The blurb of the book Ferryman by Claire McFall is very intriguing and interesting. I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, the book is weirdly preachy and unnecessarily long.
Blurb:
Dylan has escaped a horrific train crash unscathed.
Except she hasn’t.
The bleak landscape around her isn’t Scotland. It’s a wasteland haunted by wraiths searching for human souls.
And the stranger waiting for her isn’t an ordinary boy. Tristan is a Ferryman, tasked with transporting her soul safely to the afterlife, a journey he’s made a thousand times before.
Except this time, something’s different.
Torn between love and destiny, Dylan realises she can’t let Tristan go, nor can she stay with him. Eventually, inevitably, the wraiths would capture her soul and she would be lost forever.
Can true love overcome the boundaries of death?
Review:
Good things first : the concept of love after death, imagination of the world between life and death and a beautiful book cover.
The book has so much unnecessary details and the writing felt dry. It takes so much time for Dylan to finally board that trian. The author was trying to paint a mental picture of her situation but it didn’t feel adequate. It is evident that this is a debut.
There are some weirdy Christian preachy things throughout the book. Tristan actually tells “pure souls = virgins” at one point. God!
In the beginning, Dylan is bullied because her bra is visible. I really don’t think any girl would laugh at another girl for that. Girls usually help others. I don’t know, it felt way too exaggerated. The writing of teenagers also felt weird.
The story also becomes repetitive easily. They are traveling and something happens and they manage to escape easily. Happens over and over agian.
I have to say that the premise of the book is very very interesting. Love after death is very intriguing for us all. It is the only reason I’ll continue reading this series.
Dylan was the Mary Sue protagonist. I really enjoyed the character of Tristan and can’t wait to learn more about his long life.
This is soon going to be a film. I am so excited to see how the world between life and death will be depicted on screen.
The ending of the book was good.
In conclusion, this book was okayish and I am looking forward to read the next book.
V E Schwab is my new favorite author. I loved A darker shade of magic series and decided to read the Villains series. It is so good. Oh also she is coming up with a third book in this series!!! I’m so excited.
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
In Villains, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.
Vicious (Villains #1)
Blurb:
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
Review:
I love stories with multiple timelines and point of views. The story kicks off with Victor and switches between present and past (college days). Sydney is definitely my favorite character.
Victor and Eli are both genius lonely bestfriends until a science experiment goes horribly wrong. Anyone who goes through a traumatic near death experience will develop a superpower based on their last thoughts. These people are called ExtraOrdinary or EO.
Victor and Eli are both EOs. But they believe in different things. They both think they are justice and out to get each otherm Eli thinks all Eos are wrong and shouldn’t exist. He goes on to track and kill EOs. Victor believes EOs are human too.
The writing of VE Schwab is beautiful as always. Every line is quotable. I actually don’t know how else to review the series.
The build up to the end is totally worth. I am really curious how all the characters will come back together for the next book. I just wished Sydney realized what a horrible person her sister Sydney was.
Vengeful (Villains #2)
Blurb:
Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there’s Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn’t know about his most recent act of vengeance.
Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.
Review:
If this is a trilogy and not a duology, I’m so excited. I don’t know how all the characters can be brought back together again.
Again, the ending was worth the build up.
This book was amazing because
1. We finally got Eli Ever’s back story. It was depressing but we now know how Eli became Eli.
2. We get new characters who have more pride than both Victor and Eli.
3. June is my new favorite character. I badly want her back story in the sequel. Please Victoria Please.
I don’t know how else to convince you to read this series if the blurb doesn’t.
If you love revenge stories, you will love this. The clash between two egotistical geniuses is the story of this series. Doesn’t it sound familiar to Light and L from Deathnote?
If you love Deathnote, you will definitely enjoy this.
Have you read this series? If you have whose team are you on? Team Victor or Team Eli?
V E Schwab is an author I discovered this year and I’ve already read most of her books.
Who is your favorite author that you dislike this year?
Time is passing : not leaden stepping But sprinting on winged feet, Quick silver slipping by.
I can’t believe November went by so fast. 2020 is coming to an end soon. Omg!
