“Ah yes, the most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sitting alone with a book.”

– Brigid Kemmerer

Specifics:

Book: A Heart so Fierce and Broken

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Published: 7th Jan’2020

Genre: YA Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fairy Tale

Series: The Cruse-Breaker #1

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 445

My rating: 2.5/5

Blurb from Goodreads:

Find the heir, win the crown.

The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom.

Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen–until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.

“When a man no longer deserves your loyalty, it is not a failing of yours!”

– Brigid Kemmerer

Review:

I only picked this up because I read the first part of the series and I was intrigued enough to find out more. I had no expectations whatsoever.

Initially, I was indifferent to it but slowly warmed up as the plot thickened. I actually didn’t see why people didn’t fancy the book as much as they did the first part because this clearly felt much better and clever than its prequel.

Then came the epilogue! With those chapters, it felt like I was taken high above the mountains promising a beautiful scenery but it was all a ploy to kick me off of it.

Yes! I am severely disappointed. Even more so, given that I actually was in love with the plot and wanted to keep reading and not stop. I wish I’d have stopped. Now, it only feels like it’s a forced extension to the story.

A Heart so Fierce and Broken brought in a lot of fresh characters and a fresh side to the story. The foolish teenage warriors were still a part of the story but so were a lot of other clever and well written characters. It even had a better plot given that the antagonist was much stronger and acceptable than the one in the previous book which lacked a proper motive.

We mostly hear the story form Grey and Lia Mara’s point of view and it was a good one. They speak of peace above everything else and value life of their people more than their own power. They are willing to sacrifice their love and themselves if it means that the people will rest without fear.

This felt like a redemption to my hatred for the stupidity in the first book and I was happy I picked this up. It was such an indulging read and a page turner.

While I give it to the author for serving us a good amount of twists and precious moments, there were moments which I felt were historically inaccurate. But giving them the freedom of creating a fictional world of her own, I decided to let go of that.

But, Princess Harper of Disi was a survivor of Cerebral Palsy and she only suffers with a crooked leg and a limp? That was very hard for me to digest. Also, I felt like a few diseases were just randomly thrown in because of the presence of the modern aged doctor turned healer – Noah! 

All of this aside, I was into the book until I read the last chapters. I will talk in detail about why I let one chapter dictate my rating of the book in the spoiler section of my review.

I rate it 2.5 because of the plot that had me hooked.

“It is not weakness to wish for peace.”

– Brigid Kemmerer

Spoiler alert:

Coming to why I am so disappointed is the same reason why I didn’t fancy the first book as much as I thought I would – Lilith and her poor reasons to terrorize Emberfall and it’s people!

Why the hell did Lilith have to come back! And why now? I hate that she’s back not only because she’s an antagonist without a good story line but also because she’s back and using Harper to lure Rhen against Grey. I do not think Rhen would have yielded immediately anyway because he didn’t want to join hands with Shyl Shallow. Its as if she only came to make us feel a little better about Rhen. Poor Rhen, he is only fighting Grey to save Harper form Lilith!

Apart from that, the other parts of the story with the new characters and the fresh alliances and blooming relationships made the story a manageable read. If only the ending would have been different!

Coming to the characters..

Lia Mara: The elder daughter but not the heir to the throne of Shyl Shallow, Lia is a very kind and opinionated young woman. She is also brave and chooses peace above all else. Initially, she assumes that she wasn’t named heir because she wasn’t strong enough to be cruel but with the help of Grey she discovers that she is so strong that she doesn’t need to be cruel to prove it. That and her inherent ability to question her mother’s rudeness is why she wasn’t chosen as the heir and she loves her sister, so much so that she willingly forgoes her feelings for Grey in order to see her succeed. She kills her mother and voila… Queen Lia Mara of Shyl Shallow is born! She is like the female version of Mahatma Gandhi! Ahimsa is her weapon.

Nolla Verin: A young princess pushed into the never ending trials of pleasing her mother and never disobeying her. Always working towards getting her mother’s approval above all else, Nolla was an immature kind girl who lived for her mother. I had hopes for her to redeem herself though. The way she embroiders a pillow case for her sister that says – ‘2 sisters, 1 heart’ was proof enough for me to have trust in her. I thought she would be the one to kill her mother though. I love how she finally gets to live out what’s left of her childhood after Karis Luran dies.

Tycho: He is just a boy who was looking for someone who would love him as his own. The blind trust he shows in Grey and the way he preferred dying to revealing his secret were so endearing. I’m so happy that he found a friend in Iisaak and may be a lover in Nolla.

Scarver: He was the king of Scarvers in search of his long lost son. His name is Iisaak and he has more capability of being loyal than anyone else in the book. I got Rhysand vibes from him and I loved it. Hopefully, he learns more of the where-abouts of his son in the next part.

Karis Luran: I thought she was only cruel because of her upbringing. Turns out she was also born with the cruel genes and was not just influenced by it. She orders to harm anyone who betrays her which is alright but she orders Grey to kill Lia Mara to prove his loyalty to this stupid cause that they were fighting for. We also learn that Lia and Nolla are step-sisters because the Queen doesn’t need a king by her side to rule and that she can chose her mate based on the qualities she liked. She’s dead so, I’m glad it’s over. She definitely was a very strong character!

