Series – BookMarked

Book Review: Foretold

*Foretold* by Violet Lumani | View on Amazon | View on Book Depository

I just have to say, first of all, that I love this cover. I’m generally not into anything to do with scrying or psychics or mystics or even really astrology, but something about that delicate violet cloud of smoke and the golden lettering… It just really screams magic and fantasy, doesn’t it? It definitely drew me in immediately.

If you’ve read any of my other reviews on my blog, you’ll probably know that I’m a sucker for any novel that includes mental health issues – as long as it’s told well. This is one of those. The protagonist, Cassie, has OCD and extreme anxiety and catastrophic thinking. It’s not the focus of the story, but it’s also obvious how it impacts her life in so many ways. This is a delicate balance. As someone with their own struggles, I know how irritating it is to be defined by your diagnoses, yet it’s equally infuriating when people don’t understand how these illnesses can affect you in so many ways. I loved how Cassie’s compulsions showed up seemingly out of the blue at times, or how such ‘random’ things could be so meaningful or triggering for her. But, like I said, I also appreciate that this isn’t the main plot, and so it isn’t focused on too much, either, in my opinion.

As for the fantasy side of things, that was also great! It was all explained well – as in, I was made to believe that it was plausible, it was possible. I was immersed in the world of Cassie and her friends as they learned to harness their gifts, and I was fascinated to see how far Cassie would go in order to change the fate she’s seen. It was exciting and action-packed for sure, and I’m beyond intrigued to find out more.

There was, of course, a romance element, too. I’m not much into teen/YA romance but I didn’t hate it. There was a sort of love triangle that develops, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Even so, I was invested in Cassie’s aim to save Collin, and I generally liked all the characters and enjoyed their relationships and interactions.

*Thank you to the author/publisher for providing me the opportunity to read and review this book*

This was one of those proper fantasy books that you can get lost in, which is what we all need sometimes, right? It definitely was not sugarcoated – there are a lot of harsh realities, moments of grief and pain and loss, and no fairytale happy ending. But there are elements of humour, too, bittersweet memories and touching moments. It certainly left me wanting to read on. 4.5 stars.

Book Review: The Iron Sword (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #2)

*The Iron Sword (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #2)* by Julie Kagawa | View on Amazon | View on Book Depository

So this is the sequel to The Iron Raven which I recently wrote a review of. These books are part of Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, but in their own trilogy: Evenfall. This is good for me as I didn’t read any of the Iron Fey novels before The Iron Raven, and luckily you don’t need to. However, as I mentioned in my review of the first Evenfall book, there were probably a lot of elements and details I missed because I’d skipped the other books.

Unlike the previous book, this is told from Ash’s POV, not Puck’s/Robin Goodfellow’s. Ash is the husband of Meghan, father of Kierran, and son of the Winter Queen. I’ve gathered through these two books that Ash featured rather heavily in the previous novels, having fought hard to gain a soul in order to be with the woman he loves. We’re given enough details on this history to follow along with the story even without reading all the other books beforehand, which is great. (I think it would be beneficial to read the others, though, and I hope to do so!)

From the previous book, I found Keirran and Nyx to be great characters – and was really pleased by how much we see of them in this book. Meghan and Ash are devoted parents, which is lovely to see, yet they also care a great deal for their kingdom. Puck is mischievous and outwardly brusque, but we definitely see some of his emotion coming through at times. And Nyx… It’s so exciting to learn more about her, about her complicated, twisted history! I really liked that aspect of this story.

Naturally, this involves a huge amount of magic and glamour and mystery and adventure – everything you could want from a fantasy novel, right? It’s also modern, with elements of our mortal world, technology and all, being key to the plot. The characters are pitted against their worst fears and nightmares (possibly a little cliche, but oh well) and face unbeatable odds in order to save the entire Never Never – and the mortal realm, too.

