Palom by L.L. McNeil

Title: Palom
Author: L.L. McNeil
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: ARC, but I did buy it as well!

Amazon UK, Goodreads 

Plot Summary: Palom is the second novel in an epic six-book saga, following a group of characters as war rages across their world. With pirates and soldiers, smiths and princes, Linaria is a vibrant land with a deeply unsettled past and an equally ominous future.

‘Now the fighting’s over, you want to pick up where we left off? How? Everything’s changed.’
Linaria’s cities lie in ruin and her lands are scarred following Aciel’s war. The devastation worsens as dragons turn against the survivors in retribution for Aciel slaying their kin and stealing their power.
As the world attempts to recover from one global war and arm itself against another, Palom, hero and creator of the dragon-forged weapons that thwarted Aciel, flees across the Val Sharis wilds to rid himself of unwanted fame. Overwhelmed by guilt for failing to protect loved ones, his greatest threat is not just the weapons he created, but the new shadow growing over Linaria.
He is accompanied by a dragon hatched in his care - but with the god-like creatures turning against the world, will she be his salvation or destruction?

I received an ARC of Palom from the author in exchange for an honest review, but I also bought it!

Find the author's website here. Find the first book, Moroda, here on Goodreads and here's my review of it.

What did I think?

4.5 Stars.

I always like to get the negative points out of the way first, so I can proceed to gush about the many characters I love. Palom feels a bit slower than Moroda in places. That's mostly because Moroda had an epic conflict going on, and the world of Linaria was in immediate danger. Here, a big portion of the book deals with the fallout of the previous instalment. And, of course, the chess pieces need to be put in place for the third book.

Despite that, it's not a filler book. On the contrary, some of the themes L.L. McNeil deals with are super important and heartbreaking.

We've got Palom, the main character, hailed as a hero, but what happens to the hero after he defeats the enemy? I've often wondered that when reading fantasy books. I would watch the hero fight and kill for the good side, and I'd think, how will you feel once you get to go home? Hello, PTSD.

It's incredible to see a hero after the battle. My heart broke watching him suffer and deal with all the emotional fallout of his past. Palom's struggle to get out of the dark hole he fell into is intense, and it doesn't help that his past lurks just around the corner.

Amarah. The sky-pirate. One of my favourite characters. While Palom struggles not knowing how to move on with his life, Amarah is unwilling to give up. She's broken, but she refuses to let that stop her. I've followed her journey on the edge of my seat, and she continues to be a favourite of mine.

I was a huge fan of Sapora in the first book, but in this one a character emerges, I didn't think I would like quite so much: his sister Isa. She's fantastic. Only part Varkain she shifts into a wild cat instead of a snake, and that's apparently a reason other Varkain think less of her. (I'd like to smack a few of those Varkain by the way, thank you very much.)

Despite my dislike for certain Varkain, the characters I wanted to smack the most were Kohl and Palom. Both for very similar reasons...

We slowly find out more about the characters we got to know in Moroda. What drives them? What is lurking in their past? L.L. McNeil is very good at dripping information into descriptions and conversations, and never dumps it all on the reader at once.

In Palom we get to see the world expand, and we find out more about the history of Linaria. There's a few things that should possibly best be left sleeping, but sigh, when will characters ever learn? The world building is imaginative, with a few very intriguing bits emerging, and I'm excited to find out more in the next book.

L.L. McNeil's prose is straightforward and easy to read, and she moves the plot forward at a good pace. If only the book were longer...I need to know what happens next!

Recommended to people who love dragons, sky-pirates and airships. L.L. McNeil's World of Linaria is a great introduction to fantasy for new fans, but also a treat for old fans of the genre.

Novelette: Existence Augmented by Channing Whitaker

Title: Existence Augmented
Author: Channing Whitaker
Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Digital copy provided by the author

Amazon UK, Goodreads

Plot Summary: Existence Augmented is a dystopian, sci-fi novelette and psychological thriller. The world outside is cold, hostile, and virtually lifeless. Human existence depends on sophisticated, technological living compounds. The people who don’t have them, once driven to theft and murder, are believed to be long since dead. Alden, a genius of physical and computer engineering, spends his time tending his hydroponics garden, maintaining and improving the complex systems critical to survival, and, in turn, continually refining the pleasant life he’s created with his wife, Laurel. On a day like any other, everything is following Alden’s plans until the power begins to fail…

I received a digital version of this novelette (47 pages) from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Find the author's website here.

