The Greek Mythology Book Tag

Having just finished another Rick Riordan book, it felt like this particular tag was calling my name when I stumbled across it the other week. However, from what I can see there are two variations of it. For the most part, they’re the same except for a couple of prompts in the middle and at the end so with those, I kind of just picked whichever of the two options I felt like doing. I’m a bit unsure where the tag originated from but if you know, pass the info on. Okay, let’s meet the Gods, shall we?

---

Zeus, The King Sky God

Favourite Book

Why do you guys insist on making me choose between my beautiful babies? It’s NOT possible! There are so many amazing books out there that limiting myself to one seems unfair. So, unfortunately, I’ll have to pass on this one.

---

Poseidon, God of the Ocean

A Book that Drowned you in Feels

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

This is a book of so many mixed emotions. There are some really sweet moments between the characters (they’re all really loveable) but there’s also a few heartbreaking ones with regards to recollections from the war and finding out what happened to certain people.

---

Hades, God of the Underworld

A Book with a Dark/Ominous Plot

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

If there’s one thing you can say about Gillian Flynn’s books, it’s that they’re a tad dark. She really digs into the not so pleasant parts of people and uses them to create twisted stories. No one is perfect and everyone has ulterior motives. Even the ending of this one is pretty bleak.

---

Hera, The Queen Goddess of Family and Marriage

Cutest Fictional Couple

Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase (Rick Riordan books)

There are a lot of fictional couples that I adore but not all of them are what I’d describe as “cute”. I haven’t read much of them as a couple yet, but so far Percy and Annabeth are definitely cute. I like the fact that they were friends first and that they complement each other so well – Annabeth is practical and thinks about things first while Percy tends to dive into things head on.

---

Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy

Favourite Intelligent Character

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter Series – J. K. Rowling)

I really should try to vary my answers a bit for these tags but eh, Hermione’s my girl. It’s not hard to see why she’s called the brightest witch of her age. Good thing too, she needs to be to make up for all the stupid stuff Harry and Ron tend to do. I mean, she was petrified in book two and still managed to give them the necessary information to help them solve the mystery.

---

Gaea, The Great Mother

Series with the Best World Building

The Lord of the Rings – J RR Tolkien & A Song of Ice and Fire – George RR Martin

This one’s a tie for me. I don’t think anyone can deny the world-building skills of these two authors. I’m not a huge fan of Tolkien’s writing style but the man created maps, languages, history, music, races, everything you need for a rich fantasy world. Martin’s worlds are also fantastically rich, which is probably why his novels are enormous and take so long to write.

---

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty

A Beautiful Cover

The Last Namsara -Kristen Ciccarelli

I get asked this question in a lot of book tags and in an attempt to try and not reuse the same answers over and over again *cough* Strange the Dreamer *cough*, I’m going with this one. While I found the book itself to be a bit of an average read, I think the cover is lovely. It’s just so sparkly.

---

Aries, God of War and Battle

Most Violent Book you’ve Read

Godsgrave (Nevernight 2#) – Jay Kristoff

I almost went with The Hunger Games on this one before I realised that much of the violence actually happens off-screen. Instead, I’ve gone with Godsgrave. Nevernight is pretty violent as well (not that I have a problem with it) but Godsgrave has assassins AND gladiators. There’s bloody chariot races, giant worms burning people with acid stomachs, and lots of stabby, stabby.

---

Hephaestus, God of Blacksmiths and Flame

A Scorching Hot, Swoon-worthy Character

Jamie Fraser (Outlander series – Diana Gabaldon)

As if there was any question about how I’d answer this one. I ♥ Jamie. While he certainly has some not so good moments, he always tries to learn from them. He’s kind, brave, and treats Claire as a partner. Oh, and he’s hot. Can’t forget that part.

---

Artemis, The Virgin Goddess of the Hunt

A Heroine who Doesn’t Need a Man to Save her

Rose Hathaway (Vampire Academy Series – Richelle Mead)

Rose is one of my favourite heroines and she has been since I was in high school. She’s one of those rare MCs that you actually could say is your favourite character. Rose is spunky, passionate and she kicks so much ass.

