Review - Atalanta by Jennifer Saint

 

 Title: Atalanta

Author: Jennifer Saint

 Pages: 365

Publisher: Wildfire

Release Date: 13th April 2023

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Princess, Warrior, Lover, Hero

When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.

Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?

Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs.

 

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My Review:

*I received a eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Headline and NetGalley*

Atalanta was abandoned as a baby on a mountainside by her father, the king, because she was not the son he wanted.

Reared by a mother bear, Atalanta lives in the forest under the goddess Artemis's protection.

Atalanta becomes a skilled huntress and when Artemis offers her the chance to join the Argonauts on their quest for the famed Golden Fleece, Atalanta accepts.

Can Atalanta prove herself to the other Argonauts?

As a fan of Greek mythology, I was surprised that I had never heard of Atalanta before, and that I didn't know there was a female member of the Argonauts.

Atalanta was a likeable protagonist - I admired that she wanted to prove herself equal to, or even better than, the men around her. She'd had an unusual upbringing, and I liked Atalanta's love of the forest.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention. The pacing was pretty good, but I was surprised by how quickly part of the story was over. While I liked the book, I wasn't gripped when reading, and I didn't feel overly invested in what happened.

The writing style was easy to follow.

I have read a few books by the author now, and I would read more.

I am slightly disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but I liked finding out more about Atalanta.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

 

Review - Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

 

 

 Title: Our Hideous Progeny

Author: C.E McGill

Pages: 378

 Publisher: Transworld Digital

Release Date: 9th May 2023

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared in mysterious circumstances in the Arctic but she doesn't know why or how...

The 1850s is a time of discovery and London is ablaze with the latest scientific theories and debates, especially when a spectacular new exhibition of dinosaur sculptures opens at the Crystal Palace. Mary, with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, is keen to make her name in this world of science, alongside her geologist husband Henry, but without wealth and connections, their options are limited.

But when Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle's past, she thinks she may have found the key to securing their future... Their quest takes them to the wilds of Scotland, to Henry's intriguing but reclusive sister Maisie, and to a deadly chase with a rival who is out to steal their secret...

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in an exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley*

Mary Sutherland and her husband, Henry, share a love of paleontology and dream of becoming celebrated experts in the field.

The couple are down on their luck, but then Mary discovers hidden letters from a great uncle called Victor Frankenstein that detail an experiment where Victor successfully brought a creature to life.

Mary and Henry decide to make a creature of their own.

The premise of this book intrigued me, although I have never read Frankenstein, and was interested to see what direction the author went in.

Mary was a likeable and relatable protagonist. With the novel being set in the 1800s, there weren't many women in the scientific community, but Mary was determined that her work should be recognised and praised too.

I didn't like Henry very much, but I liked his sister, Maisie, who I felt sorry for.

The plot was interesting for the most part, but I felt that the book could have perhaps been a bit shorter as not much really happened, and I did lose interest once or twice.

I wasn't very invested in what happened.

The writing style was easy to follow, but not one of my favourites. However, it did suit the book.

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

 

 

Review - Terciel and Elinor (Abhorsen, #6) by Garth Nix

 

 

 Title: Terciel and Elinor (Abhorsen, #6)

Author: Garth Nix

Pages: 379

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Release Date: 2nd November 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Tericel and Elinor, and the charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series.

In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, eighteen year-old orphan Terciel learns the art of necromancy from his great-aunt Tizanael. But not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and Tizanael is the Abhorsen, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life.

Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, nineteen year-old Elinor lives a secluded life. Her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant, who is feared by all despite her sickness and impending death . . . but perhaps there is even more to fear from that.

Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom, nor that magic can sometimes come across the Wall, until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel and Tizanael to Ancelstierre. In a single day of fire and death and loss, Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom, into Terciel’s life, and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead.

 

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My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley*

 

 

Terciel is being trained by his great aunt Tizanael to be the next Abhorsen - an unusual kind of necromancer who banishes the Dead back where there belong, instead of raising them.

The Abhorsens are well-known in the Old Kingdom, where magic is all around.

