King of Ravens - Clare Sager

He’ll do anything to keep her. She’ll do anything to escape.

Rhiannon is dying – of what she doesn’t know. Kept protected by her family in their clifftop home, she spends her days searching for a cure.

Her world is torn apart when an unseelie King of the Dead arrives and gives her a simple choice: descend to the underworld as his bride or he’ll take her family instead.

Trapped in a twisted bargain, Rhiannon is thrust into a world of withered gods, scheming courtiers, and ancient magic, but she refuses to be a pawn in a game she never agreed to play. Her new husband is powerful, cold, and infuriating and she is determined to hate him.

But in a court where beauty masks cruelty and every promise has teeth, hatred burns slowly into something else. Something dangerous. Something that could undo them both…

King of Ravens is the first book in a new series featuring a lushly dark fae court, morally grey hero, and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance - perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Phantasma and Kingdom of the Wicked.

 

What did I think?

The King of Ravens has bewitched me and I NEED to read the next book after that sucker punch of a cliffhanger ending completely floored me.  I should have expected to be left on the edge of my seat as it is the first book in a duology but I didn't expect to have become so addicted to the story that I would be left begging for more.

It is impossible to write a review that will do this book justice as it is just phenomenal from beginning to end.  It's a good book to read if you're new to fantasy as the world building is minimal and the larger than life (or death) characters carry the story forward at a rate of knots.  I was completely torn between wanting to devour the book in one go and stretching it out as I didn't want it to finish.

The chemistry between Rhiannon, a mortal, and Drystan, the King of Death, sizzles off the page.  There are plenty of steamy and swoony moments to get the reader's pulse racing as the enemies to lovers trope plays out.  The writing is so vivid and immersive that I was mesmerised by the breaktaking fae court and gripped by the tension of the labyrinth trials. 

Take a bow, Clare Sager!  The King of Ravens is one of the most magnificent romantasy books I have ever read and I simply cannot wait to read the sequel Queen of Thorns.  Consider me well and truly obsessed - I loved it!

I received a gifted paperback for the Insta Book Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Friday Bookshop - Sawako Natori (Author), Yui Kajita (Translator)

When college student Fumiya visits The Friday Bookshop as a last-ditch effort to find a book for his ill father, he is disappointed in its ordinary appearance despite whispers of its peculiar charm. But he soon discovers that it not only includes a cafe where the food menu changes daily on the chef's whim but also a vast underground vault lined with bookshelves, lovingly converted from an old abandoned subway platform. The bookshop, run by a quirky trio who have been close friends since high school, quickly becomes Fumiya's favourite place - so much so that he begins to work there part-time. Fumiya, who was never really a reader, learns to embrace the joy of reading, and that books can be a means to connect with other people and navigate the twists and turns of life. Through colourful interactions with the zany shop owners and their visitors, as well as mouth-watering dishes inspired by the books they recommend, it's impossible not to fall in love with the seemingly ordinary yet enchanting little bookstore in the subway station in Kanto.

 

What did I think?

I always get excited when I see a book about books and I love translated fiction so The Friday Bookshop was a must-read for me; I wouldn't have missed it for the world and it's an absolute delight to read.

There are 239 pages in the book and only four chapters, so if (like me) you can't put a book down in the middle of a chapter then it won't take you long to read it.  What I loved most about the chapters is that they are almost their own self-contained story with a main character who finds their way to The Friday Bookshop but they are all linked together through the overarching storyline.

The bookshop is so vividly described that I felt as if I was there and I would have been lost forever if I ever managed to get into the underground vault that is rather unusually located in an abandoned subway platform.  Sawako Natori's writing is exquisite and Yui Kajita's translation is so sublime that I could almost smell the books!

Unexpectedly amusing, often poignant and always bookish, The Friday Bookshop is a book that will sit proudly on my to-read-again shelf and I expect to find myself picking it up again when I need to escape to this wonderful bookshop in Japan.  A highly recommended read and an unmissable book for bibliophiles.

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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A Calamity of Waters - Chloe Turner

JANUARY 1607. THE SEVERN VALLEY. THE GREATEST FLOOD IN LIVING MEMORY.

