Sun and Moon | Book Review

Sun and Moon, by Desiree Williams
Published: April 2016, by Createspace
Length: 255 pages
Genres: Fantasy, YA

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Synopsis:

There is nothing in life that eighteen year old Zara craves more than her freedom. Stolen from her home in Cadrebia at the age of eight, Zara has spent more years than she cared to admit as a slave to the Tankadesh courts. Her days are filled with protecting the princess, while she spends nights entertaining the king and his officials with her mastery of weapons. Any spare moment in between, she plots escape.

Yet her hopes for freedom come to a crashing halt when a stranger arrives bearing the mark of her assigned lifemate, and he threatens war if she isn’t turned over into his care. But a lifemate is not part of the plan. Her dreams, of choosing her own path and being the master of her own will, weaken as her Moon seeks to claim his Sun.

Is it possible that this stranger, with gentle blue eyes and a ready smile, didn’t come to be her new master? That there could be more to his tale?

Zara soon finds that neither her captivity nor her parents’ deaths were mere random attacks. And by returning to Cadrebia, she may have put the future of the royal line—and her Moon—in jeopardy. While Zara breathes in her first taste of freedom, her enemies move in, seeking to rob Cadrebia of its blessed prophecy.

To keep what she holds dear, Zara must rise above the pain and uncertainty to claim the lifemate assigned to her, or more than her freedom will be stolen this time.

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I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Xpresso Tours in exchange for an honest review.

This in no way influences my opinions.

 

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My Review

 

I honestly wasn't really sure what to expect when I began to read Sun and Moon. I was a little confused by the synopsis of the book and wasn't too sure that I'd enjoy reading the story...

Oh, but I was wrong!

 

I loved the ideas and plot of this story. It was a fantastic idea and it lead to me being really captivated in the story. I really loved the idea of two people being completely destined to be together, no matter what their age or personality. I also loved the way that this idea was pulled off within the story; it's not a completely original idea for a story, but the way it was written made it feel completely new, which I completely loved! I really liked the idea of each person getting a 'mark' when they and their destined partner came of age, and the idea that they're just drawn towards each other in an incontrollable way.

Needless to say, I loved the way Zara was matched up within the story!

 

Actually, I thought Zara herself was a great character. I appreciated how strong she seemed, particularly considering her past as a prisoner to the royal family with a deceased family. She was a really good and solid main character, and I also really enjoyed how much she developed over the course of the story, it was great to see!

In fact, I liked most of the characters in the story. From what I can recollect, there were no particular characters that irritated me throughout the book. I loved Jaedon as a love-interest and character of his own - he really was just perfect! There was no fault to him whatsoever!

 

The romance in Sun and Moon was swoon-worthy to say the least! It was the kind of romance that just leaves you feeling mushy inside; the kind that really just makes you feel happy with your life. So this book definitely delivered on the romance side of things! I guess you could say it had some issues, but the only issue I found with it was that it seemed too perfect to be real - but in a fiction book, does this really matter? I love a good romance one in a while!!

 

I really enjoyed Desiree Williams' writing over the course of this novel. It made the book really easy to read, and also meant for quite a quick read; great for getting out of a reading slump! If I'm completely honest, I didn't think the writing was particularly anything too special, but it certainly wasn't bad! I quite enjoyed it!

 

I guess the only issue I really had with Sun and Moon was that it just seemed too perfect. There was a perfect, strong, female lead, a perfectly gorgeous love interest who just did everything right, and a perfectly happy ending. Every now and then, I do quite enjoy a book with a 'perfect' romance, like I've already said, but when absolutely everything ends this way, it can just seem a little sickly and false.

I do believe Sun and Moon would have benefited from a little more 'grit' and struggle. I mean, there were definitely aspects of this in the story, but I don't think it was quite prominent enough to balance out the happiness.

It was refreshing to read a happier book in the fantasy genre for a chance, but I just think this story verged on being just too happy. This, however, could just be a fault in my taste of stories rather than within the book itself.

