Synopsis A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine 2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess […]
Magical Realism
Review: Dreambound by Dan Frey
Summary: When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue is a note claiming that she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to […]
Review: The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum
Summary: In this genre-bending novel, there is no such thing as chance and every action is carefully executed by highly trained agents. You’ll never looks at coincidences the same way again. What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed, or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random […]
Review: Babel by R.F. Kuang
Synopsis Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute […]
Review: Bell Tower by Raphael Pond
Synopsis: In a future where one phrase can heal any pain, there exists a meditation unlike any other: Solosis. It’s a practice that forms an empathetic bond between two souls, unlocking unparalleled healing power. But its secrets are fiercely guarded by Sasha Sumzer, a mysterious meditation teacher with a darker agenda. Sasha is determined to […]
Review: Curiouser And… by Jillian Maria
Synopsis: For sixteen years, Ashlyn Jones has heeded her parents’ warnings and followed their rules. But after taking a tumble in the forest, she awakens in a strange land where there are no rules—where signs lack direction, the sky hovers on the edge of night, and all paths lead to the glittering red palace of […]
Review: Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
Hellooooo cosy autumn reads. It is time. Make sure you’ve got Rewitched on your cosy tbr because it is *perfect*. Coming in at almost 400 pages it’s chonky for a cosy read, but the story hooked me and the pages flew by!
Book Review: Bringer of Dust (The Talents Trilogy #2) by JM Miro
TL;DR Review: Addictive and enthralling, but not for the faint of heart. Deeper, darker, and twistier—an excellent second installment in this gothic historical fantasy trilogy. Synopsis: In this highly anticipated second book in the Talents Trilogy, the world of the dead is closer than you think. Agrigento, Sicily, 1883. With the orsine destroyed, Cairndale lies […]
Book Review: Ordinary Monsters by JM Miro
TL;DR Review: The X-Men, as written by Edgar Allen Poe. Dark, haunting, gothic, violent, and twisted in all the best ways. Synopsis: Charlie Ovid, despite surviving a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn’t have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight […]
Review: The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi
This is a beautiful, uplifting story exploring a kind of ‘in-between’ place where the dead go to view their memories before they move onto the afterlife. It’s a story that deals with death and grief without actually touching on those subjects directly. You feel for all these people and those they’ve left behind, but it’s also a celebration of their life and what they achieved. The outlier here is the final character, Mitsuru, who tragically dies at the hands of her parents, but ultimately she gets her happy ending still.
Review: Evocation (The Summoner’s Circle #1) by S.T. Gibson
Read Evocation when you want a character-focussed, slow-burn romance with a arcane backdrop. While the plot is present Evocation is far, far more about the evolution of David, Rhys and Moira’s relationship, with a special mention for how David and Moira’s friendship, and eventual relationship grows. The plot is really just a backdrop for our trio to bond, and while I did enjoy the plot it’s quite a slow mover until the very last pages where it suddenly concludes in just a few pages.
Review: Sealed Empire by Norbert Zsivicz
-Norbert Zsivicz first book, the Hungarian Literary Award winner Sealed Empire now available in English by the famous translator Tamás Pétersz (Game of Thrones). Blurb Ser Edward, an experienced sailor, embarks on perhaps the most daring expedition of the Kingdom of Esenworth so far. His mission is to try to earn the blessing of the […]