Nettle - Bex Hogan

Inspired by faery myth and folklore, the haunting, heart wrenching tale of a girl called Nettle in a dark, foreboding faery kingdom.

Welcome to a world of glittering courts, dangerous bargains and dazzling trickery...

A wild misfit in the human world, Nettle is enthralled by the glamour of the faery realm, with its two moons and scarlet stars. She grows close to Conor, a human stolen centuries before, and she also falls under the spell of mysterious Ellion, a Shadow Faery. To try to help her beloved grandmother who is fading in her world, Nettle makes a pact with the faery king. He'll heal her grandmother in exchange for Nettle completing three tasks. She agrees, not realising that deception lurks in this enchanted place, and that she has been tricked...

In this dangerous fantasy kingdom Nettle discovers, too late, her part in an age-old love story and the price she will pay.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness!  Nettle has just bagged a prime spot on my favourites shelf as this is a book I will read over and over again.  It really is THAT good.

I actually didn't realise that it was a YA book aimed at readers of age 12 and above as it has that timeless and ageless feel to it, much like my favourite book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  Just as I have done, readers of all ages will fall under Nettle's spell and remain captivated by this wonderful book that is surely destined to become a future classic.

It starts off very much like a faery tale with mesmerising lyrical prose that drew me immediately into Nettle's world.  Falling through her own version of Alice's rabbit hole, Nettle finds herself in the faery realm where she encounters a colourful cast of characters who both help and hinder her attempt to return home.  The story takes a darker turn as Nettle discovers the deceitfulness and trickery of the fae but it's never too dark or scary for younger readers.

I loved the little sprinklings of classic fairy tales throughout the book and I read so fast I probably missed some but I noticed nods to Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin.  Nettle isn't a retelling though, it's an original and highly imaginative story that is sure to enchant and delight every single person who picks it up.

Nettle is without doubt a strong contender for my book of the year as it's right up there with my favourite books of all time.  Prepare to be enchanted by Nettle; a very highly recommended, unforgettable and unmissable read.  An easy and well-deserved five stars.

I received a gifted paperback to take part in the Adventures With Words readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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(Don't) Call Mum - Matt Wesolowski

HE ALWAYS COMES FOR YOU…

Leo is just trying to catch his train back home to the village of Malacstone in North East England. But there’s disorder at the station, and when a loud young man heading for London boards the train accidentally, a usually easy journey descends into darkness and chaos. The train soon breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and as night falls, something...or someone steps out of the distance. Is it a man or something far more sinister?

When one of the passengers goes missing, Leo fears that a folkloric tale whispered to him in childhood might be the culprit.

(Don’t) Call Mum blends Matt Wesolowski’s trademark voice of mystery, folklore and humour in this heart-racing tale.

 

What did I think?

The North East's very own Prince of Darkness is back and Matt Wesolowski's new book, (Don't) Call Mum, is darker than ever.  It certainly gave me the creeps and sent shivers down my spine.

Leo is one of a handful of passengers who boards a late night train from York to Northumberland.  There may only be a couple of passengers but, just like real life, there's always one annoying one who talks loudly on their mobile phone and Annoying Angus seats himself in the same carriage.  It soon becomes clear that Angus has got on the wrong train and that's when things start to get really weird.  Eeeeeek! 

Matt Wesolowski's vivid writing perfectly encapsulates the bleak Northumbrian contryside as the train rattles through the villages, taking the few passengers further away from civilisation.  Northumberland is rife with folklore and Matt weaves some dark and spine-chilling tales through his perfectly crafted prose.  

(Don’t) Call Mum is a dark and creepy novella that simmers with tension and brims with malice.  It's a quick read but I wouldn't want to read it on the train!

I chose to read a digital ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Knock-Knock Man - Russell Mardell

Who is The Knock-Knock Man? A ghost, a killer, or the figment of a frightened boy’s imagination?

It is a question that continues to haunt disgraced New Salstone police officer, Ali Davenport, fifteen months after the devastating case that changed the course of her life. Now, after the death of her former colleague, Ernie, Ali has returned home to face a past that won’t stay buried.

Found in the disused office building where he worked as night security, Ernie’s death has been ruled as a suicide. But not everyone is convinced. Wild stories are circulating about a supernatural presence in the building, an entity that might have attacked Ernie that fateful night. With the sale of the building about to go through, Ali is hired by its owner to work Ernie’s remaining night shifts and debunk the potentially damaging story. An easy enough job, if you don’t believe in ghosts. But then Ali meets Will, a teenage ghost hunter who claims to have evidence on film…

Forming an unlikely partnership, Ali and Will soon fall headlong into a mystery that takes them through New Salstone’s macabre history and into Ali’s own dark past. As the pieces of the puzzle come together, Ali is forced to face the question of The Knock-Knock Man one last time. But what Ali doesn’t know is The Knock-Knock Man has already been watching her for a very long time…

 

What did I think?

I was drawn to The Knock-Knock Man as it sounded like something different to what I would usually read and I was not disappointed.  It's both chilling and thrilling from start to finish as a small town is haunted by the story of The Knock-Knock Man...is it a folk tale or is it real?

