Tag: #Friendship

Nocturne with Gaslamps by Matthew Francis

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

An historical crime fiction novel set in Victorian London’s gaslit theatre scene, where ghosts lurk in the shadows and murder takes centre stage.

Gaslight. Ghosts. Murder.

Hastings Wimbury has always dreamt of playing Hamlet, but for now he works as a theatre gas-boy. Here, he tends to a gas chandelier so powerful it creates its own weather, and limelight machines that can throw a shadow onto a wall ten miles away.

When Hastings suddenly disappears, his fiancée Flora sets out to find him with the help of Cassie, her rival in love who is more preoccupied with the ghosts terrorising the streets of London. Soon total darkness is imposed upon the city, and they realise that something far more sinister is at hand…

Ladies aren’t supposed to solve mysteries, but this is a matter of life and death.

Review

As well as being about a disappearance, a murder and ghosts in the darkness of Victorian London, this story is very informative historically about how gaslight was used in theatres at the time, to create wonderfully dramatic, almost ethereal, illusions. It also highlighted to me the origins of the term “in the limelight”.

The story is noir-ish in tempo and style, with elaborate detail about the use of gaslight, the physicality and danger of the gas-boy profession and London at night. The spectacle of the “theatrical” ghostly production around London is something I would have loved to have been real and have seen for myself.

I loved the strength of character and independence of Cassie and Flora, something definitely frowned upon by society at the time. Just like me though, neither of them saw the twist at the end coming.

Thanks to Neem Tree Press for the ARC to review for this blog tour.

Buddy the Knight and The Queen of Sorrow by Peter David

On By @f33lthesunIn Children KS2Leave a comment

Blurb

Buddy is no ordinary teddy bear.

He’s a Knight, crafted by The Nameless Wizard himself, and sworn to protect his Person, 10-year old Mieya, from all the Things-That-Go-Bump-In-The-Night.

When Mieya is cursed into a magical sleep, it’s up to Buddy and his friends Esteban the Bard, Sasha the Warrior-Princess, and Copper the Butterfly to journey across The Realm-Under-The-Bed and find the one responsible.

But this is no ordinary Quest. The Realm is a dangerous place, filled with jungles, deserts, lightning storms, and Monsters. But worst of all is The Queen of Sorrow who waits for them in her dark castle in the crags. To break her curse, Buddy will need more than his skill with a blade, Esteban’s witty songs, or Sasha’s ferocious might.

He’ll need Heart.

Review

Starting off with a fabulous map of The Realm-Under-The-Bed, which sets the scene for this questing adventure, is always a winner.

The author has created a fantastic world into which our brave hero, Buddy the Knight, must journey, in order to save his Person, Mieya, from the evil Queen of Sorrow’s curse.

Armed with his enchanted sword, a magic amulet to show him the perilous way and Esteban, his trusty sidekick, Buddy sets off to battle monsters, sirens, storms and other unknown perils.

Along the way, Buddy encounters friends, foes and challenges that make him question his bravery and everything he believes to be true. Can he solve the quest riddle and defeat the evil Queen?

There are a few themes woven through the story which hit the right notes; do not let how you look or how you think others perceive you to limit you or make you feel less than who you are, know that you need both heart and mind to be whole and finally, be there for your friends and let them be there for you.

Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for this review.

A Rose Among Thorns by Ash Fitzsimmons

On By @f33lthesunIn Fantasy, Young AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

No one said anything about an attack vine.

Rose Thorn should never be left unsupervised around plants. Potted things tend to die around her as if on principle. But when her great-aunt calls and asks Rose to watch her garden nursery for a few days, Rose can hardly say no. After all, Aunt Lily is the closest thing Rose has to a grandmother—and the only family she has left—so Rose doesn’t mind driving out to her tiny mountain town to look after the place.

Aunt Lily never mentioned anything about an inspection, however.

Rose is taken aback when an agent from an organization she’s never heard of arrives and panics to find Aunt Lily missing. As it turns out, Aunt Lily hasn’t been entirely straight with Rose. She’s not visiting a sick friend—she’s in danger and on the run. She keeps a hidden greenhouse on the property in which she grows highly regulated magical plants. And she’s an elf…as was Rose’s grandfather.

