WWW Wednesday: 6th June 2018

June 6, 2018June 5, 2018 Ali@abookishlife15 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

Both Spinning Silver and The Count of Monte Cristo are kind of on hold for the moment while I try to get out from under the mountain of ARCs I currently seem to be buried in. Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist, #2) It’s safe to say my resolution not to request too many is not going well but I can’t complain as there are a lot I’ve been really looking forward to.

The first of which is current read Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh. This is the sequel to Flame in the Mist and one I’ve been eagerly anticipating. I only started it on Monday night and I have to admit I had kind of forgotten some of the events (and character names) from the previous book but I do love Ahdieh’s writing and it’s very easy to immerse yourself in the world.

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) On audio I’ve started listening to Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater which as well as being an oldie (first published in 2009) is also my first book by Stiefvater, shocking I know. I’ve actually had this book on my kindle for ages but there was always something else I ended up reading first. When I spied it on Overdrive though it seemed like the perfect opportunity and so far I am very much enjoying it. It is a bit of a throwback to the Twilight style YA paranormal romance but I loved Twilight and the narration is pretty good. I only started it on Monday and am already about 3 hours in.

Recently Finished

I can finally give myself a pat on the back this week for finishing one of those books that’s been sitting on my reading next list for the past couple of weeks, Us Against You by Fredrik Backman. I’d been looking forward to this given my love for its predecessor Beartown but was also a little nervous it wouldn’t be as good. Thankfully Backman didn’t let me down and it felt like returning to a place and characters I knew very well. The character development is wonderful and there are some brilliant new characters (the new hockey coach was my favourite) who I quickly came to care about. I think if you enjoyed Beartown you’ll enjoy this.

Captive Prince (Captive Prince, #1) Unfortunately progress with my reading plan then went completely off course when I discovered I could join Edinburgh libraries (because clearly I don’t have enough books and need to be a member of three county libraries) and got overly excited at their ebook collection. So many new releases I’ve been looking forward to (many holds have been put on) but also some older books that I’ve wanted to read forever but couldn’t justify buying. One of which was Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat. As soon as I saw it I had to read it and 24 hours later I’d finished both it and sequel Prince’s Gambit. Thankfully there’s a wait list for book 3 or I’m sure I would have finished it too.

Reading Next

I’m getting a little bit fantasy’d out so I think my next read will probably be either a romance or a thriller from the selection below.

Cross Her Heart How To Keep A Secret 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: 5th June 2018

June 5, 2018June 4, 2018 Ali@abookishlife1 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 Us Against You by Fredrik Backman, the sequel to one of my favourite books of last year, Beartown (aka The Scandal). I read this book over the weekend and it is just as good. I shouldn’t like it, it has multiple pov’s, short sections and is about ice hockey (my knowledge of which comes mostly from Mighty Ducks movies) but it totally sucked me in and I really came to care about each and every one of the characters. Needless to say with Backman’s writing I had a lot of choices when it came to teasers but lets go with this.

My Teaser

Our spontaneous reactions are rarely our proudest moments. It’s said that a person’s first thought is the most honest, but that often isn’t true. It’s often just the most stupid. Why else would we have afterthoughts?

~ 63% Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

Blurb

Spoiler Alert: the following includes some very mild spoilers for Beartown

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.

How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne : I Loved It

May 31, 2018 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow..this book!!! I read an ARC of this back in December and I am so happy I can finally start gushing over it.

Have you ever read a book that just speaks to you? This book was that for me. There is so much about it that is so real and so relevant and that I could really relate to. I wanted to just shout “YES!!!!”, it’s so completely and totally spot on. I like to highlight quotes as I read and can honestly say I’ve highlighted half of this book. It’s just so well written.

THE BLURB

‘Turning thirty is like playing musical chairs. The music stops, and everyone just marries whoever they happen to be sitting on.’

Who the f*ck is Tori Bailey?

There’s no doubt that Tori is winning the game of life. A straight-talking, bestselling author, she’s inspired millions of women around the world with her self-help memoir. And she has the perfect relationship to boot.

But Tori Bailey has been living a lie.

