Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Name -The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author -V. E. Schwab

Pages -560

Publisher -Titan Books

Genre -Fantasy, Historical, Contemporary, Romance

Rating -4.5/5

ISBN -0765387565

Review no. -46

Synopsis-

When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there's always a price - the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone.

Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day.

Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him.

Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can't escape her fate forever.

Review -

This is the first V. E. Schwab book that I have ever read and honestly, it just blew me away! This book has a very unique, heart-breaking, unforgettable storyline. The writing is poetic, thought provoking and brilliant. I had to take a really long break after reading this because this book gave me a hangover kind of feeling and I was at a loss of words for describing this masterpiece (and also because I had exams upcoming as well).

The story is about a French countryside girl named Addie LaRue, who makes a deal with the devil to escape from her forced wedding. The devil grants her freedom and immortality but also gives her a curse. A curse to be forgotten by everybody the moment she is out of their eyesight. But after about 300 years of search , she finally meets Henry, an unremarkable boy working in a small second-hand bookstore, who remembers her. How and why he remembers her forms the later part of the story.

The starting part of the book was slow and a bit boring. But the story gains pace as we move on. The story takes places over two timelines: the past and the present. The past shows how and why Addie made a deal with the devil and how her relationship with him evolved over the past 300 years. The present timeline is about her encounter with Henry and his background story. I did like Henry but I still felt as if Henry and Addie's relationship was a bit forced (while I absolutely loved Addie and Luc's relationship). I wish there was more of development of their relationship.

The narration made me hooked on the characters (except the starting part). Some parts were so heartbreaking and I was able to feel strongly for the characters as they were very relatable (except Addie's immortality). The story conveys the power of art and the importance of mental health. And the ending just left me so mesmerized that I immediately gave this book five stars. Even though, there are some flaws as I had mentioned above, I was able to look past them at the masterpiece of a story (and it was totally worth it). In fact, I was able to identify the flaws only after scratching my head for almost a week (due to which I changed my rating to four).

Overall, I highly recommend this unforgettable, memorable novel. 

Thank you all!!!

It's been really long since I last posted a review, on my Blog or Goodreads. This was because I was preparing for my exams. Even though I did not post reviews, I was not able to stop myself from reading books. So, there are lots of books that I have read and need to review. Now that my exams have ended, I will continue reviewing books. I apologize for just vanishing for the past six months and I sincerely thank those who have been visiting my blog all these days and have been following me. I also thank feedspot for ignoring my terrible punctuality and giving my blog 78th rank in the Top 100 Book Review Blogs list!

Review: Flyaway

Name -Flyaway

Pages -176

Author -Kathleen Jennings

Publisher -Macmillan/Tor-Forge

Genre -Gothic Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Literary Fiction

Rating -5/5

ISBN -9781250260499

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -45

Synopsis -

In a small Western Queensland town, a reserved young woman receives a note from one of her vanished brothers—a note that makes question her memories of their disappearance and her father’s departure.

A beguiling story that proves that gothic delights and uncanny family horror can live—and even thrive—under a burning sun, Flyaway introduces readers to Bettina Scott, whose search for the truth throws her into tales of eerie dogs, vanished schools, cursed monsters, and enchanted bottles.

In these pages Jennings assures you that gothic delights, uncanny family horror, and strange, unsettling prose can live—and even thrive—under a burning sun.

Review -

First of all, the creepy cover design is awesome! Beautiful yet uncanny just like the story in this novella.

The novella follows Bettina (Tina) Scott, a nineteen year old woman who lives with her conservative, prim and manipulative mother. Three years after the inexplicable disappearance of her father and brothers, when she receives a note with 'YOU COWARD, TINK' sprawled on it, she sets on finding her long-lost-thought-to-be-dead brothers and to fill the gaping holes in her memory with the help of her two childhood friends, Gary and Patricia.

I don't actually have enough words to describe the writing 'cause it completely blew me away! The novel is set in fictional district called Inglewell and the atmosphere is just alluringly eerie, frightening beautiful and perfect (I am falling in short of words again). I loved the way in which urban legends where interwoven with the pasts of almost each and every character. I gradually got immersed into the novella and was completely astounded by the revelation at the end. The start was a bit confusing but I guess it was deliberately done to give the reader mystery chills.

I feel that 'Flyaway' is a kind of novella that the reader would completely love or completely hate. I, fortunately, just loved the book. But I do totally recommend this novella because it's completely worth taking the risk and Kathleen Jennings is definitely an author to look out for.

I thank NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for giving me this wonderful opportunity to review this book by providing e-arc. All opinion are my own.

