The sexy, action-packed first book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series from global phenomenon Sarah J. Maas
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.
Audio book review
At first It took me a while to get used to the narrator but I soon got into the story.
The story is definitely a slow building storyline, and at times I am having to concentrate on not losing focus (something I find I do with audio book versions) I might even see if I can get a physical copy of the book. To see if the words hold my attention to the story more , but by chapter 17, listening to the scene of the summer fairy.. tears were falling. So yeah I definitely was more engaged in the story.
By the end of chapter 42, I'm getting the distinct feeling that SJ enjoyed making Faere suffer.
Seriously chapter 43 was so hard to listen to 😞.
At 97% to go I'm struggling how this is going to have a happy ending.
Well the ending was intense.
Overall I enjoyed the book, whether reading words would make it more easier to get lost in the story, I'm not sure, but I know that reading words is still my favorite way of getting lost inside of a story.
I will start the second book after my scheduled ARC list for the remainder of the month.
The narrator has an easy voice to listen to, and since I cried at some point, definitely got me emotionally involved with the storyline.
But the book was just too long to get going, there were points when I really was starting to get bored 🥱.
The last part of the book redeemed the book, so I can happily give it 4 out of 5 stars
Fox Meadowsweet is a Witch. Jeremiah is a Witch Hunter. The Meadowsweet bloodline has lived in the sleepy English village of Heargton for thousands of years. Jeremiah Chase is a New York boy in exile.
Neither of them asked for their past, but now it’s the only thing that can save their future as dark and ancient paranormal forces threaten to obliterate the world.
When a local college girl is discovered ritually murdered and covered in strange symbols, old suspicions rise, ancient fears manifest, and centuries-spanning blood feuds reignite between the old households of the village.
With their ancestral reputation of magic and witchcraft, eyes turn to the three beautiful Meadowsweet sisters. Including the eyes of Jeremiah Chase, who finds himself inexplicably drawn the quirky wild beauty of the middle sister, Fox.
But as Jeremiah learns the history of her bloodline, he also unearths the dark and tangled story of his own family, giving him knowledge of a terrible and diabolical legacy.
Jenni gave 4Stars and I gave 3.5 Stars out of 5 - NOTE we read this book when it first released
JENNI'S REVIEW ***I voluntarily reviewed this book for Katsindiebookblog, and I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book.*** This was a really good book to read, yes a few editing issues here and there but nothing that made it too difficult to read. There is also mild changing is writing style but yet again, it was still relatively an easy read. You start off with Jeremiah, an American Playboy, who gets sent to live with his Aunt to hopefully calm down his rich way of life. We get a brief explanation of who his family is, something we need to remember for the story itself. Then we meet Fox and her sisters. They play it off that they are not witches, but in reality they are. There are many old stories in the town that they live in, and their family is included in those stories. Due to an evening dinner Fox and Jeremiah briefly meet, both seem drawn to each other but with no explanation. Then another chance meeting on the bus to the school they go to. Could this be fate or just coincidence? Not only is Fox running into Jeremiah on the bus, but her powers also seem to start advancing, she has a vision, but is it from the past, present, or future? This particular gift she does not want, but is it something she can embrace? Especially when disappearances start happening around their town? From the beginning you are thrown into the action. It is a quick based read but action packed none the less. Some parts may be slight difficulty keeping up with, especially when all of a sudden a character cuts in, when they weren’t there in the beginning. All in all though, it is worth the read and I look forward to more in the series as well as the author! KATS REVIEW Witchcraft by Katie M. John
Kat's rating: 3 of 5 stars
#3.5stars overall
*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***
When I first started this book I was going to DNF, I the writing style switches from UK to US intermittently, and using descriptions that are not used in the English Language, that ended up making the passages sound like a 5 yr old had written the sentence.
I am not sure how much research was done for the book but if the proper word had been used the sentences would have made more grammatical sense and not interrupted my reading flow.
Note: There are a few gruesome passages, due to the ritual killing.
Fox, comes into her gift at the same time as American newcomer Jeremiah Chase; is banished to live Aunt in the Chase ancestral home of Coldstone Hall. Spooky goings on in this house too, maybe they will be delved into more in the other books to come.
As the horrors of the disappearances are revealed the Meadowsweet Sisters, have to stop ignoring their heritage and get involved, but when the Chase family intervene too lives are altered and Fox and her sister's lives will never be the same.
