Monthly Wrap-Up — July 2018

It's wrap-up time again! I had a really good reading month compared to June. I read 14 books and most of them were really good. I also listening to 3 audiobooks, which is something I never do but I had two hours a week the whole month to listen on the bus so that helped. Scroll down to find out what my favorite book of the month was.

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones — 4/5★

The Mermaid by Christina Henry — 4/5★

{Audiobook} Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken — 3/5★

 {Reread} Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer — 5/5★

{Reread} Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer — 5/5★

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff — 2/5★

The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco — 5/5★

Tales From Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin — 4/5★

{Audiobook} The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across 

the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor — 4/5★

Ernest Hemingway: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History — 3/5★

Martin Luther: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History — 3/5★

{Graphic Novel} Illegal by Eoin Colfer — 4/5★

Clash of Empires by Ben Kane — 3/5★

{Audiobook} Macbeth by William Shakespeare — 4/5★

Favorite book of the month:

In The Bone Witch, Tea mastered resurrection―now she's after revenge...

No one knows death like Tea. A bone witch who can resurrect the dead, she has the power to take life...and return it. And she is done with her self-imposed exile. Her heart is set on vengeance, and she now possesses all she needs to command the mighty daeva. With the help of these terrifying beasts, she can finally enact revenge against the royals who wronged her―and took the life of her one true love.

But there are those who plot against her, those who would use Tea's dark power for their own nefarious ends. Because you can't kill someone who can never die...

War is brewing among the kingdoms, and when dark magic is at play, no one is safe.

What was your favorite book of July?

Review: Women Breaker by Avie Adams

Title: Women Breaker
Author: Avie Adams
Series: Lost Souls (Standalone)
Publication: July 16, 2018
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Purchase Links: Amazon
Rating: 5/5★

She faces a dark future. He runs from his cruel past. Born without a singing voice on an island where incantations earn livelihood, Torril is no stranger to humiliation and abuse. Yet her future is even bleaker… As soon as she’s of age, she’ll be enslaved to Somer, the ruler of Malvaar, known for his wanton cruelty and a taste for violence.

Finding this out pushes Torril over the edge. She gets a blade and plots to murder Somer on their first encounter.

Up in the top echelons of Malvaarian society, Umaren is stuck in a downward spiral of darkness. He's powerful, widely feared... and tortured by his grim past. When he visits Somer, on the same day Torril is presented as Somer’s new slave, he's only looking for a servant, preferably a man.
But he's given Torril instead, and it's hardly a coincidence.

Could a damaged girl be the only hope for a destructive man? Or will the demons of his past rip apart their future?

Oh my, I didn't think this book could top my love for Scalding Ice and Goldfire, which was the previous book I read but as of right now Women Breaker is my third favorite book of the year. This is actually a really big deal because I haven't read that many books that I rated with five stars. I loved it!

This story is about Torril and Umaren. Torril is a broken promise, which means she doesn't have any talent for singing or writing incantations. Her only passion is drawing but the only thing she is deemed good for is to be a promise bearer and have children against her will. This, of course, is totally terrifying and awful for Torril and she sees no other way out than to kill the leader of Malvaar the 'High Bastard.' But through some unexpected events she ends up as the servan of Umaren who everyone knows him as 'Women Breaker.'

You can probably guess that this is a very dark book. I can tell you that Umaren has done some really despicable things but I also saw right away that there was hope for him and that hope came as Torril. And Torril has got to be my favorite female characters ever. She has a subtle deviance that I just adored. She wasn't afraid to show some backbone, especially where Umaren was concerned. As afraid for herself as she was, she really wanted to be useful so badly. I loved how she tried to help Umaren even when he would be rude and coarse to her. Eventually he did warm up to her and the chemistry between them was amazing to read about. 

Let's talk about the writing next. I think I've said it before in previous reviews but the writing in these books is one of the most beautiful I've ever read. I just love it so much. And I gotta say, the end of this book made me very excited to see what author comes up with next for Malvaar and its people in it. All the books set in this world are pure gems that I just think everyone needs to read.

Overall, Women Breaker was a powerful and intricate story about love, hope and redemption. Avie Adams has never dissapointed me with her dark, complex and unconventional love stories set in the world of Malvaar, which is equally dark, complex and unconventional. I'd highly recommend it for fans of Pepper Winters' dark romance books or Jay Kristoff's Nevernight series. 

Find my reviews of the other books here:
Incanta Soul-Catcher —  4.5★

Reviver Amond — 4.5★

Scalding Ice and Goldfire — 5/5★

About Avie:
Hazelnut latte addict. One sleep-starved mother. Ex-manga & anime fanatic and retired MMORPG player. Disorganized perfectionist. An accidental writer, spending more time in the dark corners of her mind than recommended by the doctor. I live on the south coast of England, several stone’s throws from Brighton.
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Stacking The Shelves: July 28, 2018

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews & Reading Reality.

Won:
A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews

I won this book from Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight. ♥

Bought:
Be Mine Tonight by Kathryn Smith

Gifted to me:
Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty
My friend Jenn gifted it to me. She's the best!

