I am super excited and blessed to announce that Samantha Shannon has chosen me as one of the many great advocates of the compelling Bone Season series. For those of you who do not know, I have bee a huge fan of series since I first laid eyes upon the book trailer. It was love at first sight, and read. The Bone Season is honestly one of the most original and compelling series I have come across. I’ve been dying to read The Song Rising after The Mine Order ended on such a crazy cliffhanger that made me yearn to find out if what I had suspected were to be true. It is an honour to present to you new updates of exclusive content of the upcoming novel in the series, The Song Rising, which is due out in March 2017.
 
So without further adieu, I present to you *drum roll* the prelude of The Song Rising! But be WARNED, there will be SPOILERS. Hence why I shall HEAVILY recommend NOT READING the prologue if you have NOT READ The Mine Order.
 
YOU. HAVE. BEEN. WARNED. Enjoy!
 

CLICK HERE to enjoy an exclusive sneak peak of The Song Rising:

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon:
BOOK 1: The Bone Season
BOOK 2: The Mime Order
BOOK 3: The Song Rising
BOOK 4: Untitled
BOOK 5: Untitled
BOOK 6: Untitled
BOOK 7: Untitled

First off, I would like readers to keep in mind that this novel is hardly the eighth book as it is merely a script written for a well-loved play. Some will say there is a lack of magic emphasises in the script, but it is hard to create magical effects in a theatre play, live on stage. The book has a completely new and different vibe, but nevertheless I adored every moment of it and how it was more about relationships and conflicts. Particularly between Harry and his son Albus. Though there are some who believe that this script should never have been published in book format, I for one, and many other fans, are glad that it is. After all, many of us cannot merely fly over to London to see the play for ourselves, and without this book, there would be many restless nights where fans continuously imagine what they could possibly be missing out on. But the publication of this script heals all that unnecessary, longing pain.
 
The script unravelled in a series of dialogue between characters, rather than through an omniscient narrator. This helped one imagine how everything would possibly play out on the stage, as if you were watching the performance live. I loved how the play showed how the impact of living in a parent’s shadow could cause children to struggle and act irrationally from the expectations that they are expected to live up to, and how a child can feel disconnected from their parents due to this. My favourite part about this entire play is the fact that it features my one true, and most loved, character Scorpius Malfoy. But honestly? Scorpius has been my favourite Harry Potter character of all time since the end of Deathly Hallows. And yes. You did read that right. It’s hard to say why I had so much love for a character that was hardly a character in the series. But alas, he was, and I was stubborn to change that fact. Scorpius was honestly everything that I had hoped for and more. I mean… just look at him? Ain’t he the cutest. *clears throat* Right. Sorry. Back to the review.

P.S. Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Granger-Weasley are my OTP <3

 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was a lovely gift to every Happy Potter fan out there that has been dying to see the possible outcomes of their favourite heroes, children at Hogwarts. The plot was engaging, and I loved how it showed the consequences of changing the past and how it can have a drastic change, and impact on the future. It was also nice seeing some old characters that I never expected to see again, but was a shame that some of the characters that I had hope for to make an appearance, did not. All in all, this isn’t a book that you have to read, but if you’re a diehard Harry Potter fan, it’s a must have.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
BOOK 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
BOOK 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
BOOK 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
BOOK 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
BOOK 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
BOOK 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
BOOK 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
BOOK 8: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Fall was a great wrap to the Twinmaker trilogy as it was action packed, taking on a new view point from not one, but multiple Clairs. I love how each Clair was slightly different and unique in their own ways due to their experiences, and past selves. Each character was amazingly complex with their own motivations, creating an intriguing conflict between them.

In this particular novel, Claire and her comrades are trying their best to undo all the worlds problems. Even though Clair has lost favour with those that surround her, after she destroyed the world, doing their best to makes things right. But this proved to be extremely difficult, yet they never deterred or gave up. There were times when I as the reader became confused as I couldn’t quite follow up on what was happening as it's quite a heavy science read.

Though the world was destroyed, there was still respite lives within a virtual world known as the Yard. The Yard was originally created by Wallace where he manufactured a new reality, bringing back the scans of dupes from the past. Friends and foes have been regenerated, and whispers that run through Clair’s head with shear warnings of a world outside cause quite the dilemma. But Clair is no longer stable. There are glitches in-between the rifts from her and her dupes. Copies of herself taken from scans shortly after the height of improvement.

Though there was a less world building in this novel than the previous two, it still provided to be fascinating. Twinmaker was truly an incredible, unique world filled with original ideas that questioned human morals and ethics. Overall, I would highly recommend reading these books in order as they are quite complex, and do require your undivided attention.

Julep is a con artist. A grifter of sorts. And like all con artists, Julep Dupree is not her name. She’s good at what she does. It’s her job. After all, she learned from the best of the best: her father. That is until he went missing…
 
This book came off with a great start that immediately immersed the reader’s attention. It was such a thrill to be in the mind of a con artist as you could tell that the author had really researched and crafted her character well with a hint of reality to make everything plausible, which I adored. Despite being the master of deception, there is still a vulnerability to her character that truly balances her character well, and works with her age. In fact all of the characters were fascinating and complex as they kept you seconded guessing their inner motives. The romance in this novel didn’t allow Julep to stray away from her main goal of finding her father, but in fact added a nice sparkle to the plot.
 
