Review: The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People

The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People by Meik Wiking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a charming little book! I read a lot of heavy spiritual books with the aim of learning how to lead a more fulfilling life and these tend to be dense and rich in material on the psyche. This was such a breath of fresh air! It was so refreshing to read about tangible ways of enhancing, not just my own quality of life, but the lives of those in my community. It's so simple!!

The writing is easy, and the facts serve to highlight, where too often statistics will overwhelm and detract from the message. This book uses evidence from studies all over the world, and even though it's inspired by the overall happiness of the Danish, it never comes across as snobbish. Rather, the intention here is simply to point out what works for different countries and social classes.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about people all over the world choosing happiness, and making small changes that have big positive effects. I loved that it suggested physical things that can be applied. I enjoyed the comparisons between cities and countries. It's just so beautifully positive!

Reading this book has made me want to go out and find little ways to do good that will bring happiness. The book's message is selfless and that's definitely rubbed off on me and inspired me to contribute more to society.

If you're someone who wants to contribute to your society, if you're depressed about the state of the world, if you feel like your life is missing something: this book is for you. And even if none of those is you, but you simply enjoy smiling? Read it. Highly recommend.

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Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a unique reading experience for me.

The writing jumps around haphazardly, repeats, skips, dances around, delivers.

The story, nestled in language, language used so cleverly as to make itself known by refusing the mundane.

Complete sentences few. Commas, so many commas, commas where you want semi-colons, as though the sentences are a runaway train and there's no time for semi-colons, only commas, it's the only pause that can be afforded.

The limited dialogue brings the story back to reality, and injects fear into it by creating a very real presence for the menace that is Mr Dark and his ominous carnival of terrors.

Two boys, Will and Jim, are caught up, haunted, chased by these bizarre characters that we never really understand yet absolutely appreciate.

The terror is subtle, tangled in description, insinuation, allusion, repetition. Personification. Similes and symbols that somehow still manage to come together and express the horror of the situation, causing some very real chills.

It was so beautifully written.

I thought I'd be lost by the language but here I am, unable to get its voice out of my head. Borrowing its patterns and thinking about the individual trees that created this forest of nightmares.

Meanwhile, this is one hella creepy story.

I'll be turning this one over in my head for a little while, I think. So brilliantly written, and so much better than I was expecting. The story great but the true genius here is the way the story is told.

Highly recommend.

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Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I completely understand the hype, even if this wasn't a 5-star for me.

The racial issue is powerful, particularly in such a time setting, when the N-word is thrown around haphazardly and it's totally acceptable to denigrate people simply because of the colour of their skin. Discrimination repulses me, and I feel physically ill reading accounts - even fictional ones - of despicable conduct towards those who are different. There are some pretty familiar characters here, but how many of these characters are familiar because they themselves influenced more modern work? It's no secret that this is a classic which has inspired millions of people around the world, so I can't complain about stereotypes as I'm sure this book was quite unique when released back in the 60s.

I was a bit confused about the unrelated stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. The latter is clearly the Big Issue of this novel, but the first part of the novel barely touches on it, making for a rather confusing start to the book. I enjoyed the childhood exploits, and it was quite well-written, but at the same time it felt a little pointless. I can appreciate that there was a beautiful story told in Boo's regard, but it got a little tedious towards the end of Part One. (view spoiler)[ I also felt that his part at the end of the novel was a bit too easy. I get it, I understand that the author wanted to present ideas about the grey area of right and wrong, I can see how it evokes mixed feelings, but it just felt a little too convenient to me, and more of literary device than actual realistic plot development. (hide spoiler)]

The Robinson case broke my heart. (view spoiler)[Particularly knowing the outcome was inevitable, because what sort of powerful statement would this novel make if it had ended happily? (hide spoiler)] Just reading about the small-mindedness of others and knowing that, though the story is fictional, this is a real glimpse of human history - and that this kind of behaviour still exists today - truly saddens me. At the same time, it makes the character of Atticus that much more powerful, because he is a symbol of hope, and he is unrelenting.

There's not really much that I can say that's not already been said by appreciative readers all around the world. I enjoyed reading this novel, and it was an easier read than I anticipated, but there are some dark moments that will boil the blood of any decent human being. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'd want to read it again. Humankind really depresses me, sometimes.

It has got me pretty curious about the sequel, though.

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Review: The Rats

The Rats by James Herbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy heck, this was brutal.

Herbert's writing is brilliant, and the story launches straight into the action, with rats having their fill of human flesh in the first chapter. What follows is basically a near-200-page massacre.

The plot is so incredibly simple: mutant rats are attacking people and devouring them in horrific ways. There's nothing particularly smart about it, but what it lacks in intelligence it makes up for in graphic, gory detail.

I really enjoyed the way Herbert introduces characters, giving you a bit of their backstory so you get attached. He describes a clear picture of human behaviour, and covers all manner of human sins that seem to pale in comparison to the grisly horror of man-eating rats. It's quite interesting to consider how divided we can be as a whole society, considering we are all human, and this book explores that brilliantly by creating the 'us-vs-them' storyline. We see empathy and pity where there is usually none.

The rats themselves are absolutely horrifying, making for a perfect, relentless, collective villain. Particularly in those moments when one or two stop and stare menacingly. *shudders* Rats are, of course, right up there as one of the most repulsive creatures and this book easily draws on that natural revulsion and magnifies it.

