Tag: fantasy

Sunday Summary – 24th October 2021

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It’s time for another Sunday Summary update once again! These posts seem to roll around very quickly. No sooner have I written one than I’m preparing the next! It’s no surprise it’s nearly the end of October already!

I started this week with a top ten Tuesday post. I liked the idea of this week’s theme, which was sharing my top ten online resources for book lovers. Not only was it fun to write, but I hope it proved useful and gave you some insight into the tools I use for my hobby!

I have an apology to make. I decided last week to switch up my blog posting schedule, and I didn’t fulfil my end of the bargain. I was supposed to share my already late review of Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch yesterday. But, I’m a bit of a dozy cow. Changing up my routine is dangerous; I’ll be the first person to hold my hands up and say that I’m forgetful! I remembered that I was supposed to be sharing this post yesterday at 10:10 pm. Needless to say, I postponed this once again, and I’m sorry about that! It will be coming to you next week – I promise!

 

Books Read

Last week I started reading Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson and had made progress by reading a few chapters. There was a lot to take in and getting started was a little bit slow. I have persevered this week and I feel like I’m coming out the other side now. I’m eight chapters through and I have picked up what I need to know in order to carry on. It’s getting a lot easier to read, which is great news! Eight chapters is about 10% of the way through the book, in case you’re interested. Yeah, it’s a long one…

I’ve also listened to roughly a couple of hours of The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch. In terms of progress that’s about half again from last week, putting me at about 75% of the way through! I’m really enjoying this and since I have next week off work I expect to finish this in the next few days.

 

Books Discovered

Once again no updates to add here this week! However, as I have an errand to run next week that involves going into a certain bookstore, I make no promises for a similar update in next week’s post!

 

Coming Up…

I will publish my review of Whispers Under Ground next week. I WILL publish my review of Whispers Under Ground next week. As I said above, I’m off work for a break next week and so I have absolutely no excuse.

None.

I am still going to take a brief break from my regular Friday features next week. It’s nice to have a little bit of variety on the blog, and so I’m going to share a discussion post with you instead.

If you read my blog you may recall that I have changed my stance on how I read this year. Previously, I’d share a reading list at the beginning of the month. This year I’ve adapted to be more of a mood reader. I didn’t want to set myself goals that I couldn’t achieve and as I burned out a bit after last year, I needed the break and a more relaxed pace. In my discussion post I’m going to be talking about the pros and cons of each approach and sharing which is my favourite.

Until next time, happy reading!

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Sunday Summary – 17th October 2021

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Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s update in today’s Sunday Summary post. As always, I hope you’ve had a great week! Mine has ended up being quite busy as I’ve been out a couple of nights this week socialising. I had a really good time, but consequently, this impacted my blogging schedule a little.

I was supposed to share a review of Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch this week, however, this post didn’t go live. I’ve got it prepared to a certain extent, but it was this time that the socialising events I went to ate into. I hope to be able to share this with you next week instead and I am very sorry that this didn’t go ahead as planned!

Later in the week, I was able to publish the planned Shelf Control post. In this week’s post, I featured a book that I remember talking about with my dad after I added it to my TBR. Turns out he has read this book so I’m interested to see how my thoughts compare to his!

 

Books Read

My reading has also been impacted a little by the social events I ended up going to. However, I will admit that I have lacked a little motivation as well this week. I’m starting to think that perhaps I’ve taken on a lot by jumping into a Brandon Sanderson novel. At over 1000 pages Words of Radiance isn’t a small read. As it’s been a while since I read the first book, it’s been a bit of a learning curve picking the series back up. I have, however, read a few chapters and I am starting to pick it back up.

I’ve also been listening to an audiobook this week for the first time in quite a while.

