Becky's Book Reviews

Two sisters are caught up in a legendary and magical game where the stakes are high, nothing is as it seems and elaborate performances have hidden motives and intentions. Review originally appeared on W24 . You can also purchase a copy of Caraval from Raru.co.za . UK edition first published in 2017 by Hodder & Stoughton; US edition published by Flatiron Books This book has been getting a lot of comparisons to Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. It’s not a bad thing at all, especially considering that The Night Circus is one of my all-time favourites. However, Caraval is one of those magical reads that shouldn’t just be compared to a book as it makes a strong impression all on its own. It’s a beautifully written novel that effortlessly blends elements of fantasy and magical realism to portray a world that’s almost phantasmagorical in nature. It’s not merely a book that features elaborate acts of illusion, but it’s a novel that explores the strength of the bond between two siste...

What would you do if you only had 3 minutes and 4 seconds to save your own life? The Call by Peadar O’Guilin (first published in 2016 by David Fickling Books; review first appeared on W24.c0.za ) Peadar O’Guilin’s book is a novel I’ve been hearing about a lot over the last couple of months. And with good reason because it features a strong-willed heroine, disabled by polio, in a battle to survive and prepare for The Call – an event that forces all those eligible to participate in a fight for their lives in the space of three minutes and four seconds. Sounds, intriguing, yes? Well, it’s certainly that and more. For one,  disabled heroines in fiction are pretty rare. Disabled protagonists in dystopian horror novels? Practically unheard of, and something that immensely appealed to me. Here we have a heroine who has everything going against her. She’s been crippled by polio and attends a survival training college where she endures being mocked by her peers and where almost everyone, in...

Quick note: Apologies from my side for my silence. 2016 has been a craptacular year and one that has seen me struggling a lot with my depression (more on that at some point) , hence the slow updates in blogging. Hoping to get back into the swing of things and I thought I'd start of f by posting a review of a really great and fun historical fantasy novel I read not too long ago. Not only does it feature a diverse cast of characters, but the concept of the book is quite unique. I really hope to read more of thi s Destiny's work.   Iron Cast by Destiny Soria Art, music and murder collide in this mesmerising tale set in pre-prohibition era Boston. Iron Cast by Destiny Soria (first published in 2016 by Amulet Books) Available from Raru.co.za A supernaturally gifted young black girl working in a speakeasy during a time when the prohibitions act is on the verge of being ratified? Well, colour me intrigued. Blending a combination of fantasy and history, Destiny Soria’s debut novel is ...

Firstly, a huge apology for my absence. It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, I know, but a number of factors have prevented me from getting around to updating - exhaustion being the primary reason for my silence.    I hope to get around to blogging more this month, but in the meantime, I thought I’d get back into the swing of things by posting up this short review of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, which, although not perfect, I quite enjoyed!     Source: Review copy from the publishers. You can purchase a copy of the book from Raru.co.za   Summary: Goodreads Publication date: 31 July 2016 Publisher: Little, Brown UK  publishers Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, ...

Source: Review copy received from the publisher via Netgalley. You can purchase a copy of the book from Raru.co.za .   Summary: Goodreads Publication date: 1 2 April 2016 Publisher/Distributor:  Prime Books Streets are more than thoroughfares. Cobblestone or concrete, state of mind or situation streets are catalysts for culture; sources of knowledge and connection, invisible routes to hidden levels of influence. In worlds where magic is real, streets can be full of dangerous shadows or paths to salvation. Wizards walk such streets, monsters lurk in their alleys, demons prowl or strut, doors open to places full of delightful enchantment or seething with sorcery, and truly dead ends abound. This selection of stories some tales may be rediscoveries, others never encountered on your fictional map will take you for a wild ride through many realms of imagination. Review: Ok, I tried. I really did. I initially chose this book because I read the previous anthology of fairy tales edi...

A feisty and adventurous young heroine’s very existence is threatened by her father’s growing obsession with the past. Disclaimer: This review originally appeared on Women24.com . A copy of the book can be bought from Raru.co.za . The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (published in 2016 by Hot Key Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishers) Nix Song is a member aboard The Temptation – a time travelling ship that is capable of travelling to various places in the world at any given time, provided that there is a map of their intended destination and a specific date attached to the aforementioned map. Using magical means of navigating, Nix and the odd rag-tag crew (of which her father is captain) she’s part of, travel from continent to continent, gathering maps, information and mythological artefacts containing magical properties. For Nix, time travelling is a way of life; it runs in her blood and flows through her veins.  The only thing that’s getting in her way of really embracing ...

