Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 512

Publisher: Faber & Faber 

Released: 2nd of February 2017 

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

What I Have to Say 

I adore this series. Not only does it show a world full of exciting exotic settings, but it is also written in such a beautiful way. Sometimes Hamilton adopts an almost fairytail way of story telling, recounting things and making everything more magical by doing so. The only problem with that came in this book, where at the start she recounted everything that happened in the first book, which I felt was just too much of an info-dump. It's fine when it's a story that we haven't been told yet, but I just didn't need a recap like that. 

One of the things that defines these books, other than the setting, is the characters. The characters are so well defined. You can easily see how true their reactions are. Whether it's Jin running away so he doesn't have to see his girlfriend die, Ahmed covering for his brother or Amani desperately trying to rescue everyone. I love all the characters so much. 

But it's because I love Amani so much that I felt she was given a disservice with what happened at the palace. I felt that her headstrong and reckless nature was cast aside a little while she relied on others to get her out of danger. It felt very much like she was being changed into the the damsel in distress, waiting on her prince to come rescue her. And maybe that's mostly because she was kept in the harem rather than in a different part of the palace. It just felt wrong really. An injustice to this strong woman to see her dressed up and paraded around like something to be owned. 

Even so, these books are still such beautiful books and I can't wait for the next one to find out what happens next! 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Mystery of the Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352 

Publishers: Egmont Books Ltd 

Released: 9th of February 2017 

When a priceless painting is stolen, our dauntless heroines Sophie and Lil find themselves faced with forgery, trickery and deceit on all sides!

Be amazed as the brave duo pit their wits against this perilous puzzle! Marvel at their cunning plan to unmask the villain and prove themselves detectives to be reckoned with – no matter what dangers lie ahead . . .

It’s their most perilous adventure yet!

What I Have to Say 

There's always a sense of calm that comes across me when I open a new book from one of my favourite authors. Katherine Woodfine is definitely one of those. From the first book, I knew that Sinclairs was one of those book places where my imagination can feel at home. 

As always, the mystery that Woodfine created was as always thrilling and compelling, but I did feel a little disappointed that I figured it out so easily. I felt that this one was fairly obvious. Maybe it was just me. It didn't effect my enjoyment of the book too much, but I expected more from Woodfine. 

I love how it ended. It makes me really interested to see how the next book turns out. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Egmont for providing me with this copy for review. 

We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's 

Released: 9th of February 2017

Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess's home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?

What I Have to Say 

I read this pretty much in one sitting. It was easy to read but also had a lot of very heavy subjects to addressed. Jess's life of abuse and worry intersect with Nicu's life trying to live life in the UK, while fending off the pressure of his parents. These teenagers affect each others lives in various ways and give the readers hope that they will achieve their dreams and forge a new life away from their various troubles. 

The most interesting thing about this book was the way that Nicu's sections were written. They were almost in verse, with a lot of broken English as he struggled to become proficient in the language. It showed a lot about how people treat foreigners, putting him in the bottom classes because his English wasn't good enough to express himself even though he was actually really smart. It really hit upon the point that sometimes when you make assumptions about people based on their race or level of English it can push them down and make these assumptions true because they can't get out of the box that everyone is putting them in. 

The ending disappointed me. It felt a bit of a let down and I felt what happened with Nicu was a bad portrayal of racial stereotypes. The worse thing about it was that the authors seemed to make such an effort with his character through the rest of the book and then just threw it away. 

If you're looking for a read that's easy and brings up a lot of interesting points then this could be a good place to start. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with this copy for review. 

Who Let the God's Out by Maz Evans

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 368

Publisher: Chicken House 

Released: 3rd of March 2017 

Elliot's mum is ill and his home is under threat, but a shooting star crashes to earth and changes his life forever. The star is Virgo - a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. But the pair accidentally release Thanatos, a wicked death daemon imprisoned beneath Stonehenge, and must then turn to the old Olympian gods for help. After centuries of cushy retirement on earth, are Zeus and his crew up to the task of saving the world - and solving Elliot's problems too? 

What I Have to Say 

With humour, adventure and some great interpretation of the Greek gods, Who Let the God's Out? was a pleasure to read. 

The way that Evans portrayed the gods was probably the best bit. As someone who has studied the Greek gods, I can say that even though it seems ridiculous, it isn't that far off. A lot of inspiration has been taken from various aspects of the myths, including Zeus' tendency to sleep with a lot of different people, to create characters that are fun to read while still reflecting their mythology. 

I definitely liked the way it was written and the relationships shown between Elliot and his mother as well as Elliot and the gods. I can't wait for more in the series! 