Grey: The true heir to Emberfall! The mage smith who is yet to embrace and grow into his full power! Grey is so loyal that he goes into hiding just to protect Rhen. But with the PTSD that Rhen has from how magic terrified him, Rhen doesn’t let go and starts losing his people to his obsession of finding the heir. In that process, he also manages to get a glimpse of Grey’s power by triggering him through violence guided towards Tycho. But Grey is a good man. Unlike Rhen, he wants this to be over. He goes from not wanting anything to do with the throne to now wanting to claim it to safeguard the people against further violence. I especially love the simple but precious moments he steals with Lia Mara while going through the ordeal. I would read the next part to see how he grows into his complete powers and destroys Lilith for good and then maybe Harper and Rhen could rule Emberfall and Grey and Lia could rule Shyl Shallow while the people would rest in peace. Until then, someone kiss me as passionately as Grey kisses Lia! Pretty please?

What I liked about it:

1. Seems to redeem itself from the poor antagonist of the previous book
2. A page turner with its fair amount of shocks/surprises
3. A good story with introduction of better characters than the first installment of the series
4. Unlike the previous book, this one has a strong enough plot
5. Lgbtq plus literature
6. Speaks of peace as a better way of life than war

Cons:

1. I kind of hate one of the main characters and I find him to be foolish
2. The disability that cerebral palsy causes has been very lightly taken
3. Honestly, not a very well researched or well placed book with things that would hold true to certain centuries
4. Not a fan of the writing
5. The ending spoiled it all for me. I’m disappointed!

“This one is for you, my dear reader. Look in the mirror. You’re a cursebreaker. You’re strong. You’re amazing. You are changing the world by just being in it. And I am so very proud of you.”

– Brigid Kemmerer

“There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl”

– Kiersten White

Specifics:

Book: The Guinevere Deception

Author: Kiersten White

Published: 5th Nov’19

Genre: Fable, Legend, Fantasy fiction, Historical fantasy

Series: Book #1 of Camelot Rising Trilogy

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)

Cover Design: Regina Flath

Pages: 337

My rating: 4/5

Blurb:

‘PRINCESS GUINEVERE HAS COME TO CAMELOT’

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger, the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution: send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife… and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail.

The catch? Guinevere’s real name and her true identity – is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old – including Arthur’s own family – demand that things continue as they have been, and the new – those drawn by the dream of Camelot – fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long, knotted black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods towards Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

“There was good, and there was evil, but there was so much space between the two.”

– Kiersten White

REVIEW:

I am familiar with the Arthurian Legend to an extent where I recognize the characters and the story to an acceptable level. This book revamped my knowledge and also managed to give it some really good modifications. I felt like this is an upgraded and much stronger version of the legend.

While sticking to the baseline story, the author revolutionized the characters and added breathtaking touches to the plot. I don’t know how, but I felt like the OG story was not shattered but also it wasn’t copied. The story telling is very smooth and it was a very easy read. I chugged it all up in two days while managing to finish the wedding shopping for my brother’s upcoming nuptials. (TMI!!! I KNOW! I am just so excited) (p.s cancelled due to the pandemic)

The author shifts to the struggle of the Dark Queen to break threshold and reach King Arthur in between the regular story. It was really interesting and I waited to skip and read those parts with desperation.

I would also like to announce that you do not have to be familiar with the Arthurian legend to understand this story because it is good regardless.

It ends on a cliffhanger and does not really give us much of a story in this part. It is more like a build up to something amazing that is to come in the next two books.

Here’s the catch and the reason why I could not give it 5 stars, I would have preferred this as a standalone rather than the series.

The cliffhanger is having me crave for the next book asap (called The Camelot Betrayal which releases on 10th Nov’2020) but I don’t need it to survive. In simple words, when the book is out I will be devouring it with all my energy but I would totally be fine if I am somehow unable to get my hands on the book.

Taking into consideration that I felt great while reading the book, I rate it 4/5 stars.

SPOILER ALERT:

The author added some wonderful changes to the story while highlighting the already known traits of the characters and plots of the OG.

P.S (read as pre-script or should I just say disclaimer?): I’m writing this months after reading the book and it’s a surprise I remember so much. Goes to say how impactful the book was. I think knowing the actual story helps.

Guinevere: I liked how the OG Guinevere was transformed into someone who came in to protect the kind and is the daughter of Merlin. I was waiting for her to cheat but she was pretty loyal except for a few slip ups. We know that she isn’t the actual princess and she is so committed to her cause that she gave up her name to the fire.I also like that she was brave. I’d like to see how she grows in the series.

Arthur: The moment Arthur revealed that he knew Guinevere wasn’t the real Guinevere, I started liking the character. I also liked him better once I found out that this arrangement was to protect Merlin’s daughter and not the other way round. I really want their love to blossom or end. I hate things when they are on a stand-still.

Mordred: The cunning uncle, if I can call him that. I really thought he wanted the best for Guinevere but I also had a feeling he might be working against Arthur. Well, turns out that teensy feeling was right and what a way to prove it. He’s the grand son of the dark queen? Wow!

Brangien: I absolutely love her. The fact that she does a little bit of magic of her own mostly to see that Guinevere is sleeping well speaks highly of her character. I hope her love triumphs.