What did I think? 

Channing Whitaker is a master of misdirection, and I must admit even though I read quite a bit of science fiction, and this novelette is only forty-seven pages long, he managed to surprise me more than once.

It's obviously a very quick read, and I don't want to give away too much of the plot. Whitaker has a brilliant imagination and his scenes are filled with vivid details. I enjoyed the prose, and the story flowed at a nice pace.

Obviously, forty-seven pages is not a lot of time to flesh out a character, but Alden felt like a real person, and I emphasised a lot with him. He's got believable flaws and I enjoyed the way Whitaker developed him throughout the piece. The author slowly reveals more about Alden by showing us how he deals with the challenges this dystopian world throws at him.

The world building is intriguing, and I'd very much like to find out more about this setting...maybe at some point in a full-length novel?

I will definitely read more by this author and recommend Existence Augmented to anyone who is a fan of the genre and enjoys when the world is rather bleak.

The Tropic of Eternity by Tom Toner

Book Title: The Tropic of Eternity (The Amaranthine Spectrum #3)
Author: Tom Toner
Genres: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads, Amazon UK for the first book in the series, The Promise of the Child
Goodreads, Amazon UK for The Tropic of Eternity

Plot Summary, without spoilers: It is the 147th century.
In the radically advanced post-human worlds of the Amaranthine Firmament, there is a contender to the Immortal throne: Aaron the Long-Life, the Pretender, a man who is not quite a man.
In the barbarous hominid kingdoms of the Prism Investiture, where life is short, cheap, and dangerous, an invention is born that will become the Firmament’s most closely kept secret.
Lycaste, a lovesick reclusive outcast for an unspeakable crime, must journey through the Provinces, braving the grotesques of an ancient, decadent world to find his salvation.
Sotiris, grieving the loss of his sister and awaiting the madness of old age, must relive his twelve thousand years of life to stop the man determined to become Emperor.
Ghaldezuel, knight of the stars, must plunder the rarest treasure in the Firmament—the object the Pretender will stop at nothing to obtain.
From medieval Prague to a lonely Mediterranean cove, and eventually far into the strange vastness of distant worlds, this series is filled with gripping action and astounding ambition unfolding over hundreds of thousands of years, marking the arrival of a brilliant new talent in science fiction.

  

As usual no spoilers.

Here's my review of the first book.

I got the first book from Netgalley but bought it afterwards because I loved it so much. I also bought the second book and will buy this one, but for now I've got a review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What did I think?

Tom Toner may be the Steven Erikson of Science Fiction, because he drops the reader straight into an unfamiliar world without any explanation.

I'm a fast reader and sometimes tempted to skim more than I should, which works with books set on our world where not every third word is strange and unfamiliar. After reading a third of the first novel, about two years ago, I almost put it away for good, because I had no idea what was going on. I decided to re-start from the beginning and take my time.

I admit, I had to take notes, and while reading the second book I frequently had to use the glossary and look up names, races and places.

Throughout the third book, however, I finally felt like I belonged in this world and was able to navigate without feeling lost.

I've hardly ever been this immersed in a world. Tom Toner presents a world so rich and so fleshed out, I was blown away by every page. It's a creative mix between sci-fi and fantasy presenting an innovative future filled with diverse, unique cultures and breathtaking ideas. The scope alone is immense and the level of complexity, frankly, insane.

More than once I thought: how did he come up with all of this?

At one point, during the second book, I looked up at my partner and said: this is absolutely brilliant.

The books are very complex. While I personally don't mind not knowing what's going on for a good portion of a book, I think Toner expects a lot from the reader. There's a vast cast of characters to keep track of, next to a dozen species and planets.

The prose is wonderful, very descriptive, filled with lush details and striking visuals.

I love all the characters, but I've got a soft spot for Percy and Aaron in particular. The entire cast is fleshed out, well-developed and I find them all incredibly intriguing. I wasn't entirely sold on Lycaste at first, but Toner develops him in fascinating ways, and I grew quite fond of him.

The third book is almost non-stop action, the chapters move with a sense of urgency as an epic conflict unfolds. While this is not the last book in the series it does end on a hopeful note with a few touching chapters at the end that made me smile.

