Originally posted to I Should Read That

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

While Peter Pan may have originated as a fairly modern play, it has fairy tale status in the public consciousness. A boy who never grows up, an island filled with childlike wonder, and a grand adventure, the story of Peter Pan has been told by everyone from Disney to London’s west end theaters – it is a tale that many children grow up loving.

However, I’ve always felt there was a dark side to Peter and I’ve always found Peter Pan to be creepy. Apparently I’m not the only one. Christina Henry, who brought us the dark and twisted Alice books, takes on the story is just as deliciously dark as I have always felt it should be.

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. Once I loved a boy called Peter Pan. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. He wants always to be that shining sun that we all revolve around. He’ll do anything to be that sun. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.

Peter will say I’m a villain, that I wronged him, that I never was his friend.

Peter Lies.*

Jamie is Peter’s right hand man. He’s the first child that Peter whisked away from our world and into Neverland. Henry takes the magical world of Neverland and turns it into the dangerous and frightening place Jamie sees. He has managed to survive for longer than any of the other boys, and the years have worn on him. He’s the one who cares for the Lost Boys — he makes sure they’re fed and safe, he nurses them when they’re wounded, and he buries them when they’ve died.

I really loved the characterization of both Peter and Jamie – it is truly a story of their relationship rather than a straight narrative. When the book begins, Jamie has begun to shake Peter’s spell over him. He still falls into old habits of worshipping Peter and believing, just as the other Lost Boys do, that he is Peter’s favorite. The book is told in the first person, therefore we get Jamie’s thoughts and really see his struggles. My only critique is that the US version of the book, cover and subtitle included, are pretty spoilery.  I saw that version when I had looked it up and knew exactly where the story was going!  I wish it had been a little more subtle, but even so it's not a huge surprise.

We don’t see the Disney version of Peter Pan: instead we see a perpetual child who is forever jealous and uncaring. He can easily replace the Lost Boys and has no emotion or feeling when they are hurt or killed. He’s actually quite frightening, particularly as the story progresses and Jamie begins to pull the veil from his own eyes.

Lost Boy is a dark, bloody take on the Peter Pan story – it’s not a book for the faint of heart. Reading it feels like you’ve discovered the original Grimm version of Peter Pan after only knowing the sanitized Disney version — a horrifying discovery that many of us have made with Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Henry’s characters shine in her twisted and chilling version of Neverland, a place most children has dreamed of visiting. Jamie’s fall from friend to outcast is well-written and he becomes a serious character worth of sympathy – it is a far cry from the story we all saw in the Disney film.

*copy courtesy of Amazon.co.uk

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This review is spoiler-free.


The Never King is the newest novel from Mark Charan Newton, who is writing under the pseudonym James Abbott.  I hadn't read any of Newton's books before diving into this one, but was intrigued nonetheless.


Xavir Argentum is rotting in gaol. Sentenced to life in the squalor of Hell’s Keep, punishment for an atrocity he didn’t commit, the once legendary commander is all but forgotten. His elite band of warriors are dead – and the kingdom he was poised to inherit is oppressed by the tyrant who framed him. For half a decade now, Xavir has ruled nothing but a prison gang.

Yet vengeance comes to those who wait. When a former spymaster infiltrates the Keep, bearing news of his old enemy’s treachery, plans are forged. A few are compelled to restore peace – an exiled queen, an outcast witch, and an unlikely alliance of rogues and heroes. But peace and vengeance make poor companions. And first, Xavir must make his escape . . .*

Overall, I really enjoyed The Never King.  It can be split into two parts: The Plan and The Revenge.  The book's back copy does make it sound like a prison break novel, but this just isn't true.  The book is about far more than Xavir's escape from Hell's Keep, which happens within the first third of the novel.  Because it has these two fairly distinct parts, it does feel a little like two novels smashed together, however I felt that it was still well-executed.  Abbott keeps your interest beyond the prison break, the part I was most excited about, and continues to build an interesting world and exciting situations for our heroes through the end.  I really liked the world he built and the various people and places he touches upon.  Abbott balances the descriptions of the societies and cultures within his world without going on overly detailed tangents.

