justanotherbookblogger

The Immortal Rules

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness.

I am not a big fan of vampire novels. I didn’t read Twilight (bring on the hate) and the only vampire themed book I have read is ‘The coldest girl in cold town’ by Holly Black and I loved it, so when a friend told me about this series I was intrigued. And very glad I picked it up. The main reason I don’t usually read vampire novels is because vampires are supposed to be scary, they are monsters of the night who kill and drink blood. Not sparkly, whiney teenagers. But the vampire in this book are scary, creepy and often wildly crazy. Speaking of crazy, enter the Rabids. A mutant human-vampire mess that kills and eats anything in its way.

We follow the story of Allison Sekemoto, a human who is faced with a life altering decision, die or become the undead. She goes through hard training and teachings at the hand of Kanin, a master vampire and her sire. After months of having a father figure, someone to look after her and teach her the ways of a vampire, she is suddenly left all alone. While trying to make it on her own she meets a group of humans, who are making their way to a vampire free city, to safety, to Eden. Allison joins the group and soon finds that they are the family she has always wanted, only problem is they have been taught to hate vampires and they don’t know who or what Allison really is. And things only get worse for the young vampire when she begins to have feelings for Zeke the leader’s son. Allison and the group are faced with many dangers on their journey, the most notable from a raider king by the name Jackal. He kidnaps the group, torturing and killing them for fun. It is up to Allison and Zeke to save them and get them safely to Eden.

The characters are amazing, after a short time I felt like I had known these characters all my life and when bad things began to happen I cried like a baby. Allison is a great heroine, she is strong, brave, a born leader and all round good person. Her only job is to survive and look after those around her and if that means becoming the one thing in the word that she truly hate, then she will do it.

I loved this book, the story, the characters, the settings, everything. And I defiantly love bad boy Jackal, really hope he returns in the second book. Looking forward to getting my hands on the second in the series and seeing what new and old challenges Allison must face.

The Eternity Cure

In Allison Sekemoto’s world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood.

The story picks up a few months after the events that saw Allison leave her friends and Eden behind. Now on her own she is haunted by nightmare of her sire. He is in danger, being tortured by a crazed vampire and he need her help. She sets out on her journey, only to come face to face with Jackal, her blood brother, who has been having the same dreams about their master. The pair set out to find Kanin, and obviously are faced with dangers at every turn. Rabids, other vampires, humans, bleeders and Zeke. That’s right Zeke! He left Eden to find Allison and take her back. He vows to help her in her journey and promises to stay by her side no matter what, even if it means playing nice with Jackal. Who just to remind you killed many of his family, threw his father off a building and attempted to destroy everything he held dear.

Jackal is back!!! YAY!!! And as sassy as ever. I love him so much, he is the complete opposite of Allison, he loves being a vampire and although he only joins her out of obligation to Kanin, having him along for the ride was amazing. His quick wit, devilish smile and constant childish mocking and threats towards everyone just made me laugh out loud. But beneath all the bravado Jackal is hunted by his own demons and doesn’t like letting anyone in.

One of the most enthralling, bloody, violent and emotional books I have read in a long time. I don’t think I have ever had so many *gasp* moment during a book before, every page had me on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next. Bring on book three.

The Forever Song

Vengeance will be hers.

This novel picks up just weeks after the events in the last book (moment of silence for that ending). And Allison has decided to embrace the monster inside, it’s the only way she can cope with losing Zeke. And it will come in handy when they catch up with Sarren. Along with Kanin and Jackal, they start their long journey towards Eden. They need to stop Sarren before he destroys the world.

This is the final chapter of Allison Sekemoto’s journey. Full of bloody fights, heart breaking reunions and a race to save the world. The perfect end to this series. It came full circle and ended brilliantly, there were no questions unanswered, there was no question about where the characters were heading and Eden was safe. And Allison has her family. Something that she never admitted to wanting. But now she has her blood brother, her preacher boy and old friends. Allison has battled and bled to save the people she loves and now she has everything she could ever wish for. I loved this series. I am not a huge fan of vampire novels but took my chances with this series. There are no regrets! Full of gore and violence, love and family, this is the perfect book series for anyone who loves dystopian, fantasy and horror.

A big thank you to my friend who recommended this book to me. I am very glad I read it, it will stay with me for a long time.

Rating – 5/5

Book Review

A mysterious toymaker who lives as a recluse in an old mansion, surrounded by the magical beings he has created... A sickly wife locked away in a hidden room... An enigma involving strange lights that shine out from the small island on which an old, disused lighthouse stands... A shadowy creature that hides deep in the woods...

