Review: Mirage by Somaiya Daud

Title: Mirage

Author: Somaiya Daud

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Date: 28th August 2018

I was given a chance to review this book on NetGalley, but the first time I tried reading it I was in a reading slump. However, I knew I wanted to read this book as the premise sounded interesting and I left it to a later date. Overall, I enjoyed reading Mirage, but it wasn’t my favourite book and I think that is because I had been reading so many amazing 5-star reads, it was hard to keep up with them. I love that this is inspired by Middle-Eastern culture, which definitely came across in the writing and I love the sci-fi edge that this book had.

Amani’s home is ruled by the Vathek, a brutal empire who invaded the star system and sent her family into poverty. She dreams of being able to escape her life and go on an adventure, but one day she is kidnapped by the Vathek and brought to the home of the half-Vathek Princess Maram. It is there that she discovers the two of them look identical and how they plan to use Amani as a body double in dangerous situations. Amani has to become the princess if she wants to keep her family safe, which means she is thrust into a world full of politics and beautiful palaces, with Maram’s fiance, Idris, by her side.

I will start off by saying that I found the worldbuilding to be quite interesting at times, such as how it is set on a completely different planet, but it was also a little confusing. There was quite a bit of info-dumping at the beginning, which I don’t mind too much but it slowed the book down a lot. Some things were mentioned and never really explained properly, so I just had to have a guess at what they were. I think it was too much at times and it didn’t need to be as the idea itself is interesting enough to capture my attention, as well as the characters.

This is definitely a character-driven book, which is something I enjoyed as I loved reading about Amani. I felt her pain as she was taken away from her family and thrust into this unknown world. The first meeting between Amani and Maram doesn’t go well, as can be expected with a cruel princess who doesn’t care about anyone but herself, but along the way we see something growing between the two. We begin to realise why Maram acts the way she does and I might even say that it made her likeable towards the end of the book.

Something else that I enjoyed was the romance. It isn’t epic like some of the other books I have read, but it was pleasant enough and has made me excited to read more about the characters. While Idris might be engaged to Maram, you can see that he really cares about Amani and they both share their own stories of how the Vathek had ruined their lives.

While there are sci-fi elements in this book, it reads like a fantasy book, which is one of the reasons why I liked it. If you’re looking for an action-packed book, this isn’t the one for you. It is a lot slower, focusing on the history of the world and the relationships between the characters instead. I really enjoyed the unique setting and would be interested in reading the sequel to see what happens. Overall, I’m going to give Mirage a solid 3 stars.

The Best Books I Read in 2018

How are there only 2 full days left of the year? It always blows my mind when we reach the end of another year and I think about how quickly the days are passing now that I’m getting older.

At the beginning of the year, I set myself a goal to read 50 books, but unfortunately, I have only read 43 (although I hope to make it 44 by the time Monday comes to an end). I hate that I went through a reading slump for three months because if I hadn’t, I would have been able to smash that goal. However, the 43 (44) books I have read this year were mostly amazing and it was so hard to choose my top 10.

Originally I had wanted to put them in order, but it was too difficult. I put my top 5 in the right spots, and the remaining 5 have no order to them because I couldn’t decide. So, here are my favourite reads for 2018!

1. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

If there is one book that I have talked about the most on my blog and my Twitter page, it is Scythe. I cannot even begin to describe my love for this book and the world that Shusterman created. From the very beginning, I was sucked in and I had to keep knowing more. The concept of there being no disease or wars and that people can only die if gleaned by a scythe was so interesting to me and made me wonder if the world would really be a better place.

There are quite a few plot twists that I didn’t expect and when I reached the end, I knew I had to buy the sequel. This was the easiest 5 stars I have ever given a book and it is one that I will surely read again in the future. You can check out my full review here.

2. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

I thought it couldn’t get much better than Scythe and I was wrong. Thunderhead took the story to new levels that I didn’t think was even possible. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to turn the pages to find out what would happen. The plot twists were amazing and the character development was incredible.

What I loved the most was finding out more about the Thunderhead and the introduction of new characters who slowly became more important throughout. Even now, thinking about that ending gives me so many mixed emotions; shock, anger, sadness, but most of all excitement. I cannot wait to see how Shusterman will finish off the trilogy. You can check out my review here and if you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for?

3. The Grisha Verse Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I was trying to figure out which of these books I enjoyed the most to add to this list and I thought, why not just add all of them? I feel like I was very late to read these books but I am so glad that I did because they are amazing. The world building is some of the best I have ever read. Everything was crystal clear in my mind, with a Russian influence that is clear but not overbearing and the characters were all so interesting.