The novel is more plot-driven than character-driven, and I felt like character development and character arcs were a weakness of the book.  We get to know Xavier and Elysia fairly well, but they feel a little flat.  Neither has much personality and I really wish they did -- they had so much potential to be great characters.  Even their dynamic was a little lacking, and it could have been the best part of the book.  I actually thought that Elysia was supposed to be a sort of fantasy sociopath because of her complete lack of feeling, particularly when it came time to take a life, which honestly would have been a really cool twist.

I found the secondary characters to be much more compelling than these two.  Lupara was phenomenal, and I want her to have her own series.  She has such a strong presence in the book and I found her and her background absolutely fascinating -- she's the exact kind of strong female character that I love.  Valderon and Tylos were also favourites because of their intriguing histories and the way they commanded your attention on the page.  There are other secondary characters that I really liked, but these three in particular were the most well-written and interesting.  I'd love to have seen Xavier and Elysia given the same sharp writing that these characters got.

The Never King is a great summer fantasy read and the start of a promising new series.  A rollicking adventure story packed with warrior men and women, powerful witches, creepy villains, danger around every corner, and political backstabbing, it is the perfect book to sweep you away on a sunny day.


Rating: 3/5


*Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan 

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This review will contain very, very small spoilers.


There was so much hype surrounding When Dimple Met Rishi.  It is the kind of book that YA readers have been crying out for ages, and Menon absolutely hit the nail on the head.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.*

I cannot express how much I absolutely adored this book.  If there's one book you must read this year, I urge you to run out and get a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi.  It's smart, sweet, and represents the conflicts that kids can undergo with their parents and the cultural clash between generations.  I cannot speak to the accuracy of both Dimple and Rishi's Indian backgrounds, home life, and the expectations that go with, but I can relate to the feelings of helplessness surrounding life after high school and one's personal wants versus what is best for their future.

I went into this book fully expecting to relate most to Dimple, the whip-smart coding feminist who rebels against her mother's desires for her to find the Ideal Indian Husband, but I came out of it relating most to Rishi.  Rishi is the hopeless romantic who loves hearing tales of how his parents met, the oldest son in his family, and is eager to follow the path his parents lay out for him.  I wont spoil the what Rishi wrestles with throughout the book, but his struggle really spoke to me.  I see a lot of myself in him, and I can guarantee that many readers, particularly readers around his age, will feel the same.

The relationship that develops between Dimple and Rishi over their summer program is absolutely delightful.  They are complete opposites, but learn to respect each other as they get to know each other.  This book is more character driven than plot drive, so the summer program does take a backseat to their developing relationship, however this is not a bad thing.  As a friendship emerges, they learn so much about each other and themselves.

I've already rambled on enough.  I don't want to say too much, except go get this book.  This was an unexpected delight that will give you warm, fuzzy feelings.  It is a frontrunner for favorite book of 2017.


Rating: 4.75/5



*copy courtesy of Goodreads

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.


I read The Wrath and the Dawn for the first time in anticipation of Flame in the Mist‘s release, but I really wish I hadn’t — I couldn’t help but compare the two. I did enjoy this book — it has a well-constructed world filled with interesting men and women and a hint of magic. But where The Wrath and the Dawn drew me in instantly, Flame in the Mist was a little more slow to start.

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.*

This book is loosely based on the Mulan story, which you can clearly see outlined in the copy above. Mariko is destined to be a royal bride, but wants to prove her worth beyond the marriage market. When her convoy is attacked, she quickly dons the guise of a boy and tracks the Black Clan, who were contracted to have her killed, in order to find some answers. For me, her motivations just weren’t as clear-cut as, say, Shahrzad’s in Wrath or even Mulan’s in her own story. She infiltrates the clan in order to get answers, but also to enjoy the freedom that life as a boy. She certainly has a great deal of bravery to do so, but I question her motivation and approach. She just seems to bumble around and quite frankly makes incredibly poor choices for the first 40% or so of the book. We are constantly told how smart she is, but honestly I just didn’t see it until much, much later on in the book. She seems to have survived simply by luck rather than wit.