I wasn’t particularly enamoured by A Suitable Lie by Michael J. Malone so I decided to stop listening to this one. It’s okay, but I really don’t like one of the characters and as a result I’ve lost motivation with it. Perhaps inspired by my intended review, I decided to pick up The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch. It’s a series I know and love by now and consequently I’ve listened to around half of this audiobook (about 5 hours worth) this week alone. Audiobooks are a great knitting companion too, in case anyone is interested!

 

Books Discovered

I have absolutely no news on this front this week, which is always good news when your list to read is as long as mine!


Coming Up…

I like the idea of next week’s Top Ten Tuesday post. It’s a little bit different as the feature topic is sharing my top ten online resources for book lovers. I think it’s a great one because it can be useful for absolutely anyone to read. As someone who reads more than most, I probably have more experience with using some of these things, or even just knowing that they exist, and it may help you out!

I’m in the mood to change my post order a little. I’ve been following the same structure for a few weeks now and I’m thinking it’s getting a little bit stale. So, with that in mind, I’m giving my usual Friday features a brief break and instead I’m going to share a post on Saturday. Seeing as how I wasn’t able to get my review of Whispers Under Ground ready in time this week, I’ll be sharing this with you then. I hope it’s worth the wait.

However, that is all for me in today’s post. As always I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update, and I look forward to seeing you in my next post!

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Sunday Summary – 10th October 2021

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Sunday evening can only mean the end of another week… and that it’s time for my Sunday Summary post! It also means I have to get up early for work in the morning, but let’s not dwell on that bit! Instead, let’s look at what I’ve done this week! 

Earlier this week I shared my Monthly Wrap-Up post for September 2021. This type of post has replaced my previous reading list; instead of sharing my planned reads for the month ahead of time, I’m recapping what I have read instead. I currently prefer this format as it puts less pressure on me to get through a certain number of books a month. In that post, I also take the opportunity to share links to the posts I’ve shared on my blog over the period. So, if you want a reminder of what I’ve read this month, and want to make sure you haven’t missed any blog posts, go and check out that post now!

On Friday I shared a First Lines Friday post. For this post, I hadn’t set myself a challenge to feature a certain type of book. Instead, I had a full rain did use whatever I like, and I ultimately chose a book based on a recommendation on my Goodreads discover tab. Whilst the book isn’t on my TBR, I have considered it. I like the sound of the premise and it’s recently been made into a popular film. Can you guess what it is based on the shared introduction?

 

Books Read

As of last week’s Sunday Summary update post, I was a third of the way through Red Rising by Pierce Brown. It’s fair to say from the pace in which I read the book that I really enjoyed this, because I finished this on Thursday! The next book in the series is already on my list to pick up. I really enjoyed the narrative and the combination of science fiction, action and it’s dystopian vibe.

After Red Rising I was at a bit of a loss as to what to read next. After reading such a great book it’s intimidating to find something else that will live up to it. After some deliberation I decided to turn to a firm favourite. I had to read a little reminder as to what happened in the previous book first, but I have decided to pick up Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson.

I deliberately didn’t read this too quickly after the first book. The Stormlight Archives series is planned to be ten books and currently only four (or so) are published. I didn’t want to read this too quickly and end up waiting a long time for the subsequent books. However, I think it’s been a couple of years since picking up The Way of Kings. That’s a decent amount of time to wait to be able to enjoy the next book. And it’s an epic. I’ve just over 1000 pages I have plenty to dive into!

 

Books Discovered

Aside from adding Golden Sun (the sequel to Red Rising), there’s nothing to add here. And since I ticked Red Rising off the list when I finished it, does this count as it nets off?

 

Coming Up…

It has been a few weeks since I shared an audiobook review with you, and so my plan is to share my thoughts on Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch this week. I remember listening to this last year whilst I was doing some redecorating round the house. Sometimes this doesn’t feel like it was over a year ago and yet it certainly was! So it’s definitely time for me to share my review with you.

Later in the week I’ll be back with a Shelf Control post. This week’s featured book has a sci-fi theme with an interesting premise. I can’t wait to share with you!

However, that is all from me in today’s post. As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update, and I look forward to seeing you in my next post!

