Wednesday, November 30, 2022

November Wrap-Up

 

 

WHAT I READ

 


The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid - eARC - 2.5/5 stars - read my review here

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - eARC - 3.5/5 stars - read my review here

 

 


Vote for Effie (Effie Kostas, #1) by Laura Wood - paperback - 3/5 stars

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - audiobook - 3.5/5 stars


 

 

 

HAULED BOOKS

 

Physical books:



NetGalley ARCs:






CURRENTLY READING

 


The City We Became (Great Cities, #1) by N.K. Jemisin

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston
 

 

 

 What did you read in November?


Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Review - Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

 


Title: Velvet Was the Night

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Pages: 288

Publisher: Del Rey

Release Date: 17th August 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir” about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.

1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger.

Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents.

Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ’n’ roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite from a distance—and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.

Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies all aiming to protect Leonora’s secrets—at gunpoint.

 

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 Quercus Books and NetGalley*

 


 

Maite is a secretary in 1970s Mexico City. Unhappy with her daily life, she finds escape in music and through reading romance comics.

Elvis is a criminal who works as part of a gang but doesn't like getting his hands dirty and dreams of more.

When Maite's neighbour, Leonora, goes missing, Maite is drawn into the search to find her which will become more dangerous than she could have imagined.

Elvis is also involved in the search for Leonora, and finds himself observing her neighbour, Maite.

Can Maite or Elvis find Leonora?

Will they survive the search?

 

As a fan of the author, I wanted to read this novel as soon as I heard about it, especially as it's described as an historical-noir.

Maite was an OK protagonist. I did find her relatable at times, but I also struggled to fully connect with her. However, I did feel sorry for her with the way she was treated by her mother and sister.

I preferred Elvis as a character and found him more interesting, rooting for him more.

The setting was interesting, especially as I didn't know anything about that period of history in Mexico.

The plot was enjoyable, but I predicted several things that happened. However, while I wasn't gripped, I never lost interest and was intrigued to see how the novel would end.

The writing style was easy to follow, and I love how different the author's novels all are.

I am a little bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but, for me, this didn't quite live up to its potential.

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.


 


Sunday, November 13, 2022

Review - The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

 

 


 Title: The Wolf and the Woodsman

Author: Ava Reid

Pages: 427

Publisher: Cornerstone

 Release Date: 8th June 2021

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Stories don't have to be true to be real...

In her forest-veiled pagan village, Évike is the only woman without power, making her an outcast clearly abandoned by the gods. When soldiers arrive from the Holy Order of Woodsmen to claim a pagan girl for the king's blood sacrifice, Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered.

But when monsters attack the Woodsmen and their captive en route, slaughtering everyone but Évike and the cold, one-eyed captain, they have no choice but to rely on each other. Except he's no ordinary Woodsman - he's the disgraced prince, Gáspár Bárány, whose father needs pagan magic to consolidate his power. Gáspár fears that his cruelly zealous brother plans to seize the throne and instigate a violent reign that would damn the pagans and the Yehuli alike. As the son of a reviled foreign queen, Gáspár understands what it's like to be an outcast, and he and Évike make a tenuous pact to stop his brother.

As their mission takes them from the bitter northern tundra to the smog-choked capital, their mutual loathing slowly turns to affection, bound by a shared history of alienation and oppression. However, trust can easily turn to betrayal, and as Évike reconnects with her estranged father and discovers her own hidden magic, she and Gáspár need to decide whose side they're on, and what they're willing to give up for a nation that never cared for them at all.

 

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

 

 

 

My Review:

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

 


 

Évike lives in a village in the middle of the forest, where the women all have magical powers. All, that is, apart from Évike who is treated as an outcast.

The cruel king takes a girl from the village for their powers, and this time Évike is taken away by the king's Woodsmen.

When Évike and the Woodsmen are attacked on their journey, only Évike and one of the Woodsmen survive - Gáspár, the disgraced prince whose fanatical half-brother is scheming to take over the throne.

The duo reluctantly agree to work together, and will encounter many dangers on their journey.

 

The blurb for this really intrigued me and I was looking forward to reading it. However, I ended up disappointed.

Évike was an OK protagonist - I liked her but I didn't connect with her or feel invested in what happened to her.

None of the characters particularly stood out to me, but Évike did have some interesting relationships with other characters.

The concepts of the magic and the different gods/religions were interesting.

The plot was enjoyable to begin with, but after a while I started to lose interest and I did consider stopping reading.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but I can see other people enjoying this more.

 

Overall, this was a mixed read.