Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare
Publication date: August 2010
Publisher: Simon &
Schuster
Format: Audiobook via Audible
Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository

Goodreads Description

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

This book was outstanding. And I don't say that lightly, EVER.

This book reads from Tessa's point-of-view. She is an American girl from New York, who has come to London, England (my home town, whoop!) in search of her brother Nathaniel. She comes into contact with Shadowhunters (they like, hunt demons and such) and descends into a dark and alluring world. She learns surprising things about herself while attempting to solve a mystery with her new friends. 

I never thought I would pick up another book by Cassandra Clare after I read the first book of her most popular Shadowhunter series The Mortal Instruments. I hated that book because it felt so boring and unoriginal, and I hated the characters and it was all just a bit SLOW. However, I was persuaded to give The Infernal Devices a chance when I read through the glowing reviews on Goodreads. Who does this Will Herondale think he is? He seems so appalling and mean! - I thought. Why on Earth do these readers think so highly of him? How can this book be so different? I mean, it'll still feature the same old Shadowhunters and runes and demons and vampires and everything I hated in the The Mortal Instruments... But actually... actually... it feels entirely different and way more magical. 

This book, Clockwork Angel, changed everything for me. It was so different to The Mortal Instruments, even though it is based in the same world, it's set in the Victorian Era which made it extra charming. And now I feel like an idiot for being so far behind in this fandom. I'm making up for it now though, because as I write this I'm now on the third, yes the THIRD and LAST book already. And now I feel a bit pathetic because I might actually once again have to pick up the first book I hated, City of Bones, to carry on with the Shadowhunter world and experience Cassandra Clare's creation to the fullest, though it'll be without Will, Jem and the others *unhappy face*. 

Fantastic read.  

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
Publication date: September 2016
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Format: Hardback
Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository

Goodreads Description

3 minutes and 4 seconds. The length of time every teenager is 'Called', from the moment they vanish to the moment they reappear. 9 out of 10 children return dead. Even the survivors are changed. The nation must survive. Nessa, Megan and Anto are at a training school - to give them some chance to fight back. Their enemy is brutal and unforgiving. But Nessa is determined to come back alive. Determined to prove that her polio-twisted legs won't get her killed. But her enemies don't just live in the Grey Land. There are people closer to home who will go to any length to see her, and the nation, fail...

Imagine a country that has been isolated away from the world; no one can get in, and no one can get out. Imagine teenagers and children disappearing into thin air, leaving only their clothes behind, then returning 3 minutes later (which is a whole 24 hours for them) - mangled, stretched, decapitated and tortured - because the fairies want to punish Ireland for taking their country and banishing them to the Grey Land. They want Ireland back, and now they're going to torture and kill 9 out of 10 children, one by one. No child/teen knows when their time is up, and so they have to train all of their lives in hope of surviving their 24hrs/3 minutes in the Grey Land to have any hope of becoming an adult.

Yeah, this book is pretty dark and fucked-up. But in a good way. 

When I first looked at the book's description, I was intrigued. I had never read anything quite like this before. I've heard this book being compared to The Hunger Games a few times, and although the similarities are there, this book is way darker and A LOT more violent. The Irish mythology element was also intriguing because I never knew much about these fascinating creatures before, but I'm so happy to say that this book has ignited in me a new love for these Irish stories. In the past my primary impressions about fairies came from the Peter Pan movies and the books written by Julie Kagawa, among others. It was an interesting and terrifying experience reading a book casting fairies in such a psychopathic, murderous light. O'Guilin's characters are so, incredibly bloodthirsty, and I'm not just talking about the Fae. Humans are also portrayed in a dark light - though the Fae are awful creatures, I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for them for being banished from their land.

‘Listen,’ he says, ‘we don’t need the Sidhe to teach us evil. We were the ones who put them in the Grey Land, remember? And not just for a day or however long it is the Call lasts. We Irish… we trapped an entire race of people in hell for all eternity, just so we could take their homes for ourselves.’

The only gripe I had with this book was the ending because it felt very anticlimactic and abrupt after being so fast-paced. However, O'Guilin has hinted at a possible sequel! If this is written, all will be forgiven ;)

This book is perfect for people who love shortish fast-paced books, combined with mythology and a little (okay, A LOT) of gore and horror. If you're usually not into gore though, don't let that put you off. O'Guilin's imagination is dark and fascinating, so this element of the book is well-done - I say this as a person who is squeamish at even the mildest of horror movies!

Everyone should read this book :) 

P.S. I couldn't write mini character reviews this time because of spoilers.