 

I would recommend Sun and Moon to fans of YA Fantasy. The content in this book was probably a little too 'happy' for fans of really raw and gritty fantasy novels, however, if you're in the mood for a lighter read, this is definitely the book for you! Despite it being classed as a book for Young Adults, I do also think that people older than the recommended age could enjoy this story too.

I ended up giving Sun and Moon 4 stars in total, since I really, really enjoyed the idea of the book and the characters, but I do think it could have benefitted from being just a little more gritty with maybe a little more action. Except for that, I did really enjoy the book and would definitely be interested in reading more from this author!

 

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You can purchase Sun and Moon through this link!

 

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I hope you've enjoyed this review! If you've read or want to read Sun and Moon, I'd love to know your thoughts!

 

Until my next review,

 

 

Charlotte xxx

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Somniare | Book Review

Somniare, by D.T. Dyllin
Published: July 2016, by Tik Tok Press
Length: 270 Pages
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

My Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis:

Remy Novem was murdered…

But she didn’t die.

Forced to escape to Somniare, a dream landscape, Remy must somehow survive living nightmares, and endless torment without using her magic. Her only hope for freedom is to hitch a ride with a human back into reality, tricking the poor creature into believing no harm will befall them.

Remy isn’t troubled by the fact that she must kill to live…

Until love changes everything.

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I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Xpresso Tours in exchange for an honest review.

This in no way influences my opinions.

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My Review

First of all, I would like to begin by saying how amazing I thought the synopsis of Somniare was!

I was immediately entranced by the idea of this book. I can't really think of many books that start out with the main character being murdered and then proceeding to tell the rest of the story, so to me, this aspect was really interesting and appealing!

When I actually began to read Somniare, I must say, the whole plot did suddenly seem a little confusing. I loved the whole idea of Remy, our main character, going to a type of dream-world. It was really interesting and strange as it was almost unpredictable!

I also really liked the murder-mystery feel to the story, as Remy had to work out who had murdered her and why. I'm a massive fan of a good murder-mystery and have been unsuccessful in finding many good ones within the YA genre, so it was nice for this one to come along!

If I'm being honest, I didn't completely bond with Remy as a main character in the same way I usually like to. I mean, she was interesting enough and really fun to read about, but I can't say I really got chance to relate to her which was quite disappointing.

I liked all of the other characters within the novel, but I must say, I was really confused by the gender-changing love interest guardian character, Makoto. S/he really confused me and it just found it to be a little over-the-top strange! I just never really understood the necessity.

I thought the writing in the book was of a fairly good quality. I can't really say that D.T. Dyllin's writing was any more special than that in other books of a similar genre, but it was still good and told the story in a way that did it justice, which is great to find!

In a nutshell, I would describe Somniare as being quite relatable to a Tim Burton film, in the way that it was a little strange and confusing with odd twists and turns that mess with you mind and leave you feeling slightly lost. However, it did have an overall strange sense of intrigue throughout the whole novel that really left me wondering what would happen next, and I really felt for the characters, however strange they were!

I liked the aspect that you really couldn't predict what was going to happen next throughout the book. It's quite refreshing to read a book in which you really have no idea what's going to happen, and with Somniare, this was definitely the case! Pretty much anything could happen within this world and in this book, so it made for a strange but quirky plot!

My main issue with the book was that it was maybe just a little too confusing and strange for me to be able to keep up with. There were many, many twists and turns in the plot of Somniare, which I usually love, however it just seemed too much in this book. For this reason, I found it a little too hard to follow and it just confused me at times!

But other than that I thought it was a good, solid book and I did enjoy it, which is why I gave it 3 stars overall.

I would recommend Somniare  to fans of fantasy and possibly paranormal books. there aren't really an specific age groups for this book in terms of suitability; it's a YA book so it's not for younger readers, but I do feel that older readers could still enjoy it. I would say that Somniare requires a keen mind and ability to keep up with a very fast-paced plot (which apparently I do not have!) but other than that I think it would be suitable for most people!

