Bride by Ali Hazelwood - A review

 

“Maybe you're not meant for me the way I'm meant for you, but I'm going to choose you anyway, over and over and over again.”

― Ali Hazelwood, Bride

If you wanted to describe the book in just one sentence, you could say that it is a dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha werewolf. After that you can leave to Ali Hazelwood to create a perfect story. 

This is the second book I read from the author and just like the previous one I just loved it. It was very addictive and couldn't put it down. 

Ali Hazelwood knows how to write romances regardless of the setting. She created her characters to feel real and with great relationship dynamics. 

Bride was a funny, smart and sexy book with a found family trope and an enemies to lovers trope and excellent banter and tension between our main characters. And adding to all these, we also have great plot twists that left me with my mouth open.

Rating: 5 Stars

About the book:

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast-again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold an historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange. Again.

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It's clear from the way he tracks Misery's every movement that he doesn't trust her. If only he knew how right he was...

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what's hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory... alone with the wolf.

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

Athina

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Seeds of War (the Smokesmiths #1) by João F. Silva - A Review

 

"He ran like the monster he was. And the smoke followed."

Seeds of War by João F. Silva

Seeds of War is a self-published epic fantasy book and the first in The Smokesmiths series. I came across this book through @fantasy_fellowship and it sounded very intriguing that I started reading it.

The Smokesmiths is a gritty epic fantasy series with a harsh world of smoke magic, alien creatures and ancient secrets where characters do their best to come out on top. Peace will not last.

I really liked reading Seeds of War. It has great world - building, a very unique magic system and well - written characters with strong development.  The book is about complex characters with troubled pasts, who navigate a dangerous world while striving to protect those they care about.

I am really excited to read book 2 and learn more about the world and our characters.

Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

GIMLORE is a single mother and war veteran turned crime boss set on protecting her family and her town.

ORBERESIS is a petty thief pretending to be God to protect a terrible secret.

REDNOW is the world's most feared mercenary, but his best days are behind him and there's one job left to do.

In a world of dangerous monsters and devastating smoke magic, the seeds of war are being planted. Allies must be treasured and enemies defeated.

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

Athina

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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

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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

 

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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

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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

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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

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February 2024 Reading Wrap up

 Hello everyone & Happy Thursday!!

Today is the last day of February and I want to share with you the books that I read this month. 

In total I read 5 books & 1 magazine and among them there is one 5 Star read.

This year I want to read as many as possible from the Little Black Classics & Modern Classics Collections from Penguin. 

This month I read 3 of them:

- A Hippo Banquet by Mary Kingsley (LBC 32) - 1 Star
- The nightingales are drunk by Hafez (LBC 37) - 2 Stars
- I Have More Souls Than One by Fernando Pessoa (MC 19) - 3 Stars

 

I finished two books:

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang 

I just adored this book and of course I gave it 5 Stars.

Check out my full review here

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

 I really liked it and I found it interesting & weird at the same time.

I gave it 4 Stars and I will post my full review really soon.

Lastly I read a Greek magazine about geography which is called Geography is really Cool. 

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

Athina

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The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang - A Review

 

“I’ve never needed a sword to protect you—to raise you the way your father wanted. Caring for my family meant putting away the fighter, so I did.”

― M.L. Wang, The Sword of Kaigen

This book is magnificent in very aspect of it and if you haven't read it yet, you should go and read it now.

The Sword of Kaigen is a japanese-inspired military fantasy standalone and it explores the complexities of family dynamics, the weight of honor and tradition, all set against the backdrop of an impending war. The book is adventurous but at the same time emotional, with strong character development and amazing world building.

Our main charcters, Misaki and Mamoru, are perfectly written but they are not perfect. They have their flaws and that makes them better. 

The world and the setting feel very unique. The author has done a great research and everything is spot on. 

Lastly, the ending of the book was very satisfying and everything wrapped up nicely.

Rating: 5 Stars

About the book:

A mother struggling to repress her violent past,

A son struggling to grasp his violent future,

A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.

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

Athina

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The Forgotten Beasts f Eld by Patricia A. McKillip - A Review

 

"You can weave your life so long -- only so long, and then a thing in the world out of your control will tug at one vital thread and leave you patternless and subdued.”

― Patricia A. McKillip, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld

To celebrate its 50th anniversary of The Forgotten Beasts of Elm the publisher (Tachyon Publications) are releasing a special edition of the book with many beautiful illustrations by Stephanie Law. 

I haven't read anything by Patricia A. McKillip before and this book intrigued so much that I will definitely read more of her works. 

This book was really magical and with very beautiful and powerful writing. It feels like you are reading a fairytale but a modern one. There is no much world building but that does not matter. We have magical talking animals and powerful wizards. 

It is an atmospheric and character-driven story, a story of love, revenge and forgiveness.

This edition will be published on February 29th & you do not want to miss it!

Rating: 4 Stars

About the book:

Fifty years ago, the soon-to-be celebrated young author Patricia A. McKillip (the Riddle-Master trilogy) penned the tale of an iron-willed young sorceress. Brought vividly to life by McKillip's gorgeously lush prose, Sybel, living with her captivating menagerie, is powerful and resourceful, yet headstrong and flawed. Sybel and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld continue to enrapture new generations of readers, and they continue to inspire generations of new fantasy writers. This lovely 50th anniversary hardcover special edition features cover art by World Fantasy Award-winner Thomas Canty and a brand new introduction by bestselling fantasy author Marjorie Liu (The Tangleroot Palace).

Sybel, the heiress of powerful wizards, needs the company of no-one outside her gates. In her exquisite stone mansion, she is attended by exotic, magical Riddle-master Cyrin the boar; the treasure-starved dragon Gyld; Gules the Lyon, tawny master of the Southern Deserts; Ter, the fiercely vengeful falcon; Moriah, feline Lady of the Night. Sybel only lacks the exquisite and mysterious Liralen, which continues to elude her most powerful enchantments.

But when a soldier bearing an infant arrives, Sybel discovers that the world of man and magic is full of both love and deceit, and the possibility of more power than she can possibly imagine.

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

Athina

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