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 for Ravencry, but contains major spoilers for Blackwing.


Blackwing was one of my favourite novels of 2017 -- I absolutely loved the refreshing world, story, characters, and McDonald's sharp writing style.  I had high expectations for the sequel, and those expectations were absolutely smashed. While some authors struggle with ‘second book syndrome’, McDonald shows that his talent as a writer is growing stronger.

Because the foundations for the world were well established Blackwing, Ravencry really gets a chance to spread its wings (ha) and expand upon that world.  Not only do we get to see aftermath of the siege at the end of Blackwing, we see how this event has affected our heroes.  Galharrow has established a proper Blackwing corp, something I thought was really missing from the first book, political tensions are running high, and the Bright Order has been established in the city. We also get the opportunity to dive deep into the Misery, one of my favourite fantasy settings ever, and see the truly bizarre nature of this broken land.  My favourite fantasy books are the ones that give greater insight into fascinating world and that show you the consequences of wars and sieges -- Ravencry gives us both.  Also, I love a good cult.  Who doesn't love a cult?  The look at religious fanaticism added a realistic complication to war-torn Valengrad, which was a great addition to the plot.

The best thing about this book is the addition of new characters and the growth of old favourites.  Again, because the foundations of the world have been established, McDonald got the opportunity to give us deeper insight into the complex characters that make up this story.  Most notably, we got so much more of Galharrow’s character in this book. Although I still find him to be one of the less intriguing characters in this series, his characterisation really stands out in Ravencry.  Perhaps it is because we witnessed the devastating death of Ezabeth in Blackwing and can relate more to this than his we do to his tragic past. I feel like I just ‘got’ him much more in this book -- my emotional attachment to him was so much stronger. Nenn is another character who we get more of in Ravencry.  Rather than just being a feisty side character, as she is in Blackwing, she really comes into her own in Ravencry.  She was not only more present in this book, I felt like I was much more attached to her.  In Blackwing, she's mostly memorable for her attitude and missing nose, while in Ravencryshe felt like a real person with weaknesses and flaws.  We  also get more Crowfoot -- you can never get enough Crowfoot -- and I absolutely loved his inclusion in the story.

New favourites in Ravencry for me are Amaira and Davandein.  I wont say much due to spoilers, but I really love McDonald's female characters.  They're exactly what I want from fantasy ladies -- they're sometimes awful, sometimes wonderful, deeply flawed, and have agency.

Overall, I really loved Ravencry, possibly even more than Blackwing.  There are some bits toward the end that I am a little iffy about, however, the great story and characters more than made up for it.  I cannot wait for the next book!

Originally posted to I Should Read That

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

I've never read an Adam Silvera book, as he tends to write contemporary YA, but I’ve heard good things about his stories and writing. Naturally, I snapped up the opportunity to read his first fantasy novel, Infinity Son. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book, but found Infinity Son to be an incredibly fun and fast-paced page turner with lots of heart.

This is a book that you can tell comes from Silvera’s heart. At the beginning of the ARC, there is an author's note on how he’s always loved fantasy books but never saw any gay characters in his favourite books, films, and TV shows until he picked up Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters books. Infinity Son is definitely a love letter to Silvera's favourite stories like X-Men and Harry Potter, but has a wonderful and inclusive spin. I hope the publisher keeps this letter at the beginning of the final edition because it is absolutely lovely and helped me appreciate this book even more.

Infinity Son is an urban fantasy book set in New York City -- primarily in the Bronx and Brooklyn. It takes place in the modern day, with social media playing an important role in the story. Where Silvera’s world and our world differ is with the inclusion of people with powers, as well as mythical creatures like phoenixes and hydras. I liked the set up of the world, however I do think it was a little clumsy in places. There’s a lot of information that needs to be established, particularly with the celestials (people born with magic that manifests when they turn 18), specters (non-magical people who steal power from the blood of magical creatures), and the various groups associated with them. Then there is the impact of magic on politics and society. I think he did an admirable job, however there was so much information that needed to be conveyed that it got a little murky at times. I had to keep referring back to earlier pages in order to keep everything straight in my head. In my opinion, the world building is definitely the weakest part of the book.

