Sorcerers and Monsters in A Shadow Bright and Burning

Author: Jessica Cluess
Series: Kingdom on Fire, #1
Released: September 20 2016
Publisher: Random House
Length: 407 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. 

Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one.

As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?

Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces Henrietta Howel, a powerful, unforgettable heroine, and an entertaining world filled with magic, monsters, and mayhem. 

A Shadow Bright and Burning, Jessica Cluess’ debut novel, lures us in with a gorgeous cover, but easily keeps our attention with stupendous worldbuilding and an abundance of witty charm. A trip to Victorian London, enriched by sorcery, ancient monsters and a grumpy hobgoblin, is precisely what I would recommend to all lovers of historical fantasy.

California Gold Rush in: Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Author: Rae Carson

Series: The Gold Seer, #2

Released: September 27th 2016

Publisher: Greenwillow

Length: 432 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: Amazon

After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.

Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn’t given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he’ll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.

The second epic historical fantasy in the Gold Seer trilogy by Rae Carson, the acclaimed author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

Like a River Glorious, Rae Carson’s fifth novel and the second book in her Gold Seer trilogy, cements her status as one of the best, most reliable authors of YA fiction. Her long string of literary successes without a single glitch shows us that we can indeed trust an author to always deliver and constantly stay at the top of her game.

Review: The Steep and Thorny Way

Author: Cat Winters

Series: Standalone

Released: March 8th 2016

Publisher: Amulet Books

Length: 335 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: Amazon

Scene: Oregon, 1923.

Dramatis personae:

Hanalee Denney, daughter of a white woman and an African American man

Hank Denney, her father—a ghost

Greta Koning, Hanalee’s mother

Clyde Koning, doctor who treated Hank Denney the night he died, now Hanalee’s stepfather

Joe Adder, teenage boy convicted of accidentally killing Hank Denney

Members of the Ku Klux Klan

Townspeople of Elston, Oregon

Question: Was Hank Denney’s death an accident…or was it murder most foul?

Cat Winters’ books are always such things of beauty, and The Steep and Thorny Way is no exception. The quality of her prose and the depth of her research can only be compared to Ruta Sepetys, at least as far as historical YA goes.

Inspired heavily by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way is a strong enough book to stand entirely on its own and avoid any predictability. While she does use Hamlet’s themes in what could be considered a retelling (the death of protagonist’s father, potential murderer married to mother, plans of revenge), Winters doesn’t rely too heavily on them and constantly adds her own little twists.

Review: And I Darken

Author: Kiersten White
Series: Conquerors Saga, #1
Released: June 28th 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Length: 496 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL. 

And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes the first book in a dark, sweeping new series in which heads will roll, bodies will be impaled . . . and hearts will be broken. 

Before I say anything else, here’s a fair warning: And I Darken is a book so dark and twisted, so very disturbing that you’ll definitely lose sleep because of it. I did. It is also, however, Kiersten White’s best novel to date and the story that might prove to be defining – for her, as well as for young adult historical fiction. I dare say it’s one of the best this genre has to offer.

Review: Traitor Angels

Author: Anne Blankman
Series: standalone
Released: May 2nd 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Length: 393 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects. 

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom. 

Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s men arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart? 

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.

Well researched YA historical fiction is somewhat of a rarity. These are the books that come with an author’s note and lengthy bibliographies which show us that they’re based in fact, with minimal artistic liberties taken. Ruta Sepetys could be considered the queen of the genre, but Anne Blankman appeared to be a serious contender after her Prisoner of Night and Fog duology.

Review: Salt to the Sea

Author: Ruta Sepetys
Series: standalone
Released: February 2nd 2016
Publisher. Philomel
Length: 393 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope. 

With three extremely successful novels behind her, Ruta Sepetys has very little to prove as a YA historical fiction writer. In fact, when we think about the best in the genre, her name is the first that comes to mind. I don’t think there’s anyone quite as skilled in combining fiction and fact, uncovering hidden parts of history and making us care deeply about every one of her characters. Each of them is a product of their circumstances, each tragic in a unique, but somehow familiar way.

