Mega Robo Rumble by Neill Cameron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Alex and Freddy are brothers. Robot brothers! When duty calls, they're agents of R.A.I.D., an elite government unit that protects the world from robotic attacks. Now they're facing new and terrifying threats: a giant drill-bot is destroying London, Freddy gets famous, and even worse, a mysterious robot twisted with rage is intent on ruthlessly exacting his revenge on R.A.I.D...
I don't read graphic novels as a rule, they are something I want to get into but don't often get the opportunity to. This is the second in a series, one that to be honest I have little interest in, (Robots/Superheroes) but I thought I would give it a go none the less.
This is a bright and highly illustrated graphic novel, which follows the same characters from the first in the series, even though I hadn't read the first, this didn't matter as you could read this as a stand a lone.
This follows two robots, who are brothers, this covers sibling rivalry and how to deal with growing up. I enjoyed that aspect of the story and the more 'real life' parts, for example when they were at school etc.
Overall this was a quick read, one that I wouldn't have chosen but it was a different read and I am pleased I picked it up. The story does end on a cliff hanger so I would like to read the next in the series now just to find out what happens.
If you like sci-fi graphic novels or superhero based ones then I would recommend this to you. The only reason I have given this 3 stars is down to the fact this is not my cup of tea. I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
And I Darken by Kiersten White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.
Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.
Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.
The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive.
A Young Adult book and I guess it helps if you are a young adult reading it. I never really bought into the kind of myths and legends genre so it was a stretch on believability having said that it is darkly addictive although I do wonder at the intensity and hidden depths of young minds in reading this. Set in Transylvania at the height of the Ottoman Empire it tells the story of Lada Dracul who was abandoned with her brother Radu by their father to be bought up in the Ottoman Sultan's court. Lada has learned at an early age that ruthlessness is the key to survival and success and their lineage makes her and her brother targets.
Lada is one tough cookie, ruthless, driven to take revenge on the empire that is holding her captive but when she meets the sultans' son Mehmed she is torn between her feelings as they inevitably become rivals. Lada is the epitome of the feminist heroine, fierce, resilient but with all the feminine wiles that will get her what she wants.
Good descriptive passages this is set in eastern Europe and peppered with different religions and traditions interwoven with complex relationships which makes this a compulsive read. Clever linking to historical and political events this adds to the authenticity of the novel and guides the reader along a fast paced addictive journey. Young adults will love it and even skeptics like me will be hooked - great storytelling has to have a 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5* for Goodreads and Amazon.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Frostfire by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Frostfire by Amanda Hocking is the stunning first installment in a tale of love, betrayal and the need to belong, the Kanin Chronicles.
Will she give up her dream to follow her heart?
Bryn Aven is determined to gain status amongst the Kanin, the most powerful of the hidden tribes. But as a half-blood, winning respect is a huge challenge. Bryn's almost-human community distrusts people, and those from other tribes are almost as suspect.
She has just one goal to get ahead: to join the elite guard protecting the Kanin royal family. And Bryn's vowed that nothing will stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss, Ridley Dresden.
But her plans are put on hold when fallen hero Konstantin starts acting dangerously. Bryn loved him once, but now he's kidnapping Kanin children - stealing them from hidden placements within human families. She's sent to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?
I am not a fantasy fan so this was a hard read for me. Having said that I do love Game of Thrones but perhaps this genre comes over better on the screen than in print - at least it seems to for me. I found this a heavy read, difficult to get into and when I put it down it was difficult to remember what I had previously read so picking it up was a strain.
I am sure that Amanda Hocking is a gifted writer and though she does try to convey atmosphere I just found it really hard to connect with this novel. It's a shame as I'm sure if you love fantasy reads this is a pretty passable novel but just not for me. Don't be put off reading it for yourself just because it didn't do it for me but on the basis that I have to review on my own enjoyment I can only give this a 3 star rating - I'm sure fans would disagree!
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door,
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before
Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty seven- year-old self and the door won't open. Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love...
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and the sound of where the plot was going to go. I have read many Cecelia Ahern books and was hoping that I would be left with a similar feeling after reading hers.
Evie Snow is dead, she seems to be in a place that doors won't open. This really intrigued me and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. There was a magical element in the story and was a little bit 'fairy tale' ish which I enjoyed.
I didn't read this book in a couple of sittings due to being too busy at work and this could have changed my view of the book. I personally found it a little tricky to follow, I was unsure of when the story was meant to be set, I got the impression Evie was from the 60's, however Vincent seemed to be more from the present day. I then thought perhaps we were going back/forward in time. Like I said though, it could have been down to the fact I read the book in a slightly disjointed way and perhaps if I had read it straight though this wouldn't have happened.
