Tag: Exciting

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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.

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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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YA Review: The Stolen Heir

Title: The Stolen Heir
Author: Holly Black
Edition: Hardback
Rating: 4/5

YA Review: The Stolen Heir - Holly Black

I have been waiting for the next instalment in the story of Elfhame, and I managed to pick up a gorgeous hardback copy of The Stolen Heir on the day of release. I wasted no time finding a comfortable place to start reading, and jumped straight in.

This book did not grip me in the same way as the Folk of the Air trilogy, possibly because of the hype around its release. That said, I still enjoyed the story – and Holly Black’s trademark dark characters, plot twists, and betrayals. There are plenty of exciting twists, and plenty of delicious betrayals in this first book of an Elfhame duology.

After the events of The Queen of Nothing Suren, daughter of Lady Nore and child queen of the Court of Teeth, leaves Elfhame to find safety in the human world. Oak, heir to the throne of Elfhame, seeks her out to join him on a quest. Suren and Oak were betrothed before the the betrayals of the Battle of the Serpent, and Suren cannot be sure of his intentions. Suren has her own reasons for helping Oak, and returning to the home of her childhood nightmares. As they travel together, their constant suspicion and inability to trust each other add to the dangers they face. It’s a tense and exciting read, with Suren and the reader constantly questioning Oak’s motivations, and trying to unpick the truth from the things Oak doesn’t say.

Oak is seventeen, and utterly charming. Suren is a feral child, surviving in the woods, out of sight in the human world. Both are fae, and neither of them can lie, but they can deceive. Like Suren, I found myself constantly questioning Oak’s words, looking for loopholes and omissions in everything he said. It makes for an intensely exciting story, and the tension between the characters only increases as they approach the end of their journey. The final betrayal is exquisite, and I can’t believe I have to wait for the next book! I can’t wait to go back to Elfhame.

Have you read The Stolen Heir? What did you think of Suren and Oak? 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 Stolen Heir cross-posted to GoodReads.

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YA Review: Someone is Watching You

Title: Someone is Watching You
Author: Tess James-Mackey
Edition: Paperback ARC
Rating: 5/5

YA review: Someone is Watching You - front cover

Warning: this book is addictive! I stayed up reading past midnight three nights in a row to reach the end and find out what happened to the characters. It would make a fantastic single-afternoon binge-read.

When Nia accepts a dare from her friends to explore an abandoned prison, she plans to sneak in, grab a couple of selfies, and get out. But before long her friends are demanding more evidence of her discoveries, and her efforts to demonstrate her bravery lead her further into the dark and dangerous building. Worse – her little sister has followed her inside, and it doesn’t take long for them both to be lost in the maze of corridors and cell blocks. Nia discovers more than she had bargained for as she searches for her sister, and desperately attempts to find her way out.

This is an absolutely gripping story, infused throughout with danger, fear, and a building sense of dread. The author creates an irresistably creepy setting for the action, ramping up the tension with mysterious events, text messages from the protagonist’s friends urging her to take greater and greater risks, and the panic of a phone battery running out at just the wrong moment. Add in Nia’s terror of losing her little sister, and the lengths she is willing to go to to prove herself to her friends, and you have the recipe for a perfect, nail-biting read.

Have you read Someone is Watching You? What did you think of Nia’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!

Someone is Watching You will be published on February 2nd. Thank you to Hodder for the ARC – I loved it!

YA review: Someone is Watching You 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.