Play Of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

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Damelas Shademantaigne picked a poor night to flee a judicial duel. He has precious little hope of escaping the wrath of the Vixen, the most feared duellist in the entire city, until he stumbles through the stage doors of the magnificent Operato Belleza and tricks his way into the company of actors. An archaic law provides a temporary respite from his troubles – until one night a ghostly voice in his head causes Damelas to fumble his lines, inadvertently blurting out a dreadful truth: the city’s most legendary hero may actually be a traitor and a brutal murderer. With only the help of his boisterous and lusty friend Bereto, a beautiful assassin whose target may well be Damelas himself, and a company of misfit actors who’d just as soon see him dead, this failed son of two Greatcoats must somehow find within himself the courage to dig up long-buried truths before a ruthless band of bravos known as the Iron Orchids come for his head.Oh, and there’s still that matter of the Vixen waiting to duel him…

This was really good. I had such a fun time with it. I absolutely love Sebastien De Castell’s writing style. He is great at writing characters. Damelas is an excellent leading character. I really got behind him and wanted him to succeed. I enjoyed all the side characters and they bounce off each other perfectly. The atmosphere and world building are excellently written. This author can really write an action scene that puts you right there with the characters. The thing I absolutely love about Sebastien De Castell’s writing is his humour and his injection of emotions. One minute you’re fearing for the characters lives and the next you are laughing your head off. I also listened to the audio and the voice actor Joe Jameson does an amazing job of bringing these characters and story to life. I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series.

Thank you to Quercus Books for the advanced copy of this book.

The Sea Witch by Katee Robert

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Once upon a time, I met a man who stole my heart. In my desperation to reunite with him, I have nowhere to turn but the Sea Witch. Ursa is as beautiful as she is dangerous, and the one person my father warned me never to let close. But she’s all crimson lips and pretty lies, and I’m convinced despite my fear. It’s a simple enough plan, if not for the faint of heart. An auction to sell the one thing I possess of any value-myself. The money will free Alaric and then we can finally be together. Except nothing is simple at all. Ursa is playing at games I can only begin to comprehend. And Alaric? The man I thought I loved might be just as much a villain as the woman I can’t help but be drawn to. When playing in the darkest depths of love and lust, it will be everything I can do not to drown.

For me this is not the strongest in the series. I like Siri and Ursa is pretty cool but I didn’t really connect with the other characters. I eye rolled hard during this one. The plot wasn’t the strongest, I just seemed to be mainly smut. Not that the smut was bad, I just like plot with mine. Only Queen Takes Rose left to read in this series.

Fence Vol: 4 by C. S. Pacat

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The team at King’s Row must face the school that defeated them in the fencing state championships last year, but first Nicholas and Seiji must learn to work together as a team…and maybe something more! FOILED AGAIN? Just as Nicholas, Seiji and the fencing team at the prodigious Kings Row private school seem to be coming together, a deadly rival from their past stands in their way once more. MacRobertson is the school that knocked Kings Row out of the State Championships last year – but unless Nicholas and Seiji can learn to work together as a team, their school is doomed once again! And maybe those two can learn to be something more than teammates too…

These are so short it’s hard to review each instalment differently. I love the characters and the plot. These are such a quick and easy read, great for when you need something to break up larger books.

Saga Vol: 6 by Brian K Vaughan

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After a dramatic time jump, the series continues to evolve, as Hazel begins the most exciting adventure of her life: kindergarten. Meanwhile, her starcrossed family learns hard lessons of their own.

I cannot get enough of this series. Alana and Marko are still really great characters and supported brilliantly by some well written side characters. I loved that we had the return of a much loved character. And ofcourse Hazel keeps going from strength to strength as we see her grow up. Plus the artwork is just spectacular and really compliments the series. Oh and that ending, I can’t wait to pick up the next one.

