#BookReview THE DISCORD OF GODS by JENN LYONS @BlackCrow_PR @torbooks

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Discord of Gods marks the epic conclusion to Jenn Lyons’s Chorus of Dragon series, closing out the saga that began with The Ruin of Kings, for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss.

The end times have come.

Relos Var’s final plans to enslave the universe are on the cusp of fruition. He believes there’s only one being in existence that might be able to stop him: the demon Xaltorath.

As these two masterminds circle each other, neither is paying attention to the third player on the board, Kihrin. Unfortunately, keeping himself classified in the “pawn” category means Kihrin must pretend to be everything the prophecies threatened he’d become: the destroyer of all, the sun eater, a mindless, remorseless plague upon the land. It also means finding an excuse to not destroy the people he loves (or any of the remaining Immortals) without arousing suspicion.

Kihrin’s goals are complicated by the fact that not all of his “act” is one. His intentions may be sincere, but he’s still being forced to grapple with the aftereffects of the corrupted magic ritual that twisted both him and the dragons. Worse, he’s now tied to a body that is the literal avatar of a star – a form that is becoming increasingly, catastrophically unstable. All of which means he’s running out of time.

After all, some stars fade – but others explode.

PUBLISHED BY TOR BOOKS

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Blackwell’s

MY REVIEW

The fifth and final installment of a truly epic fantasy series – say it ain’t so!! But this ‘chapter’ is a really fitting end to the series and allows us to spend more time with our favourite characters and marvel at the grand scale of the drama and goings on!! Be prepared! This book is full on, non stop action!! There’s barely time to draw breath between the chaos and carnage, and that’s where the wonderful use of the footnotes come into play as they just allow that light relief and pause as you take stock of what’s been going on, and marvel at the ‘snark-asm’ which this series has been a master at!! Guaranteed to bring a smile and smirk to any grumpy face!

The main characters each take their turn in playing a major part in the action, as Relos Var’s plans begin to take shape but has he taken his eye off the ball to someone else coming in and spoiling his fun!! There’s double bluffs, soul searching and the wonderful interaction between characters as before, my favourites being Kihrin, Janel and Tereath, and there are some satisfying conclusions being played out, along with a few twists and turns that hit hard!!

This is a series that has dragons and demons, rituals and revenge, magic and murder, battles and betrayals, and most importantly, the wonderful world building that allows your imagination to go nuts! It’s a series I’ve loved and I’m very sad to see it go! Thank you Jenn Lyons for the ride!!

★★★★★

My thanks to the team at Black Crow PR for the advanced reader copy in return for a fair and honest review.

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#BookReview A MARVELLOUS LIGHT by FREYA MARSKE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Red White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light, featuring an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies.

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

PUBLISHED BY TOR

PURCHASE LINK

AMAZON

MY REVIEW

This was a really enjoyable introduction to a series that promises to fully involve the readers in a magical world full of intrigue and romance!! And with such strong characters being allowed to develop in front of our eyes in book one, I am already eagerly anticipating the next installment in The Last Binding series trilogy!

Robin finds himself taking up a job he knows nothing about! Why has he been put in this position?! And what is this magical world he now finds himself faced with?! He wants answers and the man to give him them is Edwin. Very different in personality to Robin, but equally intrigued by this new addition to the team, the more time they spend together the more the friendship, and then the romantic feelings develop! It’s a touching and warm bond they share that soon turns very steamy!! If you don’t like explicit scenes, then you may want to skip a few pages!! But it never distracts from the world building and the humour is also on point as it really sets a feel for the time of Edwardian society.

Their quest to find out what Robins’ predecessor was involved in often takes second place against their relationship, but the mystery is always there and plays out quite nicely and gives you a as the reader plenty to take on board and want to know more about in this magical world!

I think we’re in for something special with this series if this starting point is anything to go by! Hurry up Book 2!!

★★★★

My thanks to the team at Black Crow PR for the advanced copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

#BookReview THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS by JENN LYONS @BlackCrow_PR @UKTor

ABOUT THE BOOK

For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, The House of Always is the fourth epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series that began with The Ruin of Kings.

What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?

