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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BLOG TOUR: The Half King - Melissa Landers

A king by day. Shadow by night…

Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rebelled against the goddess... and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.

One with perilous beauty.

One with destructive knowledge.

One with insatiable bloodlust.

But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night...until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.

Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer...only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.

Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests – smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the centre sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering.

As the spectre of his twenty-first birthday – and the full force of his curse – approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.

There’s only one way to save a dying king... and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.

 

What did I think?

Now that's what I call pure escapism!  I am so pleased that I have started to read books in the fantasy genre as The Half King is a a real jewel in fantasy's crown and I absolutely loved it.

It's like a fairy tale for adults with a curse, a handsome king and a big helping of baddies who want to steal the throne for themselves.  Cerise isn't a firstborn so she has not been cursed and she is training to be a Seer, however, her gift of sight does not appear so she becomes an emissary to the king.  The king is cursed and disappears into shadow form each night, which is why he is referred to as the half king...but perhaps Cerise is his other half?

This is an incredibly entertaining tale that is action-packed and filled with danger and romance.  I loved Cerise and her caring nature that is a gift in its own right.  Cerise puts herself in danger to save her king and it costs her dearly.  I gasped out loud so many times as Melissa Lander's descriptive writing painted vivid scenes in my head.

Entertaining, vividly written and compelling, The Half King is a wonderful story that delighted me from start to finish.  I am hoping that this isn't the last we have heard of Cerise and Kian and I would love to read more if this does become a series.  Very highly recommended and if you don't usually read books in the fantasy genre then I think The Half King would definitely be a good place to start.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn't afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public — just ask her embarrassed kids.

She lives in Cincinnati Ohio, where she writes romantic fantasy and science fiction adventures for the young at heart.

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Dohva - The Land Within - Sophie Haeder

Embark on a journey to the enigmatic realm of Dohva, where elemental magic reigns supreme and ancient secrets lie buried beneath the mountains.

In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod. Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss of her closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption.

But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever?

"Dohva - The Land Within" is the first book of an epic fantasy meets romantasy trilogy that will captivate readers from beginning to end and leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment in this spellbinding saga.

 

What did I think?

I'm just starting to read more fantasy books and I really enjoyed Dohva; I think it's a really good book to entice new readers into the fantasy genre.  I was completely immersed in the wonderful land of Dohva and read it much quicker than I expected.

The story is told from several different points of view with Avala being the main character.  Avala is an elf and a member of the Stormguard, along with her friend Garon who would like to be more than friends with Avala.  There's a wonderful theme of past lives running through the book and that's the reason why Garon and Avala will never be more than friends.  It's so very heartwarming to consider the idea of loved ones finding each other again in their new lives.

Of course you can't have a fantasy book without a dragon and wow, the dragon in this book is depicted so vividly it virtually leaps from the page and I had to check my fingers for scorch marks.  I loved all of the characters in the book; both the good and evil ones.

Filled with magic, romance and action, Dohva - The Land Within is a fantastic debut novel and a very enticing start to a new romantasy trilogy.  Sophie Haeder can consider me hooked and I can't wait to visit the wonderful land of Dohva again.

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

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Bright Midnights: A Dark Paranormal Love Story (The Limerent Series Book 2) - LS Delorme

Amelie has always been different.

Most high school students find life challenging, but 17-year old Amelie has a lot more to contend with than typical teenage angst. Ever since she turned 11, others have been irresistibly drawn to her—with tragic consequences. Her only escape is at night when she flies to different times and places through her “dreams”. Her life begins to change when, on one of her flights, she meets Clovis, an alluring and mysterious young man who hides a secret.

As Amelie finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she learns his story, how it intertwines with her own and finally discovers how to live her life in the real world. Until her own secrets are revealed to the wrong people and that world turns upside down.

Bright Midnights is the second in the Limerent Series and continues in the thought-provoking and beautiful style of the first as it considers different dimensions, different ways of looking at the world, and the transcendental power of love.

 

What did I think?

I discovered The Limerent Series at book 3, Fanning Fireflies, so I'm working backwards by returning to the series with book 2, Bright Midnights.  Each book can be read as a standalone as the main characters' stories are the focus of each book, with some cameo appearances from characters you might recognise if you've read any of the other books.

This is Amelie's story and she has a special gift that definitely feels like more of a curse as people become fixated and dangerously obsessed with her.  The story becomes quite dark as the reader is privy to certain thoughts and feelings that people have about Amelie and it often made my skin crawl.

Amelie can escape her real life through her dreams where she meets Clovis.  It's obvious from the start that Amelie and Clovis have a special connection but there are very good reasons why they can never be together.  The heart rules the head though, and there are some more necessary but slightly uncomfortable moments in store for the reader as inevitable events occur.

LS Delorme's writing is so dreamlike and ethereal, sweeping the reader away to alternative realities.  The plot is imaginative and original as it mixes real life with the paranormal and the characters are beautifully drawn and very memorable.  

Pure escapism with a dark undercurrent, Bright Midnights is a captivating romantasy that is entertaining and provocative.  I am looking forward to reading more books in this magical series.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Fanning Fireflies (The Limerent Series Book 3) - LS Delorme

There is something rotting in Harrisville.

It's 1944 and Veronica works so she can afford to eat. Maybe one day she will save enough to own the home her family is living in, but for now, she doesn't have time for fanciful thoughts, or much else. She doesn't have time for the fire whispering to her, the ghosts trying to talk to her and the son of her boss, who can't stop staring at her. She definitely doesn't have time to think about Lazlo, the handsome black soldier that she processed at the draft office, but she can't seem to stop herself. As her ability to ignore Lazlo evaporates, so does her self-imposed ignorance about her hometown. There is, and always has been, something rotten in Harrisville. It shouldn't have been a surprise. After all, Veronica works in the cigarette factory, where corpses hide in the tobacco with the roaches.

 

What did I think?

I was drawn to Fanning Fireflies by the stunning cover and it as mesmerising inside and out.  I didn't realise it was the third book in The Limerent series when I started to read it and it can definitely be read as a standalone but I now want to read the earlier books.

Set in 1944, it's shocking to see the prejudices that people experienced in our not so distant past.  Love doesn't see the colour of your skin so when Veronica meets Lazio she can't stop thinking about him and vice versa.  Lazio is sent to fight in World War II but he writes to Veronica and he meets her every night in his dreams.

Veronica works in a cigarette factory and she has a gift (or a curse) that enables her to see ghosts and there are a surprising number of them in the factory.  When women from the town start going missing, the coloured residents are blamed but Veronica's gift holds the key to what is really happening to the missing women.

Mixing fantasy with historical fiction and romance, Fanning Fireflies is a genre-busting novel that completely blew me away.  It's so beautifully written and completely mesmerising that I couldn't put it down and I couldn't stop thinking about it long after I turned the final page.  The love story is just stunning and it adds an abundance of light to the shocking darkness of the racial prejudice.  A highly recommended read and one I will definitely be reading again.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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