I stumbled upon this one at the library, and as soon as I saw the cover, I knew it was something special! I enjoy a good dark fantasy, but I have never read one like this! Full of sorrow and mystery, loss, and hope, this story takes part in a war-torn world, where dark gods are real, and Twisted Things corrupt all they touch.

I loved this story, and though it is a slow read, I enjoyed it from cover to cover. The writing style kept me interested and made me want to know more. Most importantly, I had to know how things turned out! I love the characters, and how they came to life with their complexity. I enjoyed the plot, that while not always the main focus, was still important through-out. The plot is that a small family, two sisters and an unborn child, relearning what it means to be a family, and how to cope with loss, pain, and struggles after the war left one with-out a brother, and the other without a husband.

The dark god and his followers added yet another layer to this complex world and added a fantasy element. We learn that a dark god has died, at the hands of a formerly unknown soldier. The event has repercussions no one could have guessed and the war comes to the front door of our main characters Hallie and Marthe. When a stranger asks about work, and Twisted Things attach their small farm, things start to spiral out of control!

Sometimes, the amount of time that passes between when I receive a book from NetGalley and when I have a chance to read it is longer than I’d like. Because of this, I may forget what the book is about or why I selected it. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing; I just forge ahead and see what happens, trusting in my original inclinations. In the first couple of pages of this book, I was reminded of Cold Mountain, and mistakenly imagined I was reading about soldiers returning from the Civil War. Well, not so much. This is not the Civil War, and these are not those men.

 

Bobet’s fantasy is remarkable for its realistic details; she has recreated our world, circa the late 1800s, and turned it on its head. The old cities with their towering skyscrapers are a thing of the past, and the people who remain live off the land in traditional farming communities — only now their men are off fighting a ruthless dark god. The comfort found in this bucolic scene is shattered by the appearance of an inescapable evil, far from the original scene of battle.

 

This is a compelling, eerie tale. While some of the story is predictable and less convincing, Bobet keeps the narrative moving with her vivid descriptions and attention to detail. I cared about these characters, and I was afraid of that dark god and the wretched monsters he unleashed on their world. So yes, I am a wuss, and you will probably be braver and just muddle on through the scary bits. But in the end, like me, you will be happy you did, because Bobet has woven a lyrical, heartbreaking tale of a strange and unforgettable new world.

 

p.s. – I loved this cover – makes me want to go out and buy a hard copy of the book.

The Marla Mason story, which I have just started, is my favorite so far.   Love, love, love Marla!

Happily Ever After  - Kiera Cass – 5 Stars

 

Delightful Selection fluff that reminded me why I love this series after the immense disappointment of The Heir. 4 short stories – The Queen – Amberley’s story. This one I’ve read and reviewed once before, a few scenes of how Amberley and King Clarkson got together. The Price – some Selection scenes from Maxon’s view point. The Guard – my least favourite as this was Aspen’s story and I really really do not like Aspen at all and The Favourite – Marlee’s story. Also included are a few scenes from Lucy’s POV. I like Lucy, but her relationship with Aspen felt like unnecessary insta love to get Aspen over America. Because of course it’s obvious from the start of this series what America’s destiny is. There’s also a few scenes from Celeste’s POV. Some absolutely lovely art work scattered throughout of various scenes throughout. There’s a map in front of the book done in the most lovely pink and purple ink. The hardcover itself is so pretty, and purple!

Square crossed off: Book Towards Another Challenge (this was my purple themed cover for Story Sprites Round 3)

 

Court of Fives – Kate Elliott – 5 Stars

Brilliant fantasy novel. Great family dynamic between the main character, Jess and her mother and sisters. Incredible sense of place, brilliant world building, including religion, status, and every day life. The plot includes a competition of both mental and physical ability which can be run by both men and women but not someone of Jess’s family’s precious social status. Very well written, very gripping and hardly any romance and what romance there is is something Jess uses to help her family when they are in mortal danger. Exciting and intriguing, intricately plotted world of adventure and fantasy politics with a great cast of characters.

Square Crossed off: Number in Title.

 

Awake At Dawn (Shadow Falls #2) C.C. Hunter – 4 Stars

Second book in the Shadow Falls series. Following on shortly from the first book the continuing saga of Kylie’s daily life at the camp and her search for whatever paranormal species she really is. For a paranormal romance, the writing and the dialogue is very well written and extremely realistic and relatable too. Several different plot developments and twists as Kylie learns new things and relationships develop, and some scary stuff happening as well. This series manages to mix some series side and light hearted romance and humour. Though the final events did feel a tad bit rushed, and I’m hoping they will be explored in the more in the next book. More questions than answers, but a very good series.