I read only 5 books in November put of which 2 were review copies and 1 audiobook. It was a bad reading month. I hope to read better in December.
1. Vengeful (Villains Series 2)
I love VE Schwab and all her books. I loved loved this series.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The sequel to VICIOUS, V.E. Schwab’s first adult novel.
Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there’s Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn’t know about his most recent act of vengeance.
Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.
Expect a review of the series soon.
2. A Dark Queen Rises
🌟🌟🌟
Returning to Ashok K. Banker’s brilliant #OwnVoices, epic fantasy world of the Burnt Empire, first introduced in Upon a Burning Throne, A Dark Queen Rises features Krushita and Karni, two women on quests to protect the innocent and bring down tyrants.
All I’m saying is that a rant review is coming soon.
🌟🌟
Dylan has escaped a horrific train crash unscathed.
Except she hasn’t.
The bleak landscape around her isn’t Scotland. It’s a wasteland haunted by wraiths searching for human souls.
And the stranger waiting for her isn’t an ordinary boy. Tristan is a Ferryman, tasked with transporting her soul safely to the afterlife, a journey he’s made a thousand times before.
Except this time, something’s different.
Torn between love and destiny, Dylan realises she can’t let Tristan go, nor can she stay with him. Eventually, inevitably, the wraiths would capture her soul and she would be lost forever.
Can true love overcome the boundaries of death?
4. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
This was my most anticipated reads for this month. It turned out to be an average read.
🌟🌟🌟.5
I really enjoyed the concept but the book was very slow. Way too slow for my taste.
Addie LaRue trades her life for immortality. The catch is no one will remember her. The story just became too repetitive too soon.
It takes so much time for the plot to start. Omg so so slow. The writing is very quotable though.
The ending was amazinggg.
Unfortunately, it was just an average read on the whole.
5. To Kill a Kingdom
This book was amazing. One of the best reads of the year.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
The audiobook made it so much better. It was amazing. It’s so hard to review a good book. If you are looking for enemies to lovers, you have to pick up this book up!
How many books did you read in November? Which was your favorite?
Six of Crows was an amazing book on its own but Crooked Kingdom was a blessing I didn’t know I needed. It left me heartbroken and hopeful in the end. The book was just so so so so good. I rarely say this but it was totally worth the hype.
Welcome to the world of the Grisha.
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.
Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
If anyone is hesitant to pick up the duology because of the the hype, trust me that for once the hype is totally worth it.
Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?” “So?” said Kaz. “Well, usually it’s just half the city.
The book picks up exactly where we left off. Inej has been captured by Van Eck and the crew is weakened but don’t worry because Kaz’s brain is still intact. I will not spoil the story so I won’t be telling exactly what they plan and how they do it.
I can’t believe that Inej actually believed that Kaz wouldn’t come for her if her legs are broken. She doubted that anyone would care to save her. It broke my heart. Kaz and Inej are two people who have gone through so much in life that they can’t even touch each other without going through hell. It is what makes them such rich characters and their growth through the books is remarkable.
I lived for Kaz and Inej scenes. If Leigh Bardugo ever decides to revisit their story again, I’d literally buy 10 copies of it.
I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.
This quote from the Inej is everything! I love the series because our heroes are nothings and nobodies but nothings and nobodies who are ready to take on the world.
Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.
Also also, Kaz called Jesper Jordie!!!??? Omg the implications of that. Kaz considers Jesper his brother. Kaz is so hard on him because he doesn’t want Jesper to be as naïve as Jordie.
This book finally gives us the story for Wylan that we needed. His character had so much development this book but I did hope it would have been nice to have his perspective even in the first book, Six of Crows. I definitely cried when he goes to his mother’s grave.
You’re stupid about a lot of things, Wylan, but you are not stupid. And if I ever hear you call yourself a moron again, I’m going to tell Matthias you tried to kiss Nina. With tongue.” Wylan wiped his nose on his sleeve. “He’ll never believe it.” “Then I’ll tell Nina you tried to kiss Matthias. With tongue.
Wylan seriously became my favorite character. Jesper and Wylan are just so adorable. Their pairing also seems meaningful because you get two opposite kinds of fathers reacting differently in similar situations and how much it changes for the children. The story arc of Wylan and his mother was really great.
