A Book I Struggled to Connect With // ARC REVEW: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Title: The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves #1)
Author: Sally Green
Publication Date: May 3rd 2018
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1 on 3 of the Smoke Thieves series
I Got A Copy Through: Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Barnes and Noble || Wordery ||  Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: A princess, a traitor, a hunter and a thief. Four teenagers with the fate of the world in their hands. Four nations destined for conflict. 
In Brigant, Princess Catherine prepares for a loveless political marriage arranged by her brutal and ambitious father. In Calidor, downtrodden servant March seeks revenge on the prince who betrayed his people. In Pitoria, feckless Edyon steals cheap baubles for cheaper thrills as he drifts from town to town. And in the barren northern territories, thirteen-year-old Tash is running for her life as she plays bait for the gruff demon hunter Gravell.
As alliances shift and shatter, and old certainties are overturned, our four heroes find their past lives transformed and their futures inextricably linked by the unpredictable tides of magic and war. Who will rise and who will fall? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

Actual Rating: 2.75 Stars

Game of Thrones meets a Leigh Bardugo book? YES, PLEASE.

I HAD HIGH HOPES GOING INTO THIS BOOK. I absolutely loved Sally Green’s Half Bad and her gorgeous writing style and this new book (and series) sounded EVEN BETTER.

In retrospect, perhaps I expected TOO MUCH from this book because when I actually read The Smoke Thieves, I struggled to connect with the characters, the plot, the pace or really, anything at all.

I mean, it was a mediocre sort of fantasy that I had no real problems with, except for the fact that it BORED ME? There was absolutely nothing I was really invested in, no villain I really feared, no character whose growth felt substantial or real to me and when I look at this book, ALL I FEEL IS DISAPPOINTMENT that it promised so much and delivered so little.

Let’s break it down:

1.       THIS WAS A 500+ PAGE BOOK WITH FIVE VIEWPOINTS. In other words, this book was LONG and then even longer and well, NOTHING HAPPENED. The book promised political machinations but THERE REALLY WERE NONE.

2.       I absolutely HATED Brigant and their backwards views on women (think along the lines of ‘it’s required of a man to discipline his woman with all kinds of punishments INCLUDING physical violence, starvation and locking woman in a box.’) EVEN THOUGH this story line is probably leading up to a feminist revolution by the Princess of that country, READING SOMETHING LIKE THAT MAKES ME SO MAD.

3.       I DO QUITE LOVE the UK cover for this book – it’s so simple and intriguing and I quite like looking at it.

4.       I also liked each of the main characters a certain amount, but I had no real favourite and also, I wouldn’t really mourn anyone if something happened to them.

5.       I felt like all the secondary character deaths that happened were brushed over SO SO FAST. There was no emotion wafting out of the book, and their fictional killings, from a plot/ writer’s angle felt so methodical instead of necessary to the plot. I didn’t care about the five protagonists, much less the SECONDARY characters, and their deaths meant very little to me, nor were they written very well.

6.       THE ROMANCE WAS NOT WELL DONE AT ALL. There was ABSOLUTELY NO CHEMISTRY and NO SUBSTANCE and I did not ship Catherine and Ambrose.

7.       I really liked the premise of demon smoke, but I feel like for a series titles The Smoke Thieves, we should have seen more of the actual smoke. I love what we learnt about the smoke, and I am excited to see where it might go, but not 100% sure that I'll pick it up to read.

In conclusion, I probably expected too much from this book, but it also DEFINITELY could have better paced and filled with more twists and turns. I’m not 100% sure if I’ll read the sequel. 2.75 stars.

I'm Sally Green. I'm the author of the real-world/ fantasy Half Bad Trilogy, which is made up of Half Bad, Half Wild and Half Lost. Most people read them in that order but there's always a few who don't. Many people who read them are teenagers but there's a lot who aren't.

I'm currently working on a new series called The Smoke Thieves, which is due to be published in spring 2018 and is definitely fantasy (there will be a map). 
I said I'd never write another trilogy after Half Bad but it seems I lied.
I live in a village in north-west England.

