Book Review: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

The Song Rising sounds awkward to me. Maybe This Song Rising.

Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population. 

But having turned her back on Jaxon Hall, and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.

Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it.

This is the third book in The Bone Season series (I have reviewed the previous ones if you're new to the series The Bone Season and The Mime Order), so spoilers for the first two. This is the first of the novels that I've listened to on audiobook. The voice actor,  Alana Kerr Collins does a pretty good job of capturing Paige's voice and does all of the other books so no jarring changes (and hopefully none in the future).

Despite, liking Collins it took me a while to finish this book. It technically took me eight months to read this book exactly according to my Goodreads. 20.9.2017 to the 20.5.2018 for a book that's twelve hours and a bit long. I got to the Chapter 7/25% in by 31st of December and didn't properly go back till May. I just didn't want to. I went after other audiobooks, I wasted time repeatedly going through the oddest and rubbish opinions my local library has (it's rubbish for me, there's like no fantasy or horror of any kind), instead of listening to this book already downloaded to my phone.

Though, with the next novel not coming out till 2020 so not like it a big deal, with a planned six books from the start, I do wish they had been coming out more frequently. I don't think its time, more the last of pacing. The start of the book is political stuff as Paige recovers and takes control of the Mime Order.

In terms of world-building, we get to see more of other Scion control locations and what has gone down in the past. That was interesting and seems to be more where the series is going.

We get new characters that are fine, though once again I couldn't say who for sure was actually introduced in this book. The old characters do a lot of searching. I didn't feel that connection to them this book.

Slight Spoiler, Highlight to see: I was also half convinced that Shannon was going to kill off a main character and did not care. Half-convinced in I thought she just might do it.

I had completely forgotten that Paige is still only meant to be like 19 when all this shit is going down. I guess that's because of the time that takes for the books to be written and I've been slowly ageing and ageing away from Paige. Though, she was already in the future so she was always going to be the youngest of us two.

The ending is quite a cliffhanger, in tune with the other books. I'm kinda disappointed due to what's been set up for the last book, but I also get the choice.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Gaelic Dungeons. This novel was okay once I actually listened to it. I might just wait until the series is finished before picking more novels. I want to know what happens, but all at once might work better.


I paid for this book with my own damn money thing time. I probably would have request it off NetGalley if I had saw it.

Book Review:The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

If they had only kept it in their pantaloons.


There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed...

On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways ...

Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall? Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth. 

This book was hyped way too much for what it is. A bad historical fan fiction, I listen to the audio book version of this from the library. I wish that meant I hadn't spent money on it and I haven't but I'm pretty sure I brought the ebook version at one point because voucher.

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, except for Victorian Britain (that more to do with the insanity of the Victorians and the secret, weird stuff they got up to). I probably made a mistake in looking up the person this book is sort of based on. Sort of, in not all attempt to tell a possible story about the person with that name in history; the Petronella Oortman that did own a cabinet doll house and married Johannes Brandt. She was a rich widow, not impoverished upper-class teenager. The real Petronella sounds interesting. 

Not sure where the hype came from, because it originated from the Publishing world before the novel got this cool cover. The cover is fabulous and does deserve the hype. The novel in no way does. I think the setting of Amsterdam and some of the subject matter is what could sparked people's interest, but I had real hard time getting to the core of those subjects. The plot is actually dumb and depressing at the same time. This book needs plot re-haul. There something of an interesting story there, but things were set up and abandoned. If only one of the social justice plots had been taken, then maybe they would have been time to the explore the Miniaturist and not this thing where even the main character doesn't have time to think about it. The Miniaturist character was interesting but very little was done with it. I ran out of things to say that ain't big plot spoilers and there are sites that have done recaps.

I went on these recaps sites because I was super bored, but also intrigued. If this wasn't an audio book or if I had found something more interesting to listen to, I would not have finished this book and I would have not lost nothing or gain anything from doing that.

The character of Nella is boring. There is very little personality, she is a very Mary Sue with her 17-year-old peers. The reason this is not a YA book because it’s too boring to have any chance of keeping a teenager interested, also there is semi-graphic sex. There was attempt of character development, I could tell this was meant to be a coming age story for Nella. However, Nella was just unpleasant when she did show personality and dumb. I didn't like or enjoy any of the characters.

In terms of historical fact, it's as depressing as it should be. Women having no real option but to marry, and people are prejudice against the different. The fact that this book is so depressing is another reason I don't get the hype. There is also no real romance. Maybe because it is so different from most narratives about the past is why so people got behind it, but looking at reviews I don't see anyone truly love this book. The characters a very modern in the way they behaviour as well, but I don't know much much about Amsterdam past society structures.

