Oh my goodness, January has been a long, long month with ups and downs – how is it only 31 days! I had some wonderful birthday celebrations, enjoyed some fantastic books, but also caught Covid for the second time and don’t seem to be able to get rid of an endless cold.

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 15 books this month which includes 2 books for adults, 1 poetry book, 1 non-fiction book, 1 graphic novel and 10 middle-grade books. Four of these were audiobooks, one an e-copy and ten physical copies.

NetGalley:

My feedback ratio is at 96%. I have requested and been approved to read two books in January. 

Books sent by publishers:

I am grateful to have been sent ten books by Publishers this month. I have read and reviewed three of them and will post reviews for the others over the course of this month and next as some are not coming out until April and May.

Books bought:

I bought seven books, and have read two of them, Iyanu: Child of Wonder and The Chalk Man.

How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these? Have you any of them on your TBR?

I’m currently reading Wilder which is an absolutely stunning read with its links to the environment and real sense of mystery. I’m listening to Like a Curse which is such a powerful, captivating story with such a strong, feisty character in Ramya. 

I’ve finished reading Shiver Point: A Tap at the Window which is such a brilliantly, spooky read with a wonderful group of children. I have posted my review.

I was lucky enough to be sent a proof copy of The Secret of the Moonshard which is being released at the end of February, so I’m hoping to make it my next read.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?

I’ve just started listening to the audiobook of Like A Curse which I already I’m going to love. I’m also reading Wilder which is wonderful.

I listened to the audiobook of Clutch which was absolutely brilliant – tense, gripping and such a fantastic plot. I also read The Clockwork Conspiracy which was a a wonderful mystery. I will be sharing my review before publication. I also read a book for adults! I absolutely loved The Drift which I read over Christmas and was recommended The Chalk Man as one to read. Oh my goodness! This was dark, intriguing and really had me on the edge of my seat, reading late into the night. I love how she uses timelines in her stories, and the twists leading up to the revelation of the culprit. C J Tudor is now a must-read author for me and I’ve already bought The Burning Girls.

I was sent a copy of Shiver Point: A Tap at the Window which I intend to read next. The first book in this series was brilliant, so I’m really looking forward to reading this one.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?

I’m continuing reading The Bone Season which I’m really enjoying. I’ve also just started Wilder which has such an intriguing opening. I’m definitely invested in finding out the marsh’s secrets and more about Rhodd’s background.

I’ve read The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts which is brilliant. I absolutely love the world’s that Alex Bell creates. I will post my review shortly. I’ve also listened to the audiobook of Foxlight which is a mesmerising read. I loved the wildness of this story and the bond between the sisters. Just gorgeous! Finally, I absolutely devoured Oh Maya Gods! This was such a brilliant return to some familiar characters from the Who Let the Gods Out series but with new heroes in Vesper and Aster who must take on the Mayan God of the underworld! I cannot wait to travel to Egypt with them in their next adventure. 

I’m determined to read this one next!

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?

Beastlands:  Race to Frostfall Mountain is the first book in an exhilarating, epic, fantasy adventure that completely gripped me as I was taken on the most incredible quest with three courageous children seeking their own truths. 

Kayla, Alethea and Rustus live in insular, walled cities on the island of Ramoa, cities which are surrounded by the wildness of the Beastlands, a forbidden place which citizens have been taught to fear as terrifying beasts roam freely there.

Kayla is a cadet Sky Rider, training at the Sky Academy in Sophiatown.  She has a close bond with her winged pangron, Faro, her only friend.  When Faro is stolen, Kayla is determined to rescue him and finds herself in the Beastlands …

Alethea is a healer living in the poorest district of Ataria. A terrible disease, known as the Scourge, is rife in the city, taking the lives of many of its people.  When Alethea’s beloved grandmother catches the disease, Alethea pledges to find a cure, a cure which can only be found beyond the Beastlands …

Rustus is determined to follow in the footsteps of his family, despite their disdain for him and his own misgivings, and become one of the Scorched:  elite warriors who protect the city.  But when he fails the initiation, he is banished to the Beastlands … 

These three children were never meant to meet, yet destiny has forged a path for them, a path which brings them together in an incredible quest:  a race to reveal truths which threaten to endanger their world, truths that the children don’t yet know they are racing towards …

Wow!  This is the most incredible, action-packed adventure brimming with danger, secrets and revelations that kept me desperately turning pages as I raced with the children to Frostfall Mountain.  What secrets is the island hiding?  Are the creatures of the Beastlands really a threat to the cities, or is there greater danger from elsewhere?   

The world-building is fantastic, and I really felt immersed in both the cities (with their military, districts and politics) and the Beastlands which explains the genuine shivers of fear and the apprehension I felt for the children as they race to find answers … I adored exploring the Beastlands and its inhabitants, both flora and fauna, (even if some of its inhabitants were quite scary!) and loved the message of respecting and finding harmony with both rather than seeking to harm and exploit. 

I really enjoyed that the story is written from the perspectives of the three children which gives an insight into all three children as they deal with their own problems. Kayla, Alethea and Rustus have very different personalities and upbringings, but they do have in common that they understand what it is to be treated differently by others and to have others criticise and not believe in them. I really enjoyed the slow building of the friendship between the children as they learn to work together, open up to, and trust each other. They are all strong, sympathetic characters who face their fears, work for the greater good and have a wonderful respect for the creatures and plants that others’ fear and exploit.

Be prepared for a heart-pounding race through dangerous forests and perilous mountains in this absolutely thrilling, unmissable adventure. 

Thank you to Piccadilly for sending me an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

The child – if child it was – came naked out of the wild-ness. It came out of the sparse bleak marsh beside the village where few dared go and none came back.

Any ideas?

Goodreads Synopsis:

A desperate village. A child who emerges from the marshes. A falcon that helps her save them all.

When the child emerges from the wilderness, no one in the village knows what to do with her. She is odd – half-wild, without speech and seems to have an unnatural bond with animals – especially the falcon, who is always circling above her. The Wise-Woman takes her in, and names her Rhodd, but the rest of the villagers remain suspicious.

Over the years, as Rhodd grows, the village realises that the river, which is their connection to the wider world, is beginning to die, and eventually a dark sickness begins to spread. Soon, too soon, the villagers turn their suspicion on Rhodd and her falcon.

And so, Rhodd sets out to discover what – or who – is causing the river to dry up . . . to protect her mother, her falcon and herself…