There's some stuff about the Half Bad trilogy at www.halfbadworld.com. 
Follow me on twitter@sa11eGreen 

What are some of the prettiest book covers you've seen this year?

What are some of your most anticipated fantasy novels of the year?

I'd love to chat with you!

 

ARC Review: Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier

Title: Isle of Blood and Stone
Author: Makiia Lucier
Publication Date: April 10th 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1 on 2 of a Duology
I Got A Copy Through: HMH Teen (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Ulises asked, "How can I look at these maps, see this riddle, and do nothing? They are my brothers."
Elias reached across the table and flicked aside two shells with a fingertip. The map curled into itself. "It's bound to be a goose chase. You know that?"
"Or a treasure hunt," Ulises countered, "and you've always been good at those."
Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar's oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way...until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear.
The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias's father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king's beautiful cousin by his side-whether he wants her there or not-Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried...and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.

It’s been a while since I read anything an adventure/ mystery type of book that didn’t focus so much on a rebellion but more on a quest and a riddle, which is also why I was so excited about this book going in!

In all honesty, it took me forever to connect with all of the characters. On top of the main characters and the plot, there were also so many secondary characters, and LOCATIONS and well, it took me a while to connect and care about this world.

As soon as I did, however, Isle of Blood and Stone suddenly became a whole lot better. There was one clue after another coming to light, a fearless girl and hints of romance, actual political problems and betrayals and murder and I really liked it.

Let’s break it down:

IDEA:

I’ve never actually read a book about a cartographer, especially one set in a fantasy world, and I was SO INTRIGUED by the idea behind it all. I’ve loved books about solving clues and cases since I first read Nancy Drew and I was really looking forward to this book.

PLOT:

Like I said, it was a little difficult to connect with the world, despite the fact that I was excited to read the book. I find this happening so much more often with fantasy novels these days (Am I reading too much? Is there such a thing?) but after sticking to the book, I did manage to come out on the other side.

I really liked the plot structure, and all the secondary characters. I loved how Elias uncovered the conspiracy that started a war eighteen years ago, the map-making elements and the personal growth every character went through. I especially loved mundane things that built up the world in the book – small, political things that made everything so much more real.

CHARACTERS:

While I liked the characters (specifically Lady Mercedes and Lady Reyna) I didn’t fall in love with them. I liked their stories, and felt happy at their ending and liked the way they were grown, that essential spark was just missing.

I definitely liked Elias’ curious mind and kind soul, and his relationship with Lady Mercedes was adorable.

WRITING:

I don’t know if it was the characters or the writing, but while I find no real fault with this book, it lacked something that kept me from falling head over heels in love with it.

I, in a nutshell, liked this book fine but I didn’t love it, and I don’t know why.

CONCLUSION:

It was a different book, with amazing world building and ended up being a great one time read. It’s just not the kind of thing I loved so much to pick up again.

Makiia is the author of historical fiction and historical fantasy for young adults. She grew up on the Pacific Island of Guam (not too far from the equator), and has degrees in journalism and library science from the University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Her debut novel, A Death-Struck Year, was called a "powerful and disturbing reading experience" by Publishers Weekly. It was a finalist for Germany's top book prize for children, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, as well as Japan's Sakura Medal, and was named an ABC Best Books for Children Selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Her second novel, Isle of Blood and Stone, will be available in Spring 2018.

What are some of your favourite adventure novels?
I feel like we don't see NEARLY enough of the genre and I'd love to hear your recommendations!

 

Top Ten Books I Liked but Can’t Remember ANYTHING About (Top Ten Tuesday #28)

I AM ACTUALLY DOING A TOP TEN TUESDAY *bursts confetti for myself* It's been FOREVER (10 months, to be exact) because these posts take FOREVER and I don't seem to find the time to do them. AT ALL.

When I read this post on The Artsy Reader Girl's Blog, I immediately went onto my Goodreads "Read" Shelf and stared at the covers of books to try and figure out which plots I remembered and which plots my memory completely erased.

