Tag Archives: High Fantasy

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

April 3, 2025Book ReviewCozy fantasy, High Fantasy, Legends & Lattes, Magic, Travis Baldreeskyebjenner

Title: Bookshops & Bonedust
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Cozy fantasy, High fantasy, Magic
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

I’ve had Bookshops and Bonedust on my TBR for a little while, and I’ve honestly been putting it off because sometimes books just don’t live up to all the hype. This totally does though. I absolutely loved every minute of reading this book and just didn’t want to put it down. Bookshops and Bonedust was a fantastic story that completely, totally and utterly deserves all of the positive attention that it gets. It was fun and enjoyable. And left me with such a happy and content feeling. Plus, there was a gorgeous slip of humour throughout that left me smiling and giggling throughout.

All of the action in this story almost takes place as a vacation. I love that Viv is taking an unplanned (and unwanted) break from her life, and in doing so finds joy in other pursuits. It’s a reminder that our aimed for career can’t be everything, plus, it gives Viv a chance to find new friendships. Her friendship with the bookshop owner and baker are so naturally formed that they’re ridiculously close before you even realise it. Plus, there is the quaintness of small town life to contend with and enjoy.

Having a paranormal fantasy story that features a bookshop was the absolute bomb. I love anything that features a bookshop and, well, books because I’m a Book Dragon. But, I also loved that you got to go along with Viv as she falls in love with reading and the written word. The fact that every recommendation helps her to discover another aspect of herself. Which is something that I tend to find in my own reading journey. Each book helps you to reveal a facet of your life that you might be thinking about at the time. And to figure out what your own personal morals and goals are.

I didn’t realise that Bookshops and Bonedust was actually written after Legends and Lattes, but I do like that I read it first. The epilogue gives more hints about what is going to happen in the first book in the story. Plus, there is the fact that Bookshops and Bonedust very obviously is what plants the seeds for a quieter life filled with love and joy in Viv’s mind. One that is going to pay dividends in the next book.

<- More Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes ->

Image source: Amazon

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

October 20, 2022Book ReviewDystopia, High Fantasy, N.K. Jemisin, Science Fiction, The Broken Earth Trilogyskyebjenner

Title: The Fifth Season
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Series: The Broken Earth Trilogy #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Wow. Holy moly. This is one of those ridiculously unforgettable, stop my brain, overwhelmingly awesome stories. I’ve heard of N.K. Jemisin a few times in my literary delving, but it’s taken me this long to dive into one of her books. And, as with many of these moments of FINALLY getting around to it – the hype is damn well deserved.

From the very beginning, Jemisin’s writing style was so starkly different to anything else that I’ve ever experienced. It felt like she was reaching through the pages to speak to ME directly, no one else in the whole wide world. And that is just the prologue. Then, you get into the chapters. And you literally experience Essun’s journey as though you were her. I’ve read first person POV before, but nothing quite like this. Some of that attachment may have been because of my own (relatively recent) experience as a mother. But still it was a pretty intense reading simply because of this.

And then we get into the storyline, Jemisin is able to create a stunning multilayered world that is completely impossible to look away from. Not just built throughout Essun’s (your) journey, but also the stories of Damara and Seynite. It does take a little while to see how everything is interconnected. But when you have that lightning bolt moment of realisation… this story is just one one continues to get better and better and better. It’s honestly a little bit surreal and ridiculous.

I knew that this book would be fairly complex, being a high fantasy / Scipio novel. But you don’t actually realise how complex it all truly is until you’re out onto the otherwise. Jemisin is fantastic at leaving Easter eggs throughout that, when reflected on, give you an idea of how the tale will end. But when you’re in the thick of it… just wow. Definitely a suggested read. And I can’t wait to have the brain capacity to read The Obelisk Gate.

