Review: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

I don't know why I requested this book - I hate zombies! I guess I was probably swayed by all of the black girl kicking zombie butt action. I got that. I got that and so much more.

The great thing about going into a book with no idea what to expect is that it is so easy to be impressed and that is what Dread Nation did for me. We get kick ass characters - Jane and Katherine - but we also get narration that feels authentic, we get atmospheric horror and we also get that whole southern gothic historical feel and it all just hit the bullseye for me. 

It took me a little while to get into this book, so much that I put it down one day and didn't pick it back up for a week, still though when I eventually got into it I was into it and the pacing stayed up from that point on.

This book isn't just superficial though. There are racial undertones that in this day and age must be commented on. Look, I'm a white women, I'm not sure how much I am allowed to speak about representation for a whole-ass culture and race that I am not part of. I will say though that I loved what Ireland created just in the main character. Jane kicked booty, she was strong, stubborn and flawed and it made her so much more real. Even in an alternative history book with zombies, a realistic character makes it so much better. I also think that the lack of a humongous romantic subplot definitely made the characters stand out on their own.

There are some parts that missed the mark a little for me. Mainly that there are references to real events from the American civil war etc which I am not knowledgable in. Still, that's not exactly the author or the book's problem, mainly mine.

Overall, Dread Nation was a really fun book to read, but at the same time it was important culturally and socially. 

Book released  3rd April 2018 by Balzer + Bray

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

Review: Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen

Lady Victoria Aston has everything she could want: an older sister happily wed, the future of her family estate secure, and ample opportunity to while her time away in the fields around her home.

But now Vicky must marry—or find herself and her family destitute. Armed only with the wisdom she has gained from her beloved novels by Jane Austen, she enters society’s treacherous season.

Sadly, Miss Austen has little to say about Vicky’s exact circumstances: whether the roguish Mr. Carmichael is indeed a scoundrel, if her former best friend, Tom Sherborne, is out for her dowry or for her heart, or even how to fend off the attentions of the foppish Mr. Silby, he of the unfortunate fashion sensibility.

Most unfortunately of all, Vicky’s books are silent on the topic of the mysterious accidents cropping up around her…ones that could prevent her from surviving until her wedding day.

I haven't read a decent Historical Fiction book in quite a while - I swear it's one of those genres I never ask for but I'm always happy when I find one.

Dangerous Alliance was what I might describe as an 'endearing' book in that it won't sit alongside the best historical YA books I've ever read, but it offered up enough entertainment to keep me reading. Don't get me wrong, there was issues with characters and pacing, but at no point did I want to give up.

I am always a sucker for a childhood friend who comes back into the picture to sweep the heroine off her feet. Tom was that for me, and I was rooting for him from the start. Sure, Carmichael was rakish enough to be attractive and he did have bits of chemistry with Vicky, but he didn't have the connection that I found with Tom... plus I have read enough Jane Austen to know that he simply wasn't going to be a nice guy. he had his redemption arc but it was just too little too late.

Vicky was a decent enough character. Her voice did seem a bit young and immature, and she was reckless and didn't seem to be able to make her mind up about the smallest thing, but she didn't annoy me so much that I simply couldn't read her. 

I had issues a little with the plots and pacing. At some points I found it a little difficult to follow all of the plot threads and I did think that some of them were redundant to the final plot and could have been ironed out. The writing seemed too much like Cohen was trying to write authentic Georgian and it seemed forced. Don't get me wrong, I get that it may have been necessary but some of it rang out 'fanfiction' for me so I did struggle to get past that at points.


Overall, Dangerous Alliance was an entertaining enough read. It's not one I would read again and I certainly won't remember it too far down the line.

 

Book released 3rd December 2019 by Harper Teen

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

Review: A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth

Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.

Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.

When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.

Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

I really really enjoyed this book.

To be honest, I hadn't heard much about A Treason of Thorns before I saw it on Edelweiss and so my expectations weren't huge for it, and whilst it did take a little while to draw me in... when I was in, I was in.