Alina is one of my favourite main characters and her growth throughout the trilogy was amazing to watch with her growing into her powers. There’s a debate on whether people prefer the Darkling or Mal, but I love them both for different reasons and the ending of this series is one of my favourites! You can see the reviews for Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising by clicking on the links. This is definitely a series I will read again in the future.

4. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this to read and I can’t tell you how much I love this debut novel. I have never read a book so quickly. Once I started, I was hooked with the story of family, loyalty and love. It is about overcoming prejudice and the character development was written beautifully. There is so much emotion in this book and I felt everything that the characters went through, which was a lot.

Some of my favourite parts were the action scenes and that is because they were written so well that I forgot about everything else around me. Sky in the Deep is one of those books you could read multiple times and never get bored, so if you have yet to pick it up, head to your nearest bookstore and give it a read. If you need a little more convincing, you can read my full review here.

5. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Unfortunately, I don’t have a review written for this book as it is when I didn’t have a lot of time to blog, but this book was amazing. I had been hearing so many great things about this series, so when the Kindle version went on sale, I had to have it and I devoured it. What I loved was how seamless the dual perspectives were. With some books, it can be jarring to keep switching between voices, but this was written so well. Elias and Laia have such distinct voices and I loved the paths that they took in this first book in the series.

I’ve always been a sucker for books inspired by the Romans, so I knew I was going to like this before I started it. Given that a lot of fantasies are written in the third person, it was really refreshing to read a story told in the first person. I just finished the second book, A Torch Against the Night, which I loved just as much. I advise you to give this series a go if you love action-packed scenes, romance and danger.

6. Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Vicious is the second book I have read by V. E. Schwab and I am so glad that I bought it because it quickly became one of my favourites. Once again, I was in a reading slump and was struggling to find something to capture my attention until this book came along. It only took me a few days to read and I think that is because the pacing of the book is so quick, especially with the timeline jumping, which is something I wasn’t sure of in the beginning but quickly loved.

There is a sense of urgency when you read it and you just want to get to the end to find out what will happen to Victor and Eli. Their rivalry is one of my favourites, where I could see both sides and why they felt the way they did. They are dark, funny and totally badass, which is one of the reasons why I love this book so much. I already have the sequel, Vengeful, on my shelves to read in 2019. I don’t read many adult books, but this has definitely gotten me into the genre, which is more Sci-Fi than Fantasy in my opinion.

7. Circe by Madeline Miller

It may seem a little odd to put a book on this list that I haven’t finished yet, but I’m going to do it because I already love it so much. I absolutely adore Greek mythology and devoured so many YA and Adult books based on it when I was younger. It had been years since I came across one until I saw that Circe was on offer for an incredible £0.99 and I remembered how many people had been praising it on Twitter.

Well, I’m already a third of the way through and I only started it yesterday. I am hooked. Everything about this story is so captivating, but the voice is what’s drawn me in. The story-telling is amazing and the story of Circe is so heart-breaking that I feel everything with her. As someone who has at one time or another been an outsider, I can relate to her so much. Circe is actually a goddess that I haven’t heard much about before, which I think is one of the reasons I love it so much. Of course, we see the other famous Gods and Goddesses, but I love learning about the ones I didn’t know of before. I can’t wait to read this book and finish her story.

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

2018 was the year I finally read A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin, so it only makes sense that I add them all on here because I loved them. I read all three in the months that I took a hiatus from blogging while I dealt with being made redundant at my job. I absolutely flew through the first book and loved the parallels between Beauty and the Beast. Like most people probably did, I fell in love with Tamlin and swooned at how he cared for Feyre, so you can imagine my surprise at the events that took place in the two sequels. My emotions were all over the place with this series and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The characters were so intriguing and the growth that most of them went through hooked me, especially Feyre. From the beginning to the events of the third book, I watched her grow into this amazing woman who could do anything. I also realised why people like Rhys as a character, although I still held onto the Tamlin from the first book. I won’t lie, it took me a while to get through the second and third book as I was in the middle of a slump, but I enjoyed them. I definitely feel like this is a series I will have to re-read in the future to get all the details.

9. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

If you want to know how much I loved this book, I read it all within a day. I sat down in the morning and I didn’t move anywhere until the late afternoon when I finally shut the book. This collection of stories and fairy tales from the Grisha Verse was the first thing I read from Leigh Bardguo before diving in the Grisha Trilogy that I mentioned above. The writing in it was the most beautiful I had ever read. Everything about it took my breath away and it was one of those books where I held it to my chest when I finished, feeling so grateful I got to read those words.