Review: The Princess Will Save You

Name -The Princess Will Save You

Pages -368

Author -Sarah Henning

Series -Kingdoms of Sand and Sky

Publisher -Macmillan/ Tor-Forge

Genre -High Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Adventure

Rating -3.5/5

ISBN -9781250237422

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -44

Synopsis -

The Princess Will Save You is a YA fantasy adventure inspired by The Princess Bride, in which a princess must rescue her stable boy true love, from the acclaimed author of Sea Witch, Sarah Henning.

When a princess’s commoner true love is kidnapped to coerce her into a political marriage, she doesn’t give in—she goes to rescue him.

When her warrior father, King Sendoa, mysteriously dies, Princess Amarande of Ardenia is given what would hardly be considered a choice: Marry a stranger at sixteen or lose control of her family’s crown.

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior—not a sacrifice.

In an attempt to force her choice, a neighboring kingdom kidnaps her true love, stable boy Luca. With her kingdom on the brink of civil war and no one to trust, she’ll need all her skill to save him, her future, and her kingdom.

Review -

What attracted me to request this book was the cover (which, I later learned, was done by Charlie Bowater). It is so gorgeous!!! I totally ignored the quote 'Don't judge a book by its cover' when I requested this book.'The Princess Will Save You' is the first book of the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky Duology and the next book is planned to be released on 6th July 2021.

The main protagonist of the story is Princess Amarande. Her world begins to fall apart when her father, Warrior King Sendoa dies in an inexplicable way. Heirs and rulers of the neighbouring kingdoms flock to Itspi to ask for Princess Amarande's hand in marriage, each with a cunning ambition of their own. And the princess has no other choice than to accept one of the proposals in order to secure her rightful throne. But after a powerful speech that she delivers at her father's funeral, her true love, Luca gets kidnapped to force Amarande's hand into a marriage. The strong-willed princess then embarks on a journey through the scorching desert of Torrent with the goal to save three things: her love, her kingdom and ultimately, her life.

I haven't read or seen 'The Princess Bride' so I honestly don't know how this book is a retelling of that. The plot is fast-paced, filled with adventure, politics and betrayal. I loved Princess Amarande's character. Unlike most of the royal people in books, she speaks from her heart. And the book ends with a cliffhanger so I am eagerly waiting for the next book. I also loved how almost every character had a plan of his/her own.

Although there are many twists and turns, I was able to predict most of them because of the raw hints here and there. I wish there was more of Amarande and Luca before Luca was kidnapped because honestly, I don't know how this pair of best friends became lovers all of a sudden. So I felt like the romance was bland and their relationship was somewhat forced and flat. If you are planning to read this book, I recommend you to go in with an open mind, not expecting anything after reading the blurb or seeing the cover.

I recommend this book to people who like high fantasy especially those books with a tinge of politics in it. I thank NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for providing an e-arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Review: Drowned Country

Name -Drowned Country

Pages -176

Author -Emily Tesh

Publisher -Macmillan/Tor-Forge

Genre -High Fantasy, Gothic fiction, LGBTQ

Rating -4.5/5

ISBN -9781250756602

Review no. -43

Synopsis -

Drowned Country is the stunning sequel to Silver in the Wood, Emily Tesh's lush, folkloric debut. This second volume of the Greenhollow duology once again invites readers to lose themselves in the story of Henry and Tobias, and the magic of a myth they’ve always known.

Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea—a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him.  

Review -

'Drowned Country' is the sequel of  'Silver in the Wood' and the second and final book in the Greenhollow Duology. The previous book had seriously blown me away and I was kinda reluctant to even start this book because I knew it would be a powerful read (the first book gave that away). Like the first book, I didn't have words to review this one and I took a break from book reviewing for a whole month just to get past the dreams and illusions and the spells that Emily Tesh had cast upon me. I never thought that a duology of 100+ pages novella could do this to me!

The 'Drowned Country' takes up months after 'Silver in the Wood' ended, and unlike the previous novella, we follow Henry Silver in this one. Henry, the new face of the Greenhollow wood, is in depression, sulking and moping, after the dissolution of his relationship with Tobias. Until, his mother, Adela Silver comes to the rescue and gets him to help her investigate on the paranormal case of the disappearance of a young woman named Maud Lindhurst. And the hard part is not the investigation itself, but it was the fact that it meant working with Tobias Finch, who is acting as stoic as ever. And that's were the awkwardness starts. 

The setting is mystical and eerie. It takes a while to fit in pace with the story. Even though I keep comparing this book to the previous one, I feel that both were drastically different. This is more fast-paced, action-packed and has more romance than the first one. We also get to know more about Henry Silver in this one.

Overall, I feel that this book is the perfect end to the duology. I had my hopes really up after finished 'Silver in the Wood' and I was not at all disappointed on reading this. I highly recommend this duology to all the fantasy fans and I am pretty confident that Emily Tesh is an author to look out for in the future.

