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Book Review: Long Way Home by Katie McGarry | Blog Tour

Jan 24, 2017

Long Way Home by Katie McGarry

Pages: 448
Publish date: January 31st 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ASIN: B01HB97I5C
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Kobo
Add to Goodreads

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

Long Way Home:

I received a review copy of Long Way Home by Katie McGarry from Harlequin Teen via Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This has no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. Don’t forget to check out my review for Nowhere by Here and Walk the Edge.

I don’t know how I feel about this book. Katie McGarry is one of my favourite contemporary writers, but Long Way Home didn’t hit that spot and left me disappointed. I was so excited when I was picked to be on the tour, but after reading I was hanging for more.

Long Way Home follows protagonists Violet and Chevy as they both struggle with their lives that they have come to know. The Reign of Terror are both their families, but when Violets’ dad dies, she wants nothing to do with them. However, when everything is on the line including their lives, she might just have to let the terror back in.

What I love about Katie McGarry’s books, is as the series goes on we find out more about the world of the books. Everything isn’t throw at us at once. We also find out about protagonists, before they even star in a book. It’s done so effortlessly. I felt that we already had a sense of Violet and Chevy before the book began, and then as Long Way Home went on, the reader is able to find out more.

Violet and Chevy aren’t my favourite Katie McGarry characters. I didn’t click with both of them. Therefore making it really hard to connect and be invested in their lives. Violet has very strong options about the Reign and why she doesn’t want to be with them anymore. And while it’s totally understandable, it did get slightly frustrating at times. She didn’t want to listen to anyone, even while they were trying to explain and save her life.

While Violet has her troubles with the Reign, so does Chevy. Throughout the whole book, the reader is able to see him struggle. He is stuck between trusting the family that he knows, being by his mother’s side, and losing the girl that he has loved most of this life. It was hard to see Chevy compete with himself and think about what the best thing to do is.

I enjoy the intensity of Long Way Home. Every page there was the treat of something happening. That something is going to blow. The reader doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe, and it’s epic. I love these sorts of books, where you have no idea what is going to happen next.

The romance was one of my favourite aspects of Long Way Home. It’s rare in YA, that you delve into a novel where the romance has already been built. Although Chevy and Violet aren’t together at the start, the reader knows the history. There is already this connection and we don’t have to waste the novel building it up. The reader is able to see that both Violet and Chevy care so much about each other. And would do anything, even if they don’t realise it.

Overall, Long Way Home by Katie McGarry is a novel about family, friendship, love and finding out what happens. And although this isn’t one is her best, the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat. And has a romance that you cannot help but fall in love with.

Have you read Long Way Home? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read the first two books in this series? Have you read any other Katie McGarry books? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Frostblood by Elly Blake

Jan 23, 2017

Frostblood by Elly Blake

Pages: 304
Publish date: January 12th, 2017
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 1473635179
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

In a land governed by the cruel Frostblood ruling class, seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has spent most of her life hiding her ability to manipulate heat and light – until the day the soldiers come to raid her village and kill her mother. Ruby vows revenge on the tyrannous Frost King responsible for the massacre of her people.

But Ruby’s powers are unpredictable…and so are the feelings she has for Arcus, the scarred, mysterious Frostblood warrior who shares her goal to kill the Frost King, albeit for his own reasons. When Ruby is captured by the Frost King’s men, she’s taken right into the heart of the enemy. Now she only has one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who took everything from her – and in doing so, she must unleash the powers she’s spent her whole life withholding.

Frostblood is set in a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies – but together create a power that could change everything.

Frostblood:

I received a review copy of Frostblood by Elly Blake from Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

A new year off to a great start. Frostblood was the first book that I read this year and I am so glad that I did because I loved it. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I was hooked from the very first page.

Frostblood follows protagonist Ruby a Fireblood who has spent most of her life hiding her powers, but when soldiers raid her village and kill her mother she reveals her powers and is captured. But she doesn’t stay there for too long. With the help of some ‘friends’ Ruby might just get her revenge.

This world captivated me, the magic, the characters, and the plot. It was like everything that I loved wrapped all into one. It was perfect, but it was sure damn close. One thing that I am upset about, is that I have to wait so long for book 2. Why can’t I have it already?

I really enjoyed Ruby as a protagonist. She has this strength about her that I admired. Ruby had been imprisoned, but it still never really got her down. She was there fighting with all her strength. People treat her like crap because she is a fireblood, but she stayed strong. But then what gave her power, was always her weakness.

Because she never trained, she can’t always control her fire and people could get hurt. So when she has to harness these powers and use them – it breaks her. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, even though people have tormented her. I also like how innocent she was at times. It was sweet actually.

When Ruby is first rescued, she is taken to heal and then learn to fight. And to her knowledge kill the Frost King. She meets some pretty amazing people, mostly importantly Arcus.

Holy crap. I will ship this romance forever. They made my heart melt. It slow, burning and just so good. Arcus is the typical mysterious guy that hides behind a hood. He projects a not so nice attitude, but as the novel goes on you begin to find out why.

