Review: Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Publication Date: October 27^th 2015
Publisher: Piatkus/Little Brown
Length: 400 pages

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Piatkus/Little Brown for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

A twist of fate…
Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.
A clash of wills…
Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny - and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:
Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?

Sometimes you just need to curl up with a good chicken soup read, and for me chicken soup is a good historical romance. I haven’t had a huge amount of experience with Lisa Kleypas so I was a little hesitant going in, but luckily I had nothing to fear.

I was instantly swept up in this story, I loved the characters (flaws and all) I loved the witty banter, and I loved the languorous pacing of the story that really allows you to get to know the characters intimately and makes the relationships infinitely more believable.

Some rare novels manage to capture the day to day life of a family or household without getting lost in mundane details so that it feels like you’re there, a part of that family, a part of those experiences, and you feel a pang of loss when you’ve finished. You want to go back and re-experience, to banter with them a little longer. This is one of those novels for me. I loved how Kleypas unfolds the characters over a period of time so that the relationships felt real, they had a solid basis that made the rest of the novel so much more enjoyable to sink into.

I did have a few little gripes with how Devon and Kathleen treat each other at a few points, but on the whole I really loved their dynamic and the chemistry was off the charts.My biggest gripe was with Helen and her relationship with Rhys. I was really sold on it to start with and then at the end of the book his behaviour was utterly appalling. It felt like it came out of nowhere just to create conflict for the end of this book and to set up a conflict with the start of the next book. I felt like the same issue could have been achieved without blackening his character quite so firmly. As it is I’m looking forward to the second book but it’s going to take a lot to try and restore Rhys to my good graces. Not an ideal starting point with a romance.

However despite my issues above, I loved everything about this book. It was fun, it was deliciously steamy, and the perfect autumn read. This is definitely a book for curling up by the fire with. I was left more than a little in love, both with Kathleen and Devon, but also with the other girls. I really loved their set up in this book and I cannot wait to get to know them properly over the rest of the series and see each of them get their own happily ever after.

If you’re a fan of Lisa Kleypas this is a must read. If you’re a fan of historical romance then this is definitely a must read. And if you’re after a steamy and brilliantly written book to curl up with this winter then you really should order this one right now.

Review: Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publication Date: November 10^th 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK Children’s Books
Length: 385 pages

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK Children’s Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.
After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.
But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.
As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks… 

‘Dangerous Lies’ ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I was caught up by the story and found myself picking it up at odd moments, desperate to read just a few more pages whenever I had time. On the other hand, problems galore.

Let’s start with the biggie, Stella herself who is one of the most unlikeable heroines I’ve read this year. She’s whiney, she’s self-centred, she says some of the most awful things imaginable (I frequently did double takes, particularly when she’s thinking/talking about Innie’s pregnancy, because dear god girl put some kind of mouth filter thought process in place.) and she’s an all round not nice person. That makes it hard to root for her and to want to see her story through. Sure she does have some character development throughout the story but it’s not really enough and left me wanting to shake her at various points.

Side note: what on earth were they thinking when they put her into witness protection and changed her name from Estella to Stella?!... And Stella’s response to that name. Surely with a name like Estella, her name is going to have been shortened to Stella at some point in her life? Everything around the name change/her real name made my head hurt.

Some of it was really well done, other parts just seemed overblown and clichéd. I loved the slow ambling plot, just seeing Stella get used to Thunder Basin and its residents and watching her try to fit in. The day to day existence was great to see and I really enjoyed those parts of it. But then there was everything else, and those were the points that didn’t work quite so well.

We’ve got Stella’s boyfriend Reed who gets sent elsewhere for protection. The only way we really got to know Reed was through his letters that Stella had managed to smuggle out to Thunder Basin with her. Lovely idea, poorly executed. Reed comes across as an absolute arse, really truly unlikeable, Stella why are you bothering with this guy? It made her devotion to him seem completely unexplainable; add in that as soon as he’s declared missing she goes from pining and trying to get in touch with him to ‘oh well, make out time!’ and it’s even more bizarre. That his story is left so unfinished with no real ending or resolution is the icing on the grumpy cake. (Side note: Thanks so much Becca Fitzpatrick for doing a disservice to Fibromyalgia sufferers everywhere by including a little talked about illness and painting it atrociously. That really made me furious.)

