Review: Hero at the Fall - Alwyn Hamilton

The rebellion has been betrayed. The Rebel Prince has been captured. And the remnants of the rebellion lie in hands more used to shooting a gun than managing an army: The Blue Eyed Bandit’s. Amani, to those who know her as the girl instead of the legend.

With the Sultan ruthlessly reclaiming the desert with his inhuman army, only a few know that the Rebel Prince is still alive, imprisoned. And if there’s any hope of resurrecting the country’s failing faith in the rebellion, Amani, Jin and their few remaining allies will have to rescue him from a prison deep in the mountains. A place which, until now, Amani thought was a only myth.

Now Amani must return to where she came from, confronting towering walls of fire, dangerous foreign armies, and legendary tricksters. Heading quickly down a road which Amani knows ends in an all out war, and her finding out just how much she can bring herself to sacrifice to save her whole country.

Rebel of the Sands Series:
Rebel of the Sands
Traitor to the Throne
Hero at the Fall

Visit the Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information

Review:
I've loved this series since I first read Rebel of the Sands but I have to confess I put of reading Hero at the Fall for quite a long time. Partly I was worried it might not live up to expectations but equally I just didn't want the story to end, I still don't feel quite ready to say goodbye to this world or these characters even though I was extremely happy with how the journey ended for most of them. I'm going to have to give you a little bit of a warning in case you've not picked up this book yet, if you've read the previous books you'll already know that Alwyn Hamilton isn't afraid to break her reader's hearts and she stays true to that here so prepare yourself. This is a war against incredibly powerful enemies though so as much as certain things broke my heart, it was more realistic. Plus the fact that knowing your favourites might not survive to the end of the book just really amps up the tension throughout the whole story.

I'm not going to say too much about the plot of this book, if you've already read the first two books then you'll have a rough idea what to expect from this world and if you've not started this series yet then go and read my review of Rebel of the Sands instead. This was an action packed joyride of a story, one that just kept throwing new challenges at all of the fabulous characters we've come to love. Amani faces some impossible decisions and some of the things she has to do to keep her promises are horrific but she faces everything with the same bravery she's shown from the beginning. This was a fitting end to the series and I'm definitely going to be watching out for whatever Alwyn Hamilton writes next!

Source: Received from Faber & Faber in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Book Trailer: Hero at the Fall - Alwyn Hamilton

I love Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands series, to be honest I thought I'd posted these trailers months ago but since I didn't, and since I'm currently writing my review of Hero at the Fall, I thought I might as well share them now. This is such a fun series full of adventure, magic and a girl who is a crackshot with a gun so if you haven't started it yet you're really missing out.

The rebellion has been betrayed. The Rebel Prince has been captured. And the remnants of the rebellion lie in hands more used to shooting a gun than managing an army: The Blue Eyed Bandit’s. Amani, to those who know her as the girl instead of the legend.

With the Sultan ruthlessly reclaiming the desert with his inhuman army, only a few know that the Rebel Prince is still alive, imprisoned. And if there’s any hope of resurrecting the country’s failing faith in the rebellion, Amani, Jin and their few remaining allies will have to rescue him from a prison deep in the mountains. A place which, until now, Amani thought was a only myth.

Now Amani must return to where she came from, confronting towering walls of fire, dangerous foreign armies, and legendary tricksters. Heading quickly down a road which Amani knows ends in an all out war, and her finding out just how much she can bring herself to sacrifice to save her whole country.

Rebel of the Sands Series:
Rebel of the Sands
Traitor to the Throne
Hero at the Fall

Visit the Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information




Just in case you haven't started the series yet here is the info for the first book Rebel of the Sands:

Sold immediately at auction across the world, this phenomenal novel is the first in a trilogy packed with shooting contests, train robberies, festivals under the stars, powerful Djinni magic and an electrifying love story. This promises to be a global super lead.

"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."

Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise.



and the second book Traitor to the Throne:

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

Cover Reveals: Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton, Rage by Cora Carmack & Legendary by Stephanie Garber

So today I spotted cover reveals for three upcoming sequels that I'm desperate to get my hands on so I though I'd share them all with you here!

Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton:

Alwyn sent out her latest newsletter today and I fell head over heels in love with the cover for Hero at the Fall! I love this series and have been looking forward to reading this for what feels like forever! Just look how beautiful it is:

Here's the blurb:
The rebellion has been betrayed. The Rebel Prince has been captured. And the remnants of the rebellion lie in hands more used to shooting a gun than managing an army: The Blue Eyed Bandit’s. Amani, to those who know her as the girl instead of the legend.

With the Sultan ruthlessly reclaiming the desert with his inhuman army, only a few know that the Rebel Prince is still alive, imprisoned. And if there’s any hope of resurrecting the country’s failing faith in the rebellion, Amani, Jin and their few remaining allies will have to rescue him from a prison deep in the mountains. A place which, until now, Amani thought was a only myth.

Now Amani must return to where she came from, confronting towering walls of fire, dangerous foreign armies, and legendary tricksters. Heading quickly down a road which Amani knows ends in an all out war, and her finding out just how much she can bring herself to sacrifice to save her whole country.

Rebel of the Sands Series:
Rebel of the Sands
Traitor to the Throne
Hero at the Fall (February 2018)

Visit the Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information

Rage by Cora Carmack:

Next up is the cover for Rage by Cora Carmack which was posted on USA Today HERE. I absolutely love the cover for Roar and this one matches it perfectly! I'm really looking forward to reading this one and having both of these beauties sitting together on my bookcase:

Here's the blurb:
All Aurora Pavan ever wanted was a choice, to control her own life. Now she’s got more choices than she can handle.

Princess or adventurer.

Duty or freedom.

Her Kingdom or the Stormhunter she loves.

If she knows anything, it’s that choices have consequences— like the storm now tangled with her heart, the alarming disappearance of her mother and friend, and the fall of her kingdom to the Locke family. To set things right, she joins a growing revolution on the streets of Pavan. She puts her knowledge of the palace to use to aid the rebellion, but the Lockes aren’t the only sinister thing plaguing Pavan. The Rage season is at it’s peak and not a day passes without the skies raining down destruction. But these storms seem… different than any she’s ever encountered. They churn with a darkness that frightens her, and attack with a will like she’s never seen. This feels like more than Rage. It feels like war.

Stormheart Series:
Roar
Rage (June 2018)

Visit Cora Carmack's website for more information

Legendary by Stephanie Garber:

Last but definitely not least is the cover for Legendary by Stephanie Garber which was posted today by Entertainment Weekly HERE. Of course this is the American cover so we have to wait a little longer for the British one but I absolutely loved Caraval so I'm incredibly excited that we definitely have a sequel coming.

We don't have a full blurb for Legendary yet but if it's half as good as Caraval it's going to be excellent!

Caraval Series:
Caraval
Legendary (May 2018)
Future titles and release dates to be confirmed

Visit Stephanie Garber's website for more information

So which of these gorgeous covers is your favourite? Are you as excited about all of these new releases as I am?

Title Reveal: Who wants to know the name of the final book in Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands Trilogy?

I've been excited about Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands series ever since I first heard about it at a Faber & Faber blogger event back in 2015 so I'm absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the title reveal for the final book in the trilogy today! I absolutely loved the first two books so the new one is right at the top of my wish list for 2018 releases.

Don't worry, I'm not going to drag out the suspense, here is the title of book 3:

HERO AT THE FALL!! What do you think? Who else is as excited about this book as I am? The title doesn't really tell us that much though does it so who wants to see the blurb too?

Book 3: Hero at the Fall

The rebellion has been betrayed. The Rebel Prince has been captured. And the remnants of the rebellion lie in hands more used to shooting a gun than managing an army: The Blue Eyed Bandit’s. Amani, to those who know her as the girl instead of the legend.

With the Sultan ruthlessly reclaiming the desert with his inhuman army, only a few know that the Rebel Prince is still alive, imprisoned. And if there’s any hope of resurrecting the country’s failing faith in the rebellion, Amani, Jin and their few remaining allies will have to rescue him from a prison deep in the mountains. A place which, until now, Amani thought was a only myth.

Now Amani must return to where she came from, confronting towering walls of fire, dangerous foreign armies, and legendary tricksters. Heading quickly down a road which Amani knows ends in an all out war, and her finding out just how much she can bring herself to sacrifice to save her whole country.

I bet you're even more excited for this book now!!

