Myths and legend recommendations please

I have been reading a lot of books with myths and legends the main theme and loving them. Mainly greek centric but lots of others too. Here’s some of what I’ve been reading lately. Can you recommend me any books that have myth a legend themes, any myths and legends, alway looking for new ones.

I’m looking forward to seeing what people can come up with 🙂

Advertisement

ARC Review: The Shield of Nike

Valeria is in love with her best friend, Greg, and has been for years. But they can’t be together, because after they graduate high school they’ll be on opposite sides of the country. This seems to be Valeria’s greatest dilemma—until a freak storm ambushes the two on a hike a few miles outside their town.

During the storm, Greg is injured, and a strange shield falls from the sky and knocks Valeria unconscious. When she wakes up, her whole world is turned upside down. Greg is missing, her town has been annihilated, deadly creatures roam, and the disembodied voice of a woman she knows nothing of talks to her from inside her own head.

The woman says Greg has been taken, but that Valeria can save him and survive the perils awaiting her if she harnesses the “gifts” she was given at birth, and if she uses the shield that fell from the sky. But how can Valeria trust a woman she’s never met?

She’ll have to rely on herself and face horrors she could never have imagined to save her best friend. And, in the process, discover her true identity.

Review

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

Although this is a companion novel, I did not fell lost by not having read the series. It was sweet and fun, did feel a little unfinished but I assume that it’s just setting up for the series. I liked the setting, it was interesting. I read a lot of books about greek gods but never read anything where they gods are truly evil, truly selfish and not just misguided.

It was a quick fun read and I would recommend it to people who like myhts and legends.

4 out of 5 stars

Magpie’s Song

In the slums of BrightStone, Moon Children are worth less than the scrap they must collect to survive. It doesn’t matter that these abandoned half-breeds are part-Meridian with their ancestors hailing from the technologically advanced city that floats above the once-thriving, now plague-ridden BrightStone. Instead they are rejected by both their ancestral societies and forced to live on the outskirts of civilization, joining clans simply to survive. Not to mention their role as Tithe, leading the city’s infected citizens deep into the Pits where their disease can be controlled.

Nineteen-year-old Raggy Maggy is no different, despite the mysterious heart-shaped panel that covers her chest. Or at least she wasn’t… Not until her chance discovery of a Meridian-built clockwork dragon—and its murdered owner. When the Inquestors policing the city find Maggy at the scene of the crime, she quickly turns into their prime suspect. Now she’s all anyone can talk about. Even her clan leader turns his back on her, leading her to rely on an exiled doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost to keep her hidden. In return, all she has to do is help them find a cure for the plague they believe was not exactly accidental. Yet doing so might mean risking more than just her life. It also might be the only key to uncovering the truth about the parents—and the past—she knows nothing about.

Review

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

First off the cover is amazing. Also I am a little late with review, sorry.

I really enjoyed this book, it was fun and had a very intriguing plot. I wish there was more to the history, it feels incomplete, maybe we will get to see more in the next book.

I liked the setting, it was unlike any other I have read. Mags was a great MC. She rebeled a little from the beginning, not for love unlike character in other books. It was refreshing.

I liked the writing, it was simple but had some adult content. It was a little confusing at first with teenage style writing then reading about prostititution. But once I got over that it made a lot of sense.

It was some cliff hanger. I ahve bought the second and cannot wait to read the second one, which I have already bought. 🙂

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

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

Question to fairylooters?

Hi, I am just wondering if anyone who subsribes to Fairyloot has had their February box shipped? I haven’t had my email yet, normally it’s arrived by now. Should I be concerned or are they just running late?

It’s the rule breakers theme, so super excited to get it 🙂

ARC Review: The Raven and the Dove

A princess longing to be free…

On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon.

A bastard aching to belong…

Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him.

Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart…

Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her.

Review

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

This book really excited me. It’s the kind of book that I love and go into bookstores looking for. I was not disappointed. I like the writing style it flowed really well. I sometimes struggle when the POV changes because if there’s a character I dislike I stop the book (i.e why I never finished Game of Thrones). But I loved all the characters, they all brought something new and fresh to the setting.