The other characters are mixed, I enjoyed seeing Chet and Carmine and their interactions, but anything involving Trigger or Stella’s Mum seemed contrived and one dimensional. The rest of the characters are a hodge podge that make the town feel bigger but don’t really manage to be memorable.

Then there’s the plot. I’ve already said how much I loved the slow, hazy summer days – that was really well done. However a lot of the elements to do with the Witness Protection and the case were poorly handled. A lot of backstory was smushed in in one big info dump and the big climax happened in the last twenty pages or so with no real build up or pay off. It felt completely random. As a result I found it really hard to rate this one, but have ultimately gone for the lower rating simply because after a few days thinking about it the frustrations and gripes are winning out over the good points.

If you enjoy slow day to day existences and a gradual unfurling relationship then you’ll love the romance in this one. However if you’re picking it up purely for the crime/thriller aspects then it really doesn’t live up to expectations.

Top 10 Book To Movie Adaptations I Need/Can't Wait to See

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

This week it is all about the book to film adaptations. I'm always eager to see what an adaptation has done with a book, how faithful they've been, what they've changed, and to see a story I love in a whole new medium. So here are my top ten nine films (and one TV show...) that I cannot wait to get some popcorn and settle down to watch.


Mockingjay Part II
Mockingjay was an interesting book and I wasn't sure how it would translate to screen. I know Part I divided a lot of opinions, but I actually really loved it. In fact I think it might be my favourite of the films. So Part II has some big shoes to fill but I have very high hopes. Each film has steadily improved upon the previous and I am so excited (and you know, quietly devastated) to see the final part on screen.


The Book Thief
I can't quite believe I haven't seen this yet, but it is sat on my to watch pile staring at me...

Paper Towns
It didn't come out in France for ages, and then once it did it was nigh on impossible to find a showing we could actually go to that was in English, so I missed this one in the cinema despite my best efforts. I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars and the trailer looked really good for Paper Towns, so despite not really enjoying the book I'm very much looking forward to watching the film.

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies
This film feels like it's been in production forever. It has been years since I first saw articles about casting, and yet now finally, finally it is almost here. The teaser trailer followed by the full trailer have me giddy with excitement, this one looks like it's going to be a blast.


Frankenstein
Another one that feels like it's been in production forever, I have been desperate for this film for years. The combination of a slightly irreverent adaptation of Frankenstein, plus James MacAvoy, plus Daniel Radcliffe is basically just a big fat yes. I am so excited for this, I cannot wait to finally see it after all this time.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
So not technically a book to film adaptation, but it's kinda in the same category, and oh boy am I excited for this one. Anything Potter is a big yes please and with every tidbit of news and casting my excitement gains momentum. I'm going to be a gibbering wreck of excitement by the time I sit down to watch this in the cinema.


Allegiant
So my thoughts on the final Divergent book are complicated. I've really enjoyed the films so far despite all the changes, so I'm quite curious to see how they handle the final book. I'm frustrated they've gone the route of chopping it into two parts because really, did it need that? But given the title change for the very last film I'm quite curious to see what plot changes occur to separate it from the book.


All the Game of Thrones
Alright, okay, technically this is a TV show, you're right, you caught me. BUT the complexity and depth of each hour episode means that they are basically mini movies... So that's my justification. Basically Game of Thrones is like crack to me. It took me a while to warm up to this series but now I am full on addicted. In this house we quote it, we binge watch all the seasons in one go, we have tshirts and funkopops. Our obsession knows no bounds and I don't think we've even peaked yet... Basically, Game of Thrones is IT in our household, the big one, the motherload, and we are unbelievably excited for the next season. Give it to me, give it allllll to me.

