The Prisoner of Ice and Snow - Book Review

Prisoner of Ice and Snow - Book Review

Ruth Lauren

MG FANTASY

UK Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Synopsis:

Valor is under arrest for the attempted murder of the crown prince. Her parents are outcasts from the royal court, her sister is banished for theft of a national treasure, and now Valor has been sentenced to life imprisonment at Demidova, a prison built from stone and ice.

But that’s exactly where she wants to be. For her sister was sent there too, and Valor embarks on an epic plan to break her out from the inside.

No one has escaped from Demidova in over three hundred years, and if Valor is to succeed she will need all of her strength, courage and love. If the plan fails, she faces a fate worse than any prison . . .

Review:

An adventurous middle-grade read, PRISONER OF ICE AND SNOW was fun and action packed. 

When Valor gets herself arrested, it is only the first stage in the plan to break her sister out of jail. Now with both of them condemned to life in an icy fortress, all for crimes they didn't commit, they will need all their cunning and resources if they are to defeat the evil warden, and pull off a jail break in a building that has an unbroken track record of keeping people in.

But knowing they didn't commit the crimes, Valor can’t help but wonder who did? Who is targeting the royal family? And in turn, who is determined to seal Valor lips before she can speak out the truth…

Overall I really liked this book. It’s very action orientated and from the get go Valor is always in motion, plotting and trying new things. The setting of the world is also fantastic, with a big Russian influence draped over an icy backdrop of crisp white snow. 

Valor herself is an excellent main character and one who was both relatable and easy to root for. The other prisoners however I didn't connect with as much. Even though they were all suitably shady, I would have liked a little more backstory and to see them fleshed out more. Of course there is always hope for that in book 2!

The plot was tricky and kept me guessing in places, however the pacing moves up and down and it actually took me a while to read this book. Some nights I sped through the chapters while others I plodded through. All in all though the story was good and I plan to continue the series. I'm very interested to see where Valor’s adventures take her next.

3 stars!

What about you? Have you read this book? Or the sequel? If so would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below :)

Also if you like Middle Grade fantasy I would recommend you also check out THE DOG WHO SAVED THE WORLD or A PINCH OF MAGIC - both are epic page turning reads!

Wendy Darling: Shadow - Book Review

Shadow - Wendy Darling - Book Review

Colleen Oakes

YA Fantasy

Wendy Darling Book #3

Other Books in the Series:

Stars

Seas

Synopsis:

War has come to paradise, and the Neverland you know will never be the same.

Wendy Darling finds herself once again in the arms of Peter Pan, a charming god-child who desires power above all things. Instead of the passion she once had for him, this time Wendy’s heart burns with a secret: with Hook as her ally, she is there to defeat the evil that lies inside of Peter, the darkness that holds all Neverland hostage - the Shadow.

This is a task made nearly impossible by the arrival of Booth, her sweetheart from London and a new pawn in Peter’s manipulative game - a boy whose heart she must break in order to save his life.

As all of Neverland prepares to fight, Wendy races to untangle Peter’s connection to the shadow, a secret long buried in the Forsaken Garden. When the time comes, all of Neverland will rise to fight - but if Wendy can’t call the Shadow, everything she is fighting for will be destroyed. Is Wendy's love for her family enough to save them, or will Peter’s madness consume them all?

Review:

This third and final instalment was an epic read that I couldn't put down. A Peter Pan retelling with a dark twist - this is a series that if you haven't read yet - I urge you to do so asap!

Wendy is now back with Peter and plotting to end his evil reign over Neverland. But with the arrival of her love, Booth - Peter’s new hostage and plaything - she must tread carefully if she is to save everyone she loves and cares about. 

Yet as the shadow tightens its hold over Peter, she finds herself befriending a creature long declared her enemy. Tinkerbell. Now Wendy must use all her cunning to get to the truth of Peter’s beginnings, because only by uncovering Peter’s past can she hope to save the boy, and Neverland, from the shadow's nefarious plans. But Wendy will have to sacrifice much if she is to win the day…

I adored this final book so so much. Wendy went through a lot of growth during book two, and now in this story you see her put those hard earned skills to use. She is very different to the girl we met in book one, and at last has found the courage to fight back against Peter Pan.

Yet even now Wendy continues to face difficult choices and grow as a character. She reunited with a lot of the cast we met in previous books, many of whom also needed to overcome their own challenges which made this story quite emotional and I actually teared up in places. 

