savage_book_review's Reviews (328)

This was quite exciting for me, as it's my first ever ARC read - the book isn't actually released until the end of the month. I don't know the author; I was selected via a Facebook group I follow. 

The premise is fairly simple; something's rotten in the state of Fairy Blue. Queen Cinderella is turning into her stepmother while her 'ugly' stepsister poses nude and gets herself a recording contract; Snow White runs a beauty magazine and faces a constant battle to convince everyone she's still the fairest in the land; and the Big Bad Wolf is hunting children for a very good reason...

My first impression is that the author has given a lot of thought to the worldbuilding aspect. Taking elements from different fairy tales as well as other inspiration, she's painted a brilliant picture of the land of Fairy Blue. I can see each province so clearly; from the pretty much abandoned Straw Province to the business Silver Province, I can imagine the world in any size, from a small city to a huge country, and it just works. And the rules within the world are seamlessly worked into the story too - there's very little need to question why something works in the way that it does; it all fits together nicely. Even then the backstories are woven into the story in such a way that they both fit with the existing fairy tales, but also fit with the overall narrative the writer is aiming for.

That being said, I did feel like I had been dropped into the middle of a story when I first started reading - I had to stop for a moment and establish whether this was the second book in a series (it isn't). For the first few chapters, I found myself thinking of each chapter as a separate short story set in the same 'verse as this was the only way I could make sense of the action. While they are all interlinked, you go from Snow White to the Big Bad Wolf to the Pied Piper to the Little Mermaid without warning or real explanation. However, as things progress the narrative settles into an easier flow and a more straightforward multi-chapter story.

It's certainly more of a 'twisted' take on a fairy tale, with a darker tone and language, so definitely not suitable for younger readers. I do enjoy this sort of take, more reminiscent of the original tales than the sanitised versions we know from Disney films, as quite often they raise valid questions about the thought behind the story. This is no exception - the author's version of the Pied Piper in particular made me realise just how creepy that particular story is (it's not one I was overly familiar with, but I know the basics, and I'll not look it it in the same way again!). 

The writing itself makes for a mostly easy read and is very engaging. However, there are moments where I had to go back and reread paragraphs to try and make sense of a comment or action, and on a couple of small occasions the writer uses words that just don't seem to quite fit with the rest of the prose, which I found a little jarring. But overall, the words cast a very good spell!

Reading this book was an enjoyable experience, but I think it is one I'd need to read multiple times to fully 'get' everything. I wish the author the best with its release!

This was an impulse borrow from BorrowBox. It does what other says on the tin, picking 21 women from history who have done amazing things and influenced British culture, science, politics etc. and shining a spotlight on their achievements. 

It's quite an eclectic mix of women, and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't know some of the names chosen, which in turn made certain chapters far more interesting to listen to, even if their arena isn't a subject that takes my fancy (for example, the female composer Ethel Smyth). Each chapter is dedicated to one woman, and while of course it focuses on their accomplishments, the author does take the time to give a more rounded biography, making sure that the reader gets a feel for the woman behind the work. They're certainly not full biographies by any stretch of the imagination, but there's certainly enough to send you down a rabbit hole if you choose.

My favourite chapter was that of the author Frances 'Fanny' Burney. Overshadowed by the likes of Jane Austen (who actually name-checks Burney in one of her own novels), she wasn't known to me before, but I'm actually tempted to try one of her books despite my usual aversion to classics. But what really drew me in to her was her own story - she developed breast cancer and underwent what was effectively a mastectomy in a time before anaesthetic. She wrote a letter to her sister detailing the horror of the procedure, which is read almost in full, with sensitivity, by Jenni Murray. I'm sure it's quite something to read, but to hear it just hammers home Burney's extraordinary bravery, not only in going through the procedure but then sharing her experience with others so openly.