I really loved the characters in this book. Our main characters are Emil and Brighton, twin brothers from the Bronx, and they drive the story. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them -- I so often love reading about sisters and haven’t read many books that feature brothers. I think Emil will be an obvious favourite for readers of this book. He is a sweet cinnamon roll who wants nothing to do with powers or the celestials, but is fascinated by phoenixes. I love that he is openly gay and his sexuality isn’t part of the conflict of the story. He is out, he is accepted, and he doesn’t not struggle because of his sexuality. It was so wonderfully refreshing to see this!

It took me a long time to come around to Brighton -- he’s kind of a pain who is selfishly obsessed with his YouTube channel and celestials. He desperately wants power for himself and his brother or social media fame (or both). He’s not particularly likable, however because of his relationship with his brother I really grew to love him. I really enjoyed his story arc in the book and he’s the perfect unlikable protagonist.

I really enjoyed Infinity Son! It was like the book equivalent of a blockbuster film -- fast paced, visual, and so incredibly fun. If you’re a fan of YA urban fantasy books or are looking for an LGBTQ+ fantasy read, you should absolutely pick it up in January. You're going to need the second book as soon as you reach the end!

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review for The Night Country, but will contain spoilers for The Hazel Wood.

I had mixed feelings about reading The Night Country, given my disappointment with The Hazel Wood, but I wanted to give it a try because I did enjoy some parts of the first book. Reading The Night Country gave me deja vu: once again, I mostly enjoyed the first half of the book, but it totally fell apart in the second half.

Just like The Hazel Wood, I really feel like I should have loved this story but it just didn’t work for me. There were a few issues I had with the book, but the main one is the fact that The Night Country feels like two-three completely separate stories smashed together into one book. The first half of the book is told solely from Alice’s perspective, then about 45% in it starts to switch on and off between her and Fitch's point of view. This honestly was so sloppily done that it just didn’t make any sense -- I actually found it quite jarring and didn't feel like it worked at all. This book could have been three novellas and would have worked much better -- the stories just didn't line up well together and it was like reading multiple books in one.

I’ll always love her depictions of New York and the way she blends fairy tale with the real world, particularly the way she describes the Hinterland refugees surviving in our world, however I feel like her actual writing style just doesn't work for me. I do enjoy some  of her phrasing, however the book felt incredibly repetitive and long winded. Albert uses a lot of words to say very, very little.

Although I wanted to give her books another try, I think that at this point I just have to accept the fact that her stories are not for me. While I love her books in theory, in practice they're not my cup of tea!

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review for Starsight, but may contain spoilers for Skyward.


Skyward was one of my favourite books of 2018 from one of my favourite authors. Brandon Sanderson never fails to write an engaging and exciting book, and his shift from adult fantasy into YA science fiction was an absolute delight. Naturally, I was beyond excited to read the sequel, Starsight. While I really enjoyed this second book, it did lack some of the charm of its predecessor.

Starsight jumps into a new setting and adventure that should have set it apart from the first book — Spensa and M-bot almost immediately goes off-world to the space station Starsight. While in disguise on Starsight, she meets and interacts with strangers, begins new fighter pilot training, and discovers secrets about herself and the world around her. Sound familiar? That’s because in a lot of ways, Starsight is essentially a rehashing of the plot in the first book. However, it does manage to kick open the door of Spensa’s world and she meets and befriends a number of new individuals from various alien species (while in disguise as an alien herself). She learns about the galactic community and the circumstances of her people’s imprisonment on her home planet. Given these changes, it does feel like a good continuation of the plot, however the book is bloated and over-long as Sanderson hits on many of the same story beats already explored in Skyward. The beginning 150 and final 150 pages were just fantastic — just as you’d expect from him — but I really feel like the middle of the book could have been edited way down and the pacing improved. I really struggled to maintain interest for a large portion of the middle of the book!