So what did I think
Overall Plot line - good, it reminded me more of Sleepy Hollow than a UK witch story, but then I am from the North East, and the stories of witches are few and far between in my home area, they were witch trials in East Anglia, Yorkshire, Warwickshire.
Characters - Fox was annoying, shes 17 in the UK you leave school at 16, start college get your driving licence, most UK kids are not childish they are nearly adults, when she comes into a power, then decided to keep parts of what she finds out to herself, she caused more issues doing this and it made her look very childish and selfish too, people died because she refused to tell her family - and considering she knew she was a witch and knew what power she got, I could not understand this hesitance.
Chase - what a stereotypical male character, I am sure Ms. John did this deliberately - he had his good and bad points, but when he finds out his real family history is, he does the right thing - not what his family expects him to do, so he did well in my eyes.
The wicked witches ( spoiler free so not naming) - ooh the eldest was a mix of Cruella de'Vil and Evil Queen Regina from once upon a time.
I would say the first 1/3 was my least enjoyable part, but when the mystery starts to unfold the storyline kept me reading and ignoring the weird words picked for describing inner thoughts or what Fox ends up being, I enjoyed the story, one innocent girl dies and a boy's life is in ruins because Fox does not man up but I guess you need tragedy in the story so someone has to die.
want to know what words did my head in? See below:
(and yes its still there in the current version) (view spoiler)[OK Fox is a SEER, or CLAIRVOYANT and the author calls them a SAW... ugh I shudder just typing it, reading this made me sound like I was a 5 yr old learning to read. The other was that she calls FOX's inner voice her INTERNAL it was unnecessary as I knew she was talking to herself. there were other minor grammatical things but those were the two biggies that spoilt the story for me. (hide spoiler)]
“Love. Oh, she is a fickle beast. So beautiful on the outside, she uses her charms to lure the desperate and lonely into her waiting arms. Yet, underneath the pristine exterior lies await a vile beast who thrives on pain and misery. I have lived thousands of years, been tortured mercilessly by my enemies, watched people I cared for pass before my eyes, and have been betrayed more times than I care to recall. But this I can assure you, all that pain wains in comparison to what I experienced the night love was forever ripped from my life.” K
Jarod and Maya are on the run. Having at last escaped the cruel and manipulative rule of the Shadows, Jarod leads Maya to the only place he knows of that might can offer them sanctuary. But when his own past once again threatens to ruin her hopes of having a somewhat normal life, Jarod is forced to make a difficult decision in order to protect the woman he loves.
Meanwhile in Oasis, things aren’t going much better. With Citera bitten and K missing, panic threatens to tear apart Oasis’ once care free life. Fearing the effect the new blood bond will have on the K and Citera’s link, Jaron scours the forest desperate to find her, all while still trying to maintain the peace. However when Jarod and Maya’s unexpected arrival at Oasis brings to light some shocking information, Jaron realizes he has been made fool of. Determined to redeem himself, he and Jarod lead a search party across the forbidden border into Lanoria, where they will have to face the Immortal Council and K’s vindictive ex in order to bring K back home.
***I voluntarily reviewed this book for Katsindiebookblog, and I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book.*** This series just keeps getting better and better. I’ve read my share of series and some just don’t have that flow to keep it running and keep it interesting. This particular series has that continuous flow. The characters have their continuous development as well as the world they live in. Despite the many characters, they do not get jumbled up in the story line, each has their own particular story to tell.
This particular book in the series, I would say is the most intense. You get more of a feel behind K’s past, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The trials of Jarod and Maya’s escape, how lives are at the Oasis, and the fight to find K is in this story.
It’s hard to give any more information without giving away any spoilers. The best I can tell you is that this, to me, is the best book in the series. You find out plenty of information that you may have been questioning since the first book came out.
This is a very well written series that keeps you on your toes. It keeps your imagination flowing and sucking you into their world. You can’t help to feel what they all feel. This is a really great read and I highly recommend this book as well as the whole series!