I think I liked this one a bit more than The Iron Raven. It was exciting, adventurous, clever, and funny at times. I love the characters, even if Ash’s Unseely side is a bit of a jerk. 4.5 stars!

Book Review: The Iron Raven (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #1)

*The Iron Raven (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #1)* by Julie Kagawa | View on Amazon | View on Book Depository

It’s about time I finally got round to writing this review as I’m now halfway through the second book of the Evenfall series. I read this first one back in June 2021!

Before reading this, I had not read any of Kagawa’s works. I did not read any of the other Iron Fey series and so I was not acquainted with any of the characters or settings in this. Luckily, as this is technically the start of a new series, it laid out the essentials of the world and history of certain characters, so I didn’t feel too lost. That said, there were a fair few references to events that I wasn’t privy to, so in hindsight, it may have been better to read some of the other books first. But I want to stress that reading the other Iron Fey books is not necessary to enjoy and appreciate this one.

I love modern takes on stories regarding fey and magic, and I adore seeing well-known characters such as Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) portrayed in different ways. Puck, in this novel, was cheeky and mischievous but certainly had a dark side to him. I really enjoyed him as a character; even if, at first, I found him perhaps a little too cocky. But the other characters – in particular Nyx and Meghan – were just as wonderful and interesting. While Nyx is new to this series, I believe Meghan features heavily in previous books. I’m really quite tempted to go back and read those other books to find out more about her, as well as Puck’s history with Ash, another major character.

This book has a ton of excitement and adventure, action, magic, and fighting. It’s what I love about the fantasy genre, with its ability to transport you to a whole new world. And of course, it leaves us wanting more! It’s such a great take on the concept of fey and the different courts, and I particularly love the whole idea of the Between. (Kieran is another great character I’d like to mention; if you like him, you’ll definitely be interested in the next book. I’m only halfway through but I’m enjoying it immensely so far!) This is just perfect for curling up on a rainy evening, a way of escaping into a magical world of equal beauty and danger. 4 stars!

Book Review: Kelpie Blue (Out of Underhill #1)

*Kelpie Blue (Out of Underhill #1)* by Mell Eight

I do love faerie stories – and modernised retellings and adaptations are always interesting to read. This book has a variety of fae but mostly focuses on Blue, a kelpie, and his relationship with the human boy, Rin. Blue’s form varies between human, semi-human, semi-horse, and horse – but is mostly nearer to human. The scene is set by Rin in a journal entry, where he describes his childhood, the accident that injured him so badly he could no longer ride horses, and the downfall of his mother’s business. He also talks of how he met Blue – but the book itself is written quite some time after their meeting, and their relationship is already very much established. Blue actually lives with Rin and his mother, who are fully aware of his fae nature and extremely accepting.

Much of the book is set in the ordinary human realm, with the three main characters struggling to keep the business afloat. As Blue is the only ‘horse’ that Rin is able to ride, they decide to enter a race to earn some money (and publicity). And while they’re preparing for this, Jim comes along. He’s another kind of faerie, and he’s looking for Blue.
And to top it all off, Rin’s mother is kidnapped soon after the big race. This demands a rescue mission, wherein Rin and Blue venture Underhill, to the faerie realm.

This sounds like a very epic fantasy adventure – and it is. But the actual adventure Underhill is a rather small proportion of the book. A much more prominent theme is Blue and Rin’s relationship, which becomes increasingly sexually explicit.
There’s also some mystery around Rin’s father, who he never met. His mother admits to him having some kind of magical heritage, which brings a lot of questions to Rin’s mind.

Thank you to the author/publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book

I enjoyed the Underhill journey, but it was disappointingly short. The general relationship between Rin and Blue was rather interesting, but I wasn’t keen on all the sexual scenes, honestly. I didn’t really feel that they were all that necessary. I actually really liked the kind of day-to-day narrative with Blue; if you’ve ever wondered what life would be like if you were living with a blue faerie, this book should give you some insight. Overall, I definitely did enjoy this. But it wasn’t quite what I expected, and it didn’t particularly resonate with me personally or emotionally. 3.5 stars.