Lancelot/ The Patchwork Knight: BEST SPOILER ALERT: It is a female. Yeah! That’s right! Talk about adding perfections to the retelling. This is a selling point to me for the book as it comes as such a risky but amazing thing to do. I think I’m writing fan-fic about Lancelot and Guinevere though. That would be an even better thing to happen.

Merlin: Such a grave and mysterious character he is. I also have a feeling that he courted the lady of the lake. May be our Guinevere is the daughter of Merlin and the lake lady and she’s mad that he left her. It’s just a theory but it definitely can be a good addition to this retelling.

The Dark Queen: I am in awe of her power. She commands nature. She thinks she’s right but I think otherwise. I wanna know what Mordred and The queen do eventually. I really need to know what Guinevere does. Will she side with them? Will she destroy them?

“Women are strongest when bearing one another’s pain. We each take a little on ourselves. No one dies, and we all heal together.”

– Kiersten White

REASONS TO READ THE BOOK:

1. A fabulous retelling of the Arthurian legend.
2. Good story telling and narrative
3. LGBTQ +
4. Strong female characters including a knight who beats all the male knights in combat
5. Easy read
6. Subtle but good twists and surprises that will keep you hooked

CONS:

1. It is a trilogy, which means it ends on a cliffhanger which cannot always be good
2. I would rather have this as a standalone given that it is a retelling

“Sometimes we have to hide from what others see in order to be what we know we are.”

– Kiersten White

“Here the clock in the hall dredged up seconds like stones and dropped them again into the pool of the day, letting each ripple widen before the next one fell.”

– Bridget Collins

Specifics:

Book: The Binding

Author: Bridget Collins

Published: 10th January’19

Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Alternate history, Fantasy Fiction

Publisher: The Borough Press, an imprint of HarperCollins

Pages: 448

My rating: 3/5

Blurb:

Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever.

Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored.

But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.

An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic.

“We take memories and bind them. Whatever people can’t bear to remember. Whatever they can’t live with. We take those memories and put them where they can’t do any more harm. That’s all books are.’ Finally I met her eyes.”

– Bridget Collins

Review:

Among all the common premises that books revolve around, binding was a breath of fresh air. The premise was so thought provoking.  I was hooked from the moment I got to read the blurb. It promised an amazing story that would steal our hearts. I am not sure if it lived up to my expectations though.

The art of binding is something out of the box. Who would have thought that this is a point of view that could be explored and it was in its own sense, mesmerizing.

The book is divided into three parts that starts off with a basic story where Emmett Farmer is on the journey to discovering his true calling. The story is not that gripping as the blurb makes it feel like. But it isn’t boring either. An effort is needed to keep reading though. The first part felt a bit stretched out. But it does leave us on a note where we want the lead character to win in whatever his quest is.

The second part stole my heart. It was so good. I went through so many emotions while reading it that I needed to finish up the book and find out what would happen. The plot thickens and now the lead has more than one quest to accomplish. I started feeling that the ending wouldn’t even be close to what I was beginning to imagine.

The part three was disappointing. It started off well but I had so much anxiety as the pages were nearing the end and nothing was being sorted. Halfway through it and I knew that I would not be happy with how the story ends. It showed so much promise but it ended up feeling like just another YA romance fiction.

The characters were well structured. I loved the ones the author wanted us to love and loathed the ones that the author wanted us to loathe. Emmett and Seredith were amazing. Lucian was admirable too. The writing was easy to follow and smooth.

Just for the sake of the ending, I rate the book 3/5.

Spoilers ahead:

Talking about the story and characters below and this will have spoilers, so do not read if you have not read the book or not wish to have spoilers.

The love story is beautiful and devastating at the same time. I am all in for pride lovers.  My only problem with the book is that it turned out to be just another love story.

Part One was slow but it revealed so much. I loved the bond that Seredith and Emmett shared. I hated De Havilland from the time he entered the plot. I knew he was cunning and I hated his guts. The fact that he was Seredith’s son made him even worse for all that he did to her and her teachings. But part one had so many reveals that it builds up the readers interests. There is a lot of domestic abuse and sexual assault in that world and the fact that the sacred art of binding was being used to cover up the crimes made my blood burn. I hated Seredith’s death. She deserved better.

Part Two was so good. It is why I gave the book 2/3 of the stars that I managed to give it. I wanted everything to fall into place in the end. I felt pity for Emmett’s family that wanted his sister to marry Lucian just so that she wouldn’t have to live the poor life that they are living. I loathed them for announcing that they are ready to act like Emmett isn’t gay. My heart sank with Emmett’s at their disapproval and ignorance. In the end, I wanted them to find each other. This part put so many things into perspective. I loved it.

Part Three was such a bummer. I knew it wasn’t going to end well. Being from Lucian’s point of view, it did extenuate Lucian Darney’s character and we got to know him better. But, I felt like we deserved more insights into his past to understand why he was so scared of his father. But, they found each other in the end and even though it was an open-ended conclusion, I was a tad-bit happy. Also, de Havillands’s murder and the atrocities that Lucian’s father committed while his wife acted like she didn’t notice were a cruel but good addition to the story. They kind of reflected on how easy it is for the upper class to continue as they wish. I feel poorly for Lucian’s bride who was left at the altar. She only asked him to be kind to him and he could have told her the truth or at least something that would matter but he didn’t. She did not deserve it.