The author clearly has a connection to each of the women she has chosen, and her admiration for each of them is clear. This goes some way to explaining the choice of women in this book; there are definitely many, many others that could have been included, and lots of very well known names are absent. It's therefore very personal History of Britain in 21 Women, telling us as much about the author as it does the characters included. That being said, there is something of a 'BBC' balancing act going on, with Labour, Conservative and SNP MPs getting equally billing, Suffragists and Suffragettes stories told with equal respect and reserve and so on. There is a small, cynical part of me that wonders how many of the women were the author's choice, and then how many were chosen by outside forces - as the presenter of Radio 4's Womens Hour at the time this book was published, she would have had a responsibility to the BBC to remain neutral and balanced - but I hope that that's not the case. However, this balancing act does make it feel a little like the author's voice is being stifled (her walking the fine line in the Seacole/Nightingale debate being an obvious example).

The book explores feminism in a digestible way, showing the slow but steady steps forward towards equality over the years and the parts these women have played in cracking glass ceilings, overcoming prejudice and proving that women are just as capable as men. It's also a lesson in not resting on our laurels; we still have a long, long way to go before true equality reigns. The author gets particularly riled at the number of women who don't use the vote that previous generations fought, went to prison, were tortured and even died for; a sentiment I share absolutely. It's one small thing, putting a cross in a box, but making your voice heard and perhaps making it so that we don't live in a country where men's voices remain dominant is so, so important! 

My main criticism of this book is that, in places, the author relies far too heavily on the words of others - although I'm glad Fanny Burney's letter is included, the reading of it seemed to go on for pages. Likewise, there are a couple of places where she quotes poems almost in full. Murray is a very eloquent writer and, for the most part, there was no need to draw on these sources; she would have done a much better job at using her own words to illustrate her points. 

I also found it slightly odd that she would choose, for example, both Millicent Garrett-Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst, two giants of the women's suffrage movement, and yet she could only include one of Mary Seacole or Florence Nightingale (she chose Mary). It is not to take away from the importance of any of these women, but surely if you're trying to do the history of a country with a severely limited scope of people, you'd want to get as wide a range of achievements in as possible? Rather than picking several from the same field?

I'm looking forward to listening to the author's other book in this style, 'A History of the World in 21 Women' in the coming weeks. This was very much 'one and done' for me though - I've taken the interesting parts from it and filed them away for later consideration, but those who didn't 'speak' to me will surely fade from my mind until I need them as the answer to a pub quiz question.

The third in the 'Red Queen' series, Mare Barrow's story continues with her at King Maven's mercy. Imprisoned in Whitefire, surrounded by Silent Stones and Silvers that have the ability to dampen her lightening, she is forced to watch as the boy King manipulates and threatens those she cares about. But at Court, all is not as it seems...

This book has a very similar pace to 'Glass Sword'; the majority of the book is spent waiting and watching, building up to a climactic final battle. The problem is, where the last book did something for character development that necessitated the slower pace, this just felt like it was stuck going round in circles. I'm not sure whether the two could have been amalgamated into one book of a similar length - there's probably too much to include - but certainly the pacing could have been greatly improved by telling these two parts of the tale in a single, slightly chunkier, volume. 

The story itself does continue well and I am enjoying the premise. The layers of intrigue are building and Mare's continued battle to figure out just who she can trust is shared by the reader; there are so many different ways this could go, you become immediately suspicious of any new character (and even some of the old ones!) and their motives. 

However, the more I read of Mare, the less I like her. Her character was great for the first book; a teenager thrust into a world she knows is a threat to her and trying to survive it any way she can. But now she's front and centre of a rebellion, she comes across as quite weak and simple. There's a lot of 'woe is me' attitude, a complete lack of ability to learn from experience and a fair amount of her completely missing the bigger picture until it's staring her in the face. She wouldn't stand a chance against some of the other strong female leads in similar books - Katniss, Tris, Feyre etc she is not.

