Review: A Summer Scandal by Kat French

June 30, 2018 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

A Summer Scandal by Kat French

Another wonderful story from Kat French. With a little bit of mystery, a lot of romance and French’s usual fabulous characters this is perfect for the summer.

THE BLURB

Summer has never been so scandalous…

When Violet moves to Swallow Beach, she inherits a small Victorian pier with an empty arcade perched on the end of it, and falls in love immediately. She wants nothing more than to rejuvenate it and make it grand again – but how?

When she meets hunky Calvin, inspiration strikes. What if she turned the arcade into an adult-themed arcade full of artisan shops?

Not everyone in the town is happy with the idea, but Violet loves her arcade and business begins to boom. But as tensions worsen and the heat between her and Calvin begins to grow, life at Swallow Beach becomes tricky. Is it worth staying to ride out the storm? And can Violet find her own happy ending before the swallows fly south for the winter?

Sexy, sassy and full of heart, Kat French is back in a new summer sizzler.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For a book with a sex pier (their description not mine) this is a surprisingly sweet and quirky romance that is absolutely perfect for reading by the side of the pool, which is exactly where I read it. It is a little bit predictable in terms of story (sex pier notwithstanding) and you can pretty much tell from the beginning, if not the blurb, how it’s going to end but as I’ve come to expect from French it’s an enjoyable journey.

Main character Violet is an incredibly likeable and relateable character, despite me not having a creative bone in my body, and I found myself really getting behind her as she uncovers secrets from her families past and finds who she is. As always French creates a real sense of community in this story and the characters Violet meets are also intriguing, fun and in some cases one of a kind.

I will admit I wasn’t wholly convinced by male lead and love interest Calvin but I did still like the relationship between him and Violet. The author has an incredible knack of creating chemistry between the most unlikely pairings and even though I had a few niggles about them together there was most definitely a spark.

This book isn’t only about the romance however as Violet has inherited a link to her grandmother who died a number of years ago in tragic and mysterious circumstances. Feeling a connection to the one member of her family she has most in common with she begins digging into the past, something a few of the locals would rather was left alone. I have to admit I would have liked to have seen this side of the story developed a little more. We get glimpses through a diary Violet finds but it seemed to keep being pushed to the side to make way for the present making the reveals inconsistent and in my opinion incomplete. Having finished now read the whole thing I’m still not sure I understand everything and I find that frustrating.

Similarly the ending of the book felt a little incomplete to me. Things are resolved too suddenly and I wasn’t entirely convinced by how it all played out.

It is however still an entertaining and pretty addictive read and I do still love French’s writing and the characters she creates. It’s probably not my favorite book of hers but I would still recommend if you’re looking for a light and fun holiday read (featuring a sex pier).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with and ARC. As always all views are my own.

WWW Wednesday: 27th June 2018

June 27, 2018June 26, 2018 Ali@abookishlife21 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

I spied If Cats Disappeared from the World on NetGalley on Monday and it had such a weird title and cute cover I couldn’t resist requesting and starting immediately. I’ve been trying to read a lot more widely so it’s great to find a book by a Japanese author and it has such an unusual premise being about a man who makes a deal with the devil. I think there are a few little issues around the translation but so far I’m enjoying it and it seems like it’s going to be a quick read. I am however a bit worried about the cat 🙂

Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. This was one of those books I’d bought ages ago but never got around to reading. I did however receive the follow up from NetGalley so that gave me the little push to finally pick it up. I will admit I found it a little difficult to get into in the beginning (something that’s pretty common with me and fantasy) but it really builds to an exciting conclusion.