It's probably a GOOD TIME to point out that I had a (mild) freak out session at how LITTLE I remembered about the books I've read over the last three years, with only mild recollections of plots/ characters coming back to me as I scrolled down my VERY LARGE Read Book Shelf. Still, down below are the 10 Books that I remember almost NOTHING about:

~~~

1. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawerence: It was our final year in school and my best friend and I kept visiting our local bookstore, Starmark, to de-stress and buy all the books in the world, which is when I picked up Mark Lawerence's Prince of Thorns. I sped read through it ALMOST immediately (because, YES, I used to be the kind of person who read books almost immediately after buying them) and I remember ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except that it's about A STABBY PRINCE WHO WAS WRONGED. That's it.

I even have the second book waiting for me in my bookshelf but I don't know if I'll ever get to it. *sighs*

2. Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields: I read this book during the month it released (the lovely folks at PRH International sent it to me) and even a month later, I STRUGGLED TO REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE PROTAGONIST. I remember some basic elements of the story - a baby brother, a handler, a kill list and YET, I DON'T REMEMBER EVEN A SINGLE CHARACTER'S NAME. I really liked the book too, AND it was an Indian Fantasy but my brain refuses to retain information about this.

3. The Fall of Butterflies by Andrea Portes: I read this book about a year and a half ago AND I REMEMBER ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT, except that it was set in high school. I JUST read my own review about it to see if it sparked anything in my memory, but I turned up with a BIG ZERO. 

How is it even possible to read a book and remember nothing about it?

Side Note: I don't THINK the actual book had anything to do with the butterflies on the cover.

4. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski: While I do remember MOST of the first book in this series (with all the forbidden love and the WANTING) I remember absolutely NOTHING about the second book in Marie Rutkoski's Trilogy EXCEPT for the fact that there was a Tiger. Somewhere. I think. 

Surprisingly, I DO REMEMBER the names of the main characters, but that's probably because of all the PURE ANGST I faced in book one. I own the third book in the series, but I don't think I'll ever get to it. (I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING BEFORE IT *sighs*)

5. My Name is Alexandra Gantson by T.A. Maclagan: A SPY? Her grandfather? I don't know any more. There were some handlers and some romance and some familial moments but other than that, I REMEMBER NOTHING.

I do remember this feeling of shock when the BIG PLOT REVEAL came out in the end but I'm pretty much blank other than that. I ALSO HAPPENED TO READ THE SEQUEL, AND REMEMBER NOTHING ABOUT THAT EITHER. 

And I used to hope my memory was eidetic...

6. Fate of Flames by Sara Raughley: All I remember is that this book had four celebrity girls with powers, the supposed 'saviors' of some messed up future world, all of whom had SERIOUS ISSUES and kept dying. There was also a final fight scene that I DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND AS I WAS READING IT and (obviously) still don't but yes. I never requested/ picked up the sequel because of how absolutely little I remember. 

I wonder if I would still like it if I read it again.


7. The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Ledger: A contemporary romance with THINGS ON THE COVER? Someone help me because I remember thinking this book was cute with a HORRID, SAPPY ending but I REMEMBER NOTHING. Why is there a Museum of Heartbreak? Was ir an ACTUAL MUSEUM? WHAT ARE THE THINGS ON THE COVER? What was the heartbreak about? DID THEY GET BACK TOGETHER? 

I'm at a total loss, so if someone wants to summarize it for me, that would be GREAT.


8. Drowning is Inveitable by Shalanda Stanley: YEAH, HOW PRETTY IS THIS COVER? I remember thinking this when I requested the book on NetGalley (back when NetGalley was an INCLUSIVE website and not the THING it is today) and there was some best friend romance going on but I REMEMBER NOTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK TRALALALALA.

Seriously, though, how can I READ ENTIRE BOOKS AN NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING? It kind of freaks me out.

9. Passion by Lauren Kate: I started reading the Fallen series when I was 11 (middle school, you know how it goes) and thinking about HOW GLAMOROUS MY LIFE WOULD BE WHEN I TURNED SIXTEEN as it seems that THAT IS THE MAGICAL AGE WHEN ALL PROTAGONISTS FULFILL THEIR DESTINY AND MEET THE LOVE OF THEIR LIVES and I sped read through Passion, the third book in the Fallen series.

