Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Amari and the Night Brothers – B.B. Alston*

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Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.

Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.

So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.

Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

Dear Reader,

I wish I could say that I was courageous. That once I’d created the world of this book, I didn’t panic when Amari popped into my head with her brown skin and curly afro.

Growing up, I’d never seen a main character who looked like me in a fantasy. Surely I can’t tell this story through her eyes, I thought to myself. No one will want to read it. And certainly no one will want to publish it. So I resisted.

Instead I created the typical middle-grade protagonist, a wise-cracking white kid. Because that was realistic. A black kid – a black girl, especially – just wasn’t. I’m sad to say that some time in my thirty-plus years of living, I’d come to believe that there are some adventures people like me don’t get to have. But that manuscript kept stalling after a few chapters, and each time it did, Amari’s annoyed voice would remind me that this was her story.

Exasperated, I finally gave in. And let me tell you, once I did, Amari’s story just flowed. For the first time in my life, I was also telling my story, and the story of the people I grew up with. I hope you enjoy Amari’s story. It’s also my sincere hope that this book sparks your sense of wonder, because that’s what I love most about fantasy.

And for those of you who look different, or feel different, whatever the reason, please know that your uniqueness needn’t be a source of fear and insecurity.

There is great strength and joy to be found in simply accepting and loving yourself for who you are. Because once you do so, you’ll be unstoppable.

BB Alston

My thoughts:

This was fantastic! Such a fun, adventure filled read, with elements of Men in Black (but, in grey), fairy tales, monsters, magic, cool science, tech, and y’know dragons! I love dragons.

Amari is a brilliant protagonist, smart, determined, genuine, kind and awesome. Her friends are pretty great too, especially Elsie (see dragons). She’s also black, which is important because they’re aren’t many characters that look like her out there. Which is a shame because it means great stories like this could get missed. So read it, and shout about it.

Hunting for her missing brother, a top secret agent, and trying to prevent an evil magician from destroying the hidden supernatural world with his monsters. All while being a teenage girl looked down on from being poor and a magician. But she rises above the haters (let’s be honest, they’re just idiots) and striking out in her own way, Amari masters her powers and sets out to crack the case.

This might be aimed at younger readers than me, but I loved it and can’t wait to see what Amari’s next case might be. This is a series that could run and run. I’ve already recommended it to a school librarian or two, because I honestly think there’s loads of readers out there who’d love this.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Sleepless – Louise Mumford*

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Don’t close your eyes. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t let them in.

Thea is an insomniac; she hasn’t slept more than three hours a night for years.

So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life.

Soon Thea’s sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she’s willing to overlook the oddities of the trial – the lack of any phone signal; the way she can’t leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes.

But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn’t just want to help Thea sleep. It wants to control her sleep…

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Louise was born and lives in South Wales. From a young age she loved books and dancing, but hated
having to go to sleep, convinced that she might miss out on something interesting happening in the
world whilst she dozed – much to her mother’s frustration! Insomnia has been a part of her life ever since.

She studied English Literature at university and graduated with first class honours. As a teacher she
tried to pass on her love of reading to her students (and discovered that the secret to successful teaching is… stickers! She is aware that that is, essentially, bribery.)

In the summer of 2019 Louise experienced a once-in-a-lifetime moment: she was discovered as a
new writer by her publisher at the Primadonna Festival. Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind since then.

Louise lives in Cardiff with her husband and spends her time trying to get down on paper all the
marvellous and frightening things that happen in her head.

Her debut thriller, SLEEPLESS, will be published by HQ on 11th Dec 2020.

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My thoughts:

Note to self: never accept an invitation to anything that takes place on an abandoned island. See also And Then There Were None, Last Resort.

This however is not a revenge fantasy enacted over dinner but a “sleep study” gone insane.

As someone who suffers from insomnia, I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, an elite study into sleep, taking place in a purpose built facility on an island that once housed a monastery. An enigmatic founder, a brilliant scientist, high tech used to understand a very basic need – the vital necessity of sleep.

Thea finds herself trapped, they don’t want to help her sleep, they want to manipulate her brain into never needing sleep – so she tries to escape. But on a small island, there’s nowhere to hide.

