Narrated by Grace Laing Presented by Bolinda Audio
Absolutely delightful!
Will happily read more of this series.
The plot follows Priscilla, a Hollow WarrNarrated by Grace Laing Presented by Bolinda Audio
Absolutely delightful!
Will happily read more of this series.
The plot follows Priscilla, a Hollow Warrior who assists her family in tackling monsters that appear to threaten the world. That's an over simplification, but the general gist.
Priscilla is tortured by feelings of not being good enough to fit in with her warrior family - her power is weak and she rarely goes into the field. I was frustrated with her a lot in this regard, because her family unit is quite clearly supportive and loving.
Still, the characters are defined well enough that I believed what I was reading, and Priscilla is a likeable heroine with natural teenage feelings of inadequacy compared to those she greatly admires.
I adored her family with all of its chaotic energy, and it made the story really enjoyable. Added to that, there are monsters, magic and dastardly deeds that keep things happening throughout.
The audio was a special treat for me - it's the first time I've listened to an Australian audio and it made such a difference listening to something read the way I would read it. It was so refreshing, and the narrator did such a brilliant job of livening up these characters and portraying the different personalities. Additionally, her storytelling was delightful and easy to lose myself in.
I was happily surprised to enjoy this as much as I did, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel.
Really enjoyed this one! Undertones of myth and magic but above all a story about the bond between sisters.
I loved how lyrical this was without being Really enjoyed this one! Undertones of myth and magic but above all a story about the bond between sisters.
I loved how lyrical this was without being a pain in the ass to read haha. The words are beautiful together but the story unfolds easily. I followed along with rapt attention and enjoyed every part of it.
There's a dual narrative, and I enjoyed jumping back and forth. Some of the links between the past and present were a little hard to believe, but I enjoyed it nontheless.
This is magical realism, so it's a bit of an odd one and for that reason I think it may rub some people the wrong way. The protagonist has a strange skin condition that reacts badly to water, and that on its own raises all kinds of questions. Again, though, I really didn't mind suspending disbelief.
A few twists keep the story interesting, and the Australian setting with the history tied in was quite fascinating to me.
I just really enjoyed losing myself in the story, even though it was a little slower than my normal fare. I enjoyed taking my time with it, and enjoyed how it danced between reality and magic.
I'd recommend this one for those looking for something a little different.
With thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC...more
I thought this was a rather sweet, soft story of grief.
It's a glimpse into the life of a woman who has just been told her parents are dead. As a conseI thought this was a rather sweet, soft story of grief.
It's a glimpse into the life of a woman who has just been told her parents are dead. As a consequence, she's returning to Tunis for the first time in a long while.
There's a sadness to the story, in Lilia's feelings over having gone so long without visiting home, but there's forgiveness to be found in the little things, and I thought it was really well done. It doesn't force feed the story, but allows the emotions of the characters to say what it needs to.
The artwork includes gorgeous glimpses of both Tunis and Sydney, and these will throw you both feet into those locations. I really enjoyed that.
There's no action, really; it's very much a slice-of-life vibe where we're really just watching the time pass. But the emotions are poignant and will echo the grief of any reader who has felt something similar.
A sweet story that emphasises the importance of spending time with our loved ones....more
I liked it, but it also wasn't as memorable as I wanted it to be.
Plot: Shakti is a badass (persecuted) witch, and Ashoka a pacifist prince. Naturally I liked it, but it also wasn't as memorable as I wanted it to be.
Plot: Shakti is a badass (persecuted) witch, and Ashoka a pacifist prince. Naturally their lives entangle.
Although not all that much? I expected there to me more interaction between the two, but this book is mainly focused on Ashoka and his sibling rivalry. I enjoyed it, but it was a little tiresome after a bit and Ashoka never felt properly fleshed out to me.
Shakti was a fantastic character, and I loved that she's a bit morally grey. She makes emotional decisions that are not always smart but are always justifiable. I appreciated that. If this book had followed her a little more and given her more chance to shine, I probably would have given an extra star.
