Review: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Unknown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Written by an anonymous 14th-century poet, this epic poem is recognized as an equal of Chaucer's masterworks and of the great Old English poems, including "Beowulf." This edition includes a Preface by Raffel and a new Introduction. Revised reissue.

When I first started reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight I really wasn't sure that I was going to like it. But how wrong was I?!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

To be honest, I knew nothing about this book before I picked it up (the copy I have is translated by Bernard O'Donoghur) and, being a massive fan of the TV series, Merlin, I was pleasantly surprised to realise that the main character, Sir Gawain, was one of Arthur's knights. And, in the book, you meet King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, several other knights (Lancelot is mentioned) and Morgan Le Fay (Morganna in the TV series). And Merlin is mentioned too!

So yeah, this really was my kind of book!

At first, even after realising who the characters were, I wasn't sure how easy this book was going to be to read, as it's written in verse form. But wow, it read just like a book! A lot easier to read than The Odyssey of Homer or Beowulf, in my opinion.

The plot of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is brilliant. Focussing on themes of greed, pride, trickery and loyalty, this is a great read and I highly recommend it to everyone. (Go and read it NOW!)

This is quite a short book, so it's easily accessible to the modern reader, and I was able to read it in one sitting. And it really was worth it.

There's so much foreshadowing in this book, which I loved! And the imagery is great too, whilst the characterisation is superb. Detail has been used well, but there aren't great chunks of description which could put readers off. No, this is a lean book with a truly great plot, and if you've watched Merlin, I'd definitely recommend that you read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Review: INFLUENCE by David R. Bernstein

Influence by David R. Bernstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you could manipulate reality, would you?

Seventeen-year-old Kaylin has been on the run, hiding her untapped abilities for six years, but rescuing a mysterious guy risks exposing the depths of her power. The manipulative sector groups hunt her kind. Life has never been easy, but resisting is even harder. This harsh, new world will no longer allow her to remain hidden.

In a future where greed and corruption has torn American society apart; these relentless sector groups prey on powerful youths to mold the populace to expand their reach. Young people with the ability to shift the mindset of others are high-value targets. War is waging to expand and control this new world. Influencers, as they're called, hold the key to humanity's future.

Will fighting back cost Kaylin everything?

Influence is the first novel in the Influence series, a sci-fi, dystopian epic with a touch of romance, loads of fast-paced action, with a unique story concept. If you are a Maze Runner or Divergent fan than this is the book is for you!

As soon as I read the back cover copy for INFLUENCE, I just knew I had to buy it. And this book did not disappoint.

The premise is unique and original, and Bernstein's world building was great. The writing was fluid and tight, and the packing was spot on. I particularly loved that we're given some backstory, but that we're shown it (no telling!) in flashback-like episodes where it's applicable, and Bernstein leads us into these scenes very cleverly, in such a way that I knew it was a flashback. There was none of that confusion (the 'is this happening now or has it already happened?') that you sometimes get when books use flashbacks as a device to tell backstory. And I mean, the flashback near the beginning contained pretty important backstory too, explaining why Kay is now on the run and answering any questions I had at that point. So, yes, there's no heavy info-dumping, and we're given just the right amount of backstory to go by.

As a main character, Kaylin is great. I also really appreciated the relationship between Kay and her best friend, Amanda. It was refreshing to see.

As the plot builds, the tension and stakes increase. And there's a lot of action, which I absolutely love. The ending! Wow. I loved it and it fitted the whole book so well. I don't want to give any spoilers there--but let's just say it's very cleverly written. I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours.

Would definitely recommend to dystopian fans.

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Review: Seven Fables by Robert Henryson

The Testament of Cresseid & Seven Fables by Robert Henryson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A master of high narrative, Henryson was also a comic master of the verse fable, and his burlesques of human weakness in the guise of animal wisdom are delicately pointed with irony. Seven of the Fables are here sparklingly translated by Heaney, their freshness rendered to the last claw and feather.

Please note that this review is only of the seven fables in this book, and not The Testament of Cresseid', as the seven fables were part of my university reading list, whereas The Testament of Cresseid was not.

Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved these fables. These seven fables are all retellings of Aesop's fables, or are based on these; each uses animal characters to teach its readers moral messages.

