Quick Review: The Tailor - Leigh Bardugo

New scene from Shadow and Bone told from Genya's point of view which can be read for free on Leigh Bardugo's Facebook page here

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)

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

Visit Leigh Bardugo's website for more information

Review:
The Tailor is a free short story that can be read on Leigh Bardugo's Facebook page here. It retells a small part of Shadow and Bone from Genya's point of view and I wouldn't recommend reading it until after you've read the book because you will pick up spoilers. I'll also point out that even though this is a short review it will also contain spoilers for Shadow and Bone so don't continue beyond this first paragraph if you're new to the series. This is one of my favourite YA fantasy series though so it's one I'd highly recommend reading!

I really loved Genya when we first met her in Shadow and Bone, I thought she was such a fantastic friend for Alina so I was shocked and hurt by her betrayal towards the end of the story. Of course we already had a pretty good idea of how terrible her life was at the palace thanks to the King and Queen but seeing things told from her point of view in this short story just made my heart break for her. I still don't agree with her actions but it does make them much more understandable and I can't help but forgive her for them.

The Tailor is a great short story and one I'd definitely recommend to fans of this series. I love it when authors give us extra insight into side characters or show us the background into their stories and it's even better when they offer these free for their fans.

Source: Read online at Leigh Bardugo's Facebook page here

Other Reviews:
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.

Review: Dance with the Devil - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Zarek is the most dangerous of all the Dark-Hunters. He endured a lifetime as a Roman slave and centuries as a Dark-Hunter in exile. Because of his steadfast denial to follow any orders, he is kept in isolation in Alaska where his activity is limited and closely monitored. There are many who fear he will one day unleash his powers against humans as well as vampires, and that nine hundred years of exile have made him too vicious to be redeemed.

The gods want Zarek dead but reluctantly agree to allow justice goddess Astrid to judge him first. Astrid has never judged a man innocent, yet there is something about Zarek that tugs at her heart. He views even the smallest act of kindness with shock and suspicion. But while Astrid struggles to maintain her impartiality in the face of her growing attraction to Zarek, an executioner has already been dispatched.

The Dark-Hunters Series:
The Beginning (Short Story)
Fantasy Lover
Dragonswan (Novella) (Were-Hunter 0.5)
Night Pleasures
Night Embrace
Dance with the Devil
Kiss of the Night
Night Play (Were-Hunter 1)
Seize the Night
Sins of the Night
Unleash the Night (Were-Hunter 2)
Dark Side of the Moon (Were-Hunter 3)
The Dream-Hunter (Dream-Hunter 1)
Fear the Darkness (Short Story)
Devil May Cry
Upon the Midnight Clear (Dream-Hunter 2)
Dream Chaser (Dream-Hunter 3)
Acheron
One Silent Night
Dream Warrior (Dream-Hunter 4)
Bad Moon Rising (Hellchaser 1, Were-Hunter 4)
Dark-Hunter: An Insider's Guide (Hellchaser 2)
No Mercy (Were-Hunter 5)
Retribution
The Guardian (Dream-Hunter 5, Were-Hunter 6, Hellchaser 3)
Time Untime (Were-Hunter 7, Hellchaser 4)
Styxx
Dark Bites (Short Story Anthology)
Son of No One (Were-Hunter 8, Hellchaser 5)
Dragonbane (Were-Hunter 9, Hellchaser 6)
Dragonmark (2016)

Chronicles of Nick Series:
(This is a YA spin off from Sherrilyn Kenyon's adult Dark-Hunters series)
Infinity
Invincible
Infamous
Inferno
Illusion
Instinct
Invasion (2016)
Intensity (2017)

