Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.16k reviews by:
wordsofclover
.jpeg)
2.5 stars
When Val finds her mother and her boyfriend hooking up, she runs away to New York and falls in with an odd group of teens, living in underground tunnels and completing deliveries for a real life troll. As Val figures out what she's going to do with the rest of her life, she needs to figure out whose behind the murder of exiled fae, and keep up with her sword lessons with troll Ravus. Just ordinary teenage things!
This book is very dark and gritty - much like all of the Modern Faerie Tales but the emphasis on teenage homelessness, and heavy drug use in Valiant brings this one to another level in my opinion, and honestly, made it a bit unpleasant to read at times. The way the characters are all living - in literal tunnels with no access to toilets or showers etc, made me as a reader feel just a bit gross and dirty as well. Which is good atmospheric writing, but also not so pleasant to read.
I do think this entire trilogy just suffers a bit from being a bit dated. Certainly, earlier in the 2000s, this type of writing, and the grittier type of teenager wasn't always seen in YA so it was fun and exciting. Whereas now, we have characters like this a lot, and their stories are written a bit better and certain issues are explored with more sensitivity.
The romance in this is very soft, but I would have liked a bit more to really draw the characters together. It felt like there was very little between them before Val and Ravus were moony over each other.
All of the characters in this are kind of gross too, particularly Lolli and Dave. Meh.
When Val finds her mother and her boyfriend hooking up, she runs away to New York and falls in with an odd group of teens, living in underground tunnels and completing deliveries for a real life troll. As Val figures out what she's going to do with the rest of her life, she needs to figure out whose behind the murder of exiled fae, and keep up with her sword lessons with troll Ravus. Just ordinary teenage things!
This book is very dark and gritty - much like all of the Modern Faerie Tales but the emphasis on teenage homelessness, and heavy drug use in Valiant brings this one to another level in my opinion, and honestly, made it a bit unpleasant to read at times. The way the characters are all living - in literal tunnels with no access to toilets or showers etc, made me as a reader feel just a bit gross and dirty as well. Which is good atmospheric writing, but also not so pleasant to read.
I do think this entire trilogy just suffers a bit from being a bit dated. Certainly, earlier in the 2000s, this type of writing, and the grittier type of teenager wasn't always seen in YA so it was fun and exciting. Whereas now, we have characters like this a lot, and their stories are written a bit better and certain issues are explored with more sensitivity.
The romance in this is very soft, but I would have liked a bit more to really draw the characters together. It felt like there was very little between them before Val and Ravus were moony over each other.
All of the characters in this are kind of gross too, particularly Lolli and Dave. Meh.
When Wendy Darling is enlisted in a special unit of the Home Office - to help protect Great Britain from magical creatures - she's one step closer to her dream of enlisting in the Royal Navy. However, things for Wendy become complicated when she meets Peter Pan and his Lost Boys, a specially dangerous type of creature with a charm that captures her. Wendy needs to figure out how to defeat Peter Pan, and works with the famous Captain Hook to do so. But as Wendy talks more to Peter, is he really as bad as he seems?
I really liked this retelling of Peter Pan - I found it very original, and really well written. Wendy is a character full of feeling, and ambition and she is stalled because of the time period and her gender. There were frustrating times in this when Wendy was met with misogynistic people (like Captain Hook), and then people who always wanted to protect her (John and Michael) when she's perfectly capable of protecting herself.
Peter Pan in this was very odd - a type of vampire like creature with wings and supernatural strength and healing? I would have liked more answers about what exactly he and the Lost Boys were. He came across as a young man (19 or 20 to Wendy's 17 years probably) but he did talk like a boy at times.
I also would have preferred for Michael and John to have zero romantic feelings for Wendy. Because they're her brothers in the original tale, it was just weird that they seemed to fancy her in this one and it made me feel a bit gross!
I will definitely pick up the next book to see what happens next!
I really liked this retelling of Peter Pan - I found it very original, and really well written. Wendy is a character full of feeling, and ambition and she is stalled because of the time period and her gender. There were frustrating times in this when Wendy was met with misogynistic people (like Captain Hook), and then people who always wanted to protect her (John and Michael) when she's perfectly capable of protecting herself.
Peter Pan in this was very odd - a type of vampire like creature with wings and supernatural strength and healing? I would have liked more answers about what exactly he and the Lost Boys were. He came across as a young man (19 or 20 to Wendy's 17 years probably) but he did talk like a boy at times.
