Books I'm Squeeing About in December

Another year almost done, and one last month of bookish releases before the 2019 beauties start arriving. It's been a truly excellent year for books, but it's not over yet!
Here are some of the December releases I'm really excited about, including quite a few fresh discoveries that I know almost nothing about, but just look super intriguing!

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
December 4th 2018
What if damnation is the price of true love?
Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks. 

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love. 

I realise that the fact that I haven't read the first two books in this series yet is a slight hinderance... But I'm looking forward to getting the final book in my hands and then just binge reading the entire series. Sometimes I like the suspense waiting for the next book, sometimes I just need a good binge.

Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst
December 4th 2018
In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone--even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be. 

Now I love a good heist book. I'm a little bit thrown by the fact that she's a wyvern... But I'm imagining something akin to Abraxos, so WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? I'll report back when I've read it.

Strange Days by Constantine J Singer
December 4th 2018
Alex Mata doesn’t want to worry about rumors of alien incursions – he’d rather just skate and tag and play guitar. But when he comes home to find an alien has murdered his parents, he’s forced to confront a new reality: Aliens are real, his parents are dead, and nobody will believe him if he says what he saw. On the run, Alex finds himself led to the compound of tech guru Jeffrey Sabazios, the only public figure who stands firm in his belief that aliens are coming.
At Sabazios’ invitation, Alex becomes a “Witness”—one of a special group of teens gifted with an ability that could save the Earth: they can glide through time and witness futures. When a Witness sees a future it guarantees that it will happen the way it’s been seen, making their work humanity’s best hope for controlling what happens next and stopping the alien threat. Guided by Sabazios, befriended by his fellow time travelers, and maybe even falling in love, Alex begins to find a new home at the compound -- until a rogue glide shows him the dangerous truth about his new situation. 

Now in a race against time, Alex must make a terrible choice: save the people he loves or save the world instead.

I'll admit, I nearly was put off by the alien incursions (I'm not a big fan of aliens) BUT the rest of the blurb is super weird and crazy awesome sounding. Intrigued? Definitely.

An Assassin's Guide to Love & Treason by Virginia Boecker
December 6th 2018

When Lady Katharine's father is killed for being a practicing Catholic, she discovers that wasn't the only secret he'd been hiding. He'd also been involved in a plot to overthrow Queen Elizabeth. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and take it one step further--she'll kill the queen herself.Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, Twelfth Night, which is to be specially performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play. It's a plot to root out Catholic insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katharine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.

Intriguing title? Check. Intriguing blurb? Check. I am very much on board for this one, despite knowing next to nothing about it. This looks like it's going to tick a lot of my favourite bookish boxes.

The Cursed Sea by Lauren DeStefano
December 18th 2018
Wilhemina Heidle, the exiled princess of Northern Arrod, the girl thought dead by her family and friends, must return home. The only way to save Loom, the cursed prince of the Southern Isles, is to revisit the castle and discover the origins of her own curse.
But home is very different from how she left it—Wil’s unstable elder brother is now king, leading a war against the Southern Isles. And the rest of her family must reckon with the truth of what happened to lead to Wil’s exile. With time running out, Wil must navigate the dangerous secrets within her family if she’s going to find the truth and save the boy she loves.
When she’s finally able to reach Pahn, nothing goes as planned, and suddenly Wil and her allies are fighting for their lives, again and again, as the Southern King is out to punish his children for all they’ve done. Traveling across cursed seas and treacherous kingdoms, Wil, Loom—and his ruthless sister Espel—have to work to make peace with their own struggles if they hope to secure the future of their kingdoms.
But when their plans lead them right back to evil marveler Pahn, and to Baren—who is more dangerous than ever—can Wil and her friends outsmart their enemies, this time, for good?

Yes, yes, this is for the kindle version, the physical copy doesn't come out until next year, but I want this book so badly that I just don't care. Expect much shrieking when I get the physical copy as well though because I adore that cover. Basically anything by Lauren is a guaranteed buy for me, and also a guaranteed brilliant read.

So those are my last few books of the year, what are some of yours? Have any of these made it onto your wishlist?

Books I'm Squeeing About in September

I don't want to think about the fact that it's September already, and honestly I don't know how that happened. Or how it ended up that I didn't post anything for so long. Time is tricksy.
But finally, after one of the longest reading slumps I have ever experienced, I am back to reading, and by extension reviewing, and my bank balance is not thanking me for the sudden influx of new books...
So September, what pretty's do you have in store for me?