Visit Sherrilyn Kenyon's website for more information

Review:
I'm so pleased that I'm finally getting around to reading this series because I'm enjoying every minute of it. I knew when we met Zarek in Night Embrace that I was going to love him and I wasn't wrong, learning about his past in Dance with the Devil broke my heart but I now have a new favourite tortured hero! I don't think I've ever come across a hero with such a horrific background (not even Zsadist!) so it is no wonder that Zarek doesn't trust anyone. He deliberately puts on a cold outer shell to prove that he doesn't need anyone and that he is fine all on his own. He pushes people away before they can hurt him because nobody has ever shown him any kindness. Even since he became a Dark-Hunter he has been ostracised by the others and he has spent hundreds of years exiled in Alaska with very little in the way of physical comfort let alone any emotional connection. How Zarek isn't completely insane is beyond me but in spite of the way he has always been treated he has clung stubbornly to life and refused to just give up and die. Nobody has ever taken the time to push past his defences but in spite of that he shows a caring side in the way he secretly looks out for others. Not that he'd ever admit to the nice things he does because he wouldn't want anyone to think he had a softer side!

The only person who has ever fought for Zarek has been Acheron but you could hardly call the two of them friends. Zarek resents the fact that Ash is his boss and able to order him around and he doesn't trust Ash to have his best interests at heart. Even though Zarek keeps him at arms length Ash does his best to protect him and when Artemis decides it is time for Zarek to die Ash makes a bargain with her to save his life. Artemis agrees to stand by the judgement of justice nymph Astrid knowing that Astrid hasn't found anyone innocent in her thousands of years as a judge. Astrid fully expects to find Zarek guilty but when she starts to spend time with him she sees the inconsistencies in his character, the fact that he could so easily have attempted to hurt her but that even though he is snappy and angry he actually goes out of his way to help her. She is the first person to take the time to get to know him properly and see just how hard his life has been. She doesn't pity him but instead admires his will to survive and she comes to respect the man hidden deep inside.

I just want to say how much I loved these two as a couple, their banter was hilarious and I liked the fact that Astrid just kept on pushing him out of his comfort zone trying to get a rise from him. She is the only one who is willing to call him on his behaviour and that makes him want to trust her. Their relationship builds slowly and was so sweet to watch, I loved seeing how he reacted to her and my heart melted when he finally starts to believe in her. Dance with the Devil was hard to read at times, reading about Zarek's past had me in tears (this book should definitely come with a tissues needed warning!) but there were also laugh out loud moments and a lot heart melting romance. I haven't even mentioned the other characters yet but I loved the scenes with Ash (he's definitely a hero I can't wait to spend more time with), Simi is hilarious and I hope we're going to get a book about Jesse at some point. I'm also very curious about Astrid's friend and companion Sasha. I can see why this series is so popular and I'm looking forward to continuing my reading binge with Kiss of the Night.

Source: Received from Piatkus in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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:

Cover Reveal: East of Ecstasy - Laura Kaye

I'm a massive, massive fan of Laura Kaye, I absolutely love all of the stories I've read by her but I'll always have a special love for her Hearts of Anemoi paranormal romance series. Owen from the first book North of Need is still one of my favourite fictional heroes and each of the other books have been just as memorable. So it's no surprise that East of Ecstasy is at the top of my wish list, I can't wait to get my hands on this book when it releases next year (why oh why do we have to wait so long for our favourite series?! LOL).

Anyway, I'm very excited to be able to share the cover and blurb for East of Ecstasy with you today!

About the book:
Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she’s been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don’t speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.

Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father’s plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he’s been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.

But Devlin’s love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever…or lost.

About the author:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter Sign Up


In case you haven't seen the covers for the previous books in the series I thought I'd include them here for you (the links underneath the covers will take you to my reviews)

Book 1: North of Need

Book 2: West of Want

Book 3: South of Surrender

What do you think? Have you read any of the books in this series, if you have I'd love to know what you think of them! Do you like the covers? I absolutely LOVE them :o)

Review: Night Embrace - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Talon was once a Celt warrior cursed by his ancient gods. Following the murder of his sister, the dying Talon had made a deal with the goddess Artemis. He had been given one act of vengeance against the clan who betrayed him, in exchange for his soul and his eternal service as a Dark-Hunter. Talon has sworn to fight Daimons and rescue the human souls they've captured. He has never had cause to regret this choice - until he meets Sunshine Runningwolf.

