Review: Extraordinary October by Diana Wagman

October is an ordinary girl. From her plain looks to her average grades, there seems to be nothing special about her. Then, three days before her eighteenth birthday, she develops a strange itch that won’t go away, and her life is turned upside down. Suddenly, she can hear dogs talk, make crows fly, and two new and very handsome boys at school are vying for her affections. After she starts “transplanting” herself through solid rock, October learns that she is not ordinary at all, but the daughter of a troll princess and a fairy prince, and a pawn in a deadly war between the trolls and the fairies. Now October will have to use all of her growing powers to save her family, and stop a mysterious evil that threatens to destroy the fairy world.

In the fantastical vein of authors such as Julie Kagawa and Holly Black, Extraordinary October takes us on a magical journey from the streets of Los Angeles to the beautiful and mythical underground fairy kingdom.

Why is this book not getting more publicity, it is literally a fun amalgamation of all of the fantasy books that have been 'big'. Think The Iron Fey series, meets the Wicked Lovely series, throw in a little of Trylle series and a Disney style evil queen and you get something like Extraordinary October - this was a really fun and quick read that I enjoyed.

At the start I didn't think this book would work for me - the writing seemed a little clunky and the protagonist spent the first few chapters talking about how plain and ordinary she was, how nobody really notices her and her life is nothing special. I hate that kind of stuff and it was seriously overload in this book at times, but the writing started to work and when we got to the plot this book really picked up and October came into her own.

I loved the whole interspecies chosen one thing, and I loved the individual traits that the fairies (who like birds and have addictive personalities) and the trolls (mushroom digging) had - I also really enjoyed reading about how they came together to defeat the bad guy, it was a fun romp.

I mean, this book isn't breaking any records - I'm not sure it's going to be on the best books I have read this year list, but it's pure escapism and brings back a genre which seems to have fizzled a bit in the last few years.

If you liked any faerie series (Tithe, Wicked Lovely, The Replacement, Trylle) then I would recommend you give this book a go, it was an enjoyable fun read. 

Book released October 11th 2016 by Ig Publishing

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: City of Fae by Pippa DaCosta

From the moment Alina touches London's hottest fae superstar, breaking one of the laws founded to protect all of her kind, her fate – and the fae – close in.

Below ground, the fae High Queen plots to claim the city as her own and places her pawns, ready for the battle to come. A battle she cannot lose, but for one small problem – Alina. There are four ancient keepers powerful enough to keep the queen in her prison. Three are dead. One remains … And to fight back, Alina risks sacrificing everything she has come to love.

I've never really been into the whole New Adult thing, but the idea of City of Fae was just too good for me to deny. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would, it was actually a really absorbing storyline even if the pace was slow at times and some of the story was difficult to keep up with - especially after the big reveal when things got a little confusing and convoluted. Despite this, City of Fae still managed to keep me absorbed.

I think that what really sets this book apart from other faerie books is the way that the fae exist in this modern day world - people are aware of their existence and our main guy, Reign, is a famous rockstar fae. It meant that our main character, Alina, is learning new things but their existence isn't a big surprise for her.

I really loved Alina, she develops so much throughout this book from headstrong but a little nervous and shy to this kick-ass heroine. She has an understandable existential crisis later in the book but deals with it. Yes, she makes some bad moves as the plot develops but she is still pretty likeable. Our pretty boy bad boy Reign is also pretty awesome -I've heard him descried as a Fae Christian Grey but I totally disagree with that - Reign is actually pretty heroic and caring - and I definitely enjoyed their developing relationship.

The plot itself wasn't anything brand new in the realms of fae books, but I still found myself absorbed and loving it, so it wasn't too bad The end, as mentioned before, did get a bit rushed and confusing, but this wasn't too big a deal. Maybe it could have done with being paced out a bit better but I still was hooked.

Overall, City of Fae was an absorbing read with a plot which wasn't massively original but did have me hooked. I loved the characters and would still recommend it to fans of paranormal books.

Book released 7th May by Bloomsbury Sparks

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Dude. DUDE!

This book though! This book!!!

Sarah J. Maas's world must have turned on it's head when the amazing Throne of Glass series got as big as it did, and rightly so. In a world where the YA market is saturated with fantasy books which are honestly a little bit meh, this author is one that brings back the magic that made authors like Robin McKinley and Kristin Cashore and Maria V. Snyder as great as they were. Sarah Maas just has this fantastic way of building a world and characters that we really care about. From step one of this book I loved Feyre and that is the key for me. I cared about her future and her love life and what she goes through. She was such a strong independant character but she is thrown into this world where that isn't enough.