Her long-term boyfriend won’t even talk about marriage, but everyone around her is getting engaged and having babies. And when her best friend Dee – her plus one, the only person who understands the madness – falls in love, suddenly Tori’s in terrifying danger of being left behind.

When the world tells you to be one thing and turning thirty brings with it a loud ticking clock, it takes courage to walk your own path.

It’s time for Tori to practice what she’s preached, but the question is: is she brave enough?

The debut adult novel by bestselling author Holly Bourne is a blisteringly funny, honest and moving exploration of love, friendship and navigating the emotional rollercoaster of your thirties.

MY REVIEW

This was my first book from Holly Bourne (and the first adult book she’s written) but it won’t be my last. From the blurb I was expecting the standard chick lit or romcom type book that is all too common but this has so much more depth and realism to it than I ever could have anticipated.

As someone who is single and in their thirties (Edit: I was in my thirties when I read it so it still counts) I could relate to so much of this story. How it seems that at a certain age everyone suddenly starts getting married and having kids and how this creates a barrier between you. How scary the thought of being on your own, or never having children can be and how sometimes it feels like you’re losing at life if you’re not blissfully happy, married and popping out babies. How you can feel judged and inadequate for putting your career first, or for those with kids, for not being the right type of mother.

I don’t really like making comparisons but for me this had echoes of Bridget Jones Diary. It’s less of a romance but while Bridget was made to feel like there must be something wrong with her for being single by the smug marrieds, Tori is made to feel the same for not being a mother. Some of the things said to her are truly awful but I know from personal experience that it does happen. I could completely understand her jealousy and the feeling she had that she was trapped on the wrong side of a wall.

There are a number of other very relevant themes prevalent throughout this story. Our obsession with social media at the expense of enjoying the moment (if there’s no pictures on insta it didn’t happen), the endless quest for validation from a bunch of strangers on the internet, how success is determined by how many likes or comments something gets. It really made me question my own obsession with twitter and instagram. Tori may have driven me nuts with how obsessed she was with presenting the best image of herself, the idea that she has the perfect life and all the answers but really she was just an exaggerated version of a lot of us.

I did love the strong feminist vibe that runs through this book. I may not have loved Tori but I loved how she challenged those claiming to be feminists. One of my favorite moments was when she was on a panel with a man claiming to be a feminist, she may have been drunk but she was hilarious and absolutely spot on.

Her relationship with Tom made for some difficult reading and I absolutely hated it and kept praying she would end it but as the book points out starting over in anything is a much more daunting prospect in your 30s than in your 20s. There’s a definite feeling that you’re locked into the decisions and the path you’re on and just have to make the best of it.

If I had one minor qualm about this book and it is minor it’s that I just couldn’t understand Tom’s behaviour. He was just so horrible and manipulative. I can’t believe it was deliberate but I can’t accept that he didn’t know what he was doing.

I’ve probably made this sound like quite an intense read, dealing with heavy and depressing issues, but it’s not like that at all. There was the odd heartbreaking moment but there were more than a few that were hilariously funny, many of which involved best friend Dee (and often some kind of celebratory event). My personal favorite was a baby shower and some discussion over landing strips, I’m saying no more except that Tori is truly gifted at saying exactly what I would be thinking.

Thank you Holly Bourne for creating such a wonderful book and if you’re still reading after all of my waffling thank you too. If you can’t tell I absolutely loved it and would recommend everyone read this immediately. I kind of hope it’ll encourage women everywhere to maybe be a little less judgmental about how others choose to live their life.

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

WWW Wednesday: 30th May 2018

May 30, 2018May 29, 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

Spinning Silver

I got a little bit frustrated with the format of Spinning Silver over the weekend, the writing is minute and it’s a struggle to read, so I put it on hold for a bit so I could read something that’s easier on my eyes. It’s so annoying as it’s a wonderful story, dark and twisted and completely magical but it’s hard work. I’m kind of tempted to just give up on the ARC and wait for it to be published so I can get a proper copy

As I kind of expected I’ve made next to no progress on The Count of Monte Cristo but now that I no longer have so many books on the go at one time hopefully I can get back into it.

