Favorite New Series: The Accidental Sorcerer

Why is this series not talked about more? Gerald is a cool character, and the first book was awesome. Full of things that go boom, a tortured hero, a princess that wears business suits and can do magic, and an intriguing plot that actually felt unique and original. Granted, the ending was rather depressing, but now that I have books two and three borrowed from the library, I plan on reading the rest of the series this week, and seeing if my opinion of the books keep up to a 5 star rating.

 

Gerald Dunwoody is a wizard. Just not a particularly good one. He’s blown up a factory, lost his job, and there’s a chance that he’s not really a Third Grade wizard after all. So it’s off to New Ottosland to be the new Court Wizard for King Lional.

It’s a shame that King Lional isn’t the vain, self-centered young man he appeared to be. With a Princess in danger, a talking bird who can’t stay out of trouble, and a kingdom to save, Gerald soon suspects that he might be out of his depth. And if he can’t keep this job, how will he ever become the wizard he was destined to be…

THE ACCIDENTAL SORCERER is the first novel in the Rogue Agent trilogy, from one of fantasy’s newest stars

~As seen in the Description on Goodreads

 

I’m really enjoying the series so far, however. The first book is 600+ pages, so it’s definitely going to feel like a long read, but each book is non-stop action from the very first chapter, so definitely well worth it. I’ll keep ya’ll updated on each book, if you’d like, and what I think as the series progresses, but so far…

5/5 stars for a rip-roaring good time!

Until next time,

-Pass Me That Book

Monthly Wrap Up: November Reads

I read a lot of books in November. Around 30, in fact. For everyone else, the month of November seemed to have flown by, but for me it seemed to drag a bit. Whereas my favorite month (October) flew by with abandon. I read a couple of 600+page books, some fanfiction, and worked on writing my own book as it was NaNoWriMo-and was really pleased at winning the first NaNoWriMo that I’d attended! Tonight, I’ll be watching Fantastic Beasts 2, which is exciting, and I’ll be working on reading Girl of Paper and Fire for most of today, when not working on my blog. But that’s enough of the things that aren’t books-here’s the books that I’ve read for November:

 

There’s a few others that I didn’t get photos of, mostly because they aren’t released yet. I also haven’t gotten some of these reviewed yet, such as the Mercedes Lackey books, the Enchanted Castle, and a couple of others. I’m behind on reviews, mostly because I’m working on updates for my blog, as well as working on my book getting published.

My December TBR is coming up next, and then possibly either some reviews, or some new changes to my blog, haven’t decided which yet. I’m really looking forward to tonight, however, for tonight as I said earlier, I get to watch Fantastic Beasts 2! (Sadly not at IMAX.)

Until next time,

-Pass Me That Book

Netgalley Review: The Quiet You Carry

Title: The Quiet You Carry
Author: Nikki Barthlemew
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Fiction
Publisher: Flux
Page Count: 300
Type of Book: ARC, Kindle Ebook
Received: Netgalley
Review Word Count: 600
Rated: 5/5 stars
Notes: Loads of trigger warnings in here for depression, anxiety, suicide attempt, child sexual abuse, physical abuse between spouses, foster care system, and I think that’s it.

Get your box of tissues ready, because this book was an emotional roller coaster ride! Complete with lots of triggers and terribly depressing scenes. There was at least one scene that made me almost cry because of how angsty it was. Therefore, of course I’m going to give this book a high rating, not only because of how emotional it was and the fact that I love reading emotional books like this, but because of how realistic and true it rang with every page.

I wasn’t ever in the foster care system, so I was lucky that way. But I knew exactly what the main character, Victoria, was going through in several parts of this book. It made me cringe each scene, wondering how she was going to get out of it, and if the bad guy in the book (the dad in this case) was going to get put away. The answer is, he drives off, fleeing from cops, and we never see what happens to him.

It takes place as Victoria is planning on attending college, but has a year of high school remaining. After getting shoved out of her home in the middle of a freezing cold winter night, social workers take her away to a foster care system where she resides, attempting to figure out how to fix everything, and why her father would lie about her like that.

She meets Connie, the ‘foster mother’ of a small home for girls, and follows rules, and feels as though she has no control over anything anymore. Her father won’t speak to her, her sister and stepmother refuses to talk to her as well, siding with her father. She fears for her sister, and what will happen in leaving her within her father’s grasp for long periods of time.

There’s a lot of abuse in this book, and it’s pretty heavy hitting at times. I was really impressed with how the author handled this, she weaves a story well, and the writing is splendid, and rings true for the situation, as well as the characters themselves. She’s obviously done her research, and my hat goes off to her for doing such a terrific job in pulling such a topic off in YA literature.