Enter Tamlin, a high fae that made me swoon and urgh and mmmm! In his fae form he is a handsome man with a mask covering his face - the result of an awful curse on his world - but he can transform into a beast and beastly men make me go phoar. The love story, for once, is a simple progressive one where you get to see it develop on both ends. It was magic, and whilst the love triangle is there in the latter part of the book, it didn't bother me too much because Tamlin is perfection and there is sexy-times and Feyre and Tamlin forever.

The plot of this isn't altogether very original, it is a spin on the story we see in a lot of fairy YA books, but Maas's writing is so fantastic that it doesn't feel like you're reading the same book again. Man, this woman can write.

Do you see that I am absolutely typing diarrhoea over this book? This was a book that made em melt and gasp and awe, and whilst maybe it wasn't as amazing as Throne of Glass, it was definitely amazing nonetheless.

Sarah J. Maas proves over and over again how worthy she is to be known as one of this generation's queens of fantasy, and I will forever bow to her.

(All hail Queen Sarah).

Book released 5th May 2015 by Bloomsbury

Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: Briar Rose by Jana Oliver

For Briar Rose, life is anything but a fairy tale. She's stuck in a small town in deepest Georgia with parents who won't let her out of their sight, a bunch of small-minded, gossiping neighbours and an evil ex who's spreading nasty rumours about what she may or may not have done in the back of his car. She's tired of it all, so when, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents tell her that she is cursed and will go to sleep for a hundred years when the clock strikes midnight, she's actually kind of glad to leave it all behind. She says her goodbyes, lies down, and closes her eyes . . . And then she wakes up. Cold, alone and in the middle of the darkest, most twisted fairy tale she could ever have dreamed of. Now Briar must fight her way out of the story that has been created for her, but she can't do it alone. She never believed in handsome princes, but 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

So many high hopes and so much let down. That's exactly how I feel after reading Briar Rose. The Demon Trapper's series is one of my favourite of all time and I was so unbelievably excited to see Oliver weave her magic with a fairytale, but Briar Rose was just one giant heap of mess that just couldn't redeem itself.

The plot was overly simplistic yet unnecessarily complex as well. I know I just contradicted myself but wait, let me explain. The writing and plot are very basic fairytale - girl in new land, girl has to save land with help of a rogueish hero, but all is not what it seems! Then there's the addition of metal monsters, obviously meant to make the whole book darker but just overcomplicating things. Then at the same time things happen so quickly - someone tells Briar that she's going to die and she just lies down and accepts her fate - literally! It was so basic and written in such a childish way that I felt like I could have written this book in first grade. Blind.

The start was hopeful, like I wanted Briar and Jake to be together from the start, which is... not all that good when the lack of development means that I stop rooting for them very quickly. The characters were flat and whiny and cliched and I disliked all of them.

I'mma stop here, because I do not bash books and there was some good stuff about Briar Rose, because there must have been! I made it to the end after all.

Overall, Briar Rose was just... disappointment.

Book released 12th September 2014

Book  purchased by myself

Review: Love, Tink by Elle Strauss

Tink is hopelessly smitten with Peter, the leader of the Lost Boys who'd mysteriously arrived at Neverland two years ago. Unfortunately, Peter is tired of the adventure and especially tired of dodging Captain Hook who is after his head. He just wants to go back to New York City and live his life as a normal fifteen-year-old.

Tink is the only one who can help Peter return, but it breaks her heart to do it. She just wants to make him happy, so she does the unthinkable and betrays the fairy king. Now her heart is filled with remorse. Should she go after Peter? Should she follow him to his New York?

I was a weird child, I used to watch the Disney movie 'Peter Pan' at least twice a day until I was like eleven, so whenever I hear about a book which is a different retelling of the story I am so excited to read it. When I saw Love, Tink on NetGalley I just knew that I was going to love it, I was so right. I think that if I'd read it as a series of novellas I wouldn't have loved it, but reading it as a full novel was great.

What I really liked about this book was the mixture of the New York setting with the Neverland setting, I liked that Tinkerbell and Jangle came into this brand new world and had to get their head around technology and cars and money - it made for some really funny moments, as did the fairies in school. I'm suspending disbelief a little bit at some things, such as the fact that the first guy they meet just happens to go to the same school as Peter. I mean, I have never been to new York, but I imagine that there are a lot of schools. As well as this, sometimes Tink and Jangle used phrases in Neverland that seemed almost like slang, then they barely understand anything that anyone is saying when they reach New York. Then again, this is a fun fantasy read and isn't meant to be taken all that seriously.