Toner has definitely created something ambitious and memorable, and I am eagerly awaiting new books by him.

I recommend The Amaranthine Spectrum series (for the love of everything, please start with the first book) to everyone who likes a complex and epic plot spanning centuries, and beautiful prose. I think both fans of Gene Wolfe as well as Steven Erikson will appreciate this one.

Check out the other bloggers participating in this blog tour.

Bright Ruin by Vic James

Book Title: Bright Ruin (Dark Gifts #3)
Author: Vic James
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Netgalley

I borrowed the first book, Gilded Cage, from the library, loved it a lot and bought the second book, Tarnished City, as a paperback and now requested Bright Ruin from Netgalley, but I will buy it.

Goodreads, Amazon UK 

Goodreads Summary of the first book so there's no spoilers for the trilogy: In modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.
This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.
Have a quick ten years...

As usual there will be NO plot spoilers as this is the THIRD book in a trilogy.

What did I think?

What a fantastic finale.

I love the Dark Gifts trilogy, to the point where I'd possibly declare this as my favourite YA fantasy.

The premise is very simple, political, and, in our current political climate, just a tiny bit terrifying. This is a world, an alternative modern-day Britain, where commoners are required to serve as slaves for ten years during which they lose all basic human rights. The protagonists set out to serve at the beginning of the first book, and I expected it to be mostly about their struggle for freedom with a healthy dose of rebellion...

Vic James, however, doesn't just write from the point of view of the ones suffering. Instead, we get to see the story from the perspective of the ruling Equals as well, and they're not all bad. Some are in favour of the slavery, some are downright cruel, others are fighting to abolish the slavery. There's lots of politics in these books, and I think that was one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.

The characters are layered, well developed and the writing is enjoyable. The world building is not just your average dystopia but innovative and captivating.

The plot took a few turns I didn't expect, and I slowly grew to like all characters, even love some of them, and increasingly worried about their safety. What I thought was going to be a mildly annoying romance in the first book, turned out to be an interesting plot point, that I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, the entire Dark Gifts trilogy is not your average YA fantasy; it's original and surprising. The first book has a hopeful tone, but the second book turns much darker, and the mood is sombre. The third book finds the balance between the two.

All in all, it's a wild ride. I was never quite sure how things were going to turn out. I worried everyone I loved would be dead by the end, and I must admit my heart was a tiny bit broken when I reached the last page of Bright Ruin.

I met Vic James at a convention in London, and she kindly signed my copy of Tarnished City. She asked me which character is my favourite, and I did not know what to answer, and may have flailed a little bit. Hours later, I realised, what I should have said: politics! Because the political aspect is what I enjoy most about these books.

Besides the politics, there's Silyen, and surprisingly enough Gavar. And, of course, Luke and Abi.

The ending does not disappoint. Vic James ties all loose ends together, and, just like in the real world, not everyone gets what they deserve.

I highly recommend the Dark Gifts trilogy to YA fantasy fans, who are looking for a book with lots of politics.

Stillwaters by Yvonne Anderson

Book Title: Stillwaters
Author: Yvonne Anderson
Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: E-book review copy provided by the author

Amazon UK, Goodreads 

Plot Summary: How did she rise from the shrouds of obscurity to become one of the world’s most influential figures? The enigmatic author J. S. Freeman breaks her long silence and tells the whole tale. In Stillwaters, the first of her three-part story, she brings us into the steamy, untamed land of her feral birth. When the City invaders capture her—they call it a rescue, but it sure doesn’t feel like it—her first life ends. She wants only to run free again on Freemansland, but circumstances take her ever farther from home, until one snowy day, her second life ends as well.
Come and see. The truth she tells is better than her fiction.

Thanks to the author, Yvonne Anderson, for providing me with a review copy of this book.

What did I think?

This is not the kind of book I'd usually pick up. I'm not a big fan of genre fiction written in the style of a memoir, but every now and then I like to read outside my comfort zone. It turned out to be a great experience.

The premise is simple: welcome to the autobiography of Jem Freeman, who is famous on a planet that is not Earth.

The book is told in the first person, and I really enjoyed Jem's voice. It's very distinct, natural and I enjoyed reading about her life.