The writing style was borderline modern poetic with random Dutch words in. I pick up no decent style from it, nor enjoy what we given. Burton might just need time and practice to developed her voice but right now there's nothing unique. Very bland, sometimes verges on purple prose. 

The audio book narration was bad for something read by the writer. Jessie Burton reads her own words without passion. I know she an Actor, so perhaps that's the issue with her reading that she did it like someone else work or this book is too boring for even the writer to convince me.

Overall, I give this book 2/5 stars for public sexcapade. This is Jessie Burton’s Debut so I won't be closing door to her but I don't know if I would bother with any more historical fiction from her. I do know her next novel is set (at least partly) in the last century. In theory this is a good, interesting book, but the execution needs development. I generally just don’t like historical fiction, nor weird fanfiction about real people, so this book was probably never going to be for me.

 

Book Review: Straight White Male by John Niven

I wonder if Niven and I will die at the same place too.

Kennedy Marr is a novelist from the old school. Irish, acerbic, and a borderline alcoholic and sex-addict, his mantra is drink hard, write hard and try to screw every woman you meet.
He's writing film scripts in LA, fucking, drinking and insulting his way through Californian society, but also suffering from writers block and unpaid taxes. Then a solution presents itself - Marr is to be the unlikely recipient of the W. F. Bingham Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Modern Literature, an award worth half a million pounds. But it does not come without a price: he must spend a year teaching at the English university where his ex-wife and estranged daughter now reside.

As Kennedy acclimatises to the sleepy campus, inspiring revulsion and worship in equal measure, he's forced to reconsider his precarious lifestyle. Incredible as it may seem, there might actually be a father and a teacher lurking inside this 'preening, narcissistic, priapic, sociopath'. Or is there.

I read this book almost a year ago and due to mysterious internet reasons I can't find the actual review that I started writing for this then. Which means I will be writing this review on the random things I remember from it. I think they're word document somewhere, but I can't find it so... this what we have.

Kenald is the cliché alcoholic middle age writer wishing for better times before he became a rich selfish arsehole, so super likable as he tries to sleep with women only a few years older than his daughter (that summary does involve sarcasm and the choice to call him Kenald for some reason). He's self aware and is doing a lot reflecting on how he end up this way. Kennedy an arsehole, but realistic so he comes off as a flawed character that's spent too much time in Hollywood.

This book deals with Hollywood and academia bullshit as well as the up and downs of life such as addiction and family issues that can't be fixed with money. Kennedy behaviour is often cringe worthy.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Cocaine Wanderings. This is a funny books that fleshed out stereotypes and clichés while being funny and poignant so basically it the sort of thing I love and therefore recommend to people who like like their comedy to come with a punch in the gut. 

Blog Tour: Renegade by Kerry Wilkinson

Frankly, I think we should have a better wall now.

Wow, Sliver sure looks younger

Silver Blackthorn is on the run. All she really wants is to be reunited with her family and friends but the time for thinking about herself has passed. Now the fates of eleven other teenagers are in her hands - and they are all looking to her for a plan. With an entire country searching for the escaped Offerings, Silver is under pressure to keep them all from the clutches of the Minister Prime, King Victor and the Kingsmen. As expectations are piled upon the girl with the silver streak in her hair, she realises that life will never be the same again. Huge changes are on the horizon and Silver is in the thick of them . . . Renegade follows the heart-stopping events in Reckoning, from Kindle bestselling author, Kerry Wilkinson.

For those dazed and confused, this is the second book in The Sliver Blackthorn series.If not familer, there is always my review of the first one to check out.

We'll back with Sliver straight after the escape and because this is a sequel more catastrophe happens.

 The plot was interesting and developed this world more. It also answer my hunch from the last book, which I won't say more about because spoilers. That was actually good planning/foreshadowing in the last book, which is great to see in a series.

The characters continued to be their depthful selves. The friendships are really nice. The romance is eur and the way intertwines is annoying and very cliché. While not being the worst love triangle I ever read and it has a realistic root, it still takes away more than it adds. I also no medicate treatment was ever sought and of course that played into the plot. It was obvious axe hanging.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars for sonic hearing. There is some issues, however this is a interesting world and want to see what Sliver ends up doing.

Random Author question and answer time.

