Rune's Bookish Wanderings 2022

Just setting this up ready for new year.

That's early!

Looking forward to your 2022 thread!

I will be reading 120 books :)

Best of luck! Have a great reading year!

1. Blood of Elves
(The Witcher #1)
by Andrzej Sapkowski, Danusia Stok (Translator)

Blurb

Geralt, the witcher of Rivia, is back - and this time he holds the fate of the whole land in his hands ...For more than a hundred years, humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over and now the races once again fight each other - and themselves: dwarves are killing their kinsmen, and elves are murdering humans and elves, at least those elves who are friendly to humans ...Into this tumultuous time is born a child for whom the witchers of the world have been waiting. Ciri, the granddaughter of Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra, has strange powers and a stranger destiny, for prophecy names her the Flame, one with the power to change the world - for good, or for evil ...Geralt, the witcher of Rivia, has taken Ciri to the relative safety of the Witchers' Settlement, but it soon becomes clear that Ciri isn't like the other witchers. As the political situation grows ever dimmer and the threat of war hangs almost palpably over the land, Geralt searches for someone to train Ciri's unique powers. But someone else has an eye on the young girl, someone who understand exactly what the prophecy means - and exactly what Ciri's power can do. This time Geralt may have met his match.

My Thoughts

Wow how awesome the adventure begins

Off to a great start. Happy New Year.

2.Reputation by Lex Croucher

Blurb

The hilarious debut novel from Lex Croucher. A classic romcom with a Regency-era twist, for fans of Mean Girls and/or Jane Austen.

Abandoned by her parents, middle-class Georgiana Ellers has moved to a new town to live with her dreary aunt and uncle. At a particularly dull party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy member of the in-crowd who lives a life Georgiana couldn't have imagined in her wildest dreams.

Lonely and vulnerable, Georgiana falls in with Frances and her unfathomably rich, deeply improper friends. Georgiana is introduced to a new world: drunken debauchery, mysterious young men with strangely arresting hands, and the upper echelons of Regency society.

But the price of entry to high society might just be higher than Georgiana is willing to pay ...

My Thoughts

This truly is wonderful multiracial regency romp. I found things to love and laugh outloud at in this book along side characters I hugely disliked. Brilliant well crafted story I had to know if right boy and the girl found one another in the end. A splendid way to spend a week or so.

3. Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness #1)
by Rhys Bowen

Blurb
Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless and trying to survive on her own as an ordinary person in London in 1932.

So far she has managed to light a fire and boil an egg... She's gate-crashed a wedding... She's making money by secretly cleaning houses... And she's been asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen.

Everything seems to be going swimmingly until she finds a body in her bathtub... and someone is definitely trying to kill her.

My Thoughts

NOTE :Please no debate over the time line or whatever. Its Historical fiction .

This is a guilty pleasure and a re read for myself. I throughly enjoy spending time with Georgie , the handsome Darcey and her friends.

4. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
by Marissa Meyer

Blurb

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg.

She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Thoughts

This puts one firmly in mind of a fairy tale. A fairy tale with a hidden Princess at its heart.
A perfect reworking of Cindrella but with a plague and cyborgs.

Meyer proves that she is indeed a master of her art creating a well woven reworking of this very old story and giving it a new twist but still keeping that wonderful ball gown.
This will keep you long pasr your bed time with the need to know what will happen next.

>9 RuneFirestar: Thanks for reminding me of this series. I read the first couple a long time ago and enjoyed them, but the series fell by the wayside as newer and shinier things kept popping up. Time to go back to it.

5.Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
by Marissa Meyer

Blurb
Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles.

She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life.

When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own. As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My Thoughts

Wow! This is awesome!

6. A Spoonful Of Murder by J.M. Hall

Blurb

Retirement can be murder…

Every Thursday, three retired school teachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café.

But one fateful week, as they are catching up with a slice of cake, they bump into their ex-colleague, Topsy.

By the next Thursday, Topsy’s dead.

The last thing Liz, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder.

But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it…

Sit down with a cup of tea, a slice of cake and this perfectly witty, page-turning cosy crime novel. Fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page.

My Thoughts

I love a cozy mystery. This is a beautiful and wonderful story. I loved the snap shots of life and the stories of Jacob and his troubles at school. I adored this sooo very much.

Wonderful read!

7. The Beekeeper's Apprentice
(Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1)
by Laurie R. King

Blurb

Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes's pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

My Thoughts

This was a brilliant read . I didn't know how to feel about it going in but Mary soon found a way into my confidences and I loved it.

>14 RuneFirestar: If you have not read any Mary Russell stories before, you have many happy reading days ahead of you!

MrsLee I have only just started to get to know Miss Russell and her Holmes. I am enjoying them both very much. I just bought the second book.

8. The Undead Day One
(The Undead #1)
by R.R. Haywood (Goodreads Author)

Blurb

My name is Howie. I was named after my father Howard, but it became too confusing to have two Howards, so I became Howie. I am 27 years old and I work as a night's manager in a supermarket.
I will tell you what happened...

The undead have risen. Within hours all communication has gone and a frantic struggle for survival begins.

Day One: Friday: the world falls apart. A zombie infestation is ravaging Europe. Howie is at home and quickly has to learn this new world as he battles through hordes of undead, desperately trying to reach his family...The Undead Day One, a thrilling new series of zombie horror

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed the frist book iy was awesome!

9. The Undead Day Two (The Undead #2)
by R.R. Haywood

Blurb
My name is Howie. I was named after my father Howard, but it became too confusing to have two Howards, so I became Howie. I am 27 years old and I work as a night's manager in a supermarket.
I will tell you what happened.

On Friday the world fell apart. A zombie infestation has ravaged Europe. Howie was at home and quickly had to learn to fight and survive as he battles through hordes of undead, desperately trying to reach his family.

Now it's Saturday and Howie has to go back to his town. More adventures await him. A Zombie stripper. A Psychotic club owner and a chance encounter with an old work mate who changes everything...The Undead Day Two.

