Reading – Page 30 – Lyndsey Hall

Ten books I’d combine to make an even better one!

Hi folks, I’m linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl this week for Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s topic is ‘books you’d mash together (pick two books you think would make an epic story if combined)’.

1. The Raven Boys X One of Us is Lying

Can’t you just see it? Blue, Gansey and the gang involved in a totally non-supernatural murder and a bunch of normal high school drama? I see Gansey as Bronwyn, Blue as Addy (at the end rather than the beginning), Ronan as Nate, Adam as Cooper and Noah as Simon (of course!). In fact, now I think about it the similarities between these two groups of characters are huge! It would be even more fun to combine the two groups and see how the dynamics changed.

2. Six of Crows X Throne of Glass

I reckon Kaz could give Celaena/Aelin a run for her money in the mad scheme area. Somehow their plans always seem to come together in the end, even if things go horribly wrong somewhere in the middle. They also both have a band of misfits and outcasts for friends, with a variety of talents and abilities, who are loyal to the death. I think they’d start out as enemies and wind up friends (with a bit of healthy rivalry thrown in).

3. Red Rising X Cinder

Something about these two just fits together for me, like they could be going on concurrently in the same universe – Cinder is what’s remaining of Earth, and Red Rising is just one of many new colonies across the galaxy. The sci-fi elements feel like pieces of a jigsaw that would fit neatly together, and I think Cinder and Darrow are a match made in heaven.

4. Stalking Jack the Ripper X The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Wouldn’t Audrey Rose and Felicity just be the best of friends? They could go on adventures together, share tips on medical procedures, and generally show the boys how it’s done. I love single-minded and bold female characters, and these two are even better as they’re so ahead of their time and incongruous to the historical setting, yet so believably written. Thomas and Monty would probably be firm friends too, they share the same cheeky sense of humour.

5. The Bone Season X Clockwork Angel: The Infernal Devices

Both of these novels give me a strong steampunk vibe, despite the fact they’re set around 200 years apart. I can imagine Will, Jem and Tessa living in the same world as Paige and Warden, just a couple of centuries earlier, can’t you?

6. Strange the Dreamer X The Sin Eater’s Daughter

Strange the Dreamer and The Sin Eater’s Daughter are both full of gorgeous imagery, strange new mythologies and selfless, heroic characters – and they’re two of my absolute favourite books/series in the world! The gods and magical goings-on in Taylor’s novel would absolute fit with the world of fairytales-come-to-life created by Salisbury. In fact, I might need these two to collaborate on something now…

7. Flawed X Delirium

In Oliver’s beautifully written trilogy, love is forbidden and everyone undergoes a lobotomy (delightfully named ‘the Cure’) at age 18 to prevent them from developing feelings. In Ahern’s YA debut, Flawed, moral and ethical mistakes have been outlawed and those who commit errors of judgement are labelled ‘Flawed’ and branded with an F on the related part of their body, whether that’s their head, chest, hand or even tongue. I can totally see these two regimes coinciding, and as dystopians go they’re two of the most credible I’ve read. Scary.

8. The Hunger Games X The Maze Runner

The similarities between Panem and WICKED are massive – both think it’s totally cool to send a group of kids into a man-made arena with engineered monsters, and a strong possibility they’ll all die. The main difference is that one is doing it because of a (man-made) virus that broke out and almost wiped out humankind, and the other because war broke out and almost wiped out humankind…(how is killing more people the answer?? Who knows.) I definitely think The Maze Runner could learn a thing or two from The Hunger Games, particularly in the fashion stakes.

9. Fallen X Hush, Hush

Ah, two of my favourite teenage reads. Actually I was probably in my early twenties, but same thing. Aside from the similarly beautiful covers, both stories centre around a girl who falls in love with a fallen angel, who are both your typical brooding YA males, with a divine twist. I loved the strong family and best friend bonds Nora has in Hush, Hush, but I am a sucker for a boarding school setting, so a combination of these two books would be the ultimate angel story for me.

10. Nevernight X Prince of Thorns

I can’t think of two more stabby and sassy characters than Mia Corvere and Jorg Ancrath. Both went through a terrible, bloody and traumatising experience as young children, forcing them to become the badass assassins they are today. Mia’s story is set in a fantasy world resembling ancient Rome, complete with gladiators, whereas Jorg’s setting is suggested to be the future of our planet, centuries after some event, the likes of that which killed off the dinosaurs, has destroyed everything we currently know and returned civilisation to the Dark Ages. They’re both incredibly detailed and well-drawn settings, providing the perfect stage for our murderous little friends to perform on. I wonder what Mr Kindly would make of Jorg?

