The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer - #bookreview

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I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from Netgalley. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

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The Blurb

Rainy March is a proud third-generation book witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps into and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and wrangle characters that go off-script.

Book witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real word; fictional characters belong in works of fiction.... Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don't even think about it.

Except Rainy has fallen hard for the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite noir series. After their illicit romance is exposed, Rainy is forbidden from ever seeing her fictional lover again, lest she be expelled from her book coven-and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

When a priceless book is stolen from her home, there's only one person she trusts to help her get it back: the Duke. Thus their shared quest begins through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.

My Review

This book has a fun premise which was entertaining to read.

Haven't we all wanted our perfect fictional romantic partner to step from the pages of a book at some point in our reading lives? I've been awaiting Atticus Finch since I first read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was thirteen!

For the main character in this book, Rainy March, that very thing happens when fictional detective, the Duke of Chicago, steps from within the pages of his book series, along with his cat, Koshka. It's just as well, as she soon needs his detective skills in attempting to find her missing grandfather.

The role of a book witch, such as Rainy, is to prevent 'burners' from deleting characters from books. Her mother and grandfather were also book witches, and so her destiny was already mapped out for her.

I loved the way the author took us into some classic literature. We follow Rainy into Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby and the Nancy Drew books. It was wonderful to experience these books through Rainy's eyes while she was within their pages.

The book was imaginative and creates a world of escapism for the reader. Ms Shaffer is a great storyteller and I felt very involved in the story.

I adore books about books. However, books of this genre aren't my usual reading fare, but I enjoyed this and I feel encouraged to perhaps dip my toes further into the genre.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1529443868

Publisher: Arcadia Books

Formats: e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages: 320 (hardback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Meg Shaffer is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game, which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist, a Book-of-the-Month finalist for Book of the Year, a #1 Barnes & Noble bestseller, and a Reader’s Digest Best Book of the Year. 

She holds an MFA in TV and Screenwriting from Stephens College. Her second novel, the instant national bestseller The Lost Story, is available now from Ballantine.

Shaffer lives in Kentucky with her husband and two cats. The cats are not writers.

You can also find Meg at:

Author Website

Instagram

Facebook

(media courtesy of the author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Lochbound by Rebecca Templeton - #bookreview

Autumn steals through the highlands towards the village of Kilmara. A haze of drizzle obscures the topmost branches of the pine forest and the heather that flares over the hills surrounding Loch Moine...

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It has recently come to my attention that I must make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from the publicist. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.

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The Blurb

There is no happily-ever-after . . .

Kilmara, Scotland. 1725. For fifty years, Iris has accepted the curse that blighted her life. By night, she is a heartbroken woman, destined to walk the misty shores of Kilmara without growing older. By day, she is Moireach, a terrifying monster imprisoned in the murky depths of Loch Moine.

When bodies begin appearing on the shore, the villagers are convinced Moireach is responsible. So a hunter - the rugged, ruthless Henry Carver - is summoned to slay the monster of the loch.

Iris must break her curse before she is killed for crimes she cannot believe she has committed. But as Kilmara's hunt for the monster becomes ever more fevered, she and Henry are drawn together in a dangerous game of impossible attraction.

And when a figure from Iris's past suddenly reappears, she must choose what - or who - she is willing to sacrifice to win her freedom.

. . . when you are the monster.

My Review

Every now and then, I read something outside of my usual reading fare. It is so easy to read within the genres that we know we like. This one isn't my usual cup of tea, but I am so pleased that I read it as it was a fabulous read and I gave it five shiny stars. What's more, I got to read it ahead of publication, which, even after all these years of blogging, still gives me a thrill.  The book is being released on the 16th April so there's not long to wait to get your hands on a  copy.   It is a dark reimagining of The Little Mermaid set in Scotland. However, get the Disney image out of your head immediately, as this is something very much different, darker and better in my opinion. 

Iris is the main character in the book. By night she is human, forever in her twenties, but by day she is a monster who is bound to the loch. Iris traded her fully human form to be forever young with the man she loved.

The author has crafted her story beautifully. It was a joy to read as the writing was perfect. It has a dark, gothic feel to it which is steeped in Gaelic folklore with its tales of kelpies and seelies hidden in the lochs and forests respectively.

There is a mystery element within the story as bodies are being found with their hearts ripped out. Everyone suspects Iris of these murders and even she doesn't know if she is responsible. When the Laird hires Henry, a hunter, to find and destroy the monster, it would seem that her days are numbered. However, whilst he is intent on his task, even he questions whether she is indeed responsible for the deaths or if there is a murderer within the village.

Furthermore, both Iris and Henry are attracted to one another, which adds a romantic element to the story. However, Duncan, who was her childhood friend, has cared for her and helped her hide her secret since their youth.

Whilst the majority of the chapters are told from Iris's perspective, some are told from Henry and Duncan's points of view, which added another dimension to the book.

The setting was well described and added to the eerie atmosphere of the book. The descriptions of the mist rolling in from the loch were visceral and gave me the occasional shudder.

 I thought this was a fantastic book to read and I highly recommend it. Even if you are like me and monsters and folklore aren't your cup of tea, this is well worth reading and I suspect you will enjoy it as much as I have.

I am going to Scotland in a couple of weeks' time and I shall be keeping a careful eye on the lochs and the forests, as who knows what may be lurking within!

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1408724873

Publisher:  Sphere

Formats: e-book and hardback

No. of Pages:  400 (hardback)

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the Author

Rebecca Templeton has had a love of books from a very early age and had lofty childhood aspirations of being a writer, though she ended up joining the legal profession instead. When her husband encouraged her to start writing again, she re-discovered her creative outlet and hasn't looked back since.

When not writing or working, Rebecca can usually be found crocheting giant blankets, baking or watching Gilmore Girls. She is also owned by a couple of very energetic children.

You can also find Rebecca at:

Instagram

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(ARC and media courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Arvia: Wings of the Wild by D.H. Willison - #CoverReveal

 

Today I am delighted to be bringing you a cover reveal of Arvia: Wings of the Wild by D.H. Willison. I think it is a beautiful cover. 

Does it make you want to dive in and discover more?  

It's book four in a series, with the first one being Harpyness is Only Skin Deep. 

Let me tell you a little about the book.

The Blurb

It’s easy to stand up for your friends. What about for anonymous creatures nobody else cares about?

With their homes apparently safe from the magical storms, Darin and Rinloh venture to an isolated elven village and another ancient mystery: ruins of an imperial city whose entire population vanished centuries ago.

The duo befriend a host of eccentric new characters, from a chipper ogress and hipster troll to a deadpan griffin. Yet the Forest of Nightmares challenges them as never before. Merciless carnivorous trees, subterranean horrors, ethereal creatures no mortal weapon can slay… and most sinister of all, the greed and ambition lurking within the human heart.

Darin and Rinloh’s empathic connection grows stronger the deeper into the wilderness they go, but will it be enough to stop a dark conspiracy from ravaging the land?

Arvia: Wings of the Wild challenges the harpy-human duo with their grandest adventure yet. They must balance their deepening relationship as they sharpen their skills and work together as never before to unravel a deadly new plot.