I loved the idea of this story and think it was really sweet. However some of the background 'contextual' information didn't seem to be correct. Evie being 82 when going back from modern day should be in her 20's and surely the environment should reflect this, which it doesn't.
Overall if you take the story with a pinch of salt and don't read too much into it, then you will enjoy it, however if you are looking for something perfect it isn't, Carrie though has done a great job on writing her first novel and can be forgiven for some of the mistakes she has made. I would say perhaps the story would be suited to a younger audience.
I have been asked not to share too much of the story in my review so you will have to go and buy the book if you want to know more!
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The Journey by Roddy Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A wicked witch and an evil wizard are banished from the kingdom, and they're not happy about it and declare war! It's up to Princess Livi and her faithful companion Dillon, a talking dog, to find the knight who can save them all, using all the good, kind forces of nature they can rally up. Deathly battles between evil goblins, dangerous dragons and the kingdom's army ensue - but in the end it's Livi whose destiny has to be fulfilled, and the fate of the royal kingdom lies with her. She must summon all her strength and courage to keep hold of the kingdom!
As a primary school teacher I am always on the look out for books that I can share with my class. When Roddy contacted me via twitter I was more than happy to review this book for him. I took it into school, so apologies that it has taken so long for a review!
This book is a typical fantasy book that kids love, this book has it all from witches and wizards wanting to take over a kingdom to princesses and talking dogs. The talking dog, Dillon was a big hit with the kids, who loved him.
This book is brilliant for primary school aged children, I would suggest from year 3 upwards. Children are really excited about it and even the girls get interested. (Well the girl is a hero!)It has helped spark off imagination, which today is rare in children. From reading this story to them, it has helped them develop a love of reading.
I would recommend this to all children who love a bit of fantasy, and even those reluctant readers. I would love to discover more of Brooks and I am sure the children would too! I do hope this is the beginning of a series.
I would like to thank Roddy for sending this to me to share with my class in exchange for an honest review.
Fortunately, the Milk . . . by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
'You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do. And the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets. So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.
Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, and a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk.'
I won this as part of the Goodreads, first reads.
I entered this giveaway as I am always on the look out to expose my class of children to new books and authors.
The book itself is a chapter type book and we shared it together as a class over a period of days at the end of the day. The children first commented on the fact that the pictures were black and white, this was something they were not expecting as most books they are exposed to have colour images. Once explained that they could pretend and make up the colours in their head they seemed happy.
The story is about dad, getting the children ready for school but they run out of milk for their breakfast. Dad offers to go to the shop to get them some. The story is about dad's journey to get milk and all the encounters he has.
This story was read to a class of 5 year olds and I must say some of the language they found hard to understand, and for this reason I would read it to older children in the future.
The children did enjoy the adventure he went on and could recall parts of the story, aliens, dinosaurs, vampires etc. They didn't get the story until right at the end.
Their favourite part was in the middle, where there is a wonderful surprise that kept their interest.
I would like to thank Goodreads for sending me this copy and although I thought the book was a little old for the audience, they enjoyed it.
Sir Princess Petra by Diane Mae Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
‘I have thought hard and for many passing moons. Jewels, frocks of lace, and princess games have become boring. The thing I want the most…’ Petra hesitated and bit on her lip. ‘I want to be a royal knight.’
Princess Petra’s unusual birthday request sends the court into a frenzy, but when she agrees to undertake a knight’s quest they can’t stop her. Armed with a cake knife and outfitted in the best royal pots and pans, Petra sets off to face a dragon and win her real armor before encountering a bog witch, and an army of the kingdom’s worst enemies.
Will Petra’s kindness and acceptance prove to be more valuable than weapons and armor?'
This was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is quite a short story with chapters, and is perfect for young independent readers. This will appeal to a range of children young to older.
This is a story about Princess Petra and it is her birthday, her father, the King has told her she can have anything she likes. Princess Petra tells the King she wants to become a Royal Knight. After some resistance (as girls aren't Knights!) the King tells the Princess that in order to become a Knight she has to choose a challenge to complete.
The Princess decided that she will hush the howling dragon as she doesn't fancy any other the other challenges and takes a bag of onions with her. This is a story of journey and forming unlikely friendships with others. The Princess sees the dragon and witch as genuine people and not as others look upon them. She helps them and forms friendships with them.
This also is a story of achievement and belief in yourself. Just because Petra is a girl this does not stop her from doing what is seen as a boy’s job. This is a powerful message to children and encourages them to follow what they believe in.
The illustrations are nice, however I feel it would have been nice for these to be in colour for children who’s imagination is not as vivid as others.
There are many words in the story that stimulate discussion for younger readers, which helps them to develop their vocabulary.
I would like to thank the author for sending me this and look forward to reading her next.
