Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is one of those books that has had the literary industry, particularly the Young Adult genre, in a state of excitement for a debut author. 

Published by: Flatiron Books

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Tagline: Remember, It's only a game

Rating: *****

Sold to the readers with an exciting blurb of:

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . .

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

The Review:

First, of all, I was beyond impressed with this novel. With tickets to meet Stephanie in Manchester, I admit I only read her novel two days prior to the event which meant the book would be firmly in my mind, or erasing the memory of my reading for university. However, this meant that I was forced into a situation I am hardly ever in. The dreaded moment where your best friend had read the novel before me. 


But I found the tale of the two sisters quite entertaining. I had my ups and down, a few moments of messaging said friend for spoilers because it had me on the edge of my seat guessing. All in all, the novel was fantastic. Especially considering all the reviews and positive reception it had, and still is being given.

Yet, I was lucky enough to have met Stephanie on her UK tour in Manchester. Her conversation with fellow readers, writers and bloggers was incredibly inspiring. Different to the some of the authors I've met in these situations, I felt as if hers was probably the most inspiring and relatable. If only my writing career could be as successful as hers.

Additional Information/titbits:

Caraval can be purchased at almost every major bookseller across the world - Stephanie Garber has confirmed this through the recent publications across Europe. Please be aware that there is six alternate covers which makes it super fun to see which one you'll end up with.

The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken

Published by: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian, Paranormal/Sci-Fi
Rating: *****

The Darkest Minds follows the story of Ruby, a now sixteen-year-old girl who's life changed dramatically when she was ten. Unsure of what happened, her ten-year-old self is dragged away from her home and thrust into Thurmond, a place that is eerily similar to the concentration camps of World War Two. However, with the younger generation mysteriously succumbing to various illnesses, and in one case actually dying, the reader is immediately left with questions that can only be answered by reading the series.

I found the book compelling. It had been a long overdue read since fellow blogger and longtime friend, Louise of Reading the Riot Act, recommended the book to me almost two years ago. Yet, it was only after reading Bracken's newest novel, Passengers, that I felt as if I wanted to finally read more of her writing, and the book that had been raved about everywhere.

It's different. I found myself thinking of Yancey's Fifth Wave through how certain elements of the dystropian world were presented to the reader. However, don't confuse the two books as similar. They're completely different and just amazing in their own right.

I find that the more I try and tell you why you should read it, the more I have to stop myself due to the issue of spoilers. That being said, I believe you should all go to the library, or just buy the book and decide for yourself how beautiful this book truly is.

The Darkest Minds can be purchased from Amazon UK now.

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA, Magic

Rating: *****

This has got to be a book that has gathered dust on my shelf for over four months. I never touched it except to move over books around, it just stayed there looking rather wistfully at me as I chose other books. However, this has changed!

Snow Like Ashes is the first book in an exciting series about a fantastical world that follows the life of orphaned Meira. Meira has always known her status as an orphan to mean she is nothing, she desperately tries to prove her worth by becoming a soldier and anything she can to help her longtime love, and King, Mather.

Yet there's a twist. As always there's a bloody twist. Meira's world is based on the seasons. Her race is Winter, a place that has been destroyed and taken over in a war that has cost their population to decrease severely. But there's a tonne of secrets that if I even tried hinting at, I would definitely spoil this for everyone, therefore, I will remain silent.

It's an exciting book that echoes Game of Thrones and Throne of Glass (seriously it does!). I was swept away in the way that Raasch writes. Completely blew me away this book, and now I've just got to finish the second in hopes that it'll be just as good, or even better.

You can buy Snow Like Ashes from Amazon

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J Maas

The cover is just beautiful! I managed to get a signed copy though which is amazing!

Published by: Bloomsbury

Genre: Young Adult fantasy, YA Romance, Fantasy

I am always blown away by Sarah J Maas. Always. 

She doesn't disappoint at all. My immediate throughts upon starting the novel was that it was a wee bit slow but then as I was literally sucked into the Fae world limb by limb, I understood why she did it. 

The story is about Feyre (Yes is sounds very alike faery) and the consequences of her hunting to save her family for starving. It's a typical girl must grow up to keep her family alive, a rather sad one but Feyre makes it work or should I say Mrs Maas. 

But as the story unfolds, we are introduced as usual per Sarah's books, to amazing characters such as the handsome Tamsin who comes with a dark and secretive past/curse and his companion. 

Yes our dear protagonist is sent to live in fae land where everything at first seems to good to be true but as she gets comfortable (or as comfy as one can be), she soon finds out nothing is as it seems.

I really want to write a lot more but I fear that I will spoil this book and I can't bring myself to because it is such a fantastic book!! 

A Court of Thorns and Roses can be found signed in some Waterstones stores (UK only) or online at Waterstones or on Amazon UK or Amazon US

Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot

Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot

Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre: New adult, romance

One stage of my reaction to the announcement of the book

When I heard there was a new Princess Diaries novel last year, I cried tears of joy, happyness and excitement. I've grown up reading Meg Cabot. I read her adult books through my mother (who probably didn't realise I was reading the Boy series or Queen of Babble whilst she was working or not near me). Nonetheless I grew up reading her. Embarassingly I got into the Princess Diaries later than I should have. I was busy with Jinx, the Mediator series (Jesse <3) and Airhead. But as I cracked open the nnth book (i was a late reader and got them in the wrong order) I found myself reaching out for my library card and ordering the series.