Though stunned to witness magic at work and shocked that no one ever divulged the family secret, Rose refuses to abandon the nursery until her great-aunt is safely home. But as she and the agent, now awkward housemates, try to keep up their cover story and find the missing grower, they realize that whatever led to Aunt Lily’s disappearance might not be the only magical crime in progress.

And while Rose has no green thumb, another talent of hers may be budding…

Review

I wasn’t sure what to expect, what I read was an enjoyable, well crafted urban fantasy.

Although set in a seemingly normal small town, the setting expands liminally to include a greenhouse full of weird plants that are ingredients for magical potions. Sally, one of those plants, is a fabulous creation and character in their own right.

The two main characters, Rose (human) and Yven (elf), are soon embroiled in magical mayhem and having to hurry to work out where Aunt Lily is and how two local cops fit into the grand scheme of what is going on. As their problem solving skills are tested and their relationship develops, they start to trust each other more, or in Yven’s case, he realises Rose does not take no for an answer and is very determined to find her Aunt.

As the first book in a series, this does an excellent job of introducing the world and characters, both human and non human, as well as setting us readers up for more adventures and intrigue. I look forward to Rose and Yven’s next storyline, and hopefully meeting Sally again. A thoroughly deserved 2nd place in the BBNYA 2023 Awards.

The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

On By @f33lthesunIn Children KS21 Comment
Cover by Amber Ren (@AmberRenArt)

Blurb

A fast-paced, high-kicking debut that’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams—and her father.

Twelve-year-old Modesty “Mo” Seto dreams of being a taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he’s been lately.

When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears—and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.

Review

“Though she be but little she is fierce” and “never meet your heroes” sum this book up perfectly.

Mo has to use all her cunning and creativity when not only is her father mysteriously AWOL but accidents seem to follow her around.

When she finds an ancient book that she cannot understand but knows links her family to an ancient discipline she so wants to understand and practice, she has to put her feelings of inadequacy due to her lack of height as well as her disappointment at the less than heroic leading man aside and prove to everyone around her that she has what it takes to solve the mysteries going on around her.

The themes of family, inner strength and self belief drive this pacey MG thriller, with its varied cast of characters and a feisty, gritty, determined, rule-busting protagonist.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and @The_WriteReads for the eARC in exchange for this review on the blog tour.

Anticipation by Neil Taylor

On By @f33lthesunIn #YALeave a comment
Cover designed by Jet Purdie

Blurb

You are being played.

Your every move is being watched by businesses hoping to manipulate your behaviour. Every picture, every post, every like, every follow, every purchase, every search.

When 17-year-old Riya Sudame inherits her father’s secret AI algorithm, she and a handful of carefully selected Keyholders hold the power to predict people’s futures using their online data. But with great power comes great responsibility, and they must safeguard it from falling into the wrong hands.

Enter Jim Booker, a powerful social media tycoon, who will stop at nothing to steal the technology for himself. Soon Riya faces a critical choice. Fighting ruthless tech giants seems like an impossible task—wouldn’t it be easier to relinquish her father’s creation in exchange for a normal teenage life? 

But if she does, she will have to live with the knowledge that she is the reason that, like everyone, you are being played.

Review

Taylor has written a high paced, moral led thriller that could well be happening right now.

So many of the scenarios – data mining on social media, monetising of it, scientific developments intended to help all being bought up / stolen and produced for profit – happen already.

Anticipation takes these ideas to the next level. It puts two teenagers, with no knowledge of the power their fathers’ technology, in charge of protecting it and ensuring it ends up helping everyone.

However, this leads them into dangerous territory, their families put at risk and them trying to save themselves and the technology without using traceable technology for fear of being traced. At one point they even try to turn the tables by influencing the influencers to try to uncover the scams and show the world what is happening.

The theme of data manipulation in this story takes us deeper than it just being sold so companies can spam us with target audience specific ads. It takes us into the territory of our online footprint enabling those companies to accurately predict our behaviours and actions, to manipulate and lead us where we may not want to go, making them even more powerful than they already are.