I am utterly disappointed that nothing was done to protect the art of binding. Nothing was done to avenge Seredith’s death and to fulfill her wish of protecting Binding in its true form. It felt like it’s gone forever and I hated it. I also felt like Binding was not even the heart of the story.

“somehow it went from too soon to too late, without the right moment in between.”

– Bridget Collins

Coming to the characters:

Emmett Farmer is one of the few reasons I could not get myself to hate the book. He was such a care free spirit and a beautiful person. I can see myself being friends with him. His love for Seredith and her ways, for Lucian showed how pure he is from his heart. I wanted him to be a hero that saves the day but he could not be that in a true sense. He gets his true love back with a fight against circumstances so, maybe he ended up a hero after all.  His character is very well constructed.

Seredith, the one true artisan alive in her field is an old lady who works for no one but the honour of her gift – Binding. I felt her motherly instincts towards Emmett. She was so intense with what she did. She wanted Emmett to learn everything and she wanted him to not stray from the true path. I really wish that her death would have had some meaning. We do not even know if it was murder.

Lucian Darney, our sweet boy using a cover to protect his true self from the world. He is so many things and has made so many wrong choices but he is the character that was the closest to reality. I would have liked him better if he had a little bit of a back story though.

The Art of Binding:

Props to the author for creating such an elaborate world for the story. She did it so well. For starters, Binding is an art where the Binders help to take away painful memories and write them down in the form of a book. The person does not remember anything, not even that he has been bound. The basic rule of binding is that the person should be willing to be bound. However, in the story, like in the real world, it was being misused to cover up crimes like rape, incest, murder and what not.

“Which was worse? To feel nothing, or to grieve for something you no longer remembered? Surely when you forgot, you’d forget to be sad, or what was the point? And yet that numbness would take part of your self away, it would be like having pins-and-needles in your soul “

– Bridget Collins

Reasons to read the book:

1. A fresh and unique premise
2. Easy story telling
3. LGBTQ literature
4. Well built characters

Cons:

1. Does not live up to the expectations.
2. Can be triggering for a few people with all the violence and assault
3. The grip on the story wanes away as we come to the end

“May your darkness be quiet and the light come sooner than you need!”

– Bridget Collins

“A tale is a funny thing, and even when it’s your own and you have a quill in your hand you must be careful where you touch it.”

– Laird Hunt

Specifics:

Book: In the house in the dark of the woods

Author: Laird Hunt

Published: 16th Oct’18

Genre: Horror fiction, Psychological fiction, Historical fantasy

Publisher: ONE (Pushkin press)

Pages: 210

My rating: 3/5

Blurb:

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS AND WASN’T A WOMAN WHO WENT TO THE WOODS.

In this dark fairy tale, a young woman sets off to pick berries in the depths of the forest, but can’t find her way home again. Or perhaps she has fled and abandoned her family. Or perhaps she’s been kidnapped, and set loose to wander in the wildness. Alone and possibly lost, she meets another woman who offers her help. Then everything changes.

On a journey that will take her to the depths of the witch-haunted woods, through a deep well wet with the screams of men, on a living ship made of human bones, our heroine may find that the evil she flees has been inside her all along.

DEDICATION:

Deep into that darkness peering,

Long I stood there

Wondering, fearing

REVIEW:

Let us say that we take Alice in Wonderland and put it in a blender with a few famous scenes from other fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, add a considerable amount of gore, confusion and horror and a pinch of surprise – the blend is basically the gist of this book.

For most part, the only thing I felt while reading the book was confusion. It starts off really well, with a very good fairy tale kind of vibe but as we dig deeper, it slowly blends into mystery, thrill, horror and gore. It doesn’t exactly feel like a wicked or dark twist to a fairy tale. It rather feels like a fairy tale happening in an alternate universe.

It is set in the era of witchcraft in colonial America/England (There are sources suggesting both but I lean on the latter). Like the blurb says, a woman is lost in the woods, and how, is a mystery that is left for us to figure out. While this is intriguing, it does become sort of monotonous and thus, boring.

The book also keeps flashing back to Goody’s past and connects it to the present. While it was a good narrative, in a few parts, it only adds to the confusion.

The only reason I ended up finishing the book is that it is small and I was halfway through already. But, I think it was a good choice because it wasn’t a bad read, it just requires a lot of your attention to remember and keep track of everything that is happening and judge the same.

The slump mid-way can be annoying but it is totally worth finishing. I also think that it requires an intellect that I do not have to fall in love with the book.

I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

“For there are things in this world that you think will never come to pass that will rob you of your voice for nothing but the joy of them when suddenly they do.”

– Laird Hunt

SPOILERS AHEAD:

Few things that will forever be embedded in my mind are definitely the murders that Goody has committed. The ease with which she discusses her past and also manages to behave like really good wife and mother is worth talking about.

Instead of writing about the plot and characters, this time I have theories, so let’s jump into them.

MY THEORIES:

THEORY 1: According to my dumb brain, this story is the game that Goody and Eliza play in Eliza’s home come to reality.