I am so glad that Wendy was kind of a bad guy in this book - she's the annoying, clingy girlfriend that views anyone and everyone as competition. I always thought she was such a weak and annoying character anyway, compared to the spunky Tinkerbell. Peter was the witty and clever leader we all know in the first few scenes, but after he returns to New York we get to see him as a normal teenage boy, which was awesome as well. I loved Jangle, Tinks fairy best friend who sometimes seems a bit harsh but just says everything that Tinkerbell needs to hear. More than anyone, I loved Tinkerbell - she is loyal, brave and hung up on a boy, making her a fantasy heroine as well as a relateable character for any girl.

If you liked Disney's Peter Pan and Disney's Enchanted, or if you enjoy fairytale like fantasy reads with tough characters, you really should read the Love, Tink collection. Some of the novellas leave off at awkward points and some are a little short so I recommend you read the whole collection together. Honestly though, this is such a fun read which took me back to Neverland, my favorite fantasy world ever.

Book released  10th July 2013 by 

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review (NetGalley)

Reviews for other books by this author:

Clockwise

Review: The Clockwork Bluebird by Ravven

London, 1897: Maia and her brother Tyler find themselves in the midst of a war between the Faerie Courts on Christmas Eve. Accompanied by a talking dog, a clockwork kitchen servant and Fox the stable boy, they embark on a quest to save their lost parents and find the Bluebird.

The palace of Night and the Land of the Dead. Skyships. The Goblin Market. A black wolf and the Huntsman who pursues him. A gang of clockwork-enhanced children living in the lost Underground tunnels under the city.

What do you get if you mix the fantasy adventure of Alice in Wonderland, add in some clockwork and airships and put in some fairy queens and talking animals? The answer is The Clockwork Bluebird... this book is a mixture of all the things I would have loved to read when I was twelve years old and reading this book took me back to that age where I didn't need any romance, all I needed was a good adventure with some fun characters and a slightly scary bad guy.

I felt a little bit out of the loop with this book because I haven't read the children's book that this was based on, so I think that I missed out on a few references and stuff that made it a tiny bit less awesome for me. I did really enjoy the story on it's own though, it was short and a complete story and the writing and descriptions were absolutely beautiful, I was really impressed by how Ravven managed to combine the whole steampunk and the fantasy together in this amazing London setting.

Maia and Tyler were both tough, adventurous characters. I loved spunky Maia from the start, but by the end she was such a tough fighter, the type of character I really would have connected with as a younger reader. Tyler started out more meek and mild, but he got a lot braver during this story - I loved him to pieces. The other characters were also fantastic - the treacherous Zazu, the loyal Pip, the faithful Bread and the cunning Fox - every single one of them added a dynamic to the story.

Overall, fans of classical children's books by Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis and Enid Blyton will love this book, it will take you back to your younger years. This is one book that you would like to read and then give to your kids in the future.

Book released 4th June 2013 

Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review 

Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Okay so I wasn't the biggest fan of the first few books in the Iron Fey series but The Iron Knight and Kagawa's The Immortal Rules really impressed me, so when this new spin-off series was announced I knew that I had to read it... I had my reservations though, spin-offs can either be fantastic or awful and I was hoping - no, praying - that Kagawa would not let me down with The Lost Prince.

The verdict? I did really enjoy this book despite it having quite a few flaws, mainly with characterisation. The appearance of several of the original characters was definitely a highlight though the more mature Ash and Meghan made me feel oddly sad and sentimental. I loved seeing Puck and Grimalkin, they were fantastic as always. The new characters I didn't like so much, Ethan was likable enough but I think Kagawa was trying really hard to make him a bad boy with a heart of gold without giving him much else, but Kenzie really annoyed me. I started to like her a bit more towards the end and her secret that is revealed at the end may make me a little more sympathetic in the next book, which I will definitely be reading, but she was just annoying and pushy and I wasn't a big fan.

I did feel that the storyline was very similar to the storylines from the original series, with a journey through the never-never to find out more about a new type of fey, it was interesting to revisit old places and  explore more of the never-never and Kagawa's beautiful descriptions of the haunting and gorgeous places is great as always. Kagawa has also improved on her habit of telling not showing and so the pacing and writing was so much better.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Lost Prince. I have to know it down a grade just because I had some problems with the new characters and it didn't seem that original to the original series. I did enjoy seeing the old characters and the great descriptions of the places.

Book released 23rd October 2012 by Harlequin Teen/January 6th 2012 by Mira Ink
ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (eBook)

Other books from this author:

The Immortal Rules
The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)
The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)
The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3)
The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)

Review: The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Long

A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction 

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.