The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials
Haven't read the books yet either and I really need to... Trailers for both films have caught my interest and I'm really looking forward to watching them, it's just a matter of finding the time to sit down and watch them now.

The Queen of the Tearling
The very first thing I heard about this book, was that it was being made into a film and it had Emma Watson attached. Before I'd read it or even seen a cover that was what the internet was abuzz with first. I was intrigued, but now having read the book (and its sequel) I am now even more curious to see this turned into a movie than ever. I'm still conflicted over how I feel about the second book, but the first one was a favourite, one I love coming back to and I would love to see this on the big screen.

So there you have my top ten. Have you seen any of these and think I should get onto them asap or knock them off and not bother? Are there any that you cannot wait to see either? Let me know in the comments below and link me to your own Top Ten Lists!

Review: The Light That Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew

Publication Date: November 11^th 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s
Length: 320 pages

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children’s for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

A small boy hiding in a cupboard witnesses something no child should ever see. He tries not to look but he still hears it. And when he comes out, there's no mistaking. His mum and dad have been killed. And though he's only small, he swears that he'll get revenge one day. 
Years later, Trey enters a strange camp that is meant to save troubled teenagers. It's packed with crazies, god-botherers, devoted felons and broken kids. Trey's been in and out of trouble ever since the day the bad thing happened, but he's he not here for saving: this is where he'll find the man who did it. Revenge and healing, salvation and hell are a boiling, dangerous mix, and Trey finds himself drawn to a girl, a dream and the offer of friendship in the dark.

I wasn’t sold on that blurb but I was at least curious, curious enough to want to pick it up and give it a go. However it ended up being a hodge podge story of problems, confusion and lacked any sort of direction or purpose.

The writing style is either going to draw you in or put you off. Run on sentences that take up half a page, overly descriptive passages that sometimes veer into lyrical beauty and sometimes just leave you scratching your head wandering what the hell the author means. This style means that there are long sections of nothing happening at all, and I have to admit to skim reading whole chunks of this because I was just becoming so bored with the overly detailed passages. The actual characters are a bit of a mix. I never really connected with any of them, and I don’t know if that was the writing style or the story or just the un-likeability of them. They never gain any depth or sense of character and as a result I just didn’t care. Everything they say is either ‘said’ or ‘shouted’ and particularly when the characters are supposed to be being stealthy that starts to grate incredibly quickly.

The setting is particularly bizarre. It’s supposed to be set in Cornwall, England, but it feels more like America. At no point does it ever feel as though that setting rings true. Plus it’s hard to pin point exactly what the situation is for this camp that Trey ends up in. Some of the conversations in the second half of the book about other camps like this and the army regulating everything makes it sound like this is some sort of dystopian future, but there are no explanations, no backstory, nothing outside of Trey’s ‘quest’ to make this story more real and relatable to the reader. It’s just thrown out at you and you’re expected to accept it as is. If the rest of the elements were well done enough this might just work, but as it is it just leaves you feeling displaced and confused.

And then there’s the plot. I was expecting a revenge quest – after all that’s what the blurb tells us we’re getting, and yes revenge is a pre-dominant factor for the first half of the book. Never mind the fact that most of Trey’s planning and thinking has so many plot holes that if you tried to float it it would sink. It’s patchy at best, but then suddenly at the halfway mark everything is revealed and we take an abrupt side shuffle into some sort of ‘Lord of the Flies’ retelling. Its abrupt, it’s confusing, it makes zero sense. The revenge plotline is all but forgotten in favour of creating traps, defences and weapons, and having big showdowns. I was left more than a little baffled.

This could have been a fascinating story told in a unique and lyrical way. What we get is some cobbled together narrative with a bizarre setting, no real direction or purpose, and characters that don’t feel fully formed. It feels like a first draft, a concept yet to be finished and improved. I felt thoroughly disappointed and as though I’d just wasted my time.

