The Fragile Threads Of Power (Threads of Power #1_ by V.E. Schwab - A Review

 “She sighed in relief. "You came."

Kell stepped into the room, the black ring's cord swinging from his fingers. "You called.”

― V.E. Schwab, The Fragile Threads of Power

It is so good to be back in this world!! I have missed it!!

The Fragile Threads of Power is the 1st book in the new Threads of Power trilogy by my favourite V.E. Schwab. It is set in the same world as her Shades of Magic series but it takes place 7 years after the end of the last book. 

Well, I don't have many words to say only three: I LOVED IT!!

The world building is excellent and the same is true for Victoria's writing. I just love her writing style. The magic system was always my favourite.

It was really good to see again old and loved characters but I also really liked the new ones, especially Tes, and I cannot wait to learn more about them in the next books.

The plot in this book was excellent and it was full of adventure and action.

I cannot wit for the next book!

Rating: 5 Stars

About the book:

Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she's the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

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

Athina

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Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0) by Travis Baldree - A Review

 

“Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.”

― Travis Baldree, Bookshops & Bonedust

Since I haven't yet read Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, I decided to read first its prequel Bookshops & Bonedust. I did read it and I really really liked it. 

The books is set in the same world as Legends & Lattes but 20 years before and it is a wholesome  cozy fantasy with many sweet and funny moments and of course there was also some action & magic involved. It has a diverse cast of characters, who are really lovable and have a really good character development throughout the book.

We follow Viv, a young, battle-hungry orc that an injury throws her off her chosen path. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk. She may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.

I will be reading Legends & Lattes in January and I cannot wait. Travis Baldree has mentioned there will be three more standalone fantasy novels in this series, and the first one is slated to be released in 2025. 

Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk--so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

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

Athina

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Bound by Blood by Jessica M. Butler - A Review

 

Bound by Blood by Jessica M. Butler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bound By Blood by Jessica M. Butler is a fantasy romance novella and it is the second book in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection, but it can be read as a standalone.

The book is about a lonely soup maker's bargain with a cursed blood fae for a magical pup, that opens the door to love, soup, and a chance something special in the midst of loss.

It is a very sweet and lovely story that leaves you with a warm feeling and makes you want to eat soup. It's entertaining with 100% lovable characters and a HEA ending. It's very cozy and hearwarming to read.

I am interested to see how our main characters story continues after this novella.

About the book:

Erryn lets everyone believe she lost her memory years ago through a deal gone wrong with the fae, but that’s because the truth is too painful to speak about. She lost everything. Her home. Her family. She took all of them for granted, then struck a bargain that left her with nothing. The last deal she made with a fae revealed there was nothing special about her. But she might reconsider to save this pup.

Ryul lost his whole family in a devastating battle against an ancient enemy and is cursed to never walk the land when daylight touches it. His magic limited and distorted from the fight, he accidentally creates an apparition that turns into an ugly little dog. If he doesn't get it back, his magic will be depleted.

Now this wretched human wants to keep the apparition, and her love is already turning it into a real dog. She swears she can make soup that will replenish his magic if he'll just let her keep the dog. Though he knows he shouldn't, he makes the trade. He even offers her another deal in the event she falls in love with him (which she swears she will never do).

He doesn't make this trade because he likes her. Or because he's lonely. It's just…well, there's a good reason in there somewhere. He needs time to figure out his next step and making sure this strange, sassy, stubborn human doesn't poison him seems as good a diversion as any.

Or is he about to lose his heart as well as the plan?

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Bound by Stardust by Angela J. Ford - A Review

 “No, I can’t promise you safety. Only adventure, magic, kisses, and my heart.”

Bound by Stardust by Angela J. Ford

Bound by Stardust by Angela J. Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bound by Stardust by Angela J. Ford is a fantasy romance book and is part of the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection, and it can be read as a standalone.

Our story is about Asira, the Stardust Collector and Drazhan, an immortal Master. It is a story that I really enjoyed. It is adventurous, fast-paced and has very loveable characters.