Book Review: The Relentless Moon

*The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut #3)* by Mary Robinette Kowal

I didn’t read any of the other books in this series, but I’ve seen Kowal state that this was intended to be readable as a standalone, too. I certainly didn’t feel like I had missed anything from the previous novels. From what I understand, the narrator of this book (Nicole) is not the same narrator as in the others. Personally, I enjoyed this book so much partly because of Nicole, so I’m not sure I would have reacted quite the same to the other books.

This book offers a sort of alternate history, wherein meteors had previously hit the earth, urging developments in space travel. A colony is being established on the moon, with further flights even heading for Mars. Nicole, one of the first female astronauts, still travels to the moon despite being over fifty years old now and the wife of the governor of Kansas. This particular book is set in the 1960s, partially on earth, and partially on the moon.

Nicole’s character is fascinating in so many ways. Her relationship with her husband Kenneth, for example, and her role in all the politics around his role. She’s also one of few female astronauts, as well as being a little older than most, but with relatively high ranking due to her experience. Finally – and this is where I strongly relate to her – Nicole has anorexia. She manages it most of the time (with the help of Kenneth) but of course has the occasional slip-ups. The way in which the disorder sneaks its way into her life, particularly in times of distress, is very realistic. It’s not always an overt desire to lose weight or starve oneself. It is often simply forgetting to eat, or making excuses, or physically feeling unable to. This can lead to a devastating downward spiral – as Nicole well knows.

It should definitely be noted here that Nicole’s anorexia is in no way the main aspect of the story, or of her character. It affects a lot of things, sure, but it’s not the main story. It’s just a part of her life. I very much appreciated how Kowal did this.

As for the plot, the simplest way of describing it is that there is possibly a saboteur – or group of saboteurs – on the moon. Things have been going wrong with spacecraft, and now there are problems on the moon, too. Further, a Polio outbreak suddenly occurs, which is a bit of a nightmare in a small, close colony. Finally, Kenneth decides to run for president, and Nicole has a lot of personal issues to deal with while trying to hunt down the saboteur.

It’s a pretty wild ride. It’s long, but I didn’t find myself getting bored. There were times where I maybe felt a tiny bit lost, especially where a lot of space jargon was used, but most of the time I managed to follow along quite well. 4.5 stars!

Book Review: Aura (Aura Jax #1)

I received a free review copy of this book through Hidden Gems, so a huge thank you to them and the author/publisher!

Dystopian novels are not new, nor are they few. It’s becoming far more frequent to see these stories featuring or revolving around advanced technology. This is one of those books, set in a futuristic world dominated by technology – as well as the Elite. Society is separated into two main categories: Workers and Elite. Workers do just that – they work, right after taking a test at twelve years old. Elite are different; they continue education and go onto work in the Telepathe, the centre of the Society. Within this group are extremely special and rare individuals, who have a Gift. This can take a few different forms, with some Gifts rarer than others.

Aurora ‘Aura’ Jax is a worker, like her mother. Her father is in prison, and the family watch the monthly announcements with dread. During these broadcasts, names are announced for the next executions. It’s only a matter of time until Aura’s father’s name appears.

Aura also has a sister, Selena. She is, in defiance of the strict laws of the Society, neither a Worker nor Elite. She is entirely unregistered. The family have moved around a lot for all of Aura’s life, though she doesn’t really know why. Life is tough for them, as it is for all Workers.

One of Aura’s childhood friends is Elite, and he gives Aura details for a bus leaving the Society. When ‘Cog’s raid their home, Aura’s mother gives herself up to give her daughters a chance to make a run for it. So they do.
The girls make it out, even finding the camp where Aura’s best friend ran away to with his mum. But they find other outcasts, too; Neeve and her father, Edward. They immediately notice that Aura is different, and agree to help the camp with resources if she helps them out. And so they help her learn more about herself, her abilities, and even her past.

