Category: Book Reviews

Audiobook Review: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

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An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Simon & Schuster Audio UK, narrated by Julia Whelan

Star Rating: 5/5

Back Cover Summary:

From the internationally best-selling author of Sorcery of Thorns comes a breathtaking fantasy story of danger, lust and forbidden love. This is the perfect story for fans of Cassandra Clare, Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and Holly Black!

Every enchantment has a price….

Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the immortal fair folk. Yet when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, a fairy prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious, Rook escorts Isabel to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime, but their journey is full of danger. Forced to depend on each other for survival, will their alliance blossom into something more? After all, love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws…but are some matters worth the risk?

Although I enjoyed Margaret Rogerson’s two other novels – Sorcery of Thorns and Vespertine – I was unsure about reading An Enchantment of Ravens due to it having quite a low average star rating. However, I’m very glad that I finally picked this one up as I ended up loving it, and am honestly surprised it has such a low rating on Goodreads. Margaret Rogerson’s writing in this novel is just sublime. The descriptions are so evocative and paint such a clear picture, I felt I could truly sink into the story and be enveloped by it. The audiobook narration from Julia Whelan was also excellent.

The novel centres on the romance between a human and a fair one, which causes the protagonist a lot of problems as love between a human and fair one is forbidden. At first, I thought the romance might be a bit rushed at the start, but actually it is given time to grow and develop throughout the book. I was really rooting for these two and willing Isabelle to realise her true feelings.

I loved how the fair folk are depicted in this novel. They are completely inhuman, beautiful and ethereal yet cold and distant, tricky and cunning and dangerous. The atmosphere that the author creates with her beautiful writing is so striking and the way the world of the fair ones is described is both beautiful and disturbing, in a way that it really makes you think about what it means to be human and to feel human emotions, and how cold and hollow life would be without them. 

There are some very amusing moments when Rook is confused by Isabelle’s human needs and emotions. His characterisation throughout is excellent. The way the author describes his expressions and moods is so spot on, I could visualise his character so clearly.

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Audiobook Review: Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long

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Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long

Genre: Fantasy

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Recorded Books, narrated by Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

A stormsinger and pirate hunter join forces against a deathless pirate lord in this swashbuckling Jacobean adventure on the high-seas—launching the Winter Sea series, full of magic, betrayal, redemption and fearsome women, for fans of Adrienne Young, R. J. Barker and Naomi Novik

Mary Firth is a Stormsinger: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. Faced with servitude to a deathless pirate lord, Mary offers her skills to his arch-rival in exchange for protection—and, more importantly, his help in sending the pirate to a watery grave.

But Mary’s dreams are dark and full of ghistings, spectral creatures who inhabit the ancient forests of her homeland and the figureheads of ships. Her new ally has his own vendetta, complete with revenge and a lost fleet, locked in the eternal ice of the far north, and disgraced pirate hunter Samuel Rosser is close on their trail. Samuel will stop at nothing to restore his good name and claim the only thing that stands between himself and madness: a talisman stolen by Mary herself. Finally, driven into the eternal ice at the limits of their world, Mary and Samuel must choose their loyalties and battle forces older and more powerful than the pirates who would make them slaves.

Come sail the winter sea, for action-packed, high-stakes adventures, rich characterization and epic plots full of intrigue and betrayal.

This adventurous pirate novel starts with a bang, opening on an exciting and intriguing scene as the protagonist faces the gallows. Pirate stories are not my go-to kind of fantasy. In fact, I can’t actually remember reading one before. However, I decided to take the plunge with something a little different and give this one a go. What drew me to this book was one of the narrators, Moira Quirk, who has been so fantastic on the previous audiobooks I’ve listened to. She was once again superb, capturing the mood and tone of every scene.

The world building is creative and I enjoyed the epigraphs which provided a bit more insight into the magic. I felt immersed in the world. There was plenty of detail and everything was well explained without being too info dumpy. The author does a great job of creating atmosphere too. Although the book is primarily set in stormy seas, I felt very steady reading it, like I was in good hands with this author, who carried me through the world and the story smoothly. The pacing did become a little slow in the middle, but the story kept me interested enough to keep going and built well to the concluding section of the novel. Action scenes were well-described with plenty of tension that kept me hooked.

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Audiobook Review: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

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A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Orion Children’s Books, narrated by Fran Burgoyne

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

An unforgettable YA regency-inspired romantic fantasy about a seamstress who is sent to dress the prince for his royal wedding – and the scandal she weaves in her wake.

All Niamh has longed for is to be remembered: to create something that will last far longer than she will. For her, that means becoming a renowned dressmaker, using the magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric – the same magic that will eventually kill her.

