Review - Hawkeye: Bishop Takes King by Ashley Poston

 

  

Title: Hawkeye: Bishop Takes King

Author: Ashley Poston

Pages: 368

Publisher: Random House/Marvel

Release Date: 3rd October 2023

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Kate Bishop's Hawkeye is still figuring out how to be a Super Hero—and a functioning human being—in this thrilling YA mystery adventure that has her crossing paths with some of the Marvel Universe's greatest heroes—and most dangerous villains.

When Kate Bishop, the young Hawkeye, solves a minor crime and saves the surprisingly cute Milo in the process, she counts it as a rare win. But a mix-up of their bags means that nope, Kate's life is still refusing to run smoothly. In that bag is a mysterious book that holds powerful, dangerous secrets—ones that New York City's most powerful super villain, the Kingpin, would kill to uncover.

Kate finds herself on the run, searching for Milo and what he knows, texting her Super Hero besties for moral support, and trying to solve the mystery she's blundered into before she becomes the victim of her own story. 

Just like its main character, Kate Bishop, Ashley Poston's Super Hero adventure doesn't miss a single shot in one of the funniest, twistiest Marvel stories ever told.

 

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US

 

 

 

 

My Review:

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

 

Kate Bishop may have bitten off more than she can handle when stopping a small crime leads to Kate crossing paths with none other than Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin.

Kate is on the clock as she tries to stop Kingpin from finding and using the deadly secret hidden in a beloved children's book series to destroy his enemies.

As a fan of the character of Kate Bishop and having enjoyed some of the author's previous books, I was intrigued to see what this novel would be like.

Kate was a likeable and relatable protagonist. She was funny and wanted to help people.

As well as Kate, I also enjoyed seeing more of Lucky the Pizza Dog, and America Chavez who I knew less about. I liked Kate's relationship with both of them.

The plot was enjoyable and held my attention, but I was never gripped. Nothing that happened was particularly surprising or shocking, but I found the book to be a fun read.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

Review - Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

 

Title: Lady Macbeth

Author: Ava Reid

Pages: 320

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 13th August 2024

Blurb from Goodreads:

The Lady knows the stories: that her eyes induce madness in men.

The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.

The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of survival, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.

But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armour. She does not know that her magic is greater, and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.

She does not know this yet. But she will.

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My Review:

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

Leaving her home in France behind, Roscille moves to Scotland, to live with her new husband, Lord Macbeth.

As Lady Macbeth, Roscille must learn to survive both her husband, and his court of only men using the only power she can wield - her mind, and her eyes which can bewitch men.

When I heard that the author was writing a novel about Lady Macbeth, I was intrigued. However, I do have a mixed history with the author's previous books I've read, so I was also a little unsure if I would enjoy it.

Roscille was a mixed protagonist for me - I empathised with her and her situation, but there were times when it felt like Roscille was trying too hard to be clever, and thought herself far more intelligent and superior to those around her.

The setting of the rather gothic-feeling castle in Scotland was interesting, as was the information we were told about Roscille's life back in France.

The plot started off well, and drew me in, but after a while I found myself unable to stay connected with the story. Things felt a little out of place at times, and I wasn't gripped or invested in what happened.

While I did find the writing style easy to follow, I didn't like some of the directions the story went in, or the way the author wrote about some things. However, I can definitely say that this was a unique take on Lady Macbeth.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

Review - These Burning Stars (The Kindom Trilogy, #1) by Bethany Jacobs

 

Title: These Burning Stars (The Kindom Trilogy, #1)

Author: Bethany Jacobs

Pages: 465

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: 17th October 2023

Blurb from Goodreads:

A dangerous cat-and-mouse quest for revenge. An empire that spans star systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret that could collapse worlds, hunted by three women with secrets of their own. All collide in this twisty, explosive space opera debut, perfect for readers of Arkady Martine and Kameron Hurley.

Jun Ironway—hacker, con artist, and occasional thief—has gotten her hands on a piece of contraband that could set her up for proof that implicates the powerful Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide seventy-five years ago. The Nightfoots control the precious sevite that fuels interplanetary travel through three star systems. And someone is sure to pay handsomely for anything that could break their hold.

Of course, anything valuable is also dangerous. The Kindom, the ruling power of the star systems, is inextricably tied up in the Nightfoots’ monopoly—and they can’t afford to let Jun expose the truth. They task two of their most brutal clerics with hunting her preternaturally stoic Chono, and brilliant hothead Esek, who also happens to be the heir to the Nightfoot empire.

But Chono and Esek are haunted in turn by a figure from their shared past, known only as Six. What Six truly wants is anyone’s guess. And the closer they get to finding Jun, the surer Chono is that Six is manipulating them all.

​It's a game that could destroy their lives and devastate the stars. And they have no choice but to see it through to the end.

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 Little, Brown Book Group UK*

In an empire that stretches across the stars, there is a deadly secret that could bring everything tumbling down.

Esek Nightfoot is dangerous and bends the rules to her liking. She is the heir to the family that owns possibly the most important resource there is - sevite, which allows interplanetary travel.

Cleric Chono was trained by Esek and has a complicated history with Esek, and her obsession with finding an illusive person called Six.

A hacker called Jun Ironway obtains information that threatens the Nightfoot family, and is on the run from Esek.

Will Jun evade her hunters?

Can Esek prevent her family's reputation being ruined?

I love a good sci-fi novel, and I liked that this one sounded political.

There were three protagonists - Esek, who was often unlikeable but a complex character; Chono, who was probably my favourite, but I did like Jun, and I felt sorry for the her and Chono.

The setting and world-building were interesting, and very detailed. There was a lot of information at the beginning of the story, and it felt a little like I'd been thrown into the deep-end.

The plot took a while to get going, and once it did things did get more interesting. However, I was never gripped, and the book felt a lot longer than it actually was. I did lose interest a few times throughout, but there were events that did make me re-engage with the story, and want to find out what happened next.

I probably won't read the sequels as I didn't feel that invested in what was happening. However, I would be interested in seeing what else the author writes next.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but, unfortunately, it felt a bit messy to me.

Overall, this was a mixed read.