This book follows the lives of Irene, Dorian and their mother Simone. After the death of their father, the family move to a small village where Simone takes a job as a housekeeper for the reclusive Lazurus Jann, a toymaker who creates wonderful automatons that almost look real. While her mother works and gets to know her new employer, Irene meets Ismael a young sailor who spend his days at sea and Dorian spends his time exploring the forests and beaches.

As the story progresses, we realise that something sinister is going on behind closed doors. Something is lurking in the darkness and is about to strike.

Despite the interesting characters, I did feel that I never got enough information on them. I wanted to know more about these characters, where they came from, why they are here, who they really are. I also felt that there needed to be more about the village and its inhabitants. I understand that the story was about the family and their employer but I wanted to know more about where they were and how it impacted on the characters.

Although this book is marketed as ‘young adult’ I found that the writing and story was for an older generation. At times I had to reread sections to understand what was going on and at times I felt there was too much information being given to me in such a short space of time. I know every book will have fast paced sections and slower paced, but this story seemed to be all over the place. All in all I did enjoy this book, it had a good story and interesting characters (although I did want to know more about them). I will definitely be picking up more from this author, he is a great story tell and has some interesting stories to tell.

Rating – 3.5/5

Book Review

Ten teens. Three days. One killer.

SHHHH! Don't spread the word! Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island. You do NOT want to miss it.

I can't figure out how to write a review for TEN without giving anything away, cause trust me you don't want any spoilers, the twists and turns are what make this book awesome. So, I will try to keep my review short and to the point.

I made the mistake of reading this book at night, while a storm was howling outside. Needless to say I slept with my door locked and duvet over my head. The story is very simple, a group of teenagers are invited to a house party on a secluded island, when they arrive a storm cuts them off from the mainland, leaving them totally alone. Not too bad right . . . wrong! Over the course of the weekend the teens begin to die and it is up to Meg (the main voice throughout the book) to figure out what is going on before she’s next.

All the characters were very unique. McNeil managed to give everyone a specific personality from the beginning and this made it very easy to distinguish them. Meg a smart and logical writer, Minnie the obnoxious friend, T.J. the school jock, to name just a few. I couldn’t help but feel for all the characters in this book, even the really annoying ones. So when one by one they start dying, I got very scared.

This book has so many twists and turns, just when I thought I knew what was going on, something else happened and I was clueless again. Just when I thought they were safe, another one dropped. Anyone who is a fan of slasher and horror films or book should definitely give this a read.

Jumpy, paranoid, scared, chilling, creepy, sad, vengeful. These are just a few words to describe how I felt whilst reading this book. And if you like this book then I recommend watching ‘Harpers Island’, it has a similar story line but with adults, more gruesome deaths and as many twists and turns.

Rating – 4.5/5

Book Review

She's trained to survive. He's programmed to kill. This is The Murder Complex. Meadow Woodson will do anything to survive, anything to keep her family safe, anything to get home at night. Even if that means killing. Zephyr James is a ward, a forgot soul left to clear the streets of the killing of the death. In a world where the murder rate is higher then the birth rate what would you do to get through the day.

I have been looking forward to this book for so long that when it arrived I couldn't put it down, as soon as it left the box it was stuck in my hands. It's such and incredible story, told from both Meadow and Zephyr's point of view. This gave it a great flow and let the reader get the story form different angles. I absolutely love the characters, all of them work so well together, playing off each other's strengths and weaknesses to make an ass kicking super team. I also really liked that no one really trusts each other, even though they are all in the same boat, all want the same things.

Lindsay Cummings has brought this broken world to life, given it characters who are perfectly flawed and a story that I want to read more of. I can't wait for the next in the series and see what will become of tow of my new favourite characters.

Such a wonderful book from a wonderful author. It took me on an adventure through the snowy streets of Prague on a journey of first loves and magic. I absolutely loved Daughter of smoke and bones so when I heard she had written a mini story about how the rabid fairy met the violin boy I had to read it, it's such a sweet and innocent story told between the two characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!!!

Book Review

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

This story had the-quirky-small-town-and-you-know-there's-something-amiss-vibe all over it. The story did start off a bit slow paced and it’s almost like I was being made to work for the details and the essence of this book. There were quite a few chapters that I sat there trying to figure out what in the wholly grave was going on. But as the pieces come together and story progresses my confusion transformed to amazement as a tale of town secrets, running from your past, and facing your fears is weaved in flawless perfection.