This was a really exciting read, though I did find the passage of time kind of strange. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it was nothing major. The details on how different technologies work, as well as how the Gifts work, was really good (though there were perhaps a couple of little holes). I found Aura to be a little naive, I guess, and I wasn’t one hundred per cent sold on her as a character, but she wasn’t bad.

The plot was different, with lots of intriguing twists. And the ending was actually rather unexpected – it definitely intrigued me. I would quite like to read on! I definitely did enjoy this and would recommend it to any YA or sci-fi fans!

Book Review: Dead Lies Dreaming

*Dead Lies Dreaming (Dead Lies Dreaming #1)* by Charles Stross

I want to quickly point out that I never read any of the Laundry Files novels, but these are not vital for this book/series. I just wanted to make it clear so you understand exactly where I’m coming from with my interpretation and review of this book.

It begins with Santa being publicly executed outside a toy shop. Yep, you read that right. His crimes apparently include being an unregistered transhuman, aka having superpowers. This is a key concept throughout this book and supposedly the rest of the series.

I’m not going to really talk about the plot too much for a couple of reasons, mainly that I just couldn’t. It is complicated and hard to explain properly, plus it would kind of ruin it for anyone who goes on to read the book. So instead I’ll just mention a few key bits.

This book has a transgender superpowered villain (as well as various other interesting characters), lesbian love affairs, magic, and not-exactly-time-travel. I can certainly say I’ve never read anything quite like it. And the main characters, mostly criminals, are definitely unique too. They’re not all exactly likeable, but some of them had their charms. The relationships between them are pretty great, in my opinion.

The only kind-of criticisms I have about this book are that it was pretty slow to get into, and also pretty difficult to follow and complicated at times. I probably missed some key parts here and there, or at least a joke or reference or something. Still, I enjoyed reading it. I didn’t know what was coming around ever corner. Maybe if I were to read the other Laundry Files books and then come back to this, I would understand it a bit better. Overall, I gave Dead Lies Dreaming 3.5 stars.

Book Review: Throne of Silver (Silver Fae #1)

*Throne of Silver* (Silver Fae #1) by K.B. Anne

First, a huge thanks to the author/publisher and Hidden Gems for providing me with a copy of this book!

This book was certainly interesting, in both good and bad ways if I’m entirely honest. But please don’t be put off by that! I’ll describe both positives and negatives, so don’t write it off as a ‘bad book’ just yet.

Our protagonist in this novel is Starr Bishop, who we see taking an exam for a summer fellowship at her first choice uni alongside her friends. However, this quickly appears to be very different to what it first seems; within a few hours, her friends have been involved in a conspicuous accident, and Starr has been recruited by the anonymously referenced “organisation”. She soon decides to make a run for it, dying her hair and contacting a school friend for help. She’s put in contact with Christian, an emo kid who seems to despise her for no apparent reason. Together, they go on the run, trying to avoid the strange organisation that’s after Starr while simultaneously hunting for answers.

Minor spoiler: somewhere along the line, Starr suddenly remembers that her father was fae. This was problematic for me. How do you ever forget that kind of thing? Or how do you suddenly remember, and not really question it? Surely the things your father said when you were a child about being a faerie would be brushed off as whimsy, just a bit of fun? I just couldn’t quite get my head around that.

Another minor spoiler: a ‘romance’ quickly buds between Starr and Christian. Again, this just felt too fake and forced to me. It was so sudden and just didn’t really make sense at all. Honestly, it was mostly just strange. I didn’t feel the connection between them at all.

Also, Starr is portrayed as pretty bad-ass at the beginning, but then when she’s in trouble later in the book she is completely helpless. Little inconsistencies like this really irk me!
There were some nice details around Christian’s Cherokee heritage, and I liked him as a character (even if he is a bit full-on with Starr). And although there were definitely some issues with the plot, punctuation, and grammar, I still found myself wanting to know what happens next when I reached the end. Plus, I’m a sucker for a faerie story.

