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YA Review: The Guidal – Discovering Puracordis

Title: The Guidal – Discovering Puracordis
Author: Roxy Eloise
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 5/5

The Guidal – Discovering Puracordis

I love a good, original YA Dystopia, and this ticked all the boxes! A training centre for teenagers learning to be Enforcers of curfew and other laws, arranged marriages, strict relationship rules, games with life-changing rankings for the winning teams, friendships and romances, a mysterious commander with a grudge against the narrator, and a really interesting twist with a setup for book two.

Aurora has been raised in the Boulderfell Institute for Young Enforcers. Her only memories of a life before the institute are dreams of running with her friend Tayo, and being caught by Enforcers at the age of three. The book begins with her move from the children’s quarter to the adult section, following her sixteenth birthday. The author captures the fear and anxiety of the move – relatable for anyone who has changed schools or employers and worried about how they will survive in a new environment.

And Aurora is right to be anxious. The adult section brings the potential for an arranged engagement, a step up to dangerous competitive games, patrols in the outside world, and conflict with the commander of the Institute. It doesn’t take long for her to find herself in serious trouble, betrothed to a stranger, and targeted by older trainees who are threatened by her physical abilities. When she discovers someone from her past at the institute, everything she believes about herself is challenged, and she must decide who – and what – to believe.

I loved this book. I loved the story and the setup. I loved the characters, and Aurora in particular. I loved the people who supported her, however secretly, and I loved the twist at the end. This is the beginning of an excellent YA dystopian series, and I’m looking forward to book two!

Have you read The Guidal – Discovering Puracordis? What did you think of Aurora’s story?Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: The Guidal – Discovering Puracordis cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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YA Review: The Prisoner’s Throne

Title: The Prisoner’s Throne
Author: Holly Black
Edition: Hardback
Rating: 5/5

YA Review: The Prisoner's Throne

Holly Black is back, and so are Wren and Oak, and I couldn’t wait to jump back into the story and find out what happened after the cliffhanger at the end of The Stolen Heir (reviewed here).

This is a hard book to review without dropping spoilers, but I’ll do my best.

The first surprise is that The Prisoner’s Throne opens not in the Citadel, where the previous book ended, but by skipping back in time to before Oak set out on his quest in The Stolen Heir. The second surprise is the change in narrator, from Wren to Oak. Before the resolution of the story can begin, we learn what inspired Oak’s journey in The Stolen Heir, and about his self-appointed and secret role in Elfhame, protecting the High King and Queen.

Oak goes on to use his charm and determination to influence Wren and her court, and bring about a confrontation with Elfhame. Jude and Cardan make a welcome reappearance in the story, finding their loyalties tested when Oak’s clandestine activities come to light. There’s political plotting, dangerous magic, murder, poison, betrayals and family loyalties, and once again I loved it.

Giving the narration to Oak works beautifully – to balance the storytelling between the two books, to highlight the growing tension between Oak and Wren, and to give the reader more of an insight into the dangers and plots behind the scenes of the Court of Elfhame. The Stolen Heir gave us Wren’s view of Oak, and this book flips the point of view to give us Oak’s view of Wren, which can only add to the intrigue of the story, and our understanding of the characters.

Another delicious and satisfying visit to Elfhame. Five stars.

Have you read The Stolen Heir and The Prisoner’s Throne? What did you think of the change of narrator in this book? And what about Oak’s secret role in the Court of Elfhame? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: The Prisoner’s Throne cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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Over to you!

This month on the Taller Books newsletter, Bookstore Addicts, we’re thinking about book covers. What makes a great cover? Do Kindle and Paperback covers work differently? And do we really judge books by their cover designs? (Spoiler: yes. Yes we do!).

In the newsletter, we looked at the designs for our Battle Ground Series paperbacks, and compared them with the updated designs for the Books 1-3 Kindle Bargain Box Set.

What makes a great cover? The Battle Ground series
The original series designs
What makes a great cover? Battle Ground Books 1-3 Kindle Bargain Box Set
The Kindle Bargain Box Set

Which do you prefer? And which are more relevant to the books? Let us know in the comments, or drop us an email. We’d love to hear what you think!

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YA Review: Gorgeous Gruesome Faces

Title: Gorgeous Gruesome Faces
Author: Linda Cheng
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 4/5

YA Review: Gorgeous Gruesome Faces

Confession time: I love ‘behind the scenes in the music business’ stories. Think Daisy Jones and the Six, Coyote Ugly, Espedair Street or Almost Famous. I even loved Julie and the Phantoms. I don’t know what it is about catching a glimpse behind the curtain at the off-stage antics and work ethic of band members, but I’m hooked.

