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Book Review: An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet

Sep 14, 2015

An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet

Pages: 336
Publish date: October 6th 2015
Publisher: Clarion Books
ASIN: B00QPIO73M
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US

The strange war down south—with its rumors of gods and monsters—is over. And while sixteen-year-old Hallie and her sister wait to see who will return from the distant battlefield, they struggle to maintain their family farm.

When Hallie hires a veteran to help them, the war comes home in ways no one could have imagined, and soon Hallie is taking dangerous risks—and keeping desperate secrets. But even as she slowly learns more about the war and the men who fought it, ugly truths about Hallie’s own family are emerging. And while monsters and armies are converging on the small farm, the greatest threat to her home may be Hallie herself.

An Inheritance of Ashes

I received a copy of An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet in exchange for a review from Clarion Books via NetGalley. This has no way influenced what I think of the book.

An Inheritance of Ashes is one of those slow burning books. It takes a while to get to the main action, however I think it worked in its favour. It is such a beautiful book, the writing is captivating and the storyline is quite interesting.

I love my fantasy books, if you didn’t know that by now and An Inheritance of Ashes is a fantasy book that is quite enjoyable.

It’s really hard to explain what An Inheritance of Ashes is about without giving too much away and confusing you. The storyline isn’t that confusing, but trying to explain it might be.

An Inheritance of Ashes follows sixteen-year-old protagonist, Hallie and her sister Marthe who are trying to maintain their family farm while a strange war is ending. Marthe is pregnant and awaiting the return of her husband and as time goes on she is losing hope. Hallie hires a veteran as an extra pair of hands to help with the farm, on the other hand everything isn’t what it seems.

In reality I quite enjoyed Hallie as a character as she was fun to read about, nevertheless I felt like there was this disconnection between her and the story. I don’t know why, I felt that she was somewhat bland in a way. I enjoyed reading her, but I felt that she had no real character arc. She rather stayed the same the entire book.

Marthe, I have a love/hate relationship with her. I understand that she is pregnant and she doesn’t know if the father of her baby will ever be back, but gosh she was mean. I truly hated the way that she treated Hallie, like she was nothing. That she could boss her around and nothing came from it. It was all too much for me. I wanted to give her a slap across the head. And towards the end when she finds out what Hallie is keeping from her – holy moly – like seriously. I couldn’t stand it. But then I realised what she was going through, what she had gone through and it made me sympathise with her a little bit.

I felt that the world building lacked… a lot. I was so confused at times to what was going on. Then there are these ‘Twisted things’ that just pop up and aren’t given any explanation of what they are and what they do. Also the war with the gods was confusing. I was asking all these questions and the answers didn’t come clear. Who are these gods? What are these gods? Why are they fighting these gods? Some answers at the end of the book, but I was still confused about the world.

I really enjoyed the romance. It was the slow burning kind and that is nice to see in a young adult book. Normally everything is all rushed and it’s so unrealistic. But it was really well done.

I overall enjoyed the book, I didn’t love it and I didn’t ate it. I thought that it could have been done better and that would have made it a truly wonderful fantasy read. The characters weren’t very likable but you didn’t hate them all. If you are looking for a quick fantasy read; then you might want to try An Inheritance of Ashes.

Have you read An Inheritance of Ashes? What did you think of it? Are you going to read it?

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?

Book Review: Lorali by Laura Dockrill

Jul 11, 2015

Lorali by Laura Dockrill

Pages: 352
Publish date: July 2nd 2015
Publisher: The Five Mile Press (Hot Key Books)
ISBN: 9781471404221
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Looking after a naked girl he found washed up under Hastings pier isn’t exactly how Rory had imagined spending his sixteenth birthday. But more surprising than finding her in the first place is discovering where she has come from.

Lorali is running not just from the sea, not just from her position as princess, but her entire destiny. Lorali has rejected life as a mermaid, and become human.

But along with Lorali’s arrival, and the freak weather suddenly battering the coast, more strange visitors begin appearing in Rory’s bemused Sussex town. With beautifully coiffed hair, sharp-collared shirts and a pirate ship shaped like a Tudor house, the Abelgare boys are a mystery all of their own. What are they really up to? Can Rory protect Lorali? And who from? And where does she really belong, anyway?

Lorali:

I received Lorali by Laura Dockrill from The Five Mile Press (Hot Key Books) in exchanged for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts on the book.

As soon as I read the synopsis for Lorali, I knew I needed it in my hands so I could read it. Firstly the cover is stunning, not only does it look beautiful. but it feels so cool. The front has scales like fish do, or like a mermaid’s tale and you can feel them.

Lorali jumps through 3 points of view; Rory the male protagonist and who the novel follows, Lorali; the mermaid that washes ashore and ‘The Sea.’

It was easy to distinguish between the different points of view. Rory had a very man like even boy like attitude in the way that he spoke and referred to things. I actually really enjoyed Rory as a Protagonist. It’s rare that I read a book with a male protagonist and I find them 1. Hard to connect to and 2. There isn’t too much of it. Rory is kind of the loner in a sense – he has friends, yes. But I got the vibe that he likes to be alone and that people just don’t get him.
Pretty early on in the book, the reader is able to see that Rory family is pretty dysfunctional. His father has left and too Rory, he is dead to him, but this took a toll on Rory’s mum and she isn’t what Rory needs.

Lorali’s point of view is interesting. All her sentences are short and don’t always make sense. But I think that added to her character. Lorali acted like a little girl and in a sense she was. She didn’t really know all too much about the land and ‘walkers,’ so she was new to everything. She acted like a 3 year old and it was so cute. She was excited about so many different things that a normal 16/17 year old wouldn’t get excited about. It was so adorable and I love the way that Rory acted about it as well; yes it thought it was so wired before he knew what she was, but after…oh it made my heart flutter.

‘The Sea’ was an interesting point of view. I haven’t read too many things when an author personifies something and I think that Laura Dockrill, did it perfectly. It was humanized in a way that if the chapters of Lorali didn’t have ‘The Sea’ at the top, you would have thought it was human.

‘The Sea’ followed a different people and it also gave the reader some back story on things and people that were brought up through the book.

One of the groups of people that the sea followed were aboard the Liberty Ship, the Ablegares boys, who are pirates. Otto, Oksa and Jasper are quite entertaining characters and I really enjoyed following their story. They shared such an awesome bond it was fun to read, but then they could be harsh and mean.

‘The Sea’ also follows Orla a mermaid whose job is to keep an eye on the walkers, again she was a really interesting character, which kind of disappointed me in the end.

Although I loved the plot, the characters and all the twists and turns. I didn’t fall in love with the writing style. I am not a massive fan of lots of short sentences, I felt that when the book was in Lorali’s point of view it made sense, but not when it was in others. I also felt the ending lacked – I was just really confused by the ending. I don’t know if that was just me and I missed something.

Overall, I really enjoyed Lorali. It was a fun, exciting read, that had me turning page after page. It was fast paced and exciting. I also loved that Laura Dockrill put newspaper/internet and other forms of media pieces in the book about things that occurred it added something different to an already unique book. There is so much more that I could go on about, but I won’t. If you like fantasy/paranormal, romance anything really, I think that you would enjoy Lorali.

Have you read Lorali yet? Did you like it? Are you plannign on reading it?