Wednesday 22 August 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: Heart of Thorns



Heart of Thorns
Author: Bree Barton
Publication Date: July 31, 2018
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books




Mia Rose lives in the kingdom of Glas Ddir where Gwyrach, half-human, half-god demons can kill with a touch using their powerful dark magic. Since any woman can be a Gwyrach, they are all considered a threat. King Ronan issues laws restricting the movements of every woman within the kingdom. Trained by her father to be a Hunter, Mia lives by the Hunters’ Creed – ‘heart for a heart, life for a life’ and pledges to find and kill the Gwyrach who murdered her mother. But all is not as it seems in Glas Ddir. Mia soon discovers she herself is one of the creatures she is determined to destroy.

Mia can take care of herself and is willing to protect the ones she loves at any cost. She had a strong bond with her mother, worries constantly about her frail sister and has a complicated relationship with her father. Although tough, she is passionate and dreams of a world where women have the freedom to control their own lives. On her journey Mia meets other strong women who she learns from and looks up to. She begins to develop an understanding of who she really is and what she is capable of. The development of Mia’s relationships with the other characters is intriguing, as some show themselves to be very different from how she initially viewed them. 

The novel is filled with fascinating, well-written characters and gorgeously vivid and detailed settings. The story contains treachery, dangerous situations and many secrets. Heart of Thorns is an exciting fantasy debut and I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens to Mia and read more about this captivating world.

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC provided for review.




From the publisher:
Inventive and heart-racing, this fierce feminist teen fantasy from debut author Bree Barton explores a dark kingdom in which only women can possess magic—and every woman is suspected of having it.

Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Laini Taylor won’t want to miss this gorgeously written, bold novel, the first in the Heart of Thorns trilogy.

In the ancient river kingdom, where touch is a battlefield and bodies the instruments of war, Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood. The same women who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia's father announces an alliance with the royal family, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Determined to forge her own path forward, Mia plots a daring escape, but could never predict the greatest betrayal of all: her own body. Mia possesses the very magic she has sworn to destroy.

Now, as she untangles the secrets of her past, Mia must learn to trust her heart…even if it kills her.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner posts on Heart of Thorns here and here and a post from guest author Bree Barton here.



Thursday 9 August 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Last Time I Lied



The Last Time I Lied
Author: Riley Sager
Publication Date: July 3rd, 2018
Publisher: Dutton




Riley Sager’s debut novel Final Girls chilled me to the bone and The Last Time I Lied certainly did the same! It is about an artist named Emma who is obsessed with finding out what happened to three of her friends who vanished without a trace from the summer camp she was attending when she was only thirteen. When adult Emma is invited back to Camp Nightingale to teach painting, she decides to accept, hoping to find out the truth about what happened to the girls so many years ago. 

The book alternates between the present day and the past when Emma was still a camper. The characters are well defined and developed and the story is super spooky with great atmosphere and imagery. I can easily see how Sager was inspired by Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, one of my all-time favourite films. The Last Time I Lied is a novel to pick up and devour in one sitting. I couldn’t wait to find out what had happened to the missing girls and if Emma would make it to the end unscathed!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Penguin Random House US and Goodreads for the copies provided for review.




From the publisher:
In the latest thriller from the bestselling author of Final Girls, a young woman returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover the truth about a tragedy that happened there fifteen years ago.

Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin into the darkness. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. When the paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale, she implores Emma to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor. Seeing an opportunity to find out what really happened to her friends all those years ago, Emma agrees.

Familiar faces, unchanged cabins, and the same dark lake haunt Nightingale, even though the camp is opening its doors for the first time since the disappearances. Emma is even assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, but soon discovers a security camera--the only one on the property--pointed directly at its door. Then cryptic clues that Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins begin surfacing. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing mysterious threats in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale and what really happened to those girls, the more she realizes that closure could come at a deadly price.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Last Time I Lied here and author Riley Sager's guest post here.




