Monthly Wrap-up for January 2016

Hi Guys,

I hope you’ve all been great! 🙂

So, as I had mentioned in my earlier posts I’ve decided to do Monthly Wrap-Ups. Considering how many books I’ve chosen to read and my daily workload, it is a little hard to complete book reviews for everything.

Therefore, I will update you all on a monthly basis and will just simply surprise you with random book reviews! 😛

Anyhow… here are the synopsis of the books I read this month:

Magician

He held the fate of two worlds in his hands… Once he was an orphan called Pug, apprenticed to a sorcerer of the enchanted land of Midkemia.. Then he was captured and enslaved by the Tsurani, a strange, warlike race of invaders from another world.

There, in the exotic Empire of Kelewan, he earned a new name– “Milamber.” He learned to tame the unnimagined powers that lay withing him. And he took his place in an ancient struggle against an evil Enemy older than time itself.

“Totally gripping… A fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid imagination.” — “The Washington Post Book World”

This book took me a little longer to get through. I had to show sheer determination to get through the first quarter of the book but, it really picked up in the latter half. This is how Fantasy books should be written. The main protagonist, Pug, is a pretty awesome character. His growth into a man of immense power is riveting.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it is spaced out over a time period of a few years giving all the characters enough time to grow and develop distinct, likeable qualities.

Everyone needs to read this book; quite a journey. 🙂

 

Little Black Lies

In such a small community as the Falkland Islands, a missing child is unheard of. In such a dangerous landscape it can only be a terrible tragedy, surely…

When another child goes missing, and then a third, it’s no longer possible to believe that their deaths were accidental, and the villagers must admit that there is a murderer among them. Even Catrin Quinn, a damaged woman living a reclusive life after the accidental deaths of her own two sons a few years ago, gets involved in the searches and the speculation.

And suddenly, in this wild and beautiful place that generations have called home, no one feels safe and the hysteria begins to rise.

But three islanders—Catrin, her childhood best friend, Rachel, and her ex-lover Callum—are hiding terrible secrets. And they have two things in common: all three of them are grieving, and none of them trust anyone, not even themselves.

I’ve been a fan of Sharon Bolton’s writing for a while and this book was no different. The plot is gripping and keeps you hooked right till the end.

The only negative for me was the backdrop of the book – not the location – but the marine aspect of it. Personally, I am not big into marine life so that didn’t grip me as much.

 

The Hunt for Atlantis

Following in the tradition of Clive Cussler and Matthew Reilly, Andy McDermott takes us a roller-coaster ride in search of the legendary Atlantis.

Archaeologist Nina Wilde believes she has found the location of the lost city of Atlantis and now she wants the opportunity to prove her theory. Someone else though wants her dead!
With the help of ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase and beautiful heiress Kari Frost, Nina faces a breakneck race against time around the world, pursued at every step by agents of the mysterious – and murderous – Brotherhood of Selasphoros. From the jungles of Brazil to the mountains of Tibet, from the streets of Manhattan to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the hunt for Atlantis leads to a secret hidden for 11,000 years – which in the wrong hands could destroy civilization as we know it…

This is the first Andy McDermott book I’ve read (definitely not the last) and it wasn’t a disappointment at all. It is the first book in the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase series. This is a fast paced, action adventure which, to me, was reminiscent of my favourite authors’s – Matthew Reilly – Jack West series.

 

Queen Song

Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life.

This is a Red Queen (by Victoria Aveyard) novella, prequel to Red Queen. This was a good short story, good background to Cal’s mother.

 

Steel Scars

Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation—Mare Barrow.

This is another Red Queen novella. This is wasn’t as gripping in my opinion. This one is more in conjunction with the other Red Queen protagonist, Mare Barrow.

 

NYPD Red 2

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City’s most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren’t prepared for what they see when they’re called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what’s really behind the murderer’s rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently–and Zach knows whatever she’s hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson’s newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you’ve never seen before.

This is the second book in the NYPD Red series (as the name suggests) by James Patterson & Marshall Karp.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading this book! There haven’t been too many James Patterson books in recent times that have been gripping enough, this one however had bye hooked right till the end.

Well written plot, surprising enough twists, and paced well are the things that work perfectly in this book’s favour. I’n all prepped to pick up the third book in this series.