The tension rarely eases, and even in the quiet moments you're expecting the worst. I liked that it took the time to create deeper characters, because it was a diversion from the carnage that still kept the interest up. Brilliantly written.

Side note though, and I'm blaming this one on its age: the book is incredibly sexist. If you're a raging feminist, this book is gonna make you mad with all the stereotypes.

If you're a bit squeamish, this is likely to give you nightmares, but I'd highly recommend to anyone who appreciates simple, gory horror.

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Review: Vardaesia

Vardaesia by Lynette Noni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'M DONE.

It's all over, and my heart is breaking.

I don't know what comes next in my life, now.

...

I mean, other than, like, a billion re-reads.



To be honest, I'm not sure I'm going to write a review for this one.

I don't know if I can.

I went into this knowing nothing but the same cliffhanger we all got with Graevale, and I want that experience to be the same for everyone else who reads this book.

I think if you've come this far, you've earned it.

So I'm not going to say anything about the plot. Or the characters. Or the moments I loved or loathed.

I will say that I loved this book.

I will say it was just as emotional as I expected it to be.

There were highs; there were lows.

I had to pause often because things were getting so intense.

This is a worthy conclusion to an absolutely incredible story, and it has firmly taken up residence in my heart. The world of Medora is so rich and thriving with colour and magic and so many incredible characters that I'm certain we'll have the chance to return there one day.

For now, though, I'm sad to say goodbye, but I'm so grateful for this book, and how everything played out. It felt ... right.

And I have so much love for these characters that even though I don't want to leave them, I think they have earned their rest.

***

Review for Akarnae (4★s) HERE
Review for Raelia (5★s) HERE
Review for Draekora (5★s) HERE
Review for Graevale (5★s) HERE
Review for We Three Heroes (4★s) HERE


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Review: We Three Heroes

We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Re-Read Feb 19**

Let me reaffirm my original statement that THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK.

Now, since I'm re-reading, let me go into a little more detail of each story as I finish them. You can read my original gushing a little further down.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the first four books in the series

FIRST UP!

Crowns & Curses
The book opens with DC at age 13, trying to deal with an episode of bullying that occurred five years earlier. I haven't hugely connected with DC over the series but this is the story that softened my heart towards her. She's actually such a strong character, and knowing this history tugs at the heart! Bullying is a widespread problem and this little story gives some insight into how to handle bullies, which is fantastic for a YA novel. Maxton is a turd who we can't help but hate, but even still there's allusion to the bad things he's been through that led him down that path, without taking away from the pain he's caused. Add to that guest appearances from some of our faves, and Alex's arrival from DCs point of view and we have a fantastic little story of how a princess became the BFF of our beloved heroine. It doesn't re-tell things we already know, but it does give us a different angle to view the story from.

NEXT UP:

Scars & Silence

Look, if you're not on board ship Jordix you may find yourself rolling your eyes a fair bit. But it's important to remember that this story is pretty much the reason this book exists, and it's a meaningful story.

This story runs parallel to the early events of Graevale, and explores how Jordan heals after his experiences at the end of Draekora. It deals with trauma, and even though no one can really relate to being mind-controlled by a Meyan, trauma is familiar enough a concept.

Trauma is ugly, and dealing with it is a process unique to each person. But this short story explores the depths of trauma, and how it can affect many aspects of a person's thoughts and behaviours. How Jordan deals with his experiences may or may not be relatable to other trauma survivors, but it does give insight and I think it sends a pretty important message about using pain to grow.

I love this story. It's still our favourite characters in a fictional, magical world, but there's a reality to Jordan's experiences and it's an important character development for the whole series. But it's not all dark and depressing - there's still some fantastic light-hearted moments and joking around to keep things balanced.

FINAL ACT:

Hearts & Headstones

Guh. As if our hearts weren't going to get hurt with a title like that!

Again, we're running parallel to Graevale, just a little further along. This one probably relates the most to the rest of the series, with things that happen in this story being likely to play a role in the final installment. At the same time, Bear's story looks more at the weight of protecting loved ones, and the lengths people will go to. This one has a strong family vibe, which is unsurprising since we've all grown to love the friendly Ronnigans over the course of the previous novels. Bear is dedicated to his friends, but he's also getting to know Declan a little better, so we can expect to see more of that blossoming relationship in Vardaesia, I imagine. It's nice to get further insight into who Bear is, as opposed to his inseparability from Jordan.

Some more heavy themes in this one but ultimately it feels more like a perfect setup for the final showdown.

So I guess this is it.

*deep breath*

Vardaesia, here I come.


**Original Review**

Let me delay my gushing over how much I love this series to say, THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK.

Fantasy stories always have bad things happening to good people. Death, torture, imprisonment ... our heroes all go through some pretty rough times.

What they rarely have is a full appreciation of the aftermath. Our heroes overcome all these things in maybe a page or two of feeling bad then deciding to get on with things. We rarely get the detailed psychological process that would be involved for us mortals in the Real World.

The four previous books in this series are told from Alex's POV, and her three friends play a major role, which means they all experience bad things. The three novellas in this book, told from the viewpoints of DC, Jordan and Bear, explore what it takes to recover from trauma, and just how complicated the process is. I'm sure there will be differing opinions as to how well it was done, but I think the important thing here is that it's actually spoken of.