Just in case you've been hiding under a rock for the last couple of years and are yet to discover the rest of this series here are the details of the first two books:

Book 1: Rebel of the Sands

Sold immediately at auction across the world, this phenomenal novel is the first in a trilogy packed with shooting contests, train robberies, festivals under the stars, powerful Djinni magic and an electrifying love story. This promises to be a global super lead.

"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."

Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise.

Read my review here

Book 2: Traitor to the Throne

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

Read my review here

I absolutely love this series so if you haven't started it yet then you've got plenty of time to catch up before Hero at the Fall releases next February!

Review: Traitor to the Throne - Alwyn Hamilton

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

Rebel of the Sands Series:
Rebel of the Sands
Traitor to the Throne
Hero at the Fall

Visit the Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information

Review:
I really loved Rebel of the Sands so Traitor to the Throne was right up there amongst my most wished for books of 2017. Sometimes it can be hard to live up to fan's high expectations but I though Alwyn Hamilton did a brilliant job, this book is very different to the first one but I really enjoyed the new direction the story took and I loved all the twists and turns along the way.

I don't really want to say too much about how this happens but when Amani is captured during a mission for the rebellion she finds herself taken prisoner and held captive in the Sultan's palace. We're used to seeing her as a fierce fighter and someone who never backs down from a challenge but she's now in an impossible situation, trapped without her powers and with no backup on hand. She hasn't given up on getting back to her friends but her hands are quite tied and it's not going to be easy for her to escape. I love that she tries to turn the situation to her advantage though, she is in an ideal situation to spy on her enemies so if she can only figure out a way to pass what information she can find on to the rebels she could be the key to winning the rebellion. I just love that Amani never quits, no matter how impossible the odds look she keeps fighting for what she believes in.

There is a lot going on in this book - political intrigue at the palace, the rebel's attempts to rescue Amani, concubines disappearing from the harem and the Sultan's latest prisoners who are even more dangerous and powerful than Amani. You'll see familiar faces from Amani's past who may or may not be trustworthy, the rebels will suffer plenty of setbacks, friends become enemies while enemies might turn into allies. Nothing is quite what it seems and it all unravels in spectacular fashion in an exciting finale that left me desperate for the final book.

If I had one complaint it was that Jin was missing for much of the book, it makes sense for the plot because he couldn't exactly be held prisoner in the harem alongside Amani but I missed his character. We get to see plenty of whats going on with the other rebels but I would have loved perhaps a few chapters from Jin's POV so we could see what he was up to elsewhere. I'm glad Amani and Jin were reunited in the end though, I think these two bring out the best in each other and I love seeing them fight alongside each other. This series is just so much fun to read and I can't wait to see how everything ties together in the final book.

Source: Received from Faber & Faber in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

My Most Anticipated 2017 Reads

As we close out 2016 I wanted to talk about some of the fabulous books that I'm looking forward to reading next year. I'm going to focus on releases from the first half of 2017 and I'll try to make a similar list in the summer to cover the rest of the year.

Young Adult:

1. Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder - I'm a huge fan of the Chronicles of Ixia series, Yelena and Valek are two of my favourite YA characters of all time so I can't wait to read the latest book even though I'm incredibly sad it's the last one.
2. Traitor to the throne by Alwyn Hamilton - Rebel of the Sands was one of my favourite books of 2016 so of course I have very high hopes for the sequel.
3. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - If you've read The Daughter of Smoke and Bone you'll already know why I'm looking forward to this one, I just adore Laini's writing.
4. Caraval by Stephanie Garber - There is so much hype surrounding Caraval which makes me a little nervous but Hodder publish some of my favourite books so I think this will be awesome, especially since it's described as perfect for fans of The Night Circus.
5. Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima - I first discovered Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series this year and I was hooked from the very beginning, I devoured all four books as well as the first book in the Shattered Realms spin off and I can't wait to see what happens next.
6. Heartstone by Elle Katharine White - This is a debut novel that turns Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice into a high fantasy story with dragons. With dragons people, Pride and Prejudice with DRAGONS! Do I need to say any more than that?
7. Roseblood by A.G. Howard - I love it when authors take a well known story and put their own spin on it so I'm very excited to see what twists A.G. Howard is going to add to the Phantom of the Opera.
8. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth - I absolutely loved the Divergent series (even though I've refused to read the last book since someone spoilered me!) so I've been waiting a long time to see what Veronica Roth would come up with next.
9. The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine - I really love fairytales and retellings and this series combines the two so I'm looking forward to reading this one.
10. Silver Stars by Michael Grant - This is a little different to the other books on my list since it's not high fantasy but Michael Grant has imagined WWII as if women had been allowed to fight on the front lines. I enjoyed every minute of the first book so I'm looking forward to continuing the journey these women are taking.