When Niamh is commissioned to design the prince’s wardrobe for a royal wedding in Avaland, she knows she finally has her chance to leave her legacy. But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While nobles and the elite attend extravagant balls and candlelit garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class.

Niamh finds herself drawn to Kit, the prince whom she must dress for his wedding, despite his cold, prickly demeanour. And soon, a gossip column reports on their undeniable chemistry between them, threatening scandal. Niamh must decide if reputation should come above all else, whether her magic curse will allow her to experience love, and what cost she is willing to pay for a future she never thought possible…

Threaded with intrigue and unforgettable characters, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance for the ages.

This Regency-inspired fantasy captivated me with its warm heart and beautiful writing. The opening drew me in and enveloped me entirely. Allison Saft’s descriptions were just so well crafted that I found myself wanting to reread sentences to take in the stunning imagery. The audiobook narration by Fran Burgoyne elevates the reading experience. The narration was so expressive and brings to life each of the characters’ voices excellently. I always knew who was speaking and Fran captures the characters’ personalities in their voices so well.

The chemistry between the main character and love interest leapt off the page. With a grump/sunshine dynamic, I loved their interactions, which often provided humour and brought a smile to my face. There was also something very touching about how they broke down each other’s walls and helped each other grow. There is also an excellent supporting cast of side characters, through which the author explores friendship as well as romance.

The magic in this book is so interesting. Niamh’s magic enables her to sew emotions and memories into the garments she makes, which can be felt by both the wearer and those around them. However, the magic isn’t always predictable and sometimes her own feelings influence the enchantments she stitches, leading to some final results that aren’t always quite what she intended.

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Audiobook Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

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The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Bloomsbury Publishing, narrated by Alana Kerr Collins

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

It is a dark time for clairvoyants. Scion is in league with the Rephaim, an extraordinarily powerful, otherworldly race that intends to make humans its slaves.

In an unprecedented feat of bravery, Paige Mahoney has succeeded in leading a mass break-out from the brutal camp, Sheol I, where she and other clairvoyants were systematically imprisoned.

Paige is desperate to reach the safety of the London underworld, but the ruthless leader of the Rephaim, Nashira Sargas, is not likely to let her escape so easily….

The Mime Order is the sequel to Samantha Shannon’s imaginative dystopian novel The Bone Season, a novel which took me by surprise with its detailed and unique worldbuilding and magic system. The sequel picks up right where The Bone Season ended, throwing the reader right into the midst of the action. This was a little jarring and felt more like I was reading the end of The Bone Season, than the beginning of its sequel.

I found a large part of The Mime Order to be a little slow paced, with too many similar scenes that made it feel stretched out. However, the pace picks up in the last third of the book. All the pieces begin to fall into place and I found myself eager to continue reading. This novel builds slowly to an action-packed ending that left me on the edge of my seat.  

Once again, the detailed worldbuilding stands out. Although I found the pacing slow at times, the intriguing world of this series always manages to hold my attention. Having said that, the amount of unfamiliar words and phrases and terms for different kinds of clairvoyants was a little overwhelming to keep track of.

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Audiobook Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

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Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Magpie, narrated by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

Eighteen-year-old Iris dreams that one day her writing will make a difference. A war between gods is raging, and she’s landed a prestigious job at the Oath Gazette.

But at home, she’s barely holding it together. Her brother is missing on the frontline. Her mother is lost in a haze of addiction. And each night Iris pours her heart out in letters to her brother.

Letters that will never be answered. Or so she thinks…

They’ve made their way into the hands of the last person Iris trusts: Roman Kitt. Her cold, unforgiving rival at the paper.

Drawn together by fate and magic, they form an unlikely connection. They say love conquers all… but can it triumph in a war between gods?

Divine Rivals is a touching and emotional YA fantasy. With a setting inspired by the Second World War, this novel stands out from other works in the genre. As you would expect from a novel set during a war, Rebecca Ross deals with some heavy topics such as grief and trauma. The focus of the novel is the romance between rivals at a newspaper, which was beautifully written and lovely to see how they transitioned from rivals to lovers.  

The magic at the start of Divine Rivals is intriguing, with magic having seeped into the city of Oath, resulting in interesting quirks such as a supermarket that only shows you products you can afford or a house which provides late night milk and biscuits. Once the story moves away from Oath, however, there isn’t as much magic, and the novel felt more historical with touches of magic despite being set in a secondary world rather than being historical. I would have personally enjoyed more magic akin to that at the beginning of the novel, though this is down to personal taste rather than any issue with the book itself.

