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The Girl of Ink & Stars
The Girl of Ink & Stars
Kiran Millwood Hargrave | 2016 | Children
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is quite a short YA novel, a standalone book that I just picked up on impulse. I immediately got the impression that this was aimed at slightly younger teens - the protagonist was only thirteen, so I didn't really connect that much. It's that awkward age where you think you're old, but you're not. I could imagine thirteen-year-old me would enjoy this quite a bit.

Isabella lives alone with her father, a skilled cartographer. Her mother and twin brother had passed away, leaving the two alone. The Governor had taken control of the land, and his daughter, Lupe, attended the same school as Isabella. The two were very close, and Isabella's angered outburst causes Lupe to run off into the Hidden Territories to prove she wasn't "rotten". A classmate of theirs had recently been found dead, and Lupe was going to find the killer.

Isabella, disguised as her deceased brother, shows Lupe's note to her father and a small group begin going after her, Isabella included. They follow a map passed down to Isabella's mother, through blackened forests scattered with bones. They do find Lupe, along with the Banished and, worst of all, the hell dogs from Isabella's favourite myth.

This myth turns out to play an important role in their journey, and Lupe discovers something about her father when he sacrifices himself to fend off the wolves. They face Yote himself - the mythical fire demon - and Isabella finds herself returning home without Lupe.

It is quite a young teen book, as I said, and the plot develops all because of Isabella calling Lupe's family "rotten". This drama and exaggeration is pretty typical of a children's/teen book, I find, and seemed a little immature to me. The writing was great, I just couldn't get over the simplicity and immaturity of the plot at times.

For a teen book, it was quite dark at times - a lot of death was included. The ending was both happy and sad, which is nice. I get quite fed up of too many happy endings. 3 stars.
  
Lost (House of Night Otherworld #2)
Lost (House of Night Otherworld #2)
P C Cast | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Loved it!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Things have settled down at the Tulsa House of Night since Zoey and the gang closed the tear between worlds and sent Other Kevin back to the Other World. Neferet hasn't stirred. Damien and Jack are falling in love all over again. Stevie Rae and Rephaim are back in Tulsa where they belong. The Depot Restaurant is being rebuilt with the enthusiastic involvement of local humans. A new school year has begun, and Zoey's exchange student program with public schools is really taking off. All is well.But if all is well, why is Zoey increasingly withdrawn and moody?Sadly, Stark is sure he knows the answer to that question. Zoey can't stop thinking about following her brother to the Other World, and Stark isn't deluding himself about why. Of course she wants to be sure her brother is okay. Of course she wants to help defeat Neferet in yet another world and be sure the balance between Light and Darkness is restored. But the real reason Z is so drawn to that other House of Night world is because Heath Luck, her childhood sweetheart, is alive in that world-alive and mourning her death.In Lost, we follow Zoey, Stevie Rae, and Rephaim to an alternative version of the House of Night, where dangers take the form of friends and allies are found in the strangest places. Will Z return to our world and leave Heath to his? And if she does, will Stark forgive her for leaving? Find out in the second part of this exciting new House of Night Other World adventure!

I absolutely love this author and this series! Following Zoey and the nerd herd through more trials just makes me happy. We see Z , Stevie and Repheim travel to Kevin's world to help put things right. With some years of joy at some reunions and tears of sadness at the loss of a beloved character it's definitely worth a read. Also don't be drinking when Neferet drops the C bomb I nearly choked 🤣🤣🤣🤣. As a fan of P C Cast and Kristen these books bring so much joy to the YA and supernatural world.

 



⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  
Shouting Match (Amore Matchmaking #1)
Shouting Match (Amore Matchmaking #1)
Pandora Pine | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
so much with the warm and fuzzies AND too stinking cute! Loved It!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Capone has been the head of the family since his father passed away. His youngest brother has decided to start a matchmaking scheme, and Capone is target one! But did it have to be Fuller, the hot cop who got him all hot and bovvered under the collar after a traffic stop?

This book, right? Is as pure a warm and fuzzies slash too stinking cute book as you're gonna get! Or at least, the purest I've had in such a long ass time, and I loved it!

Capone is a restauranteur, and Fuller the local cop, in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else. Brando, the youngest brother of 4, and his matchmaking scheme needs a poster couple and who better than Fuller and Capone, eh?

What follows is a delightfully easy read (a really REALLY good thing!) with lots of misunderstandings, no real break-up but wonderful make-ups after those misunderstandings!

Both men are scared: Fuller after his last relationship, and what happens here because of that. Capone because of Fuller's job and because he has to look after his brothers and his mum. Capone had a wonderful upbringing, but Fuller not so much. They love the small town they live in, just wishing everyone wasn't so in-yer-face about everything. But when something happens, that in-yer-face-ness is vital!

It's funny, it's sweet, some smexy times, but not too many, just the right amount for this book. Some nosy brothers, all with a secret they've been hanging on for so long.

Said brothers are fabulous, and mum is awesome! And that goat is hilarious and nasty to all the brothers except Fio, who feeds him!

Fio is next, I have Grudge Match on my list to read shortly.

First I've read of Pine, so guess what? Wish list just got longer!

5 full and shiny stars (but I did write 4 first!)

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
The Silver Ones (The Silver Series, #1)
The Silver Ones (The Silver Series, #1)
Charlotte Mallory | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A very different shifter story that stands out from the crowd.
THE SILVER ONES is the first book in The Silver Series and we learn about a world inhabited by shifters, hunters, vampires, witches, and the 'normal' folk. Except something has happened recently that means some of the normals have turned into Silvers. They have silver hair and their eyes changed colour. This marks them out from the crowd but no one knows why.

In Rem's village, the witches control everything. No one is taught how to read and write in case it gives them too many ideas. She is one of the newly changed Silvers and doesn't know what to do. The plans that were made were too late as Rem and her brother, Oliver, were kidnapped by shifters, and Rem was cursed by an Elder Witch. How will she protect her brother and break this curse?

I loved this story! It's a long one so I was able to fully immerse myself in it. I loved how the different factions were described, especially the shifters. I love that Finnish is their native language and the difficulties Rem has trying to learn it. As someone learning German, it was brilliant to read that she translated everything in her head first, instead of just being able to speak fluently within a couple of days!

Hold onto your hats though because it is Intrigue Central. There are so many twists and turns to hold your interest. Some are obvious, some are not; all are fantastic.

It is a slow burn for the majority of the story, with a steamy scene near the end. The connection between Ronan and Rem leaps off the pages though and I can't wait to see where their story takes them next.

A very different shifter story that stands out from the crowd. Highly recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!