Review: Witches Abroad by Sir Terry Pratchett

Publication Date: December 23^rd 1998 (this edition)
Publisher: Corgi
Length: 288 pages

Things have to come to an end, see. That's how it works when you turn the world into stories. You should never have done that. You shouldn't treat people like they was characters, like they was things. But if you do, then you've got to know where the story ends.'
It seemed an easy job... After all, how difficult could it be to make sure that a servant girl doesn't marry a prince? Quite hard, actually, even for the witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. That's the problem with real life – it tends to get in the way of a good story, and a good story is hard to resist. Servant girls have to marry the prince. That's what life is all about. You can't fight a Happy Ending, especially when it comes with glass slippers and a Fairy Godmother who has made Destiny an offer it can't refuse.
At least - up until now...

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my discovery of the Witches of the Discworld, particularly ‘Wyrd Sisters’ and I knew that this third outing would have to work incredibly hard to live up to the brilliantly high bar set by the preceding book.

On the whole it succeeds, but it didn’t quite recapture the magnificence of ‘Wyrd Sisters’ for me as I found the earlier parts of the story to lag and not hold my attention in quite the way I hoped. It’s still a brilliant story and Pratchett flexes his truly impressive writing skills to combine a fantastic array of fairy tales, twisting them into something quite unique.

I loved seeing Granny, Nanny and Magrat out of their element and exploring the Discworld. The combination of countries, cultures and languages that Pratchett appropriates is utterly brilliant, and I don’t think anything will ever beat Nanny speaking the local lingo. Unless it’s Greebo in person form, which was one of the best things I have ever seen.

As with other Pratchett’s the threads are set up and the story ambles along at its own pace for the first two thirds of the novel, which is fun to read but didn’t particularly grab my attention and force me to read. As a result I spent quite a while ambling through this novel around other books and didn’t find myself thoroughly hooked by the story until everything starts to snowball in typical Pratchett style. As everything comes together and we flit between view points as the action coalesces into one glorious whole, that is when Pratchett truly shines and I found myself thoroughly engrossed and unable (and unwilling) to relinquish the story until I’d seen it through to its end.

I love the directions Pratchett takes the Witches on their third outing, I love seeing the character development and the masterful twisting of other tales into one brilliant and unique whole. This may not have been my favourite Witches instalment, but it is still a bitingly funny, brilliantly written book.

Review: Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber

Publication Date: September 3^rd 2013
Publisher: Berkley
Length: 384 pages

Scotland, 1830. Lady Kiera Darby is no stranger to intrigue—in fact, it seems to follow wherever she goes. After her foray into murder investigation, Kiera must journey to Edinburgh with her family so that her pregnant sister can be close to proper medical care. But the city is full of many things Kiera isn’t quite ready to face: the society ladies keen on judging her, her fellow investigator—and romantic entanglement—Sebastian Gage, and ultimately, another deadly mystery.
Kiera’s old friend Michael Dalmay is about to be married, but the arrival of his older brother—and Kiera’s childhood art tutor—William, has thrown everything into chaos. For ten years Will has been missing, committed to an insane asylum by his own father. Kiera is sympathetic to her mentor’s plight, especially when rumors swirl about a local girl gone missing. Now Kiera must once again employ her knowledge of the macabre and join forces with Gage in order to prove the innocence of a beloved family friend—and save the marriage of another…

I adored ‘The Anatomist’s Wife’ – it was the first book I read this year and it really got my reading year off to a wonderful start. It was quiet, dark and atmospheric with engaging characters and a thrilling story – a recipe for success.So I was eager to get on with the rest of the Lady Darby series, and last week I finally sat down with this, the second book in the series, eager and excited to get swept back into the mysteries of Kiera’s world.

However all did not go quite as expected. I expected a similarly beautifully written historical novel with a dark and thrilling mystery that kept me on my toes right until the climax. What I got instead was a well enough written story with glaringly obvious plot twists stuffed full of modern and American phrases.

Oh how I wept. Where was the stunning writing of the first book? The period appropriate language? The plot that kept me guessing with my heart in my throat as the final confrontation loomed? All absent, and sadly as a result the novel suffered.