The writing was decent enough for a debut, but I do feel it was a little flat. There's not a lot of emotional depth to the story besides hammering home the point of how badly the witches are treated.
I enjoyed it well enough, but I don't think there was enough in this one to get me to pick up the sequel.
It's quite satisfying to read about a case like this, and be able to look up further updates.
This was a freebie through Kindle Unlimited, and it wasn'It's quite satisfying to read about a case like this, and be able to look up further updates.
This was a freebie through Kindle Unlimited, and it wasn't too bad but it definitely seemed to add in a lot of unnecessary information.
The case discussed is the brutal stabbing of two women - Susan and Suzanne - in their Collingwood home back in 1977. Until only a couple of weeks ago, nothing was known about who might have committed such a brutal crime.
As such, not a lot is known other than the bare bone facts of the case and that's quite evident here. The writer has done enough research to give us all of the available facts, but with not much more to work with she's filled chapters with superfluous information on unrelated cases, forensic techniques, and other irrelevant procedures. I found so much of it unnecessary. Interesting, but it wore thin pretty quickly.
There's also a lot of speculation, which can be quite misleading. The writer seems to work at making every chapter end dramatically, and it feels clunky and over the top. To me, things like this do a bit of an injustice to the victims - isn't their story already dramatic enough without wild speculation and innuendo?
Still, it was an informative read, and it has certainly captured my interest since Collingwood is quite a close neighbourhood.
The latest news has a man arrested for the crime and awaiting extradition - I'll be following the news closely so what more we can learn from him....more
Thought-provoking, but a little too jumbled to hit as hard as it could have.
Another novel that focuses on the women behind crime, this book follows RuThought-provoking, but a little too jumbled to hit as hard as it could have.
Another novel that focuses on the women behind crime, this book follows Ruth as she investigates the three women that may be connected to the murder of her friend 19 years ago.
I did enjoy the angle and I really love the way this author considers the impact of murder from multiple angles. There's some interesting insight here into the women vs women mentality that is so common in today's society, and I really enjoyed turning those thoughts over. Ruth is not a perfect heroine - her thoughts are flawed and coloured by her own traumas, and so it was interesting to try and read between the lines of what she was saying and doing.
That said, involving the other women did make this feel rather complicated, and it was hard to keep the stories straight. There seemed to be a lot of questionable coincidence, and I lost the thread a few times.
The writing was wonderful and lyrical, with some beautiful phrases and a powerful atmosphere, particularly where we met Rose. I did enjoy losing myself in the language, even if the story felt a little stilted.
I felt the idea was really clever and the themes important, but I think ultimately it was too much to keep straight. It was beautifully written for what it was, but I feel the important parts got lost a little bit in an over-complicated story.
Not quite the follow-up I'd hoped for after the standout debut, Before You Knew My Name but still some solid ideas here with beautiful writing. Worth a shot for the crime fans looking for something a little deeper.
Been keen for this one after loving both the DKOS series AND Jay Kristoff's books, and I'm happy to report that it did Signed by Mr Kristoff himself!!
Been keen for this one after loving both the DKOS series AND Jay Kristoff's books, and I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint at all.
The setup has a Viking Deathstroke working as a mercenary in the DKOS universe. The story already heats up in this first issue, and the accompanying artwork by Tirso is exceptional in bringing the story to life. Beautifully done.
I really enjoyed this and the only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I know there's gonna be some insane, 5-star stuff to come....more
Psykhe is a great character, and I found it so easy to empathise with her. She's a mortal seemingly curA delightful re-telling of a lesser known myth.
Psykhe is a great character, and I found it so easy to empathise with her. She's a mortal seemingly cursed by the goddess, Venus, and so calamity abounds.
I always enjoy the contemplation of 'an act of the gods' versus coincidence. How much of Psykhe's pain could have been avoided if not for coincidence? But then how dull our stories would be.
This tells the tale of Psykhe's life and how her path inevitably crosses with that of the god, Eros. Yet I found what I most enjoyed about this story was the human-ness of it; less of the gods causing chaos and more just a girl trying to survive in a world that submits to their fickleness.