This was brilliant, at times absolutely brutal, and I loved the image of Thea’s eccentric mother, vagina scarf flapping, sailing to the rescue with the grumpy pub landlord.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Twenty Years a Stranger – Deborah Twelves*

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Is it possible for anyone to really know another person?

That is the question Grace King must ask herself when she receives an email informing her that the man she has been married to for the last twenty years is an accomplished con-man, leading multiple lives with at least four different women. Worse still, she learns he has children with these women, but Daniel always told Grace he didn’t want children…

In a split second, Grace’s world is torn apart. She is forced to face up to the fact that her marriage is a sham and the enviable lifestyle she enjoyed with Daniel was all based on lies and deceit. With Daniel suddenly threatening to go bankrupt, Grace decides to turn amateur detective in an attempt to salvage anything she can from her old life and avoid financial as well as emotional ruin, but can she cope with what she finds out?

As increasingly disturbing secrets about Daniel emerge, events spiral out of control and Grace begins to see just how far he is prepared to go to protect those secrets. A dangerous game of cat and mouse ensues, but it is clear there can only ever be one winner. Pushed to breaking point, Grace is about to discover what she is truly capable of.

Everyone has choices and those choices always have consequences.

Based on true events, this compelling story is filled with twists and turns and sadness and laughter that will keep readers gripped until the very last moment.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Deborah Twelves was born in Sheffield, but raised in Ponteland, Northumberland. She studied French and Spanish at Edinburgh University and taught languages for some years while living in France, Spain and Northern Quebec. She now divides her time between her home in Pwllheli, on the Llyn Peninsula of North Wales and her family home in Northumberland but often travels abroad. She has a black Labrador called Nala and a black Lusitano horse called Recurso (Ric), who take up a lot of her spare time, although yacht racing, which she began at an early age with her father, remains her great passion.

Deborah has written many articles for the sailing press over the years and Twenty Years a Stranger is her debut novel, based on true events in her life.

It is the first book in the Stranger Trilogy. The other two books, Ghost of a Stranger and The Boy Stranger will follow soon.

An interview between Alison Pierse and Deborah Twelves

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My thoughts:

What I really wanted to know, reading this, was how Daniel managed to find the time and energy to maintain all of these relationships, I mean, I felt tired just reading about them! The driving, the exotic holidays, the sex, I’d be exhausted!!

Obviously he’s a horrible person, destroying lives and trying to hide his assets so poor Grace gets nothing. I really liked her, she was strong and determined to get what was hers. She had wonderful friends and family supporting her, her only flaw was falling for such a nasty piece of work in the first place.

And that ending, talk about a twist. No spoilers here, but I really hope Grace did OK in the end, once the lawyers were done.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: A Time For Swords – Matthew Harffy*

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When the Vikings attack, a novice monk’s life is changed forever in Matthew Harffy’s new historical adventure.

Lindisfarne, AD793.There had been portents – famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared.
They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom’s most sacred site.
It is 8th June AD793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun.
While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground. He has been taught to turn the other cheek, but faced with the slaughter of his
brothers and the pagan desecration of his church, forgiveness is impossible.
Hunlaf soon learns that there is a time for faith and prayer . . . and there is a time for swords.

Amazon UK

Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.

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My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this slice of history brought to life. I remember learning about Lindisfarne as a child, and being fascinated as to why the Vikings targeted a small religious community, before learning about the extreme wealth of the Church. And then I got it.

Halfur is a great protagonist – a warrior monk in a time before warrior monks (see the Crusades, William the Conqueror’s axe wielding brother, Bishop Odo). He believes God wants him to take up a sword and defend people against invaders who would kill them and steal from them.

His band of fighters, literally drawn from every corner of Britain (and Ireland) are a rag tag bunch but incredibly brave and determined. Each has their own reasons for joining and their own weapons and fighting style. I liked the urbane Welsh swordsman and the female archer Wulfwaru (my tiny Grandma, from Devon, was an award winning archer in her time), the best, although Cormac the Irishman, out for revenge was actually rather sweet.

This was an action packed book, roaming the bleak Northumberland landscape (where part of my family hailed from) and protecting the coastline from the Scandinavian raiders.