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
September 6th 2018

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.
When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

Confession time, I've managed to get hold of a copy a few days before the UK release for this book, and I am loving it. I really love Schwab's writing, so I was pretty much guaranteed to pick this one up anyway, but she had me at Edinburgh, one of my favourite cities in the world. Basically I've been making googly heart eyes at it ever since I bought it...

Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness
September 18th 2018

On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor—the young employee at Sotheby's whom Marcus has fallen for—is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both—forever.
A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities not just for change but for revolution, Time's Convert channels the supernatural world-building and slow-burning romance that made the All Souls Trilogy instant bestsellers to illuminate a new and vital moment in history, and a love affair that will bridge centuries.

I'm part way through book two of the All Souls Trilogy, and I love it. So again, a bit of a no brainer that of course I was going to pick this one up. Plus more of Marcus which is never a bad thing. I love books that take side characters and give them a whole book to themselves.

Vengeful by V E Schwab
September 25th 2018

Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there's Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn't know about his most recent act of vengeance.
Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.

See aforementioned comment about auto buying Schwab's books. Add in that I adored Vicious, in an 'oh my god this is kinda dark but also amazing and where has this book been all my life' kind of way.

The Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli
September 27th 2018

Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished - until the day a terrible accident took Essie's life and trapped her soul in this world.
Dax - the heir to Firgaard's throne - was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa's people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she'd give him the army he needed if he made her queen.
Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax's promises go unfulfilled. Roa's people continue to suffer.
Then a chance to right every wrong arises - an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Relinquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good.
All she has to do is kill the king.

This is a good month for follow ups to books I loved. Prime example is this, the follow up from debut novel "The Last Namsara" which was beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful. If you haven't read it, go and caught up in time for this beauty.

That's it for my month, what books are you looking forward to this month?

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR Pile

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by the lovely folks over at 'The Broke & The Bookish' - to join in simply follow the link!

Spring is finally starting to make a half-hearted appearance here in Lyon, so it's the perfect weather to sit outside in the sunshine with a book. Luckily there are more than enough amazing books coming out over the next few months to keep me occupied. However, since 'The Broke & The Bookish' folks like their lists of ten, I've whittled my never ending excited about reading book pile down to the top ten books I cannot wait to get stuck into.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: April 26th 2016
The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

I'm not even remotely emotionally ready for the last book in The Raven Cycle, but that doesn't mean I don't want it. It's going to be beautiful and brilliant and utterly brutal, and you can guarantee that I will likely be sobbing by the end. I adore this series, far more than I will ever be able to explain, and it's going to be wonderful and heart breaking to see it come to its conclusion.

Tell The Wind & Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
Release Date: April 5th 2016
In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 
Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.
Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

A new book by Sarah Rees Brennan?! It's been too long! Take my money now! I'm so excited about this one, partly because of the blurb, but mostly because I adore Sarah's books. They're intelligent, gripping, brilliantly funny and always favourites on my bookcase.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 8th 2016
It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.
Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

On the one hand, I'm a little bit Shadowhuntered out, particularly since my husband has become unbelievably obsessed with the new tv series... But on the other? It's Cassie Clare, and despite feeling like I've read (and seen) a lot about the Shadowhunter world over the last few years, I still really enjoy going back to it. It's kinda like crack. So of course this book is on my spring TBR pile.

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 24th 2016
War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.
At least, that’s what he thinks.
In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.
But no one gets what they want just by wishing.
As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

I am so in love with this series, and the cliffhanger at the end of the second book? So cruel. So brilliant and perfectly cruel. And it left me absolutely desperate to find out how this stunningly written series would end.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Release Date: May 3rd 2016
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

Whilst my heart truly lies with Sarah's Throne of Glass series, I really loved this new series she surprised us with last spring. It was something a bit different, a bit brutal, and very, very good. I stormed through the first one and I'm really looking forward to seeing how things play out in this second installment.

The Rose & The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
Release Date: May 3rd 2016
I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.
While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

Another amazing book that wrecked me last year, and is coming back for another go at me with the second installment. This was a truly artful re-telling of the Arabian Nights story. Beautiful, heart breaking, and utterly gorgeous. The ending wrecked me, and the second part of this duo-logy is liable to do the same.