Review: Anna and the Swallow Man

Author: Gavriel Savit
ISBN: 9780399553042
Released: January 27th 2016
Publisher: Knopf BfYR
Length: 240 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon
         The Book Depository

Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone. 

And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see. 

The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness. 

Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man. 

Gavriel Savit’s literary debut is one of those rare, gorgeous little gems that leave you completely in awe of the author’s talent. Savit is incredibly skillful with words, a true artist fully aware of the importance of every single sentence. Each one is a small work of art, poetic and beautiful in its simplicity.

Review: Vengeance Road

Author: Erin Bowman
Series: Standalone
Released: September 1st 2015
Publisher: HMH BfYR
Length: 336 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Revenge is worth its weight in gold.

When her father is murdered for a journal revealing the location of a hidden gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers, endless dust and heat, and a surprising band of allies, among them a young Apache girl and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, a startling truth becomes clear: some men will stop at nothing to get their hands on gold, and Kate’s quest for revenge may prove fatal.

Vengeance Road, Erin Bowman's unique foray into young adult western genre can only be described as a success. As the author’s note clearly explains, the highly anticipated project was something Bowman had brewing for years and that much forethought was evident from every page. Vengeance Road is dark, violent, gritty and honest, all the things I’ve come to appreciate in YA fiction above all else.

Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger

Author: Rae Carson
Series: The Gold Seer, #1
Released: September 22nd 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Length: 432 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research.

For those of us who are great fans of Rae Carson’s Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, Walk on Earth a Stranger couldn’t have come soon enough. But for a lot of us who’ve been expecting something similar to her debut, Carson’s sophomore project came as a complete surprise. Following the new Western trend in YA fiction, Carson takes us to a very real place in the middle of actual historical events, and adds just a touch of magic to spice it up a bit.

The Uninvited Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my tour stop for The Uninvited by the wonderful Cat Winters. As a huge fan of Cat's work, I am beyond honored to be a part of this tour. I read Uninvited in one sitting, glued to my Kindle, completely in awe of Cat's writing and her marvelous imagination. She always finds new ways to make my heart skip a few beats. But here are a few things about the book:

Review: Tangled Webs

Author: Lee Bross
Series: Tangled Webs, #1
Released: June 23rd 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Length: 400 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

Beautiful exteriors often hide the nastiest things, in life and literature alike. We learn that lesson very early in life, and we readers quickly learn to be wary of gorgeous covers. But the wariness can make us miss out, and Tangled Webs has a lot more to offer than just the pretty swirls and colors on its dust jacket.

Audiobook Review: Chantress Fury

Author: Amy Butler Greenfield
Series: Chantress, #3
Released: May 5th 2015
Publisher: Audible Studios
Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Audible

Power and politics, heartbreak and danger, magic and mermaids - Lucy must conquer it all in the compelling conclusion to the enchanting series that began with Chantress and continued with Chantress Alchemy.

With a song Lucy can control the wind and the water; she can bring castles and kingdoms to their feet. Since Lucy mastered her powers, King Henry has kept her close. And now he's called her to investigate attempted murder - by a mermaid. All Lucy can glean from the creature they've captured is a warning: The sea is coming. We are coming. And we will drown you all.

And then the floods begin. Swaths of London are submerged as the people scramble to defend themselves against the water, and the monsters, that are flooding their streets. As mistrust of Lucy's magic grows, the king relies on Nat, Lucy's great love, to guide them through the storm. But Nat is cold and distant to Lucy. He swore his love only a year before, but now he calls her stranger. Lucy is determined to defeat this powerful new magic alone if she must. But then she hears an eerie song within the water.... Can it mean she is not the last Chantress after all?

Chantress Fury, the final book in Amy Butler Greenfield’s YA historical fantasy trilogy, continues in the same vein as its two predecessors. It’s beautifully written, gorgeously detailed, deeply emotional and romantic. Greenfield’s writing is elegant and perfectly polished. It’s something I always admired about her – her style is graceful and flawless without being flashy or disruptive. She also does a lot of research, so even though her story is filled with magic, it is loosely based in reality. King Henry in Lucy’s story is Henry Seymour, an actual historical figure and a distant relative to King Charles I.