There you have it, ten pairs of books that would combine to make an epic tome of the absolute best kind! Which two books would you create a mash up of if you could?

Lyndsey

Review: The Sin Eater’s Daughter trilogy by Melinda Salisbury

Sin Eater's Daughter trilogy Melinda Salisbury

If I had to choose an author whose books I hope mine are one day shelved next to in book stores, it would be Melinda Salisbury. The Sin Eater’s Daughter is one of my all time favourite series, and the style of YA Fantasy that I absolutely aspire to write. It’s been a while since I finished reading The Scarecrow Queen, but I wanted to review the series here for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. (Where have you been?! Get to the library quick sharp!)

The Sin Eater’s Daughter

Twylla is sixteen, betrothed to a prince, and forced to serve as the court executioner. The human embodiment of a goddess, she has the power to kill with just a touch, her skin imbued with a deadly poison that has no antidote. Only the royal family are immune to it. But that doesn’t stop her supposed fiance from staying as far from her as possible.

When a new guard is assigned to her, she finds his playful smiles and lack of fear a refreshing change, and soon falls for his charms. The controlling and paranoid queen reveals her plan to destroy the enemies she believes are out to threaten her rule, and Twylla must choose between escaping into the night with her lover, or staying to protect the kingdom she is bound to serve.

I adored the first book in this series, it’s full of fairy tale elements and forbidden romance. Twylla’s character doesn’t have much agency in book one, she seems to be pulled along by the actions of everyone around her, but that is a big part of her arc and by the end of the series she’s become much more active than reactive, and the growth and development she undergoes is more believable for being a slow, steady change.

The big revelation towards the end of book one was a complete surprise to me, I did not see it coming at all, and it left me questioning absolutely everything about the world I’d become absorbed in. It’s a very well done twist, adding another layer to the dark, Brothers Grimm style fairy tale.

The Sleeping Prince

Ever since her brother left them to work as a guard at the castle, Errin has been struggling to keep both her and their sickly mother alive. Foraging in the forest for ingredients to create her illegal herbal concoctions, selling them to a mysterious stranger who refuses to show her his face, and dodging the authorities who are looking for any reason to throw them both in the makeshift jails that are popping up all over the kingdom. But that all pales in comparison to the threat of the Sleeping Prince, whom the queen has woken from his enchanted sleep, and is now on the war path.

When Errin’s village is evacuated and her mother is taken by soldiers, Errin is forced to travel across a dangerous, war torn kingdom alone. What she discovers along the way could be the key to defeating the Sleeping Prince, but is the danger closer to home than she realises?

Book two follows a completely new character who is mentioned but never appears in book one, which makes it slightly more difficult to get into at the beginning. By the time I was a few chapters in though I was enjoying this book even more than the first – I’d go so far as to say it’s my favourite of the three. Errin is a brave, strong and complicated character, and after Twylla’s quieter, softer persona and her life at the castle, book two is a real change of scenery. Both books are tense, suspenseful and exciting, but instead of court politics, veiled threats and the creeping feeling that something isn’t quite right, book two is full of danger, betrayal and monsters straight out of a nightmare.

The Sleeping Prince begins after the action of book one, and the story lines merge towards the end in a pretty satisfying way. The two protagonists balance each other out nicely, so I would recommend persevering if you didn’t absolutely love Twylla, or if you struggle at first with the change in POV from book one to two.

The Scarecrow Queen

The Sleeping Prince has taken control of the kingdom with the help of his terrifying golems and has now installed himself at the castle. Twylla and Errin have become separated, Twylla is in the mountains gathering a force against Prince Aurek and Errin is simply trying to save her mother, and herself, from his evil clutches. As the war rages on and time begins to run out for the rebels, allegiances will be broken, friendships betrayed and lives lost before the final battle can be fought.

Book three alternates between the POVs of both Twylla and Errin, following their parallel story arcs to the ultimate conclusion where they converge once more. Whilst I was a little bit disappointed about some of the character arcs and how they ended in The Scarecrow Queen (#JusticeForLief), the conclusion of the series was very satisfying and credible. Twylla was the character who came the furthest in my opinion, as Errin started out a stronger and more independent woman, but Twylla became strong and really developed over the course of the three books. The plot and subplots all tie up nicely at the end, but it still left me hoping for more from this dark and beautiful fairy tale world.