Spensa continues to be a fun character, however I found that some of the shine has worn off of her at this point for me. I enjoyed her examining her own prejudices as she befriends alien species — all of whom are terrified of or hate humans and cannot know her true identity — and her constant struggle to adjust to life as a spy on a peaceful station. Her encounters with these people really help her grow as a character and I enjoyed seeing her progression throughout the course of the book. On the other hand, Spensa felt like a much more mature character than she did in Skyward. Her weird, quirky nature was so charming and made her stand out among the sea of female YA protagonists, however she felt like much more of a grown up in Starsight, despite the minimal amount of time between the two books. In some ways this was good, as she had the potential to become grating as the series progresses, but it was also a real shame for her to lose some of what made her such a unique individual. I still can’t decide if I feel positively or negatively about this shift in her character.

M-bot, or course, remains the absolute best and should be protected at all costs. Mushrooms and all.

Overall, I really enjoyed Starsightand it’s always a pleasure to read a new Sanderson book. Despite the dragging middle, the beginning and ending of the book were spectacular, and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

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, but may contain spoilers for The Gutter Prayer.

The Gutter Prayer tied for my #1 book of 2019, alongside The Bone Ships, and I was eagerly awaiting the release of The Shadow Saint. I was worried that the second book wouldn’t live up to Hanrahan’s incredible debut, however I should have had more faith! The Shadow Saint is a very different, but equally brilliant book.

The Shadow Saint takes place a few months after the events of The Gutter Prayer, and the city is still reeling from the Gutter Miracle. The Shadow Saint doesn't feel like a traditional sequel for a number of reason -- it is a little more dense than the first book and we follow new themes and story lines. Most prominently, however, we do not follow the three point of view characters -- Cari, Rat, and Spar -- from the first book. Instead, the story is told mainly from the perspective of a spy with many names and identities, a washed-up younger son of the Haith nobility, and former historian Eladora Duttin -- a side character from the first book and one of my favourite fantasy characters ever. At first, their stories seem disconnected from the plot of the first book and I was wondering if I had mistaken a companion novel for a sequel, however the points of view eventually begin to intertwine and each character's motivations become more and more clear. In this way, The Shadow Saint is a direct sequel that manages to feel like it has grown well beyond the first book.

While The Gutter Prayer gave the reader an intensive look into the city of Guerdon as a setting, The Shadow Saint spreads beyond Guerdon’s walls. We get to see and learn much more of the wider world, especially in the context of the ongoing God’s War. The book still primarily takes place in Guerdon, however The Spy has connections to foreign saints and Terevant's begins the story in Haith and his culture and traditions play an important role in his actions and thought processes. Eladora, while a resident of Guerdon, also adds a layer of rich context to the story with her connection to the Gods and the Keepers. Each of these characters is so wildly different and intriguing that I had no issue shifting between their points of view. Once their storylines begin to merge, The Shadow Saint kicks into high gear and is a masterpiece. The way that Hanrahan builds upon the world in the first book is wonderful and so characteristically unique.

I went into this book knowing very little and it was an absolute pleasure to unpick the layers of Hanrahan’s story. Beautifully written and expertly plotted, The Shadow Saint is a magnificent sequel and an absolute joy to read. If you liked the first book, you'll love the sequel.

A lovely collection of Grimm fairy tales in their original and murdery glory. Not a huge amount to say about this book except that I enjoyed revisiting familiar tales and reading some new ones! An excellent collection.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe is a book that caught my eye with its gorgeous cover, amazing blurbs (Nicholas Eames!), and fun premise. Despite buying it over a year ago, it sat on my shelf until January (typical) when I picked it up for a buddy read with a friend. Unfortunately, I came away from this book incredibly disappointed! The buddy read is the only thing that kept me from DNFing it early on.

This book seems pretty divisive -- people either love it or hate it -- and I’m so sad that I am among the latter. I’ve been pondering the reasons why for the past couple of weeks and I think I’ve figured it out -- this book just fell short in every way. It promised fun and adventure, but I felt totally detached the entire time. Magic and science fiction in one book should have been an outstanding combination. It should have had an amazing, quirky gang of misfits but they all felt flat and I just didn't 'get' them, their actions, or their motivations. The incredibly high stakes didn’t feel particularly high and I didn't get a sense of urgency. I think the reason for all of this is that the writing feels very immature, almost as though someone watched Firefly, decided ‘that's easy, I can do that’, and wrote a very shallow story that had nothing going on beneath the surface. One of the things that makes science fiction great is that even in fun romp-y books, you still get a deeper sense of meaning from the characters and their struggles. I got none of that from this book.