The second after of the book was intense. And I’m not spoiler much here and it’s in the synopsis, but she is captured by the Frost King’s soldiers – again. But, this time she is taken right into the Kingdom and meets the King himself. And then all hell breaks loose.

The world of Frostblood is the basic fantasy world with magic. Where one power is seen as superior to another. But, there were so many other layers to this world. That fitted perfectly on top of one another. Everything wasn’t thrown at the reader at the one time but was slowly revealed to both the reader and Ruby.

Overall, I can see that Frostblood might be one of my favourite books of the year. With a mix of everything I love. Frostblood explores the notion of family, finding out who you are, where you belong and to fight for what you believe. I loved the romance and the world. This debut author has done an excellent job and I cannot wait to see what comes from her next.

Have you read Frostblood? Did you like it as much as I did? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

TV Review: Shadowhunters 2×03 ‘Parabatai Lost’

Jan 22, 2017

Shadowhunters: Season 2 Episode 3

Episode Name: Parabatai Lost
Release date: 16th January 2017
Running Time: 42 minutes
Starring Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Matthew Daddario, Emeraude Toubia, Isaiah Mustafa, Harry Shum Jr.
Directed By: Greg Smith
Watch: Freeform (US) – Netflix (Worldwide)
Episode Reviews: Season 1 | Season 2

Already cut off from the Institute and his friends, Jace finds his situation worsen when he becomes a target for the New York wolf pack who believe Jace to be a killer. And don’t forget about Aldertree and the Shadowhunters who continue their own hunt for Jace. With Jace becoming the most wanted man in New York, can his friends get to him before everyone else? Meanwhile, Simon is on a search of his own as Raphael puts pressure on him to find Camille.

Parabatai Lost:

Like the previous two episodes, Parabatai Lost starts where we left off. I am really liking that this is happening as it doesn’t let the audience miss anything. Because, of the multiple events that occur, as well as everything being fast paced – it allows us to see everything.

At the start of this episode, we see the outcome of Clary (Katherine McNamara) and Jace (Dominic Sherwood) jumping off the boat to escape Valentine (Alan Van Sprang)- and it’s not all good. The wolves believe that Jace has killed one of their own. And you know what they say, blood for blood. With Jace injured and on the run from not only the Clave but the werewolf pack, someone has to save him.

And it’s not all good on the institute side. Alec is hanging in limbo and Magus is doing everything that he can do to save him. The only problem is that Jace is the one who can.

Tension

This season everyone is high on tension and Parabatai Lost is not an exemption. I think it’s one of the highlights from this season already. Everyone is on edge with one another and the audience doesn’t know what is going to happen next. And even though it’s based on books, things have to change for TV and I have no idea what to expect.

The tension between Clary and her mum (Maxim Roy) hasn’t hit breaking point yet, but I feel as the season goes on it will. And I hope it does. The tension between these two was a massive part of the books, and I think it will work so well on TV.

The tension between the gang and the Clave also hasn’t been hit yet, but the next couple of episodes are going to be intense. Especially with the ending of Parabatai Lost.

Magnus

Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) was a stand out in Parabatai Lost for me. The audience gets to see that he isn’t all sunshine and daisy. He means business. Especially when he concerns Alec (Matthew Daddario).

Harry plays him in a way that we don’t exactly see in the books. He is intense and has a stance about him that says – don’t mess with me. However, it was great to see this side of him. Magnus has lived hundreds of years and people that are younger than him are telling him what to do. And he doesn’t like it that much, especially when it concerns Alec’s life. The audience is also able to see Magnus human side in this episodes and his vulnerability. It was great to see.

In Parabatai Lost Magnus powers are also put on a show, with fabulous blue sparks. It’s nice to see these little details from the books, weaved into the series. It shows that they are paying attention, listening and reading.

Simon and Raphel

In this week’s episode, we also got to see tension burning between Simon (Alberto Rosende) and Raphel (David Castro). But, we also get to see the banter between the two which I think is working beautifully. It’s one of my favourite things about the books. The back and forth bickering between the two. And the audience is able to see a sliver of it in this week’s episode.

Flashbacks

The audience also witness’s flashbacks in Parabatai Lost. We are taken back to when Jace and Alec first meet, their training, and them becoming Parabatai. All tying into Alec, needed Jace to save him. I really enjoyed this aspect of the episode. With everything coming together, and the way that it did. Very well done.

In the flashbacks, we also get to see Alec hesitation for becoming parabatai because of his feelings for Jace, which I thought was brilliant.

Werewolves

We get our first look at Maia Roberts (Alisha Wainwright) in Parabatai Lost. I am not fully sold on her yet, she comes across tougher than I originally thought. But, I am still really enjoying seeing her come into the action. She is a fierce woman ready to fight for what to believes in, and who she cares for.

Overall,

I really enjoy this episode. The audience is able to see relationships grow and see where they started. The story is become intense and I don’t know which way to turn. I love that they are weaving in things from the books and I am seeing these characters that I imagined come to life. I cannot wait to watch next week.