To Cage A God (These Monstrous Gods #1) by Elizabeth May - A Review

 Hello everyone & Happy Friday!!

Today I am coming to you with a book review. 

To Cage a God by Elizabeth May is the 1st book of an epic new, Imperial Russia-inspired dark fantasy duology of gods, politics, and deadly magical powers. 

This sentence alone had me very intrigued to read it. I really enjoyed reading To Cage A God. The premise is really interesting and I really liked the world building and the Imperial - inspired setting. Also the relationship dynamics between the two sisters was done really well. 

If you like the second chance & enemies to lovers tropes, you should read this book. There is also great representation in the book as the characters deal with trauma and loss.

The only problem that I had was with the pacing as I found it little slow for my tastes. The last chapters of the book though, were a real page turner and the ending was very satisfying, however I would like to know how the story continues in the next book.

Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

As a child, Galina’s village was decimated in a battle between the alurea, a ruling class possessed by gods imprisoned in human bodies. A stranger offers her shelter—and justice against the empress who slaughtered her family. The bargain is Galina will become a vessel for a deity of her own. And when the time comes, she will be a weapon used to take control of the throne.

Twenty years later, the woman who invoked Galina’s god is dead, and she’s on the run with her foster sister, Sera. Both women are fugitives struggling to adapt to the deities within their bodies and forced to finally attempt the mission they were groomed infiltrate the palace and overthrow the cruel empress to end the brutal reign of alurea.

But their duty grows complicated when Sera’s ruthless former partner catches up with her, and Galina finds herself on the verge of losing her heart to an enemy princess. As secrets and lies come to light, both women will discover what they’re willing to do for their people—and how far they’ll go to occupy a blood-soaked throne.

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

Athina

The Fireborne Blade (The Fireborne Blade #1) by Charlotte Bond - A Review

"Slay the dragon, find the blade. True love can't be far behind..."

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

The Fireborne Blade is a fantasy novella and the first installment in The Fireborne Blade series. The book will be released on May 28th.

In Fireborne Blade , the author creates a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, ghosts, scheming squires, and sapphic love to tell a story of the place we make for ourselves in the world, and the roles we refuse to accept. With deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing...

It is a very adventurous story with  determined female knights on epic quests, involving dragons, magic, and betrayal, with a touch of sapphic romance and a conclusion full of surprises.

i really enjoyed reading it and I am very intrigued by the ending to read the sequel. It is a very simple story about a Knight that goes on a quest to retrieve a sword but it is done really well. 

I would have liked it more if there was more information about the world or if the length of the book was longer. We could have learned more about the world and the characters then.

Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

Maddileh is a knight. There aren’t many women in her line of work, and it often feels like the sneering and contempt from her peers is harder to stomach than the actual dragon slaying. But she’s a knight, and made of sterner stuff.

A minor infraction forces her to redeem her honor in the most dramatic way possible, she must retrieve the fabled Fireborne Blade from its keeper, legendary dragon the White Lady, or die trying. If history tells us anything, it's that “die trying” is where to wager your coin.

Will Maddileh prove her mettle? Or will she end up like countless knights before her―as a puddle of gore and molten armor?

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

Athina

 

Η σελίδα έξι και άλλες μικρές ιστορίες - Σιδέρης Ντιούδης (Page 6 & other small stories by Sideris Dioudis) - A small review

 

Do you like reading short books?

I do because they fit perfectly between my huge fantasy books.
Early in the month I was in Greece and while in the bookstore I spotted this cute little book with a pretty cover. Of course I picked it up and I read it in a day (it is only 56 pages long). 

The book is in greek and it is called Page 6 & other short stories (Η Σελίδα 6 & άλλες μικρές ιστοριες) and the author is Sideris Dioudis. The book consists of 18 very short shories that explore and challenge the boundaries between human experiences and the world of books.
The stories are really small (1 to 2 pages max) but they manage to capture your interest. It was a very quick and enjoyable read that I am glad I picked it up.

Rating: 3 Stars

About the book:

A book is saved from the trash. A publisher counts the words of books. A prisoner acquires a unique book. A reader inherits a bookstore of living books. And a tiny panther jumps out of the pages of a scrapbook.

Eighteen short stories trace the multifaceted relationships between people and books. They draw the boundaries between the two worlds and then catalyze them.

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

Athina

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry - A Review

 "No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses."

Mythos by Stephen Fry is a retelling of the Greek Myths. The author uses his unique style to tell us the myths of the Greek gods, goddesses, humans etc. 

As it was expected the book is very well written and accessible to everyone regardless of your knowledge in Greek Mythology. 

Since I am Greek, I know a lot of Greek Mythology (mainly from school) and it was really nice to refresh my knowledge and also learn some new things.

If you want to learn about Greek mythology and history in an engaging and  entertaining way, this book is for you.  It brings these ancient stories to life through vivid storytelling an I just loved it.

Rating: 5 Stars

About the book:

No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.

In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld. We shiver when Pandora opens her jar of evil torments and watch with joy as the legendary love affair between Eros and Psyche unfolds.

Mythos captures these extraordinary myths for our modern age - in all their dazzling and deeply human relevance.

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

Athina

Gogmagog: The First Chronicle of Ludwich by Jeff Noon & Steve Beard - A review

 Hello everyone & Happy Friday!!

Today I have a small book review to share with you. It is about Gogmagog by Jeff Noon & Steve Beard, which is a fantasy book & the First Chronicle of Ludwich. It was recently released by Angry Robot Books. 

To be honest, I requested an arc of this book because of its title. The synopsis of course was also very interesting. Gogmagog tells the story of an epic journey through the sixty-mile long ghost of a dragon. That sentence alone made me so intrigued that I read the book as soon as I got it.

We follow our MCs along their journey on a ship called Juniper as they try to get to Ludwich. Their journey lasts only one day.Throughout this journey they experience many different things that affects them. 

The main theme of the book is that of found family. It is adventurous with a very good character development and a diverse cast of characters. Gogmagog has a really interesting setting, which is contemporary but at the same time very bizarre.

Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

Gogmagog tells the story of an epic journey through the sixty-mile long ghost of a dragon. Travel is by boat, a rickety steam launch captained by veteran taxi pilot Cady Meade, on the river Nysis. In her heyday Cady carried people and goods from the thriving seaports of the estuary into Ludwich, the capital city. Now she’s drunk, holed up in a rundown seaside resort, telling her bawdy tales for shots of rum. All that’s about to change, when two strangers seek her out, asking for transport, one of whom – a young girl – is very ill, and in great danger. The other, an artificial being of singular character, has secrets hidden inside his crystal skull. So begins the voyage of the Juniper.

The Nysis is unlike any other river. Mysteries unfold with each port of call. Not many can navigate these channels, not many know of its whirlpools and sandbanks, and of the ravenous creatures that lurk beneath the surface. Cady used to have the necessary knowledge, and the powers of spectral navigation. But her glory days are well behind her now.

This might well be her final journey.

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

Athina