Fantasy is such an escape, and I'm sure many of us have moments of wishing our life was like that of our heroes. Wanting to explore wonderful places, cast magic spells, meet supernatural (and often super hot) beings. So it is a breath of fresh air to believe that maybe our fantasy heroes experience similar pain and suffering that can be found in our own lives. That it takes work to overcome these things.

So that's my first big thumbs up for this book: thank you for talking about the seriousness of these things.

Now, please, allow me to gush.

I love this series. It's got such a good blend of fantasy setting with real world problems and characters. Alex has always been an endearing hero because she's not all, 'I must save the world and I am the only one who can'. She's sassy AF, loves her friends and is more like, 'aw man, why do I have to be the one to do it?' and 'well then I'm bringing all my friends and you can't stop me'. She appreciates the support she has around her. I love that.

DC, Jordan and Bear have been by her side through the past four books, experiencing a lot of the nasty stuff.

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE SPOILER ZONE
The rest of this review may contain spoilers for the previous four books of the series

So the first novella is DC's. I gotta be honest - she has never really been my favourite character. I mean, she was kinda rude in the first book, and then kinda just meh because she's less sassy than everyone else. I liked her, but that was about it.

Crowns and Curses has given me newfound respect for her. It explores why she was such an ice queen when we met her in Akarnae and it actually made my heart hurt a little. Particularly when she met Jordan and Bear for the first time. <3 This novella takes a closer look at bullying, and it is really interesting to see the psychological impact of it. Really enjoyed it.

The second novella, Scars and Silence, is the most powerful, and looks at how Jordan is recovering after (I ALREADY WARNED YOU ABOUT SPOILERS) being Claimed by Aven then released by Alex. He bounces back pretty quick in Graevale so it was really great to read this more detailed account of what was actually going on in his head. There's some interesting stuff regarding his brother, too, and I really appreciated the way it was dealt with so open-mindedly. Plus Jordix for the win! They're so cute together! Bless.

The third story, Hearts and Headstones begins with familiar events from Graevale however we're given Bear's point of view so it's a different take. His story is more about the drama of its last few chapters, but it was still interesting to see the budding friendship between him and Declan. (I'm secretly hoping it doesn't turn into romance though because then everyone is coupled up and I hate it when that happens. I'm totally here for the bromance, though.)

Yeah, this whole book gave me another case of the feels.

Apparently there's stuff in this book that will be important for the next, but nothing felt hugely important to the story progression (except for maybe that lil scene with Marcus). This is more like going back and seeing how the pieces were picked up and put back together, so that we can appreciate the scars and the trauma everyone has overcome and become stronger from.

Devastating lack of Kaiden, though. I miss him.

Summary: Same lovable characters with greater depth, and Alex is barely in it at all so this is firmly a 'Sidekicks' story. It reflects on some serious issues that readers may actually experience themselves so it's quite an important addition to the series to show how these things can be overcome.

Like I wasn't already impatient enough for Vardaesia!

Review for Akarnae here
Review for Raelia here
Review for Draekora here
Review for Graevale here

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Review: One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS FOUL, ANGRY LANGUAGE. (WITH S**RS)

I'm just

SO.

F**KING.

CONFUSED.

WHAT THE FLIPPIN' HECK DID I JUST READ.

Honestly.

Alternative titles:
One Hundred Years of Reading You'll Never Get Back
One Hundred Years of Your LIFE You'll Never Get Back
Four Hundred and Twenty Two Pages of Monotony
Fifty Thousand Mentions of Two Names
A Cure for Insomnia

F**K THAT.

This is like ... you know how there's those jokes that go on and on and on and ON only to deliver a punch line that is so bad and unworthy that you just roll your eyes and groan?? THIS IS THAT.

I can't even deal with the fact that there are people in the world who LOVE this book.

Basically, it's about generation after generation after generation of the same family who all share the same name and it is F**KING CONFUSING. I know that's intentional and symbolic but it doesn't make this any less of a chore to read . It's also just walls of text from start to finish that meander and bumble along making very little sense. There's no flow or logic and it's all clearly intentional but that really doesn't help its case in my mind.JUST BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DULL AND MONOTONOUS DOESN'T MEAN I'M GOING TO ENJOY READING THAT.

Add to that, the family is one heck of a f**ked up family and BATSH*T INSANE and it's JUST A MESS.

It practically begins with incest and keeps it up the whole way through; there's prostitution and murder and insanity and just basically everything that is wrong with the world can be found in this most disturbing book. 'Magical realism'?? I mean, what the f**k does that even mean?? How the ... f**king REALISM??? WTF???? And normally I don't mind a bit of f**ked up to keep things interesting but how can any book possibly include this much murder and depravity and STILL BE BORING??

Honestly, I feel like I need to Google to properly understand why so much depravity was included and why it's considered to be such genius, because sure, the ending is a little clever but it's certainly not enough to make up for wading through over 400 pages of this utter trash.

I just don't get it.

Clearly my IQ is too low for this "Masterpiece of Literature"; this book is officially the most overrated classic I've ever read in my life.