The unconventional Sunshine should be Talon's perfect woman. She is beautiful, sexy and isn't looking for a long-term commitment. But the more time Talon spends in her company the more he starts yearning for dreams of love and family that he buried centuries ago. But loving Sunshine would be dangerous for both of them - Talon is destined never to know peace or happiness while his enemies still seek to destroy him and everyone close to him . . .

The Dark-Hunters Series:
The Beginning (Short Story)
Fantasy Lover
Dragonswan (Novella) (Were-Hunter 0.5)
Night Pleasures
Night Embrace
Dance with the Devil
Kiss of the Night
Night Play (Were-Hunter 1)
Seize the Night
Sins of the Night
Unleash the Night (Were-Hunter 2)
Dark Side of the Moon (Were-Hunter 3)
The Dream-Hunter (Dream-Hunter 1)
Fear the Darkness (Short Story)
Devil May Cry
Upon the Midnight Clear (Dream-Hunter 2)
Dream Chaser (Dream-Hunter 3)
Acheron
One Silent Night
Dream Warrior (Dream-Hunter 4)
Bad Moon Rising (Hellchaser 1, Were-Hunter 4)
Dark-Hunter: An Insider's Guide (Hellchaser 2)
No Mercy (Were-Hunter 5)
Retribution
The Guardian (Dream-Hunter 5, Were-Hunter 6, Hellchaser 3)
Time Untime (Were-Hunter 7, Hellchaser 4)
Styxx
Dark Bites (Short Story Anthology)
Son of No One (Were-Hunter 8, Hellchaser 5)
Dragonbane (Were-Hunter 9, Hellchaser 6)
Dragonmark (2016)

Chronicles of Nick Series:
(This is a YA spin off from Sherrilyn Kenyon's adult Dark-Hunters series)
Infinity
Invincible
Infamous
Inferno
Illusion
Instinct
Invasion (2016)
Intensity (2017)

Visit Sherrilyn Kenyon's website for more information

Review:
Last year I promised myself I would start catching up with some of the series that I've been dying to read for ages now and the Dark-Hunters was one of the ones at the top of that list. As you can see I failed spectacularly in that goal and only read the first 2 books! I really enjoyed both of those books though so it really is about time I made more of an effort to continue the series. It may have been a while since I read about the Dark-Hunters but it didn't take long for Sherrilyn Kenyon to completely suck me back into their world and I think I'm going to go on a bit of a Dark-Hunters reading binge over the next few weeks. One of the things I enjoyed most about reading Night Embrace was the humour in it, I don't remember the earlier books being quite as funny as this one and I'm sure I didn't find myself snorting out loud as I read them. There is a particular scene where Talon is caught without his clothes by Kyrian & Julian that was hilarious, I don't think he's ever going to live down that pink towel!

Anyway, to get on with my actual review I'm just want to say how much I'm coming to love this series. I had a few issues with Night Embrace because I found it quite predictable at times and it does follow a lot of those paranormal romance tropes that we've all seen many times before BUT in spite of that I couldn't stop reading. What makes this series so great is it's characters and once again both Talon and Sunshine stand out in my mind as people who I'd like to spend more time with. It was great to catch up with some of the previous characters but I'm also loving getting to know Acheron better and I was really excited by the introduction of Zarek and Vane. I already know I'm going to adore all three of these characters when I eventually get to their books (and I found out that Zarek is up next which has put a HUGE smile on my face!).