Neverland was also explored more throughly and overall I just love the vision that Colleen Oakes brought to life. Her Peter Pan retelling throughly captured my imagination and after devouring her Queen of Hearts Series as well, she has now become an auto buy author for me!

I honestly couldn't gush about this series more. This book ended in such a good way and my mind is still spinning from the conclusion.

5 stars!

Viper - Book Review

Viper - Isle of Storm and Sorrow - Book Review

Bex Hogan

YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles. But the reigning Viper stands in her way. 

Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake. He’s the most dangerous man on the ocean… and he is Marianne’s father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves - and perhaps even her life?

Review:

VIPER was a read packed with adventure and high-sea daring. It follows the story seventeen-year-old Marianne, who after disobeying orders, is forced to flee for her life. Now on the run from her father - the renowned and villainous pirate king - Marianne is pursued across the kingdom as she searches for a way to end her fathers bloody reign. Yet along the way, she uncovers friends and secrets that could change the course of her life - and the fate of the kingdom - forever… 

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, and the world building throughout the story was fantastic. The many islands that make up the kingdom are each singularly unique and serve a specific purpose, and I love the way each place painted itself into my minds eye. 

The fact that Marianne’s father was also a real tried and true villain also helped up the stakes of the story. We see his cruelty and bloodthirstiness from the beginning, which really helped you cheer for Marianne… who I have to admit, was not my most favourite heroine. 

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get along with her. Naive and whinny, she often came across as helpless which rankled me, especially considering the arsenal of badass skills at her disposal. However I liked the clever way she thought (when she remembered to keep a cool head) and despite the issues I had with her character, I still ultimately enjoyed the story and will be curious to pick up the next book.

The story also has a sweet, back burn sort of romance, and handfuls of magic here and there. However I didn’t fully follow the logic behind the magic system, so fingers crossed that it will be explained more in book two.

Overall a nice read. Not mind-blowing, but by no means bad. 3 stars!

The Dog Who Saved The World - Book Review

The Dog Who Saved The World - Book Review

Ross Welford

MG Science-Fiction

UK Publisher: Harper Collin’s Children’s Books.

Other Books by the Author:

Time Travelling with a Hamster

What Not to do if you Turn Invisible

The 1000 Year Old Boy

Synopsis:

When eleven-year-old Georgie befriends an eccentric retired scientist, she becomes the latest test subject for a thrilling new experiment: a virtual-reality 3D version of the future.

But then a deadly disease threatens the life of every dog in the country and Georgie’s beloved dog, Mr Mash, gets sick. And that’s only the start of her troubles.

Soon, Georgie and Mr Mash must embark on a desperate quest: to save every dog on earth, and maybe even all of humanity… without actually leaving the room.

Review:

This book was so brilliant I devoured it in one sitting!

A mix of adventure and science fiction, The Dog Who Saved The World follows eleven-year-old Georgie as she sets off on a quest to save her beloved dog, Mr Mash from a terrible fate. For a deadly disease is sweeping across the world, a danger to dogs and humans alike, and now humanity’s only hopes lies in finding a cure that does not yet exist… unless like Georgie, you happen to know a mad-scientist who has a prototype, glitch-ridden time machine… what could possibly go wrong?

I’m not usually a fan of time travel stories, but I loved everything about this one. With just a pinch of imagination, Ross Welford made the idea of jumping to the future seem very possible, without going into great depth about the actual mechanics of it all. Plus the idea of a future with no dogs in it really tugged at my heartstrings, and with such high stakes I couldn’t stop turning the pages. 

The main characters, Georgie and her best friend, Ramzy are such a fun pair. Their friendship has such solid touchstones of trust and respect, despite the utter difference in their upbringings. Then there is Dr Pretorious, the mad genius behind it all. Her humour really helped level out some of the more serious elements in the story and her personality is so huge it lights up every page. 

However all the secondary characters each have their own zing about them. From crazy aunts, to moody older brothers, sweet vicars and sharp tongued police. I adore that every character (be they two legged or four) gets their own distinct voice. 

When it came to the plot though, Ross Welford is a master story teller. Between the layers of heart pounding, tear spiking and edge-of-your-seat fiction, the author weaves many sensitive issues into his work. However he presents everything in a relatable, child friendly way without pushing any opinions onto the reader. It’s inspiring how he can open your mind to world, making you consider all the people and animals that share this planet with us and the problems others face. Even without the awesome writing I would applaud him for this alone!