Clash of Iron Blog Tour Review

Author: Angus Watson
Series: Age of Iron, #2
Released: April 14th 2015
Publisher: Orbit
Length: 560 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

Iron Age warriors Dug and Lowa captured Maidun castle and freed its slaves. But now they must defend it.

A Roman invasion is coming from Gaul, but rather than uniting to defend their home, the British tribes go to battle with each other -- and see Maidun as an easy target.

Meanwhile, Lowa's spies infiltrate Gaul, discovering the Romans have recruited British druids. And Maidunite Ragnall finds his loyalties torn when he meets Rome's charismatic general, Julius Caesar.

War is coming. Who will pay its price?

Clash of Iron, the breathlessly awaited sequel to Angus Watson’s Age of Iron is finally here. I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this book ever since I finished Watson’s debut. When done right, historical fantasy is my favorite genre, and this author definitely knows what he’s doing. In Clash of Iron, he takes us one step further in exploring the British Iron Age, a period that gives him free reign and ample opportunities. Not much is known about that time, which gives Watson a lot of space to take the direction he chooses. We know, however, that Iron Age in Britain ended with Roman invasion, and that threat is at the forefront of our heroes’ minds in this book.

Review: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Author: Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog, #2
Released: April 21st 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Length: 416 pages
Source: Publisher for reivew
Buy: Amazon

The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first? 

Prisoner of Night and Fog, Anne Blankman’s incredible debut and part one of her duology, seemed at times too good to be true. Extensively researched, clever, and deeply emotional, it explored a time some would rather leave forgotten, the darkest time in Germany’s history. Blankman gave us front row seats to Hitler’s rise to power, seen through the eyes of one of his darlings, a young girl he’d taken under his wing and treated as a favorite niece. But the events in Prisoner of Night and Fog took Gretchen away from the man she knew as Uncle Dolf, and in Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke, the two are bitter enemies, and Gretchen is sure she’d be killed on sight.

Review: Forbidden

Author: Kimberley Griffiths Little
Series: Forbidden, #1
Released: November 4th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 397 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy:Amazon

In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

Forbidden is the first book in Kimberly Griffiths Little’s historical romance trilogy with a very lush, exotic setting. Set against the backdrop of the Mesopotamian desert in 1759, it gives us great insight into the best and the very worst of this world. Our heroine is Jayden, a 17-year-old girl betrothed to the future tribe leader. Her marriage was arranged when she was just a baby, but Jayden feels only fear and mild disgust for Horeb, and wants nothing more than to avoid marrying him. Then a young wounded warrior joins her family in the desert and Jayden is immediately taken by him, just as he seems taken by her. Her life becomes even more complicated, burdened with tragedy and the constant fight for survival and torn between two young men, one she was promised to years ago, and one who truly loves her.

Review: Mortal Heart

Author: Robin LaFevers
Series: His Fair Assassin, #3
Released: November 4th 2014
Publisher: HMH BfYR
Length: 464 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy:Amazon

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

When Grave Mercy first came out, it polarized opinions and caused some very heated discussions. Some felt that it focused too hard on the romance and others were disappointed by the low number of deaths these killer nuns actually inflicted. Some, on the other hand, felt that it achieved a perfect balance between court politics, murder and romance. I myself was an immediately fell in love with the characters, all the court intrigue and the beautiful historical setting. Dark Triumph further confirmed my opinion. It was much darker than its predecessor, incredibly painful and cruel to both Sybella and the reader, but it was also heart-wrenchingly beautiful and it made me feel unimaginable things.

Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves

Author: Robin Talley
Series: Standalone
Published: October 3rd 2014
Publisher: Mira INK
Length: 336 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

It's 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And it's Sarah Dunbar's first day of school, as one of the first black students at the previously all-white Jefferson High. No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students – especially Linda Hairston, daughter of the town’s most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda have every reason to despise each other. But as a school project forces them to spend time together, the less their differences seem to matter. And Sarah and Linda start to feel something they've never felt before. Something they're both determined ignore. Because it's one thing to be frightened by the world around you - and another thing altogether when you're terrified of what you feel inside.