So, there are a few characters:

1. Goody, the humble mother and wife with an abusive mother who would beat her and her father

2. Eliza, a woman who left her family to live in the woods with a house that has a stream nearby and a cellar and is good with herbs

3. Captain Jane who is a brave soldier of the woods, that helps those that are lost and also has a flying ship made up of human bones and skin

4. Granny Someone, who is a weak witch that wanders around selling things (necklaces) she makes from raw materials she picks up from the woods and apparently traps people

5. A beautiful man who isn’t a man that traps kids luring them with music (I honestly, do not recollect) and puts them in a dark cellar after turning them into pigs

6. A red boy who has control over everyone at the forest, especially Eliza.

While at Eliza’s house, Eliza and Goody play a game where they act out a story and switch characters abruptly. For example, consider Alice in wonderland! 1 is Alice, 2 is the hatter, 3 is queen of hearts, and 4 is Cheshire cat and so on… The game begins with allotted roles that are interchanged as the game goes on.

Similarly, the above mentioned characters excluding the last two are interchanged. Once Goody decides to stay at Eliza’s house, Goody becomes Eliza, Eliza becomes Captain Jane, Captain Jane becomes Granny Someone and I guess someone new becomes Goody and Granny someone falls asleep or dies.

---

THEORY 2: Goody, most probably due to the abusive and unstable childhood is a psychopathic cold blooded murderer who hallucinates the entire story and probably is the one who built the ship made of human bones and skin with the remnants of her victims.

---

“There are no poor men. Not even among the wretches.”

– Laird Hunt

Reasons to read the book:

1. It is a dark and eerie twist to a fairy tale
2. A unique writing style
3. Will put your mind to work
4. It’s a unique blend of fantasy, thriller and gore.
5. Weirdly strong female character/’s

Cons:

1. Confusing to a large extent
2. Violence might act as a trigger to those vulnerable
3. Can be one of those books DNF’d due to boredom/confusion
4. Hits a plateau midway and then it’s hard to keep reading but gets interesting by the end

“There was magic in wanting to see a thing that has been marvelously described.”

– Laird Hunt

“Life is full of contradictions. We crave security and independence in equal measures.”

– Twinkle Khanna

Specifics:

Book: Mrs Funnybones

Author: Twinkle Khanna

Published: 18th Aug’15

Genre: Humour, Autobiography

Publisher: Penguin India

Pages: 248

My rating: 2.5/5

Blurb:

Mrs Funnybones is a compilation of satirical stories written by Twinkle Khanna for various newspapers. The book captures some hilarious incidences in her daily life and her amusing take on each of them.

Humour: The author has an opinion about everything and she presents most of her thoughts in a humorous way.

Almost everyone has a similar family story in India and this is what Mrs Funnybones or rather Twinkle Khanna pokes fun at. The husband who’s the “man of the house”, the crazy mothers in law, friends and of course the constant jibes at her weight make it an intriguing read. Everything comes together to leave the reader cackling away in laughter.

“Our little satellite reached Mars because it was called MOM. If it was called DAD, it would still be circling the Earth, lost, but not willing to ask for directions.”

– Twinkle Khanna

Review:

Detailing the funniest versions of the day to day life in her household, Twinkle Khanna manages to steal a few laughs with her book. Her writing style is very much blog-like. Since it is not a work of fiction, I think that is acceptable.

The book is divided into 26 chapters which each begin with the respective letter of the alphabets. While it was clever, some of them were not justified.

Each chapter has a funny story, thought or list to begin with. Some of those were hilarious. I cannot say the same about all 26 of them though.

It is labeled as Humour or an autobiography. While some of the humour was evident, it was nothing close to an autobiography. We do not exactly learn anything about her personal life or her work. That was a tat bit disappointing. There is no connection between the chapters what so ever.

The book can be best described as a recollection of some of the incidents that have happened in the author’s life. Not all of them were funny, not all of them made sense.

The author’s personality surely shows off in it though. She is a strong and a vibrant woman, very effortlessly managing her work, her children and the responsibilities that accompany hailing from a famous family. She definitely has a sense of humour and is strong-willed. She is an inspiration.

Overall, the book was an easy read that can be finished in a single sitting and while it had its share of good jokes, it feels forced.

I rate it 2.5/5.

“Love in any relationship, family or an intimate friendship, is only about putting the other person’s needs ahead of your own, and that, my friend, is just as simple and as complex as you make it.”

– Twinkle Khanna

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. Easy read (can finish in one sitting)
2. Can get you out of a reader’s-block
3. Will make you laugh

Cons:

1. Forced humour
2. Writing is more suited for a blog
3. Not an autobiography

“nothing in life is sacred except laughter”

– Twinkle Khanna

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

– Brigid Kemmerer

Specifics:

Book: A Curse so dark and lonely

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Published: 29th Jan’2019

Genre: YA Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fairy Tale

Series: The Cruse-Breaker #1

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 512

My rating: 3.5/5

Blurb:

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall … and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

” It is not the moment of passing that is most important. It is all the moments that come before.”

– Brigid Kemmerer

Review:

A highly recommended and rated retelling of beauty and the beast, ACSDAL was on my reading list from the time the holo book spine caught my eye. I have mixed feelings about the book. Was it over-hyped? Probably not! But it hasn’t met my expectations even to a 50%.