Adult:

1. White Hot by Ilona Andrews - This is a bit of a cheat since I've already read White Hot (twice!) but it's so absolutely awesome that I can't wait to read it again and we also have the third book in the series, Wildfire, to look forward to later on in the year so I'm all about this series next year.
2. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - This debut fantasy is being sold as perfect for fans of The Night Circus and Uprooted which happen to be two of my favourite books so I'm expecting great things from this one.
3. Silver Silence by Nalini Singh - I love everything Nalini Singh writes and her Psy-Changeling series is absolutely fantastic so of course I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
4. Scorpion Trap by Pippa DaCosta - I discovered Pippa DaCosta in 2015 and completely fell in love with her writing. Since then I've devoured her entire backlist but luckily for me she's quite a prolific writer and I can't wait for the next book in her Ace Dante series. 
5. Blade bound by Chloe Neill - Well the end is here, the last book in the Chicagoland Vampires series. This is going to be a bittersweet read because I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters but at the same time I can't wait to see how things turn out for Merit and Ethan.
6. Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs - Mercy Thompson is one of my favourite urban fantasy heroines, I reread this series regularly but it's been a couple of years now so I'm hoping to find time to read them all before Silence Fallen releases.
7. Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet - A Promise of Fire was another of my favourite 2016 debuts so I'm sure this will be just as awesome.
8. The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz - I'm a huge fan of Tiffany Reisz's writing so of course this is at the top of my wish list.
9. Ride Rough by Laura Kaye - I may not read much contemporary romance these days but there are a couple of authors who I automatically preorder and Laura Kaye is one of them.
10. Too Wilde To Tame by Tonya Burrows - This is another series that I love and have been waiting almost a year for the next instalment of.

Are any of these books at the top of your list? What other books are you excited about reading in 2017?

My Favourite Reads of 2016

It's always fun to look back over the year and try to pick out my favourite reads. I've read a lot of amazing books this year but I've also reread a lot of series I love so I've decided that I'm only allowed to include first reads in this list and I'm also going to try and limit it to one book per author so that a few favourites don't dominate the list! The links below will take you to my reviews.

Young Adult:

1. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
2. Morning Star by Pierce Brown
3. Night Study by Maria V. Snyder
4. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
5. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
6. Barefoot on the Wind by Zoe Marriott
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition - J.K. Rowling & Jim Kay
8. Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
9. The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima
10. Secret of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain

Adult:

1. Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews
2. Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh
3. Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
4. See No Evil by Pippa DaCosta
5. A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
6. Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier
7. Siege by K.F. Breene
8. Beyond Surrender by Kit Rocha
9. Lets Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
10. Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre

What were your favourite reads in 2016? Do any match up with the ones on my list?

February 2016 Recap

Books read in previous months but reviewed in February:

(Links will take you to my reviews)

1. Dead Heat - Patricia Briggs (Read in March, review coming soon)
2. The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood (Read in December, review will be posted in May)
3. Saga Volume 1 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (Read in January, review coming soon)
4. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan (Read in January, review coming soon)
5. Naked in Death - J.D. Robb (Read in January, review coming soon)
6. Truthwitch - Susan Dennard (Read in January, review coming soon)
7. One Silent Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon (Read in January, review coming soon)
8. Burned - Karen Marie Moning (Read in January, review coming soon)
9. Night Study - Maria V Snyder (Read in January, review coming soon)
10. Magic of the Gargoyles - Rebecca Chastain (Novella) (Read in January, review coming soon)
11. Blank Canvas - Kit Rocha (Short Story) (Read in January, review coming soon)
12. Their Fractured Light - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner (Read in January, review coming soon)
13. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard (Read in January, review coming soon)
14. The Story of Son - J.R. Ward (Novella) (Read in January, review coming soon)

Books read in February:

(Links will take you to my reviews)

