• Series Review – Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

    Rivers of London synopsis: My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit – we do paperwork so real coppers don’t have to – and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought…

  • Series Review – Monsters of Verity by V.E. Schwab

    Kate Harker and August Flynn’s families rule opposite ends of Verity, a grisly metropolis where violent acts summon real monsters: bloodsucking Malchai; clawing Corsai; and soul-stealing Sunai. The truce that keeps the families at peace is crumbling, and August is sent to spy on Kate. But when Harker’s men try to kill her and pin it on the Flynns, August and Kate find themselves running from both sides, in a city where monsters are real… *** So I actually read this before the ADSOM series, so this was my first love affair with V.E. Schwab’s glorious writing.  This series is truly like nothing I have ever read, and all the…

  • Series Review – Rebel of the Sands Trilogy by Alwyn Hamilton

    So I already reviewed the final book in this series, Hero at the Fall, here, as I wanted to get a review out on release day.  But I love this series so much, and had the pleasure of re-reading the first two books in order to read Hero. (Any excuse really!) I’ll start with the synopsis for Rebel of the Sands *** “Tell me that and we’ll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that’s how you want your story to go and we’ll write it straight across the sand.” Dustwalk is an unforgiving, dead-end town. It’s not the place to be poor or…

  • Series Review – A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

    Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes…

  • Series Review – Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan and Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

    I spent some time last year firstly re-reading the Percy Jackson Series, and then reading the Heroes of Olympus series.  And I was surprised how much I enjoyed them.  I liked PJO the first time round, but this time I got to enjoy remembering little bits as well 🙂 They are great middle grade books, teaching good morals and elements of Greek Mythology while being fun and easy to read.  A solid 4 star series, easily. Then we move onto the Heroes of Olympus series.  I’d not read these previously, and just loved them.  The last two in particular are amazing.  The series feels a little less middle grade and…

  • Series Review – The Sinclair’s Mysteries by Katherine Woodfine

    These books are so much fun.  Set in early 1900’s London in a Selfridge’s-esque department store, they are about two girls who discover a mystery and get caught up in trying to solve it. I thoroughly enjoyed these! Light hearted but appropriately intriguing and even terrifying in places. Not too complicated but a good amount of little twists and turns, and the narrative ticks along at a good pace. The worlds of YA/middle grade needs more mystery and crime books 🙂 Sophie, Lil, Billy and Joe, and their ever growing list of allies make a good little team and I want to see what they do next – I believe…