I hated it so much I tried to make it a group read so I could share the pain and torture XD I AM A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING.


Conclusion:
I did not like this book very much.

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Review: Graevale

Graevale by Lynette Noni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**Re-Read Feb 19**

GUYS I STILL CAN'T DEAL WITH ALL THESE EMOTIONS.

Summary:

✓ More Kaiden
✓ More Niyx
✓ More epic action scenes
✓ Plenty of fighting
✓ So much sass
✓ Teachers doing un-teacherly things
✓ Cute animals

Honestly I have to laugh at that one time ageeeeess ago when I first read Akarnae and was all cynical, thinking it was a little too close to HP for my liking. Now here I am letting this series rip out my heart and stomp all over it FOR A SECOND TIME. It's a beautiful, masochistic relationship.

Book hangovers are a real thing, man.

ANYOO GUESS WHO GOT Vardaesia YESTERDAY SO YAY LET'S GO EXPERIENCE A RAINBOW OF EMOTIONS ALL OVER AGAIN I AM READY.

(Proper review-like thoughts can [eventually] be found in my original review, below.)

**Original Review**


Me immediately after finishing:

GUYS I CAN'T DEAL WITH ALL THESE EMOTIONS.

Review will have to come later. Right now I need to collect myself so I can go to work and act like everything is completely normal when really I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest.

GUHHHHH I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGSSSSSSS

***

(Later that day ...)

So.

One of the great things about being an avid reader is that it gives you an extensive imagination. This imagination is what allows us to move from reading about characters to knowing them personally and experiencing all their emotions.

Guys.

THERE ARE SO MANY EMOTIONS TO BE FELT.

(view spoiler)[

I cried.

In my vast history of (visually) devoured books, there has been a measly TWO books that have ever melted my cold, frozen heart into icy rivers of tears. Now, there are three with that capability. (The first was The Dark Tower by Stephen King, the second was The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas, for those of you playing at home.)

This is not even a proper spoiler I know but quite obviously this book contains something so devastating I can't possibly get around to reviewing the rest of the book until I express all of the sorrow that's been bottled up inside me all day. I nearly cried at work, it was that traumatic. It was a physical pain to me. I even saw it coming a little, but I still refused to believe. The first stage of grief really is denial, I guess. Oh god. MY HEART. (hide spoiler)]

(PSA: The following contains unhidden spoilers for the previous novels.)

Okay.

Alex has just returned from her little trip to the past where we had all of our emotions turned upside down as we learned to love people we were supposed to hate. Now Aven's evil again and honestly I'm glad there was a decent time between releases after all because it gave me time to forget how much I liked him in Draekora. Most of our faves are back being their lovable selves (Oh heeeeeeeeey Kaiden <3) but there's a more serious tone now, as Alex ventures around Medora warning everyone of the imminent evil. There's also some new faces but they're easy to get used to. Normally I get really confused with this many supporting characters but these are just written so well that they've basically all become my extended family.

There's also so much sass and it enhances the story because it makes it all more real. Like, there's all this crazy dark, 'the world is in mortal danger' crap but Alex still finds time to grumble and blush and kick people for being annoying. The banter between her and Niyx and between her and Kaiden is EVERYTHING. I love those boys.

Jordan is not quite as sassy, but he's had a pretty rough time so it's actually merciful he bounces back relatively fast. That being said, it's not entirely glossed over, and you can tell there's plenty more going on with that kid that's probably gonna need to be dealt with - particularly if the truth comes out about the king. There's really more about teachers than her loyal sidekicks in this one which is a bit of a shame because Jordan and Bear are another two of my fictional bffs. They work well together, but Bear's carrying a lot of the weight in this one. Dix is cool, but also a bit mehhhhh.

Caspar Lennox, the vampire dude, is featured a lot and he's still pretty creepy but ... less? I miss Hunter a bit. There's also a new, mysterious instructor that teaches Alex ... ooooooohhhhhhhhh. (view spoiler)[(Actually, he's kind of a jerk.) (hide spoiler)]

The plot is just solid and easy to follow, and even though there's a lot of jumping around and SO. MANY. PEOPLE. it's actually pretty smooth and easy to get swept away in. The Meyarins take a bit of a back seat after their starring role in the last novel, which is a bit sad because I'm still hanging out for Zain to break some skulls. (view spoiler)[(Plus, Roka remains unconscious for this entire novel, so he's not exactly fun to be around. He's like that sleeping animal at the zoo that you wanna throw stuff at to wake up coz you know it's gonna be a badass show when he's finally awake.) (hide spoiler)]

OH! AND!!

(view spoiler)[ Alex gets a dog!! I mean, not actually a dog, really, but a tiny ball of black fluff that turns out to be a giant shadow wolf the size of a pony who is loyal and fierce and a thousand kinds of lovable-yet-deadly. It kind of makes up for the utter LACK of Xira, who was nowhere to be seen in this book. Sadface. (hide spoiler)]

There's some really cool adventure stuff which was fun but really my main highlights were everything Kaiden and everything Niyx. (view spoiler)[Well, not everything Niyx. There was that one thing that he did ... that broke my heart ... and ... something about ... a river ...? Of ... tears? GODDAMN YOU NIYX!!! (hide spoiler)] Those two boys ... Like, Kaiden and Alex are so freaking cute together. But she's also not all goofy over him which is very practical and I appreciate that though it frustrates me immensely. I was super happy he had more of a part in this book! And Niyx ... remember back when we thought he was evil? Ah, he's so adorable as a bad boy but he's got such a heart of gold in this book and he's always there for Alex which just made my heart swell. You know you've got a good series on your hands when you can't decide which fictional babe would be your top pick for fictional bf. I'm honestly torn between these two. They're both so stinkin' cute.

