Non-spoiler book review

--

Title: We Hunt the Flame
Author: Hafsah Faizal
Publisher: Pan Macmillan (Australia)
Publication date: 14 May 2019

Synopsis:
Zafira is the hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Art to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya - but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Art sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter.

But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds - and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.


Rating: 4/5

--

This story is enticing and absolutely makes you want to keep reading, which made for a great introduction. It was mysterious, somewhat dark, and I felt so damn drawn to the story. There were a couple of times where I found myself having to reread paragraphs because it was one of those 'I blinked and miss it' kind of moments - even though I read it all?? I don't know. I would be keen for it to be slightly slowed down in the 'exciting' parts.

I found Zafira, our main character to be very likeable throughout the story, she wasn't my all-round-perfect character but to be perfectly honest, that's hard to reach anyways. For the most part I enjoyed her character. When reading from her perspective she seemed like she knew what she was doing however, when viewing her from Nasir's perspective, she looked like a pile of conflicting emotions - though not all the time. I really enjoyed Nasir's character too, though I am definitely drawn to darker, somewhat mysterious characters.

My favourite character of the story was hands down, Altair. The ever so witty general was full of hilarious remarks and always had an opinion on everything and I loved that about him. He brought a sense of humour and lightness to the serious moments even if it was sometimes inappropriate.

I loved the magic of the world and I am so, so keen to see it develop in the next book. I really appreciated the effort in telling the history of the magic the world had and how it had diminished. Though some parts in the journey to its restoration felt a little rushed, it definitely could've been slowed down so I didn't have to flip back and reread some of the paragraphs again.

One of the 'twists' I didn't find necessary and it kind of felt off for me which was disappointing however, I didn't let it bring me down because the rest of the book was pretty much fantastic!

I definitely recommend this diverse YA fantasy and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did, if not, more!


----

*This book was sent to me by Pan Macmillan Australia

in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:


Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @thenutritionedition
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

Non spoiler book review

Title: Four Dead Queens
Author: Astrid Scholte
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: 4 March 2019 (Aus)

Synopsis:
Four Queens. A divided nation. A ruthless pickpocket. A noble messenger. And the murders that unite them.
Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington is one of Quadara's most skilled thieves, but when she steals an unexpectedly valuable package from a messenger she is soon entangled in a conspiracy that leads to all four of Quadara's queens being murdered.
With no other choice and on the run from her former employer, Keralie teams up with Varin Bollt, the Eonist messenger she stole from, and together they race to discover who has killed the queens. But when dark secrets threaten their reluctant partnership and put everything at stake, Keralie and Varin must use all their daring to stay alive and untangle the mysteries behind the nation's four dead queens.

----

My rating: 3.5/5

----


The dystopian world of Four Dead Queens very much reminded me of Divergent but that was it, just reminded me, so... not the same - remember that! I quite liked the different quadrants, dystopian books that do this has me so interested and I'm very much into world-building which I would've loved to have seen more of but it was satisfying.

My favourite part of this book was the storyline and the way it was formatted, going between the main character and the four queens (plus one other character later on in the book). The story had a couple of twists and I really enjoyed most of them, they really added to the story. Some of the others I wasn't too sure about but that's okay, the majority was good!

The characters didn't give me a lot of depth but it was enough to support the plot. For me, I don't need a connection with the characters for me to have an understanding of or with them, and besides, I felt like this book was more about the story and the world. The main character I didn't love, but that's okay. I really enjoyed the queens though, I felt that their lives and their secrets were very interesting and it kept me captivated throughout the story.

There were some parts of the story that felt very rushed which was a little disappointing, I'm not sure if that's just how the author wanted it or if they were writing to a point and wasn't sure what to do. Either way, this is great debut novel and I think the author did really well for that. I'd definitely be keen to see what this author brings in the future.



----

*This book was sent to me by Allen & Unwin unsolicited. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:


Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

Non spoiler book review
*This book is told from a different perspective than book one and happens in a different area so the following synopsis and review will not spoil you for either book.

Title: Imprison the Sky (The Elementae #2)
Author: A.C Gaughen
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: March 2019 (Australia)
RRP: $14.99 AUD

Synopsis:
Stolen from her family as a child, Aspasia has clawed her way up the tanks of Cyrus's black market empire to captain her own trading vessel - and she risks it all every time she uses her powerful magic to free as many women, children and Elementae from slavery as she can.
But Cyrus is close to uncovering her secrets - not only that Aspasia is a wind Elementae with the ability to sail her ship through the sky, but that she is also searching for her lost family. And if Aspasia can't find her younger siblings before Cyrus does, she will never be able to break free.
Armed with her loyal crew full of Elementae and a new recruit who controls and intriguing power, Aspasia finds herself in the centre of a brewing war that spans every inch of the ocean, and her power alone may not be enough to save her friends, family, and freedom.

