Wednesday 29 April 2020

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez - A Review


Today's review is about the book Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez. 

This book is different from anything I have read. It is inspired by Bolivian history and politics and it is very well written.

We follow Ximena, who is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.
When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.
She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa. 

I liked the rich cultural aspects of the story, the magic system which was very unusual and of course the food. I also really liked the way the relationship between Rumi and Ximena developed. 

For me the story as interesting as it was, it was a little slow-paced especially at the beginning. The ending left me with many unanswered questions that I hope will be answered in the 2nd book. 

Rating: 4  Stars

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

I have the Fairyloot exclusive edition of the book but you can buy this book from Book Depository using this link (affiliate link)

Wednesday 22 April 2020

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller - A Review


Today's review is about The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller. It is a young adult fantasy  book with romance. 

I loved this book and the truth is I wasn't expecting to. I do not know what to say about it. It's my first 5 star of the year and became one of my favourites. It's been awhile since I binge read a book. 

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

I loved the way Tricia Levenseller wrote the story. It is fast-paced with many twists and turns throughout. The romance part of the book is just perfection. The characters were not like the others. They were villainous in their own unique way and morally grey. 
Alessandra is an empowered and sassy character, full of ambition. Kallias is one to die for. I loved the mystery surrounding him and his strength. 
When they say that this is a Slytherin romance they are 100% covered. 

Fun Fact: I really liked the fact that the names of all the characters had Greek influences, as I am myself from Greece. 

Highly recommend it!!

Rating: 5 Stars

See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

I have the Fairyloot exclusive edition of the book but you can buy this book from Book Depository using this link (affiliate link)


Wednesday 15 April 2020

Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide by Arin Murphy-Hiscock (Titan Books) - A Review


Assassin's Creed is one of my favourite series that I think it is underrated. Everyone associates Assassin's Creed with the video games and that is pretty natural but the books that came from them are very very good.  

They are full of action, fast-paced and there is a very fascinating plot throughout the series. The covert war between two secret organizations, the Templars order and the Brotherhood of the Assassins, has been raging for millennia and we get to witness this story through the ages.

Recently Titan Books released Assassin's Creed : The Essential Guide, packed with beautiful images and featuring the latest lore. The book explores the major characters, technology, key historical settings, and epic story of this conflict. Encompassing the entire franchise, Assassin’s Creed: the essential guide is both an ideal introduction and the perfect guide to the Assassin’s Creed universe, full with facts on:
-The Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar order
-The First Civilization
-Technology and Weapons
-Historical Settings and Locations
-The Present day story line

This edition contains everything you need to know about the Assassin's Creed universe.

I have only read the books and just watched my husband play the games and I find this book excellent. It is very well constructed with all the information and gorgeous photos from the games. 

In the past I have written a review for the book series which you can read here.

If you are a fan of the Assassin' Creed universe I highly recommend you to check this book out.

Rating: 5 Stars


See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

You can buy this book from Book Depository using this link (affiliate link)


Tuesday 7 April 2020

New Releases : April 2020

I thought I will start a new feature here on the blog. As you probably have guessed from the title, it is about new book releases, that I find interesting. So it will be a very subjective list and of course it will not cover everything. I will try to post it monthly but I cannot promise you anything. We will see how it goes.



Here are the new book releases for April 2020.
(The titles link to Goodreads)

April 7th



Genre:  Fantasy/Adult
Publisher: John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt









Genre: Fantasy/YA
Sequel to : Wicked Saints
Publisher: Macmillan








Genre: Fantasy/ Retelling/ YA
Publisher: Disney - Hyperion









Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade
Sequel to : Aru Shah and the end of time (Book #1)
                  Aru Shah and the song of death (Book #2)
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents







Genre: SFF/YA
Sequel to: Once & Future
Publisher: Rock the Boat







Genre: Nonfiction/Children
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books

My review is here






April 14th



Genre: Nonfiction/History
Publisher: Scribner








April 21st



Shades of Magic Vol. 3 : The Rebel Army  by V. E. Schwab

Genre: Fantasy /  Graphic Novel
Sequel to: The Steel Prince (vol.1) &
                  Night of Knives (vol.2)
Publisher: Titan Comics







Shorefall (The Founders Trilogy #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Genre: Fantasy
Sequel to: Foundryside
Publisher: Del Rey Books







Race the Sand by Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: Fantasy / Adult
Publisher: Harper Voyager








The Cerulean Queen (The Nine Realms #4) by Sarah Kozloff

Genre: Fantasy / Adult
Sequel to : A Queen in Hiding (#1)
                  The Queen of Raiders (#2) &
                   A Broken Queen (#3)
Publisher: Tor Books





The Deck of Omens (The Devouring Gray #2) by Christine Lynn Herman

Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal / YA
Sequel to : The Devouring Gray
Publisher: Disney - Hyperion







A Little History of Poetry by John Carey

Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Yale University Press








Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marillier

Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Publisher: Tor Books
First Published: April 1st 1999







The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) by Mark Lawrence

Gemre: Famtasy / Adult
Publisher: Ace











April 28th


Genre: Fantasy / YA
Publisher: Disney - Hyperion









Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.









These are some of the new releases of April 2020.
Are you excited about them?
Do you have other ones on your radar that I should know of?


See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina

Wednesday 1 April 2020

March 2020 Wrap up

March has finished and it was a weird month. It was a month mostly spent indoors, social distancing and self-isolating for everyone's good.



This month I thought I would read more books but I managed to finish just five books.

Let's see them together.

Little Women  - Louisa May Alcott

This one was on my TBR for a long time and I finally managed to read it. I really liked it and I am continuing with the second part which is The Good Wives.

Rating: 4 stars





The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller

I loved this book! It's a five star read for me and I highly recommend it.
Many people describe it as a Slytherin romance and I couldn't agree more with those characters.

I will have a full review pretty soon.

Rating: 5 Stars



How to survive Romania 2 (an advanced guide) - Thomas W. Lizard

This a funny little book about how to survive in Romania if you are not Romanian. It interprets many Romanian sayings in a funny way.

Rating : 3 Stars





Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project - Various by Tor Books

A beautiful collection of stories that all begin with the same sentence:
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."


Rating: 3 Stars






An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. It is brilliant! I enjoyed every aspect of it. 
Fortunately I have books 2 & 3 already on my selves.

There will be a full review pretty soon

Rating: 5 Stars


These were all the books I read in March.
Have you read any of them? What did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.




See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!

Athina