A beautifully rendered retelling of Peter Pan, the likes of which you’ve never seen before. Warning: You may end up pretending that this version is the original story you’ve grown up with. Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell(first published in 2016 by Simon Pulse) Summary: For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home. Her mother believes they are being hunted by brutal monsters, and those delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. Gwen’s only saving grace is that her best friend, Olivia, is with her for the summer. But shortly after their arrival, the girls are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and dragged to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey. And Gwen begins to realize that maybe her mother isn’t so crazy after all… Gwen discovers that this new world she inhabits is called Neverland, but it’s nothing like the Neverland you’ve heard about in stories. Here, good and evi...

In celebration of the re-release of her book, Of Light and Darkness, I’d like to welcome author Shayne Leighton to my blog today.  Described as a cross between Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus (which I loved) and Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, Of Light and Darkness is a New Adult paranormal fantasy which chronicles this story of Charlotte, a girl raised by a Vampire in a society where all manner of magical creatures reside. In today’s guest post, Shayne introduces us to the various magical beings that can be found in her book series; from vampires to elves, fairies to shape shifters, each supernatural individual has a role to play.  Before I hand over to Shayne, here’s some more info about the book, which is out now: Of Light and Darkness Raised by a Vampire in a secret society of Witches, Shifters, and Elves, Charlotte finds that she is the freak in her world of magic and wonder. When she stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of survival in th...

This beautifully rendered fantasy novel features a daring heroine, tortured hero and a world cloaked in beauty and deadly secrets. A copy of the book can be purchased via Raru.co.za . Disclaimer: Review first appeared on Women24.com A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (first published in 2015 by Bloomsbury UK) As an avid lover of all things fairy tales, myth and folklore, A Court of Thorns and Roses proved to be a book that was just up my alley and one that I’d certainly say ticks all the right boxes when it comes to the more traditional books about the fey (ya know, the bloodthirsty, not-so-fluttery kind). Darkly enchanting, sensuous and lush in its settings and descriptions, this book combines elements from two fairy tales as well as a traditional piece of folklore based on an old Scottish ballad, to tell the story of Feyre, a young huntress who finds herself in the fairy borderlands after inadvertently getting herself into trouble. Punished for taking the life of a fairy, F...

In today’s mini reviews feature, I share my brief thoughts on Deliliah S. Dawson’s  Wicked as They Come. Source: Purchased a copy of the book through Raru.co.za .   Summary: Goodreads Publication date: 27 Mar 2012 Publisher: Pocket Books When nurse Tish Everett forced open the pesky but lovely locket she found at an estate sale, she had no idea she was answering the call of Criminy Stain, from the far off land of Sang. He’d cast a spell for her, but when she’s transported right to him, she’s not so sure she’s ready to be under the spell of another man.  (It didn’t go so well last time with controlling, abusive, domineering Jeff.)   If only Criminy wasn’t so deliciously rakish…. Half the inhabitants of Sang are Pinkies—human—and the other half are Bludmen, who in Tish’s world would be called vampires. But they don’t mess with any of the bat/coffin/no sunlight nonsense. They’re rather like you and me, just more fabulous, long living, and mostly indestructible. (They'r...

So I’ve been meaning to do this post for some time now, but life, as you know, has a way of interrupting and as a result, this post had to take a bit of a backseat. But without further ado, it’s time to announce the winners of the A Court of Thorns or Queen of Shadows (depending on the reader’s choice). In the last post, I asked you to recommend a fantasy novel that you think more people should know about.  I’ve gotten some great responses in return and thought I’d share them in this post, along with the winner details. In no particular order, here are the novels that, based on your recs, I’ll definitely be checking out: Tracy: Man of his word by Dave Duncan. Not given good press but it is a good read. Yun-A:  This is hard but I would have to say Elizabeth C. Bunce's Star Crossed series . It's a set in a fantasy world, much like Throne of Glass and the world is amazing. Nicc209: This is hard... I'd say the Healer series by Maria V. Snyder , the first book being Touch Of...