Habren has never quite forgiven herself. Her father only sings bawdy carols for farthings these days, none of the sweet songs he used to sing their mother, and perhaps it’s no wonder her sisters Syble and Margret have put many leagues between themselves and their old home. But then Syble summons her to Gloucester, and if Habren can keep on the right side of their pin merchant master, perhaps it’s the chance she needs to make up for the past.

Then the river rises. In a single January morning, the Severn floods the vale and upends every life in it. And somewhere down that swollen estuary is Ambrose, the man Habren loves.

With Syble and new friend Raynould beside her, Habren sets out for Bristol to find him, through a city the flood has torn apart. And as they search, secrets they have kept close to their hearts begin, one by one, to surface.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  What a magnificent piece of historical fiction!  A Calamity of Waters is a breathtaking novel that completely blew me away.  I haven't read any of Chloe Turner's books before now but I have added some of her previous novels to my wishlist on the strength of this wonderful novel.

It is inspired by a real event: the flooding of the Severn Valley in 1607 and it is brought to life through the eyes of teenager Habren who follows her older sister Syble into work at a pin manufactory.  The sisters don't have the best of relationships and my heart was aching for them both as they try to find their way in an unfair and dangerous 17th century world.

It's part coming of age and part historical fiction and I loved every second of it.  Children really had to grow up fast in the olden days and with such high mortality rates they often had no parental figures to guide them.  

The river Severn plays a huge part in the novel, naturally as it's about the famous flood, but it is also part of Habren's life as she was named after it and the river feels like a character in its own right.  As humans we may try to control the elements but it's a stark reminder of the strength of water and the power of nature.

Chloe Turner's writing is exquisite as she vividly brings the story to life and creates incredibly well developed characters who virtually pop out of the page, although I tried to stuff the odious Alderman Taylor back in!

Immersive, compelling and unforgettable, A Calamity of Waters is an absolute must-read for fans of historical fiction and it's one I will be recommending for a very long time.  Absolutely brilliant!

I received a gifted ARC from Hannah Hargrave PR to read and review and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: My Kingdom for Richard - Stephanie Hickman

Cecily, a chaotic half-human half-Magical Creature, is obsessed with the fifteenth-century monarch, Richard III. In a drunken moment of over-enthusiasm, Cecily breaks into Leicester Cathedral and accidentally moves her beloved king to York Minster, where she believes he belongs. The only issue…she has no idea how she did it.

Finding herself in trouble with His Majesty’s Government for Magical Creatures, her case is passed to Henry, the bureaucratic and uncompromising Magical Creature Lead for Yorkshire. Facing the full extent of her lack of rights as a Magical Creature, and with the threat of even more being stripped away, Cecily and Henry are forced to work together to figure out how to move Richard back.

 

What did I think?

I'm reading more fantasy lately and I love anything to do with Plantagenet history so I jumped at the chance to read Stephanie Hickman's debut novel, My Kingdom for Richard, and I was not disappointed. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!  I even had a little tear in my eye at the end and I'm missing the characters already.

Combining history with fantasy and a sprinkling of romance, we follow Cecily's journey as she faces the repercussions of magically moving Richard III's tomb from Leicester Cathedral to York Minster.  I mean, she's right - Richard of York should be buried in York not in the area where he was killed and left to rot under a car park.  It's a debate that will go on for many years I think; it's very much like the Wars of the Roses but between York and Leicester (instead of Lancaster) and our own opinion on the matter shows which side we are on.

Anyway, this isn't a debate about Richard III's final resting place and Cecily has been instructed to put him back!  If only she knew how she did it in the first place.  Oh I really felt for Cecily, especially when she got reclassified as a Magical Creature who is a danger to humans.  There is a bright side of her magical powers though and a familiar comes into her life just when she needs them most.  Oh I loved this little thing...even though Stephanie Hickman vividly describes them, I don't know how best to refer to them.

There's a strong theme of prejudice in the book with humans being treated differently to Magical Creatures (MCs) and it feels very unfair, especially with MCs being further classified to show how dangerous they are to humans.  It's very thought-provoking and sobering to consider how quick we are to assume something based on someone's appearance.