After a certain someone commented last week that all of my reads seemed a bit dark and lacking in romance I decided I should really rectify that and went a hunting on Overdrive where I found adult romance Alpha by Jasinda Wilder. It was a little heavy on the sex scenes but a quick read and perfect for clearing the reading palate. Not sure I enjoyed enough to finish the series but maybe. That's Not What Happened

Third and final book finished this week was an ARC of That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger. It’s set three years after a school shooting and reveals the real stories from the survivors and how the truth isn’t necessarily what others want to hear. It’s a difficult topic and isn’t the easiest of reads at times as while it’s three years later they’re still struggling but it’s very relevant right now and demonstrates so well just how emotive the issues can be and how the human side of it is often forgotten about while everyone keeps trying to get their message across.

Reading Next

I’m planning to start Grey Sister the sequel to Red Sister this weekend as I’m doing it as a buddy read from the 1st July. It was nice to have a bit of a break from the series but I am looking forward to getting back into it. A couple of library book holds also came in, The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden and Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella, so I should really be picking them up soon too.

Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #2) Surprise Me The Girl in The Tower (Winternight Trilogy, #2)

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: 26th June 2018

June 26, 2018June 25, 2018 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.

This week my teaser comes from Red Sister by Mark Lawrence. I finished this over the weekend and while I wouldn’t say it was a fast read I very much enjoyed it. I did get a little confused with some of the world building and all of the names but there is lots of action and the writing is wonderful. I had a lot of quotes to choose from but couldn’t resist the bookish one 🙂

My Teaser

‘But be warned, young Nona: a book is as dangerous as any journey you might take. The person who closes the back cover may not be the same one that opened the front one. Treat books with respect.’

~ 70% Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

Blurb

“I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin”

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist.

But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse.

Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin if she is to survive…

WWW Wednesday: 20th June 2018

June 20, 2018June 19, 2018 Ali@abookishlife32 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

I started Red Sister by Mark Lawrence on Monday morning and while I struggled a little in the beginning I’m now around a third of the way through and really enjoying it. It’s a lot different from what I was expecting but the writing is great and I’m loving main character Nona.

No real progress on my audiobook Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. It’s not that I haven’t been liking it but I’ve not been doing a lot of driving and when I have I’ve been in more of a music mood. I may end up just switching to the book.

Recently Finished

The first book finished this week was Inferno by Julie Kagawa, the fifth and final book in the Talon series. I’d been looking forward to this for a while and it did not disappoint. Action packed from pretty much the very start, epic battles, more than a few deaths and a little bit of romance it was certainly a fitting conclusion to what has been a really great series.

After Inferno my library hold on King’s Rising by C.S. Pacat came in so, as yet another final book in a series that I’ve been keen to read as soon as possible, I couldn’t resist reading immediately and finished within a few hours. I didn’t love quite as much as the previous book in the trilogy, I think due to it being bigger in scale, but again it was a fitting conclusion and had some really gripping moments.

The third and final book read this week was An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena which I’d received from NetGalley. This isn’t out for a month or so but sounded like just the type of book I was in the mood for and it turned out to be the perfect choice. It’s about a group of strangers trapped in a hotel by a snow storm. First the roads are blocked, then the power and phone lines go down and then someone discovers a body suggesting there may be a killer among them. It reminded me a lot of And Then There Were None. Lots of twists and surprises and some genuinely creepy moments. I pretty much read the whole thing in one sitting.

Reading Next

I’m not entirely sure what’ll be up next but I think there’s a fair chance I’ll continue the Book of the Ancestor series with Grey Sister, assuming I enjoy Red Sister as much as I hope. An Unwanted Guest has also got me thinking I want to read more thrillers and murder mysteries so I may also pick up You Were Made For This or Your Closest Friend, both of which are ARCs.

Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #2) You Were Made for This Your Closest Friend

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: 19th June 2018

June 19, 2018June 17, 2018 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

This week my teaser comes from thriller, An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena which I received from NetGalley and read over the weekend. This was such a fantastic read. It’s that classic group of strangers trapped together with a killer on the loose story that I love. A little bit creepy, lots of tension and a few twists and turns to keep you guessing. Soooo good.

