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Book Review: The Lives of Saints (Grishaverse) by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review: The Lives of Saints (Grishaverse) by Leigh Bardugo

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The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher, Macmillan Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“I was never truly awake until I began to dream of other worlds.”

The Lives of Saints is a fascinating collection of short stories about, well, the lives of saints, that I’m sure will add greatly to the world building of Bardugo’s Grishaverse. Incredibly reminiscent of books about the lives of Catholic saints, but with more of a fairytale feel, I found the collection charming. I loved the combination of religious and fantastical. The stories are formulaic in the best sense of the word. A collection like this in the real world is supposed to be for spiritual edification first and entertainment second, so I can only assume that’s the feel that Bardugo was going for. However, these were far from dry, and were without a doubt entertaining. …

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Book Review: Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett

Book Review: Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett

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Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This time of year, all I want to do is cozy up with a book that’s going to suck me in and keep me distracted from the cold. And there’s nothing cozier in my opinion than a literary mystery. Any time a book or an author takes centerstage in a plot, I’m excited. That excitement often leaves me disappointed, as I tend to expect too much of these books for some reason. But sometimes I get my hands on a book that delivers. Escaping Dreamland is one such book. This is the first Charlie Lovett novel I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be my last.
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Book Review: Battle Ground (The Dresden Files, #17) by Jim Butcher

Book Review: Battle Ground (The Dresden Files, #17) by Jim Butcher

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Review copy provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.

Cover illustration by: Chris McGrath

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #17 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 432 pages (UK Hardcover)

Published: 1st October 2020 by Orbit (UK) & 29th September 2020 Ace (US)

Epic, relentlessly action-packed, full of destruction, Battle Ground has transformed The Dresden Files into an epic urban fantasy.

“I’d never been in an epic mythology fight quite this epic before.”

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Book Review: Peace Talks (The Dresden Files, #16) by Jim Butcher

Book Review: Peace Talks (The Dresden Files, #16) by Jim Butcher

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Cover illustration by: Chris McGrath

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Dresden Files (Book #16 of 25)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Pages: 348 pages (US Kindle edition)

Published: 16th July 2020 by Orbit (UK) & 14th July 2020 Ace (US)

Stunning finish and setup for the next installment, but I’m not sure whether this should’ve been divided into two books or not. …

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Book Review: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Book Review: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

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The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Dictionary of Lost Words is a beautiful book. But I was not prepared for the levels of heartbreak that were going to be present. I kept having to put the book down to try to find my way back into a more positive headspace. Had I read the book in any other stage in my life, I think I would have been able to divorce myself more easily from it and enjoy it more. However, everyone knows this year has been horrendous, and for some reason I was just unable to cope with the relentless hard knocks suffered by the poor protagonist. There was something about the bright tone of the book that made those blows even more terrible, and that’s what kept the novel from being a five star read for me. It was emotionally draining.

“Words define us, they explain us, and, on occasion, they serve to control or isolate us. But what happens when words that are spoken are not recorded? What effect does that have on the speaker of those words?”

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Audiobook Review: The Original by Brandon Sanderson & Mary Robinette Kowal

Audiobook Review: The Original by Brandon Sanderson & Mary Robinette Kowal

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ARC received from the publisher, Recorded Books, in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Original by Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science fiction

Published: 14th Sept 2020 by Recorded Books (in collaboration with Mainframe)

The Original is a fascinating yet chilling look into a possible future where a person can be cloned into a replicant used to hunt down his or her ‘original’. This science-fiction collaboration between Brandon Sanderson and Mary Robinette Kowal thoroughly engages and satisfies with its solid characterisation and worldbuilding in a novella spanning just over 3hrs long of audio narration.
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Book Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Book Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lovely. Odd, incredibly odd, but lovely both in spite of and due to the oddity. There’s an elegance to this book that feels like a rarity. For a novel that is less than 300 pages, Piranesi is quite the slow burn. The first half of this short book took me four days to read. Not that it was boring, mind you. It was meditative, inviting you as the reader to mull and ponder instead of racing forward to see what happens next. But then I read the second half in one sitting. When things finally picked up in the narrative, my attention never wavered.

“The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”

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Book Review: Wintersteel (Cradle, #8) by Will Wight

Book Review: Wintersteel (Cradle, #8) by Will Wight

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Cover illustration by: Patrick Foster

Wintersteel by Will Wight

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Cradle (Book #8 of 12)

Genre: Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Xianxia

Pages: 540 pages

Published: 6th October 2020 by Hidden Gnome Publishing (Indie)

Wintersteel is the most action-packed volume, with some of the finest action scenes, within the series so far.

“There are a million Paths in this world, Lindon, but any sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself.”

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Book Review: The Once and Future Witches, by Alix E. Harrow

Book Review: The Once and Future Witches, by Alix E. Harrow

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The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’d like to thank the publisher (Orbit/Redhook) for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I deeply appreciate the gift, the giving of it had no impact on the thoughts and opinions expressed below.

One witch you can laugh at. Three you can burn. But what do you do with a hundred?

The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book of 2019. I adored Harrow’s way with and respect for words and stories. The tale was such an ode to both that it made my heart feel as though it would burst. I kept having to pause periodically and close the book and my eyes so I could just soak in the exquisite prose. I wasn’t sure Harrow could ever again pen something quite that beautiful. But while I didn’t quite connect to her second novel as deeply as I did her first, I needn’t have worried. The Once and Future Witches is just as lovingly and impeccably crafted as Harrow’s incredible debut. …

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Book Review: The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn (Kingdom of Grit, #1) by Tyler Whitesides

Book Review: The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn (Kingdom of Grit, #1) by Tyler Whitesides

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ARC received from the publisher, Orbit, in exchange for an honest review.

The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides

My rating:  4 of 5 stars.

Series: Kingdom of Grit (Book 1 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy

First published:  15th May 2018 by Orbit (US) & 17th May 2018 by Orbit (UK).

New cover re-release: 20 October 2020 by Orbit (US) & 22nd October 2020 by Orbit (UK).

The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn is a commendable adult fantasy debut, by Tyler Whitesides, that is fun, entertaining and has a unique magic system. …

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