JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

From the author of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender comes a haunting maelstrom of magic and murder in the lush, moody Pacific Northwest.

When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have benefited friendlier neighbours. Guilt and fear instead led the island’s original eight settlers to burn “the witch” out of her home. So Rona cursed them. Fast-forward one hundred–some years: All Nor Blackburn wants is to live an unremarkable teenage life.

She has reason to hope: First, her supernatural powers, if they can be called that, are unexceptional. Second, her love life is nonexistent, which means she might escape the other perverse side effect of the matriarch’s backfiring curse, too. But then a mysterious book comes out, promising to cast any spell for the right price. Nor senses a storm coming and is pretty sure she’ll be smack in the eye of it.

The Price Guide to the Occult is a young adult fantasy novel from Leslye Walton, about a young girl and her journey towards facing up to her villainous mother.

Nor is the youngest of the Blackburn women, cursed for generations. She just wants to lead a normal teenage life, until she stumbles upon a book — written by her mother — that can cast any spell. She’s thrust into a world she doesn’t fully understand, and her evil mother — who once tried to kill her — returns into her life to wreak havoc.

Truthfully, I don’t see this novel holding the attention of a child or teenager. It struggled to hold my attention, and I’m in my late twenties. The prose is very descriptive, which at first made me admire the book, but after a while, I realised the book is actually just very overwritten and the pace very slow. The book sits at 278 pages, and if it were any longer I think I would’ve given up before the end.

“Nor watched her mother’s blood inch its way across the roof, then stop. Weakened and defeated, Fern slumped to the ground as Nor breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Perhaps the madness was finally over.”

Despite the ominous setting and the murderous plot, the stakes never felt high enough in the book. The characters never felt realistic or complex enough for me to sympathise for them, and the villain never scary enough for me to fear her. Additionally, I never really warmed to the love story or the romance of the book.

My favourite part of the book was the prologue, however it’s about Nor’s ancestor Rona and so the rest of the novel isn’t about her.

“Nor was dreaming again. In her dream, she was standing in a cold and unfamiliar room. The walls and floor were made of stone. The room had a foul door to it, a mix of rot and decay, and the metallic scent of blood. The only way out was a winding stone staircase.”

The pacing is one of the major reasons this book didn’t work for me. It takes a long time before the conflict between Fern and Nor arises, and the book weaves between past and present so often that it’s easy to get confused by events.

This book has an amazing backstory. A truly wonderful prologue. But unfortunately the rest of this book wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Price Guide to the Occult
Leslye Walton
April 2019
Walker Books Australia

Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia’s mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took her country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess – a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenceless. He didn’t realise that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage – Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser’s rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

Lady Smoke is the sequel to Ash Princess and the second book in this new fantasy series from US author Laura Sebastian. You can read my review of Ash Princess on the blog HERE.

Lady Smoke picks up immediately after the conclusion of Ash Princess — Queen Theodosia has escaped the Kaiser’s imprisonment in Astrea, seeking refuge and alliance with her aunt, the famed pirate Dragonsbane. Theo is accompanied by her Shadows — Blaise, Artemisia and Heron —aboard a ship captained by Dragonsbane. Soren, the Kalovaxian prince, is in their custody.

Theo knows she’ll need allies to retake her kingdom from the conquering Kalovaxians and free her people, who are still enslaved by the Kaiser and his new wife Cress. So Theo aligns with the manipulative Dragonsbane and along with her fleet, they seek refuge in Sta’Crivero with King Etristo. Eligible suitors from all other countries arrive at a grand invitational to meet Theo and offer her their hand in marriage. With a husband, Theo can acquire an army and take back her throne in Astrea.

“Sta’Crivero is a country of sand. As we approach the shore, I scan the horizon but there is little to see. Rolling dunes crest like waves all the way to the horizon, unbroken by trees or any kind of foliage. It doesn’t look like the sort of place where anything could survive.”

The series maintains the POV from Theo’s perspective, allowing readers a deeper dive into her mindset and her emotions. She immerses herself in political issues and takes it upon herself to learn more and more about the world she lives in, so she’ll know how best to rule her people when she reclaims her throne. This first person narration also helps give the story a stronger sense of urgency, propelling the story forward and keeping the reader engaged.

I would’ve loved a little more involvement with Cress. She was a major character in Ash Princess, and we don’t see her again until the end of Lady Smoke. And she’s really changed. She’s powerful, ballsy, confident and a really scary antagonist. I can’t wait to see more of her in the next book.

“I suppose Archduke Etmond is the most pleasant of the lot, though that title largely falls to him by default. Most of our time is spent in an uncomfortable silence that I’m actually grateful for — it gives me a moment of peace in what has been a very chaotic day — but there are moments when he surprises me, like when he very shyly asks how I escaped the Astrean palace and seems to actually care about the answer.”

The ending of the book is very satisfying. Alliances are broken and some are strengthened. Major characters are defeated or saved by unlikely circumstances, and the pacing is quickened to keep the reader engaged.

Lady Smoke delivers an amazing sequel, with heightened stakes and three-dimensional characters that help drive the story forward. This book exceeded all of my expectations and Laura Sebastian has delivered something really fantastic.

