Review - Sea (The Huntress Trilogy, #1) by Sarah Driver

Title: Sea (The Huntress Trilogy, #1)

Author: Sarah Driver

Pages: 336

Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd

Release date: 6th April 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma says they showed our Tribe that I’d be a captain, before I was even born.

Ever since Ma died, Mouse has looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of the Huntress. But now Da’s missing, Sparrow is in danger, and a deathly cold is creeping across Trianukka . . .

Sea-churning, beast-chattering, dream-dancing, whale-riding, terrodyl-flying, world-saving adventure. The first book in a stunning new fantasy adventure trilogy, perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Rundell and Frances Hardinge.

 

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My Review:

 *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Egmont Publishing and NetGalley*

Mouse lives on a ship, the Huntress, with her brother and father, grandmother, who is the captain, and the crew.

Mouse has been looking after her brother, Sparrow, since Ma died and waits for the day that she will become the captain of the Huntress.

Things go downhill when Da goes missing and a new navigator starts causing trouble.

Sea was an imaginative middle grade novel.

I liked the concept of the book and how stubborn and determined Mouse was.

The plot was good overall and I thought the idea of beast-chatter was interesting.

My attention did wander once or twice but I found the writing style to be unique.

Overall this was a mostly enjoyable middle grade novel.

 

Review - Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Letters to the Lost

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Pages: 400

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Release Date: 6th April 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley*

Juliet Young leaves letters at her mother's grave, carrying on the tradition they had when her mother travelled around the world to take photographs in war zones. She never expected anyone to reply to one of her letters.

Declan Murphy has also lost someone - his sister - and finds one of Juliet's letters while doing community service mowing the grass at the local cemetery. He writes back, not knowing that by doing so Declan will create an outlet for their grief, and that the two of them will find someone that they can both confide in. The duo also think that they're writing to complete strangers but in fact they go to the same school.

Can Declan make peace with his mother and step-father?

Will he stop blaming himself for his sister's death?

Will Juliet be able to take up photography again when every time she sees a camera she thinks of her mother?

Letters to the Lost was an emotional, heartfelt read. I wasn't actually expecting it to get to me as much as it did - when I wasn't smiling I was blinking back tears.

I loved the characters in this - Juliet, Declan and Rev especially. They were all compelling, realistic and relatable. None of them were perfect and I really enjoyed reading as they interacted with each other.

The plot was engaging and I couldn't wait to see what would happen when Juliet and Declan realised who they were actually writing to.

The writing style was easy to follow and held my attention from the first page.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Blog Tour + Giveaway - The Dragons of Nova (Loom Saga #2) by Elise Kova

Find the tour schedule here.

  

The Dragons of Nova (Loom Saga #2)

by Elise Kova

Publication Date:  July 11, 2017

Publisher:  Keymaster Press

Cvareh returns home to his sky world of Nova with the genius crafter Arianna as his temperamental guest. The mercurial inventor possesses all the Xin family needs to turn the tides of a centuries-old power struggle, but the secrets she harbors must be earned with trust — hard to come by for Ari, especially when it comes to Dragons. On Nova, Ari finds herself closer to exacting vengeance against the traitor who killed everything — and everyone – she once loved. But before Ari can complete her campaign of revenge, the Crimson Court exposes her shadowed past and reveals something even more dangerous sparking between her and Cvareh.

While Nova is embroiled in blood sport and political games, the rebels on Loom prepare for an all-out assault on their Dragon oppressors. Florence unexpectedly finds herself at the forefront of change, as her unique blend of skills — and quick-shooting accuracy — makes her a force to be reckoned with. For the future of her world, she vows vengeance against the Dragons.

Before the rebellion can rise, though, the Guilds must fall.

 

 

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Purchase Links:

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Kobo | TBD | iBooks   

Other Books in the Series:

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About the Author 

Elise Kova has always had a profound love of fantastical worlds. Somehow, she managed to focus on the real world long enough to graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration before crawling back under her favorite writing blanket to conceptualize her next magic system. She currently lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and when she is not writing can be found playing video games, watching anime, or talking with readers on social media. She is the USA Today bestselling author of the Air Awakens Series as well as the Loom Saga.

Author Links:

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