 

And so peeps, those are all the books for January 2016. Here’s hoping for a busier February. 🙂

Happy Reading!

xx

 

 

 

 

 

My Faves of 2015!! :D

So, as I’m sitting here rubbing my hands in elation, I’m ready to announce, “We’re down to the nitty gritty.” 😀

I’ve read some amazing books, as I’ve repeated a few times, and there are a few that I’m simply unable to stop talking about.

Lets start with some of my favourite books of the year (i’m sorry, I’m partial and can’t pick just one):

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – I went a little crazy for this one. As soon as I was done reading, I downloaded the entire season one just to see Jaime and Claire. I fell in love!

Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck – My love affair with this book started with the gorgeous cover. Click on the link to find out for yourself.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – There was a lot of hype around this one – hence I got sucked in. I’m not complaining. I enjoyed this book.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas – I’ve got a lot to say for this entire series – all good stuff. For now, all you need to know is, this one was pretty good.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon – I loved the first book in the series, The Bone Season. I knew I’d love this one. This book could do with a 100 less pages but it was good.

The books I’ve mentioned above are definitely a few standouts for the year but there a couple of series that I went a little crazy about and they deserve a very special mention.

Karin Slaughter takes the cake. I absolutely fell madly in love with her ‘Will Trent’ Series. I’ve read 5 of the 7 books (I think) and can’t wait to read the remaining two.

Her books are gory, bloody, maddeningly disgusting that you can’t help but get hooked on to them. She is, by far, one of the best Crime/Thriller authors I have ever read. This series has been my favourite for the year. AND, Will Trent is my favourite favourite male character for the year! He is so flawed and that’s what made me love him so much! and Voila –  I ended up having very factual feelings for a very fictional character.

I can’t rave enough about this series and its characters. There is nothing to hate. 😉

 

Next up is Robert Galbraith aka J.K Rowling with the Cormoran Strike Series.

I’d been a little sceptical about this series, to be very honest. But, having read all three books, I’m very glad that I did. These books are your quintessential crime/mystery books revolving around a private investigator – Cormoran Strike.

J.K Rowling has done herself and her writing prowess complete justice. If you haven’t already read it – get on to it.

 

Last but not the least by any means is the ‘Throne of Glass’ series by Sarah J Maas.

This series is definitely not the genre I usually go for – YA/Fantasy, you see. But I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed reading this (I haven’t read Queen of Shadows yet  – saved it for 2016).

No book in the series has let me down even the slightest. We’ve got an exceptionally talented young author on our hands whose writing prowess is way beyond her years. The characters she has created and so delicately handled are simply amazing. My favourite has to be the main character, that of, Calaena Sardothien. It’s just so awesome to have a strong female lead who is strong because of her flaws and her past.

And she is my favourite female character of the year! 🙂

And there you go folks, I’ve given you the highlights for the year that was.

I hope to keep you updated with all that I read as I go, in 2016.

For now, Happy Reading peeps!

Ciao. xx

 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Woah! To pick up a book on whim and feel so awesome, yet dejected at the same time once it is over… who would’ve thought?! Red Queen was just that! This book is fantastic!

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

If I was to try and describe this book I would say, It is Game of Thrones with Katniss as the pawn and X-Men kinda mutated perfection. Yep, that’s about right. To say that I enjoyed reading this book would be a serious understatement. I loved every part of it. I don’t think I’ve ever behaved like a fangirl! :O

The one line that summarises this book perfectly would be:

“Anyone can betray anyone.”

For a debut novel, Victoria Aveyard has written really well. She is simple and concise, yet lyrical when the situation calls for it. The characters she has introduced are fantastic. They are tragic, destructive, realistic and flawed.

Mare Barrow is desperate and in it to survive. Her character shows immense growth as she realises there is a bigger cause at hand worth fighting for. Cal, the crown prince and my favourite for whatever reason, is deluded by hierarchy. He’d rather dictate than to liberate. Maven, the second son, plays second fiddle to Cal.  He lingers in the backdrop of a kingdom that will never be his.

There was a love triangle… almost. It made sense too. But, with manipulation marring every corner of the page, do I see a happy ending?! Guess, we’ll just have to wait and find out.

I think Red Queen deserves every accolade that has come its way. It was a spectacular read, one that I enjoyed every page of.

All the YA, Medieval YA and Fantasy lovers should definitely add it to their ‘To-Read’ list.

Give it a go peeps, you won’t be disappointed.

Happy Reading! xx