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Sunday Summary: 3rd October 2021

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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary post!

I started this week by sharing a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week‘s topic was a freebie, so I went back through some of the post topics I’ve missed previously to decide what I wanted to share. Ultimately, I chose the topic that jumped out at me almost straight away, being “books that everyone has read but me”. It’s apparent that I read a lot; more than most in fact. However, there is plenty that I haven’t read (in some cases not yet). Those books were featured on Tuesday.

Later in the week, I shared a Shelf Control post. This week’s featured book was Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. It isn’t exactly going to be light reading in any sense of the word, but I’m still interested anyway.

 

Books Read

 

I’ve officially given up on Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo.

I did pick this up again this week, despite the fact I wasn’t particularly feeling inclined to. I gave this my best shot but decided to DNF after around 80 pages. The writing style didn’t work for me. The idea of the book is a good one, but it just wasn’t working for me. If I’m entirely honest, I also didn’t like how shallow the characters I’ve read so far were explored. I just wasn’t able to invest with them very much. Given that the plot doesn’t have much in the way of action (at least as far as I read), you would think this aspect would be all the more important. Also, does anyone else think all the characters are obsessed with sex or is that just me?

I’ve gotten to the stage now where I’m not going to force myself to read a book if I don’t particularly enjoy it. Frankly, I have better things to do with my time.

So, I swiftly moved on to Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I first picked this book up yesterday afternoon and I’m currently a third of the way through. If you needed proof of what the sapping my reading energy, well, I think you’ve got it.

I’m really loving the book so far! When I was trying to decide what to pick up next I got to thinking about this book based on what I remembered from my Shelf Control post back in April. You know me – I am a dystopian fan and combining this with science-fiction is a fun concept! Maybe the fact that I’m playing Horizon: Zero Dawn at the moment (a game of similar genre) planted the idea in my head. Whatever the reason it’s proving to be a great decision!

 

Books Discovered

Still nothing to add here this week, which can only mean the number of books on my list to read is going in the right direction!

 

Coming Up…

I cannot believe it is October already, but here we are! So, naturally I will be sharing my wrapup for September at the beginning of next week. Reading progress in the month has been reasonably average, but I still have plenty to share.

Then, I will be back to sharing a First Lines Friday post with you. Last time I set myself a challenge to feature a non-fiction book, which was fun. However, this time I’m going to keep my options open this time.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update is and I look forward to seeing you in the next one!

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Sunday Summary – 26th September 2021

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Good evening and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary post! The wind is howling and the rain pouring down outside. The weather is becoming more autumnal… and what better way is there to spend our time on nights like these than reading or talking about books!

This week I shared a couple of book-related posts with you. My first post of the week was published on Thursday. In that post, I talked about a couple of the different ways in which you might go about giving a book a rating after you’ve read it. It’s an entirely subjective thing, but some people have different ways of going about it. Whether you read a book emotively or consider several different factors and rate the book on each of these by averaging the score, everyone has their ideas about what suits them. In that discussion post, I talk about the benefits of both as well as sharing how I rate a book.

On Friday I shared a First Lines Friday post. In last week’s Sunday Summary post I set myself the challenge of featuring a non-fiction novel. I had already featured the first couple of ideas I came up with previously, but in the end, I was able to complete the challenge and feature a historical novel on my TBR!

 

Books Read

Over the last week, reading progress has been a little slow.

I was getting on really well with finishing The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. So much so, I actually finished this last Sunday after I shared my Sunday Summary update with you. But from there things went a bit awry.

I decided to pick up a book that I have been loaned by my friend, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. One of the points I talked about in my discussion post on Thursday is how I value different factors of a book more than others and that’s why I don’t review a book rigidly on several factors and average them. More specifically, if I can’t get on with the books narrative style, I can then struggle to read it. It’s even reason enough for me to DNF a book. And that’s exactly what’s happening to me with this one.