In this book, the author has started introducing chapters written from other characters' perspectives; Cameron, a newblood forcibly recruited into the Scarlet Guard by Mare, and Evangeline, Maven's betrothed and a scheming Silver lady of one of the High Houses. In short, these two have the strong personalities you'd expect from a lead character, even if they are not 'nice' women. Mare does not compare favourably with either character and this way of writing only reinforces that. And sadly, it doesn't do much for Cal either. Only when he is in the midst of battle, an inferno of flames, does he come across as anything like the Prince he is meant to be. 

The romance element is developing nicely though. This is another aspect that I now think could go several different ways. Ultimately, that question of how everything is going to be resolved is what's keeping me reading, which I suppose is the point! I am looking forward to seeing how this all comes together in the last book in the series, but equally I am preparing myself for disappointment - this is one series where I don't think 'happily ever after' would be an acceptable conclusion for me. But we shall see!

The follow up to 'Red Queen', Mare has escaped the clutches of Queen Elara and her own fiance, and is now in the hands of the Scarlet Guard. Armed with the knowledge that she's not the only one of her kind, her mission now is to recruit 'newbloods' to her cause and to save them from certain death at the hands of the Silver King. But who exactly can she trust? And just who is going to trust her?

I know it's probably a lazy comparison, but throughout my reading I felt like this followed the same storyline as the first half of 'Mockingjay'. There are a lot of similarities - the hidden bases that 'normal' people believe are abandoned, the filming of a propaganda reel with the main protagonist going off script and so on. It's definitely not a bad thing as the story completely works, but a part of me had hoped for something a bit different.

However, I like it when action takes a back seat to character development and the deepening of a reader's emotional investment into the story, and thus book absolutely achieves that. The twists and turns of Mare's thoughts and feelings, the continual questioning of just who is trustworthy, who is safe, who is going to betray you... by the conclusion, you can totally understand Mare's psyche and her feeling of being totally lost. You know what you hope will happen and what you expect to happen, but there's definitely plenty of room for further surprises. Part of me wants everything to pan out in the 'traditional' way, but there is so much scope for alternatives the other half of me really wants to be surprised!

The author hasn't shied away from taking a darker tone in places to illustrate the change in Maven and the 'oncoming storm'. While not graphic, there are a couple of scenes that, if they made this into a TV show or film, I know I'd be hiding behind a pillow at. In those moments, you do suddenly remember that Mare is just a teenager and so the contrast with the death and destruction she is faced with is quite shocking. 

Overall I enjoyed this deeper dive into Mare's head and heart, and I look forward to seeing things continue to play out. Fortunately I don't have to wait long to find out what happens next; the next book in the series is waiting for me at the library!

Every winter, the King orders the streets clear of the poor and homeless. His guards are assisted by Magicians, members of the high ranking Houses that have been trained in the arts of Alchemy and Healing, and as Warriors. To the 'dwells', they are a symbol of oppression. But when Sonea accidentally manages to injure a magician during the Purge, and in doing so discover that she herself has the capability, her whole world is turned upside down. Can she elude them and the punishment she is sure is waiting for her? Or by running, is she risking more than she realises?

The premise of this story is great, and the author has clearly spent a lot of time building this world inside her mind; the detail is incredible. Everything from the wider world, right down to the slang used by the 'dwells', the rules of magic and even the outfits make this an easy place to visualise and bring to life. The author has even gone as far as including a list of terms at the back of the book to help you understand. 

Most of the characters appear to be fundamentally 'good'. There are of course a couple of notable exceptions (every story needs a bad guy, after all!), but there seem to be very few shades of grey. There is a brief moment where you wonder whether there's going to be a twist and everything you've been expecting is wrong... but it never materialises. The main antagonist seems very much a 'stock' figure - there purely to be the issue the hero has to overcome. To me, he doesn't have much depth of character and is completely disposable.

On similar lines, the author tries to build some tension by introducing who I can only assume will be the 'big bad' of the series without naming them. Except it seemed pretty obvious to me who it was going to turn out to be. 