My Thoughts

Still brilliant!

10. The Undead Day Three (The Undead #3)
by R.R. Haywood

Blurb
My name is Howie. I was named after my father Howard, but it became too confusing to have two Howards, so I became Howie. I am 27 years old and I work as a night's manager in a supermarket.
I will tell you what happened.

On Friday the world fell apart. A zombie infestation has ravaged Europe. Howie was at home and quickly had to learn to fight and survive in this new world as he battled through hordes of undead, desperately trying to reach his family...The Undead Day One.

On Saturday he went back to his town but an undead stripper and her psychotic boyfriend awaited him. Then he met Dave and everything changed as they went to war on the undead...The Undead Day Two.

Now it's Sunday, Howie and Dave have to travel across country still searching for Howies family. Their travels bring them into contact with many strange people as they battle with zombies and other survivors...The Undead Day Three

11. This Charming Man (Stranger Times #2)
by C.K. McDonnell

Blurb
Vampires do not exist. Everyone knows this. So it's particularly annoying when they start popping up around Manchester . . .

Nobody is pleased about it. Not the Founders, the secret organisation for whom vampires were invented as an allegory, nor the Folk, the magical people hidden in plain sight who only want a quiet life. And definitely not the people of Manchester, because there is nothing more irksome than being murdered by an allegory run amok. Somebody needs to sort this out fast before all Hell really breaks loose - step forward the staff of The Stranger Times.

It's not like they don't have enough to be dealing with. Assistant Editor Hannah has come back from getting messily divorced to discover that someone is trying to kidnap a member of their staff and while editor Vincent Banecroft would be delighted to see the back of any of his team, he doesn't like people touching his stuff - it's the principle of the thing.

Throw in a precarious plumbing situation, gambling debts, an entirely new way of swearing, and a certain detective inspector with what could be kindly referred to as 'a lot of baggage' and it all adds up to another hectic week in the life of the newspaper committed to reporting the truth that nobody else will touch.

My Thoughts

I said when I first found The Stranger Times that it was one newspaper that no one would ever accuse of being dull. The same holds true for its Newest installment.

Hannah having survived her frist adventure took a break to sort out her messy love life and work on self improvement. Three weeks later she's finally devoriced and re thinking the need for exercise. She returns to work to find the builders who were hired to build a decent bathroom with showering facilities decided to include a trapdoor to ,kidnap the youngest member of the stranger Times staff, which they left off the building plans....

On top of that there seems to ve a rash if deaths that have all the hallmarks of Vampire kills...and yet She and her Manger are all told the same thing Vampires don't exist!

So with bodys turning up and a desire to know why someone wants The newest and youngest staffer to themselves it's time to figure this out as well as make sure they put out an issue this week!

>20 RuneFirestar: Well, I took a hit on the Stranger Times series, but my library doesn't have it. Off to hit the "request this book" button!

>20 RuneFirestar: Urban fantasy set in Manchester sounds right up my street (pun intended). Might be the introduction to Mr. McDonnell that I've been looking for.

>20 RuneFirestar: I just started this, will come back and read your review when I've finished. I really enjoyed the first book.

>23 MrsLee: I have read by most of Caimh McDonnell's books set in Ireland, and all his books set in the US. I admit I have been saving these two for a really rainy day.

12. The Crossing Gate
(A Waltz of Sin and Fire #1) by Asiel R. Lavie

Blurb

She can’t grow up. Literally.

In the kingdom of Elpax, juveniles must walk through the mysterious Crossing Gate to become adults—and seventeen-year-old Lenora is determined that her third attempt at crossing to adulthood will be successful. Even though adulthood means facing horrible realities, such as sin-spots appearing on her body whenever she commits a sin, it also means being able to have a job. And Lenora needs to work to support her struggling family.

But Lenora's Crossing Day goes horribly wrong.

Accused of trying to start a revolution, Lenora must obey the kingdom's laws to the letter if she wants to take suspicion off herself. But following the rules isn't as easy as it sounds. Especially when she meets a mysterious and handsome stranger who makes her feel emotions she's never experienced before—even though juveniles in Elpax aren't supposed to be capable of falling in love.

With the long arm of the law looming over her and her family, Lenora must walk a tightrope between following the rules and investigating why she's unable to cross. Not to mention discovering where her new adult emotions are coming from. But as Lenora uncovers more of Elpax's terrible secrets, she realizes that fighting the system might be the only way to save her family, her country, and her first love.

My thoughts

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was drawn to this title by the amazing cover art. The innocent looking girl with a crown of flowers almost in an almost manga type style.

Then the quote in Red letters Curiosity is a Sin it was sooo jarring. What could those words possiblely have to do with this innocent girl. I had to know.

That was how I found myself in the Kingdom of Elpax.
Society here is separated by age. Child, Juvenile, and Adult. In order to pass from one stage to the other, you walk through the crossing gate. You go from Juvenile to Adult you must cross for the final time. And you must cross before your 20th birthday. Education in the Kingdom is strictly regulated between the age groups. Only adults can know about things like love and all the things that come along with it.

Our main character is Lenora . Her family is small and consists of her mom , her twin sisters and her the eldest. She works as an artist painting and drawing portraits to boost her families income. Lenora is also fast approaching her Crossing Day when she will move from Juvenile to become an Adult.

Lenora is on her third attempt to make her crossing. She is desperate to be successful. Even though adulthood means facing horrible realities, such as sin-spots appearing on her body whenever she commits a sin.

Will she make it? Join me in this whirlwind of a story to find out

worldbuilding and use of Greek mythology is wonderful and refreshing in young adult dystopian fantasy. I could really identity with Lenora her inability to understand what she was experiencing and her need to have answers.

This is perfect for readers who love Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen.

13. The Vampire Knitting Club
(Vampire Knitting Club #1)
by Nancy Warren

Blurb
Vampires who knit
A troublemaking witch
Who killed Granny — and is she really dead?