It was well enough written and enjoyable enough that I did still enjoy the story and this instalment in Kiera’s life and exploits with Gage. However it didn’t grab me in the same way as the first book. Every twist was glaringly obvious, signposted from the outset, and I experienced no shock or surprise as each laborious motive was uncovered at the end. I frequently found myself wincing at the language – ‘no worries’ for example smacks of modern day conversations, and after searching online to try and prove myself wrong the earliest uses I could seem to find of it in England/Scotland were in 1980, a little way off the 1830s setting… It’s not the only instance of modern language creeping in, and the liberal use of Americanisms was decidedly upsetting for a novel supposedly set in Scotland/England in the early nineteenth century.

All in all this was not Kiera’s finest hour. I have not been put off from continuing the series but I am warier, and I live in hope that the third book will recover the ground lost in the second and bring the series back up to scratch. The second novel is competent enough but nothing like the glorious darkness of the first, and leaves a decidedly bitter taste in the mouth upon finishing.

Review: A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston

Publication Date: October 22^nd 2015
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Length: 256 pages

Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

See that blurb? That gargantuan blurb? That is basically the novel. In fact that would be the novel if it picked up the pace. I was so excited after reading ‘The Wrath and the Dawn’ earlier this year to see another take on the 1001 nights story, and this looked like it was going to fill that want perfectly.
However for me, it sadly falls far short of the mark.

It’s a very long winded re-telling which relies on the lyrical prose to carry everything along. Unfortunately I never really got swept away by the prose, so I just ended up feeling frustrated and bored. I kept putting this book down and forcing myself to come back to it.

No character is named, only Lo-Melkhiin, and I did like the mystery of it and how it gave the story an older, more traditional fable like feel. However at the same time it bogs the narrative down further (‘my father’s father’s father’ gets old real quick) and doesn’t allow you to actually connect with any of the characters. I never really felt for them, never cared for them and without that connection the entire story seems to disintegrate.

I also really struggled with the romance, point being that there was none and yet we were served a neat romance wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end. Where was the development and build up? There was nothing. Our heroine never actually has any interaction with the real Lo-Melkhiin so how can we as the reader convincingly believe the love between the two of them? It left me feeling confused and frustrated and felt as though some sort of crucial character points and scenes had been left out.

The final straw for me is that the pacing is truly abysmal. Nothing happens for the majority of the novel – we see build up and discovery of our heroine’s magic, but that isn’t enough to sustain a novel. Then the climax springs up out of nowhere, no real build up or time to feel like it’s deserved in the last twenty pages. After a novel of nothing, suddenly with twenty pages to go we have a battle, and then everything is done. There’s no real exploration, it’s just over and it feels thoroughly bizarre and frustrating.

I wanted to love this book, I wanted to be swept away by the unique style and lyrical prose, but sadly the idea just cannot be carried by the execution. It dragged to read and I never really felt caught by the idea, never felt fully immersed in the story, and as a result never really enjoyed it.

Top Ten Debut Authors Whose Second Books I Need Right This Second

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

There have been some truly incredible debut novels come into my little grabby hands that have made me pine deliriously for the authors to give me more of their words to consume. Listed below are eight authors whose second novels I cannot wait to read, and two authors whose debut trilogies have made me desperate to get hold of whatever they deign to gift me with next. 


Erin Morgenstern
Debut Novel: The Night Circus
It's been several years since this stunning novel hit our shelves and I'm still not over it. Some people weren't won over by the lyrical prose and slow paced story but I was swept away. I'm curious to see how Erin's writing style translates away from the Circus, and I cannot wait for her second novel.

Melissa Grey
Debut Novel: The Girl at Midnight
Midnight was a stunning debut, full of magic, mystery, romance and humour. I loved Melissa's writing style, her engaging characters and fascinating plot and I cannot wait to dive into the second book in the series when it releases next year.

Sabaa Tahir
Debut Novel: An Ember in the Ashes
Yes ok there were plot holes and problems galore if you started staring too hard at this novel, and some very valid concerns/problems raised by other reviewers, but the fact remains that I really loved this debut novel. It was exactly the book I needed when I needed it, full of fantasy, darkness, and a brutal world. It also left me desperate to get my hands on the sequel, partly for more and partly to see how some of the issues in the original are resolved.