My Teaser

Hell isn’t imaginary; it’s real. It’s a real place and it’s also a state of mind. And she can feel herself slipping into the pit, she can feel the fear taking over, the paranoia, the need to react.

~ 69% An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Blurb

We can’t choose the strangers we meet.

As the guests arrive at beautiful, remote Mitchell’s Inn, they’re all looking forward to a relaxing weekend deep in the forest, miles from anywhere. They watch their fellow guests with interest, from a polite distance.

Usually we can avoid the people who make us nervous, make us afraid.

With a violent storm raging, the group finds itself completely cut off from the outside world. Nobody can get in – or out. And then the first body is found . . . and the horrifying truth comes to light. There’s a killer among them – and nowhere to run.

Until we find ourselves in a situation we can’t escape. Trapped.

Review: Us Against You (Beartown #2) by Fredrik Backman

June 17, 2018June 17, 2018 Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

I loved returning to this community and its wonderful cast of characters. Backman truly has a gift for making you care about the most unexpected of people. This is another emotional read that will make you laugh and break your heart.

Please note: I’ve tried to keep the spoilers to a minimum but as this is a sequel there are some mild ones for the first book Beartown.

THE BLURB

After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach.

Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.

As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

As he always says, we only pretend hockey is complicated, because it isn’t really. When you strip away all the nonsense surrounding it, the game is simple: everyone gets a stick; there are two nets, two teams. Us against you.

In theory this is a book about ice hockey and all those involved in it but it’s really not. Like the first book, Beartown, this is much more about people and a community that’s struggling. Hockey is just the thing that gives them hope and a sense of identity. As you can probably tell from the title this is a book that focuses on the divisions between factions that can tear a community apart.

The story picks up not long after the first book (which you really should read first) and despite it seeming that the community were starting to come together there are in fact more divisions than ever. Beartown’s star hockey player has left town for good and most of the other key players have moved to rival team Hed. The council struggling for money and wanting to distance themselves from “The Scandal” want to get rid of what remains of Beartown’s team, something the pack are unhappy about and hold General Manager Peter Andersson responsible for and there’s an ambitious new politician in town who’s stirring things up as much as possible to boost his own position. Essentially tensions are rising and it’s only a matter of time before it escalates out of control.

Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. We’ll end up saying that violence came to Beartown this summer, but that would be a lie; the violence was already here. Because sometimes hating one another is so easy that it seems incomprehensible that we ever do anything else.

Similar to the first book this is not an action packed read, but rather a slow build to some truly devastating events. It’s very much a character driven story which is good as that’s where Backman really excels. He has this incredible ability to create characters you can’t help but care about and oftentimes it’s the one you least expect or the one you don’t really like that you end up caring about the most.

There are a lot of the same characters from the first book and it was both wonderful and awful to catch up with them again and see how they’re doing. Some are moving forward but it has to be said the majority are still having a rough time of it and dealing with the aftermath of the events of the first book. They do however all grow and develop over the course of the story and I felt like I really came to know them. I was incredibly proud of some of them, some frustrated me and made me angry and some of them broke my heart. All of them left an impression.

I will admit I continue to have the biggest soft spot for hockey player Benji, he’s just such a mess of emotions and secrets but always tries to do the right thing. He breaks my heart and I found myself constantly worrying about what he would do. I loved the close relationship between him and his family but I couldn’t help but feel so sorry for his poor mother and sisters.

While it was good to catch up with the characters I knew and loved the new characters made for some welcome additions. The new Beartown hockey coach is possibly my new favourite character. I’m not going to say too much about them other than that they are definitely different and shake things up a lot. The relationship between coach and general manager Peter is just hilarious and some of the dialogue is just brilliant. A much needed bit of lightness in what is occasionally a very dark and depressing story.

There’s also a lot more on the elusive “Pack” (a group of dedicated and loyal fans you don’t mess with) and it’s members which really showed how they’re more than just thugs and criminals (although there is a bit of that too), why hockey is so important to them and how much they really do for the community despite their reputation.