The story itself is enjoyable, but the pacing is a little slow. It reads like a very, very long introduction to the main story, which I can only hope will actually get going in the next book. I don't know if it's because I've read a couple of very good fantasy books lately, but this one just didn't quite match up. The ideas are there and I'll certainly try to continue with the series to see how it plays, but this one was missing depth of character and plot for me. However, I can see it making a stunning TV show or film... we can only hope!

As I loved the 'Court of Thorns and Roses' series (ACOTAR) so much, I thought it was about time I tried the same author's first series, 'Throne of Glass' (TOG). There's a guide readily available on social media which suggests there are a few different ways to read this, and no-one in the huge FB book group I follow can seem to agree on which is the best way, so I've plumped for the 'Purist' route, which means reading them in chronological order story-wise. So although 'The Assassin's Blade' was not the first book published in the series, as it's a prequel it goes first.

This first book is a set of short stories about Celaena, a seasoned assassin at just 16 years old. The stories follow her on a mission where she realises that she has a choice; do as she is bid, or do the right thing, and the subsequent consequences of her decision. It is quite dark in tone as you would expect from a book about trained killers, but it's written in a very digestible way. It's certainty not graphic in gory details, but the author has written things very well to allow your mind to fill in the blanks and wince at the thought.

A result of reading this book out of publication order (and knowing it) is that I am definitely intrigued by this girl and what her story is going to be. While the book serves as a great introduction to this character (who I assume we'll be following in the TOG series proper) and definitely works as a standalone, the issue I do have is that there is a lack of context - why, half way through writing the series, did the author decide we needed to know Celaena's backstory? There is definitely an emotional element to this; I suspect if I was reading them in publication order this might offer a gut punch or two, but without any knowledge of the rest of the series it doesn't carry as much resonance. That being said, the more I read the more I rooted for and felt for Celaena. The few 'domestic' scenes with her partner and friends are beautifully written and carry real weight. 

As with ACOTAR, the author's ability to paint such vivid pictures with her words astounds me, but in this case I feel there is a small suggestion that she was still honing her craft. There are a few small shonky moments, but they don't ruin the overall flow of the narrative so they can be forgiven. For example, it could be argued that the story arc is fairly predictable and there are moments where you can see her moving the characters like pieces on a chessboard, but the story is so engrossing that it doesn't actually matter.

In any event, it's served its purpose; really looking forward to continuing this series! If I continue to like the next couple, I may even brave the tandem read you can do later on in the series!

This is far and away my favourite Harry Potter book. It's the best written, it's the most descriptive, it's a tight plot and it's the one that has a completely different storyline to all of the others. It's refreshing and you really follow the characters' emotional development. 

This is the first time I've listened to the audio version. Stephen Fry is, as usual, completely brilliant at bringing the wizarding world to life and, as with Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, there are little nuances and bits of description I've picked up on for the first time through his reading. I love that, even after so many years anad many, many rereads, I'm still finding new things in these books that add to my enjoyment.

One bigger thing that really came through for me in the narration is just how pathetically hypocritical Snape actually is. It's always bugged me that his entire hatred of Harry was based on schoolboy jealousy and a childhood grudge, but the way Fry reads the text really brings through just how self-centered he is in a whole new way for me. He's never grown up! There are some people I went to school with that bullied me and that I really didn't like, but if I saw them today I'd probably just ignore them. I definitely wouldn't act like we were all still there! It's so frustrating, and yet just shows how good Fry is at giving the story depth with the power of his voice.

That being said, the only reason I can't give this the full five stars is that the audio version does something to the pacing that spoils it for me. I guess it's because I can read the book in about 3 hours, so listening to the audio feels very slow in comparison. This book does deserve to be savoured, but there is so little in the way of wasted words in here that it just doesn't need to take that long. I appreciate this is a completely subjective reason for my rating, but it just doesn't engage me in the way that the physical book does.

