#BookReview THE GIFT by RA WILLIAMS @wearewhitefox @BlackCrow_PR

ABOUT THE BOOK

A lush historical adventure that’s equal parts Gothic horror as it is tale of lost love, this first book in THE GIFT trilogy follows an optimistic yet cautious American ethnologist on her journey from St Dunstan’s Prep in Michigan, to the warm tropical shallows off the coast of Honduras, and the tors of Germany’s Externsteine, uncovering clues to the identity of the man who saved her from the Crimen one fateful night. All clues lead to Folkestone, England where she is reunited with the man she has sought for nearly three decades. But, is their reunion the end, or merely the end of the beginning?

The North Atlantic, 14 April 1912.

Amid the chaos of the sinking Titanic, a young Eleanor Annenberg meets the eyes of a stranger and is immediately captivated. As the ship buckles around them, she follows him down into the hold and finds him leaning over an open sarcophagus, surrounded by mutilated bodies. She catches but a glimpse of what lies within before she’s sucked into a maelstrom of freezing brine and half-devoured corpses.

Elle is pulled out of the water, but the stranger – and the secrets she stumbled upon – are lost. Unintentionally, however, he leaves her a gift; one so compelling that Elle embarks on a journey that pulls her into a world of ancient evils, vicious hunters and human prey to find the man who saved her that fateful night.

From trench warfare at Cape Helles in 1915 to a shipwreck in the tropical shallows off the Honduran coast, from a lost mine beneath the towering Externsteine in a Germany on the verge of war to the gothic crypts of Highgate Cemetery in London, Elle gets closer to a truth she has sought for most of her life. But at what cost? Gifts, after all, are seldom free.

PUBLISHED BY WHITEFOX PUBLISHING

PURCHASE LINK

AMAZON

MY REVIEW

I love reading books that are a little bit different, and that’s definitely what you get with this one! It’s part historical, part gothic horror and full on adventure!! Ooh and it has maps!! Always a big plus with a big sprawling kind of story!

The story starts aboard the Titanic, where Eleanor is captivated by a stranger. What she finds beneath the decks when she follows him down there is the stuff of horror – and the fun and games begin with the author taking the reader on an epic journey across the globe, over many years and you’re always guessing as to what role Eleanor has to play and what she saw that night has in store for her as she moves forward with her life.

She is one of those characters that definitely grows on you as you get to know more about her. She isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers and there’s always that sense that some want her stopped as she may be interfering in things! And this is what sets up the story nicely for the rest of the trilogy to come and I look forward to seeing what adventures the author takes us on next in this raw, mysterious and dark journey!

★★★★

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#BlogTour THE TRIALS OF KOLI by M.R.CAREY #TheTrialsOfKoli @OrbitBooks @michaelcarey191@Tr4cyF3nt0n

A huge delight to be the latest stop on the Blog Tour for the fabulous THE TRIALS OF KOLI by M.R.CAREY. My thanks to the author, publisher and Tracy of Compulsive Readers for putting the tour together and letting me be part of it all!

ABOUT THE BOOK

 The Trials of Koli is the second novel in M R. Carey’s breathtakingly original Rampart trilogy, set in a strange and deadly world of our own making.

Beyond the walls of Koli’s small village lies a fearsome landscape filled with choker trees, vicious beasts and shunned men. As an exile, Koli’s been forced to journey out into this mysterious, hostile world. But he heard a story, once. A story about lost London, and the mysterious tech of the Old Times that may still be there. If Koli can find it, there may still be a way for him to redeem himself – by saving what’s left of humankind

PUBLISHED BY ORBIT BOOKS

PURCHASE LINKS

HIVE.CO.UK
BLACKWELL’S
WATERSTONES

MY REVIEW

The distinctive voice of Koli is back, and this is the next installment in the trilogy and boy is it good!! 

As the journey for Koli and his companions continues, this book allows them all a little more space to develop and we also get the fascinating point of view of Spinner and their point of view of things in the present back in the village and that really does add something a little bit special to the storyline!

They are searching for Lost London and how the old tech may be able to save them from the dystopian world they find themselves living in.  And they are now dealing with danger from man, beast and trees along the way! There’s a lot more action in this book which made for even more edge of the seat reading!!

And while Koli is on a quest for information, we get to see things from the perspective of Spinner who is at home and fighting war and disease.  With information that she uncoves, she finds herself being distrusted and feared by others who want to silence her.

This part of the trilogy felt more settled, and more grown up. The way the world was expanded by the author was just perfect! And it just sets up so nicely for part 3 which I’m equally excited and dreading!! Please can it carry on for a few more books?!!!

★★★★★

#BlogTour THE BOOK OF KOLI by M.R.CAREY #BookReview @orbitbooks @michaelcarey191

Delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for the exciting release of THE BOOK OF KOLI by M.R.CAREY. My thanks to the author, publisher and Tracy of Compulsive Readers for putting the tour together and letting me be part of it all!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable world. A world where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly vines and seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don’t get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will.

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He knows the first rule of survival is that you don’t venture beyond the walls.

What he doesn’t know is – what happens when you aren’t given a choice?

The first in a gripping new trilogy, The Book of Koli charts the journey of one unforgettable young boy struggling to find his place in a chilling post-apocalyptic world. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and Annihilation.

published by ORBIT BOOKS

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

blackwell’s

MY REVIEW

What an introduction to a trilogy!!  The Book of Koli is the perfect start  and will have you eager to read more of the adventures ahead! This is book one, with books two and three to follow over the next year, and it’s brilliant story of nature turning against humanity!

Koli lives his life in fear, especially of trees and nature. The world they live in has severely changed over the years, the population has decreased and humans are kept in smaller groups for their own safety and survival.  It’s a scary world outside the safety of their own communities and for Koli growing up it’s a confusing place to be.  It’s a brutal and sparse way of life where you have to fight to survive and work together to thrive.

At the age of 15 he has to leave home to await his future – think an extreme ‘sorting hat’ kind of process! You discover your job and name for life. Living in a world constantly surveyed by drones for monitoring breaches and bad behaviour – we could do with these now in these ‘stay at home’ days!!

The more people Koli meets, the more his eyes are opened to the outside world and I loved seeing his character process things he learns – no more so than when a Japanese AI enters his life to teach him about the ‘old world’ and leads him on a path of discovery and figuring out why the world changed – very relevant to now it seems!! Be afraid!!

I found the story to be told at quite a pace and was often quite bleak (quite rightly!), but did really appreciate the touches of humour thrown in that did lift the mood. I am already itching to read more from Koli and the others to see where their journey takes them next!!

★★★★