Night Shift by Charlaine Harris
Release Date: May 5th 2016
At Midnight’s local pawnshop, weapons are flying off the shelves—only to be used in sudden and dramatic suicides right at the main crossroads in town. 
Who better to figure out why blood is being spilled than the vampire Lemuel, who, while translating mysterious texts, discovers what makes Midnight the town it is. There’s a reason why witches and werewolves, killers and psychics, have been drawn to this place. 
And now they must come together to stop the bloodshed in the heart of Midnight. For if all hell breaks loose—which just might happen—it will put the secretive town on the map, where no one wants it to be...

This series has been an unexpected surprise. It's not something I would have usually picked up, and the narrative style is very strange and hard to get used to. But it's the kind of story that sucks you in without you even realizing. I'm thoroughly intrigued by the quirky misfit bunch of residents of Midnight, and I can't wait to visit them in this third volume of the series.

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Release Date: March 29th 2016
Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places...This is not one of those times.Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband... someday.Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should...Or not.There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he's arrogant, annoying, and she's absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can't stand the sight of him, either.But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor...Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can't abide is the one person they can't live without...

I adore Julia Quinn. Her books are like chicken soup for my soul. And right now I need a lot of chicken soup. It's going to be wonderful to be back with the Bridgerton's - albeit a generation earlier, and falling in love with a whole new collection of characters who are after their Happily Ever After's.

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: May 31st 2016
A ruthless tycoon.
Savage ambition has brought common-born Rhys Winterborne vast wealth and success. In business and beyond, Rhys gets exactly what he wants. And from the moment he meets the shy, aristocratic Lady Helen Ravenel, he is determined to possess her. If he must take her virtue to ensure she marries him, so much the better…
A sheltered beauty.
Helen has had little contact with the glittering, cynical world of London society. Yet Rhys’s determined seduction awakens an intense mutual passion. Helen’s gentle upbringing belies a stubborn conviction that only she can tame her unruly husband. As Rhys’s enemies conspire against them, Helen must trust him with her darkest secret. The risks are unthinkable…the reward, a lifetime of incomparable bliss. And it all begins with…
Marrying Mr. Winterborne.

I loved the first book in this series 'Cold-Hearted Rake', and was all set to fall in love with the rest of the series. But then at the very end of the first book, Kleypas turned the hero of this book into a truly terrible man. It left me feeling quite unnerved and I'm very curious to see whether I can be persuaded to like him again in his own romance.

The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Release Date: April 26th 2016
Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds friendship and warmth.
But Akaran has its own secrets - thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran's magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar's plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk - it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.
Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.
The Star-Touched Queen is a lush, beautifully written and vividly imagined fantasy inspired by Indian mythology.

Gorgeous cover? Check. Intriguing blurb? Check. Fantasy inspired by mythology that I don't know a huge amount about but would really like to? Check. Be still my heart, this one looks like it's going to be fantastic.

So there you have the top ten books that are going to be right at the top of my spring to read pile over the next few months. Are there any here that you can't wait to read? Any that you hadn't heard of before but are eager to pick up now? And any you feel are missing from my list? Let me know and link me to your own top ten's in the comments below!

Books I'm Squeeing About in December

December already, and another year almost done! It's been quite a hectic and stressful few weeks here with Mum heading into hospital. However she is out and on the mend now which is a huge relief! As a result I'm spending most of my time reading books I've had sat on my shelves or kindle for ages, trying to tidy up and finish series before the end of the year rather than pick up new releases. These two look too intriguing for me to pass them by, so these are the books I'm squeeing about this month!

1st December - The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman
Part mystery, part literary puzzle, part life-and-death quest, and chillingly magical, this novel has plenty of suspense for adventure fans and is a treat for readers who love books, words, and clues. Best friends Rosie and Adam find an old book with blank pages that fill with handwriting before their eyes. Something about this magical book has the power to make people vanish, even from memory. The power lies in a poem—a spell. When Adam's older sister, Shelby, disappears, they struggle to retain their memories of her as they race against time to bring her back from the void, risking their own lives in the process. 

I'll be honest, it was the title that caught my eye, but that blurb has me thoroughly intrigued. I could do with a good urban fantasy and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this one.

1st December - Medicis Daughter by Sophie Perinot

Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot’s intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family.
Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot's heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother's schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot's wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.

