Review: The Girl the Sea Gave Back - Adrienne Young

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again--a home.

Sky in the Deep Series:
Sky in the Deep
The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Visit Adrienne Young's website for more information

Review:
Tova doesn't remember the early years of her childhood, all she knows is what the clan who rescued her told her. That she was abandoned at sea by her own people before the Svell found her washed ashore. The Svell gave her a home but they have always been wary of her as her people are considered cursed. As long as Tova is willing to use her gift as a Truthtongue, her ability to read the runes and always know what is true, they will let her live but if she stops being useful she knows she'll soon be killed.

The Girl the Sea Gave back is set ten years on from events in Sky in the Deep, the Aska and Riki clans joined together to fight a greater enemy and have since merged into a new clan called Nadhir. Although the Nadhir are living peacefully and have made no attempt to threaten the Svell the Svell leaders are wary that they could be a dangerous enemy. The Svell are divided on what to do about it, some want to keep the peace while others are determined to start a war now while they still hold the advantage in numbers. When Tova is asked to cast the stones to help them decide how to proceed things are changed forever and Tova is forced to decide whether to help the people who raised her or the clan the runes are leading her towards.

I really enjoyed being back in this world. It was especially nice to see what previous characters are getting up to now and I loved the fact that Fiske's younger brother Halvard has grown into a strong young man who is being groomed to take over as leader of the Nadhir clan one day. Tova's abilities were really interesting, I really like the world building in this series and the use of Norse mythology is cleverly done. I have to admit I was expecting more romance though considering the first book had quite a strong romantic subplot. Tova and Halvard don't even have a proper conversation until about 75% into the book and up until that point they only see each other in passing. I think it was a bit much expecting us to believe they both had such strong feelings based on fleeting glances no matter what fate had decreed. That's a fairly minor issue though, this story was more focused on the action and had some great battle scenes so if you go into it looking for that rather than romance then you won't be disappointed.

I believe this series was a duology and it does end at a point where you're not left on the edge of a cliff waiting for more answers but I'd still be happy to spend more time in this world if Adrienne Young does decide to resist it. She's definitely an author I'm going to be watching out for though and I'm interested to see what she comes up with next.

Source: Received from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Sky in the Deep - Adrienne Young

Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings - and all heart.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights for her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield - her brother, fighting with the enemy - the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, Eelyn is captured and must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbour is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

Sky in the Deep Series:
Sky in the Deep
The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Visit Adrienne Young's website for more information

Review:
The Aska and Riki clans have been enemies for centuries thanks to an argument between the two gods they worship. Every five years warriors from both clans travel to the battlegrounds and there is a huge scale battle to the death as they fight for the honour of their clan. Seventeen-year-old Eeyln is an Aska warrior who has spent the last five years training to take part in her second battle against the Riki, the last time she watched her brother Iri die and now she's determined to get payback. Eeyln couldn't be more shocked when she sees Iri on the battlefield, not only did he somehow survive his injuries but he has now switched sides and is fighting for the Riki.

When Eeyln is captured and taken back to a Riki village she is surrounded by enemies, people she has fought against for her entire life. The biggest enemy of all is the brother who betrayed her and her father though, how can she ever forgive him for staying with the enemy instead of returning to them? Everything changes when the village is attacked by a third clan, a group with enough warriors to wipe out both the Aska and the Riki, unless two enemies are prepared to do the unthinkable and fight side by side against a common enemy.

Sky in the Deep is a fabulous debut from Adrienne Young, from the very first page you are thrown straight into the action watching Eeyln fight for her life in battle. This book doesn't shy away from the death and destruction caused by war and Eeyln is a fierce character who fights hard for her honour and to protect her clan. Even when she is captured she doesn't take it lying down, she fights at every turn for the chance to escape and make it back to her family. She ends up being taken in as a slave by the family that have adopted her brother but it is too dangerous for anyone to find out about her connection to Iri so they have to keep their relationship a secret.

