Tag: Reviewing

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Review)

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Blurb

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders…

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die

Review

I am very late to the party with Fourth Wing but I won’t be making that mistake with the Iron Flame and and the rest of the books from the series. This is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2024. I’m always wary about books that get a lot of social media attention as I’m usually very disappointed in them but thankfully this was not the case with Fourth Wing. 

There was never a dull moment with this book and it was full of twists and turns. I also loved the pacing of the book. However, the best thing about this book has got to be that it has dragons in it! 

The story resolves around Violet who is the daughter of a formidable general and a scribe. Violet was meant to be a scribe, it was what she had spent years of her life preparing for but then her mother has other ideas and makes her daughter join the Riders Quadrant. Even though it could mean the death of Violet. 

During the book we see Violet take on each challenge that a rider faces and the challenges are brutal. It is possibly the scariest school imaginable! The challenges Violet faces aren’t just ones set by the Riders Quadrant, she also faces challenges of fellow cadets trying to kill her and to top it all her body is fragile and can easily be hurt. 

I loved how strong Violet was, she never looked too far ahead but faced every challenge or danger head on. She was also a fierce friend to those loyal to her and I loved to see her friendships develop and people to see that she wasn’t weak or a liability but strong and clever. I also loved the humour that came through and the joking around between friends. 

Obviously my favourite characters were the dragons and Tairn was just brilliant. I also have a soft spot for Andarna and can’t wait to see what happens with Andarna in the next book. I absolutely loved this book and give it 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and coffee addict. She is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward. Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. A mother of six, she is currently surviving the teenage years with all four of her hockey-playing sons.

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Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey (Review)

Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey

Blurb

A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood.

The Free Navy – a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships – has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them.

James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network.

But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun. As the chaos grows, an alien mystery deepens. Pirate fleets, mutiny and betrayal may be the least of the Rocinante’s problems. And in the uncanny spaces past the ring gates, the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of more than just humanity.

Review

Every time I read the next book in The Expanse series I think it can’t be beaten but yet again I am proven wrong. This book was fantastic and I could not put it down. It was also way better than the corresponding season of the TV show which after reading the book is a massive let down. 

The main thing that I absolutely love about this series is that each book is told from several characters’ points of view. You get to see the story from several perspectives and learn about the characters. However, in previous books you have about 4 or 5 perspectives; this book had loads. Yes, we have the usual main characters such as Holden but we get to hear from even minor characters and it works beautifully. Some only have one chapter but it adds so much to the story. 

There were quite a few emotional moments in this book for me and in particular one death really upset me as I always liked that character. There was also a really moving moment with Avasarala in this book which made me quite sad but it was so nice to see a different side to this usually super hard character. I found the growing relationships in the book really moving especially the family bonds that grew on the Rocinante. 

This book was packed with action and really did not stop moving but at the same time it showed so much of the human struggle for survival. Earth is dying, people are dying on all sides and there is so much fear about what the future holds. The characters are all so real as well even though the setting is pure science fiction. 

Amos has always been my favourite character and I was pleased he was on usual fine form in this book. However, my other favourite character in this book was Bobbie. Bobbie was wonderful in the hot seat of the Rocinante and she is definitely a part of the crew and family. I also loved Bobbie’s humour and how she interacted with Amos and Naomi. 

This is definitely my favourite book of the series so far and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

James S. A. Corey is the pen name of fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, George R. R. Martin’s assistant. They both live Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Medusa by Jessie Burton (Review)

Medusa by Jessie Burton

Blurb

If I told you that I’d killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest? The why, the how, what happened next?

Monster. Man-hater. Murderess. Forget everything you’ve been told about Medusa.

Internationally bestselling author Jessie Burton flips the script in this astonishing retelling of Greek myth, illuminating the woman behind the legend at last.