Thank you to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for the ARC to allow me to review for this blog tour.

Scareground by Angela Kecojevic

On By @f33lthesunIn Upper Key Stage 2+Leave a comment

Today I am shining a spotlight on the brilliant Scareground, for its release in America. I reviewed it here when it was originally published in the UK in August 2023.

Blurb

Roll up, roll up, the Scareground is in town!

Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet lives above a bakery and her life is a delightful mix of flour, salt, and love. Yet her mind is brimming with questions no one can answer: Why did her birth parents disappear? Why can she speak with the sky? And why must she keep her mysterious birthmark hidden?

Everything is about to change when the Scareground returns to Greenwich. Nancy is convinced it holds the answers to her parents’ disappearance. Nancy and her best friend Arthur Green meet the fair’s spooky owner, Skelter, and discover a world full of dark magic and mystery. Nancy must confront her greatest fears to get to the truth. But is she ready for all the secrets the Scareground will reveal?

About the Author

Angela Kecojevic is a senior librarian, author and creative writing tutor. She has written for the Oxford Reading Tree programme and the multi-award-winning adventure park Hobbledown where her characters can be seen walking around, something she still finds incredibly charming! She is a member of the Climate Writers Fiction League, a group of international authors who use climate issues in their work. Angela lives in the city of Oxford with her family.

Do look out for the other blog reviews on this @The_WriteReads / Neem Tree Press blog tour.

The Reanimator’s Heart by Kara Jorgensen

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

A reluctant necromancer, a man killed before his time, and the crime that brings them together.

Felipe Galvan’s life as an investigator for the Paranormal Society has been spent running into danger. Returning home from his latest case, Felipe struggles with the sudden quiet of his life until a mysterious death puts him in the path of the enigmatic Oliver Barlow.

Oliver has two secrets. One, he has been in love with the charming Felipe Galvan for years. Two, he is a necromancer, but to keep the sensible life he’s built as a medical examiner, he must hide his powers. That is until Oliver finds Felipe murdered and accidentally brings him back from the dead.

But Felipe refuses to die again until he and Oliver catch his killer. Together, Felipe and Oliver embark on an investigation to uncover a plot centuries in the making. As they close in on his killer, one thing is certain: if they don’t stop them, Felipe won’t be the last to die.

Review

I really enjoyed this historical, steampunk fantasy story told from two points of view: Oliver, an autistic necromancer working as a pathologist, trying to hide his magic so as not to be harshly judged by others and Felipe, a healer and paranormal investigator, who Oliver accidentally brings back from the dead when he is murdered.

What unfolds is a murder mystery involving organised religion, paranormal investigation, magical relics and the beginnings of a tentative love story between Oliver and Felipe, if only they would talk properly with each other.

The murder is important because of the consequences, the mystery behind it is not the main thing. It does set the backdrop for the relationship between Oliver and Felipe to develop beyond both of them admiring each other from afar but neither being confident enough to let the other one know.

Kara Jorgensen has created believable, well developed characters. The supporting characters are quirky and interesting and each brings their own foibles and personalities to the unfolding story.

This story achieved a very well deserved 3rd place in the BBNYA 2023 awards. Thanks to @The_WriteReads for the eARC to review for this tour.

Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

What if the only way to fix toxic masculinity were to erase it entirely?

Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan never had, but one day he disappears without a trace. A year later, after encountering a woman who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He finds that dozens of young men have disappeared over the years, many of them students at the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, and most of them troubled or unruly. Why are students going missing? Who are these women who bear striking resemblances to them? And what is their connection to the selective student accommodation on the edge of campus, Dorley Hall?

Stefan starts studying at Saint Almsworth for one reason and one reason only: to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too.

Review

I was a bit unsure what to expect from this book. I chose to review it for this tour as I am trying to read at least one book a month outside of my usual genres.

What I found was a well written character driven narrative set in dark academia. The content however was not for me. There is definitely an audience out there for Dorley Hall, but it does not include me.