Eeyln is as bitter and unhappy about her new situation as you'd expect so she's not the easiest character to be around for the first half of the book but as she gets to know the Riki she realises that they aren't really all that different to her own clan. They love and laugh just like the Aska and all they really want to do is survive. It makes Eeyln start to question everything she's been brought up to believe and wonder whether perhaps the enmity between the two clans is pointless. This book is very much about found family and about realising that deep down, no matter what clan they call home, people are all the same.

I really enjoyed seeing Eeyln soften towards the Riki as she got to know them better and I loved the interactions between her and her brother but I really would have liked to spend more time seeing them resolve their differences. I liked Fiske as a character and the beginnings of the romance that starts to develop between him and Eeyln but I felt like it needed a little more depth, I thought it might be expanded upon in the next book but that seems to be more of a companion novel featuring different main characters so I'm not sure if we'll see much of the characters we've met here. I do desperately want to read it though, it was really fun to read a viking inspired story and I'm looking forward to spending more time in this world.

Source: Received from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Temeraire - Naomi Novik

Naomi Novik’s stunning series of novels follow the global adventures of Captain William Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire as they are thrown together to fight for Britain during the turbulent time of the Napoleonic Wars.

Captain Will Laurence has been at sea since he was just twelve years old; finding a warmer berth in Nelson's navy than any he enjoyed as the youngest, least important son of Lord Allendale. Rising on merit to captain his own vessel, Laurence has earned himself a beautiful fiancée, society's esteem and a golden future. But the war is not going well. It seems Britain can only wait as Napoleon plans to overrun her shores.

After a skirmish with a French ship, Laurence finds himself in charge of a rare cargo: a dragon egg bound for the Emperor himself. Dragons are much prized: properly trained, they can mount a fearsome attack from the skies. One of Laurence's men must take the beast in hand and join the aviators' cause, thus relinquishing all hope of a normal life.

But when the newly-hatched dragon ignores the young midshipman Laurence chose as its keeper and decides to imprint itself on the horrified captain instead, Laurence's world falls apart. Gone is his golden future: gone his social standing, and soon his beautiful fiancée, as he is consigned to be the constant companion and trainer of the fighting dragon Temeraire...

Temeraire Series:
Vici (Short Story)
Temeraire (Published as His Majesty's Dragon in the US)
Feast or Famine (Short Story)
Throne of Jade
Black Powder War
Empire of Ivory
Victory of Eagles
Tongues of Serpents
Crucible of Gold
Blood of Tyrants
League of Dragons
Golden Age and Other Stories (Short Story Collection)

Visit Naomi Novik's website for more information

Review:
Temeraire (published with the title His Majesty's Dragon in the US) is the first book in Naomi Novik's alternate history series set during the Napoleonic Wars but with the addition of dragons and an Aerial Corps to the fighting forces.

Laurence was a Navy Captain who expected to come home a hero after capturing a French ship containing a rare dragon egg, after all the eggs are precious and hard to come by and the Aerial Corps are always trying to get more of them, but things got slightly problematic when they realised that the dragon would hatch before they could get it safely back to dry land. You see, dragons create a special bond with someone from the moment they are born and once that bond has been made it is very hard to break it. Nobody on Laurence's ship wanted to take on that bond and be forced to leave the Navy to instead join the less well thought of Aerial Corps. Laurence would never have chosen to bond himself to newly hatched dragon Temeraire but thats exactly the situation he finds himself in and now his life will never be the same again.

I enjoyed this book so much, the pace is actually pretty slow in places but that's because this is all about setting up the world, introducing the main players and watching Laurence and Temeraire bond and train together. There are some great battles at sea both at the beginning and end of the book and I loved the aerial fights between the dragons too. What I loved most was Temeraire and the other dragons though, the fact that they can talk was wonderful and the conversations between Temeraire and Laurence always left me smiling. Laurence may not have chosen his new life but he accepts his responsibility towards Temeraire and does everything he can to keep his dragon happy and healthy. I loved the way that older, bigger dragons are basically like airships that have whole crews on board when they go into battle. I enjoyed the dragon hierarchy and the competition between the humans too.