“Even as I say the words, though, I know they aren’t true. I might know Blaise better than anyone, but in this moment I am afraid of him. Not Blaise — not necessarily — but what he’s capable of. What he can do without even meaning to.”

I remember feeling that Ash Princess was generic and not too dissimilar to other fantasy books, but Lady Smoke took the series in a completely different direction and I really enjoyed the journey. I’m looking forward to the third and final instalment in 2020.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Smoke: Ash Princess 2
Laura Sebastian
February 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this sweeping tale of ambition, sacrifice and betrayal for readers of Tomi Adeyemi, Kendare Blake and Samantha Shannon.

All hail the Girl King

Sisters Lu and Min have always known their places as princesses of the empire. Lu is destined to become the first female emperor, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. When their father declares their male cousin heir instead, his betrayal throws both their lives into chaos.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu must flee the court in search of an ally. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. After years in hiding, Nok is forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved. Now they need an army to take back the throne.

Left alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens. It’s a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign . . . or allow Min to claim the throne herself.

But there can only be one emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other . . .

The Girl King by Mimi Yu is the first book in a new fantasy series, about two sisters who become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor. This book explores issues surrounding family, sacrifice, ambition, prophecy, destiny and betrayal, perfect for young adult readers.

This debut is amazing — refreshing, unique, enthralling and extraordinary. I went into this book completely blind, having never heard anything about it. It was delivered to my door as an unsolicited request from Hachette Publishers, and I’m so so glad they sent me a copy. I demolished this book, and I’m now so eager for the sequel.

There are many characters in the book, but the main protagonists are princesses and sisters Lu and Min, and Nok, an apothecarist’s apprentice living in a poor village in the city’s North. When Lu flees home, she crosses paths with Nok — who has his own special abilities — and they work together to overthrow Set and his army.

Lu is determined but naive, which aligns with her privileged upbringing and her young age. She is determined to be the dynasty’s first female ruler, and her father’s betrayal is not going to stop her from being Empress.

“Chaos broke. Shouts went up from her men — there was a flash of steel as weapons were drawn. A crossbow twanged and someone in Hu reds fell to the ground. Lu tried to track who it was, who had shot — who, if anyone, was on her side, and who was the enemy.”

Lu is very flawed and the people she meets on her journey are not shy in acknowledging that. It’s refreshing. Lu is too young to possibly know everything she can in order to overthrow and rule her family’s dynasty. She needs to grow up and mature, and she needs allies. She needs to learn to trust others and honour promises, and she needs to learnt to connect with people so that they can trust her as a future ruler.

Set may be young, but he’s a great villain. He’s cunning and clever, he’s brash and careless. He’s also overconfident; he’s not as skilled as Lu in combat or swordplay. He’s a child. He’s unprepared for what he’s been thrust into, and once the Empress pulls the right strings to allow Set to be the new Emperor, he disregards her and pushes her aside and that’s probably one of the biggest mistakes he makes in this book.

Min is forever overlooked. The second sister, never destined to rule. She never receives the same kind of attention or training from her father. But she is not to be ignored. Unbeknownst to her, she harbours very powerful and effective magic that once unleashed, changes the empire and has a big impact on the war between her and her sister Lu.

“Lu felt a familiar pinprick of annoyance. Sisters, she was fairly certain, were supposed to present a unified front against their parents. Min acted more like a twice-shot, over-burdened messenger, running ragged between Lu and their mother, trying to keep the peace. Their mother was a tyrant, true, but if only her sister would stand up herself now and again.”

The plot moves quickly and the characters are all three-dimensional, full-fleshed out. It’s easy to become lost in the story, reading chapter after chapter, desperate to get to the end. The writing is smooth and visual, with effective dialogue and vocabulary used to allow the reader to visualise what’s happening.

I felt like Min’s magic, and her abilities, weren’t really explained as clearly as they could’ve been. I don’t 100% understand the magic she is able to do, and what the magic inside her means for her surroundings, but I believe this may become clearer as the series progresses.

Despite this, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This is my first 10/10 for 2019, and I think anyone who loves fantasy books, or sagas or series will love this. But truthfully, I think all readers — young and old — will enjoy this story.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl King
Mimi Yu
January 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they are each other’s worst nightmare.

Nova’s double life is about to get a lot more complicated:
As Insomnia, she is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. She works with Adrian’s patrol unit to protect the weak and maintain order in Gatlon City.

As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist – a member of a group of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them most.

But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her sworn enemies.

Nova, Adrian, and the rest of their crew are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have Nova and Adrian questioning not only their beliefs about justice, but also the feelings they have for one another.

The line between good and evil has been blurred, but what’s clear to them both is that too much power could mean the end of their city – and the world – as they know it.

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer is the second instalment in the Renegades trilogy, a vivid and exceptional series about superheroes and villains and the blurred boundaries between good and evil.

You can read my review of Renegades HERE.

In Archenemies, Nova and Adrian are still living their double lives. Nova is a member of the Renegades, but she’s secretly working with the Anarchists to bring down the Renegades and help super villain Ace Anarchy rise to power again. Throughout this sequel, Nova’s main task is to track down Ace’s old helmet and bring it back to him. With his helmet, Ace will regain his full power.