He thumbed quickly through the ledger and said, “When people see a cripple walking down the street, leaning on his cane, what do they feel?” Wylan looked away. People always did when Kaz talked about his limp, as if he didn’t know what he was or how the world saw him. “They feel pity. Now, what do they think when they see me coming?” Wylan’s mouth quirked up at the corner. “They think they’d better cross the street.” Kaz tossed the ledger back in the safe. “You’re not weak because you can’t read. You’re weak because you’re afraid of people seeing your weakness. You’re letting shame decide who you are.
I can’t even start talking about Nina and Matthias without ending up crying.
Meeting you was a disaster.” She raised a brow. “Thank you.” Djel, he was terrible at this. He stumbled on, trying to make her understand. “But I am grateful for that disaster. I needed a catastrophe to shake me from the life I knew. You were an earthquake, a landslide.” “I,” she said, planting a hand on her hip, “am a delicate flower.” “You aren’t a flower, you’re every blossom in the wood blooming at once. You are a tidal wave. You’re a stampede. You are overwhelming.
I guess his death makes sense but it is still really sad. He had actual plans to change the world and live the life he wanted with Nina. 😭😭
I wasn’t disappointed even a bit. I watched readywithcindy’s video review and I agree that maybe Matthias was the shadow of the person who killed him. Every character in the book had a shadow or was a shadow for someone like Inej and Dunyasha and Kaz and Pekka Rollins. I was really curious about how the story of Pekka Rollins would end.
I don’t hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. I feed it fine cuts of meat and send it to the best schools. I nurture my grudges, Rollins.
How are we already at the end of October??? 2020 has been really long and really short at the same time.
Anyway, I read only 5 books this month (excluding review copies and ARCs). I wanted to read more but I was busy in binge watching 👀.
1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I would definitely give it ten stars if I could.
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes
Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
I love this world and this book so so so much.
Oh my, oh my why didn’t I read this book before!? It is the perfect read for me. A heist with six outcasts, sign me the hell up! I love morally grey characters and especially theieves and survivors in a fantasy setting.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Six of Crows was an amazing book on its own but Crooked Kingdom was a blessing I didn’t know I needed. It left me heartbroken and hopeful in the end. The book was just so so so so good. Expect the detailed review soon.
Welcome to the world of the Grisha.
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.
Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
3. Blood & Honey (Serpent & Dove #2)
🌟🌟 This book was unfortunately very disappointing. It messed up everything that was built in Serpent & Dove.
After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.
To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.
Nothing happens for 80% of the book. The group decides they need allies if they’re going to fight this and go to meet different people for it. That’s it, that’s the story. It’d have been so much better if the author could cut that part short.
Most importantly, I felt like Reid and Lou were different poeple from the last book. Character growth is good but completely changing characters? Lou did magic in the last book too but there was no point where her magic was hsrmful or destructive. But this time around everyone is worried about Lou’s magic. I also thought the growth in Reid’s character is supposed to be the realization that magic is not inherently evil but it could be used to serve evil purposes. Now if we say that Lou becomes evil the more she uses her magic , won’t that make magic evil???
🌟🌟 This book was as bad as you would expect. It had so much fat shaming and that much more bad writing. It was clearly written keeping a movie in mind, Chetan Bhagat could have skipped the book and directly written a movie script. I’m in the process of writing a rant review. Expect it soon.
Keshav has set up an investigation agency with his best friend, Saurabh. Can the two amateur detectives successfully solve another murder case that affects them personally? And where will it leave their friendship?
‘Ever since you found Prerna, I lost my best friend’ is what I told Saurabh. Hi, this is Keshav, and Saurabh, my best friend, flatmate, colleague and business partner, won’t talk to me. Because I made fun of him and his fiancée. Saurabh and Prerna will be getting married soon. It is an arranged marriage. However, there is more cheesy romance between them than any love-marriage couple. On Karva Chauth, she fasted for him. She didn’t eat all day. In the evening, she called him and waited on the terrace for the moon and for Saurabh to break her fast. Excited, Saurabh ran up the steps of her three-storey house. But when he reached…
Welcome to One Arranged Murder, an unputdownable thriller from India’s highest-selling author. A story about love, friendship, family and crime, it will keep you entertained and hooked right till the end.
5. Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
I love V.E Schwab’s writing so much. I became a fan when I read A Darker Shade of Magic series but this book took it another love. Her writing is poetic but it’s not too much. This book was just perfect.
This was my October. How was yours? How many books did you read? Which was favorite?
Oh my, oh my why didn’t I read this book before!? It is the perfect read for me. A heist with six outcasts, sign me the hell up! I love morally grey characters and especially theieves and survivors in a fantasy setting.
No mourners, No funerals
Kaz leaned back. “What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?” “Knife to the throat?” asked Inej. “Gun to the back?” said Jesper. “Poison in his cup?” suggested Nina. “You’re all horrible,” said Matthias.
I read the book first time in June this year and that’s what I felt but I didn’t know how to review it. I just finished listening to the audiobook of Six of Crows and I decided to just write what I felt while listening to the books.
The following is less a review, more what I felt while reading it. There will definitely be mild spoilers ahead.
I had actually read the chapter 1 before. It is mildly interesting but I don’t even know why I stopped reading there before. This chapter is from the perspective of Joost. I didn’t understand what was happening at all in the first 50 to 80 pages because I haven’t read the Grisha trilogy and didn’t know anything about the magic system actually anything at all. So if the book wasn’t so popular I probably wouldn’t have continued reading it. I just wish the book could’ve started off differently. Or maybe it’s already perfect. I don’t know.
Another thing I felt while reading the book was that, it is impossible for Kaz Brekkar to be 17! I don’t think the whole crew is teenagers. I’ve imagined them all in their 20s in my head. Jasper and Matthias would be in late 20s, Inej, Wylan and Nina in early 20s and Kaz would be in his mid 20s. It just makes more sense to me with all they’ve gone through in their life and how they think.
A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.
Speaking of Kaz and Inej, omfg, I love them so much! They’re my favorite couple although it’s hard to believe that all six people in the crew are paired. I lived for all the Kaz and Inej scenes. God I wanted more. I wanted so much more. Also, I love Inej because she recognized that she wanted more from Kaz for her to stay and she chose her dreams over it.
He needed to tell her…what? That she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. That he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn’t pull himself together into some semblance of a man for her. That without meaning to, he’d begun to lean on her, to look for her, to need her near. He needed to thank her for his new hat.
I love the book more because it takes all cliches of a fantasy story with a choosen one and throws it out the window. Kaz and Inej and Nina and Matthias and Jasper and Wylan, none of them are chosen. They are the opposite of chosen. They are all just survivors trying to live their life. I also would have definitely loved a separate book on each of these six people. They definitely all had enough story to tell.
Let’s talk about Nina and Matthias. I absolutely love enemies to lovers. Since I read Serpent and Dove before this, I felt that they’re literally Lou and Reid. But this is better because Nina is not some kind if a princess, she is a soldier fighting for a cause and so is Matthias. I just loved the dynamic and everything between these too. Nina is also my waffle queen!
Wylan and Jesper weren’t the focus in this book but the development in Crooked Kingdom is amazinggg. So I don’t have much to talk about them here except that I love them ofcourse!
The heist was very clever and interesting but I was drawn to the story because of the characters and their development. Kaz was my absolute favorite. Who was yours?
I can’t believe the ending. I’ve just started Crooked Kingdom for the second time and I’m so excited.
Have you read Six of Crows? Did you enjoy it? Who was your favorite character?
After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.
To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.
This series should have clearly been a duology because literally nothing happened until the very end of this book. Also, what the fuck happened at the very end?? I’ve many questions and many more complaints.
First of all this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. Serpent and Dove was a surprisingly excellent read. All the things developed throughout that book fell flat in this book. Why did you do this Shelby???
The book picks up right where it left off in the last book. I definitely recommend rereading Serpent & Dove before this. I had forgotten names of side characters who make appearances in this one. Also, why did Lou forget that she took the memories of Bas? It was so pointless. Actually, most of the book was pointless.