All in all, Ross Welford is one on my favourite, auto buy authors for a reason. Not only are his books all stand alone reads, but each one is set in the North-East of England (In and around the towns I was actually born and raised, winning him extra points with me!). 

His latest book, The Dog Who Saved The World was yet another gripping read full of fun, adventure and futuristic spark! An easy 5 Stars!

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Have any of your read this amazing book? If so I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below :)

Rumblestar - Book Review

Rumblestar - Book review

Abi Elphinstone

MG Fantasy

UK Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Other Books:

The Dream Snatcher 

The Shadow Keeper

The Night Spinner

Sky Song 

Winter Magic

Synopsis:

Eleven-year-old Casper Tock hates risks, is allergic to adventures and shudders at the thought of unpredictable events. So, it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar, an Unmapped Kingdom full of magical beasts.

All Casper wants is to find a way home, but Rumblestar is in trouble. An evil harpy called Morg is sending her followers, the Midnights, into the kingdom to wreak havoc and pave the way for her to steal the Unmapped magic for herself. But Casper cannot turn a blind eye because the future of his own world, he discovers, is bound up with that of the Unmapped Kingdoms.

And so, together with Utterly Thankless, a girl who hates rules and is allergic to behaving, and her miniature dragon, Arlo, Casper embarks upon an adventure full of cloud giants, storm ogres and drizzle hags. Can he, Utterly and Arlo, the unlikeliest of heroes, save the Unmapped Kingdoms and our world from the clutches of Morg and her Midnights?

Review:

From the beginning I have been a huge fan of Abi Elphinstone’s stories but RUMBLESTAR is her best book yet! … Although I’m sure I said the same thing about her last release, however this authors writing just keeps getting better.

RUMBLESTAR follows Casper, a list-making, time-keeping, rule-obeying boy who suddenly finds him thrust into a magical world where nothing is neat or orderly. All he wants is to return home, and to do that his only hope lies in teaming up with Utterly Thankless, a wilful girl with a penchant for getting into trouble alongside her tiny dragon, Arlo.

Together the trio are forced on an adventure to protect their worlds from an evil harpy and her army of Midnights. Armed with only their wits and a well-stocked canoe, they must face down magical beings, navigate impossible weather and decipher the most-tricksy of riddles if they are to succeed. Yet the Harpy is cunning, and she will do anything to stop Casper and his friends from disrupting her plans!

To say it simply - this book was amazing! Imagination and creativity at its finest, these pages hold a might of magic and brilliance, bringing to life a fantastical world full of unique characters.

I loved both Casper and Utterly who are total opposites in every way. Watching their friendship grow was heartwarming, and I thought they balanced out each other’s strengths and weaknesses perfectly. And for everything else there was Arlo, the cutest, cleverest dragon in all of Rumblestar.  

However all the characters in this book were well thought out and added extra humour or malice to the story. Definite shout out to the trolls, cloud giants and Zip, the best hot air balloon ever made… I hope we see all these characters again soon!

The plot is also very fast paced. Jumping for problem to problem, the author pushes the characters to be brave and find the strength to battle onward. The story is also centred strongly on the bonds of friendship and trust, and overall I thought everything was excellent. I simply cannot praise this book enough. 

Smooth and utterly satisfying! An easy 5 star read!

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I'm a huge fan of MG fantasy and am always looking for more books, would love if you could recommend me some in the comments below!

The Hazel Wood - Book Review

The Hazel Wood - Book Review

Melissa Albert

YA Contemporary Fantasy 

UK PUBLISHER: Penguin

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate - The Hazel Wood - Alice learns how bad her luck can really get. 

Her mother is stolen away - by a figure who claims to come from the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD.

To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to The Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began…

Book Review:

For a debut book, I think The Hazel Wood was an outstanding read and I’m only sorry I didn't pick it up sooner. Dark and delicious, it pulls the reader into a real-life world that becomes increasing warped and twisted as the realm of fairytales sneak in. 

The story centres around seventeen-year-old Alice who has spent her entire life on the road, running from something her mum refuses to name. But when Alice’s mum is stolen away, Alice will pay any price to get her back. But when her search leads her to the The Hazel Wood, the hidden estate where her grandmother - famous author of a book of obscure fairytales - chose to reside, Alice discovers the true reason her life has been shadowed by strange incidents. Because maybe her grandmothers stories weren't so made up after all….