Sunday 29 April 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: A Breath After Drowning



A Breath After Drowning
Author: Alice Blanchard
Publication Date: April 10th, 2018
Publisher: Titan Books




Kate Wolfe has a tragic past. Her mother committed suicide when Kate and her little sister Savannah, were still children. Six years later Savannah is horribly murdered. The Wolfe’s next-door neighbour Henry Blackwood is convicted of the crime and is placed on death row. Kate, now a prominent psychiatrist, starts to doubt Blackwood’s guilt after she uncovers some long-hidden family secrets. Kate delves deeper into the mystery and as alternative suspects come to light, danger is just around the corner.

Kate's connections with others highlight the novel. The loss of her mother affected her father greatly and he became emotionally detached from Kate and Savannah. The murder of her sister, combined with her father's neglect resulted in a deep-rooted fear of abandonment and self-destructive behaviour. It was only through the guidance of her friend and mentor Ira that Kate was better able to deal with her anxieties, eventually drawing her into the field of psychiatry.

Kate and her boyfriend James have a close, fun and loving relationship. Although they have their difficulties, they trust each other. He is supportive of her and although he doesn't completely understand what she's been through, he is concerned for her and wants to protect her.

All the characters are well rounded and established, but it's really Kate who shines through. She has a tragic past, and although she continues to have apprehensions, fears, and self doubt, she no longer allows them to debilitate her. Instead of being fragile she is strong, caring, compassionate and genuine. She still blames herself for Savannah's death and craves her sister's forgiveness above all else.

Author Alice Blanchard provides intricate details in her storytelling without becoming overwhelming or excessively wordy. It is easy to visualise the Boston winter setting or hear the crunch of the snow when the characters are walking in the woods.

A Breath After Drowning is an exciting novel with surprising twists, lots of suspense and an intense, intriguing narrative. I couldn't read it fast enough as I wanted to get to the heart of the mystery as quickly as possible. It is a well written, addictive serial killer thriller featuring a strong, likeable female protagonist and a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the finished copy provided for review.




From the publisher:
The stunning new psychological thriller from the award-winning author of Darkness Peering and The Breathtaker.

Sixteen years ago, Kate Wolfe's young sister Savannah was brutally murdered. Forced to live with the guilt of how her own selfishness put Savannah in harm's way, Kate was at least comforted by the knowledge that the man responsible was on death row. But when she meets a retired detective who is certain that Kate's sister was only one of many victims of a serial killer, Kate must face the possibility that Savannah's murderer walks free. 

Unearthing disturbing family secrets in her search for the truth, Kate becomes sure that she has discovered the depraved mind responsible for so much death. But as she hunts for a killer, a killer is hunting her...


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on A Breath After Drowning here and here.

Monday 23 April 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: I Have Lost My Way



I Have Lost My Way
Author: Gayle Forman
Publication Date: March 27th, 2018
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers




I Have Lost My Way is a contemporary YA novel, eloquently told through the viewpoints of three very different teens. Converging by chance in the culturally diverse New York City, each has lost something of relevance to them. 

Freya is at the start of a promising music career. She is recording her debut album when she inexplicably loses her singing voice. Harun has not yet come out to his Muslim family and is regretting having recently broken up with his boyfriend James. Nathaniel arrives adrift and alone in the city, with nothing left to live for.

The authentic and believable characters are sensitively portrayed as their lives entwine and their stories unfold over the course of one day. Forman reveals solid histories for each of them, creating intense and thought-provoking moments along the way. 

The author evokes so much feeling that it is difficult not to immerse yourself in the world of her protagonists. I Have Lost My Way is beautifully written, profoundly emotional and compelling. It is about strong connections and friendships and how they can help heal in unexpected ways.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the finished copy provided for review.




From the publisher:
A fateful accident draws three strangers together over the course of a single day:

Freya who has lost her voice while recording her debut album.
Harun who is making plans to run away from everyone he has ever loved. 
Nathaniel who has just arrived in New York City with a backpack, a desperate plan, and nothing left to lose. 

