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Book review: Son of Winter

| Gifted | YA fantasy |

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Son of winter introduced a whole new level of character dynamics between wardens and their wards. As the group travels throughout the country to find the remaining teenagers of the Eight, we get a much deeper insight into Yhkon’s struggles with his past and how this affects his relationship with Talea.

We have dragons! One of my favorite scenes was the dragon pursuit and when they rescue their captured comrades from the Kaydorians. This sequel was definitely action packed! I also enjoyed how we obtain an insight to Kaydor’s point of view, including Zoper’s. I also like that a love interest was introduced *cough cough Rikky*, I hope to see a romance development in the next book, I am a sucker for romance. Overall a great sequel, the ending left me excited for the third book in the series!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Well… THAT was Awkward

| Gifted | romcom |

Rating: 5 out of 5.

At Solomons island, in a small village, an unique antique shop owner lives a quiet life until love strikes unexpectedly! This romantic comedy was super fast paced and hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud! Emerson is a young and smart woman, who at first isn’t really worried about her image as she dresses as a rebel teenager. John is a handsome pilot, smart and polished.

They bump into each other at a park, and I found myself blushing with second-hand embarrassment! He confuses her with a HOMELESS woman, while she is completely stunned by his perfect bod. She is both in shock by his handsome and sexy appearance and humiliated by his confusion. I found myself wondering how this awkward moment could be the start of a love story.

The author astounds me with an incredibly funny and intelligent writing style, which takes us into an amazing romance story between a young, beautiful and unique woman and a handsome man, who is very humble and with an open heart. I found it super inspiring to see this strong female character with such an authentic form of presentation, discovering herself as a sexy and loving woman, altogether with her growth as a young entrepreneur. I loved how she could see her true self and find a path to keep growing, all while enjoying life and love. Handling the adversities in her life without losing her inner magic as a woman. This book is truly inspiring, fun, romantic, and just overall an incredibly uplifting novel!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: The Trade-off by Uranio Bonoldi

| Gifted | thriller |

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was super excited when I saw that this book was written by a Brazilian author! The Trade-off starts off with a very dark and vicious atmosphere, with a future glimpse of Otto dragging corpses into a landfill! I was immediately fascinated and found myself very curious to understand why he found himself in this situation. An impressive beginning to this eerie and fast paced story!

The Trade-off involves a socialite Brazilian family and the last living descendants of a decimated indigenous tribe. We follow the story of young Otto, who was struggling in school and trying hard to succeed but always failing. His family took in a helper, an indigenous woman, Iaúna, that helps Otto to get better at school in a very mysterious way. His success in life comes with a horrible price, that even caused me some discomfort to imagine.

I was so incredibly hooked while reading, that I got to a point where I was both rooting for him at one moment and also completely repulsed by him at another moment. I was torn and conflicted, and I love that the book made me feel that way because it shows that the characters are shades in between a hero and a villain, which is more relatable. The book is very eccentric! One of my favorite elements of the entire story was how it was able to bring together Brazilian indigenous culture with dark and powerful magic.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: The Mister Roger’s Effect

| Gifted | non-fiction |

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Although I have never watched the show ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood’, after reading this book I can pretty well visualize what kind of man Fred Rogers was and what he stands for. Fred Rogers was the host of ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood’, which was a television show for kids that focused on establishing a secure environment for children, to educate them in a constructive way, unlike other fast paced and violent tv shows.

The book lays out the psychological principles that Mister Rogers employed for which he was known and loved. I especially liked how understandable the book made the 7 psychological principles by formulating the background theory, providing examples on how Mister Rogers applied it and suggesting how to apply it in your own neighbourhood. The book was particularly strong on explaining the psychological principles to the average person, which makes it an informative book without being a heavy read.

“like bodies of water change the lands they run through over time, we are shaped and impacted by those who love us”

Many more beautiful quotes could be retrieved, but this one is my favorite. We won’t accept the influence from people that do not care about us. The book makes us stand still and think about how we treat others. The little things that seem obvious, but are often forgotten.

The book is most suited for caregivers like parents, teachers, counsellors etc., but I believe that everybody could learn a lesson from Mister Rogers. The novel is an enlightening read that made me reflect on how I treat people in my life. I found myself constantly wanting to share the knowledge I acquired while reading with my family members.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Below the Dome

| Gifted | YA fantasy |

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Below the dome follows the story of Katchan, a skinny and curious boy who finds himself on a path of discovery. It is a very thought provoking read, it really made me wonder about the importance of stories. Katchan finds himself alone after the death of his grandmother, and runs from his village in the direction of the sun with nothing but a parchment left behind by his grandma that he can’t read. 

He longs to understand her last message to him and knows that the meaning is somehow connected to this mysterious rock she left behind. I found it a bit hard to grasp the worldbuilding, elements like the Silver city and Marikel I had to reread a couple of times. The story has a religious backbone to it and flows nicely to read, the writing is compelling and addictive. Katchan is very brave, instead of finding comfort in his village and a warm bed he defies the elder, and runs in search for answers to his grandmothers last message to him.