K.R. Fajardo (Kelli) is a married mother of 3 beautiful children who lives in deep in the piney woods of East Texas. She loves chocolate, Dr. Pepper, 80's music, and anything paranormal. Her favorite way to unwind after a long, hard day is to kick up her feet and immerse herself into the fantastical world of a good book. It is this passion for reading that eventually lead Kelli to pursue her longtime dream of writing and in 2013, after a year of hard work, she self-published her first book K The Awakening. The following year its sequel Linked was released by Anchor Group Publishing. Spurred on by the out pouring of support she has received from friends, family, and complete strangers, Kelli looks forward to continuing to share her fantastical stories with readers around the world.
There is something brewing in the town of Blackheath…something dark and ancient with the power to change the world forever.
Victoria knows that she should leave the past where it belongs—buried and forgotten—but her intuition tells her otherwise. She knows that there is more to her sister’s disappearance, and she can feel that her fight against the darkness is not over yet.
Victoria’s hunt for the truth leads her down deeper into the secrets and dangers of the world of magic. But with a new threat looming and an eternity of darkness waiting at the doorstep, she must prepare for her hardest challenge yet.
***Review has been gifted in exchange for my honest opinion and on behalf of Kats Book Promotions/ Katsindiebookblog.***
Oh how I impatiently waited for the second book in this series, and I was not disappointed! Victoria, now coming back from a little vacation, is still wanting to do everything she can do find her sister. But what if everything she thought of with the disappearance of her is wrong? Natalie has been gone, but who and how you will have to find out on your own! With more darkness looming around the corner, what are the sisters to do?
Will the sisters reunite and battle it together or will this be a separate battle? Can darkness be overcome yet again?
Bettina is an elegant writer and is very descriptive. You are definitely left with wanting more when the next book comes out and yet again I will be impatiently waiting!
So far this is turning out to be a great trilogy and I’ll be waiting on more in the future by this author!
I grew up in the outskirts of Vienna, Austria. I always loved to read and secretly wondered what life as a writer was like. It wasn’t until my late teens that I dreamed of writing a book myself and in 2012 I could no longer ignore that dream. Just over a year later my first novel was born.
Thinking the traditional publishing route was the only way to go, I spent weeks researching how to prepare my manuscript for submission to the big publishers. Then something wonderful happened – during my research I stumbled across the world of indie authors. I was excited about the fact that I could publish my novel all on my own. I learned everything I could find about indie publishing and prepared my first novel for the virtual bookshelves. Since then I have also published a collection of short stories, as well as my latest YA urban fantasy trilogy.
I enjoy reading and writing science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers. I love everything to do with aliens, demons, the paranormal and the unexplained, ancient mysteries, and pretty much anything else that's strange or just out of the ordinary.
I live with my husband on the Gold Coast in Australia. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, going for long walks on the beach, or I’m busy untangling the many story ideas inside my head.
Recently I was fortunate in obtaining New York Times best selling status on my YA/NA book - Ugly, and my YA book - Mistrust.
My last three books have been YA and I'm completely in love with the genre. I love being able to communicate with people through my words and stories.
My writing genres all differ, but the one thing I keep consistent is my heroines. All my female lead characters are strong, gutsy and not the 'perfect' woman. While my books all have romantic elements in them, they aren't just about the romance. They're about finding strength, acceptance and making life long connections.
I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I have while writing them.
A dark secret, a chilling past, and a terrifying future.
When Victoria discovers a shocking secret at her grandmother’s funeral, everything she has ever known is suddenly thrown into question. As she hunts for the truth about her family’s past, she finds herself caught in an ancient battle between the world of light and the world of shadows.
But it’s only when Liam, a new student at her school, falls into the clutches of evil itself, that Victoria realises just how dangerous her newfound knowledge really is.
Victoria must stop the evil forces before it’s too late.
IN THE DARK OF LIGHT is a spellbinding young adult novel with magic, mystery, and a touch of romance. If you’re a fan of witchcraft, demons, and the world of the paranormal, then this book is for you.
Get your copy of IN THE DARK OF LIGHT today and lift the veil of the shadow world for yourself!
***Review has been gifted in exchange for my honest opinion and on behalf of Kats Book Promotions/ Katsindiebookblog.*** For me, this book was a good take on witchcraft. You had your good and bad as well as your battle for light and dark. For Victoria, all she ever wanted to do was to hurry up, graduate high school, and get into Uni. Her family, for many years has had a bad name for themselves. Family members dying of unknown causes and just possible suspicious activities that are out of the norm. She’s been picked on for many years, she just wants a clean break. After the death of her grandmother, she starts to unravel her capabilities. But with knowledge comes with a lot of practice. However, with the practice comes the possibility of bringing about the darkness. Can Victoria quickly learn the craft in order to save her friends? Or will being new to the practice cause more problems?