Lies We Tell Ourselves is more than just a book; it’s a reading experience, and a painful one at that. On page 7, I started clutching the book tightly, bracing myself for the pain it would inevitably bring. On page 11, tears were already streaming down my face and I wasted no effort in trying to suppress them.

Short and Exciting: Expiration Day and Whisper the Dead

Author: William Campbell Powell
Series: Standalone
Released: April 22nd 2014
Publisher: Tor Teen
Length: 336 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Expiration Day

What happens when you turn eighteen and there are no more tomorrows?

It is the year 2049, and humanity is on the brink of extinction….

Tania Deeley has always been told that she’s a rarity: a human child in a world where most children are sophisticated androids manufactured by Oxted Corporation. When a decline in global fertility ensued, it was the creation of these near-perfect human copies called teknoids that helped to prevent the utter collapse of society.

Though she has always been aware of the existence of teknoids, it is not until her first day at The Lady Maud High School for Girls that Tania realizes that her best friend, Siân, may be one. Returning home from the summer holiday, she is shocked by how much Siân has changed. Is it possible that these changes were engineered by Oxted? And if Siân could be a teknoid, how many others in Tania’s life are not real?

Driven by the need to understand what sets teknoids apart from their human counterparts, Tania begins to seek answers. But time is running out. For everyone knows that on their eighteenth “birthdays,” teknoids must be returned to Oxted—never to be heard from again.

At first glance, Expiration Day may seem more appropriate for a middle grade audience, and perhaps it is. The protagonist is young and her voice is very immature, almost childish at times. But at the same time, William Powell’s thought-provoking book raises some very important existential and philosophical questions, things we all need to think about, regardless of our age. The bones of this story are certainly nothing new in the world of literature: a society that rarely produces children chooses to fill the void with teknoids, robot children that live a normal childhood until their eighteenth birthday. The teknoids are crafted exceptionally well; most of them don’t even know they’re not human until Oxted, the company that manufactured them, comes to collect them when they become of age.

Review: The Cure For Dreaming

Author: Cat Winters
Series: Standalone
Released: October 1st 2014
Publisher: Amulet
Length: 368 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

The Cure for Dreaming is Cat Winters’ breathlessly anticipated sophomore novel. After last year’s brilliant debut, expectations from this book were sky high, but we needn’t have feared. Winters was more than up to the task. Although not as emotionally intense and tragic as In the Shadow of Blackbirds, The Cure for Dreaming has a different kind of strength; the kind that inspires us to fight for our place in the world, to give everything and do everything to achieve what we think is right.

Review: The Oversight

Title: The Oversight

Series: Oversight Trilogy, #1

Published: May 6th 2014

Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher for review

Lenght: 448 pages
Buy: Amazon
The Book Depository

Only five still guard the border between the worlds. And when they fall, so do we all... The Oversight is a gothic fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
"The end always comes faster than you think."
Once there were hundreds of members of the Oversight, the brave souls who guard the borders between the mundane and the magic. Now there are only five. And their numbers are dwindling further still.
When a vagabond brings a screaming girl to the Oversight's London headquarters, she might answer their hopes for a new recruit, or she could be the instrument of their downfall.
In his first novel for adults, Charlie Fletcher (The Stoneheart Trilogy) spins a tale of witch-hunters, supra-naturalists, mirror-walkers and magicians. Meet the Oversight, and remember: when they fall, so do we all.

The Oversight is Charlie Fletcher’s first foray into adult fiction, but the control he has over his complex narrative is astonishing. Told from multiple perspectives, The Oversight is a complicated web of episodes that combine perfectly into a breathtaking and well-executed story. Admittedly, due to its complexity, the beginning might be a bit slower for some, but once the pieces start coming together, The Oversight becomes practically unputdownable.