At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do.

Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?

When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan.
The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar?

My Thoughts

When I was gifted this title I wasn't sure it was going to be for me. It sounded silly. I mean can you picture a Vampire wanting to knit? Let alone actually Knitting ? No I couldn't.

I am very glad however to be proven wrong abd I find myself very much enjoying getting to know Lucy her grandmother and all her Vampire friends.
A brilliant start to this serries! I look forward to my next vist to Oxford and cardinal Woolseys

>26 RuneFirestar: This sounds like great fun!

Sakerfalcon it really was:)

14. Penelope Banks Murder Mysteries #1
A Murder in Long Island

Blurb
A death in a locked room and a house full of suspects…
New York, 1925

Penelope “Pen” Banks has a knack for puzzling things out and the uncanny ability to remember everything she sees. Two talents that have helped her make ends meet, playing cards in clubs and speakeasies. Now, they might just help her discover the true cause of death for a dear old family friend.

Agnes Sterling has been found dead in her Long Island mansion. The official cause of death is ruled a suicide. After all, she was found in her locked bedroom with both the bottle of poison and a final handwritten note on the bed next to her.

Penelope is certain Agnes Sterling’s death was not by her own hand. She’s been summoned to Long Island for the reading of the will along with the other beneficiaries. While there, she plans on doing a little sleuthing to discover what really happened to Agnes.

The surprising terms of the will and a secret letter have Pen all the more certain that foul play was at hand.

A Murder in Long Island is the first book in the Penelope Banks Murder Mysteries set in 1920s New York, with a spirited heroine, witty banter, and twists and turns that will leave you guessing. Perfect for readers who enjoy the feel of a cozy mystery with the excitement and daring of Prohibition and the Jazz Age.

My Thoughts

If you liked Chagicos Roxy Heart and Velma Kelly you will fall in love with Penelope Banks.
Is a throughly modern gal enjoying life to its fullest including playing cards and drinking in local speakeasies.

Just when she thinks life is staring to look a bit blue and her finances grim she is told that her mothers dear friend and has passed away and she's named in the will.

She I'd very dismayed at the loss and soon finds herself in her very own real life locked room mystery.

I love getting to know Pen she is a fantastic character! A perfect way to start out a writer's career!

14.The Diviners ( The Diviners #1)
Libba Bray

Blurb

SOMETHING DARK AND EVIL HAS AWAKENED… Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho is hiding a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened…

15. Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2)
Libba Bray

Blurb

The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.

Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.

As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?

16. Star Daughter
By Shveta Thakrar

Blurb

If the night sky holds many secrets, it holds Sheetal Mistry's secret the closest. A secret that explains why her hair is the silver of starlight, or why some nights the stars call Sheetal by name.

Stars like her mother, who returned to her place in the constellation Pushya years ago. Since that day, Sheetal has been forced to hide.

But as her seventeenth birthday draws near, the pull from the sky is growing stronger. So strong that Sheetal loses control, and a flare of starfire burns her human father—an injury only a full star's blood can heal.

Sheetal has no choice but to answer the starsong and ascend to the sky. But her celestial family has summoned her for a reason: to act as their human champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of heavens.

Desperate to save her father, Sheetal agrees. But nothing could have prepared Sheetal to face the stars' dark history—or the forces that are working to shut the gate between the realms for good.

My Thoughts

Frist I was drawn instantly to the cover art . Its just sooo pretty! The title is done in Golden Metalic so is shines and Sparkles as the lights hit it. There's accents of that sake metallic used on sheetals jewelry , dress and even the lotus she holds. Its shine draws you in.

The story is beautifully told and is essentially about a young girl learning about herself. It explores themes such as duty to family, self discovery , love and friendship. Through it all there is the mythology of India and giving us a whole new host of Mythological creatures that I don't really know all that much about. It made it exciting and new

It's a fantastic story. I look forward to reading more of Shveta Thakrar.

17.Rose Petal Graves
(The Lost Clan #1)
By Olivia Wildenstein

Blurb

I wasn't the type of girl who believed in fairytales, much less tales about faeries, but that changed the day the fae walked into my life.

Staying away from my lakeside hometown was the plan, but Mom died suddenly. Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient Native American graves in our backyard.

Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.

As we made preparations for her burial, unnervingly odd and beautiful newcomers poured into my small town. A coroner with emerald eyes and black hair, much too young for the job. An arrogant blond socialite, who lived to get under my skin. And a tattooed Native man, who wasn’t supposed to be alive.

By dying, my mother had inadvertently revived an age-old feud between the fae and the tribe that hunted them.

A feud that was about to tear my world apart.

My Thoughts

Frist I received this audio book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I am left with mixed feelings about this book. I don't know if I really liked it or not.

The things I really liked were Catori and the picture the Author created of her home town.

A small place with good people and a sense of community where everyone can for the most part trust their neighbours.

The Native America folk lore and vocabulary were really awesome. However it did seem to get sidelined for no real reason.

The pacing was good but all in all I am left feeling like I missed large parts of the main story. I might look out for the second one but I won't be sad if I miss it.

>29 RuneFirestar: I took a hit on this one. Great description!

18 . The Good Turn
by Sharna Jackson

Blurb

A sharp, funny middle grade adventure with themes of real-life activism and how to help others for fans of The Goonies and The London Eye Mystery.

Josephine Williams is a future-focused, internet-loving eleven-year-old who is desperate to explore the world beyond her cul-de-sac - and her browser.

When she learns about Josephine Holloway - a woman who started the first Girl Scout Troop for Black girls in America - she's certain she must start her own.

Enlisting her friends Margot Anderson and Wesley Evans, the trio begin their quest for their Camping Badge. Drawn to an abandoned factory nearby, they stumble across something strange. A square, ancient television and two tatty armchairs. Beside it, a wooden sideboard with an old photograph of a young, happy couple.