The language is gorgeous, though this is a less complex story than others I've read from this author. I liked that it was an easier read, to be honest. I was able to lose myself in it and just relax and enjoy the ride.
A delightful story with plenty within its pages to consider. Fans of mythology retellings should get a kick out of this one....more
I immensely enjoyed this collection of strange, dark fantasy.
Most of the stories left me wanting more of the world they belonged to,Overall thoughts:
I immensely enjoyed this collection of strange, dark fantasy.
Most of the stories left me wanting more of the world they belonged to, and I would happily read novels featuring many of these characters.
There is a heaviness to this collection that will have me contemplating for a while, I think.
Each story is unique and unusual, with twisted fantasy themes that take you to unexpected places. I particularly enjoyed A Hedge of Yellow Roses and Not To Be Taken but on the whole this was a really brilliant collection.
There's a pretty consistent respect for birds - particularly owls - that threaded everything together really nicely, but there's also a love of storytelling that really spoke to me.
This was a delight to read, and I imagine fantasy lovers looking for something a little different will appreciate this collection. Highly recommend it.
See below for my individual review for each story.
***
The Heart of Owl Abbas: ⭐⭐⭐
The story was really confusing to me but I loved the language and the writing. I followed the gist without quite comprehending the details, and it was quite a beautiful story. It just really confused me. I'm still not sure if I was reading about birds, people, or something entirely other.
Skull and Hyssop: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved this one! It was rather steampunk which is not my favourite genre but I really enjoyed this story. There was a rich world here that was only briefly visited so I'd happily read more of it.
The characters were also a lot of fun.
An early fave.
Ella and the Flame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A beautiful, moving story. It was equal parts lovely and horrific, and I loved the sisterhood of it.
Not to Be Taken: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Damn this was crazy! I loved the way it kept turning about, and I had no idea how this was going to end.
The bird theme is definitely strong throughout the book, and this story in particular makes them heroic.
I could easily have read this as a full length story.
A Hedge of Yellow Roses: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A real standout for me. I loved the fantasy element here and particularly the way it was turned around. There was such a beautiful story here amongst the roses and birds.
Fave so far.
The Tangled Streets: ⭐⭐⭐
Not too sure about this one, as it had me quite lost at the start. Eventually I fell into the flow of it, but I desperately wanted more information than I got.
It was still a beautiful story but a little too unsatisfying.
The Present Only Toucheth Thee: ⭐⭐⭐
Strange and short. Another one with an idea I'd love further exploration of. I like the twined souls over time but I wanted more to sink my teeth into.
On Pepper Creek: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was great fun and very reminiscent of Flyaway. I loved the lurking shadows and the unseen threat of it all. Another favourite.
Annie Coal: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another fave - Annie heads out on an adventure to save her grandma and secrets are revealed along the way.
There was a lot of subtlety to this, and it was another one where it feels like so much of another world is lurking just behind this story. I wanted to know more of this land and the creatures of it.
Undine Love: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wasn't too sure about this one. I really enjoyed the telling of it, but it felt unsatisfying to me. And yet??? It was bizarre, but there was a tragic romance vibe to the whole thing as well that really sucked me in. I felt things.
Kindling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm a big fan of storytelling, so I loved this. Subtle with such a satisfying, creepy darkness lurking over it. It was a cool concept and I again wanted more.
The Splendour Falls: ⭐⭐⭐
God, this one just made me depressed. A man obsessed with a woman gets more than he bargained for. It felt quite soul-crushing, but I also felt there was a truth behind it all that made it more horrific. ...more
Really good! An addictive mystery with a spooky Australian setting. I really enjoyed it!
The story is set at an Aussie boarding school, deep in the busReally good! An addictive mystery with a spooky Australian setting. I really enjoyed it!
The story is set at an Aussie boarding school, deep in the bush. There are some mysterious happenings, and girls have been going missing, so it's the perfect atmosphere for a spooky little story.
The artwork is cool - I really liked it. Easy to make out, clean lines and easy to follow action.
Great variety in the story and the characters are a lot of fun.
Plus it's got a cliffhanger ending so you bet I'm already hanging out for book #2!