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You can purchase Somniare on Amazon through this link.

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I hope you have enjoyed this review! Have you read Somniare? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!

That's all for now but I'll be back with another review soon!

Charlotte xxx

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A Mortal Song | Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Hello!!
Welcome to my stage of the Blog Tour for Megan Crewe's new book, A Mortal Song! I received an advanced review copy of A Mortal Song though Xpresso Book Tours, who are running this tour. You can click on the link here to see the whole tour and follow it day by day!

A Mortal Song, by Megan Crewe
Published: September 2016, by Another World Press
Length: 382 pages
Genres: YA, Fantasy

My Rating: 3 Stars

Synopsis:

Sora’s life was full of magic—until she discovered it was all a lie.

Heir to Mt. Fuji’s spirit kingdom, Sora yearns to finally take on the sacred kami duties. But just as she confronts her parents to make a plea, a ghostly army invades the mountain. Barely escaping with her life, Sora follows her mother’s last instructions to a heart-wrenching discovery: she is a human changeling, raised as a decoy while her parents’ true daughter remained safe but unaware in modern-day Tokyo. Her powers were only borrowed, never her own. Now, with the world’s natural cycles falling into chaos and the ghosts plotting an even more deadly assault, it falls on her to train the unprepared kami princess.

As Sora struggles with her emerging human weaknesses and the draw of an unanticipated ally with secrets of his own, she vows to keep fighting for her loved ones and the world they once protected. But for one mortal girl to make a difference in this desperate war between the spirits, she may have to give up the only home she’s ever known.

“Megan Crewe’s A Mortal Song is engrossing from the first chapter. The world of the kami is beautifully fantastic and delicately drawn, and the switched-at-birth scenario made me instantly feel for both of these resilient, brave girls. A Mortal Song has lots of magic, lots of heart, and lots to love.” -Kendare Blake, author of Three Dark Crowns

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First of all, I absolutely loved the whole idea of A Mortal Song. The synopsis really set the story out well and it sounded like the type of book that would be perfect for me! Needless to say, I was really excited when I began this story.

I loved the idea that the hero in this story wasn't actually the hero she thought she was, and every power she thought she'd had wasn't her own. I thought this was quite a refreshing plot line for the story to follow, since you really don't get to see many of this type of book within the YA or Fantasy genre.

So, leading on from that, I loved Sora as a character and narrator of the novel. It was an interesting point of view to read from, to say the least! Moreover, not only did we have to deal with ghosts, battles and saving her kingdom, we had to undergo the turmoil that went along with realising that your whole life had been a lie. It was this element of the book that I absolutely loved and found really interesting.

I really loved the setting of the book. This was possibly the first book I've ever read that has been set in Japan, so it was really interesting to read about this different location. It has made me want to read more novels set in this area as the back-drops are gorgeous places to hold stories. The fact that A Mortal Song was set in Japan also set it out from the ever-expanding crowd of Young Adult fantasy novels, which I really appreciated.

If I'm honest, I didn't actually think the overall execution of this book lived up to my expectations. I ended up finding myself fairly detached from the majority of the characters and didn't feel much of a connection with them, including Sora, the main character.
To me, this is probably the most disappointing thing in a novel. Don't get me wrong, I did like most of the characters; it wasn't that they weren't pleasant or well-developed characters to read about, however I didn't feel like they were genuine enough for me to be able to connect with in a way that would allow me to really get to know them.
For this reason, I felt slightly disengaged with the story as a whole. As much as I wanted to really enjoy the story and feel completely hooked to each page, this never actually happened.

Also, I wasn't actually a massive fan of the romance in this book for the most part, either. I'm not completely sure of what put me off of it, but it never really approached a stage where I felt that it was genuine. Even though I thought both of the characters were compatible with each other and I was a fan of them being together, I just didn't think they were presented in a well enough light to make their romance seem genuine.