It’s hard to choose a favourite story when there are six to choose from, each one dark and twisted, but filled with emotion. One of my favourite parts of this book was the illustrations. At the beginning of each story they would start in the corner and as the pages were turned they would keep growing until you reached the full-page image at the end. As an artist, I could appreciate the detail and beauty of each one and how they brought the story to life. If you haven’t read this book yet, you need to, because it is amazing. You can see my full review here.

10. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

There was a lot of hype surrounding this debut novel, which always makes me nervous because sometimes it doesn’t live up to it. However, I didn’t have that problem with Children of Blood and Bone because it was an incredible story and debut novel. I had never read a story based on West African mythology before and I was hooked from the beginning. There is so much detail and action on the pages that I wanted to soak in, but the information never felt like it was overwhelming me, which can sometimes happen with books.

One of the parts I loved the most was the magic system and how intricate it was, as well as being so unique. The adventure that Zelie and the other characters go on is so thrilling, showing how they are growing along the way and discovering new things about themselves. I love this story so much that when a chance came up to meet Tomi Adeyemi, I took it and it was amazing to hear how she came up with the story, as well as her process for writing it. The talk inspired me so much to keep going with my own writing and I will always be thankful for that. If you’d like to see my full review, you can read it here.

There were so many books that I enjoyed in 2018 that I wish could have been on the list, but I didn’t want it to go on forever. Did you manage to read any of these this year?

Let me know your all-time favourite book for 2018 in the comments below!

My Top 5 Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year? Where have the last six months gone?!

I’ve seen a couple of people talk about the books they’ve read so far in the year and which ones they have loved the most. Currently, I have read 33 books, which is 66% of the way through my Goodreads challenge and I am over the moon. There have been some incredible books published in the first half of the year, and I also managed to pick up a couple series that I hadn’t gotten around to.

It was way harder to narrow the 33 down to 5 because I have actually given away so many five stars reviews because the books are that good. They aren’t going to be in an order, as that would make it even harder, but my top 5 so far are…

1. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

I was originally going to put Scythe on this list, but the second one blew me away even more than the first. I can’t stop thinking or talking about this book and I totally get why everyone loves it. The world building is fascinating and the characters are so interesting.

You never really know what is going to happen and the last 50 pages of Thunderhead were shocking, but in a good way. It means I have absolutely no idea what will happen in the third book, The Toll, and I’m even more excited for its publication date. You can check out my review for Scythe here and Thunderhead over here.

2. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I’ll tell you how much I loved this debut novel, enough that I am going to meet the author herself in less than a months time! Everything about this book was incredible. The magic system, the stakes, the plots, the characters…Everything!

There was so much hype surrounding this book, which always makes me worried, but I had no reason to be. I cannot fault Children of Blood and Bone because it was amazing. A re-read will definitely be in order before Children of Virtue and Vengeance comes out next year. Check out my 5 star review here.

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I only finished this book two days ago and it is already in my top 5 for the year. Why didn’t I read it before now, you ask? I keep asking myself that because it was freakin’ amazing! I think I might even love it more than the Throne of Glass series, which is saying a lot because I adore those books. I’ll be writing up my review for this book within the next few days, but I can’t get over it.

There is something so appealing about the Fae and these characters really made me feel for them. I was literally smiling as I read their interactions and I can honestly say I’ve fallen for Tamlin (although everyone says I shouldn’t and it makes me nervous). I’m over 100 pages in to A Court of Mist and Fury and I can feel my thoughts changing on certain characters when I didn’t want them to (mainly Tamlin and Rhys), but I just know this series is going to be one of my favourites.

4. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

The only downside to this book is that it is a standalone. Sky in the Deep knocked my socks off with the world building and how divided it is, the prejudice that surrounds the characters, and not to mention the fact that it has a viking influence. I grew to care so much about these characters and what they were going through as I was reading.

There are some incredible action scenes that were fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat, as well as a sweet romance that blossomed. This book has everything and it was thoroughly deserving of five stars. It is one of those that I could read again and again and never get bored. See more of my thoughts in my review here.

5. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Can I put the Grisha trilogy in here as well? I would say all of her books deserve to be here, but I have yet to read Six of Crows,. However, I chose The Language of Thorns to be in this list as it was the first book I read by her. Honestly, it was magical, as well as being dark and deadly at the same time. I read it in one sitting, that’s how much I loved it. I just couldn’t get enough!