Great great cast of characters who were all very well developed and likable. I thought the roles of Undertaker and Graveminder were completely fascinating. From the contract to what it entails to the inevitable bond they share. It was all very different from your usual paranormal storyline.

I did get a little annoyed at time. Byron’s constant cornering and interrogating Rebekkah about her feelings got on my nerves. I can understand why he wants her to admit her feelings but it made this highly likable character, who is my latest crush, into a bit of a nag. And the fact by the end I didn’t have all the answers, I still had questions did annoy me but not as much as I thought it would, the characters didn’t even know the answers so I was ok with it.

This book showed a whole new side of death that I hadn’t seen before. I have always found the idea of death both terrifying and exciting. And this book made it romantic as well. I want Marr’s land of the dead to be real, I want to lose myself in that world.

I devoured this book. Compelling, sexy, and even slightly scary at times, Graveminder is amazing. And I have already recommended it to friends.

Book Review – My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Christmas tree is up and the music is playing. Wrapped up in a sweater two sizes too big, with a large cup of hot chocolate and a Christmas book in hand. And what’s better is a collection of twelve Christmas stories in one.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell: 4/5 stars.

This is the first Rainbow Rowell story I have read and it didn’t disappoint. Adorable! I love the way this one is told, through flashbacks of the last three New Year's Eves, and that it's a best-friends-to-more romance. I could easily imagine the type of relationship the characters had over the years. Noel is clearly a charmer, and Mags is that shy girl I can't help but to root for. It's amazing how much personality Rainbow is able to give her characters in so few pages. The perfect start to this anthology and I will defiantly be picking up some more of Rainbows work.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: 2/5 stars.

When I first started reading this one I got a strong time traveller vibe. But as I continued reading I got really confused. I think this story would have worked better if it was longer and explained itself a bit more. I loved the setting of the story and the characters, but I felt it needed to be longer. I wanted to learn more about the characters and their individual stories, it just got caught up and rushed.

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Peña: 3/5 stars.

I really like that this one is written from a male perspective, and he is honest and raw in a way that had me liking him immediately. He's also quite funny. And hot (I had Luke Pasqualino in mind when I read it) I loved the character of Shy, he was so sweet and just wanted to help people. I wasn’t a big fan of Hayley. To me she was a bit pointless and their romance didn’t really lead anywhere. But all in all, it was a good read.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Hann: 2/5 stars.

Despite the creativity, this story was not for me. It was sad and not at all romantic, it also finished quite abruptly. I found the main character very immature and not very relatable, in all honesty I found her annoying.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: 5/5 stars.

I loved it! So, so lovely and cute and romantic and cuddly warm. This is the first Stephanie Perkins story I have read and was a bit nervous going in to it, but it was amazing. It may only take place over only a few short hours, yet I have no doubt these are characters on their way to falling in love. And I know I fell in love with them.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan: 2/5 stars.

Very underwhelming. The story starts out cute enough - a boy dresses up as Santa for his boyfriend's little sister - but it's too short and I couldn't connect with the main character. Towards the end the writing turns more philosophical, and it had me rolling my eyes more than anything. It didn’t really fit with the story and kind of annoyed me a bit.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black: 4/5 stars.

I love anything Holly Black, and this story didn’t disappoint. It was a completely different take on the holiday season, with magical characters, cheating boyfriends, rebellious teens and a masked festival. I would defiantly like to see these characters again.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophia Roth? by Gayle Forman: 5/5 stars.

I want my own diner from Oz. The writing is gorgeous, and like Stephanie Perkins, she makes me believe in a relationship that started mere hours ago. The dialogue and the communication between the two characters is fantastic; I really liked the way their expectations were constantly being rearranged. There's some lovely swoon at the end. Also, the feeling of being misplaced, as well as cultural stereotypes, are handled in both witty and humorous ways.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire: 4/5 stars. Funny! Sweet! Cheesy! Very happy we got one of these in the collection. This is another one told from the boy's point-of-view; he's the town prankster, who has had a longstanding crush on the pastor's daughter. Their shy flirtations are adorable. And again the author has made me believe that this relationship started just mere hours ago.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: 5/5 stars. Everything about this story is warm and sweet! Set around a diner in a small town called Christmas. With a wonderful Christmas theme all the way through, hints of magic, amazing sounding food and the idea of what really make a home, this is a wonderful story and I was really upset to see it end.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: 2/5 stars. Really didn’t work as a short story. I needed more information about these characters, and the whole situation was rather confusing. I was left with more questions than answers, everything about it annoyed me actually.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: 5/5 stars I love Laini Taylors writing, love every sentence, every word, every comma. It is beautiful, magical, evocative, daring and all together exquisite. This final story of the collection is wild, free, and deeply romantic, it paints the most vivid, startling pictures and stirs a cauldron of emotions. Laini's imagination clearly knows no bounds.