In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin’s enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy. 

PUBLISHED BY TOR BOOKS

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

PRAISE FOR A CHORUS OF DRAGONS SERIES

 ‘What an extraordinary book. The Ruin of Kings is everything epic fantasy should be: rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply deeply satisfying. I loved it’ – Lev Grossman 
‘Hands-down the best fantasy debut I’ve read in a long time’- Storgy Magazine 
‘Everything you could want from a fantasy epic…unputdownable’ – Den of Geek
 ‘In a sprawling, magic-filled world populated by gods, dragons, krakens, witches, demons, ghosts, shapeshifters, zombies, and so much more, Lyons ties it all together seamlessly to create literary magic. Epic fantasy fans looking for a virtually un-put-down-able read should look no further’ – Kirkus starred review ‘Its lore and memorable characters will leave epic fantasy fans eager for the second volume’ – Publishers Weekly starred review 
‘An instant classic and TOR have got an absolute winner on their hands’ – Fantasy Book Review ‘Both innovative and a traditional, grand epic. If you like dragons, twisty storytelling, and you also want to fall in love with a character that eats people, The Ruin of Kings is for you’ -Tasha Suri, Empire of Sand 
‘The world-building is vivid, and Lyon’s vision feels fresh and fun. You sense a real intellect at work behind the words, with a detailed cosmology and distinct, witty characters – 4.5 stars’ – SFX Magazine ‘This follow up to Lyon’s brilliant debut takes a similar, assured (and sassy) narrative approach as The Ruin of Kings…Lyons proves she is worthy of comparison to the masters of epic fantasy, such as Patrick Rothfuss, Stephen R . Donaldson (particularly in GrandGuignol action), and Melanie Rawn’ – Booklist starred review
 ‘Simply put: This is top notch adventure fantasy written for a 21st-century audience – high recommended’ – Kirkus starred review ‘Lyons is creating a complex and wonderful series that will immerse and delight’ – Library Journal ‘Lyons proves she is worthy of comparison to the masters of epic fantasy’ – Booklist starred review

MY REVIEW

Book 4 in the series and it’s still as fresh as Book 1!!  I can’t believe the series is almost at the end – one more book to go 😦 – but this is another gripping, emotional and pulsating instalment to the series that I will be very sad to say goodbye to!

The House of Always is a more mature, character driven story than the past books, and that was quite nice!  It had a different style and change of pace to some of the action in the previous books and it felt good to spend more time connecting with each character as they faced new dangers and dilemmas.  You could see how the different relationships between them were changing so you feel like you get more feel for each character, which isn’t always easy when there’s too much action going on.

That’s not to say there’s no action going on in this story! There is plenty! There’s battles with demons and dragons, betrayals galore, sacrifices and magic for you to enjoy.  Added to the normal mix of maps, floorplans and the wondrous footnotes that I just can’t get enough of! The footnotes are a book in themselves and just add that little something extra to each part of the story!!

The main crux of the story for the characters to work out is why they’re all trapped at the Lighthouse of Shadrag Gor, and how they can rescue Kihrin from inside the mind of a god! Sounds like an easy task right?! No chance!!

It’s also told from the point of view of Senera which adds a new dynamic to things and I loved finding out more about her past!  None of them ever seem to have nothing to hide!

There are arguments and betrayals, but also an overwhelming feel of unity – ‘the world changed’ is a phrase that is used a lot and you really do get that sense of each action they take having a greater impact on the outcome of each battle.

I found this to be real edge of the seat stuff throughout and it has just fitted so nicely into the series, with things building perfectly for the next installment…. I hope we’re not waiting too long! I don’t think I can cope without knowing what is in store next!!

★★★★★

My thanks to the team at Black Crow PR for the advanced reader copy in return for a fair and honest review!