Sigh.

Look, I officially love this series.

It makes me laugh, cry, gasp, bite my lip, fidget uncomfortably, wince, wrinkle my nose and all manner of other physical responses. When I'm reading these books, I'm so fully immersed in the world that I actually feel a very real response to the things I'm reading. The characters are so much fun that I wish they were my friends, and that I was sharing the adventures alongside them. These are the things that hook me and cement me as a fan.

This is such a powerful development to the overall story and while it's not quite as frivolous as the previous novels, it still has a lot of variety to keep things interesting, as well as further character development and some heart-melting moments.

Oh! I forgot to mention!!

We have a MAP!

It looks so cool and now we can finally see where everything is and where Alex is actually flitting about to. Very impressive. I follow the artist on Instagram and she posts all kinds of wonderful Medoran Chronicles fan art so it was so great seeing that she illustrated this, too!

If this is the first you're hearing about this series, go out and get a copy of Akarnae ASAP and you won't regret it. It's blown me out of the water since I took a chance on it.

Honestly I'm gonna have to re-read the series now because there's this huge, Medoran-shaped hole in it. (view spoiler)[Not to mention GRIEF. Oh god, I'm still so heartbroken. WHYYYYYYYYYYYY (hide spoiler)]

Hurry up, Vardaesia!

***

(1 day later ...)

WORST. BOOK HANGOVER. EVER.

Review for Akarnae here
Review for Raelia here
Review for Draekora here

View all my reviews

Review: Wings of Forgiveness: Working with the Angels to Release, Heal and Transform

Wings of Forgiveness: Working with the Angels to Release, Heal and Transform by Kyle Gray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The whole time I was reading this I was picturing the author as like a skinny, aging hippie with long, tangled grey hair, tattered hemp clothes and a prevalent smell of weed.

Imagine my surprise when I saw his contrasting pic in the back.

This book is choc-full of hippie vibes which I LOVE if I connect but LOATHE if I don't. I can be incredibly cynical for someone who actually does believe in spirits XD

The Jesus stuff in this was too much for me. I believe in spiritual stuff, but otherwise I need scientific grounding. I just don't believe that, if Jesus was a real person centuries ago, that he'd be floating around in spirit form today, encouraging people to love one another. Don't tell me this is a book about angels and then give me Jesus. You're gonna make my task of forgiveness a little harder.

So that was kinda disappointing.

But then I do actually like the overall message of letting forgiveness help you to let go and love others. Holding on to pain only hurts us, and as much as there are some jerks in my life that I can't imagine forgiving any time soon (I am a serious holder of grudges) I do love the idea that one day I'll figure out how to let that old pain go through forgiveness.

I also really enjoyed the part relating to the chakras - this is definitely something that resonates with me so I'm glad it was included.

The personal anecdotes kinda took away some credibility of the author for me, because his experiences were pretty full on. I'm not doubting his accounts, but I can tell you that if I saw someone in public acting the way this guy did in some circumstances, I'd probably think he wasn't playing with the full deck. Plus, again with the Jesus and the Mary and Magdalene and ... *sigh* At one point he talks about how God is not a religious word, it's just the universe and love etc etc. But then within the same segment says that God just wants you to feel loved and he's not going to punish you. "In his eyes, you are always forgiven." So ... is God the universe or does he have (non-judgy) eyes?? Tres confus

For a book about angels there was, tragically, a distinct lack of angels. But I did like what I read! And obviously forgiveness is pretty specific so naturally there's a bunch of celestial beings that were never likely to make an appearance.

Overall I enjoyed most of it, but the personal influences were a bit much for me. There was just a bit too much regarding religion and religious figures, but there's some great stuff on chakras and energy and ultimately about how forgiveness can help you free your soul.

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Review: Enchantée

Enchantée by Gita Trelease
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THIS IS BASICALLY A GENDER-BENT, FRENCH ALADDIN AND I AM IN LOVE <3

Things you should know about me before reading this review:

-Aladdin is my favourite movie of all time
- I'm obsessed with anything French
-My favourite genre is fantasy
-I can be highly cynical when reviewing books

So basically this had all the elements of a book I should enjoy, but if it had been written terribly, this would be a scathing, 1-star review.

HAPPILY NOT THE CASE.

I loved it.

I was a little worried at the beginning, because for some reason I hate reading about poverty? That whole gnawing hunger, would-sell-my-hair-for-table-scraps desperation is just not something I like to read about. I think possibly because of how uncomfortable I am thinking about being that destitute. I mean, I like to talk about how poor I am and everything but I have a steady supply of bread and 2-minute noodles so really I have nothing to complain about. Whereas facing the harshness of real poverty when it was commonplace is something that bothers me. Also, it makes me hungry.

So yeah, the opener was a bit scary. Camille is working pathetic magic to make ends meet for her and her sister but their older brother is drinking it all away and getting aggressive. So depressing. Poor kids.