This is nothing like Uprooted or Spinning Silver but I can already tell I'm going to love this series so I can't wait to start reading the next one.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Vici - Naomi Novik

This story can be read for free on the Fantasy Magazine website

Also published in The Dragon Book: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy edited by Jack Dann.

“Well, Antonius,” the magistrate said, “you are without question a licentious and disreputable young man. You have disgraced a noble patrician name and sullied your character in the lowest of pursuits, and we have received testimony that you are not only a drunkard and a gambler—but an outright murderer as well.”

With an opening like that, the old vulture was sending him to the block for sure. Antony shrugged, philosophically; he’d known it was unlikely his family could have scraped together enough of a bribe to get him let go. Claudius’s family was a damn sight richer than his; and in any case he could hardly imagine his stepfather going to the trouble.


Temeraire Series:
Vici (Short Story)
Temeraire (Published as His Majesty's Dragon in the US)
Feast or Famine (Short Story)
Throne of Jade
Black Powder War
Empire of Ivory
Victory of Eagles
Tongues of Serpents
Crucible of Gold
Blood of Tyrants
League of Dragons
Golden Age and Other Stories (Short Story Collection)

Visit Naomi Novik's website for more information

Review:
Vici is a free short story in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series that can be read for free on the Fantasy Magazine website. Set in Ancient Rome this is long before events in the first book and there is no crossover of characters so this works well as a standalone or introduction to the series.

Antonius is the son of a noble but even a wealthy family will only get you so far when you've built up the amount of dept that he has. The magistrate has given him two options to clear his debt to society, the first is execution and the second is to singlehandedly slay a large dragon that has been terrorising local villages. Everyone knows he's very unlikely to survive a dragon but on the very narrow chance he does manage to kill it the magistrate will consider his debt repaid and he will be able to go back to his normal life keeping any treasure the dragon had collected.

I'm not going to give away anymore so you'll have to read the story for yourself to find out what happens next. I loved the dragon Vici and her partnership with Antonius, the dragons in this series are always fun to read about and she adds a lot of humour to the story with her strange way of looking at things. I also enjoyed seeing a few familiar historical figures mentioned.

Source: Read for free on the Fantasy Magazine website

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Review: Dead of Night - Michael Grant

Set in the alternative World War II scenario of his Front Lines novels, Michael Grant, author of the bestselling GONE series, has written this story exclusively for World Book Day 2017.

Rio Richlin doesn’t have superpowers. She is an ordinary young woman. A soldier in the American army, wearing a uniform, carrying a rifle, and fighting alongside thousands who are trying to make a difference, trying to change the world.

At least, that’s the plan. Right now she’s part of a squad on a training exercise in some place called Wales. They’re cold, they’re wet, and Rio’s pretty sure they’re also lost. Spending the night in a creepy old inn wasn’t part of the plan at all…

Rio's only training. But soon, the fate of the world will be in the hands of the soldier girls.

A World Book Day 2017 book.

Soldier Girls Series:
Front Lines
Dead of Night (World Book Day Novella)
Silver Stars

Visit Michael Grant's website for more information

Review:
Dead of Night is set in the world of Michael Grant's Soldier Girls series, a reimagined version of history where American women were actually included in the draft to become soldiers in WWII. As far as the timeline goes this is set somewhere in the middle of the first book, after Rio and her squad have finished their first 13 weeks of training in America but before they're sent to the frontline. They're actually in Wales on another training exercise when they get lost in the fog. Unable to find their way back to base they take shelter in a village pub that they stumble across.

I don't really want to say too much more because it would be easy to give too much away but this was a fun story and a nice addition to the series. It's very different to the full length novels though, where they are very much grounded in reality and almost feel like you're reading true life war diaries this story is a little more surreal and it took me a while to figure out exactly what was going on. I think the nature of the story won't necessarily appeal to everyone but I thought it was very clever and I enjoyed reading something different, I do think events that unfold have a profound effect on Rio so whether they're real or imagined you'll definitely notice the difference in her from Front Lines to Silver Stars.