I remember nothing except that there were BLACK SMOKEY TUNNELS THAT WERE ALSO TIME MACHINES. #GreatMemory

10. The Watcher in the Shadows by Carols Ruiz Zafon: I remember being absolutely ENCHANTED with my first Carlos Ruiz Zafon book, because his writing brought magical realism to LIFE but I remember nothing about this book except for the fact that it was set in an abandoned house.

It was a brilliant book nonetheless,  but I wish I remembered some of it...

What are some book you you REALLY LIKED but just cannot remember?

Have you read any of the books on my list? 

What do you think of them?

I'd absolutely love to hear from all of you!

Didn't Live Up to It's OWN Potential // ARC Review: Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn

Title: Undercover Princess
Author: Conniey Glynn
Publication Date: October 26th 2017
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1 of the Rosewood Chronicles
I Got A Copy Through: Penguin India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon UK || The Book Depository || Wordery || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Lottie Pumpkin is an ordinary girl who longs to be a princess, attending Rosewood Hall on a scholarship.
Ellie Wolf is a princess who longs to be ordinary, attending Rosewood Hall to avoid her royal duties in the kingdom of Maradova.
When fate puts the two fourteen-year-olds in the same dorm, it seems like a natural solution to swap identities: after all, everyone mistakenly believes Lottie to be the princess anyway.
But someone's on to their secret, and at Rosewood nothing is ever as it seems...

Actual Rating 2.5 Stars.

Summarizing this book in one line, THIS BOOK COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.

When I was twelve, I discovered the Princess Diaries books for the first time and all I did since them was binge all ten of them and then READ THEM ALL OVER AGAIN. They were one of the first books that cemented my eternal love for young adult literature and the minute I read the description of Undercover Princess, I EXPECTED SOMETHING EXACTLY LIKE THE PRINCESS DIARIES, and I honestly did not get it.

MY THOUGHTS:

1.       For starters, this book was so immature - SO SO IMMATURE. I felt nothing for any of the characters, the spoiled princess, the girl who WANTED to be a princess so bad, their friends or the mystery – NOTHING.

2.       I think I didn’t care because DESPITE the fact that this book had a BRILLIANT PLOT and a storyline that COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT, the writing fell flat and everything was awkward and immature. Basically, this book DID NOT LIVE UP TO ITS OWN POTENTIAL, AND THAT’S THE WORST KIND OF SAD.

3.       There was so much that I could have fangirled over – an elite British prep school, an ACTUALL castle with a real PRINCESS, a bodyguard with a soft side, balls and everything else but this book DIDN’T USE ALL OF IT. Instead, this book was filled with vaguely threatening notes and a whiny “rebel” princess.

4.       ALSO, HOW IS A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD ALLOWED TO SIGN AWAY HER LIFE TO A ROYAL FAMILY WITH NO LEGAL REPRESENTATION/ ADULTS ON HER SIDE LIKE HER LEGAL GUARDIANS? It made absolutely no sense that a minor was allowed to sign a binding legal contract for LIFE.

5.       LET’S ALSO PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS COVER IS, BECAUSE IT IS. It’s a gorgeous water-coloured in princess head and I LOVE IT. Plus, my ARC cover has a secret embossing if you tilt it in the right way and it’s kind of beautiful.

6.       The Princess’s name is: Eleanor Wolfson. Her Undercover Name: Ellie Wolf. Name of person everyone assumes is the princess: Lottie Pumpkin. WHAT EVEN. WHAT USE IS BEING UNDERCOVER IF YOUR NAME IS GOING TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS YOUR REAL NAME? HOW DID PEOPLE EVEN ASSUME THAT SHE WASN’T THE PRINCESS? It’s like Supergirl taking her glasses off makes her a completely unrecognizable. Spoiler: IT DOESN’T.

7.       Honestly, I’m undecided about whether I’m going to be reading the second book. The Princess Diaries definitely improved along the way, and maybe The Rosewood Chronicles will too? I guess I’ll have to decide when the time comes.

A book that didn’t live up to its own potential. 2.5 Stars.

Connie Glynn is an English author and YouTuber. Her debut novel Undercover Princess,the first in The Rosewood Chronicles, was published in 2017. 

Glynn is also known for her YouTube videos on the channel Noodlerella. She provided the voice for the character Moxie Dewdrop in the UK cinema version of Dreamworks' Trolls.

What are some of your favourite books that include princesses?
What are some of the books that you were looking forward to reading, but then ended up disappointing you?

 