Stillwaters opens with Jem's rather feral childhood and the neglect she endured at the hands of her family. Jem grew up in the countryside under terrible living conditions, and she mistrusts the City for a very long time, even though they saved her life. The only person sticking with her throughout her childhood and later years is her twin brother, and the two have an exceptionally strong bond.

Yvonne Anderson has a vast imagination and describes each scene with vivid details, creating memorable visuals. Jem is an interesting and well developed character and there's a lot of humour in the writing.

The story slows down a bit every now and then, and, especially in the first part, there are a few lulls where the pacing felt off. All in all, it takes a long time for the plot to really get going, and Jem's formative years make up the biggest part of this book.

It takes Jem a long time to let go of her dream of going back to Freemansland, and she feels confined by the City. Her prejudices are strong, and as the reader you're not sure whether to look at the City as a benevolent institution or an oppressive power. Over the next few years, Jem slowly adapts, changes her views and learns to become a part of the City.

At first, Jem holds onto her brother. He speaks for her, shields her, protects her, and one of the things I found fascinating was just how much Jem gets to grow until she's her own person in charge of her own destiny.

I recommend Stillwaters to anyone who likes reading about a world that isn't ours and enjoys memoir-style fiction.

TTT (28) - Best Books I Read in 2018 so far

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Read up on the rules here and join in on the Top Ten Tuesday fun.

Follow the link to know more about the meme and join up, it's a great way to find out more about the book blogging community.

This week the theme is best books we read in 2018, at least so far, and this week's post by That Artsy Reader girl can be found here.

We're halfway through the year so this is a great moment to look back and choose a few books that I've loved so far. I've been reading quite a bit. More or less two books a week is my goal and so far I've kept up with that. Actually, I think I'm a few books ahead. But I also have ARCs piling sky high. I've linked my reviews in case any of these pique your curiosity.

These are my top ten books so far:

• City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. Read this if you're looking for a mystery in an interesting fantasy setting that is different. There's politics, religion and at its heart a murder mystery. My review will be up shortly. 
• Bright Ruin by Vic James. The Dark Gifts trilogy is a fantasy YA that is about the common man owing the elite, who wield magic, ten years of servitude. It's political, it's intriguing and it's got characters I love. Here's the review of the first one, Gilded Cage.

 

• Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence. Read this, but start with Red Sister, if you want to see a young girl being trained in a convent by nuns to become an assassin. The protagonist reminds me a lot of Arya Stark and what would have happened if GRRM would have focused on her story.
• Every Last Minute by Ellen Smith. Time travel. Fast paced. Great couple. What if you could go back and undo something terrible which happened in your past?

 

• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. Read this if you're looking for a fun YA romp in the world of the fae.
• The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts. Read this if you're a fan of lyrical prose and epic high fantasy with a world filled with endless lore and are prepared to take on eleven books.

 

• Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer. Read this if you're into philosophy, history, the age of enlightenment, and don't mind language like Voltaire would have used. This is one of the most different books out there in the SF world.
• House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Read this if you enjoy hard science fiction and are looking for something epic spanning galaxies and centuries.
• Inda by Sherwood Smith. Coming of age in a military academy, again in a fantasy setting. Read this if you're looking for betrayal and pirates.

 

• Daughter of the Empire by R. Feist and Janny Wurts. Read this if you're looking for a fantasy inspired by Japan, where a woman is the main character who uses her intelligence to solve all her problems. (It's in the same universe as the Riftwar Saga by R. Feist.)

Special mentions:

• Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell (because, I technically finished it in July and it'll probably be on my end of the year list.) Read this if you are looking to support an indie author who wrote a complex grimdark fantasy with an amazing plot.
• Sorcerous Rivalry by Kayleigh Nicol (because it was heartwarming and exactly what my news-battered cynical soul needed, a good dose of fantasy romance with irresistible characters.) Read this if you're looking for a m/m romance in a fantasy setting.

 

Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell.

