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Book Review: Gambit by C.L Denault

Aug 29, 2015

Gambit by C.L Denault

Pages: 556
Publish date: March 31st 2015
Publisher: REUTS Publications
ASIN: B00VHHE21S
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

In Earth’s battle-ridden future, humans have evolved. Those with extraordinary skills rise to power and fame. Those without live in poverty.

Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.

Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?

Gambit:

I received a free copy of Gambit by C.L Denault from REUTS Publications via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This has no way influenced my review.

I didn’t know what to expect when I requested to Gambit, I thought it sounded interesting and something that I was going to like. I wasn’t expecting to love it. However, as soon as I started to read, I was captured by the story and the characters. I was in a whirlwind of imagination and enjoyment.

Gambit follows Willow on her journey of self-discovery, heartache, betrayal and a completely new world. I don’t want to say too much and spoil you, hence it’s hard to tell you what the story was about, without giving too much away.

I loved Willow, she was a badass with a soft side. She knew how to stand her ground and if somebody messed with her, well it didn’t end up well for them. Willow is from a Village and has a way of speaking that I loved. It’s that older English/Irish/Scottish type. I can’t explain it, but you know that accent that you hear when you watch fantasy or big war movies set in the United Kingdom – that’s the accent.

She works in the tavern that her family owns and she knows her stuff. She knows how to deal with the drunks and people around the town love and care for her to bits.

Gambit starts off with her working in the tavern on a night that is quite busy, because they are waiting for a message. A message from The Core. The core is where all the wealthy, knowable, well-respectable people live, including the high families. And if you don’t know already the messages isn’t the best of news.

What I really loved about the village that Willow lived in, was that they seemed like this one big family, especially in the tavern – I actually adored the scenes at the start, where you can see everyone looking after each other.

“To navigate the Core, you’re going to need strategy. You’re dealing with elements you don’t yet understand. this city is a chessboard. Here, you either play- or get played.”

I also adored Willow’s family, like every member. When is it that you love every member of the protagonist’s family in a young adult novel – never? But I just loved them all. Both her parents were caring and I wanted to hug them both. They love Willow so much and they will do anything for her. Her siblings as well, just oh my heart, oh of her twin brothers, he melted me.

I feel that Willow had many father figures throughout the novel that it made it unique, she had her dad obvious, her instructor and Joshua. The reader is able to understand that each one of these men care for Willow as a daughter.

Her best friend, I didn’t like him at all. He wants to marry her, (and this isn’t really a spoiler, because you can see it from the start) but he is also really over protective. But the over protectiveness that crosses the line. Yes, I felt a little bad for him, however it was hard to get over the protectiveness side.

I truly enjoyed the world that C.L Denault created. It was fantastic. I was intrigued with everything. I would say the world is a mix of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Pawn by Aimee Carter and The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski. And I love all these books, therefore it was really interesting. I wanted to know more and more as the story went on. It’s a mix of fantasy, as people have powers, however science also plays quite a bit role.

The tigers had battled, and mine had gone down in defeat.

The reader is able to see Willow grew throughout Gambit and it was pleasing to see. She still has a great deal to learn, nevertheless for a first book in a series she grew quite well.

Reece, what can I say about him. I don’t know if I love him or I hate him yet. You see this commander side, which I don’t like at all. He is rough, tough and horrible. But then you see this soft side and I am just confused.

Overall, I certainly loved Gambit. It was an entertaining, exciting and thrilling read. It’s a mix of fantasy and dystopian and a world that has so much to build on. C.L Denault writing is intriguing and pulls you in and in.

If you enjoyed fantasy and dystopian with a little bit of science that isn’t too hard to understand, then Gambit is the book for you.

Have you read Gambit? Did you like it? Are you going to read it?

Discussion: Please Stop Plagiarising

Aug 27, 2015

Recently I have seen from quite a few fellow bloggers that there has been some issues. This issue hits close to home; I’m a writer, I want to be an author and if this ever happened to me, I would be devastated.

If you don’t know what I am talking about I’ll break it down. What I’m talking about is the fact that some people are copying and stealing reviews from other people and it’s a thing called plagiarising.

This isn’t right in any way, shape, or form. I don’t understand how people can do this. It’s not the fact that it’s not right (because it’s not), the fact is that it’s unfair.

