Wednesday, February 5, 2025

My Review for Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, read by Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton, Jasmin Walker and Justis Bolding

February 05, 2025  , , ,  No comments


I loved Onyx Storm! There has already been such a lot written about it, and people have differing views, but for me, it was a great continuation of the Empyrean series. In my opinion, it's written differently to Fourth Wing or Iron Flame. There is a lot more world-building in this book. We learn more about the history of what is known as the Continent, as well as the isles and the people who inhabit them, and I was so invested in this and discovering lots of new things.

Violet grows massively in Onyx Storm, she's maturing both emotionally and physically and rather than her being a bit whiny and stroppy, she is now centred and assured. She has her head screwed on and makes some really great decisions.

The dragons continue to be sassy and sarcastic and honestly, in my opinion, they make the books what they are. Tairn and Andarna are the ones that have me laughing out loud as I spit my coffee out! One of my favourite quotes from this book is this...

Violet....talking about carrying Xaden out of a battle... "Take us both"
Tairn "I am not a horse"

I listened to the audiobook and Rebecca Soler in particular, was brilliant. She has some great character voices and made it all the more enjoyable for me. I am going to go back and read the actual books for each of the three, though and see if I get anything different from them, than I did the audiobook.

Theories after theories are coming in, as to what's going to happen next, and I'm sure there will be more as the months (and years) pass before we get the next book. Roll on 2027....!

About the Book

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming … and not everyone can survive its wrath.


About Rebecca

Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event, with multiple starred Publishers Weekly reviews and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. 

She’s the mother of six children, and is currently surviving the teenage years with two of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time while guzzling coffee. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a Maine Coon cat named Artemis, who rules them all.

















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My Review for Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, read by Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton

February 05, 2025  , , ,  No comments

After a second listen, in anticipation of the release of Onyx Storm, I have finally got around to writing my review for Iron Flame. Violet and her 'classmates' are like old friends now. I know who their dragons are, I know what signets they've manifested, and I know their strengths and weaknesses.  'It is therefore only natural, that the more powerful the dragon, the more powerful the signet its rider manifests'.

Some people have said that the first part drags, but I didn't find that. For me, Rebecca Yarros just continued to build the world in which Violet lives, and each and every single chapter was written for a reason. Once again I thoroughly enjoyed Iron Flame, the second in the Empyrean series. 

Rebecca Soler, as the narrator, throws herself wholeheartedly into reading this. In particular the battle scenes are hectic, tense and buzzing, I'm exhausted at the end of each one and all I've done is listen!

In Iron Flame, we discover a world outside of Basgiath and what graduates of the war college are participating in during a normal day. Xaden isn't around on a daily basis this year for Violet, but she grows in confidence and skills as the year progresses. 

If I've persuaded you to read Fourth Wing, then I hope you enjoyed it enough to read this one. Iron Flame, the next in the series. 

About the Book

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College, Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College, and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.


About Rebecca

Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event, with multiple starred Publishers Weekly reviews and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. 

She’s the mother of six children, and is currently surviving the teenage years with two of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time while guzzling coffee. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a Maine Coon cat named Artemis, who rules them all.


















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My Review for Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, read by Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton

February 05, 2025  , , ,  No comments



In September 2023 I listened to Fourth Wing for the first time, mainly because I'm a sheep and I follow the flock, but so began my love of all things dragon, and I was well and truly hooked. 

In November 2023 I listened to Iron Flame and in May 2024 I ordered Onyx Storm. As the publication of Onyx Storm approached I felt that re-listens were essential and as I never got around to reviewing the first two books, here are my thoughts now.

If you're a fan, then there isn't a lot I can say, so my review is for those who haven't ventured into Navarre and Basgiath War College but feel that they might like too.

Fourth Wing is the first in a five part series, primarily with Violet Sorrengail as our female main character. She's a badass twenty-year-old who is going down a path rather different to the one she envisaged for herself. Think a mismatch of Harry Potter and Hunger Games, but way, way better and with a huge dollop of s*x, oh and dragons, lots and lots of dragons. Some scary, some sassy, some with a hilarious and very dry sense of humour and some just plain evil. One thing is for sure, once they belong to a rider, they're never going to let them down. 'A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead'.

