DNF Review: Red Witch

Crow Moon: Red Witch | Anna McKerrow

Published by: Quercus Children's Books, March 10th 2016

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 416

Format: Ebook

Source: Quercus

Seventeen, heartbroken, powerful; Melz has run away from home, run away from the safety of the Greenworld. In the cities of the Redworld, Melz discovers she's special, desired. And not just for her magical talents. When Melz meets the young but influential Bran, their attraction is instant and electric. In the Redworld, with Bran by her side, unrestrained by the customs of her former life, Melz knows she can reach her true potential. But the world Bran wants to give Melz is ravaged by war and violence. Oil is running out, and people will do anything to gain control of the remaining resources. Melz may be more powerful than ever, but even great power can be a curse when used against you. 

THIS BOOK DROVE ME MAD.

From the accent and dialogue - someone from Yorkshire constantly saying 'Aye', one young woman from York IN A POST-APOCALYPTIC/MODERN WORLD saying 'ow do flower?' and 'nice ta meet thee' when I've never met anyone here who said flower as a pet name in MY LIFE and thee in a contemporary setting?????- to the romance. 

Okay, the romance, I don't know if this book is building up to something epic because I'm too irritated to finish, but ... Bran is manipulative, secretive, and there's something about him that has red flashing lights going off and mental voices screaming DANGER, AXE MURDERER. If it ends with Melz hitting him with a cricket bat because he assaults her, fine, I see the signs and that was well foreshadowed. Otherwise? Run!

I liked Melz way more than Danny though, but where romance is involved she's just as naive. She might have seemed savvy and aware of Bran's creepiness in parts but others ... she lets him touch her, feels sparks and connections with him, etc.

Just, nah. This book is 100% not for me. Maybe if you're not from Yorkshire, it won't do your head in quite as much. Bran probably will though.

DNF at page 160

Follow all my reviews on Bloglovin!

Reading round up (68)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

2nd March

I read 83 pages of Smoulder by Brenna Yovanoff and I'm loving this. In the last 20 or so pages I've found that Yovanoff magic I adored in The Replacement. Also Truman is veeeeeerry reminiscent of Cole from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, with his self destructive tendencies. I'm gonna fall hard for him by the end, I can see it.

I also read 10% of Blades of Magic by Terah Edun, bringing me to 35%. It's taking me a while to read it but other than my slow progress, I don't mind it so far. I think I'll end up liking Ezekiel.

3rd March

Finished Smoulder (212 pages read) and the end ruined me. Like full on sobbing. This is a devastating book and induces awful emotions.

I also started Ferals by Jacob Grey (13%), which is fairly interesting so far. I like the crows and the escaped criminals.

4th March

I read 90 pages of Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow, bringing me to page 207. Gotta get my butt in gear and finish this by tomorrow! I'm liking it but I can't connect with the romance and that's dampening my enjoyment somewhat.

5th March

Finished Crow Moon (198 pages) and I'll be honest, I skimmed the last 100 pages. The characters don't do anything for me, even if I liked the magic and setting. I'd love the series to be from Melz POV.

I also read 2% of Blades of Magic and I'm not sure where this is going but sticking with it. That 2% felt like 10% though ... 

As well as this I read 42% of King of Ash and Bone by Melissa Wright because I need something guaranteed to be good to break up my mediocre reads RN.

6th March

Finished King of Ash and Bone and while I enjoyed it and didn't mind the characters, I didn't fall for them like Aern and Emily or Logan and Brianna, and actually some of the transitions between Earth and the dying lands confused the hell out of me. I couldn't see what was happening. Still a pretty awesome paranormal post-apocalyptic and I'd recommend it without question.

I also read a further 23% of Ferals, and I don't love it, but it's interesting.

7th March

I finished Ferals (60% read) and I know I said I liked the crows and escaped criminals but I thought this book would involve MORE than that... :/ I also started Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep (19% read). Fairly intriguing so far, despite the HUGE overload of information at the beginning.

8th March

I read 48% of Cold Burn of Magic, bringing me to 67%, and it's proper growing on me. Sad I won't have much opportunity to read it the next two days since I'm going to London.

Books finished this week: 4
Books DNF'd this week: 0

The Pyramids of London | Andrea K Host

Cold Burn of Magic | Jennifer Estep

Got these two beauties from Netgalley!! Excited to read them, as I've been meaning to read both the author's books for some time!

Smoulder

Crow Moon

Ferals (scheduled for 23rd April)

The Paper Magician

The Winner's Crime

Justice Calling

SARUUH EXPLORES NA: Bound by Prophecy

Crow Moon (ARC Review)

Crow Moon | Anna McKerrow

Published by: Quercus, March 5th 2015

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Witches

Pages: 384

Format: Ebook

Source: Quercus

Danny is a fun-loving 16-year-old looking for a father figure and falling in love with a different girl every day. He certainly doesn't want to follow in his mum's witchy footsteps.