My friend did warn me about this. It’s something she struggled with a little when she read it, but I was willing to give it a go anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t given up on it yet. However, I’m only on chapter 3. It’s not very many pages in, so not very good I know. I’ll keep trying and fingers crossed I have more of an update next week!

 

Books Discovered

I have absolutely nothing to add here this week, which I’ll take as good news!

 

Coming Up…

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday post theme is a freebie, and so I’ve been looking back at some of the previous posts I’ve missed to see if anything caught my eye. One such post topic is “popular books/series everyone has read but me”. There is so much I haven’t read and I think it would be a really interesting topic to share with you.

Later in the week, I will be sharing yet another Shelf Control post. This is the second of my regular Friday features, in which I take a look at my TBR and tell you why the featured book of the week is on my list. As part of the series I’ve been taking the opportunity to review my list and if something no longer appeals, I’ve taken it off. It’s a good way to review what’s on my list and to make sure it’s still relevant to me. I also hope that the books I feature might appeal to you.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update is and I look forward to seeing you in the next post!

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Sunday Summary – 19th September 2021

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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary update! As always, I hope you’ve had a fantastic week wherever and whatever you have been up to! My week has been pretty run-of-the-mill. It’s been the usual work and home, except for going out with some friends for tea last night and going to visit my family today.

In terms of blogging, I’ve stuck to my typical schedule this week. In last week’s Sunday Summary post, I told you that I was going to share a book review as it had been some time since my last one. I did indeed go on to share my review of Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson as planned. You may be aware that I am a huge, huge fan of Brandon Sanderson and Steelheart did not disappoint in the slightest! I’ve loved every one of his books to date.

Later in the week, I shared a Shelf Control post. This is a regular feature here on Reviewsfeed, in which I review my TBR and feature the next book on my list, explaining to you just why I can’t wait to read it! This week’s featured book isn’t a typical choice for me. I don’t read much in the way of young adult, however, I like the sound of the premise of this one. With that in mind, this was a definite keeper on my list.

If you haven’t checked out either of those posts, you can find a link to each above.

 

Books Read

This week’s reading list has fewer books on it than last week, however, I’ve made solid progress with The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. For the second half of this year, I’ve set myself a goal to try and pick up a book more regularly again. I’m not trying to read any set number of books or anything like that, however, I am trying to make reading a regular thing. That is the case and I am picking up books because I want to and not to because I feel obliged to.

When I started reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck last week, it was because I wanted to read something non-fiction. I wanted something very different to my usual and this has suited me very well. As a result, I wanted to pick it up and carry on making progress. I also agree with a lot of the things said in the book.  The logic makes sense and it’s made me think about the way I sometimes think about myself.

Having taken the time to think about what’s been written, there are things that I’m changing my perspective on. If you asked me a couple of weeks ago I’d have told you things I didn’t think I gave a damn about, but now I’m starting to question whether that’s true, and more importantly, whether I should be giving a damn about it!

The main message from the book is to encourage you to question yourself. Your thoughts, your opinions and your values. It’s the tricky bit but if you can ask yourself the difficult questions and give yourself an honest answer, then you’re only going in the right direction!

 

Books Discovered

This week’s section is significantly shorter than last week’s. Given that I’ve added several new books to the list lately, I’m deliberately not trying to find anything. I have more than enough on my plate already!

 

Coming Up…

For next week, I’m planning on sharing a discussion post with you. In this post, I want to share with you how you can rate the books you read, as well as how I do it. Everybody has different ways of doing it. Some might score a book on several aspects and then average it, and others might do it completely emotionally. There is no right or wrong way and if you are a fellow book blogger, I want to make your ratings consistent then this may be a topic of interest to you.

Later in the week, I will be back with another First Lines Friday post. I’ve decided this week I’m going to set myself a challenge to feature a non-fiction book. It’s a genre that doesn’t get a whole lot of love on my blog (for the moment) and so I want to take some steps to change that! If you have any ideas or recommendations, I would love to hear them. Alternatively, if there are any other challenges you’d like to see me do as part of this series I would love to hear those ideas as well!