So how could I resist Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, which promised dark secrets, female rivalries, personality clashes, and the gruelling selection process for a K-Pop band? Sign me up!

And the book delivered. From the flashbacks to narrator Sunny’s former band, a disastrous love triangle and the death of a band-mate, to the competition to become part of a new K-Pop sensation, everything I was looking for was there, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

What I wasn’t expecting was the dark twist, and the genuinely unsettling psychological horror of the present-day storyline. This element of the story builds slowly, with flashbacks introducing the theme, and gradually creeps into the narrator’s experiences as she works to win her place in the band. I’m not usually a horror fan, but this had me gasping, turning pages late into the night, and desperately trying to work out what was going on.

The high-stakes, life-changing competition and the clever psychological storyline work so well together, and I couldn’t put the book down. Interesting characters, burning rivalries, and deadly mistakes come together to produce an un-put-downable novel. The end was not the resolution I had been expecting when I opened the book, but it is definitely a satisfying ending for the narrator. Recommended if you’re looking for a dark twist on the K-Pop celebrity dream.

Have you read Gorgeous Gruesome Faces? What did you think of Sunny’s story? Did you guess what was happening? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

YA review: Gorgeous Gruesome Faces cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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Wishing Shelf Book Awards announcement day!

Huge CONGRATULATIONS to all this year’s Wishing Shelf Book Awards medal winners! This wasn’t our year to win a medal, but we’re thrilled that Angels is a 2023 finalist.

Celebrate with us, and pick up your copy of Angels for £2.99 or $3.99 on Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and more, or £9.99 for a paperback (international prices will vary).

The Wishing Shelf Editorial Reviewers gave Angels five stars back in December. You can read their fantastic full review on Goodreads.

Check out all the Wishing Shelf winners and finalists, and find yourself a new favourite YA read!

Wishing Shelf
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Easter Craft Market – Final Day!

Don’t miss the final day of the Stonham Barns Easter Craft Market! Rachel will be there today, signing books and meeting readers.

Stop by the Taller Books table for copies of Rachel’s UK-based dystopian series, YA LGBTQ+ contemporary-with-a-twist, and the anthology of Doctor Who/Iris Wildthyme stories featuring her short story, ‘The Last Martian’.

10am-4pm, free entry, free parking, and loads to see and do. Find Rachel and her books in the barn, conveniently close to the food trucks!

See you there!

Final Day
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Easter Craft Market TODAY!

It’s TODAY!!

Don’t miss this weekend’s Stonham Barns Easter Craft Market! Rachel will be there today and tomorrow, signing books and meeting readers.

Stop by the Taller Books table for copies of Rachel’s UK-based dystopian series, YA LGBTQ+ contemporary-with-a-twist, and the anthology of Doctor Who/Iris Wildthyme stories featuring her short story, ‘The Last Martian’.

10am-4pm, free entry, free parking, and loads to see and do. Find Rachel and her books in the barn, conveniently close to the food trucks!

See you there!

Today
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Welcome to Leiston!

Rachel Churcher will be in Leiston today, signing books at the Leiston Town Easter Arts and Crafts Fayre.

Stop by the Taller Books table for copies of Rachel’s UK-based Battle Ground dystopian series, Angels, her YA LGBTQ+ contemporary-with-a-twist , and the anthology of Doctor Who/Iris Wildthyme stories featuring her short story, ‘The Last Martian’. We’ll also have bookish goodies and in-person deals on books and crafts.

FREE entry, FREE parking, refreshments and a prize draw – there’s plenty going on at the Fayre. If you’re in the area, come and say hi!

10am-3pm TODAY – see you there!

Leiston
Rachel Churcher on the Taller Books stand at WAMFest 2023
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Sci-Fi Weekender!

Don’t miss Rachel Churcher, signing books TODAY at the Sci-Fi Weekender in Great Yarmouth!

Stop by the Taller Books table for copies of Rachel’s UK-based Battle Ground dystopian series, Angels, her YA LGBTQ+ contemporary-with-a-twist , and the anthology of Doctor Who/Iris Wildthyme stories featuring her short story, ‘The Last Martian’. We’ll also have bookish goodies and in-person deals on books and crafts.

If you’re heading to the Sci-Fi Weekender, make sure you come and say hi, meet some fantastic Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors, and pick up your new favourite read. We’ll be there today, but you’ll be able to meet authors and browse books between events on both Friday and Saturday.

See you there!

Sci-Fi Weekender
Rachel Churcher on the Taller Books stand at NorCon 2023