<- More N.K. Jemisin

The Obelisk Gate ->

Image source: Amazon

Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

September 8, 2021Book ReviewHigh Fantasy, Jim Butcher, Magic, Medieval fantasyskyebjenner

Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera, #1) by Jim Butcher

Title: Furies of Calderon
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: Codex Alera #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: High fantasy, Magic, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 13th July – 7th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Furystorms could be deadly to anyone caught out in the open.

FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, THE PEOPLES OF ALERA HAVE BEEN UNITED BY THEIR UNIQUE BOND WITH THE FURIES – ELEMENTALS OF EARTH, AIR, FIRE, WATER AND METAL. BUT THEIR WORLD IS CHANGING.

Deep in the Calderon Valley, young Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. And as the Alerans’ most savage enemy – the Marat – returns to the Valley, this weakness will seem more important than ever.

Amara is a spy, seeking intelligence on possible Marat traitors to the Crown. And when the Valley erupts into chaos – when rebels are with loyalists and furies clash with furies – Amara will find Tavi invaluable. His talents will outweigh any fury-born power – and could even turn the tides of war.

This is one of those beautifully complex and intricate story lines that will sweep you up from the very first moment. It was also completely different in tone from Butcher’s Dresden Files series. I had no idea what to expect when I opened that first page. But, wow, was I swept away.

All throughout this story, my thoughts constantly bounced to Oh Tavi, what trouble are you in now? It didn’t seem to matter the situation, that boy just seemed to bounce from one chaotic not so good moment to another. Which, of course, kept you turning the pages and wanting to know what was going to happen next.

It took me a little while to get my head around what Furies were. But, once I did, o really enjoyed the variety of powers that the different furies were able to provide to their people. I loved how it was almost a partnership of powers between element and human. One that drew on the strengths of both to enhance their natural powers.

I was so hopeful that the really horrifying bad guys would be dead at the end of this. Or at least, one of them would be. But, instead there is the beginning of a war on the horizon. Alright, I kind of knew that that was going to be the case because this is the first in a series… but I was still kind of hopeful. Yet, the brilliance of the villains is a huge part of why I will be looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

<- More Jim Butcher

Academ’s Fury ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Ill-Made Mute by Cecilia Dart-Thornton

April 21, 2020Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Bitterbynde, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Fae, High Fantasy, Romanceskyebjenner

Image result for book cover the ill-made mute

Title: The Ill-Made Mute
Author: Cecilia Dart-Thornton
Series: Bitterbynde #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Fae, High fantasy, Romance
Dates read: 8th – 22nd March 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pan Books
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: This warmed their spirits somewhat, although not toward him.

While the lordly Stormriders land their splendid winged stallions on the airy battlements of Isse Tower, far below them, in the fortress’s depths, their superstitious servants sit by the hearth to tell each other ghastly tales of evil creatures inhabiting the world outside – a world most of them have only glimpsed. Yet it is the least of these servants – a mute, lowly, utterly despised foundling – who dares to scale the Twoer, sneak aboard a Windship, and then dive from the sky.

The terrified fiugitive is rescued by a kindhearted adventurer, who finally gives the poor creature a name – as well as the gift of communicating by handspeak, and an amazing truth never guessed at previously. Now the newly named ‘Imrhien’ begins a journey to distant Caermelor, in search of a wise woman whose skills may change everything.

Along the way, Imrhien struggles in a wilderness of endless danger – for those hearthside tales are all true. Unhuman wights haunt every pool, every turn in the road, and they perpetually threaten and torment all travellers. Lost, and pursued by these monsters, Imrhien is finally saved by a mysterious Dainnan ranger whose gallantry and courage are matched only by his martial skills. Unknown to them both, however, a deadly plot is unfolding… as a dark force summons the malignant hordes of Unseelie, and foul things amass in the night.

As the journey grows longer, the challenges more deadly, Imrhien discovers something more terriyfing than all of the evil eldritch wights combined. For this spurned outsider, with an angel’s soul and a gargoyle’s face, is suddnely falling in love…

In a thrilling debut combining masterful storytelling with a treasure trove of folklore, Cecilia Dart-Thornton creates a lushly romantic epic adventure of stunning scope and magical proportions, set in a world brimming with wonders and terrors.

