Book Reviews

One of Us is Lying

Quick summary: Who knew teenagers could be so psychotic?!
Rating: ★★★★★

Try this if you like: Agatha Christie, Riverdale & true-crime documentaries.

Catwoman: Soulstealer

Quick summary: Giving ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ a whole new meaning.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Try this series if you like: DC Comics (obvs), Cassandra Clare, Daniel José Older, Richelle Mead

In this rewrite of DC’s Catwoman, we are re-introduced to the badass anti-hero Selina Kyle, and her ‘band of merry men’, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. We also meet Luke Fox as the ex-military do-gooder, Batwing.

Truthwitch

Quick summary: Sisters before misters, *KAPOW*!
Rating: ★★★★★
Try this series if you like: Sara Raasch, Renée Ahdieh, Kendare Blake and Laini Taylor.

This book is 479 pages of brilliant, completely enjoyable writing. You have to take this opening novel of The Witchlands series as it is – a light fantasy with sparks of romance, high-octane adventure and a sister-bond between two female witches. It is fun, easy to read, and puts friendship above all else, which is a nice angle that you don’t always see in YA Fantasy.

Three Dark Crowns

Quick summary: Dark, savage and mesmerising. 
Rating: ★★★★★
Try this series if you like: V.E Schwab, Neal Shusterman and Susan Dennard.

I bought and finished this book in two evenings worth of reading. The transitions between the points of view of the three sisters keeps you flipping the pages.

The Remnant Chronicles

Quick summary: Marmite series. I loved it, some people hate it, everyone should try it. 
Rating: ★★★★☆
Try this series if you like: Laini Taylor, Veronica Roth & Holly Black

The thing that really drew me to the series in the first place is that for a substantial part of the first novel, we know that Lia is being hunted by an Assassin and a Prince, but we don’t know which of the two men is which. There is a big sense of intrigue throughout the series, and I think this makes up for the fact that there is less magic present throughout than you might expect for a fantasy series. 

The Dark Artifices

Quick Summary: Demons, faeries and a little bit of sizzle.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Try this series if you like: J.K Rowling, Sarah J Maas, Holly Black

The Dark Artifices series does not differ greatly from The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices. There are obviously developments in the plot and the world-building, but overall if you like the Shadowhunter world, you will like this series. If you don’t, then you probably won’t.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Quick Summary: Be right back, off to dye my hair blue.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Laini Taylor scores a home run with this trilogy. It has everything a YA Fantasy novel should have. Thrilling adventure, friends who would cross worlds for each other, spine-tingling romance and epic writing.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Quick summary: A whodunnit murder mystery on steroids
Rating: ★★★★☆

I got recommended this book in a book spa experience at Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights (review of this experience coming up soon!), and I’ve been excited to read it ever since – I was very much not disappointed!

Anna, Lola and Isla

Quick summary: Romantic, relaxing and bloody cute!
Rating: ★★★★★

I’m part hopeless romantic, part skeptic. This series threw me RIGHT off the deep end into romance land. It fuelled my wanderlust to an unbelievable level and I found myself underlining places in France that I wanted to visit and books they mentioned I wanted to read.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Quick summary: Romantic, unpredictable, and
addictive
Rating: ★★★★☆

I think the real genius lies in the gentle unraveling of the novels. We slowly find out conversations that have happened without us knowing, and morsels of the character’s stories are revealed at intermittent points.

Slated

Quick summary: Enthralling, psychological and unpredictable.
Rating: ★★★★★

I read Slated for the first time when I was about 14, and I don’t think I fully appreciated it. When I came back to this book, and finished the whole trilogy this year, it held a stronger poignancy and solemnity that I completely missed last time. With the dystopian undertones that hit close to home, this series was disturbing, intense and highly enjoyable!