Square Crossed off – Characters are Not Human

 

An Inheritance of Ashes –Leah Bobett – 2 Stars

A very weird dystopia. This one made no sense whatsoever. It’s got a very bleak the world has ended feel to it, but there’s no history and whatever world building there is was confusing as hell. Some sort of war had taken place and from the sound of it the good guys had won. But the bad guy still had weird creatures showing up and attacking the farm where the heroine and her sister lived. Dull and boring. I can’t even remember the plot of this one that clearly. Just that it was bleak and I didn’t like it.

Square Crossed off: End of the World (I may wind up reading something else for this square)

 

The Steep And Thorny Way – Cat Winters – 3 Stars

A unique Hamlet retelling. Set in 1920s Oregon. Hanalee is struggling to come to terms with the death of her father and the fact that her mom has moved on and married a white man. Hanalee is mixed race and at this particular town in this time that can be a very dangerous thing. Hanalee is all fire and determination. Though a revelation from the boy who was convicted of her fathers’ murder set in motion the fact that nothing is quite as it seems. Doesn’t stick to the Hamlet storyline exactly. I kept thinking – almost everyone dies in the end of Hamlet – I like this girl – how is this going to work? But it’s easy to see where the Hamlet parallels come in. The mystery is absorbing and the historical detail is very good. There’s an interesting author’s note as well about Oregon history and the law. Unpredictable and surprising.

Square Crossed off: Retelling

 

Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins – 5 Stars.

I’ve read this four times now. (Though for some reason I’ve only got it marked down as twice on Goodreads and three times on Booklikes). I found my original review here. 

It’s my go to book whenever I’m sick or sad. It’s fluffy and fun (and yes I know St Clair is a bit of  - well,  a lot of – a dick at times) but I don’t care. It’s still one of my favourite books ever.

Square Crossed off – Set in More Than One Country

 

Burn Baby Burn – Meg Medina – 4 Stars

A brilliant coming of age story set against the background of the summer of 1977 in New York. While the story itself is fictional, it’s set against some very real things that happened. The Son of Sam murder spree, an unseasonable heatwave, blackouts, arson attacks, and women’s rights movements. Nora is a very mature and well written character in a horrible home situation. Her brother has become a drug addict and as a result is a criminal and violent and her mother is turning a blind eye to it. They’re struggling to make ends meet, Nora just wants to turn 18 and move out. She has a good best friend, a steady job but doesn’t quite know what to do after high school. She and her BFF have their 18^th birthdays coming up and they just want to be able to go out and dance all night at the disco. Some delightful 70s pop culture references throughout. On top of all these Nora has to deal with all these other things happening, the heat, the terror of a serial killer stalking the city, being in the cinema when the big blackout hit…Very moving, good storytelling. A very interesting author’s note at the end about the real things that happened during that summer and how they tied into Nora’s story.

Square Crossed off: Based on Real Events.

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee’s wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above—like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe’s history and the shadows’ attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home—not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

 

 

I just couldnt finish this book. It was too strange but not in a "I-cant believe I like this weird and unusual book" kind of way

A short plot summary.

The main character is a guy named Matthew who lives in the underground sewers after some kind of post-apopalictic event.This caused people to develop mutations.

Some time ago before the start of the book he found a lost girl with the wings of a bee and took her home.And he loves her A LOT. Because she is beautiful and her hair shines like matches. Or something like that.

Thats all I managed to decipher from the story before I gave up.The writing was just so convoluted and pretentious and I the characters sketchy at the best.

Might have something to do with the fact that the characters speak and think in an uncomphrehensible way in one moment then they switch back to something more normal again.And you think "ok were back on track" and thats when the main character starts his inner monologue and its so disjointed you loose interest again.

The author also writes poetry and while poetry can be a narrative it doesnt work As I read along there would be more or less normal dialogue (albeit a bit stilted) but then the author would drift back into poetic descriptions of things.

It was almost like being reminded constantly that she wasnt just an author,she was also a POET.

Here is a brief sample.Not the worst of them but it gives you an idea.

"Its cold Above.The first time I went up there I thought it would be warmer,with all that stone and dirt and loose history trapping the cold into Safe"

I just couldnt do it.Maybe if I had cared about the characters.But I just didnt.