I’ve been putting off reading this because it just looked seriously intense. And a little bit scary. Which are the kinds of books that I’ve been avoiding lately. And now I kind of regret that. I wasn’t wrong. This was intense, and full on and so multi-layered that my head felt like it could explode. But it was also amazing, unforgettable and kind of impossible to not think about. Whilst there were moments when I could put it down. There weren’t many moments in the two-week period of my reading that I actually stopped thinking about it…

One of my favourite things about this book was the world building. It was done in an incredibly unique way. Rather than the typical world building were facts are provided as the character travels through the world, the history, facts and shape of the world is provided as a series of stories and anecdotes told by the characters. To the amnesic lead. I loved flicking between what was currently happening and all of the tales being told by the supporting characters, there was something fun and unique about the way in which this was done. Although, it did mean that I had to pay attention – that way I knew who was talking about what.

Although Imrhien does have a romantic interest in this story (eventually), it’s not a heavy-handed romance. I can see where this story can go with that feeling of interest, and I can’t wait. But it’s not like the many other romances that I’ve been reading lately. Which was nice. This actually was a great book to read – it reminded me of all the reasons why I love fantasy so much. I’ve been on a fair bit of a romance kick lately…

The use of another language, the fae and the more traditional outlooks on them was absolutely brilliant. I get a bit fed up with the Peter Pan version of fae… so I love any book that sticks to the more Celtic, pagan views. And I can’t wait to find out more about this world and the past of Imrhien – I can only imagine that it is going to continue getting better and better as the next two books unfold!

<- The Enchanted Review

The Lady of Sorrows Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Red Queen by Isobelle Carmody

March 15, 2018Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Dystopia, High Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Science Fiction, The Obernewtyn Chroniclesskyebjenner

Title: The Red Queen
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #7
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: When the govamen signals God that the world is clean, the Tumen will open the wall.

I saw the moon crack and open like an egg, and a seethe of transparent beasts emerged…
I heard a sound like thunder inside the earth and the ground shook and broke open like a vast stony maw. It spat out fire and I saw wolves falling into a molten gold stream…
I made my way along the ancient tunnel, following Maruman, who ran lightly ahead of me. I did not ask how he had come to be here. He was the Moonwatcher as I was the Seeker.

This was where we had been destined to come together. Before Elspeth Gordie can continue her journey to find Sentinel and prevent it unleashing the horrors of the Great White, she must fight free of a strange prison, where people are laid to sleep forever or cling to a suffocating existence, believing the world beyond their walls is already utterly anihilated.

But at the end of her journey, nothing is as she imageind. She is drawn into the struggle for a kingdom, only to find the Destrooyer is at the heart of the turmoil, waiting for her.

Somehow she must do what she has sworn to do, for the sake of the world and all of its creatures. She must complete her quest, no matter what it costs…

I finally finished the series! Not only was this one of those series that was a long time in the making (and completion), but it was also one of those series that I bought the last book, and then left it on my shelf for 2 years. Partly because I wanted to reread the entire thing before I put my hands on the final book, but it’s a fairly complex and convoluted series all up. And, quite honestly the last two books kind of drag for me. To the point that I actually skim read The Red Queen. It was okay, but it wasn’t enough to fully draw me into the story and make me just completely digest and absorb every single word.

I liked that this was the complete conclusion to this series. It was the end of Elspeth’s long journey, and the end of an era of my literary life. (I can remember reading Obernewtyn when I was much younger, and it was part of growing up for me). However, I found a lot of the storyline quite distracting and not as concise as the first half of the series. Mostly I got lost in the storyline. Still amazingly written, but not as captivating as some of the past stories.

All in all, I’m glad that I read this. It made me feel satisfied that I finally finished a series I started long ago. But, it’s probably not one that I would read again in a hurry. There are many other books that I would much rather drown myself in.