Click here for my review of Reign the Earth (book one).

---


My rating: 5/5


Book one, Reign the Earth, was a phenomenal read last year (2018) and it was one of my favourites of the year so Imprison the Sky held high expectations for me. In the beginning, I was dead set that this wasn't going to be better than the previous book but as the story went on, I was so drawn to the characters and the story that it was all I could think about when I wasn't reading (sorry to my uni work). Even now, after finishing it a few days ago, the characters are still on my mind.

I felt the story line had a great feel to it. A novel with slaves can be a hard one but with the help of amazingly-written characters, this book has done really well. Reflecting back on the story, they spend a lot of time on the ship but I actually didn't notice - or perhaps, it was woven so well into the story that it just fit. There is a bit of crossover from book one - I had read Reign the Earth over a year ago so I couldn't remember fine details but I started to remember things as it went on - but you can find short summaries online if you want to.

Gaughen knows how to write great main characters. Reign the Earth followed Shalia, whereas Imprison the Sky is in the perspective of Aspasia, a air elementae, and thrice-damned (did I say that right?), I absolutely bow down to both of these women - and I'm sure I will to the MC's in the rest of the series.

Aspasia is a strong-willed, bisexual young woman who is under the control of her master but as she has a little more freedom than most slaves (if that's what you want to call it), she tries to make it worth while as best she can - trying to free as many women, children and elementae, as well as search for her family that was taken away from her years before. She is a true badass that will do anything for her crew, even if that means putting herself in danger to save them all.

In Reign the Earth, you meet Kairos, a beautiful being that is also the brother of Shalia. He was a great character there, so I was absolutely stoked to have him not only appear in this book, but become a solid and important character throughout the story. I adore the way he treats Aspasia and the crew, and how his character development is spot on. I am also crushing on him big time if you hadn't noticed.

The other characters in Imprison the Sky are a great asset to the story, the good and the bad. The plot is one thing, but I feel Gaughen has a great balance with what's actually going on in the story plus the characters that make it.

This series has so far been an A-plus story with insanely great characters and I am so keen for the rest of the books in the series. I highly recommend you pick these books up and immerse yourself in the world (I put trigger warnings in my review of book one though so check those out - link is above).



----

*This book was sent to me by Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:


Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @thenutritionedition
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

Non spoiler book review

Enchantée = 'Enchanted' in French
Mon trésor (used in title) = my treasure

---

Title: Enchantée
Author: Gita Trelease
Publisher: Macmillan Australia / Pan Macmillan
Publication date: 26 February 2019
RRP: $16.99 AUD

Synopsis:

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries - and magicians...

When smallpox kills her parents, seventeen-year-old Camille is left to provide for her frail sister and her volatile brother. In desperation, she survives by using the petty magic she learnt from her mother. But when her brother disappears Camille decides to pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Using dark magic Camille transforms herself into the 'Baroness de la Fontaine' and presents herself as the court of Versaille, where she soon finds herself swept up in a dizzying life of riches, finery and suitors. But Camille's resentment of the rich is at odds with the allure of their glamour and excess, and she soon discovers that she's not the only one leading a double life.

-----

My rating: 3.5/5


Firstly, don't let the year 1789 get the best of you, this historical fantasy is written for YA readers and was incredibly easy to read. They do use some French language throughout the book - which I loved, but I only realised when I was almost finished the book that there were some translations in the back which will help you if you know none of the French language.

The plot is an interesting one, our main character, a magician, in this French era trying to get by literally day by day for her and her sister to survive. You'll come across the brother from time to time who is a complete arse, but try to bear through it because you don't get too much of him. Sometimes the back and forth of Camille going to court seemed to drag a bit; a few times I was wondering what it was ultimately leading up to - and not in a 'keeps you guessing' kind of way, it just seemed a bit slow at times. Nonetheless, it got there in the end and I found myself reading the last fifth of the book relatively fast (despite starting the uni semester!)

Camille is an absolute pleasure to read from (the only point of view); I felt she was written in a way that reflected someone who would actually be in her shoes. While some of her actions were naive, they also added to the reality to the extent some people feel they need to go to to save their loved ones - no matter the cost to themselves.


I would have loved to learn more about Camille's sister Sophie, I felt she was too much in the background. It would have made the relationship between the two seem stronger from a reader's point of view. Lazare was also a great addition, though there was definitely a bit more room to learn more about him as well - which I was kind of craving haha. My favourite 'side character' was definitely Chandon *insert clapping hands emoji* - that's literally what I want to do when I think of him, clap my hands. He brought more depth to the story and was a nice safe haven for Camille while she was at court. I loved all the other side characters - they all brought something different to the story and it wasn't hard to keep track and added so much to the story.

