REVIEW| Inherited

Inherited (The Curse of VIII #1)
Freedom Mathews
⭐⭐⭐

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Publication: July 12th, 2016

DISCLAIMER: I received an early e-arc of Inherited from Oftomes publishing. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis:

If saying 'I love you' meant death, would you still say it?
The Wilted Rose, of faery-tale and folklore, is a pirate ship filled with unfortunate souls-each forbidden to love. One such soul is Valencia 'Lennie' Roux. Raised in a brothel and an heir to a curse; Lennie never expected to pique the interest of any man. Yet with the arrival of vivid-eyed Nathaniel, she is torn between wanting to know him better and fearing what that knowledge would mean.
With Nathaniel bringing the crew's total to six, the Wilted Rose sets off in search of the remaining two heirs. They hope that in reuniting, they will convince the faery Sorceress responsible for the curse, to end it. However lurking beneath the water is a long standing enemy of the Wilted Rose; who is determined to thwart their quest and bring down its leaders.
Together the eight heirs fight for survival, friendship and love.

Review:

If it is one thing that Oftomes does well it is a good book cover. I feel like more people should be buying the physical copies and support this micro publishing company. Kimy-- over at @WhoIsKimy on Twitter-- is better known as for her amazing photoshopped fanart that you probably have seen floating around the internet. It reminds me a lot of the covers for Truthwitch by Susan Dennard and we all know how much I luuuuuuuurv that book. Looks are forever deceiving.

Soo.... Uhh...

Hmm...

I was expecting something more. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it for its thesis but, it's execution was just lacking. I read it's prequel novella and fell in love with Freedom Mathews writing- that "legend"-like style of narrative. Inherited starts out in just the same fashion but then the style gets looser as the story progresses, it lost its appeal as I went on because it just wasn't consistent. One thing that played on my mind was often Mathews would use modern phrases like "banter" that just ruined the mood of the story. Modernized it too much for an older historical setting. What pirates have "banter"? Maybe, it's just me.

I will give it to Freedom Mathews. She does know how to create a god-character arc and development. At first, I really disliked Lennie, she just didn't appeal to me as a reader. But I grew to like her as the story progressed. As with many of the other characters.

If you are looking for a fantasy story that isn't heavily involved in romance then this certainly won't be for you. The whole story revolves around the concept of love curses. This was a book that I had to be in the mood to pick and actually finish anyone.

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BOOK HAUL| June 2016

This month was my birthday month-- I even did a special

Mistborn Boxed Set
Brandon Sanderson

-- The Final Empire
-- The Well of Ascension
-- The Hero of Ages

Bought this as an early birthday present due to coming into a bit of money, more than I was anticipating. I've always said if that I were to have some money I would treat myself-- true to my word. Plus, I got them all for £15!!

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Sabriel (Abhorsen Trilogy #1)

Garth Nix

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BIRTHDAY PRESSIES!!!! My mum had no idea what books that were actually on my book wishlist-- in fact, she is pretty worthless when she is needed to use a computer. No offence mum. I had to give an actual list that she took into Waterstones, she ended up picking out two that she knew I would like, seeing as I am still in a high fantasy kick.

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Northern Lights (His Dark Materials #1)
Philip Pullman

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Another one of mum's birthday presents. This one is that one book that you keep saying that you will get to but never actually do. Now that I own it, hopefully this might speed things along. If I remember I even put this on my target reading for this summer.

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| AMAZON UK | AMAZON US | BOOK DEPO |

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)

V.E. Schwab

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So, I sort of bought myself a ticket to Victoria's book signing in August and now have the great task of buying in some physical editions of her books seeing as I tend to end up reading them in e-format. First of very many.

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| AMAZON UK | AMAZON US | BOOK DEPO |

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)
J.K.Rowling

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My Nan gave me some money for my birthday due to not knowing what books I owned anymore seeing as I branch into so many different genres. I have never owned a full set of Harry Potter books so for the last two years I have been buying these editions in their hardcover forms.