My Kingdom for Richard is an absolute joy to read; it's pure escapism and it certainly cast its spell on me.  It's a wonderful debut novel and one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. 

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the Compulsive Readers blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Diary of Derek Drummond: The Story of My Cursed Life - Katelyn Emilia Novak

An immortal soul. A forgotten curse. A love that rewrites fate.

Once a proud Scottish nobleman, Derek Drummond has spent 124 years caught between day and night, hiding from the world — and from himself. A shadow among shadows, he has watched time unravel, love vanish, and hope fade into myth.

Until Megan MacKenzie looks at him — and sees more than she should.

With haunted eyes and a quiet, stubborn kindness, she stirs the man he used to be. But the past never stays silent. Some curses won’t break. And some ghosts refuse to let go.

Told entirely in Derek’s voice — darkly poetic, sardonic, and painfully human — The Diary of Derek Drummond is a gothic fantasy of redemption and reckoning.

From the storm-lashed cliffs of northern Scotland to the rain-soaked rooftops of London, it is a story of immortality, forgiveness,and the terrifying hope of being truly seen.

If you believe in second chances — even after death — open the diary.

 

What did I think?

The Diary of Derek Drummond is quite a chunky book with 541 pages but it is written in diary format so it is very easy to read and it's totally bingeable.  I absolutely loved it and could easily read it again right now.

We meet Derek Drummond in Scotland in 1897 as an eligible young bachelor who discovers the meaning of the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" and finds himself cursed to live out his days as a raven and his nights as an immortal man.  He was cursed by Margaret MacKenzie, the woman he loved, when she found him with another woman and she refuses to see him to let him explain.  It wasn't totally his fault, although it was a little bit as he could've nipped it in the bud if he hadn't been enjoying the attention so much. 

As the years go on, Derek has a solitary existence but he seems to quite enjoy the freedom of having wings.  Maybe this being cursed lark isn't so bad after all...until he meets Megan MacKenzie and falls in love with again.  Megan may be the key to unlocking Derek's curse, but he's not sure he wants to give up his immortality.

The story concludes in 2020 and I loved every single page of it.  I could have read more as I was completely enchanted by Derek's unique voice that speaks loudly and clearly through the prose.  I loved being privy to Derek's innermost thoughts, fears and feelings over the 124 years of the diary.

The Diary of Derek Drummond is faultless and so beautifully written that I felt completely immersed in the story.  With curses, romance and immortality, it has the feeling of a fairy tale but it is also thought-provoking and hopeful.  It's a haunting and poignant gothic fantasy that is an easy five stars and a very highly recommended read. 

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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REVIEW TOUR: We Are For The Dark - Gretchen McNeil

 

An isolated town. A missing priest. An ancient, hungry darkness. 

When Father Shane Ryan is summoned to a meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Jacobs, he’s confused. A recently ordained priest at a small Maryland parish, Father Ryan has no idea why His Eminence would want to meet him. When he arrives, the Cardinal opens by laying out Father Ryan’s past as an FBI analyst. It seems a priest has gone missing, and the case is…unusual. 

Weeks ago, Constable Miriam Rideout from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary fielded a frantic call from a priest on a remote Newfoundland island. He begged for help, but then the line went dead, and no one has since been reported missing. When permission to perform a wellness check is denied by her superiors, Miriam takes some vacation time and books a ticket on the ferry. 

Thrown together with friendly but cagey locals, Miriam and Father Ryan soon learn that something about the island isn’t right. There’s a fishing port without boats, a town with no stores and no cars, and strange, bulbous purple wildflowers are growing everywhere. The two don’t trust each other, but they begin to learn that an alliance, however uneasy, is a necessity. Because something evil lurks beneath the island—something ancient, eternal, hungry—and neither it nor the uncanny islanders have any intention of letting these newcomers leave. A growing sense of dread intensifies until it explodes in this pulse-pounding supernatural horror.

What did I think?

WOW!  I just couldn't put this book down; We Are For The Dark is an absolute belter from Gretchen McNeil.  I used to say that I didn't read horror but I'm so glad that I changed my mind as it would have been a travesty to miss this brilliant book.