I absolutely LOVED Talon, he is so damn sexy it is unbelievable and I had to smile at the image of this huge leather wearing, motorbike riding warrior walking around with a snoopy pez dispenser in his pocket. He is a fairly typical protective alpha male but I loved the way he was so sweet around Sunshine, he has spent hundreds of years keeping his emotions locked down tight but Sunshine smashes through those barriers within minutes and he'll never be the same again. Talon lost so much before he became a Dark-Hunter that it's almost surprising that he isn't bitter and constantly angry at the world but he is actually quite a fun loving guy who has good friends amongst the Dark-Hunters. He is the one that Ash can always trust to have his head screwed on straight so the way Sunshine sends him off the deep end is quite a shock to the others. He is so protective of Sunshine that he would rather walk away and let her live her life without him than risk bringing his curse down upon her head so I'm glad that Sunshine wasn't about to let him walk away without a fight.

Sunshine is a very unique character, she is quite ditzy and scatterbrained but she doesn't have a mean bone in her body and it was hilarious to hear her thoughts about Talon. She has such an unusual way of looking at things but she she's actually quite a realist deep down. She already has one failed marriage under her belt and the last thing she is looking for is another man who is going to expect her to look after him. Sunshine is very focused on her career as an artist and isn't going to let anyone knock her off that path. That is until Talon worms his way into her heart and then, when she realises how much he means to her she is going to do whatever it takes to keep him in her life.

I loved spending time with these two characters, in a lot of ways they are complete opposites but they fit together really well and make such a cute couple. It helps that they have fantastic chemistry (there is a lot of very HOT sex in this one!) but there is much more to them than that. They build a genuine friendship together and there are a lot of other ties between them. It's hard to say too much without giving spoilers but there is one part of their relationship that normally bugs me when I come across it in paranormal romances but Sherrilyn Kenyon handled it so well that I actually ended up loving the extra connection it gave them. I can't wait to carry on reading this series so I'm going to end this review here to go and get started on Dance with the Devil!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
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:

Review: Briar Rose - Jana Oliver

Briar Rose believes in fairy tales

And now, because of a family curse, she's living one. Doomed to fall asleep for one hundred years on her sixteenth birthday, Briar has woken up in the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of - miles away from the safe, boring small-town life that she has left behind.

Briar must fight her way out of the story, but she can't do it alone. She always believed in handsome princes, and now she's met one her only chance is to put her life in his hands, or there will be no happy ever after and no waking up . . .

Visit Jana Oliver's website for more information

Review:
As a huge fan of Jana Oliver's Demon Trappers series it's no surprise that Briar Rose has been on the top of my wish list ever since I first heard about it. The fact that it's a dark and twisted fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty just made me even more curious about it! I'm happy to say that while Briar Rose is completely different to the Demon Trapper's series it still has Jana Oliver's addictive writing style and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Briar doesn't realise it but she has been cursed to die on her 16th birthday, her parents have kept the curse a secret from her but they have always been incredibly overprotective of her because of it. She only finds out about the curse the day before her birthday and while she isn't sure whether to believe in it or not Briar does know that isn't ready to die which makes her determined to do whatever it takes to break the curse and get her life back. It isn't going to be easy for her though, she finds herself thrust into a dream world that has taken things from her imagination and twisted them into something evil and frightening. Stuck in a new world where she doesn't understand the rules and has no idea how to escape Briar struggles to figure out who to trust and try and find a way home.

I found myself really liking Briar's character, she is quite sweet and innocent but at the same time she has a backbone and is prepared to stand up for herself and those she cares about. She is completely out of her comfort zone but that doesn't stop her trying to help the people she meets and I was happy that she was so level headed about trying to figure things out. What was really nice was that she has supportive friends who are also doing what they can to help her. Briar's best friend Reena was a great character and along with a surprising ally Pat she added a lot of humour to the story. Joshua was incredibly sweet and I liked the way he was willing to put himself in danger to protect Briar. The two of them had been best friends as children before a silly feud between their families pulled them apart. Even though they haven't spoken for years you could tell that they still cared about each other and it was nice to see that bond of friendship rekindled as they spent time together again.

