(Review) Greatshadow - Dragon Apocalypse #1 by James Maxey

Release date: February 2nd 2012
Publisher: Solaris
Page count: 363
Genre(s): Fantasy
Buy it: Amazon/Book Depository
Add it on: Goodreads
Rating: 4.5/5

The warrior woman known as Infidel is legendary for her superhuman strength and skin tough as chain mail. She's made few friends during her career as a sword-for-hire, and many powerful enemies. Following the death of her closest companion, Infidel finds herself weary of life as a mercenary and sets her eyes on one final prize that will allow her to live out the rest of her days in luxury, the priceless treasure trove of Greatshadow.


Greatshadow is the primal dragon of fire. His malign intelligence spies upon mankind through every flickering candle, patiently waiting to devour victims careless with even the smallest flame. The Church of the Book has assembled a team of twelve battle-hardened adventurers to slay the dragon once and for all. But tensions run high between the leaders of the quest who view the mission as a holy duty and the super-powered mercenaries who add power to their ranks, who dream only of Greatshadow's vast wealth. If the warriors fail to slay the beast, will they doom mankind to death by fire?


Greatshadow is the first book in an exciting new adventure series from a master of dragon fantasy.

Synopsis from Goodreads

(I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.)

I'm really happy I won this book, as honestly, it probably would have taken me forever to get round to it otherwise. That would have been a shame, as I really enjoyed this! From the cover and description, I was expecting an epic, high-fantasy novel. This wasn't what I got, but I'm actually kind of glad. Instead, this was a fun, quirky fantasy that separated itself from the norm. I haven't read any Terry Pratchett (shame on me) but from what I know, I'd say this book is in the same vein. Original, humorous, sometimes crude and silly but filled to the brim with likable characters and non-stop adventure. From the very first page, this was a joy to read. There were enough typical fantasy elements to satisfy me, and lots of original new ideas and creatures. I LOVED the world building. James Maxey did a brilliant job at creating a whole new world that was vivid in my mind and really fleshed out. He tells you more about the world and characters gradually throughout the book. No page long info dumps that made me want to fall asleep here!

The story of the book was so much fun. It could have ended up being a typical quest, but the cast of weird and wonderful characters and all the original ideas kept it fresh and exciting. I was so excited to read this when I learnt there'd be Dragons. They were one of my favourite aspects of the book. Dragons are amazing anyway, but James Maxey gave them his own creative spin and their lore was great. I also loved learning about the history of the different characters. They were such a mixed bunch, and I liked them all. Even the characters who weren't particularly likable at face value had some facet to their personality that made them interesting. I don't want to spoil anything about the characters as part of the fun is being introduced to them, but I will say Infidel, our leading lady, is great. She's strong and totally bad ass, but deceptively sweet and vulnerable. She is definite friend material. I only wish her looks weren't emphasised so much throughout the book, making her a bit of a male fantasy at times. Why can't she be awesome without being stunning as well?

I thought Maxey's writing style was great. Fluid and descriptive, perfect for the story. He's really good at writing dialogue as well. The conversations between characters had me totally sucked in. I must say though, I found the humour could fall a little flat at times. There were a lot of moments that had me chuckling internally, or smiling to myself, but not actually laughing out loud. Sometimes it could border a little on cheesy, but not enough to annoy me. There were times I wished the book would take itself a little more seriously, but overall, I enjoyed the tone.

I'd highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers who don't mind a little silliness, especially dragon fans. I'm counting down the days until the sequel. I give this a 4.5/5.

(Review) The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Release date: April 19th 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Page count: 293
Genre(s): Young Adult/Fantasy/Mythology/Romance
Buy it: Amazon/Book Depository
Add it on: Goodreads
Rating: 3.5/5

In a modern-day take on the myth of Persephone, 18-year-old Kate Winters is thrust into a mythical world, where she must pass seven impossible tests and outsmart a spiteful god in order to save the life of not just her mother but of her captor as well.

Synopsis from Goodreads

I went into this book with mixed expectations, as I'd read both great and not-so-great reviews of it. I have to say though, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. However, I can't fully put my finger on why I enjoyed reading this as much as I did.

Kate was an okay protagonist, but not particularly memorable. I finished the book not too long ago yet I'm struggling to recall much about her personality. Besides the overdone 'I'm not that pretty but everyone else says I am' schtick, she didn't really annoy me, and she was nice enough. She just didn't have that spark or charm that made me wish we were friends in real life. Henry was a bit of a cliche love interest; brooding and distant with moments of sweetness. Despite myself, I couldn't help but swoon over him. I also found the relationship between him and Kate surprisingly adorable, and I re-read a lot of their cute moments with a sappy smile.