It begins with a bit of a mystery when Constable Miriam Rideout receives a phone call from a priest about a missing person on an island nobody has heard of but Miriam doesn't take it seriously until he utters Miriam's mother's dying words and the call ends...  Talk about goosebumps!  Eeeeeeek.

At the same time, newly ordained priest and former FBI agent, Father Ryan is summoned to see the Cardinal and asked to visit Bale Island to investigate a missing priest but to keep his investigation under wraps.  Father Ryan meets Miriam on the ferry and as much as they each want to keep their investigations separate, they need to join forces against a bigger evil than they imagined.

The writing is mesmerising as Gretchen McNeil drew me into the story and, just like the residents of the creepy island can never leave, my eyes couldn't leave the page.  The characters are so vividly drawn that I could easily picture them in my mind and it feels like even the island itself is a living, breathing character.

I devoured this book like it was my last meal and, although it's incredibly creepy and scary at times, I put on my big girl pants and resisted hiding behind the virtual sofa because I was desperate to see what was going to happen next.  This book would be AMAZING on the screen and I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a film or series.

Deliciously dark and incredibly addictive, We Are For The Dark is an unmissable novel that I will be recommending for a very long time.  I loved it so much that I could pick it up right now and read it all again.  An easy five stars.

I received a gifted hardback for the Black Crow PR review tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Other Life of Mary English - GD Harper

Two Different Women. One Shared Destiny.

Mary English, a dockworker’s daughter from Faversham, England, travels to South America to escape a scandal from her past. She ends up running a cacao plantation in Colombia, at a time when women were not legally allowed to own businesses there.

Manuela Sáenz, tempestuous lover of Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar, serves as a colonel in his army. She joins him in battle to fight the Spanish and twice saves his life from assassination attempts.

This is the story of two real-life remarkable women, both fighting oppression, hardship and danger in 1820s Colombia, who come together to change the course of a nation’s history.

 

What did I think?

Having loved Arden by GD Harper I was keen to read more of his books so I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of The Other Life of Mary English.  South American history is not something I know a lot about but I thoroughly enjoyed the history lesson and the unusual setting.

My favourite things to find in a book greeted me when I turned the first page: a cast of characters and a map.  As the book is inspired by real people and real events, the characters are all real people from history and the things in the book actually happened.  GD Harper just uses his imagination to embellish the facts with what the characters might have thought or said to create an incredibly entertaining and interesting story.

It is meticulously researched and told from the points of view of Mary English and Manuela Sáenz, two very strong women who made a lasting impression on the country of Colombia.  Mary is escaping scandal after her bigamist husband rendered their daughter illegitimate, and Manuela's own illegitimacy didn't hold her back from becoming the trusted aide and mistress of South American liberator Simón Bolívar.

I found the whole story fascinating as I had never considered the history of South America before.  I knew that the Spanish had settled there but I didn't know how the countries ultimately gained their independence.  There's also a photographic section about two thirds of the way through the book to enhance the reading experience and bring the whole story to life.

The Other Life of Mary English is a compelling, interesting and fascinating historical fiction novel.  I loved it and would highly recommend it.

I received a gifted ARC for the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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About the author:

GD Harper became a full-time author in 2016. He has written three psychological thrillers, Love’s Long Road, A Friend in Deed and Silent Money, and two historical novels, The Maids of Biddenden and Arden. 

The Maids of Biddenden was the winner in the historical fiction category of the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers, and was shortlisted for the 2023 Selfies Award at the London Book Fair. Arden was placed third in the 2024 Yeovil International Literary Prize. The Other Life of Mary English was a finalist in the Eyelands Book Awards.  He has also been longlisted or shortlisted for fourteen other awards. 

His books have had over one million page reads on Kindle Unlimited, been number one most downloaded e-book on Amazon UK, number three on Amazon worldwide, and garnered over two thousand reviews and ratings on Amazon and Goodreads, with an average rating score of 4.4.

He lives in East Sussex and, when not writing, can be found wild camping in the Scottish mountains or in the mosh pit at live music events.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.gdharper.com 

Instagram: gdharperauthor

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