I have to say too that while politician Richard Theo is a horrible character who deliberately causes problems and stirs up trouble for his own ends he is brilliantly done and makes for a truly Machiavellian villain and gives the author the chance to have a little dig at the current political situation.

The writing style is pretty similar to that in Beartown, something I both love and hate. It’s told almost like a story from a narrator reflecting back on the events. There’s a lot of foreshadowing of what’s to come something I have to say really frustrates me. It’s difficult to enjoy a story when you’re constantly being warned of the violence and tragedy to come. I was terrified my fave character would be the victim of this tragedy. There are also short sections from multiple povs to contend with which does take me a bit of time to get used to. It’s a little harder to connect to one character when you’re only with them for short time and then it’s on to the next, and the next.

Somehow however I did find myself connecting with each and every one. Even those who’re only very briefly featured felt like very real people. I laughed a lot, I cried a lot more and I fell in love with this community even with all of it’s problems. It may be set in a country I’ve never even visited and center around a sport I know next to nothing about but it’s just so incredibly easy to relate to and could be the community I live in (if you switched the sport to football).

Overall this is another incredibly emotional and wonderfully written story from an author who is quickly becoming one of my favourites. Given how it ends it feels like everything has been wrapped up but I would very happily read more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

WWW Wednesday: 13th June 2018

June 13, 2018June 12, 2018 Ali@abookishlife22 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

My library hold on Inferno by Julie Kagawa came in at the weekend literally right after I’d finished a book so I started it immediately. This is the fifth and final book in the Talon series so it’s one that’s been on my want to read list for a while. I’m maybe around a third of the way through and so far really enjoying it. There’s been a lot of action and Kagawa isn’t typically an author who shies away from killing off major characters so I’m expecting a real edge of the seat and possibly devastating conclusion.

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) On audio I’m still listening to Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I have to confess I haven’t made much progress in the last week mostly because I lost my place when it started playing by itself on my phone. I have no idea how long it was going before I noticed (I keep headphones plugged in after similar issues with Call Me By Your Name) so I’m going to have to skim back and forward to figure out where I’d gotten to. I was enjoying it so I should probably just do it but I’m being a bit lazy.

Recently Finished

The first book finished last week was Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh. This was the second part of the Flame in the Mist duology and I was so looking forward to reading it but I’m afraid to say it was a little on the disappointing side. I do love the author’s writing and the world building is wonderful but I found it difficult to care about the story or the characters. It took me a while to remember the events and characters from the first book and there just seemed to be a little too much going on for me to connect to it. The ending in particular was a bit of a let down as it was just so rushed. It’s so frustrating as I think it could have been fantastic. How To Keep A Secret

The second book finished was Sarah Morgan’s How to Keep a Secret which I’d received from NetGalley. I’m a big fan of Sarah Morgan’s books and am always on the lookout for a new one but was warned that this would be a little bit different from her usual. It’s certainly a little less of a romance and a lot heavier on the family relationships and drama featuring as it does three generations of women but I really enjoyed it. It kind of felt like a natural progression from her and it still has enough romance in it that I doubt her fans will be disappointed.

Reading Next

I’m currently trying to come up with my reading list for the Summer TBR Wipeout hosted by Candid Cover which will have all of the ARCs on my list as well as some books I should really read before author events (Matt Haig & Philip Pullman!!!!!) but over the next week or so I’m hoping to start Red Sister and In Bloom. Red Sister I’m reading as part of a structured group read over on Goodreads so the start date for that will be on or around the 16th. In Bloom, I received from NetGalley and kinda just want to read as soon as possible as I love C.J. Skuse 🙂

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor #1) In Bloom

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Review: How To Keep A Secret by Sarah Morgan

June 12, 2018June 12, 2018 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

How To Keep A Secret by Sarah Morgan

This may be a little different from Morgan’s usual stories but it’s every bit as enjoyable and addictive.