<- The Sending Review

The Dark Road Review ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

The Sending by Isobelle Carmody

February 20, 2018Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Dystopia, High Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Science Fiction, The Obernewtyn Chroniclesskyebjenner

Title: The Sending
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #6
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: The futureteller nodded composedly and said there were other gifts.

It came to me then, like a chilly draught from an unseen gap, that I had always known in my deepest heart that it would be like this, a slipping away froma life full of people I had come to love, in a place I had helped to shape, in a land I had helped to free.

The time has come at Elspeth Gordie to leave the Land on her quest to find and stop the computermachine Sentinel from unleashing the deadly Balance of Terror arsenal. But before she can embark on her journey, she must find a lost key. And although she has long prepared for this day, nothing is as she anticipated.

Elspeth’s search will take her where she never thought to go, and bestow upon her stranger companions than any she ever imagined. It will lead her far from her destination to those she believed lost forever.

And it will test her, as she has never been tested before…

Finishing this book has been a long time coming. I started rereading the series when The Red Queen came out, and I hadn’t ever quite gotten to The Sending. Over two years later, I finally managed to find the time to actually sit down and read this story. It is intense and quite a long haul, but it is most certainly worth the time and brain power that I put into it. It is going to take me quite a while to finish The Red Queen as well, over a month (much like The Sending), but it is an epic journey, and sometimes spending the time to take an epic journey is definitely worthwhile.

Up until this moment in the series, Elspeth’s journey has been about finding the clues, but also helping her fellow Misfits. She’s created a home, a life, and a reality in which she is proud to live and love. Yet, there is a constant looming cloud of her upcoming quest. Finally, the moment has arrived, and as with every moment in this series, there are some fantastic conflicting emotions throughout. Yet, that is only the start of the story, really. Although Elspeth slinks away in the night, she still manages to find herself some unlikely companions. Ones that will make the rest of the battle throughout The Red Queen all the more interesting.

As much as I loved this story, I did find it quite long winded. I think that’s because it is almost a midway point between Elspeth’s life in the Land and the end of her epic quest. There is a lot of setting up throughout this story, and a lot of moving from one point to another. Yet, the actual action is quite light. Especially in comparison to the first five stories. Yet, although it means that I took a lot longer to read this (it was easier to put down), it was still a great tale. One that I truly can’t wait to read the conclusion to.

<- The Stone Key Review

The Red Queen Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Dark Road by Isobelle Carmody

July 5, 2017Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Dystopia, High Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Legends of Australian Fantasy, Science Fiction, The Obernewtyn Chroniclesskyebjenner

Title: The Dark Road
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #0.5
In: Legends of Australian Fantasy (Jack Dann & Jonathan Strahan)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, Hig h fantasy, Science f iction
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: So she got out her blue mug.

A one-eyed cat weaves its way through Hannah’s dreams, beckoning her up high mountains where she must walk the dark road. Her pilgrimage will take her through desert dunes, and deep into the strange recesses of long-hidden memories. Guided only by an old letter and her psychic intuition, Hannah’s journey will test her ageing limbs, as she carries the weight of her mother’s prophecy to her salvation, or peril …

Strictly speaking, it’s not necessary to read this short story before you read the Obernewtyn Chronicles. Actually, it’s not even necessary at any point throughout the reading of the series. but, if you are like me and can’t quite get enough of the series, then this is definitely worth a read. It tells the tale of the days when Cassandra was first foretelling the coming of the Seeker and how Hannah worked into this story. It’s a great background read.

The thing that I loved most of this short story was the voice that told it. Hannah’s daughter fills in so many missing gaps of the past age, yet it is her elderly acceptance of such a moment that is truly beautiful. The vivid descriptions of her journey and the sense of mystery throughout are so indicative of Carmody’s style of writing that it is impossible to stop reading this tale once you have started.