In terms of the story, my knowledge of Greek myths is pitiful so I have no idea how faithful or original this story was to mythology. I did find the setting of the book a little odd though. The location and the way everyone dressed and acted just didn't seem to match up with Greek mythology to me. It felt more like some period drama but the characters happened to be Gods and Goddesses. I also found the story a little lacking. I enjoyed it, but not much actually happened. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming, but a lot of the story was devoted to Kate dealing with the impending loss of her mother and her feelings for Henry. I'd say this book would definitely appeal more to romance junkies than those looking for a fast paced, plot driven story.

I give this 3.5/5.

(Review) The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Release date: August 30th 2011
Publisher: Aladdin
Page count: 390
Genre(s): Middle Grade/Fantasy/Dystopia
Buy it: Amazon/Book Depository
Add it on: Goodreads
Rating: 3/5

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths. Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.
In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation. But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

Synopsis from Goodreads

First things first, what a great cover! It's one of the main reasons I bought this book. Sadly, my love for the contents didn't live up to my love of the cover. I loved the concept of this book. However, I feel the history and rules of the dystopian society weren't as fleshed out as I'd have liked. Which leads me to one of my main concerns with the book, which is totally not the author's fault, but my own. I'm simply too old for this book. If I was about 10, I'm sure I'd have adored this book. But as an adult, even with my Peter Pan syndrome, I found this book too simplistic for my tastes, in writing, world building and characters. This was mostly a fun read, though it did take me until about the last third to get properly into it. I found the book dove straight into the deep end introducing us to the world of Artime, but then slowed down in the middle and became a little too mundane, despite being a story featuring a talking Cheetah statue and an Octopus/Alligator hybrid art teacher.

There were a lot of interesting characters like these that I'm sure kids would love, but I failed to connect too deeply with any of them. Simber, the aforementioned Cheetah statue was awesome (but every time I saw his name I thought of The Lion King so...that ruined it slightly) but I found the main characters, Alex and his friends, a little dull. They are a lot younger than me so perhaps that's why I had a hard time relating to them. There were some cute moments between them, but they're not the kind of characters I missed when I was done with the book. I also found the world building a little lacking. It didn't have enough detail for me to really understand why society worked the way it did, or to feel any of those disturbed, scared feelings a good dystopian should bring. Then again, this is a middle grade book, so I should have expected that. Some of the concepts I found a little silly as well. People in Artime use arts as a weapon, and though this sounds cool as a concept, the execution was a little laughable to me at times. The idea of using paint and clay and dancing to fight someone with a gun...I couldn't really take it seriously. But again, kids would probably enjoy these ideas a lot more than me.

I think this book had a fun, original concept and if there are sequels, I'll probably give them a go. I'd definitely recommend this book to the intended audience, but older readers might want to give this a miss unless they really love the concept and don't mind less developed stories. I give it a 3/5.

(Review) Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Release date: July 4th 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Page count: 304
Genre(s): Young Adult/Fantasy/Mermaids
Buy it: Amazon/Book Depository
Add it on: Goodreads
Rating: 3/5

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder? The first book in a trilogy, Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

Synopsis from Goodreads

This is a hard book to review, and I'm still not entirely sure what I felt about it. But I think there lies the problem. It kind of just left me feeling...nothing. From the very beginning, this book was sad. Not sad in a 'boohoo' way, just sad in a really empty, hollow way. And it basically stays this way through the whole book. I can't really recall any moment that made me smile. Every time I got a little hope, it would be dashed straight away. There were a few moments where I thought the story was going to turn a certain way and I was really excited, just for it to be all taken away and go back to the sadness. The story could be exciting at times, but I think a major drawback was not having characters to care about.

Luce was an okay protagonist, but I didn't like how it took her so long to speak up for herself. Most of the other characters don't even bear mentioning to be honest. They were either irritating to the point I wished I could jump in the pages and slap them silly, or submissive and unmemorable. I suppose that is one emotion this book made me feel. ANGRY. I thought Catarina was bad, but a later character is introduced who is a contender for most annoying fictional character ever. I don't need to name her, you'll know when you read it.

The writing in this book was beautiful. I liked a lot of the concepts and history to the mermaids. It's just a shame it was all so depressing. I understand not every book has to be positive, and I did enjoy some of the darker elements of the book, but when there is no ray of light during the whole book, you can't help coming away feeling worse than you did going in. I didn't really gain anything from reading this book, and I don't see why I'd ever re-read it. However, I will read the sequel, simply because this book was left in an open-ended manner, and I have hopes it will go in a more positive direction. I commend Sarah Porter for daring to write a darker story about mermaids, and she is definitely a talented writer. If you can handle a darker story and love your mermaids brutal, I'd say give this book a try.

I give this 3/5.

(Review) A Witch In Winter by Ruth Warburton

Release date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Page count: 368
Genre(s): Young Adult/Paranormal/Romance
Buy it: Amazon/Book Depository
Add it on: Goodreads
Rating: 3.5/5

Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her – but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain.

