Review: Queen of Volts - Amanda Foody

Return to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin… and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice.

Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes.

After realizing they have no choice but to play, Enne Scordata and Levi Glaisyer are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But while Levi offers false smiles and an even falser peace to the city’s politicians, Enne must face a world where her true Mizer identity has been revealed… and any misstep could turn deadly.

Meanwhile, a far more dangerous opponent has appeared on the board, one plucked right from the most gruesome legends of New Reynes. As the game takes its final, vicious turn, Levi and Enne must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Because in a game for survival, there are only losers…

And monsters.

The Shadow Game Series:
Ace of Shades
King of Fools
Queen of Volts

Visit Amanda Foody's website for more information

Review:
Queen of Volts is the action packed conclusion to Amanda Foody's Shadow Game series. It pics Enne and Levi's story not long after the end of the previous book and they're both struggling to deal with the emotional fallout of everything they've been through. Their relationship is more strained than ever and the trust between them has been completely broken so rather than working together they're now each choosing their own paths. You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out if they manage to work things out or not but there were definitely moments where I wanted to bang both their heads together.

Although the initial game has ended a new, and even more deadly, one has started with all of our favourite characters being forced into taking part. The stakes have never been higher and it's very unlikely they'll all come out of this alive, especially if they can't find a way to work together against a common enemy.

I'm keeping this review deliberately vague because I'd hate to spoil the story for anyone but there was so much action the story kept me on the edge of my seat. While I didn't always agree with the choices some of the characters made it was always easy to understand why they did what they did. We get a few extra points of view in this book which meant we were able to see things from even more angles and that also helped unravel a few secrets and tie some of the ongoing plot threads together.

This was a great conclusion to the series and I'll definitely be waiting eagerly for whatever Amanda Foody publishes next.

Source: Received from HQ in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: King of the Dark - Ariana Nash

From the author who brought you the award-winning Silk & Steel series comes a new dark MM high fantasy. 

"Your love is worthless, it's your hate I need." ~Prince Vasili Caville

When King Talos Caville surrendered the war to the elves, soldier Nikolas Yazdan vowed never to serve the royals again. He said the same to the prince who tried to buy his loyalty, and learned the Cavilles don’t take no for an answer.

Whipped for his insolence, Nikolas is forced into slavery in a palace full of vicious, brutal royals. And Prince Vasili Caville is the worst of all. Malicious and cruel, the prince is more viper than man, and someone inside the palace wants him dead. Nikolas would kill the prince himself if not for one thing: Julian, the prince’s personal guard and Niko’s light in the dark. If Nikolas doesn’t submit to Prince Vasili and discover who is plotting against him, Julian will suffer.

But there’s more wrong in the palace than just the prince. The king is on his deathbed, the ferocious elves are creeping closer to the great city of Loreen, and madness stalks the hallways. There’s poison in the Caville court, and if Nikolas doesn’t discover the real reason Prince Vasili tried to buy him with a bag of coin, the palace, the city, and everything he loves, will be lost forever.

King of the Dark is the first book in the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers Prince’s Assassin series. A gay Game of Thrones with a hint of Witcher thrown in, there are triggers, including but not limited to: reference to past abuse, attempted rape, dubious consent, reference to incest, torture, drug use and PTSD. High heat sexual content. The Prince’s Assassin is for 18+ only.

The Prince's Assassin Series:
King of the Dark

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
King of the Dark is the first book in a new M/M dark fantasy trilogy from Ariana Nash and it brings all the twists and turns you'd expect from this author to the table. I always go into her stories trying to expect the unexpected but she never fails to sideswipe me with something I didn't see coming and that's something I absolutely love about her books.

Niko was a soldier who fought on the front lines against the elves who are trying to invade his kingdom. He lost friends and family to the war but he continued to fight because he believed knew the danger the elves possessed and was determined to keep his home as safe as possible. Everything changed for him when his king surrendered to the elves and he now sees all his losses as pointless. Niko is bitter and angry at the world in general but the royal family in particular so when he is approached by Prince Vasili he initially refuses to be caught up in another plot by a royal. The prince isn't used to taking no for an answer though so when commanding Niko to do his bidding doesn't work he thinks nothing of resorting to imprisonment and torture to get what he wants. As Niko grows closer to Vasili's personal guard Julian he realises that he's going to have to start to play Vasili's games if he wants to make sure they both survive the internal squabbles of the royal court.