Throughout the novel with the help of her best friend and loyal companion, Sam, and Tyler the gorgeous big-time-man on campus, Julep is left to uncover the hidden clues left behind by her father in order to locate his whereabouts. But the fate of her father is only a small part of the complexity that is about to unravel. With every page turn, the plot kept thickening, that you couldn’t help but become engrossed to see what happened next.
 
The ending was sentimental and emotional, making you desperate for the next book. It truly delivers well, as it will shock you with it’s surprising and heart wrenching twists. Trust Me, I’m Lying is great for fans of Veronica Mars and Ally Carter’s Heist Society series.

Trust Me by Mary Elizabeth Summer:
BOOK 1: Trust Me, I'm Lying
BOOK 2: Trust Me, I'm Trouble

It’s been a year since Robbie returned Miranda to the surface, back to her previous life. Not a single day has passed by where her thoughts are not filled with her promise to the handsome underwater king, Marko. Her promise to return to Marin on her eighteenth birthday. The time has finally come for Miranda to give the king a second chance, and to return back as his guest, and not his reluctant captor. Willing to help Marko, Miranda knows her time in Marin will become all the more personal with twin siblings Sylvia and Damir causing disharmony in the city. They cannot be trusted, however loyalty to Sylvia continues to cloud the king’s judgment. Despite Miranda’s willingness to risk her own relationship to ensure Marko’s safety, she is sure that Sylvia is working against the king, but she only manages to drive a wedge between the two. Despite giving up her life, her family, and the sun for a life underwater, she feels unwanted and unappreciated. She finds Marko cold and unforgiving as she hears rumors of other women entertaining Marko in her absence. Though that’s not her biggest problem. Together Miranda and Marko’s must help to carry Marin into the next generation and to survive.

I enjoyed how Miranda’s character grew into an adult, as she became a touch bit wiser and older. I liked how she was not completely ruled by her emotions as her head battled against her heart in trying to decipher from right to wrong. Miranda’s relationship between her Robbie and Marko was an interesting read as each relationship had it’s own unique dynamic contrast. Robbie is without a doubt probably my most favourable character so far in the series. He is such a lovely pleasure to read about. I found that as I continued on with the story, I gradually came to accept Miranda’s relationship with Marko as their relationship developed with time. Although I loved most of the characters, the one character I could not stand was Lauren. She was just… ugh… I didn’t know whether to trust her or not, and the way she flirted with every guy was just annoying.

Impulse overall was such a lovely improvement from Captivate as it had that extra little spark that the first novel was missing. Plus the cover was absolutely gorgeous and a total winner. I loved how each character had their own secret agenda and reasoning for their actions whether it was intentionally good or bad. The setting was beautiful as we got to read about the difference of life on the surface, and in the underwater city. We also got to learn much more about the secrets of the underwater city, and how Marin operated.

Submerged Suns by Vanessa Garden
BOOK 1: Captivate
BOOK 2: Impulse

I adored how Reign of Shadows was written in third person rather than first, and how it transferred back between different characters in order to give us readers a better understanding of what was happening. Since the final novel was written in third person instead, it was much easier for readers to catch a better understanding of how Melissa’s world worked. Although I know a few readers found difficulties in understanding the prophecy, I am happy to say it was all cleared up, and loved how it was never truly revealed until the last book as it kept it mysterious and had you second-guessing which of the two sisters was actually ‘the chosen one’ as they both seemed to be at complete opposites in their abilities.


The world building was nicely improved as the author gave us some of the missing background story that helped cleared my confusion that had arisen earlier on in the trilogy. As for Logan and Brianna’s relationship… They totally swept me off my feet and cleared away any doubts I had between the two. Reign of Shadows was quick-paced and action packed, though I did wish it was slower at times and much longer as I did get a bit lost with what was happening on a couple of occasions.

Where is Q? What is she? And most importantly, where does she stand? That’s what everyone wants to know. A question, that Clair does not have an answer to. D-mat is broken, and society does not know how to survive without it. Unable to leave or travel, people are unable to access hospitals halfway across the world. The world is in turmoil, and it’s all Clair’s fault. Hailed as the girl who broke d-mat, her only hopes of fixing the world, is through Q. Yet somehow Q has managed to stay under the radar. She can’t be found unless she wants to be found. With dupes now after Clair, and society blaming her for the world’s chaos, Clair is desperate to survive and make it out through all of this.

Crashland: Crash, once again embodies the impacts and dependency of technology. Whilst at the same time bringing fourth questions battling against morals and beliefs. Right and wrong. Why should someone get to choose who lives and who dies? Why should someone have the authority to decide whom to bring back from the dead? This novel is filled with action along with cunning twists and turns that will keep you reading on.

