Book Reviews

I was thrilled to get a message from the Chicken House teams giving me a free ARC of The Swarm by Anna February.

I was fortunate enough to get an uncorrected proof of The Hive, Anna’s previous book, and review it. So I was keen to get straight in to the sequel.

I tore through The Swarm in just a few days. The book sees Niko and Feldspar head off in a mission to a nearby colony – but that mission soon goes very wrong…

This book switched to Niko’s point of view, which took me a little while to get used to. I liked him as a mysterious figure and to access his inner monologue stripped him of some of the intrigue but it also gave us a chance to see the first book’s protagonist, Feldspar, from a new angle.

I found the twists easier to predict than the first book. This probably isn’t a reflection of the book, but I am serial predicter of twists – which was in no small part why I loved the first book so much. It really kept me guessing until the end.

Both both books are very intelligently written and thoughtful without ever feeling preachy. In their own way, they wryly comment on today’s political and social landscape.

I only hope there will be a third!

10/10

Thank you so much to MTMC Tours and Amy Woodruff for an ARC of this amazing book. My views are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Of Kingdoms And Curses is a YA fantasy novel and the first in the Blood And Curses series.

Bridget is trapped in a magical realm and has no memory of her human existence. When she enters a tournament to marry the Prince, she hopes she can use this to get back to the human world – and remember who she is.

What I loved…

The characters. Every one was multi-faceted and had their own agenda. From the ones I liked to the ones I hated, they were all beautifully portrayed.

The plot. This is a phenomenal plot that unfolds beautifully.

The love story. Amy has done a fabulous job at creating a deep and touching love story (and I am a self-professed cynic.) I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

What I didn’t love so much…

While I love the way the book got straight into the action, I feel a little bit of world building at the start would have been good to set the scene. There’s a tiny bit of an info-dump in the early chapters that I think could have read more engagingly if they had been woven through at a slower pace. That being said, it didn’t put me off the book and it wasn’t hard-going to get through the early chapters.

Of Kingdoms And Curses has left me itching for more and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. It has easily earned a full ten out of ten from me.

10/10

WARNING: SPOILERS

I didn’t expect to get my hands on the final installment in the Foiled Stars trilogy until it came out – so imagine how thrilled I was when Stag Beetle Books sent me an eARC of The Lost Empress by Jennifer Ascienzo.

I read and reviewed ARCs of both the first and second in the series, so I was itching to see if the third one answered all my questions and wrapped the trilogy up in a satisfying way.

The Lost Empress kicks off with Autumn abducted by a cruel alien and Dante in deep trouble with the Grand Supreme. And those in trouble with the Grand Supreme don’t usually live for very long…

What I loved…

The action. Jennifer did a great job keeping the tension amped up, especially during the early part of the story where Autumn and Armienti are trapped on a frozen planet. When the main character is wandering around an ice world, there’s a danger that the storyline can become quite monotonous (ice, ice, ice, danger, near-death, eventual rescue). However, Jennifer keeps the story tense.

Character development. In this final book, we really see Autumn’s shift from innocent young girl to grown woman. It’s bittersweet but satisfying to watch her make decisions as an empress. We see her learn that tough choices have to be made for the greater good and it’s a sad but necessary fact.

Mr Hiss. Autumn’s pet once again has a starring role and, if you’re like me and hate books where the animals get hurt, I am delighted to report nothing bad happens to Mr Hiss.

The twists. An unexpected reveal regarding Maeve really kept me on my toes and shocked me.

What I didn’t love so much…

I am being ultra-picky with this one! The phrase “the hairs on the back of his/her neck stood at perfect attention” is repeated multiple times throughout the book. I feel variations on that theme would have added variety.

The traitor. The main villain, an alien called Izzo, said that there was a traitor in Dante and Autumn’s palace – but their identity was never revealed. I’m going to re-read again and see if I just completely missed it (not being terribly good at getting subtle hints.) However… I am wondering if this does leave room for another installment in the series – perhaps a sequel?

All in all, even though I do have a few unanswered questions, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The action and drama was realistic and enjoyable. I particularly love Jennifer’s writing style, which consists of very short chapters. This makes it perfect for reading quickly on the train to work or during a lunch break – and you make progress through the book without realising how far you’ve come.

Thank you very much, Stag Beetle Books, for the eARC. The Lost Empress is out on September 22 and you can keep up with the latest news on Jennifer’s Instagram.