How do I feel about The Treachery of Beautiful Things. I enjoyed it, that's for sure, but it didn't completely hit the mark for me/ I feel as though this book felt twice as long as it's 384 pages and I had to read it in spurts with more gripping books in the middle to keep me reading. It was an okay read but it isn't particularly memorable or exciting.

The beginning of this book really excited me. I was gripped by the start, by Tom getting taken away and Jenny's fear of the trees and of what she saw. When Jenny enters the otherworld things are still good, the pace kept up extremely well until about half-way through the book when suddenly it dropped and I became extremely bored. The rest of the book has it's good points (the fight with Titania/Mab and the ending) but I wasn't as gripped in the second half as I was in the beginning.

Despite the bad pace, I really did enjoy the storyline. Whilst the world and the characters are similar to other fae characters I loved the addition of the May Queen and the kobolds. Long also has a very beautiful narrative, this story was told so beautifully and enchantingly and I was extremely blown away for the tone and vibe of this book.

I had some problems with the characters; Jenny annoyed me since she does stupid things which are supposed to show how 'gentle' she is but really just put her in distress in order to paint Jack as her saviour and hero. Jack was underdeveloped, though I did like him and I did eventually root for the relationship I didn't feel like the two of them really worked that well, since there is a little bit of insta-luv. I liked Puck, but compared to the Puck we see in other fairy books he lacked charisma and development.

Overall, The Treachery of Beautiful things was an alright read, but I didn't feel gripped since the pace was very slow in the second half of the book. I liked the storyline and I loved Long's beautiful narrative voice. The characters needed more development in order to stand up against other YA fae titles (The Iron King/Tithe/Wicked Lovely).

Overall Rating: C

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Book released August 16th 2012 by Dial
Book received as an eBook for review (via NetGalley)

Review: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

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I like a good steampunk book, I like a good faerie book. I like a good faeriee book with steampunk elements in it, I was not sure whether I would like a book where both feature largely in it. I'm still not sure how much I liked this book.

This book took me a while to finish, I couldn't read it in one sitting, I was enjoying it but for some reason I had to push myself to pick this book up again after I had put it down. Yet when i was reading it I did enjoy it.

At times it seemed like the plot and characters were being made up as the author needed them to. Nothing seemed planned out, V's role in the story seemed completely random and unprecedented and Charlotte's circumstances seemed too coincidental and didn't mould well into the story. Parts of this book were messy and unpolished, the part where Noli is in Kevighn's house went on forever and basically was a repeat of the same cycle:

Noli: I want to go home
Kevighn: *Need distraction* Oooh... here's a flower!
Noli: Oooh pretty flower!

That brings me to the characters. I did like Noli to start with, but she justs tarted to annoy me as the plot moved on and she started to expect everyone to do everything for her... what happened to rebellious hoyden Noli? I was also so annoyed by her indecision in the love triangle, especially since she constantly repeats that Kev is just a rake and V is lovely and sexy. Yeah, V was my saving grace in this book, aside from the fact that his storyline is utterly ridiculous and cliche I found him refreshing and likable.

I'm also not going to get into the steamy scenes (which aren't graphic but are still a little serious for the 12+ age recommendation of this book) and all of the descriptions of opium dens and prostitutes.

I feel terrible for writing such an awful review, since I did like this book but it was just very jerky and didn't flow and had a very unfinished feel... gah!

Overall Rating: D

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Book released 8th August 2012 by Flux Books
Book received as an ebook via NetGalley for review

Review: Feyland: The Bright Court by Anthea Sharp

Jennet Carter escaped the dark faeries of Feyland once. Now, fey magic is seeping out of the prototype game, beguiling the unwary and threatening everyone she cares about.

Tam Linn may be a hero in-game, but his real life is severely complicated. Still, he'll do whatever it takes to stop the creatures of Feyland, even if it means pushing Jennet toward the new guy in school--the one with an inside connection to sim-gaming... and the uncanny ability to charm everyone he meets.

Despite the danger, Jennet and Tam must return to Feyland to face the magic of the Bright Court--and a powerful new enemy who won't stop until the human world is at the mercy of the Realm of Faerie.

Anthea Sharp has done it again, after The Dark Realm I really didn't know where she could take this concept, but she has once again blown me away. I seriously enjoyed this book, it was exciting and fun and whilst I can't say it was AS amazing as The Dark Realm it was still absolutely fantastic. I loved this book.