I’m giving this a 5/5 stars, because it was beautifully written, and the rating is well deserved. I definitely am now invested in any of the authors future works, because if her books are just as good as this one all the time, then she’s going to continue to be one of my absolute favorites! I highly recommend reading this, even buying this, as soon as it comes out!

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book.

New Release Review: For a Muse of Fire

 

Title: For a Muse of Fire
Author: Heidi Higil
Series: Book 1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 500
Type of Book: Hardback, Library Loan, New Release
Received: from the library
Review Word Count: 400
Rated: 5/5 stars
Notes: The wait is over, the anticipation was worth it, and I have a new favorite book!

This book was compelling, fascinating, and driven by the characters. It was definitely different from anything that I’ve read before, filled with fliers for shows, wanted posters, actual three pages worth of song lyrics, poems, and told in the form of a play, as well as regular book format. It was beautifully done, and my imaginary hat goes off to the author for a fantastical job well done!

Told in various languages as well, this book features strong female characters, dancers at adult clubs, rebellion, a unique magical system, music, lyrics, and even a girl with a secret that can’t be discovered least she be killed or worse.

{Insert Goodreads Book Description}

I’ve been wanting to read this for months, and now that I have I shall take it off my Anticipated Reads page. I loved it, though will admit that it was a bit of a slow build to an epic finale, that I sincerely hope this is a book one, and that the cover art does the book justice. It’s sad, a lot of the time, but its also got drama, shadow puppets, and even death plays a major character in this novel.

I haven’t read the author’s previous series The Girl From Everywhere and now it’s soared to the near top of my list of ‘needing to read and needing to read it now’ books. The author is a new favorite of mine, and does a splendid job in capturing readers attention from the very first page. You are drawn in until the very end, and I read this all in one sitting, it was that good.

This marks yet another book that reached far beyond my anticipated reads and I know there will be many more to come despite it being almost December, for this year has been filled with favorite after favorite read.

I feel that if you love breathtaking, original fantasy stories, then you will definitely appreciate this gem of a book. 5/5 stars for a book that was well worth the wait, and I eagerly look forward to reading more by this author!

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book

New Release Review: Beneath the Sugar Sky

Title: Beneath the Sugar Sky
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: Book Three of Every Heart a Doorway
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tom Doherty
Page Count: 200
Type of Book: Hardback, Library Loan, New Release
Received: Library
Review Word Count: 400
Rated: 5/5 stars
Notes: Now to wait for the next book to come out!

As I close the third book to Every Heart of Doorway series, all I can think about is how I’d like for all the characters to meet each other, and that I still liked the character Jack best of all. Jack would’ve liked Cora, I think. I also think that Christopher is my favorite, but I also really love Nancy, Rini, Nadya, Kade, and everyone else too. Perhaps the last book in the series just might bring all the characters together? Or so I hope, anyway.

This book tells the tale of Rini and how she’s trying to find her mother to save her Nonsense World, as well as herself, from spinning out into nothingness. Rini is, at first, a bit hard to like but towards the end of the book I really find her a nice enough character though not the story I was most interested in being told (that would be Christopher’s story).

The story itself was fast-paced, full of fascinating ideas, and had a lot of baking involved. From baking up an escape from the north tower, to baking other things, this was a wild, fun, and sometimes slightly confusing ride. I liked how it all played out towards the end, with a major twist that made me want to read book one all over again.

I can’t say much more without spoiling the book, but I will say that I want to read Christopher’s story quite badly, and I want to see how Cora fits in (I identified with both her and Jack most of all), and I want to see the Magicians making an appearance with this story too.

That last one, I doubt will ever happen, but a girl can dream.

As per usual with these books, I’m giving this a 5/5 stars, because it’s unique, awesome, and carries with it a good message for all at the end.

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book.

Paperback Review: Over Ruled

 

Title: Over Ruled
Author: Brittney Joy
Series: Book 1
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Author
Page Count: 300
Type of Book: Paperback
Received: From the Author
Review Word Count: 300
Rated: 5/5 stars
Notes:

This is a hard book to review. I spent a couple of days thinking the review over while reading other books, and wondering what to say.

The writing for this was strong, and I really loved the characters. I liked Nancy a lot more than I liked Princess Jade, but I understood Princess Jade’s character. I liked the plot, and how evil the queen was in the story. I liked the magic, and the mystery that sent tension soaring.

Two girls. One Kingdom. No way out..