I also would have preferred for Michael and John to have zero romantic feelings for Wendy. Because they're her brothers in the original tale, it was just weird that they seemed to fancy her in this one and it made me feel a bit gross!
I will definitely pick up the next book to see what happens next!
I received this book from O'Brien Press in exchange for an honest review.
When Lily is told she needs to leave school, and put her dreams of becoming a teacher to one side, to go to the big house to work to help her family, she is devastated but willing to do what it takes. As soon as she arrives in Lissadell House, Lily meets her unfriendly roommate and learns the differences between how people live depending on the class system they were born into. Despite everything, Lily gets on with her job with a smile and befriends her employer's niece Maeve - whose mother is Irish revolutionary leader Countess Markievicz.
This was a really, really lovely book about a little Irish girl who loves her family and will do anything to help. This is set in 1913, when it was usual for young girls and boys to leave school to go and work and help their family (particularly children like Lily with only one parent left alive to look after the young ones). Lily is a wonderful character with a sunny disposition and she was a joy to read - her willingness to do what was needed, as well as her kindness to befriend those who were being mean to her is really the perfect character for children of a similar age to read.
There no badness in this book - all the characters (despite some at the start) are nice and kind to Lily - including her employers the Gore-Booths. There was a lovely scene at Christmas time with a doll that's a beautiful reminder to the reader of Lily's age and innocence which I really loved. There was also a bit of fun reading, knowing that the Gore-Booths, some of the servants mentioned and Maeve were all real people and you couldn't help but wonder what their real lives and personalities were like.
I 100% recommend this one for both young and older readers!
When Lily is told she needs to leave school, and put her dreams of becoming a teacher to one side, to go to the big house to work to help her family, she is devastated but willing to do what it takes. As soon as she arrives in Lissadell House, Lily meets her unfriendly roommate and learns the differences between how people live depending on the class system they were born into. Despite everything, Lily gets on with her job with a smile and befriends her employer's niece Maeve - whose mother is Irish revolutionary leader Countess Markievicz.
This was a really, really lovely book about a little Irish girl who loves her family and will do anything to help. This is set in 1913, when it was usual for young girls and boys to leave school to go and work and help their family (particularly children like Lily with only one parent left alive to look after the young ones). Lily is a wonderful character with a sunny disposition and she was a joy to read - her willingness to do what was needed, as well as her kindness to befriend those who were being mean to her is really the perfect character for children of a similar age to read.
There no badness in this book - all the characters (despite some at the start) are nice and kind to Lily - including her employers the Gore-Booths. There was a lovely scene at Christmas time with a doll that's a beautiful reminder to the reader of Lily's age and innocence which I really loved. There was also a bit of fun reading, knowing that the Gore-Booths, some of the servants mentioned and Maeve were all real people and you couldn't help but wonder what their real lives and personalities were like.
I 100% recommend this one for both young and older readers!
I received a free copy of this book from O’Brien Press in exchange for an honest review.
Eoin Madden, the fifteen-year-old rugby superstar, is back for a new term at his boarding school and ready for a new rugby season plus the big Junior Cert examinations but as usual, he ends up embroiled in a ghostly mystery because he can see spirits of the undead.
This was another fun, short read that honestly reminds me a little bit of an Irish, rugby-version of Meg Cabot’s Mediator series though Eoin is a lot more kind and less sassy than Suze.
I liked the mystery around the state of the grounds in Lansdowne Road in this one, and all of Eoin’s rugby accomplishments with the Junior Six Nations. As usual. the rugby terminology went over my head but Eoin’s enthusiasm for the game kept me intrigued. I loved the ending with the sudden introduction of the ghost of Michael Hogan (yes the Michael Hogan Croke Park’s Hogan Stand is named after) and can’t wait to see what’s next.
Eoin Madden, the fifteen-year-old rugby superstar, is back for a new term at his boarding school and ready for a new rugby season plus the big Junior Cert examinations but as usual, he ends up embroiled in a ghostly mystery because he can see spirits of the undead.
This was another fun, short read that honestly reminds me a little bit of an Irish, rugby-version of Meg Cabot’s Mediator series though Eoin is a lot more kind and less sassy than Suze.
I liked the mystery around the state of the grounds in Lansdowne Road in this one, and all of Eoin’s rugby accomplishments with the Junior Six Nations. As usual. the rugby terminology went over my head but Eoin’s enthusiasm for the game kept me intrigued. I loved the ending with the sudden introduction of the ghost of Michael Hogan (yes the Michael Hogan Croke Park’s Hogan Stand is named after) and can’t wait to see what’s next.
2.5-3 stars
I received an e-copy of this book from Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
The Phoenix Empress is the sequel to The Tiger's Daughter - an expansive fantasy novel in which readers are first introduced to Quorin warrior Barsalyya Shefali, and her best friend, wife, and Empress O Shizuka.
In The Phoenix Empress, we finally learn what happened to O Shizuka in the eight years she and Shefali were separated after Shefali was banished by Shizuka's uncle, the Emperor. I really wanted to love this book as I really enjoyed The Tiger's Daughter but for some reason, it just felt really flat for me. The book seemed too long, and it took ages before readers were actually told the full story about Shizuka's time without Shefali. I also personally grew really tired of Shefali's all-consuming love for Shizuka. It seemed too much at times, and she seemed blind to a lot of the characters obvious flaws. I also wasn't really happy with Shizuka becoming an alcoholic after Ink-On-Water, as it just seemed a lazy plot point for me.
I d really enjoy the flowery writing in this book, and some of the descriptions are truly beautiful. This is a world that seems to have so much beauty to it but also one that's full of darkness and violence and I really enjoyed he contrast, especially the imagery of Shizuka building a wall of flowers to fight a horde of demons. I would really like to know more about the gods of this world and how it all work s- there's times I feel like we are just told that our characters are Gods, or believe themselves to be so, but we're not shown how that could be properly. Some of the names of the different Gods confused me too, as they aren't gods we already know of (such as if this was somehow based on Greek or Roman myths). I find Shefali a lot more compelling character than Shizuka so this might be why I didn't like this one as much, as it focused on the Empress more so than my favourite Quorin.
I received an e-copy of this book from Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
The Phoenix Empress is the sequel to The Tiger's Daughter - an expansive fantasy novel in which readers are first introduced to Quorin warrior Barsalyya Shefali, and her best friend, wife, and Empress O Shizuka.
In The Phoenix Empress, we finally learn what happened to O Shizuka in the eight years she and Shefali were separated after Shefali was banished by Shizuka's uncle, the Emperor. I really wanted to love this book as I really enjoyed The Tiger's Daughter but for some reason, it just felt really flat for me. The book seemed too long, and it took ages before readers were actually told the full story about Shizuka's time without Shefali. I also personally grew really tired of Shefali's all-consuming love for Shizuka. It seemed too much at times, and she seemed blind to a lot of the characters obvious flaws. I also wasn't really happy with Shizuka becoming an alcoholic after Ink-On-Water, as it just seemed a lazy plot point for me.
I d really enjoy the flowery writing in this book, and some of the descriptions are truly beautiful. This is a world that seems to have so much beauty to it but also one that's full of darkness and violence and I really enjoyed he contrast, especially the imagery of Shizuka building a wall of flowers to fight a horde of demons. I would really like to know more about the gods of this world and how it all work s- there's times I feel like we are just told that our characters are Gods, or believe themselves to be so, but we're not shown how that could be properly. Some of the names of the different Gods confused me too, as they aren't gods we already know of (such as if this was somehow based on Greek or Roman myths). I find Shefali a lot more compelling character than Shizuka so this might be why I didn't like this one as much, as it focused on the Empress more so than my favourite Quorin.
When a virus outbreak forces Cat’s father to leave her in a cabin alone for two years while he works with a questionable organisation to come up with a cure, she needs to fight for survival. Then, a lone soldier shows up to tell her that her dad’s dead and she is humanity’s last hope to find the cure.
Wow, oh wow. What a fantastically written book. This was a post-apocalyptic book/zombie book that was so original but still tied in all the things everyone loves about this genre of writing.
Cat was a fantastic main character and i loved her voice, and oh she was so clever. Like SO clever - I was just marvelling at her the entire book. After about a quarter of the book i flipped to the back to see the author bio, and wasn’t surprised in the least to see that Suvada is basically a genius herself. All the science in this book sounds very real and plausible and not just some words mashed together to sound science like can definitely happen in similar-style books.
Cole was just, a lovely human being in general, and I definitely fell in love with him before I’d even gotten halfway through. I didn’t question slightly how quickly his attentions did turn away from Jun Bei to Cat but I was just happy they were doing some naked snuggling so I didn’t question it too much.
I loved how action-packed this was - the characters could hardly stop for a moment. The science fiction element in this with all the tech implants in everyone’s body was also genius. Again, it all sounded very plausible and realistic.
I love how Cat was able to have moments in the book where her emotions overcame her, like when she saw what the bunkers actually looked like and how she could have been living in comfort for two years. I really felt for her with her confusion and sense of betrayal.
The twist at the end was very good, both in terms of the new enemy that arose and the reveal. I’m dying for the next book now.
Also: I love the cover of this book but once I realised it’s basically an explosion of bits, I found it hard to look at, haha!
Wow, oh wow. What a fantastically written book. This was a post-apocalyptic book/zombie book that was so original but still tied in all the things everyone loves about this genre of writing.
Cat was a fantastic main character and i loved her voice, and oh she was so clever. Like SO clever - I was just marvelling at her the entire book. After about a quarter of the book i flipped to the back to see the author bio, and wasn’t surprised in the least to see that Suvada is basically a genius herself. All the science in this book sounds very real and plausible and not just some words mashed together to sound science like can definitely happen in similar-style books.
Cole was just, a lovely human being in general, and I definitely fell in love with him before I’d even gotten halfway through. I didn’t question slightly how quickly his attentions did turn away from Jun Bei to Cat but I was just happy they were doing some naked snuggling so I didn’t question it too much.
I loved how action-packed this was - the characters could hardly stop for a moment. The science fiction element in this with all the tech implants in everyone’s body was also genius. Again, it all sounded very plausible and realistic.
I love how Cat was able to have moments in the book where her emotions overcame her, like when she saw what the bunkers actually looked like and how she could have been living in comfort for two years. I really felt for her with her confusion and sense of betrayal.
The twist at the end was very good, both in terms of the new enemy that arose and the reveal. I’m dying for the next book now.
Also: I love the cover of this book but once I realised it’s basically an explosion of bits, I found it hard to look at, haha!
3.5 stars
Lovely War is a sweeping romance set during the turbulent years of World War One, and is narrated during World War Two by Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love) to her romantic partners/rivals Ares (God of War) and Hephaestus. Apollo and Hades also make an appearance during the story with their imput on different events. The story revolves around James and Hazel, two, young and innocent people swept up in war and trying to stay together, as well as Aubrey and Colete - a black American soldier and a white Belgian who fled to France following the massacre of her family by German forces.
I thought that this story was really beautiful, and I love the fact that it was narrated by Greek Gods, and how sometimes Aphrodite would be right there helping the couples along during different times whether it be an unseen presence or the waitress in the cafe on their first official date. James and Hazel are very sweet if not a bit strained and frustrating at times (kiss her man for goodness sake!), and on the other hand I found Aubrey and Colette lively and fiery and full of passion and chemistry.
I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion but I definitely liked Aubrey and Colette's story way more than James and Hazel and I feel like they should have a lot more time and emphasis put on their love and relationship. Without Aphrodite narrating the story, James and Hazel would be very ordinary and so-so - which I don't like saying because obviously they were going through a war and I don't want to make that less than the terrible thing it was but James and Hazel had a very ordinary romance for the majority of the book and not really any obstacles in their way (besides the actual war) whereas Aubrey and Colette had a lot more to fight against (the war, racism, violence etc).
I think this story is worth a read though, even just for the beautiful narration. I found some of the descriptions really vivid and I really felt pulled right into the story alongside the characters.
Lovely War is a sweeping romance set during the turbulent years of World War One, and is narrated during World War Two by Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love) to her romantic partners/rivals Ares (God of War) and Hephaestus. Apollo and Hades also make an appearance during the story with their imput on different events. The story revolves around James and Hazel, two, young and innocent people swept up in war and trying to stay together, as well as Aubrey and Colete - a black American soldier and a white Belgian who fled to France following the massacre of her family by German forces.
I thought that this story was really beautiful, and I love the fact that it was narrated by Greek Gods, and how sometimes Aphrodite would be right there helping the couples along during different times whether it be an unseen presence or the waitress in the cafe on their first official date. James and Hazel are very sweet if not a bit strained and frustrating at times (kiss her man for goodness sake!), and on the other hand I found Aubrey and Colette lively and fiery and full of passion and chemistry.
I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion but I definitely liked Aubrey and Colette's story way more than James and Hazel and I feel like they should have a lot more time and emphasis put on their love and relationship. Without Aphrodite narrating the story, James and Hazel would be very ordinary and so-so - which I don't like saying because obviously they were going through a war and I don't want to make that less than the terrible thing it was but James and Hazel had a very ordinary romance for the majority of the book and not really any obstacles in their way (besides the actual war) whereas Aubrey and Colette had a lot more to fight against (the war, racism, violence etc).
I think this story is worth a read though, even just for the beautiful narration. I found some of the descriptions really vivid and I really felt pulled right into the story alongside the characters.