Fascinating, entertaining and vividly written, a treat for historical fiction fans, fingers crossed for more of Halfur’s adventures, the things hinted at throughout the text, his memoirs, suggest tremendous adventures await.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Belvedor & the Four Corners – Ashleigh Bello*

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Arianna has only ever dreamed of winning her freedom from the Four Corners—a cold and cruel city where all the children of the world are kept, each with an opportunity to earn their citizenship upon their seventeenth year. Just months away from her ultimate battle, she is certain that her notable skills as a warrior-slave will give her an edge during the annual Free Falls Festivals: Free for the slaves who earn their citizenship; Falls for the ones who die.

But Arianna’s talent with a sword cannot outmaneuver the burning curiosities of her heart, leading her to reveal a shocking secret about King Devlindor and his long-standing reign as High King of Olleb-Yelfra.

The world as she knows it is a lie, its true spellbinding history exploited and suppressed under centuries of deceitful acts.
Her world turned upside down with new, unfathomable knowledge, Arianna must make a choice that could change her life forever—ignore the truth and continue following the path laid out for her since birth or break free from her chains and carve her own way… if she can survive.
Immerse yourself in this addictive YA Epic Fantasy adventure as Arianna is thrust on a thrilling journey to uncover magic and earn her right to freedom.
Belvedor and the Four Corners is a recipient of the 2017 Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion Award.

Amazon

Ashleigh Bello graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in International Studies. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY where she maintains a full-time career as a marketing professional. When she’s not writing, she spends her free time with friends, practicing yoga, and daydreaming about her next adventure.

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My thoughts:

The first book in a brand new fantasy series and it’s absolutely packed with magic, sword fights and lots of action.

Arianna is a slave in a cruel and vicious kingdom, forced to fight for their freedom, she and another slave attempt to flee, anything is better than staying where they are.

But others are intent on them staying and discovering her powers makes her more of a target for a cruel and violent general.

Fast-paced, clever and enthralling, the first book in this cracking new series lays the groundwork for a gripping read to come.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Stone Diaries – Carol Shields*

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With a new foreword by Margaret Atwood.

Widely regarded as a modern classic, The Stone Diaries is the story of one woman’s life; that of Daisy Goodwill Flett, a seemingly ordinary woman born in Canada in 1905. Beautifully written and deeply compassionate, it follows Daisy’s life through marriage, widowhood, motherhood, and old age, as she charts her own path alongside that of an unsettled century.

A subtle but affective portrait of an everywoman reflecting on an unconventional life, this multi-award-winning story deals with everyday issues of existence with an extraordinary vibrancy and irresistible flair.

Beautifully written and deeply compassionate, it follows Daisy’s life through marriage, widowhood, motherhood, and old age, as she charts her own path alongside that of an unsettled century.

A subtle but affective portrait of an everywoman reflecting on an unconventional life, this multi-award-winning story deals with everyday issues of existence with an extraordinary vibrancy and irresistible flair.

Carol Shields (1935–2003) was born in the United States, and emigrated to Canada when she was 22. She is acclaimed for her empathetic and witty, yet penetrating insights into human nature. Her most famous novel

Her most famous novel The Stone Diaries was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, along with the Governor General’s Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Happenstance was praised as her tour de force, masterly combining two novels in one. The international bestseller Mary Swann was awarded with the Arthur Ellis Award for best Canadian mystery, while The Republic of Love was chosen as the first runner-up for the Guardian Fiction Prize.

In 2020, the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, a North American literary award dedicated to writing by women, was set up in her honor.

Her work has been published in over 30 languages.

My thoughts:

I hadn’t heard of Carol Shields before, and from the foreword it seems she’s not hugely well known in the UK.

I found The Stone Diaries really interesting, although I was a little confused as to who the narrative voice was at times – it seems to be Daisy but uses the third person, an interesting stylistic choice.

Charting Daisy’s life from birth to death, from Canada to the US and back again, the writing draws you into the family saga with Daisy at the heart. From daughter to wife to mother to grandmother, Daisy’s passage through life seems both easy and at times very complicated.