My favourite fables were The Lion and the Mouse, and The Two Mice. I thought both of these, especially, had an almost fairy-tale like quality to them, and were 'cute'.

I also liked The Toad and The Mouse due to the reference of physiognomy, yet this is perhaps the saddest and most poignant of all the tales in this book. Yet its moral message is just as applicable in today's society, as are any of the other fables' messages.

Most of the fables are split into sections: the actual tale, and then a 'Morality' section. However, a couple also include a prologue-like beginning as well. This made them easy to read, and the morality section often tells the reader what the different animals could be symbolic of in the human world.

The majority of the fables look at the negative aspects of mankind, making this a powerful read with a hugely moral purpose.

Written in poem form, these fables have a nice rhythm, however, as Henryson's original writing is on the left hand page and Heaney's translation on the right, I can see that in several places Seamus Heaney has added in extra syllables, and, in some cases, changed the meaning of particular lines--whether this is an improvement on Henryson's original text, I am still undecided.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading these fables and I read them in one sitting. Would highly recommend that you read them, particularly of you're studying English Literature.

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Review: Storm Born by Richelle Mead

Storm Born by Richelle Mead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy—one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

I loved loved LOVED this book! After reading Mead's Vampire Academy series and Bloodlines books, I wanted to get straight into one of her adult series. And Storm Born (Dark Swan #1) did not disappoint me in anyway.

What made me choose this book over her succubus series was the blurb; it's compelling and it grabbed me straight away.

The characters were brilliant. They all had flaws which made them seem so realistic--something which is hugely important!

I must admit that the Fairy King was one of my favourite characters, even though, initially, I didn't want to like him. Guess I just couldn't help it...

The first page had me hooked. Seriously, read it! That is one hilarious opening, very unusual and it basically made me think: 'Woah. I've GOT to read this.'

And this book had plenty of subtle humour in it too. The writing dropped with personality, and with it being written from Eugenie's perspective, by the end, I just felt like I knew this character SO well.

For me, Richelle Mead proved herself to be brilliant at characterisation with her YA novels, and it appears that's she is just as good with characterisation in adult novels too. I can't stress this enough: her characterisation skills are just amazing.

One thing I will just say (having just mentioned her YA books) is that this novel is aimed at adults. There's adult content in here. And lots of it. But, although it revealed stuff and moved the plot on, the story doesn't really revolve around sex.

Well, actually, it does, seeing as how nearly every male character wants to sleep with the main character and father her first child, due to the prophecy... I suppose, what I mean is is that sex in this novel is only used where it's necessary, and this novel doesn't only revolve around sex. It's still an action-packed fantasy novel, just with sex in it too. I suppose, in relation to the action, there aren't really that many sexually-explicit scenes, but sex is still a big part of this novel, so not for younger readers.

The plot was well thought-out, with sub plots and twists cleverly woven in, just as with all of the Richelle Mead novels that I've read.

This was one of those books that I just HAD to finish. I literally could not put it down, and I NEED to get the next book!

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Review: The Butterfly Code by Sue Wyshynski

The Butterfly Code by Sue Wyshynski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My name is Aeris Thorne. I am a genetically modified human. 

PAINFUL SECRETS.
STARTLING TRUTHS.
UNDENIABLE LOVE.

All it took was a chance meeting--one tingling glance across a darkened street to change my life.

I'd been searching for my two best friends in the crowded Zenith Club, which was a really bad idea because I'm totally claustrophobic. 

I burst outside, and that's when I came face-to-face with the incredibly gorgeous Hunter Cayman. Dark-haired, tall, and leaning against an insane sports car, my pulse went haywire. Maybe things weren't so bad after all. The young doctor had his long muscular arms crossed over his leather jacket clad chest, and all his six-foot something would make any girl's knees turn weak. But then, if what Ella said was true, Hunter was the kind of guy who left behind a trail of broken hearts. And heartache was the last thing I needed right now.

Yet there's something strange, something almost superhuman about Hunter. It's more than that infuriatingly knowing grin. I'm trying to stop thinking about him, and I get the feeling he's avoiding me, too. Yet Deep Cove is a tiny town and every time we run into each other the tension literally crackles, sparking around us. It just figures that when suddenly I'm in danger, he's there to save me.