Recently Finished

Circe So yeah I may have wandered off my reading plan over the weekend but I couldn’t resist picking up Circe by Madeline Miller and needless to say once I picked it up there was no way I was putting it down until I finished it. It is absolutely brilliant. It will definitely be making my list of favorite reads in 2018. I’ve always been fascinated by Greek mythology but had forgotten a lot of it. In Circe, the author really brings a lot of these stories to life and it actually feels like you’re living them. The character development is incredible and I loved how she made these Greek gods and heroes (Odysseus, Daedalus) so incredibly real and flawed. I am going to have to get my hands on a copy of The Song of Achilles as soon as possible.

I’d managed to get Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco on audio from Overdrive and it was due back on Monday so I had to push to get it finished before then. I think I made it with about 5 hours to spare 🙂 Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #1) I did enjoy this story but part of me wishes that I’d just bought it as an ebook rather than listening to it on audio. I can imagine it’s much better to just sit and immerse yourself in the story rather than dipping in and out every couple of days. It may just have been that I’ve been reading the original stories fairly recently but this reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes. One character in particular, Thomas Cresswell, seems to pretty much be Sherlock and a lot of his methods and character are absolutely identical. I did guess who Jack the Ripper was very early on (it was kinda obvious) but it was still a good read and I will no doubt read the next books in the series.

The third and final book finished this week was The Last Family in England which I’d received from NetGalley. I’m pretty sure this has been out for a while but it seems to be getting re released (probably due to the success of How to Stop Time). This was a very emotional read for me. I don’t think I would have requested this if I’d known just how upsetting this story would be. I love animals and tend to get more emotionally invested in them than I do in people so I generally avoid books about animals (even if I know they get a happy ending). It is however wonderfully written and contains so many keen insights and observations on the modern family and relationships. This was my first book by Haig and while I can’t say I “enjoyed” it (it was too sad for that). It has shown me how good his writing is.

Reading Next

Eek, I think I have the same list yet again (3rd week in a row). I do really need to read Smoke in the Sun and Ace of Shades as soon as possible but wasn’t sure it was fair to read another fantasy so soon after Circe (I’m not sure it’s fair on any book to read it after Circe). I might go for something of a different genre, either Cross Her Heart or Us Against You (it’s most likely to be Us Against You)

Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist, #2) Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) Cross Her Heart Us Against You (Beartown, #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 ❤

Review: The Last Family in England by Matt Haig

May 29, 2018 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

The Last Family in England by Matt Haig

Beautifully written but possibly a little too upsetting for me

THE BLURB

Meet the Hunter family: Adam, Kate, and their children Hal and Charlotte. And Prince, their black Labrador.

Prince is an earnest young dog, striving hard to live up to the tenets of the Labrador Pact (Remain Loyal to Your Human Masters, Serve and Protect Your Family at Any Cost). Other dogs, led by the Springer Spaniels, have revolted. As things in the Hunter family begin to go badly awry – marital breakdown, rowdy teenage parties, attempted suicide – Prince’s responsibilities threaten to overwhelm him and he is forced to break the Labrador Pact and take desperate action to save his Family.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Phew I made it through to the end. I never would have picked this book up if I’d known what it was about (I really should have read the blurb). Books like this just upset me too much and I prefer not to put myself through the trauma.

The fact that the story begins with dog Prince being taken to the vet to be put down was a very early hint that this was probably not going to be a happy read and it’s not. From the vet’s office we flash back to the preceding months to discover how Prince’s attempts to protect his family resulted in his current situation.

I do have to give Haig a lot of praise for this book despite its storyline. His writing is wonderful and he really captures real family life with all of its ups and downs. I loved the unique way the story is told and I thought the way he used the dogs POV to show each member of the families insecurities and emotions was genius. The family open up to him in a way they don’t to those around them baring all (both literally and figuratively) in front of him.

I also loved the philosophy and belief system he created for the dogs (and cat) and the conflict between the different breeds and I would love to think it true. It certainly reflected the characteristics of the various breeds and I could easily imagine Labradors being the voice of reason and responsibility in the dog community.