With many characters in play, this author did a great job in keeping everything and everyone in the correct places. The story line was spread out really well and was also different in your typical witchcraft stories. It was a great mix of everything. Looking forward to how the continues in the next book!
I grew up in the outskirts of Vienna, Austria. I always loved to read and secretly wondered what life as a writer was like. It wasn’t until my late teens that I dreamed of writing a book myself and in 2012 I could no longer ignore that dream. Just over a year later my first novel was born.
Thinking the traditional publishing route was the only way to go, I spent weeks researching how to prepare my manuscript for submission to the big publishers. Then something wonderful happened – during my research I stumbled across the world of indie authors. I was excited about the fact that I could publish my novel all on my own. I learned everything I could find about indie publishing and prepared my first novel for the virtual bookshelves. Since then I have also published a collection of short stories, as well as my latest YA urban fantasy trilogy.
I enjoy reading and writing science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers. I love everything to do with aliens, demons, the paranormal and the unexplained, ancient mysteries, and pretty much anything else that's strange or just out of the ordinary.
I live with my husband on the Gold Coast in Australia. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, going for long walks on the beach, or I’m busy untangling the many story ideas inside my head.
I have been a #HarryPotter fan since its release, I have the original set, that has been read by me, my children and my grandchildren many a time.
I buy the illustrated editions for my grandchildren each Christmas (handy them being out before hand, hey)
And now for the 20th Anniversary (insert me feeling VERY OLD here) I thought I would share my newsletter I get from #Bloomsbury. follow #HarryPotter20 for news and events too.
And for once these books are not over priced, I find living in NZ that books are extraordinarily overpriced compared to the UK or US, but the price I noted on all Bloomsbury's pages are the same, now I do not mean currency converted the same but that they are Hardback RRP: 13.49
Paperback RRP: 7.19 and at the moment there is a sale on Pre-orders
So if you are a keen collector and fan of #HarryPotter like myself, go save yourself 10% and click the link to order:
AU/NZ http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/au/bookshop/20th-anniversary-editions/ UKhttp://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/bookshop/20th-anniversary-editions/ USA - I guess you can order from your local retailers or from the above links which ever works the best currency rate for you guys.
Illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Kate Greenaway Medal winner, the front covers feature the crest for each Hogwarts house in vibrant house colours. Levi took his inspiration from traditional heraldry and coats of arms and combined this with typical characteristics of each house to create crests that embody the values of the house. Head to Pottermore.com to find out more information on the creatures, symbols and shapes used in each crest, and take the sorting quizto find out which house you belong to.
Behold the complementary hardback and paperback jackets of HarryPotter and the Philosopher’s Stone below. The hardbacks will be black with the house crest in a house colour and striped sprayed edges. The paperbacks will reverse the house colour theme and have single colour sprayed edges. Both editions will contain fascinating facts about the houses of Hogwarts, and three specially commissioned house illustrations from Levi Pinfold per book. Books will be in stores from the beginning of June.Pre-order your house edition today!
Being a bit of a cover snob I thought the publishers could have done more with this book afterall the author is a gifted artist, the Audible book has the cover which is on my review below but if I bought a copy I would look for one that had a better cover.
Blurb
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
I have read this via the audible book, and I think I probably would have enjoyed it better as a book, I intend to buy it ( a signed version as I LOVE Maggies books) and re-read it myself.
The book is full of the harsh realities of being raised in a poor household and when Puck Connolly realised that the only way she can keep her home is to risk her life in the Scorpio Races.
Both Puck and Sean are two characters that have endured enough in their lives, Sean is such a noble but quietly reserved soul, his devotion to the strange water horses and the other horses in the stable yard were easily understood, being a horse lover/ owner I really did understand the devastation and the joy of loving horses.
Now what I found hard, it seemed to go on forever, I listened to this book while I was driving and just before I went to bed, I do this with my audio books, but this book was hard, I would start to fall asleep at times and when driving I would loose interest.