Enter the handsome Lazare and his merry band of aeronauts, who are obsessed with trying to get their own hot-air balloon up and running. He's a fun distraction from Camille's growling stomach and the heavy weight on her shoulders so Grace a Dieu for Lazare.

Still, it's time for Camille to take action and what better way to get rich quick than to gamble? "Genie, (aka magic), I wish you to make me a fancy Baroness." So off she sneaks to Versailles and what do you know, this book officially reaches French Fever status.

Did I mention I'm obsessed with anything French? Apparently I'm more obsessed with Historical French. Which makes perfect sense since this obsession sprung from my love of The Three Musketeers. But my obsession also led to me travel to France last year and I LOVED EVERY SECOND and now I like to be reminded of that trip as often as possible.

Versailles is absolutely stunning.

It's a magnificent palace filled with splendour and gold and art and is just *happy sigh*. This book brings it to life again, fills it with aristocrats instead of tourists and paints a picture of what the palace was once home to. I loved it so much.

That's probably my favourite thing about this book: It brings Paris and Versailles to life.

Even the Place des Vosges came alive for me, allowing me to fondly remember my own walk around the square. How I'd love to go back and picture this story taking place! This novel shows places so vividly, so even if you haven't been to Paris, you'll be able to picture it rather well as it was in the late 1700s.

There's also a fabulous cast of characters, from the handsome Lazare to the fun-loving aristocrat, Chandon, and the delightfully snarky Aurelie. Seguin is an intriguing, mysterious fellow who instantly repulses, and then there's the pathetic figure of their useless brother, Alain. There's more, of course, and I love them all.

All the gambling did make me a little anxious at times I must admit. I actually love gambling, but I always have a safe limit. How can these reckless people wager everything?! Guh, my anxiety skyrocketed through those scenes. But there are also parties and things as well so it's generally a lot of fun being in this rich world.

There is a lot of French in the writing, which felt like maybe too much for the story but which I absolutely loved. Especially when I knew what it said (There is a handy glossary at the end, though, for those who are unfamiliar with Francais). Naturally, I have reinstated my Duolingo lessons after reading this. I love the language. It seems a little strange in places, since they're supposedly speaking French anyway, but I don't know how many people this will be a problem for because it certainly wasn't for me. To me it helped it feel more real, in a way. Also, very French. Did I mention this tiny French obsession that I have? :D

The story is a little long, but there's still plenty to entertain and it does all come together neatly at the end. I was impatient to get to the glitz and glamour of Versailles so my single complaint would be the depressing and slow start. The magic was a little underwhelming, as well, but I appreciated that it took kind of a backseat to the story. It actually slotted in nicely, I thought.

Overall, this book captivated me pretty quickly and I'm so glad it was as brilliant as the blurb made it sound. I loved it with all my French-loving heart.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for my ARC.

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Review: Draekora

Draekora by Lynette Noni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**Re-Read Feb 19**

I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS

PREPARE FOR RAMBLING.

NIYX

This is possibly my fave book in the series and it's mostly because of this guy. Niyx is one of my fave characters ever. He's snarky and fun and savage and flirty and ultimately a great guy who is BFF material. He melts my heart. I LOVE YOU NIYX. His pet name (haha) for Alex is the greatest and just melts me even more.

There's also a lot of fun in getting to know all these characters that we met and liked okay in book 2 but haven't really heard much about. Meya is a fun world too and who doesn't love magic elf power?

I HAVE SO MANY MIXED FEELINGS OVER AVEN THOUGH WHY DID YOU MAKE ME FEEL THIS WAY LYNETTE NONI?????

Also, Xira is just the cutest THANG.

So look basically the characters in this book are my life and I love them with all of my heart and said heart is certainly squished and bruised and slightly shredded but HEY I'M TOTALLY OKAY LET'S MOVE ON TO RE-READING GRAEVALE SO WE CAN PROPERLY DECIMATE THIS OVERWORKED HUNK OF QUIVERING MUSCLE IN MY CHEST.

This has been another emotional response review.

***

Original Review

I'm so depressed that this has only just been released and now I have to wait for the next installment all over again! It's gonna be a looooooooong wait!

In this third novel in the series, we travel away from Akarnae and spend some time in Meya. It's quite a beautiful diversion from the previous two books, as it allows us to get to know new characters and fully appreciate the story that's been lurking in the background until now. There's plenty to learn in this new realm, and Alex handles it all with her trademark sarcasm and gracelessness. The stakes are much higher and her naivety does get a little frustrating at times, but it's well balanced with her wit and the constant ribbing from her companions. It's easy to get swept up in her emotions, particularly as her feelings towards others transform.

There's not much I can say without spoiling things, but suffice it to say this is a fantastic continuation of the series. It can seem a little slow in parts, with little movement from the Meyarin setting, but there's still plenty of action and the hits keep coming. The introduction to the world of Draekora was an absolute delight, and I look forward to hearing more about its inhabitants in following novels. It was also nice to get away from the Harry Potter-esque schoolroom antics. This story has really taken off on its own, compared to the obvious HP influence of the first book.
This novel tugged my heart much harder than I anticipated. The pain still hurts. Hopefully the next novel can repair some of the damage!

