Caro's Book Reviews

I read Abercrombie’s First Law series a few years ago, so I was quite eager to start reading this series. Book one did not disappoint me. Abercrombie has a way of making characters feel realistic; they are not doing something because they were told to do so by the author – they are doing it because they want to do it. Half a King is the first book in the Shattered Sea series, and it follows the story of Yarvi; a prince with a disability living amongst a culture that praises battle prowess above all else. Naturally, Yarvi’s fighting skills are negligible and he is seen as a weakling unfit to rule over others. Unfortunately for Yarvi, through tragedy, he is made king. This ultimately leads to betrayal and starts off his journey of vengeance to reclaim all that he has lost. The novel’s plot is solid, and the story has you hooked; how will Yarvi achieve his vengeance when he has nothing but the clothes on his back? This book is ideal for those who enjoy fantasy with war and ba

A Dance with Demons is the first book in this series. In this book, the characters must face down an invading force, only for an even greater threat to be unleashed. I found it to be a long read, with long spates of no action inbetween the very short bits of action. Initially I did not like the characters, but the more I read the more they grew on me. Though, I must admit liking some of the secondary characters more than the primary characters. Being the first book, it does its job in setting up the plot and introducing the reader to the world that it is set in and the story. It does end on a cliffhanger, that made me want to get hold of the sequel in order to find out what happens next. Overall, despite being a bit flat in parts, I did enjoy reading this book and would recommend it to teen readers who enjoy fantasy and action. This E-ARC was provided to me for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to 13 Days of Midnight . Luke Manchett thought his troubles had been dealt with at the end of the first book, however he could not have been more wrong. A slow build as he and his sidekick girlfriend, Elza, struggle to figure out what is going on. They might not be facing the same problems as the first book, but the new trouble doesn’t seem any less dangerous. Together they must try and fix the latest supernatural occurrence affecting Luke, aided by Luke’s loyal and “brave” deerhound, Ham. This sequel introduces a new character, Ashley Smith, and Luke must work out if she is trustworthy or the cause of his latest problems. Prepare for feels as the characters carry out their adventure, I did tear up near the end. This is an enjoyable read, fans of the first book will be happy with its follow-up. It is also ideal for teens who like supernatural fiction. There is another book after this in the series for fans to look out for once they have finished this b

Mitchell: A Young Warrior by E.J. Bownds is a fantasy novel. Honestly, I did not enjoy this book. The plot is solid, but the story written was not. There was no feeling of surprise or anticipation, it felt like everything happening to Mitchell was too easy. Problems were dealt with too quickly with not enough tension building up. To me, it was too much of ‘hero needs to do this, oh no a problem, yay solution conveniently lands in hero’s lap, move on to the next objective’. It also felt like there were too many fantasy clichés bundled up with each of the characters introduced. If the novel was longer with more descriptive detail, it might not have felt so jarring while reading. I would recommend this more to a middle school aged reader, rather than a young adult reader. This E-ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.