Tag: books

Audiobook Review: Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

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

Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

Genre: Fantasy

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Simon & Schuster Audio 2021

Star Rating: 3/5

Back Cover Summary:

In just over a year’s time, Ryia Cautella has already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the dockside city of Carrowwick—not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name.

For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster—the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she travels, his servants never fail to track her down…but even the most powerful men can be defeated.

Ryia’s path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, and against every instinct she has, it’s not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves very carefully. If she succeeds, her freedom is won once and for all… but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own.

Among Thieves has been pitched as perfect for fans of Six of Crows, and it has a lot in common with that work which many will enjoy, namely a ragtag crew from a criminal gang taking on a massive heist. The novel follows five POV characters as they are forced to work together, each with their own secrets and agendas. While I enjoyed Among Thieves, it didn’t quite keep me turning the pages the way I had hoped, especially for such a short, fast-paced Adult fantasy. 

In the opening chapters, we’re introduced to our main characters – Ryia, Tristan, Nash, Ivan and Evelyn. Three of these five characters had very similar backstories – they are on the run and their real identities are a secret that none of the others know. This similarity made it difficult to remember who was who at first, and also meant their stories didn’t feel unique enough to hold my interest.

The plot moved fast, was engaging, and the stakes were high. Inevitably, all their plans for the heist go wrong, and they have to adapt. Some parts kept me guessing, others felt a little too predictable.

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July & August 2021 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left7 Comments

So, I’ve not been around here much lately! I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus and will probably not be here much for a little while longer. At the beginning of August, I hurt my shoulder and I’ve been in a lot of pain. I’ve been managing to work but not been able to use my computer or phone much. Or, unfortunately, do much reading! I have been listening to audiobooks though.

I just wanted to do a quick post to let you know I haven’t disappeared completely! I will be back, I’m just not sure when, as it depends how long my shoulder takes to get better. I’m also moving house at the end of September (talk about bad timing to have a painful shoulder!) so things are a bit hectic at the moment.

Here is a quick wrap up for July and August. Hopefully I will be back to posting more regularly again soon!

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman – ⭐⭐⭐.5

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor – ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran – ⭐⭐⭐

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Hobbit audiobook – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

I got a book voucher for my birthday and I was able to go to a book shop in July for the first time since the pandemic which was incredibly exciting! I got The Invisible Library, The Poppy War, Pride and Premeditation, and The Cruel Prince. I also had pre-orders arrive for Six Crimson Cranes, The Wolf and the Woodsman, Fire With Fire, and Broken Web.

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

500 Followers + Book Giveaway!

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left9 Comments

I’m so excited and amazed that I now have 500 followers!! I started this blog way back in 2012, had a bit of a hiatus while I was at uni, and have loved being back and more active again the last two or three years. Thank you to everyone who has followed my blog and liked or commented on my posts! I can’t believe so many people are interested in hearing me ramble about books haha.

I’ve met so many amazing people while blogging and I appreciate you all so much! I love being part of the book blogging community. You’re all such an awesome bunch! I love getting to chat with you about books and share our love of reading.

I haven’t had as much time for blogging and blog hopping recently because life has been a bit manic lately! But I am still around and will hopefully be more active again when things have calmed down as we have hopefully finally found a house and should be moving in September.

To celebrate 500 followers, I’m hosting a book giveaway over on Twitter! Check out my tweet here to enter. It closes at midday BST on Friday 30th July.

Thank you all again! And I look forward to having even more bookish chats with you in future! 🥰

Mid-Year Freakout Book Tag 2021

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

I really can’t believe we’re halfway through 2021 already! So far, I’ve read 25 books this year and I’m on target to hit my goal of 40 books in 2021 so I am very happy with that. I’ve read some great books so without further ado, let’s jump into the tag.

Best Book You’ve Read So Far In 2021

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu – This book destroyed me. Can’t say too much since it’s the last in the series, but honestly it was so emotionally heart wrenching I’m still not over it.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far In 2021

I’ve read some really great sequels this year but two that stood out are Blood & Honey and Days of Blood and Starlight. A lot of people didn’t seem to like Blood & Honey and I went in with low expectations, which might have helped, but I really enjoyed this one and was surprised by it. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my all-time faves and Days of Blood and Starlight was so good as well.

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To

The Gilded Ones came out earlier this year and I am so excited to read it!