8. Why The Gully is a great play park

Not far from where I live is a play park next to a community centre. It's all fairly standard stuff: a climbing frame, a slide, some swings, a roundabout, one of those weird rocky horse on a spring things, underage kids hanging around smoking. Not much has changed in the 20 years since I was that age.

Except for one thing.

Nowadays, there's black padded matting everywhere. It's near impossible for some kid to be messing around on the swings, overbalance, and land with a satisfying splat on the solid concrete floor. Sure, there used to be blood, tears and embarrassment - but there was also a very important lesson learned about not messing around on swings.

Not so much in 2015. If a kid wants to split his or her head open, they have to actually try, which, I guess, has taught perseverance to the younger generation.

With all this talk of health and safety gone, er, sensible, I can't help but think that perhaps my fictional creation I would most like to encounter is The Gully from the Silver Blackthorn trilogy.

In my slightly twisted future, there is little power, meaning all the gadgets, devices and vehicles with which people are so familiar have become obsolete. The Gully is an old, emptied lake that has been filed with husks of rusting cars, abandoned train carriages, plane hulls and all sorts of other fun things.

Rather than a boring old roundabout and swing set, I like the idea of hopping from car bonnet to car bonnet, or climbing through the shattered remains of a plane. How about swinging from an old helicopter rotor, or sleeping in the hull of a tank?!

In all three books of the Silver Blackthorn trilogy, including Renegade, Silver has an opportunity to explore The Gully. Because she grew up close by, it is her playground, a place she knows better than anyone. I'm kinda jealous.

All that without the hint of a black padded mat.

My question is how does Sliver know what a playpark is, but that might have came up in the first book.

This is the end of this post, you may leave, after having enjoyed an even day post.

 

Book Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

You know this is a sequel because there is a number 2 on the cover.

In the internationally bestselling The Bone Season, Paige Mahoney escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but now her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London.

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city’s gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner.
Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on.

This the sequel to The Bone Season, so expect spoilers for that book in here. If you've not read the first, why not check out my review of it instead.

I'm just going to say it. This book is not as good as Bone Seasons. The thing is that book was so good; its a hard act to follow, especially with it ending on cliffhang and you're just dump back into this world which would be fine if you had read the books back to back but I didn't.

I don't think there is good job re-establishing characters and events from past novel. Frankly, in a series that's going to be so long it's important that you don't have to read the last book before the reading the next. Things and characters are mention in pasting without proper explanation. It's hard to remember everything when its been over a year since you've read the first book and I just don't have the time to reread every book before I read it's sequel (I'm not a big rereader to begin with) and I bet others are that way too. A lot of stuff went down in the end of the last book and just hard to catch up.

I think the big problem is the plot drags a little and I pushed myself through this book mainly because I was eager to read another book. That might just be my problem, but I never felt that way with the last book. Also while there is more world building, we pretty familiar with it now and finding about this world was one of my favourite things in the last novel.

I still love the characters, Paige is still awesome.  Still very interested in for going on with these characters.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five books for Mimes. Second Book Syndrome is horrible thing, while I'm wondering how this story going on for five more book. Hey, that might be good thing and I'm keen find out what's going to happen next.

I got this for review off Netgalley. It being published by Bloomsbury on the 27th January 2015.

Book Review : Dead and Buried by Anne Cassidy

So the end is now.

It's been five years since Rose's mother Kathy went missing and, after recent events, all Rose wants to do is get on with her life. Which means taking a break from her complicated stepbrother, Joshua.

Then police officer Henry Thompson comes calling with bad news: a body has been found buried in the garden of Rose's old house. A body that has lain undiscovered for five years. The body of a missing teenage girl.

With Kathy and Brendan implicated in her death, Rose and Joshua have one last chance to clear their parents' names. But if they fail, the consequences will be deadly . . .

This is the first series where I should be able to say I review all the books but I never did get around to reviewing the first one. Here the reviews of the other two: Dead Rachel and Butterfly Grave. As always I only promise to be spoiler free for the book but there might be spoilers for the rest of the series so you should check out the reviews of them if you haven't read it.

I think the character were least likable state in this book. Joshua and Rose are just dicks to each other, Joshua peaks though due the danger he ignores. Due to the events of the last book you should feel all sorry for them but you know it would have been more interesting if Joshua had died. The romance part of this book is awkward and don't think it adds anything to the story except here a romance we always need a romance when the main character is girl. ALWAYS. Strong friendship or say SIBlING relationship would have been enough for the plot. Frankly, time is never given to the romance so doesn't feel like it belongs. If you delete the scenes that involved it then it would the story would read the same.

