Caro's Book Reviews

  Sing Down the Stars by Nerine Dorman is a wonderful novel. The more I read, the harder I found to put it down. Nuri is a runner, working for a gang boss. One night after an eventful crime, she leaves to gather her thoughts not knowing that her life is about to be changed forever. Called by a mysterious song, Nuri soon finds herself a candidate to become the Avatar of a being that can traverse space. However, becoming the Avatar is a lot more difficult than just answering the psychic call. The story follows Nuri as she navigates her new life preparing in the hope to be chosen, dealing with other candidates who also wish to become the Avatar, and avoiding the machinations of others who do not want to see a low born have the possibility to become the Avatar The pace is strong and there is almost always something happening plot wise, not leaving any dull spots. The characters have their own opinions and are not cut and paste of one another. I absolutely fell in love with a side cha

  T he Bones Beneath  is the 12th Tom Thorne novel by Mark Billingham and deals with a criminal first seen in the second novel; Scaredy Cat . As it is a series, The Bones Beneath  follows on from The Dying Hours  almost directly, so you do feel the need to read the previous novels in order to understand past events. It is a minor detail though and doesn’t detract from the main plot line. In this novel, Thorne is coerced into taking a murderer (Stuart Nicklin) he had arrested a few years back during the events of Scaredy Cat , to locate a body of another previously unknown about victim. Stuart Nicklin shows no remorse over his actions and enjoys tormenting others especially Thorne who he sees as his ideal rival. Thorne wishes to get the job over as soon as possible, so that he can return Nicklin to the prison cell he belongs. There is also a side plot happening in-between with unknown characters, who are revealed at the end. The plot is set in Wales, and mainly on an isolated island tha

  Do you like mystery? Do you like mythology? Then you might just enjoy Hostile Takeover by Christelle Comby. This novel blends the two genres, along with a healthy dose of supernatural, into a detective story. I did find it slow-going initially but found that the pace picked up further into the plot. This is the first novel of a series, and there is some backstory that is mentioned by never quite elaborated on for the protagonist Bellamy Vale that lends him an air of mystery on how he got caught up doing what he is doing. The plot is concluded nicely, not leaving any frustrating cliff-hangers, but also allows a follow-on string for possible future novels. It was an enjoyable read and I recommend it to those who like detective novels that take on a fantasy twist. This novel was given free to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

  Renegades  by Marissa Meyer is a book aimed at Teens/Young Adults. The plot focuses on two characters: Nova Artino, and Adrian Everhart. Nova belongs to the Anarchists; a group of villains with superpowers, while Adrian is with the Renegades; the superheroes. Each of them has a tragedy in their past that motivates their future actions, Nova wishes to bring down the Renegades who she believes are responsible for her family’s murder and Adrian wishes to find out who murdered his mother. Nova goes by the alias Nightmare and does what she can to find out the Renegades weaknesses, even if she has to infiltrate them to spy. Adrian, while a Renegade known as Sketch, also has a dual identity that he needs to keep secret from both the Renegades and the Anarchists.    This first book introduces a lot about the fictional city of Gatlon, where the story takes place, as well as the history of the war between the villains and the superheroes. It also introduces a sense of ethical dilemma, of whe

The Hidden King is the debut novel of author E.G Radcliff, and it is the first book in the series: The Coming of Áed. It is a fantasy young adult book that follows that story of a young man named Áed. He is stuck in a rundown city called Maze; a decrepit place that has no mercy for those who are weak, and those who are not careful do not last long within its walls.   A tragedy forces Áed to seek a way to escape Maze, a flight that teaches him secrets about himself that he never knew. Faced with dangers, Áed must discover who he is and who he can trust, in order to survive.   I found the story to be quite enjoyable, there are a few plot threads left hanging which hopefully will be tied off in the subsequent books in the series. The author uses Irish expressions throughout the novel, of which there is a handy glossary to help decode the meanings.   There is plenty of action and adventure, with a bit of LGBT romance as well. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy

  Half the World  is the second book in the Shattered Sea trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. The first book,  Half a King  introduced the reader to Yarvi; a displaced prince who swore an oath to avenge his father’s murder. Yarvi is back again in Half the World , this time as the minister to King Uthil. As Father Yarvi, he has taken a step back from being the main character. The protagonists for Half the World  are Thorn; a fiery teen girl who wishes to become a fierce warrior like her father was, and Brand; a teen boy just trying to do the right thing but unsure of how to go about it. Through a few misfortunes, the two of them find their plans for the future ruined and are left directionless. Thorn, in order to save her life, swears an oath to Yarvi and leaves to follow him on his mission to find more allies for King Uthil. Brand is soon swept up into Yarvi’s machinations as well. Half the World lives up to its title, showing the reader an expanded view of the land in which the Shatt