I really don't want to say much more about the story here so I'm going to focus on how much I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The way things unfold mean you're constantly learning new things and hidden secrets about each of the main players and it was really interesting to have my initial feelings about them all turned upside-down with each new revelation. The royal court really is a nest of vipers and nearly everyone you meet would happily stab their own mothers in their back for the chance to get what they want so it's very hard to know who to trust or to truly understand what most of them are capable of. Whenever I thought I had someone figured out something would happen to completely change my opinion and I think we've only just started to scratch the surface of what is really going on in this world.

King of the Dark was a fantastic start to this series and I honestly can't wait for the next instalment to see what happens next for my favourite characters.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Night of the Dragon - Julie Kagawa

Evil and hope clash and burn in the epic and shocking conclusion to the Shadow of the Fox trilogy.

All is lost.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.

But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of Evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realised existed...until now.

Shadow of the Fox series:
Shadow of the Fox
Soul of the Sword
Night of the Dragon

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information.

Review:
I've been a fan of Julie Kagawa's writing for years but I honestly think that the Shadow of the Fox series is her best one yet. I've been caught up in this world from the beginning and I'm really sad that it's now time to say goodbye.

It's so hard to review the final book in a trilogy because I want to encourage everyone who hasn't started this series yet to dive straight in but I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to give away spoilers. What I've loved most about these books has been the fantastic Japanese mythology and all of the wonderful yokai & kami creatures that Julie Kagawa has introduced us to along the way. Our band of characters has been through so much since the first book but it all comes to a head in Night of the Dragon and they're facing more danger than ever before.

I'm not going to lie and tell you this is an easy end to their journey, this book prefers to grab you by the throat while it slowly rips your heart out, but what I will say is that I loved every minute of it. There are definitely heartbreaking moments in this book but there are also really sweet and heartwarming ones to balance that out and it was definitely a fitting end to a much loved series.

Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Primal Sin - Ariana Nash

Fallen for love. Risen for revenge.

Severn knows love. He knows how it feels to fight for love, and have it torn from his reach. He knows that when the killing fields are strewn with the dead, and love is all gone, only one thing keeps his demon heart beating:

Vengeance.

His life is now a web of lies. His act, a perfect one. His enemy, the guardian angel Mikhail, sits beside him, turns to him for guidance, and even loves him.

The time has come to make all the angels fall, beginning with the most powerful of them all.

Severn thought he knew love. But he’s about to discover that love takes no prisoners, and as demons and angels clash over London’s battle-weary streets, love will claim the souls of two destined enemies.

Primal Sin is a dark gay fantasy with a strong love-story. The series is brimming with savage desires, relentless lies and the bite of vengeance and is not for anyone easily disturbed by graphic scenes.

Primal Sin Series:
Primal Sin

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
For decades angels and demons have waged war on the streets of London and the killing fields have left it unrecognisable. Angels live in the aerie, a huge towering structure ruled by Guardian Mikhail, and they consider themselves protectors of humans. Below the Aerie is the Cauldron, a dark and dangerous underworld where demons prey on the unsuspecting and anything can be purchased for the right price.

Severn is Mikhail's right hand man, a fierce warrior respected by the rest of the angels and feared by demons, even though he lost his wings in battle and can no longer fly. But while Severn is seen as an ally he has ulterior motives and has spent the last decade planning is revenge against the person he blames for ruining his life. After Severn is brutally injured in battle once more Mikhail takes surprising steps to save his life and the bond that forms between them could be enough to doom the world.

Ariana Nash never fails to rip out my heart and stomp it into teeny tiny pieces and I love it so much that I just keep coming back for more! Love, revenge, betrayal and heartbreak this book has it all and then some, I was hooked from beginning to end. We're only just starting to explore this world but already I want to know more and I enjoyed getting to know the characters too. Mikhail initially comes across as quite cold and unfeeling but under the surface he's a boiling pot full of emotion and in the end that might just be his downfall. Severn on the other hand is full of rage and hatred, and with very good reason, but he is also more than he originally seems and as his hate and lust combine his attitude completely changes.