Now don't get me wrong, the writing is beautiful, the descriptive vision of the scene are beautiful but story builds slowly, it captured some interest in my mind and thus I continued to listen, but I had a hard time keeping myself into it, hence the length it took to finish.
If you enjoy a fantasy that is also quite equally a book that shows the reality of growing up in poverty then give this book a go. But the reality of having a race where bloodthirsty creatures of myth are used as a form of entertainment seemed a bit odd to me... if these horses are so wild, dangerous... how would they continue to allow their capture and training?
I think if this had been normal horses, and 2 poverty stricken youngsters training their horses to win and thus get out of poverty, it would have made more sense to me. I did not need the supernatural nature of the horses, people are easily killed on normal horses ( I have seen this personally) so I should know.
Now that answer surprises me in hindsight, me the PNR addict, but its true, the parts of this book I preferred were the honest normal struggles of Puck and Sean to get out of their situations.
But Maggie still is a favourite author for me to read - I intend reading Blue Lily Lily Blue next. View all my reviews
Author Bio
Author. Artist. Maniac. I write things: the bestselling SHIVER trilogy, the Raven Cycle, THE SCORPIO RACES, More about the storyline and The Books of Faerie. Find out more at www.maggiestiefvater.com
Release Date: 10th December Pre-Order Date: 10th November Genre: Science/Fantasy Romance
Blurb
After a brutal war between Humans and Metas, an uneasy truce is declared in the Seldova solar system. After the treaty signing, the Complex is created on the lone planet, Lorn—a blended community of Humans and Metas, all sent to test the waters of a more peaceful existence between the two races. Living in a domed society can only mean one thing for the Humans and Metas. Chaos.
Reviled banshee Aqulla Dayshon sees death, feels the last moments of a victim’s life and senses the echoes they leave behind. They call for vengeance, and she is helpless to deny their cries, to deny her very nature.
Intra Jaylon Rowe is the law within the Complex. When a series of murders hit the community, he enlists Aqulla’s help. But solving the murders won’t be easy.
Boundaries will be pushed, and rules broken. And as lines are crossed and passion ignites, a banshee’s call will scream.
*** I Beta Read this book, before the final edit.***
Rachel M Raithby has ventured into a slightly different genre with Death's Echo, with its Sci-fi off world vibe, but it was an easy read, we get to experience the struggles that Aqulla Dayshon, a Banshee who has to fight her very nature to survive in The Complex, with Death's Echo surrounding her she finds each day a torment, will this drive her to madness? Will she give in to the insistent echos of the victims demanding that she give them their justice?
I really liked Aqulla, she was a strong character who had to deal with a never ending pressure of being surrounded by other Meta's and Human's who had killed, trying to survive as best she could, in the end she has to let someone in, she never suspected she would fall for him, but he was someone to lean on, her heart demanded it, but giving into her heart may just have put them both in danger.
I don't want to spoil this book so I am not going to give much more.
It has romance and a HEA that Rachel always promises to give us, its got suspense and action, I guess the only downside was it was a Novella, and soon I had finished it and I didn't want to, I wanted to stay in this world, Rachel had written.
I look forward to reading the final version, as I didn't actually get to read the Epilogue, but I was promised there was a HEA! and I will update my review then.
Rachel M. Raithby started her writing career in 2013 and hasn't looked back. She draws her inspiration from the many places she has lived and traveled, as well as from her love of the paranormal and thriller movies. She can often be found hiding out with a good book or writing more fast-paced and thrilling stories where love always conquers all. She now lives in rural England with her young family.
Her books include, the adult Paranormal Romance novels 'The Deadwood Hunter Series' and the Young Adult series The New Dawn Novels, including the YA Best-seller 'Winter Wolf.'
Drawn into a world she thought impossible, Lexia’s innocent night of partying leaves her dazed, confused and asking questions she’s not sure she wishes to know the answers to.
The Deadwood Hunter series wrapped into one box. Plus the exclusive novelette Betrayal, told from Alice's POV. Grab all three books together, no cliffhangers, save money, and read the exclusive bonus story to find out what life was like for Alice in the Hunter Compound, in the middle of a war.
Book 1 - LEXIABook 2 - WHISPERS OF DARKNESS Book 3 - HOLOCAUSTBook 3.5 - BETRAYAL
