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Book Review: Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Aug 23, 2016

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Pages: 373
Publish date: 2015
Publisher: Macmillan’s Children Books
ISBN: 9781509809875
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily’s other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can’t hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

Trial by Fire:

I received a copy of Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini from Macmillan’s Children Books in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to pick this book up, just by the synopsis I was hooked. It has everything that I enjoy in novels; fantasy, romance, and witches and while it may not be my favourite novel out there, I can say that I loved it and cannot wait to read more.

Trial by Fire follows protagonist Lily Proctor, whose life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying life so when a high school party comes along she wants to enjoy it with her best friend and long-time crush; but everything doesn’t go to plan. Unexpectedly, Lily is now in a different Salem. A Salem that is full of magic, horrifying creatures and ruled by Lily’s other self in this alternative universe.

I found at first that Lily was a hard protagonist to get along with, I guess it’s her naivety that stood out; it was just the simplest of things that she couldn’t understand. However, as the novel went on Lily grew immensely and I loved her by the end.

I loved the dynamic between Lily and the other characters that she meets along the way. They just have this bond about them, that alone kept me wanting to read on. Rowan, Tristan and Caleb are just brilliant, and when all four are brought together, things are bound to happen. They all have different personalities, but they just all seem to work.

The characterisation of all the main characters was fantastic and each seemed to grow as the novel went on. We would find something about them, that even the character themselves didn’t know. They were so well thought and fleshed out.

I adored the world of Trial by Fire, it was seriously mysterious and awesome. I was intrigued by the get go and I wanted to know more and more as the story went on. The world was so different to other fantasy worlds and I loved it. I also liked the world building of Angelini – she didn’t throw everything at us at once, but she also didn’t leave us hanging. It was a perfect balance.

The dialogue and writing style of Trial by Fire was also epic. Easy to read, flowed perfectly, funny and meaningful at the same time. There were quite a few moments that I had to hold a laugh in so I wouldn’t wake up the whole house.

Now to the romance. Do you know how hard it is to find a fantasy series without a love triangle? – hard, very hard. And when I started the book I thought that was the way it was going to go, but it didn’t and that is a big tick in my books.

Rowan was so swoon worthy, he just demeaned the attention of the reader whenever he was in a scene. In saying that he was also pretty cranky and something that she cracked me up. I love the tension between Rowan and Lily, it was so intense, much like the book. However, I accidentally read the synopsis for the third book…

However, there is one major thing about Trial by Fire that killed me. The cliff-hanger, and no it wasn’t something small, it was big – like catastrophic. And I am trying to hold off reading the second book, until the release day for the third book is closer.

Overall, Trial by Fire is a captivating read that grabbed my attention from the get go. The world building is fantastic, well fleshed out characters that are fascinating, a world that is immersing and dialogue that is spot on. I am so looking forward to reading more.

Trial by Fire was my type of book, but how did you enjoy it? Have you read it? Have you read anything else by Josephine Angelini? Are you looking forward to the final book in this series.

Book Review: The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman

Aug 17, 2016

The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman

Pages: 278
Publish date: 31 May 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 0802736629
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Ten years ago, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, seven-year-old Samantha and her next door neighbor, Remy, watched as a man broke into Sam’s home and took her younger sister, Turtle, from her sleeping bag. Remy and Sam, too afraid to intervene at the time, later identified the man as Sam’s sister Gretchen’s much older ex-boyfriend, Steven, who was sent to prison for Turtle’s murder.

Now, Sam’s shattered family is returning to her childhood home in an effort to heal. As long-buried memories begin to surface, Sam wonders if she and Remy accurately registered everything they saw. The more they re-examine the events of that fateful night, the more questions they discover about what really happened to Turtle.

The Last Good Day of the Year:

I received a review copy of The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman from Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for a review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I picked up The Last Good Day of the Year on a whim. I had heard nothing about it and had never read anything by the author, and I had no idea what to expect. Overall, I liked it the book, but I did have some problems with it.

The Last Good Day of the Year follows protagonist Sam 10 years after the kidnapping of her young sister Turtle when she and her family return to where it all happened. The kidnapper was caught, but as she starts to re-evaluate the weeks leading up to the disappearance and those around her – she starts to think that maybe the kidnapper is still out there.

I love mystery/thriller novels, they are probably one of my favourite books to read apart from fantasy, so I was looking forward to see where The Last Good Day of the Year took me. I loved where it was going until the last 50 pages or so where I didn’t even understand what was going on. I had to re-read it a couple of times and still I don’t know what happened. However, nearly everything leading up to that I enjoyed.