Adrian’s alter ego is The Sentinel, a hero working solo. Adrian has created his suit and spends as much time as he can capturing villains and saving civilians. But, neither the Renegades or the Anarchists are welcoming towards him. The Sentinel bends rules, breaks protocol, and he just may be a liability rather than an asset.

“For a long second, no one moved, Simon was standing only five or six paces away from Max, close enough that he should have felt the effects of Max’s power immediately. He would feel weak, first, and then the draining away of his abilities. When it had happened to Adrian, he had felt it most in his hands.”

Archenemies introduces a fresh set of problems for the characters. HQ unveils everyone to Agent N, an irreversible serum that erases a prodigy’s powers and forces them to become a common civilian. It’s a neutralising agent, designed to stop villains from ever harming others again.

This is very risky and Nova is concerned that errors will be made. Renegades are given training on how to administer the agent, but are given free reign to neutralise any prodigy who they deem to be a threat. Nova is vocally against Agent N.

Adrian also discovers the Vitality Charm, a necklace that means people can interact with his brother Max and not have their powers stolen. This is a long-awaited development for Max, who lives inside a sealed area and isn’t allowed to physically interact with other prodigies.

Nova and Adrian’s relationship develops over the course of the novel. Adrian is unsure about his feelings for Nova, and Nova has been instructed to get close to Adrian so she can get access to his family and Ace Anarchy’s helmet. This poses all sorts of problems for Nova as she starts to develop genuine feelings for Adrian.

“Once she was finished with her inspection, Nova raised the gun, gripping it in both hands, and fired. It was so fast Adrian wondered if she’d even bothered to take aim at anything, but a glance at the targets showed her dart dead centre in a distant bull’s-eye.”

I’ve been looking forward to this sequel all year; Renegades was one of my favourite reads of 2017. The universe is unique and imaginative, and the characters fully-fledged and relatable. This series explores the concept of right and wrong, evil and good, but it also immerses the reader in a really fast-paced, fun and exciting plot.

A highly enjoyable sequel to Renegades, the tension and pacing never wavering and the stakes only getting higher.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Archenemies (Renegades #2)
Marissa Meyer
November 2018
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Witch Who Courted Death by Maria Lewis

Considering her status as the world’s most powerful medium, Casper von Klitzing and her twin brother Baristan have lived a pretty normal life – until now.

After a horrific incident in her home city of Berlin, orchestrated by the mysterious Oct, Casper is consumed with vengeance towards an enemy she doesn’t understand. But the only other person ever to escape Oct was a witch – and so Casper is soon on her trail. But this witch does not want to be found.

Diving headfirst into the supernaturally secretive world of spells, charms and covens, it’s not long before Casper is crossing more than just the line between the living and the dead . . .

The Witch Who Courted Death is the start of a new fantasy duology by Australian author Maria Lewis, reimagining the role of ghosts and witches in present day society.

This was a delightful read. I was completely smitten with pretty much everything inside these pages, from the plot to the characters to the world to the writing. Maria Lewis is so talented. I’ve read quite a few of her books now and The Witch Who Courted Death is my favourite so far.

After a horror attack in Berlin, protagonist Corvossier is planning revenge. In order to track down the people who killed her brother and stole her arm, she must team up with a witch who has escaped them before.

Maria Lewis has taken the concept of ‘mediums’ and ‘ghosts’ and completely reinvented them. Corvossier can interact with ghosts and help them move on. She can encourage them to cross through and find peace outside of our world.

When we meet her at the beginning of the novel, her and her brother Baristan are working to remove a vengeful, angry ghost from a haunted house. They’re strong and they’re prepared and this really sets the tone for the rest of the novel.

“As a general rule it was always best to navigate life as politely as possible, especially when dealing with the dead. The ghost looked up, blinking for a moment before glancing around the room with surprise. She registered their presence for the first time, somewhat snapping out of her daze.”

The Witch Who Courted Death illustrates an incredible amount of research from Maria Lewis; the book finishes with a four-page glossary, describing words for the reader like Alchemist to Selkie to Vankila.

The plot felt original and enriching, the dialogue realistic, and the characters diverse and relatable. I loved the strong bond between Corvossier and her brother, and the budding relationship between Corvossier and witch Opal. There were also a cast of secondary characters like Heath and Sprinkle who added humour and warmth to the novel.

“She remained still, Corvossier touching her fingertips to the woman’s temple. They could physically interact here, on this plane, and she could tell just by the way the ghost’s body stiffened that she had forgotten what it was like to be touched. Images flashed in front of her eyes, like a deck of cards being shuffled.”

I’m now heavily invested in the series and really looking forward to the sequel. I love that a disabled, bisexual character was the protagonist for the book and her relationship with another female was a dominant part of the story, not something glossed over or skipped.

Urban fantasy readers will love this new edition to the genre. The Witch Who Courted Death will also delight all readers, young and old, even if you’re a stranger to this genre.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch Who Courted Death
Maria Lewis
November 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

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