Exiled to a far-flung island after being abused by powerful Gods, Medusa has little company other than the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. Haunted by the memories of a life before everything was stolen from her, she has no choice but to make peace with her present: Medusa the Monster. But when the charmed and beautiful Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is blown apart, unleashing desire, love… and betrayal.

Adapted from the hardback illustrated by Olivia Lomenech-Gill, this paperback edition is perfect for readers who loved Circe and Ariadne, as Medusa comes alive in a new version of the story that history set in stone long ago.

Review

Medusa has always been a favourite of mine and so I always jump at the chance to read a retelling of her story. My current favourite retelling is Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes and I remember I had just finished reading it when I bought this book. Medusa’s myth is legendary and although very sad and clearly written by men it also shows the strength a woman can have. In her earliest depictions Medusa along with her sisters Stheno and Euryale were all gorgons of monstrous form. Aeschylus described all three as winged and hair of snakes there was no mention of Medusa being a beautiful maiden first. It wasn’t until the Roman period the myth of Medusa that we all know so well really took form. 

This was a different take of the Medusa story and I will be honest I did struggle with the change. This is a feminist retelling and the story that we all know so well is completely flipped. I did however really enjoy hearing Medusa’s side of things and I would have loved the book to have been a bit longer so we could have more of that. I really liked how Burton had Medusa working through her trauma during the story. However, I would have also loved to have seen a bit more of Stheno and Euryale and their relationship with Medusa as we only see a little bit of that and the three sisters were such an integral part of each other. 

I did feel this book let Perseus off a little bit and made him look better than he is. To me Perseus has always been a spoilt immature boy who is selfish and arrogant (a typical Greek hero who has a god for a father) and who merely saw Medusa as a means to an end. In this book we see another side to him and I’m not sure he deserves it. In this book he is a scared boy who is worried about his mother who has a whole heap of emotions going on and actually shows some bravery in completing his task when in reality he was a coward who creeped up on Medusa while she was sleeping and cut off her head. He used trickery and treachery to get what he wanted through life and he just didn’t deserve to be so well portrayed.

I flew through this book and did enjoy it to a certain degree but I just couldn’t gel with the story flip or the portrayal of Perseus. I also felt like so much of the story was missing. There is so much material to use in Medusa’s story and this just focused too closely to one part. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Jessie Burton studied at Oxford University and the Central School of Speech and Drama, where she appeared in productions of The House of Bernarda Alba, Othello, Play and Macbeth. In April 2013 her first novel, The Miniaturist, was sold at an 11-publisher auction at the London Book Fair, and went on to sell in 29 other countries around the world. It was published by Picador in the UK and Holland in July 2014, and the USA in August 2014, with other translations to follow. Radio 4 commissioned it as their Book at Bedtime in July 2014. Her second book, The Muse, set in a dual time-frame, during the Spanish Civil War and 30 years later in 1960s London, was published in 2016. Jessie’s first novel for children, The Restless Girls, will be published in September 2018.

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House of Odysseus by Claire North (Review)

House of Odysseus by Claire North

Blurb

House of Odysseus is the follow up to award-winning author Claire North’s Ithaca “a powerful, fresh, and unflinching” reimagining (Jennifer Saint) that breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men.

In the palace of Odysseus, a queen lies dreaming . . .

On the isle of Ithaca, queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband Odysseus sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace—a peace that is shattered by the return of Orestes, King of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.

Orestes’ hands are stained with his mother’s blood. Not so long ago, the son of Agamemnon took Queen Clytemnestra’s life on Ithaca’s sands. Now, wracked with guilt, he grows ever more unhinged. But a king cannot be seen to be weak, and Elektra has brought him to Ithaca to keep him safe from the ambitious men of Mycenae.

Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the furies circle him. His uncle Menelaus, the blood-soaked king of Sparta, hungers for Orestes’ throne—and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.

Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope must find a way to keep her home from being crushed by the machinations of a battle that stretches from Mycenae and Sparta to the summit of Mount Olympus itself. Her only allies are Elektra, desperate to protect her brother, and Helen of Troy, Menelaus’ wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own.