Helen Maslin
Debut Novel: Darkmere
I'm not one for scary stories, so this novel was a departure for me but I am so glad that I followed my instinct on this one. Deliciously creepy, filled with unexpected twists and turns and compelling and engaging characters, I was sucked in completely. Helen has an incredible way with words, making me swoon and fall in love and then shriek in terror and have to put the book in the freezer a few chapters later. Any author who can skillfully elicit such emotions from the reader is one to watch, but from a debut it is doubly impressive.

Sarah Benwell
Debut Novel: The Last Leaves Falling
One of the strongest debuts I've ever read, Sarah's novel was heart breaking and filled with hope, strength and determination. A novel that defied conventions and moulds, this was a truly incredible and powerful story that swept me up and carried me away into Sora's world. Sarah has a natural talent for drawing out emotions in her readers and infusing her tale with humanity and feeling. I was crying by half way through and full on sobbing by the end of the story. It is one that has stayed with me throughout the year, one I return to repeatedly. With her determination not to be caged by expectations and to tell untold and overlooked stories, I am incredibly excited to see what story Sarah offers us next.

Lauren James
Debut Novel: The Next Together
A unique and fascinating story, I was captivated by Lauren's debut and the characters she created. I fell into the incredible lives and different versions of these characters and loved how each story interwove to create one beautiful book. I cannot wait to see both where the story goes and what she goes on to write next - with an imagination like that it's bound to be exciting!


Marieke Nijkamp
Debut Novel: This is Where it Ends
This debut doesn't hit shelves until January 2016 but oh boy is it incredible. I read This is Where it Ends in one gut wrenching and emotional sitting, and was left feeling hollow, drained and utterly wrecked by the sheer brilliance of Marieke's writing and the compelling story she'd written. If that is the state of me after reading her debut novel, what will I be like after her second? I cannot wait to find out.

Moira Fowley-Doyle
Debut Novel: The Accident Season
This book was divine. A slippery, magical book filled with secrets hidden and folded between the pages, I fell for this debut hard. It reminded me of Stiefvater's writing (definitely a good thing) but filled with its own unique wonder and darkness. It's one of the best novels I've read this year, a gorgeous debut and a brilliant portent of things to come from Moira. I cannot wait to see what she gifts us with next.


Plus two authors whose debut trilogies have made me stupidly excited for whatever they write next...

A. C. Gaughen
Debut Trilogy: Scarlet/Lady Thief/Lion Heart
This trilogy guys, be still my heart. I connected and fell in love with the Robin Hood tale in a way I never had before. I adore Scarlet, and Gaughen's writing is incredible. Scar is such a human, fallible and real heroine and I wanted to sweep her up and protect her. But she's also so brave, so determined and so committed to doing the right thing - she's one of my favourite heroines. This trilogy is a firm favourite, one I love re-visiting and I am so excited to see what she decides to write next.

Kristin Cashore
Debut Trilogy: Graceling/Fire/Bitterblue
When I read Graceling for the first time I wasn't that fussed. I put the book back on my shelf and forgot about it until Bitterblue was about to release and I figured I should re-read it and then catch up on Fire in preparation. I wasn't prepared for how much I ended up loving this series - proof that sometimes if you read a book at the wrong moment you end up disliking one that later becomes a favourite. Now I can't imagine not reading and loving this series (I listen to the audiobooks on a very frequent basis) and I cannot wait to see what Kristin releases next. It's going to be a wrench leaving the Seven Kingdoms, but if it's written by Kristin then I cannot wait to see where she takes me next.

So there you have ten authors whose debut outings were enough to make me squee, swoon and shriek with delight/terror. I adored their work and I cannot wait to see what delightful books they gift us with next.
Over to you - have you read any of these and do you agree with me? Or are there any authors you think I've overlooked? Let me know and link me to your own top tens in the comments below!