Nothing happens for 80% of the book. The group decides they need allies if they’re going to fight this and go to meet different people for it. That’s it, that’s the story. It’d have been so much better if the author could cut that part short.
Most importantly, I felt like Reid and Lou were different poeple from the last book. Character growth is good but completely changing characters? Lou did magic in the last book too but there was no point where her magic was hsrmful or destructive. But this time around everyone is worried about Lou’s magic. I also thought the growth in Reid’s character is supposed to be the realization that magic is not inherently evil but it could be used to serve evil purposes. Now if we say that Lou becomes evil the more she uses her magic , won’t that make magic evil???
I’m a witch , Reid. A witch . I have the power to protect the ones I love, and I will sacrifice anything for them. If that makes me a monster—if that makes me aberrant —I’ll don the teeth and claws to make it easier for you. I’ll get worse, if that justifies your twisted rhetoric. Much, much worse.
Those who loved the book for it’s slow burn romance in the last book will be so dissappointed by this book. The dynamic was interesting in the first say 50 pages. The rest of the book is just unnecessary conflicts and fighting between the two. I can understand the fighting to some extent because of their beliefs but Lou says this at one point:
We’re natural enemies, Reid. You’ll always be a witch hunter. I’ll always be a witch. And we’ll always bring each other pain.
Wasn’t this the conflict of the last book?? There are smut scenes in this book too but nothing leading upto it. I did enjoy reading the sex scene before the climax.
Reid is a witch now but it was handled very weirdly. I see that it would be very confusing to someone who have hated magic their whole life. Lou and Reid refuse to talk about it and Reid concludes that it’s best for Lou to not use magic. I hope to god there is better character growth in the next one. They did resolve the conflicts but I just didn’t get it. Reid comes to term with Lou’s magic and him being a witch.
You don’t get to leave me. Do you understand?” Cupping my face, he wrenched me backward and kissed me hard. His voice was fierce. His eyes were fiercer. They burned into mine, angry and anguished and afraid. “You don’t get to do this alone. If you retreat into your mind—into your magic—I’ll follow you, Lou.” He shook me slightly, tears glistening in those frightened eyes. “I’ll follow you into that darkness, and I’ll bring you back. Do you hear me? Where you go, I will go.
I crept into his lap. “What am I, Reid? Say it again.” “You’re a witch.” “And what are you?” He didn’t hesitate, and my heart swelled. “I am too.” “Only partly right, I’m afraid.” My smile—now genuine—grew at his confusion, and I leaned forward, rubbing my nose against his. He closed his eyes. “Allow me to fill in the gaps for you.” I kissed his nose. “You are a huntsman.” Though he recoiled slightly, I didn’t let him escape, kissing his cheek. “You are a son.” I kissed his other cheek. “You are a brother.” His forehead. “You are a husband.” His eyelids and his chin. “You are brave and strong and good .” And, finally, his lips. “But most important, you are loved.
Also also God’s are involved in the plot now?? Please define the rules of the magic system and the universe you’ve created. Please. It gets very confusing. The moment Claud Deveraux was introduced, I knew he’d play a major role later on. But a God!? He did have the wild old man persona throughout the book. He said things like:
A snake,” I replied, breath hitching. “I suppose . . . I’m a snake. A liar. A deceiver. Cursed to crawl on my belly and eat dust all the days of my life.” “Ah.” To my surprise, Claud’s face didn’t twist in disgust or revulsion. He nodded instead, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Yes, I would agree with that assessment.” Humiliation hung my head. “Right. Thanks.” “Louise.” A single finger lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. Those eyes, once warm, now blazed with intensity, with conviction. “What you are now is not what you’ve always been, nor is it what you always will be. You are a snake. Shed your skin if it no longer serves you. Transform into something different. Something better.
How old are you?” I asked again, louder this time. “Very old.” Odd, indeed. I stared at him. “ What are you?” He chuckled, his eyes cutting to mine. “I simply . . . am.” “That’s not an answer.” “Of course it is. Why must I bind myself to fit your expectations?
So he is a God but it still does not solve the problem. Why? I’ve no idea. It also feel like many characters were brought bacl from book 1 for no reason at all, especially the whole climax involving Reid’s old lover, Celie.