Review: Silver in the Wood

Name -Silver in the Wood

Pages -112

Author -Emily Tesh

Publisher -Macmillan/Tor-Forge

Genre -High Fantasy, Gothic fiction, LGBTQ

Rating -4/5

ISBN -9781250756602

Review no. -42

Synopsis -

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

Review -

It has been almost a week since I finished reading this book and it took me so long to write a review because I seriously don't have words to describe this book even now. I am still not able to believe the dept and richness of this 112 page novella!

Silver in the Wood is a lyrical retelling of the Green-man myth. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and attractive and suit the plot of the novella perfectly. The writing is utterly magically and the words are weaved together in a manner that transports the reader to the lush forest of Greenhollow (or Green Hallow, to be precise). The plot was pretty fast-paced but still I was able picturize everything perfectly.

The story follows Tobias Finch, as the newly acquired owner of the Greenhollow hall, Henry Silver, stumbles upon his neat little cottage in the wood. Henry Silver is a bright, young scholar and budding folklorist, filled with curiosity about the mysterious Greenhollow wood.

I just loved Adela Silver's stubborn, reckless and fiery character. I also felt that the relationship between Tobias and Henry Silver was underdeveloped. I am still confused about the biggest revelation in this novella. That whole scene of rebirth was a bit hazy and I wish that particular element was a bit more developed.

Overall, this novella gave me strong flashbacks to when I read Hobbit (although no one is a hobbit or elf or dwarf or dragon in this one). I highly recommend this novella for fans of folklore and fairy-tales.

Review: Madhuleena

Name -Madhuleena

Author -Dr. Govind Sharma IAS(Retd.)

Pages -144

Publisher -Notion Press

Genre -Crime Fiction, Contemporary romance

Rating -5/5

Review no. -41

Synopsis -

Set in the fictional town of Rajapur, this is a unique unputdownable read.
The more desperate the situation in life, the more one wants an escape into fantasy. Call it a desire of the moth for the star, or the longing of a tormented soul for the drop of honey. Aakash, a bank theft accused, is so smitten by the ravishing beauty of Madhuleena that he forgets that he has to run away from the law. Meanwhile, the police officials get over-worked investigating the complaints that some rich and influential persons are honey-trapped by young and ambitious girls.

Review -

'Madhuleena' is a fast-paced, gripping tale of love, drama, crime and betrayal, set in the fictional town of Rajapur in which two stories run parallel to each other. The first story is of Akash who has been wrongly accused of stealing an humongous sum of money and is on the run to evade the police. Akash has a troubled past in which he used to be a petty criminal. One day, he meets Madhuleena and is immediately smitten by her breathtaking beauty which sets him on a completely different track.

The other story is of Dr. Chawla who was honey-trapped by a girl named Sonali and had to endure three months of jail even after paying her a hefty sum of one crore rupees. These two stories are connected and how they are connected forms the rest of the story.

The plot mainly revolves around the term -"honey-trap". The language is lucid and the plot is realistic despite its unique theme. The unravels in a simple yet elegant manner and is full of unexpected twists & turns and some deep messages too. I especially fell in love with the climax as it was totally unexpected and surprising. I also liked the brother-sister relationship between Akash and Mithi and how Akash at one point of time, had to choose between sister's future and his pure love for Madhuleena.

I highly recommend this novel, especially for fans of contemporary romance. I thank Govind Sharma sir for giving me this amazing opportunity to read and review this spectacular novel. All opinions are my own.

Click here to buy the book from Amazon.

Click here to buy the book from Flipkart.

Click here to buy the book from Notion Press.

Review: The Silver Arrow

Name -The Silver Arrow

Duration -3 hrs 51 mins

Author -Lev Grossman

Narrated by -Simon Vance

Publisher -Hachette Audio

Genre -Children's Fiction, Fantasy

Rating -4.5/5

ISBN -9781549158506

Source -NetGalley

Review no. -40

Synopsis -

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Magicians comes a must-listen, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.

Dear Uncle Herbert,

You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present?

Kate and her younger brother, Tom, lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane - that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow. 

Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas - and so does the Silver Arrow - and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime...and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all. 

This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young listeners, but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.

Review -

The Silver Arrow is a fun, exhilarating, fast-paced, magical tale narrated wonderfully by Simon Vance. The story follows Kate, who on her eleventh birthday receives a life-sized steam engine named 'The Silver Arrow' as a birthday gift from a crazy rich uncle she barely knows. Soon, Kate and her annoying brother Tom find themselves in a mind-blowing adventure aboard the Silver Arrow with walking-talking animals to keep them company. And on their way, Kate and Tom uncover some bitter truths about life as well.