My Bookish Weekly Wrap Up – 8th May 2021

Hello and Happy Saturday!  A mad week of weather here so I’m just hoping things calm down again soon – otherwise the lounge carpet is going to be permanently covered in trays of seedlings I’ve had to bring indoors for safety!!
I’ve also been kitty sitting this week for friends – this is Frank, who likes to take things easy and eat a lot!  So that has impacted on my reading time this week while he and his brother Frank demand Dreamies on tap!  But I still managed to finish 4 books and have had 2 new books through the post! I did stay away from Netgalley though… do I get a medal???!
here’s my look back…

BOOKS FINISHED

AN ACT OF LOVE by CAROL DRINKWATER – 4 STARS

BOOK WARS by JOHN B.THOMPSON – 5 STARS

THE RAILWAY GIRLS IN LOVE by MAISIE THOMAS – 5 STARS

MY DARK VANESSA by KATE ELIZABETH RUSSELL – 5 STARS

BOOKPOST

Keeping the postie busy this week….

THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS by JENN LYONS

copy for review courtesy of Tor Books

publication date – 11th May 2021

For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, The House of Always is the fourth epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series that began with The Ruin of Kings.

What if you were imprisoned for all eternity?

In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed.

The Eight Immortals have catastrophically failed to stop Kihrin’s enemies, who are moving forward with their plans to free Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. Kihrin has his own ideas about how to fight back, but even if he’s willing to sacrifice everything for victory, the cost may prove too high for his allies.

Now they face a choice: can they save the world while saving Kihrin, too? Or will they be forced to watch as he becomes the very evil they have all sworn to destroy.

YESTERDAY by JUAN EMAR

published by Peirene Press

In San Agustín de Tango, you can never be sure what’s waiting around the corner.

Over the course of a single day – the day before today – the hero of this novel and his adored wife embark on a journey through the absurd and the surreal, encountering a choir of monkeys and a carnivorous ostrich, travelling from the studio of an artist obsessed with the colour green to the waistcoat pocket of a pot-bellied man.

All the while, the tolling of the bell in the city square pushes their whirlwind adventure towards its fateful conclusion…

A brilliant and bizarre work from an overlooked great of 20th century Chilean literature, in English translation for the first time and with a new introduction by Alejandro Zambra.

Written by Juan Emar.

Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell.

CURRENTLY READING

THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS by JENN LYONS

HAPPY READING!!

#BookReview SISTERSONG by LUCY HOLLAND @BlackCrow_PR @panmacmillan @UKTor @silvanhistorian

ABOUT THE BOOK

535 AD. In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, King Cador’s children inherit a fragmented land abandoned by the Romans.

Riva, scarred in a terrible fire, fears she will never heal.
Keyne battles to be seen as the king’s son, when born a daughter.
And Sinne, the spoiled youngest girl, yearns for romance.

All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold – a last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. But change comes on the day ash falls from the sky, bringing Myrddhin, meddler and magician, and Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear the siblings apart. Riva, Keyne and Sinne must take fate into their own hands, or risk being tangled in a story they could never have imagined; one of treachery, love and ultimately, murder. It’s a story that will shape the destiny of Britain.

PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Goldsboro – signed edition

Blackwell’s

MY REVIEW

I found this to be a wonderful historical story, with fantasy elements, that centres around 3 very different sisters who are all struggling to deal with finding their place and their role in a world that is changing around them.

They are the children of King Cador and while he sets out to protect them, they are the kind of women who want to break free, to follow their own paths and that is proving ever more difficult. I loved how different the sisters – Riva, Keyne and Sinne – are from one another. Their outlooks, their strengths, weaknesses…. it really does help you to connect to each character as their stories are told separately against the backdrop of the world around them proving to be a very dark place.

It also brings to the fore the struggles we can all face growing up – the expectations of others and ourselves, wanting to be heard and seen despite feeling like we’re being oppressed – and these young women face all of this and it’s a challenging time. We get to witness young women learning things about themselves – not all good! – and facing adversity and sibling rivalry. And dealing with a father who won’t listen to them or give them credit is never a good thing to factor in to the mix!

This was an epic and absorbing story that I totally lost myself in and couldn’t read quick enough to see how their stories played out! There’s action,angst and magic throughout, and it was amazing to watch these women find their feet and their voices!

★★★★★

#BookReview THE RAIN HERON by ROBBIE ARNOTT

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ren lives alone on the remote frontier of a country devastated by a coup. High on the forested slopes, she survives by hunting and trading—and forgetting.