This book has a Victorian Gothic kind of vibe, and what I found was particularly good was how Weymouth managed to give the house a personality and - even more amazing - an arc. I loved how Violet's personal development changed the way we saw the house, from her friend and protector so something so much more wild and terrifying. 

I loved the romance story as well, it was swoon worthy and even more, it wasn't straight up instalove. They've known eachother since they were kids so it makes it so much more believable.

I did feel that at times this book could be a little repetitive. Vi would try to save Burleigh and everytime someone throws a spanner in the works she repeats her mantra of 'A Caretaker always puts their house first'. I also feel like the magic was just 'there' and wasn't described in a way in which I could visualise it, and there were some very good descriptions in this book and so many lush things I could visualise that it felt a bit like a cop out.

All being said, despite a few small issues, I did absolutely love this book. Weymouth is a skilled writer and this book had an amazing atmosphere and brilliant characters.

Book released 10th September 2019 by HarperTeen

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

Review: The Beholder by Anna Bright

 Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

I feel like this review is going to be a hard one to write. it's barely been five minutes since I finished The Beholder and I can barely put my thoughts into worsdsbecause I'm in two minds.

1) Diversity, amazing secondary characters, intrigue, pretty princesses OMG!
2) What worldbuilding, magical radios and instalove... disjointed retelling.

Let's put these thoughts into words then.

Okay, first the pros. I really really loved the premise of this book. From page one I was hooked by Selah's life and her life in Pontomac and the intrigue with her evil stepmother and ailing father. There were some gorgeous descriptions and some amazing characters.

I particularly liked the crew of The Beholder. They were like a mixing pot of different cultures and backgrounds and they each brought something really fun to the table. Cobie is my BFF for life... I think that their loyalty to Selah even when they weren't being 100% truthful with her was beautiful.

That being said, the whole thing did feel disjointed at times. This is billed as a retelling of The Odyssey but that's nowhere near correct. it's more a retelling of different key tropes of different fairytales and folk stories and fables and they never really knit together as well as you might hope. That, as well as the poor worldbuilding (like really, why is a radio the only technology that exists... why are people in Norway - sorry, I mean Norge - living in a giant tree and where on Earth is Pontomac??) just made the whole thing difficult for me to swallow.

Now lets talk about the love interest. Really, Bright? Do you really need to introduce me to two handsome men that Selah falls for and then just rip through it. Firstly, it kind of makes 90% of the book about arc's which won't be significant down the line and secondly it makes Selah seem desperate, needy and it ruins the integrity of any future love interests. It looks like Captain Lang might be more important in the next book and I just hope that actually goes somewhere. (Torden for life).

The one thing that really saved this book was the writing. Despite a few phrases which seemed out of place for the setting, Bright's writing itself was descriptive and absorbing and took away from the many negatives of this book.

Overall, I will definitely be reading the sequel, but I hope that in it Bright spends more time developing the characters and the world...


 

Book released 6th November 2018 by Katherine Tegen

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

Review: A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Shy in Avon-upon-Kynt. And for eighteen years, Emmaline Watkins has feared that her future held just that: nothing.

But when the head of the most admired fashion house in the country opens her prestigious design competition to girls from outside the stylish capital city, Emmy’s dreams seem closer than they ever have before.

As the first “country girl” to compete, Emmy knows she’ll encounter extra hurdles on her way to the top. But as she navigates the twisted world of high fashion she starts to wonder: will she be able to tailor herself to fit into this dark, corrupted race? And at what cost?

Ok. I love Project Runway, despite the fact that I have the fashion sense of a fish - a very unfashionable fish - I love the drama and the campness and I love Heidi/Karlie and I love the designs and the challenges and when this book was described as a fantasy Project Runway I knew that I had to read it.