The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton

The Reality Dysfunction (Night's Dawn #1) by Peter F. Hamilton
Publication date: January 26th 1996
Publisher: Pan Books
Format: Paperback
Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository

Goodreads Description

In AD 2600 the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive on the wealth created by the industrialization of entire star systems. And throughout inhabited space the Confederation Navy keeps the peace. A true golden age is within our grasp.

But now something has gone catastrophically wrong. On a primitive colony planet a renegade criminal's chance encounter with an utterly alien entity unleashes the most primal of all our fears. An extinct race which inhabited the galaxy aeons ago called it "The Reality Dysfunction." It is the nightmare which has prowled beside us since the beginning of history.

Wow, where do I begin with this book? 

First thing I will mention is that this book is 1200 pages and loaded with sci-fi jargon, so it's not for everybody. However, if you can endure the initial 100 or so pages where the story begins to progress, it’ll be well worth your time. And what a story it is! The word ‘epic’ is bandied around all too often these days, but honestly… I can’t think of a better way to describe it. Peter F. Hamilton has managed to create a vast universe with a rich history and an intricate political structure across a variety of worlds and cultures. However, Hamilton chooses not to elaborate on things like the mercantile Kulu empire and the militaristic commonwealth. This would usually be inexcusable in a novel this size, but they ARE covered in Hamilton’s other commonwealth novels in more detail, which (admittedly) I’ve yet to read...

The story starts off slow, as the first few hundred pages focuses on the sentient ‘bitek’ (a sentient organic matter, relied on by genetically engineered Edenists to create spaceships and planets), outpost Tranquility and the commonwealth planet Lalonde with its population of exiled convict labourers and wide-eyed colonists, of which the main pool of characters are drawn from (trust me, there are a lot of them). In fact, it’s worth mentioning that the action flits between protagonists fairly regularly, which can be quite disorientating in the few high-action moments.

I definitely wouldn’t describe this as an action-packed novel - and it does suffer from fairly frequent pacing issues, and I admit, this would be an issue for me if the setting and subplots were not so thoroughly engaging. For example, during the inevitable convict uprising on the Colony planet Lalonde, we are treated to the exploits of the archetypal young manrogue Joshua Calvert, who treats us to the *ahem* racier moments and some pretty cool settings throughout his quest (such as Atlantis, which as its name suggests, is almost entirely covered by ocean, as well as Norfolk which could briefly be described as Downton Abbey in Space) to become… well I’m not sure at this moment in time.

Now back to the storyline… I’m anxious not to give too much away, but to sum it up briefly: 

Thousands of years ago, an ancient advanced alien society suddenly suffered an instantaneous mass extinction thousands of years ago and scientists are on the verge of a breakthrough in the modern day whilst simultaneously things are getting weird on the colony planets like demonic possessions and mass murder - you know the usual. It is these moments that drive most of the action and are suitably disturbing and seem designed to make the reader question the nature of death (no spoilers), which it does to great effect. The themes of religion and human evolution are also prevalent throughout the story, with mistrust between the Adamists (humans) and the Edenists (genetically engineered humans who can telepathically communicate with Bitek), as well as the exploration of baser human nature and the limitations of science, - which are at this point pretty standard fare for sci-fi novels, but are at times handled clumsily and sometimes feels like Hamilton has shoehorned them in to lend intelligence to the novel.

Another problem is the reliance on jargon: there is a hell of a lot of it and it can often be difficult to remember the difference between a Voidhawk and a Blackhawk, as is the occasional (but thankfully brief) bombardment of high science, although it becomes more than manageable in the end and actually enriches the universe even more.

Now, as you can probably tell, I’ve been intentionally vague regarding the plot and that is because I am incredibly reluctant to give any of the wider plot details away, as despite the pacing issues, the story is still masterfully crafted. However, as I have mentioned before, this is not a light read. If you can make the commitment to suffer through the initially confusing technojargon, you will find there is a lot to love. The sheer amount of characters consequently means that some never feel as fleshed out as they could be and the story is prone to meandering. Also, do not expect the loose ends to be tied (I forgot to mention this is part of a trilogy, oh yes there’s another 2400 pages in this series) by the end, but it is one hell of a journey that rarely feels like a chore, thanks to the rich setting and captivating story. It manages to create a sense of mystery, tension and a scale which many less-talented writers could reasonably pull off though.

Is this book for everybody? No, definitely not. Is it for you? Well… if you love a good space opera with rich story arcs and a beautifully realised setting, intertwined with a healthy amount of existential horror, then I couldn’t recommend it enough!