But when a young soldier comes to the mountains in search of a local myth, Ren is inexorably drawn into her impossible mission. As their lives entwine, unravel and erupt—as myths merge with reality—both Ren and the soldier are forced to confront what they regret, what they love, and what they fear.

The Rain Heron is the dizzying, dazzling new novel from the author of Flames.
PUBLISHED BY ATLANTIC BOOKS

PURCHASE LINK

Amazon

MY REVIEW

Having loved his previous book, Flames, I was eager to see what Robbie Arnott had in store for us next – I have not been disappointed!

This is one of those books that take you out of yourself! With the imagery and world created, you become part of the backdrop watching over the struggles of the characters and feeling their emotions – all while the mythical rain heron affects the weather that will deeply affect the characters we follow.

This is a really subtle book, with nods to the damage that climate change causes to the daily lives of those working the land, affecting not only their livelihoods but their mental wellbeing too.

The story starts with a female farmer who is pivotal to the wellbeing of the local community – her farm had struggled for years leading her to the brink of life, but the appearance of the heron changes the fortunes of the farm and she shares this upturn in her luck with those around her. Not all those around her see the good in her charity, and shows the ugliness of jealousy when all is not well in their lives.

And then there is Ren who is living a very hermit existence on the side of a mountain. It’s a brutal life but she has learnt to thrive thanks to her survival skills and she is helped by some who meet her. But there’s always those questions in your head as to why she has decided to live the way she does and why she won’t change her ways for an easier life.

The darker side is portrayed brilliantly by the soldiers sent out to track down the Rain Heron and capture it. Ruthless in their approach, they seem almost brainwashed into following orders and never questioning why they’ve been given this objective. It’s only when they start to see life a little differently that they begin to show their humanity. And there’s more good vs bad in the story of Zoe, when we see people working with nature versus those who see it just for greed and their own gain, and how that changes the balance and brings despair to many.

This is a book that gets you thinking about your actions and how it impacts on the wider world. It makes you notice the little things. About how you treat people, and how they treat you! It’s weird, quirky, compelling, magical, captivating and will leave you pondering for long after you finish that final page. Loved it!!

★★★★★

#BookReview THE ORDER OF THE PURE MOON REFLECTED IN WATER by ZEN CHO

ABOUT THE BOOK

Zen Cho returns with a found family wuxia fantasy that combines the vibrancy of old school martial arts movies with characters drawn from the margins of history.

A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there. Guet Imm, a young votary of the Order of the Pure Moon, joins up with an eclectic group of thieves (whether they like it or not) in order to protect a sacred object, and finds herself in a far more complicated situation than she could have ever imagined.

PUBLISHED BY TOR.COM

PURCHASE LINKS

GOLDSBORO – signed first edition

hive.co.uk

MY REVIEW

The perfect escapist read! One that takes you out of yourself, gives you time for reflection and ended up feeling a lot deeper than I originally thought it would! I expected some action and adventure, and on top of that I got magic, myth, religion and laughs!

When a nun teams up with a group of bandits you really don’t know what to expect – and they don’t either! Considering it’s only a novella as well, the story really involves you as you wander along their trodden path on the road to steal, cause mayhem and end up finding themselves!

It’s a weird but really engaging little read – it’s full of humour as well which I really loved and didn’t expect so much of! Some of the characters – Guet and Tet especially – are fabulous creations and I’d even love to read more about them in their own stories!

★★★★

#Preview THE ABSOLUTE BOOK by ELIZABETH KNOX #TheAbsoluteBook

Something to look forward to in 2021!! It can’t come quick enough for my liking to be fair, so I’m happy today to be able to share the cover and animation for the forthcoming release THE ABSOLUTE BOOK by ELIZABETH KNOX. My thanks to the team at Michael Joseph for letting me be part of it all!!

That cover!! 😍😍😍

ABOUT THE BOOK

Taryn Cornick believes her sister Bea was deliberately run down and killed. She believes it so hard she allows a man called the Muleskinner to exact the justice Bea was denied. An eye for an eye.

Which is when Taryn’s problems really begin.

Because the police suspect Taryn’s involvement in the death.