First of all, I felt like it initially had a lot of clichés and was predictable. The story telling was average at best and the choices of the characters were annoying. What redeemed the book for me was the last few chapters. I liked that it was much more than just a love story. It had loyalty, love, friendship, trust and the importance of family embedded in the story. It ended with a nice and alluring plot-twist.

The story is narrated from two point of views. One is Harper and the other is Prince Rhen. It does not get confusing or monotonous. It feels good to have different perspectives of the same situations at times.

The story reveals that a curse has Prince Rhen stuck in a loop of one season which has him turn into a monster and destroy everything around him and that can only be broken by true love. He has been trying to break it since forever with the help of the woman that his royal guard, Grey procures from the real world but to no avail. And during his most desperate times which happen to be the last season of the curse, they accidentally conjure Harper who is the most unlikely option to break the curse.

I am gonna assume that you have guessed the rest of the story and you are mostly right. Except for the fact that there is war involved and Prince Rhen finally decided to give up on the curse and fight for his people. That is the best part of the story.

Apart from the annoying character choice in the middle of the book, everything else made up to a good read.

I rate the book 3.5/5.

Spoiler alert:

Since I have already covered major parts of the story, I want to jump right into the characters:

Harper: She is strong, fierce and bold but she was somehow the most annoying part of the story. She does redeem herself with her choices in the end. She loves her family even though she knows that it is broken. She is given a choice to save her family or to save a kingdom and like a boss, she does both. In the end, I happened to like her a little.

Prince Rhen: Ugh! I can’t be the only one who feels like he’s selfish and that I hate him so much. I just can’t get over the fact that he is so annoying. I don’t know why I feel so. I know a lot of people have crazy opposite thoughts. But let’s see what book 2 has in store.

Grey: My favourite character from the series and I say series because I have hope that he will definitely be more important in part II. I would even like Rhen if he accepts Grey’s legacy and gives up the throne to him. I really want Grey and Harper to end up together though.

Lilith: This was probably the worst rendition of Lilith that I have come across. From what I have seen before (In chilling adventures of Sabrina and Lucifer specially) Lilith is painted to be evil but strong. In the book, there was no proper reason for the curse and Lilith only inflicted pain for a reason that was not very clear. I would have liked the book better if there was a stronger back story.

The other character worth mentioning are Flora and Zo who both become good friends and confidants of Harper and are strong women, Jake and Noah who are the epitome of love and Noah is a portrayed really well as the physician (given the situation in India, the respect that he gets as the healer is worth projecting) and Jamison who is a powerful and faithful soldier despite the fact that he only has one arm.

I think that I will try and pickup the next part given that the potential chance of Grey being the legal heir to Emberfall has been revealed. We also get a glimpse that he might not really be interested in over-shadowing Prince Rhen and I would like to see how it goes. The good part is that the author tied up the entire story by making the monster help Harper win the war against Karis Luran before the curse is actually broken.

“Failure isn’t absolute, just because you couldn’t save everyone doesn’t mean you didn’t save anyone!”

– Brigid Kemmerer

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. Good retelling of beauty and the beast
2. Shows strong family relations
3. Powerful values like trust, loyalty and sacrifice are covered
4. Strong female characters
5. LGBTQ literature
6. Has the map of Emberfall

Cons:

1. Gets annoying mid-way
2. Predictable to some extent
3. The cliff-hanger is not much promising

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

– Brigid Kemmerer

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”

– Leigh Bardugo

Specifics:

Book: Crooked Kingdom

Published: 2016

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Young adult fiction, Fantasy Fiction

Series: Six of Crows, Duology

Publisher of the Collectors Edition: Orion Children’s Books

Pages: 546

My rating: 5/5

Before getting on with this, my review for Six of Crows can be found here : Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Blurb:

Kaz Brekker and his crew pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies and hope.

As old rivals and new enemies descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of Jurda Parem – a dangerous substance capable of altering the very fabric of Grisha magic – Kaz’s cunning and his team’s fragile loyalties are tested to their limit.

A war will be waged within the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the future of magic and the fate of the world.

“And that was what destroyed you in the end: the longing for something you could never have.”

– Leigh Bardugo

Review:

It’s over! I’ve finally finished the book! Finally finished the series! After putting it off for over half a year and the last chapter for over two days, I now am a certified Six of Crows series veteran.

The series is so well constructed and well written, I didn’t want it to be over. This is an absolute masterpiece that every fantasy reader or otherwise should give a try. It definitely appeals to the masses in a way I haven’t seen any other series do.

I can’t seem to find anything wrong with it. Anything that doesn’t fit right. It has suspense, drama, flashbacks, romance, revenge, righteousness, selfless love, all the cunning in the world, family, friendship and action. And mix all of that in the right amounts with a near perfect writing style, you get six of crows, the duology.

I’ve already highlighted how much I adore that Leigh Bardugo chose to have a lead character who has embraced his disability and made it his strength in the review of six of crows. In this book, she takes it to a next level.

It is definitely not a fast read but it is that kind of a book where the story is so gripping that you would put off your life to finish it. Continuing the narrative from its first part, we also see a lot of Wylan and I loved that.