So, there are some issues with this book, it isn’t awful. I wouldn’t call it bad, even. There were some definite good elements. 3.5 stars!

Book Review: Fragmented (Untamed #2)

*Fragmented* by Madeline Dyer – *Untamed #2*

This is the sequel to Untamed, a YA dystopian novel. I’d definitely recommend ensuring you’ve read the first book before reading this one!

I am going to keep this review pretty short, and won’t discuss the plot in too much detail. It follows Seven, the main character from the previous book, along with Corin and Esther. They are trying to survive in a world dominated by the ‘Enhanced’; people reliant on advanced technology and augmenters for strength, power, beauty, and just about everything else. If the Untamed – like Seven and her friends – are captured, they will be forcefully converted. Seven has already been there, and is definitely not going to let it happen again.

The trio stumbles across a group of other Untamed people – a group that turns out to be part of the largest remaining group of Untamed, practically a myth, called the Zharat. It seemed like the gods and spirits had led them to these people, their saviours.

Naturally, it isn’t all that simple. The Zharat are not all that they seem, and Seven and the others encounter a lot of obstacles. They thought they were safe, but they were wrong.

My main things to note are that the writing can be repetitive at times, similarly to the first book, and I noticed the tenses being mixed up throughout it. Nothing major, just little things that I picked up on. Also, I found the marriage plotline to be kind of cliché, you know? But it wasn’t too bad.

Oh, and like in the first book, I really wasn’t feeling the whole Corin-Seven thing. It just felt too forced.
Still, I have to admit that I enjoyed this more than I expected. I enjoyed reading it, I sometimes struggled to put it down. Despite its shortcomings, it is a pretty good book! 3.5 stars.

Book Review: Untamed

There are a lot of dystopian YA novels out there. A lot of them are decent, unique stories, but some are very samey. This was, thankfully, in the former category in my opinion.
It’s set in a world where ‘addiction’ to augmenters is the norm; using these turns you into an Enhanced or Chosen One. The augmenters can do almost anything – there are specific ones for calmness, strength, speed, even for altering your height and physical appearance. Taking just one augmenter also changes the appearance of your eyes; the entire eyeball becomes a mirrored silver surface, with no clear pupil or iris.
According to the Untamed (the people resisting Enhancement) this new way of life destroys your humanity. You can’t feel any negative emotions – it’s not right. So these small groups of Untamed desperately try to avoid detection and ultimately conversion, raiding Enhanced cities for necessities.
There are several rules the Untamed follow, with one of the most important ones being don’t get converted. If this happens, it’s pretty much impossible to go back. You become dependent on augmenters, addicted.
I won’t describe too much more of the plot now. Basically, Seven, the protagonist, is turned. But she’s rescued, and thus struggles with her newfound love of augmenters. Does she really want to remain untamed? Or is the Enhanced life truly better?
There are also Seers in this book – Untamed who can visit the Dream Land to receive warnings from the gods, goddesses and spirits.
Seven is hunted by the Enhanced. They want her, bad. Apparently, she’s important, but she doesn’t know why. Her and her friends face numerous difficulties and problems while trying to keep her safe.
Like I said before, this is different. I’ve not read anything particularly like this before. However, there are some cliches, and I was not fond of the way Seven and Corin’s relationship ‘developed’ at all. I use the word developed very loosely; their attitudes toward each other changed very suddenly, with little character development. I know the whole hate-turned-love thing is popular, but I wasn’t overly impressed with how it was written here.
I also found it a bit difficult to connect with Seven emotionally, or even sense her emotions a lot of the time. She was weirdly detached. She didn’t seem to really care about much at all.

Despite the negatives above, I did find myself enjoying reading this. Yes, there were some technical problems and little issues, but it was still a good read. 3.5 stars!
*Note: I also read the second book in the series, which I think I enjoyed more! The review will be posted shortly.