<- The Red Queen Review

Obernewtyn Review ->

Image source: Booktopia

The Stone Key by Isobelle Carmody

August 19, 2016Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Dystopia, High Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Obernewtyn, Science Fiction, The Obernewtyn Chroniclesskyebjenner

Title: The Stone Key
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: He knew as well as I did that the delicious, sweet, brown powder was both scarce and violently expensive now that Sadorian ships no longer put in at Sutrium.

There was a great crash and wood splintered… I had a brief glimpse of a group of Herder priests, bald and robed, peering at me, and then the sundered remnants of the locker door were torn aside and a rough hand reached in to haul me out by the hair. A Hedra captain stared into my face with eyes that burned with a fanatical fire above a thin nose and a lipless slash of a mouth…

‘You will die in great pain and very slowly, mutant,’ said the Hedra master.

When Farseeker Guildmistress Elspeth Gordie sets out from Obernewtyn to travel to Sutrium at the end of Wintertime, she quickly learns that not everyone welcomes the changes brought about by the rebellion. Captured by an old and vicious enemy, she is drawn deep into the heart of the Herder Faction, where she learns of a terrible plot to destroy the west coast.

To stop it, Elspeth must risk everything, knowing that if she dies, she will never complete her quest to find the weaponmachines that destroyed the Beforetime.

But is she succeeds, her journey will lead her to the last of the signs left for her by the seer Kasanda…

This is my least favourite of the Obernewtyn Chronicles – it is the slowest of the stories and very, very detail oriented. Not that this is a bad thing, but I like to be swept along with the story so that I forget that I’ve spent three hours reading instead of doing some responsible adult act. Having said that, this detail-oriented approach is so important to make sure that the rest of the story is understandable. When playing with fate and prophecies, it is incredibly important to set up the storyline – every single detail has a great significance that can only rear its head books after it has been set up.

There are two aspects of this story that I love though, the idea of tearing down a religious dogma and that of our potential for future medical treatment. The technology that Carmody describes when treating one of the sick characters is so plausible, that I’m kind of surprised we don’t have it already. It is so easy to imagine having that kind of technology within the next 10 years and using it in much the same way to cure infectious diseases. And then there’s destroying a harmful religious dogma. I’ve often believed that people take religions to twist the mass population to their own needs. And, bringing down such a group is possibly my favourite part of the whole story – tearing down this source of evil is fantastic.

Ariel returns to the forefront of the story in The Stone Key. The combination of his manipulative powers and inability to empathise with others creates a truly spine tingling antagonist. For me, he is the very embodiment of what it means to be malicious and evil. A lot of villains are the ‘bad guys’ because of some misguided urge, or inability to control their urges. But it is often possible to see how their past has shaped who they are, but Ariel? There is nothing in his past that highlights his need to intentionally harm others. Although, Carmody implies throughout her writing that he is actually defective and this is the cause of his wrongness.

<- The Keeping Place Review

The Sending Review ->

Image source: Penguin

The Keeping Place by Isobelle Carmody

June 26, 2016Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Dystopia, Elspeth, High Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Obernewtyn, Science Fiction, The Obernewtyn Chroniclesskyebjenner

Title: The Keeping Place
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #4
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1999
5th sentence, 74th page: Ceirwan went to take her by the hands.

‘Look out,’ I screamed. The flying creature lashed out and I stared in horror at Rushton’s bloodied arm. Maruman leapt between us in his tyger form. ‘Let me go to him!’ I screamed.

‘He is in a dream but the beast is not. It comes! Wake!’

After a kidnapping, Elspeth Gordie and the Misfits are forced to join the rebellion against the oppressive Council, using their extraordinary mind powers. But Elspeth must also seek out clues left by the long-dead seer, Kasanda, vital to her quest to destroy the Beforetime weaponmachines. One clue is lost in the past, forcing Elspeth to travel the Dreamtrails, stalked by a terrifying winged beast, with the cat, Maruman, as her guide and guardian. Only there can she learn more of the Beforetimer Misfits and their enemy, Govamen.