Princess. Royal. Prisoner. Jade is the heir to the throne, but her mother, the Queen, isn’t willing to give up her title— ever. Queen Katrina doesn’t see her daughter as her legacy, but as a threat that has to be stopped. Jade has never left the palace, and is trapped inside its boundaries… but she wonders if the walls are meant to keep her safe, or keep her imprisoned.

Peasant. Pauper. Savior. Nova left the Kingdom of Sterling before she could crawl— now that she’s returned with her father to rescue her orphaned cousin, it’s nothing short of a nightmare. Magic is used to control the people, and the monarchy is a dictatorship. Within the kingdom, Nova is hunted for a power she doesn’t even know she has… yet.

One boy will intertwine their lives— or tear them apart. Chael is the secretive and handsome royal guard that might have the answers to save both girls, but he’s hiding something dark. An ally with questionable motives, both Nova and Jade have no choice but to trust Chael… and to fall for him.

But the lengths the Queen will employ to secure her crown are unforgivable. In the Kingdom of Sterling, the only thing more powerful than betrayal is magic

I didn’t like how the romance went for this book. I liked the characters, and I preferred Nancy over Princess Jade, but I still enjoyed all the delicious plot and twists and turns that kept on coming. I also didn’t like that cliffhanger, either, but it was a good stopping point for the book, and I can see why it ended there.

I definitely am looking forward to book two, where it shows how the characters advance from the pitfalls their in, what kind of ruling might occur, and if they find what they’re looking for. I’m giving this a 5/5 stars for a strong set of characters, and a really delightful bunch of plot twists.

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book.

Paperback Book Review: Magician Apprentice

Title: Magicians Apprentice
Author: Raymond E. Feist
Series: Book 1
Genre: Fantasy, Adult Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Page Count: 400
Type of Book: Paperback
Received: Purchased
Review Word Count: 500
Rated: 5/5 stars
Notes: Why did I wait so long to read this book?

I’ve found my next favorite “Pawn of Prophecy” series. Of course, it’s not the same at all, but it feels like it tried the same epic fantasy style, the great characters, and romances. It had the same feel good feeling Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings as well.

The story opens up with Pug attempting to outrun a storm after being out and about, and instead getting ill luck by twisting an ankle after falling of some rocks by the rocky shore, and trying to get through the woods yet being attacked by a boar and being rescued by a hunter and taken to the hunter’s companion who happens to be a magician. We learn that Pug is an orphan at the castle, and that his choosing day is coming up, where he chooses what kind of career he wants-rather, which craftmaster will take him on. It’s a whirlwind of activity when later on almost no one chooses Pug, and then the magician steps forth and asks him to be his apprentice. And, lo, we get why the book is now called ‘the Magicians Apprentice’.

There’s lots of dastardly good deeds, horse and sword training, friendships and rivalries, a princess that needs saving a time or two, and even magic performed throughout this book. On the whole, it reminded me very strongly of Pawn of Prophecy, as I mentioned, and I believe its from the same era as well. I don’t know why I’ve waited so long to read this book-I’ve had it sitting on my shelves for a few months now, but I’ve such a backlog that it took me a while to pick up the book and dive into yet another fabulous fantasy series that’s been around for ages.

There’s shipwrecks in this book, a dangerous journey through snowy mountains and jungles, dwarves, elves, and even another world using magic to get into this one. It’s fantastical and magical, and I highly recommend giving this series a go, especially if you haven’t read it yet!

5/5 stars for a fun few hours with Pug and his friends, and I am definitely looking forward to buying the rest of the series so that I can continue the entertaining journey of how Pug eventually gets the rank of Master Magician.

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book

ARC Kindle Review: Hearts Abroad #1

Title: Hearts Abroad
Author: Skye McNeil
Series: Book 1
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Page Count:
Type of Book: ARC, Kindle Ebook, Amazon Gifted
Received: from the publisher/author
Review Word Count:
Rated: 4/5 stars
Notes: @BewareoftheReader you might enjoy this one! I know how much you love a good romance story!

Notes2: First time I’ve tagged anyone here on wordpress, hopefully I got it right!

I love fluffy romance, but I generally have to be in the right mood to read them. This was one of the better fluffy romances that I’ve read, and ranks right up there with Mary Poppins and all the fluffy Harlequin holiday movies you can probably think of. It’s a feel-good love story, complete with twin little girls and a billionaire single dad.

I really liked this one. I won’t say I loved it, because I don’t think I’m there yet, but I can definitely see myself re-reading this again and again in the future, because it’s just that much of a fun book to read. I really liked how this one had art exhibits, planes, and even an enormous library. Scotland was mentioned quite a bit, and as the next book may take place in Scotland, I’m definitely interested in reading the continuation of the duology? Series?-not sure how many books will be in this, but they’re definitely well worth reading.