I was in two minds about the writing in A Mortal Song. On one had, I really enjoyed it because it was simple and so easy to read and understand (which is great when you just want to relax with a book and not have to look into it too deeply) so in that respect it was great and really appropriate to the nature and main audience of the book. However, on the other hand, I thought it was a little too straight to the point. Fantasy books like A Mortal Song can often really benefit from overly descriptive writing that meanders onto tangents from time to time. As odd as it sounds, they can be quite beneficial to the overall story-telling. So even though it was nice that the writing was fairly straight to the point as it made the book easier to read, this may not have been the best style of writing for the story being told.

I actually thought there was a lot more potential story to be told and elaborated on than was written throughout the course of the book. For example, there were many places and sites visited where something else could have happened - the more of the story could have been discovered or there could have been an additional problem to solve - but generally, it suck to the same plot the whole way through and was slightly predictable.

Nevertheless, I did really enjoy A Mortal Song for the most part! Yes, there were a few faults in the book, but every story has its flaws. I really enjoyed the idea and main story of the book and even though I wasn't a massive fan of the style of writing, it still delivered the story well, which was its main purpose anyway.
For these reasons, I gave A Mortal Song 3 out of a possible 5 stars. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but in no way was it bad either.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who are interested in fantasy, but who possibly haven't read many of them before. A Mortal Song would be a great 'Fantasy for Beginners' book, and I would say it was probably most appropriate for readers within the ages of 12 to 16, although I definitely think older readers would enjoy it too!

 

 

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You can purchase A Mortal Song from the following links:

Amazon
B&N
IndieBound
Indigo


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About the Author

Like many authors, Megan Crewe finds writing about herself much more difficult than making things up. A few definite facts: she lives with her husband, son, and three cats in Toronto, Canada (and does on occasion say “eh”), she tutors children and teens with special needs, and she can’t look at the night sky without speculating about who else might be out there.

Join her newsletter for book news, recommended reads, and exclusive giveaways: http://eepurl.com/btE8mH 

 

 

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I have also been given the pleasure of hosting a fantastic giveaway, thanks to Megan Crewe, the author. Enter this giveaway to be in with a chance of winning the Japan Media and Treats Prize Pack!

It is open internationally and will close on 12th October. Good luck!

A MORTAL SONG Japan Extravaganza Giveaway!

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I hope you have enjoyed this blog tour and book review!
I will be back with more soon!


Charlotte xxx

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The Rhodi Saga | Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Welcome to my part of the Blog Tour for Megan Linski's new dystopian YA series, The Rhodi Saga!

I was given the pleasure of joining this blog tour through Xpresso Book Tours, and received a copy of the book from Gryfyn Publishing for reviewing purposes. You can follow the whole tour by clicking this link!


Rhodi's Light (The Rhodi Saga, #1), by Megan Linski
Published: September 2016 by Gryfyn Publishing
Length: 204 pages 
Genres: YA, Dystopian

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Synopsis:

Flight. Hyperspeed. Clairvoyance.
 
These are some of the powers gifted to the Rhodi, an ancient sect of assassins who defend Crescentia, a dystopian world with a dying hope.

Dyliana Fairsson is one of them. After losing her parents to a suspicious accident, she and her twin brother, Devin, join the Rhodi to avoid starvation. Under the direction of her master, Dylan struggles to learn the strength of her magic …as well as hide the growing scars on her wrists. Can Dylan become the warrior, the hero, she’s destined to be? Or is she fated to fall from the light into the darkness?

The first instalment in the epic fantasy series by bestselling author Megan Linski, Rhodi’s Light is an action-packed thrill ride that will leave readers begging for more.

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On reading the synopsis of Rhodi's Light, I had high expectations of this book. It sounded like the sort of book that I would love to read and, luckily, it did not disappoint me.

From the first few pages of the novel, I had latched myself onto this story and could not wait to devour the whole of the book.
I loved the whole idea of Rhodi's Light. While parts of it were fairly similar to other books within this genre, I thought the story took a fresh perspective on the average literary hero. This book combined the action and adventure of a fantasy book with a sensitive nature usually only found in contemporary fiction and I think this was my favourite aspect of the story as a whole.