The world Jana Oliver has created was a fascinating mix of old and new, in a lot of ways Briar's dream world felt like you had stepped back in time but adding in the strange creatures and weird blend of metal hybrids gave it a strong fantasy feel with just a hint of steampunk. I could happily spend more than one book exploring this world but in a way I'm glad that this story was a stand alone, it's seems so rare to come across a book that isn't part of a series these days and it's nice to get the full resolution to the story by the end of the book. Of course Briar Rose has a strong fairytale feel to it, especially with hints of Sleeping Beauty, but it also reminded me a little of Romeo and Juliet thanks to the feuding families and star crossed lovers. No matter how many stories it reminded me of it still stood out as unique in it's own right though and it's definitely a book I'd be happy to recommend. If you like your fairytales on the dark side and are a fantasy fan then Briar Rose is definitely a book you'll enjoy!

Source: Received from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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:

Briar Rose Blog Tour: Jana Oliver's Top Five Most Evil Fairytale Villains

I'm a huge fan of Jana Oliver's Demon Trappers series so of course as soon as I heard about her new stand alone novel I couldn't wait to read it. Especially when I found out that Briar Rose is a fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty! I've already read the story and really enjoyed it (watch out for my review which will be posted later today) so I'm thrilled to welcome Jana to the blog today as part of the blog tour to celebrate the Briar Rose release. Before I hand over to Jana let me give you a bit more information about the book:

Briar Rose believes in fairy tales

And now, because of a family curse, she's living one. Doomed to fall asleep for one hundred years on her sixteenth birthday, Briar has woken up in the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of - miles away from the safe, boring small-town life that she has left behind.

Briar must fight her way out of the story, but she can't do it alone. She always believed in handsome princes, and now she's met one her only chance is to put her life in his hands, or there will be no happy ever after and no waking up . . .

Visit Jana Oliver's website for more information

Now please give a very warm welcome to Jana as she tells you all about her favourite fairytale villains!

********************

Top Five Most Evil Fairytale Villains

by Jana Oliver

Every good fairytale needs a baddie, be it a man-eating giant or an evil step-mom. With so many to choose from, I’ve winnowed the candidates down to my top five favourites.

And First place goes to….

The Queen/Step-Mother from Snow White

This lady takes body image issues to a new and disturbing level. She is convinced her seven-year-old step-daughter (Snow White) is prettier than she is. Then there’s that whole ‘conversing with a mirror’ thing, which is way creepy. And let’s not forget that in some versions of the tale the queen channels her inner Hannibal Lector and demands Snow’s liver and lungs for a main course. Ugh.


Second place goes to…

The dissed Fairy Godmother from Sleeping Beauty

You know, the one who was so incensed that the king failed to show her proper respect, she cursed his infant daughter Aurora (aka Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty) to die. Gets extra points for her name (Maleficent), the wicked thorn hedge that encircled the castle, and creative use of a spindle as a lethal weapon.


Third place…

The Witch from Hansel and Gretel

Where it could be argued this grumpy homeowner did have cause to get all over these kids (they were eating her house) her method of punishment (fattening them up and then popping them in the oven until golden brown) was over the top. A gourmet chef she is not.


Fourth place…

The Pied Piper of Hamlin

You know the story – musical guy makes deal to rid a town of its rat problem, does just that, then gets stiffed by the townspeople. So Mr. P. goes one better – he pipes their children away until the parents cough up the money. Purely a contract dispute, right? Except in one of the darker versions of this tale he leads the kids through a river and drowns the lot of them. Oh my.


And last, but certainly not least…

Bluebeard

A serial groom if there ever was one. What did he expect? He gives his (latest) bride the key to the one room she must never enter and becomes homicidal when she spies the bloody bodies of her predecessors. Talk about a downer of a honeymoon. Hopefully the current Mrs Bluebeard had a pre-nuptial agreement – I give this marriage a week…tops.