As the day progresses, their secrets start to unravel and they begin to understand that the way out of their own loss might just lie in help­ing the others out of theirs. 

An emotionally cathartic story of losing love, finding love, and dis­covering the person you are meant to be, I Have Lost My Way is best­selling author Gayle Forman at her finest.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on I Have Lost My Way here and here.

Tuesday 17 April 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Wicked Deep



The Wicked Deep
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse




The three beautiful Swan sisters, Marguerite, Aurora and Hazel, arrive in Sparrow, Oregon in 1822. No man, single or married, can resist them. The townspeople thinking the women to be witches, tie stones to their ankles and drown them in the ocean. 

In present day Sparrow, tourists overrun the town as the inhabitants prepare for the yearly festivities honouring the Swan sisters. However, the tradition of parties and festivals is not all the residents come to expect each summer. Since the sisters were drowned, death comes to the town, claiming new victims the same time each year. The approaching Swan season is a time when the legendary sisters are resurrected, seeking revenge as they each inhabit the body of a local girl. But there is one person who may be able to break the curse...

Penny Talbot resides with her mother on Lumiere Island, along with two orange tabby cats, Otis and Olga. She uses a small boat to motor across the bay between her home and Sparrow, where she goes to high school. She must traverse a labyrinth of shipwrecks which hark back to the days when supplies were brought in through the port. Now the waters are no longer used for this purpose and there are rumours they are haunted. 

Three years ago, Penny's father, John, disappeared from the island and has not been seen or heard from since. She knows something terrible must have happened for him to leave his family behind. Her best friend Rose tries to convince Penny to leave Sparrow with her once they graduate, but she is loyal and feels an obligation to her mother, who lives in a haze on the outskirts of reality since John vanished. Sparrow is dreary and rainy, but it is familiar and comfortable, that is until Bo the intriguing stranger arrives. From a young age, Penny was taught by her mother to read fortunes from tea leaves. In the leaves she has seen a mysterious boy who will arrive and capture her heart. Whenever she thinks about leaving Sparrow, the island draws her back. 

Lumiere Island is exquisitely depicted, with its lighthouse, heavy morning fog and surrounded by the vastness of the Pacific. I could easily picture the tragic vision of Penny's mother standing on the cliffs and looking out to sea, waiting for her lost love to come home to her. The novel has an enchanting fairy tale quality that I found captivating. The story of the witches coming back to exact their revenge is a dark one, but it is unique and beautifully written. The Wicked Deep is gorgeously atmospheric and a book I highly recommend.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the DRC to review.




From the publisher:
A New York Times bestseller

Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Wicked Deep here and here.


Sunday 8 April 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: Let Me Lie



Let Me Lie
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Publication Date: March 13th, 2018
Publisher: Berkley




Anna Johnson's parents both committed suicide seven months apart by jumping off a cliff into the sea. She is troubled as to why they would have killed themselves but seems to be the only one with doubts about it. Her partner Mark having never met them, is concerned for her and has difficulty taking her beliefs seriously. A year to the day following her mother's death, she receives a card suggesting there was more to it than suicide. This further convinces her that her parents were murdered. With the help of Murray Mackenzie, a retired detective who now works the front desk at the local police station, Anna is determined to discover what really happened to her parents.

This is one of those novels that you really need to know as little as possible about before reading. The gripping story is told through multiple viewpoints, however whose perspective it is, is intentionally not always clear. Although there is little action, the book is essentially a character-driven one, including solid background development for the main protagonists. With surprising revelations and twists, Let Me Lie does not disappoint and is perfect for fans of psychological suspense and domestic dramas.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC provided for review.




From the publisher:
The stunning new novel from Clare Mackintosh, the international bestselling author of I Let You Go and I See You.

The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
They're both wrong.