The story is not particularly fast paced or action packed but it is a fairly easy and quick read. It’s the story of a family falling apart and includes issues such as infidelity, death and grief, teenage insecurity and anger and attempted suicide. As you can imagine there are a lot of sad moments but there are also a few laughs too (mostly Prince’s incredibly keen observations of the behavior of the family members when they’re on their own in front of a mirror).

Prince is an absolutely wonderful character and I kind of wish he was my dog. He’s so desperate to hold everything together and blames himself when things go wrong. He’s naive and innocent and occasionally hilarious.

Despite all being told from Prince’s point of view you do get a real sense of the other characters too, dogs and humans. Each and every one is well rounded and believable and the interactions between them are spot on.

This was a little too emotional for me to say it was an enjoyable read but I am glad to have read it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy.

Teaser Tuesday: 29th May 2018

May 29, 2018May 28, 2018 Ali@abookishlife2 Comments

This week my teaser comes from Circe by Madeline Miller and yep this is exactly the same book as last week. I read this over the weekend and loved it so I couldn’t resist sharing another teaser from it.

My Teaser

I had no right to claim him, I knew it. But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.

~ pg132 Circe by Madeline Miller

Blurb

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe’s place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe’s independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

Review: Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

May 26, 2018 Ali@abookishlife8 Comments

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

The story was a little too familiar for me to really love it but this was an enjoyable enough read and a promising start to a new series.

THE BLURB

The queen you were meant to be
The land you were meant to save
The throne you were meant to claim

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess.

When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can’t ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser’s warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn’t expect to develop feelings for the Prinz.

Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she’s willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice to become Queen.

From author Laura Sebastian comes Ash Princess, a nail-biting YA fantasy debut full of daring and vengeance.

MY REVIEW

I wanted to love this but despite some edge of the seat moments this just never really hooked me. It’s not bad, in fact once I hit the halfway point I found it incredibly difficult to put down, it’s just that there’s nothing particularly new or exciting about it. I felt like this was a story I’d read before, more than once, and those parts that were original I wasn’t sure I wanted.

It’s a common story, a young princess whose kingdom was taken over by an evil tyrant has to fight to free herself and her people. Add in special magical powers, a love triangle involving the princess, her best friend from her childhood (boy next door) and the son of the tyrant and this is essentially the same story we’ve heard a number of times (it reminded me a lot of Red Queen).

There are of course some differences, the author has created an intriguing and well set out magic and belief system and I really liked how the main characters religious beliefs played into her actions. I loved how the ideas of one culture being overtaken by another were reflected. There are elements of eradication (bans on using the language for example) but also cultural appropriation and the impact of this on a “native” of the kingdom were very well presented.

What I wasn’t so keen on however was the level of abuse towards women within the story. I do understand why it’s there (and the author has been open in why she included it) but I’m not sure it was necessary to have main character Theodosia (Theo/Thora) being beaten regularly and subjected to mental torture from the age of 6. I generally don’t mind a bit of violence in books but this felt too much to me and while it did bring an edge to the story it was uncomfortable to read (even though very little occurs on the page).

I also think it raised questions over how believable Theo was as a character. I thankfully haven’t had her experiences but her general attitude, actions and responses just didn’t feel right considering the level of abuse she’s been subjected too. As a character there were aspect of her I liked, how she tried to hang on to her memories and beliefs, how she manages to survive and the insecurities she has but there was a lot about her that frustrated me. She’s too hesitant and too trusting and loyal and I just wanted her to act.

As I alluded to there is quite a bit of romance in this and yet another of those dreaded love triangles with one love interest the boy she was best friends with as a child and the other the son of her enemy. I don’t really mind a love triangle and this one is pretty inoffensive. There are some very sweet moments and I particularly loved the relationship between Theo and the Prinz with all of the questions over how much is real and the conflict between love and duty.

What I found especially intriguing romance wise in this book was Theo’s mothers life. She was romantically involved with a number of different men (leading to the question over who Theo’s father was) but committed to no one. It did make me wonder about her kingdom’s attitudes to love and romance and I would have loved for this to be developed further.