Each woman has a secret, and their secrets will shape the world . . .

Review

I will be honest the previous book Ithaca I could have taken or left it but I decided to give this trilogy another go and I started to read this book. The first twenty or so pages of this book I almost did leave the series as the random ramblings of Aphrodite at the beginning were seriously annoying but I am glad I continued with the book because I soon got into the story. 

This book is not really rooted in the myth of Penelope and Odysseus, or should we say Odysseus because poor Penelope has never featured very heavily in Odysseus’ tale other than when he suddenly remembered he was married and perhaps should be getting home to his wife and out of the other woman’s bed. However, in the little we do know about Penelope we do know she is loyal, clever, cunning and brave and I think it is these qualities that North has used to inspire this book. I could easily see these events happening in the original myth because there is so much that we do not know about Penelope and how she lived those twenty years her husband was from home. 

The absolute star of this book is Laertes. Whenever Laertes appeared I was guaranteed a good laugh. Laertes is a clever old man who really can’t be bothered with being a king. He much prefers living quietly on his farm in his dirty robes and being as eccentric as he pleases. However, with Menelaus appearing on Ithaca and events unfolding he realises he must be there to help Penelope and so arrives at the palace to cause chaos. Laertes knows he has a clever daughter in law and I loved how he took his cues from her and knew precisely what chaos he needed to perform. 

Penelope playing detective was also a nice touch in this book and I honestly had no clue who had performed the crime until the culprit started to show their true colours. I also loved North’s interpretation of Helen. Helen was another character who made me laugh quite a lot. 

The only reason this book didn’t get the full five dragons from me was because I just couldn’t stand Aphrodite. I did love Athena and Artemis appearing and I really liked North’s interpretation of Artemis but Aphrodite really did waffle too much! I enjoyed this book a lot more than Ithaca and I can’t wait to read the final book of the trilogy. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Claire North is actually Catherine Webb, a Carnegie Medal-nominated young-adult novel author whose first book, Mirror Dreams, was written when she was just 14 years old. She went on to write seven more successful YA novels. 

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Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan (Review)

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

Blurb

As the Wheel turns, the winds of fate roil across the land, and Rand al’Thor struggles to unite the nations for the Last Battle, when the Dark One will break free into the world, and to spring the snares laid by the immortal Forsaken for unwary humankind.

The White Tower in Tar Valon, under the Amyrlin Elaida, has decided that Rand must be controlled – gentled, if need be – immediately. And in Salidar, among the Aes Sedai in exile, Egwene al’Vere, although summoned to high office, faces the knowledge that her colleagues also wish to bind him.

Drought and summer heat linger into winter, and Nynaeve al’Maera and Elayne, the Daughter-Heir of Andor, begin a desperate search for the fabled ter’angreal that may enable them to bring normal weather – a search that takes them among Whitecloaks bent on exterminating Aes Sedai.

And across half a continent, Perrin Aybara feels Rand’s pull, ta’veren to ta’veren, and for the first time in a thousand years the bowmen of the Two Rivers march to war.

Review

I have finally managed to get past book 5, however I will say this book took me way too long to read! I loved the beginning of this book and the last 300 pages but the middle just moved like treacle for me and not much happened considering the length of the book. 

Book 5 of the series seemed to be a little bit obsessed with breasts and braid pulling but this book was obsessed with shapely calves on men with just a hint of women’s neck lines but the neck lines are only judged by other women. Thankfully, the braid pulling was drastically reduced. 

The best way to describe this book is an instruction manual of how not to be a female. I’ve never been so annoyed by a group of women in a book before. If they get warned about a danger they go head first into it ignoring all advice and when a man helps them they shout at him rather than admitting they were wrong and saying thank you. Elayne and Nynaeve find new discoveries and suddenly they know everything and are superior to everyone else. Elayne also ignores Mat’s wishes and makes demands that she has no right to. However, seeing how other Aes Sadai behave it is obvious Elayne and Nynaeve will fit right in. Egwene at least has a reasonably level head and remains down to earth. 