Last year, Tom and Caroline Johnson chose to end their lives, one seemingly unable to live without the other. Their daughter, Anna, is struggling to come to terms with her parents' deaths, unwilling to accept the verdict of suicide.

Now with a baby herself, Anna feels her mother's absence keenly and is determined to find out what really happened to her parents. But as she digs up the past, someone is trying to stop her.

Sometimes it's safer to let things lie....


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on Let Me Lie here.


Tuesday 27 March 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Hunger



The Hunger
Author: Alma Katsu
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons




The Hunger by Alma Katsu is a fictional account of what might have happened to the real life doomed Donner Party of the 1840s. The wagon train of approximately ninety people traveled west from Springfield, Illinois hoping for a new life and opportunities in California, but unfortunately their happy ending was not to be, as an unspeakable fate awaited them.  

Early in the novel the settlers are plagued with misfortune – one of the young wives gives birth to a stillborn baby, there are weevils in the flour and wolves have been stealing their food. When a six-year-old boy goes missing from his tent in the middle of the night and his body is found horribly butchered, suspicions arise that the abominable deed was done by one of their own. 

After a stop at Fort Laramie, those heading to Oregon leave behind the smaller Donner Party who are bound for California. Ominously warned not to take the route they are planning, George Donner seems more concerned about boosting his ego and controlling the group than about the practicality and safety of the journey. Fighting amongst the men begins as there are reservations about separating from the larger part of the wagon train, heading down an unknown trail and lingering for a picnic instead of moving as quickly as possible toward their destination before winter sets in. As the story progresses, more unsettling situations arise as livestock and people disappear and some of the party begin to exhibit increasingly aberrant behaviour…

The author tells her narrative through multiple viewpoints and with such a large cast of characters, there are many secrets among them as their backstories are also relayed. The real historic events that occurred were lurid and shocking enough, but Katsu adds in ritual sacrifices, supernatural and diabolical elements to her version, creating an utterly macabre and hair-raising novel.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the finished copy provided for review.




From the publisher:
A tense and gripping reimagining of one of America's most fascinating historical moments: the Donner Party with a supernatural twist.

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere. 

That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the isolated travelers to the brink of madness. Though they dream of what awaits them in the West, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and dissent among them escalates to the point of murder and chaos. They cannot seem to escape tragedy...or the feelings that someone--or something--is stalking them. Whether it's a curse from the beautiful Tamsen Donner (who some think might be a witch), their ill-advised choice of route through uncharted terrain, or just plain bad luck, the ninety men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American history. 

As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains...and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along.

Effortlessly combining the supernatural and the historical, The Hunger is an eerie, thrilling look at the volatility of human nature, pushed to its breaking point. 


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Hunger here.





Friday 16 March 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: Find You in the Dark



Find You in the Dark
Author: Nathan Ripley
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada




Martin Reese has an unusual hobby. He finds the bodies of murder victims that have not yet been discovered. Using old case files for reference, he looks for seemingly random or unimportant clues that police working on the cases originally missed. He keeps photos of the bodies, along with detailed records of how he uncovered them, stored in his 'scrapbook', an old computer which is hidden away in a locked drawer in his house. Once he uncovers the remains he phones 911 anonymously on disposable cells, leading the police to where they are buried. Unfortunately for him, he has caught the attention of a serial killer who is not entirely happy with Martin's activities and is recently making those feelings known. Also hot on Martin's trail is police detective Sandra Whittal who believes he has escalated from being a 'finder' to a murderer.

Martin and his wife Ellen appear to have a good marriage with arguments mainly revolving around her overprotectiveness of their daughter, Kylie. Ellen's sister Tinsley went missing twenty years ago and Ellen believes she was murdered. She's worried the same will happen to Kylie, so she sets heavy boundaries and rules for her. Martin looks specifically for female victims of serial killers in an attempt to find Tinsley and put his wife's mind to rest.