Mixing letters, family members’ recollections and Daisy’s own thoughts, this is a thought provoking look at women in the 20th Century, with Daisy as a sort of everywoman.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Rise of One – Dixon Reuel*

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When a zombie apocalypse ravages the world, the vampire Rise rescues human survivors to feed his coven. But apocalypse survivors are not the type to be merely food. Nor could they ever befriend the coven’s lone human, the beautiful and pampered Cypriot.

When Warwolves, an ancient order of vampire hunters, infiltrate the rescued survivors, Rise resolves to purge all threats to his vampire race. The world, although decimated, seems ripe for rule. Rise could set history on a new path, with the rise of one individual.

Amazon

Irish award-winning writer, Dixon Reuel is the author of her debut Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal novel, Rise of One.

Dixon lives and writes out of her home base in Dublin, and holds a First in History & Early Irish Studies and another First in Creative Writing. She is a lifelong nerd and devoted hobbyist of cosplay, video games, and other surely worthwhile pursuits.
Dixon cannot stand monkeys or phone calls, and to receive a phone call from King Kong would definitely be her greatest fear.
FREE BLOOD BRUTE PREQUEL

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My thoughts:

Rise is a vampire, but quite a polite one, pottering around on the small holding he and his coven call home. Protected by ancient magic, the recent “zombie” plague hasn’t caused them any direct harm. But he feels the need to seek out any survivors and bring them home with him. This plan has serious consequences that could destroy everything they’ve built.

I feel like I’ve read a lot of pandemic fiction this year, much written before the current virus induced chaos, and each has been nicely distinct. This is an interesting take, the people at the centre of this story aren’t fully human. They’re centuries old, and require blood from a living person to sustain them.

Their understanding of what has happened is limited and they very rarely venture out beyond their fences, but what Rise seems as a need drives him out. The others counsel him to stay inside.

The people he brings home with him all have a strong impact on the household, and eventually serious trouble comes to them.

I found this book engaging, funny, smart and intriguing. It’s the first in a series of adventures for Rise, an interesting protagonist, and I imagine the rest of the series is equally enjoyable.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Winterkill – Ragnar Jónasson*

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Easter weekend is approaching, and snow is gently falling in Siglufjörður, the northernmost town in Iceland, as crowds of tourists arrive to visit the majestic ski slopes.

Ari Thór Arason is now a police inspector, but he’s separated from his girlfriend, who lives in Sweden with their three-year-old son.

A family reunion is planned for the holiday, but a violent blizzard is threatening and there is an unsettling chill in the air. Three days before Easter, a nineteen-year-old local girl falls to her death from the balcony of a house on the main street.

A perplexing entry in her diary suggests that this may not be an accident, and when an old man in a local nursing home writes ‘She was murdered’ again and again on the wall of his room, there is every suggestion that something more sinister lies at the heart of her death…

As the extreme weather closes in, cutting the power and access to Siglufjörður, Ari Thór must piece together the puzzle to reveal a horrible truth … one that will leave no one unscathed.

Chilling, claustrophobic and disturbing, Winterkill marks the startling conclusion to the million-copy bestselling Dark Iceland series and cements Ragnar Jónasson as one of the most exciting authors in crime fiction.

Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jónasson was born in Reykjavík, and currently works as a lawyer, while teacher copyright law at the Reykjavík University Law School.

In the past, he’s worked in TV and radio, including as a news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic, and has had several short stories published in German, English and Icelandic literary magazines.

Ragnar set up the first overseas chapter of the CWA (Crime Writers’ Association) in Reykjavík, and is co-founder of the International crime-writing festival Iceland Noir.

Ragnar’s debut thriller, Snowblind became an almost instant bestseller when it was published in June 2015n with Nightblind (winner of the Dead Good Reads Most Captivating Crime in Translation Award) and then Blackout, Rupture and Whiteout following soon after.

To date, Ragnar Jónasson has written five novels in the Dark Iceland series, which has been optioned for TV by On the Corner.

He lives in Reykjavík with his wife and two daughters.

My thoughts:

This was really good, the snow closing in on a small town, an unexplained death, a teenage girl with secrets and a detective who just wants to spend time with his son.