The narration was gripping and wonderful, especially the 'Click, BING' part which denotes that the train is communicating with Kate and Tom. I used to hate audiobooks. I tried listening to one about a year ago and I had a really bitter experience. But now I feel that they are not so bad after all  (in fact I felt really satisfied with this one) and I have decided to give it another try.

The writing was lucid but also elegant and eye-opening. There is this scene in particular, which was exceptionally well written- in which Kate and the others magically transform into trees. This book would be fabulous for children because its easy-understandable and teaches them certain values such as being responsible and how to get past the sibling-rivalry. I also love the way that the author introduces the reader (or listener) to bitter and sad facts such as climate change/global warming, deforestation, endangering animals and extinction of certain species, change in migration patterns etc., thus inspiring the reader/listener to do something about it.

I highly recommend this book not only for children but for everybody in general because this is the kind of story in which you could get lost but at the end, you would come out with a better understanding of the world around you.

I thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for giving me this wonderful opportunity to review this book.

Guest Post: Review: The Elementalists

Name - The Elementalists

Author - Chelsa Lauderdale

Publisher – Choices: Stories You Play (Mobile App)

Genre - YA Fantasy

Rating - 5/5

 

In the world of interactive stories that you can enjoy on your smartphone/tablet, ‘The Elementalists’ is probably the best book I have experienced so far. If you are a diehard Harry Potter fan like me, you will surely relish the opportunity to virtually position yourself in the shoes of someone with magical powers. The best thing is that the main character can be a boy or girl, so everyone can indulge in this fantastical tale. You can customize your character physically and even shape their personality with the choices you make as the story proceeds. You get a twin sibling and a bunch of amazing friends on this magical journey. You shall use your powers to vanquish foes, save the world from evil forces, heal personal injuries, spread sunshine, and occasionally for some worldly gains.

 

You are not a witch or wizard in this book. The writer, Chelsa Lauderdale, pens the term ‘Attuned’ for the humans with supernatural capabilities. Every attuned has an ‘attunement’, which is basically the source of their powers. Attunement is linked to different elements around us, namely, Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Wood, Metal, Sun, Moon, and Blood. Sun, Moon, and Blood are the most influential attunements, and playing the lead role you may expect to channel at least one of them. You and your twin were separated at birth, and raised by different foster parents. At the beginning of the story, you know nothing about your real parents, your twin sibling, or the magic within you. You are living the life of an average young adult who just started college.

 

Somehow, you do feel like a misfit and then one day you are abruptly teleported to ‘Penderghast’ i.e. the college for Attuned. At first, you are confused, but later you realize that this was where you were meant to be. Your first interaction at Penderghast is with a guy named Griffin, who is warm and welcoming. He shows you around after introducing you to the alien setting. You also encounter the uptight and snobbish ‘Beckett’, who later becomes part of your clique; he will tend to bring out your competitive side. If you play as a girl, your roommate will be ‘Miss Shreya’, who is among the elite of the Attuned world; she will also repeatedly attempt to become your personal stylist. Then there’s the fun-loving Zeph, the kind hearted Aster, and your rebellious twin, named Atlas. As in other interactive stories of ‘Choices’ you can choose to romance any of your friends, except Zeph who is asexual. On the contrary, you can keep it friendly, or hit it off with all of them if that’s your style.

 

Throughout the chapters, you will be learning different spells; the more spells you know, the better you are prepared to perform in battle and defend yourself during confrontations with the antagonists. The elementalists harness their powers through their mind and soul, i.e. wands are not a fad. You can also select a magical pet, referred to as a ‘Familiar’ who will protect you in dire situations. The choices for a pet include three creatures, resembling a puppy, seahorse, and a toad. Your familiar is useful for ‘companion magic’, and their powers grow alongside yours. Apart from that, you can savor several enchanted college experiences, which are bound to make you smile. I won’t reveal further details, because it will definitely spoil the suspense.

 

Choices has released two books in The Elementalists series to date, and there’s also an additional mini book celebrating the Attuned winter holiday. Hopefully, there will be a third book, but you can make some great memories with the former till then.

 

Author Bio

John Adams loves travelling, reading, and writing. He encourages his readers to improve their quality of life by incorporating positive thoughts and actions. Blogging about personal opinions and life experiences makes him happy, and he is always open to constructive criticism.

Tor Teen's #OwnYourMagic Phone Wallpapers

Tor Teen made a wonderful announcement on Instagram yesterday that they have released wallpaper's inspired from their six new fantasies for the Own Your Magic celebrations. Click here to visit tor teen website and download the amazing wallpapers. I personally downloaded these four:

I had previously reviewed 'A Song Below Water' back in April and I absolutely adored that book Click here to read my review of 'A Song Below Water'.

I also downloaded wallpapers of 'The Princess Will Save You' and 'The Extraordinaries' because they are next up in my TBR.