Rafe was probably my favourite, he knew where is loyalties lay and tried his best to stick to them, but I loved the way he fought against his feelings. It was a good way to get to know the relationships. I loved the setting, it sounded so beautiful. I really would love to visit the world. It all made sense, unlike some fictional worlds I can see how the political side came into play.

I did find the ending a little bit rushed and have no idea how it’s going to be continued in the next book, as a few things just came out of no-where with no warning, but they should give some exciting surprises in the next book.

4 out of 5 stars

Across the Fourwinds

Most high school grads hold a world of opportunity in their hands. Will and Morgan hold the fate of two worlds.

Since his mother’s tragic accident, Will has been a loner. And for good reason: he claims to see strange creatures emerging from the forest near his home. Ostracism is a way of life until he meets Morgan, a fencing champion with everything going for her—except a dark family secret.

In pursuit of answers, these unlikely friends enter the forest and discover a magical kingdom threatened by a powerful enemy. When a young sage reveals their true identities, Will and Morgan join a small but courageous resistance on a quest to save the Fourwinds.

Can friendship and hope stop the swelling tide of destruction from breaching the portal into our world?

Across the Fourwinds is the first book of the Maidstone Chronicles, a page-turning YA fantasy series. If you enjoy escaping to magical worlds, swashbuckling action, and homespun heroes, you’re in for an exciting adventure with this epic tale by Shane Trusz and Darryl Frayne.

Review

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

I am finding this review hard to write. I found the first 20% very boring and not very exciting. Once they get into fourwinds, it gets a little more exciting. The reason I am finding this hard to write is that I cannot find any reason for not liking this book, it’s mainly personal preference. The writing style was good but I really struggled to pick it back up once I had put it down.

The characters were good, I would have liked a little more information on them. I liked Fourwinds it was an interesting world, although I did lose track a little of the politics.

Overall this book was not for me. But I do recommend people give it a try.

3 out of 5 stars

Tackling my TBR

I have been finding lately that having structure to my reads is helping me getting through my books and enjoy doing so. I love reading but I sometimes find it hard to find the time. I am planning to read 10% each day on work days and 25% on days off. That means I will be reading one a week. Obviously I can read more of I want to. To help I will be mixing up review books and books I bought. Here’s my system, I have been managing to keep to it so far.

1. Booksirens book

2. Netgalley book

3. A kindle book.

4. Edelweiss book

5. Netgalley book

6. Paperback/ hardback book.

7. Fairyloot book.

Explanations.

1. I have found Booksirens only in the last 6 months or so and found it a really good site, mainly small presses but I have found some really good books and I like helping the authors get some attention for thier books.
2. I always have netgalley books to read so it’s always useful to get one read.
3. I have hundreds of kindle books to get through. A lot are free books but some I have bought as well.
4. I have only recently started using Edelweiss and have only reviewed two so far but I ahve found some good books on their, even bought some of the ones I wasn’t approved for.
5. Like I said I need to catch up on a few Netgalley books so having a second one in my list will help.
6. I have bought a lot of books lately, they are piled high.
7. I know these are hardbacks but if I only read one a month or two then I will never get through them all.

Do you have a system for reading your books or do you pick them at random?

Favourite 2019 Reads

I only read about 30 books this year so should be an easy selection. I am hoping to back upto one a week next year but I’ll see.

So in no particular order, here’s my favourite books I read this year.

I loved the whole series, very fun and exciting.

I thought this was very clever and cannot wait to read the next one. It’s just the pure size that is making me hesitate. I will need time.

I loved this book and second one, sadly the third is not out but I will be quick to buy and read it. It’s so full of magic and wonder I just cannot get enough.

I found this unlike any other book I have read, so good. I have the second but not yet gotte around to reading it. I am very much looking forward to it. The writing style was just amazing.

Clever book,lots of unique magic and an interesting world. The second book was just as good, still to read the last two, but much lookng forward to them.

I really enjoyed this first in the series. Unique magics, gladiator troupes and evil queen what is not to love. I thought I had reviewed this but aparently I forgot so will be reviewed sometime next year now.

I liked this book more I thought I would. It had lots of intrigue and was well written.

My latest read, took me a little to get into but a fantastic finish.

Have you read any of these? What did you think? What were your favourite books this year?