It’s unfair to the original creator. They spend their own time, reading and then writing their review. A review doesn’t take 5 minutes.

First, the blogger has to read the book. This can take from 2 hours to 3 to 4 days. It all depends on how big the book is, how fast the bloggers reads, or how much time they have to read. Since you know, bloggers do have lives.

Then the bloggers have to write the review. This is different for each and every one of us. All bloggers write their reviewers differently. Some create graphics, or make/find gifs. Other bloggers are creative with their reviews. Others just write. However, each of these can take from an hour to a couple of days.

We don’t just write up a review in 5 minutes and publish it. We have to write it, create it, and edit it. We put a lot of work into our reviews, for you guys to read. But when people go and steal what we have taken our time doing and post it as their own. Hurts. It hurts like hell.

Yes, things like this happen in the world, but I don’t understand why it needs to happen. If you are not going to take your own time to read and review a book or movie – then don’t bother with blogging. I’m not trying to sound mean – but it’s the truth. If you don’t take the time to do the work, then don’t bother with blogging.

Nevertheless, if you are stealing someone else’s reviews are claiming them as your own; please stop. If you see someone that has been doing this, please let the person know that their reviews have been copied. If it’s on goodreads or amazon – then send them an email.

Do the right thing.

I hope you enjoyed. You can find me on twitter at @angel_reads and on facebook and also on Instagram at angelreads. Subscribe to my email through the sidebar or follow me on bloglovin’ to keep up to date

Book Review: Paperweight by Meg Haston

Aug 15, 2015

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Pages: 285
Publish date: July 2nd
Publisher: Hot Key Books (Five Mile Press)
ISBN: 9781471404566
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.

Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.

Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn’t plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.

In this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut, Meg Haston delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss, while posing the question: Why are some consumed by their illness while others embark on a path toward recovery?

Paperweight:

I received a copy of Paperweight by Meg Haston for an honest review from Hot Key Books (Five Mile Press). This has in no way influenced my review.

I have been reading mixed reviews about Paperweight and I can see why some people may not have liked it, but I loved it. Paperweight is such an emotional, gut-wrenching read. I was trying not ball out crying on the train.

Paperweight follows seventeen-year-old Stevie and her journey in a treatment centre and man this book is hard to read. I also think that this book might be triggering for some people.

All I wanted to do was hop in the book and hug Stevie, I just felt for her so much. I wanted to cry so many times while reading Paperweight because Stevie emotions were so wonderfully conveyed.

I also think that it being in, first person made such an impact. It would have felt so different, if it was from third person and it might have felt – fake.

“If you let this disease take you, you’re giving up all the power you actually do have. Just giving it up, without a fight.” – Page 209

I liked that Meg Haston flipped through the present and the past. We weren’t just told what had happened to Stevie, but it’s shown and that made such an impact. However, sometimes it was difficult to distinguish what was the past and what was the present.

I liked both the stories that we were being told. The one before Stevie entered the treatment centre was certainly interesting to read about. The reader was able to see how she turned into the person she is at the time of the novel. But this time is also heartbreaking because the reader is able to see before Stevie released how hurtful her relationships were.

I also enjoyed the story inside the treatment centre. It was very, very hard to read, I am not going to lie. But it was also quite amazing and done brilliantly. Haston could have gone somewhere else with Paperweight, she didn’t let all the medical information take over. It all felt real.

I also actually like a lot of the side characters. Ashley, oh gosh, my heart ached for her. I wanted to hug all the girls in the treatment centre. It was all heartbreaking.

I really didn’t like Eden, but she had problems of her own and so I did feel for her a little bit. However, she was certainly manipulative and it not only her herself, but those around her, and for the most part, Stevie.

She is a virus, and I have been fevered with her since the first day of the seminar. I thought she was the cure. That she could fix me. But instead she’s kept me sick, and needing her, because that’s what she needed. – Page 230

Paperweight is written beautifully. We could have had a protagonist that whines all the time, but instead we didn’t see Stevie whining. We see her struggling and trying to come to terms with herself.

There is some stuff that I am not going to mention as it think it will wreak the surprise that comes with reading Paperweight.

Overall, Paperweight is a powerful, heartbreaking and beautiful contemporary. With beautiful writing from Meg Haston and a story that could be real for anyone.

Have you read Paperweight? What did you think of it? Will you read it?