French historical? Yes please! I love historical novels, and I'm particularly enjoying delving into anything set in France and trying to fill in a few gaps in my French history. Catherine de Medicis is a fascinating historical figure and I'm looking forward to seeing a little of her daughter in this exciting new novel.

Are you curious about either of these titles? Or are there any others you think I should be reading this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: The Secret Fire by C J Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld

Publication Date: September 10^th 2015
Publisher: Atom
Length: 424 pages

Thanks to Midas PR/Atom Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

French teen Sacha Winters can't die. He can throw himself off a roof, be stabbed, even shot, and he will always survive. Until the day when history and ancient enmities dictate that he must die. Worse still, his death will trigger something awful. Something deadly. And that day is closing in.
Taylor Montclair is a normal English girl, hanging out with her friends and studying for exams, until she starts shorting out the lights with her brain. She’s also the only person on earth who can save Sacha.
There’s only one problem: the two of them have never met. They live hundreds of miles apart and powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.
They have eight weeks to find each other.
Will they survive long enough to save the world?

I was so excited about this book for numerous reasons – the blurb, the fact that half of the book was set in France, magic, the tag line ‘the clock starts now’. Everything had conspired to make me unbelievably excited about starting this book.

Now maybe I shouldn’t have read this one straight after ‘Queen of Shadows’ (because the book hangover from that book is intense) and maybe I should have waited for a period of time when I was slightly less stressed in real life, because whilst I started off excited to read this book, that quickly evaporated.

The start of this book is glacially slow. Yes ok, the opening scene is intense but it is flawed in that the logic we’re given for why this opening has come about makes no sense. After that initial shock factor opening though, everything slows right down. Nothing happens. We’re treated to over wordy explanations of every detail in our two main characters lives. I found the writing style incredibly hard to get on with because every tiny little detail was put in. Turning door handles, walking through doors, shutting doors, admiring the clutter (in detail) on the other side. It all conspired to drag the story right down, so yes ok I was whipping through the book quickly, but I wasn’t interested in anything that was happening.

Things only start to pick up around the 240 page mark (which considering this is a 424 page book is more than a little alarming) when things finally start to happen. But even then they’re bogged down by too much mundanity, there isn’t enough to keep the reader really interested. I mean sure, I was reading, I was curious, but I wasn’t ‘OMG I MUST KNOW ALL’, which is probably more a reflection on my reaction to my previous read than anything else.
Then we end up with an ending which just left me looking at the back cover of my book and going ‘that’s it? That’s the end? That’s the entirety of this book? After all that extraneous detail and uninteresting plot moments and mushy insta-love and endless descriptions of how Taylor takes her tea, that is how this finishes?!’ It just felt anti-climactic. It was a much more interesting end compared to the rest of the book and the action really does pick up and I am curious now about the second book, but it felt like such a let-down to be stuck with so much extraneous goop in the first half and then have one big fight and then –END SCENE. Maybe I was just in a terrible mood, but I was left feeling decidedly non-plussed.

Of the two characters Taylor definitely has more to her, despite Sacha’s super powers I was left feeling bored by every one of his sections. There was nothing to him, nothing to make him stand out and make me take notice that this was a new YA hero to be reckoned with. Then there were the secondary characters who don’t stand out at all and felt a bit like a prop to pad out the novel.

Good points, despite my gripes, there were some. As I’ve said the second half does pick up and we do have quite an intriguing final section with some intense action moments. I love the magic and I am really interested to find out more about it because it felt like the surface was barely scratched.

There were a lot of frustrations, a lot of boredom, but as I’ve said I think this had a lot to do with me and what I’d just finished reading. I’m going to shelve this one and pick it up again before the next book in the series comes out and give it another go.
I think this is going to be one that a lot of people do fall in love with. It has the added intrigue of being set in both England and France (yay for more diverse settings in YA!) an interesting new set of big bads and magics and looks set to be a good series. However, be warned that the first half is glacially slow and if, like me, you’re not quite in the right frame of mind, you may not hit it off.

Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Publication Date: 28^th April 2015
Publisher: Atom
Length: 361 pages

Huge thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.
Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.
Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.
But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

I have heard a huge amount of buzz for this book since January, so when it came up on Netgalley I jumped at the chance to read it. After all, that blurb just screams read me and it had me intrigued in all the right ways. Let’s start with the superficial – that blurb and that cover. (Both the US and UK covers are gorgeous for this one.) Admittedly some of the most gorgeous covers hide terrible books, but this one lived up to all the promise the exterior provides. And then some.