My Thoughts

I recieved this from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

I appiled for a spot for the review team because it was listed as a middle school mystery.

I have a soft spot for mysteries so that had me hooked.
I also liked the cover art.

What I got wasnt quiet what i expected. The story centered on three pre teens. One was an over ogranized , enthusastic life planner type, the other was kinda the main non adult of his house and the lasr was a new commer who fell in with them just because?

I liked the slices of life , but it didnt add anything tp the story and after they find out the mystery is two older adults with immigration issues which force them to live like squatters it seems like a let down

I have come away from this read not feeling anything and that doesnt make me feel good.

19. The Silver Pigs
(Marcus Didius Falco #1)
by Lindsey Davis

Blurb

When Marcus Didius Falco, a Roman "informer" who has a nose for trouble that's sharper than most, encounters Sosia Camillina in the Forum, he senses immediately all is not right with the pretty girl. She confesses to him that she is fleeing for her life, and Falco makes the rash decision to rescue her—a decision he will come to regret. For Sosia bears a heavy burden: as heavy as a pile of stolen Imperial ingots, in fact. Matters just get more complicated when Falco meets Helena Justina, a Senator's daughter who is connected to the very same traitors he has sworn to expose. Soon Falco finds himself swept from the perilous back alleys of Ancient Rome to the silver mines of distant Britain—and up against a cabal of traitors with blood on their hands and no compunction whatsoever to do away with a snooping plebe like Falco….

The Silver Pigs is Lindsey Davis' classic novel which introduced readers around the world to Marcus Didius Falco, a private informer with a knack for trouble, a tendency for bad luck, and a frequently inconvenient drive for justice.

20. Shadows in Bronze
(Marcus Didius Falco #2)
by Lindsey Davis

Blurb

Can the hero of Silver Pigs satisfy the emperor he works for and the woman he pines for without getting himself killed? With readers and critics hungry for his further adventures, Ancient Roman gumshoe Marcus Didius Falco really has no choice.

21. Venus in Copper
(Marcus Didius Falco #3)
by Lindsey Davis

Blurb

Marcus Didius Falco, Imperial Rome's answer to Columbo, is hired by relatives of a wealthy real estate developer, Hortensius, to find his murderer. What Falco uncovers is a hotbed of crime in the unscrupulous business dealings of Hortensius. The third book in the series of amusing, romantic detective thrillers set in ancient Rome.

22. The Iron Hand of Mars
(Marcus Didius Falco #4)
by Lindsey Davis

Blurb

Imperial Rome's answer to Columbo stars in his fourth adventure in this series of detective thrillers set in ancient Rome. Falco is sent on an undercover mission to Roman Germany to locate a high-ranking Roman officer, who was sent as a "present" to a sinister tribal prophetess. Maps.

23. The Undead Day Four
(The Undead #4)
by R.R. Haywood

Blurb

My name is Howie. I was named after my father Howard, but it became too confusing to have two Howards, so I became Howie. I am 27 years old and I work as a night’s manager in a supermarket.
I will tell you what happened.

On Friday the world fell apart. A zombie infestation has ravaged Europe. Howie was at home and quickly had to learn to fight and survive in this new world as he battled through hordes of undead, desperately trying to reach his family...The Undead Day One.

On Saturday he went back to his town but an undead stripper and her psychotic boyfriend awaited him. Then he met Dave and everything changed as they went to war on the undead...The Undead Day Two.

On Sunday, Howie and Dave have to travel across country still searching for Howies family. Their travels bring them into contact with many strange people as they battle with zombies and other survivors...The Undead Day Three.

Monday. Day Four. Howie and Dave have to battle their way out of the police station and make a disturbing discovery. They finally reach Salisbury Army Training Centre and find a massive army of undead soldier zombies, new recruits, an arrogant and cowardly officer and more battles. Meanwhile the infection is learning to control new species…The Undead Day Four.

24.Supermums And So It Begins
by Meg Grace

Blurb

A trio of ordinary mothers have their lives turned upside down when they suddenly develop superpowers.

Jessica James is a hard-working single mum about to turn 41 who, while dealing with bake sales and ballet competitions for her twelve-year-old daughter, discovers a strange portal in her back yard.

The energy from the portal starts giving Jess and her friends some exciting side effects, such as super-pep to get things done, a convenient garbage disposal and improving their yoga skills out of sight. Portal baking becomes a regular activity for the friends (while drinking Margaritas), but soon their bodies start to morph with animal like super skills, sending tidal waves of chaos through their lives.

With a professional career, a blossoming teen, and a persistent ex-husband who wants her back, Jess is barely coping. Add an otherworldly beau who is not all he seems, an evil developer who has his sights set on the portal, a blackmailing boss and gigantic wings that have sprouted overnight – well – being late for work is a certainty.

My thoughts

Fristly I loved the cover. It was super neat.

Secondly from the moment I walked into to Fernvale I knew I was going to enjoy spending time there. It has real Middleton vibes to it.

After getting to know Jess and her family and friends I am pretty sure I know exactly where i would fit in.

I am pretty sure Wanda and I would be drinking buddies. Bree and myself would be the arts and crafts type moms and Jess would just be glad that the mess wasn't at her house.

add in a magic portal that give everyone their own special gifts with a side of sexy man candy and you have something that is amazingly fun and easy to read.

Loved every page!

Well my fellow book dragons I have a confession. I am 29 books behind on achieving my reading goals for this year.

Its just been hugely busy and hugely challenging so reading hasnt been easy. I'm not giving up! But I am gonna state for record that i dont think it will happen this year.

Kinda sad but not gonna beat myself up about it either. :)

>42 RuneFirestar: You seem to be enjoying what you read when you get time to read, that is the important part. :)

>42 RuneFirestar: Better to read fewer good books than lots of bad ones. But I hope you pull through!