This has quickly become one of my favourite series so it's one I'd highly recommend, I'm not sure that Dead of Night is the best place to start but if you're read Front Lines then it's well worth giving this a try.

Source: Received from Egmont in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Silver Stars - Michael Grant

The second novel in the epic new young adult series that Michael Grant is calling his best yet!

It's WWII but not as you know it from school. This time the girls are on the Front Lines and not on the Home Front. Summer 1943. The enemy has been bloodied, but Nazi Germany is very far from beaten. Now the American army is moving on to their next target: the Italian island of Sicily.

With heavy memories of combat, the three young soldier girls – Rio, Frangie and Rainy – now know what they are willing to do to save themselves, and understand the consequences of those actions. On the front lines, they will again come face to face with the brutality of war until they win or die, while simultaneously fighting their own personal battles. No one will emerge unscathed.

In the tradition of The Book Thief, Code Name Verity and Between Shades of Gray, Front Lines gives the experience of WWII a new immediacy while playing with the ‘what ifs?’ of history.

Soldier Girls Series:
Front Lines
Dead of Night (World Book Day Novella)
Silver Stars

Visit Michael Grant's website for more information

Review:
If you thought Front Lines was good then you've honestly not seen anything yet because Silver Stars ups the stakes in every way possible, the danger is greater than ever and the characters have completely come into their own. If you're new to this series then I'd recommend reading the books in order but to give you a brief recap this is an alternative history of WWII imagining one major change - that female soldiers were recruited into the American army and served alongside the men on the front lines. Pretty much everything else is accurate to what really happened and these books are so well written and believable that you actually feel like you could be reading someone's personal diary as they tell you their own life story.

We continue to follow the stories of the three main characters introduced in the first book. First you have Rio Richlin who joined the army with her best friend Jenou after finding out her sister was killed in action. Then there is Frangie Marr who signed up as a medic mainly because her family needed the money, she faces even more prejudice than the others because not only is she a woman she's also black and racism was very prevalent during this time. The third main character is a young Jewish woman Rainy Schulterman who joined the army with the intention of shooting nazis but was quickly recruited into the intelligence community. Each girl has a separate story to tell but there are times when their stories link and I love getting to see the war through their very different experiences.

Rio has been fighting on the front lines for a long time now and she's rising up through the ranks because of her experience. She's become quite a ruthless fighter and has had to try and lock her emotions away but she feels a growing distance between her and her best friend and she's struggling to cope with everything that she's seen and done. As a medic Frangie is right there at the front too tending to wounded soldiers who wouldn't have much of a chance without immediate treatment. Her job definitely isn't a risk free one and she constantly finds herself facing danger while trying to protect others. Rainy has the most dangerous job of all though and is sent on an undercover mission to Italy, she has no backup and not much of a plan on how she's supposed to get herself home again so her story is fraught with danger and she suffers badly when she's captured along the way.

I have totally fallen in love with all three of these girls, I feel their pain and suffer alongside them and I'm desperately hoping they'll all make it through the war alive but we're constantly being shown how much danger they're facing and I'm worried that at least one of them won't survive it. I don't think I can praise this series highly enough, it's dark and can be quite painful at times but it's also totally addictive and utterly absorbing. Michael Grant has done a stellar job with these books, you can tell they're meticulously researched and they really are a must read.

Source: Received from Egmont in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Front Lines - Michael Grant

Just when you thought Michael Grant’s GONE series had taken us to the darkest limits of his imagination, the evil genius of young adult fiction is back to take you to the Front Lines of terror. In the tradition of The Book Thief, Code Name Verity and Between Shades of Gray, Front Lines gives the experience of WWII a new immediacy while playing with the ‘what ifs?’ of history.

It’s WWII, but not as you remember it from history lessons! This time the girls aren’t stitching socks for the brave boys at the front. Meet 17-year-old Rio Richlin and her friends Frangie Marr and Rainy Schulterman, three of the newest recruits in the US Armed Forces. They stand shoulder to shoulder with the boys from home as they take on Hitler’s army.