Book Title: Kings of Paradise
Author: Richard Nell
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: E-book review copy provided by the author

Amazon UK, Goodreads 

Plot Summary: Ruka, son of Beyla, is a monster. Single-born, twisted, and ugly, Ruka has the bright, golden eyes of a wolf, but his mind is as vast as the open sky.
Born in the frozen, snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom—the land of ash—Ruka was spared from death at birth by his mother’s love. Now, he is an outlaw, and dreams only of vengeance. But can a broken genius find redemption? Or once he has the world in his grasp, will he simply break it apart?
Across a wide sea is the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon.
Ratama Kale Alaku is fourth and youngest son of the island monarch men call the Sorcerer King. And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. His father has sent him away to the navy, perhaps in hopes of salvaging a once-promising child, or perhaps just to get rid of him.
Now Kale must prove his worth - and not just to his father. He must become more than a wastrel prince, or else lose all hope of purpose, or love.

Thank you, Richard Nell, for providing me with a review copy of this book. Also a big thank you goes to Esme over at the Weatherwaxreport for setting up TBRindr.

What did I think?

This is a fantastic debut novel, and by the end, I felt like I'd just stepped off a roller coaster. The story unfolds organically, and is essentially a coming of age tale, connecting several characters. But despite their young ages, be warned, this is a very dark novel. After all, it opens with a boy who has just killed another boy, and he is now eating him.

It's dark, but not bleak. There's hope.

Kings of Paradise is very complex and filled with politics, different cultures and intricate world building, which is slowly revealed through each character's point of view as they grow and mature. The setting feels unique and is rich and detailed. It's a brutal world, but none of the gory events feel unnecessary, all of them are believable.

At over 600 pages, Kings of Paradise is a long book, but it's engaging until the very end, the stakes are incredibly high, and the pacing is fantastic. Throughout the book, I never really knew where the author would take us, and many twists and turns took me by surprise.

Richard Nell is a very talented writer, and I found the prose elegant, and the way plot, world building and character development was revealed pretty impressive.

I am very fond of Kale, the prince, who is a disappointment, but all characters are fleshed out and get developed in incredible ways. They behave in questionable ways, and often repulsed me, but I could understand their actions and reasons to the very end, and despite everything I was rooting for them. However, I don't want to meet any of them in a dark alley. Especially Ruka. He's a fantastic character. One I loved at first but feared by the end. I must admit, he's the only one who ended up losing my sympathy, though I still understood why he was acting the way he was.

I recommend Kings of Paradise to readers who enjoy morally grey characters, grimdark fantasy, and are looking for a complex plot.

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Book Title: Before I Let Go
Author: Marieke Nijkamp
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
My Rating: ♥ ♥
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads, Amazon UK
Plot: Best friends Corey and Kyra were inseparable in their snow-covered town of Lost Creek, Alaska. When Corey moves away, she makes Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return.

Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. Corey is devastated―and confused. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones about the town's lost daughter, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger.

Corey knows something is wrong. With every hour, her suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets―chilling secrets. But piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter...

I got a review copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

What did I think?

My thoughts while reading this book were mostly one simple word: meh. I never really connected with the characters, didn't care about the town or the mystery and thought the writing was choppy and distracting.

It's just such a mediocre book. No scenes stand out, no characters stand out, and at no point did I think, yes, this is worth reading. Everything is so bland, that I've already forgotten the name of the main character and the name of the town.

Marieke Nijkamp is probably simply not the author for me. I read "This is Where it Ends" last year and was similarly underwhelmed by the execution. When I spotted this book on Netgalley, I thought the premise sounded fascinating, otherwise I wouldn't have requested it, but the book just does not deliver.

The style is weird. Nijkamp decided to add random scenes written as a script even though none of the characters have anything to do with film, and it didn't fit.

None of the characters get any development and the mystery turned out to be predictable and boring. A small town in Alaska should be a fascinating setting. Creepy and isolated, you'd think it would be perfect for a mystery, but oh well. On top of that, the plot just wasn't credible. In fact, it all felt a bit off. The only reason I finished this is because I usually finish books I request, and because it's such a short read.

I'm really disappointed I didn't like this better.