I honestly can't wait to see what happens next between these two, especially now a certain new character that appeared at the end of the book has been thrown into the mix. I know for sure that this is going to be a bumpy ride for everyone but I can't wait to enjoy the rollercoaster.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Crooked Kingdom: Collector's Edition - Leigh Bardugo

A glorious Collector's Edition of New York Times bestselling, epic fantasy novel CROOKED KINGDOM, featuring:

*Intricate gold iconography from the world of the book*
*Seven pieces of full-color character artwork from Monolime*
*A new and exclusive letter of introduction from the author*
*Deep black sprayed edges*
*Endpaper maps*

This beautiful hardback is a perfect gift for fans, or to discover the unforgettable writing of Leigh Bardugo before the Grishaverse comes to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series.

Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

As gripping, sweeping and memorable as the Grisha trilogy - SHADOW AND BONE, SIEGE AND STORM and RUIN AND RISING - this novel is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Laini Taylor, Kristin Cashore and GAME OF THRONES.

Six of Crows Duology:
(spin off series set in the same world but featuring different characters)
Six of Crows
Six of Crows Collector's Edition
Crooked Kingdom
Crooked Kingdom Collector's Edition

The Grisha Trilogy:
The Witch of Duva (Short Story) (Can be read online on the Tor website here)
Shadow and Bone (Originally published in the UK as The Gathering Dark but now re-released as Shadow and Bone as per the US)
The Tailor (Short Story) (Can be read online on Leigh Bardugo's Facebook page here)
Siege and Storm
The Too-Clever Fox (Short Story) (Can be read online on the Tor website here)
Little Knife (Short Story) (Can be read online on the Tor website here)
Ruin and Rising
The Language of Thorns (anthology of fairytales set in the Grishaverse)

Visit Leigh Bardugo's website for more information

Review:

***** I've already posted most of this review before but I wanted to update it to include pictures of the absolutely GORGEOUS new Collector's Edition Hardback! *****

It's taken me a long time to write my review for Crooked Kingdom, probably because even though it's been over a month since I finished reading it I still can't quite decide whether I loved it or hated it. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, I reread Six of Crows in anticipation and I dropped absolutely everything the second that Amazon delivered my copy so that I could dive back into this world. I know putting such incredibly high expectations on a novel isn't necessarily fair to an author but I loved Six of Crows so much that I just couldn't help myself and if you'd asked me at any point in the first 90% of Crooked Kingdom what I thought of it I'd have told you it was an absolutely phenomenal 10 star read. Up until that point it was everything I could possibly have hoped for and then some and I was utterly convinced it would be my favourite book of the year.

The plot was as twisted as you'd expect it to be, Kaz has plan inside plan inside plan until you have no idea what to expect next or how they're going to get out of their latest fix. The pace of the story is fast, everything that could go wrong did go wrong and half the time I was on the edge of my seat desperate to see how things would turn out. The character development was wonderful, we get to know Jesper and Wylan better which made me fall completely in love with both of them and there are some brilliant scenes between Kaz and Inej but it was Nina and Matthias who totally stole the show. I ship those two so hard and I just adored seeing how much Matthias has changed since the beginning of the first book. I had so many expectations about where their story was going and could almost write the spin off myself because I knew exactly where I wanted it to go.

Then it happened. I can't go into details because of spoilers but I'm pretty sure anyone who has read the book will know exactly what I'm talking about. You might say it's just one thing but it's a MAJOR thing, one that felt like a complete and utter betrayal based on everything that had happened up until that point and it destroyed me. Actually, I tell a lie because the first time I read it I was so utterly convinced it was one of Kaz's tricks that would end up being resolved over the remaining few chapters that I felt absolutely no fear and had no emotional reaction to it at all. It wasn't until several chapters later when other events confirmed things that it all became horribly real and at that point I had to skip back and start rereading. That was when the tears came and they took a long time to stop. I'm still heartbroken and that one thing has coloured my memories of both books in the duology. I don't think I'll ever want to go back and reread Six of Crows because I'll always know what is coming and that just ruins everything.

I can still picture that spin off but now it doesn't go anywhere I'm interested in following. I just don't see how Leigh Bardugo can make certain things work after that major event that I can't talk about. She could find a way to backtrack on what happened and if she did then I'd probably love her for it but it would also make me feel like the ending of Crooked Kingdom was just a very nasty trick she played on her readers to get an emotional reaction out of them. Admittedly that option is better than if she leaves things as they stand but either way I'm not impressed. Whatever happens I'm going to be wary of her books in the future because she's started to erode the trust I had in her and that's heartbreaking because I've always been a superfan of hers (I have multiple copies of all of her books - even this one!). The first 90% of Crooked Kingdom was a 10 star read but that last 10% makes me want to give it minus figures so I'm really lost about how to rate this book. I guess since Goodreads and Amazon work on 5 stars I'm going to go straight down the middle and call it a 3 but you could say that to get such a strong reaction it deserves much higher, especially considering how much I loved the majority of it. I'm just so sad that it ended like this.