In the face of reluctant colonels and sceptical sergeants, the teenage soldier girls must prove their guts, strength, and resourcefulness as soldiers. Rio has grown up in a world where men don’t cry and girls are supposed to care only about ‘money and looks’. But she has always known that there is something wrong with this system and something else in her. Far from home and in the battlefields, Rio discovers exactly who she is and what she can accomplish

The first in an exciting new young adult trilogy. Front Lines is the saga of a modern teenage heroine in an alternate past that could only have come from the man who gave us GONE, BZRK and Messenger of Fear.

Soldier Girls Series:
Front Lines
Dead of Night (World Book Day Novella)
Silver Stars

Visit Michael Grant's website for more information

Review:
I have to admit that Front Lines isn't the type of book I usually pick up but I was intrigued by the premise when Egmont sent me a copy for review so I decided to give it a try. This is my first book by Michael Grant (although I've heard amazing things about his Gone series) but it definitely won't be my last because he's an incredibly skilled writer. I think it's a difficult thing to rewrite history in a way that's believable, you're walking a fine line between creating something amazing and incredibly thought provoking or coming across as insensitive, especially when you're writing about something like WWII and the millions of people who died during the conflict. Luckily Michael Grant has come down on the correct side of that line and Front Lines is just an incredible read on every level.

It's obvious that the author done a huge amount of research into WWII and a lot of the battles and scenarios included in this book are based on real events. He's just made one major change, one that meant women were not only allowed to voluntarily enlist in the army but were actually subject to the draft just like men were. It doesn't sound so shocking now but we're talking of a time when the army was segregated so that white and black soldiers didn't even serve in the same platoon so adding girls to the mix just makes things even more complicated. Michael Grant doesn't shy away from the racism and anti-semitism that was much more prevalent at that time and the female soldiers are also subjected to prejudice because of their gender. It's not always comfortable to read about the attitudes of some of the white male soldiers but it is completely believable and realistic to how things would have been in that era.

Front Lines follows the journey of three female American soldiers who all signed up for very different reasons and whose army careers take them in very different directions. First we have Rio Richlin who almost enlists by accident thanks to her friend Jenou, Rio has already lost her sister in the war and she wants the chance to make a difference herself but she's not quite prepared for the shock of becoming an infantry soldier. Frangie Marr has always dreamed of becoming a vet but money is tight and her family need the paycheck that she can get by enlisting so she puts her future on hold to sign up, her path sees her training as a medic but that doesn't mean she's safely away from danger, in fact she's right there on the front lines patching up the wounded soldiers as fast as possible. Rainy Schulterman knows something horrible is happening in Europe, the complete lack of contact the Jewish community is getting from family and friends abroad is enough to convince her that she needs to play a part in this war and of the three she's the most determined to get over there and start kicking some Nazi butt.

I don't want to talk much more about these three girls individual stories, instead I'd like to focus on the friendships they make along the way and the loves they find and lose while going through their training. We get the chance to meet some wonderful side characters from all walks of life, there are moments of sheer terror but there is also humour and companionship, it's the bond they all form with the other members of their squads is what will help them push through the fear they feel. None of the girls expected to be sent to the front lines but times are desperate and the army needs every able body it can get if they want to have any chance of winning. We're talking young girls and boys who are barely old enough to get married and yet they're now half a world away from home and fighting for their survival. I know girls weren't really on the front lines but the point is they could have been and hundreds of thousands of boys were in this exact situation. It's a sobering thought when you look at things through their eyes and see just how terrified they must have been.

This is the kind of book that I think should be included in school curriculums, it puts such a personal spin on the horror of WWII and the inclusion of female soldiers just makes it even more accessible for everyone to read. Front Lines is an outstanding novel and I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the trilogy.

