The Invasion by Peadar O'Guilin

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published March 27th 2018 by David Fickling Books

Series: Grey Land #2

YA UF

Library

I kind of wish there had only been a book 1, cos there there was...sort of happiness for now. But here, so not.

Nessa is accused of being a traitor and sent to jail. The Sidhe still want her head. They are preparing to invade and take back their land.

Anto is put into a squad of monster killers. At least he is not sent to prison like Nessa. She saved Ireland and this was her thanks?! 

And what happens to prisoners, oh they are put into a boat, but you can not leave Ireland, if you try you end up in the Grey lands. The land of living nightmares where the Sidhe find you, torture you, kill you for fun or change you into a crab or whatever they want

As you can see it is not a pretty story. There is lots of blood spilled, heartache and pain. The Sidhe might be beautiful, but they are cruel, evil and so very creepy.

I enjoyed it, it was a fast read and I wanted to know how things would turn out!

After so much danger, Nessa and Anto can finally dream of a happy life. But the terrible attack on their school has created a witch-hunt for traitors -- boys and girls who survived the Call only by making deals with the enemy. To the authorities, Nessa's guilt is obvious. Her punishment is to be sent back to the nightmare of the Grey Land for the rest of her life. The Sídhe are waiting, and they have a very special fate planned for her.

 

Meanwhile, with the help of a real traitor, the enemy come pouring into Ireland at the head of a terrifying army. Every human they capture becomes a weapon. Anto and the last students of his old school must find a way to strike a blow at the invaders before they lose their lives, or even worse, their minds. But with every moment Anto is confronted with more evidence of Nessa's guilt.

For Nessa, the thought of seeing Anto again is the only thing keeping her alive. But if she escapes, and if she can find him, surely he is duty-bound to kill her...

Ship of smoke and steel by Django Wexler

Paperback, 366 pages

Published January 7th 2020 by Tor Teen (first published January 22nd 2019)

Series: The Wells of Sorcery #1

YA FANTASY

Own

I liked this one, what a great way to start the year. With something good!

Isoka is not a nice person, she is a gang enforcer. She kills without remorse, she'd kill her best friend to save her sister, but then Isoka does not have friends. But still, she is great reading about.

I felt like the book did not start off any YAish, when she gets to the ship it gets a bit more YAish, but not that much. Not angsty, silly romance, silly drama, ok sorry YA, but so many have these issues! It feels strong and it stands on its own. No need to label it.

The story is great. She is sent to a creepy ship that comes to collect people of a certain age with powers, and they are given as tribute, cos else bad things happen. And the ship is untouchable, and no one knows anything about it. 

What a creepy ship, why does it collect people with power? Who sails it? Why are there creepy things attacking?

We do learn a bit, but not enough. I need answers! I need book 2 at once.

Great book, quite the thrilling ride. Wexler does not disappoint.

When Isoka's magic is discovered by the government, she's arrested and brought to the Emperor's spymaster, who sends her on an impossible mission: steal Soliton, a legendary ghost ship--a ship from which no one has ever returned. If she fails, her sister's life is forfeit.

On board Soliton, nothing is as simple as it seems. Isoka tries to get close to the ship's mysterious captain, but to do it she must become part of the brutal crew and join their endless battles against twisted creatures. She doesn't expect to have to contend with feelings for a charismatic fighter who shares her combat magic, or for a fearless princess who wields an even darker power.

How to catch a queen by Alyssa Cole

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Release date: 12-01-20

Publisher: HarperAudio

Contemporary romance

To review

Arranged marriage story! A woman who really wants to be queen!

Shanti has prepared all her life to be queen, ok yes I admit, a tad weird, I mean how many chances are there in the world to achieve that, but hey this is a romance so a lot more pretend kingdoms. I did not know how to take this ambition of hers, but then, I mean she really went all in for it. She studied, she mastered everything and when she finally got her chance she started to plan how to help her new country.

But, yes not that kind of story. Cut to her being mostly alone for 3 months, moving from her room to the library. No one giving an f or wanting her there. All her plans in turmoil. This is not a queen friendly country. No they have for decades had a queen for 4 months and then a new one and a new one and a new one and a new one.

But then she finally gets a chance and gets to speak to her husband. And he notices her brilliant mind (oh and how fine she is.)

Sanyu, yes i liked him. Not everyone wants to be king and his dad, and their advisor sure did a number on him. First, all those queens, so never any mother for him. An advisor ho kept telling him he was a failure, and a father who was known for his iron fist. This poor guy pops antacids like they are candy. But it felt so real, hell it would be scary to be king and suddenly must know what to do.

And no one told him he was to marry either so resentment there too.

She is the only queen ready to save this country, and together they could be great. But there is a road there and yes some drama on the way. It is fun, it makes you want to smack someone over the head and it felt new. I have sure never read about someone this driven to be queen!

I remember the couple for an earlier book and wanting to read it, and I finally had the chance. Enjoyable and refreshing.

Great narration by Chilton. She gets to portray characters from two made up kingdoms, and she gives the characters different accents so well. She has a nice range with her male and female voices and she truly brings the story together.

When Shanti Mohapi weds the king of Njaza, her dream of becoming a queen finally comes true. But it’s nothing like she imagined. Shanti and her husband may share an immediate and powerful attraction, but her subjects see her as an outsider, and everything she was taught about being the perfect wife goes disastrously wrong.

A king must rule with an iron fist, and newly crowned King Sanyu was born perfectly fitted for the gauntlet, even if he wishes he weren’t. He agrees to take a wife as is required of him, though he doesn’t expect to actually fall in love. Even more vexing? His beguiling new queen seems to have the answers to his country’s problems - except no one will listen to her.

By day, they lead separate lives. By night, she wears the crown, and he bows to her demands in matters of politics and passion. When turmoil erupts in their kingdom and their marriage, Shanti goes on the run, and Sanyu must learn whether he has what it takes both to lead his people and to catch his queen.

TMST: 2021

 

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Resolutions/words of the year - do you do them? What are they for 2021?

I never do them, because I ultimately fail. I do have wishes for 2021, like Covid calming down, people getting vaccinated. Life moving on.

SO here is my wishing post

We do FINALLY have our house ready, ok not ready, the workroom is filled with boxes, the garage needs to be finished and we have no yard. I do want more finished things!

But anyway I really want this to be a year with my daughter. Her father was so busy last year with finishing the house.  I want to go to the beach that is now close by, I want to take lots of bikerides to explore by road too. I want to with a friend find these rocks/caves somewhere in the woods where the people of this village hid 300 years ago in the middle of winter from marauding Russians. I want to take hikes, I hope that something kid friendly can be organized this year so we can attend with her. She keeps talking of things we did in -19 and hopefully next November maybe things can be held .

That's it!

EXPLORE

That is my word for 2021

We have already begun :)

Next week

Bookish jobs: if you could do something in the bookish world for employment, what would you choose and why