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patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
Debutante, heiress, murderer… Aileana Kameron has not been quite the same lady she was the night her mother died. Whilst she must keep up the act during society gatherings and due her duty by her father, she is also battle the fae and hunt down the creature who murdered her mother.
I was looking forward to The Falconer; it has evil fae, high society and a kick ass cover but it didn’t quite meet the mark for me. Kam doesn’t put up much of a fight against the rules of society she hates so much. She runs round killing fae but she is still so, so concerned about her reputation. She has a good moan about it but I can’t recall a single thing she did to try and rectify it. I wanted her story to have some bearing on the way women had zero choices but it was much more about the action. Which is great if you like action fuelled books. Me, not so much. Not when there’s all this potential.
Set in Edinburgh in 1844, I wanted an atmospheric backdrop. Unfortunately, May relies too much on describing places by their street names, names that are still in use today. They were too familiar for me not to imagine the modern city and there wasn’t enough Victorian description to help offset that in my head. The only real period detail was the harsh rules for women.
I liked Catherine, Kam’s lifelong friend, who in her small part had more spine against her peers than Kam. I also liked Derrick, the mischievous pixie who lives in her closet and likes to get drunk on honey. The supporting male characters were a little bit clichéd and I felt the lady did protest too much. Too much denial can definitely make a plotline seem obvious.
The end was both sudden and confusing. I’m not entirely sure what happened and it was the kind of abruptness that leaves you checking for missing chapters. But, it was enjoyable enough to reach the end.
I was looking forward to The Falconer; it has evil fae, high society and a kick ass cover but it didn’t quite meet the mark for me. Kam doesn’t put up much of a fight against the rules of society she hates so much. She runs round killing fae but she is still so, so concerned about her reputation. She has a good moan about it but I can’t recall a single thing she did to try and rectify it. I wanted her story to have some bearing on the way women had zero choices but it was much more about the action. Which is great if you like action fuelled books. Me, not so much. Not when there’s all this potential.
Set in Edinburgh in 1844, I wanted an atmospheric backdrop. Unfortunately, May relies too much on describing places by their street names, names that are still in use today. They were too familiar for me not to imagine the modern city and there wasn’t enough Victorian description to help offset that in my head. The only real period detail was the harsh rules for women.
I liked Catherine, Kam’s lifelong friend, who in her small part had more spine against her peers than Kam. I also liked Derrick, the mischievous pixie who lives in her closet and likes to get drunk on honey. The supporting male characters were a little bit clichéd and I felt the lady did protest too much. Too much denial can definitely make a plotline seem obvious.
The end was both sudden and confusing. I’m not entirely sure what happened and it was the kind of abruptness that leaves you checking for missing chapters. But, it was enjoyable enough to reach the end.
DNF
The Memory of Love is not an awful book. Most of my book group enjoyed it though they did seem to agree with me that it took 150 pages to get into. I gave up on page 164 (or 36%).
To be honest, I felt uninspired by the book before I even picked it up. A book about love in Sierra Leone. Sounds promising but I didn't engage at all with the characters and I felt it was all a bit unemotional. The group countered that it was more like real life. 1. I get enough real life as it is and 2. I am quite an emotional person (in real life). I felt like I was going through the motions of reading the words but not feeling them. Some thought it was beautifully written but when I compare it to some of my recent reads, it just doesn't cut the mustard in that respect either. I wasn't even moved by scenes of a country ruined by civil war because I felt it was glossed over. The parts I read that did deal with the effects of war did interest me more. There were also too many "main" characters yet not a lot separating them personality wise.
The Memory of Love is not an awful book. Most of my book group enjoyed it though they did seem to agree with me that it took 150 pages to get into. I gave up on page 164 (or 36%).
To be honest, I felt uninspired by the book before I even picked it up. A book about love in Sierra Leone. Sounds promising but I didn't engage at all with the characters and I felt it was all a bit unemotional. The group countered that it was more like real life. 1. I get enough real life as it is and 2. I am quite an emotional person (in real life). I felt like I was going through the motions of reading the words but not feeling them. Some thought it was beautifully written but when I compare it to some of my recent reads, it just doesn't cut the mustard in that respect either. I wasn't even moved by scenes of a country ruined by civil war because I felt it was glossed over. The parts I read that did deal with the effects of war did interest me more. There were also too many "main" characters yet not a lot separating them personality wise.
A war changes everything. I liked how this was a story told from a girl who was just normal (excusing her slightly not normal cousins) in a country (UK) which becomes occupied during a war. Full review to follow.
