Muse Of Nightmares - Review

Book Review:
Title: Muse of Nightmares
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Release date: October 2nd 2018
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Once upon a time there was a silence that dreamed of becoming a song, and then I found you, and now everything is music.”

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.
   Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice--save the woman he loves, or everyone else?--while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.
   As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

The Raging Ones - Review

Book Review:
Title: The Raging Ones
Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Publisher: Wednesday Books

“You keep saying that you make my life dismal and bleak. But my world never felt as bright, as worthwhile and full, until I met you.”

In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds.
Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.
Until the day she does.
Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.
Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.
With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

What If It's Us - Review

Book Review:
Title: What If It's Us
Author: Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: October 18th 2018 (UK)
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“I barely know him. I guess that is every relationship. You start with nothing and maybe end with everything.”

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?

Mirage - Review

Book Review:
Title: Mirage
Author: Somaiya Daud
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Release date: August 28th 2018
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Happiness is rebellion.”

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation, and of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventures, and travel beyond her isolated moon.
But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double to appear in public, ready to die in her place.
As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear and if Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection... because one wrong move could lead to her death.

Mid-Year Book Freak Out - TAG

HELLO!
We are officially halfway through 2018, so what better time is there to reflect back on the books I've read so far this year.
2018 isn't shaping up to be the best reading year for me. In 2016, I had read about 50 books by the end of June, but two years later within the same time frame, I have only read 26 books. 🙃 University is a real time consumer guys! But nonetheless, I've managed to enjoy most of the books I've read, so let's talk about them and break them down.

Smoke in the Sun - Review

Book Review:
Title: Smoke in the Sun
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

🌸 “It had taken her losing everything she knew to finally understand. Feeling pain and sorrow was not at all a sign of weakness. It was a sign of love.” 🌸

After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor's ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead. 
      With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

The Beast's Heart - Blog Tour (Extract)

Blog Tour:
Title: The Beast's Heart
Author: Leife Shallcross
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 3rd May 2018 (UK)

🌹 "After all, are not our experiences in the world the basis for our dreams? If I forsake the world for my dreams, they will have nothing new to feed upon and can only grow more stale and unsatisfying." 🌹

I am neither monster nor man—yet I am both.

I am the Beast.

The day I was cursed to this wretched existence was the day I was saved—although it did not feel so at the time.

My redemption sprung from contemptible roots; I am not proud of what I did the day her father happened upon my crumbling, isolated chateau. But if loneliness breeds desperation then I was desperate indeed, and I did what I felt I must. My shameful behaviour was unjustly rewarded.
My Isabeau. She opened my eyes, my mind and my heart; she taught me how to be human again.
And now I might lose her forever.

🌹 Welcome to the 10th day of The Beast's Heart Blog Tour! 🌹

5 Reasons Why I Loved LEGENDARY

5 Reasons Why I Loved...
Title: Legendary
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: May 29th 2018

"Tella might have been many things, but she was far from silly or worthless or whatever labels people liked to affix because a person was young and female."

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister's. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval...the games have only just begun.

Shades of Magic Trilogy - Review

Book Review:
Title: Shades of Magic Trilogy (A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows & A Conjuring of Light)
Author: V.E.Schwab
Publisher: Titan Books

“I'm not going to die," she said. "Not till I've seen it."
"Seen what?"
Her smile widened. "Everything.”

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.
Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Review

Book Review:
Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Publisher: Harper Collins

“We are not broken things, neither of us. We are cracked pottery mended with laquer and flakes of gold, whole as we are, complete unto each other. Complete and worthy and so very loved.”

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Author Q&A: Amanda Foody

Hey Guys!
Today on my blog I have a Q&A with the lovely Amanda Foody to share with you all.
If you weren't aware (which I'm sure you are,) Amanda is the author of Daughter of the Burning City and the upcoming Ace of Shades, book one in The Shadow Game trilogy!

I found out about Ace of Shades around mid 2017 and I have been EAGERLY waiting to read it ever since. It's one of my most anticipated reads of 2018!
How can you not want this book after reading the synopsis?!

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.
Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.
Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…
And she’ll need to play.

Earlier this month I was accepted into the Shadow Gang - the Ace of Shades street team (go SCARS!) - and I thought, what better way to find out more information about this book than utilising my member status and have the author herself on my blog sharing all the details!
So, while we (impatiently) wait for the release date (3 months for the US, 4 months for the UK,) here's an interview with Ms. Foody about her upcoming book:

♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠🂡♠

EVERLESS - Review

Book Review:
Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: 4th January 2018 (UK)
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Fox,” said Snake, curling slowly around her friend’s heart. “It’s time we face the truth.”

Time is a prison. She is the key. Packed with danger, temptation and desire - a perfect read for fans of The Red Queen.
In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything - even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.
Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.
There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever ... and possibly the future of time itself.