Tuesday, 3 December 2019
'MAGICAL FOLK': FAIRYLOOT NOVEMBER BOX
MAGICAL FOLK - NOVEMBER 2019!
I still stand by my statement that the September 'Witches Be Crazy' box is my favourite Fairyloot box so far! However, this months 'Magical Folk' box included some really incredible items that I am super excited about! Including a 12 month reading journal, a sleep mask and a bookish phone holder. Fairyloot always comes through with some incredible and ingenious, creative items and this month is no exception! Without further ado, here is a sneak peak...
We present to you our Fairyloot 12-month Reading Journal! It has wonderful illustrations of the zodiac signs re-imagined by the one and only @monolimeart! You'll be able to plan and track your reading, and if you fancy it, you can add a little more flavour to it all by following the included year-long reading challenge!
Dumbledore once said "It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live." This exclusive Wooden Ornament will act as a reminder of the wise words by one of our most iconic literary wizards! The lettering was done by the amazing @kdpletters!
Need another secret place to hide your magical belongings? We present to you our Secret Book VOL 2! This collectable hollow book will cleverly hide in between your other books and is perfect for keeping your secrets safe! It was designed by the talented @noverantale and inside you'll find various quotes from the most magical of books.
Use this stunning Sleep Mask when it is time to put your book down and rest your eyes for the night! The mask features a quote from 'Strange The Dreamer' by Laini Taylor which has been lettered by @stellabookishart.
We absolutely had to include an item inspired by Elizabeth Lim's 'Spin the Dawn'. This Wooden Bookmark has stunning art of the sorcerer 'Edan' by @merwildandco, as well as a beautiful lettering design by @catarinabookdesigns! Use it well!
Angels are the keepers of hope, magic and dreams. This playful Iron-on patch has been designed by @bookmarkd.tattoos and is inspired by 'Angelfall' by Susan Ee.
Think your phone doesn't represent your interests well enough? Here's a Bookish Phone Holder to help you with that! We absolutely love the beautiful design by @noverantale!
The next two Tarot cards are inspired by Kerri Maniscalco's 'Stalking Jack the Ripper' series. They were designed by the amazing @loweana.art!
Our featured book of the month is 'A River of Royal Blood' by Amanda Joy. It's a story about sisters that need to fight to the death in a North African inspired fantasy world. We loved this book and it is filled with magical folk! The edition we are featuring has beautiful sprayed edges, an exclusive cover and is signed by the author!
The items in this months box, as always, are a superb quality and brilliantly designed. I think my favourite items are the sleep mask, reading journal and tarot cards. Previously, for 2019, Fairyloot included two 6 month reading journals which were a fantastic idea, but I think the 12 month one supersedes those by far and is far more handy and will make a lot of people very happy! Although I have never read 'Strange the Dreamer' the sleep mask is beautiful and I am truly in awe of the design. And, well, the tarot cards... Stalking Jack the Ripper is one of my favourite series and you can never have too many Thomas Cresswell items, can you?
This edition of 'A River of Royal Blood' is also absolutely stunning and is a wonderful addition to my shelves! I can't wait to read it.
What is your favourite item from this months Fairyloot box?
Monday, 18 November 2019
REVIEW: 'THE BEAUTIFUL' BY RENEE AHDIEH
REVIEW : 'THE BEAUTIFUL' - RENEE AHDIEH
‘The Beautiful’ was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019. I’ve been starved of a good Vampire book and when news of this book started circulating, I was desperate to get my hands on it. The hype that surrounded this book was… phenomenal. I went into it with super high expectations and after finally picking it up all I can really say about it is that it was…fine.
I am quite torn on how I want to rate this book because I did read it super quickly and wasn’t exactly bored at any point, but I was also left with a general feeling of disappointment and unfulfilled satisfaction the whole way through.
I did find myself wanting to know who was committing the murders and why, although I feel as though that’s less to do with the book itself and how it was written and more to do with wanting to KNOW is to be expected when a plot contains a mystery of any sort no matter how well or how badly written it may be.
It was a solid 3 star read, but I did have some issues with it. For example, there is a lot of French that never gets translated for the reader which, if you are not familiar with much French, definitely does get quite frustrating. Also, there are a lot of elements of world building that never get fully fleshed out. The Court of Lions, the Brotherhood, The Fallen, the entire magic system, the HOW and WHY of the otherworldly aspects… none of it is ever truly explained and you’re left with a definite sense of confusion at the end. I think Renee Ahdieh withheld this information in the name of building suspense for the sequel and making you want to keep reading but in my opinion she withheld a little bit too much.
The Court of Lions is touched on, very briefly, and from the glimpses we are given they are a very interesting set of characters and we are told that they inherit some sort of power, but we are never told where it came from, how it came to be, if it is unique to them or a staple of their kind and even though they are a significant part of the story too much of them remained a mystery. Their PURPOSE as a group is explained, right at the very end, but never the entire magic system- which is… confusing and irritating.
It is also the very first time I’ve come away from a book not caring a lick about any of the characters. Apart from a sense of exasperation and irritation towards the main character Celine, I didn’t form any attachments or opinions about any of them. None of the twists or revelations evoked any emotions because the characters and relationships just weren’t fully formed and I didn’t care how the story played out one way or another.
I do think there is a lot of potential for the sequel to be taken in an interesting direction and I’ll definitely pick it up and give it a shot when it comes out but on the whole, for me, ‘The Beautiful’ was just…lacking.
Thursday, 7 November 2019
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BOOK HAUL
In October and early November I managed to haul a total of 15 books! I have absolutely no self control, BUT in my defence I found an online second hand book shop which has amazing discounts on a lot of different titles, I won some Amazon vouchers at work and I got my October Fairyloot box. So, my actual spending on books was kept to a minimum, I swear! My book shelves are maxed out but is that going to stop me? Absolutely not. Time for more shelves, I say. Who wants to limit themselves with a book buying ban? Not me! I do not need that sort of negativity in my life.
Angel's Blood - Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter #1)
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best—but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option…even if the task is impossible.
Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…
Three Dark Crowns - Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns #1)
When kingdom come, there will be one.
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.
The last queen standing gets the crown.
In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.
The last queen standing gets the crown.
Truthwitch - Susan Dennard (The Witchlands #1)
In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.
Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.
In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.
Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.
In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #1)
Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart.
In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...
Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.
In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...
Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
The Belles - Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles #1)
Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.
But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.
But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.
With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.
The Lux Series, books (1-5) Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
Oblivion - Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #1.5)
Experience the epic love story of OBSIDIAN as told by its hero, Daemon Black…
I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it.
And trouble's the last thing I need, since I'm not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there's one thing I know, it's that humans can't be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. 'Cuz they are.
But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her--or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I'm the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy--the Arum, and I need to stay on my game.
Falling for Katy--a human--won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that's one thing I'll never let happen...
I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it.
And trouble's the last thing I need, since I'm not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there's one thing I know, it's that humans can't be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. 'Cuz they are.
But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her--or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I'm the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy--the Arum, and I need to stay on my game.
Falling for Katy--a human--won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that's one thing I'll never let happen...
Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #1) 10th anniversary edition
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length…everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world…and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
Ninth House - Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
The Beautiful - Renee Ahdieh
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
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