However, on the other side of the Wall in Ancelstierre, there is no magic, and the Old Kingdom is not talked about.

Elinor lives in Ancelstierre, and knows nothing of magic until her quiet life is shattered and her world turned upside down.

When Elinor and Terciel's paths cross, Elinor learns of her connection to the Old Kingdom and starts on a journey that is full of danger.

As a long-time fan of this book series, I was excited when I found out there was a new instalment that was a prequel and featured Sabriel's parents.

I found both Terciel and Elinor to be likeable and relatable protagonists. Both of them had been through hard times.

Tizanael and Mirelle were both supporting characters I liked, and I would have liked to have found out more about.

I enjoyed returning to the setting of the Old Kingdom, with the Abhorsen's House.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention throughout. I enjoyed reading Elinor's journey as she discovered more about herself and her family history.

It's been a long time since I've read a book in this series, so I'm sure I must have missed some Easter eggs, but after reading this I am definitely planning to re-read the other books in this series soon.

The writing style was easy to follow, and I felt this a worthy addition to the series.

I very much enjoyed returning to the world of the Old Kingdom, and would recommend it to long-time fans as well as new readers.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Review - I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver

 

 

 

Title: I Wish You All The Best

Author: Mason Deaver

Pages: 336

Publisher: Push

Release Date: 14th May 2019

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.

But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Macmillan Children's Books and NetGalley*

Ben De Backer is kicked out of their family home when they come out to their parents as nonbinary. With no other options, Ben calls their older sister, Hannah, who they haven't seen or spoken to in years.

Hannah and her husband, Thomas, who Ben has never met, let Ben move into their home, and to finish off the rest of senior year at the school where Thomas teaches.

Ben just wants to keep their head down and not draw attention, but a fellow student called Nathan seems determined to befriend them.

I had heard good things about this book, so I was excited to read it.

The book throws the reader straight into the deep end, with Ben being thrown out of their home right at the very start. I found this jarring, as I hadn't had time to get to know Ben, but that may have been the author's intention.

Ben was a likeable and relatable protagonist for the most part - while I did empathise with them, and knew that I couldn't even begin to know what they were going through, I did find the self-pity a bit annoying at times.

I liked the supporting characters and the relationships that Ben developed.

The plot was interesting and held my attention. However, I felt that from the beginning, I was never fully immersed or invested in what happened, which I think was down to the jarring opening.

I can see this being a very important book to a lot of people, and it is certainly an important topic, it just didn't hit home for me, unfortunately.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

 

 

Review - When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

 

 

 

 Title: When Among Crows

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 171

Publisher: Titan

Release Date: 14th May 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Step into a city where monsters feast on human emotions, knights split their souls to make their weapons, and witches always take more than they give.

Pain is Dymitr’s calling. To slay the monsters he’s been raised to kill, he had to split his soul in half to make a sword from his own spine. Every time he draws it, he gets blood on his hands.

Pain is Ala’s inheritance. When her mother died, a family curse to witness horrors committed by the Holy Order was passed onto her. The curse will claim her life, as it did her mother’s, unless she can find a cure.

One fateful night in Chicago, Dymitr comes to Ala with a her help in finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga in exchange for an enchanted flower that just might cure her. Desperate, and unaware of what Dymitr really is, Ala agrees.

But they only have one day before the flower dies . . . and Ala's hopes of breaking the curse along with it.

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books*

Note - I ended up reading the audiobook version of this book.

Monsters are real and there are people that fight them.

Dymitr is one such person, and one night he finds himself making a deal with Ala, a monster Dymitr would usually kill.

Dymitr offers Ala a cure to the curse that has haunted her family for years, in exchange for her help in finding the location of Baba Jaga, the legendary witch.

With a time limit on the cure, can Dymitr and Ala work together?

The Polish folklore in this book really intrigued me, as did the cover, so I was looking forward to reading it.

Dymitr and Ala were both likeable and relatable protagonists. I also liked Nico a lot. It was enjoyable to read the interactions between the trio.

The setting of a Chicago with what the Holy Order perceived as 'monsters' was interesting, and I really liked the fantastical element. I would have liked to find out more about the Order and the different 'monsters'.