This is a stunning debut novel from Grey, weaving a fast paced and brilliant story with a fantastic heroine at its heart. I fell in love with Echo; her sass, her vulnerability, her determination, and her independence. I felt a fierce need to love and protect her that I haven’t felt since reading ‘Scarlet’ by A. C. Gaughen.

The writing is beautiful. At times quiet and haunting and others fast paced and filled with wit. The dialogue is fantastic and the way the characters banter with each other is brilliant. I felt like I was sitting eating pastries with old friends and drinking tea – there is a feeling of being allowed into an exclusive gang of awesome people and I loved watching Rowan, Echo and Ivy interact with each other.

The romances were deftly handled. There is a tendency to sigh and roll your eyes when you see another eons old being falling for a teenage girl, but whilst that frustrates me in most books I felt that here it was handled well. I believed the attraction and the feelings and I got goosebumps right along with Echo. There are also some intriguing secondary romances which I cheered about and am eagerly waiting to see how they unfold in the second book.

There are comparisons that can be made to any number of YA novels, but particularly the ‘Daughter of Smoke & Bone’ trilogy by Laini Taylor. However Grey takes those similarities and puts her own mark on the story and makes it entirely her own. If you went down a checklist and marked them off then they would sound similar in some ways, but I really recommend reading the book before passing judgement. I adored Taylor’s series and I adore Grey’s – there is no either or, and it is definitely not so similar as to be frustrating. I saw a couple of the twists coming, but then Grey puts her own spin on it and suddenly you’re back in unfamiliar territory and I love being surprised by a book.

This is an incredible debut. It more than deserves all the attention it has garnered so far and I cannot wait to see it take off fully when it is released at the end of the month. It is a beautiful story full of action and daring, fights and romance, and beautiful quiet moments that force you to slow down and appreciate the still hush of the breath before the plunge. I adored it and I cannot recommend it enough.

Books I'm Squeeing About in April

April is usually a quiet month for books, due to the insane number of fantastic releases that May holds. Seriously, May is going to break the bank this year! But April has some really fantastic titles that I cannot wait to get my hands on that will tide me over until the epic book purchase month of May!

2nd April - The Game of Love & Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now . . . Henry and Flora.
For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always.
Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance?
Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured — a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.
The players have been chosen. The dice have been rolled. But when human beings make moves of their own, what happens next is anyone’s guess.

This one just appeals on so many levels. The hook of the title, cover and blurb are all really strong and I am crazy excited to get into this one. It's a goodreads find, and I will forever be grateful for lists people put together - this one is on YA Historical releases for 2015 along with some other fantastic books.
You can pre-order this on Amazon here

7th April - The Queen of Bright & Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.
Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

This is one that crept onto my radar slowly. It kept sneaking up on Netgalley and that cover and title really stuck in my mind until I checked it out, foolishly far too late to request on Netgalley, so I'm impatiently waiting for it to be released at the start of this month. It looks to be a stereotypical YA school based romance, but it looks good and has nabbed my interest, and sometimes a little happily ever after is no bad thing.
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here

28th April - The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act. Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants... and how to take it. But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

This book is incredible. Seriously, go pre-order it now, the end of the month cannot come fast enough. It has a lot of similarities to Laini Taylor's 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' but veers off into its own new and beautiful territory before it becomes too similar. It is beautiful and funny and one of the best books I have read this year. I cannot wait to talk about it properly with you. Keep an eye out for my review later this month.
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here

28th April - The Shattered Court by M. J. Scott

The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practicing the tamer magics of the earth—ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden.
Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed—or perhaps cursed—with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown.
Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.

I adore this cover, and as we all know I am a bit of a fiend for hunting out pretty covers. Sometimes that comes back to bite me, but I'm really hoping this one is as good as it looks. The blurb is fantastic and it ticks so many boxes for me. I am on a massive fantasy and magic kick at the moment and this one just appeals hugely. I am so excited to get stuck into it! Look out for my review later this month.
You can pre-order this book on Amazon here

So there are my books that I am squeeing about this month, are there any I've missed that you think I should check out? Or are you saving yourself for the book extravaganza that is May?