If you're still not sure whether you want to read this book check out the trailer below, I'm pretty sure it'll convince you to give it a try:



Source: Received from Egmont in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Long Live the Queen - Kate Locke

Xandra Varden thought life would be simpler when she accepted the goblin crown and became their queen, but life has only become more complicated. The vampires, werewolves and humans all want the goblins on their side, because whoever has the goblins - wins.

With human zealots intent on ridding the world of anyone with plagued blood, and supernatural politics taking Britain to the verge of civil war, Xandra's finding out that being queen isn't all it's cracked up to be. And if she doesn't do something fast, hers will be the shortest reign in history.

The fantastic conclusion to the series which started with the undead steampunk debut God Save the Queen.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
I have really enjoyed the Immortal Empire series and am actually quite sad to see it come to an end but I would rather Kate Locke ended things on a high note and that's exactly what she has done with Long Live the Queen. As much as I'm hoping she'll change her mind and continue to explore this world and it's fantastic characters I'm happy that she has tied up all the loose ends and given readers a satisfactory ending. Do I think there is room for a spin off series? Absolutely yes, but I won't be upset if there isn't.

Xandra has come a long way since the first book, not only has she accepted her goblin heritage she is now proud of it and she has really come to care for the goblins who fall under her rule. She never wanted to be a queen but she is determined to be the very best one possible and she will do anything in her power to prevent her goblins being taken advantage of by the rest of the supernatural population. The goblins are a powerful force to be reckoned with and even Queen Victoria has come to realise that she will have to work with Xandra if she wants to prevent a war between the humans and the supernatural races. The alliance between the goblins and the werewolves is a natural one considering Xandra's relationship with Vex but they are all much more wary of the vampires and Victoria. Especially when it is clear that someone high up in the vampire hierarchy is behind the missing halfies and the gruesome experiments that are being carried out on them.

There is a lot going on in this book as Kate Locke ties up the various outstanding plots from the series. We finally get to uncover who is behind the experiments but we also see some very interesting and unexpected results from the time Xandra spent in captivity. Xandra is betrayed by people she should be able to trust but she also makes some unexpected allies that are sure to change everything. We get to see her spending time with her siblings which I've always enjoyed and we also see some progression in her relationship with Vex. I've said it before but I'll say it again - I love them together! Most of all I love the fact that Vex sees Xandra as an equal, he may be a powerful alpha and his instincts tell him to protect her but he would never try to stop her fighting for her people, he just stands up and fights right alongside her.

I don't want to say too much more but I'm sure anyone who has enjoyed the previous books will love this final instalment. I am sad it's come to an end but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Kate Locke in the future and she's already on my auto-buy list!

Source: Received Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Queen is Dead - Kate Locke

Xandra Vardan is the newly crowned Goblin Queen of England, But her complicated life is by no means over.

There are the political factions vying for her favour, and she's under the all-too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who for some reason wants her head. Not to mention her werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell-bent on destroying the monarchy. Now she's the suspect in a murder investigation - and Xandra barely knows which way is up.

What she does know is that nothing lasts forever - and immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
God Save the Queen was a fantastic start to Kate Locke's alternate history urban fantasy series so I've been looking forward to getting my hands on The Queen is Dead ever since I first read it. If the stunning covers for this series aren't enough to convince you to read them then the mash up of genres should be, throw in a hint of steampunk, vampires, werewolves and a heroine who has just found out she is the goblin queen and you're definitely onto a winner! Everything I loved about the first book was back again in this 2nd instalment and it's left me desperate to read Long Live the Queen when it publishes in November.

Xandra had quite a shock at the end of the last book when she discovered that she is in fact a goblin rather than the halvie that she always thought she was. The goblins are the most ferocious of the supernatural races and the ones who are most feared by the rest of the population. She has always thought of them as monsters so her world view has taken quite a battering thanks to her newly acquired status as their queen. Not only is she questioning herself and worrying over her new abilities but she also finds that she has become a political pawn that each of the different factions all want to win into their corner, she is going to have to pick her allies wisely though or she'll just end up in an even bigger mess. After everything that Xandra went through in the first book to protect her siblings I have to say I was a bit disappointed in them for abandoning her when she needed their support in return, it's just a good job she had Vex to lean on. Of course the fact that they have been ignoring her for the last few months doesn't stop Xandra diving straight into the investigation when she discovers that her brother Val is missing no matter how much trouble it might get her into. She is the kind of girl who will protect her loved ones at any cost and I can't fault her for that.