This is a delicious, and beautifully constructed book. Admittedly it did creep me out, but in a good way. Its the kind of story that hooks you, even as it gives you chills, but you’ll keep on reading in the hope something good will happen to chase those chills away.

It has a very layered plot. And by this I mean a real crows nest of plot threads and sharp maze turns that will keep you guessing all the way through. Not only did this make the story hard to predict, but even where guesses could be made, every storyline had its own unique twist.

Actually this shadowy storytelling reminded me a lot of Holly Black’s Tithe series, only better. Not only is THE HAZEL WOOD a book that contains stories within stories, but the main character herself is extremely complex.

While not a particularly likeable person, Alice is a compelling protagonist and I adored all the pop-culture references she would make. Normally I don't like when authors do this, but in this story it just helped make Alice so much more real, and it separated her from the otherworld of the fairytale. 

But be warned, the fairytales in this story aren't the kind that come with happy endings. Creepy, gruesome, yet lyrical and vivid with imagery, they haunt the mind long after you step away from the story. Which yes, did make it a bit hard to sleep later that night. 

However this book was so beautifully written. I am very excited for the second instalment of this series which with release in the autumn of 2019. I can’t wait to see what the author, Melissa Albert will do next.

The Hazel Wood is a 5 star read!

Chat with me

Have any of you read this book? Would love to know you're thoughts on this one, were you as creeped out as I was?

Want more creepy stories with atmosphere? Enjoy magical realism? Try THE DISAPPEARANCES or THE OTHERLIFE

A Pinch of Magic - Book Review

A Pinch of Magic - Book Review

Michelle Harrison

MG Fantasy

UK Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s UK

Other Books in the Series:
A Sprinkle of Sorcery #2

Other Books:

The Other Alice

The Thirteen Treasures Trilogy

Synopsis:

Three sisters trapped by an ancient curse.

Three magical objects with the power to change their fate.

Will they be enough to break the curse?

Or will they be led deeper into danger?

Review:

A PINCH OF MAGIC was a sweet read that I loved from start to finish. Focusing hard on sisterly friendship, this story is packed with so much adventure that you just won't be able to stop turning the pages. 

The book follows three sisters, Fliss, Betty and Charlie, as they rush to break an ancient curse that keeps their family confined to their island home. Yet when their plans to end the spell only make it worse, they find themselves in a race to save their own lives. Now they begin a dangerous journey, one that will lead them to escaped convicts, magical objects, and dark family truths. But can they break free before the clock strikes midnight… or before their grandmother finds out what they’ve done?

One of things I loved most about this book was that it contained a story within a story, and more than one set of characters lives were at stake. It kept me in a constant state of curiosity as the secondary tale is scattered like breadcrumbs through out the book, containing a mystery I was dying to solve. 

However the story mostly unfolds via the middle sister, Betty’s perspective. She is the most independent of the siblings, while the oldest, Fliss - despite her flirtations - is the meeker of the three. Charlie, the youngest is absolutely adorable! A total tom boy character. What really caught my attention about these sisters - aside from the strong bond they shared - was that I think all readers will find something relatable in all of them.

However the girls’ grandmother is one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across in a long time. She is no sweet little old lady - but a tough woman who enjoys a drink, a smoke, and will beat down anyone who dares harm her precious granddaughters. I love that she owns a pub where the girls all help out. 

Then there was the idea of magic and the three gifts given to help the sisters on their quest. I love what each unique object does, and I found it realistic that while magical, each item had its limits. Along with the world building and setting - all the place names are suitably gloomy and fairytale like - I was just fully absorbed into this world.

The ending though - while complete - left a few things open. Enough to leave me curious as to what happened to two characters in particular, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a sequel!

Regardless, I cant wait to see what Michelle Harrison writes next. She is one of my auto-buy authors. I have adored all her books to date and A PINCH OF MAGIC was no exception. This author has such an old school, story-by-the-fire voice that she just draws you into these magical worlds… and doesn't let go!

 A magical journey that tugged the heartstrings, A PINCH OF MAGIC is a 5 star read!

Have you read this book? Would love to know your thoughts in the comments :)

If you like reads with magic and mayhem I suggest you also check out FROGKISSER and RUMBLESTAR - perfect for those who enjoy a good fantasy :)