In addition to the trilogy, there’s a novella called The King of Rats which I haven’t actually read, but hopefully one day I will! It’s a prequel detailing the story of Crown Prince Aurek and his sister Aurelia, and how the curse came about, which is one of my favourite parts of the series, I love how Salisbury took fairy tales we all know well, such as the Pied Piper of Hamlet, and twisted them into something completely new and surprising. I’m not sure what inspired the concept of the Sin Eater, I’d love to know if it’s something that truly takes place in some cultures, as I found it fascinating and loved how it was woven into the story.

Final word: if dark YA fantasy and fairy tale retellings are your cup of tea, you’ll absolutely love The Sin Eater’s Daughter trilogy.

Lyndsey

What’s on my TBR?

The weather in the UK this last few weeks has been unusually fantastic, and we’ve spent most of that time in the garden with the dogs, enjoying the warm, sunny days together before we both return to work from parental leave. This heat reminds me of being on holiday and makes me just want to sit and read in the sunshine all day long, so I thought I’d share with you all the books on my summer 2018 TBR pile.

(Can you believe it’s been almost a year since I last shared my TBR?!)

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

I bought The Hazel Wood last week and am absolutely dying to read it now, but I have a couple of current reads to finish first. It’s a dark fantasy about Alice, a girl who seems to be cursed with bad luck, whose grandmother is the author of a classic book of Grimm style fairy tales. When her grandmother dies and her mother is abducted by a figure who claims to be from the Hinterlands – the fictional world depicted in the fairy tales – Alice is forced to ally with one of her grandmother’s cult-like following and travel to the Hazel Wood in order to rescue her mother.

How good does that sound?? I’ll post a review as soon as I’ve read it, but I can see this one becoming a new all-time favourite!

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

This series has been on my wish list for so long, and I finally bought a copy of the first book last month, so I’ll be initiated into the cult of ADSOM imminently! I haven’t actually read ANY Schwab yet, can you even believe that? This is another book/series I expect to be completely sucked into and fall head over heels. Expect a review full of gushing and flailing very soon.

A Darker Shade of Magic tells the tale of Kell, one of the last Antari (magician) who are able to travel between the four parallel Londons. Raised in Red London, he works as an ambassador travelling between his home and White London, where magic has ceased to exist. On the side, he acts as a smuggler, escorting people with enough cash from one London to another, until he is forced to escape and hide in Grey London. There, he meets Lila Bard and ends up on an even more dangerous and exciting adventure, one that might result in them saving all the worlds.

Literally cannot wait to read.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

ACOFAS is the latest instalment of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, it’s a novella that bridges the gap between the original trilogy and the upcoming new trilogy, set some time after the first three books. I’m excited to read this one, but I’m tempted to leave it until the first book of the new trilogy is released next year, so I don’t completely forget everything that happens!

It centres on the original characters of the Night Court in the run up to the Winter Solstice. It should be a fun little read at 229 pages, I could even read it now (because, impatient) and reread it next year!

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

Set in 18th Century Cairo, The City of Brass is another exotic historical fantasy that I am dying to get round to reading. The blurb gives me And I Darken feels (which I was obsessed with but Now I Rise still isn’t available on Audible?? Just why??), with lots of gorgeous Eastern culture and a badass female protagonist (my favourite thing of ever).

Nahri is a skilled con woman, feigning psychic abilities in order to swindle Ottoman nobles. She doesn’t believe in magic, but when she accidentally summons a mysterious djinn warrior during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magic from her childhood stories may be real. The djinn warriors takes her to Daevabad, the legendary City of Brass, and she is soon embroiled in court politics and dangerous schemes that could have deadly consequences.

Anyone else getting kind of an Aladdin vibe? I wonder if the djinn warrior will be sassy like Genie. Either way, get in my eyeballs, book.

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

More historical fantasy for my reading pleasure, thank you please! I loved Stalking Jack the Ripper when I listened to the audiobook a few months ago, Audrey Rose is exactly the type of ballsy fictional woman I love to read about, plus the Author’s Notes about the accuracy of the medical procedures from the time period were absolutely fascinating. And this is yet another version of the Dracula/Vlad the Impaler legend, like And I Darken by Kiersten White – another favourite of mine.