25.Harrow the Ninth
(The Locked Tomb #2)
by Tamsyn Muir

Blurb
Harrow the Ninth, the sequel to Gideon the Ninth, turns a galaxy inside out as one necromancer struggles to survive the wreckage of herself aboard the Emperor's haunted space station.

She answered the Emperor's call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath — but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?

My Thoughts

Note: before reading this read the frist one. Gideon The Ninth

There are soo many things to say about this book. But to say them betrays the story. It made me rage for days, at one point I archived the book and refused to go any further because I just couldn't believe the nonsense I was being subjected to. But after awhile I came back settled and read and admittedly reread chapters . It's one hell of a trip! But oh my god its soooo worth it!

26.This Place is Still Beautiful
by XiXi Tian

Blurb
Two sisters. A shocking racist incident. The summer that will change both of their lives forever.

Despite having had near-identical upbringings, sisters Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing: that they have nothing in common. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is driven, ambitious, and keenly aware of social justice issues. She couldn't wait to leave their oppressive small-town home and take flight in New York. Meanwhile sweet, popular, seventeen-year-old Annalie couldn't think of anything worse - she loves their town, and feels safe coasting along in its confines.

That is, until she arrives home one day to find a gut-punching racial slur painted on their garage door.

Outraged, Margaret flies home, expecting to find her family up in arms. Instead, she's amazed to hear they want to forget about it. Their mom is worried about what it might stir up, and Annalie just wants to have a 'normal' summer - which Margaret is determined to ruin, apparently.

Back under each other's skins, things between Margaret and Annalie get steadily worse - and not even the distraction of first love (for Annalie), or lost love (for Margaret) can bring them together.

Until finally, a crushing secret threatens to tear them apart forever.

A beautiful and powerful story about race, family, and the secrets we keep.

My Thoughts

I was given this book by Netgalley in return for a fair and honest review.
I was frist drawn in by the cover. The two girls so alike and yet very diffrent and the town below them. I couldn't stop studying it.

Then I read the Blurb and I was hooked yet again. This is at its heart about learning to be a family and yet also being an individual and figuring out how to mesh the two.

Interwoven you have romances, friendships, and social issues like how the two sisters deal with the hate crime that rocked their family, as well as cultural responsibility. And how they are a mix of Chinese and non Chinese.

It's beautiful and poetic and very powerful. It leaves a lasting impression.

28. Whispers Under Ground
by Ben Aaronovitch

Blurb

In Tufnell Park, North London, a set of railway tracks run under a school playground, leading to and from King's Cross. Wet, filthy, dangerous. Lovely place. And one Sunday before Christmas, Abigail Kamara, one of my endless brood of cousins, dragged me and my long-suffering colleague Lesley May down there to look for a ghost.

We found one.

And that was that, I thought come Monday. First case of the day: Person Unknown has been stabbed to death on the tracks at Baker Street Underground. Magic may have been involved. Sure enough, the weapon turns out to be saturated in the tell-tale traces left by magic.

But Person Unknown turns out to be the son of a US senator, so before you can say "international incident", FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds and her firmly held religious beliefs are on my case.

And down in the dark, in the Tube tunnels of London, along with the buried rivers and remnants of Victorian sewer systems, I'm hearing some really strange things..

Don't know what happened to 27 I think I clicked the last book twice but we are just gonna go with it. :)

29.Broken Homes
(Rivers of London #4)
by Ben Aaronovitch

Blurb

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil; an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common or garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?

30.Foxglove Summer
by Ben Aaronovitch
Rivers of London #5

Blurb

In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London - to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can't take the London out of the copper.

Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what's more all the shops are closed by 4pm ..

31.The Furthest Station
(Rivers of London #5.5)
by Ben Aaronovitch

Blurb
There have been ghosts on the London Underground, sad, harmless spectres whose presence does little more than give a frisson to travelling and boost tourism. But now there's a rash of sightings on the Metropolitan Line and these ghosts are frightening, aggressive and seem to be looking for something.

Enter PC Peter Grant junior member of the Metropolitan Police's Special Assessment unit AKA The Folly AKA the only police officers whose official duties include ghost hunting. Together with Jaget Kumar, his counterpart at the British Transport Police, he must brave the terrifying the crush of London's rush hour to find the source of the ghosts.

Joined by Peter's wannabe wizard cousin, a preschool river god and Toby the ghost hunting dog their investigation takes a darker tone as they realise that a real person's life might just be on the line.

And time is running out to save them.

With this new novella, bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch has crafted yet another wickedly funny and surprisingly affecting chapter in his beloved Rivers of London series.

32.The Hanging Tree
(Rivers of London #6)
by Ben Aaronovitch

Blurb

The Hanging Tree was the Tyburn gallows which stood where Marble Arch stands today. Oxford Street was the last trip of the condemned. Some things don't change. The place has a bloody and haunted legacy and now blood has returned to the empty Mayfair mansions of the world's super-rich. And blood mixed with magic is a job for Peter Grant.

Peter Grant is back as are Nightingale et al. at the Folly and the various river gods, ghosts and spirits who attach themselves to England's last wizard and the Met's reluctant investigator of all things supernatural.

33.The Reluctant Vampire Queen
by Jo Simmons

Blurb

Meet Mo Merrydrew - independent young woman, Mini Battenberg fan, president of the debating society - and reluctant vampire queen ...
Fifteen-year-old Mo Merrydrew isn't exactly expecting to be asked to be Vampire Queen of Great Britain when she's cycling home from school one wet Tuesday evening. Apparently, she is 'the Chosen One'. Aside from being uncomfortable with the idea of unelected power (not very democratic), there's the blood drinking to consider (Mo is a vegetarian), and frankly it's just not really the sort of role Mo's looking for (she wants to aim for a real job in politics). But - if you're Vampire Queen, you probably don't have to do PE any more, and when the dreamy Luca, a vampire familiar, turns up, it all suddenly starts to look a bit more appealing ...

My Thoughts

I was given this book by Netgalley in return for a honest review.