The relationship between Clair and Jesse is once again very interesting and peculiar. Clair wants to restore d-mat, whilst Jesse wants the world to adapt to the abstainer lifestyle. Beliefs and morals battling against another.  Clair grew as character as she observed herself during her voyage to fix the world, and slowly began to lean from her mistakes.

The ending truly won me over with its cleverness, and well thought out ideas. I am exhilarated to begin Hollowgirl: Fall, and cannot wait to see where Clair will stand, and what will happen next. The characters overall were well developed and grew together as the storyline grew.

A young woman named Cécile is kidnapped from her life and sold to the trolls where she is forced to marry the troll prince in order to break a centuries-old curse that was brought upon the troll kingdom by a witch that seals them within their subterranean mountain. A prophecy claims that a human woman with red hair and the voice of an angel will be the one to break the curse, and free the trolls. However, Cécile must learn to adapt to their world as best she can, but the longer she lives without breaking the curse, the more expendable she becomes to the, for what use is she to the trolls if she cannot do the one thing she was bought down to do? But that’s not the only problem. A revolution is brewing beneath the exterior of the kingdom, and Cécile is about to get caught up in the middle of it all.
 
The overall story, introduced a different idea about trolls, and paints them in a new light. The world building for this novel was incredible, and destroyed all myths of your stereotypical troll. If you believe all trolls to ugly and stupid, it’s best to ride of those past thoughts for you are most mistaken. Their beautiful faces and twinkly grey eyes easily seduce you, catching one off guard. But no one ever anticipates beautiful exteriors to hide something so twisted and sadistic on the inside. With their cunning, and calculated ruthlessness, the trolls can predict your next move.
 
The plot was interesting and complex, but managed to flow nicely in a good pace filled with mystery, adventure, and action, to create an amazing storyline. I adored how Cécile, the heroine, was not whinny, but rather a capable and fierce character that was realistic. She had her little faults and imperfections, as we humans do, which made her easier to connect with. It was so easy to be pulled into the world of Trollus, and just has hard to be pulled away from its depth.

The Malediction Trilogy by Danielle L. Jensen:
BOOK 1: Stolen Songbird
BOOK 2: Hidden Huntress
BOOK 3: Warrior Witch

Shifting Fate picks up right from where we left in Bound By Prophecy. Only this time it’s from Brianna’s point of view. I thoroughly enjoyed the switch in POV as last time we read from her sister, Emily’s perspective. I got a much better understanding of Brianna’s character in this sequel, as in the first novel she appeared to have been weak and frail, but that clearly was not the case in Shifting Fate. Instead she came off as a strong independent woman, as she shoved unwanted spotlight away from herself as she kept secretes hidden away from her twin sister, Emily, and the man she loved. Logan. The chemistry between Brianna and Logan was all the more hotter than Emily and Aern’s. Truth be told, I never expected to love someone more than Aern, until I actually fell in love with Logan, within three seconds flat. I loved the way Logan supported Brianna, even in the hardest of times. I found Brianna to be a much deeper character than I had first thought, as there was so much more to her story than the eye can see.

Shifting Fate was all the more intense, and action packed than the first novel. I loved how throughout the novel, we as readers watched as Brianna grew to believe in herself, despite her visions and powers altering. Knowing the outcome of what is coming, Brianna is desperate to change the course of the future.

Though I enjoyed this novel, I found Emily and Brianna’s heritage to be confusing at times as I got a bit lost when it came to Brianna researching about her linage and discovering how to fulfil the prophecy.  I’m sure that the last novel in the trilogy will clear things up, especially about who or what the seven lines and shadow are.

John Kerry uses strong descriptive adjectives as he describes a magical vibrant world, so unlike our very own. A world filed with strange creatures and wonders. The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, is a secret paradise sealed off from the rest of the world, populated with the fittest men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.

The world of Vara was all together fascinating and unique. I loved the mystery and secretiveness that made me question each character’s hidden motive. I found the main character Sammy Ellis to be so different from all the other young female YA characters. Though Sammy was at times a little too quick in accepting her situations, she was still a nerdy relatable character. I also loved the fact that Sammy was never truly meant to be in the big picture as her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, when she accidentally entered the realm in place of the chosen one, and locked them out in the process. This made us wonder wether she was to be the saviour or the destroyer at times.

That being said, I wasn’t too happy at times with the dialogue and the main character herself. I found Sammy to be selfish and much too rash when it came to making decisions and facing the problems ahead of her. Though I do have a sneaking suspicion that John Kerry used Sammy’s personality as a means of showing that she was never truly intended to be the heroine…

Eden at the Edge of Midnight was very different from some of my past reads, and I enjoyed how it avoided the clichés, which can be found in many YA novels. I am also thankful to say that romance was not an important aspect of the story as it was tamed. Overall, the setting was really creative and imaginative, creating a whole new world of fantasy. There was so much detail for such a complex world, that help me as a reader obtain a better grasp on what was happening in this strange new world, even though I was at times confused.

The Vara Volumes by John Kerry:
BOOK 1: Eden at the Edge of Midnight
BOOK 2: Back to the Vara

Splintered by A.G. Howard:
BOOK 1: Splintered
BOOK 2: Unhinged
BOOK 3: Ensnared