I loved Violet's feisty character and strong sense of friendship. Unless someone does something terrible to annoy her, Violet will be a friend for life. She's a little immature at times, but she is only twenty. There aren't many twenty-year-olds who have their head screwed on, especially when it comes to emotions and relationships.

Does this sound like your kind of book? If you enjoy fantasy, dragons, battles and comradeship then try it, see what you think and let me know.

About the Book

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.


About Rebecca

Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event, with multiple starred Publishers Weekly reviews and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. 

She’s the mother of six children, and is currently surviving the teenage years with two of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time while guzzling coffee. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a Maine Coon cat named Artemis, who rules them all.




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Tuesday, February 4, 2025

My Review for The Hero Virus by Russell Dumper

February 04, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


Warning! The dog dies! This isn't a spoiler because it's in the synopsis - I just never read them! However, it happens early on, and I soon got past that tragic event as the story picked up pace and, despite the murder, death, blood, guts and gore, I absolutely could not get enough, I was eager to find out what happened, and those pages just weren't turning fast enough! 

I had no idea how I'd feel about this book, Russell is a new-to-me author and the subject, a little outside my comfort zone. There definitely aren't any cute bookshops and happy-ever-afters in The Hero Virus! Think thriller, crime and suspense with a dystopian undertone, the world looks like it's going to end, and that might just well be due to just one man. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, it's fast-paced, entertaining, has great character development and I didn't know how it was all going to end. At one point I thought there might be a sequel coming. The author wrapped it all up nicely though, but there is definitely scope for another book if the characters fancy another outing! Oh, and that last sentence..... I thought that might happen!

I'm looking forward to going back and reading Russell's first novel, Britannia Rises - I just hope that no dogs die!

Thank you to Russell Dumper and The Conrad Press for the opportunity to read and review The Hero Virus. 

About the Book

‘The Hero Virus’ tells the thrilling story of Chris Taylor, who is hanging on to life by a thread. Recently widowed, his only reason to carry on is his faithful Labrador, but even that doesn’t stop his willingness to gamble with death every day. When his companion suffers a violent demise, Taylor thinks he has nothing left to live for, until he discovers he has chanced upon a precious gift… he has become very ill. 

The illness gives him special powers and, fairly soon, the authorities are swooping on to the ever-increasing list of cases. The Hero Virus might be different to other illnesses, but it’s no less dangerous. The effect it has on the world, though, is wildly different to any other virus that has come before. The unique reaction of the human body to infection means that everyone wants it. And some will do anything to get it.

How do you stop a pandemic when there are people who will kill for the virus? How do you stop people getting infected when they’re willing to die for it? How do you stop the infected when they have abilities nobody has ever seen before?


About Russell (taken from The Spalding & South Holland Voice)

Russell Dumper has followed his childhood dream of becoming an author. “I’ve always loved writing and it has brought be so much joy since I was a small boy. It’s a fire that burns inside of me, a passion that I’ve always had. I have so many more books to write, and I can’t wait to write them,” he said.

His book, Britannia Rises, is set in an alternate near future ruled by the British Empire.
“There are all kinds of characters, twists, links into modern events, action, suspense and surprises galore. “When asked, I describe it as a kind of modern Game of Thrones meeting a James Bond origin story. There are many plots overlapping each other and the main characters are deep and complex,” he added.

The father of two small children, who lives in Spalding, said he had the idea for the story aged 14 or 15.

“It’s developed a lot over the years, as you can imagine, with several rewrites to get to where it is now. It will appeal to anyone who loves thrillers and suspense books, from young adults upwards.

“It’s a story that will make you love and hate the same character. I suspect the full series will be seven or eight books,” said Russell.


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Monday, February 3, 2025

My Review for The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

February 03, 2025  , , , , , ,  No comments



Paris is once again our destination city for Rebecca's latest novel, The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted, and it was such a cute story. Coco is our protagonist and we journey with her as she weaves her way through relocation to another country, struggles with a teenage daughter, and coming to terms with the a*s*at her ex-partner was, alongside trying to find a job to help her on her way.

I adored the bookshop and everything about it, from the 'potions and passages' to the quirky members of the book club. The characters are charming, and we even get a fleeting appearance from Anais, who pops in from one of Rebecca's previous books, so we also get to see what she's been up to!