Now let's have a look at the gorgeous new Crooked Kingdom: Collector's Edition published in the UK by Orion Children's Books. I'm still angry about the way this story ended but I absolutely love this new edition with the pretty gold foil on the cover, beautiful endpapers and the amazing character art at the back. Pictures say a thousand words though so don't take my word for it, have a look at these and make your own mind up!

It's hard to get a good pic of foil but hopefully this 

shows just how pretty and shiny this book is!

and look at those black sprayed edges!

The front endpapers show a gorgeous map of Ketterdam

When you can't beat the odds change the game artwork

Kaz and Inej

Nina and Matthias

Jesper and Wylan

We even get this bonus Kuwei character art that wasn't 

included in the collectors edition of Six of Crows

The back end pages show a fab world map

Then even the back cover has this gorgeous gold foil logo

This really is a stunning edition and a great addition to my Grishaverse collection.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Highfire - Eoin Colfer

Highfire is a genre-bending tour-de-force of comedy and action by the million-copy-selling master storyteller.

Squib Moreau may be swamp-wild, but his intentions are (generally) good: he really wants to be a supportive son to his hard-working momma Elodie. But sometimes life gets in the way - like when Fake Daddy walked out on them leaving a ton of debt, or when crooked Constable Regence Hooke got to thinking pretty Elodie Moreau was just the gal for him . . .

An apprenticeship with the local moonshine runner, servicing the bayou, looks like the only way to pay off the family debts and maybe get Squib and his momma a place in town, far from Constable Hooke's unwanted courtship and Fake Daddy's reputation.

Unfortunately for Squib, Hooke has his own eye on that very same stretch of bayou - and neither of them have taken into account the fire-breathing dragon hiding out in the Louisiana swamp . . .

For Squib Moreau, Regence Hooke and Vern, aka Lord Highfire of Highfire Eyrie, life is never going to be the same again.

'Told in crunchy prose, with lashings of earthy dialogue, it reads like an Elmore Leonard Thriller, but with dragons . . . Colfer clearly had a blast writing this, and his sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics with infectious glee' Mail on Sunday

From the internationally bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series: Eoin Colfer's first adult fantasy novel is a hilarious, high-octane adventure about a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who's been hiding out from the world - and potential torch-carrying mobs - in a Louisiana bayou . . . until his peaceful world's turned upside down by a well-intentioned but wild Cajun tearaway and the crooked (and heavily armed) law officer who wants him dead.

Visit Eoin Colfer's website for more information

Review:
Highfire is being marketed as Eoin Colfer's first adult fantasy book but to be honest, apart from the swearing, excessive violence and chapters in the bad guy's point of view, the actual story felt pretty juvenile. I remember really enjoying the Artemis Fowl series when I read it years ago so I was really excited to see what this author would come up with for an adult audience, especially when I found out there would be dragons, but as much as I hate to say this I ended up feeling disappointed.

It took me a looooong time to read this book, I actually came very close to quitting and to be honest it probably would have been better to do that than force myself to get to the end. I found it impossible to connect with any of the characters, Squib was young and irritating, Vern (the dragon!) wasn't fleshed out enough (I still can't picture what he looked like, is he a giant dragon or is his shape more humanoid since he apparently likes wearing Flashdance t-shirts?) and the sections from the point of view of the crooked cop were just vomit inducing. Seriously, we have to be inside his head while he's thinking about raping Squib's mother or planning to kill her son because it will leave her vulnerable and he'll be able to take advantage of her. That's not all of the disgusting things he plans but it was far more than I needed to see first hand.

The humour completely missed the mark for me, it was all the kind of potty humour about bodily functions that you hear teenage boys giggling about. I'm sure others will appreciate it too but it just wasn't what I was hoping for when I picked up this story. I'm really struggling to think of anything I particularly liked about this book, it only really gets 2 stars because I finished reading it but that was a close run thing and I'd struggle to recommend it to anyone.

Source: Received from Jo Fletcher Books in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Come Tumbling Down - Seanan McGuire

The fifth installment in Seanan McGuire's award-winning, bestselling Wayward Children series, Come Tumbling Down picks up the threads left dangling by Every Heart a Doorway and Down Among the Sticks and Bones

When Jack left Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children she was carrying the body of her deliciously deranged sister—whom she had recently murdered in a fit of righteous justice—back to their home on the Moors.