There is the magical wrap up where everything is peachy except for the emotional trauma. As for the rest of the plot, the mystery this time is cold case so it involves Rose getting away with interviewing adults and Joshua just randomly knocking on doors.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars for running from the mob. Whilst I enjoyed this story the characterisation was a bit lacking and not that satisfying considering its the last book in a four part series.

Book Review: The Dark Flight Down by Marcus Sedgwick

 I haven't this disappointment in a name since finding out what the J stood for in Homer J. Simpson.

In the morning you should think
You might not last unto the night
In the evening you should think
You might not last unto the morn

Boy has survived the terrors of life with the magician Valerian, dark magic, and deadly chases, but he is still on the run. Now, as the City lies frozen, he is captured and incarcerated in the Emperor Frederick’s palace. Boy is transported to a world of splendor, and wealth beyond his wildest imagining. But beneath its golden veneer, this world is full of madness and cruelty, closely guarded secrets, and terrifying revelations.

 So this is the sequel to The Book of Dead Days which was a book I really liked. I didn't like this one as much as I found the characters continued to be weak and I didn't enjoy the plot as much this time. 

The plot this times involves Boy trying to escape repeatedly from people and we get answers to the questions from the last book. However, they were kinda underwhelming. Finding out who the serial killer made me go what, more than it made sense. It became clear early on what the solution would end up being as well.

I gave this book four out of five stars for winding stairs. I can't remember why though, which proves that you shouldn't wait months before writing a review. While I liked this book, it is sort of bland in my memory. I'm glad I read it to have finished the series but it definitely not as good as the first.

Book Review: The Long Fall by Julia Crouch

If someone likes to play game called "Danger" is when you leave them on the curb.

How far would you go to protect your secrets?

Greece, 1980

Emma takes part in a shattering, violent event. An event to which she is anything but an innocent bystander.
She is only eighteen, but this marks her fall from innocence.
It will haunt her for the rest of her life.

London, now

Kate has the perfect existence: a glossy image, a glamorous home, a perfect family.
But there are cracks.
All is not what it seems.

And now the two worlds are about to collide.
Somebody's out for revenge.
Someone who has been waiting thirty years...

I didn't really enjoy read this book much. It was alright but I got bored and frustrated whilst reading, mainly during the third Part. There were somethings I liked about this novel, the actual format was good.

It split into three parts, one switching between the diary of Emma and then third person narration Kate's life. Then the Part Two, is solely Emma and then Part Three is just Kate. I liked the diaries there were done well enough. The writing was well enough. It's plot and characters that get me down.

Okay, Emma can be seen as being naive and not being able to see warning signs but Kate is adult with experience. She does no checking and blindly follows someone with dodgy past. The scheme is overly complicated. Kate is meant to be really smart, at least in educational sense but none of that is reflected in her actions. I also found it hard to sympathise with Kate at all, I think it the way she was written and her thought path. Characters do stuff for no apparent reason that never plays into the story and have complete personality makes over, that whilst fit with the plot make me wonder why Kate was so trusting.

There is the effect to have a twisty turny plot but it just kinda fell flat with me. I think the opening prologue thing was a mistake because it makes what happens obvious so I start to wonder when they would just get to that part and how it would play into the story. Now that can be a prostive thing but I don't think it worked with this story. Generally, I thought the thing that connect Emma and Kate was dumb and never got Emma's reasoning (if I say more we get into spoiler zone).

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars for luckless charms. I can't really say I enjoyed reading this as I had to focus myself through at lot. The second half of this book lets it down and which is disappointingly as I do like the format of the book and the certain plot points if done differently would have been great. I would give Crouch another chance.

I got this book off BookBridgr for Review.  It being published by Headline on the 19th June 2014 (tomorrow).

Book Review: Reckoning By Kerry Wilkinson

The Prime Minster is now a transformer.

Woman, not 16 year old girl.

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorn takes the Reckoning. This coming-of-age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor. But these are uncertain times and no-one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide? Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . .

I hate when people blindly tell you something is a mix of two other books but this book did remind me very much of Hunger Games by Suzanne Colins and Pawn by Aimie Carter. Basically, Typical Dystopia set up.  Set after some sort of civil/global war, most people are hungry and impoverish, the ruling government is lying to you and is incredibly corrupt.  The catalase for all this is, oil has run out, I don’t buy that much because they actually alternative to most oil products but you know it doesn’t matter how and why. It’s just how things are now. It just has certain of aspects of those two books but it does become its own novel once you really get into it. Also Pawn only came out last January so it’s probably a coincidence that they both have tests in them, that classify your rank in society.