I love the way things have developed between Xandra and Vex and I think she sums up my feelings for him perfectly when she says "One of the things I adored about him was he didn't go all chest-thumping on me and treat me like a delicate flower. I knew he'd rip apart anyone who tried to hurt me, but he'd give me first crack at it." I love the fact that although he is an alpha he doesn't try to take charge of every situation. He is supportive and protective of her without being smothering and I like the way he is so calm and centred while Xandra is struggling to come to terms with the revelations of her heritage. Vex obviously loves Xandra for who she is and he is the only one who has always been there for her when she needed him.

Another thing I really enjoyed was getting to learn more about the goblins, we get to see a different side to them as Xandra reluctantly spends more time with the plague and I've come to really like the goblin prince. There have also been a few interesting developments with Vex's werewolf pack and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the next book. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and I'm sure anyone who enjoyed the first book is going to love this instalment just as much. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Source: Received from Chrissie at Once Upon a Series in exchange for an honest review (this review will also appear as a guest post on Chrissie's blog).

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Review: Born Wicked - Jessica Spotswood

Our mother was a witch too, but she hid it better. I miss her.

To me, the magic feels like a curse. According to the Brothers, it's devil-sent. Women who can do magic-they're either mad or wicked. So I will do everything in my power to protect myself and my sisters. Even if it means giving up my life - and my true love.

Because if the Brothers discover our secret, we're destined for the asylum, or prison . . . or death.

Everybody thinks Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave. Then Cate finds her mother's diary, and uncovers a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. But if what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe--not even from each other.

The Cahill Witch Chronicles:
Born Wicked
Star Cursed (UK release date to be confirmed)

Visit Jessica Spotswood's website for more information.

Review:
Cate and her sisters, Maura and Tess, are witches but it would be very dangerous to them if anyone ever discovered their abilities. There is no safety for women or girls accused of witchcraft, if the Brotherhood suspect you then you will end up being sent away to an asylum or to a prison ship. Girls are brought up to believe they are wicked and they must submit to the will of the men in their lives. Before she died Cate's mother asked her to protect her younger sisters and Cate has spent the last 3 years trying to stop her sisters practising magic, trying to make sure they are not discovered. She loves her sisters deeply and would do anything to protect them but when she uncovers her mother's old diary and realises that her family is the subject of an important prophecy things are about to get even harder.

I love books about witches so I couldn't wait to read Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood and I found myself really enjoying the story. The story is set in an alternate history and I have to confess that I would have liked a bit more information about the world they were living in, there were mentions of several wars and the boarders seemed to be different to what we would recognise from our own history but I didn't really manage to get a full picture of how things came to be that way or even quite how everything fitted together. Apart from that the story did read like a normal historical book, but one where witches are real. We all know how badly suspected witches were treated in the past so it wasn't difficult to believe that the Brotherhood was able to build such a culture of fear towards witches and women in general. I found myself loathing the Brotherhood and everything it stood for - all young girls are raised believing they are wicked and being forced to obey, the Brotherhood can force them into marriages and really the girls have no say over their own futures. Any woman who is different or stands out in any way tends to find themselves accused of witchcraft and spirited away to an asylum or one of the prison ships - not a fate that anyone would choose that's for sure.