Each of the six stories that are included are beautifully told, and featured the most gorgeous illustrations. Bargudo is an incredible writer who made the words jump off the page and come to life for me. Will I pick it up again one day? Hell yeah! This is the kind of book I will forever keep and one day pass on to my kids if I have any. It was a no brainer to give this 5 stars, and you can check out my review here.

I could have added so many more books, but then we would be here all night! I know that the rest of 2018 is going to be filled with some amazing reads as well, so I am dreading my end of the year top ten list!

What is the best book that you have read so far this year?

Wrapping Up June ’18 – A Very Hectic Month

EDIT: It’s a good thing I pre-scheduled this post to go out today, because I am currently tucked up in bed with a fever and the start of a chest infection. I haven’t even been able to read or do anything but try and sleep, which sucks and I’m just hoping I feel better soon.

I felt that June was a busy month, not just because I was busy reading some great books, but also the fact that I started writing a new story that seems to have taken over my life. Trying to squeeze everything in is a challenge, especially when my boyfriend and I are watching a TV show that’s on every night at 9 (it’s Love Island for anyone intrigued) and it’s made me realise that losing an hour really does make a difference.

At the beginning of the month I set myself a target of reading 6 books, but unfortunately I only managed 5. I am totally putting the blame on my writing for that as there were some times when I wrote in the evening instead of reading. I also slacked a little on writing reviews, so there are a couple that haven’t been written yet but I’ll get around to them soon.

Books I Read…

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

The first book I read in June was Empire of Storms, the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series and boy was it a big read. With over 600 pages and a small font, it took me a while to make my way through this book. Not to mention the fact that there is so much to take in, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it and that’s evident in my very long review, which you can read here. I’ve heard that the next book, Tower of Dawn, is only about Chaol and what he was up to during the events of Empire of Storm, so I am really excited to read the final instalment, Kingdom of Ash, when it comes out in October.

Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes

In June I picked up the next couple of books in the Falling Kingdoms series and flew through them. I love everything about this series and the characters, especially Cleo and Magnus, with the latter growing on me within this book. There was plot twist after plot twist, and we got to see sides of characters that we hadn’t seen before. While it was a little slow in the beginning, it really took off in the second half. As the series goes on more perspectives are added, such as Amara and Nic, which adds another dimension to the series. Overall, I really enjoyed Frozen Tides and ended up giving it 4 stars.

Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes

As soon as I finished the previous book I dived straight into Crystal Storm and loved every second of it. So much happened and I still can’t get over the ending. There were some very interesting revelations regarding some characters, Jonas being one of them and I have a feeling he will play a big part in the final book. I also enjoyed finding out more about the Sanctuary and what Lucia’s role is in saving it. Of course, there is a lot of betrayal, as there always is in these books, and so many shocking events that take place at the end. I wish I had the sixth book but I’m just going to have to wait patiently and read what I already have. A five star read for me!

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

This book…Words cannot describe how incredible this book is and how worthy it is of being a sequel to Scythe, which is probably my favourite read of the year so far. This series has one of the most intriguing worlds that I’ve ever read and we learn so much more in Thunderhead, especially about the all-powerful Thunderhead which watches over the population. I won’t say too much because I wrote a very long review, but the last 50 pages absolutely blew my mind and I am still reeling after having finished it over a week ago. You can check out my review for this 5 star read here.

This was a last minute buy on my Kindle, mainly because I couldn’t stop seeing people raving about this series and I felt like I was missing out. A Ember in the Ashes was such a great read and very different from other books I have read. I love the Roman influence with the brutal Empire, the terrifying Commandant and the way the Scholars are ruled by them with force. I’m not gonna lie, there are some tough scenes in this book with children dying, slaves being whipped and gruesome injuries, but the characters are incredible. There are two perspectives, Laia and Elias, and I can’t decide who I like more. I really enjoyed the journey that these two took and how their paths crossed eventually. I have yet to write a review, but you can expect to see it very soon!

While I didn’t read as much as I wanted to, I’m still happy with all these books as they were four stars and above! I feel like 5 is a good number to predict in a month, especially with all my other hobbies, and any more books is just a bonus!

What is the best book that you read in the month of June?

Wrapping Up The Week (25th June – 1st July)

I feel like this week has been one of the longest ever. It’s been a bit all over the place as I was ill, my boyfriend was ill, I was working from home for one of the days, and now I am ill again as my boyfriend has given me his cough/chest infection thing. Saying that, I have done quite a bit this week and I definitely managed to blog a lot more than I have been doing recently.