Weaving together two mysterious and intriguing storylines from the past and the present, The Knock-Knock Man is a real page-turner.  I love main character Ali and her nickname that fits her perfectly; she's not afraid to stand up to danger, although she is a little afraid of what she saw, or thinks she saw, in the past.  

The mysterious Knock-Knock Man totally creeped me out; I half expected to catch a glimpse of him at my own window, so this is definitely a book to read with the curtains closed.  As with any folk tales, local kids are both scared and intrigued by it and they are desperate to catch a glimpse of The Knock-Knock Man.  One young man claims to have caught him on camera but to see it is to believe it...and then you're admitting that The Knock-Knock man is real.

I really enjoyed this novel; it's definitely one I want to read again as I think I read it too quickly so I felt like I missed a few things.  That's not a criticism of the book at all, it's just so addictive that I couldn't read it fast enough. 

Part horror, part crime, completely creepy, The Knock-Knock Man is a highly original cross-genre novel that will appeal to so many readers.  Whether you read crime, thriller, supernatural or horror, I would highly recommend The Knock-Knock Man.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Replacement - Melanie Golding

When a small child is found wandering alone, the local shopkeepers call the authorities immediately. Twenty minutes later, the girl’s mother turns up, panicked and distraught. It doesn't take long to clear things up, and mother and daughter are soon reunited and sent on their way.

Miles away, the body of a man is discovered, floating in a bathtub, but the most surprising discovery of all is that he isn't dead. Despite his injuries, he is very much alive.

Two seemingly unrelated events. But as DS Harper begins to investigate, disturbing truths start to come to light that connect the man to the mother and child, and suddenly it’s not clear where the danger truly lies. Harper must find out, and quickly. Because someone, or something, is closing in and she needs to uncover the truth before it’s too late…

Weaving together the trademark folklore inspiration that readers loved in Little Darlings, with the procedural narrative force of a brilliant mystery, this is the excellent and unnerving new novel from Melanie Golding.

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Melanie Golding's debut, Little Darlings, so I was thrilled to bits to be chosen to take part in the Tandem Collective readalong for her new book, The Replacement.  With a mix of folklore, thriller and police procedural, this is a fast-paced read that will shock and surprise the reader and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The start of the novel is fantastic and it hooked me immediately as you know that something is not quite right and there's something darker hidden beneath the surface.  As if I wasn't hooked enough, a man is found barely clinging on to life and it's clear that it has something to do with the reunited mother and daughter.  The police investigation becomes even more intriguing when the lead investigator tries to hide her conflict of interest.  What a tangled web we must unravel...

I couldn't read fast enough to discover how events played out and Melanie Golding very cleverly misdirects the reader on several occasions so you think you have it all worked out but you really don't.  Some things didn't surprise me, as I'd read Little Darlings, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the story.  The writing is beautiful, creating layer upon layer of intrigue that must be peeled away gradually to reveal every secret hidden within the pages.

A wonderfully dark and haunting story, The Replacement is intriguing, compelling and hugely enjoyable.  If you're looking for a crime thriller with a difference, then look no further. 

I received a gifted ARC to read and review for the readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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SOCIAL MEDIA BLAST: A Girl Made of Air - Nydia Hetherington

This is the story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived...

Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless star was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. Until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus.

Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tales of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child... But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again?

Beautiful and intoxicating, A Girl Made of Air brings the circus to life in all of its grime and glory; Marina, Manu, Serendipity Wilson, Fausto, Big Gen and Mouse will live long in the hearts of readers. As will this story of loss and reconciliation, of storytelling and truth. 

What did I think?

As soon as I saw the absolutely stunning cover of A Girl Made of Air I knew I had to read it.  It is Nydia Hetherington's debut novel and it is so haunting and atmospheric that I got goosebumps several times whilst reading it.  I have to say that it is quite a strange book, with the story being told through journals, letters and folktales, so it took me a little while to get into it but it is well worth persevering if you struggle to connect at first.  It's also a lot darker than you might expect, so you might be disappointed if you're expecting something along the lines of The Greatest Showman; it's more like what The Greatest Showman might have been like if it was a Tim Burton film.

Although the sparkle and shine of the circus is depicted on the front cover this is a dark and terribly sad tale of an unnamed main character, known only as Mouse.  Mouse is the daughter of Marina, who dazzles the crowd by swimming with crocodiles, and Manu, the animal trainer.  Mouse might as well be invisible as far as Marina and Manu are concerned and the only affection she is shown is from the animals until flame haired funambulist Serendipity Wilson takes Mouse under her wing.

Serendipity Wilson's tales of folklore from the Isle of Man were one of my favourite parts of the book; they reminded me of the film Darby O'Gill and the Little People, although Serendipity Wilson's tales had a much darker edge to them.  Some of the stories that Mouse tells are heartbreaking and disturbing and I was so pleased that she had Serendipity Wilson looking out for her, but everything changes when the circus loses one of their own: a young child named Bunny.