I can’t even begin to process Ansel’s death. He was the one character I had liked throughout the book. Why did you have to do this 😭
The book ends with a huge cliffhanger. I’m not going to mention what it is, but even it feels pointless. I was so excited to read this book ever since I read Serpent and Dove but this time I don’t really care. I’m going to read the next book when it comes out, sure but I’m only just mildly interested with what happens to Lou and Reid now.
Mangtu Baba’s House and other stories by Deepshikha Mehta
A daughter chances upon journals and diaries of her father, written by him when he was a child through to his adolescence. She uses the entries to create a semi-fictional world that captures her father’s childhood. Discover the meaning of love and friendship for a young boy, Ramesh, through vignettes of his childhood spent in the hamlets and towns of Himachal.
I’ve been reading a lot of short stories lately. It is a great format and should be explored more. This book is a collection of stories of the author’s father’s childhood. To me, it was literally like reading my parents journals. The stories they tell are very similar. The innocence of childhood and the nostalgia of simpler things made the book a very enjoyable one. We all look back at our childhood and think about how our lives changed. The book made me think the same. It also made me realize though experience changes from generation to generation the essence of childhood remains the same. We all love a time when we had no responsibilities and had infinite curiosity and energy. Overall, I enjoyed reading the stories and I’ll be giving the book to my parents so they can take a trip down the nostalgia lane. My favourite story was Papa and Sheru. The book also reminded me of Malgudi days and Swami and his friends.
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.
As the blurb says, unexpected circumstances leads to the marriage between the witch and the witch hunter: Lou and Reid.
You’re to be my wife.” Catching up to her in two strides, I reached out to grab her arm, but stopped short of touching her. “That means you’ll obey me.” “Does it?” She raised her brows, still grinning. ” I suppose that means you’ll honor and protect me, then? If we’re adhering to the dusty old roles of your patriarchy?” I shortened my pace to match hers. “Yes.” She clapped her hands together. “Excellent. At least this will be entertaining. I have many enemies.
I really enjoy enemies to lovers trope especially in a fantasy setting with a magic system. When I first read the book a year ago, I really really enjoyed their banter. But now the similarities in the personalities between Nina (from Six of Crows) and Lou and Reid and Matthias (from Six of Crows) is way too much. I hadn’t read Six of Crows before but now I can’t even distinguish between the pairs although the settings are different. It doesn’t mean I didn’t like reading it.
I really liked the magic system of this universe. Magic works differently for everyone and you don’t get sometjing for nothing. You need to trade something from your life everytime. That is a very fascinating idea.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I didn’t really understand how just singing a pub song aka indecent as Ansel called it makes Ansel goes against the only instruction he was supposed to follow. It also distracts the witches in the middle of an attack. How?? I can atleast make some sense of Ansel part.
Big Titty Liddy was not very pretty , but her bosom was big as a barn
Her creamery knockers drove men off thir rockers, but she was blind to their charms
Apart from this, I love love the book. My only complaint would be that the “falling in love” part happened a little too quickly or maybe I just wanted more of their banter and Lou being annoying.
My favourite character was Ansel and I hope he will be developed well in the sequel.
I read this book in anticipation of the sequel, Blood & Honey. It is finally in my hands. Expect a review soon.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Qotd: Did you read Serpent and Dove? Did you enjoy it?
I had the opportunity to interview the author of the book ‘A Blue Moon Interlude’, Viji. Do check out the book.
1) What inspired you to write? Have you always wanted to be a writer?
The urge to write a novel has always existed in some corner of my mind. It burgeoned into a passion in recent times. Through my childhood and teenage years, I have often woven stories in my head. It was that private space where I could escape and spin a fairy world. Many times, while reading fiction, I would try to imagine an alternate situation and wonder how the story could have progressed differently. Also, the reason for my successful stint as a teacher was my story-telling sessions which my students looked forward to. Their keen interest in my stories led to writing. But writing as a full-time occupation happened suddenly. I wrote a few reviews on television shows and one of the page administrators asked me to write a fiction based on the show. The unexpected success of that story impelled me to write further, and now I do not let a day go by without writing at least one page.