I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update is and I look forward to seeing you in the next post!

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Book Review: Steelheart – Brandon Sanderson

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It’s been a little while since I shared a book review with you all. So, today’s post is to share my thoughts on Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.

I am a huge fan, and I really wanted to try this first book of The Reckoners series. To date, I haven’t found a book of Sanderson‘s I don’t like. Maintaining a record like that is a challenge and a very big expectation to live up to. But Steelheart did not disappoint!

 

Steelheart – Brandon Sanderson

Goodreads – Steelheart

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.

Nobody fights the Epics…nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

 

My Thoughts…

When I picked up Steelheart I was safe in the knowledge that I was going to enjoy this book. Not only is Brandon Sanderson becoming one of my favourite authors, but it’s also a genre that I go to again and again! Where fantasy is normally filled with classic tropes and repetitive storylines, I don’t find this at all with Brandon Sanderson‘s writing. It has always amazed me how varied his different narratives and series are. He has so many of them and yet manages to keep them all unique in their own way. They all have similarities in that some form of magic is involved, but the similarities end there!

I enjoyed the narrative of Steelheart as the book is written from the perspective of an underground organisation plotting and killing Epics. Brandon Sanderson builds this epic world over which his ‘superheroes’ (turned overlords) preside, but we get to see the gritty, dark side of things. The world is not perfect with this power. Those who wield it are corrupted. The Reckoners, trying to stop them, hide in the shadows… the dark underbelly of cities. There is something about an author who builds such a fantastic world, to then base the story out of the ‘worst’ parts of it and pull it off.

The Reckoners are the key to the story and as a group, they have a great dynamic. I really enjoyed each individual character and personally, I loved their geekiness. The technology they’ve been able to build with next to no resources is phenomenal and their determination is something else entirely. Who else would think to take on the equivalent of a superhero and win? These guys… and boy, do they do it with style!

I really enjoyed the ending of this book. I wasn’t sure how the book was going to be wrapped up, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It was action-packed, very cleverly done and I don’t think I could’ve asked for any better! And the best bit is, it’s not even over yet! With additional books in the series, there is plenty of scope to take this further and I can guarantee you that I will be picking these up! Equally, I think you could read Steelheart as a standalone if you really wanted to. But why would you want to when it’s just this good?!

Have you read Steelheart, or does my review make you want to consider reading it? Let me know in the comments!

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Sunday Summary – 12th September 2021

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Welcome back to my regular Sunday Summary update post. I didn’t share an update with you last week as there wasn’t much to tell. My sister and her boyfriend Chris came over for a visit and so consequently, I took a break from both reading and blogging for the time they were over.

I have been back since the beginning of this week, however, and I’ve already shared a couple of posts with you. With not sharing my regular Sunday Summary update, you didn’t know what I had planned. However, sharing my Monthly Wrap-Up for August shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise. I would’ve shared this the week prior if not for their visit, and it’s a post I’ve been sharing at the beginning of each month since the beginning of this year. Reading progress was better in July, but I’m still happy with what I managed to read in August. I’m now getting back into the swing of reading more regularly and that habit has continued throughout August!

Later in the week, I shared a First Lines Friday post; this week’s featured book has just been published and I’m excited to give this a go! It’s written by an author I have come to love. Whilst the genre is a little out of my comfort zone, for this author I’m willing to give it a try anyway.

 

Books Read

I could not be happier with this week’s reading progress! Considering I practically didn’t pick up a book for the whole of the week prior, I’ve certainly made up for it this week. As of my last Sunday Summary update I was around halfway through Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix. I’m pleased to say that I finished this yesterday. When you take into consideration that my edition of this book is 766 pages long, you can already see that reading half the book in just less than a week is already a lot of reading!