The really exciting thing for me in this book is Rand. Rand is really taking charge, he has a plan and he will stand no messing from anyone. He stands up for himself and is now realising his potential. I also love the Black Tower taking shape. The other element I loved is Perrin is back! I really missed Perrin in book 5 so I was happy to see him feature a little bit in this book. This is also the first book that I have liked Mat. Mat has grown up and is really coming into his own. In fact I really enjoyed following Rand, Perrin and Mat’s stories in this book. I could have happily missed anything to do with Elayne and Nynaeve. 

Overall, this book was much better than book 5 and gave me hope to continue with the series. I blitzed the last 300 pages of this book because it suddenly really started to pick up and I hope the next book will be the same pace. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

James Oliver Rigney Jr. (1948-2007) was an American author of epic fantasy who wrote under the pen name Robert Jordan. Jordan also wrote historical fiction under the name of Reagan O’Neal, a western as Jackson O’Reilly, and dance criticism as Chang Lung. 

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Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (Review)

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

Blurb

As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best . . .

Mother. Monarch. Murderer. Magnificent.

You are born to a king, but marry a tyrant. You stand helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore and comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own.

You play the part, fooling enemies who deny you justice. Slowly, you plot.

You are Clytemnestra.

But when the husband who owns you returns in triumph, what then?

Acceptance or vengeance – infamy follows both. So you bide your time and wait, until you might force the gods’ hands and take revenge. Until you rise. For you understood something that the others don’t. If power isn’t given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

Review

I haven’t found many Greek retellings of Clytemnestra so I was really pleased to find this book as I think she gets rather a rough deal. She was a strong woman who decided to get revenge and be a queen where only kings have ruled and she was hated for it. Plus let’s face it people always remember her sister Helen more than Clytemnestra. 

Clytemnestra was born a Spartan princess and she was brought up to be a fighter and to be the strongest she could be. She was brought up in a tough world where softness was frowned upon and she thrived. Her father listened to her when she spoke which he rarely did with his other children and he showed pride in her actions. 

I loved how this book also showed Clytemnestra as a soft caring person who loved her sister Helen and wanted nothing but to protect her. She loved her first husband and child with a passion and would do anything for them. However, when Agamemnon comes into her life it all goes wrong and that softness disappears. 

The thing I also loved about this book was how Casati brought in other well known characters from mythology. We see the intelligent and sensible Penelope, the cunning Odysseus, Castor and Pollux (although I would have liked to have seen more of Castor and Pollux) and we even see Timandra heavily featured. 

Considering this is a debut novel I thought it was a brilliantly written book with a very sophisticated and mature writing style and at well over 400 pages I found it a fast paced read that I flew through. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read more books by Casati soon. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Costanza Casati was born in Texas in 1995 and grew up in a village in Northern Italy, where she studied Ancient Greek, and Ancient Greek literature, under one of the country’s most rigorous academic programmes. She is a graduate of the prestigious Warwick Writing MA in the UK, and worked as a screenwriter and journalist. Clytemnestra is her debut novel. It has sold into 18 territories worldwide, is a Times bestseller, an Indie Next Pick, and was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award.

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Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (Review)

Yellowface by R. F. Huang

Blurb

White lies. Dark humour. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel. 

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese labourers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

Review

This is another book that I bought because of the hype I saw on social media and the blogging world but surprisingly it did not disappoint like so many of these hyped books usually do. To be honest I am surprised I decided to read this as I really struggled with Babel but I am so pleased I decided to pick it up and give it a read. 