2) What books or authors have most influenced you?
All genres of fiction, in general have influenced me. Thriller, mystery, romance, fantasy; have all managed to make an impression on me. Foremost on the authors list is Shakespeare. His characters have intrigued me in great measure, especially Hamlet and Othello. Dan Brown’s novels spurred me to look deeper into our own history and mythology. Amitav Ghosh’s writing made me realize that Indian English literature has refined enormously to produce classics on contemporary settings. Amish Tripathi, Chetan Bhagat, Anand Neelakandan, Khaled Hosseini, Chitra Banerjee, Sydney Sheldon, Jeffery Archer, Anne Mather have inspired me in their own ways.
3) Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?
‘A Blue Moon Interlude’, is a contemporary thriller which is steeped in ancient South Indian history, an area of both history and mythology which has largely remained unexplored, not just in fiction but also in the history textbooks of our schools. Ancient Tamil History dating back to the earlier period of first millennium, like Greco-Roman Egyptian History, is that period which falls on the blurred lines between history and mythology, where history and folklore seamlessly merge with one another. Contemporary Chennai, the urban heart of Tamil Nadu, is a confluence of this history and this mythos, and the young adults of the Information Age. The story is unique, because while it belongs to one of the most popular genres of adult fiction in India in the recent past, it also explores a relatively untouched area of history in contemporary fiction.
4) Do you have a favourite character that you have written? If so who? And what makes them so special?
All my characters are special but some are dearer than others. Nilagriva Chandra Shekhar, the main protagonist is special because of his growth from a distant stranger to someone who fights for his love, family and land with passion is remarkable. However, my favourite character is the eighty- year-old Nedumaran. His age and wisdom notwithstanding, Nedumaran makes a strong impression. Carrying a powerful and blessed truth in his heart for years, he wants to divulge it to the appropriate legatee. Caretaker of the ancestral estate of industrialist Arunachalam Chettiar in the temple town of Chidambaram, Nedumaran’s long white beard and wise eyes contradict his unapologetic habit of smoking weed. Devoting his solitary life to spiritual pursuits, his occasional straying into the forbidden path generates an interest in the younger generation.
5) If you could go back in time and change something about your book, what would you change?
So far so good. I have drafted so much and edited so much more that I hope there is nothing that I would like to change in the book now. Having said that, I must add that with every novel, a writer learns and grows. Also, with feedback, I might get a better perspective on my work.
Yes, very much so. I am very grateful that Become Shakespeare.com has made my dream of publishing a novel come true. The person assigned to my project, Miral Bheda has been very helpful and has guided me appropriately. The journey so far has been smooth and enjoyable.
7) If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
Well, my dream team would be…as Nilagriva Chandra Shekhar, I can’t imagine anyone but a young Amitabh Bachchan, a younger Sridevi as Sindhoora and a young Shashi Kapoor as Jeeva Velu Stane. These are the three main characters and all three require strong screen presence.
8) Writing can be exhausting and stressful. Any tips for aspiring writers?
I have always found writing exhilarating. In spite of that, there are days when I have got stuck with words and faced writers’ block. In such situations, the best way to overcome it, would be to take a break, get into physical activity or indulge in a favourite hobby. Once you have overcome the exhaustion and relaxed your mind, you will be ready to get going. Making a daily schedule and following a set deadline also help to come up with fresh ideas.
9) Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share with your readers about?
Yes, I am writing a fantasy-romance based on time travel. There are two parallel plots set in different eras. How the two plots would get connected is what would keep the readers guessing. An ancient prophecy that was written on the banks of an immortal river and an odyssey through time to unravel a timeless secret is the logline of the story.
10) What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
a) One of the key ingredients of a book is the ‘Feel good sentiment’ that follows the completion of an engrossing story and hence, I hope that my book will leave the readers with a similar feeling. b) A faint lingering desire for the continuity of the travel that grips one at the end of a good journey is what I expect of ‘A Blue Moon Interlude’. c) The other most important thing that I hope that the readers would take away from this book is a revival of curiosity and interest in the history of our temples and folk legends.
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