This is set in England.  Now I say England because the top half of Britain a.k.a Scotland a.k.a my homeland is not part of this government and we never actually go where Wales is. England and Wales have been spit to four realms. Sometimes in books, it's the off-hand comments are what stick with me. Map of England & Wales is shown; something like a Scotland use to be a top is said. So now I’m left wondering if Scotland is literally gone (in this world places have been completely destroyed) or is its own country and there is a guarded border. This is a start of a series so hopefully we learn that and stuff about other countries. The civilians have no contract with people from other countries so have no idea what happening out there except going off what knew before they were cut off. In times of war sharing a border does make things interesting; I feel like that could be a feature in the next books.

The world building in this book is interesting. I’ve got to say going off the given summary I don’t fully get that it’s a dystopian. Basically, it has the fun of a dystopian set in a castle. Except for that it doesn’t have medieval vibe at all. Class stuff does sort of play into it, with the Elites tending to come from families of Elites and be raised to think the better than everyone else. It doesn’t play much in the actual story as you think it would because the situation of the castle levels out everyone.

The character all seem to have some depth. I think the relationships are well done. They all fairly realistic and no one does something completely mind dumbing for the sake of the plot. There is one case of someone does deciding to reveal information at the perfect time for the plot though. I don’t care that much for Sliver but the world is interesting enough to out balance that.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars for Minster Primes. This was good start of a trilogy (the Sliver Blackthorn Trilogy if you're wondering). Main plot points of that book are resolved but there tons left to be developed on.

Book Review: The Worst Girlfriend in the World by Sarra Manning

In the friendship type more than anything.  

My best friend was now my deadliest enemy, the one person I'd hate beyond all measure for the rest of my life . . .

Franny Barker's best friend, Alice, is the worst girlfriend in the world according to the many boys of Merrycliffe-on-Sea. She toys with them, then dumps them. But she'll never dump fashion-obsessed Franny. Nothing and no one can come between them.

Not even tousle-haired rock god, Louis Allen, who Franny's been crushing on hard. Until Alice, bored with immature boys and jealous of Franny's new college friends, sets her sights on Louis. Suddenly, best friends are bitter rivals.

Is winning Louis's heart worth more than their friendship? There's only one way for Franny to find out.

This is a book is more about friendship than romance, but of course there’s a romance. There is always a romance.  It nice romance, a slow develop romance.

Fanny is just a terrible name to give anyone; fictional or not. I didn’t care that much for the characters. I don’t why but with Manning books that fact that I don’t like the characters doesn’t really effect my enjoyment of them. It’s rather weird for a contemporary. There nothing about these characters that I particular dislike but there nothing I love either. There are dull cookie bunch. I did identify with Alice being jealous, so I guess there were relatable.

This books deals with a lot of themes, such as slut shaming, jealous and Mental illness. Fanny is generally resentful, of her mother and the rest of her immediate family because there don’t have to deal with her mother’s depression. She left alone to deal with her mother alone. I think it dealt with quite well.

Overall, I gave 4 out of 5 stars for messed up dummies. I enjoyed reading this book and that’s all that matters. I don’t know what I’m saying. It’s a fun, light read that has friendship as the main focus which is something I like.

Book Review: Wolf by Mo Hayder

The only difference between a wolf and dog is that a dog is trained not to try to kill you.

 

I believe, from what I can hear, that either my daughter or my wife has just been attacked. I don't know the outcome. The house is silent.

Fourteen years ago two teenage lovers were brutally murdered in a patch of remote woodland. The prime suspect confessed to the crimes and was imprisoned.

Now, one family is still trying to put the memory of the killings behind them. But at their isolated hilltop house . . . the nightmare is about to return.

The characters were bit cliché. The DI Jack Caffery was bit stereotypical with his lonely life and trying to quit smoking. I also did give a ratsarse about the family and anything could have happen, wouldn’t have given a damn. They weren’t very sympathetic characters and I suppose flat.

It took me a while to get into this book. The first hundred pages or so are really slow. The pace did pick up. The solution was a bit so what. I guess it was logical. I want to say I saw it coming but I can’t as I got bored and looked at the end.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars for acid burns. It was alright, I guess I was feeling rather lacklustre in general. It might be better if I was in a better mood. It was what it was. 

I got this off Netgalley for a review. It’s being published by Bantam Press on 22^rd April 2014.