Once again Jennet and Tam are amazing characters. Jennet was much less selfish in this book but I think that she still put herself at risk a lot. I still loved Tam,  he was caring and sweet and looked after Jen and he was also jealous and angry when the time called for it. Their relationship is still developing at a slow pace and popped up when the moment was right, I like it when the romance takes a back seat to the fantasy storyline. Roy was a good addition to the book, he added more urgency to the book and I really liked that a lot more of the story took place in the real world, though Feyland does still play a very large part.

What I love about this book is that it combines the techy aspects that I love in sci-fi and contemporary but also that fantasy aspect. The scenes in Feyland are so vivid that you almost forget you're reading a book about a video game, I love how well the fantasy and the sci-fi and the contemp merge together to form this fantastic mixing pot of awesome. Yes, I did just call this book a mixing pot of awesome. Don't judge.

Overall, I love this series and I can't wait to see what book #3 brings us. Rock on, Anthea Sharp.

Overall Rating: B+

Book released May 26th 2012
Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews for other books by this author:
Feyland: The Dark Realm (Feyland #1)

Review: Riven by Sarah Bryant

Devastated by the death of her boyfriend, Lucas, Sophie moves in with her mother in Edinburgh, hoping to grieve quietly. But since meeting Lucas, nothing about Sophie's life has been quiet, and his death doesn't change this. If anything, life has become more complicated and confusing than ever. Her mother is determined that she get over him. A strange, compelling man seems to be stalking her. And she's begun to have visions she doesn't dare believe. Because, if she does, it means that Lucas isn't dead at all. Instead, he's entangled in a fate worse than death. And only she can save him.

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Riven is the sequel to the amazing Bound, which I reviewed last month and absolutely loved. I really enjoyed Riven but it did seem as though it was written by a totally different person at times. What I loved about Bound was the tone set by the writing and setting and for me Riven lacked this a little, the weather in the last book was stormy and it set this really dark and ominous tone, the setting changes for Riven and this meant that the tone changed and for me the focus was on the story and character and not the writing.


I found it so much easier to get to grips with the characters because we already know Sophie, Ailsa and Lucas and I also got into the book quickly because I was already on the edge of my seat after the heartbreaking conclusion to Bound. At times, the pace dropped but for much of this book I was gripped, so pacing in this book was definitely better than the last book.


Riven draws in a lot of mythology, some which is used quite often in YA books and some which was original. What is unique about this series is that even though it's about fallen angels and battles for the balance of good and evil it isn't religious, it manages to use religious symbols in a completely non-preachy way and I love that about it.


I did feel that the ending of this book was a bit of a let down, we were building up for this massive confrontation with the bad guy and all we get is a harp playing competition... errr, a bit of an anti-climax for me and I was a little bit taken aback by the epilogue, it was cute but it took me while to understand what was going on. however on a whole this book was exciting and gripping and I am so excited to read the third in the series, which is released in 2013.


Overall Rating: A

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Book released May 1st 2012 by Snow Books
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Indie April Review: Flicker by Kaye Thornbrugh

When sixteen-year-old Lee Capren is spirited away to Faerie, she is forced to serve capricious faeries as a prized portrait artist… and live as their prisoner.
A chance encounter with the charming Nasser grants Lee a chance for freedom—but what felt like mere days in Faerie spanned years in the human world, and Lee no longer has a home to return to.

Nasser is a Seer—a human with magical powers—and Lee is quickly plunged into his world: a sprawling city teeming with magic and mystery, where supernatural creatures walk hidden among humans. With the help of a rag-tag group of teenage Seers, Lee must master her newfound magical talent and outwit a cunning faerie determined to destroy her.

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I so enjoyed this book, Kaye Thornbrugh is such a talented writer and I never got the feeling that anything was missing. This book, for me, was amazing and gripping.


A lot of fairy books nowadays are about people rescuing friends/relatives that have been taken away, this one is actually about the person who was taken away so it was amazing to read a fairy story from that point of view. I really liked where the plot took us, it was exciting and romantic and even when it got slow I was still absorbed in the storytelling.


I also really enjoyed the characters, I felt that Lee had a lot of development as a character but the backing characters did as well. Filo grows up a lot, Nasser lightens up and Jason matures. there are also other romantic story lines outside of the obvious Nasser and Lee and I can't wait to see what becomes of Filo and Alice, they are so cute! Nasser and Lee was awesome, it developed a bit quickly but also naturally and I liked that Lee was a very independent character (though at times she did become dependent on the others), it meant that the romance was natural and not obsessive.


And the fairies! Yes, for once it isn't all dark and politics, there is some light to the fairies and whilst they are cunning and have a bad side they did show some goodness and I really liked that!