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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
J.K.Rowling

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GET YOUR COPY:
| AMAZON UK | AMAZON US | BOOK DEPO |

READ-A-THON| #TBRTakedown 4.0

Shannon over at LeaningLights on both Youtube and Twitter is yet again hosting another fun round of #TBRTakedown. Saying that we have a lot of fun challenges to help guide our reading during this intense reading week-- 20th-26th June.

The challenges: 

1. A book that's been on your TBR shelf over a year!
2. An unread sequel sitting on your TBR shelf!
3. A first book in a series on your TBR shelf!
4. An "out of your comfort zone" book on your TBR shelf
5. A book from your most recent haul.

I plan to read three books on my TBR for 4.0:

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)
Leigh Bardugo

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This book will complete challenges 1 and 3. I bought this book way back for my 17th birthday and now I have just turned 18.. oops?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)

J.K. Rowling

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I just recently bought myself the hardback in this edition as a treat for my birthday-- it's about time that I get myself some more Harry Potter books on my shelf. (This complete challenge number 5 and 2.)

The Unexpected Everything

Morgan Matson

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I'm not a big "YA Contemporary" reader at ALL. In fact I tend to find them tedious and repetitive-- that being said I thought I would give Morgan Matson a try because everyone seems to love her books and it is summer. 

By default I guess you can guess what number challenge this would complete.

I'll give you a clue:

It's number 4 ;)

TBR| June 2016

I have this thing where I tend to start a book, put it down and then pick up another one. As you could imagine that leaves a lot of books that are stuck with a bookmark in the middle of it and my diminishing collection. It just meant that books I had on preorder and anticipation became priority and they never got picked back up again.

By that quick introduction it should be pretty clear that I'm going to try finishing some books that I started a while ago and just never finished- even though, they were REALLY GOOD! 

Through the Zombie Glass (White Rabbit Chronicles #2)

Gena Showalter

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On Page 229 of 480

I read the first book way back in the summer of last year and enjoyed it for the most part (my review here). Started this one and the romance just began to take over the plot of what was happening to Ali. 

Typical second-book-love-triangle-YA!

WOW! That was a type-ful.

A Dance with Dragons 2: After the Feast (A Song of Ice and Fire #5)

George R.R, Martin

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On Page 113 of 493

I started this some point around Christmas and put it back down after a hundred pages or so. Thought I would hold it off til later this year in case the news of Wind of Winter's release date was shed to light. As of June 7th, no new news has come about that confirms he has finished writing the god-damn-book. I may as well just finish the series as it stands then.

I tend to get through these books pretty easily as long as I have a good day to myself to read. Since I'm close to graduating 6th form college-- I think I'll have plenty of that.

I have others that have been put on my currently-reading list on Goodreads that need to be finished up but I think these are priority, in terms of how long ago I started these. There are two more that I started last month but have yet to finish due to revising for my final exams.

Uprooted
Naomi Novik

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On Page 109 of 448

I picked this up around the time that I got sent my ARC of Nevernight by HarperVoyagerUK so I ended up putting this one day in order to speed through the other book.

Also, it did take me a little while to get into it. Not much happens until I decided to put it down.

Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles #1)

Jay Kristoff

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On Page 387 of 643 

In fact, this is a book that I am just continuing on from the end of may. I am savouring every moment of this new book- definitely a new favourite read.

I want to really organize a read-a-long around about the release of Nevernight- let me know if you would be interested. Before I started planning. I don't want to seem like the only person taking part in my own read-a-long!

          

As well as this I think I may be able to fit in some more reads in the last week or two of this month. I mean as of June 18th I no longer have to attend any more lessons til I'm at Bangor this September.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files 0_1)

Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

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I am in the mood for a real quick sci-fi book as of right now and reading Jay Kristoff's novel Nevernight, I have just fell in love with his writing. 

So I think this will hit that spot.

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)

Leigh Bardugo

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This is one of the challenges and series that I wanted to complete for this summer- get on and reading the Grisha Trilogy. I really want to go on and read Six of Crows but, something tells me that I ought to read these first.