We had a place near where I used to live called Astley Book Farm, in Warwickshire in the UK, and it was an amazing place. Full of second-hand books, shelf upon shelf of every genre you could think of, and something new to discover at every turn, oh and amazing cakes too! The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted reminded me a bit of this book farm - maybe they should start with the 'potions and passages' too, for any lost souls who might wander in!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin.



About the Book

Can you ever swear off love, in the city of love?

Coco is having a hell of a month. She’s lost her boyfriend and her business, been forced to uproot her daughter to move back in with her parents in Paris, and now an infuriatingly handsome stranger is yelling at her for acting like a tourist… Right underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Storming away from him – and swearing off men for life – she decides she’s going to take the first job that comes her way.

Then, as if fate hears her, later that day she stumbles into a little bookshop – but not any old bookshop. This one comes complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books, and just a little hint of magic in the air. So when Coco’s offered a job selling books there, it feels like the perfect fit.

There’s only one problem… propping up the bar in the bookshop is none other than the grumpy, gorgeous stranger she’d met earlier that day…


About Rebecca

Rebecca Raisin writes heartwarming romance from her home in sunny Perth, Australia. Her heroines tend to be on the quirky side and her books are usually set in exotic locations so her readers can armchair travel any day of the week. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous heroes who have brains as well as brawn, is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true, once in a lifetime love. Her bestselling novel Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop has been optioned for film with MRC studios and Frolic Media.



























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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

My Review for A Forever Home at Honeybee Croft by Jessica Redland

January 28, 2025  , , , , , ,  2 comments



This book is adorable. I fell in love with Poppy and Joel from the beginning, and I wasn't sure how they'd end up together, but I just knew they would. They clicked immediately and it was just so cute. Joel's daughter, Imogen, was a gem. I loved that she clicked with Poppy from the start, and, that isn't always an easy thing to do, but Imogen just knew that she wanted her Dad to be happy and Poppy was going to be the one who made that happen. 

Poppy's Dad was suffering with Alzheimer's and I felt that this subject was sensitively dealt with and researched thoroughly. Thankfully, no one I know has had to go through this terrible disease, but I know a lot more about it now than I did previously.

Jessica loves to bring her characters, from other books, into her current read and I adore this. It's like saying hello to old friends, finding out what they're up to now, and what's happened since we last met. All like one big happy family! I can't wait for Jessica's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review A Forever Home at Honeybee Croft by Jessica Redland.





About the Book

Single dad, Joel Grainger, is devoted to his little girl, Imogen, doing all he can to be a key part of her life. But with Imogen’s mum being ever more difficult and Joel’s job suddenly in doubt, he’s worried that everything is about to change. Joel has given everything to Imogen, and he doesn’t regret it, but maybe he’s lost himself along the way…

Since her dad’s heart-breaking dementia diagnosis, Poppy Wells has been struggling and desperately needs a break. An opportunity to stay in gorgeous Whisperwood Farmhouse nestled in the Yorkshire Wolds and a stone’s throw away from Bumblebee Barn couldn’t be more perfect. Finally able to breathe, Poppy begins to see a new life ahead, a place where she can heal her broken heart and be part of something special. But can she ever leave her beloved dad to get the happiness she craves?

When Poppy and Joel meet there’s an instant connection. But with both of them at a crossroads, a future together seems impossible. Can they find the strength to overcome their challenges to secure their forever home together?

About Jessica - by Jessica

I write uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community set in stunning Yorkshire. My Whitsborough Bay books take readers/listeners to the North Yorkshire Coast and my Hedgehog Hollow books transport them deep into the countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

My books are about real people living real lives. You'll find plenty of warm and fuzzy moments between the pages but you may occasionally find yourself tearing up and reaching for the tissues. I love my characters so, no matter how tough the going gets, I make sure they get their happy ending. Of course, with a series, it may take a few books to fully get there!

My favourite subject at school was English and I always loved the aspects of my day job in HR which involved writing but I never considered writing a novel until my manager told me that my business reports read more like stories and joked that I should write a book. As soon as a plot idea presented itself, that’s exactly what I did.