(view spoiler)[Honestly, even knowing what would happen, I was really rooting for Aven. GOD THAT HURT. And Niyx? Damn! Can we say unexpected bestie? I would have loved more Zain but those other two were everything. WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY T_T (hide spoiler)]

Review for Akarnae here
Review for Raelia here

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Review: Rebel of the Sands

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are some YA books that hook you straight away and you can feel a bit of a cult following coming on, and then there are some that are sub-par that you kind of enjoy but know will eventually fade into oblivion, replaced by more exciting characters and stories to obsess over.

I fully expected this to fall into the latter category, but instead it captured my heart in about 35 pages and I've just spent half a day demolishing the rest of it through a rollercoaster of emotions. I love the fast, easy relationship between Amani and Jin, I love their cool nicknames and their rebellious exploits. It was just so easy to fall into the rhythm of the story. Adventure comes fast and there are some great characters, but Jin is just so lovable that really I just kept reading for more of him. The magic and myths were pretty cool as well, and I love the unique focus on creatures less commonly used in fantasy fiction.

The writing is simple, but there were elements that surprised me in their thoughtfulness. This is a story that was well planned, giving it strength and a solid narration to sink your teeth into. The language is easy and the world-building is simply stated but rich with detail. I found it so easy to become a part of the story, becoming familiar with characters easily and picking up the new details nice and quick. This is a story where you'll find friends - which is to say the characterisation uses familiar elements to craft entertaining characters with traits that are easy to relate to.

Did I mention I'm a little bit in love with Jin?

I mean, he's talented, handsome, and a total softie with a sense of humour that means he's not all smouldering gazes and declarations of profound, universe-shattering love. He and Amani work well together, and she's not reliant on him any more than he's reliant on her. I recently discovered the meaning of OTP (I know, I'm old and so not down with the lingo, sorry) and I think I'd like to make my first use of it describing these two together. They're so adorably deadly. <3

The story flows really well with adventure coming from a few different angles but always driving towards one end. There's plenty of diverse characters but they're introduced at a pace that makes it easy to keep track of who is who, and characterisation comes into play here again. There are some cliches and obvious occurrences thanks to that, but there's still a great cast here to work with. (view spoiler)[For example, it's pretty easy to figure out that Jin is royalty working with the rebels. I'll admit, I thought he was the prince, but was completely unsurprised that he was a prince and I knew we'd end up at the rebel's hideout sooner or later. (hide spoiler)]

Parts of this book really wrenched at my heart, with physical responses including lip biting, gasping, brow furrowing, open-mouthed gaping, sneering, finger clicking Zs and laughing out loud.

I was fully invested. Head over heels down the sandy rabbit hole. I think I'm ready to admit it: I loved this book.

Why no 5 stars?

I guess the stereotypes and cliches? I mean, I really loved reading this but there's something holding me back from giving it all the stars. Maybe just because I'm expecting to be blown away by the next one. Which I must have immediately.

Either way, highly recommend. Come join me in my cult following at your own leisure.

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Review: Notes from Underground

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

WARNING: I tried to write this review without bad language but I JUST COULDN'T DO IT. Swearing ahead.

It would be dishonest of me not to put this on my 'utter trash' list because that's what I thought of it the entire time I was reading. It's mercifully short but even so, still a complete drainer. There are some really fascinating ideas thrown in but when he's still talking about them ten pages later (or 50, even) it just wears you down. Nothing really happens except that this complete DOUCHEBAG talks about how he likes to be a DOUCHEBAG because THAT IS LIFE. By the end of it, my mouth was literally open with disgust. I have never read a more loathsome character.

Which, I guess, is why it's considered so brilliant.

I mean, I see it. I see the depth, and the exploration of human kind, and that this is just so BATSHIT INSANE that nothing like it really comes close. Dostoyevsky had some serious balls writing something as despicable as this. He does really dig into some ideas that will make your head spin, but it was just waaaay too depressing for me. I got ZERO enjoyment out of reading it. It made me want to go hug a puppy. For like a week. This guy represents everything that's wrong with the human race. (I might be exaggerating, I don't know. I'm just upset. He's such a dick. I wanted to punch him in the face.)

I threw it a bonus star because I can see that the dude had to be brilliant (or completely off his rocker, but aren't they usually the same anyway?) to come up with this, and I can see that there's some seriously dense, thought-provoking material here. But it's just a crummy, crummy book to read.

I'd recommend this one for anyone who likes to feel superior by reading challenging books and people who love being miserable. Everyone else would be doing themselves a favour by steering clear.

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Review: Bird Box

Bird Box by Josh Malerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'M ON THE FENCE.

This is definitely more psychological thriller than horror, which left me a little disappointed. It was eerie and had some super creepy moments but it really lacked the substantial horror I was hoping for!

That being said, it does the psych stuff extremely well.

The entire novel essentially revolves around the subtle horror of being unable to open your eyes. How terrifying the world becomes when you can't see what you're up against, and you're forced to navigate a world completely blind to it. The monster could be right there, and you'd never know. How do you resist opening your eyes??!

Honestly, I wonder how blind people will feel about this book??

