Monday 30 April 2018

The Belles

***
3/5



Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me this book to review.

I enjoyed The Belles as it has a good concept with the magic and world. It was described really well, especially the ambiance of how opulent and shallow the world is while telling you that not all is as it seems. While I liked the world, it would have been nice to see what it was like for those who are unable to afford the Belles treatment. However, the book seemed to go on a long time with not much happening and the book could be cut much shorter without anything important missing.

Camilla is ambitious and a perfectionist, but I didn’t connect with her much even though she is a good person. While I liked the other Belles, apart from Edel, they all seemed two-faced and more frenemies to each other and not sisters. I wanted more from the villain as they seemed evil just for evil sake and I wanted more depth.

While this book is not perfect I am interested to see what happens next in this story. I would recommend The Belles to fans of unique YA fantasy.

The Vanishing Spark of Dusk

***
3/5



Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me this book to review.

The Vanishing Spark of Dusk is an enjoyable sci-fi story with some dystopian elements as well as romance and rebellion. However, it is predictable and slow to start but it does really pick up at about a third of the way through. It has a good message about not judging an entire group of people based on a few individuals.

Lark is a good character who gains a lot of confident as the book goes on, as she starts as a quiet bookish person who lets people walk over her, to someone who is willing to sacrifice, stand up, and fight for what is right. I didn’t get on with Kalen at the start as he came across as a massive party boy who doesn’t take things seriously, and is part of the slave world, but as we got to know him better we see he has real depth as he has mixed feelings, and caring as he will do anything for those he loves.

I really liked this book and while it is a standalone book, I hope there will be more in this book universe. I would recommend The Vanishing Spark of Dusk to those who enjoy sci-fi romance books.

Music and the Tree who Loved Her

**
2/5



Thanks to Netgalley and J A Bennett for giving me this book to review.

Music and the Tree Who Loved Her is a fantasy novel with dragons but it did not hold my interest. The book is well written, but it seemed at the expense of world building and character development. The characters did not do much for me as they all seemed a bit bland except maybe Prince Green which might have developed into a well-developed character. This book wasn’t for me and I had to DNF it at 36%.

Sunday 29 April 2018

Everless

****
4/5



Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Children’s Group for giving me this book to review.

Everless is a compelling and unique story which I really liked. Some expectations I had based off similar YA fantasy books were challenged and twisted which made it quite interesting. The book was descriptive and really well written but also darker than I was expecting. It was full of fantasy and I really liked the idea of time being currency and the mystery with Jules determined to find the truth. I also liked that there was only the barest hint of romance as I feel it would have taken away from the book.

Jules is such a good character who is shrewd, thoughtful, and cautious but also trusting and naïve. The secondary characters are well described and multi-layered, and I understood their motives and that they had their won lives. Ina, Liam, and Caro were especially well written, and I am very interested to read more about them.

I really did not expect the ending, which means there is a massive cliffhanger, and I am eager to start reading the next book Evermore. I would recommend Everless to fans to The Gilded Cage.

Monday 9 April 2018

Stolen Enchantress

****
4/5



Thanks to Amber Argyle for giving me this book to review.

Stolen Enchantress is a fast-paced YA fantasy which I really enjoyed. It had brilliant world building and magic system, along with well written characters and a fairytale feel to the novel. The only thing I was not a fan of was why the girls were taken but I cannot say more without spoiling the book.

Larkin is a protective, loyal and caring person, and is a really good protagonist who is stuck in a society which sees her as possession and just wants to be free and valued. Denan is a strong leader but I wasn’t a fan of him as while he was nice and all, he was still kidnapping Larkin and tearing her away from her family.

I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. I would recommend Stolen Enchantress to those who are a fan Amber’s other books or just enjoy an adventure and magic filled YA story.