Teaser Tuesdays - Bodies in Motion

"Yes." The word was divorced from any emotion, her face blank and uncaring.
"So, you would have the skill level to open a door in the Enclave Shield."

(page 22, Bodies in Motion by Liana Brooks)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Fairytale Christmas - Book Review

Fairytale Christmas (The Fair Folk Saga #1)
by Merrie Destefano

What is it about:
Three thousand years ago, a war began between the immortals and the mortals. It's a war that continues to this day...

Before history began, a legendary queen battled a foreign army, braved the death of her husband, and faced betrayal at the hand of someone she trusted. This is the story of Eire, Queen of the Faeries, the Immortal One, and the leader of the Tuatha de Danann.

To this day, her homeland, Ireland, bears her name, and this is the story of the war that drove the Immortal Ones into exile. It's also the tale of how she found help from an unexpected place, leading her to a love like she had never known before.

Fairytale Christmas is a story that spans thousands of years. It's also the beginning of all of our fairytales and legends; it's where mortals and immortals survive because they love one another, proving that love is the greatest gift of all.

This is the first installment in the Saga of the Fair Folk, a journey that lasts until the end of time.

What did I think of it:
I usually don't want anything Christmassy before December 6th, but the cover of this novella was too gorgeous to resist.

And luckily it also turned out less Christmassy than the title suggests, making it a beautiful read for any time of the year.

This is a story about Eire, Queen of the Faeries. It is a beautiful, bitter-sweet tale of betrayal, loyalty and love. I was hooked from the start and finished it in one sitting. I could easily picture Eire and the trials she goes through. There was one scene where things got a bit confusing, but apart from that this is a magical and suspenseful tale.

I will certainly keep an eye out for more.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful Fantasy read.


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Forest of a Thousand Lanterns - Book Review

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress #1)
by Julie C. Dao

What is it about:
An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

What did I think of it:
I love a good fairytale retelling, or as in this case reimagining, so when I heard about this book it immediately ended up on my wishlist.

And this is a wonderful read.

Even though this is a reimagining instead of a retelling and it tells the story of the rise to power of the Evil Queen - something the original fairytale of Snow White doesn't show - there are similarities to be found. But this tale is so beautiful and engrossing that those similarities are the last thing on your mind. I was too invested in the story to be busy comparing anyway.

Xifeng is a character who I could both relate to and despise, depending on the choices she made. During the story my opinion on her kept changing, but even at the moments I didn't like her I still wanted to keep reading to find out if her plans would work out.

The world building is absolutely beautiful. I could easily picture the settings, from the enchanted forest to the palace everything felt real.

The way this books ends makes that you could easily read it as a standalone, but also hints at enough things still to come to make you want to get hold of the next book. I will most certainly keep an eye out.

Why should you read it:
It's a wonderful Fantasy read.


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TBR Orphans Challenge - Update

Thanks to the fact I decided to try to finish the Sookie Stackhouse series I read a total of 4 orphans in October.

Two of them had been in my TBR pile since May 2014 and one since last January. Add the second book in the Mediator omnibus to that and I'm on a roll.

How about your challenges?

The Language of Thorns - Book Review

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (The Grisha)
by Leigh Bardugo & Sara Kipin (Illustrator)

What is it about:
Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

What did I think of it:
This is such a gorgeous book!

My copy was an extra book in the October 2017 FairyLoot box and as I understand it differs from the regular version in that the text on the cover has another color.

That explained: Just look at the beautiful illustrations within this book:


Even if the stories had turned out to be mediocre or worse, I'd have kept this book just for the illustrations alone.

Luckily the stories are also amazing!

They all read like Fairytales or Fables. In some the fairytale that inspired the story is still faintly recognizable, but Bardugo has taken them in new directions and made them her own. I understand these are the tales people in her Grishaverse books tell each other, and these stories made me curious about this world. You can bet I'll read more of her books in the near future.

There are six stories, and I loved them all - The way Bardugo tells them paints a vivid picture and the beautiful illustrations in the margin build up to a climax along with the story - but my favorites are The Soldier Prince and When Water Sang Fire. Both of these have a certain melancholy that spoke to me.

All in all this book was more than what I had expected and it is a definite keeper. I can advice this to anyone who loves a good fairytale.

Why should you read it:
It has gorgeous illustrations and beautiful stories.


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Happy Halloween!

Anyone looking for a Halloween read should check out:


The dead are easy to talk to. Live people, not so much.

Charlie Sulliven thinks she knows all the secrets of the dead. Raised in a funeral home, she’s the reluctant “Ghoul Girl,” her reputation tied to a disastrous Halloween party. But navigating her life as a high school sophomore is an anxiety-inducing puzzle to her. She haunts the funeral home with her parents, emo older brother, Garth, their pistol-packing Gramma, and the glass-eyeball-devouring dachshund, Lothar.

Chewed human bodies are appearing in her parents’ morgue…and disappearing in the middle of the night. The bodies seem tied to a local legend, Catfish Bob, who has resurfaced in the muddy Milburn river near Charlie’s small town. When one of Charlie’s classmates, Amanda, awakens in the cooler as a flesh-eating ghoul, Charlie must protect her newfound friend and step up to unravel the mystery…and try to avoid becoming lunch meat for the dead.


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Deadlocked - Book Review

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12)
by Charlaine Harris

What is it about:
Sookie has a murder investigation on her hands.

A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, not having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed.

But something strange is going on. Why had Sookie been asked to come to the fateful party a few minutes early - just to catch Eric in the act? And why had the victim spiked her own blood before approaching Eric? Was it simply because she wanted to be irresistible, or was it something more sinister?

Sookie will have to find out ... but it's the worst moment to investigate, as her Fae family are having troubles of their own and Sookie is, inevitably, drawn in. And there is one last complication. The cluviel dor her grandmother left her. It will grant her one wish, which could fulfill Sookie's heart's desire. The only problem is, she still doesn't know what - or who - her heart truly desires ...

What did I think of it:
My attempts to finally finish this series continue.

And this was yet another very enjoyable read that had me firmly engrossed in the lives of Sookie and those around her. Maybe it's that I already know a bit about how this series ends, but to me it seems this book and the previous one are clearly paving the way for that ending. And I must say I'm looking forward to seeing everything falling together. Something I'd never thought would happen after book 8.

Talking about that book. There was one minor grumble in this book: Sookie hears from Quinn and apparently he had something with a were-tigress called 'Tijgerin'...

Yeah...

Tijgerin is the Dutch word for tigress, so... that's like calling your daughter Girl or Woman. Those parents should be kicked in my opinion.

That grumble aside this was a fun and entertaining read. I hope my copy of Dead Ever After arrives soon, so I can find out how everything ties up.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun UF read.


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