Don'd get me wrong. I did enjoy this book, it just didn't blow me away. I read it in a day, so it did keep my attention, but it wasn't particularly memorable afterwards. Emmeline fell flat for me, as did all of the other characters. There was some depth, in the political side of things, but it wasn't enough to make this book wow me.

The love story... oh, it could have been this epic stretched-out thing and it could have saved this book... but our headstrong Emmy just fell apart around Tristan, so I just could not bring myself to really like him, or their relationship.

Overall, A Dress for the Wicked was not quite what I expected and it did definitely fall short in my view. That being said, it was fun it just lacked depth and worldbuilding.

 

Book released 6thAugust 2019 by HarperTeen

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

Review: For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig

Jetta’s family is famed as the most talented troupe of shadow players in the land. With Jetta behind the scrim, their puppets seem to move without string or stick—a trade secret, they say. In truth, Jetta can see the souls of the recently departed and bind them to the puppets with her blood. But the old ways are forbidden ever since the colonial army conquered their country, so Jetta must never show, never tell. Her skill and fame are her family’s way to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where shadow plays are the latest rage, and where rumor has it the Mad King has a spring that cures his ills. Because seeing spirits is not the only thing that plagues Jetta. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.

If For a Muse of Fire had been 60 or so pages shorter it would have been the perfect book for me. heck, even at a whopping length of over 500 pages it was still immensely good, I just felt like this book felt a little longwinded and the pacing was a little... awkward.

What makes this book so good is the fact that there was no infodump, the world building was so natural. I was a little frustrated sometimes that the answers to my questions never came fast enough but they did come. The world was so interesting, a mixture of far eastern and french colonialism, magic and necromancy mixed in with war and racial tension. It was pulled off so well as well.

There were so many things that made this book special, but without a doubt Jetta's magic and powers and the shadow puppetry was a highlight for me.

I'm not really going to cover a whole lot on the mental illness side of things. All I will say is that it was very subtle, and it was never explicitly stated only implied. I found that so well done, I don't feel qualified to say much more about how authentically it was portrayed.

Overall, For a Muse of Fire was a well written, well developed novel that really gripped me. I do feel like it was too slow in places and definitely too long and it won't be many people's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it.

Book released 25th September 2018 by Greenwillow Books

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

Review: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows (aka the Lady Janies)

A comical, fantastical and witty re-imagining of the Tudor world, perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger - and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems. She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

If you asked me to name just one book releasing this year that I have been extremely excited about, I would have to say My Lady Jane, firstly because it's been written by three of the most brilliant and talented minds in YA fiction, secondly because it's historical fiction based on English history (I am a brit, ergo I was very excited for this) and finally because it just sounds amazing and there has been a lot of hype and I am a sheep. I follow the hype. Baa.

So when I went to my local chain bookstore this morning to buy this book (it was released two days ago here in the UK) and found that they didn't have it (HORROR), I got in my car, drove home and ordered it for Kindle, and I devoured it within hours. I started this book at 12:30pm, it is currently five hours after that and I am writing a review. I ate this book.

I do not in the slightest way regret being a sheep. This book is every bit worth the hype. This book deserves an award for having me hysterically laughing and gripped and pulling me out of a slump which I thought I would never escape from. This book is so witty and intelligent, with characters which I really grew to love in every single way. It isn't at all what I expected, but it was absolutely amazing. 

Jane was such a strong amazing character but she was not my favorite - Gifford (call me G!) was my fave. Funny, kind, handsome, he's just a stallion of a man with a pony tail. Yes, he was great. Edward also was perfect but nobody will replace G as my new book boyfriend and steed. Yes, G is my new love.

I loved the way this book literally broke every fourth wall, and all of the pop cultre references (I also can't help but feel like at least one of these authors has watched the TV series Reign as well). There was a very strong Princess Bride feel of it all - a ridiculousness which just gave this book timelessness - I can honestly say it's going to be one of my feel good, go to, read again and again books (and that is one of the biggest compliments because I simply don't reread). 

