reviews – Page 4 – The Constellation of Moon

Furyborn Review

Posted on May 2, 2018

This book was provided through a Fairyloot box as an advance copy

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world…or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world–and of each other.

Rating:

There was a lot of hype for this book so I was looking forward to reading it. It has an intense start where you find Rielle so interesting, and then you get Eliana. I struggled a lot to get into Eliana’s chapters, and even when it finally got better (around page 350), I still didn’t care very much for her. The reason I was reading her chapters was because of Simon, or Remy (definitely one of my favourite characters of the book!), or Navi or another character in there. I couldn’t feel for her and I just couldn’t immerse myself properly into her world view. Rielle’s chapters on the contrary where much more interesting, and that never helped poor Eliana’s one as they contrasted too much with hers.

I loved the elements and the strange empirium which made me think of atoms making up everything in the world (except empirium is golden here and I don’t think atoms are exactly a certain colour).

But it bugged me that there is a lot of explanations and reasons missing that just don’t make sense. Who decides who is the Sun or Blood Queen? Why is Rielle so powerful and so special? What does Corien want with her and if he so much needs her, why kill her? Most of it doesn’t make sense, and despite the “joining” of the plots, it still has too many gaps.

The writing itself is immersive and I did enjoy the flow of the writing and I had no problems with it or the style, all good there. So i look forward to reading the next book and to read more books from her, but I just feel an overhype for this sadly.

Moon recommends

Preorder Furyborn if you like stories that have two separate generations (by however many generations in between but you know, a past and a present or a present and a future views) and fantasy that has a dark tinge to it.

Book Review

The Wicked Deep Review

Posted on April 28, 2018

We have had our clubhouse meeting so this review is definitely due now!

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Two centuries ago, in the small, isolated town, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return from the depths, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them down to their watery deaths.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into or the fact that his arrival will change everything…

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

Rating:

This is a spooky and dreamy read, and I was so glad to read it. You meet Penny just before the Swan seaosn starts, and things are being slowly explained as they happen yet you always feel like you aren’t actually sure.

The setting was lovely, Sparrow was a wonderful spooky, coastal town that just kept me half wanting to be there, and part not wanting to at all because of the sisters.

And Penny is such an interesting character on her own.(This is a hard review without spoilers!!!!! There is so much I’d gush about but can’t really because it’d spoil this story and this is the kind of story you shouldn’t be spoiled before you read).

So, I can say the writing was gorgeous and dreamy and I just kept wanting to keep reading (and I did do that after a few buddy reading sessions, and got told off for that but it was just irresistible).

Moon recommends

I recommend The Wicked Deep, and all previous Book Box Club books with similar styles like The Memory Trees or The Disappearances, which have that kind of dreamy melancholic feel to them that just wraps you and takes to a different world, one slightly tinted with dreaminess, melancholia, old life.

Book Review

The Gift of Silence Review

Posted on March 29, 2018

This little book was provided to me thanks to bookbridgr and the publisher, and it took me a while to pick it up (mostly because I wanted to give it the proper attention).

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The Gift of Silence by Kankyo Tannier

Do you struggle to find peace and quiet? Do you yearn to disconnect, find an escape, slow down and just breathe? Are you overwhelmed by modern life?

The simple solution lies in this book.

Rooted in the ancient Zen philosophies that ground her work, French Buddhist nun, Kankyo Tannier, will show you how to channel the power of SILENCE to get back in control of your thoughts and access the refuge that lies in your mind. Using her practical on-the-go tools, you’ll learn how to overcome stress and capture the moments of golden stillness that will transform all areas of your life, for an enhanced wellbeing and sense of fulfilment. Kankyo’s warm and engaging voice, spiritual insights, plus a sprinkling of French charm make this an accessible pleasure to read.

Switch off the noise and discover the calm and comfort you need to navigate this fast-paced world.

Unlock and practise the wisdom of SILENCE; stop surviving, pause, listen, and start thriving.