The insight into Martin's personality is fascinating. There's a complexity to him as he conceals what he's doing from his wife and daughter to create some sort of balance within his life and family. He believes he is providing a public service for the victims’ loved ones. However, there might be another motivation that drives him other than providing closure and finding Tinsley's remains. Martin also has a history of secret impulses he's trying to suppress, so there could be an even deeper reason why he is digging up bodies.

The dark and rainy streets of Seattle create the perfect backdrop for the narrative. Author Nathan Ripley conveys such a sense of unease, I was frequently looking over my shoulder as I was reading. Find You in the Dark is a disturbingly sinister novel with plenty of suspense, intriguing characters and a story that kept me riveted.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the DRC to review.




From the publisher:
In this chilling debut thriller, in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley, a family man obsessed with digging up the undiscovered remains of serial killer victims catches the attention of a murderer prowling the streets of Seattle.

Martin Reese is obsessed with murder. 

For years, he has been illegally buying police files on serial killers and studying them in depth, using them as guides to find missing bodies. He doesn’t take any souvenirs, just photos that he stores in an old laptop, and then he turns in the results to the police anonymously. Martin sees his work as a public service, a righting of wrongs that cops have continuously failed to do.

Detective Sandra Whittal sees it differently. On a meteoric rise in police ranks due to her case-closing efficiency, Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller—the Finder, she names him—leading the police to the bodies. Even if the Finder isn’t the one leaving bodies behind, who’s to say that he won’t start soon?

On his latest dig, Martin searches for the first kill of Jason Shurn, the early 1990s murderer who may have been responsible for the disappearance of his sister-in-law, whom he never met. But when he arrives at the site, he finds a freshly killed body—a young and recently disappeared Seattle woman—lying among remains that were left there decades ago. Someone else knew where Jason Shurn buried his victims . . . and that someone isn’t happy that Martin has been going around digging up his work.

When a crooked cop with a tenuous tie to Martin vanishes, Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder. Hunted by a real killer and by Whittal, Martin realizes that in order to escape the killer’s trap, he may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever thought.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on Find You in the Dark here.

Monday 12 March 2018

Cover Reveal - Echoes by Alice Reeds



Echoes
Author: Alice Reeds
Publication Date: August 7th, 2018
Publisher: Entangled TEEN




About Echoes:

"Fast-paced and thrilling. ECHOES is a heart-pounding and addictive love story." —Mia Siegert, author of Jerkbait

They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to.

Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discovery: something else is on the island with them.
Something that won’t let them leave alive.

Echoes is a thrilling adventure about confronting the impossible, discovering love in the most unexpected places, and, above all, finding hope in the face of the unknown.

Want to read more? Pre-order your copy of Echoes by Alice Reeds today!



_________________________________________________________________________




About Alice Reeds:

Alice Reeds was born in a small town in Germany but spent her first eight years in Florida, USA. Later on, she moved back to Europe, where her family moved around a lot. She was raised trilingual and has a basic understanding of Russian, read and spoken. After getting her International Baccalaureate Diploma, Alice is studying English Language and Literature at University. In her free time Alice mostly writes, reads, figure and/or roller skates, or watches countless let's plays and figure skating videos.



What do you think of the cover for Echoes by Alice Reeds? Let me know in the comments below!

This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled TEEN

Thursday 8 March 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Final Six



The Final Six
Author: Alexandra Monir
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen




World leaders have called a state of emergency between humanity and the environment. A plan called the Europa Mission is created to send young men and women to terraform Jupiter's moon in the hope of developing a future home for mankind.

Leo is a survivor of a catastrophic flood in Rome that took his entire family. It is one of many recent apocalyptic disasters affecting cities all over the earth. After losing everyone and everything he cared about, he's lost motivation to go on. However, he's been drafted by the European Space Agency (ESA) to train alongside twenty-three other teens at the International Space Training Camp (ISTC). Only six of them will be selected to take part in the mission to colonise Europa. 