Sorcerous Rivalry by Kayleigh Nicol

Book Title: Sorcerous Rivalry
Author: Kayleigh Nicol
Genre: Fantasy with a strong romantic element
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: A paperback review copy provided by the author

Amazon UK, Goodreads 

Plot Summary: In the peace following the Great Mage Hunt, the king's long-time mistress is revealed as a sorceress. Locked away for the safety of the kingdom, bounties are placed upon the heads of the seven children she birthed. Mage hunters have scoured the kingdom for four years, searching for the seven scattered mage-born bastards.
After growing up in an orphanage, Reshi discovers his parentage and learns to hide his magic, living peacefully in a remote village with an unusual friend. But when an alluring mage hunter comes to town, his secret is revealed, forcing Reshi to reach out to his brothers and sisters for help. A family reunion might be Reshi's only hope for survival--or it might become a spell-slinging battle royale.
Who can Reshi rely on when his own family turns against him?

Thank you, Kayleigh Nicol, for providing me with a review copy of this book. Also a big thank you goes to Esme over at the Weatherwaxreport for setting up TBRindr.

What did I think?

I enjoyed Sorcerous Rivalry a lot and read it on a sunny Sunday, lying on a beach towel in the shade, while occasionally dipping into the Hampstead Heath ponds in London.

It's the perfect read for such a day.

I'm not usually a fan of romance (and this is not strictly romance but more fantasy with a romantic element), but this book turned out to be such a nice surprise. The romance is m/m, and I'm always interested in reading diverse books. The romantic element is not the main emphasis of the book, does not follow your typical romance plot, and the two leads have great chemistry and are basically just perfect.

Sorcerous Rivalry is written in the first person from the point of view of Reshi. Reshi is endearing and fun. His ideal life consists of flirting, drinking and taking pretty things to bed, and you just can't help but find him adorable. (I dare you to read this and not like Reshi!) I fell in love with Kestral, the other lead, almost immediately, because of how serious and correct he is. Plus, they both carry the burden of a hidden and painful past, and, I must admit, I'm a sucker for that!

All characters are well developed, and the pacing is great from the very start. The prose is filled with humour, and everything that happens is just so damn entertaining, that I could not put it down. There's dark moments, but overall the tone is light and uplifting, and there were a few scenes that made me feel all warm and bubbly. Overall, the style is comfortable and made me feel like I belonged. I love when an author manages to do that!

There's plenty of magic, and each mage we encounter has unique powers. The world building is not intricate and detailed, but there's enough to support the fantastic plot, and I can't wait to discover more in the sequel.

I recommend Sorcerous Rivalry to any fantasy fan who likes a bit of romance and enjoys fast-paced battles and is looking for a fun romp.

Sunday Post (31) - Hello Summer!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

If you participate (and you totally should because the community is amazing) don't forget to link up and if you leave me a comment, I will definitely check out your blog.

The Rules can be found here. And this week's post can be found here.

The week was fairly uneventful, but I've been reading a lot and have lots of reviews lined up. Today we spent the day bathing in Hampstead Heath, London.

In July I'm participating in two events: One is Camp NaNoWriMo, where it's all about writing, and the other is Run Around The World, where it's all about running as many miles as possible in the month of July. In fact, the idea is that your team manages to run the distance around the world. 2 miles done, a million to go.

Last week on my blog

Review: Everything About You by Heather Child which is a science fiction novel about a young woman whose virtual assistant adopts her dead sister's personality. Freaky, very much for Black Mirror fans.

Review: A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better by Benjamin Wood. A literary thriller, written as a memoir from the point of view of a twelve-year old boy who is embarking on a road trip with his father that will end in utter disaster traumatising the boy.

Review: A Star Reckoner's Lot by Darrell Drake. A heroine that is bad at her job, magic inspired by astronomy, essentially pulled from stars and planets and the setting is ancient Iran. Definitely worth a look for fantasy fans.

Review: Sleep, Merel, Sleep by Silke Stein. A great middle grade novel that young children will enjoy (and adults, and parents, it's a great little book!)

My own writing

Finally, I've shared a small piece of flash fiction. It's about a small robot, a household helper, and his anxiety. You can find it here. Let me know if you like it!

At the cinema

I've watched Ocean's 8 and it was a lot of fun. I recommend it to anyone who loves heist stories. Especially Helena Bonham Carter was fantastic. The others as well, but I just have such a soft spot for Helena Bonham Carter. (Don't worry, I did notice Cate Blanchett wearing suits!)

 

I'm currently reading quite a few books at the same time, and I can't wait to review them. I love when I can read in the garden while this wonderful weather continues to kill my beautiful lawn leaving nothing but a brown, dry mess. I hope everyone has a great weekend!