Overall, a romantic and compelling book that gripped em and didn't let go. i can't really think of anything that I didn't like about it. I need more!


Overall Rating: A+

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Received for review from the author

Ruins of Noe Blog Tour: Reviews for Brigitta of the White Forest and the Ruins of Noe

Since I read both of these books for this blog tour, I have decided to do a two mini reviews in one post, rather than two separate long reviews.

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 Brigitta is a young Water Faerie from the village-nest of Tiragarrow. She's confused, moody, and anxious about going through "The Change" as she doesn't see how destiny markings on her wings should determine her life's path.

A few days before the annual Festival of the Elements, Brigitta is flying an errand with Himalette, her tag-a-long sister, when a mysterious curse turns everyone in the White Forest to stone -- except for the two of them. The sisters have no idea why they were not cursed, but they do know if they don't turn everyone back in time for the festival rituals, the Hourglass of Protection will run out and so will its protective field around the forest.

I have to admit that when I first started this book I began to wonder if maybe it was too young for me, especially since I'd just finished a much deeper and darker book. It took me about twenty pages to realise that I was wrong - it was just the fun and lighter read that I needed to wind down a little and by 100 pages I was loving it. I loved the world that Danika Dinsmore made from the faerie village of Tiragarrow which was carefree and magical to the wild forests outside of the village which were wild and dangerous. Despite the fact that this book wasn't as deep as I usually read there was a lot of emotion there and a great character arc. Brigitta definitely grows from a faerie that doesn't know what her calling is to a brave young woman that saves her village but I especially liked Himmy as a character as she goes from a cowardly little sister to a strong and brave girl! 

Overall Rating: B

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A child born with no destiny: one of many signs that the White Forest faeries have lost touch with the Ethereals, the Ancient Ones. High Priestess Ondelle is convinced by an old proverb that one faerie is fated to travel to the former home of the Ancients, the Ruins of Noe, to find the answer. That faerie, she believes, is Brigitta. 

Ondelle and Brigitta set off to save their forest once again, but when they arrive in Noe they discover something they never learned from any faerie tale. Why had this dark secret been kept from them? Why in the name of Faweh had the Ancients left some faeries behind?

I was so worried that the end of the first book saw the end of Briggy's adventuring days and the beginning of boring studious days, I was so wrong! In this installment Brigitta goes on a whole new quest which is even more exciting than the previous one! I found that this book was a bit darker than the first in the serious and also because Briggy has grown a little I began to see this book as teen fiction rather than middle grade which boosted my enjoyment. This book is finished very cleanly but I still cannot wait for the third in the series because I just love Briggy and Ondelle so much. Ondelle was a great character and we get to see her a lot more in this one which is great because she is such and intriguing character and we get to know her a little better.

Overall Rating: B+

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Brigitta of the White Forest was published March 1st and The Ruins of Noe will be published May 1st by Hydra House.

Many thanks to the author for allowing me to read and review it.

The Ruins of Noe Blog Tour: Interview with Danika Dinsmore

Today I am happy to be hosting a spot on the Ruins of Noe blog tour. The Ruins of Noe is a middle grade to young adult fairy book which is so cute and adventurous! Check out my review later!

Right now I am extremely happy to be introducing Danika, who has answered a few questions for me.

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Hi Danika, thank you for being here today! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thanks for having me, Jade.  
That's a really open-ended question. Let's see... I have an MFA from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. I'm not kidding. I'd love to get my PhD some day, but in a foreign city. And it would have to be a non-stoggy sort of program. I want to teach kindergarten at a University level. I don't like rules. If someone tells me something can't be done, it makes me want to do it. My favourite word is pamplemousse (my favourite animal name-word is hedgehog). I can't imagine living in a house without a cat. I'm doing what I love to do and am grateful every day for it.
How's that?

Can you describe The Ruins of Noe in three words?
Ack! (wait, does that count?). Imaginative, suspenseful, heart-breaking

What was your inspiration for the series?

Several years ago I decided I wanted to write a coming-of-age story about two faerie sisters. I wanted kids to be able to relate to them and for the faeries (and the children) to go on a true adventure. I've always loved coming-of-age stories and quest stories, and especially love stories that have both: character arc and adventure.

I originally wrote it as a screenplay, and I wrote it while working with two girls (who had a Himmy/Briggy kind of relationship, even though they weren't sisters) on the set of a film called Desolation Sound. It was in an isolated area in the forest. Talk about giving me the inspiration to write the story. One of the girls gave me the idea for the giant caterpillar.

What is it that you do on set?