I enjoyed reading a fantasy novel set in a different era from most and the romance was woven brilliantly between letters and in person interactions. Although I can see why this novel has struck a chord with so many readers, it’s not a favourite read for me though I can’t quite put my finger on why. The ending was heartbreaking and certainly provides a strong draw to read the sequel. Even though this isn’t one of my favourite reads of the year, I would highly recommend it as an excellently crafted YA novel with an interesting setting and beautiful romance.  

Audiobook ARC Review: Daughter of Winter and Twilight by Helen Corcoran

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Daughter of Winter and Twilight by Helen Corcoran

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Bolinda Audio, narrated by Katy Sobey

Star Rating: 3/5

Back Cover Summary:

To some, Emri – the adopted heir and daughter of two queens – is just a living reminder that her birth father tried to usurp the Edaran throne. About to come of age, and faced with changes beyond her control, she must also grapple with a Court visit from her estranged cousin, Melisande. But when they’re attacked by a magical force and spirited away, they must put their differences aside when Emri comes face to face with a goddess she’s always considered a myth: Lady Winter.

Trapped deep within a mountain temple alongside other captured young royals, they face a race against time to complete Lady Winter’s trials…or die.

Thank you so much to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Daughter of Winter and Twilight is a standalone sequel to Queen of Coin and Whispers, and follows a princess who must face the gods and magic she believed no longer existed. The book is set fourteen years after Queen of Coin and Whispers and includes several characters from that book, including the two protagonists. Our main character for the sequel is their adopted daughter. It’s been a couple of years since I read the last book, and though this is meant to be a standalone, I found myself straining to try and remember what had happened before and struggling to understand everything. I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book more recently.

The novel opens well with plenty of court intrigue, introducing us to this world and our protagonist, Emri. The first third of the book was good, and Lady Winter’s introduction was dramatic and tense. This was definitely the most impactful scene. I loved the descriptions of all the gods, their different personalities, and how even the nicer ones felt remote and magical. They were beautiful and powerful, and the author excellently portrayed how different they are from mortals.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the book was slow and not as engaging as the first third. It also wasn’t what I was expecting. Lady Winter’s trials are more psychological and emotional, and for a ‘race against time’ there is little urgency. The characters spend a lot of time wandering inside the mountain, eating and sleeping, and not really knowing what it is they are meant to do. A lot of scenes, descriptions and internal thoughts felt repetitive. If the novel had been edited down a bit, and unnecessary or repeated details trimmed a little, the pace would have been improved.

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Audiobook Review: Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

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Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

Genre: Fantasy, Romance  

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Podium Audio, narrated by Emily Lawrence and Tim Campbell

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

Though she is the oldest daughter, Princess Faraine lives in the background, shunned from court and kept out of sight. Her chronic illness makes her a liability to the crown, and she has learned to give place to her beautiful, favored younger sister in all things.

When the handsome and enigmatic Shadow King comes seeking a bride, Faraine is not surprised that her sister is his choice.

Though not eager to take a human bride, King Vor is willing to do what is necessary for the sake of his people. When he meets the lively Princess Ilsevel, he quickly agrees to a marriage arrangement.

So why can’t he get the haunting eyes of her older sister out of his head?

Passionate and alluring, Bride of the Shadow King is an arranged marriage tale with dual points-of-view (his and hers). The first book in a new fantasy romance series, this sweeping tale of love and betrayal is perfect for listeners looking for a touch of spice to go with the sweet in their next swoony, slow-burn romance.

The first book in a trilogy, Bride of the Shadow King is an alluring, beautifully described and well-plotted romantasy novel. With fantastic chemistry between the two protagonists, high stakes and plenty of mystery and intrigue, this was a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy romance. Sylvia Mercedes’ writing flows very well and drew me in right from the start. The audiobook narration is also performed brilliantly, bringing all the characters to life.

From their first meeting, I knew I would be rooting for Faraine and Vor. The time they spend together at the start of the book, as they get to know each other and learn the customs and cultures of their people, was my favourite part. When they were apart, I was longing for them to be back on the page together again. There was one spicy scene in this first novel, though I imagine there may be more to come in the rest of the series.

I liked that though Faraine is not a warrior, assassin, spy or other similar type, she is still a strong character. While I love seeing women being badass fighters in books, it’s also good to see other kinds of women and other kinds of strength represented. There is also chronic illness representation, with Faraine’s magical gift to sense others’ emotions having a cost. The emotions of others can overwhelm her, especially when she is around lots of people or when they make physical contact, leaving her in pain.

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Audiobook Review: Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

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Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Genre: Fantasy  

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Hodder & Stoughton, narrated by Kristin Hvam

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

It began with Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It continued with Days of Blood and Starlight. It ends with Dreams of Gods and Monsters.

