Harry Potter Covers from Around the World: New Dutch Covers

These are gorgeous, very simple but very inviting, all of them make perfect sense to me except number 3 and 6. Can anyone else shed light on what they represent. For the third one, possibly the walls of Azkaban. But the 6th one has me completely stumped.

ARC Review: The Jumbies

A spine-tingling tale rooted in Caribbean folklore that will have readers holding their breath as they fly through its pages.

Corinne La Mer isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters parents make up to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest. Those shining yellow eyes that followed her to the edge of the trees, they couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger speaking to the town witch at the market the next day, she knows something unexpected is about to happen. And when this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, cooking dinner for Corinne’s father, Corinne is sure that danger is in the air. She soon finds out that bewitching her father, Pierre, is only the first step in Severine’s plan to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and save her island home.

With its able and gutsy heroine, lyrical narration, and inventive twist on the classic Haitian folktale “The Magic Orange Tree,” The Jumbies will be a favorite of fans of Breadcrumbs, A Tale Dark and Grimm, and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice easy to read children’s story. I think that it could have flowed a little better and the characters could have had more depth but other than that I really enjoyed it.

The story was exciting and is the kind that would be loved by children of all ages. I loved hoe Corrine was nice to animals (except scorpions) and she showed the same kindness to people. She wasn’t scared of stories that every one told her, she was practical and a great main character to read about.

The setting wash lush and exotic, I want to dive right in. I think it’s a great testament to the author when a reader wants to visit the setting and can imagine it clearly in their head.

It was good to see strong supportive adults who looked after the children even if they didn’t help them in their adventure.

3 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter Covers from Around the World: M.S. Corley

These covers were created by M.S. Corley. Oh my they are pretty, modern and so eye catching. The one for the fourth book is probably my favourtite. But I would be happy to have them all on my shelf. It took me a little while to work out what the 6th one was about, but once I did, it made complete sense 🙂

Harry Potter Covers from around the World: Japan

These are simplistic yet very pretty. Not sure what the big stone head is in the second book or why Hagrid is so small in the last one. But I can see why these are appealing. I would be happy to have these on my shelf. I like the fifth one especially, if you have read it, it’s a great symbol but if not it doesn’t give anything away.

Would you read these books?

Happy Potter Covers from around the World: Italy

I am not too keen on these ones. I am not sure where the mice came from in the first one, but it doesn’t really makes sense. The others are not so bad, but there are others I still prefer. The second one has a family book instead of a car. Little bit strange.

Would buy these ones? What do you think of the strange pictures?

Harry Potter Covers from Around the World: German Children Edition

I am not sure I like these very much. Especially the picture of Harry, it’s style is not to my tastes. But I can see the draw for children.

Would you buy these books?

Harry Potter Covers from Around the World: German Adult Editions

These covers are mesmerizing, the pictures are so clear and beautiful, definitely for adults rather than children. But they just don’t scream fantasy for me. I can kinda see how they say Harry Potter but not as much as I would like. I would still be really happy to have these covers on my shelf.

What do you think of these covers? Would you buy them?

Review: The Gallows Curse

A vengeful King John has seized control of the Church, leaving corpses to lie in unconsecrated ground, babies unbaptized in their cradles and the people terrified of dying in sin. And in Gastmere, the consequences grow darker still when Elena, a servant girl, is dragged into a conspiracy to absolve the sins of the Lord of the Manor.

This is the first book I have managed to finish for 20 books of summer, shocking I know. I have been a little put off by how terribly my first two attempts went and I have been trying to read as many review books as possible. I am still going to try and read more from this list though. I will get there (I hope).

I love this author, this is the third book I have read by her and I own two more.

The story is complex and riveting. You start with one mystery and before you know it, you have 20 expertly woven into the story and you cannot stop until you know all the answers. I was hooked from the prologue, trying to work out who the little girl was, it made perfect sense when I found out but I was way off in my guessing.

The setting was life-like and felt like I had jumped straight into a history book. The characters were great and very relatable. Elana especially was a great character to follow the story with. She never stopped fighting no matter how much trouble she was in.

The ending was good, it wrapped things up nicely but left some intrigue, not a ambiguous ending like the author usually does, for that I was grateful.

I am looking forward very much to reading more from this author.

4 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter Covers from around the world: Finland

I like the style of these books, they are a little to human centric for me, I like it when you can tell a little more about the books (especially the Harry Potter books). But they do have a certain charm to them.

What do you think? Would you but these covers?

ARC Review: Tangled Webs

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn’t easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London’s slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city’s criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am not used to books in this time period, but I really enjoyed it. It was fun and exciting, not at all what I expected.I loved the idea of Lady A trading secrets for more secrets and power. The setting was gorgeous and full of wonder. I had myself forgetting it wasn’t a fantasy setting at times.

Arista/Ana was a great main character, I liked how she grew and developed as a character. I loved Becky, I just wish she was around more. I didn’t like Nic, he was a little bit of a flat character and I never really trusted him. Bones was a nasty piece of work. He really is a cruel man. I like Grae, he was sweet and very caring of his family.

The ending was good, it finished it all up nicely. Although I cannot see where the second book is coming from. Just about everything was wrapped up. I am not sure I will be reading the second book just because I do not know where else it can got that wouldn’t spoil it for me.

4 out of 5 stars.