An excellent read, and even better because it's Australian manga by an Australian author and you sure don't get that too often! Highly recommend.
Not quite what I was expecting from Tom Taylor, but still an interesting, standalone story.
There's a lot that goes unexplained, so it's probably not aNot quite what I was expecting from Tom Taylor, but still an interesting, standalone story.
There's a lot that goes unexplained, so it's probably not a great introduction for people looking to know more about John Constantine. There's a mention of him doing magic to impress his friends when he's younger, and then adult John is a full blown magician with no further explanation so you're forced to kind of just go along with it. So if you want the origin story look elsewhere.
As it is, though, this is a fun lil demonic story with some ... interesting ... characters.
The artwork is decent, with some great gory bits, too. It reminded me a lot of the artwork that usually accompanies a Garth Ennis comic, so I felt pretty at home with the style.
It's short but coherent and well structured. Not a lot of character development, but with a limited story like this I guess it's expected.
Not for newbies to the character, but not too bad as a standalone story....more
Ok so I'm gonna need a happy ending to this story ASAP.
The story follows our Friendly Neighbourhood Assassin, Raeve, who gets caught doing assassin thOk so I'm gonna need a happy ending to this story ASAP.
The story follows our Friendly Neighbourhood Assassin, Raeve, who gets caught doing assassin things and finds herself in hot water. In the process, she meets a mysterious (devastatingly handsome) male, who seems to have met her before. Naturally, things are gonna get dangerous, and things are gonna get spicy. There are also dragons.
I'm honestly so torn over rating this one. It was such a beautiful, addictive story, full of insanely good world-building, delightful characters, and a deep, meaningful love story. But I also just have such a low tolerance for smut in fantasy. I'm still mad at Sarah J. Maas for causing this massive surge of graphic sex scenes in what would otherwise be epic fantasy novels.
That said, everything about this book that would normally annoy me seemed so fresh here. Raeve is the hardcore tough female who refuses to get close to anyone because otherwise they get hurt, and Kaan is the classic brooding male who will move heaven and earth for his true love. Raeve's stubbornness definitely frustrated me at times but still I liked her and her tenacity. Her trauma feels real and genuine and I think because of the way that aspect was handled, it made her stubbornness more believable. I could see why she was hurting so much.
Kaan's love, on the other hand, was so pure and unconditional that I couldn't help but be moved by it.
Outside of the romance, there's such a great story here about tyrant kings, corrupt government, missing memories, trauma, friendship and, of course, dragons. There's a trigger warning list in the back of the book, so check it out if you have some concerns because this book does not pull punches.
I was completely enamoured with this world. The setting is richly detailed but simple enough to follow easily. The world is easy to fall into and vibrant with colourful creatures. The dragons were spectacular, and this is easily one of the best dragon stories I've read. There are just not enough dragons in fantasy these days, so it's incredibly satisfying when they're as well done as they were in this book.
But.
I'm a bit old school in that I feel like graphic sex scenes kinda tarnish the romance. I think you can tell an epic love story - and more effectively - without needing to talk about how much they want to jump each other's bones. I believe the intimate details about their physiological responses reduces the relationship to base needs, and detracts from the emotional connection being formed.
I wanted to be swept up in their love story, not their sex lives.
Still, I couldn't help but love this story. There was so much to it that had me reading compulsively, and I still have so many questions. The characters were so easy to love, and I want more of characters like Veya, whose chapters were rare but so incredibly fun.
There's a family tree, glossary and pronunciation guide at the back of the book, which I found didn't really give me any info I hadn't drawn from the story but still added to the depth of the world. I'm so keen to jump back in and learn more details about this place and its creatures.
This would have been an easy 5-star without the smut. Still, even with the smut this is a 4.5.
I'll call it 4 for now since I'm very picky about giving 5 stars, but may round it up later if it stays on my mind.
It's not even 11am and I need a stiff drink or seven.
So. Where to begin?
This was a tough read, to be honest! It amps up Finally finished this monster.
It's not even 11am and I need a stiff drink or seven.
So. Where to begin?