Worse, others have their eyes on Taryn – those in a faraway place who know what Taryn’s family have been carefully hiding in their vast library. The Absolute Book.

They want it – and they want Taryn to help find it.

For the lives of those in more than one world depend upon it…

PRE-ORDER LINK

In February 2021, you’re invited to escape to another world with @ElizabethKnoxNZ’s masterfully mind-bending novel,
Perfect for fans of Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman, published by @MichaelJBooks Find out more: https://t.co/pUDxAYOXIT @ElizabethKnoxNZ @MichaelJBooks pic.twitter.com/2OGmsNMbLq

— karen mace (@bookkaz) October 19, 2020

#BookReview THE MEMORY OF SOULS by JENN LYONS #The MemoryOfSouls @UkTor @MyBookishLife

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Memory of Souls is the third epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series.

THE LONGER HE LIVES
THE MORE DANGEROUS HE BECOMES

Now that Relos Var’s plans have been revealed and demons are free to rampage across the empire, the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies—and the end of the world—is closer than ever.

To buy time for humanity, Kihrin needs to convince the king of the Manol vané to perform an ancient ritual which will strip the entire race of their immortality, but it’s a ritual which certain vané will do anything to prevent. Including assassinating the messengers.

Worse, Kihrin must come to terms with the horrifying possibility that his connection to the king of demons, Vol Karoth, is growing steadily in strength.

How can he hope to save anyone when he might turn out to be the greatest threat of them all?
PUBLISHED BY TOR BOOKS

PURCHASE LINKS

HIVE.CO.UK
BLACKWELL’S
GOLDSBORO – signed edition

MY REVIEW

The series that just keeps on getting better and better, and throwing even more curveballs and shocks our way!! Love it!

This is a story that goes back, forth, sideways, up and down and will keep you on your toes as a reader and scramble your brain in the process!!

It’s another thrilling installment of this epic fantasy read full of epic battles, dragons, deceit, dragons, demons, dragons, gods, dragons, magic…. and did I mention dragons?! It’s also very helpful with a glossary to help you pronounce names, family trees and an extremely useful timeline to help you make sense of what you’ve read! I’m at that age where retaining information is often a struggle but having these handy guides were a godsend!!

Kihrin and friends are on another quest for help and, as always, there are many obstacles placed in their way, and we see the story told from different viewpoints as before -and the wonderfully humorous footnotes are back which do add brilliant light relief from the action as it unfolds!

It always amazes me when an author creates a storyline like this! With each new book there’s added depth to the characters that you think you know! This series keeps on excelling on the complex storyline front but you never feel detached from it despite the intricacies!

Nothing is set in stone with this series with the constant shifts and it is confusing AF as times BUT it all works because of the characters! They are different and complex creatures that frustrate and excite with their attitudes and I love them! I just cannot wait to see what the author throws at us next in the series with book 4 on the way!!!

★★★★★

My thanks to Stephen at Tor Books for the copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review!

#BookReview PERFUME by PATRICK SUSKIND #20BooksOfSummer

ABOUT THE BOOK

An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind’s classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man’s indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille’s genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the “ultimate perfume”—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.

MY REVIEW

What a weird yet wonderful book!! A mix of historical & fantasy, it’s disturbing and dark but leaves you with mixed feelings about the main character Grenouille!

He starts life in the most awful of situations – passed from one person to the next, he ends up happy in the isolation and develops an extraordinary sense of smell. His main drive each day is to search out new scents to keep him enthused with life, but he is also plagued by the fact that he emits no smell which leads him further into isolation and avoiding all human contact. When he is around people he finds himself drawn to the perfume shops where he becomes an apprentice and staggers the owner with his ability to replicate the scents of others, but create ones even better.

It’s just the levels he goes to find certain scents are what makes him disturbing and macabre. The levels of pleasure he finds in the act of obtaining the scents! It is not pleasant for the rest of us!!

But his scents gain him notoriety and power and he revels in the adulation bestowed upon – they say power corrupts, and that is clear for Grenouille! It’s an intoxicating story with a very grizzly ending! I loved it!!

★★★★