I really enjoyed this book and found it really interesting especially all the information regarding the world of publishing. Yellowface really gets to grips with the world of publishing and the question of authenticity. The book features around June Hayward, a struggling writer who has so far spent her life in the shadow of the author Athena Liu. Athena has everything that June wants, she is a successful author who has sold millions of books and is known worldwide. June has managed to publish one book that barely sold and nobody has heard of. June and Athena do have a form of friendship though and after a night out goes wrong June steals Athena’s latest manuscript and edits it so she can palm it off as her own work. 

From the moment June makes that decision to steal and claim Athena’s work as her own she also has to protect herself and constantly keep the lie from being found out. Her publisher rebrands her as Juniper Song and makes her publicity shot seem very ambiguous and all this June allows. June argues her book is a story that needs be told so why can’t she tell it even if it isn’t her past. However, there a lot of people who disagree with this. 

There were so many times during this book that I wanted to shake June and tell her to stop digging the hole deeper and deeper and to come clean but it was fascinating to see just how far June would go to be successful, to get out of Athena’s shadow and make a name for herself. 

I really liked the character of June and her first person narrative and I loved seeing her character develop, devolve and develop again. This book was superbly written and a joy to read and I give it 4 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Harper Collins | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Rebecca F. Kuang is a Marshall Scholar, translator, and award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History, among others. She has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.

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The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett (Review)

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

Blurb

A shivering of worlds

Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength.

This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad.

As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land. 

There will be a reckoning…

Review

I have a confession to make. This book has sat on the top of my TBR since the day it was published but I haven’t been able to bring myself to read it. Terry Pratchett is one of my all time favourite authors and I just couldn’t bring myself to read his last Discworld book knowing there would never be another one. Finally in July I decided it was time and it was so nice to be back in the world of Nac Mac Feegle’s and Tiffany Aching. 

I know this book isn’t actually finished but it has a beginning, a middle and an end and I thought it was wonderful. Yes, certain sections are not very well written and some sections clearly need more work but it is also clearly Sir Pratchett’s story and characters. 

Tiffany is working hard being the witch of her steading but Jeanie the Kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle’s is worried that Tiffany is overworked and has no life outside of work. But something is brewing, an old enemy is rising and getting stronger and Tiffany must find a way to conquer the enemy and keep her people safe. 

One of my all time favourite characters from Discworld is in this book. Nanny Ogg is just the best and of course her cat Greebo. Nanny Ogg is always a character but in this she really showed her caring side and her strength. 

We meet a new character in this book called Geoffrey. I really liked Geoffrey and would have loved to have seen him in more books especially with his goat. Geoffrey is an unconventional character and I think that is one of the reasons I like him so much. Geoffrey is a peaceful character who brings peace to everyone around him and sheds. I love how sheds feature in this book!

Reading this book made me so happy but also very sad and I will be honest when I got to the end I had a little cry. This is the last Discworld novel and I didn’t want it to end. I have read every Discworld book and they have got me through some hard times. Whenever I have been stressed or hurting a Discworld book has helped me and I will always go back to them. I give this book a massive 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humorist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his Discworld series of 41 novels.

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The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths (Review)

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

Blurb

The chilling discovery of a downed World War II plane with a body inside leads Ruth and DCI Nelson to uncover a wealthy family’s secrets in the seventh Ruth Galloway mystery.

Norfolk is suffering from record summer heat when a construction crew unearths a macabre discovery—a downed World War II plane with the pilot still inside. Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway quickly realises that the skeleton couldn’t possibly be the pilot, and DNA tests identify the man as Fred Blackstock, a local aristocrat who had been reported dead at sea. When the remaining members of the Blackstock family learn about the discovery, they seem strangely frightened by the news.

Events are further complicated by a TV company that wants to make a film about Norfolk’s deserted air force bases, the so-called Ghost Fields, which have been partially converted into a pig farm run by one of the younger Blackstocks. As production begins, Ruth notices a mysterious man lurking on the outskirts of Fred Blackstock’s memorial service. Then human bones are found on the family’s pig farm. Can the team outrace a looming flood to find a killer?

Laced with dry humour and anchored by perennial fan favourite Ruth, The Ghost Fields will delight fans new and old.