This anthology was a great read, it let me sample new authors writing and defiantly made me want to read some new stuff. Although some of the stories didn’t work as short stories, for the most part they worked well and were very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this book for a cuddle winter read.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Book Review

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. I am not a big fan of romance novels, but this book may have just changed my mind. It was such a sweet and cute read, it had me laughing, crying and really rooting for Lea and Gabe to get together.

There are fourteen POV characters, none of whom are the couple in question. Each brings their own personalities and perspectives to the relationship. Not all are supporters but most are. Some are passionately against, yet cannot help observing the cuteness that is Gabe and Lea. every single one of the characters in mention are delightful and quirky and it’s a pleasure to spend time in their heads. This includes the POV of a bench. A bench. You’d think it wouldn’t work but it does. I found myself relating to all the characters in some way, whether it was Gabe’s shyness, the protectiveness of an older sibling, the baristas frustration with annoying customers, the bus driver who loves to people watch. I saw a little bit of myself in each of the characters.

This book had me grinning like a fool within the first several pages (Buffy references?? Yes, please!) And kept the good feels coming all the way through. This is a very sweet story about two really good people who deserve to be together. It should be simple, right? They like each other, they have mutual interests and classes, and with many friends and others rooting for them. And yet it’s not simple at all. We are often our own worst enemy and this story proves that more than most. At its best this book is a funny, sweet and heartwarming examination of how our own perceived troubles and insecurities can get in the way of actual happiness. And what we can do about it.

A Little Something Different is exactly that - a romance story that is different from any I've read before, and one that leaves you with a silly smile on your face. The perfect rainy-day read, that's for sure! You just have to appreciate a book that includes a bench POV.

Book Review

Love, loss and Robots. When Dr Novak brings home robot Finn as a tutor for his young daughter Cat, he has no idea of the relationship that would blossom between them. As Cat grows she becomes more and more interested in her robot companion; why does he look different from others his type, why does she feel empty when he's not around and how human is he? Cat begins to explore Finn's limits and soon finds out just how human he is.

A beautiful story about the nature of love and the sentience of artificial intelligence. it's a very intimate tale following Cat from her childhood through to adulthood via marriage and grief.

There's never been anyone or anything like Finn. This is Clarke's first novel for adults, it is a stunningly heart wrenching tale of forbidden love and what really makes us human.

I did have a few issues with this book. Firstly was that there were so many ideas, it felt crowded and like nothing was fully explained. secondly some of the intimate scenes were rather uncomfortable. I did have to put the book down and just step away at time because it made me feel quite awkward.

Although at times the book felt slow and over crowded with idea, it still kept me hooked, I needed to find out what happened to these characters.

Rating - 3/5

Book Review

'Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. It's an eternal party, shown on TV 24 hours a day - gorgeous, glamorous, deadly! Because, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave'

When I first picked up this book I had no idea what it was about. Initially I thought it was a prison (a bit like Death Race, but with no cars) but I have to say I was rather surprised when vampires popped up.

I am not a lover of Vampire or dark romance novels (I feel they are over played and a bit boring) so I hesitated in opening this one up. But after reading the first chapter I couldn't put it down until it was finished, a weekend well spent.

Tana as a main character is a great choice, she is strong and independent and doesn't let anything faze her, never letting her true feelings show in front of those she is leading. We see her battle with her own conscience, should she save her bitten ex, should she help this clearly dangerous Vampire who's eyes look so sad, will she become the monster. Holly Black gives us action from page one and doesn't let it stumble, there is action and always something happening but it doesn't feel like its bogged down in action. There are lots of elements to this novel and Black explores them all not leaving any questions unanswered. There is a romantic side to the story as well, but its not like all those other soppy vampire love stories *cough* twilight *cough*.