Ari Thór is called out late at night to an apparent suicide of a young woman, it doesn’t appear suspicious, although the building she jumped from wasn’t her home. But he starts to investigate, while there might not be a crime, something caused her to leap to her death, and he wants to get an answer for her devastated mother.

His ex-partner and young son have just arrived to spend the Easter weekend with him, but he needs to solve the case. This struggle is what caused their break-up and he doesn’t want to risk alienating them further.

A blizzard sets in, trapping the locals in their small town and causing Ari Thór to struggle to get to the truth, when the power goes out. But he pieces the clues together to unravel a tragedy and find someone who is guilty, even if they didn’t kill anyone.

Gripping, claustrophobic, creepy (some of the characters were a bit sinister, like the father and son hiding out on an island), and clever.


*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Beneath a Starless Sky – Tessa Harris*

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The smoke tingled in her nostrils. Acrid. Harsh. Lilli Sternberg’s quickening heart sounded an alarm as she rounded the corner of the street. Lifting her gaze to the rooftops, she saw a roaring blaze of thick flames engulf the side of the building and join the stars to fill the black sky. Her father’s shop was no more.

Munich 1930

Lilli Sternberg longs to be a ballet dancer. But outside the sanctuary of the theatre, her beloved city is in chaos and Munich is no longer a place for dreams.

The Nazi party are gaining in popularity and the threats to those who deviate from the party line are increasing. Jewish families are being targeted and their businesses raided, even her father’s shop was torched.

When Lilli meets Captain Marco Zeiller during a chance encounter, her heart soars. He is the perfect gentleman and her love for him feels like a bright hope under a bleak sky.

But battle lines are being drawn, and Marco has been spotted by the Reich as an officer with great potential. A relationship with Lilli would compromise them both.

Will Lilli be able to escape the threats facing her family, and how much is she willing to risk for the man she loves?

My thoughts:

This is a beautiful and moving love story, full of danger and intrigue, as Lilli risks everything to become a star and then to save her family.

Lilli is a Jew in a Germany that is rapidly changing as a new political power takes shape, but her ballet talent whisks her all the way to Hollywood and into high society, including the circle of the Prince of Wales and a certain Wallis Simpson.

But her family are still in Munich and as Hitler’s grip tightens and war looms, Lilli must risk everything to save them and herself.

This was at times very sad, as indeed anything set during WWII often is, terrible things were done and the horrors contrast starkly with the glamorous whirl of London society and parties that Lilli becomes a part of.

The ending was fairly uplifting and redemptive, thankfully, as before that there was a shocking moment that I thought might turn out very differently.

The romance between Lilli and Marco was touching and tragic but again ultimately redemptive.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Frank Penny & The Last Black Stag – Jeremy Elson*

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Power is not for the weak or faint-hearted.

If Frank, Cas, Gabby and Anya want to find the next two guardians of the Simbrian and keep them safe, they need to journey across the dangerous borderlands and into the dark and
shadowy world of Kzarlac, sworn enemy of Byeland.

Ruled by the fearsome Etamin Dahke, Kzarlac is no place for four naïve teenagers. Keen wits and a large helping of luck are no guarantee they will succeed and return safely.
Driven by their desire to protect the delicate peace that has existed since the time of Kester, their quest is about to take a deadly turn, and the exposure of an unconceivable secret may make Frank regret ever having started.

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About the Author

Jeremy Elson is the author of the Frank Penny series of adventure books for young adults.
Jeremy is a home educating parent himself, and Frank Penny was borne out of his desire to bring to life a home educated child, as well as tell a straightforward and compelling adventure story.

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My thoughts:

I hadn’t read any previous books in the series, and while it isn’t essential to do so, it might flesh out the back story a bit if you decide to.

Frank and his friends are on an epic quest to save their homeland from an evil emperor and her henchmen. They must find the guardians, but the enemy is a few steps ahead of them, and they have teenage things like love, school and parents to contend with first.

There’s lots of action and adventure, as well as milkshakes and having fun at a festival, before heading off into enemy territory and putting themselves at great risk.

Frank also discovers some secrets along the way, including about himself, that could change things completely.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.