Review

I recently had Covid and felt pretty rough and so I needed a comfort read. Elly Griffiths’ books are always my comfort reads. I truly believe that the Dr Ruth Galloway books just keep getting better and better and just when I think they can’t get any better they do. 

I love catching up with my favourite characters in these books and seeing what they are up to. Each book in the series shows a progression in their lives and I just love watching them grow especially Kate. Cathbad as ever is my all time favourite character although I was disappointed that Thing his dog didn’t feature more in this book. Cathbad is such a magical soul and cares for everyone and all things. The world would definitely be a better place if we had more people like Cathbad. Nelson was his usual self in this book which I was pleased about but it still annoys me that he insists on calling Kate, Katie. 

There were a few surprises for me in this book especially around certain relationships but I couldn’t help but think that maybe it was only fair in a certain case. The other surprise was found on a pig farm but I will say no more. 

The historical research in this book was impeccable as per usual and it was really interesting to read about the RAF in WW2 and the different airbases in Norfolk. So much history is left in these abandoned airfields which are called Ghost Fields. 

As usual the scene setting and imagery that Griffiths uses is just sublime and I always pester my best friend who lives in Norfolk about all the places that are mentioned in the story (I want to visit them all). I also thoroughly loved the dramatic weather that featured in this book and it really added to the intensity of the story, although the giant duck boat was an amusing surprise and definitely unexpected. Another 5 Dragon rating for a book from the Dr Ruth Galloway series. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly’s husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece’s head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton. 

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The Book of Days by Francesca Kay (Review)

The Book of Days by Francesca Kay

Blurb

Things change; we have to recognise that; the world will not stay still. What we must hope is that the new is better and stronger than the old. Anno Domini 1546. In a manor house in England a young woman feels the walls are closing round her, while her dying husband is obsessed by his vision of a chapel where prayers will be said for his immortal soul. As the days go by and the chapel takes shape, the outside world starts to intrude. And as the old ways are replaced by the new, the people of the village sense a dangerous freedom. The Book of Days is a beautifully written novel of lives lived in troubled times and the solace to be found in nature and the turning seasons.

Review

This is my first book by Francesca Kay and I will be honest I really didn’t gel with the book for the first half and almost gave up several times. I loved the imagery used in the book and the detailed descriptions of the scenery and different seasons but I found the book lacked direction and spent a lot of time meandering around and not really going anywhere. 

Alice is a character who is basically lost which seems strange because her world is so small and isolated. She is desperate for children but she is married to a much older man who is dying and she is trapped on her husband’s estate with no possibility of adventure. When Alice escapes the sick room of her husband she explores the grounds and also spends a lot of time seeing all the improvements taking place on the chapel. The chapel is her husband’s obsession and his plan is to one day be laid to rest in a grand tomb and have prayers said everyday for his soul. It is clear Alice’s husband is worried about his immortal soul but we don’t know why. However, the outside world is about to encroach on Alice’s small and sheltered world and it is not going to go well and her husband’s plan for his immortal soul might not be going according to his wishes. The way people worship and use their churches is about to change and the change will not be gentle. 

There were so many times in this book that I wanted to shake Alice. She is such a gentle soul but her step daughter Agnes is clearly trouble and clearly in need of a firm hand which nobody seems willing to give and to me Alice should have been that firm hand and also put her foot down to how Agnes treated her. Alice just wants to be friends with everyone and nice to everyone and sometimes that just means you get walked over and this happens to poor Alice. 

The thing that saved this book for me was the detail and imagery because the characters and lack of direction really put me off at times. I also didn’t enjoy the latin snippets in the book because I found they detracted from the flow of the text and didn’t really add anything. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons. 

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Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Waterstones | WH Smith

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Francesca Kay’s first novel, An Equal Stillness, won the Orange Award for New Writers in 2009. She lives in Oxford with her family.

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If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you