Title: Lady Midnight

Series: The Dark Artifices

Author: Cassandra Clare

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

I’m back in the world of the Shadowhunters! I had a couple of months break and now I’m ready for more!

This series primarily follows Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn and the whole Blackthorn clan are featured. I love them! A family with so much grief but they’ve stuck together, all because of Julian. Such a weight on a young boys shoulders.

I’m not going to talk about plot, but characters. If you want the plot you’ll need to read it!!

My faves = Kieran and Mark. Talk about heart singing! I would forgive Kieran for anything!!! I loved every time Mark spoke in his old style Faerie talk, bought a smile to my face!!

Emma and Jules, omg the tension!!! This author seems to torture her characters with love. I am here for it but the bloomin angst, I could punch something!!

‘If my heart was a canvas, every square inch of it would’ve painted over with you.’

Gaaaah the agony of my heart!

Another great start to a series in a series….and was lovely to see Tessa and Jem again (but Will remains my fave ever!!!)

Title: Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Series: The Celestial Kingdom #1

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

First of all, can we all take a moment to appreciate this beautiful cover…..I love it!

Xingyin is the daughter of the banished Chang’e, who flees to save their lives and hopefully to change their lives.

Xingyin ends up in the Celestial Kingdom with Prince Leiwei and what follows is a journey badically of self discovery.

Here are a few bits:
* The world building is utterly fab,
* The writing is so good, 
* The romance is cute but the dreaded triangle!
* Loved Xingyin, Leiwei and Wenzhi for different reasons!!!
* The pacing was fast, then slow……I did find it dragged a bit in the middle.

The ending had my heart melting and shouting I can’t wait! What will come next?!

Title: Cytonic

Series: Skyward #3

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Spensa’s life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell—the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What’s more, she traveled light-years from home as an undercover spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home.

Now, the Superiority—the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life—has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa’s seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant. Spensa knows that no matter how many pilots the DDF has, there is no defeating this predator.

Except that Spensa is Cytonic. She faced down a Delver and saw something eerily familiar about it. And maybe, if she’s able to figure out what she is, she could be more than just another pilot in this unfolding war. She could save the galaxy.

The only way she can discover what she really is, though, is to leave behind all she knows and enter the Nowhere. A place from which few ever return.

To have courage means facing fear. And this mission is terrifying.

Back again with Spensa……in the Nowhere.

Firstly….a bit of chitter chatter. I’m English and we don’t really have people called ‘Chet’ so reading the name just flashed up images of the young Bill Paxton from Weird Science in my head! Anyway I’ll stop telling you my odd thoughts and get to my actual review, well sort of a review! This is more a dump of my thoughts!

* We are introduced to new characters, a new world and new species,
* There was lots of drama and action,
* Lots of bits that made my heart go soggy,
* Superb character growth of Spensa,
* M-Bot made my life again! I love him! He is beautiful AI!
* I loved seeing the Nowhere and actually I’d love to live there, hopping about on fragments, exploring!
* Jaw dropping secrets and an absolutely fabulous ending.

But it’s not the end for Spensa!! I’m off to listen to Evershore and then set up my countdown for Defiant!

Title: Wolfsong

Series: Green Creek #1

Author: TJ Klune

Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road, the boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.

Ox was seventeen when he found out the boy’s secret, and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.

It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Oh wow, this was wonderful! I listened to the audio and loved it!

Another story of found family from this author but this time…..wolves!!!!!

Ox lives in a small town, born and bred. Horrible Dad, lovely shining light of a Mum and he meets the Bennett’s who live down the lane. And then it all starts……..

I love Ox. He is an utterly beautiful soul. So innocent with a good heart. I loved that we saw him growing up from a boy to a man.

Joe I took a bit longer to like but as Ox is just so adorable, I think it took my shining light from Joe!

All of the characters were so good and I especially loved the garage guys but there was one who stood out for me in this whole book…………Carter Bennett. I think he has a book out and can’t wait to read it!

The story was built up and up and I ate up every word! Magical, wolfy and beautiful.