“He ran away to protect Grandma’s story. Even though it was safe, the contents were still unknown. They would remain unknown until he found the sunset people below the dome who could teach him how to decipher these stories “

The journey below the dome seemed in the beginning as a form of escape for Katchan, however it becomes a place for him to grow and find his strength. As he travels he comes across characters, all who have a connection to the story and I found myself eager to unravel how it all linked together. I can tell that the author really put work into this novel, overall very enjoyable!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Aftermath

| Gifted | fantasy |

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Aftermath was an addictive read, the author really knows how to pull you in with force! We follow the story of twin sisters, Lyla and Lilly, who live in the aftermath period after the invasion and destruction by the “takers”, or as we come to learn later, the Demorites. These girls are so mature and independent. From early age they have learned how to hunt, scavenge, journey through the woods, fight and protect themselves.

They are so connected to each other, their dynamics is amazing! It even made me long for a sister, they divide tasks and responsibilities, share each others burdens and troubles and understand each others weakness.

I was heartbroken at the scene they discover their dead grandma in the woods, and at the same time I was impressed how they were able to focus and keep going. These girls are no ordinary girls after all, they are half witches!

I really enjoyed the fact that there was also romance alongside the main plot, although I do have a darkness in my heart I think because I am always rooting for the bad guy to get the girl! Damien was a very intriguing character and I am excited to see more of him in the sequel. Overall I am really impressed with the way the author writes, it is an captivating read with immersive plot twists and a great plot development!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: A Peculiar Royal

| Gifted | MG fantasy |

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

A Peculiar Royal is a heartwarming read, perfect during cozy Christmas time. I would recommend it for middle grade fantasy lovers, specially for those who enjoy “the lost heir” and “orphan” tropes. The book follows the story of Tristan, a 17 years old boy who lives on the street. I had a feeling that he was younger while I was reading, I pictured him more as 14 years old.

In the beginning we see how he and his gang of homeless kids struggle to live off the streets, which made me feel emotional. His companion dog, Nork, was adorable and the perfect sidekick.

Things change when Tristan is discovered by the royal family. Tristan is scared, he is taken to the palace and discovers he is the lost prince. He struggles to adapt, after all, he thinks how could a street-rat be the heir to the throne? It is very heartwarming to see how his grandparents fight to win his love and his trust. The focus is not so much on the plot but more on Tristan’s personal growth and how important family is. Overall, a touching and satisfying happy tale!

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Secret of royals

| Gifted | YA fantasy |

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Secret Royals was an amazing sequel to the kingdom of another world, it was so heartfelt and emotional. It added many new layers to the story, as we are introduced to new characters and even to new worlds. The story starts off 23 years after the ending of book 1. I was curious to know what happened with Kiara and Derek. Did she choose her heart or her obligations to her realm?

At the very beginning I was heartbroken and found myself hungrily turning pages in order to understand what had occurred. I really enjoyed how the story was told in multiple points of views and also in different timelines. As we are introduced to Nicole and Richard, I found myself addicted to their story.

Nicole is super independent and brave (I would be scared to go into an underground secret poker game! one of my favorite scenes of her!). She possesses a secret skill, that has dangerous people wanting her.

In comes handsome Richard, and I was immediately swooning! He is determined to find the girl from his visions, and when he does, we witness this beautiful slow burn romance between these two characters develop. I could FEEL the static between them. I loved how this book mixed this medieval setting from Elias with the modern technology from Earth, and I found adorable how Richard was learning about her world. It is noticeable how much work and planning the author put into the story, everything is linked, every passage has a purpose and a meaning behind it. I cannot wait to see the ultimate connection of everything.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: Gisela’s Passion

| Gifted | NA retelling |

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I went into the novel knowing it was retelling of a Slavic folk tale most known as the French ballet Giselle, and thus it is a tragic-romantic tale of a ballerina and a nobleman. Gisela has a fierce passion for dance, and the stage is the only place where her body and soul feel complete and free. I enjoyed the authors description of her feelings combined with her love for dance, which are full of magic and grace, and in our minds we can visualize her dancing in moments of pure sublime beauty, almost unaware to boundaries of space and time.

She is involved in a love triangle, one of my guilty-pleasure tropes, between a man who she considers only a friend, and a disguised nobleman that shows up to her village during the time of her preparation for her big dance performance.

Both men are presented in unique manner; one noble, handsome and futile, aspiring to learn about life outside his palace; and the other peasant poor and ignorant, who only attends to his needs and feelings. The characters deeply believe in legends of dragons and ghosts, which makes the story filled with these magical moments.

The drama unravels itself throughout the story, as the romance between the ballerina and the nobleman Vincent blooms in parallel to the envious peasant Hilarion. By trying to prove her talent to her family and people from the village it shows a good representation of the woman’s way of life in previous times; always destined only for family and nothing else. This ballerina tale is a beautiful and tragic retelling that brought me to a world of fantasy, love, magic and drama

You can check out more about the book and the author here.

Book review: The White Owl, by B. D. Connor

| Gifted | fantasy |

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was overjoyed by all the Scotland vibes that the story gives out, which made me miss the time I lived in Dundee – Scotland. The kilts, clans and their lairds, their dialogues, everything really made me nostalgic of Scottish culture… The plot is completely character driven, which I found great. The story switches between the different point of views from the various characters, which allows us to connect to each of them.

It is definitely an Adult or New Adult fantasy, my favorite genre, since it has more mature topics. I often went back to the map at the beginning of the book to locate all the places that were mentioned, although the writing on the map is really small which made it a bit difficult.

I love how the magic is weaved into the story and how everything is linked in the end. I also enjoyed how real the characters were, which made them more relatable. There are heartfelt moments and fun action-packed scenes which kept my eyes glued to the page! The ending is satisfying and at the same time leaves room for the author to explore a future novel for which I await eagerly.

You can check out more about the book and the author here.