Rating:

Once I picked it up and actually started reading, I was hooked. I have read other meditation books and similar but most of them make it sound so “easy” when it just doesn’t click for me.

That wasn’t the case with this one. Kankyo actually gives you examples of how she failed and how she struggled and what made the difference in her case, which helps you try to figure out what works best. As I read, silence was more appreciated (I usually do a few of the things she suggests, so it wasn’t new to me, but put together it was a nice read).

I felt like I was chatting with a friend about silence and medcitation rather than a guru, and that made it a lot more approachable, more “human” and just nicer to read. It is also relatively short and full of resources which is a nice turn to it.

Moon recommends

I don’t usually review books similar to hers, so I have to say that I can only recommend hers as it is one I ahve enjoyed reding and found that it reminded me to make pockets of silence and mind peace.

Book Review

Here We Are Now Review

Posted on January 14, 2018

This lovely book was provided to me through bookbridgr. So here is my honest review.

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga

Despite sending him letters ever since she was thirteen, Taliah Abdallat never thought she’d ever really meet Julian Oliver. But one day, while her mother is out of the country, the famed rock star from Staring Into the Abyss shows up on her doorstep. This makes sense – kinda – because Julian Oliver is Taliah’s father, even though her mother would never admit it to her.

Julian asks if Taliah if she will drop everything and go with him to his hometown of Oak Falls, Indiana, to meet his father – her grandfather – who is nearing the end of his life. Taliah, torn between betraying her mother’s trust and meeting the family she has never known, goes.

With her best friend Harlow by her side, Taliah embarks on a three-day journey to find out everything about her ‘father’ and her family. But Julian isn’t the father Taliah always hoped for, and revelations about her mother’s past are seriously shaking her foundation. Through all these new experiences, Taliah will have to find new ways to be true to herself, honoring her past and her future.

Rating:

The premise of this book is relationships. And in that aspect it excels. It touches on friendships (between Taliah and Harlow), f/f (Harlow and Quinn), what happens when your best and only friend has a girlfriend, mother/daughter (both for Taliah and for Lena, Taliah’s mother), father/son (Julian and Tom, and in a smaller way Toby), father/daughter (Julian/Taliah). It is all in all packed full of the complexity of family and friends, and it is fun to read but also emotional.

However, it starts full of questions, and ends full of questions (different ones to the ones at the beginning) which was not great. The reveals made the ending feel rushed and too open. It left you with more questions than you started with and it isn’t exactly like this is planned as a series.

It was a quick read and I loved the music aspect of it and the whole “dreams and who you are” exploration too.

Moon recommends

I am not a big reader of contemporary mostly because I’d rather escape to another world, but in a way this reminded me a tiny bit of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, so I’d suggest you read that one and if you have, why not read Here We Are Now?

PS. The props used are not sponsored, they just are the ones I had nearest to me when I took this picture.

Book Review

This Mortal Coil Review

Posted on January 6, 2018

This one of those books I had been eyeing for a while and then stumbled upon a preorder incentive and I am very glad I bought it. You can see my attempt at making the Origami DNA that was part of the incentive, the letter, bookmark (and there was also a signed personalised bookplate).

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of Lachlan Agatta’s death, all hope seems lost for Catarina. Her father was the world’s leading geneticist, and humanity’s best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole’s genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.

Only she can find and decrypt it, if she can unravel the clues he left for her. The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from Cartaxus, a shadowy organization with a stranglehold on the world’s genetic tech. But it’s too late to turn back.

There are three billion lives at stake, two people who can save them, and one final secret that Cat must unlock. A secret that will change everything.

Rating:

I loved the concept of this book. The whole idea of being able to “hack” and code DNA was amazing and then there is the whole actual story. It is hard to review without giving too much away, as there are SO many things going on (which usually is a bad thing in a book as it is confusing but in this one it all fits the story and adds to it, so it is very neat).

The plot twists were unexpected (or at least the main one, I did guess the ones relating to Cat’s father) and were done quite well so that once it happened you were like “oh of course” but before it happened you couldn’t guess it.