THE BLURB

When three generations of women are brought together by crisis, they learn over the course of one hot summer the power of family to support, nourish and surprise

Lauren has the perfect life…if she ignores the fact it’s a fragile house of cards, and that her daughter Mack has just had a teenage personality transplant.

Jenna is desperate to start a family with her husband, but it’s… Just. Not. Happening. Her heart is breaking, but she’s determined to keep her trademark smile on her face.

Nancy knows she hasn’t been the best mother, but how can she ever tell Lauren and Jenna the reason why?

Then life changes in an instant, and Lauren, Mack, Jenna and Nancy are thrown together for a summer on Martha’s Vineyard. Somehow, these very different women must relearn how to be a family. And while unraveling their secrets might be their biggest challege, the rewards could be infinite…

Heartwarming and fresh, Sarah Morgan’s brilliant new novel is a witty and deeply uplifting look at the power of a family of women.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always look forward to a new Sarah Morgan book and while this was a bit of a departure from her usual style I very much enjoyed it.

Rather than being a romance focusing on one couple this is much more about family and tells the story of three generations of women, Nancy, her daughters Lauren and Jenna and Lauren’s daughter Mack. Each of them facing a crisis and in need of the support of their family, if they can find their way back to each other and reveal the secrets that have kept them apart.

While this is a little bit different from Morgan’s typical books it does feel like a natural progression and hangs on to all of the things I love about her writing. Her romances always had a little bit more depth, dealt with difficult issues and had strong friendships and family relationships. This is just a little lighter on the romance and a little heavier on the family relationships, what brings them together and what pulls them apart.

That’s not to say there’s no romance in this story because there most definitely is and as you would expect from a Morgan story it is wonderful. Sweet, funny, emotional and with quite a bit of heat. What’s particularly good about it is the way that the author looks at the different types of relationships and romances. We have Nancy who’s in her 60’s, 5 years a widow and trying to deal with betrayal and move forward in her life, 35 year old Lauren whose seemingly perfect life with her husband and daughter falls apart forcing her to return home as a single parent where she runs into an old flame, first grade teacher Jenna who’s very happily married to her childhood sweetheart but desperately wants children of her own and 16 year old Mack who’s having a hard time at school, doesn’t know who she is and just wants to fit in.

I really loved the way all of the different relationships within this story were portrayed and how realistic both they and the characters felt. I have to admit I had a particular soft spot for Lauren but by the end of the novel I think I came to love them all even Nancy who initially seemed very self centered and cold.

It was good to have chapters from the point of view of each of the women in the story. They each had very distinctive voices and you could tell even without the chapter headings whose head you were in. It made them very real and I have to say the chapters from Mack’s perspective in particular were very well done. I can’t really remember what it was like to be a teenager but I think the author captured it so well.

The story is a little bit on the predictable side, the secrets are pretty easy to guess, but I still enjoyed reading it. In fact as always I found it an incredibly addictive read and ended up finishing the whole thing in a day, although this is normal for me with Morgan’s books. They’re just too likable and easy to read.

Overall therefore while this is a little different from Morgan’s usual style I very much enjoyed it and I will be hoping for more of the same.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all thoughts are my own.

Teaser Tuesday: 12th June 2018

June 12, 2018June 11, 2018 Ali@abookishlife2 Comments

This week my teaser comes from Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh, the sequel to Flame in the Mist and one of my most anticipated reads of the summer. I finished this at the end of last week and while it didn’t quite live up to expectations it was an enjoyable read with some wonderful writing and world building.

You can read my review here but in the meantime here’s a teaser.

My Teaser

“Happiness is not a thing to be found here in the imperial court. We take moments of pleasure. Collect them and keep them tight in our chests. And we hope they are enough to fill whatever holes our truths leave behind.”

