Until All Curses are Lifted

The laws are enforced by magic.
If you break the law, you’re cursed.
But the rich and powerful twisted the laws to allow for… exceptions.

Marshal has been cursed since birth for his unknown father’s crimes. When he discovers he’s also heir to immense magical power, he must flee for his life. His half-brother wants the power for himself and has hired an assassin to pursue Marshal and his mother. No one has ever escaped from a curse, but it’s the only way for Marshal to be truly safe.

Seri wants to become the most powerful mage in history. But the magic that holds the world together is failing and no one knows why. While the ground itself shakes, someone begins murdering mages. In danger from all directions, Seri must learn how to use her unique abilities before everything falls apart.

Neither of them know they are being watched from another realm…

Review

I recieved a free copy of this book booksirens in exchange for an honest review.

I found this really interesting book. I had no idea where it was going and loved it! It did not fall under any usual rules and was nothing like I had every read before. The concept of people being cursed when commiting a crime, was very clever, it was interesting how people treated each other with this hanging over their heads. There was also bindings which happened if you saved someone’s life or helped them in a significant way, you were bound to them until they managed to repay the favour. The bindings seemed almost as cruel as the curses since they could not go too far from the person who saved them.

Marshal was a great character, it was interesting reading about a character who can not communicate in almost anyway. But since you see his POV you can see he is a smart person, which I found very good. It was fun to see how people treated him but he was still a great person and didn’t hold it against anyone.

Siri was fun to read about, she loved learning and discovering mysteries. I loved her new type of magic. I am looking forward to seeing where her story goes in the next book.

THere is plenty of places this can go and I cannot wait to read the next book.

4 out of 5 stars

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Recommendations Please: YA Fantasy set in schools

I adore YA fantasy set in schools, like Harry Potter, Hex Hall and many others.  Got any suggestions of some good ones for me?

Flunked

Would you send a villain to do a hero’s job?
An exciting new twisted fairy tale from the award-winning author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series.

Gilly wouldn’t call herself wicked, exactly…but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly’s a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself).

Until she gets caught.

Gilly’s sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its heroic mission. There’s a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder just how good these bad guys really are?

Fans of Ella Enchanted, Shrek and Disney’s Descendants will love exploring the magical, mixed-up world of Fairy Tale Reform School, where the villains are the teachers. Don’t miss book 2 in this hilarious, exciting series: Charmed!

Review

This is a reread for me. I wanted to read the later in the series books so starting again. I loved this as much as I did the first time. It is a nice easy read, aimed at younger teens but it’s still a good read for adults. I love anything to do with fairytales, this isnt so much a retelling, it’s kind of taking all the well known fairtytales all in one.

I would have liked a little more drama but it is only the first in the series of 6 so far, so very much looking forward to delving back into the this world.

For me some of it was pretty obvious but it honestly didn’t bother me. I actually quite enjoyed being proven right.

The characters were fun and I loved the evil queens being reformed, very interesting concept.

If you like fairytale retellings. I recommend you try this book.

4 out of 5 stars

Winter by Winter

When the enemies of King Ragnar destroy Ladda’s village, she’ll do anything it takes to lead the survivors to safety—even agreeing to marry the king himself. But Ragnar and Ladda both quickly discover that there’s more to her role than that of queen. As she assumes the burden of shield maiden and admiral of the Swanfleet, guiding her own ships among Ragnar’s, her calling to battle becomes clear. She’s been chosen, blessed by the goddess Skathi, and her enemies will fall before her blade… Winter by Winter brings to life Hladgertha, the historical teenage Viking pirate queen from the Chronicles of Saxo, and presents a heroine whose cunning and heart resonate across the centuries.

Review

I recieved a free copy of this book via netalley in exchange for an honest review.

Netgalley had labelled this as fantasy and historical fiction. There was not any fantasy. Lots of historical fiction though. There were some myths and legends, not any that I was familiar with, they were quite interesting but if you not familiar with them there wasn’t much detail.

The story was good but a little bland for me. There was some action but it fell a little flat. There was no proper exciting description. It just felt rushed and a little contrived.

Ladda was a little odd for me. She was young, yet without really doing much she became the leader of the tribe and at times left her 12 year old sister to lead. Just felt very odd to me. The setting was good but I never really felt I knew where we were. There were lots of nationalities and countries mentioned, that it were just jumbled together (that might have been just me though).

I did enjoy the story but I was never excited to go back, I only finished it because it was a review book.

3 out of 5 stars

ARC Review: Moonscript

“It is said that Darkness is empty and whatever vanishes into its depths is lost forever. I know this better than anyone. For I have suffered here in the shadows, and there are none who might find me.”

Seventy years. Seventy years the elven prince has been lost to the darkness, assumed dead by his people and endlessly broken for a book that connects to the hidden realm of his ancestors, a land untouched by evil.

And now a light in the shadows. A chance for freedom. But those willing to help him come from the unlikeliest of worlds.

The orphan girl, yearning for a loving family, and the boy who won’t leave her side. A healer maiden given an unexpected chance for a life beyond narrowed expectations. A grieving creature flown far from home.

They all search for something and now their fates are tied to his. If their quest for life can pull him from the dark mire in which his soul drowns, then perhaps he can be saved.

Or else he will drag them all down to a fate worse than death.

Review

I recieved a free copy of this book via booksirens in exchange for an honest review.

There was alot to this book. I felt it was quite long and not all of it needed, some of it dragged. It felt like it went back and forth between characters too much, some only getting a paragragh before being changed again. There also was no indication that it was goign to change character, which made it confusing at times.

But there was alot I liked about this book too. Tellie was an amazing character, seemed a little older than 13 but since she had gone through alot it made sense. Kelm was a little of an unknown, there wasn’t much to his character other than he was there.

The setting was good. I enjoyed the different places but a little more description would have been better. I really did enjoy the story it was full of surprises and lots exciting new creatures and races. I am not sure if they are from legends or not, but they were very creative and really fun to read about.

The story ended really well, everything was wrapped up. I do not know what will happen in book two. If I happen to see it I might buy it and read it but I won’t be keeping an eye out for it.

Overall an exciting read.

3 out of 5 stars