I love Lupin and Sirius as characters - I haven't fallen down the 'WolfStar' rabbit hole yet, but I'm sure I could be persuaded - I certainly love the idea! I adore how Rowling sets them both up to play the bigger roles they do later in the series, and I do wish they could have been even more prominent! There is so much in this one that sets up the future story arc, not just for Lupin and Siruis but for the overall story - I almost wish this one was the size of Order of the Phoenix just so there was more to enjoy!

My only slight grievance with the story itself is how quickly Harry goes from thinking Sirius is a murderer to 'when can I move in?'. I appreciate that, even if he was guilty, he'd still be better to live with than the Dursleys, but I just think there would be a little more of a thought process. 

I think I'll stick with reading this one in future, but love it all the same!

The first of a two part set celebrating the best of the Target novelisations of Doctor Who episodes, written by the legend that is Terrance Dicks. In the days before streaming on demand, DVD recording and even VHS, if you missed an episode of the beat show in the universe then you were a bit stuck. Except, you could go out and buy a book of the story for next to nothing. And if it was written by Dicks, you were pretty much guaranteed to be able to 'see' the story as clearly as if you were watching it on screen. Or that's what I've always been led to believe...

I will say immediately that I'm of the 2005 era of Who - I'm just and just too young to remember the classic series. So while I do like it and will watch it, it's fair to say I don't enjoy it as much as the modern era *cough* David Tennant 😍 *cough*. 

This book contains five stories covering the first three Doctors. And I haven't seen any of the episodes in full, so I am judging this for the most part purely on the written version. I will say that my above assertion is definitely correct for the most part; Dicks' writing paints a glorious picture of the action and really draws you in to the world. That being said, it does only work if you know what the characters look like - he doesn't spend much time on description of people as he assumes you've probably seen at least one episode before you've picked up the book! So while I can certainly see the Doctors, companions and other regular characters, the story-specific characters are harder to get to know. What does make me giggle a bit is the fact that, even in written form, you can still get the feeling you're in the ubiquitous quarry at least once a story! 

Although I wouldn't say the stories have aged brilliantly, at the same time their being in a novel format gives them a freshness that watching the TV series lacks... especially for the episodes that are in black and white!

That being said, while the written word has the advantage of being able to portray each setting at its absolute best, you still get the classic Who 'wobbly set' vibe. The edition I have (1st paperback edition, published 2022) is littered with typos and spelling errors - I think the last story is the only one where I didn't pick up on noticeable errors. My argument is that this isn't an original printing; the books were all published separately in the 70s/80s, so basically it's copy-typing. Even if these mistakes exist in those, surely they should have been corrected in these omnibus editions?! I'm sorry, but the editor did a terrible job here.

My other huge bugbear is that these are meant to faithfully reflect the episodes. So I'm really frustrated that the one scene I do know well and have watched, where the Doctor leaves Susan behind, is completely different in the book! I have a connection with that scene; my lovely Dad read the Doctor's speech as part of my wedding ceremony, so it feels like Dicks has just disregarded one of the most beautiful speeches for no reason. His version doesn't carry anywhere near the same power or depth of feeling. And it makes me wonder, if he changed such a pivotal moment, what else has he changed? I guess I'll need to go through my husband's DVD collection and find out...

Overall, none of the episodes contained in this book hold a lot of interest for me, but it was interesting to read them. I do have volume 2 and will pick that up eventually, but for now I'll stick with Ten and Rose...

One of many books that has been sat on my Kindle for years without ever actually being read - I probably bought it on a 99p deal because it sounded interesting, but I just prefer physical books! Basically it does what it says on the tin; at a galloping pace, you travel the world and the centuries and read about various mishaps and mayhem that occurred before, during and after various methods of execution.