Now I want the next book because there is so much to learn and Emily’s letter included some secrets that just make me want to read the next book more. Why?!

Moon recommends

I don’t think I’ve read a book like this before. It isn’t exactly distopyian yet it is in a way. And it introduces such a new concept that it is hard to class. It is full of science but it is futuristic since it technically doesn’t exist yet but it makes sense. The protein coating idea makes sense as something like that is what causes dementia, so it is very very interesting. I just think you need to read This Mortal Coil.

Book Review

The Language of Thorns Review

Posted on January 4, 2018

First review of the year even if I read this book in 2017 (and it was book 99 out of 100 I read in the year, woot!).

For this particular book, I have the special Fairyloot edition whcih I have to say pleases me more than the actual original cover.

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread

Rating:

I will be brutally honest and say I am not the biggest fan of the Grishaverse. I did not like the first trilogy, and Six of Crows was better and nicer but I am not a proper fan. So this gorgeous book was a very lovely surprise.

I guess the best way to put it is that it is a reimagining of fables and fairytales. And Leigh does this in such an amazing way. every story kept me wanting to know more even when I already knew the heart of the story and more or less the way it’d go, but the little twists and the writing won me.

I just have to say, Leigh has definitely grown as a writer and I absolutely appreciate this. And of course, the gorgeous growing illustrations on each page had we swooning as I read and matched the artwork with the story.

Moon recommends

I am not sure what to recommend here, usually I suggest books this reminded me of, but this time it is all about fables and fairytales and there are too many variants, editions and options of collections of them that it’d be a disservice to choose just one to recommend to you. I just have to say I recommend digging into fairytale stories and fables and enjoying those.

Book Review

An Enchantment of Ravens Review

Posted on December 11, 2017

I love books with fae but I am a little picky on them once I have read them. So when I saw this gorgeous book (I adore the cover) I had to give it a go.

Side note: I also learned I have no black feather props or anything that coud be used for this book at hand, so have a lot of white ones and a quill I made myself from a swam feather.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There’s only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

Rating:

I will start this review by saying I thoroughly enjoyed the world of Whimsy. And Isobel’s sisters, March and May, were a great addition to the story, every appearance they had made me smile in some way.

It was all in all an interesting quest adventure with romance at the centre of it yet at the same time, as much as the romance is part of the plot, it isn’t the only thing and Isobel has a lot of interesting layers (as does Rook).

Meeting the fae folk in their own courts was also a revelation and it was interesting to see how they interacted with Craft (and the effect of Craft in them, of course).

And that ending was wonderful. I didn’t expect it exactly the way it happened and it was a good ending. Made me quite happy.

Moon recommends

This book, because it is a true enchantment. Or if you’d like to read more about fairies, you can try Holly Black’s Modern Fairie Tales. I remember enjoying reading them ages ago (and in general I like Holly’s books).

If you’d like to buy Enchantment, you can do so here. I am off to buy some black feathered things…

Disclaimer: There is an Amazon Associates link, but if you choose to use them and buy from them, know that you’re just helping me buy more books and feed my reading needs. Book synopsis is from Good Reads.

Book Review

Dear Martin Review

Posted on December 7, 2017

I won this book as part of T.J.’s giveaway and I had a few reads to finish before being able to grab this little gem.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

Rating:

I will start this review by stating that I do not live in the US, but I have been in the US and one of the things that shocked me the most was the racism that steeps from everywhere and is so latent. I had never before in my life experienced anything like it, from all sides.

This book is a raw, gripping depiction of this racism, and the predisposition to think someone is bad just because of how they look. For such a short book it really packs a punch. As soon as I finished I texted Nikki and was just wanting her to read it.

I deducted half a fox because it is a little convoluted and jumps from here to there at times. And sometimes you get so little information on things that could’ve been expanded and a lot of information on things that aren’t that necessary to the story. I understand we’re being shown who Justyce is.