This weekend has gone by super quick and I only wish that I had done more reading. Although, I did have my friend over for a couple of hours yesterday, which was great. It was so good to talk about everything we had been up to as we worked out it was almost a year since we last hung out. I find that since she went off to uni and I stayed put working, we fell out of touch, but now that she is home we can hopefully she each other more. Especially as she lives literally ten minutes away in the next village.

Books I read and reviewed…

Earlier on in the week I got around to writing my review for Thunderhead, which I can say is probably one of my favourite books of the year. If you haven’t read Scythe, then go pick that up first because this series only gets better. It’s one of those books that I can’t get enough of and it’s going to kill me to have to wait until next year for the final one. If you’re interested in reading my thoughts, then check out the review here. It’s a very long one because there is so much to talk about and I pretty much love everything about Thunderhead.

I haven’t written a review yet, but I finished An Ember in the Ashes last night and it was amazing! So much was being said about this series and how great it is, so of course I had to give it a try and I am so happy I did. I love the Roman influence on the Empire and Blackcliff, as well as the two main characters whose perspectives tell the story. It’s hard to say who I loved more because I looked forward to reading about both of them. I can’t wait to tell you all about my views on the book in my upcoming review.

I am currently reading…

Finally, I am starting this trilogy. So many people love these books (and I think they prefer them to ToG) and as it is Sarah J. Maas my expectations are pretty high for this one. It’s not too long at just over 400 pages, so I am hoping I can finish it before next weekend. I am starting to get into books about the Fae more now and can’t wait to see Maas’ take on them.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Series I Gave Up On

WWW Wednesday – An Explanation

A pretty simple week with a couple of blog posts going out. Next week will be different as there will be my June wrap ups and July TBR lists which I can’t wait to get to. So many amazing books to read over the summer that I just can’t choose!

My WIP…

As I haven’t been feeling my best, I haven’t done a lot of writing over the last week. However, I am about 800 words away from reaching 30,000 words on my dragon WIP and I am so excited. I am just about the start getting into the exciting stuff, but I need to get some more planning done so I have a clear focus.

I used to be one of those writers that just winged it, but with this book I can’t. Mainly because there are so many moving parts to the story and I want to keep the plot holes to a minimum, so that it is easier to get through the second draft. As I’m reaching the end of the first act (of three) I am going to go back and read through what I’ve got written so far, just to jot down important information that I can relate back to later on in the story. Fingers crossed it all goes well because I would love to have this written and finished before #pitchwars in September (which is on Twitter).

Other Fun Stuff…

Well, I already talked about meeting up with my friend, but I also started a new TV show which is The Shannara Chronicles. So far, so good. It’s not the best show I have ever seen (mainly because I find the dialogue a little stiff) but the action is pretty good and I love the story elements to it. I’m over halfway through season 1 already and I’m hoping to finish it by the end of the week.

Something I don’t talk about too much on my blog is my artwork and drawing ability. I took art at school from year 7 up until year 13 for sixth form (although I began drawing at a much younger age, probably for as long as I can remember). However, with work and all my other hobbies, it fell to the side four years ago and up until recently I hadn’t touched my drawing equipment in a while. However, I changed that this weekend and started working on a piece from over a year ago, which is pictured below.

I made quite a bit of progress on the horse yesterday and by the end of the two hour session, my hand was aching from shading in the dark section. I had forgotten how enjoyable and relaxing it was to just put on some music and get lost in the drawing. You can probably expect to see more of my artwork on the blog from now on.

So, there we have it. My week in a nutshell, which now I think about it, has been quite busy. I’m just praying that my throat and cough don’t get much worse, but unfortunately I have terrible luck when it comes to being ill.

What have you all been up to this week? Let me know in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – An Explanation

WWW Wednesday was originally hosted by A Daily Rhythm, and was taken over by Taking on a World of Words.

It’s been a few weeks since I last took part in WWW Wednesday, but I have a perfectly good reason. Almost three weeks ago I came up with a story idea which wasn’t the one I was currently editing (which my mum moaned about because I can never stick to one thing). It came to me out of the blue and everything was so clear; the characters, the story, the romance, the antagonists, everything! So I just had to start writing it and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve written 27,000 words so far and it has basically taken over my life. I can’t stop thinking about it.

For a little bit of background the story features a race called the Dracari who have the ability to shift forms into dragons and each one has an elemental power. I won’t give away what my main character, Afira, has as her power, but each Dracari has a dragon guardian and hers is Kato. I absolutely love writing about their relationship because it is different to anything else I have done before. Of course there is a handsome clansman who she has some history with and there are the hunters in the neighbouring Kingdom that have broken the treaty. Or have they? I can’t say too much, but I am so excited to keep on writing!