It was the title that caught my attention more than anything else. The Relucant Vampire Queen... I had to wonder what would make a vampire hesitate to take a position of power.

Enter Mo Merrydrew an over achiving life planner. She has a best friend who eats mini Battenbergs with her and is there in general.

They also get bullied by your typical mean girl who acts like she owns everything.

One Day a 600 year old Vampire tells her shes The Chosen One and its her destiny to become The Vampire Queen.

Mo is certain this isnt for her and tells said vamp thanks but I gotta pass.. being a Vamp cramps my style and interfears with my life plan .... until a cute boy enters the picture...

This book has been discribed as Geek girl meets Buffy. This is an insult to both.

It has some moments but I just dont feel like it was worth it.

34.Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Blurb

I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir," said Alice, "Because I'm not myself, you see."

When Alice sees a white rabbit take a watch out of its waistcoat pocket she decides to follow it, and a sequence of most unusual events is set in motion.

35.Her Majesty's Royal Coven
(Her Majesty's Royal Coven #1)
by Juno Dawson

Blurb

Hidden among us is a secret coven of witches. They are Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. They protect crown and country from magical forces and otherworldly evil. But their greatest enemy will come from within.

There are whisperings of a prophecy that will bring the coven to its knees, and five best friends are about to be caught at the centre. Life as a modern witch was never simple … but now it’s about to get apocalyptic.

Prepare to be bewitched by Juno Dawson’s first adult series. A story of ancient prophecies and modern dating, of sacred sisterhood and demonic frenemies.

My Thoughts

I was given this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review. I Shall start off by saying I really think that the reader for this book was a perfect choice.

Each characters voice was slightly different and the accents were great.

I also really like the idea that there have been witches in and around the crown and that they hide in plain sight with its initials being HMRC . That's pretty cool.

That's about where the cool factor ends for me.

The rest of the book has significant issues which I feel ruins the story at least for me.

Here are my issues

1. The girls are awesome and girls rule . This is pushed way to hard.

2. The otherness. HMRC seems to be made up of mostly white ladies and if you aren't them then your somehow less.

3.Then lastly she was like oh wait! The guys! Yeah they can do magic too but they wont ever be as good as the Gurls....but wait! A guy started
the wars that happened off screen and yeah the wars. So they are actually pretty crap.

There's more and I could go on but I won't. I will just say this was a very hard read for me.

Note- please don't say I disliked this book simply because I don't like the lgbtq community or because I must be against them. I'm really not.

36.Poseidon's Gold
(Marcus Didius Falco #5)
by Lindsey Davis

Blurb
A.D. 72: To many, Rome is the center of the Empire. To Marcus Didius Falco, Imperial spy and casual informer, it is the home of his mother, the domineering matriarch who has kept the Didius clan together since her husband absconded with a redhead some twenty years before. Trouble is the last thing Falco wants on his return from a six-month mission to the German legions. But trouble is in store: his apartment has been wrecked by squatters and an ex-legionnaire friend of his colorfully heroic brother, Festus, has parked himself in the only other possible refuge, his mother's kitchen. What's worse, the man is demanding money allegedly owed him and his legion from one of Festus's wild schemes. Worse still, the only client Falco can get is his mother, who wants him to clear the family name. But little does he realize that trouble is only just beginning: the legionnaire is found viciously stabbed to death, with Falco the prime suspect. His friend Petronius is investigating the case, and while the intrepid Falco treads the dingy streets of Rome, his girlfriend, Helena Justina, is arrested as an accomplice, leaving her aristocratic family even more certain that this plebeian will not make a suitable husband. Even if her family were to agree to the marriage, Falco still needs an impossible 400,000 sesterces to buy himself into the middle rank. And to clear the family name, he has to find Geminus, the father who left all those years before, for he is the only one who knows what Festus was really up to. Compelled to face the past he deplores and a future he despairs of, Falco has just three days to prove he is not a murderer, to trace the real suspect, amass evidence, and win a fortune...

37.Three Kisses, One Midnight: A Novel
by Roshani Chokshi (Goodreads Author), Sandhya Menon (Goodreads Author), Evelyn Skye (Goodreads Author)

Blurb

New York Times bestselling authors Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye, and Sandhya Menon craft a spellbinding novel about discovering the magic of true love on one fateful, magical night in Three Kisses, One Midnight.

The town of Moon Ridge was founded 400 years ago and everyone born and raised there knows the legend of the young woman who perished at the stroke of twelve that very same night, losing the life she was set to embark on with her dearest love. Every century since, one day a year, the Lady of Moon Ridge descends from the stars to walk among the townsfolk, conjuring an aura upon those willing to follow their hearts’ desires.

“To summon joy and love in another’s soul
For a connection that makes two people whole
For laughter and a smile that one can never miss
Sealed before midnight with a truehearted kiss.”

This year at Moon Ridge High, a group of friends known as The Coven will weave art, science, and magic during a masquerade ball unlike any other. Onny, True, and Ash believe everything is in alignment to bring them the affection, acceptance, and healing that can only come from romance—with a little help from Onny’s grandmother’s love potion.

But nothing is as simple as it first seems. And as midnight approaches, The Coven learn that it will take more than a spell to recognize those who offer their love and to embrace all the magic that follows.

My Thoughts

This is a wonderful perfect slightly spooky sweet love story.

Once I got started I couldn't put the book down. I had to know what happened . For fans of Good Witch this is exactly what you need.

It has some comedy, some aww moments and some just very very sweet. I loved it from start to finish.

>57 RuneFirestar: I just put this on my TBR last week, even though I wasn't sure what the plot exactly was. Thanks for your informative review. The story sounds great!

38. The Kiss Curse
(Ex Hex #2)
by Erin Sterling

Blurb

Welcome to Spooky Season!! The follow-up to Erin Sterling’s New York Times bestselling hit The Ex Hex features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.

Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.

Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.

