Month: April 2021

April 2021 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

I’ve not been blogging as much this month because life decided to get in the way of everything. I’ve been busy at work and we’re going to be trying to sell our house soon so we’ve been doing lots of cleaning and tidying, and it’s all just left me feeling a bit exhausted. So things might still be a bit quiet around here for a little while but I’ll still be posting and reading all your awesome posts when I can.

Links take you to my reviews!

Malice by Heather Walter ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I was really excited to get an eARC for this book. It’s a Sleeping Beauty retelling from the perspective of the villain and I absolutely loved the world building and Alyce’s character journey.

Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I’ve read so much fantasy this year, that I really enjoyed reading a scifi book for a change. This YA space opera is so much fun, and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out!

Light by Michael Grant ⭐⭐⭐.5 – The final book in the Gone series. I have finally managed to make it to the end. It’s taken me eight years to read all six books. I have quite mixed feelings about this series, but I am glad I’ve finished it.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I don’t generally enjoy short stories that much, but I like how these ones were connected and had a thread running through them, following Simon’s journey as he progressed through his training.

For once, I actually managed to keep up a book buying ban? I didn’t buy any new books this month. I did place a couple of pre-orders for special editions which won’t arrive until August/September, but other than that, I didn’t buy any books.

I successfully hit my 20,000 word goal for Camp NaNoWriMo, which I am really chuffed with! I am so nearly finished my second draft, so that’s quite exciting. I think I will definitely finish it in May. And then I just have to read through it again, since I edited a lot of the chapters out of order, I will need to read it through and make sure I’m happy with the order of everything and check for consistency errors.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

Book Review: Light by Michael Grant

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

Light by Michael Grant

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publishing Info: May 2015 by Egmont Books (first published 2012)

Pages: 464

Star Rating: 3.5/5

Back Cover Summary:

All eyes are on Perdido Beach. The barrier wall is now as clear as glass and life in the FAYZ is visible for the entire outside world to see. Life inside the dome remains a constant battle and the Darkness, away from watchful eyes, grows and grows …The society that Sam and Astrid have struggled so hard to build is about to be shattered for good. It’s the end of the FAYZ. Who will survive to see the light of day? A tour-de-force from global sensation, Michael Grant, Light is the final heartstopping installment in this bestselling series.

Light is the final book in the Gone series and, although I enjoyed it in some ways, I’m also glad I’ve now finished it. Spanning six books, this series just felt too long for me. The plot was stretched out too much, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been less books. The fifth book was a bit of a miss for me, but I’d come so far, and only had the last book left, so felt I needed to finish the series and see how it all ended.

Overall, I think this was a good ending to the series. It was satisfying, but not altogether surprising or shocking, in the sense that it played out as you’d probably expect. But it was fast paced and there was plenty of action. There are, unsurprisingly, quite a few character deaths. The death toll in this series is huge. I continued to enjoy the characters and how morally grey most of them are. They’ve been through a lot, and their experiences shape and change them over the course of the series.

This book also explores the issues around what will happen when the kids eventually get out of the FAYZ and into the real world, considering how many crimes were committed inside the dome. Especially since the dome is clear in this book and, for the first time, the world can see in and witness the events unfolding.

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WWW Wednesday: 21 April 2021

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left2 Comments

This weekly meme is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s are:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What are you going to read next?

RECENTLY FINISHED – Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed this YA space opera, which sees the main character on a planet-hopping adventure. It’s fast-paced with lots of humour. Highly recommended!

CURRENTLY READING – Light by Michael Grant

I am finally reading the last book in this series and although I did like these books, I’m kind of glad to be finishing them. There is so much grim, gory, horrific content in the Gone series, and I’ve already had to skim read a few scenes in this final book because it’s just too gruesome for me! But I really want to know how the story ends, so here I am, persevering.

READING NEXT – The Unbroken by C. L. Clark  

What are you reading at the moment? What are you looking forward to reading next? Chat with me in the comments!

Book Review: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left3 Comments

Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction  

Publishing Info: September 2020 by Harper Teen   

Pages: 375

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

A deadly competition for the throne will determine more than just the fate of the empire in this duology opener.

Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy. Her mother sacrificed everything to bring peace to the quadrant, and her uncle has successfully ruled as emperor for decades. But the last thing Alyssa wants is to follow in their footsteps as the next in line for the throne. Why would she choose to be trapped in a palace when she could be having wild adventures exploring a thousand-and-one planets in her own ship?

But when Alyssa’s uncle becomes gravely ill, his dying wish surprises the entire galaxy. Instead of naming her as his successor, he calls for a crownchase, the first in seven centuries. Representatives from each of the empire’s prime families—including Alyssa—are thrown into a race to find the royal seal, which has been hidden somewhere in the empire. The first to find the seal wins the throne.

Alyssa’s experience as an explorer makes her the favorite to win the crown she never wanted. And though she doesn’t want to be empress, her duty to her uncle compels her to participate in this one last epic adventure. But when the chase turns deadly, it’s clear that more than just the fate of the empire is at stake. Alyssa is on her most important quest yet—and only time will tell if she’ll survive it.

This book reminded me why I’m such a sucker for space opera, and why I want to see more of it in YA. Crownchasers is a planet-hopping adventure and I had so much fun reading it. At just 375 pages, it was a pretty quick read, and I was on my edge of my seat for every single one of those pages.

