km_allan's reviews
227 reviews

Erinsmore by Julia Blake

5.0

I first discovered Julia Blake through her short story collection, Eclairs for Tea, and when I saw she'd written a YA book, I just had to get my hands on it. I normally don't go out of my way to read fantasy books, but Erinsmore has just the right amount of elements to keep fantasy readers happy and to introduce new readers to the genre. I'm also a sucker for books that feature prophecies, and Erinsmore has them in spades. When Ruby and her sister Cassie find themselves taken from their modern life and into another land, they discover they have a part to play in a war that will not only affect the wonderful new world they've found but their own world as well. They meet Kings, Princes and magical beings made of wonder and terror, in a quest that will force them to discover hidden abilities within themselves, all the time aware of a prophecy that will put them on a dark path together, from which only one will return. Julia Blake creates a fantastic world that is still believable even when set in an unbelieve land and fills it with memorable characters, action, and twists you won't see coming. If you enjoy rebellious teens, dragons, battles, good fighting evil, and clever writing, then Erinsmore is definitely worth a read.

Destiny Seeker: The Messenger by Whitney McGruder, Whitney McGruder, Travis McGruder

3.0

Destiny Seeker: The Messenger kicks off with a magical wall appearing and the way such an event changes the lives of those trapped on both sides of it. Most of the story is told from the point of view of IIsi, an Ice Chanter who also possesses a secret ability called Swift. There's lots of magic in this book, some of which isn't completely explained. There's also a lot of characters. IIsi meets old and new friends as she travels, coming across Elves, Mermaids, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Dragons, and Pirates (just to name a few). Many ideas and plots are crammed into this first book, which could have perhaps been pared back or spread into the next in the series as it's hard to keep track while you're getting to know the characters. There are strong female relationships. Some romance. And you do see IIsi evolve from a meek girl to a warrior women, but the telling-not-showing style of the writing keeps the reader at a distance and makes it hard to really feel for the characters and what they're going through. I did enjoy the world that was created, and can only imagine that as Ms. Mcgruder's writing gets stronger, her books will keep getting better. It's a good debut.

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

5.0

The Dark Lake is set in a town full of secrets, the reveals of which are weaved throughout and then pulled together by a talented author. Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is set to investigate the murder of a classmate from high school; Rosalind Ryan, who returned to town to teach drama at the high school. When alive, Rosalind captivated everyone she met, and now it’s up to Gemma to find the murderer, as well as sort through her own personal past with Rosalind, the consequences of which may be the very reason for her death. All of the characters in The Dark Lake are flawed, the red herrings never feel cheap, and the ending keeps you guessing but never feels as if it's a revelation that comes from nowhere. It’s a satisfying read, crafted from the viewpoint of Gemma and mixed with the occasional chapter from another character, which cleverly reveals some things only to the reader. Highly recommended for those who love a well-written, character-driven murder mystery.

Stone Girl by Eleni Hale

5.0

A heartbreaking story of what happens when life takes a turn and the system is corrupt. After the death of her junkie mother, 12-year-old Sophie is put into state care and goes from a shy, high-achieving school girl to a troubled drop out moved from home to home, changing herself into a Stone Girl to survive. She finds friends and love amongst kids just as broken, as she ages in a system that will spit her out with little help, writing her off as a lost cause it is responsible for creating. When a series of events and a confrontation with her past forces Sophie to decide if she wants to live the kind of life that killed her mother, or make something different for herself, she has a choice to make. Told with raw honesty by a talented author who skilfully takes Sophie from a wide-eyed innocent child to a life trodden teen, it is a story that stays with you and opens your eyes to what is, unfortunately, the stark reality for many youths.