Leo believes this will be a chance for him to do something important with his life. While he is excited for the opportunity, Naomi, an American high school student, has a completely different outlook. She has a family and doesn't want to leave them behind, especially her younger brother who she is very close to. She is devastated to have been chosen and horrified by the thought of never seeing them again. 

Picked for her scientific genius, Naomi is particularly worried about the logistics of the trip. She questions a delegate from NASA about the Athena - a previously failed mission to Mars, as well as rumours of intelligent life already existing on Europa. The delegate is quick with assurances that there is no cause for concern and tries to assuage Naomi's fears with explanations that sound rehearsed. There may be more to the Europa Mission than is being revealed. 

There are many diverse characters in the book and they are thoughtfully written. They have unique abilities and skills which make them highly important to the ESA and the mission. Although Naomi and Leo have different backgrounds, they both come from close-knit and loving families. They have an immediate connection and build a relationship that is integral to the narrative.

The story is fast paced and suspenseful. It depicts tragedy, heartbreak and hope amidst cataclysmic events and the high tech setting of the ISTC. The protagonists are in an unpredictable situation and must take dangerous risks which could lead to either dire consequences or the survival of the human race. The Final Six revolves around a profound and currently relevant subject. This is the first book in a series and I can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC provided for review.




From the publisher:
Set in the near future, this action-packed YA novel—already optioned by Sony Pictures—will take readers out of this world and on a quest to become one of six teens sent on a mission to Jupiter’s moon. This is the next must-read for fans of Illuminae and The Martian.

When Leo and Naomi are drafted, along with twenty-two of the world’s brightest teenagers, into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever changed. Overnight, they become global celebrities in contention for one of the six slots to travel to Europa—Jupiter’s moon—and establish a new colony, leaving their planet forever. With Earth irreparably damaged, the future of the human race rests on their shoulders.

For Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, this kind of purpose is a reason to go on after losing his family. But Naomi, an Iranian-American science genius, is suspicious of the ISTC and the fact that a similar mission failed under mysterious circumstances, killing the astronauts onboard. She fears something equally sinister awaiting the Final Six beneath Europa’s surface.

In this cutthroat atmosphere, surrounded by strangers from around the world, Naomi finds an unexpected friend in Leo. As the training tests their limits, Naomi and Leo’s relationship deepens with each life-altering experience they encounter.

But it’s only when the finalists become fewer and their destinies grow nearer that the two can fathom the full weight of everything at stake: the world, the stars, and their lives.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Final Six here.


Saturday 3 March 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: Need to Know



Need to Know
Author: Karen Cleveland
Publication Date: January 23rd, 2018
Publisher: Doubleday Canada/Ballantine Books




Vivian, a CIA counterintelligence analyst, is working to uncover a highly secretive network of Russian sleeper agents. When she comes across a file of potential agents on a suspected handler's computer, she's hoping the pay off will come in the form of a promotion. She's shocked and horrified when she clicks open the file to see her husband Matt's photo, alongside four other faces, staring back at her. Is he really a Russian spy or has he been set up because she is getting too close to the truth?

Vivian is an extremely relatable character, even if her situation is not. She struggles with her decisions but justifies them as being for the protection of her family, who she loves above all else. It's easy to sympathise with her as she expresses confusion over how much Matt is involved with the Russians. After almost ten years of marriage and four children, she questions everything she thought she knew about her husband, wondering if she can trust him or if she's being manipulated. Themes of suspicion, trust, loyalty, betrayal and deception are prevalent throughout the story.

Need to Know is compulsive reading at its finest. Full of shocks and twists, this is a true rollercoaster of a novel, with intense edge of your seat excitement. Once I started reading, it was almost impossible to stop until I reached the electrifying conclusion. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the finished copy provided for review.




From the publisher:
In pursuit of a Russian sleeper cell on American soil, CIA analyst Vivian Miller uncovers a dangerous secret that will threaten her job, her family—and her life. On track for a much-needed promotion, she’s developed a system for identifying Russian agents, seemingly normal people living in plain sight.