But death in their adopted world isn't always as permanent as it is here, and when Jack is herself carried back into the school, it becomes clear that something has happened to her. Something terrible. Something of which only the maddest of scientists could conceive. Something only her friends are equipped to help her overcome.

Eleanor West's "No Quests" rule is about to be broken.

Again.

The Wayward Children Series:
Every Heart a Doorway
Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Beneath the Sugar Sky
In an Absent Dream
Come Tumbling Down

Visit Seanan McGuire's website for more information

Review:
I've loved the Wayward Children series ever since I read Every Heart a Doorway so I always look forward to the latest instalment. Seanan McGuire is constantly surprising me with her creativity and she manages it again in Come Tumbling Down. I thought that we'd seen the last of Jack and Jill in Down Among the Sticks and Bones but we quickly discover that their story is not over when this book opens with Jack returning to Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children in desperate need of help from her friends. Things have gone badly wrong in the Moors and Jack had nowhere else to turn to for help so it looks like the students are going to have to break the rules once more to go on another quest.

I don't really want to give any details about the problem Jack needs help with because it's far more fun for you to discover that yourself when reading the story. What I will say is that I enjoyed this second trip into the world she calls home. We get to catch up with some familiar faces but also explore the world far more than we did in our first visit and I found it interesting seeing what both Jack and Jill have been up to since we left them last.

It was great to see Kade, Christopher, Sumi and Cora come together to help Jack, they're totally out of their comfort zone in the Moors but that doesn't stop them doing what needs to be done to keep Jack safe. I can't wait to read all of their stories though, there are so many different worlds we're going to get to explore in this series. These books always leave me wanting more and I can't wait for my next visit with the Wayward Children.

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Deep - Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes

The water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard have built their own underwater society-and must reclaim the memories of their past to shape their future in this brilliantly imaginative novella inspired by the Hugo Award-nominated song "The Deep" from Daveed Diggs's rap group clipping.

Yetu holds the memories for her people-water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners-who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one-the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities-and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past-and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they'll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity-and own who they really are.

Inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping for the This American Life episode "We Are In The Future," The Deep is vividly original and uniquely affecting.

Visit Rivers Solomon's website for more information

Review:
It's not often that I read a book as powerful as The Deep and I've struggled for a long time to write this review because honestly I just don't have the right words to do it justice. Rivers Solomon tackles such emotive and heartbreaking topics in this story where descendants of African women, who were often heavily pregnant at the time, were throw overboard from the slave ships and left to drown but some of them actually survived and went on to create their own underwater utopian society. As a people they have a past full of trauma and to save themselves from constantly reliving the pain of their ancestors they choose one of their members to become the historian.

Yetu is the current historian and that means she holds the memories of her entire people so that the rest of the Wajinru can live their lives in peace. Once a year a ceremony called The Remembering is held so that the others can briefly experience the memories but the rest of the time Yetu alone is responsible for shouldering the heavy burden. These memories are painful and Yetu is constantly reliving the traumatic events her ancestors experienced so it's no wonder her own mental health is suffering.

I honestly don't want to say any more about what happens to Yetu during the story so I'm going to focus on how powerful the writing was and how quickly I was drawn into this world. I think it's so important to think about how racial history can leave a very real emotional toll for generations but also how important that cultural identity is for people to feel a connection with their past. Yetu lives with very real and damaging memories of Wajinru who lost their lives after years of suffering but she also remembers all the good things they experienced too which helps balance out the story and leaves you with a sense of hope.

Rivers Solomon was inspired to write this story after listening to the song The Deep written by David Diggs and his rap group Clipping. You can listen to the song on YouTube and I'd highly recommend it because it really sets the tone for the story.



Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Sex Criminals Volume 1: One Weird Trick - Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky

Collects SEX CRIMINALS #1-5

Suzie's just a regular gal with an irregular gift: when she has sex, she stops time. One day she meets Jon and it turns out he has the same ability. And sooner or later they get around to using their gifts to do what we'd ALL do: rob a couple banks. A bawdy and brazen sex comedy for comics begins here!