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Top 10 Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2021

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left11 Comments

So today’s top 10 is actually going to be a top 12 because I just couldn’t decide which two to cut from this list! There are so many books I’m excited for in the second half of 2021!

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim  

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

I really enjoyed the Spin the Dawn duology so I’m really looking forward to Elizabeth Lim’s next book!

Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

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.

Honestly I didn’t expect to enjoy this series as much as I did! But I ended up loving both the first and second books, and I need to know what happens in the last book!

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer 

The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.

King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited.

Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most–but it’s still not enough.

As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King’s Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely was a surprise favourite to me, so I’m excited to see what Brigid Kemmerer writes next.

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May 2021 Wrap Up

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

I’m on a bit of a semi-hiatus from blogging at the moment because life has been a bit hectic! Work is very busy and we’re currently in the process of selling our house and trying to find a new home, so a lot of my time is being taken up with house hunting!

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I found the pacing of this book a little bit slow but I loved the complex world building and characters!

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer ⭐⭐⭐.5 – I can’t believe this series is over! I enjoyed the final instalment, but the first book in the series is still my favourite.

Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie ⭐⭐⭐.5 – There is a lot about this duology that I loved, like the magic system, but I just didn’t feel the romance and some of the scenes were a bit repetitive. The ending was pretty epic though! 

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I loved this book so much! The magic, world building and characters are all fantastic. There’s also chronic pain rep which I was so happy to see. Also, I never imagined a dead goat could become a favourite character, but there you go. More people need to read this book! 

I only bought one book this month – Kingfisher by Patricia A. McKillip. She’s one of my favourite authors and I didn’t know she’d written an Arthurian inspired book, so I just had to get my hands on it when I found out!

I finished the second draft of my WIP at the start of May! It came in at a whopping 100,000 words so it got a lot longer with that redraft. I’m currently reading through it at the moment, but it’s taking a while because I’ve been so busy.

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

WWW Wednesday: 12 May 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 – The Unbroken by C. L. Clark

This book was just so good! I found it a bit slow but the world building is excellent and the story and characters so complex.

Book cover for A Vow So Bold and Deadly

RECENTLY FINISHED – A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer  

Having not enjoyed the second book in this series as much as the first, I was glad to find I reconnected with this series again with the final instalment. I was so happy to see my fave character – Harper – back as she was hardly in the second book. Review coming soon!

CURRENTLY READING – Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie   

I just started this one! I have a few duologies I’ve started and need to finish so I’m trying to tick some of those off. I enjoyed but didn’t love the first book, but I liked it enough to want to know what happens next. The magic system in this series is really interesting as well!

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

The Medieval Queens Book Tag

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left9 Comments

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a tag but this one has such an interesting theme, I just had to do this one. Thank you to A Couple of B’s for tagging me, and to Jess from Jessticulates for coming up with the tag!

EMPRESS MATILDA (1102-1167)

After her father, Henry I, died naming her his heir, Matilda’s cousin, Stephen, subsequently took the throne for himself. Matilda never stopped fighting for what was rightfully hers. Though she would never be named Queen of England in her own right, she was able to convince Stephen to name her son, the future Henry II, his successor over his own children.

Choose a book with a protagonist who stands their ground.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer – Harper is one of my favourite characters and I love how fierce and fearless she is, and how she always stands her ground.

ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE (1122-1204)

Before she married Henry II and became Queen of England in 1152, Eleanor was Queen of France as the wife of Louis VII. She sought an annulment from her marriage to Louis, and he eventually agreed because 15 years of marriage had produced no sons, only for Eleanor to go on to have eight children with Henry—five of whom were sons. Ouch!

Choose a book or series in which the heroine has more than one romantic relationship.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – The heroine actually has a few relationships throughout this series! It’s not something I’ve seen that much, as most often books seem to follow the protagonist on one romantic journey.

ELEANOR OF CASTILE (1241-1290)

A keen patron of literature and a successful businesswoman in her own right, Eleanor was Edward I’s first wife. He was so heartbroken when she died that he erected the Eleanor Crosses, twelve stone crosses marking the places where her body rested overnight on its journey from Lincolnshire, where she died, to her burial place in London. Three of the crosses still survive today.

Choose a bittersweet book.

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu – No spoilers but this series had such a good, albeit bittersweet, ending! I was tearing up at the end.

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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!

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!