New Releases: May 2015 (plus a sneaky one ;))

Quick Notes:

1. Under normal circumstances there'd be more books in a wider variety of genres but I've been stuck for time so unfortunately it's majority fantasy for May. Hope you still enjoy and can find a book you want to read :)
2. If there's a book you see on this list that you want me to review, comment and I'll make sure I add it to my list!

Click on the picture of any book to visit its Goodreads!

In order of appearance left to right, top to bottom.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Release: May 5th 2015
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge Release: May 5th 2015
Illusionarium by Heather Dixon Release: May 19th 2015 (I am way too excited to read this book!)
Compendium by Alia Luria Release: May 5th 2015
Nil Unlocked (Nil #2) by Lynne Matson Release: May 12th 2015
The Guardian, A Sword & Stilettos by Kristin D. Van Risseghem Release: May 20th 2015 (This one looks like a bit of fun lol)
The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass Release: May 5th 2015
The Reaper's Daughter by K.M. Randall Release: May 9th 2015 (View the review HERE)
Dragonfriend by Marc Secchia Release: tbc (The kindle version is already out HERE. From what I've gathered it will be coming out in paperback, however I'm not certain when. I'm putting it in the May releases under the assumption that it won't be too far off. And because I'm reading it at the moment and am more than slightly obsessed with it.)



Abi Ainley

Review (MUST READ): The Dragon Children - The Prophecy by Hannah Byrnes

The Dragon Children - The Prophecy

by Hannah Byrnes

You know those books? The ones where you’re like:
“Why did you end? I did not permit this! Continue! Now!”
So, yeah… excuse me; I’m suffering from book buzz syndrome.

Bridget and Kai are about as opposite as you could imagine. Bridget is a feisty young girl with ambitions to become a knight. She was brought up in a family of travellers, is home-schooled, and her best friend seems to be a white pony named Robber. On the other hand, Kai is a shy and forcefully studious young boy, who lives under pressure from his eccentric father to get a “successful” job, when in reality he aspires to become a healer like his mother. The characters get brought to a seemingly impossible land called Dragonreach where the last two remaining dragons, Seralak and Mirsoth, reside. Bridget and Kai must learn the ancient secrets of runes and legends in order to defeat the evil that threatens to wipe out all belief in magic.

There is so much I would like to say about this book, I don’t know where to start! One thing that amazed me about this book and the main reason, I think, why it left so much longing for more, is the enchanting and enticing imagery used consistently throughout the story. Every landscape, every dragon and every mechanical animal: my imagination went wild in a way it hasn’t done in a long time. Even as I'm writing this, I’m still imagining the soaring dragons; the swish of Calidori’s hair; the shattered lake; and the whirring mechanical crows. I really haven’t read anything this beautiful in a long, long time.

The characters… don’t even get me started on the characters. One thing I noted down in my notebook, was: “Where did the personalities come from?”. Where did the personalities come from? In most books there’s always a bit of obvious “Jim held a constant uneasy smile” or “Jane was a bouncy young character” but no. Not here. Here, the characters just happen to have the most 3D and unique personalities and could easily be real people. Where did they come from? We may never know. By far my favourite character is Calidori. I actually wrote in my notebook at chapter two: “More Dr Calidori please! Such swagger much wow.” When he brought Bridget and Kai to Dragonreach in the beginning, I prayed that he would come back later on in the book. And oh boy did he come back. Alongside the biggest plot twist ever that made me feel like a simpleton because, seriously, there were clues. There were clues and I didn't even bother to notice them!

I have to add a bit of constructive criticism as I do in all of my reviews, so what I have to say is solely to do with the first chapter/prologue. I'm halfway to blaming this on the fact that I was adjusting to the writing style after just having finished a tedious adult novel, but I did note down some specific things that didn’t sit with me so well. There was a serious lack of fluidity. The writing seemed a little sporadic, as if the author wasn't quite settled into the writing at this point. If this book is rewritten/re-edited in any way, I hope the first chapter is rewritten. Although, to be honest, I’m kind of just writing this to warn you not to put the book down at the first chapter. It’s not all like that and oh boy does it get better. It really does get better!

Will I buy this book?: YES! Not only do the proceeds go to the magnificent charity, Make A Wish, who organise great experiences for children with life-threatening illnesses, but it’s a blooming great book and you’d be barmy not to buy and read this book!

Abi Ainley

Review: The Watcher in The Shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Watcher in the Shadows

By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Watcher in the Shadows is definitely one of the best novels I have ever read. Set in 1930's Normandy, France, it follows the story of the Sauvelle family, Simone, Irene, and Dorian, who are struggling for money after the death of the father. Then one day, they are introduced to the kind, yet reclusive, toymaker, Lazarus Jann, who welcomes them with open arms. Lazarus lives in a grand building, set in the midst of a dark, mysterious forest. The story seemed to focus on the daughter, Irene, who meets a seclusive boy named Ismael. A good portion of the story focuses on their meagre adventures around the island and the forest, which I personally loved reading about.

        Ismael was probably the most characterised in this novel and his character development was brilliant. It wasn't hard to imagine that he could have been a real person, preferring seclusion but still strong-willed and brave. Dorian, Irene's younger brother, was also an interesting character, with a purposeful resemblance to the reclusive and eccentric toymaker. I noticed quite a bit of foreshadowing and hidden links in this story, which were very exciting to find. Now, I'm not entirely certain if this was intended or not because it seemed to work with the story, but Irene's character definitely seemed only half-there. It was almost as if she were a ghost in the story, the most of her personality veiled beneath a translucent cloak. The reader really didn't get to know this protagonist, but, as I said, it somewhat worked, enhancing the mystery, magic and intrigue that made this story so interesting.

        I must confess, the intrigue in this story beats a lot of what I've seen before. I have seen few people who claim to have experienced this also though, so I'll presume that this is just how my mind works, but the amount of mystery and guessing in this story really made it a whole. Every page, I was making links and guessing what was going to happen next. Every time I put the book down, every way in which the story could pan out appeared in my head. Congratulations to Zafon on this as it was truly outstanding.

        The thing that Zafon succeeded in the most though, was not the mystery, but the way the story grabbed you with sharp claws and drew you into the detailed gothic scenery. Everything was described in a way that painted a tantalising image in the reader's head, full of excitement and wonder. The Cravenmoore house, home of Lazarus Jann, was beautiful. The wonderful and exciting, yet creepy and disturbing, toys and artwork described around the house made it almost impossible to look away, drawing the reader into a swirling abyss.

        The tone of this book was very gothic and somewhat drab, but it worked wonderfully. I cried at one point and even laughed at one point, but the ominous nature of this book is really what made it such a thrilling read.

        The only thing I could really complain about with this book is the fact that it's a children's book. Maybe the childishness was what made the atmosphere so intriguing, but really I think this story is...
Oh nevermind, I'm trying to argue a point I don't really agree with and it's not working! This book was perfect. The only thing it really lacked was a bit of viscosity but I feel like I can hardly complain about that when the rest of it completely outweighed that fact.

        I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, but I have to say, after lending this to my mum, I want to snatch it back very selfishly. I can tell you now, this is a book you will be very selfish about; this will be your story that will be shared with no one!


Abi Ainley