If you are undecided, then there’s only one way to find out: take the plunge. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Illumicrate Unboxing (November 2016)

I've ALWAYS wanted to subscribe to a bookish box, but for some reason I never completed the checkout process. I don't know why. It may have been money, or just the fact that I wasn't sure what I was going to get. 

After looking at some of the companies/people that were going to be contributing towards this month's Illumicrate box, I just HAD to get it. And I'm so glad I did.

Barnaby playing in the yellow stuff.

Once I got that tracking link via email telling me my box was going to arrive today, I was even more excited than I thought I'd be. At one point I was literally bouncing up and down and pacing my bedroom floor, until my boyfriend told me to sit down, at which point I sat by the window with a drink and a book in hand, waiting for the van to drive down my street like Santa's sleigh. 

It was a good thing I got my Illumicrate before 6pm, because at one point I thought I was going to burst into flames. 

Excuse the quality of the picture below. By the time I got the box, everything looked so low-light and agh. Will update the picture tomorrow.

Contents of the box:

• The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid with a signed bookplate and bookmark. This book sounds incredible, and I think I'm going to really enjoy it! The author's letter was a really nice touch. Will post a review of the book at the beginning of next month. 
• Exclusive bookish Coffee Cosy by Sparrow + Wolf. This is so awesome. I'll definitely be using it at home and when I go to Starbucks next!
• Exclusive AIDAN candle by Meraki Candles which smells INCREDIBLE and triggered the FEELS of reading Illuminae (Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff) all over again.
• Exclusive Evil Plans Notebook by House of Wonderland.
• Happy Socks. Anyone who knows me, knows I have a huge thing about SOCKS. I was so happy to receive these.
• And more! Including a Six of Crows card holder and artwork. 

Thank you so much Illumicrate! I look forward to the next box!

P.S.S. I know we haven't been posting on this blog for a while, but we've been up to our eyes with studying! Jack is currently studying towards getting into Medicine, and I'm finishing up my last year at university, so we haven't had much time to commit to this blog recently, but we'll be posting a lot more starting next month. So see you then! 

Curse of the Seven 70s by Sharon E. Anderson

Curse of the Seven 70s by Sharon E. Anderson
Publication date: February 12th 2015
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Format: Kindle
Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository

Goodreads Description

Sometimes love proves sweeter than revenge... even for a 15th century vampire.

Heartbroken, hungry, and a little bit drunk, Cassandra soon realizes that just when you think things can’t get any worse, sometimes they can get very strange... like finding a skeleton in the basement of your newly inherited cottage. But when that skeleton suddenly becomes a hot, romantic, and business savvy vampire named Varo... sometimes things can get better. That is... until his infamous older brother shows up, and their centuries old sibling rivalry threatens her chance at true love. Can their love survive her conniving ex-fiancé, his vengeful brother, and the Curse of the Seven 70s?

- I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - 

- May contain mild spoilers -

Woah, what a book! Okay, so I'll admit that it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I read this book without knowing much about it beforehand; all I knew was that it is a paranormal rom/com about Vlad Dracula's brother (as a history nerd, I got very excited about this). I made a few preconceptions about the book because of the cover - it's not exactly the most beautiful cover I've seen - but the contents of the book made for a satisfying read.

After Cassandra loses her boyfriend to a girl who is determined to take over every part of her life, she feels helpless and depressed. Her world has been turned upside-down. The only light in her life is her newly inherited house which her late aunt left behind. There she finds comfort and employs alcohol (specifically Scotch whiskey, good choice Cass!) as her new friend. But nothing seems to fill the gaping hole in her heart... until Varo. 

Howard was the gorgeous man who had convinced Cassandra that he would love her until the day he died. But here he was, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide.

Introducing Varo Dracula, a 'vampire' whose skeleton is discovered in the basement of Cassandra's late aunt's house. He is accidentally brought back to life by Cassandra (paranormal rom/com, remember), and this is where the real story begins.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it's a bit cheesy, but I think that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much. It was fun to read, and because it's so short (180 pages) I finished it in a matter of hours. I found myself laughing out loud (especially when those two characters died, because it was so unexpected! - yes, I'm dark) several times, which is rare for me. Usually books make me smile or cry, but rarely do I laugh!

Anderson knows how to write good rom/com. Varo is incredibly sexy (sexier than the man on the cover, I'd say), and there are very steamy scenes throughout the book (some quite erotic, which I wasn't expecting, but they were written well so hey-ho). She also knows how to create provoking, bitchy characters. How I'd love to give both Taffy and Howard a good bitch slap!

I'd definitely recommend this book to those who love 'vampires' and romance (there were a few references to Twilight in this book) and to those who have a sense of humour.