Cate has been so fearful of anyone finding out her family's secret that she has tried to bury her magical abilities and she has tried to push her sisters into doing the same. She was put under a lot of pressure by their mother and took responsibility for her sister's safety when she was just 13 years old so although she often goes about things in the wrong way it was easy to see why she thought what she was doing was for the best. There were times when I was annoyed with the way she shut her sisters out and kept so many secrets from them but everything she did was done with good intentions. It was nice to see her start to accept her powers and embrace the magic as the story progressed and I think that will help her become closer to her sisters as the series continues. All three sisters are very different and I'd have to say that my favourite was Tess, she was utterly adorable and wise beyond her years. I think I felt most sorry for Maura though, she is so desperate for love and attention that she tends to look for it in all the wrong places which makes it easy for others to prey on her. I'm looking forward to learning more about their abilities and seeing them practise their magic in future books and I also want to know if they can find a way around the prophecy.

There are two love interests but thankfully the love triangle wasn't pushed as much as it could have been. You have Cate's childhood friend Paul who has just returned from university and makes it clear he wants a future with her, then you have the bookish gardener Finn who is too busy trying to protect his mother and sister to be able to offer her his hand in marriage. I would have liked a little more information about both boys because I feel that I hardly know them at all but I'm hoping that will happen as the series continues. There were a couple of really great scenes between Cate and Finn that left me hoping for them to find a way to be together but it is hard to imagine how that could work. Born Wicked was a strong start to the series, it has left me with plenty of questions but I'm confident I'll get the answers eventually. I was a little annoyed with the cliffhanger ending because I'm now left hanging while I wait for the next book to be published but I'll definitely be continuing with the series as soon as I can get hold of a copy of Star Cursed.

Source: Received from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

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Review: God Save the Queen - Kate Locke

London, present day - and Queen Victoria still rules with an immortal fist.

She's the undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where technology lives side by side with magic, where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side effects include undeath) and Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day.

Xandra Varden is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it's her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But things get complicated when her sister goes missing. Xandra will not only realise she's the prize in a dangerous power struggle - but she'll also uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire itself.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
As soon as I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read God Save the Queen - it was the combination of the steampunk style outfit with modern London buildings in the background that raised my curiosity. You've got to love a heroine with bright red hair too! Reading the blurb and discovering Kate Locke has created an alternate history where Queen Victoria didn't die - she was actually infected with the plague and became a vampire - just sealed the deal and moved this onto my 'must read' pile of books. Imagine a world where Queen Victoria is celebrating her 175 year on the throne, a world where the British Aristocracy were all infected with a plague that turned them into vampires. The same plague that turned the Scottish Aristocracy into werewolves but didn't really have any effect on the main population. You have a world full of steampunk technology, where women wear corsets and where your heritage dictates your place in society. You also have a story that is a mixture of urban fantasy, alternate history and steampunk - in other words a story that is full of awesome.

Our heroine is Xandra, a 22 year old halvie who was born of a vampire father and a human courtesan and who now works for the Royal Guard protecting the Aristocracy. When her sister Dede goes missing and is presumed dead Xandra is the only one who doesn't believe what she is told, she is convinced that her sister is still out there somewhere and is determined to find out what happened to her. Even Xandra's brother Val and her other sister Avery believe that Dede is dead so she is on her own when it comes to the investigation. The more Xandra starts digging into Dede's disappearance the more she starts to uncover about her own past and the secrets those she is closest to have been keeping from her.

Xandra is the kind of character I find it easy to care for, she is strong and independent but she is also caring and she knows when to accept the help that is offered to her. She has been kept in the dark for her whole life and everything she thinks she knows is completely turned upside down throughout the story. I can't say much more without giving spoilers so I'm just going to say I was impressed with the way she coped with the revelations that were thrown at her. I really found myself liking her family unit, particularly the relationships she has with her siblings but some of the characters I'm most interested in finding out more about are Vex (the Alpha of the British werewolves) and the Goblin Prince. I have a feeling there are a lot more secrets still to uncover and I'll be interested to see how the story develops in the next book.

Considering God Save the Queen was written by an American author it had an authentic British feel to it that I really enjoyed. Add in a great cast of characters, a mystery that kept me guessing and some fabulous world building and this is a book you won't want to miss out on. I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment and will definitely be adding Kate Locke to my list of authors to watch out for.

Source: Received from Orbit in exchange for an honest review

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Snowdrop Dreams
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