Gradually, Elspeth realises her quest is intimately linked to the Misfits’ refuge, Obernewtyn – its past and its future…

The Keeping Place is so far one of my favourite books in the Obernewtyn Chronicles. It takes the fast pace and the storyline from the first three books, but combines it with a rebellion and the blooming of love. Elspeth’s journey takes further steps towards their final end as she uncovers another clue in her ultimate quest. This, combined with war, betrayal and kidnapping just made this book a huge page turner for me.

I love that in The Keeping Place, Misfits finally start to find their place in the world. With the rise of the rebellion and their decision to pursue peace, inspired by their trip in Ashling, they not only find a way to fit into the world. But a way to fruitfully exist within it. When I first read this as an awkward teen, it made me feel like I too could find a place to belong. And not only that, I could find a way to belong in a world that can be especially cruel without being cruel in return. It’s a lesson that I have taken to heart, and tried my best to maintain. I get to belong in the world, and I spend every day trying to do so in a way that has peace and love at the heart of all of my actions.

The other reason that I love this book is that you are finally able to begin to uncover some of Dragon’s past. Her inability to remember a traumatic history really resonated with me. Being unable to remember the bad parts to the point that it begins to leak into reality is something that resonates throughout many people’s lives. But, I think that’s it’s something we all must do – deal with our past and learn to move on from it. Without doing so, it is incredibly difficult to fully embrace life, at least for me.

<- Ashling Review

The Stone Key Review ->

mage source: Wikipedia

Ashling by Isobelle Carmody

June 24, 2016Book ReviewAustralian Authors, Dystopia, Elspeth, High Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Science Fiction, The Obernewtyn Chroniclesskyebjenner

Title: Ashling
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Obernewtyn Chronicles #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian author, Dystopia, High fantasy, Science fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 1995
5th sentence, 74th page: Dragon froze, blue eyes livid with fear.

Sometimes dreams were gateways through which messages might come. Beasts called them ashlings: dreams that called…

The powerful farseeker Elspeth Gordie is sent to Sutrium, seat of the totalitarian Council that rules the Land, to seal an alliance between the secret Misfit community at Obernewtyn and rebel forces.

She travels from the mountains reluctantly, for at any moment the long-awaited summons may come from the oldOnes to find and destroy the dormant weaponmachines left by the Beforetimers. The journey takes her far beyond the borders of the Land, across the sea and into the heart of the mysterious desert region of Sador. Here she discovers that she will need help to destroy the weaponmachines.

But before her dark quest can begin, Elspeth must learn the truth of her dreams: she must understand why the Beforetimers destroyed their world…

I thought that Ashling was the book where The Obernewtyn Chronicles really found their pace. Elspeth’s quest begins to gain traction, alongside the Misfits journey to acceptance. The parallel tales of the two missions begin to really make sense and it is easy to understand how Elspeth’s fate is intertwined with the fate of all of Obernewtyn (and indeed, the world).

Not only did the storyline become a lot more complex and intricate, and very quickly, the cast was expanded in the first few chapters. But that’s great, because it gave me so many more people to love and hope for. It did take a lot more concentration to read though than the first two books in the series. I wouldn’t recommend reading Ashling if you are studying for an exam or trying to write an essay – it’s just WAY too difficult to keep track of everything and be productive in your own life. At least for me, anyway.

I loved the change of scenery in this book – it honestly took my breath away. Or at least, the way I imagined it made me wistful for a country and world that I have never had the pleasure of seeing. Carmody’s words and descriptions were just so stunning and masterfully written that the Sadorian desert became a very realistic destination. Which, after all, is really what you want in a good book. Or at least, it’s one of the things that I really enjoy.

There’s so much to love about this book, but for me, the best part was how Carmody used the Misfits and the Rebels to highlight two very different realities. The peaceful Misfits are about life, love and peace, but the Rebels on the otherhand were far more violent and, for me, much harder to connect with. The juxtaposition between the two groups really reminded me of the fact that “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

<- The Farseekers Review

The Keeping Place Review ->

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.