In truth, I should be dead. By all the logic in this world, I should be shattered to pieces. How fast was I going on that ATV when I smashed into those iron gates? Ninety? A hundred? And the men who were chasing me, where did they go?

Somehow I'm whole.

Maybe better than whole. 

There's no one I can talk to, not even my best friend, Gage. Gage hates Hunter. He wants Hunter's laboratory to be shut down. He thinks Hunter's a monster. And yet, if that's true, if Hunter's a monster...than what am I? I'm not sure what terrifies me more, the metamorphosis taking place inside me, or the intensely powerful connection with a guy whose heart and soul has become linked with mine.

Wow, what a book.

Right from the start, we’re thrown into the action. I loved the narrative style so much, particularly the way the narrator questions everything. And I particularly enjoyed the who is he? what’s he doing here? intro for Dr Hunter Cayman.

This new adult paranormal thriller/suspense is so beautifully written, and it really was a delight to read. I loved Aeris, the main character. She felt real, and the way her character changes and progresses also felt believable. The little details we’re given about Aeris’s life and her past add so much authenticity too. And, as this book’s written in first person, she had a real voice. Her way of thinking constantly oozed through the writing, and at times was enough to make me forget I was actually reading a book.

One thing that struck me about the plot were the futuristic/SF elements. I hadn’t been expecting them as we’d already been given the paranormal/mystery/thriller elements, and they were a nice surprise, particularly as I LOVE LOVE LOVE speculative fiction.

And, I also love symbolism too–particularly in names. And there was a lot of this to keep me happy. A lot of work has obviously gone into this book, and I’m determined to reread it soon so I can spot all the foreshadowing–I noticed a few instances in my first reading, which were carefully incorporated, but I’m sure there’s more!

There’s just the right amount of action, suspense and tension in this book, and it kept me turning the pages. I particularly loved the relationship between Aeris and Gage, possibly more than that between Aeris and Hunter. It felt realistic, and that’s what I particularly loved about it.

But Hunter himself was such an interesting character. Right from the start, I was drawn to him–in much the same way that our main character seems to be. I was intrigued about this man who’s apparently dangerous and dark… and I was so, so curious. And there was just something so enigmatic and mysterious about him. He’s the perfect love interest! I really hope there’s a sequel to THE BUTTERFLY CODE.

I’ll definitely be looking for more books by this author!

(I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review).

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Review: The Lie by C.L. Taylor

The Lie by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know your name's not really Jane Hughes...

Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.

Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.

Jane has tried to put her past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves.

Well, I just finished THE LIE by C.L. Taylor and it was absolutely incredible. I'll admit, I found the opening chapters a bit slow (compared to her other books), but by 50 pages, I was hooked! A really creepy thriller about cults and female friendship. And those twists--wow! I literally could not stop reading after the first one, and read the whole thing in just less than a day.

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Review: CHALK HOUSES by Tracy Clark

Chalk Houses by Tracy Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone has a secret. Now Secret is talking.

Talon Alvarado has one goal - to be nothing like her mother who’s blown it in about every way. But sometimes you focus so hard on what you don’t want that you find yourself careening toward it. Bombarded with history, hurts, and secrets, Talon is struggling to be the person she yearns to be and to live a bigger life than girls like her are supposed to wish for. To climb out, she must dig for strength in the most unlikely place; the rubble of her bruised heart. 

The misty presence of Secret reveals its role in Talon’s life, showing how the secrets we keep tell our stories. 

Chalk Houses is a gritty, achingly hopeful story about love being in the places you forgot to look, and about starting over. Even at the end.

I first came across Tracy Clark when I read Mirage, her YA psychological thriller. I absolutely fell in love with that book, and so I couldn't wait to read Chalk Houses.

And, wow, I loved it! It's compelling and deep, and Talon is a great main character, so relatable, but also flawed.

Clark's writing is beautiful, and the images are so evocative. I especially loved the small sections narrated by Secret throughout, and the almost-philosophical touch this added in places.

It's quite a dark story too, and at times it was hard to read.

But the issues covered are important, and Clark addresses them in a powerful way. I loved how Gabby was almost a mirror version of Talon, and how their sister-like relationship became one of the strongest themes in the book, even over-riding the romantic aspect. That's something I haven't seen many contemporary YA books do, and it felt really refreshing.

A highly recommended read.