As far as the other characters go some were a little cliched but for the most part they were inoffensive. I didn’t really have strong feelings towards any of them with the possible exception of best friend Cress. She was just terrible and honestly I don’t know how Theo couldn’t see it (this was maybe my biggest frustration in this story). The characters I did find intriguing (the Kaiser’s wife for example) didn’t get enough time and I would have liked to see more from the women in the palace.

Story wise I did find this a little slow in the beginning but it does really pick up around the halfway point and from that point on I did find it difficult to put down. There aren’t a lot of surprises, a lot of it has been done before so you kind of know what to expect but I did still enjoy it.

The writing is pretty good and while there is a little bit of info dumping at the start as the author develops the world, the magic system and the religion, there is some real emotion conveyed. I found myself on the edge of my seat at times with the tension created, horrified with the violence and on one occasion I may have shed a tear.

Overall therefore I’d rate it as good but not great. It’s just lacking that little spark and bit of originality to make it something special. I will however no doubt read the sequel when it’s released as now the world building is largely out of the way I think it could really take off.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. This has in no way influenced my review.

WWW Wednesday: 23rd May 2018

May 23, 2018May 22, 2018 Ali@abookishlife26 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

Due to a little bit of a wander off track at the weekend my currently reading list is pretty much the same as last week with the addition of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.

The Last Family in England The Count of Monte Cristo Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #1) Spinning Silver

I have to admit I haven’t made much progress on either the Count of Monte Cristo or The Last Family in England. The first I was holding off on as the buddy read only started yesterday so I didn’t want to get too far ahead (and that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) and the second I’m just too scared to read as I just know something really upsetting is going to happen.

I have made some reasonable progress on Stalking Jack the Ripper and am past the halfway point now. I only have it on loan for about the next 6 days so I’m going to have to get it finished before I lose it. It’s reminding me a lot of Sherlock Holmes for some reason, which is both good and bad.

I only started Spinning Silver on Monday morning so I’m around a quarter of the way through but I’m absolutely loving it. It’s roughly based on Rumpelstiltskin and has that Russian fairytale element to it that I adore. It is however in a weird file format so I’m having to use the Aldiko app on my phone to read it. The writing is teeny tiny so not the easiest to read (thank goodness I’m short sighted) and it looks like it’s going to self destruct in around 40 days but it’s totally worth it.

Recently Finished

Only two books finished this week, the first of which was Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian. I have to admit I’m a little on the fence about this one. It’s not bad, in fact once I hit the halfway point I did get hooked and found it difficult to put down, but it’s lacking in originality. It’s about a young girl with special powers who has to find a way to defeat an evil tyrant and free her oppressed people. I feel like I’ve already read this and in fact it reminded me a lot of Red Queen. There is some decent writing though and it did generate some feels.

Vox After Ash Princess I couldn’t face another YA fantasy and having received a copy of Vox from NetGalley I couldn’t resist reading a few pages. Needless to say I ended up finishing the whole thing the same day. It’s an absolutely fascinating premise in that in this society women are only permitted to speak 100 words a day. Their role is to stay at home, cook, clean, garden and raise the children while their menfolk make the decisions, go out to work. It’s a little similar to Handmaid’s Tale but without the forced baby factory element. I very much enjoyed it. It’s not out till August so unfortunately too early for a review but I would recommend.

Reading Next

Hmm pretty much the same as last week. I think Spinning Silver is gonna take me a while but it’s a long weekend here so hopefully I can make a start on at least one of these.

Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist, #2) Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) Cross Her Heart

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: 22nd May 2018

May 22, 2018May 21, 2018 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

This week my teaser comes from Circe by Madeline Miller. Other than a quick skim through the first few pages I haven’t started reading this as yet but as I bought a copy at the weekend (the assistant at the bookstore talked me into breaking my ban for it) I couldn’t resist sharing a teaser. Needless to say it’s from very early on.

My Teaser

Once when I was young I asked what mortals looked like. My father said, ‘You may say they are shaped like us, but only as the worm is shaped like the whale.’

My mother had been simpler: like savage bags of rotten flesh.