Book two follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell to the heart of Romania, where a series of bizarre murders have been discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, a.k.a. Dracula. Is a copy cat killer on the loose or has someone resurrected the prince?

Kerri Maniscalco’s attention to detail and historical accuracy is so thorough, and her plots and characters are gripping and layered, so I’m really excited about this one.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Most of you will know I entered Pitch Wars in 2017, unfortunately I didn’t get in but I did get some great mentoring from one of the agented authors who helped me polish my first ten pages. One of the mentors last year was Tomi Adeyemi, and her debut Children of Blood and Bone was hotly anticipated by pretty much everyone, including me. I finally downloaded the audio book last month, but I’m a little bit behind on my listening so I’m hoping to get round to it very soon.

The story follows Zelie, whose mother is murdered when the ruthless king decides to eradicate magic by killing all maji. Zelie must team up with a rogue princess in order to escape the crown prince who is hell-bent on wiping out all remaining maji, but the greatest danger may be Zelie herself as she struggles to control her emerging powers.

Excuse me while I drive around for hours just to listen to this (and probably get the baby to fall asleep, two birds and all that.)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Graceling is one of those books that has been on my radar for about a decade (showing my-and its-age now), but I just haven’t ever bought or borrowed. It’s right up my street and gets absolutely rave reviews from everyone who’s even a little bit into YA fantasy, so I’ve no idea what was stopping me from reading it. None of that matters now though, as I’ve used one of my monthly Audible credits to download the audiobook and I’m so excited to listen to it. I know there are two other books in the series, but as far as I’m aware they’re not strictly sequels, I think they follow two other characters and run parallel to Graceling – let me know if you’ve read them, are they worth a read?

The book follows Katsa, a girl Graced with the ability to kill a man with her bare hands. As the king’s niece, she should be living a life of luxury, but with her skills she’s forced to work as the king’s thug. Until, that is, she finds herself falling in love with the handsome Prince Po and discovers the truth behind her Grace and a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms.

There’s magic, adventure, romance and a cast of unforgettable characters, apparently – what more could you want?

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Gentleman Bastard series is another golden oldie, but this time I hadn’t heard of the books until a year ago. It’s got a great rating on Goodreads, and loads of book bloggers I trust have loved the series, so I thought I’d add it to my Goodreads shelf, and a few weeks ago I bought it in the Audible 2 for 1 sale.

Locke Lamora is a young orphan boy turned thief, tutored by one of the most gifted con artists on the island city of Camorr. As leader of a band of thieves called the Gentleman Bastards, Locke becomes infamous, even tricking the underworld’s most feared ruler. But when an ambitious and deadly rival initiates a coup, endangering everyone and everything Locke cares about in his mercenary life, he vows to beat the enemy at his own game – or die trying.

It’s giving me Prince of Thorns X Six of Crows vibes, and I am here for it.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I’m absolutely living for these fantasy novels set in alternate historical periods and exotic locations – An Ember in the Ashes is set in a fictional world inspired by the brutality of ancient Rome, and I’m expecting to love it as much as my other favourite Romanesque series, Nevernight.

Laia is a slave, living with her grandparents and older brother under the rule of the Martial Empire. They live by the rules, they’ve seen what happens to those who don’t. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia must make a decision that could endanger them all – in exchange for the help of a band of rebels who agree to rescue her brother, she must spy for them from within the Empire’s military academy. There, she meets Elias, a soldier – the school’s finest, but he isn’t there by choice. Neither of them is free. As they discover that their destinies are entwined, they find that their choices could change the fate of the Empire itself.

From the blurb I’m not sure whether this one will be a fantasy, or more of an alternative history along the lines of And I Darken, but either way I know I’m going to love it! Everyone is raving about A Reaper at the Gates right now, so I can’t wait to read this whole series.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I bought Scythe in the Audible 2 for 1 sale, I hadn’t really heard that much about it but it was on the fantasy list so I thought I’d check out the blurb, and instantly knew I had to read it.

In a world where humans have conquered hunger, war and even death, a group of trained killers called Scythes must end lives in order to keep the population at a manageable level. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice as Scythes, and despite the fact that neither wants to, they must master the art of killing or risk losing their own lives.

It’s dark and bloody and that’s all I need to know.

Have you read any of these? Let me know if I mentioned one of your faves and what you loved about it, I need help deciding which to read first!

Lyndsey