My thanks go to Nina Douglas and Chicken House for providing me with this copy for review. 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 464

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Released: 9th of February 2017

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

What I Have to Say

As a long time fan of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, obviously I was interested in seeing her take on Alice in Wonderland. At the start it was hard to see how anything would connect up with the screeching, angry Queen of Hearts as pictured in the original story. But as I trusted Marissa Meyer as an  author and quite liked Cath as a character, I continued to read and watched as poor Cath's life was torn apart. 

It was a sad story, but it also had a lot of humour, merriment and obviously acts of the impossible. There were many of the original characters from Alice in Wonderland and we saw the origins of a lot of the other characters as well, including the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat, obviously. It was beautifully woven with the insanity and humour that Wonderland is known for in Meyer's unique style. 

Meyer has a very distinct style and as I have liked her other books, I enjoyed reading this style, but I feel like she lacked a lot of the humour that Wonderland is known for. It had bits of whimsy involved in it, but mostly it was quite a serious story based within this world. I respect that this is a choice that Meyer had to make, whether to go with her quite serious style or change to add more humour, so I wouldn't say it's a problem as such, but I think I would have liked more humour really. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Macmillan to providing me with this copy for review. 

Nowhere Near You by Leah Thomas

What I Have to Say 

Pages: 400

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's 

Released: 9th of February 2017 

Ollie and Moritz might never meet, but their friendship knows no bounds. Their letters carry on as Ollie embarks on his first road trip away from the woods--no easy feat for a boy allergic to electricity--and Moritz decides which new school would best suit an eyeless boy who prefers to be alone.

Along the way they meet other teens like them, other products of strange science who lead seemingly normal lives in ways Ollie and Moritz never imagined possible: A boy who jokes about his atypical skeleton; an aspiring actress who hides a strange deformity; a track star whose abnormal heart propels her to victory. Suddenly the future feels wide open for two former hermits. But even as Ollie and Moritz dare to enjoy life, they can't escape their past, which threatens to destroy any progress they've made. Can these boys ever find their place in a world that might never understand them?

What I Have to Say 

Adventures with Ollie! Moritz making friends! And a whole lot of sadness. This book like the one before was filled with sadness but also happiness. Ollie and Moritz are both taking strides to live life despite their deformities. It's a good representation of the ups and downs of what life is like to be disabled, but on a much bigger scale. 

I enjoyed meeting different kids with different mutations. It's interesting to see what sort of thing the author could come up with. The web forum was a really interesting way to explore the world they live in through different perspectives. 

There's a lot about relationships in this book, Between Ollie and Moritz but also between the others around them. With such an interesting group of characters there are a range of interesting relationships, even if it's heartbreaking times. 

My thanks go to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

Margot & Me by Juno Dawson

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 417

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Released: 26th of January 2017 

Sometimes love has to cross all kinds of barriers . . .

Fliss is on the way to visit her grandmother in Wales - the grandmother who she doesn't get on with - with her mother who is recuperating from chemotherapy. But her mum is getting better, that's the main thing, so Fliss can concentrate on being grouchy and not looking forward to meeting her grandmother Margot, who is so cold and always so unforgiving of Fliss's every mistake . . . But when the six months is up, Fliss consoles herself, she and her mum will go back to London and back to Real Life!

In the meantime Fliss needs to get used to her new school, not upset the scary girls, and just keep her head down (whilst still making sure that everybody knows she is from London, of course). Then Fliss discovers a diary at the back of her bookcase. It is from the 1940s and is set in World War II, and, Fliss realises, is actually Margot's diary from when she was a young woman during the Blitz. Intrigued, Fliss begins to read. There she discovers a whole new side to Margot, a wartime romance and also Margot's deepest, most buried secret. And it is then that Fliss discovers something terrible in her own life that she is going to have to come to terms with...

What I Have to Say 

This book has everything both in modern times and Margot's diaries. It looks into race, homosexuality and outsiders versus insiders in a little town in Wales and of course cancer. It deals with relationships crossing through three generations, the relationship between Fliss and her Mum and with Margot, showing the different relationships that can be had between family members. 

Margot and me was beautifully written and wonderfully constructed, with diary entries from Margot breaking up the modern day story of Fliss having to move in with the cranky modern day version of Margot. 

My only complaint would be that at one point it almost felt like Juno Dawson forgot about the war during part of the diaries. There was a part set in London in 1941 where there was no mention of the blitz. It felt odd that it was forgotten about, since the rest of the diaries were very accurate. As the rest of the book was so great though, I'm willing to put it down to Margot's memories of the time differing or artistic license on Dawson's part. 

All in all though, I think this is probably my favourite of Juno Dawson book so far.