Review: The Gentleman's Guide To Vice & Virtue

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice & Virtue | Mackenzi Lee

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books, June 27th 2017

Genre: YA, Historical, LGBT+

Pages: 513

Format: Ebook

Source: Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

I have several bones to pick with this book. I thought it was going to be a lighthearted, fun romp through Europe, and admittedly, it was, but I never signed on for all this heartache and pain and ANGST.

Monty and Percy and Felicity are the best characters I could ever ask for. I love all of them. They make this book so easy to love, and I identify so hard with Felicity. I can't wait to read her next adventures. As for the other two, they hurt me so much with their unrequited-but-actually-requited love, their longing glances, little touches, Gods, I love them. I'm so happy this book ended the way it did.

This book was so much more dangerous than I expected though, with everything from highwaymen to pirates to to-the-death fights on a crypt-island. Add to that a healthy dose of sarcasm, humour, and romance, and I honestly could not have loved it more. I do keep calling it The Gentleman's Guide to The Galaxy, though.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

Review: Bone

Bone | Yrsa Daley-Ward

Published by: Penguin Books, September 26th 2017

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 176

Format: Ebook

Source: Penguin, via Netgalley

From the celebrated poet Yrsa Daley-Ward, a poignant collection of autobiographical poems about the heart, life, and the inner self. 
 
Bone. Visceral. Close to. Stark.
 
The poems in Yrsa Daley-Ward’s collection bone are exactly that: reflections on a particular life honed to their essence—so clear and pared-down, they become universal.
 
From navigating the oft competing worlds of religion and desire, to balancing society’s expectations with the raw experience of being a woman in the world; from detailing the experiences of growing up as a first generation black British woman, to working through situations of dependence and abuse; from finding solace in the echoing caverns of depression and loss, to exploring the vulnerability and redemption in falling in love, each of the raw and immediate poems in Daley-Ward’s bone resonate to the core of what it means to be human. 
 
“You will come away bruised. 
You will come away bruised
but this will give you poetry.”

I love this so much. This is one of those books I'm going to go back and read again and again. It's just so ... visceral, so real. It cuts right through the bullshit to the heart of everything - family, sex, relationships, femininity. I knew I would like this book but I really, really love it. It's one of those books that touches your soul. (Plus it's queer poetry, which I am ALWAYS looking for.)

Writing ★★★★★

Cover Reveal: DARK OF THE WEST

Today I'm revealing the cover of DARK OF THE WEST, an awesome book coming from Tor Teen next year!

Here's the blurb, and scroll down to see the beautiful cover!

He was raised in revolution. She was raised in a palace. Can their love stop a war? Code Name Verity meets The Winner's Curse in Joanna Hathaway's Dark of the West, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children.

Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

Review: The Shadow Master

Shadow Master: The Shadow Master | Craig Cormick

Published by: Angry Robot, June 24th 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 342

Format: Ebook

Source: Purchased

In a land riven with plague, inside the infamous Walled City, two families vie for control: the Medicis with their genius inventor Leonardo; the Lorraines with Galileo, the most brilliant alchemist of his generation. 

And when two star-crossed lovers, one from either house, threaten the status quo, a third, shadowy power – one that forever seems a step ahead of all of the familial warring – plots and schemes, and bides its time, ready for the moment to attack...

Assassination; ancient, impossible machines; torture and infamy – just another typical day in paradise.

That ending! Now I HAVE to read the next book just to get some answers. There was so much to like about this - fantasy that's compelling and intricate without being dense and so slooooow like a lot of other fantasy I've tried lately. Plus great characters with secrets upon secrets, famous faces, and shock upon shock within the story itself. So good.

My only issue isn't with the book. My copy had A TONNE of errors and typos that I presume won't have made it to the final copy. Since I bought it directly from Angry Robot's website, and it wasn't a galley, I was pretty surprised by this.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: #NotYourPrincess

#NotYourPrincess | Lisa Charleyboy, Mary Beth Leatherdale

Published by: Annick Press, September 12th 2017

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 256

Format: Ebook

Source: Annick Press, via Netgalley

Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman. Stories of abuse, humiliation, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. Sometimes angry, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have been virtually invisible.

I wanted to read this purely because I know so little about Native Americans, and practically nothing about Native American Women, which is appalling. I love this book for so many reasons - there are so many different voices, experiences, lives; the format is exciting and although I read it in ebook, I think it'll look beautiful in physical copy; it's unapologetic and uncompromising yet full of so much hope and heart. That's the understanding this book has given me of these Native American women: uncompromising, truly brave women who have so much love and hope and faith.