The themes of feminism and a woman’s worth pervade the book. Mariko wants to be treated as an equal to her brother and does not wish to live the life of a submissive royal wife. I expected her to become a much stronger force within the Black Clan or to even do more with her newfound freedom, but she falls flat in this respect. She’s always insisting that she wants to be treated better by her family and be more than a bargaining chip for power and position. Now, I am a pretty hardcore feminist and love books, particularly young adult fiction, that feature strong women and feminist themes, but I felt like the feminist theme was just being beaten over the head in this book — the phrase ‘prove her worth beyond the marriage market’ was repeated so often that it became a little obnoxious. We get it! Now go do something about it! I just didn’t believe her to be a great feminist hero, which I believe she was being set up to be, and I don’t feel the feminist themes were written as well as The Wrath and the Dawn.

I know that I’m criticizing a great deal here — I don’t want it to sound like I didn’t like this book. The world-building is wonderful — I think this is an area that Ahdeih excels as a writer. The feudal Japan-inspired world is a taste of something a little different for fantasy readers. I really loved the society she sets up and the levels of hierarchy. The minor side stories regarding the Emperor are likely going to be expanded in the next book, and I’m really looking forward to learning more. I also want to learn more about the magic that pervades the book — it’s a bit of a mystery at this point.

Overall, Flame in the Mist is a good read, but lacking when compared to her other books. Mariko is simply not as strong or compelling a character as Shahrzad, which I found disappointing. Regardless, I am looking forward to her expanding on this series and eagerly await the next installment of the story.



Rating: 3/5


*copy courtesy of Goodreads

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.


Blackwing is a book I heard about on Twitter, a trend I’m noticing more and more for myself. I was curious about it, but not hugely compelled to seek it out. I requested a copy when I saw it go up on NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did. Blackwingwas a huge surprise for me, and Ed McDonald has quickly became a new favorite author.

Set on the ragged edge of a postapocalyptic frontier, Blackwingis a gritty fantasy debut about a man’s desperate battle to survive his own dark destiny…

Nothing in the Misery lasts…

Under a cracked and wailing sky, the Misery is a vast and blighted expanse, created when the Engine, the most powerful weapon in the world, was unleashed against the immortal Deep Kings. Across the wasteland, teeming with corrupted magic and malevolent wraiths, the Deep Kings and their armies are still watching—and still waiting.

Ryhalt Galharrow is no stranger to the Misery. The bounty hunter journeys to a remote outpost, armed for killing both men and monsters, and searching for a mysterious noblewoman. He finds himself in the middle of a shocking attack by the Deep Kings, one that should not be possible. Only a fearsome show of power from the very woman he is seeking saves him.

Once, long ago, he knew the woman well, and together they stumble onto a web of conspiracy that threatens to unmake everything they hold dear and end the fragile peace the Engine has provided. Galharrow is not ready for the truth about the blood he’s spilled and the gods he’s supposed to serve… *

Everything about this book was incredible. The plot, the world building, the characters – everything. It has a strong magic system and a compelling history and culture set in an incredibly well-constructed fantasy world. The story doesn’t start at the beginning of the conflict – although this would make for a fantastic series on its own. We are thrown into the story about 80 years after the devastating battle that stalled the war. There is a level of tension that lurks beneath the surface as you see the human side begin to slack and defences waver. As the narrative progresses, the tension grows and all the characters can feel it.

I loved concept of the Misery, a twisted stretch of land that adds to this tension and is almost another character in the story. I don’t often get unsettled by books, certainly not by settings, but the Misery is just so creepy and bizarre. The descriptions of the shattered and broken sky, the weird creatures that inhabit it, and the directionlessness of it just felt so fresh and new. The frontier in fantasy is a favorite setting of mine and Blackwing puts a new twist on it.

Blackwing is written in the first person – we see everything through the eyes of the grizzled Blackwing captain Ryhalt Galharrow. He’s the perfect grizzled fantasy hero – he’s beaten up from years in and around the Misery, he’s abrasive and rather unpleasant, and has a secret past that unfolds as the narrative progresses. He’s much like Logen Ninefingers, one of my all-time favorite characters, but he is very much his own character. You can’t help but love and root for Ryhalt as he struggles against the odds.

I’m calling it now: Blackwing will be one of the best fantasy debuts of 2017. Ed McDonald is a writer to watch – his skills with world building and character creation are just fantastic and he writes a cracking story. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series and anything else he chooses


*Copy courtesy of Goodreads