The Bane Chronicles

 Hi Bookworms,

I do bet many of yous read already Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan or Maureen Johnson books. Bad girl me - I never did...

Still so many authors I never read or heard about...

So.. The Bane Chronicles is my first meeting with all three of them. I bet I shouldn't read it as first one, but... I'm tending to read books in wrong order... from time to time LOL!

I have to say I do like the way it is written and definitely I do like Magnus Bane. I'm trying figured out who or what warlock really is, but with Magnus as he is I think he is not typical specimen of his kind really. He is magical creature, a Downworlder (for some), kinda demon, bit too much human like (for some). For me as a reader he's interesting character, likeable.

I'll definitely read The Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices trilogy in some point ( hopefully this year). I'm curious, very curious about all them stories with Magnus and Ragnor and Catarina and all them Shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves and others.

David Baldacci and his series Vega Jane

 Hi Bookworms,

Most of people who are reading knows David Baldacci crime/thriller books. I never read David Baldacci and maybe sort of strangely I started my 'friendship' with him with children's fantasy series called Vega Jane. 

It contains 4 books:

1. The Finisher

2. The Keeper

3. The Width of the World

4. The Stars Below

So far I read two of them. In The Finisher we meet Vega Jane - teen living in Wormwood village, her younger brother John and her friend Delph. Vega finds map which changing whole her understanding of her world and has no other choice but fight to survive. I gave this 3.75 star, solid start of series.

This instalment in series take us outside the village, into dangerous world full of monsters where Vega learns about her ancestors and herself a lot and fights a lot still. 4 stars for this one as was good read.

What awaits me in next book?

Erin Sterling and her Graves Glen series part 1

 Hiya Bookworms,

Today about rather light reading. Graves Glen series by Erin Sterling is a trilogy contains:

1. The Ex Hex

2. The Kiss Curse

3. The Wedding Witch

So far I did read two books from this series.

First one received 4 stars from me as I enjoyed reading it in time I did need something light and with sort of YA vibe in it. Main characters here are Vivi Jones and Rhys Penhallow. Two witches, who not exactly sould be anywhere near each other LOL! One little 'harmless' hex and we have curse effecting whole town plus them two working together to deal with it.

Second also grabbed 4 stars as was nice read too :) Here we meet Gwen Jones (Vivi's cousin) and Wells Penhallow (Rhys's brother) - witchy shops competition, losing of magic, too many witches coming to town and.... more troubles brewing and them two... you can suspect the plot LOL!

I hope to find third book soon as I'm curious.

The Dark Tower series part 2

 Hi Bookworms,

Today few words about books 5 and 6 of The Dark Tower series. 

Wolves of the Calla - took me a bit to read it, all this jumping between Roland's world and New York of various time lines was tiring for me to be honest. I bet it can look great on the screen, but it's 'not talking to me'. 3 stars is max I can give here. 

Song of Susannah - this one seems kinda faster, maybe because is more concentrated on one character, sort of... The book seems to be less confusing, more straightforward. Strong 3.5 stars. 

That's all from me about The Dark Tower series. 

Mexican Gothic

 Hiya Bookworms,

Today my views about Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

From the start I had this strange feeling that I read it before... Hmm... It is possible... 

Definitely Mexican Gothic is good book. 

Some characters (Doyles) are enigmatic, sort of scary, monstrous... Others - like Noemi, Catalina, people from village - seems more 'normal' if I can use this word to sort of describe them. 

Author builds up tension nicely to hit us readers near the end. Perfect. 

If you didn't read it yet and you like sort of horror vibes, book is for you. 

The Cardinal

 Hi Bookworms,

Today a book I read thanks to Netgalley. The Cardinal by Alison Weir. 

It's historical fiction book with massive amount of research behind it. Story of life of Thomas Wolsey - Catholic cardinal and chief advisor to King Henry VIII until 1529.

We are meeting him on page 1 as eleven years old very bright boy who is given a chance to study at Magdalen Collage School in Oxford. Page by page we can see a child with big dream growing into a man, his family, his desires, his choices and... yes his loss of king favor and death.