---

Apollo, God of Music, Light, and Healing

A Sequel that Redeemed its Series

Golden Son (Red Rising 2#) – Pierce Brown

Redeemed isn’t really the word in this instance (the only one that would work for me is  A Court of Mist and Fury by SJM and I don’t want to use it for the umpteenth time) but I scored Golden Son higher than the original book, Red Rising, which is very, very rare for me. It’s a fantastic sequel in a fabulous series. Highly recommend.

---

Hermes, God of Messages, Travelers, and Thieves

Book with the Best Message

Queens of Geek – Jen Wilde

There are quite a few books out there that have really nice messages so for this tag I’ve decided to go with Queens of Geek. This novel is massively diverse and inclusive, but even better, it promotes kindness, equality, women supporting other women, self-love, and putting yourself out there even though it might be scary to do so. While there may not be much of a plot and the writing is a little simplistic at times,  it’s definitely a feel-good book.

---

Hestia, Goddess of Hearth and Home

A Book you go to for Comfort

Alanna: the first Adventure (Song of the Lioness 1#) – Tamora Pierce

To avoid using Harry Potter AGAIN, which really is my go-to comfort series, I’m going with Alanna: the First Adventure (which yes, I know I’ve mentioned a few times in the past but too bad). It’s the first book in one of my favourite series from childhood. I can always read these books and be taken straight back to primary school, which for some reason is very reassuring. They’re quick, easy reads and Tamora Pierce is a great fantasy writer.  I really should read her newest book, Tempests & Slaughter when I get a chance.

---

Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility

Favourite Bookish setting

Hogwarts (Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling)

Hogwarts. You could ask me this question a million times and I’ll always give you the same answer. I want to go to Hogwarts – hang out in a common room, attend a feast in the great hall, meet the house elves in the kitchens, watch a Quidditch match, take a trip to Hogsmeade, walk the grounds with Hagrid, chat with ghosts, play a game of exploding snap, try out the room of requirement, I WANT TO DO IT ALL.

---

Dionysus, God of Wine and Feasting

Most anticipated 2018 Release

What If It’s Us – Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

I’ve mentioned my excitement for Wildcard by Marie Lu & Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor before so for something different, here’s a YA Contemporary due out in October. What If it’s Us just sounds super cute and I think the characters will be really great. I’ve liked both the Becky Albertalli books I’ve read so far and I’ve only heard good things about Adam Silvera. Here’s hoping this one’s a winner.

---

Hecate, Goddess of Crossroads and Magic

Favourite Magical read

A Gathering of Shadows (A Darker Shade of Magic 2#) – V. E. Schwab

Now, this was another difficult one because I read so many fantasy books that involve magic. I have a lot of favourites but A Gathering of Shadows is definitely high on the list. The book actually involves a magic competition which was immensely enjoyable for me – how could it not be with three of the major characters as competitors?

---

Nemesis, God of Revenge

Favourite Revenge Story

Vicious – V. E. Schwab

Nevernight is probably my favourite revenge story but since I’ve already used Godsgrave above, Vicious is my pick for this one (yep, another Schwab book. I’m in love, no point denying it). There are a lot of morally questionable characters in this story, which is great. This especially applies to Victor, our male lead, who will do whatever he has to do to get back at Eli, even if it means hurting others. It’s different, a little bit dark, and there are x-men-like powers. A great read.

---

You all know the drill, only if you (a) feel like doing it and (b) haven’t already. Don’t worry, I won’t be offended if you don’t! If you do, I’m looking forward to seeing your answers!

Lu @ It’s Lu Again

Dezzy @ The Thoughtful Voice (for after your mini-hiatus)

Priyasha @ Books and Co.

Kelly @ Another Book in the Wall

Rendz @ Reading with Rendz

If I haven’t tagged you and you’d like to do it, go for it!

---

There were some really tough ones in here, you’d be surprised how long it took me to complete this tag. Then again, I probably make it harder by trying not to use things I’ve answered with recently (however, in some cases I fail, epically).

How would you have answered some of these questions? Do you have a favourite book or are you like me and simply refuse to choose? 

