Demon Hunters: Trinity - Review

Demon Hunters: Trinity - Demon Hunters #1 by Olivia Chase

What they say: On her 16th birthday, self-reliant Diana is dragged from London to Edinburgh. Her occult-obsessed father is investigating a spooky murder in the city. She is used to trailing in his wake, but this time things are different. An encounter with an enigmatic young man, a disturbing message left in her bedroom . . . and her dad taken hostage by a demon. To top it all, her two new friends inform her she's a Demon Hunter. 

Can life get any weirder? Will Diana rescue her dad, learn how to defeat enemies she never knew she had, and come to terms with her new destiny? 

Turning sixteen just turned deadly.

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UK * US



I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange fro an honest review!

What I say: The best way for me to describe the book is as a kind of Supernatural, Buffy & Charmed mash up with a quirky mythological YA paranormal fantasy twist. Yep sorry that doesn't really help.
I have to admit I was expecting to find Diana annoying, and although I did experience a few eye-rolling moments, I liked her. I found how she went from smiling at a cute boy, to fighting against evil, and then back again all without getting whiplash highly amusing - which often annoys me in books.   

The pacing of the story is pretty speedy - We meet Diana as she's travelling to her new home in Edinburgh, then not long afterwards the big bad has appeared. With a Dad who reminded me of Giles from Buffy, she adapts pretty well to the sudden turn of events and drama.

At first I wasn't 100% sure what to make of Minerva and Vesta, but they definitely grew on me. I really liked the sweet bond between the girls. The same goes for Sebastian who I really didn't like at first, but he won me over. Alex was definitely a conundrum (don't worry no spoilers) and I have high hopes for what happens next.

The classics geek in me loved the history behind their names,  plus the utilisation of well known myths alongside local legends. Come on what happens next...?
4 Stars in my Sky!

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Waiting on Wednesday: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany

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What they say: Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016 
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.

July 31st 2016 by Little Brown UK

Buy links:
UK * US

Book & Author links:

Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Pottermore

Why I'm waiting...

1. Er hello! It's Harry Potter!!
2. JKR is the Queen!!
3. I cannot wait to get more info on Albus Severus and the younger generation!

The King Slayer - Review

The King Slayer - The Witch Hunter #2 by Virginia Boecker

“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He’s readying for a war against those who would resist his rule—namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth’s strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she’ll go to save those she loves.
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UK * US

I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!
What I say: I reread book one The Witch Hunter before starting The King Slayer because I wanted to make sure I had all the plot points fixed firmly in my mind - this is a connected duology/series and not a standalone. 

The best way I can describe the books is as a YA historical fantasy set in a kind of fictional London. Elizabeth is a former witch hunter who now works to fight the tyranny of her former boss aka Blackwell the usurper (that sounds all very Game of Thrones). 

I loved Elizabeth in the first book so I had high expectations for her and the story. Did it live up to these expectations and match up to the previous instalment? Yes, mostly. Elizabeth is a very different person to the girl we first met, and for the most part this is a good development, but I did get a little annoyed with certain aspects of her journey aka how she was with John.

I'm a big John fan and was more than a little concerned we may suddenly been drawn into ex-girlfriend issues. Apart from a few petulant moments, and to be honest I totally understood why he was so annoyed by Elizabeth at times, he was still the loveable yet bad ass healer I loved.

It was interesting to see more of the secondary characters and I'd love to read more about Malcolm. I loathed him before and am now hugely conflicted about hi. His biggest flaw seemed to be ignorance when it came to Elizabeth and the position he put her in.

I enjoyed the story and big revelations. I'm convinced there's more to come in Boecker's world...

4 Stars in my Sky!

My Favourite Manson Girl - Review

My Favourite Manson Girl by Alison Umminger

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Previously released in the US as American Girls

Anna has had a miserable year. Everything feels wrong with her life. And rather than stay and face the mess, she steals a credit card and books herself a seat on the first flight out of town to Los Angeles, to crash with her sister. But soon after she lands, cold reality soon dawns on her: Hollywood isn't the escape she needs. She is trapped in a town full of lost souls and wannabes, with no friends, no cash and no return ticket.