The biggest issue I had was the juxtaposition of the forced feminisation programme being run in Dorley Hall, against the much softer, often humorous, wholesomely frivolous post programme lives of those who have passed through the programme.

The biggest question I was left with was does the end justify the means?

I am not sure it does in this case.

Thank you as always to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for an ARC to review for this blog tour.

Faith of Their Fathers by Samuel M. Sargeant

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

False God.

At the dawn of the 10th Century in a small Icelandic settlement, these words, daubed in blood, herald the arrival of a killer. 

Soon, a spate of murders threatens the fragile peace between pagans and a growing Christian minority. Arinbjorn, a young pagan farmer resolves to track down the killer before the community is permanently torn apart. His investigations will draw in Freya, an isolated housewife whose secrets could either condemn or free her.

Meanwhile in Norway, King Olaf Tryggvason has his own designs upon Iceland and its people. War is rife in Scandinavia, and a Christian Iceland would bolster his control over the region.

Only one thing is certain: these murders will change Icelandic society forever.

Review

Considering that I love historical sagas and devour television series like Vikings and The Last Kingdom, I rarely read them. Faith of their Fathers piqued my interest and has very much tempted me to right this wrong and read more of them.

Unlike the sagas mentioned above, Faith of their Fathers focusses not on violent invasions or raids, but on the farming and trading population in a small settlement in Iceland, whilst still encompassing the desire for rulers to expand their power bases.

The King of Norway’s priest has been sent to convert the Icelanders to Christianity, but he is not converting as many as the King wants/needs. How can he speed up the conversion rate and also keep the peace between the newly baptised Christians and the majority who still worship the Old Gods? How will the murder of a Christian family impact on his work?

The author, using historical events to centre the story, describes life for these Icelanders clearly and the characters are fully formed and believable. There are explicitly violent scenes, as was the way of things at that time, with religion being used as an excuse for violence to convince one side or the other that their way is the right way way, their god is the right god. However, they do not take away from what is a well crafted, character led story.

As was also the way at that time, it is mostly the men who feature in this story, although the women who do, Freya, Bera and Tyra, are strong and perceptive, making the most of their circumstances and opportunities to influence the actions of the men they love and care for. Freya is particularly strong willed and influential.

Thanks to Neem Tree Press and @The_WriteReads for the ARC to review for this blog tour.

Storm Child by Ele Fountain

On By @f33lthesunIn Upper KS2+Leave a comment

Blurb

Maya’s life is about to be upended. After her dad’s fishing boat is ravaged by a relentless storm, Maya’s parents make the decision to start over-by moving to a tropical island. But making a change doesn’t always make a difference.

Far from her friends and her quiet seaside home where she spent all her time surfing, Maya is swept away by a storm much larger than herself. As Maya begins to realise that paradise is not always what it seems, can she bring her family back home again?

Review

I am a huge fan of Ele’s previous books so jumped at the chance to review Storm Child.

Maya’s family own a stately home and have their own beach, where Maya and her friends meet to surf and roast marshmallows. However they are struggling financially, so when her father loses his fishing boat to a storm their income goes with it.

Her parents decide that moving to a tropical paradise, following in her uncle’s footsteps, is the answer. Maya is not happy as she will be leaving behind everything she loves.

It soon becomes clear that despite their enthusiasm, her parents do not have a proper plan to earn a living, they end up trying different things and Maya becomes frustrated. She struggles with not being able to surf, her parents are not there for her as they are working all hours. This adds to her emotional overload at having to make a new start and try to make friends.

Maya meets Kalani, a local girl who hates tourists, and becomes more aware of how the expansion of tourism is harming the environment and the impact it has on the indigenous people, as well as animal and marine life.

When her stubbornness and poor decision making puts herself and Kalani in danger, Maya has to make a decision that will affect everyone. Will her parents agree with her?

Once again Ele has written an engaging story that also carries a strong message about the environment and the negative impact humans have on it, whilst giving us hope that positive action can be taken to negate this.

Thanks to @PushkinChildren for the ARC in exchange for this blog review.