After accessing the computer of a potential Russian operative, Vivian stumbles on a secret dossier of deep-cover agents within America’s borders. A few clicks later, everything that matters to her—her job, her husband, even her four children—is threatened.‎

Vivian has vowed to defend her country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. But now she’s facing impossible choices. Torn between loyalty and betrayal, allegiance and treason, love and suspicion, who can she trust?


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner posts on Need to Know here and here.

Wednesday 28 February 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Queen's Rising



The Queen's Rising
Author: Rebecca Ross
Publication Date: February 6th, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen




The Queen's Rising is an epic fantasy by debut author Rebecca Ross. When Brienna was ten years old, she was taken to Magnalia House by her grandfather. The girls who live there must study and master one of the five passions - art, music, dramatics, wit or knowledge. Brienna is not like the other girls, who are all from wealthy families. Her Valenian mother died when Brienna was still young and her Maevan father is unknown to her. Now seventeen, she is hoping to master the passion of knowledge by the upcoming summer solstice and gain a patron. Things don't go as planned for her though, as she unexpectedly becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the king of Maevana.

Brienna is a mass of contradictions. She doesn't know who she really is or what she wants. While her friends at Magnalia House come from important noble families, Brienna's own remains a mystery to her. This affects her more deeply than she realizes and leads her down an uncertain path. The story itself sounds more complex than it is, and I found it quite easy to read. The importance of having a passion was inspiring. There is also a strong focus on female bonds and family relationships. The novel relies more heavily on the development of the characters and the dynamics between them, than on a lot of action, although there is an exciting battle scene which kept me on the edge of my seat. From descriptions of the past to interactions in the present, everything is composed with exquisite detail. The settings are gorgeous, and I became immersed in the sublime backdrops of castles and sumptuous landscapes. 

Elegantly written and visually stunning, The Queen's Rising reads as a standalone, so I'm intrigued to find out how Ross will follow it up in the sequel.

Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC provided for review.




From the publisher:
Grave Mercy meets Red Queen in this epic debut fantasy, inspired by Renaissance France, about an outcast who finds herself bound to a disgraced lord and entangled in his plot to overthrow the current king.

Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron. Growing up in Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her. While some are born with a talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she chose knowledge. However, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—she is left without a patron. 

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, she reluctantly accepts. But there is much more to his story, for there is a dangerous plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

And now, with war brewing, Brienna must choose which side she will remain loyal to: passion or blood.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner posts on The Queen's Rising here and here.


Sunday 18 February 2018

Isabella's Reading Corner: By a Charm and a Curse



By a Charm and a Curse
Author: Jaime Questell
Publication Date: February 6th 2018
Publisher: Entangled TEEN


Emma and her brothers move back to their hometown of Claremore, Oklahoma to live with their father, while their mom is away indefinitely in Guatemala. The only thing Emma has to look forward to is attending the travelling circus, Le Grande's Carnival Fantastic with her long-time friend Juliet. Little does she know how much her life is going to change when she is forced to become a central part of the carnival. The only way she can escape is to break its curse, but to do so will also remove the charm that protects people she has come to care about.

Ben and Emma are wonderful protagonists. The chemistry between them is highly charged, providing an additional thrilling element to the narrative. The differences in how they see and experience the carnival are understandable and create further depth to their relationship. The story is told through their multiple viewpoints and is rounded out with a cast of diverse and colourful characters.

Jaime Questell is an eloquent storyteller. She brilliantly brings to life the unusual and magical nature of the carnival. The crowds, smells and screams of excitement in the air - there is a strange innocence to this world, but it is also tinged with something slightly sinister. By a Charm and a Curse is an enchanting, unique and magical novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Entangled: Teen for the DRC to review.




From the publisher:
A kiss is never just a kiss.

Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either―dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for.

Everything―including his life―could end with just one kiss.


You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on By a Charm and a Curse here.