Months later and I managed to get ready for the tenth book which we all assumed to be the last (and thank the lord it wasn't). Oh how I wept over how Michael and Mia got back together, laughed through Lana's neverending dialogues. I just loved the life of the dysfunctional POG (Princess of Genovia). Of course we all knew there was something about JP that didn't add up but still we held faith in our clumsy and awkward princess. 

It worked out though! 

The eleventh book is targetted for a more adult audience as us Princess Diaries readers have matured and grown into young woman who are secretly still wondering what would Mia do. Yes I question my choices through seeing how book characters would choose them. But Cabot hasn't lost her touch. I smiled and cried through the book. *Spoiler* I'm more ashamed that Frank is dead. I LOVED Frank and Helen!! *End Spoiler* 

But Grandmere is still the same. We couldn't have a book without her. And there's more of a realistic theme to the books. Readers will witness firsthand the problems of a couple separated by work but Mia and Michael manage to make it happen. They even have a surprise. But overall, all readers will reminisce about the good old days where we used to be able to read about Mia and we managed to glean information about what it's like to be older. 

Now we're left wanting to go back to those days where everything was brilliant and innocent. But at least this book channels those emotions into making you want that twelfth novel. Especially with the addition of a little sister. But again who knows what will happen to the Genovian royal family or with the Royal Wedding.

Royal Wedding is available from Waterstones here and on Amazon UK here.

US readers can purchase the book here.

The Wrath and The Dawn (The Wrath and The Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and The Dawn (The Wrath and The Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult romance, retelling, fantasy

This has got to be one of the biggest books of the year in terms of debuts and overall.

A retelling of Arabian Nights where Shahrzad tells her husband tales to keep herself alive, Ahdieh unknowingly wrote the book that I had been waiting most of my short life for. I was blown away by such a wonderful retelling, hell I even bought a copy of Arabian Nights so I could read the stories she told in more detail. However what made the book stand out even more, was the fact the book drove away my writers block.

The Wrath and The Dawn follows the tale of Shahrzad, a sixteen year old girl who sacrifices herself to marry Khalid (a prince). The stitch however is that Khalid's brides always seem to die at sunrise which leads to a rumour that he is a cruel man etc. Shahrzad though goes into the union with intentions to kill Khalid as he killed her friend. It's one of those moments where the reader can be found on the tips of their toes wondering whether she'll succeed or not.

Nonetheless something does happen. I'm not specifying what because it's a big spoiler. But throughout the book, the reader is left gasping and hooked. Honestly. You will devour this book. It's chemically brilliant. I just couldn't put it down and when I did, I ended up buying it so I could continue to paw through this wonderful book.

Therefore I will end the review at this.

The Wrath and The Dawn can be purchased on Amazon UK here and in the US here.

Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine

Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine

Published by: HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Childrens

Genre: Young adult romance, coming of age, 

Tagline: Love is the greated work of art

This book was absolutely fantastic. I read this on my commute to work and managed to devour the entire thing.

Iris is a fantastic character who has been kept from her father by a greedy and money-orientated mother and step-father. After a long time Iris's father is dying and wants his family around him as he slowly deteriorates. Iris's mother takes this as an opportunity to see how much money she can get out of him as apparently he collects rare paintings that are now worth quite a bit. However Iris gets a shock. Her father is actually quite cool and understanding that his daughter will be distant with him and even accepts her fiery secret.

What more can I say?

This book is amazing. I laughed and cried. Yes I cried on a packed bus. However I want to add that this a book for all ages and genders.


The book is available from bookstores from the 2nd July and can be bought on Amazon UK here and on Waterstones here

The Penryn and End of Days Trilogy by Susan Ee

The Penryn and End of Days Trilogy by Susan Ee

Book one: Angelfall

Book two: World After

Book three: End of Days

Published by: Skyscape

Genre: YA,dystopia, angels, supernatural, demons

The reader is introduced to Penryn in a really relatable way. She's a young carer and takes care of her mother who is a little cuckoo and her younger sister who is disabled and in a wheelchair. However  things take a turn for the worse when the badguys aka angels take her sister and leave poor Penryn to locate her and to try and get things back to normal (whatever that is). 

However Penryn's plan gets foiled by the arrival of another angel naemd Raffe (three guesses which famed archangel he is). Raffe is a fighter. Their first meeting is him fighting against two-three other angels and his wings are cut off in the midst of it (poor guy), thus starting the beginning of Penryn and Raffe's journey. 

In Angelfall, the duo explore more of West coast America, mainly Sillicon Valley for some reason. But Susan Ee has done a marvelous job of creating this dystopian world, to imagine our Earth after its been ravaged by angels... For some reason I kept imagining it would be like a mix of Walking Dead and the video game The Last of Us.

An example of The Last of Us

The above artwork can say enough about how the story is described so wonderfully. I had zero problems envisioning the world in which the characters roam.

World After is devastatingly good. Like keeps you on the tip of your toes good. Most sequels get a little eugh. Especially the dystopian/fantasy ones but few stay good simply as they're known as fillers. I felt as if this book carried on the storyline I knew and loved. Therefore when it finished, I almost cried because it meant I had to wait til I could purchase the book.

Then finally End of Days is like a christmas and birthday present all wrapped up in one. It's the big battle we all wanted to happen and more. All I really want to scream is how much I love Raffe but that can wait til later. The book concludes on Penryn and Raffe's journey to save the world and to reattach Raffe's wings. Occasionally there's a few tiny battles featuring demons, angels and zombie-like things but everything is a-okay in the end.


All of the books can be found here on Amazon