The Stranger Things Book Tag

I love Stranger Things and haven’t done a book tag in a while. I’ve seen this one pop up a few times over the last few months so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

---

EPIC INTRO

THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF STRANGER THINGS IS AMAZING AND REALLY GRABS YOUR ATTENTION. NAME A BOOK THAT GRABBED YOUR ATTENTION FROM THE FIRST PAGE.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie doesn’t start off with a bang, it’s actually quite a subtle and slow build up to the action, but because you know where the story is going, you hang off every detail and word.

Illuminae by Amie Kauffman & Jay Kristoff – I can’t explain why, but I was hooked from the start. There’s a break up, a planet gets attacked and evacuated, and then the fleeing ships are being chased down by a villainous corporation. Pretty good start if you ask me.

---

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

NAME A FANTASY WORLD YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIENCE YOURSELF.

I wish I could be unpredictable, I really, really do but…I’m not. So let’s just say I want to go to Hogwarts and move right along (I’d also take Diagon Alley or Hogsmead too if they’re up for grabs).

---

 SQUAD GOALS

WHEN ELEVEN MET MIKE, DUSTIN AND LUCAS IT WAS A *MOSTLY* PERFECT TEAM. NAME YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKISH GROUP OF FRIENDS.

To go for something other than Six of Crows or ACOTAR, I’m going to pick the shadowhunters of the London Institute in Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series. Tessa, Will, Jem, Charlotte, Henry and Jessamine each have their own quirky personalities but they work really well together and never fail to make me smile.

---

ABC’S & CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

JOYCE BYERS GOES MAD WITH GRIEF AFTER WILL GOES MISSING. NAME YOUR FAVOURITE MENTALLY UNHINGED CHARACTER

Let’s go with Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs for this one. He’s nuts, a cannibal, and yet also intelligent and charming. Hmmm….

---

THE UPSIDE DOWN

NAME A BOOK THAT WAS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU EXPECTED.

I’m actually going to pick Geekerella by Ashley Posten for this one. Not because it was different from what I expected story wise but because I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. As you guys know, I don’t read much YA contemporary and I read this after being disappointed by When Dimple Met Rishi, expecting another bleh book. To my surprise it wasn’t, it was fun!

---

MAD SCIENTISTS

BRENNER LIKES TO GET FREAKY WITH HUMANITY. NAME THE FREAKIEST DYSTOPIAN GOVERNMENT YOU CAN THINK OF.

Gilead of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Hands down. There are a lot of crazy governments in dystopian books that I’ve read but this one actually terrifies me. It’s because it’s so much more believable as Atwood drew only on practices that have actually happened at some point in some part of our world to create it.

---

DEMOGORGON

NAME A SCARY BOOKISH CREATURE THAT YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO COME THROUGH YOUR WALLS.

So, I forget entirely what it’s called but there’s a giant worm in Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff which vomits up its own stomach to trap people before sucking it back in. I vaguely remember there being some kind of acid involved too.  In other words, no thanks…

---

CLIFFHANGER ENDING

NAME A BOOK THAT LEFT YOU WANTING MORE.

Everything definitely went to crap at the end of A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab (for the characters that is, not in terms of story quality). So I was definitely super keen to get my hands on book three but unfortunately had to wait several months.

---

As always, if you feel like engaging in a little book tag/Stranger Things fun, go for it and tag me so I can see your answers!

Gladiators, Shadows, and More Bad-Ass-ery: Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

It’s book review time! So, I may or may not have been getting a little carried away with my gif usage these days and for this reason I’m stating up front that there will be no gifs in this review. None. Nada. Zip. For today, I’ll just have to rely on my natural born wit and grasp of the English language. *crickets* Yeah…let’s see how this goes.

I’d be pretty much lying if I didn’t say that as soon as I got my hands on this little beauty I was rushing to page one, existing TBR be damned. “But what about usss…?” called the books that had been sitting on my shelves for several months already. Too bad little bookies, Godsgrave waits for NO MAN! (Or woman).

All I can say is, by the gods it was good.

Usually, with such a strong first entry in a series, there’s always the worry that the next book will suffer from sequel-itis: a condition known for its ability to incite high levels of disappointment whilst simultaneously being the ruin-er of all literary dreams. But to quote Aragorn, my friends, it is not this day! Err…book. This book is the bringer of all things nice. And by nice I mean lots of fantastically gratuitous violence, smuttiness, shady characters, and twisty-turn-y plot-y bits.