Just as his community is being threatened by gangs intent on finding a lucrative power source to sell to the world, Danny discovers he is stunningly powerful. And when he falls for Saba, a gorgeous but capricious girl sorceress, he thinks maybe the witch thing might not be such a bad idea...

But what cost will Danny pay as, with his community on the brink of war, he finds that love and sorcery are more dangerous than he ever imagined?

Wickedness and passion combine in this coming-of-age adventure. 

Crow Moon brings to life the witchcraft and enchantment of Cornwall, and tells the story of Danny, the son of a witch, as he struggles to balance romance and responsibility.

I liked Crow Moon. It has a serious atmosphere about it, a tense, temperamental tone that I loved. I've not read anything set in Cornwall and Devon before, but it gave this book a definite gothic undertone that made everything darker, more enticing.

Sadly, the characters didn't do much for me. Danny was selfish, thoughtless, and impulsive. He has no idea what he wants, which is evident in him having a friend with benefits, as well as being 'in love' with a different girl called Saba, and then because he can't be with Saba - because she has a boyfriend - sleeping with an entirely different girl just because she's there and because he can. I didn't much like Saba either. There's not much about her and because of that she felt more like a love interest than an actual character. The love between her and Danny seemed plausible but empty, and the romance wasn't romantic at all, not for me. Not to mention Danny's motivations for most of what he did was wanting to get laid, which seeeeriously put me off him.

But aside from the characters, this book is great. The setting is so vivid, the imagery of Cornwall and Devon so strong. I could basically see the moors and the cliffs by the sea. I loved that it was partly set in Tintagel, a moody, alluring place I'd love to visit. I enjoyed all the magic, witchy stuff. I liked how it was so traditional, and drew on classic witchcraft, with herbs and rituals and energy. The witchcraft was my favourite thing about this, and how the group of witches that protected Tintagel were called the Five Hands - it sounds mysterious and cool.

I enjoyed the magic and setting of this book, but the characters really brought it down for me. Maybe a younger reader would identify more with the reckless love of the characters.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Reading round up (67)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

23rd February

I read some pages of Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow. Maybe ten. I didn't even record how many because it was so little. I also read 12% of Blades of Magic by Terah Edun because I have no idea why. Today was just a really weird reading day.

24th February

Taking a break from whatever the heck yesterday was to read The Buried Life by Carrie Patel (42% read). It's SO COOL!! Has a fantasy vibe but it's really unique - I love the underground city and I love the characters even more. I'm super into Roman, who might turn out to be a psychopath but hey. 

25th February

I read 14% of The Buried Life. Not as much as I'd hoped to read because I was busy with other things but I like this book, even though it has fallen into a sort of lull in the last ten percent.

26th February

Sooo close to finishing The Buried Life. I'm at 92%.

27th February

Finished The Buried Life. FINALLY. This book felt really long, and slow, and hard to get through but I enjoyed the world and the characters. The second half was weaker than the first though.

I also started The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg (71% read) and I love everything about it. The magic is so fun, Emery is adorable, I love the historical tone of it, and the quest is SO COOL. I don't wanna put it down!

28th February

Finished The Paper Magician (29%) and it stayed strong and awesome the whole way through!! And the trip through Emery's heart? Never read a thing like it before! So so good and undeniably unique. I am really happy I read this. I also started the next book, The Glass Magician (28% read) and I'm loving it.

As well as this, I read Justice Calling by Annie Bellet (119 pages) which was too short to be any good. It did have a Native American protag, though, which was cool!

I ALSO started Smoulder by Brenna Yovanoff (pages) because I couldn't find an UF book on my shelves and this was as close as I got. I really want another great urban fantasy like Melissa Wright's Descendants series, but I haven't had much look. Smoulder isn't bad so far - pretty intriguing.

29th February

Finished The Glass Magician (72% read) and I loved it. This series is co cute and whimsical and original. I need the next book ASAP!

Books finished this week: 4
Books DNF'd this week: 0

Blood Bound | Rachel Vincent

Shadow Bound | Rachel Vincent

You know Rachel Vincent is my fave. These were on sale on Kindle and I had to have them

A Furious Muse | A J Nuest

Everlasting | Candace Knoebel

The first was an impulse download. The second is for my NA project. Both were free :)

The Buried Life

The Paper Magician (scheduled for March 3rd)

Justice Calling (scheduled for March 6th)

The Glass Magician (scheduled for March 13th)