Amelia Grey’s Fireside dream was not the cosy read I was expecting and there were multiple things that irritated me about the main character. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would quit their job before their mortgage was finalised. And if they did, at least wouldn’t phone up and tell the bank before they’d got another job. She’s meant to be a teacher, someone you hope would have common sense.
She acts like a spoiled brat a lot of the time, incredibly selfish and Jack has the patience of a saint not to turn on her. She gets all huffy when the cottage isn’t perfect and it’s all her own fault (again with the very stupid behaviour, won’t go into details otherwise I’ll tell you the whole plot). Her senseless spending got on my nerves so much, you buy a house after quitting your job, you’re going to hold onto money, right? Not Amelia Grey! She’s a bit unfair to her mum and a wet blanket when it comes to standing up to her dad.
The storyline about not wanting a baby was the final straw. If you’ve been married for years and bought property together, more than once, you think the topic of starting a family would have been discussed? As in one person doesn’t want kids and the other does. The resolution of this conflict really annoyed me, from the point of view of someone who doesn’t want kids. You just aren’t that easily swayed.
The story of the new house in the country doesn’t start until well into middle of the book either. I thought it would be an autumnal read but it’s not really, it’s more about moving house without using your brain. There’s lots of different threads going on too, I wouldn’t have minded more on the old owner or general village life. I also quite liked her sister, although again, everything was resolved a bit too easily. A risk you take when you try and pack so much in.
I think I must have carried on reading in the hope of an unhappy ending... or maybe it's just that I haven't finished many books lately. But this really was a let down and not even stupidly romantic. I think you'd be much better off with something by Milly Johnson or Tricia Ashley.
She acts like a spoiled brat a lot of the time, incredibly selfish and Jack has the patience of a saint not to turn on her. She gets all huffy when the cottage isn’t perfect and it’s all her own fault (again with the very stupid behaviour, won’t go into details otherwise I’ll tell you the whole plot). Her senseless spending got on my nerves so much, you buy a house after quitting your job, you’re going to hold onto money, right? Not Amelia Grey! She’s a bit unfair to her mum and a wet blanket when it comes to standing up to her dad.
The storyline about not wanting a baby was the final straw. If you’ve been married for years and bought property together, more than once, you think the topic of starting a family would have been discussed? As in one person doesn’t want kids and the other does. The resolution of this conflict really annoyed me, from the point of view of someone who doesn’t want kids. You just aren’t that easily swayed.
The story of the new house in the country doesn’t start until well into middle of the book either. I thought it would be an autumnal read but it’s not really, it’s more about moving house without using your brain. There’s lots of different threads going on too, I wouldn’t have minded more on the old owner or general village life. I also quite liked her sister, although again, everything was resolved a bit too easily. A risk you take when you try and pack so much in.
I think I must have carried on reading in the hope of an unhappy ending... or maybe it's just that I haven't finished many books lately. But this really was a let down and not even stupidly romantic. I think you'd be much better off with something by Milly Johnson or Tricia Ashley.
It’s been twenty years since the disappearance of the Ishiguro. A new mission has set out to conduct research on the anomaly, where the Ishiguro was last seen, a vast area of nothingness in space.
There is a sibling rivalry between Mira and Tomas, right from the start of their lives and throughout their careers. Identical twins; Tomas was born with a birthmark and Mira, Mirakel, was unexpected, both looking towards science, both over achieving. Tomas is left at mission control on earth whilst Mira had the chance to see the anomaly in person. This separation and professional reliance on each other is a red flag. Something is bound to go wrong.
It took me a while longer than James’ other books to get into. Mira’s lack of connection to the crew also distances the reader, but I think what Mr Smythe does well are characters in isolation. Whilst Mira might not be physically alone, he does manage to be apart mentally, and without giving too much away, there are still parts that are very much about the loneliness and emptiness of space, even though it is a different sort of novel to The Explorer.
In The Explorer, Cormac became an observer of himself. Here, Mira becomes an external observer of the anomaly’s behaviour, not a participant. Even in this he is distanced, an outsider, again. Before the anomaly was a mystery, completely unexplained. This time, they are setting out to discover what it is.
One thing I enjoyed was the constant references to lack of sleep in the early parts. I read this during the final stages of a 24 hour readathon, so they had a certain relevance at the time. Mira’s determination not to sleep is probably the first thing that pushes him away from the rest of the crew. He doesn’t miss anything but they must sleep. Even Tomas, back on earth sleeps. Staying awake puts Mira in a position of power over everyone else. But what is the price of insomnia? I rather wanted some more consequences to this, but thinking back on the ending, maybe that’s what happens, maybe he’s just crazy?