I'm not really sure how many people read my reviews, I'd like to think that I have a bit of a reach. Therefore, if you are reading this please please please purchase this book and support these authors so that they can continue defiling British history in the best possible way.

I doubt I will read a better book for a very long time.

And yes - I will be getting my hands on a copy of that print version!

Released June 7th (US)/September 1st by Hot Key Books

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

Review: And I Darken by Kiersten White

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

Kiersten White is like one of my favorite authors ever, and when I saw that she was writing a story about a kick-ass princess in the Ottoman Empire I just knew that I would legitimately die if I did not get my hands on it.

Now, I hate to be the person with the unpopular opinion but I just didn't love this book. In short, I really liked Lada and Radu's character arcs, seeing them grow up from Lada being the older one with a reluctant caring for her brother to these two siblings, completely different in personality but both painfully loyal. I liked Mehmed as a character, though I generally didn't really acre about the romance or the little love triangle which arises, which is really my main problem with And I Darken. 

What I really enjoyed though was the way politics and war comes into this story, as well as the very accepting way White takes religion - she uses it as a way to further differentiate the siblings but it doesn't become a thing - you know, when authors use a thing (think PoC, LGBT, religion etc) to make a book more daring, this doesn't do that - this takes something that could become an issue and turns it into a non-issue, I totally respect that. There is also very gentle handling of homosexuality - it is never really spoken about, it's just there and I really enjoyed that.

The thing is, whilst the characters and the things they go through are great and I can't fault those bits, I just couldn't really care about the romance, and whilst White's writing is still as gorgeous as ever (if anything it's just taken up a notch in this book). I still felt like I was meh about a big part of the book, which I absolutely hate to admit because I wanted to love this book but instead it's just around the realms of enjoy.

I think most people will like this book, and I can't completely put my finger on why I didn't aside from the whole romance thing not connecting for me, so if you want an interesting book with politics, wars, sibling rivalries at the next level and writing which can only be described as amazeballs, please pick this up. Even I can admit that it is a good read.

Book released July 7th by Corgi Children's

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

Review: Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh

Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe—that’s the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to like and trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless—and nearly grave—mistake. However, there’s something more to Mya’s cool disdain…a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya’s past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.

As Kol gets to know Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he’s trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo—Kol doesn’t know which—had been planning all along.

I was super excited by the premise of this book. Prehistoric love story with allusions to Pride and Prejudice? How could I not enjoy that! (Hint: the answer to that question is pretty easy). Unfortunately, pages in I realised that this book was simply not going to live up to my expectations.

I think that the problem of the premise is the authenticity. It's hard to write about life in the stone age authentically because the general is idea is that they didn't have the most advanced communications methods. As a result, by writing in pretty modern dialogue, Eshbaugh jeapordised her own book and reduced the authenticity. That being said, the research is there - the lifestyle of hunting and gathering is well written, but this is also another weak point because that makes for some pretty monotonous reading. When Kol isn't communicating with either Mya or Lo, his general day-to-day life was just not good to read.

I did like the relationship between Mya and Kol and the way this developed and concluded, that was what kept me reading even when my interest in the book started to wane. There is also Lo and when she gets into the story, things started to be more interesting because there is drama and action, but it was just a bit too late to save this story.

The writing was also a little bit distracting - Kol is telling the story to Mya so it is written where when he is talking about Mya he says 'you'. It didn't work for me, but I can see why some people may find it a really effective device.

Overall, Ivory and Bone didn't live up to my expectations, but it definitely had some redeeming features. I did like the central relationship and the action towards the end but all the bits in between just didn't grab my interest. I can see why some people may find this book a great read but for me it just didn't mesh.

Book released June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen

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

Review: The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

Candidates for the best bromance of 2016: Pasha and Nikolai. Honestly, these two were the best part of this book and I just wish I could see more of them, even though that is highly unlikely. 