This was a tough read, to be honest! It amps up everything about 110% - more violence, more sex, more carnage, more horror. I found it so heavy around the 240-page mark that I slowed right down and had to read other, happier books as an interlude.
But I do think it was necessary for the story to really convey how high the stakes are.
This is not a pretty world - it is dark and hopeless for mortals, and Gabe and Dior really have their work cut out for them if they're going to save it.
I appreciated the necessity of the darkness, but I was glad to move on from it.
The story went in all kinds of unpredictable directions, and it sure messes with the emotions in terms of casualties. Things were constantly dire and the good guys just seemed to never catch a break. It hurt my heart. But there were really satisfying moments, too - it's a LOT of doom and gloom, but there are rays of sunshine that preserve hope just a little. We get a dual narrative here, too, which was fun for something different.
It's a strong continuation from the first book, but not for the faint of heart. Readers should appreciate that this is more horror than fantasy - be prepared for ugly, and you might be okay with it.
Hopefully surviving this one will make the payoff of the third book even sweeter, but we'll have to wait and see!...more
The premise: Arden is sent to a remote town to look after a lighthouse, but her neighbour is a monster that she may not survive.
ButGod this was awful.
The premise: Arden is sent to a remote town to look after a lighthouse, but her neighbour is a monster that she may not survive.
But it takes her 100+ pages to even get to the lighthouse and there are so many confusing terms and politics along the way. It's obvious that the monstrous neighbour is the one she's going to fall in love with, and obvious that all the horrible things being said are going to turn out to be lies or twisting of truth. The whole story is just an excuse for these two to hook up but it's also working ridiculously hard to pretend it's not.
Meanwhile, the magic system is confusing at best and I never fully grasped how it all worked, or even just the scope of it. It was just a bunch of Latin words smooshed together to sound smart but there wasn't enough elaboration to make any of it clear and barely a glimpse of anyone actually doing anything remotely cool with these powers.
The writing wasn't much better, with convoluted sentences going for a Dickensian vibe but failing to create any real connection to the words. The story felt messy and jumbled, and the overuse of words really didn't help that.
I was bored from start to finish.
It's slow, it's confusing, and ultimately pointless. There was nothing to latch onto or to really drive interest in the story, and even the 'love story for the ages' couldn't spice things up with its mediocre fumblings. Everything feels so contrived and obvious, and there was a disappointing lack of 'colossal, ancient beasts' wreaking havoc.
Not gonna lie - I was skimming heavily by the end.
A pretty disappointing effort from a promising-sounding blurb. I'm always so excited to discover fantasy by Australian authors but this one really let me down....more
A gorgeous, poetic novel that considers the state of the world through the eyes of a wild girl and a city boy on the run.
I enjoyed the language of thiA gorgeous, poetic novel that considers the state of the world through the eyes of a wild girl and a city boy on the run.
I enjoyed the language of this novel more than anything - some of the phrases were so elegant I really lingered over them, and as someone who often skips over paragraphs in favour of getting to the action, this was no small deal for me. I just really loved the feeling these words invoked.
The story is mostly ecological - Nia's the climate action warrior putting her life on the line for Mother Earth, while Jagger is the city boy on the run from the company he's just dobbed in. If you're the kind of person who believes climate change isn't real, this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you're intrigued by the changes, this novel will provide fascinating insight while presenting an exciting story that travels the eastern coast of Australia.
At first, I wasn't particularly sympathetic towards either character. Nia is a wild radical, and Jagger seemed the snivelling kind of rat. But as the story progressed and we saw more, I did warm up to them. I'm glad for the way their stories progressed, although towards the end it didn't feel quite as organic as I'd hoped for.
This novel definitely focuses more on nature than the protagonists, I felt, but it didn't upset me too much. Rather, it felt like a reminder to appreciate the earth a little more myself; gave me the urge to go outside, feel the breeze on my skin and the sunshine on my face. I think that's a great reminder to get - especially for us book nerds!
All in all, the story was absorbing and had me thinking about things I don't often take the time to consider. The characters worked well together, and the adventure was a lot of fun. Highly recommend.
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