The Forest: ~ a Tale of Old Magic ~ by Julia Blake

4.0

Written in the vein of classic stories, The Forest, tells a tale of a small town touched by a curse that stretches across generations. It's a good sized-read, split into five parts, which are flagged by illustrated title pages and beautiful quotes. These sectioned parts cover the past, present, and future, giving the reader a chance to experience the backstory of the town's characters, how the curse was created, and how it comes to a head for the current group caught in its clutches. We meet Reuben, Jack, and Sally as children and follow them through young adulthood, to adulthood, all while learning about the forest that surrounds the town and the dark entity that dwells within it. For me, the story really took off in part four, where all the hints, backstory, and clues expertly laid out by the skilled author in parts one to three came together to create an action-packed finale. If you love witches, curses, love stories featuring heartbreak and triumph, time being played with, and characters to love and hate, The Forest has them all, weaved throughout pages filled with fairytale-like myths and darkness, making it an entertaining read worth picking up.

One Summer in Santorini by Sandy Barker

4.0

A fun, easy read that will make you want to travel to the Greek islands. One Summer In Santorini follows Sarah, a teacher going through a breakup, who joins a European sailing trip. Also on the trip is American, Josh, who catches Sarah’s eye. They start off as friends, and just as Sarah begins to feel there might be something there, Josh tells her he’s not looking for a relationship, only to change his mind when a new stranger offers Sarah something Josh wasn’t sure he was willing to give. Through vividly described landscapes and meals you wish you could eat for yourself, Sandy Barker’s well-crafted words take you on Sarah’s journey as she tries to make sense of her feelings about love, relationships, and the kind of life she wants for herself when the vacation ends.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

4.0

Four Dead Queens, written in four parts, is mostly told from the point of view of Keralie, a seventeen-year-old thief. She unwittingly steals comm chips holding the memories of the Queens' murders and must team up with Varin (the messenger she took the chips from) to work out who the murderer is. By the time you get to part four, you'll think you know who did it. You'll most likely be wrong.

While part one and two is spent setting up the inventive fantasy world, its Queenly Rules, and getting to know Keralie, Varin, and the four Queens, part three and four twists everything you've learned and brings together all the clues expertly dropped and foreshadowed by author Astrid Scholte in her entertaining prose. It's an adventure worth reading, and a world worth visiting.

Into the Night by Sarah Bailey

4.0

Another great mystery from Sarah Bailey. Into The Night kicks off with Gemma Woodstock in a new city and working with a new partner after the events of The Dark Lake have forced her from her old life. It opens with the murder of a homeless man, which is then followed a few days later by the murder of a celebrity while shooting a movie in the streets of Melbourne. Tightly written in Sarah's sparse yet effective prose, the clues are there right from the beginning, but they don't come together until the final few pages, sometimes in the way you suspected, and sometimes not, but always with a satisfying twist. Definitely a book worth picking up.

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

3.0

A page-turning read that falters at the end. A year ago, Sara's sister Becca disappeared, chasing the ghost of Lucy Gallows down a road that only appears once a year. When Sara finds the road herself, she convinces her friends to help her travel its path and all the horrors it throws at them for the chance to find Becca. This book is creepy and told in a mix of first-person, interview transcripts, and described accounts of video and photographic evidence. It's effective for the story it's telling, but unfortunately also keeps the reader as an observer and unable to really care about the characters. There's a great mix of diverse characters, although it gets very hard to keep track of who is who. The concept of the story is really interesting: folklore, ghosts, disappearing roads, gates to unlock and trials to get through, but in the end, the story can't tie it all together. There are too many threads left hanging, twists that come out of nowhere, and incidents half explained so they don't make sense. I was really enjoying this book. At one point, I couldn't put it down, but sadly the convoluted ending spoiled it for me.

Christmas Australis: A Frighteningly Festive Anthology of Spine Jingling Tales by V.E. Patton

5.0

An eclectic mix of well-written stories all touching on Christmas in their own unique way. There’s horror, sci-fi, fantasy, even a PI tale, all grouped together by the ongoing story of a lost soul aboard a ship, picking the stories from bottles floating at sea. This collection has something for everyone and is an easy, entertaining read perfect for the holiday season.