When you finish an amazing book, your first instinct (after you’ve sat catatonically for twenty minutes processing) may be to tell a friend.

With the advent of social media, telling a friend has become much easier. In fact, if you leave a book review, you can tell everyone. But why should you? What should you write? Where should you leave a review?

Why book reviews matter

Book reviews are extremely important in helping a manuscript gain traction and raise awareness. After a certain amount of reviews on Amazon, the company will start to promote the book – something that can dramatically help increase sales.

As a newly-published author, I find reviews are a great way to help me hone my craft. With every book I write, I want to make it the best I can – and reviews are extremely helpful in helping me see where I need to improve.

But book reviews aren’t just for helping authors make more money and get better at writing. They’re a great way for you as the reader to connect with other, like-minded folk out there. The online communities of Bookstagram and Booktok are full of people who have made strong friendships because of their shared love for reading. Book reviews can help you pick your next read, bond over a shared favourite book and keep up to date with the latest news in the book world.

What if you don’t like the book? Should you still leave a review?

You’ll get different opinions on this – so here’s mine. I’ll caveat it by saying I prefer the brutal, blunt truth in general life and I like to believe that years of working elsewhere in the writing industry has helped me develop quite a thick skin.

Yes. You should. If you hate my work, I’d rather you told me.

Other writers may not necessarily feel the same and I can’t speak for them. But I’m interested in everyone’s opinions – good and bad.

Where should you leave a review?

During my research for this blog, I’ve come to the conclusion that Amazon is a phenomenally important place to leave reviews. However, there are many places you can share your thoughts – and authors greatly appreciate the time you spend doing so.

For example, you can share your opinion on my debut novel, Venom and Blaze, here:

• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Storygraph
• on your own channels, such as your blog, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Facebook and beyond.

The beauty of all those platforms is you can leave a review in a way that suits you. If you prefer to talk about the book, you can record a video or a reel for TikTok and Instagram. I prefer to write a review, so I like to post them on Instagram and my blog. It’s entirely up to you.

What should you say?

I like to write a brief synopsis of the story itself to kick the review off. While the synopsis may be readily available when you review on Amazon or Goodreads, it won’t be visible if you post on your social media. So giving your review readers a flavour of what the book is about, before you start delving deeper into it, just makes sense to me.

I like to lead with what I liked about the book, trying to be specific and clear. I then follow up with anything I didn’t like as much, explaining why I didn’t like it and indicating if these areas are simply just personal preference. For example, if the book is well-written but contains the death of a cat or dog, I wouldn’t want to read about this and it would go down as something I don’t like – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a carefully crafted book.

How can you get ARCs to read and review?

Reviewing ARCs is incredibly rewarding. There’s the excitement of reading something brand new – and the joy of knowing an author is going to really appreciate the review you come up with.

You can source ARCs by joining a Street Team, either with the publisher (which enables you to access a range of ARCs by different authors) or with the author themselves. You can also get ARCs through dedicated platforms that distribute these. My tip would be to make sure you don’t collect more than you can reasonably read and review, especially if some of them have tight deadlines.

Lastly, a big thank you!

Some people have already left reviews for Venom and Blaze and this is greatly appreciated! I know it can be time-consuming, collating your thoughts and putting them out there online, but as an independent author, I value it greatly.

Happy reviewing!

10/10

WARNING: SPOILERS

In The Days Before by Renée Shantel is now available for pre-order.

Unputdownable is not a word I use lightly. But I’m using it for this book. The book tells the story of Audrey, an earnest, wholesome girl who makes videos about missing people. When her best friend goes missing and she becomes a suspect, her work suddenly takes on even greater importance.

What I loved…

What makes In The Days Before shine is its pitch-perfect descriptions. Renée is gifted at creating a vivid picture in just a few words. I very rarely highlight in my Kindle, and yet I’ve highlighted hundreds of her amazing descriptions simply because they’re brilliant and I want to read them again. I also particularly loved the description of the formal dance, where Audrey expected a movie-esque scenario and it turned out to be much more low-budget. It’s clear the author has a brilliant sense of humour, since I found myself laughing quite a few times.

The characters. There’s a cast of great characters, each really well developed. Audrey’s motivation for creating these videos is fleshed out nicely, without turning into a cliché. The author has done a brilliant job at balancing this.

