Month: February 2022

Audiobook Review: Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

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

Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance  

Publishing Info: Audiobook, July 2021, narrated by Holter Graham & Saskia Maarleveld

Star Rating: 3/5

Back Cover Summary:
The spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times and IndieBound bestselling trilogy Serpent & Dove. This stunning fantasy take on French witches and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

Evil always seeks a foothold. We must not give it one.

After a heartbreaking loss, Lou, Reid, Beau, and Coco are bent on vengeance more than ever before—and none more so than Lou.

But this is no longer the Lou they thought they knew. No longer the Lou that captured a chasseur’s heart. A darkness has settled over her, and this time it will take more than love to drive it out.

Gods & Monsters is the concluding novel in Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove series and, following an unexpected twist at the end of the previous instalment, I was intrigued to see how the story would conclude. While many fans of the first book found Blood & Honey disappointing, I found the character development and evolution of Lou and Reid’s relationship engaging, though there was a little too much filler in the plot department. Still, Gods & Monsters had a lot of work to do to bring the story round to a good conclusion and, while it did have a satisfying ending, the third novel sadly suffered from issues with the overall series structure.

The opening section of Gods & Monsters didn’t quite draw me in as much as I had hoped. Nicholina’s character was incredibly creepy, which I expect was the author’s intention, and the audiobook narrator did an excellent job of making her disturbing. Perhaps too good a job, as I felt a bit uncomfortable listening to this part of the audiobook. Lou also only had a small part in the first section, and without her presence, there was something missing.

After a while, I settled into the familiarity of the characters and Shelby Mahurin’s writing style, simply enjoying being back with these characters and enjoying the story. The character development was once again strong, with the characters challenged to face their deepest fears and truths about themselves they have yet to acknowledge.

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Audiobook Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

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

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance  

Publishing Info: Audiobook, June 2021, narrated by Elizabeth Knoweldon

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he’s under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her–hopefully proving, once and for all, that she’s as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

Fancying a change of pace, I decided to pick up The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, expecting a historical romance with a dash of adventure. That is what I got, but with a tad more of the fantastical than I had anticipated.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is bizarre yet brilliant, with Victorian ladies flying pirate houses using incantations, regularly attempting to assassinate each other, capably wielding guns and knives, and drinking tea. The juxtaposition between the well-mannered ladies and their piratical behaviour provided some excellent humour. The magical element is only a small part of the world as aside from the flying pirate houses, there wasn’t any other magic. After my initial bafflement at the concept, the idea was so well integrated into the Victorian world that it quickly seemed normal. Why wouldn’t women fly pirate houses around England?

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January 2022 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left5 Comments

Well, I can’t believe it’s already the end of the first month of 2022. I’ve not been blogging much for the last couple of weeks as I’ve not been feeling so well unfortunately. I’m moving house (again!) at the end of February as well so will probably not be around that much this month either. Once we’ve moved and things have settled down a bit I’m planning to be back posting more regularly again!

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This book was absolutely not what I was expecting and was completely strange but kind of amazing at the same time. This historical adventure romance with a splash of magic (and tea) was a delightfully fun read.

Aurora’s End by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – It feels like forever since I read Aurora Burning and I was so desperate to see how this story would end! While I did enjoy it, the first book is still my favourite in the series, followed by the second, but Aurora’s End was still a good conclusion to the series.

The Councillor by E. J. Beaton (audiobook) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – With political manoeuvring, intrigue, twists, elemental magic, a great protagonist and engaging narration from Moira Quirk, I absolutely loved this fantasy novel!    

Another month without much writing! I think covid knocked me really bad because I am really struggling with my energy levels so I haven’t been feeling up to writing. My books are having some time to simmer in my mind though, maybe I’ll brew some new ideas.

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