When she's offered a job researching the murderous Manson girls for a dubious film, she reluctantly accepts - she needs the money. But soon enough, among the fake smiles and glitter-fuelled parties, things turn from strange, to dark, to dangerous . . .

This is not going to be the summer Anna had in mind.

Buy links: US * UK


I received a copy from the UK publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I Say: I hadn't really given much thought to the girls who carried out such awful deeds with and for Charles Manson until now, but Alison Umminger address the issue and made me take note. She poses the question of how these girls came to be with Manson and looks at the parallels between them and main character Anna.
In a time where most teens would be looking forward to a fun summer at home, Anna's life has been pretty dramatic and unsettling. She flees home and runs away to LA to stay with her equally troubled older sister Delia. A condition of Anna staying with Delia is that she gets a job for the summer to pay her way. She finds herself thrown headfirst into the Hollywood scene. Anna accompanies Delia to acting jobs and assisting with researching the lives of the Manson girls.

I didn't particularly like Anna, but to be honest I'm not entirely sure we're meant to. Apart from getting annoyed at her sometimes childish POV, this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story, and to be honest this was mainly to do with her age. Anna's research really did make me think about how these young women went from normal girls to violent murderers.

I loved the story within a story aspect - Not only do we see a character in a story about the Manson girls researching the Manson girls, but we're also treated to another form of mise en abyme with the children's TV show several of the characters work on. This also provided another way to examine the pitfalls of fame and address how young people can be corrupted.

I enjoyed this coming of age story and am now off to catch up on episodes of Aquarius!

4 Stars in my Sky!

The Secret Fire - Review

The Secret Fire - The Alchemist Chronicles #1 by C.J. Daugherty & Carina Rozenfeld

What they say: A battle against fate. A race against time.

Taylor Montclair is a regular girl from the quiet backwater of Woodbury, England.

Sacha Winters is a darkly mysterious boy from the City of Lights - Paris, France.

While Taylor's focused on her dream of attending Oxford University, school couldn't be further from Sacha's mind . . .

Sacha knows exactly when he's going to die. Because he's done it before.

On the appointed day, Sacha's time will run out. And his death will fulfil an ancient destiny that could unleash chaos and catastrophe.

Taylor is the only person who can save him. 

Neither of them knows that yet.

Because they haven't even met.

Hundreds of miles and a body of water separate them.

Deadly forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

They have eight weeks to find each other and unravel an ancient web of mystery and danger.

The clock starts NOW.

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Publishing 10th Sept by Little, Brown Books UK/Atom - ISBN: 9780349002194
Pre-order: Amazon * Amazon UK

I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: This new YA series is co-written by CJ Daugherty and Carina Rozenfeld. I often find books written by more than one author disjointed and unbalanced, but this wasn't the case with The Secret Fire. The book is told in dual POV, switching between English girl, Taylor, and Parisian teen, Sacha.
Sacha is living with a secret - he cannot die until the predestined time. Unfortunately his time is running out. Taylor finds herself saddled with a French boy to tutor, but this boy has more important things to worry about other than learning English (which he's already pretty fluent in). Taylor may be the only one who can save Sacha from his unfortunate fate. 
I liked Sacha because he's snarky, fun and daring, but also vulnerable and caring. He'll do anything to save his family and cannot believe the instant connection he feels with Taylor. Taylor's life is scheduled, predictable and controlled. Her world is thrown into turmoil when she discovers her family have plenty of secrets of their own. 
I liked both POV's and found myself quickly engrossed in their story. I had initial doubts over the speed of events, but as the narrative developed, the fast pacing made more and more sense within the story.

I also appreciated that although the book does include a love story element, it's more about friendship and finding answers. BUT I'd like to see the romance develop more throughout the series... I would like a bit more info about the secondary characters in the next instalment.

The book features lots of tension and drama so be prepared for action. There are several unexpected twists and turns and I bit of a cliffy (don't worry no spoilers). The Secret Fire is a fab start to a new series and I cannot wait to discover what happens next.

4 Stars in my Sky!