Sex Criminals Series:
Sex Criminals Volume 1: One Weird Trick
Sex Criminals Volume 2: Two Worlds One Cup
Sex Criminals Volume 3: Three the Hard Way
Sex Criminals Volume 4: Fourgy
Sex Criminals Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount
Sex Criminals Volume 6: Six Criminals

Visit Matt Fraction's website or Chip Zdarsky's website for more information

Review:
Sex Criminals is a comic that is completely bonkers but in the best possible way. Just imagine as a teenager that you discovered that every time you had an orgasm you were able to stop time, what would you do with that power? Well, Suzie and Jon go down very different roads after discovering their ability but once the two of them find each other it's not a big leap for them to decide to become criminal masterminds and start plotting to rob a bank. They're not even doing it for their own gain, they actually want to use the money to save the library that Suzie works at, they're just doing charity work really!

I don't want to say too much about the plot for this so I'm just going to tell you that the story was full of humour (you probably want to skip this if you don't like dirty jokes!) but also some surprisingly cute moments between Suzie and Jon when they're not busy trying to stop time. I loved the artwork, especially when they're in The Quiet (that moment of postcoital bliss) the colours become really vibrant with a dreamy kind of quality to them but the whole comic was great. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt the Witcher — revered and hated — holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures in the NYT bestselling series that inspired the blockbuster video games.

Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.

But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good…and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

The Witcher Series:
The Last Wish (Short Story Collection)
Sword of Destiny (Short Story Collection)
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
The Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms

Visit Andrzej Sapkowski's publisher page for more information

Review:
I'm going to preface this review by saying I was really unwell when I read this book and that may have affected my opinion of it. It took me much longer to read than it should have done and there were parts I listened to multiple times because my brain was too fuzzy to properly pay attention so it's very possible that I missed major details and that's why I didn't fully connect to the story.

I didn't know much about the Witcher series before I went into this book, I knew my brother was obsessed with the games when he was younger (but I'd never played them myself) and I also knew that it was being made into a series by Netflix (which was the main reason I wanted to read it, I mean come on, did you see the pictures of Henry Cavill as Geralt?!). Apart from that, and the fact it was high fantasy, I didn't know what else to expect so I was somewhat surprised when I realised that The Last Wish is actually a collection of short stories rather than a full length novel. I usually find short stories work better as an addition to series I'm already familiar with rather than an introduction to a new world but it was actually pretty well done in this case and allowed us to find out a decent amount about Geralt's background and some of the main characters I assume we'll see throughout the series.

The book starts with Geralt getting injured in a fight, he is taken to a temple to recover and while there he proceeds to recount stories of some of the other monsters he's come across over the years. These stories are interspersed with short updates on his recovery and what is happening in the current timeline. I really liked the huge variety of different monsters that are included, everything from vampires and werewolves through to djinn and gnomes. I loved that we get so many hints of familiar fairytales included in the stories, it makes the world feel familiar and I was always trying to guess what fairytale creature would pop up next.

As a Witcher Geralt has trained both physically and mentally to protect humans from monsters, even going so far as taking a potion that makes him not quite human himself and gives him extra speed, strength and healing abilities. Witchers provide an important service but it isn't always appreciated so he's always a little on the outside looking in no matter how far he travels. I'm really curious to find out more about Geralt but I don't feel like I know him that well yet and that made it a little harder to connect with the story. While there was a lot I enjoyed about the book I don't think I've been fully sucked into this world yet. My friends have assured me that I can start the TV series now though so I'm looking forward to that and I'm hoping I'll enjoy it so much that it'll make me want to continue reading the books.

Source: Purchased

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Updated cover for the Netflix Show

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Review: Lost & Found - Ariana Nash

What use is a blade without a war?

After giving their lives to the Order, the Ashford assassins are in crisis. The battles are over, the war is no more, but assassins cannot retire from who they are.

Trey knows this. He may not have been an Assassin of the Order for long, but it was long enough to leave him scarred. Restless and heartsick, he returns to wandering, traveling from settlement to settlement, delivering tokens of love, not death.

Among his Order brethren at Ashford, he rediscovers the joy of careless pleasures and the thrill of knowing he'll be gone in the morning. But one assassin isn't so easily dismissed. Proud, powerful, and a self-centered prick, Sentinel Venali is everything Trey despises. But he fucks like there's no tomorrow, and right now, sex with no strings attached is exactly what Trey needs.

When fellow Order elves begin to take their own lives, the depth of the damage done by the war becomes apparent.

Trey has watched those around him buckle beneath their fears, powerless to stop their self-destructive path. He knows some cries for help are silent. And few need help more than the damaged Venali.