I really liked that Polish was used in this book, and it made me interested in finding out more about the folklore.

The plot was interesting and immediately grabbed my attention, making me invested in the characters. The book is only short, and it was fast to read, but I would have liked it to have been longer.

I would happily read a sequel or a book set in the same world.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

Review - The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins

 

 

 Title: The Silence Factory

 Author: Bridget Collins

Pages: 383

Publisher: The Borough Press

 Release Date: 9th May 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Henry dreams of silence.

A world without the clattering of carriages through cobbled streets, the distant cries of drunken brawls, the relentless ticking of the clock.

Then he meets a fascinating, mysterious gentleman who sells just that. Precious silk that can drown out the clamour of the world – and everything Henry is so desperate to escape.

Summoned to Sir Edward’s secluded factory to try to cure his young daughter’s deafness, Henry is soon drawn deeper and deeper into the origins of this otherworldly gift: a gift that has travelled from ancient Mediterranean glades to English libraries.

Ignoring repeated warnings from the girl’s secretive governess, he allows himself to fall under the spell of Sir Edward and his silk… but when he learns its true cost, will it be too late to turn back?

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley*

Note - I ended up reading the audiobook version of this book.

In 1820, Sophia Ashmore-Percy and her husband travel to a Greek island. While there, Sophia's husband searches for a special spider and Sophia grows close to one of the village women.

Several decades later, widower Henry Latimer finds himself in the home of Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy, a man in the silk business whose daughter's deafness Henry will try and cure.

Sir Edward is an ambitious man whose silk is made by spiders and has the ability to block out sound. However, the silk can also harm those around it.

As Henry becomes entangled in Sir Edward's business, he learns that perhaps there is more to Sir Edward and the spiders than there appears.

I hadn't read a book by this author before, but I'd heard good things about their previous books, so I was looking forward to reading this one.

Sophia and Henry were both likeable protagonists. However, I did like Sophia more, and did find Henry a little annoying at times, but I could understand why he acted the way he did. I felt sorry for both Sophia and Henry, as neither of them had an easy time of things.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but nothing that happened surprised me, and I wasn't gripped. I also didn't feel particularly invested in what happened to Sophia or Henry.

The writing style was easy to follow and I would read another book by the author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

 

 

Review - Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Pages: 400

 Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 25th April 2023

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple - they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Except, now they don't.

They broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone.

Which is how they end up sharing a bedroom at the cottage that has been their yearly getaway with their best friends for the past decade. For one glorious week they leave behind their lives, drink far too much wine and soak up the sea air with their favourite people.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth. The cottage is for sale so this is the last time they'll all be together here and they can't bear to break their friends' hearts. So, they'll fake it for one more week.

It's a flawless plan (if you look at it through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses).

But how can you pretend to be in love with someone - and get away with it - in front of the people who know you best?

Brimming with characters you can't help but fall for and off-the-charts chemistry, HAPPY PLACE is Emily Henry's best novel yet.

 

 Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin*

Harriet hasn't told anyone about her break-up with her fiancé, Wyn.

Now she finds herself sharing a room with him at the yearly holiday that Harriet and her friends have, pretending that she and Wyn are still madly in love.

Harriet can get through one week without anyone figuring out something is wrong, right?

She thought she could, but now Harriet isn't so sure.

The premise for this book intrigued me, and I was keen to read it and find out how long Harriet and Wyn could keep up their deception for.

Harriet was a likeable and relatable protagonist. She was funny and I liked her banter with Wyn, who I also liked, as well as their friends. I thought it was really sad how both Harriet and Sabrina's upbringing and relationships with their parents affected their lives. I also found it sad that Harriet and her sister weren't close.

The story is told with chapters set in the past and the present, and I enjoyed finding out how Harriet and Wyn got together.

I could definitely feel the chemistry between Harriet and Wyn, and I was really hoping that they would get back together.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped or itching to read the next chapter. I liked the themes in the book, and I did tear up a few times.

The writing style was easy to follow. This is the third book I've read by the author, and I would happily read another.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.