When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late

My Thoughts

I was given this by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I didn't realise that it was a second book. That being said I really really loved this book.

From Gwyn's store to the College witches students who become know as " baby witches " it's brilliant.

Add in some brilliant sexy times and it's pure magic. Throughly loved it.

39.Lies Sleeping
(Rivers of London #7)
by Ben Aaronovitch

Blurb

Join Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, for a brand new case . . .

Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud, and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run. Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan. A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague–Lesley May–who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch . . .

40.The October Man
(Rivers of London #7.5)
by Ben Aaronovitch

Blurb

Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany’s oldest city. So when a man is found dead with his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.

Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he’s quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men – and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city’s secret magical history.

. . . so long as that history doesn’t kill them first.

41.Death Among the Diamonds
(A Cressida Fawcett Mystery #1)by Fliss Chester

Blurb

Everyone in 1920s London knows the Honourable Cressida Fawcett: fiercely independent (though never apart from her little pug Ruby), lover of martinis and interior designer extraordinaire. She’s solved many crimes of fashion… so how about murder?

Cressida Fawcett is heading to the English countryside for a weekend of cocktails and partying at her friend’s glamorous mansion, the location of a recent diamond heist. But just hours after her arrival, Cressida is woken by an almighty scream. Rushing to the landing, she looks down into the great hall to find a trembling maid standing next to the body of Harry, the friendly young chandelier cleaner.

Everyone believes Harry’s death was an accident. But as Cressida examines the opulent hall and the beautiful grounds, she thinks something darker is afoot. Why clean a chandelier in the early hours of the morning? And who overheard Harry boasting about coming into unexpected wealth? A small piece of torn silk found near the body has Cressida looking at the guests’ elegant clothes with fresh eyes…

The short-tempered Detective insists that she keeps her curious nose out of the investigation, but it’s Cressida who realises the stolen diamonds were hidden in the sparkling chandelier. Convinced there is a connection between the theft and the murder, the case takes a sinister turn when a guest is killed in his sleep after a brandy-fuelled night of cards. With everyone unable to leave, can Cressida’s sharp eye for detail catch the killer before another life is taken?

My Thoughts

I was given this book by as an audio copy via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I loved getting to know Cressie as her friends call her and her lovable pup Ruby. I think if you are a fan of Her Royal Spyness you too will become fast friends with Cressie.

I really really enjoyed this read its a complete guilty pleasure.

>62 RuneFirestar:
...a complete guilty pleasure.

Those are the best sort of books. They engage the reader in pure and utter pleasure, without the need to feel they are doing something worthy, or being literarily sound. My complete guilty pleasure reads would include the Bunny McGarry books by Ciamh McDonnell.

>63 pgmcc: I saw these when I was browsing Kindle Unlimited's selection after signing up for another free trial.

>62 RuneFirestar: This sounds fun and similar to the Phryne Fisher series.

42. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Blurb

The season is about to begin—and there’s not a minute to lose.

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. This is 1818 after all, and only men have the privilege of seeking their own riches.

With only twelve weeks until the bailiffs call, launching herself into London society is the only avenue open to her, and Kitty must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb the ranks.

The only one to see through her plans is the worldly Lord Radcliffe and he is determined to thwart her at any cost, especially when it comes to his own brother falling for her charms.

Can Kitty secure a fortune and save her sisters from poverty? There is not a day to lose and no one—not even a lord—will stand in her way...

My Thoughts

I Received an audio copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I will start by saying the reader they chose to do the voices was amazing. Each character had their own voice .

As the story starts we meet Kitty fresh from being jilted by her long standing bow.

Knowing that her family’s future is in her hands she doesn't have time to mope , she flies into action and before she knows in London preparing for the season determined to make a good match and save her sisters.

I throughly loved this story yet another guilty pleasure read. The descriptions of the food, the dresses and the dances are wonderful.

I loved kitty's interacts with Radcliffe most of all.

43. The Windweaver's Storm: An Old Gods Story
(TJ Young & The Orishas #2)
by Antoine Bandele

Blurb

Never make a deal with a deity.
Promises with one are impossible to keep.

TJ Young spent last summer fighting to unlock the secrets behind his sister's mysterious death but found himself battling the magic of the ancient Orishas instead. And some of the answers he sought came with a promise he may not be able to keep: to dismantle new human construction on the coastline of Lagos, Nigeria by the start of spring.

But how does a teenager do away with decades of infrastructure in only half a year?

He’ll need to enlist the help of new allies, mortal and immortal alike. And thankfully, after surviving the grueling magical curriculum of Camp Olosa, he’s now headed to the most prestigious magic school in West Africa: Ifa Academy for Tomorrow’s Diviners.

But will that be enough as he prepares for what can only end in an all-out war between mortals and gods?

My Thoughts

I was given an audio version of this book on Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Wow! What an adventure! I loved the frist book. Just as in the frist book I have been introduced to yet more Yurba folklore and learned more about the Orishas.

I have loved every single moment of this read. Watching TJ and his friends grow and learn has been a fantastic experience. I can't wait for the next one. That's for sure!

44.The Ones We Burn
by Rebecca Mix

Blurb

I am the monster. I am the shield. I am the knife in the dark.

Ranka is tired of death. All she wants now is to be left alone, living out her days in Witchik's wild north with the coven that raised her, attempting to forget the horrors of her past. But when she is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the human kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Easy enough, for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill.

Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn't want to marry Ranka; he doesn't want to be king at all. And it's his sister - the wickedly smart, infuriatingly beautiful Princess Aramis - who seems to be real threat.

But when witches start turning up dead, murdered by a mysterious, magical plague, Aramis makes Ranka an offer: help her develop a cure, and in return, she'll teach Ranka to contain her deadly magic. But as the coup draws nearer and the plague spreads, Ranka is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her power, her past, and who she's meant to fight for. Soon, she will have choose between the coven that raised her - and the princess who sees beyond the monster they shaped her to be. But as the bodies pile up, a monster may be exactly what they need.