The twists. I like to think I’m fairly good at figuring out mysteries, but I only saw the truth right at the very end… The plot. I love twisty mysteries and this did a great job at keeping me hooked all the way through. I was torn between wanting to race through the book and also not wanting it to end!

What I didn’t love so much…

Absolutely nothing. If I could give more than five stars, I would. Do yourself a favour and pre-order it now.

The fact that there’s no sequel out yet. (Seriously, I think there’s scope for another book. I’d absolutely love to see Audrey solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance. And maybe Matt could move closer to hers so he ends up going to her school, as I really liked him as a character and it would be great to see their relationship play out.)

I received this book as an ARC and this review is my own, honest opinion. Thank you so much for the ARC copy, Renée.

10/10

WARNING: SPOILERS

I received an ARC of The Midnight Prince by Jennifer Ascienzo and this review contains my honest thoughts.

The Midnight Prince continues where Foiled Stars left off in a seamless follow up. Autumn has been taken away from Earth and forced to marry Dante, who is one of those blundering good guys that you feel incredible empathy for in spite of all his misguided actions. Autumn, for the majority of the book, doesn’t share such empathy for Dante and wants nothing more than to escape and go back home.

What I loved…

The storyline is exciting and gripping, with a cast of colourful characters and sub plots. The author does a particularly excellent job at creating villains – few people can so masterfully portray vile villains the way Jennifer Ascienzo does. Dante’s father in particular is especially heinous.

The descriptions. I can truly visualise the alien planets and lifestyles. From their currency to their architecture, the author has given careful thought to what alien culture might be like and describing it in such a way that I can imagine it perfectly.

The short chapters. I love the fact you can pick up one of the author’s books and tear through it so quickly. Not only are her stories eminently readable, but every piece of the action is divided into bite-size chunks so you can easily read through it in your lunch break or waiting for the kettle to boil.

Autumn’s new pet!! I want a ling.

What I didn’t love so much…

I’m being very harsh here but Dante’s dialogue was originally very formal, which set him apart from the way Autumn and her contemporaries spoke. This may be a deliberate choice on the part of the author, but the way Dante speaks has become much more human. Perhaps this symbolises Autumn’s influence on him, but I miss the way he used to speak. And this isn’t really something not to love – more just something I picked up on.

Overall, the book has earned a five star rating from me and I can’t wait for the final installment in the trilogy.

Thank you so much, Jennifer, for the ARC – I thoroughly enjoyed your latest novel!

Please note: do check the trigger warnings before you pick up this book.

9/10

WARNING: SPOILERS

I received a review copy from Stag Beetle Books as part of their Street Team.

Foiled Stars was one of those books that I never wanted to finish. I enjoyed it so much and ended up tearing through it.

Whilst it’s quite a long book, the short chapters divide it into bite-sized pieces so I progressed through it very fast.

I received this book as part of the Stag Beetle Books Street Team and this review forms my own unbiased thoughts and opinions.

I initially selected this book to review as the next in the series is due out in July and I thought I’d read this one first. The title and cover image caught my attention.

Foiled Stars is the first in a trilogy about an alien called Dante, who is on a mission to conquer Earth, and Autumn, a human girl with whom he falls in love.

What I loved…

The characters. Dante is flawed enough to be realistic but not enough to hate him. In fact (not sure what this says about me) but I found him quite likeable!!

The storyline. There’s a great mix of action and adventure.

The villains. From snotty girls at school to universe-destroying aliens, the author does a great job at depicting villains.

The descriptions. The author is skilled at painting word pictures so you can see and feel everything that goes on. Autumn’s work as a waitress, her ill-fated venture to a party, Earth through an alien’s eyes – it’s all beautifully done.

What I didn’t love so much…

Literally every guy who meets Autumn falls for her. She has four men (well, technically two aliens and two humans) who want to go out with her. This seems a bit unrealistic.

The ending. The ending felt a little abrupt – so much so that I was trying to turn the page without realising I’d got to the end of the book. It also didn’t end particularly happily but as it’s a trilogy I’m hoping the action will pick up where the first book left off.

I’ll definitely be picking up the next one. I can’t wait to explore more of Dante’s home planet and there are some unresolved questions in the first book (like who killed Autumn’s Mum and what was Maeve like?) that I hope will be answered in the trilogy.

Conclusion: I absolutely loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️