Malorie is a great protagonist. She has the ideal blend of bravery and fear to make her a perfectly believable heroine. Her predicament is fascinating, and the sporadic timeline shows us multiple facets of her character in different scenarios. The rest of the housemates are interesting but no one really stood out to me other than Tom and Don.

Let's get spoilery!

(view spoiler)[I didn't like that when the horror came, it was all at once. With this many housemates, I kinda wanted them picked off one by one in shocking and terrifying ways. When their deaths came, it was kinda disappointingly vague and abrupt.

Dog deaths!! WHAT! Nothing hurts my heart more than animals dying in books. Poor Victor. But what happened to the second husky, anyway? And the birds??!

Why was Gary immune? I kinda hate ambiguous books like this where there's no proper, satisfying explanations. I get that it's all about how humans act under terrible circumstances, but if you go so far as to give us 'creatures' then surely we can have a little more explanation? Please??

Also can we just take a minute to appreciate how hilarious the whole situation must have been for Gary, watching everyone stumble around with blindfolds, running into things all the time. What a laugh.

I'm so curious about the rest of the world, too.

The whole time the gang was in the boat I wondered why they didn't do their peeing and vomiting over the edge of the boat? I mean sitting in that mess would have been so GROSS.
(hide spoiler)]

I dunno, I guess the whole thing was too human for my liking. Too ambiguous and vague, too much about how people react when you take away their sight. It was utterly captivating, but only because I was waiting for it to get hectic.

It's a unique story, and it will keep you hooked from start to finish, but it's definitely more thriller than horror. Less gore and mayhem, more subtle chills. I'd still highly recommend it, though, just because of how different it is.

I'm super curious about the film now, though. How do you produce a visual representation of a book that dwells on the fear of being without vision??!

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Review: The Art Collector of Le Marais

The Art Collector of Le Marais by Ahmad Ardalan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

To be perfectly blunt, this is kind of a nothing story.

I was bored a lot.

This is the story of Sebastian's life, but it's told rather than shown which makes for incredibly tedious reading.

A lot of research clearly went into writing this novel, because it feels like we get ALL of it. Rather than focusing on the most important/interesting facts to enrich the novel, we get walls of text on all kinds of mundane things. I was really interested in the art side of things, but with so many names and styles and preservation techniques etc. it all got so muddled and in the end nothing really made an impression. There were also some awkward spelling and grammar mistakes.

Honestly, I think what this story needs is just a heavy-handed editor. Someone who can tease out the interesting and help it form a much more eloquent story.

The story itself needs a little tough love, too - the amount of priceless art Sebastian is given for free just because he's nice to someone is absolutely ridiculous. Every person he interacts with is overwhelmingly generous and kind and I wasn't buying it. Not nearly enough struggle for my liking. It was also really hard to keep track of what year it was, how old everyone was, and just generally get a feel for where and when we were. It was really hard to immerse myself in it.

I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, (view spoiler)[(and thought it was a bit brutal when half of them were killed off in, like, a paragraph, about halfway through) (hide spoiler)] and so I just never really got attached. Even the Paris setting was a bit of a let down. There was just not enough detail in characters, setting or atmosphere; no emotions for me to feel. Very bland all up.

It's quite obvious that the author has been inspired by his own travels, and done plenty of research. The effort is there, it was just long and tedious and really needed some tough love to cut it down to an interesting story and include some emotion.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

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Review: Raelia

Raelia by Lynette Noni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**Re-read Jan/Feb 19**

MY HEART.

This is definitely the book that hooked me firmly on the series.

The escapades.

The characters.

THE DRAMA.

And yet still so much sass.

Where's those handy check marks ...

✓Alex is getting better at fighting
✓Meeting new friends: HELLO Roka and Kyia and Zain and oh hey a cameo from that one guy that we're all definitely falling in love with very soon
✓Spending more time with old friends ie I TOTALLY SHIP ALEX AND KAIDEN THEY ARE ADORABLE
✓More super powers hooray!
✓Teachers trying to kill students; how very relatable
✓The whole SAS trip was SO MUCH FUN
✓Alex is so snarky when she lacks sleep which I love, but she's also just naturally a sass queen which means I love her even though everyone else loves her and I'm not usually one to follow trends
✓Lots of fighting, I LOVE FIGHT CLUB and mostly just Declan enjoying beating the snot out of Alex and Alex taking it like a champ
✓BUT NOT FOR LONG, BUCKO!

This concludes my nonsensical babbling inspired by my love of this series which is only growing stronger with re-reads. For sense, please read my original review, below.

**Original Review**

SO GOOD.

This series is so much better than I expected! The first one was quite obviously Harry Potter-inspired but with this second novel the story has certainly taken on its own life, making it quite an exciting read.

There's still way too many good looking people but these characters are so easy to fall for because of the dynamics they bring to the story. I love the friendships and particularly the teamwork, which gives our heroine a great support network instead of the 'only I can do this' complex so many teen fantasy heroes end up with.

I love the variety of the classes and the little details that flesh out the world as a place of magic. There's still a few predictable elements and typical scenarios but surprisingly this didn't bother me in the slightest as I truly enjoyed reading through these moments. As with the first novel, there's a few explanations that you can't really think too much about (such as Alex's extremely unconcerned parents) but if you let go of the details and relax into the story you'll find yourself enjoying the ride.

Absolutely loved it! Can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

Review for Akarnae here

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