Synopsis from Goodreads

I'll start with the things I liked about this book. I LOVED the setting. I live by the sea, and so does Anna in this book so it got plus points there. Also, I've read that the author used to live in Lewes and this was one of the inspirations for Winter. I live not far from there and have visited a lot, so it felt kind of homely reading the book. Winter was described really well, and the beautiful but creepy vibe resonated throughout the book. Similarly, I enjoyed reading a book set in England. A lot of teen books tend to be American and so have the American slang etc etc. Because we brits get so much American stuff over here, I don't usually get too confused or anything. But it's always nice reading about a school system I'm familiar with and slang I actually use.

I really liked Anna as a main character. She was nice, sometimes unsure, witty and realistically 'teen' like. I liked that she didn't swallow up being a witch in a page. She was actually confused and refused to believe it for a while. I also loved that after enchanting Seth, she wasn't like 'oh cool yay.' She felt guilty and she didn't want Seth to like her unless it was real. However, I struggled picturing her in my head. She describes herself as plain quite a bit in the book, too much honestly, but the girl on the cover is really pretty so I kept imagining some weird kind of mix.

I also liked Seth. Physically..I'M IN LOVE. He's almost my perfect guy. I had such a vivid image of him in my mind. Personality wise, I felt it was a little cliche that he was the hot bad boy every girl loved with a softer side. Still, I liked that he was actually nice and didn't treat Anna like a jerk. He did have a few creeper moments, but he was enchanted so I'll cut him some slack. However, because of the whole enchanted angle, I found Anna and Seth's connection a little lacking. I definitely warmed up more towards them as a couple near the end of the book.

Plot wise, I'm torn. Part of me wishes the book had just been a contemporary book focused on Anna and Seth's developing relationship with none of the witchery. Then another part wishes there had been more witchcraft. I think the problem lays with the length of the book. I feel if the book was longer, both the contemporary and witchcraft aspects of the book could have been more well developed. Despite this, I did find the story enjoyable. It's obvious Ruth Warburton did a lot of research into witchcraft and spells and all that jazz, so it all felt very believable. The story was also exciting, especially the climax.

To conclude, I'd say to me, this was a good book, but not a great one. With more development in both the romance and witchcraft, it'd have been better. However, I enjoyed reading it and will most definitely read the sequel.

I give it a 3.5/5.

(Review) A Million Suns - Across The Universe #2 by Beth Revis

Release date: January 10th 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Page count: 386
Genre(s): Young Adult/Science Fiction/Romance
Buy it: Amazon/Book Depository
Add it on: Goodreads
Rating: 5/5

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.

Synopsis from Goodreads

A year until the next book? Whyyyyyyy?

Wow. This book kind of blew me away. I read Across the Universe not too long ago, and though I enjoyed it, I didn't love it like a lot of people. I felt some moments of the book were a little slow and the romance wasn't as developed as I'd hoped. Well, there were none of those problems in this book. Beth Revis totally stepped up and took this book to a whole other level. I was gripped from the very first page. The story was so exciting, filled with tension and drama and twists and turns. I'm watching through Battlestar Galactica at the moment, and it reminds me of this book. You never quite know who to trust, and you can go from loving a character to hating them in the space of chapters. It keeps you on your toes! I also love all the secrets and questions that arise as Amy and Elder are sent on a bit of a wild goose chase. Towards the end of the book I was speeding through because I was so desperate to find the answers. And answers I got! I loved that the book both wrapped certain mysteries up but also kept me desperate for more. Seriously, I don't know how I'm going to survive until the third book comes out :(

The romance was also MUCH better this time round. I actually cared about Amy and Elder's relationship, and I got all giddy during their sweet moments. I also loved seeing the both of them grow. Amy barely annoyed me this time around and she was a strong but also vulnerable character that I could empathise with. The same goes for Elder. I already really liked him in Across The Universe, but now I love him. He had so much to deal with, and I think he showed a lot of courage and compassion but also moments of weakness that made him three dimensional. There were some new characters introduced, and old characters, and some of them made my blood boil, but they were meant to! So Beth Revis did a great job there as well.

Sigh. Writing this review is making me want to re-read the book. I definitely will before the third book comes out. If you liked Across the Universe, or even just thought it was okay, I'd say definitely give this book a go. It has everything good from the first book and much much more. Filled with mystery, sci-fi, romance, power struggles and emotion, what's not to love?

I give this 5/5!

Waiting On Wednesday #1

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

For my very first WoW (exciting!!), I'm choosing:


The Fine Art Of Truth Or Dare by Melissa Jensen
Release date: February 16th 2012
Publisher: Speak
Page count: 380
Genre(s): Young Adult/Romance/Contemporary
Add it on: Goodreads

Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is her French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before.

Okay, I know this comes out tomorrow which is hardly much of a wait, but I've been anticipating this book for months. It sounds so adorable! I can't resist a good contemp romance. And the cover is so cute! Sigh, why does pay day seem so far away? I need this book in my life now!