1. Red Rising - Pierce Brown (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
2. Fair Game - Patricia Briggs (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
3. Frost Burned - Patricia Briggs (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
4. Golden Son - Patricia Briggs (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
5. Ice Planet Barbarians - Ruby Dixon (Review coming soon)
6. Morning Star - Pierce Brown (Review coming soon)
7. Dead Heat - Patricia Briggs (I re-read this book before posting my review)
8. The Dark Days Club - Alison Goodman
9. Simon Drew's Inappropriate Address Book - Simon Drew (Coffee Table Book)
10. Hidden Threat - Sherri Hayes
11. Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
12. Night Broken - Patricia Briggs (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
13. Shifting Shadows - Patricia Briggs (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
14. Emergency Engagement - Samanthe Beck
15. Mind Games - Jana Oliver
16. Fire Touched - Patricia Briggs (Review coming soon)
17. Men & Cats - Marie-Eva Gatuingt & Alice Chaygneaud (Coffee Table Book)
18. A Christmas Proposal - Sherri Hayes (Short Story)
19. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
20. Beyond Ruin - Kit Rocha
21. The Demon King - Cinda Williams Chima (Review coming soon)
22. Midnight Marked - Chloe Neill (Review coming soon)
23. Girl From Above: Trust - Pippa DaCosta (Review coming soon)
24. Four to Score - Janet Evanovich (Review coming soon)
25. One Hell of a Ride - Seanan McGuire (Short Story) (Review coming soon)

Other February Posts:

1. Spotlight: Beyond Ruin - Kit Rocha (+ Giveaway)
2. Blog Tour: Night Study - Maria V. Snyder

February Books of the Month:

(Choices are made from books reviewed this month and the links will take you to my reviews)

My top YA read in February:

Night Study by Maria V. Snyder (read my review here)
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (read my review here)

My top NA read in February:

I didn't actually read any NA books in Februray

My top adult reads in February:

Golden Son by Pierce Brown (read my review here)
Fair Game by Patricia Briggs (read my review here)

I reread both Red Rising & Golden Son before Pierce Brown's newest release Morning Star & all three books are outstanding 5* reads, I'll be posting my review of MS very soon but I'd be VERY surprised if that isn't my top book of the whole year!
I also finished my reread of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series, she is another of my all time favourite authors so I'd highly recommend reading all of her books.

February Events:

I've been pretty hopeless at writing up events recently so I've decided to start mentioning them in my monthly wrap up posts so they at least get a little attention!

This month I was lucky enough to attend 2 events, the first of which was a blogger event at the Faber & Faber offices where we got to find out about some of their upcoming titles and meet fabulous authors Alwyn Hamilton and Laure Eve. I absolutely LOVE Alwyn's debut novel Rebel of the Sands (it's one of my books of the month!) so it was fantastic to meet her and to get my copy of the book signed and Laure was talking about her upcoming novel The Graces which sounds brilliant and has gone straight to the top of my wish list. Faber have a lot of exciting novels coming out this year but apart from the two already mentioned the one I'm most looking forward to is Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley which we were very excitingly given a proof of so I'm hoping to read it soon.

Here are just a couple of pictures I took on the day:

Alwyn Hamilton & Laure Eve

Some of the bloggers I had the chance to catch up with & 

the delicious cupcakes and nibbles we were given!

The second event was the Howler Party that Hodder held at their offices to celebrate the release of Morning Star by Pierce Brown, this is the third book in his Red Rising Trilogy and the party was part of Pierce's first ever official visit to the UK. It's no secret that I'm a HUGE fangirl of this series so getting invited to this party was something I was incredibly excited about and Pierce was just as funny (& gorgeous!) in real life as he is over the internet. I had such a brilliant time at the event and I had a huge stack of books with me for poor Pierce to sign (don't worry they're not all mine, I'll be sending a couple to America to friends who are also crazy fans of the series like me!).

Me with Pierce Brown & again with my huge stack of books for signing!

 

Some of the fabulous posters Hodder had on display (I may have brought a few of those home with me!) along with one of the delicious (if slightly disturbing) cupcakes we got to munch on!