Enchantée is a magical story set in Paris and Versaille before the French Revolution. The flow of the story is excellent and easy to read with French translations in the back of the book. I definitely recommend this for those interested in historical fantasy/fiction or those wishing to be enchanted by an older Parisian time.


*Thank you to Macmillan Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

------


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:


Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @thenutritionedition
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

Non-spoiler book review*
Please note this is book two in a series. If you haven't read book one, the synopsis and review may contain potential spoilers.


Title: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Hot Key Books / Allen & Unwin (Australia)
Publication date: 8 January 2019
RRP: $19.99 AUD

Synopsis:
After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

---

There was a lot of hype for The Cruel Prince (book one) when it came out a year ago and I was hearing great things however, I also heard a couple of not great things. Months after its release I was talking to a friend of mine who was reading it and asked her to give me her thoughts. I am so glad I did because I realised there was a couple of problematic elements recognised by some and those who didn't like it truely built their reviews around that and that alone. My friend was able to give me a better run down and said it was a truely good book and story, but recognised an element of the plot that may not go down well with many. With all of that being said, I immensely enjoyed book one and was freaking excited for book two.

Firstly, I have to say The Wicked King is a stunning book. I own the paperback and the colour and the crown on it is so eye catching that I could just stare at it for days. I try not to set too many expectations for books, especially sequels, though as I already said, I was damn excited about it.

The story begins a few months after The Cruel Prince ended, Oak is being protected, Madoc is still an ass, and Jude pretty much rules over Cardan and Elfhame. The story develops well from the previous book, going into more politics - which I love (don't think I've ever said that before haha), and plenty of backstabbyness (that's now a word).

Jude, oh Jude. She has to be one of my favourite morally grey characters there ever was. I loved her in book one, I loved her even more in the second. She is a smart, strong, badass female character that does not deny what she wants (despite being able to lie in the Faerie world), and I absolutely love that about her. She is the character I want to see in many other fantasy novels, so thank you Holly Black.


In this story we get so much more from Cardan - something that was preconceived but also hoped for anyways, and boy did it deliver. The depth in which his character goes to is perfect and the only reason I would want more is because I am greedy. The complexity and dynamics between his and Jude's relationship is executed well and the intimate scenes between the two felt like I was secretly feeding my guilty pleasures. I think it's good to recognise the kind of character Jude is - she craves power, so the intimacy in this book (and book one for that matter) was about getting what she wants, and not being some damsel in distress.

I loved that we got to explore more the Faerie world, i.e The Undersea, and getting more from other characters. Here begins my interest in Balekin. Me being the villain loving person I am, was happy to see more of Balekin and what he provides for the story. I wish there was more but once again, that is more out of greed. There is not one thing I would change about the other side characters, even though they may not do what you want them to, they provide for a compelling story and it just all makes sense.

The ending had me speechless. I did not see it coming but it also makes a lot of sense and I had trouble reading the epilogue because I was absolutely reeling. What I'm going to do for the next year waiting for book three is something to be determined. The Wicked King was an exciting story that brings faerie to another level. Holly Black has brought a refreshing twist on old fairytales and I praise it.


Rating: 5/5 

----

*This book was sent to me by Allen & Unwin Australia in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:


Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @thenutritionedition
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

As we approach a new year, it gives us time to reflect on the year gone by. For me, 2018 was definitely hard. I've had worse years but in a different sense I guess. This year, was very challenging for uni - third year is done and dusted thank the lord, now only one more year to go and if it all goes well *crosses fingers* then I'll be an Accredited Practising Dietitian - well hopefully practising but we'll see - perhaps I'll do a bit of travelling.

But more importantly for this blog post, I like to reflect on the books I've read - in the shortest way possible.



1. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
2. Reign the Earth - A.C. Gaughen
3. Goodbye, Perfect - Sara Barnard
4. The Upside of Unrequited - Becky Albertalli
5. The Vegetarian - Han Kang
6. Hero at the Fall - Alwyn Hamilton
7. Risk - Fleur Ferris
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky *re-read
9. Obsidio - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
10. Quidditch Through the Ages - J.K. Rowling
11. When Dimple Met Rishi - Sandhya Menon
12. Don't Call Me Kit Kat - K.J. Farnham
13. Red Rising - Pierce Brown
14. Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi *re-read
15. Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi *re-read
16. Ignite Me - Tahereh Mafi *re-read
17. Restore Me - Tahereh Mafi
18. Black - Fleur Ferris
19. A Court of Frost and Starlight - Sarah J. Maas
20. Piecing Me Together - Renee Watson
21. Lifel1k3 - Jay Kristoff
22. Speechless - Hannah Harrington
23. It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover
24. To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han
25. P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han
26. Always and Forever, Lara Jean - Jenny Han
27. Scarlet - A.C. Gaughen
28. Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
29. A Thousand Perfect Notes - C.G Drews
30. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
31. A Reaper at the Gates - Sabaa Tahir
32. The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris
33. Warcross - Marie Lu
34. The Cruel Prince - Holly Black
35. The Love That I Have - James Moloney
36. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
37. City of Ghosts - Victoria Schwab
38. Wildcard - Marie Lu
39. More Than a Number -  Tia Souders
40. Kingdom of Ash
41. Wreck - Fleur Ferris
42. Grace and Fury - Tracy Banghart
43. Out of the Easy - Ruta Sepetys
44. Uprooted - Naomi Novik
45. This Savage Song - V.E. Schwab
46.We See Everything - William Sutcliffe
47. Wonder Woman Warbringer - Leigh Bardugo
48. Hunted - Meagan Spooner
49. Death of the Family - Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo
50. The Evolution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin



50 books completed! 50 was actually my Goodreads goal so I got it bang on. I'm thinking 2019 will be less due to a busy year ahead.


-----


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:



Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @thenutritionedition
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!

I had ups and downs when reading in 2018. I usually start off strong in the first couple of months of the year, this time however, I was incredibly busy with packing up my apartment to move houses and going overseas for four weeks - and I don't tend to do a lot of reading when I'm travelling.

I also wanted to include some honourable mentions that didn't make the top 10 but were still something I'd rave about - this isn't included in my video because I forgot haha. Also here is the video version if you'd like to hear me talk about it.


MY TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2018: (in no particular order except for the last one which is my FAVE of the year)

10. This Savage Song - V.E. Schwab
I love the concept of monsters - I feel like the idea was taken from previous supernatural creatures and developed into the author's own original idea and I loved it.

9. Hero at the Fall - Alwyn Hamilton
Full review here; a super exciting yet emotional end to a trilogy. I love the fantasy elements and glad there was more depth in this book, also the cover is to die for.

8. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
Surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement gives it an edge that is relevant and diverse however, all the other aspects made for a perfectly executed story. Also, there are a few Harry Potter references.

7. Reign the Earth - A.C. Gaughen
Trigger warnings: domestic violence; full review here.
I love the fantasy elements in this story and how dark it got (though not for everyone). The main character is one to admire and I'm looking forward to the next book.

6. Restore Me - Tahereh Mafi
Warner, need I say more? Ok, I don't want to get carried away but the author wrote this book so amazingly - her writing developed so well since Ignite Me (IMO) and the world building and addition of new characters was amazing.

5. The Cruel Prince - Holly Black
This gave me mad ACOTAR vibes which I didn't always like however, this book was well written otherwise and the main character is a badass and I admire her.

4. Obsidio - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
I'm sad The Illuminae Files came to an end but oh how much I loved this book... The new characters, along with the rest of our faves made for a bittersweet ending whilst seeing what else the heck our favourite AI gets up to.

3. Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
A great introduction to historical fiction if you're looking for it. This is set in WW2 times with the POV from four very different characters. A very emotional read! Audiobook is narrated well.

2. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
Trigger warnings: PTSD, depression, anxiety, alcohol addiction
I went into this book not really knowing what to expect and as it turns out, I enjoyed it immensely. As the story went on I found I was truly empathetic with the MC and while it was an emotional ride, it made me feel very content by the end. Recommend the audiobook.

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book... I didn't know too much going into it but I it took over my thoughts for days - it was literally on my mind all the time so I definitely recommend setting aside some time to read uninterrupted to consume it whole. Written SO WELL, this book gave me everything I never knew I needed. Audiobook was amazing and recommend!


HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

The Lara Jean trilogy - Jenny Han; while I didn't love everything about this series, it surprised me so much that I had to include it here. The audiobooks are mega addictive!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris; a heart breaking true story that gave me knowledge and grief. If you're keen to read this story and you're very much into an author's writing and depth - don't expect too much. The author wrote this with respect to the person who's view it is from and you cannot blame one for not giving every single detail of their time in a concentration camp during WW2.

A Reaper at the Gates - Sabaa Tahir; after waiting what felt like a decade for this book (book three /4), I read this as slowly as one could. I think this is my favourite in the series so far even if it made me want to die on the inside and I got tears on the pages. The author's writing and original story is an absolute wonder. This would've definitely made it on the list if it was a 'Top 11'.

We See Everything - William Sutcliffe; a standalone dystopian novel that I didn't really expect much from - I also went into it not knowing too much which perhaps made it better. The two MC's never meet but their lives cross paths under unfortunate circumstances. Full review here.


THANKS FOR READING
And may your 2019 bring you great stories.

-----


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:



Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @thenutritionedition
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin'!