I also thought this book was a standalone, I'm not sure how the second book can follow on in the same vein after how the book ended and that makes me feel totally sad. Now I'm not going to lie, I'd be happier if it was a standalone solely because I feel like The Crown's Game was enough - it lacked a lot of things to me and I really don't know where it can go from here... and I'm not sure if I'll even want to read a sequel.

I felt that this book was going to be very dark, with strong characters and tested loyalties a la the Grisha Trilogy, instead I feel like I got something which felt shallow. Where were the magic attacks? This crown's game is about finding the Tsar's next enchanter, to protect the kingdom. So why were Vika and Nikolai so dead set on doing little pretty things. Painting a building is one thing, but surely staging an attack on your opponent is a much better way of showing why you are the best enchanter. Ugh, and don't tell me it's because of lurrrve because I genuinely don't feel like Vika loved Nikolai. It was very shallow, I didn't feel like they really had any meaningful feelings for each other and the instalove on all parts of the love triangle pissed me off. It seemed like Skye had decided it was going to happen and just wrote it in, with no development.

I loved the world building in The Crown's Game, it's really the only thing that I did enjoy. This Russian setting with a twist on it, the magic and the colour and the nature and the balls and the royalty and everything - the explanations for why only one enchanter could be victorious, all of it just totally worked for me and I would, for this reason only, be totally willing to check out anything else this author put out.

Unfortunately though, to say that The Crown's Game was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, I have to say I feel totally let down by the execution...

Book released May 17th  2016 by Balzer and Bray

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

Review: Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?

I wasn't aware of this until a short while ago, but in the announcement of this book's signing, the author described Anne as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Authors, please listen to me. Never use stock character descriptions to describe your characters - we want to think that we are going to be reading original characters, not some trope rewritten. Anne is no Zooey Deschanel or Ramona, she's Anne and had I  read that announcement it would have turned me off this book right away. Seriously, imagine if all of the publicity about Twilight described Bella as a special snowflake Mary-Sue!

But thankfully I read this book before I learned about that and so I didn't have preconceived opinions of Anne - she was, in hindsight, a sort of manic pixie dream girl type, coming in and turning Henry's life around. Opening him up to new types of people and allowing him the chance to change his views on the world. Henry was a weak character, fickle and overly attentive of the gossip people threw around. This actually made him the perfect modern day representation of horny, fickle King Henry VIII.

I honestly can't see how Ius could have rewritten one of history's most tragic love stories any better. Every little thing related back to Queen Anne and King Henry's real life relationship and even the ending, whilst less fatal was done perfectly. As much as I wished that the ending could be happy, there clearly was no way for this to be... I think Ius dealt with it all in the best way possible - the injustice, the feelings, the judgement. It was so well done.

I would be so excited to read anything else by Dawn Ius, especially if it was in the same vein of Anne & Henry.. It didn't blow me away, but it did entertain me thoroughly.

 

Book released 1st September by Simon Pulse

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

Review: Walk On Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

Look at that cover - isn't it gorgeous? It speaks of fantasy magic, gold in every step. It speaks of a girl with a power and all of the obstacles in her way! It gave me such high expectations for this book that unfortunately were just not met. This is a pity, because I will continue to love and read Rae Carson's books, just not this series.

Lee is a girl with the power to sense gold, she comes from a good family but that is all thrown into the air when her father is assassinated - Lee becomes property of her uncle, who wants to use her as a house slave, but Lee ain't having none of that so she flees west, trying to catch up to her best friend/love interest who joined the gold rush. 

The problem for me was that I never really became invested in Lee's story. She was a nice enough girl, but she was obvious and made some stupid decisions through out the story. I felt that I just didn't see enough of her interactions with people to make her likeable to me and so I didn't really care about her journey.

The story itself was nothing special - I absolutely adored the setting of the gold rush, it was so rich and lush and gorgeous and made me want to play Oregon Trail over and over again - but I felt that Carson didn't use this unique setting to her potential so I felt a little let down. The book didn't feel complete, but I just wasn't connected enough to want to pick up any future books. There was some romance, which would usually grip me, but it felt forced. There was barely any mention of Lee's abilities and that annoyed me - I feel like I was wrongfully sold his magical, rich story and instead landed something flat and boring.

