Once again, I haven’t had much time to read, but I did get some reading done at least. I would love to be able to read a lot more, but currently I have been busy with many other things…like the Shadowhunters series (ha ha).
Drakenfeld by Mark Charan Newton
About the book:
“I am Lucan Drakenfeld, second son of Calludian, Officer of the Sun Chamber and peace keeper. Although sometimes it seems I am the only person who wishes to keep it …”
The monarchies of the Royal Vispasian Union have been bound together for two hundred years by laws maintained and enforced by the powerful Sun Chamber. As a result, nations have flourished but corruption, deprivation and murder will always find a way to thrive.
Receiving news of his father’s death Sun Chamber Officer Lucan Drakenfeld is recalled home to the ancient city of Tryum and rapidly embroiled in a mystifying case. The King’s sister has been found brutally murdered – her beaten and bloody body discovered in a locked temple. With rumours of dark spirits and political assassination, Drakenfeld has his work cut out for him trying to separate superstition from certainty. His determination to find the killer quickly makes him a target as the underworld gangs of Tryum focus on this new threat to their power.
Embarking on the biggest and most complex investigation of his career, Drakenfeld soon realises the evidence is leading him towards a motive that could ultimately bring darkness to the whole continent. The fate of the nations is in his hands.
My thoughts:
I didn’t get into the book immediately because it felt a bit slow and didn’t grab my attention. However, as I kept reading, it got more and more interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s a book that had a lot of ‘wow’ factors (as a fantasy novel) but it was an enjoyable read and the twists and turns that happen later in the book kept me wanting more.
Summer of love by Katie Fforde
About the book:
Sian Bishop has only ever experienced one moment of recklessness – a moment that resulted in her beloved son Rory. It’s not that she doesn’t love the outcome of that wild night, but since then she has always taken the safer route. So when dependable, devoted Richard suggests a move to the beautiful English countryside, she leaves the hustle and bustle of the city behind, and she throws herself into the picture-postcard cottage garden, her furniture restoration business, and a new life in the country.
Her good intentions are torpedoed on a glorious summer’s evening with the arrival of Gus Berresford. One-time explorer and full-time heartbreaker, Gus is ridiculously exciting, wonderfully glamorous and a completely inappropriate love interest for a single mum. But Gus and Sian have met before…
Sian has no use for a fling, she simply mustn’t fall in love with the most unlikely suitor ever to cross her path – even if he has now crossed her path twice. But who knows what can happen in a summer of love…
My thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had a lot of suspenseful moments in and I loved the growth journey of the protagonist and the fact that her love interests also landed up being the antagonists at certain points in the story. I also enjoyed the relationship she developed with her ‘neighbour’ from down the street. I’m definitely glad that I got to read it.
Queen of air and darkness by Cassandra Clare
About the book:
All first editions of Queen of Air and Darkness will include ten black and white interior illustrations, and a new short story!
Dark secrets and forbidden love threaten the very survival of the Shadowhunters in Cassandra Clare’s Queen of Air and Darkness, the final novel in The Dark Artifices trilogy.
What if damnation is the price of true love?
Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.
My thoughts:
I was a little silly with this book because I loved the cover so much that I just had to buy it, but it’s the third book in her ‘The Dark Artifices’ series and I haven’t read the first and second one yet. Trust me though, I will be getting ALL of her books. Cassandra Clare has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I love the way she writes and how her mind works. Her books have everything in them…suspense, thriller, fantasy, romance and a fair share of drama. I will also be getting her full Mortal Instruments series. I loved this book because it has all the beautiful pieces of the shadow world that she has so lovingly created, in it. Quite brilliant!
The HighFire Crown by J.T. Lawrence
About the book:
It’s an offer she can’t refuse.
Jacquelyn Denna Knight, the best wizard detective in the city, is about to be evicted from her haunted apartment, and she just choked on the job that was going to pay her rent. She hates that she let the money get away from her, but the satin-skirted vampire that escaped out the bordello window worries her more.
When a distraught—and obscenely wealthy—elf calls Jax at midnight to hire her for an intriguing job, she grabs the opportunity with both hands… But what Jax doesn’t know is that this case is going to unravel her life. She’ll get tangled up with a host of intriguing characters, most of whom are not who they appear to be.
As Jax speeds down a path toward the most powerful vampire clan in the country, she’ll have to put everything on the line. Will she be able to use her unique brand of magic to save the Realm?
My thoughts:
This book pleasantly surprised me. I don’t usually enjoy books written using South Africa as the venue, especially a fantasy novel, but I really enjoyed it. She wrote this book in such a way that you almost forget that it’s Johannesburg that’s mentioned. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and I love the fact that the protagonist is a female that knows how to kick-ass. I would definitely like to read more of her work and I can see why she’s a best seller.
A Half Moon Adventure by Evadeen Brickwood
About the book:
As if growing up in the seventies wasn’t difficult enough, teenager Isabell Bertrand is also too rebellious for her parents’ liking. A novel treatment with hypnosis appears to be the perfect remedy and Dr. Albrecht regresses Isabell to her early childhood and even further back. She experiences previous lifetimes and then one in particular: could this beautiful young woman in a silk sari, who was forced to choose between two men, really once have been her? Years later, Isabell is invited to a wedding in Pakistan and memories of a forgotten love come flooding back – with dangerous consequences.
My thoughts:
I was asked to review this book and it was given to me to read. I have to admit that I wouldn’t have usually chosen a book like this to read myself because it is not what I usually go for in a book, but I actually enjoyed it. The stories of the different countries and of Isabell’s journey through her childhood and into adulthood and how brave she was to venture into other countries on her own and at such a young age, was inspiring. If mystery adventure is your thing, and even adventure and drama, then you would enjoy this book. A well written book and a good read.
That’s it from me for now…
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Enjoy the moments
Ondeane Lourens 