Synopsis with spoilers

The book is set over 3 or 4 days and follows the character Tana, a young girl who wakes up after a party to find all her school friends brutally murdered by vampires. After rescuing her ex Aiden and a vampire Gavriel they set out to Cold Town, a walled in city were vampires and wanna be vampires live. Along the way they meet twins Midnight and Winter who want nothing more then to be vampires and live it large in Cold town. The 5 of them drive to the gates and give their lives up to enter the city, once inside thing don't go exactly to plan, Gavriel disappears, Midnight and Winter drug and kidnap Tana and Aiden (who having been bitten by a vamp is now on the brink of turning)and lock them up waiting for Aiden to snap and kill his friend. Tana manages to escape her crazed ex boyfriend only to be left alone to navigate the undead city, she meet some allies and plans to get out of the city. And her plan would have worked if her baby sister hadn't have shown up forcing Tana to give up her freedom to save her family. With her sister safe at home Tana is left in Cold town, but she's not along, she has Aiden and many allies as well as Gavriel who has promised to stay by Tana's side forever and to always love her.

This was a excellent buy for me, I loved every moment, every sentence, every comma. And I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves the fantasy/horror/romance/supernatural genre (I have recommended it to all my friends and a few random people I have seen in book stores, your welcome!)

Book Review

A world divided according to sectors, but few are chosen to live in the New World. Sia Morgan has got 15 days to live. She wants to spend that number of days wisely until she met Mace. A mysterious, attractive boy who teaches her to be brave and fight back against the New World with the rest of the rebels in their sector.

It’s a book with a deadline, 15 days to live, 15 days until death. The idea of the clock counting down the days in the sectors is fantastic – it creates such a strong (and frightening!) image in your mind. I love the way the chapter headings reflect the countdown, too. The mix of fast-paced scenes and quieter moments is perfect and they sweep you effortlessly through the story.

Sia is tough and brave, but has a vulnerability that makes it really easy to empathise with her and warm to her. And Mace is the perfect sidekick. I am not always a big fan of romance in these types of stories but the chemistry between him and Sia crackles off the page and their romance is sweet and realistic, providing a perfect counterpoint to the darker themes of the novel. Despite not trusting him at first they set off on a journey to survive along with those close to them, to fight back against what is coming.

What’s coming is cyborgs! Which are going to brutally kill everyone in an enclosed sector. It's just as terrifying and gruesome as it sounds! The cyborgs are terrifying and the battle scenes are fantastic. And they are the cause of this book being extremely bloody in places (which I loved) - the cyborgs kind of remind me of a cross between the Terminator and the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, they are really quite terrifying.

I think the most terrifying thing of all is knowing that something like that is coming to kill you and there is nothing you can do about it apart from try and hide, which as you read on you will discover that isn’t going to happen! Also this book shows how people behave when faced with an imminent threat - fight or flight? Unfortunately some people choose the flight option which is helped along by the continuous showings of other sectors being destroyed on the television.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a fast read and there was always something happening. I found myself really caring about all the character – even those we only briefly meet, I defiantly want to see more of Finn he was awesome and quite funny, despite the deathly situation they were in. The end of this book, I feel sets it up for another journey in to this world. I want to know what happened to make this world what it is and what is going to happen now they are free?

Rating – 4.5/5

Book Review

Hannah's best friend Lillian died six months ago but she didn't leave. Lillian has been haunting Hannah and has now tasked her with an important job. To catch a killer.

Someone is killing girls and the victims want justice. Drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets, Hannah slowly pieces the clues together, starting with the child like paper valentines the killer leaves behind.

I enjoyed Paper Valentines, but was also left a little unsatisfied. The story was good but I had a lot of questions at the end that I wanted answered.
Why is Lillian's ghost haunting Hannah?
Why can only Hannah see the ghosts?
Why is he killing the girls?
And so many more.

Although I was left a little disappointed, I did enjoy the story. I found the idea very interesting and liked how Yovanoff included a bit of everything into the book; murder, love, horror, friendship, family. But I do feel that the ending was rushed a bit and didn't answer the big question, why was he killing? Just because he could, didn't really satisfy me.

This was the first book I have read that's by Yovanoff and I enjoyed her writing style. I will be looking at some of her other work.

Rating - 3/5

Book Review

If you are searching for a tale that will forever have a hold on your heart, this is the story for you. It is not just that this novel is beautifully written, or that the story is incredibly magical and enticing that you find yourself reading it for days without a break. No, it is that this story of a circus isn’t like anything you will have ever read before. And will probably never read again.

The Night Circus is an enriching tale of mystery, romance and magic. You will lose yourself in this world, in the very imagination of Morgenstern. The creativity behind this one is skilfully mixed with a writer who is an expert in their craft. It will have you on the edge of your seat as you try and decipher the true nature of all involved in the fierce competition where the rules aren’t well defined.