The book starts off with the gang trying to rescue Inej and it is followed by their master-plan of getting the money that they were promised while also taking revenge on Pekka Rollins and Jan Van Eck.

It is not a story where the leads are the most intelligent people and get everything they’ve ever wanted or planned for. They are clever, yes, but frequently outwitted and up their game to finally achieve their goals.

There was the right amount of flashback and surprises in the first part but Crooked Kingdom gives us more. The plot twists are to die for. The romance is so subtle yet so intriguing.

There are heartbreaks too. This is not a book that gives all its characters a happy ending. It does give all of them a purpose though.

The story takes place again in Ketterdam and it’s perfectly explained in detail. I love checking the maps that are given in between reading the book whenever a place is mentioned.

This is also one of those series where the part II is equally good as the part I if not better.

I’m sad it’s over. But, the story does end on a note where a lot of spin offs can happen, so, I’m gonna be optimistic and hope that Queen Leigh has more in store for us.

I rate the book, 5/5 stars!

Spoiler Alert:

I did not expect any of the twists that were thrown my way. The best out of them being The merchant counsel showing up and in the end turning out to be actors. First of all, the merchant counsel came in and I thought that the entire plan was going down the drains but it somehow worked out so I was happy. But after finding out that it was just an act and only a few of them were tide-makers made me laugh like a crazy lunatic.

Inej being tortured was something I couldn’t bear to read. I really wanted to un-gut Jan Van Eck and feed his insides to the wolves. I’m glad how every member of their gang was ready to do anything to get Inej back.

Alys is such a sweet little girl. I feel like this is a child marriage and that Alys was just wedded off to Van Eck because of his money and power and she had no choice other than to love him. I would have loved finding out more about her and her child.

Wylans mother is alive and his inability to read is probably why she’s in the asylum. I feel like this was a very important addition to the story that made us connect to Wylan’s emotions. He does get her back and we learn that she is slowly recovering.

Pekka Rollins joining hands with Van Eck to sabotage Kaz was unexpected too. I love how kaz still saw a way around this. Especially conning Pekka about burying his son and giving him nightmares goes to show how observant and clever Kaz is. Pekka doesn’t even remember Jacob’s name and that really sucks.

Van Eck is in jail. Rightfully so and everyone and everything is against him. Wylan has all his property and with the help of Jesper is managing it fine. I definitely hope they have kids some day.

Jesper learns to embrace his powers and also realises that may be, just may be his addictions were a way of his disuse of power making him weak. He also realises that he’s a shooter because he can direct the bullets with his power. He finally decides to put the money he earned in his father’s name and moves in with Wylan.

Nina and Mathias deserved better. There’s no way that Mathias has died. I really want Nina to master the art of waking up the dead and bring back Mathias to life. But she does promise to bury him in the ice and true love is the best.

Inej has found her form of true love too. Kaz has not only bought off her agreement and set her free but also procured her a boat. She proves that no matter how well trained anyone is, she is the wraith and no one can beat her. She however decided to start eliminating slavers from Ketterdam with the help of Kaz. He also gets her family to Ketterdam and it’s the best thing ever.

“Suffering is like anything else. Live with it long enough, you learn to like the taste.”

– Leigh Bardugo

Coming to the characters I haven’t described in my review of Six of Crows:

Kuwei Yul-Bo: The son of Bo Yul-Bo, the maker of Jurda Parem, he’s the most wanted person in the Grishaverse since he remains the only person left who knows the secrets to uncovering the recipe of Jurda Parem. He is a grisha himself and is an Inferni. I guess he’s gay becasue he does make sketches of Jesper and kisses him back when Jesper mistakes him for Wylan. He decides to sacrifice himself to protect the crows but they end up saving him and sending him to Ravka.

Colm Fahey: The best father award goes to… Mr Colm Fahey who has spent his entire life trying to protect Jesper from his own powers. He lost his wife who was a Grisha and doesn’t want to lose his son. He somehow adopts all the crows and accepts to take the risky job of pretending to be Jacob Hertzoon to con Jan Van-Eck. He is so happy with Wylan and Jesper being together.

“Sometimes, the only way to get justice is to take it for yourself.”

– Leigh Bardugo

Reasons to pick up the book:

1. An adventure filled fantasy that is sure to leave you wanting for more
2. A mix of strong characters
3. lgbtq plus literature
4. a very good ending to the duology
5. doesn’t seem far fetched ( which is highly important)
6. empowering
7. projects good values
8. a subtle dig at the rich running the world in their evil ways.

Cons:

1. I’m not sure I’ll find something as catchy as this
2. There is death which may be a trigger
3. Some love stories have a sad ending and I wish it wasn’t so for one of the pairs.

“Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.”

– Leigh Bardugo

“I was no one’s sacrifice. Not then. Not now. Not ever.”

– Shelby Mahurin

Specifics:

Book: Serpent and Dove

Author: Shelby Mahurin

Published: 3rd September’2019

Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Romance novel

Series: Serpent and Dove #1

Publisher: Harper teen, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

Pages: 513

My rating: 5/5

Blurb:

A witch and a witch hunter bound in holy matrimony.