Common enemy, common cause. When Jael’s brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people. And, perhaps, for themselves.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz…something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world. What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera, and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theatre that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a good conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, but it didn’t have the same impact as the first two. I adore Laini Taylor’s writing. It’s beautiful and flowing and she paints her stories so beautifully. However, this style slowed the pacing too much at times in this instalment. Some scenes, while written very well, dragged and it sucked the tension out of them.

The first half of the book was also too slow, and if I hadn’t already been invested from the first two, I may have put the book down. Which is shocking, considering how much I loved the previous books. If it had been trimmed a little and made a tad shorter, the pacing would have been improved. There were also a lot of scenes from a new character which I struggled to be invested in. While I understood their importance and, by the end, it made sense why she was included, I wanted to spend time with the characters I’d come to know and love across the series and was more invested in following the main plotline.

Despite being slow in places, there were also plenty shocking, heart-racing twisty scenes and set pieces. Moments that wrenched at my heartstrings and left me devastated, yet clinging to threads of hope. Laini Taylor does this so well across the series.

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Audiobook Review: Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

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Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall

Genre: Romance, Historical Fantasy

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Gollancz, narrated by Nneka Okoye

Star Rating: 3/5

Back Cover Summary:

A young noblewoman must join forces with a rumoured witch to conquer an ancient curse in this devilishly funny and heartwarming sapphic Regency romantasy from TikTok titan and bestselling author of Boyfriend Material Alexis Hall – unmissable for fans of Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, Sophie Irwin’s A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, and Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light.

It is the year 1814 and Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into the highest society of Bath hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough, with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at the ball of the season, a scandal she only narrowly manages to escape.

However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, she realises she must seek out urgent assistance, even if that means mixing with the most undesirable company – and there are few less desirable allies than the brooding Lady Georgiana Landrake – who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune.

If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress.

Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs.

Having seen mixed reviews for this book, I was unsure whether to give it a go. However, when I listened to the audiobook sample, I found myself completely drawn in by the author’s writing style and the audio narration, so when it came to the end of the sample, I was eager to continue reading.

The novel is narrated from the perspective of Robin, a hobgoblin who decides to follow Maelys in the hopes of collecting a good story. This is an unusual narrative device that will definitely not click with all readers. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying this aspect of the story and think it worked very well. The only time I didn’t enjoy the magical narrator, was during spicy scenes. It felt a little strange, intrusive almost, to be seeing these intimate moments from the perspective of a third-party observer.

Although I was never bored, the pacing was slow at times, and for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on, I just wasn’t keen on a lot of the plot choices. It felt meandering. There are also a lot of similar scenes in the second half which made it drag a little. If this book had been shorter, it would have been a much more engaging read. While I was happy enough to continue reading, I was never excited to. Apart from, perhaps, the midpoint which did provide some suspense and tension.

While I liked Lady Georgiana when we first meet her character, her continued meanness and mockery of the protagonist began to grate. Reasons for her to push Maelys away of course come to light, but even so, there was something about her attitude and treatment of Maelys which, rather than being attractive or sexy, was just nasty most of the time.

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Audiobook Review: City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn  

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City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn  

Genre: Young Adult, Science-Fiction  

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Tantor Audio, narrated by Sarah Beth Pfeifer

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

As heiress to a powerful tech empire, 17-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she’s more than her manipulative father’s shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming – including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue AI hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise Requiem.

Gunslinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem’s underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly what the bounty Riven needs – until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa’s wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive.

Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The AI exploits the girls’ darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they’re both depending on. As one of Requiem’s 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven’s city and Asa’s sister are snuffed out forever.

City of Shattered Light is a strong debut with a fast pace and plenty of action, treading down the cyberpunk branch of science-fiction with cybernetics, tech, artificial intelligence and a world of crime syndicates and organ pirates. The bright and dramatic cover is what drew me to this book and it really does capture the novel’s essence so well. Claire Winn does an excellent job of bringing the dark yet vibrant world of Requiem to life with descriptions that paint a vivid picture. The writing flows well, making this book very readable.  

I was drawn in by this book right from the start, and the pacing was so fast that I was hooked all the way through. The main plot is exciting with twists and turns aplenty, and it doesn’t leave character development by the wayside. The plot and characters interweave, each impacting the other and making a very strong web. Some twists were predictable, but I didn’t mind because there was plenty of drama and intrigue. 

Asa and Riven make good protagonists. With quite contrasting backstories and personalities, I enjoyed seeing how they interacted and how they progressed throughout the novel. A bisexual love triangle adds a romance element but it doesn’t overshadow the plot. While Asa, Riven and Ty were all really strong characters, I felt Samir and Diego weren’t quite so well developed and I’d have liked a bit more time to get to know them. I do enjoy the found family trope though so I did like the dynamics of the crew.

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