Overall, Walk On Earth a Stranger just didn't strike a chord with me - we just didn't connect so I did feel let down, despite the setting being well written (Carson is a great writer, despite her plot not working for me). 

Book released 22nd September 2015 by Greenwillow

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

Review: Da Vinci's Tiger by L.M. Elliott

Young, beautiful, and witty, Ginevra de’ Benci longs to take part in the artistic ferment of Renaissance Florence. But as the daughter of a wealthy family in a society dictated by men, she is trapped in an arranged marriage, expected to limit her creativity to domestic duties. Her poetry reveals her deepest feelings, and she aches to share her work, to meet painters and sculptors mentored by the famed Lorenzo de Medici, and to find love.

When the charismatic Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, arrives in Florence, he introduces Ginevra to a dazzling circle of patrons, artists, and philosophers—a world of thought and conversation she has yearned for. She is instantly attracted to the handsome newcomer, who admires her mind as well as her beauty. Yet Ginevra remains conflicted about his attentions. Choosing her as his Platonic muse, Bembo commissions a portrait by a young Leonardo da Vinci. Posing for the brilliant painter inspires an intimate connection between them—one Ginevra can only begin to understand. In a rich and enthralling world of exquisite art, elaborate feasts, and exhilarating jousts, she faces many temptations to discover her voice, artistic companionship, and a love that defies categorization. In the end, she and Leonardo are caught up in a dangerous and deadly battle between powerful families.

I've seen it said that the strength of this book is the political intrigue and the historical accuracy. Unfortunately, historical accuracy is lost on me and my brain is too small for political intrigue, so I just could not connect with Da Vinci's Tiger - after about 50% of getting the character's mixed up and trying to keep up with what was going on in Renaissance Florence, I gave up.

This book is one that people who love history would love and I have a love/hate relationship with historical books - I gave Da Vinci's Tiger a shot, despite knowing tat it was wholly possible that I just wouldn't get into it and unfortunately I was right.

That being said, I'm pretty sure I would enjoy any other book by this author. I really like Elliott's gorgeous writing style and the reason I had to DNF this book was because I couldn't keep up - not because of any other flaw in the writing or plot.

Overall Rating: DNF

Book released 10th November 2015 by Katherine Teagen books

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

Review: Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

I was expecting the majority of this book to be about Elizabeth's time as a witch hunter, but it wasn't and I liked that bit of a twist. I loved the whole storyline of Elizabeth hiding her witch hunting past from Nicholas and his groups and despite the fact that this story was actually pretty slow moving and didn't have the greatest pacing, the world and the side characters were good enough to keep me interested.

There is, admittedly, a lack of focus on world-building, which makes this word where magic is feared and hunted difficult to understand at times, but I've always been more of a how girl than a why girl, and I appreciate that maybe the world isn't developed brilliantly, but the execution saves it. The plot and the storyline makes this book much more than the world that it is set in.

My main problem with this book was Elizabeth. The main character can either make or break a book, Elizabeth wasn't bad enough for em to hate it but she definitely annoyed me quite a lot. I struggled to believe that she truly was this deadly witch hunter with hidden powers because she was catastrophically stupid at times. She made the stupidest decisions, messed up a lot and yet people still blindly followed her. That, for me, is a fatal flaw in a book. Thankfully, the well-developed romance pulled it back for me and redeemed it, there was a slight triangle but one that I saw right through. The main love story was a slow burn, which matched the rest of the book and had me just as hooked as the main storyline.

So yeah, despite flaws in pacing, characters and world building, I did quite enjoy The Witch Hunter. It's neither awful nor memorable for me, but I will be reading the sequel and that counts for something, I guess.

Book released 2nd June by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
Will be released in the UK September 1st by Hodder & Stoughton. 

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