My Thoughts

I recieved this book as both pdf and audio as part of an advanced reader group in return for a honest review.

I was at frist drawn into the cover art. It was soo eye catching the powerful Great axe and around it the furry of fire.

The words just above the title
" I am the Weapon. Use me "

Together it was like a sirens call. I needed to know who or what they burned .Who was this weapon that was spoken of?

It turned out the ones they burned were witches. Children born with magic in their veins.
.

One such child was Ranka . Her magic was different from that of others it demanded sacrifice , it demanded a life. Ranka was a blood witch.

After her magic destroyed her life with her sister , she was found by the leader of Skra.

The old witch took her, claimed her for the coven and told her she would be strong and she would be powerful.
Her adoptive family the Skra coven took her and taught her to use her magic for the good of the coven.

Then she was named Bloodwinn. The plan was simple she would go to the Prince as part of the treaty between the Witches and non magic peoples and when her blood magic built within her she would kill the prince and her adoptive people as well as others would cease power and reclaim their lands . No more burning.

It seemed simple.

As a debut novel this is breath taking and utterly sensational. It was slightly slow to start but once it did...I couldn't put it down I had to know what was going to happen next. I had to know if Ranka survived.

Pure epic story telling. I expect we will be seeing great things from this talented wordsmith.

45. The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill
By Eric Koester

Blurb

When her brother vanishes in the night, along with all she thought to be true of magic, Parker Pennymore must unmask family secrets, travel far beyond the castle walls, and convince her sisters Quinn and Aven to break a few laws along the way - but what's a hero's journey without a little rebellion?

My Thoughts

I was drawn to the cover art for this book and stayed for the story.

It was wonderful! A true hero journey. The girls Parker, Quinn and Aven are wonderful as are the rest characters we meet.

Everything from start to finish is pure unadulterated wonderful storytelling at its finest. I recommend to anyone .

46. The Marlow Murder Club
(The Marlow Murder Club #1)
By Robert Thorogood

Blurb

To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…

Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.

One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.

Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.

When another body turns up, they realise they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…

My Thoughts

I was given this book as an audio copy on Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I was as usual drawn to the book by its cover. Then it held my interests when it turned out to be a murder mystery .

I really liked getting to know Judith, Suzie and Bexs. Three very diffrent women who prove that you can be friends with someone outside your normal social set.

All in all a brilliant mystery and a very well chosen reader. I look forward to chatching up with these ladies again.

47.The Devil You Know
Mike Carey

Blurb
Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. At a time when the supernatural world is in upheaval and spilling over into the mundane reality of the living, his skills have never been more in demand. A good exorcist can charge what he likes - and enjoy a hell of a life-style - but there's a risk: sooner or later he's going to take on a spirit that's too strong for him.

After a year spent in 'retirement' Castor is reluctantly drawn back to the life he rejected and accepts a seemingly simple exorcism case - just to pay the bills, you understand. Trouble is, the more he discovers about the ghost haunting the archive, the more things don't add up. What should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons, were-beings and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize.

But that's OK; Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It's the living who piss him off . . .

>70 RuneFirestar: I love this series. I've read the first three and they are all enjoyable. Carey has a great way of devising interesting characters.

>69 RuneFirestar: This sounds like fun. I'm adding it to my library list. Thanks!

>70 RuneFirestar: & >71 Darth-Heather: Just a shame he hasn't finished the damn thing (yet). I still hold out hope unlike for some other series.

48. James Lovegrove's Sherlock Holmes #4
Sherlock Holmes & the Christmas Demon
James Lovegrove

Dennis Kleinman
(Narrator)

Blurb

It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit.

Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick's calling card...

Eve stands to inherit a fortune if she is sound in mind, but it seems that something - or someone - is threatening her sanity. Holmes and Watson travel to the Allerthorpe family seat at Fellscar Keep to investigate, but soon discover that there is more to the case than at first appeared. There is another spirit haunting the family, and when a member of the household is found dead, the companions realise that no one is beyond suspicion.

My Thoughts

Loved this very very much.

49. Sherlock Holmes & The Three Winter Terrors
James Lovegrove

Blurb

1889. The First Terror.
At a boys’ prep school in the Kent marshes, a pupil is found drowned in a pond. Could this be the fulfillment of a witch’s curse from four hundred years earlier?

1890. The Second Terror.
A wealthy man dies of a heart attack at his London townhouse. Was he really frightened to death by ghosts?

1894. The Third Terror.
A body is discovered at a Surrey country manor, hideously ravaged. Is the culprit a cannibal, as the evidence suggests?

These three linked crimes test Sherlock Holmes’s deductive powers, and his skepticism about the supernatural, to the limit.

My Thoughts

Love this version of Sherlock

50.Sherlock Holmes and The Beast of the Stapletons
James Lovegrove

Blurb

1894. The monstrous Hound of the Baskervilles has been dead for five years, along with its no less monstrous owner, the naturalist Jack Stapleton. Sir Henry Baskerville is living contentedly at Baskerville Hall with his new wife Audrey and their three-year-old son Harry.

Until, that is, Audrey’s lifeless body is found on the moors, drained of blood. It would appear some fiendish creature is once more at large on Dartmoor and has, like its predecessor, targeted the unfortunate Baskerville family.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are summoned to Sir Henry’s aid, and our heroes must face a marauding beast that is the very stuff of nightmares. It seems that Stapleton may not have perished in the Great Grimpen Mire after all, as Holmes believed, and is hell-bent on revenge…

This concludes my revised reading challenge for this year. Next year gonna try for 65 and work up :)

Thank you all who joined me in my wanderings. Hope you enjoyed them.

>77 RuneFirestar: Happy holidays Rune! See you next year.

>78 MrsLee: happy holidays my dear friend!

>77 RuneFirestar: Congrats, and good luck on 65 in 2023! Happy holidays!