Maas' Best Work To Date // REVIEW: Tower Of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

Title: Tower Of Dawn (Throne Of Glass #6)
Author: Sarah J Maas
Publication Date: September 5th 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury India
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 6/7 of the Throne Of Glass Series
I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Flipkart || Snapdeal || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.
Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.
His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.
But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

In Short: I LOVED EACH AND EVERY SECOND OF THIS BOOK. It reminded me on the initial books in Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series that I fell madly in love with and I don’t know if I have the WORDS to describe what this book meant to me. It was perfect, filled with plot twists that BLEW MY MIND and then some and I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED (and nervous) for the finale that comes out this May.

I will admit that I wish this cover matched the white backgrounds of the rest of the series, but it doesn’t matter that much to me, because there was so much else to love about this book. Let’s break it down:

REASONS I LOVED THIS BOOK:

1.       THE PACE AND PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTERS: I went into this book a little sceptical. With the exception of two characters (okay, four, but you barely get to know the other two in The Assassins Blade) this book was about to introduce you to a whole new CONTINENT filled with characters and I was nervous that I wouldn’t care about them/ the book wouldn’t make me care about them. I was WRONG. Tower Of Dawn has this medium pace through the book as we are introduced to a whole new court, whole new families and so many new traditions.

I ADORED the world building that Sarah Maas did in Tower Of Dawn – it was brilliantly constructed and explained, rivalled only by her construction of the Night Court.

2.       YRENE TOWERS AND NESRYN FALIQ: If you think that Sarah J Maas can only have powerful assassins/ shape shifters/ fae as her main characters, think again. Both Yrene Towers with her healer magic and her strong sense of self and Nesryn Faliq with her unflinching loyalty and warrior spirit FLOORED me with their strength and courage and I can’t wait to see the both of them again.

3.       A WHOLE HORDE OF NEW PRINCES AND PRINCESSES: Of course Sarah Maas introduced a whole new slew of Princes and Princesses. I loved the cut throat world they lived in, and I ESPECIALLY fell in love with Prince Sartaq. I loved the part where Nesryn and he go to the Aerie, and meet his hearth family. He, and all the other Princes and Princesses, were so different from the ones I’ve been used to reading in Maas’ books and I LOVED IT.

4.       A KINGDOM I GENUINELY WANT TO LIVE IN: Seriously, you guys, Antica is the accepting, teaching and loving world all of us dream of living in where there is no discrimination, hate or abuse. It was this PERFECT kingdom and I sat around FANGIRLING OVER IT.

5.       SO SO MANY PLOT TWISTS: I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHAT THESE ARE, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY TWISTS THAT IMPACT THE WHOLE SERIES THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN COMING AND YOU WILL FREAK OUT WHEN YOU DO.

6.       THE LACK OF EXAGGERATION: One of my biggest problems with Empire Of Storms was the amount of repetitive praise that the characters gave the others as the POVs switched around. In their heads, of course, but after reading the same thing for over 600 pages, it got monotonous and boring.

Tower Of Dawn, however, was the EXACT OPPOSITE of Empire of Storms in this manner. Mass’ introduced up to all her new characters subtly but surely and let their actions speak for themselves. It showed me AMAZING growth in her writing and now I can’t wait for the finale.

7.       EVERYTHING ELSE - I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF THE TIME I SPENT READING THIS BOOK. It was one of Mass’ best works to date, and I was so sad when it got over.

I honestly cannot believe that we’ll all have the finale in our hands in just a few months because I AM NOT READY FOR THIS SERIES TO END.

A brilliant, perfect fantasy with unrivalled world building and character growth. 5 stars. 

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

 Have you read the Throne Of Glass series? What do you think of it? 

Do you like the Throne of Glass series better or the ACOTAR series better?

Have you dove into Tower Of Dawn yet? What do you think of the cover?

I'd love to chat with you guys!

Magic! Pirates! Fate! // REVIEW: Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser

Title: Song of the Current (Song of the Current #1) 
Author: Sarah Tolscer
Publication Date: July 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/2 of the Song of the Current Duology
I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Flipkart || Snapdeal || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Caroline Oresteia has always been destined for the river. Her father is a wherryman, as was her grandmother. All Caro needs is for the river god to whisper her name, and her fate is sealed. But at seventeen, Caro may be too late.
So when pirates burn ships and her father is arrested, Caro volunteers to transport a dangerous cargo in exchange for his release. Secretly, Caro hopes that by piloting her own wherry, the river god will finally speak her name.
But when the cargo becomes more than Caro expected, she finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies. With much more than her father’s life at stake, Caro must choose between the future she knows, and the one she never could have imagined

Before I begin my review, I had the opportunity to interview the LOVELY Sarah Tolcser on my Meet The Authors Feature, which you can read here. There's also an INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY you can enter!

Before I begin, can we PLEASE have some SERIOUS COVER APPRECIATION FOR THIS BOOK? I know we aren’t supposed to judge books by their covers, but honestly, if a book has a good cover, it makes me was to OWN AND READ it THAT MUCH MORE!

Saying this book looks beautiful is an understatement because the Cover Gods in the Shiny Book Tower have TRULY outdone themselves this time. Combine a beautiful book with a FEMALE PIRATE AND MAGIC and this was a book ALL OF MY BOOKDRAGON TINGLY SENSES WERE TELLING ME I HAD TO READ IT.

I buddy read this book with the lovely Anisha who blogs (tweets and bookstagrams over at Sprinkled Pages) but she was so much faster than me at reading it.

Let’s break this book down:

IDEA:

Female Pirates, Destiny, Magic, Gods and Empires in the balance? It was a no-brainer that I needed to read Song of the Current because EVERYTHING about it sounded so good. Moreover, I heard BRILLIANT things about this book before I began and it had me even more excited.

PLOT:

I’ll be honest, it took a while to get used to the world this was set in. As Anisha and I spoke about while we read the book:

a)      The world-building could have been better. We were thrown names of countries and cities, titles and sailing terms with little to no explanation which resulted in a LOT of flipping to the front where the map what and trying to figure out WHAT WAS GOING ON.

b)      A glossary for this book would HONESTLY have been much appreciated. It would have really helped in understanding everything.

Since the world building was a little rough, it took me a while to get used to the story. I hoped that Tarquin wouldn’t be the love interest and I hoped that the Black Dogs would be some serious opponents but I was slightly let down on both counts.

At the same time, there were also a lot of things I LOVED, including how Caro was the PERFECT BADA*S HEROINE. As she says, she isn’t someone waiting to be rescued like a princess in a tower and moved towards something better. (YES! A FIRST! GO SARAH TOLSCER!) She made decisions on her own and her parents respected them instead of trying to mould her to fit their expectations. (ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SARAH.)

Image created by Brittany's Book Rambles 

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED that ending. If I was unsure about the book for the first two thirds, the BRILLIANT ending made up for it. (No spoilers)

WRITING:

I’m mostly going to tie this to the world building that could’ve been better and hence by default, the writing could have been too. I loved how the concepts of the Gods and Destiny and Fate were written about, but I just wish the world building had been better.

CONCLUSION:

Be true to yourself, could you TRULY pass up a book with FEMALE PIRATES, MAGIC AND A SPECTACULAR COVER? Song of the Current is definitely worth your time, and your heart! 4 stars. 

 Sarah Tolcser lives in New Orleans, where she writes young adult fantasy and science fiction. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, she double majored in writing and philosophy. She enjoys video games, NBA basketball, and books about girls who blow stuff up. She is married, with three cats. The C in Tolcser is silent.

http://sarahtolcser.com

Twitter: @sarahtolcser

Instagram: @sarahtolcser

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Have you read Song of the Current yet? What did you think of it (AAND the cover)?

Who are some of your favourite pirates - female or male? Do you think we should have more books about Female pirates out there?

I can't wait to hear from y'all!