Saint by Sierra Simone

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I can’t have Elijah Iverson. I can’t have him because he’s my older brother’s best friend. I can’t have him because I broke his heart five years ago; because he’s now engaged to someone else-someone kind and dependable who deserves his whiskey eyes, his soft mouth, his fierce intellect. I can’t have Elijah because I’ve chosen God instead. The Bell brothers, though… well, we don’t exactly have the greatest track record with vows. But I’m determined to do this monk thing right-to pledge myself to a cloistered life and spend the rest of my years in chastity and prayer. But now Elijah’s here. He’s here and he’s coming with me on my European monastery road trip, and between the whispered confessions and the stolen kisses and the moments bent over an ancient altar, my vows are feeling flimsier by the day. And vows or not, I know in my heart that it would take more than a good and holy monk to resist Elijah Iverson right now. It would take a saint. And we all know that l’m no saint.

I really enjoyed this one but I can’t tell you why I enjoyed this one more than the others in this series. I really connected with Aiden, oddly in way I didn’t think I would with a monk. Elijah is a bit mean, constantly showing up when Aiden is trying to move on. I really loved the setting and that the story takes us overseas. I enjoyed it so much, I did it in one sitting. Sad that the series is over. I guess there’s still the novellas. I will definitely pick up other books from this author in the near future.

Entwined With You by Sylvia Day

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From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn’t resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside-so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat. No one knows how much he risked for me. How much l’d been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become. Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession…

Sadly this one just didn’t do it for me. I found that it dragged and there was a lack of plot. I really like Gideon and love how he tries to protect Eva. But Eva is becoming annoying. She’s so self-centred and makes so many errors in judgment. The smut is so repetitive. I hope things get better with ‘Captivated By You’, which I’m really only picking up for Gideon.

While The Light Lasts by Agatha Christie

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A macabre recurring dream … revenge against a blackmailer … jealousy, infidelity and a tortured conscience… a stolen gemstone … the haunting attraction of an ancient relic … a race against time .. a tragic love triangle… a body in a box … an unexpected visitor from beyond the grave… Nine quintessential examples of Agatha Christie’s brilliance are contained in this collection of early short stories.

These stories were interesting and weird. My only major issue is that I read this as part of the Poirot series and there’s not much Poirot. The stories are too short to really grab the attention of the reader.

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch-and now she’s got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

Four books in and I’m still loving this series. This was a fast read and I devoured it. The world building is pretty good in this one. I really liked the relationship development between Juliette and Warner. My favourite character is definitely Warner and I can’t wait to read his chapters. I’ve really connected with his character and find him so relatable. And those plot twists have me wanting to read Shadow Me now.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence

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Constance Reid is a sophisticated girl, intellectually voracious and well-traveled, if not of the highest social class. If Sir Clifford Chatterley has to marry to please his father, the baronet, he could do far worse-and for a short time in 1917, Constance and Clifford are happy together. Then Clifford is shipped back to Flanders to continue his service in the Great War. Fortunately, unlike so many other women, young Constance Chatterley is not widowed-but her dream of motherhood is put to an end when her husband comes home from battle paralyzed from the waist down. Always a cerebral sort, Constance had not anticipated missing the physical act of love. But as the couple grows more emotionally and mentally distant from each other, she finds herself drawn to a working man, a married gamekeeper named Oliver. Once banned for obscenity, this psychologically insightful novel explores themes of sex and social class against the backdrop of an England roiled by postwar turmoil and on the verge of massive change.

I had high expectations for this one but sadly I think it wasn’t as good as hoped. The sexual encounters were ok but apart from that, I was pretty bored. The synopsis pretty much gives the rest of the tale away. It very repetitive and dragged for me. The characters were pretty one dimensional and I didn’t connect with them. For me another classic that didn’t stand the test of time.

A Room Of Ones Own by Virginia Woolf

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A Room of One’s Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled Women and Fiction, and hence the essay, are considered nonfiction. The essay is seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.

I rarely get along with classics but I really enjoyed this one. I really like Virginia Woolf’s writing style. She’s empowering to women and every woman should give this a read. Really like that she’s speaking you the reader like you are the only one listening. I would definitely recommend this. I will definitely pick up more from Woolf in the future.