I'd like to say a massive thank you to both Faber and Hodder for inviting me to these events, it was absolutely fantastic to meet all of these authors and I feel very grateful for the opportunities I've had since I started blogging :o)

My Challenge Updates:

These are the challenges I've signed up for in 2016:

2016 Read 100 Books in a Year Challenge - Read 32/200
2016 British Books Challenge - Read 3/50
2016 New Author Challenge - Read 5/50
2016 Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Challenge - 19/100
2016 Contemporary Romance Challenge - 2/50
2016 Romantic Suspense Challenge - 1/20

Review: Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton

Sold immediately at auction across the world, this phenomenal novel is the first in a trilogy packed with shooting contests, train robberies, festivals under the stars, powerful Djinni magic and an electrifying love story. This promises to be a global super lead.

"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."

Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise.

Rebel of the Sands Series:
Rebel of the Sands
Traitor to the Throne
Hero at the Fall

Visit the Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information

Review:
All Amani has ever wanted is to escape her small desert hometown Dustwalk and make her way to the nearest city like her mother had always dreamed of doing. Now that her uncle is looking to force her into marriage she knows she has to leave soon before it's too late. Taking all the money she has spent years secretly saving Amani enters a sharpshooting contest hoping to win enough to purchase her train ticket out of there but unfortunately it all goes horribly wrong. Now Amani finds herself on the run from an army of soldiers and Jin, a young foreigner who is wanted for treason, is the only person she can trust to help her escape. Amani has no idea why Jin is a wanted man but she knows that the only way they'll survive is if they learn to work together.

I have been desperately waiting to get my hands on this book since I first heard about it at a Faber & Faber blogger event last year, it was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2016 and oh boy did it deliver in every way. I've heard Rebel of the Sands described as Wild West meets Arabian Nights and I can't think of a more apt way to summarize it. The story is wonderfully atmospheric with a harsh but beautiful desert setting and I was pulled into the world Alwyn Hamilton has created from the very first page. I don't want to go into too much detail about the mythology because I think it's the kind of story where it's much nicer to go in knowing only minimal details but the world building is very well done and djinni aren't something you come across a great deal in YA so it was nice to read about something so different.

The characters are fantastic, Amani is wonderful, a fiercely independent young girl who also happens to be a sharpshooter and is more than able to protect herself. Due to circumstances she has to hide a lot of what she is, girls aren't allowed much freedom in her culture and it would be impossible for her to travel alone so she thinks nothing of disguising herself as a boy and setting off for an adventure. As much as I love her independent streak I also love that she isn't afraid to accept help when she needs it and she is a very loyal friend to anyone who has earned her trust. There are hints of romance and I'm definitely shipping Amani and Jin but I'm glad that the romance didn't overshadow the rest of the storyline.

This book has it all: action, adventure, mystery, a wonderful setting, great characters, magic, gunpowder and a touch of romance. The pace is perfect and once I started reading I didn't want to stop. I can't wait to see where Amani's journey takes her throughout the rest of the trilogy and will be eagerly awaiting each new release.

I also have to give a little shout out to Faber & Faber for such a fantastic marketing campaign for the book too. They really built up the hype for this one and thankfully the book wasn't a let down. My favourite part was the awesome personalised proofs they sent out & this book is already taking pride of place on my favourites shelf :o)

Source: Received from Faber & Faber in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
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Book Trailer: Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton #rebelsands

I've been looking forward to reading Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton ever since Faber & Faber mentioned it at their blogger event last year so It's been a VERY long wait. Thankfully the wait is nearly over as the book will be published on the 4th of February!

Anyway I'm VERY excited to be able to share the fantastic book trailer with you today:



Doesn't it look AMAZING!! I'm going to be starting to read my beautiful proof copy soon (see pic above!) so if you're not already friends with me on Goodreads feel free to add me so you can stalk my progress HERE.

About Rebel of the Sands:

Sold immediately at auction across the world, this phenomenal novel is the first in a trilogy packed with shooting contests, train robberies, festivals under the stars, powerful Djinni magic and an electrifying love story. This promises to be a global super lead.

"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."

Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise.

Visit Alwyn Hamilton's website for more information

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten 2016 Debut Novels I'm Looking Forward To.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten 2016 Debut Novels I'm Looking Forward To and there are lots of books coming out next year that I'm already REALLY excited about!

I'm going to include the covers & blurbs (where available) and then I'll link to the Goodreads page for each book in case you want to add them to your TBR shelves. These are listed in no particular order.

1. Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
(Goodreads Page)

Sold immediately at auction across the world, this phenomenal novel is the first in a trilogy packed with shooting contests, train robberies, festivals under the stars, powerful Djinni magic and an electrifying love story. This promises to be a global super lead.

"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."

Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise.

2. This is Where it Ends - Marieke Nijkamp
(Goodreads Page)

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

3. Beyond the Red - Ava Jae
(Goodreads Page)

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

4. Burning Glass - Kathryn Purdie
(Goodreads Page)

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. One mistake, one small failure, will cost her own life and the lives of the few people left in the world who still trust her.

But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, her feelings easily usurped, and she sometimes can’t decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

BURNING GLASS is debut author Kathryn Purdie’s stunning tale of dangerous magic, heart-rending romance, and the hard-won courage it takes to let go.

5. Sword and Verse - Kathy MacMillan
(Goodreads Page)

Raisa was only a child when she was kidnapped and enslaved in Qilara. Forced to serve in the palace of the king, she’s endured hunger, abuse, and the harrowing fear of discovery: everyone knows she is Arnath, but not that Raisa is a Learned One, a part of an Arnath group educated in higher order symbols. In Qilara, this language is so fiercely protected that only the King, the Prince, and Tutors are allowed to know it. So when the current Tutor-in-training is executed for sharing the guarded language with slaves, and Raisa is chosen to replace her, Raisa knows that—although she may have a privileged position among slaves—any slip-up could mean death.

That would be challenging enough, but training alongside Prince Mati could be her real undoing. And when a romance blossoms between them, she’s suddenly filled with a dangerous hope for something she never before thought possible: more. Then she’s propositioned by the Resistance—an underground army of slaves—to help liberate the Arnath people. Joining the rebellion could mean freeing her people…but she’d also be aiding in the war against her beloved—an honorable man that she knows wants to help the slaves.

Working against the one she loves—and a palace full of deadly political renegades—has some heady consequences. As Raisa struggles with what’s right, she unwittingly uncovers a secret that the Qilarites have long since buried…one that, unlocked, could bring the current world order to its knees.

And Raisa is the one holding the key.

6. Shallow Graves - Kali Wallace
(Goodreads Page)

Breezy remembers leaving the party, the warm, wet grass under her feet, her cheek still stinging from a slap to the face. But when she wakes up, scared and pulling dirt from her mouth, a year has passed and she can’t explain the necklace of bruises around her neck. She also can’t explain the man lying at her grave, dead from her touch.

Returning home seems impossible. Her parents and sisters have clearly grieved and struggled to move on, and Breezy can’t begin to answer their inevitable questions. Her heartbeat comes and goes, she doesn’t need to eat or drink, she can see the inky memories of murderers, and she can somehow pull on this dark guilt to kill them. Haunted by the happy memories from her life and disgusted by the half-dead creature she’s become, Breezy embarks on a reckless quest to find answers and a dangerous healing magic…but the cure is as dark and terrible as the disease.

Set in a gorgeous, terrifying world, Shallow Graves is a stunning novel about the heartbreaking trauma of a girl’s life cut short and her struggle to reconcile her humanity with the creature she’s become.

7. Assassin's Heart - Sarah Ahiers
(Goodreads Page)

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

8. These Vicious Masks - Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas
(Goodreads Page)

Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

9. Beautiful Broken Things - Sara Barnard
(Goodreads Page)

I was brave
She was reckless
We were trouble

Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

10. The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood
(Goodreads Page)

My heart is a kaleidoscope, and when we kiss it makes my world unravel...

Last summer, Gottie’s life fell apart. Her beloved grandfather Grey died and Jason left her – the boy to whom she lost her virginity (and her heart) – and he wouldn’t even hold her hand at the funeral! This summer, still reeling from twin heartbreaks, Gottie is lost and alone and burying herself in equations. Until, after five years absence, Thomas comes home: former boy next door. Former best friend. Former everything. And as life turns upside down again she starts to experience strange blips in time – back to last summer, back to what she should have seen then...

During one long, hazy summer, Gottie navigates grief, world-stopping kisses and rips in the space-time continuum, as she tries to reconcile her first heartbreak with her last. The Square Root of Summer is an astounding and moving debut from Harriet Reuter Hapgood.

So are any of these on your wish list? Which 2016 debuts are you most excited about?