********************

Thanks for a fab guest post Jana. I think I'd have to agree with your top villain being the Queen from Snow White but I'd also have to add in Rumpelstiltskin and the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood (although I guess if you were the wolf you might think that the Huntsman is actually the bad guy LOL). I don't think I've ever read Bluebeard's story but he certainly sounds like a terrifying husband! Who could possibly resist entering a room that they're banned from? Especially when they've been given a key. That's like having a big red button with "don't touch" written on it - I guarantee I'd be the one who ended the world by pressing it :o)

Who are your favourite fairytale villains? Do you have any others to add to Jana's list?

Review: The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season is the first book in a seven-part series of dizzying imagination. Welcome to Scion, no safer place.

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season Series:
The Bone Season
Future titles and release dates to be confirmed

Visit Samantha Shannon's website for more information

Review:
Samantha Shannon has created a detailed and complex world that is at the same time both The Bone Season's greatest strength and it's biggest weakness. As much as I was fascinated by the world and desperate to learn more about the different types of clairvoyant abilities the sheer amount of information you are hit with in the first third of the book was a little overwhelming and hard to keep track of without taking copious notes. That does make the story feel fairly slow to get started and considering this is such a large book I can see a lot of people being put off by that fact. As much as the plot is bogged down by the world building I was still hooked enough to carry on reading and I'm glad I did because it really pays off in the long run. There is no doubt that the author has an incredible imagination and I'm sure we've only touched the surface of the world she has created in this first instalment of the series.

The Bone Season is set in 2059 but in a very different future to any we could imagine thanks to the alternate history that the author has created. This is a society where some people have developed clairvoyant abilities but those who have are feared and reviled by the rest of the population. The voyants have been forced to keep their abilities secret and most of them end up joining underground criminal syndicates where their powers are used for profit. Any voyants who are captured by the government are never seen or heard from again so it is assumed they are murdered. Paige works for one of the most powerful gangs in London and her rare dreamwalking abilities make her a valuable member of the team but none of that help her when she is captured. To her surprise instead of being killed because of what she is Paige finds herself sent to an Oxford penal colony. Paige didn't even know the colony existed until she arrives there and she has no way of letting her friends back in London know that she is alive or telling them where to find her.

Considering how much world building there is in this story it's surprising how many questions I still have about the setting. We are given quite a clear picture of life in London but I'm having trouble understanding how Oxford is kept separated from the rest of society and why nobody seems to know of it's existence. We have no information about what is going on in the rest of the country - are there no other cities or towns left? What happened to the general population? How were they able to effectively wipe Oxford off the map without anyone noticing? In Oxford we are introduced to the Rephaim race and again I'm still confused about exactly what they are. I know they have strong psychic abilities but the reason for their appearance on earth and why they haven't returned to their own home was lost amongst the rest of the information we were given. I would have loved to understand more about their motives and how they came to run the penal colony.

I liked Paige as a character and I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes but I never really felt that I got to know her as well as I wanted to. Near the end of the book we get a glimpse into her childhood and discover how she learned of her abilities and I wish we'd had that information earlier on in the story because it helped to really bring her to life. There are a lot of characters and I had a little trouble keeping them all straight in my mind but it was interesting to see how Paige interacted with new people in an unfamiliar setting, it is hard for her to figure out who to trust and she risks her life if she confides in the wrong person. I was very curious about Paige's Rephaim keeper Warden and I liked the fact that Paige kept her wits when she's around him even though she found him attractive. There was a nice hint at a potential romance but I'm glad that didn't take away from the main focus of the story and I was pleased that there was no case of insta-love.

The ending has left things wide open and I'm definitely curious to see what happens next. I'm hopeful that we'll see a lot more of Paige's London gang members in the next book and I'm looking forward to learning more about all of them but her boss Jaxon in particular. There are definitely some interesting dynamics amongst the group that should be interesting to explore. While I feel that The Bone Season is a promising start to a new series I do think that calling Samantha Shannon the next J.K. Rowling is a mistake. When you give a book as much hype as this one has received you make it very hard for it to live up to expectations and that is probably the main reason I was slightly disappointed by this story. I do think that the author and the series have a lot of potential though and I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see how things progress from here.

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

Other Reviews:
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.

Hardback / Kindle: