Elle

An intriguing concept but it didn't hook me... there was some really good world building but I found the characters lacking.

Honest Review in exchange for an ARC copy of this book at the authors request! All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was my first experience with Celeste Baxendell's work as I hadn't read the previous book as she stated this can be read as a stand-alone, which proved to be true.

Honestly I was very pleasantly surprised, I'm real bad at judging books by their covers and also not too keen on most Snow White re-tellings...
But Mirrors of Ice? Impressed me and I read it in one go. I found I was never left disinterested by storyline or character development, and there was none of that forced love triangle that seems ever so popular in Snow White retelling and the way they use the point of the glass coffin just felt so clever!
I loved the amount of depth to be found in our two MCs and how throughout the characters felt consistent and developed and honest. I loved the development between Sterling and his family and how that was addressed from both characters in a way that felt believable and never forced or too farcical. Overall, my favourite Snow White retelling and Stalks of Gold is easily added to by TBR for sure. Baxendell is one to watch!

Honest Review in exchange for an ARC copy of this book at the authors request! All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Fair Isle Trilogy: Complete Series Collection by Tessonja Odette would be given a 3 star rating by me. And I admit I rate harsh! I enjoyed this eons more than I was expecting too. They say not to judge a book by its cover, and I have always found the opposite true until recently. I came across this book on several of my book suggestion lists and was so happy to be allowed to review it for Odette as a trilogy collection release! To Carve A Fae Heart was enticing and intriguing from the get go, and the characters each had their own flavours and voice, which many in the Fantasy genre struggle with. I can't bear a drab narration, but here everything held my attention and intrigue. Odette does a brilliant job of conveying a world like so many but in an original clearly inspired way. It isn't difficult to create this world whilst reading her words and her creations actions. Book 2 is again quite an intrigue to read although I did find myself slowing with need to read towards the second half... I am so glad I stuck with it though and am glad to say the third book defied my previous expectations and led me back to Faerwyvae happily. This is an author I am glad to say has left an interesting and fun to read series and I look forward to reading more in the future. Overall, I give it a 3 star rating, as compared to many other Fantasy Fiction books and series, the world is not complete, and certain areas of character development sure did feel lacking and I had no pining after heroes or antihero moments. But I enjoyed it as an easy to read foray into the Fantasy Fiction world.

Honest Review in exchange for an ARC copy of this book thanks to Netgalley! All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Erin Riha is certainly a writer of skill. I enjoyed this book once I was able to throw myself in, I found the opening slightly confusing and too vague to be of interest, but once I pursued, I enjoyed it a lot more. People compare this a lot to The Selection... I have to admit, The Selection is definitely one of my biggest guilty pleasures; as such I know it well enough to easily see the commonalities between the two books (and their eventual series). And I agree. This is very similar in concept, but I knew that going in, what I didn't know is how quickly it would attempt (fairly successfully at points) to turn this into a redemption of self-worth for our MC.

Arden. I love love love that name, and in a way it totally suits her. Arden, to my knowledge, comes from a meaning of “High” and sometimes “High Beauty”, or “High Value”. Which to me, is a compliment to our MC's virtue. Here we have an MC that is no damn damsel in distress, but a young woman who's had stuff chucked her way since she was a kid, and still stood strong, finding a way through and on, not just collapsing in a heap or onto a mans shoulders as they do for disney. She's not the most relateable MC, but I still enjoyed her as a character immensely. It's a shame side characters like Zerah weren't given more of a relationship with our MC as I would have found that deeply intriguing and interesting for their perspectives to grow. I love that the ‘sidekick' or closest to that, was written in a strong woman who has a mask to the world but still has an obvious archilles heel. No more of those powderpuff girls who act like they've never had brains, here we see an array of DIFFERENT women, each with their own personalities. Now, I have to follow that up with the disappointment that for so many of those characters there was a bitter rivalry that felt secondary to the goings on of the book. Mainly because it would have been ever more so interesting for their to be some woman/woman power instead of just more of the misogynistic world we are so familiar with. Though that leads me to the positive point; that this writer addresses the misogyny at multiple times within our MC's narration, and gives Arden the “hell naw” energy we've been missing in the books of authors prior. My biggest disappointment? The Pirate man. He was a freaking asshole, and his crew weren't life changing just different. AND I am so, so so so so done with bloody love triangles. And it felt so over done and over played with the whole “oh it felt different with him” vibes and “oh but i dont know what that means”... just ENOUGH. Please. In regards to the sensitive matters dealt within of rape/assault and violence etc, I think they were covered and dealt with with grace. I find many authors struggle with this sensitive material and make it too fantastical, or horror story like and unrealistic, and I struggle to read the graphic depictions attempted by other writers. Here, it feels realistic and repulsive, and CJ... CJ is the man we all want to punch in the face, and the two personas shown within society are crafted well, cleverly, and believable. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it an interesting read, but the forced love triangle (with a toxic member, a sensitive wanting to learn member who is basically an aside story, and a member recovering from something as drastic as Arden), lack of interesting connections between characters, and fairly standard and basic world building, leads me to a score of 2.5/5 stars. I'm not sure I'll read the sequel or continuing books unless I find myself bored.

Honest Review in exchange for an ARC copy of this book thanks to Netgalley! All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Trees, nature, forests and woodlands are a part of the natural world and a part of the only connection we have left to that world due to the speed of man-kinds creations. This book separates itself into three parts and talks about thirteen different Celtic tree species and does so to a degree that you learn oh so much, including the mythological context, healing uses, and what they can represent. Now more than ever, we need to appreciate the nature that is around us and realise that the natural connection we once had with trees like the Ash tree is one we should be begging to have back. This book is an invigorating call to all those who hear the whispers from the trees or want to open their ears to them. Overall, a good GOOD book.

. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I found the concept of this book intriguing and enjoyed the intro as it showed the aims of this book as a positive and bright spot in our current dark non fiction world. I found the multiple authors an interesting idea and wondered if they would work well together and was sad to read them and find many same-ish pieces of the same drivel idea and no grasping moments of urgency. To gain a higher rating? I'd have loved this to have been a real book of how people could use the lessons we've “supposedly” learnt from the horrors of COVID 19... not a book that first story is about the “good” of COVID and never mentioning that yes there were bad too. Or more stories like how the “aliens” we were unprepared for was COVID and how that may affect future “terrestrial beings” or unexpected situations. It felt like many people repeating the exact same thought process with different words- and some not using as simplistic language choices as promised in its intro...

DNF at 30%... worst writing style I've read for a while...

Bam. The opening! This was a light, easy read, perfect for the new round of teens who think the Hunger Games is old news! The opening was a little abrupt for my taste, but still tasteful. It became sluggish towards the midpoint and it became a struggle to finish towards the end. Overall it was an enjoyable read that I think is perfect for the young teen audience it is aimed towards. I would say the story arc was slightly disappointing, but characters became intriguing and enjoyable. I hope that in future books, the characters enjoy a further development stage to make this even better.
I received an arc copy for review and leave this view voluntarily

The Prince and The Puppet Thief is a sweet as sugar, satirical fantasy based short novel. Overall, I found it to be a piece of pie that shouldn't be served with cream but it happens anyways. It's a brilliant flip on classic fairytales, with true loves kisses and princesses in need of rescue! And the narrative style is a sarcastic tone that feels slightly misplaced and empty, however, many people seem to have enjoyed it, so maybe it's just not my cuppa earl grey. It is a very fluffy, lighthearted read, that reads with slightly flaky, shallow character development but some good LGBT+ representation including for gender non-binary! Which is reason to read Arnolds work alone!

I received an arc copy for review and leave this view voluntarily

I ADORED this book! ADORED. ADORED. ADORED.

All the best tropes, done so excellently! Only one thing didn't fly with myself, and that was the speed towards the end of the book felt a lil' bit mishmash in regards to character development. Whenever I put it down, all I wanted to do was to pick it back up; I just could not let it rest... Especially with the incredible twists that kept coming, I adored the Hungarian folklore and worldbuilding that felt excellently used. The characters felt interesting and the main character is not perfect, but perfect! As in, I adored our MC not being shiny perfection and being in the wrong, she felt so realistic. Hodge has crafted a masterpiece I cannot wait to buy copies for friends.
If you love Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, Only One Bed, Folklore, Witchiness, Dark Fantasy, Magic, this book, is your new best friend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The End of Bias by Nordell is a brilliant read. Nordell provides multiple areas of interest in an array of case studies and includes the references for further studying and checking (which is always good to me!). An incredibly thought-provoking book that combines psychology tidbits, neurology, sociology, gender, lgbt+ and women studies, as well as more mainstream areas of tech, politics and history as well as issues of current society. This was overall an incredibly engaging read with a lot of science available in a readable and understandable format and conversation that I would recommend to anyone. Especially those in the young adult or adolescent groups as a necessary read to understand the unknown bias we face in our lives without noticing.
I received an arc copy for review and leave this view voluntarily

An enjoyable delve into the classic selling points of fairytales, with some added fae elements! An enjoyable read, with intriguing characters. Easy read, simple,

I was so so hoping to enjoy the ARC I received of this book in exchange for an honest review... But I didn't at all.

I'm not going to lie. The story starts with an intro/ prologue that feels stagnant and filled with forced anticipation- a feeling later returned towards the turn of the book. The basic story plot is very recycled, often within YA especially; but while I love the occasional trashily-written-read-just-for-similarity-of-books-I-love books, I couldn't have disliked this more... I'm sorry to say that what I hoped would be a book filled with a range of characters and tidbits to love felt more like a 8th graders first draft. The writing style was simplistic, and the characters didn't have distinct voices. I'm afraid, if this hadn't had been an ARC I wanted to get better and give the benefit of the doubt to, it would have been my first DNF.

A beautiful enthralling read. In a world where the British Empire has continued, Adam discovers life, community, perception and imagination, all through his discovery of a mythical majestical creature, a Tyger.

This book should be on every library's wall, every bookshops recommended and every childs eventual reading list. The book supposedly took 9 years in the making, and I'm glad, as you can see each stroke of the key and pen as a decisive action by author and illustrator. Surely a classic to come.

Mix Bagheera, Aslan, The Golden Compass, William Blake's Tyger burning bright and add an extra dash of imagination, vulnerability and community and you receive the astounding Tyger by S.F. Said.

The descriptions of London in an alternate world feel realistic and troubling, as they should. An easy-to-read tale, with beautiful illustrations. A compelling read hard to put down! Too often childrens fiction has fit the idealised structures and guidelines of a western culture, S F Said, draws on his own roots and history and identity to create a wonderfully multi-faceted main character who is influenced by his family's Middle Eastern culture and roots, the afflictions caused by peoples assumptions and beliefs, societal structures and the damage and danger they can present. All whilst recommunicating that, at heart, we are all human, we all have a spark inside, what we do with that spark and our power in this world is what creates the characters we grow to become, and the impact that character can have on ourselves, our family, friends, strangers and even our world.

Perfect for fans of Asha & the Spirit Bird, The Last Bear and The Last Firefox! My favourite Children's read so far this year.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of Golds anOther Mythology in exchange for an honest review. Beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, Beautiful. Gold spins the tales in the most indescribable of ways. As a queer person utterly obsessed since youth with Greek Mythology and Poetry, I feel seen, I feel elevated, I feel overjoyed at the magnificence with which Maxwell J. Gold paints the stories we think we know, as well as those we do not. The creative liberties he takes add to their delectable passion and his word choice and metaphors are exemplary.

Very sweet sampler sent in exchange for an honest review through netgalley.co.uk. Although extremely brief, I enthuse at the idea, as a personal lover of words, etymology and learning new stories of words and the ways we can use them. I particularly enjoyed IDEAS.

As a rare reader of anthologies, and a keen fantasy reader, reading this collection of short stories was an adventure in itself. Exploring the different faces of mermaids, this anthology doesn't shy away from crafting mystery and intrigue into its tales. It approached different subject matter in a usually effective format and did well at keeping a flow story to story. From authors who I typically devour work by in mere minutes, to authors who I'm relatively new to, the flow between the masters of the pen was easy to follow, and multiple tales were told in creative ways leaving questions unanswered or open, or concise and clear. A sweet, easy-to-read anthology with a variety of voice types and tales. Thank you Netgalley for my copy in exchange for review.

I received this ARC via NetGalley and Victory Editing in exchange for an honest review.
This poetry collection is a nice selection designed by an author for their first collection. Hoffman's poetry feels truthful and her candor is delectable in what is currently a highly-saturated field. Personally, the work is good for a first collection, but the organisation of the piece reads ill due to formatting issues, blank pages and other issues with the format across different readers (phone, kindle, laptop etc). The poet reigns in consistency of ideas, but could use some more editing, as many poems feel intangible, messy and could use some finesse.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for review. I adored The Last Bear when it first came out, and as soon as I saw there was to be a follow-up I knew I had to read it. The book is beautifully done. In a way that is compelling to all ages, young and old, Hannah Gold interweaves the concerningly critical environmental messages with true character it is impossible to NOT imagine from the page. Threaded with a needle of hope, Finding Bear is a beautiful sequel and a book that warms the heart at times, but also makes you absolutely ache. And think.

Continuing our adventures with Mara and Torniv, Houston takes us on another absolutely compelling adventure filled with delightfully artful prose. Whilst the first book dealt with Grief, and the burden it takes, especially on those we believe cannot comprehend, this second book revolves around the meaning of family, where our decisions may take us, and the power loyalty can hold. Houston is clearly within her element whilst continuing her work with Slavic inspiration, and I found the book to be a perfect sequel, and closing chapter to Mara's story. An easy recommendation for any child who wishes to be whisked away into another realm on an adventure.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for a review. As a mass Greek Mythology Nerd, I was ecstatic that the 10th book in Valentino's series was to be Hades. Personally I enjoyed the book but must mention the importance of reading earlier works to gain full effect of the story. Valentino ties up some loose ends in a truly satisfying way.

Thank you Bonnier Books for my beautiful copy of this wondrous book in exchange for a review! As a keen witch-history nerd, this book seemed to call my name. This beautifully presented book is filled with prepossessing illustrations, mythical magical tales and facts. Making non-fiction more accessible and readable for more readers is no easy feat. Kidd does this excellently. Presented in a way that intrigues and empowers the voices of those lost under the label of ‘witch', Kidd informs in a compelling way that puts this as one of my favourite on the subject. Use of Scottish dialect was a specific choice, that I can see as confusing at times, but with perseverance, there is much gold at the end of these chapters and in thus, the whole book.

“Utter Eye-opener”
Tim Marshall continues his series of incredibly detailed books on geo-politics. Every page is filled with information to take away, and discusses in an accessible format topics from Space exploration, to the impact Science-fiction has on the world. Marshall covers all the bases and informs the reader seemingly with no presumptions on their capabilities to understand and learn the information he brings to the table. Definitely a non-fiction book for all, one that easily grabs the reader, rather than having to slog through it. A recommendation for anyone who wants to understand more about our world, the effect geography can have, and the effect politics can have, on the world as we currently know it and where it is headed next.

As a lover of all things mythology and folklore, Houstons duology sounded like perfection! I'm glad to say, it hits all the marks. Discusses some somewhat triggering topics such as; parent loss, grief, fear and not fitting in, in a way that feels relatable and honest. The Wind Child is a beautiful story with wonder, adventure and impressive world-building. This book is perfect for any kid especially those who enjoy works by Rick Riordan or Katya Balen. The prose is elegant and emotional, Houston has created a world of wonder, easy for any child to sink into within mere pages.

This book is BRILLIANT! Flanagan crafts a beautifully detailed, fast-moving world that is believable from page 1. Liz Flanagan with Joe Todd-Stanton is a powerhouse team, that I look forward to reading more from, Todd-Stanton illustrations just add to the wonder of the book, giving it warmth and character that just seal the bow on the present that is Flanagans words. I ADORED the dragon-esque border framing each chapter as it felt like it's own seal of magic upon the book! With a wonderfully multi-faceted main character, Milla, at the centre, Dragon Daughter takes the reader on an adventure that includes a murder, baby dragons, politics, prejudice, loyalty and friendship. Each plot point feels relevant, and interwoven with the rest of the story and world-building in a way that often many middle-grade aimed books seemingly misses. As Milla seeks her destiny and seeks her past we uncover more and more twists and turns as the page number grows. I could not stop myself from reading! The cast of characters is intriguing and provides quite a few admirable faces, and some darstardly (familiar?) villains! I loved reading this book and so handed it straight to my 12 year old sister to go to the top of her reading pile. Perfect for ages 8-13, or anyone who wants a good, dragon-centric book!