See-- at least I've made the first step by putting these on my tbr for this month. In theory I should be able to read one a month.

Let me know what you plan on reading this month,

My Summer Reading List 2016

If you haven't heard nor felt it in the soft breeze that keeps blowing your hair into your eyes-- Summer is just around the corner. For me, the official start to my summer holiday isn't til some point in July, my final exam is on June 17th so, that's when I plan to start my book binge fest.

This year is going to be the Summer I want to make the most of, in this grand historical city of London because, as soon as September 18th comes around I will be writing from Bangor, Wales. 

YES! I really am moving to Wales for most of the academic year 16/17-- studying Creative and Professional Writing. No real surprise there, aye?

Anyway, let's get on with what I plan on reading this Summer!

The first selection on my list are the books that are apart of a series that I have already started but just never got round to the final instalments:

Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3)
Laini Taylor

Other books in the series:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Days of Blood and Starlight

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Argh! I keep meaning to pick this book up but, I find it too intimidating. It's a 'monster' of a book; I know as soon as I pick up though Laini's poetic prose will soon encapture my imagination again.

It will happen in time before Laini Taylor's new book Strange the Dreamer comes out in September.

Champion (Legend #3)

Marie Lu

Other Books in the Series:

Legend

Prodigy

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I'm not that emotionally invested in the Legend trilogy but apparently finishing something is inherently good for the phycology of the mind. 

Better finish it before all my marbles are set loose then!

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Marissa Meyer

Other Books in the Series:
Cinder
Scarlet
Cress
Fairest (Not Read)
Stars Above (Not Read)

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In truth, I am only here for Cress and Captain Thorne otherwise, I would have given up on this by the end of the second book.

The next group of books on this Summer's reading list are whole series' that I want to fly through; I feel like I've been missing out on these.

The Grisha Trilogy

Leigh Bardugo

I have a first edition paperback that found it's way on my bookshelf in 2012- this year I gave out special editions for World Book Night, and I STILL haven't picked it up.

This is partially due to the fact that I did end up hearing quite the mixture of things about this book. But, now I just want to make up my own opinion on this series and then move swiftly onto the Six of Crows duology,

I cannot wait.

The Mistborn Trilogy

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, if you follow me on twitter you would have seen that I had quite the moral dilemma of buying myself the boxed set. So I will be binging on these bad boys-- even though, they are like averaged at like 600 pages a book.

Pfft... That's just light reading.

The OTHER category of "I don't quite know how to organize these-- oh well!":

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)

Sabaa Tahir

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This book got so much hype last year when it was released and I sought of just put it on the back peddle and let it the hype to settle into "An Ember in the Ashes" (Okay i'll never make dodgy puns again).

I thought this was going to be a stand-alone fantasy, which originally made the book appeal to me.

This summer I will also be waiting for an awesome book related mail of an ARC of the second book of the series: A Torch in the Night.

Passenger (Passenger #1)

Alexandra Bracken

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A lot of these books I have recently hauled and just am eager to get to them. I will divulge AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!! 

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files 0_1)

Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

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As you can see by my review of Nevernight I am absolutely in love with Jay Kristoff- an no not just because he looks like Dave Grohl- no, rather because he is a writing genuis!!!

So bring on the Epicness!!

This one looks really interesting, set in form of hacked documents and other likeness. This should be a really quick read.

Learning Not to Drown

Anna Shinoda

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This has been on my TBR ever since both Anna and Mike Shinoda announced it's publication back in 2013. I don't know to much about this other than the author herself has agreed to a Q&A to accompany my review later this Summer.

I will asking some questions to Anna Shinoda-- FREAK OUT!!!

I'm a huge fan of her husbands music (since the age of like four) and now I'm hoping I will become a huge fan of Anna.

This will be my only YA novel of this summer.

I'm going to leave this list here, so that I can make room for adjustments based on my mood throughout the summer holiday. I may get distracted with the thought of leaving London. 

On the bright side, I'll be a lot closer to William Herondale (Cadir Idris)!