The plot revolves around the crownchase, a competition between the prime families of the empire to determine who will be the next emperor. This involves a lot of space travel, discovering new planets, and working out mysterious clues. There is also a media element as well, as the whole galaxy seems to be watching the crownchase to see who will be victorious, which reminded me of The Hunger Games.

Alyssa Farshot is a reluctant participant in the crownchase. She loves exploring, and has never had any desire to sit on the empire’s throne. Alyssa brings a whole lot of snarky humour to this book and I loved how daring and reckless she is. Her voice is one of the best parts of this book, I felt like I was on this wild ride right along with her, and it was great to see how her character developed over the course of the story. As well as the pressures of the crownchase, she also has to deal with her grief over the loss of her uncle, and I thought Coffindaffer did an excellent job of weaving Alyssa’s character growth into such a fast-paced and action-packed book.

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WWW Wednesday: 14 April 2021

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left8 Comments

I had the second dose of the COVID vaccine at the weekend – hurrah! It has made me feel a bit tired though so I’ve not been doing much the last few days.

This weekly meme is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s are:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What are you going to read next?

RECENTLY FINISHED – Malice by Heather Walter

This Sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty is a delightfully wicked reimagining of the original story. I loved the world building and seeing how Alyce’s character changed over the course of the book. You can check out my review here.

CURRENTLY READING – Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

I’ve read a lot of fantasy recently so decided to read something scifi and I’m so glad I picked this book up because it’s been such a fun adventure so far!

READING NEXT – Light by Michael Grant

I’m not 100% sure what I’m going to read next, but I might read Light by Michael Grant next. I feel like I’ve been reading the Gone series forever so I want to finish it.

What are you reading at the moment? What are you looking forward to reading next? Chat with me in the comments!

Book Review: Malice by Heather Walter (eARC)

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left4 Comments

Malice by Heather Walter

Genre: Fantasy

Publishing Info: eARC from Del Ray  

Pages: 400

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.

You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

Utter nonsense.

Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.

Until I met her.

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

Nonsense again.

Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I—

I am the villain.

Thank you so much to Del Ray and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The word ‘retelling’ is sure to get me interested in a book, and when I saw Malice was a Sapphic reimagining of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villain, I just knew I had to read it. Malice includes many key elements of Sleeping Beauty (as well as a dash of other fairy tales, like Cinderalla), but weaves these into a new world and story in a refreshing way.

From the start, I really enjoyed the world building, and how the society of Briar is depicted. The upper classes are selfish and vain, obsessed with beauty and luxury, and how they can use the Graces to obtain those things. In return for their services, Graces receive payment and invitations to parties, but then when their magic Fades, they also fade out of the spotlight. Graces have little control over their lives due to the Grace Laws, and although their lives seem glamorous on the outside, there is an insidious undercurrent to the way this society functions. Good and evil isn’t so simple here, as almost every character falls somewhere in between.

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WWW Wednesday: 7 April

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left8 Comments

I’ve been really busy at work recently, and been feeling very tired and fatigued during my down time, so haven’t spent as much time blogging and blog hopping as I would like. I may be a bit quiet around here for a bit longer, but I am not going anywhere! I’ll be back to posting more regularly again when things are bit less stressful for me, when I’m feeling a bit better, and when I have more time to dedicate to writing good posts.

This weekly meme is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s are:

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you currently reading?

What are you going to read next?

RECENTLY FINISHED – The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  

Although this book was really long, it wasn’t at all slow. In fact, there seemed to be a lot packed in to it. So even though there are a lot of pages to get through, I was never bored at any point during the story, the pacing wasn’t slow at all, as I find in some big fantasy books. Also, it’s a standalone, so even though it’s long, I felt satisfied finishing it having reached the story’s conclusion.

CURRENTLY READING – Malice by Heather Walter

I’m currently reading an eARC of this Sleeping Beauty retelling, I’m about 20% of the way in and enjoying it so far. There’s some interesting worldbuilding and I’m intrigued to see where the story will go.

What are you reading at the moment? What are you looking forward to reading next? Chat with me in the comments!

March 2021 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left4 Comments

I didn’t read that many books this month but I did read The Priory of the Orange Tree which is super long and I’m actually pleased with how quickly I read it considering how long it is.

Links take you to my reviews!

Gut Feelings by C. G. Moore ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This novel in verse is a really raw and powerful read. It’s an own voices novel in verse based on the author’s own experiences of living with Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). I really related to the depiction of chronic illness and would really recommend.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This book is basically a mash up of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games and that is a really cool combination. The Greek mythology is worked into the story really well and this book was a wild ride.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I was a bit intimidated by the length of this book but I am so glad I read it. Even though it was long, I never felt bored while reading it. The world building is so detailed and I loved how all the different characters’ stories weave together.

I got so many books in the post this month, but a lot of them were pre-orders, and a couple should have come in February but were delayed. So many books seemed to come out in March? So here’s a quick roundup – Goldsboro edition of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, Illumicrate edition of Red Tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao, A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth (I had an eARC of this and just had to pre-order because it was so good), Waterstones paperback edition of House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, The Unbroken by C. L. Clark, and Fairyloot edition of Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie.

I made so much progress with the second draft of my book this month so I’m really pleased with that! I hit 72,000 words at the end of March. Still have quite a bit left to go, but I’m hoping I can keep it under 100k as I don’t want it to get too long.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!