There’s even an Alfred in this book, and he’s even compared to the same Alfred from Batman, which I found hilariously awesome.

Overall, I’m rating this a 4/5 stars for the delightful atmosphere this book had, and the perfect timing in wanting to read an entertaining and fluffy hearted romance. My thanks to the publisher/author for providing me with this light atmospheric novel, and I highly recommend it to romance and contemporary fans all.

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book.

New Release Review: The Lost Queen

Title: The Lost Queen
Author: Signe Pike
Series: Book One
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Touchstone
Page Count: 600
Type of Book: Hardback, New Release
Review Word Count:
Received: Library
Rated: 5/5 stars
Notes: Vivid, creative, and utterly captivating!

I voted for this book in the Historical Section of the Goodreads Choice Awards of 2018 just a day ago, in the first round of voting, because it was well deserved (and because I hadn’t yet read any of the other books, but shhh, let’s not go there). This book was captivating, from the first page to the very last. While the ending was a sad one, it was a good one, and I am hopeful that there will be a second book to follow up on everything. Even though it had things mostly wrapped up, killing off a good number of the characters at the same time, it still had things unresolved-as history often does.

The writer is a good story-teller, weaving the tale with practiced ease. The characters are lifelike, there’s loads of things going on, and I learned a few things-such as Boudica came about again and I’m beginning to think she was a hell of a badass, nearly wiping out the Romans so. I really need to do some more information on her, because she sounds like someone worth knowing about.

That’s the main reason that I am giving this five out of five stars, because if it’s a historical book it should make me want to go out and do more research on the time period, and the people it talked about. Not only do I want to learn more about the Pendragon era, but I also want to learn more about Boudica and how she nearly wiped out the Romans-if that’s true at all, and not another wild tale by the main characters brother.

This was a fascinating story, and I loved the characters (though don’t ask me to pronounce their names aloud!) and the book itself was a delight, despite the sad ending. I’m glad to have been able to read it, and I hope to one day get my own copy to put on my shelves.

Until next time,
-Pass Me That Book

October Wrap Up: My Favorite Month is Over Already?!

As this is a wrap up post, it’ll be a bit longer than it normally is. I have a chart of the books listed down below, but I’m not doing every photo of every book I read this time around, as I just don’t feel like it. I’m posting my top favorite book photos, however, because they’re well deserved.

My Top Five Favorites:

 

Books Read in October:

1.Reap the Wild Wind| 600 pages, 4.0 stars (see review)
2.Daughter of the Forest| 500 pages, 4.5 stars (see review)
3.The Quest| 300 pages, 3.0 stars (review due)
4.Empire of Sand| 500 pages, 5.5 stars (see review)
5.Pride| 300 pages, 2.0 stars
6.Monstress| ?, 4.1 stars
7.A Wizard’s Forge| ? pages, 4/5 stars (see review)
8.Evenfall| 400 pages, (see review)
9.Hammered| 300 pages, 4/5 stars (review to come)
10.Aurian| 600 pages, 5/5 stars
11.Lord of the Fading Lands| 500 pages, 5/5 stars (see review)
12.Hexed| 300 pages, 4/5 stars (review to come)
13.The Turnaway Girls| 300 pages, 3/5 stars (see review)
14.The Bartered Brides| 400 pages, 4/5 stars (review to come)
15.The Stars Now Unclaimed| 200/300 pages, 4/5 stars (review to come)
16.Damsel| 300 pages, 5/5 stars (review to come)
17.No Man of Woman Born| ? pages, 5/5 stars (see review)
18.Shadow of the Fox| 400 pages, DNF’d after the first chapter
19.A Fading Sun| 300 pages, 4/5 stars (see blog tour post, see review)
20.A Rising Moon| 300 pages, 4/5 stars (review to come)
21.Agents of Dreamland| 100 pages, 3/5 stars
22.The Darkening| 300 pages, 3/5 stars (review to come)
23.The Dream Gatherer| 100 pages, 4/5 stars (review to come)

I also just finished reading The Tethered Mage for the second time, and that’s why it’s not included on the list, because it was a re-read, but it still stood out as being an impressive piece of fiction. This month has been filled with a LOT of really great reads, actually, and I hope that November is the same. So far, the two books that I’ve read are actually really awesome, and I’m crossing my fingers it remains the same. Up next are a few reviews, my November TBR, and that’s pretty much it.

Until next time,

-Pass Me That Book.