The Echo is another bleak book, one that gives hope and then snatches it away. Perhaps that is worse than never having hope in the first place… It’s an admirable sequel to the excellent Explorer, which is a very hard book to beat. Like all of James' books, there's plenty to ponder and return to.
Review copy provided by publisher.
There is a sibling rivalry between Mira and Tomas, right from the start of their lives and throughout their careers. Identical twins; Tomas was born with a birthmark and Mira, Mirakel, was unexpected, both looking towards science, both over achieving. Tomas is left at mission control on earth whilst Mira had the chance to see the anomaly in person. This separation and professional reliance on each other is a red flag. Something is bound to go wrong.
It took me a while longer than James’ other books to get into. Mira’s lack of connection to the crew also distances the reader, but I think what Mr Smythe does well are characters in isolation. Whilst Mira might not be physically alone, he does manage to be apart mentally, and without giving too much away, there are still parts that are very much about the loneliness and emptiness of space, even though it is a different sort of novel to The Explorer.
In The Explorer, Cormac became an observer of himself. Here, Mira becomes an external observer of the anomaly’s behaviour, not a participant. Even in this he is distanced, an outsider, again. Before the anomaly was a mystery, completely unexplained. This time, they are setting out to discover what it is.
One thing I enjoyed was the constant references to lack of sleep in the early parts. I read this during the final stages of a 24 hour readathon, so they had a certain relevance at the time. Mira’s determination not to sleep is probably the first thing that pushes him away from the rest of the crew. He doesn’t miss anything but they must sleep. Even Tomas, back on earth sleeps. Staying awake puts Mira in a position of power over everyone else. But what is the price of insomnia? I rather wanted some more consequences to this, but thinking back on the ending, maybe that’s what happens, maybe he’s just crazy?
The Echo is another bleak book, one that gives hope and then snatches it away. Perhaps that is worse than never having hope in the first place… It’s an admirable sequel to the excellent Explorer, which is a very hard book to beat. Like all of James' books, there's plenty to ponder and return to.
Review copy provided by publisher.
It’s been a year since they left school. Ryan, Katie and Ben went their separate ways to university. Greg has a promising football career ahead of him. And Alisha has been resitting her last year. It’s been a year since their friend Janey committed suicide. But putting the past behind them, a reunion is in order and they head of to Spain for two weeks in the sun. It doesn’t take long for sunscreen and sangria to turn to horror… and a summer they will never forget, if only they survive it.
Cruel Summer has James Dawson’s personality stamped all over it. Several of the elements that made Hollow Pike so popular are present; a diverse cast in a book that isn’t about diversity. Something the YA community is screaming out for. The holiday to Spain is a key part to growing up in Britain which means whilst it’s not set in the UK, it’s still incredibly British. Just don’t get any ideas about ways to spend your first holiday as a grown-up!
On one hand, it’s a book for the Scream generation. Of course, we’re grown up now and I hope today’s teenagers can appreciate the irony. Ryan likes to describe his life as if it were scripted. There’s lots of references to clichés and tropes but it’s done in a manner that it’s meant to be obvious. Ryan is pointing them out after all. Yet, the story still managed to avoid being clichéd itself. It’s a wonderful homage to the days of teen horror before it got gory. Think Point Horror (check out James' Point Horror Book Club) but better. Hugely entertaining.
The narrative keeps you guessing right up until the dramatic climax. Ryan likes the predictability of TV land but it doesn’t apply here. It’s one of those books that will take you a while to recover from too. What an ending!
Cruel Summer has James Dawson’s personality stamped all over it. Several of the elements that made Hollow Pike so popular are present; a diverse cast in a book that isn’t about diversity. Something the YA community is screaming out for. The holiday to Spain is a key part to growing up in Britain which means whilst it’s not set in the UK, it’s still incredibly British. Just don’t get any ideas about ways to spend your first holiday as a grown-up!
On one hand, it’s a book for the Scream generation. Of course, we’re grown up now and I hope today’s teenagers can appreciate the irony. Ryan likes to describe his life as if it were scripted. There’s lots of references to clichés and tropes but it’s done in a manner that it’s meant to be obvious. Ryan is pointing them out after all. Yet, the story still managed to avoid being clichéd itself. It’s a wonderful homage to the days of teen horror before it got gory. Think Point Horror (check out James' Point Horror Book Club) but better. Hugely entertaining.
The narrative keeps you guessing right up until the dramatic climax. Ryan likes the predictability of TV land but it doesn’t apply here. It’s one of those books that will take you a while to recover from too. What an ending!