Tomorrow, Trey will be gone. Because staying means loving, and his cracked heart cannot withstand another break.

If only it were that simple to say goodbye.

***

Trey's novella takes place after events in the Silk & Steel trilogy. For the best experience, please read the Silk & Steel trilogy first. This novella does contain spoilers for the Silk & Steel series of novels.

Silk & Steel Series:
Sealed with a Kiss (Prequel short story)
Silk & Steel
Iron & Fire
Blood & Ice
Lost & Found (Novella)
The Black Prince

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
I highly recommend avoiding this novella until after you've read the Silk & Steel trilogy (Silk & Steel, Iron & Fire, Blood & Ice) because it does contain spoilers for the main story arc. However, once you've read that trilogy you really don't want to miss the chance to see Trey get his much earned happily ever after!

I've loved Trey since his first appearance in the prequel Sealed with a Kiss and his character has been brilliant throughout the series so I was really happy when Ariana Nash announced that she was giving him his own story. This is all about the Order Assassins and how a lot of them are struggling to find a new purpose for their lives now that the war is over and the elves and dragons are at peace. They've all watched friends and family members die, they've seen and done terrible things and now they've got to try and come to terms with that and figure out a way to move forward. It's not easy though and an increasing number of suicides amongst their number is starting to raise suspicion.

I don't remember much of Venali from the main series but he turned out to be an exceptional match for Trent. The two of them heat up the pages like nothing else and I think this might even be the hottest instalment in the series (which is really saying something to anyone who has read the other books!). Although their connection starts out with the physical I really enjoyed seeing the emotional connection build as they spent more time together. Throwing in the mystery of what is happening with members of the order and I flew through this novella. This story is highly recommended to fans of the Silk & Steel series and I just can't wait to see what Ariana Nash comes up with next.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Laughter at the Academy - Seanan McGuire

From fairy tale forest to gloomy gothic moor, from gleaming epidemiologist’s lab to the sandy shores of Neverland, Seanan McGuire’s short fiction has been surprising, delighting, confusing, and transporting her readers since 2009. Now, for the first time, that fiction has been gathered together in one place, ready to be enjoyed one twisting, tangled tale at a time. Her work crosses genres and subverts expectations.

Meet the mad scientists of “Laughter at the Academy” and “The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells.” Glory in the potential of a Halloween that never ends. Follow two very different alphabets in “Frontier ABCs” and “From A to Z in the Book of Changes.” Get “Lost,” dress yourself “In Skeleton Leaves,” and remember how to fly. All this and more is waiting for you within the pages of this decade-spanning collection, including several pieces that have never before been reprinted. Stories about mermaids, robots, dolls, and Deep Ones are all here, ready for you to dive in.

This is a box of strange surprises dredged up from the depths of the sea, each one polished and prepared for your enjoyment. So take a chance, and allow yourself to be surprised.

Visit Seanan McGuire's website for more information

Review:
Laughter at the Academy is a collection of 22 short stories written by Seanan McGuire, these stories have all been published before but this is the first time they've been collected together and each has an introduction from the author explaining why she chose to include it in this anthology. None of these stories are linked to existing series (like October Daye or Incryptid) so you don't need to be familiar with Seanan's other books to enjoy them.

This really was a fantastic collection of stories, it includes everything from urban fantasy, science fiction and horror through to a couple of retellings and even a steampunk story thrown in for fun. There are hints of Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz alongside stories of multiverses and mermaids so it really does have something for everyone.

As with any short story collection some stories will resonate more than others but overall there were far more hits than misses and there were a lot of worlds or characters that I'd love the chance to spend more time with. My particular favourites were The Tolling of Pavlov's Bells (a story about a scientist who is fed up of trying to explain the risks of bioterrorism), Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage (which reminded me a little of the Wayward Children series), Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What Is About to Happen (But You Started It) (about a social misfit who loves dinosaurs) and Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves (the story of a grad student who has been carrying out an unexpected experiment).

If you're a Seanan McGuire fan then you're sure to love this collection, and even if you're new to her work then this would be a brilliant place to start. She has such an incredible imagination and always manages to throw in surprising twists that turn things upside down. I would love to know where she gets her ideas from!

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Harp of Kings - Juliet Marillier

A young woman is both a bard--and a warrior--in this thrilling historical fantasy from the author of the Sevenwaters novels.

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan's burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.

Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into disarray. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realizes an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision--and the consequences may break her heart.

Blackthorn & Grim:
Dreamer's Pool
Tower of Thorns
Den of Wolves

Warrior Bards:
(This series can be read completely separately but it stars Blackthorn & Grim's children)
The Harp of Kings
A Dance with Fate (2020)

Visit Juliet Marillier's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Juliet Marillier ever since I first started reading her Blackthorn and Grim series a few years ago so I was absolutely thrilled to find out that she was returning to this world with The Harp of Kings. Although the new Warrior Bards series can easily be read without reading the previous books the story is set in the same world but many years later and it stars Blackthorn and Grim's grown up children Liobhan and Brocc.

Liobhan is a skilled musician and singer but the one thing she wants more than anything is to become a warrior. Brocc is more interested in his music than fighting but he chose to accompany Liobhan to Swan Island, where elite warriors are trained, to keep his sister safe. Dau is another member of their class and he is in fierce competition with Liobhan to be the top student. The three are still in training when they are selected for an important mission. They'll need to take on new identities for the duration of the challenge with Liobhan and Brocc as travelling bards while Dau works as an apprentice blacksmith.

Their mission is to find a missing harp. The Harp of Kings is an ancient artefact that has been used at the coronation of all the previous kings, it has been stolen from the Druids and unless it's found in time the crown prince will not be accepted by his people as their rightful king. They need to find answers but that is made very difficult by the fact that nobody can know who they really are or that the harp is even missing in the first place. Add in the way the local fae seem to have taken an interest in both the harp and the siblings who are looking for it and things are going to get complicated fast.

I absolutely love Juliet Marillier's writing style, her books are very character driven and they read just like an old fashioned fairytale. I love the way she weaves folklore and fae creatures into her work and the blend of mystery and magic is just seamless. The story is told in alternating points of view from Liobhan, Brocc and Dau, all three were distinctive characters with very different outlooks on life. I love the strong bond between Liobhan and Brocc, they always have each other's backs and they are willing to risk a great deal to protect each other. I wasn't a fan of Dau's at first, he had some very old fashioned ideas about women wanting to be warriors and to be honest he came across as a bit of an idiot but he really grew a lot throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing him and Liobhan go from fierce enemies to grudging allies.

This story has a lot of heart and it was totally captivating from the first page to the last. I'm already desperately waiting for the sequel and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: A Dream So Dark - L.L. McKinney

In L. L. McKinney's A Dream So Dark, the thrilling sequel to A Blade So Black, Alice goes deeper into a dark version of Wonderland.

Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates high school), Alice must cross the Veil to rescue her friends and stop the Black Knight once and for all. But the deeper she ventures into Wonderland, the more topsy-turvy everything becomes. It's not until she's at her wits' end that she realizes - Wonderland is trying to save her.

There's a new player on the board; a poet capable of using Nightmares to not only influence the living but raise the dead. This Poet is looking to claim the Black Queen's power - and Alice's budding abilities - as their own.

Dreams have never been so dark in Wonderland, and if there is any hope of defeating this mystery poet's magic, Alice must confront the worst in herself, in the people she loves, and in the very nature of fear itself.

The Nightmare-Verse Series:
A Blade So Black
A Dream So Dark

Visit L.L. McKinney's website for more information

Review:
A Dream so Dark is the second book in L.L. McKinney's Nightmare-Verse trilogy and it picks up Alice's story immediately from where the previous book left off with Alice trying to explain her latest disappearance to her long suffering and very, very angry mother. As I mentioned in my previous review I really liked the fact that Alice's mum is involved in her life and constantly checking up on her daughter and it's no surprise to see her grounded and pretty much under house arrest after her latest antics. I don't want to say too much but I appreciated the fact that Alice is able to be more open with her mum in this book, it was just a shame that her mum was only really around in the beginning of the story.

In this book we get to spend much more time exploring Wonderland, we meet some great new characters along the way but there were parts of the book where I really found myself missing my favourites from the first book. There were also places where the story dragged a little even though it was fun seeing more of Wonderland and the creatures who live there. The pacing just felt off to me, very slow in the middle and rushed towards the end, and that meant I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first one.

The action scenes we do get were fabulous, L.L. McKinney has a way of hooking you in and she makes it really easy to picture exactly what is happening. There are some huge revelations that are going to make the final book really interesting and I'm definitely invested enough in these characters to want to see how their story ends.

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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