Plot

According to Mr Kristoff, Godsgrave begins about 8 months after the end of Nevernight. Can I just say, I hate big time jumps in books and TV series. Despise them. I always end up feeling like a bunch of my friends went on holiday without me and have come back with a whole lot of in jokes, serving as a constant reminder of the fact that I missed out. So you can imagine the panic that set in when he said this at the book signing. However, thank my lucky stars, it wasn’t a problem here. As with book one, Godsgrave utilises a sizeable amount of flashbacks to slowly build our understanding of what’s happening in the present to a more dramatic effect. Here, these flashbacks serve to fill in the events of that eight-month gap and both storylines are so equally entertaining that you’re not sure whether to be happy or disappointed when you suddenly swap between the two.

Like Nevernight, Godsgrave is definitely a roller coaster. While we may have moved past Mia waking up to a rooms full of poisonous gas, there’s definitely no shortage of threats to keep her on her toes. This is especially so considering she’s made the career change from assassin to gladiator in this book (Mia’s clearly not into jobs which come with a decent life expectancy or dental). Remaining a revenge tale at its heart, Godsgrave centres on Mia’s most recent plan as to how to get justice for the deaths of her family but as you can probably expect, this road ain’t exactly a smooth one. I believe Mr Kindly best summed this up when he claimed:

“… this entire plan is oversight and folly, stitched together by jiggery-fuckery…”

However, the lack of forward thinking didn’t make the journey any less fun. I absolutely loved the scenes depicting Mia’s gladiatorial fights. They’re fast paced, exciting, and the right degree of gore-y that we’ve come to expect from Kristoff by now. Plus, I never get tired of seeing Mia kick a little ass.

Once again, the story is not without romantic elements, which provide a nice balance to the intrigue, secrets and violence.  Now, because I’m a nice person who doesn’t spoil things for people (ahem, except that one time where I accidentally revealed the end of La La Land to someone), let’s just call this person ‘Viper’. The back and forth between Viper and Mia is quite well done. This relies on maintaining a very delicate balance between growing attraction and affection, and deeply rooted feelings of betrayal and mistrust. I actually grew to like this relationship (shockingly) because despite everything Viper’s done, by damn if they aren’t a witty, morally ambiguous, and enjoyable character. I mean, this person has done a crap-ton of bad stuff but by the end I was like: mass murder, what mass murder? Oh that. Minor mishap. Probably deserved it. But my appreciation for the relationship was more in terms of the conversations had and the reactions brought out in one another rather than the actual romance itself. If I had to choose, it’d be Mia and Tric every time.

Some of this book’s bigger plot twists were a little on the predictable side but because they make sense as well as serve as good narrative choices, it’s easily forgiven. The only other minor problem for me was the massive amounts of unanswered questions. Yes, I understand that this is a SERIES and that there’s still another book to go but after all the loose threads that were dangled in book one, I feel like we were offered very little progress on them at all, particularly when it came to Mia’s abilities.  I mean some tentacle-y thing saves your life then spouts a whole bunch of darkin related riddles at you and you don’t even bother to pick up a book? Shame on you Mia Corvere. Also, damn you, Jay Kristoff and your gloriously distracting fight sequences involving enormous killer worms!

Writing

For those of you wondering, yes, the footnotes are back. Although, I now have it on good authority (aka Mr Kristoff) that they’re not actually required reading. They’re intended for those interested in knowing more about the world and you can skip them if you wish. But will I skip them? Of course bloody not. I’m a completionist, damn it! And I shall read every footnote in this book until useless facts about Itreya are bleeding out of my eyeballs…Okay, (a) gross and (b) makes no sense…moving on. Believe it or not, the footnotes have actually started to grow on me. Probably because there were less of them this time around, meaning fewer interruptions during important bits. That is, except for that one footnote before the first chariot race which was so gold, I’m not even mad.

The writing is still very funny, in large part due to the interactions between Mia’s familiars, Mr Kindly and Eclipse, and the fact that Kristoff’s narrator is once again in fine form. There were several moments where I actually laughed out loud and got some weird looks from people on the train during peak hour. Don’t worry mate, I’d give me funny looks too. But humour aside, Kristoff continues to spout some quite wonderful phrases definitely worthy of a good highlight on the old kindle. Here are a couple of my favourites:

“If Vengeance has a mother, her name is Patience.”