So, yeah. That is the reason why I haven’t been around a lot, but I am going to try and change that.

What Are You Currently Reading?

This is a book series that I am seeing everywhere, especially as the third book just came out, so I knew I had to start it. I am already over 30% of the way through (I’m reading on my Kindle) and I’m really enjoying it. I can see how it has been inspired by the Roman legions and there’s quite a bit of brutality, which is to be expected. I love the dual perspectives from Laia and Elias, and how different they are. It will be interesting to see how their paths cross and what will happen. Something tells me I’ll want to buy the second one when I finish it.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

This book wrecked me. I still can’t get over it and I finished it 5 days ago! I think the Arc of a Scythe series is my favourite ever. I can’t even begin to describe how much I love the writing, the world building, the diverse characters and all the political drama that comes with the Scythedom. Scythe was a perfect book and I wasn’t sure it would be topped. I was wrong.

Thunderhead was an incredible read and the last fifty pages had me holding my breath because it was so tense. 2019 seems so far away, which is when The Toll comes out, and it’s made even worse by the fact that it had a cruel cliffhanger. Definitely a set of books I could read again. If you haven’t read Scythe then you can check out my review here, and if you have then you can check out the one for Thunderhead over here.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

This has been on my TBR list for a while now and I think it’s time to give it a go. I have only heard good things about this series, which makes me even more excited to read it. If it’s as good as the Throne of Glass one then I’ll be more than happy. I don’t know too much about the world and the characters (thankfully I haven’t run into any spoilers on social media) but I can’t wait to dive into the world of the fae.

Once again, I am sorry for being a little MIA. I still have two reviews to write for Frozen Tides and Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes, both of which I adored, but I think that because I am so far into the series now I am going to do mini reviews instead. Plus, I’ve read a couple books in between that and my memory isn’t all that good.

What book are you currently loving (or not loving) at the moment?

Review: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Walker Books

Date: 3rd May 2018

I think I found it, my favourite book I have ever read. No, that’s not right. This is my favourite series I’ve ever read. I find it funny how I was wary when I started reading Scythe, mainly because I’m a fantasy girl, but this story has blown me away. Everything about it is incredible! The writing, the characters, the plot twists, and the world building is on another level. I’ve never read another series like this, and I’ve even convinced my dad to give it a try, which is a feat in itself as he doesn’t read many books. Be warned, there will be spoilers for the first book in this review of Thunderhead, but you can check out my review for Scythe here.

Thunderhead picks up a year after the events of Scythe, with Citra becoming known as Scythe Anastasia, gleaning with compassion in an unorthodox way with Scythe Curie as her mentor, while Rowan has gone off the grid, hunting down corrupt scythes under the guise of Scythe Lucifer. The Thunderhead sees all that is happening in and around the Scythedom, some of which he is pleased about and others he is not, yet he is powerless to intervene. But when it becomes clear that Citra and Scythe Curie’s lives are being threatened, the Thunderhead must decide if it should intervene in the only way it can. Greyson Tolliver has grown up under the guidance of the Thunderhead, his parents abandoning him at a young age, and the Thunderhead has plans for the boy that will make him question everything. Unfortunately for the Scythedom, there will be times where the all-powerful Thunderhead finds himself powerless to help the world that is beginning to crumble around them.

I finished Thunderhead a couple of days ago and I am still reeling from having finished it. The ending was incredible, with the last fifty or so pages filled with so many plot twists and revelations. All I could do was stare as I reached the last page and curse the fact that the third book isn’t out yet. How can I wait for so long after a cliffhanger like that? Scythe was such an incredible read and I knew it would be tough to follow it up, but somehow Thunderhead did just that. I felt that the plot was more intriguing for the second book, with so many moving pieces that I had no idea what was going to happen until it was all unfolding before me.

Something that I loved about this sequel was that we got to delve deeper into the Thunderhead and what it feels about the world and the Scythedom. This was done in the form of journal entries, replacing those in the first book that were from the scythes. We get to see more emotion from the Thunderhead and see that all it wants is the best for humanity, making it a benevolent force in the story, which is refreshing given that most AI is portrayed as being the ‘bad guy’.