I loved the mystery element of The Last Good Day of the Year. It was captivating and interesting to read. I wanted to know what happened, how everything came to par. I didn’t know what was going to happen next and I was on the edge of my seat. Everyone was unreliable and that is perfect for this type of novel. I was intrigued.

I wasn’t a massive fan of protagonist Sam, I cannot pinpoint why exactly, and there was just something about her that didn’t fit right with me. I wanted to see more character development as well, at times I felt like she was 12 years old. However, by the end, I was quite happy with who she becomes.

The family is another story – I pretty much disliked them all the way through. The mother, I understand that she lost a child – but the way that she treats some of her kids – you would think that after losing one child she would treasure the rest. The father was kind of ‘not there’ for me, I didn’t feel him as a character.

I also wasn’t a massive fan of how the book was set out. Most of the book was set in the present day, however there was quite a few chapters set in the year of the kidnapping and it wasn’t as strong as the rest of the book. Those chapters could have easily been done as flashbacks or summaries. I felt that it jolted the flow of the book being pushed back in time.

Another thing that I did enjoy was the romance, it might have seemed quick. But Sam and Remy have known each other quite a long time and it felt ‘right.’ They had already built a friendship and even though it was rocky, it all worked.

Overall, The Last Good Day of the Year was a compelling read. The tension was perfect and convinced me to feel anxious and on the tip of my toes wanting to find out more. However, I wanted more from the protagonist and author.

Have you read The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman? Did you like it? Are you going to read it? Have you read any other books by her? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

Aug 9, 2016

The Crown’s Gamed by Evelyn Skye

Pages: 416
Publish date: May 17th 2016
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia (Balzer + Bray)
ISBN: 0062560603
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love… or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear… the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

The Crown’s Game:

I received a free copy of The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I wasn’t 100% sure that I was going to pick up The Crown’s Game, from the early reviews there were some problems that I normally don’t like in books, but then I was hearing great things about it, so I decided why not.

I am glad that I did, though it’s not my favourite book in the world, but I overall enjoyed it and would read other books in the series.

The Crown’s Game follows protagonists Vika and Nikolai, the only two enchanters left in Russia, as a war is brewing they are both put the test in the ancient magic duel of the Crown’s Game where one lives and the other dies.

I have very mixed feeling about The Crown’s Game. I am not too sure how I feel about it, but I cannot decide if I dislike it more than I like it.

Vika, has lived on a small island her whole life, taught by her father and eager to show her powers off. I enjoyed Vika most out of all the characters, she didn’t annoy me, and was an easy protagonist to get along with, however I felt that she ‘fit in’ to quickly on the mainland for some reason. She has lived on an island for her whole life, with no many people liking her and she just treated the mainland like it was nothing. Her emotions were also great – I enjoy the emotions she felt and at times I wanted to get her a great hug.

Nikolai – I felt nothing for him. I didn’t even feel like her was a protagonist at times. He gave me no sort of emotions, I just wanted more from him. At times I wanted to hit him though, as he was annoying at times.

One thing I was disappointed about was the lack of brutality with the games. I expected more, wanted more. It was all fluffy and artistic and I would totally be good with this if the result of the end wasn’t that one died and one lived.

The romance was also a big letdown for me, I knew it was going to be a love triangle going on and I was prepared for that, what I wasn’t prepared for was the instalove. Both of the love interests didn’t even get to know Vika before they started to fall for her. While Pasha was very vocal with his love, Nikolai was quiet. However, both didn’t even know her.

When there is a love triangle, I normally like the first person that falls for the protagonist and vice versa – but with this, I felt that the love interests didn’t like Vika enough and the same goes the other way.

The ending was a letdown too, things were gearing up and then I was confused and, then it ended. It was kind of a mess for me. Pasha did some things that people might hate – but with the position that he was in and everything he knew just flipped on his head – I don’t blame him.

Nevertheless, I actually enjoyed the world that was created in The Crown’s Game. It was intriguing and different to see. I love any play on an ancient country, it’s one of my favourite settings for books (or movies), that is what first pulled me into this book.

I also enjoyed the writing style of Evelyn Skye. I loved the descriptions of the world, the protagonists surrounding. I loved the imagery that she created and I wanted more of it.

Overall, I enjoyed The Crown’s Game, it’s not my favourite book out there, however, I would read more books in the series. One of my favourite things about the book was the world and writing style. I wanted more from the characters and the romance just wasn’t my favourite.