I have read this book five or six times and fall in love with it over and over again. I found this book in 2011 and brought it because of the cover (yes I'm a cover judger) but am so glad I got it. It had to be my favourite book to date and I have either recommender it or brought it for both friends and family.

I have so much to say about thins book that I cant fit it all in one review so I will keep it short. The Night Circus will change the way you see the world and all its magic, it will warm your heart and soul and will make you want to run away and join the circus.

Rating - 5/5

Book Review

She's trained to survive. He's programmed to kill. This is The Murder Complex. Meadow Woodson will do anything to survive, anything to keep her family safe, anything to get home at night. Even if that means killing. Zephyr James is a ward, a forgot soul left to clear the streets of the killing of the death. In a world where the murder rate is higher then the birth rate what would you do to get through the day.

I have been looking forward to this book for so long that when it arrived I couldn't put it down, as soon as it left the box it was stuck in my hands. It's such and incredible story, told from both Meadow and Zephyr's point of view. This gave it a great flow and let the reader get the story form different angles. I absolutely love the characters, all of them work so well together, playing off each other's strengths and weaknesses to make an ass kicking super team. I also really liked that no one really trusts each other, even though they are all in the same boat, all want the same things.

Lindsay Cummings has brought this broken world to life, given it characters who are perfectly flawed and a story that I want to read more of. I can't wait for the next in the series and see what will become of tow of my new favourite characters.

Rating - 5/5

Book Review

Poison

Poison contains all the elements of the classic Snow White fairy tale but has a lot of unexpected twists and turns, turning this tale into a dark, sexy and brutal Snow White that is not to be forgotten. The story is told from the evil stepmother’s point of view, it becomes apparent that her actions are motivated by something more than pure evil. She is jealous of Snow, not of her beauty but of her freedom and her carefree attitude.

Snow White is dark and sexy and brutal. There’s a wicked Queen, a handsome prince, a beautiful and spirited princess, a kind hearted huntsman, dwarves and a poisoned apple. The mixture of modern sensibilities blends seamlessly with the timeless fantasy world of castles, kingdoms and magic.

Pinborough drops lots of hints as to various characters back-stories. There are glimpses at a much more complex psychological and emotional development, but the author never reveals more than a snippet. Poison is the first book of a trilogy, Charm and Beauty follow new and old characters revealing more about their pasts and linking together the Pinborough’s fairy tale world.

To be honest I only picked this book up because of its beautiful cover (yes I judge books by their covers) its just so pretty and sparkly :D And then I started reading and before I had even finished the first chapter I had order the rest in the series. I absolutely loved this book and its squeals and have been recommending it to everyone I know.

Charm

Charm is the second book in Sarah Pinborough's series of dark, sexy fairy retellings and is the story of Cinderella.

This series quickly became one of my favourites after reading the first book, Poison, and Charm has further deepened my love for them.They're dark, twisted and a little bit naughty - not at all what you'd imagine these fairy tales to be like. They're five-star reads all round.

Charm has everything you know about the Cinderella fairy tale: two ugly stepsisters, a Prince, a fairy godmother and a glass slipper. Charm's pages are filled with delightful characters and wicked imagery that leaves an unsettling feeling in its wake. It's well-written, addictive, sharp, everything I could possibly want from a book.

Beauty

A sleeping princess, woken by a princess kiss, a troubled city under a curse, the start of a great story. The third instalment of Pinborugh's Tale of the Kingdoms series was just as amazing as the others.

This time we see sleeping beauty and how the story began. Set before the event in Poison (the first in the series) we see a young prince and a young huntsman go off on an adventure. We get to see how these two characters that we have come to love began and how they got to where they ended.

I loved this series and am sad to see it end. The links between the three book and multiple fairy tales has created a new and magical realm. I can not express how much I love these book or how much I would recommend them. Just go buy them them!!!

Rating - 5/5

Book Review

A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.

Holy shit!! This book was amazing. This was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful and well-crafted books I have read in a really long time. The main questions is, what happened and why is no one talking about it? There are hints floating in every corner, pieces of this carefully constructed puzzle laid out for you to put together. I was completely caught off guard by the ending, and gave me goosebumps and pulled my heart clean out of my chest.

I got through this book in under a day, I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what happened. As soon as I had closed the book and wiped the tears from my eyes, I curled up in bed with my parents for a big hug and told them I loved them. It’s the kind of book that makes you grateful for what you have. I would recommend this book to everyone! Read it now!

Rating - 5/5