Each entry gave little hints as to what was to come in the story and it really helped to expand on this incredible world that Shusterman has created. We got to travel with Citra and Scythe Curie as they were on the run from those wanting to kill them, and visit Texas, where the Thunderhead doesn’t enforce the rules, which was interesting to read about. Not only that, but we are introduced to the Unsavories, people that the Thunderhead has branded as being rebellious and a disruption to society, which has an important role to play within the story. There are also the Tonists, who we were introduced to in Scythe, and are the only religious faction left in the world who are searching for the Great Resonance.

I would say that the only downside to Thunderhead is that I didn’t get to read more about Citra and Rowan, as we had new characters making an appearance, such as Greyson. I was unsure what his role in the story would be, as it progressed quite slowly, but gradually everything began to make sense. I think that is what I love about Shusterman’s writing. He can weave a story so easily, with so much detail, and when everything finally fits together it genuinely shocks you that you didn’t see if before. There are some massive shocks in this book that I can’t talk about, because spoilers, but the stakes are so high in the sequel.

While I didn’t see as much of Citra and Rowan as I wanted to, it was wonderful to see how they had changed since the events of Scythe. Citra has become a strong woman with opinions that challenge those of the other scythes. She doesn’t back down and that is one of the things I love about her. Not only that, but we also see a different side to her relationship with Scythe Curie, one that is caring and sweet. Sacrifices are made in this book, and as heart breaking as they were, it only grew my love for the characters. Scythe Faraday also features in Thunderhead as he embarks on his own quest to discover if there is a way to save the Scythedom from destroying itself due to the corruption of the New Order scythes. While there are questions left unanswered, I am sure that the third book will give them to me.

I could go on and on talking about this book and the series. I can’t remember the last time I fell head over heels like this for a book and it is so refreshing. Arc of a Scythe is definitely a series that I could read again, which will most likely happen before the final book ‘The Toll’ comes out next year. I just don’t know how long the wait will be, considering there isn’t a final date proposed yet. However, I am looking forward to seeing what the cover for The Toll will be as the other two are some of my favourites!

Overall, this book is amazing and a worthy sequel to Scythe. If you haven’t read this series then get out there and buy them, because I can assure you that you won’t regret it! 5 out of 5 stars for me, but if I could give it more I would.

WWW Wednesday – Cliffhangers!

It’s the peak of the week, as my manager at work likes to call it. It’s been a great week so far, not that anything incredible has happened, I’m just very happy. It helps that there are only two days left of work and then I have a weekend of reading and writing ahead of me.

Speaking of my writing, I hit 8,000 words of my dragon WIP today after writing 1.5K at lunch and I am loving it! The characters are perfect to me and they seem so real when I’m writing them, which makes me realise I’m doing something right. I might even do a bit more tonight if I have time before Love Island (which I shouldn’t be watching but I can’t help it – it’s addictive).

What Are You Currently Reading?

I know I said in my last weekly wrap up that I would read Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman next, but with a cliffhanger like the one Frozen tides gave me, how could I not pick up Crystal Storm? Already I am a third of the way through and I am loving it. More characters are being added into the fray and it seems like everyone’s paths are about to cross once more. I am so glad with the way Magnus is acting in this book, it makes my heart happy. Fingers crossed I can finish this before the week is up!

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

That ending! This book! There was so much treachery, I loved it. I swear this series just gets better and better, with so much political manoeuvring that it’s hard to keep up. There were some unlikely alliances, and romances that I was happy to finally see come to life. I am pretty sure that Falling Kingdoms has solidified itself as one of my favourite series ever at this point! Keep an eye out for the review, which I will probably be writing tomorrow.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

I think I am going to be spending my weekend dedicated to this book. Thunderhead has me so excited, especially with the way that Scythe ended. I won’t lie, my expectations are high for this, just because of how much I loved the first one. I highly doubt that it will disappoint. Not to mention, the covers for these books are so pleasing. I just love the design and the colours…Amazing! I can’t wait to see what colour the third will be. I’m kind of hoping it’s either dark blue or purple.

There we have it! My plans for the rest of the week are pretty much sorted at this point.

What book are you currently reading?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books and Series I Decided To DNF – Do I Regret It?

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks’ topic was to do with travelling, but I didn’t have anything that fit in. So, instead I decided to do last weeks topic that I didn’t get to do because my laptop took two and a half hours to update. It was torture.

All the books in this list are either the first in a series or part way through that I didn’t finish for one reason or another.

1. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This book has been sat on my ‘currently reading’ section of Goodreads since November last year, and I’m not sure when I’ll get a chance to finish it. I was a little bored, but I somehoe managed to get over a hundred pages in. The third book is also on my shelf, but it doesn’t leave me with much hope if I stopped reading the second one.

2. Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

I really tried with this book. I even got to the halfway point, but I just wasn’t interested. It sounded great, however I couldn’t connect with the characters and the writing just didn’t flow for me. Whether that is because I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, or if it’s because it was written by two people, I don’t know. I feel like I should try and finish this, but it took me long enough to reach the halfway point.

3. House of Night Series by P. C. Cast

I used to adore this series! I started reading it just after I got into Twilight, and I couldn’t get enough. Every book I bought was amazing and I loved the characters. HOWEVER, I felt that as they went along the story lost it’s spark and I eventually stopped reading after Awakened, even though I’d bought Destiny. It would be interesting to see if I found them as good now. Probably not though.

4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

If it weren’t for the movie, I’m not sure I’d remember much of this book. I don’t even think I read the second book, which says a lot. It was just one of those series that I quickly grew out of, and I was never a big fan of dystopian anyway.

5. The Selection by Kiera Cass

Everyone always goes on about this series (for good and bad reasons), but after I read the first book I never bought the rest. Although, the covers for the series are absolutely gorgeous. I don’t even remember what happens in this book, so it obviously didn’t leave much of an impression.

6. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I adored the Vampire Academy series, and so I figured I would really enjoy Bloodlines as well. I kind of did, and then I just stopped reading them. I remember reading the first one, but I don’t remember much of the second, and I never got around to reading the third. I didn’t even know there were six books until today!

7. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I actually remember loving this book so much and the characters, especially the male lead. And then I just never picked up the second book, which seems to be a recurring theme with me and books. I can’t remember why I didn’t, although it’s probably because I used to get too distracted by other books.

8. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Can I just repeat what I said above? Another book I enjoyed and never carried on. Everyone says they love this series and I feel like I missed out, and I’m probably at the point where I wouldn’t go back and read them.

9. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Again, another series I feel like I missed out on. I originally read Shatter Me before it was published in the UK, as I bought the US edition from the Book Depository, and I remember really enjoying the story. I can probably blame other books getting in the way as my reason for not reading the rest of the series. Story of my life.

10. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Please tell me I wasn’t the only one that stopped reading this series (and the other series’ set in the universe)? I read the first four, bought the fifth and never read it. I even have these covers, and they all have brand new ones now. Plus, I can’t even remember half of what happens in them.

I actually managed to come up with a lot of books and series for this (which is probably really bad now I think about it).

What book series did you DNF?

My TBR For June – An Exciting Month

Last month I managed to read a grand total of 7 books, but I’m not going to be giving myself the same target for this month. This is mainly because there were two bank holidays in May and I don’t think I’ll have to time to read another 7 this month. However, I’m still going to be ambitious and choose 6 books that I would like to get around to this month.

June will be a mixture of carrying on with a few series and starting some brand new ones as well, which I am really looking forward to. My main problem will be deciding what order to read them in.

And the books are…

I am about 60% of the way through Empire of Storms, so my first goal is to finish that by Monday night (possibly today if I have the time). This series is definitely in my top ten and I am finding myself enjoying this instalment more now that there’s a bit more action. I can’t wait to see what will happen, and depending on how it ends you may find me sneaking Tower of Dawn into this months list.

After loving Scythe so much I headed straight to Amazon and ordered Thunderhead. The first book was incredible and I’m just hoping that the second one lives up to it as well. Everything about this series is so unique and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Rowan and Citra in the sequel. Something tells me it’ll be very interesting.

I am slowly making my way toward the end of the Falling Kingdoms series, with the fourth and fifth book added to this months TBR. I am obsessed with this world and all the characters, and the ending of the third just left me wanting more. I have no idea what is going to happen next but I am enjoying the ride. Also, I am living for the covers in this series. They are gorgeous! Although, unfortunately I don’t have the final and sixth book yet, but hopefully I will before I finish Crystal Storm.

Now that I have finished reading the Grisha trilogy, it is time for me to move on to a series everyone seems to love…Six of Crows. I am so excited to read more about the Grisha world and meet some new characters. I hope there’s some appearances from characters I already know of, or at least mentions of them. Fingers crossed I enjoy it even more than the original series.

Lastly, I have added A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is a series I have been meaning to start for a good few months. Everyone always says how dark and sexy this series is, so I’m intrigued, and you can’t go wrong with books about the fae. It’ll also be good to see how different it is to the Throne of Glass series. Lucky for me that I have the next two for when I finish the first.

I’m not sure if I will be able to read all of these, as some are quite big, but I’m going to give it my best shot!

What book are you looking forward to reading the most this month?