Mouse leaves the circus and travels to New York in search of Bunny and when she reaches Coney Island, it really did feel like she had fallen down the rabbit hole with all those rabbity allusions.  For me, this part of the book really stood out and it seemed like Nydia Hetherington's writing became more vivid, lyrical and dreamlike as she painted such a colourful picture of a bleak and dilapidated place.  It made my heart sing to see Mouse evolving into the strong, confident woman she was always meant to be.  

Dark and disturbing in places but completely mesmerising, A Girl Made of Air is a stunning debut from Nydia Hetherington.  I think this is a book that will benefit from a re-read to fully experience all the nuances of the story and it's definitely worth picking up a hard copy for that beautiful cover alone.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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About the author:

Originally from Leeds, Nydia Hetherington moved to London in her twenties to embark on an acting career. Later she moved to Paris where she studied at the Jacques Lecoq theatre school before creating her own theatre company. When she returned to London, she completed a creative writing degree at Birkbeck. Nydia is based in London. 

Follow Nydia on Twitter: @NydiaMadeofAir

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The Story Keeper - Anna Mazzola

Audrey Hart is on the Isle of Skye to collect the folk and fairy tales of the people and communities around her. It is 1857 and the Highland Clearances have left devastation and poverty, and a community riven by fear. The crofters are suspicious and hostile to a stranger, claiming they no longer know their fireside stories.

Then Audrey discovers the body of a young girl washed up on the beach and the crofters reveal that it is only a matter of weeks since another girl disappeared. They believe the girls are the victims of the restless dead: spirits who take the form of birds.

Initially, Audrey is sure the girls are being abducted, but as events accumulate she begins to wonder if something else is at work. Something which may be linked to the death of her own mother, many years before.

What did I think?

I absolutely adored Anna Mazzola's debut, The Unseeing, so wild horses couldn't have stopped me from reading The Story Keeper.  As soon as I opened the book, I was instantly transported to 19th century Isle of Skye as Anna Mazzola describes the scenery in such vivid detail that I felt as if I was looking out of our protagonist, Audrey's very own eyes.

A book that gives you goosebumps is always a good sign and boy, did I get goosebumps whilst reading this.  I am partial to an odd fairy tale or two but the fairy folklore in this book will give you nightmares rather than sparkly dreams; the little people on the Isle of Skye are BAD!  As well as the bad fairies, there are restless spirits and something or someone is causing young girls to disappear.  Audrey, following in the footsteps of her mother, came to Skye to collect folklore but she ends up looking into the mysterious disappearances on the island...but what darkness is she about to uncover?

The Story Keeper will appeal to many readers as it very cleverly spans so many genres.  In addition to the depiction of real historical events, it has dark, gothic and atmospheric scenery, fantasy folklore and a spine-tingling mystery at its heart.  Due to the utterly spellbinding and brilliantly peculiar story line, it is one of those books that I found myself racing through but equally didn't want it to end.

The Story Keeper is a deliciously dark, atmospheric tale with real Scottish folklore that gave me goosebumps and made me look over my shoulder a few times.  With magic and mystery at play, absolutely anything could happen and this kept me on my toes from start to finish, leaving me wide-eyed in surprise as the story reached its conclusion.  With this superb addition to her catalogue, Anna Mazzola has firmly secured a place as one of my favourite authors.  A very highly recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

A global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping bestseller lists in 74 countries worldwide. Now this magical fable is beautifully repackaged in an edition that lovers of Paulo Coelho will want to treasure forever.

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book – a beautiful parable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life’s path and, above all, follow your dreams.

Santiago, a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia, feels that there is more to life than his humble home and his flock. One day he finds the courage to follow his dreams into distant lands, each step galvanised by the knowledge that he is following the right path: his own. The people he meets along the way, the things he sees and the wisdom he learns are life-changing.

With Paulo Coelho’s visionary blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore, The Alchemist is a story with the power to inspire nations and change people’s lives.

What did I think?

I have a love of Egyptian history and anything Egyptian so I'm surprised I hadn't picked up The Alchemist before it was my book club read for December.  Just the pyramids on the cover of some editions should have been enough for it to draw my attention but I'm embarrassed to say that I had never even heard of the book.

The Alchemist is written as if it's a fable with the air of magic surrounding it.  There's nothing more magical than an alchemist: one who can turn ordinary metal into gold but what about the treasure within ourselves?  Treasure is what Santiago aims to find - he sets off from Andalusia en route to Egypt, encountering the usual thieves and rogues along the way, but learning lots of life lessons.  He falls in love but never waivers from his mission, despite a few shaky moments.

I really wanted to love The Alchemist but I didn't have any of those eye-opening moments that I expected.  It's a good story but I felt it wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be: a bedtime story or a piece of adult fiction, perhaps some of that was down to the translation.  It seemed very simple at times, reminding me of a bedtime story then suddenly it would be quite serious and frightening.  

I enjoyed the journey I went on with Santiago and it did remind me to look inside myself for my own treasure, but it wasn't a story I think I will remember for a long time.  I'm glad that I read it and it didn't take much time to do so, but it didn't really live up to my high expectations.  I think it is a timeless novel that many people will enjoy, but unfortunately it didn't set my world on fire.

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