~ 21% Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

Blurb

Spoiler Alert: the following includes some spoilers for Flame in the Mist

The highly anticipated sequel to Flame in the Mist—an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn.

After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor’s ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead.

With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

Review: Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

June 11, 2018 Ali@abookishlife4 Comments

Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

The author creates a truly magical and beautiful world in this, the conclusion to the Flame in the Mist duology, however there was just a little too much going on for me to really connect to this story. It has some wonderful moments but I’m sorry to say didn’t quite live up to expectations.

The Blurb

The highly anticipated sequel to Flame in the Mist—an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn.

After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor’s ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead.

With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

My Review

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I can’t believe I’m only giving this book 3.5 stars. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and having loved Flame in the Mist I fully expected this to blow me away but it just never happened.

I’d love to say it was me and not the book but I don’t think that’s the case I’m afraid. It’s true that I picked this up having just read some absolutely brilliant books and it was always going to struggle to compete but I’m sorry to say that this is a book with some problems and my more recent reads just highlighted them to me.

It did begin well and I loved the similarities in the first few pages to the opening scene in Flame in the Mist. My immediate thought was “YES!!! This is going to be so good” but within the first couple of chapters my hopes began to sink. It was wonderful being back in the beautiful, magical and dangerous world the author created but I just got so confused. In fairness this was, at least in part, my own fault as I couldn’t wholly remember the first book so should maybe have had a quick re read but it took me a while to figure out who was who again, what relation they were to each other and how they’d ended up in their current positions. It probably didn’t help that at the end of the last book there was a big reveal that certain characters weren’t who you thought and this book began with trying to recap that as well as introduce a few new(ish) characters. My poor brain which is rubbish with names and relationships at the best of times just couldn’t keep up.

I think the story just became too big for me and the author tried to bring in too many storylines and characters. There wasn’t enough space for it in one book and as a result it became too thin and lost focus. There are a lot of characters and it’s told from multiple pov’s so I struggled to connect with it or really feel anything. It’s so frustrating because I love the author’s writing, the world she has created is brilliant and there is potentially a great story there but I couldn’t get to it because it’s trying to do too much all at once. I kind of wish it’d just stuck with main character Mariko and let her be the star.

Mariko is a wonderful character and I love how she has developed over this duology. It’s great to see a female lead who doesn’t have any special powers or super fighting ability but instead uses her intelligence and wits. She has her doubts and her insecurities and that makes her incredibly relateable. I wish she’d been given a little more page time as she begins this story in enemy territory (the palace) and has to play a game she lacks skill in (lying and deceiving) to save the person she loves. The most memorable scenes in this are in fact when she’s either lying and scheming or with Okami, but then I do love Okami and the relationship between them.

The other characters are interesting and there are some welcome additions, Raiden and Kanaka for example, but I’m not sure all were necessary and it became confusing (for me at any rate). I loved when Mariko was amongst the Black Clan but they feature very briefly and instead we have a lot of new characters within the palace. We get to meet the new emperor Roku and his brother (and Mariko’s betrothed) Raiden. There is the old Empress, Roku’s mother and her ladies, Raiden’s mother, the various Lords and advisors and even some servants and soldiers. It’s a lot and there just isn’t the time to fully develop all of them, and to be honest I’m not sure they serve much of a purpose to the story.

The story itself felt quite slow to me but when I think about it there was a lot of action. There are twists and turns, political intrigue, betrayal, torture, battles and even executions/murder but for some reason I just never felt any excitement or emotion from it. Even deaths which should have triggered some kind of reaction passed me by and when I suddenly realized it was all over I felt a little let down. It seemed very rushed and not the ending the story deserved. So much was left incomplete and unfinished and it was just so unsatisfying.

Anyway, it isn’t all bad. The world the author creates is wonderful and there are some very lovely moments I just think it could have been more. I have however been a little down on YA fantasy lately though so please don’t let my review put you off. It is still a duology worth reading for the world building alone.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.