The world - building is really interesting, with the floating islands and I also really enjoyed the writing style.

This is a novella and I know that it is meant to be short but the ending left me wanting more answers and to learn more about this world.


About the book:

A stardust collector. A handsome immortal. And a floating kingdom full of sinister secrets.

Once a year, on All Hallows Eve, stardust falls from the floating kingdom. But only one person is brave enough to enter the boneyard and gather the magical Asira, the Stardust Collector.

Known as a sharp-tongued spinster with a talent for healing, Asira leads a lonely life in the woods. However, inside the boneyard, Asira finds more than just stardust.

Lying among the dust is a wounded man, one of the immortal Masters who dwells in the starry kingdom above. She takes him home, hoping for a magical gift that will change her humble life.

The man, Drazhan, is handsome, flirtatious, and has a unique way of getting under her skin. Full of gratitude, he vows to change her life, but only after he enacts his revenge on those who cast him down.

A week later, during the annual tithe, Asira becomes one of the Chosen—those elected to live in the floating kingdom and serve the Masters.

But all is not as it seems.

Beneath the glamor and gold, a sinister secret is waiting to reveal itself. Asira will need her wits, Drazhan’s help and stardust to unravel the dark secrets of the floating kingdom. . .

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This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone - A Review

 “I want to meet you in every place I ever loved. Listen to me. I am your echo. I would rather break the world than lose you.”

― Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone, This is How You Lose the Time War

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was in my tbr since it came out and last month I finally read it. I cannot say that I loved it, as I hoped, but I enjoyed reading it. It is a science fiction book and as I have come to understand these are not usually for me.

In this one we follow Red and Blue, two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions, strike up an unlikely correspondence. But what started as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more: something epic and romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

The discovery of their bond will mean their deaths. There’s still a war going on, and someone has to win that war.

The book is written in epistolary form which was different and interesting. I really liked that element. Also, the writing style is very flowery and lyrical, which sometimes confuses me. This is a story told by two rivals through their letters to each other across time and space and warzones. It focuses on the relationship between them more than anything else.

You can say that it is a type of Romeo & Juliet retelling.

It is very emotional and of course character driven, with a strong character development.

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

Athina

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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - A Review

“You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

                                                    ― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recently read it and loved.

We follow Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, who is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts.
There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

I really like Neil Gaiman writing style. It is rich and beautiful and he always makes unique and lovable characters. Characters that you invest in them and root for them.
The book is inspired by The Jungle book but it is set in a graveyard insted of a jungle, which I found a really clever and perfecty executed idea.

The book is adventurous, mysterious and a little bit dark. It's medium -paced, with a strong character development and very lovable characters (main & secondary ones).

I highly recommend it to both adults and kids.

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The Man With The Golden Gun (James Bond #13) by Ian Fleming - A Review

 ‘Mister, there’s something quite extra about the smell of death. Care to try it?’

― Ian Fleming, The Man With the Golden Gun

The Man With the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Man With the Golden Gun is the 13th book in the James Bond original series by Ian Fleming.

One of reading goals is to read all the James Bond books and I am slowly making my way through.

After a year missing in action, Bond is back... brainwashed by the KGB and on a mission to assassinate M. To prove his worth to the Service, he must hunt down and eliminate his fiercest opponent yet: “Pistols” Scaramanga – The Man With The Golden Gun.

This book is the final book that Ian Fleming wrote before his death and many say that this is his weakest work. I don't agree with that. I found the story to be really interesting , with James Bond saving the day as always.

I would have preferred the book to be more fast-aced and with more action. We got to see action only at the end of the book for the finale.

Also, this book is very different from the movie but that has nothing to do with the book itself.

About the book:

If you try to assassinate your boss-even though brainwashed at the time-you must pay the price. To redeem himself James Bond is sent to kill one of the most lethal hit men in the world ... Paco Pistols Scaramanga. In the sultry heat of Jamaica, 007 infiltrates his target's criminal cooperative-only to find that Scaramanga's bullets are laced with snake venom. When the end comes, every shot will count.  

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