~ pg3 Circe by Madeline Miller

Blurb

ARC Review: Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber

May 20, 2018May 20, 2018 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

I had high hopes for the sequel to Caraval and Legendary surpassed them all. I absolutely loved it and I can’t wait for book three.

Spoiler Alert: As this is the second in the series there may be some spoilers for Caraval from here on in.

THE BLURB

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…the games have only just begun.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Wow this book was just so good. As soon as I finished I wanted to go right back to the beginning and read it all over again. Having read a lot of great reviews and very much enjoying Caraval I did have high(ish) hopes but wow this surpassed them all.

The story picks up not long after Caraval and this time around follows younger sister Tella as she tries to fulfill her side of the deal she made to rescue her sister Scarlett from their abusive father and discover who Legend really is (something I very much wanted to know too). It’s not long before she discovers the only way to find Legend is to take part in the game and win. Tella may think that she’s been behind the scenes and knows it’s not real but this is a very different game from the one her sister played and the stakes have never been higher.

I did wonder how Garber could follow up Caraval and keep the mystery when the reader knows the truth behind it but she does it masterfully. From the very start it’s made clear that this is not the same. There’s no warning that it’s only a game and not to get swept away but instead that this time it’s real. But, is it or is the “it’s all real” just another part of the game? It’s such a wonderful spin that you still can’t help wondering what’s real and what’s not. We know some of the characters from the previous book and we know they’re actors playing a part but there are a few new characters and Legend is known for setting the scene well before the game begins so just what is an act and what is true, is anyone who they appear and just who is Legend? It’s even more confounding when it turns out that one thing we thought we’d discovered in Caraval was not remotely true.

I was right there with Tella as she quickly began to doubt her own convictions and started to question if everyone was in fact playing some kind of game with her. At moments it seems as if even sister Scarlett could be in on the game and don’t even get me started on love interests Dante and Jacks.

While picking up this book felt initially like sinking into a familiar and reassuring world with characters I knew and cared for Garber takes it to a whole new level, developing both the world and the people in it into something completely new, strange and unsettling but consistent with what came before. The magic system is further developed but there’s also more insight into the wider world, its people and the various religious and belief systems which added so much depth and detail I found myself completely immersed in this magical world.

For the most part I also loved how the characters were developed. I hadn’t been keen on Tella in the first book but she really made this story for me. She’d always seemed quite a selfish and shallow character, thoughtless and determined to get her way but it’s not long until we find her motivations were very different from what I believed. I adored how forthright she was. There’s no hesitation. She may be scared or have doubts but she makes a decision and she goes for it, putting on a show that nothing gets to her and relying on the fact that most people (myself included) underestimate her. She is a little reckless and her actions are frustrating at times but she’s young (something I kept forgetting) and it makes for such an exciting and engaging read.

Tella is also incredibly self reliant and I loved how she didn’t look to anyone else to solve her problems. She’s not looking for romance but that’s not to say she doesn’t find some and when she does it is truly swoon worthy. There were more than a few occasions when I just wanted to melt into a big puddle on the floor. I should add a warning that there’s a bit of love triangle going on but both of the love interests are just yummy and not necessarily what they seem. Dante may be flirty and sweet but he’s one of the performers so may be playing a game and Jacks is probably not part of the game but is very mercurial and changes from cold and nasty to charming from one moment to the next. I found myself completely hooked every time Tella had a scene with them.

To be honest though I found myself completely hooked on the story as a whole. It’s full of mystery and intrigue and there were so many sudden reveals and twists my jaw was almost constantly on the floor. There was more than one occasion when I was seriously considering just staying on the train and not going to work so I could keep on reading.

If I had one criticism, and it is pretty minor, I would have liked to see more in terms of the game and the other players. It feels like a very personal game this time and the focus is almost solely on Tella. I couldn’t help wondering what everyone else was doing, what the game was for them. I was also a little disappointed in Scarlett, how little she featured and how she acted. We are seeing her from Tella’s pov but she felt like a very different character than in Caraval.

This is however an absolutely brilliant read and moved the story on so well. The conclusion when it comes is fantastic but left me wanting more. I hope we don’t have too long to wait for the next book, Finale.

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