I've done everything from writing and producing to transportation and set dec in the indie film world. In the service film world, I'm a Studio Teacher, which means I'm in charge of the health, safety, morals, and education of children while they are on set.

Did you originally plan to write a book targeted at a younger audience ?

Like I mentioned above, it was originally a screenplay. And yes, I wanted something for a younger audience because my (former) agents kept asking me to write something more commercial. Seriously, this was meant to be a commercial family film so I could finally sell a screenplay. Little did I know I would fall in love with it and that it would take over my life.

Who is your favourite character in the White Forest books and why?

Well, Brigitta has to be my favourite because we're growing up together, so I feel extremely close to her. However, if you asked me to pick my favourite non-Briggy character right now it's Ondelle. There's a big part of me in her. I understand her best, but the reader never knows what's going on internally with her, because it's Briggy's story. I've had to convey her internal world with her action and dialogue. BUT, all that's about to change with Book Three (she says mysteriously).

What was the biggest difficulty in getting the book published?

This is not a career for the faint of heart, the easily ego-bruised, or the gotta-get-rich-fast crowd. I'd say getting published isn't the difficult part in the long run. I believe anyone, if they commit to it, can get published. It's selling the book afterward that is the hard part. It is 75% of my job right now. Why should someone who's never heard of me spend their money on my book rather than on a latte and a slice of pizza or on 500,000 other books about there? Books are an investment of time and energy (and pizza tastes good now). So, I try to connect with people in person as much as possible (students, parents, teachers, librarians, etc) in schools and at events. It takes a lot of effort. But I'd rather be doing this than anything else!

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Children. They never cease to amaze me. And they are wise. They are onto us. The world's gonna be okay. (I love that answer!)

What books being released this year are you dying to get your hands on?

The fourth book in Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series. I thought it was a trilogy. I literally cried out when I got to the end of Book Three and realized I had to wait ALMOST A YEAR until the 4th one was released.

I want to check out China Mielville's new YA novel RAILSEA. It sounds great (although I was not a big fan of Un Lun Dun, his middle grade book, I do know that wasn't his best work)
I'm also curious about J.K. Rowling's adult novel THE CASUAL VACANCY. I'm not sure what to expect. It intrigues me.
John Green's THE FAULT IN OUR STARS just came out a few months ago. I've yet to read a book of his with a female protag, so I'm glad he's done it. Plus, it sound wicked funny in that John Green way.
Lastly - Libba Bray's THE DIVINERS! 

Thanks for being here, anything else you would like to say to my readers?

We couldn't be authors without you. :-)(Nawwwh!)

Review: Fairy Metal Thunder by J.L. Bryan

Jason plays guitar in a teenage garage band called the Assorted Zebras, but they have no fans, no gigs, and they're going nowhere. Even worse, Jason has a crush on the lead singer, but she already has a near-perfect boyfriend. 

Then Jason steals instruments from the fairy world, and soon the band is enchanting crowds, but the new gear is brimming with dangerous and destructive magic. The band struggles to gain control of their instruments and avoid the supernatural bounty hunters sent by Queen Mab of Faerie to track them down..

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Young adult fairy books are so dark and serious nowadays that it is so difficult to find that funny fairy humor that I once loved as a middle grade reader, this book gave me that humor back with some very basic and yet humorous fairy characters as well as some real life situations and human characters.


I loved the story line for this book and the idea of the magical instruments and how they enchant listeners, there were some pretty funny scenes, like the gig at Mitch's and the unicorn/dragon at the end and the scenes where magic is involved were so well written and I can't wait to read more of that in the next two books. I also hope we get to delve more into the faerie world because the few scenes that we visit it in are so well written.


I preffered the fairy world characters to the human, even though we see them much less, I think the main reason was because I wasn't the biggest fan of Jason, the human protagonist because he seemed too whiny and childish. He's actually a junior in high school, so should be what, seventeen? His voice seemed like that of a fourteen year old so I just didn't get him, which also made the kind-of-potential-romance a little juvenile for me.


The writing in this book was great though, I loved the descriptions and the pacing and how well written everything was, J.L. Bryan really managed to captivate me with his narration so I didn't have a problem getting through this.


Overall, a fun fairy fantasy with a few issues with the characters but some captivating writing.


Overall Rating: B-

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Received for review from the author

Review: Where Thy Dark Eye Glances by Chani Lynn Feener

Three hundred years ago Lily Bryg was someone else. Now, she's dealing with demons from the past in the form of ghosts, fairies, and even a dream stalker bent on convincing her they belong together. As a witch, Lily has an advantage. But that all changes when she's summoned back to the third realm she used to live. And where she died. 