In author's note Ms Weir telling us how she constructed certain parts of story lines which are more speculation than confirmed truth, but I can say as someone who loves reading about Plantagenets and Tudors and their courts I enjoyed this novel. 

Why? 

Simply because I could see human not dry dates and name with extra posh position names. 

If you like history, specially Tudor period, read this novel, you will enjoy it. 

The Malazan book of the Fallen part 1

 Hi Bookworms,

Here my first meeting with Steven Erikson and his fantasy series. I'm trying to figured out how on Earth I never read it before, heard about it... It's just beyond me really.

Gardens of the Moon

Complex, with interesting characters, beautifully described world and... so much is happening here!

What is happening? War...

Who we're meeting here?

Whiskeyjack is kinda enigmatic person, we are finding out little by little who he is, who he was. His team is very interesting bunch of characters, every single one of them. 

Anomander Rake - hmmm, I think I like this 'man' - very long lived, smart I think, cunning for sure.

Paran - hmmm, I hope he will survive all these fighting, but...

Kruppe - Who he really is? Defo he knows how to play someone else :)

Crokus - I hope this boy will find what he's really looking for and will live long enough to tell the tale.

So many and much more here...

If you never read this book series, just grab it.

Tracy Deonn and her Legendborn Cycle part 2

 Hello Bookworms,

Short post today. I did finish reading Bloodmarked.

I can say one thing, I enjoyed reading it. Absolutely great read. Much more for Bree to learn, discover and deal with. And cliffhanger on the end. 

I enjoy the way author using Arthurian legends here. 

What else is Bree ready to do for her friends? I'm very curious...

I need to find and read book 3. 

TOG-mania part 2

 Hiya Bookworms,

Today my thoughts about the rest of Throne of Glass books series.

So..

Empire of Storms - this one was intense, packed with so much I barely could take it, received full 5 stars as after finishing it I would not dare to give it less.

Tower of Dawn - more and more building up of whole situation Aelin and her friends have to deal with, new relationships which can prove useful, hard, emotionally wrecking. Here was solid 4.5 stars from me.

Kingdom of Ash - last book in the series and the most emotional one. Ms Maas knows perfectly well how to tell the story and how to 'virtually' damage us readers. I was so attached to characters, that I was crying a lot while reading this book, honestly I was devastated before finished reading. 5 stars here in my 1 to 5 stars scale. 

Now I need a little break before next series by Ms Maas.

The left-handed bookseller of London by Garth Nix

 Hiya Bookworms,

Today another book by Garth Nix and number one in series - The Left-Handed Booksellers of London.

Fast read. I like the story line and from where author had idea for this book/book series 😊. 

So story is happening in alternative London in 1983. We are following Susan Arkshaw, the sort of wanna be art student, on her quest to find her father. Before she find him, lots of crazy things happened and she meet Merlin and his sister Viv (booksellers) who will try to help her and do all they can to keep her safe.

So enjoyable read. I'm planning to read book 2 in some point soon (this year LOL!).

Book 2: The Sinister Booksellers of Bath - published in 2023. Title of this one makes my fingers itch if I can be honest. Soon my lovelies 😄

Book 3: The Even-Handed Booksellers of Edinburgh - expected publication in 2026. Sounds interesting, don't you think?

Madeline Miller and her books

 Hi Bookworms,

Did you read any works of Madeline Miller? 

I did :)

Three years ago I had The Song of Achilles in my hands and deemed it very interesting, Greek mythology based story and gave it strong 4 stars as I enjoyed reading it. It's a romance story of Achilles and Patroclus. Story of Achilles who against being hotheaded bully and 'pain on the..' is capable to love, has sense of humor and like other human beings is conflicted inside.

Few days ago I finished reading Circe, Ms Miller's another book based on mythology and gave it 4 stars. Beautifully written story about a god Helios' daughter who was bullied since her infancy until she found out about her gift to witchcraft and was banished by Olimpians to the island of Aiaia. It's a story of love, loss and rivalry and woman who wants to make her own decisions.

I didn't have a chance to read Galatea and Heracles' Bow - short stories - yet, but I'm planning to find them and read them too :)

Till next post!