SAGA (1-4) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Saga  by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Publication date: March 14th 2012 - Now (continuous)

Publisher: Image Comics

Format: Comic Books/Volumes

Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository, Reed Comics (recommended)

Now, let me start by saying I am not a fan of comic books. I have never collected them nor paid any particular interest to them, but Saga is something else entirely.

Part epic, part space opera, and part social satire - but all awesome. Saga was once described to me as being like Game of Thrones in space. Whilst being compared to such a modern masterpiece is a compliment indeed (in my opinion), it also does Saga a disservice in that it is incredibly unique.

Whilst the themes aren’t particularly groundbreaking and often focus on old tropes such as forbidden love and raising a child in dangerous times, Saga breathes new life into these themes and places them in a tremendously realised, although entirely fantastic universe and somehow still makes it believable.

The dialogue flows well and is laden with Britishisms, the artwork is beautiful; flitting effortlessly between stunning interstellar worldscapes and visceral sci-fi warfare.

And that’s another thing that struck me: it is surprisingly deep, yet rarely feels preachy or heavy handed in its message about the futility of war. For me the best representation of this in Prince Robot IV, (Yes there are robots in Saga as well a myriad of other weird and wonderful races) the television headed protagonist/antagonist who undertakes a dangerous mission to find our two star-crossed lovers and their newborn baby in order to return to his own young family. He also suffers from severe combat PTSD and his struggles with it adds layers to an already complex character whose morals are as grey as his skin.

Which brings me on to our main characters Alana and Marko - two rival combatants who got together over a love of literature and decided to take on a universe that wants to kill them. If it seems I am over simplifying this, it’s because I am. The story is driven by their interactions and efforts to eek out a safe existence for their child and fend of the numerous bounty hunters and robotic aristocrats that want them all dead.

Volume Four signed by Brian K. Vaughan

Without these interesting and well developed secondary and tertiary characters the story would be rather plain, but thankfully it isn’t. The art never falls short of stunning, and Fiona Staples is one of the best (although admittedly, I haven’t seen many) comic book artists I have ever seen.

To summarise, you can read all the reviews but the only way to do Saga justice is to read it for yourself. No character really seems to have plot armour except the main two and it surprised me how much I ended up caring about the bad guys, (I’m looking at you The Will).

Oh and it also has seal men and lying cats, if that isn’t enough to make you go and read it nothing will. Saga is one of the most refreshing, most fantastic things I have ever read and it is a must read for any sci-fi, fantasy or comic book lover.

A little tip: if you buy the comics from Reed Comics, there's a chance you will get one through the post signed (as we did above).

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Publication date: February 10th 2015
Publisher: Orion
Format: Audiobook and Kindle
Buy it here: Amazon, The Book Depository

Goodreads Description

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

I loved this book. I also kind of hated this book. I feel so torn about the world, the characters and the storyline. Not because this book wasn't good, because it really was. There was a healthy dose of suspense, world building, complex characters and romance in every chapter. But as I read this book, I constantly felt déjà vu. Usually, I avoid looking too much into reviews on Goodreads because I prefer to experience books for myself and avoid any potential spoilers. But this time, I had a little browse through the reviews and found out I wasn't the only one feeling like the author had taken a little too much inspiration from elsewhere.

“It's our nature. We destroy. It's the constant of our kind. No matter the color of blood, man will always fall.” 

Mare Barrow (I'm sorry, but this name constantly made me think of a horse and I couldn't help but read it as Bone Marrow) has red blood in a world divided in two. The Reds are the builders, servants, seamstresses and soldiers in this society. They have no special abilities which makes them powerless, unlike the Silvers who each have their own special power (think mind reading, fire and water manipulating, telekinesis etc) and they make up the middle and the upper class. 

Mare's best friend loses his job as an apprentice, which had previously kept him from being sent to fight the war. Mare (who was also due to go to war) makes it her mission to set out and find a way to smuggle her and her friend out to somewhere safer where they cannot be found (notice any similarities here?). While on her mission she comes across a shady Silver guy who shows her great kindness and this is where the story begins.

We find out the shady Silver dude is a prince and he unintentionally drags Mare into a situation which changes her life and makes her discover things about herself that she and others never would have thought was possible. She's a Red with a Silver trait. She possesses a power - the ability to control electricity and lightning.

There's plenty of romance, action and betrayal in this book. The ending didn't shock me too much, as I thought you-know-who was a bit of an odd character anyway and I got quite bad vibes off him from the start. As I said, great book! However, the similarities between Red Queen and The Hunger Games and The Selection are a bit too obvious and this ruined the book slightly for me. I will be reading the next in the series to see if Aveyard has taken any of the comments from the readership on board though!