“Problem with being a librarian is there’s some lessons you just can’t learn from books. And the problem with being an assassin is there’s some mysteries you just can’t solve by stabbing fuck out of them.”

“I know this much. Some answers are learned. But the important ones are earned.”

Characters

Mia is back at her murderous, sharp-tongued best in book two, as are several other familiar faces. Due to the change of setting, we’re also introduced to a bunch of new characters this time around. Instead of crafty, pick-pocketing assassins, we’ve got sword-wielding, piss in your porridge, and sing opera in the bathtub gladiators. Cue the yells of “Are you not entertained?!” Kristoff does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of his world on a regular basis but I found the stories of each gladiator, particularly their lives before slavery and how they ended up sold into it, a fantastic other window into what Itreya is really like beyond the big city lights of Godsgrave. Okay, more like big city torches. Even though many of these characters may not have been featured very heavily, each individual provided interesting dialogue and a sense of spark to the novel, especially during the quieter moments. They also served an important role in helping Mia to retain that vital sense of humanity necessary to a great anti-hero.

Overall, a fantastic follow up to an amazing first novel. I feel like my attitude to this book can be summed up perfectly in one question: WHERE IS THE NEXT ONE? If you haven’t started this series yet, I cannot recommend it highly enough. What are you waiting for? Snap to it!

5 wonderful stars

September Releases to Get Excited About

Normally I’m so consumed by trying to keep up with all the books already on my TBR pile which HAVE been released that I have little time these days to concern myself with books yet to come out. However, here I am with 7(!) books that are due to come out this month that I’m actually really looking forward to. So, in order of release date, here they are:

Godsgrave – Jay Kristoff (September 1st, Harper Voyager)

Assassin Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church ministry think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending Consul Scaeva and Cardinal Duomo, or avenging her familia. And after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia begins to suspect the motives of the Red Church itself.

When it’s announced that Scaeva and Duomo will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end them. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between loyalty and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.

Read book one. Dying for book two. Will be buying as soon as I possibly can.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass – Melissa Bashardoust (September 5th, Flatiron Books)

Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber in this feminist fantasy reimagining  of the Snow White fairytale.

At sixteen, Mina’s mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

I saw this somewhere on the blogsphere a little while back and it actually looks really great. I haven’t read that many fairy tale re-tellings but one that has strong, developed female characters? Yes, please!

Warcross – Marie Lu (September 12th, Penguin)

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

I’ve never read a Marie Lu book but I know people go absolutely ga-ga for her books and we all have to start somewhere. I’m a bit of  gamer nerd myself so I love the idea of this story. Hopefully it’s fantastic.

Hunting Prince Dracula – Kerri Maniscalco (September 19th, Little Brown & Company)

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer…or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

Have I read the first book yet? Nope. Am I positive I’m going to love it when I do? Yep. Am I going to read one after the other satisfied that I haven’t had to wait months in between books? Pretty much…

Moxie – Jennifer Mathieu (September 19th, Roaring Brook Press)

MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK!

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with a school administration at her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv’s mom was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Someone recently recommended this to me on bookstagram and it actually looks awesome! It’s great to read something empowering once in a while and this definitely seems like it’ll be that.

 

An Enchantment of Ravens – Margaret Rogerson (26th September, Margaret K. McElderry Books)

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There’s only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. If you’d asked me a few years back what I thought about fairy related books, I probably would have said they weren’t really my thing. However, recently they’ve grown on me – thanks, Richelle Mead and Sarah J. Maas. Plus, the Wild Hunt definitely reminds me of The Witcher games (which I love). Bonus points for such a stunning cover by Charlie Bowater.

Invictus – Ryan Graudin (September 26th, Little, Brown Books)

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far’s birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he’s ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far’s very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

I love time travel and I love small groups of characters coming together to take on the world. This book checks both those boxes. And the Titanic? Count me in! It’s always good to let my inner history lover come out once in a while.

And that’s that! To all you people out there who got ARCs of these books: you lucky things, you! Hopefully there’s some great books on the horizon for the next few months. Sorry TBR, you’re about to get a whole lot bigger!

Which new release books are you guys most looking forward to this month?