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Monday, January 27, 2025

My Review for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

January 27, 2025  , ,  No comments



The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was December's choice for the classics book chat I'm in, #classiclitbookclub. Due to the time of year, a few of us decided to pass on this, but I still wanted to read it. My first Anne Brontë book and I loved it. It took me a good few weeks to finish it, and I read and listened to others in between, so yes, I took my time. With classics in particular I need to firstly be in the mood to read it, and secondly, concentrate on what's happening, so I actually understand it! No one is judging you on how long it takes to read a book and whether you find it easy or not. It's taken me a while to be confident enough to say in my chats, that nope, sorry, I didn't get that at all!

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was no different to a lot of classics I've read. It's a long book, but not a lot actually happens. Despite that, the story was interesting and beautifully written. Every single time I read about how women were often treated in the 1800s, I'm shocked that society was ever like that, but yes, that's just the way it was. Did you know that it was perfectly acceptable for there to be a clause in a man's will, forbidding his wife to marry after his death?!

I loved that Helen, our female main character, eventually became strong enough to stand up for herself and her son and managed to distance herself from her husband for enough time as to become more independent. Considered ahead of its time, Anne Brontë's second novel covered issues that were often not discussed, including infidelity, alcohol abuse and mental abuse within a marriage. 

I would definitely read this again, and I think I'd discover more about the characters the second time around.


About the Book

Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son. He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behaviour becomes the subject of local gossip and speculation, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced. It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she has left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom.


About Anne

Anne Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family. Anne's two novels, written in a sharp and ironic style, are completely different from the romanticism followed by her sisters, Emily Brontë and Charlotte Brontë. She wrote in a realistic, rather than a romantic style. Mainly because the re-publication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was prevented by Charlotte Brontë after Anne's death, she is less known than her sisters. However, her novels, like those of her sisters, have become classics of English literature.

The daughter of a poor Irish clergyman in the Church of England, Anne Brontë lived most of her life with her family at the parish of Haworth on the Yorkshire moors. In Elizabeth Gaskell's biography, Anne's father remembered her as precocious, reporting that once, when she was four years old, in reply to his question about what a child most wanted, she answered: "age and experience".

During her life Anne was particularly close to Emily. When Charlotte's friend Ellen Nussey visited Haworth in 1833, she reported that Emily and Anne were "like twins", "inseparable companions". Together they created imaginary world Gondal after they broke up from Charlotte and Branwell who created another imaginary world – Angria.

For a couple of years she went to a boarding school. At the age of 19 she left Haworth and worked as a governess between 1839 and 1845. 

After leaving her teaching position, she fulfilled her literary ambitions. She wrote a volume of poetry with her sisters (Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, 1846) and two novels. Agnes Grey, based upon her experiences as a governess, was published in 1847. Her second and last novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is considered to be one of the first sustained feminist novels, appeared in 1848 and was an instant, phenomenal success; within six weeks it was sold out.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is perhaps the most shocking of the Brontës' novels. In seeking to present the truth in literature, Anne's depiction of alcoholism and debauchery was profoundly disturbing to 19th-century sensibilities. Helen Graham, the tenant of the title, intrigues Gilbert Markham and gradually she reveals her past as an artist and wife of the dissipated Arthur Huntingdon. The book's brilliance lies in its revelation of the position of women at the time, and its multi-layered plot.

Her sister Emily's death on 19 December 1848 deeply affected Anne and her grief undermined her physical health. Over Christmas, Anne caught influenza. Her symptoms intensified, and in early January, her father sent for a Leeds physician, who diagnosed her condition as consumption, and intimated that it was quite advanced leaving little hope of recovery. Anne met the news with characteristic determination and self-control.

Unlike Emily, Anne took all the recommended medicines, and responded to the advice she was given. That same month she wrote her last poem, " A dreadful darkness closes in", in which she deals with being terminally ill.

In February 1849, Anne decided to make a return visit to Scarborough in the hope that the change of location and fresh sea air might initiate a recovery. However, it was clear that she had little strength left.

Dying, Anne expressed her love and concern for Ellen and Charlotte, and seeing Charlotte's distress, whispered to her to "take courage". Conscious and calm, Anne died at about two o'clock in the afternoon, Monday, 28 May 1849, aged just 29.




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