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic:  2021 Releases I Was Excited to Read But Didn’t Get To

Sometimes I struggle getting 10 Books for these lists but with today’s topic I could’ve done close to 100!!!!! 😂

🖤 Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin
🖤 Steelstriker by Marie Lu
🖤 Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
🖤 Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko
🖤 Untethered by Kaylynn Flanders
🖤 Namesake by Adrienne Young
🖤 Broken Web by Lori M Lee
🖤 All the Feels by Olivia McDade
🖤 The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

Title: Red Rising

Series: Red Rising Saga #1

Author: Pierce Brown

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

I’m late to reading this but am buddy reading with a lovely group of ladies!

Darrow is a Helldiver, a red, the lowest cast on Mars, married young to Eo, and he works in the mines so he can help society to live on the surface.

But they have all been lied to and betrayed.

‘Break the Chains’

The hierarchy of the colours was fascinating, if not a bit unpleasant, the world building was fabulous, it was action packed, emosh and had my stomach in a knot half the time wondering what betrayal would come next! I don’t really want to say more about the plot because you need to experience it yourself, it’s really like nothing I’ve ever read before!

Although Darrow is our main lead and I really liked him, Sevro is my fave character and I really hope to see more of him in the next book!

I used to do a variation on this weekly but stopped as I felt I didn’t have much to contribute but then a thought occurred to me…..why not do 2 a month so here I am!!!!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

2022 is now in full swing, Christmas has been taken down, I’m back to work, my son is back to school and we’ve both felt really tired!! Now it’s the weekend, it’s lie ins all round!

What I’ve Read

Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

🎧 Red Rising by Pierce Brown
🌟🌟🌟🌟

See my reviews soon!

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Bookish Arrivals

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

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In case you missed it…..

Unboxing – Illumicrate December 2021
Review – Gild by Raven Kennedy
Review – The Extraordinaires by TJ Klune
Review – Flash Fire by TJ Klune
Tag – The Answer Can’t Be Books!
Books I Want – February Releases

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Coming up in the next 2 weeks…..

(Sorry – catching up on reviews!!)
Review – Red Rising by Pierce Brown Unboxing – Fairyloot December 2021
Review – Wolfsong by TJ Klune
Reviews – Glint and Gleam by Raven Kennedy
Reviews – The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare
Reviews – Cytonic, Evershore, Defending Elysium by Brandon Sanderson
Review – Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Review – City of Brass by SA Chakraborty

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What have you read lately?

December – DANCE WITH DEATH!

We think we can all agree that most main characters in YA fantasy dance with death at some point in their journey but some even cross into the afterlife… and return.

Items inspired by Once Upon A Broken Heart, We Hunt The Flame, These Violent Delights, another NEW collectible item inspired by Hades & Persephone and a SECOND BOOK!

🖤  Letter opener inspired by Jack’s dagger from Once Upon a Broken Heart
🖤 Iron on Patch designed by @hafsahfaizal featuring Nasir’s tattoo from We Hunt the Flame
🖤 Mythology Foil Bookmarks – a new collectible: Hades and Persephone by @gracezhuart
🖤 Book Sleeve designed by @celestialfang inspired by These Violent Delights
🖤 Tarot cards – Eo and Vectra from Red Rising illustrated by @lizzart_zardonicz
🖤 The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling – exclusive cover and digitally signed

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

Exclusive cover ✔
Sprayed edges✔
Artwork on dust jacket by @emiliesnaith_art ✔
Foil embossing by @emiliesnaith_art ✔
Signed bookplate ✔

I made a promise to myself that I’d really cutback on my book buying this year for a few reasons:

✔ I’m running out space,
✔ My tbr has never been bigger than it is right now,
✔ I’m trying to save some money.

I don’t want to put a limit of the number of books I buy each month as it’s like a red rag to a bull and I spend, spend, spend so I’m going to try and put willpower in place (wish me luck!!!)

So for February I’ve chosen one book! I’ve already preordered it too so I could enter to get the preorder goodies!

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

What books are you looking forward to?