There was only one way such a story could end –

A STAKE AND A MATCH.

~~~

BOUND AS ONE TO LOVE, HONOUR, OR BURN.

Two years ago, LOUISE LE BLANC fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hanted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the church as a Chasseur, REID DIGGORY has lived his life by one principal: Thou shall not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union – holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

AND LOVE MAKES FOOLS OF US ALL.

“There are some things that can’t be changed with words. Some things have to be seen. They have to be felt.”

– Shelby Mahurin

Review:

This was a very smooth and easy read. It was so gripping that I couldn’t keep it down. I am in love with everything about this book. This is why it became my first 5 star read of the year 2020.

The premise of the book is alluring in itself. A witch and a witch hunter in holy matrimony? Bring it on! This is a classic enemies-turn-to-lovers kind of a story with a twist. It is not clichéd at all and is one hell of a love story. How I started and finished in less than 3 hours (not in a single sitting though I wish I had three free hours at once), only the author should know. I am craving for books with such writing styles now.

The writing is not only easy to follow but is hilarious. Roll on the floor laughing kind of hilarious! It was so much fun reading the book. The lead characters are so strong and have amazing personalities that are hard to not fall for.

Lou, the witch, is not only clever but is hilarious. I was afraid that like many other books, the strong female lead will end up becoming sulky and dependent on her love once she finds one. This however did not happen in the book and props to the author for that. Reid, the witch hunter, while is true to his believes, has a heart of his own and the book builds up to him following his heart instead of what he is fed since birth. The other characters were beautifully sculpted too. Every character’s traits were clearly shining and everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.

The story, set in ancient France, has a very strong world that it is built around. It is set in a time where Chasseurs protect their city by burning the witches at the stake and the witches retaliate by planning to bring the kingdom down. With an unexpected turn of events, Lou and Reid are forced to get married or be punished for their mistakes. They choose the former and it is followed by a jaw-hurting bickering that ends up in a beautiful love story. But, just like any classic bollywood movie (yes, I am comparing it with one), enters a twist in the plot testing the love between Lou and Reid. And what amazing of a twist it is!

The rest of the story is fabulous with them fighting for each other and to save the world. The author also manages to give us a few very major heart attacks with twists that are so unexpected. The ending had me amused. There was a cliff hanger though and I cannot wait for the next part to be out.

There are some parts that may be triggering to a few people. There is violence, sex, abuse of drugs which are a part of the story but if you can get over that, definitely worth reading.

I rate this book, 5/5 stars.

“Wicked are the ways of women—and especially a witch. Their guile knows no bounds.”

– Shelby Mahurin

Spoiler alert:

The plot, the characters and the twists in the plot were like daggers in my mind. Spoilers ahead, kindly skip to avoid them.

First of all, the characters! They were really well built and grew quite a bit through the book. I adored so many of them. There were such strong and powerful beings.

Lou aka Louise le Blanc, the sole heir to the La Dame des Sorcieres (aka the queen of the Dame Blanche witches) is the hilarious little devil that not only stole Reid’s heart but mine too. She has such a strong and vibrant persona that is so addictive. I feel terrible for how her mother has treated her and also for the fact that the other witches believe that her sacrifice would be a noble deed. I love how she does everything that she is asked not to (spoke to my soul, that trait of her) and that she was always willing to (if not looking for) take risks.

Reid Diggory, the man of the house! I despised him in the beginning. I knew I will grow to love him but I just couldn’t get myself to like him from the beginning. I, however, understood that he was just brought up with so much hate around him and those surroundings gave him a home and that he was never pushed to think otherwise. Finding out that his mother (Madame Labelle) was a Dame Blanche too and that he was probably the first male witch were pivotal twists in the story. Moreover, he is a bastard child of the king Auguste? Couldn’t get any better, can it? I cannot wait to see him grow more in the coming books.

Ansel! Sweet and cute and adorable Ansel! To think that he might have grown up to be another Reid Diggory if not for his early exposure to Lou makes me cringe. I am glad he chose to see the reality and to make his own choices instead of blindly believing what he was being thought.

Coco aka Cosette Monvoison, a witch of another species, the Dame Rouge (witches that used blood magic) was BRILLIANT. That is the word! Intelligent and clever, the way she risks her life to infiltrate the Chasseur’s tower as Brie Perrot just to stay close to her friend in case she gets into any danger speaks abundantly about her fierce mannerisms. Connected with her o

The plot twists, holy mother of God! My favourite part was how Lou and Reid were linked in death too. Lou’s death would have killed the king and all his kin which included Reid. Also the part where the Archbishop, even though strongly believed in the downfall of witches, chose his love for his daughter over his beliefs and did everything he could to protect her.

While the story seems complete, the book does end on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2.

The book definitely has an amazingly strong and hilarious plot and is a must read for someone who loves magic, humour and romance.

“Our lives reflect our hearts.”

– Shelby Mahurin

Reasons to read the book:

1. It’s hilarious
2. Very smooth writing stule
3. Strong characters
4. Beautiful Love Story
5. Heartbreaking twists that will keep you wanting for more.

Cons:

1. You might have a stomach ache form laughing
2. It does end on a cliff hanger (not with any lose threads though)
3. Has triggering stuff like violence, sex, drugs.
4. Book 2 does not come out until (Blood and Honey) won’t be out until July 28th this year.

“Maybe men can learn a thing or two from women.”

– Shelby Mahurin