I also found myself connect a fair amount with the characters, Dylan in particular. I found it easy to read from her perception of this and understand what she was feeling at particular times, which I did enjoy. I also loved reading about the other characters such as Tavana and Talidin. I thought all their back-stories were really interesting and they gave the story a good level of tension and danger through their exposition.
I really appreciated the wide range of characters within the novel and how different they all were due to what each of them had been through. But I also appreciated how this drew many of them together.

As a novel, I enjoyed Rhodi's Light more than I expected to, and was easily captivated by the characters and their stories. The storyline was a little predictable from time to time, but overall I really enjoyed reading it and uncovering the mysteries held within the plot.


Being completely honest, I don't actually think the execution of this story was the best it could have been. The writing was good and made the book quick and easy to read, but there were times that I thought the dialogue seemed slightly too forced between the characters. There were some parts that felt a little too formal to be appropriate for the situation.

If there was any other slight complaint I would have about the book, it would be that it all progressed a little too quickly for my liking. The first book took place over the course of just under a year, yet it was squeezed into around 200 pages, which is fairly short for a book of this genre. I would have actually appreciated it to have been slightly longer with maybe a little more 'padding' and perhaps a slower progression of the story. I did feel that the story jumped mostly straight from one action sequence to another, and even though these were really enjoyable action scenes, I would have preferred a few other things to occur alongside them.

There were loads of aspects of the story that I really loved, however I felt that they weren't built up to enough, so when they were revealed it all just seemed slightly confusing and made me question the necessity of them. However, this scenario didn't really occur many times so it wasn't that big of a deal and overall, I really enjoyed the book.

Rhodi's Light was not only a great fantasy novel, it also dealt with really delicate topics, and dealt with them well. The book deals with things like depression and self-harm, which I think is one of its best qualities. I think it's really important for books these days to be addressing these situations as there are so many people suffering from mental health issues. I thought that Rhodi's Light dealt with these situations in a sensitive yet constructive way, showing positive help for the victims. So I thought this aspect of the book was important and was dealt with well.

I really, really enjoyed reading Rhodi's Light and ended up giving it 4 out of a possible 5 stars, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequels, Rhodi Rising and Rhodi's Lullaby. I would recommend the saga to anyone over the age of 13 (depending on maturity) who likes fantasy and dystopian books. I thought it was a great read for many ages to enjoy. There was a small warning at the start of the book regarding the aspect of mental illnesses and self-harm, so if you really feel uncomfortable reading about this, The Rhodi Saga probably won't be for you. However, even if you're unsure about how you'll deal with this in a story, I would recommend just giving it a go as I think it's a really important thing to be aware of.

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You can purchase Rhodi's Light through:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

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About the Author

Megan Linski is the owner of Gryfyn Publishing and has had a passion for writing ever since she completed her first (short) novel at the age of 6. Her specialisations are romance, fantasy, and contemporary fiction for people aged 14-24. When not writing she enjoys ice skating, horse riding, theatre, archery, fishing, and being outdoors. She is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and is an active fighter against common variable immune deficiency disorder. She lives in Michigan.

Megan Linski also writes under the pen name of Natalie Erin for the Creatures of the Lands Series, co-authored with Krisen Lison.

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I've also been given the opportunity to host the international giveaway for The Rhodi Saga Blog Tour, which includes the following amazing prizes from Gryfyn Publishing:

• $100 Amazon Gift Card (Grand Prize)
• Rhodi’s Light by Megan Linski PAPERBACK
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas PAPERBACK
• A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest PAPERBACK NEW AND LENGTHENED EDITION
• The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson PAPERBACK
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas PAPERBACK

You can enter the giveaway, which will close on 10th September, using the link below! Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I hope you have enjoyed this post! I hope to be back with more soon!

Charlotte xxx

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