This sounds like an odd thing to say, but when I see this type of book I either expect it to be a) incredibly detailed, with perhaps each chapter being dedicated to a specific case to study from beginning to end, and/or b) written in such a way as to find the levity in such dark moments (kind of like Horrible Histories for grown ups). This was neither. The book is divided into types of punishment i.e. Guillotine, hanging, burning etc. The author starts by giving an overview of how the punishment should work, before going on to tell you about various examples of mistakes that were made when that type of punishment was employed. The problem is that there are only so many different ways these things can go wrong, and so it very quickly gets quite repetitive. And because there is only a brief consideration of the crime and backstory, you don't really learn anything. It's very much 'oh, another person who took three goes with the axe' kind of mentality... and on that note the author didn't even include one of the most interesting blunders in my opinion, Margaret Pole!

The author does try to go for comedy in a couple of places, but only succeeds in a few quite terrible dad jokes and puns. It completely misses the mark and so just feels a bit crass and uncomfortable. 

It may be that the ebook formatting doesn't help, but I also found it an odd editorial decision to include short examples between each of the longer stories. The trouble is, as stated above the book is sorted by execution type, but these quick additions are just scattergun, sometimes being in completely the wrong section. There's no logical reason for this, and in some cases it's just quotes from the condemned or the death warrant, so not even really something that makes sense to be included.

That being said, there are a few interesting examples in here, mainly those where things went so badly wrong the condemned managed to walk away. And I have a huge amount of respect for the author as a Beefeater at the Tower - that must be an absolutely incredible job to have. So he definitely knows his stuff! I just wish it came through better on the page.

As an aside, the end of this book includes an extract from another one on a similar subject written by the same author. My only concern is that there are a few passages from that example that seem to have been lifted pretty much word for word from this one (or vice versa, not sure what order they were published in). 

Overall, I'd say the idea in theory was great, but the execution was a bit of a blunder...

I bought this for my husband for Christmas, and I think it's the fastest I've ever seen him read a book. So when I said he could pick my next book, of course he chose this! I can't say that I'm as invested in the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai franchise as he is (if it's on the telly, he's watching it), but I do understand his fondness and so was happy to pick this up for myself.

This book isn't a traditional autobiography - it's nit about the author's life as a whole or him telling stories about where he's been and who he's met. As the title would suggest, it is specifically rooted in his role as Daniel LaRusso, the Karate Kid, the friendships he's made because of those films and the lessons the role has taught him. In short, it's a love letter to his alter ego. It should be hideously overbearing, but it's actually a really insightful read.

The writing style is very informal; it's like you've sat down with the author for a beer or three and he's reminiscing about the role that made him perpetually famous. There are no moments that make you think he's just blowing his own trumpet or making himself look good; it all comes across as very down to earth and honest. His confidence that he's got the part weeks before actually receiving confirmation is rooted in tangible comments, not just an overinflated ego, so even when it does come across as his fate being written in the stars, you get why he could think that!

It's very lighthearted and considers his time on the films and subsequently being shouldered with the mantle of LaRusso with great fondness. While there are moments of doubt and regrets, these too are dealt with in a very positive way - he does come across as a proper ray of sunshine, a gentleman and a genuinely nice guy. He really has absorbed the character of his most famous role into his own personality. He also pays touching tribute to those no longer here, especially Mr Miyagi himself, Pat Morita. 

He does have an actor's tendency to refer to his co-stars as his 'family', even when he admits that he did not maintain contact with most of them for a good 20 years or more. I don't know why I find this annoying, save for the fact that I don't get why actors make out that they stay best mates with every person from every film/show they've ever worked on. It's nice that he doesn't do this, but why then continue to refer to them as if you were as close as siblings? My only other bugbear is that he uses variations of the refrain 'keep reading and I'll come back to that' on multiple occasions throughout the book. While this does keep the conversation feel flowing, these could have been edited out without much difficulty.

There is a lot about the making of the films in here, but equally it's just an overview, so don't expect massive set secrets or spoilers to come hurtling out. It is purely the author's reflections on his own personal involvement in a life changing project. It's amazing to see how he's kept the love for the character and franchise, and even how he engages with the fan theories in a jovial and polite manner, while staunchly defending Daniel-san's actions and reputation.

Overall, a very interesting read. Would recommend to anyone who has a love of these films like my husband does.