Well, we don’t end there. After finishing the book I decided I wanted something a little lighter to pick up next. I don’t mean that just in terms of size either. I love that the later books of the series have a darker side, but in contrast I wanted something significantly more lighthearted as a break. Don’t forget, I read both Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix one after the other. So, with that in mind, I remembered a recent recommendation by my boss to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. It was just what I needed; so much so, I managed to read this in one sitting!

Lastly, I picked up my third book of the week this morning. I wanted to continue with the slightly lighter tone, however move away from narratives aimed at children. After combing through my to be read list, I settled on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. If I recall correctly, I think I’m around 15% of the way through this book at the moment. Again, I’m really enjoying the lighter side of the book as the narrative is in itself quite humorous. But, the book also has a lot to offer in terms of insight into mental health as well, which is really interesting at the same time!

 

Books Discovered

Over the last couple of weeks, it’s fair to say I’ve fallen off the wagon a little. I feel like I’ve added quite a few books to my list. I have managed to take a few off as well, but if I’m entirely honest I think I breakeven at best.

The first book added to my list in the last couple of weeks is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. This recommendation actually came to me from my sister’s boyfriend Chris. He has just read the book himself and after telling me about it, he very kindly left his copy with me to borrow.

The second book added was also the featured book shared in my First Lines Friday post this week. As I’ve said, I’ve come to love Jay Kristoff, in particular his Nevernight series. When I saw a post this week about his new release, Empire of the Vampire, I knew I had to give it a go. Based on the introduction I shared in that post, I am more convinced than ever that taking a little step out of my comfort zone will pay off.

Lastly, I added one more book to my list today after being introduced to it by my mum. She mentioned that she had just ordered this new release and I think it has a lot to offer. As I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, it was 20 years ago yesterday that the world changed forever. The 9/11 attacks are unforgettable recent history, and the book my mum introduced to me, Ordinary Heroes, is written by the first FDNY chief on the scene on that fateful day. Having recently watched a documentary offering insight into the attacks from the perspective of those on the ground at the time, this memoir can definitely shed new light on the widely publicised event, but in more intimate detail. I’m a firm believer that we can learn from our history; that’s why I enjoy reading it so much.

 

Coming Up…

I feel like it has been a little while since I’ve shared a book review with you all, and so my plan for this week is to share my thoughts on Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. Brandon Sanderson is probably my second favourite author of all time. He is the kind of author that I could pick any of his books up and it wouldn’t matter – I’d love it regardless! He is a fantastic writer and to date, all the books of his I’ve read, I rated five stars. Steelheart is no exception! I loved the narrative and the action, and I feel sure I will continue with the series before too long. I read this first book back in 2020 and so my review is certainly overdue.

Later in the week, I will be sharing my next Shelf Control post. Having added no less than three books to the to be read pile, I should certainly get back to checking what else is on the list and making sure it’s still relevant to my reading taste!

That’s all for me vote this week. I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Summary update and I look forward to seeing you in the next post!

What have you been reading this week? Do you have any good recommendations?

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First Lines Friday – 10/09/2021

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Hi guys and welcome to my First Lines Friday post!

I was supposed to share a First Lines Friday post with you a couple of weeks ago. However, I got busy and before I knew it, it was late on Friday evening and I hadn’t even started planning the post. Well, never mind that now – because I’m here today to share with you a fantastic book that I think you will love! It is written by an author that I have come to love and has just been published within the last couple of days. If you read my blog and are familiar with recent releases, you may be able to guess today’s book.

Even if you don’t recognise it from the clues above, I hope you enjoy today’s extract.

 

“It all started with a rabbit hole,” Gabriel said.

The Last Silversaint stared into that flickering lantern flame as if into faces long dead. A hint of red smoke still bruised the air, and he could hear each thread in the lanterns wick burning to a different tune. The years passed between them then and now seemed only minutes to his mind, alight with rushing bloodhymn.