With the help of a Shade, a tattoo artist, and her three best friends, Lily tries to escape the faeries out to get her, and the evil king who wants to make her his consort. Ronan will stop at nothing to have her back, and she'll stop at nothing to keep that from happening. Too bad her life isn't the only one on the line, and returning to Bevain might be the only way to save herself, and the world.

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When the author approached me with this one I knew that I had to read it - Reincarnation? Witches? Yes please! To top it off, it's a prequel novella meaning that it was relatively short so a quick read, which I really like to read between longer books. I can't say I had massively high expectations because I haven't read anything from the author before or seen much about the book and I didn't love it but I still enjoyed this book.


This book was a great introduction to the characters and their powers and I really liked the fantasy side of things as it put some unique touches on the urban fantasy genre, this was the part that was the best for me to read. I also liked the real world aspects of the book, but at times some of the things just seemed pointless and I just wanted to get back to the fantasy and the action.
When the action did come it was pretty well written, I was impressed by the fighting scenes that Feener created and I was so whisked into that battle, especially the duel near the end, now that was so well written I was properly faring for Lily's life.


I had problems with the characters though, Lily was an okay character to follow but I don't think I got enough characterisation and I think i will actually read the rest of this series because I'd like to see more from her. The others, Caer, Brid and Ruarc were just... there, I didn't think they were developed at all and I was always getting mixed up with who was who. The bad guys were very stereotypical bad guys and once again, I think it's something I'd need to read the real books for - to get the whole story and maybe be able to fear the baddies a bit more.


There were quite a few grammatical errors, which put me off when I was really getting into a scene, I'm not really a person to hold it against an author unless these errors are all over the book, which there aren't, but the few that there were did disrupt the flow and pace a little.


Overall, a fun novella that I didn't absolutely love but I still liked and I think that I will give the rest of a series a try if I get time. The grammatical errors and lack of character development brought this one down for me, but I did actually enjoy the fantasy elements and the storyline.


Overall Rating: C+

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Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds. 

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.

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After loving Harvey's Haunting Violet, and really enjoying My Love Lies Bleeding I was expecting something great and original with Stolen Away, so in the end I was sort of disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I found that this book, whilst having some elements of originality didn't really grab me and give me anything totally fresh.


I actually got into this book very quickly and the pacing for the whole book was pretty good, I loved Harvey's writing, as always she manages to write the characters in a way that made them seem real. I completely disagreed with some of the stupid things the characters did, but they were relatable as teenagers nonetheless.


Th big downfall of this book was the characters. I never cared about neither Jo nor Elouise which made it very hard to care about their journey and to be honest the only character I even semi-liked was Lucas who was still very one-dimensional. Eldric was the typical faerie prince with loyalties to his court and a human love, wow, how very original. Devin should have been in the book a bit more, he was funny...


I also struggled to differentiate between the narration of Elouise and Jo, which made for some confusing reading, that annoyed me a little because if I'm reading a book in dual narrative, I want two unique characters and I didn't get that.


The story was original in that Eloise only has very watered down faery-blood, she is actually human (mostly) so the story is different to the usually half/full faery princess/changeling goes into scary faery world to save someone she cares about... okay, a little different, but still unique enough that I didn't feel as though I was reading a rip off or something.


Overall, an original story with great writing but characters were a massive let down...


Overall Rating: C-

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Book released January 5th through Bloomsbury
Copy recieved in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

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Oh Julie Kagawa, why did it take so long for you to write a book as awesome as this. Why couldn't you just write from Ash's point of view from the start, you would have had me from book one!

What I loved about this book was that it cleared up what had happened to Ariella and we also got an insight into the relationship between Puck and Ash (I love their kind of bromance!), Ash was a much better narrator than Meghan and I was into him and his quest way more than I ever cared about Meghan.

We meet some other characters that I really liked and some that I hated being there, which I won't name but you'll know if you read it. these were strong and pretty well developed characters and we also see deeper into Puck and Ash. I loved the rivalry between the Big Bad Wolf and Grimalkin. 

There was a little more action and adventure in this one, which I loved, I loved the trials that ash had to go through to become human and the indecision he faced after each one, but I also loved the happy ending. I never thought I'd ever be that glad to see Meghan but yes, I was. 

Overall, the Iron Knight was a fantastic finish to a series and I kind of want more Ash books!

Overall Rating: B+

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Book published October 25th 2011 by Harlequin in the US. The UK release will be in January 2012 by Mira.
Book received as an eGalley from Netgalley.