Hi fellow book lovelies It’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog. I’ve been away for a couple of weeks (I’ve had a very good reason – which I’ll elaborate more on sometime in the future), but know that I haven’t forgotten about the ACOTAR giveaway. If you have yet to get yourself a copy of this amazing read (my review will be up in the next week or so), you’re in luck because today I’m going to give you the opportunity to win a copy of the book. Two of the three copies will go to a South African reader and the third one will go to a reader based in any country the Book Depository ships to. International lovelies – to sweeten the deal, I’m actually going to give you the option to choose between ACOTAR and Queen of Shadows. Rules: Here’s what you need to do: Simply leave a comment below or tweet me (@ Tammy24_7 )  with a response to the following question: Which fantasy novel do you think is severely underrated and why do you think more people should know about it? Competition...

Today I’m thrilled to have the lovely Cat Hellisen on my blog today. Cat, whose book Beastkeeper , a middle-grade retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is officially out in the wild today (yay! Happy book birthday Cat), has kindly taken the time to write a guest post about one of my favourite topics of all time. Fairy tales and retellings. Because who doesn’t love a new twist on a good ol’ timeless tale that spans over and beyond centuries upon centuries? And with Cat’s book taking a whole new approach to Beauty and the Beast, well, I thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate her book’s release by featuring a post written by her on her love of fairy tales and how Beastkeeper eventually took shape. Before I hand over to Cat though, here’s some info about her fabulous new book (which I’ll be reviewing soon)   About Beastkeeper Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She’s grown u...

A seductive and imaginative urban gothic fantasy novel that warps the world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and transforms it into a world that you’ve never known before. Disclaimer: A shortened version of this review also appears on Women24.com , a South African women's lifestyle website where I manage, amongst other things, an online books section. Splintered by A.G. Howard (Published by Amulet, an imprint of Abrams & Chronicle Books) Alice in Wonderland – a delightful little classic that saw many of us take an imaginary trip into a world filled with all sorts of fantastical nonsense.  It’s a world in which most of us can easily envision ourselves living in; and one where stumbling upon a tea party is an everyday occurrence. This, however, is not that book.   While Splintered certainly pays tribute to Alice in Wonderland, the book takes it one step further. It pays homage to Alice Liddell - the girl who originally inspired Lewis Caroll’s classic. If I had t...

In today’s feature, I’d like to welcome K.M. Randall, author of Young Adult fantasy novel, Fractured Dream, to my blog today. In her guest post, K.M writes about a subject that is an absolute favourite of mine: mythology, magic and fairy tales. Given that her book, Fractured Dream, is very much rooted in the world of fairy tales, I couldn’t think of a better topic that would be more suited to her – so, without further ado - here are the top 5 reasons she loves these fantastical elements in fiction. Five reasons why I love myth, magic and fairy tales in fiction . . . I’ve loved anything supernatural, magical or mythical in stories as far back as I can remember from the Bunnicula series by James Howe to anything by Madeleine L'Engle. So here it is, my five reasons why I love myth, magic and fairy tales in fiction: Escape: I like to get lost for a bit sometimes and go to a world where magic exists. I read all genres of books—nature writing and religion-based novels are my non-fiction ...

Today I’d like to welcome South African author, Nerine Dorman to my blog. Nerine’s no stranger here as the last time she guest posted on my blog, she wrote a feature on 10 Indie/small press titles that she thinks are definitely worth reading. This time around, the focus is on her and her latest book The Guardian’s Wyrd, a young adult fantasy novel set in the magical world of Sunthyst. Now I don’t know about you, but when it comes to fantasy novels and fictional worlds created from scratch, I’m always interested to find out what the world is like, which is why Nerine has kindly agreed to write a post on what we can expect in her book. Before we get on to the post though, here’s some information about the book to give you an idea of what it’s all about. About The Guardian’s Wyrd Sometimes having a fairytale prince as a best friend can be a real pain. Jay didn't realise that sticking up for Rowan, the gangly new kid at school, would plunge him into the dangers and politics of the mag...