole life story unfolds in front of us, from the moment he was born to present day. In the center of his reminiscense there is a boy, Hassan, the son of Ali, his father's slave. Hassan and Amir had an idyllic childhood in Kabul, they did most things together and they were friends despite the difference of their social status.

Then one day something happened to Hassan that shook both of their worlds. Amir blamed himself, since he could have prevented the whole thing and his guilt drove him to make a few terrible decisions that made Hassan disappear from his life.

When the Russians march into Afghanistan Amir and Baba (his father, whose attention he'd always fought for) migrate to America to start a new life. But it's only a matter of time till the past catches up with Amir. When a phone call comes from Rahim Khan, Baba's best friend, Amir learns that at last he has a chance 'to be good again'. And so he flies to Pakistan and visits the ailing Rahim Khan to hear news about Hassan and to make past mistakes right.

Afghanistan's recent history gets animated inside your head while you're spending time with this novel. The difference between the Afghanistan of Amir's early years and the war-ridden country he finds when he returns is striking. It was very sad to read about the destruction that ensued first by the hands of the Russians, then by the Taliban.

Judging by all the things I have told you so far of The Kite Runner you probably think there is not an ounce of happiness squeezed into this tale of friendship and ordeal. It is not true. There are brilliant moments that shadow the sorrowful events even if shortly. Love is a powerful motivator in the story; the love of a loyal friend, the love of a father, the love of a son – it gives strength to the characters to move on and change their ways if necessary. There are so many examples to learn from, so many lessons The Kite Runner gives us. I will not forget this book easily.

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