Bought:
Serafina and the Splintered Heart by Robert Beatty

Freebies:
Nocturne by Kat Ross

The Room Mate by Kendall Ryan
Nikola Tesla: Laying the Foundation of Modern Electricity by In60Learning

Freebies:
Emperor Caligula: Man, Monster, Myth by In60Learning

Mary Queen of Scots: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History

King Charles II: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History

Happy reading, everyone!

Leave me links to your book hauls so I can visit you back. ♥

The Friday Face-Off: Steampunk

This week I'm participating in The Friday Face-Off, where the point is to feature covers of books where each week there's a different theme. I might not participate every week but it's definitely a lot fun! This meme is created by Books by Proxy and you can find the themes on Lynn's Book Blog.

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This week's theme is:

Steampunk

I knew right away which book I wanted to feature for this theme because it's my favorite book that deals with steampunk: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.

Here are the covers...

Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry — Margaret K. McElderry Books (2015)

German edition — Italian edition

Slovakian edition — Polish edition

My favorite edition is the Margaret K. McElderry Books (2015) but I own the first one actually, which is still a great one. I also think the Slovakian one is also really pretty with the beautiful golden clockwork angel.

Which edition is your favorite?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Light Between Us by Katie Khan

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting On Wednesday hosted at Breaking the Spine.

The Light Between Us by Katie Khan
Expected publication: August 9th 2018 by Transworld Digital

'Gripping, fascinating, funny, romantic, exciting, and hopeful with a great cast of women, The Light Between Us is a cracking good read.' Rowan Coleman, author of The Summer of Impossible Things

*

A classic 'will they, won't they' love story - with a difference.

Perfect for fans of Sliding Doors, The Versions of Us and The Summer of Impossible Things.

Thea and Isaac first met at University. Theirs was an instant connection but it never went further than friendship.

Because, then and now, Thea only has eyes for her work. Not just her course, but also a private project - Thea is determined to prove that time travel is not just the stuff of science fiction. And she has never told anyone the reason why.

When one of their friends goes missing in an experiment, Isaac and Thea must work together to find her - forcing them to re-examine their own friendship.

Is it really as platonic as they used to think?

The Light Between Us is a story of unrequited love and second chances. It begs the dangerous question that we all ask ourselves - what could have been?

*

Katie Khan's writing...
'Will give you all the feels' Heat
'Breaks your heart then kicks it again for good measure in the most beautiful way possible' The Pool
'Will stay with you long after reading' Image

The cover of The Light Between Us was the first think that drew me in, to be honest, but when I read the synopsis I felt hooked. This book has my name written all over it. I think it could be a really amazing read! ♥

Book Beginnings | The Friday 56: Clash of Empires by Ben Kane

 Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader

Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice

Grab a book, any book. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader. Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) and post it.

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Book Beginning:

It was a beautiful evening, balmy and windless; the sea resembled a sheet of hammered bronze.

Friday 56

Many had already succumbed to blind panic. Unarmed, unmanned, they elbowed and shoved at one another in their eagerness to flee the battlefield. Baying their bloodlust, Felix and his comrades took up the persuit.

I just started Clash of Empires yesterday so I'm not that far in yet but what I've read so far I really liked. 

The book is set in the ancient world in 202 BC and it features three historical figures from history: Hannibal Barca who was a general from Carthage. He was considered as one of the greatest military commanders in history, Philip V of Macedon who was the king of Macedonia (221–179 BC) and Titus Quinctius Flamininus who was a Consul of the Roman Republic but at the start of the book he's "only" a Quaestor. It also features a young man named Demetrios, who's struggling a bit but he's fictional.
I can't wait to read more!

WHEN A NEW EMPIRE RISES, AN OLD ONE MUST FALL.

After sixteen years of bloody war against Rome, Hannibal Barca is on the verge of defeat. On the plains of Zama, Felix and his brother Antonius stand in the formidable Roman legions, ready to deliver the decisive blow. Victory will establish Rome as the pre-eminent power in the ancient world.

But in northern Greece, Philip V of Macedon is determined to restore Alexander the Great's kingdom to its former glory. Charismatic leader, ruthless general, he will use the unforgiving might of his phalanx to unite Greece and to fend off Rome's grasping fingers.

In Rome, young senator Flamininus is set on becoming one of the Republic's greatest military commanders. With Hannibal on the verge of defeat, the as-yet-unconquered Macedon and Greece are ripe for conquest. Strategist and spymaster, politician and general, Flamininus will stop at nothing to bring Philip V to heel.

Demetrios slumps on the rowing bench of his Macedonian ship. Thirsty, hungry, burnt by the unforgiving Mediterranean sun, dreams are his only sustenance. Dreams of the perfect thrust of a fifteen-foot sarissa spear, of the unyielding phalanx wall, of the glory of Macedon.

The Roman wolf has tasted blood, and it wants more. But the sun of Macedon will not set without a final blaze of glory.

What do you think of my Book Beginnings and Friday 56 quotes?

Also feel free to leave a link to your post if you participate in either one so I can visit you! ♥