Otherwise, it is a great read, looking at things from an own voices point of view. And it breaks my hear that this is very much a reality for many. I also appreciated it wasn’t just a book where “white = bad” but it tackled on how both white and black can try to stop other blacks from raising above it. Kudos to Nic for that!

Moon recommends

Go read this book, then add THUG (The Hate U Give) to your list and learn a little more about black lives. And also, please, try to shake any racism and prejudice off yourself. It makes a difference however small it may be.

If you’d like to read it, you can find it here.

Book Review

The Complete Book of Dragons: A Guide to Dragon Species Review

Posted on December 3, 2017

This book came in LitJoy Crate alongside The Last Namsara as it was a “great companion book”. And I devoured The Last Namsara but had put this one on my bookcase and forgotten a little about it.

The Complete Book of Dragons: A Guide to Dragon Species by Cressida Cowell

This guide is a must-have for fans of the New York Timesbestselling How to Train Your Dragon series that inspired the hit movie and TV show. This gift book features all of the dragon species from the series plus brand-new ones created just for this book, with color illustrations of each and every one!

Rating:

This was fun to read, in the same style of all the other “How to Train Your Dragon” books, this one is full of annotations and scribbles. It is full of different kinds of dragons which are somewhat categorised by their habitat and some by how dangerous they are.

It includes the coloured illustrations, the writing about them, some rating of how fearsome (fear factor) the dragon is, size, etc. It was fun to read and it went quite quickly, but I think as fun as it is, if you haven’t really read anything about the series, this book may not be as enjoyable as it is when you actually have, as some of the references or anecdotes are related to other books.

Moon recommends

You read the whole series, this is a fun one, because it is geared for younger readers but it is a delight to read as an adult and both Hiccup and Toothless make for a very interesting team. If you haven’t read it, you can start with the first book, How to Train your Dragon. You’re in for a ride for sure with the whole series. Enjoy!

If you’d like to have a handy dragon guide, you can find it here.

Book Review

A Shiver of Snow and Sky Review

Posted on November 23, 2017

This sparkly book was included in Book Box Club and I can’t wait to chat with Lisa during the Clubhouse meeting!

(Also, that cover, it sparkles and it is just so gorgeous!)

A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke

Red, red, the lights glow red
Beware the danger up ahead…

On the frozen island of Skane, the sky speaks. Beautiful lights appear on clear nights, and their colours have meaning: Green means all is well, and the Goddess is happy. Blue means a snow storm is on the way.

And then there’s red. Red is rare. A warning.

Seventeen years ago, the sky turned red just as Ósa was born, unleashing a plague that claimed the lives of hundreds of villagers, including her own mother. This time, when the night sky once again bleeds crimson, she must discover how to stop the onslaught before so many lives are lost again

Rating:

I had been looking forward to reading this book for a while and I am glad it didn’t disappoint.

Ósa is a very well developed heroine. She has layers and she tries to cope with life in her own way, but then she decides to do the bravest thing and go search for the Goddess at the top of the mountains. She doesn’t do it for the glory or to be famous, or anything like that. She chooses to do it because it is the only idea she can think of to help and to redeem the fact that her mother died after giving birth to her.

Ivar was also well developed and I was happy to be able to have his eyes to relate what was happening in the villages while Ósa made her way to find the Goddess. It was real and it was gripping.

I am glad I wasn’t living in Skane, but the world was believable and it was scary but also so beautiful. The stories behind the stars and the ending were amazing and I was left wanting more once I finished reading it.

Moon recommends

You should try reading this sparkly gorgeous book. It is hard to think what to recommend similar to it. The one book that comes to mind is in Spanish and it was also very gripping, sadly there is no translated edition that I could find. La Emperatriz de los Etereos (The Empress of the Ethereal) touches on an adventure towards her realm where it is said suffering doesn’t exist, however the way to it is difficult. Bipa doesn’t believe in it but she ends up making the journey because her best friend Aer sets off on the quest and she’s trying to stop him from the foolishness. It is also very well written and I enjoyed it a lot.

If you’d like to read A Shiver of Snow and Sky, you can find it here.