On the bright side, I did like our two main characters, Nilah and Boots, well enough. Nilah starts the story as an incredibly privileged celebrity who is a bit of a brat and is forced into a situation beyond her control. I enjoyed watching her evolve and react to the various situations she found herself in. Boots is a woman after my own heart -- an extremely grumpy, ageing soldier from the losing side of the war who is trying to scrape by. I enjoyed her point of view the most. Unfortunately, two decent characters can’t save the story, especially when their counterparts are so flat they’re basically cardboard cutouts.

I’m frustrated that’s because this book had so much missed potential! It could have been a favourite of the year, but instead it flopped in a pretty big way. I definitely wont be continuing on with this series.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

This is a story I’m very familiar with, as it has been adapted into a very successful play that I’ve seen a few times. Despite this, I still had a fantastic time reading this spooky novella.

The thing that struck me most about this book was the atmosphere. Hill conjure and a creepy and tense sensation around the village and Alice Drablow’s empty, isolated house. I very rarely get chills from reading, but I found myself burying myself deeper and deeper into the blankets as I read this short ghost story. She’s an absolute master of creating tension and fear in the narrative! I’d highly recommend this book for some quick reading on a rainy winter’s night.

4.5 out of 5 stars

I Should Read That

Despite having read many Agatha Christie books, I had never managed to pick up a Miss Marple novel until now. I’m a huge Poirot fan and just wasn’t sure if she’d stack up against him and his elegant moustache. However, I blew through Nemesis so quickly and thoroughly enjoyed it.

What I particularly liked about Miss Marple is the fact that felt so real. She is elderly and has her limitations, however she uses them to her advantage. For example, there are a few points in the book in which she’s interrogating people without them realising it, expecting an elderly lady to be a bit nosy. I just loved this about her so much!

The characters she encounters are fascinating and I really enjoyed the whole concept of solving a crime with literally no knowledge of what that crime was. I loved watching the pieces fall into place and this book kept me guessing until the very end. I’ll definitely be reading more Miss Marple in the future!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Originally posted to I Should Read That

This is a spoiler-free review for The Toll, but there will be major spoiler for Scythe and Thunderhead.

The Arc of the Scythe series is a funny one for me, because while I really enjoyed the second book, Thunderhead, I nearly didn’t read it. Scythe had a great concept but I felt the  main characters were poorly executed and Schusterman didn’t let his amazing world building and ideas shine. Therefore The Toll had a lot of expectation riding on it and I have to say, I didn't love it. What the hell happened in this book?

I feel like I can’t say much about The Toll in this review, as many of my thoughts are filled with spoilers. However, this book did land a place in my Most Disappointing Books of 2019 video and you can check out my spoilery rampage here.

What I can say is that while this series has many good ideas (the entire concept of the Scythedom as a way to combat mankind’s dominance over death is brilliant. Everything about how the Scythes operate is brilliant. The factions within the Scythedom are brilliant) I don’t think that he used those ideas to their fullest potential. Rather than including a few good, key ideas as the backbone of The Toll, the book is a huge mess of story lines and disjointed plot points -- it often felt like the characters had broken loose of their narrative and were running around in the wrong book (a fun concept, but unintentional!). Add to it the fact that this book takes place over the course of years, glossing over so many things that could have been interesting as more drawn out stories. It feels as though Schusterman either didn’t plan the series well or he should have expanded into a longer series or created more books in an expanded world like Joe Abercrombie's First Law.

Adding to this is the fact that his own characters are sidelined in their own story -- they just don't feel important at all. All of the intricacies and plot lines that he set up in previous books seem to have been crumpled up and thrown out the window, which is such a pity because characters like Citra and Greyson had so much potential to be incredible. Instead of a cohesive, well-formed character arcs, Schusterman reverted back to the cardboard cutouts of the first book -- none of these characters felt realistic or important in their own stories.

I truly believe the Arc of the Scythe series had the potential to be absolutely incredible and one of the best that YA sci-fi had to offer, however this great idea was executed pretty poorly. I know I'm probably in the minority here, but the series left me disappointed!