“It strikes me as funny,” he sighed, “looking back on it all. There is a pile of ash behind me so high it could touch the sky. Cathedrals in flames and cities in ruins and graves overflowing with the pious and wicked, and that’s where it truly began. He shook his head in wonder. Just a little hole in the ground.

People will remember it different, of course. The soothsingers will harp about the Prophecy, and the priests will bleat on about the Almighty’s plan. But I never met a minstrel who wasn’t a liar, coldblood. Nor holy man who wasn’t a …”

 

Empire of the Vampire – Jay Kristoff

Goodreads – Empire of the Vampire

From holy cup comes holy light;

The faithful hands sets world aright.

And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,

Mere man shall end this endless night.

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order couldn’t stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:

The Holy Grail.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Nevernight Chronicle, Jay Kristoff, comes the first book of an astonishing illustrated dark fantasy saga.

 

My Thoughts…

As a general rule, I wouldn’t say I’m a massive fan of vampire-related novels. However, I have read a couple of good ones and I’m certainly prepared to make an exception for Mr Kristoff!

I fell in love with his Nevernight series instantly and so I have high expectations for this book as well. It’s dark fantasy, which I love the idea of considering he pulled off Nevernight so well. He’s also indicated that it is definitely not a book for children. I like that it’s aimed at a more mature reader, although I know there’s going to be at least one scene in it that I’m not going to be a huge fan of. That being said, I’m willing to overlook it because I don’t want to miss out on the rest! You may have noticed that I’ve even omitted a word from today’s extract. For the sake of keeping my blog PG I’ve taken it out… but let’s just say it’s a certain four letter word beginning with C.

You know the one. If you don’t, you’re probably not meant to yet!

Some people might be put off by such language, but as someone who grew up learning the vocabulary of a sailor from a very young age, I certainly have no issues! I personally quite enjoy the crassness of it!

If you’re interested to read my thoughts on books I have already read by Jay Kristoff (his Nevernight series), you can check out my review of Nevernight here. Reviews for the later books are also available, but so I don’t share any potential spoilers accidentally, I’ve just linked my review to the first book of the series.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s First Lines Friday post! Are you excited for Empire of the Vampire?

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Sunday Summary – 29th August 2021

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Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Sunday Summary update post. As always, I hope you’ve had a great week? It’s especially been a good one here as we are in the middle of a super bank holiday weekend. We normally have a bank holiday in June, but this didn’t take place as planned this year as it is associated with a motorbike racing event. This was cancelled due to Covid, so we got Friday this week in lieu.

My blogging schedule didn’t quite go to plan this week. I was hoping to get my review of The Thief Taker by C. S. Quinn out a little earlier than I did, but I eventually got it to a stage I was happy with it and published the post on Thursday.

I was meant to publish a First Lines Friday post this week. However, with having the day off I got stuck into some household jobs, including taming the garden. Long story short, I had quite a busy day and I finally remembered that I hadn’t started drafting this post about 10 pm. By that point, I hadn’t chosen a book to feature and so I decided to postpone the post rather than scramble to get something sub-par ready.

 

Books Read

Reading progress this week has been good. As you guys know, I’m currently reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. I’m now just over 300 pages into the book and it’s so easy to pick up and put down. Even though I haven’t read this book for a long time, there is still a sense of familiarity but equally, it’s keeping me engaged. I love how well these are written and I don’t think it will be too long before I finish the series; I want to try and finish them by the end of the year.

 

Books Discovered

No news to report here once again, so I’m a happy bunny!

 

Coming Up…

I’m going to be taking a brief break over the next week. My sister and her boyfriend are coming over to the island for a visit and so I’m going to be taking time out to spend time with them. My sister was over for the first time in a couple of years back at the end of June; I am looking forward to being able to catch up with her again so soon. I haven’t met my sister’s boyfriend properly yet, so I’m looking forward to that too!

I will be back at the end of next week with another Sunday Summary post, but that’s all you can expect from me next week. Until then I hope you have a good one!

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