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The Hobbit-A Book Review

Hey people! Hope you all doing good! I have wanted to read THIS for so long and I am finally happy I picked it up. It reminds me so much of Harry Potter though because Gandalf looks just like Dumbledore in my imagination, saying that both of them are wizards and have very long beards and are equally very wise. Maybe, we’ll save all that for later at the end and begin with the review before I forget about this post. Oh, and I was actually wondering if Dumbledore is actually inspired by Gandalf but I’m not sure….

Title: The Hobbit or There and Back Again

Author: J.R.R Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Adventure, Classics

Publication Date/Publisher: August 15th 2002/ Houghton Mifflin (first published September 21st 1937)

5907
Source: Goodreads

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who lives in a very nice and cozy hobbit-hole, called Bad End found in Hobbiton. Not being a hobbit who is very fond of adventures he prefers staying comfortable in his home, listening to the kettle whistling or making smoke rings out from his pipe.

One day, he receives a visitor, Gandalf, the great wizard who offers an adventure. An adventure to steal back the treasures of the great dragon, Smaug, who had actually stole all those treasures from the dwarves and other people at the time when he used to terrorize the lands.

Bilbo refuses point blank and declines the offer right away only to find more than a dozen visitors entering his hobbit-hole the next day. Dwarves. Thorin of Oakenshield, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur, Balin and Dwalin. And Gandalf of course.

Finally, Bilbo reluctantly accepts to accompany the dwarves and Gandalf on the quest for the stolen treasure and off they go, to retrieve the treasure most guarded by Smaug, the great dragon.

About the Author:

J.R.R. Tolkien
Source of picture: Goodreads

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, WWI veteran, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . It is also said that The Hobbit is a novel which was first written for his own children.

My ratings: I’m still wondering if I should give this a 4.9 out of 5 or a 5 out of 5.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Reason I read this? Fantasy! It has a great fantasy and was quite fast-paced at times so you are totally hooked to the story and other times it was a little slow-paced so you read at ease. The world-building is breathtaking. I wish I could at least see the Misty Mountains, the Lonely Mauntains, the forest of the enchanted stream and the Elvenking. But it isn’t guaranteed you’ll be able to see it if you look out of the window or climb up on the roof and look on all sides though I’ll try that when I have time to see if I can see them from my house.

Bilbo Baggins is also a wierd character who has got two sides; his Baggins side and his Tookish side. The Tookish side of him takes over during his adventures because the Tooks are his family on his mother’s side who were always ready for some adventure of some kind.

Another thing I love about this book is the amount of songs and poems the dwarves make up on the spot and unfortunately, I won’t be able to write one of them down here because it would be too long. J.R.R Tolkien has a great mind, the way his characters are created, the world-building, the plot and his imagination in making songs for the dwarves are just so great.

A very enjoyable and fascinating read!

See ya soon!

-Hermione

P.S. I know this is absolutely irrelevant but I actually found my green ring yesterday and I am so happy! It was lost for 6 months and I found it in one of my pencil-cases. I mean I lost it twice (I don’t usually lose things) and both of the times I found it in very unexpected places! I mean like why!? I always find my things in wierd places and I bet the next thing I’ll lose and I find it back again will be in some place like my hair or my pocket. Well, nevermind about all those nonsense things, I’d better go now!!!

Oh and next post will probably be my June wrap up so stick around!

Posted on by Hermione · 13 Comments

The Sunshine Blogger Award #1🌻

Thank you soooo much Kat @ The Lily Cafe for nominating for the Sunshine Blogger Award, my very first💜! You definitely have to check out her book blog, she is such a supportive and sweet person.

Thanks again!

So….what about the Sunshine Blogger Award??

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.

The Rules:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog.
  • Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
  • Nominate 11 new blogs and write them 11 new questions.
  • List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post and/or in your blog.

Kat’s Questions:

1.If you could get up and go on a vacation right now, where would you go?

Switzerland perhaps? I have had a thing for Switzerland ever since I read Heidi by Johanna Spyri and I love mountains and forests. To be more specific, I actually want to visit the Alps and spend my vacation in a wooden cottage in the mountains. How cool is that?

2.What are three things that make you happy?

Reading without being disturbed is the best thing. Another thing that makes me happy is when other people are happy because laughter and smiles are a little contagious so I am happy too. Last thing…Being in an empty and enchanted castle walking amongst shelves and shelves of infinite books in a huge magical library which is probably haunted by ghosts and dangerous and magical plants in the dead of the night. The day I get to really do that will be my happiest day.

3.What are you favorite kinds of stories and why?

Favorite kinds of stories? I like stories which are a little dark with magical elements. Well, it will be easier to say just FANTASY! Why I like fantasy? I guess it is because it is just so different from the world we live in and if I’d rather choose a place to live in, it would definitely be in a fantasy world! Woohoo!

4.What’s your favorite thing to cook, bake, or eat?

I like CAKE! Chocolate cake and lemon cake actually. I love those! Mum lets me bake cakes sometimes when we have guests at home or just when we want to and it is something I love to do. AND TO SAY I ADORE ANYTHING THAT IS CHOCOLATE!

5.How did you get into blogging?

I don’t think I knew what a blog was until I turned 11. My mom was always telling me to write a summary of all the books I read because according to her, it will improve my writing. I never bothered to do them anyways because I never wanted to…Until NOVEMBER 2019, she finally received the answer. Create a blog for me! I’m happy she did. She herself named my blog, Portable Magic. I don’t regret that. I love my blog!💛💛

6.What’s your best advice for bloggers trying to balance life and blogging?

In balancing life and blogging, I would recommend planning a time of the day just to chillax or post on your blog; any of them which you choose. Remember, to keep time for blogging and relaxing. Don’t spend all your free time posting! You won’t get time to do anything else! Pressuring yourself to post consistently isn’t the best way either because you’ll end up dreading those hours spent writing a blog post. Just post when you feel like and when you have time, because guys, there’s no rule. And no matter what, you’re all amazing so keep up the great work!👍

7.What’s your favorite book and why?

There are so many favourite books and I seriously cannot choose one, Heidi by Johanna Spyri and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I also have, Harry Potter by J.K Rowling, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R Martin and I just recently discovered one, Fable duology by Adrienne Young. The last three are fantasy, my favourite genres and the first two… well I don’t know why I love them so much but they remind me of things like forests, mountains, animals…nature.

8.Are you a dog or cat person? Or maybe fish?

Cat person I guess! I love cats. But I think I am also a dog person….

9.What’s your favorite quote or saying?

It would be, believe in yourself. I also like to tell myself never wait for doors to open for you, find the key and open it yourself. It just means that if you want to get something done, then do it, don’t wait.

10.If you could be any animal for a day, what would you be and why?

I think I would like to be an eagle. And fly high over the mountains and above the clouds. Or maybe I could be a unicorn? Or a dragon? Or perhaps a wolf? Maybe, I should just be an eagle. Because, seeing the world from above is amazing and seeing it from sharp eagle’s eyes would be interesting.

11.Not a question, but share your favorite blog post or one you’re really proud of.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. I absolutely love this book and I think this is the best review I have written and I am quite proud of it. It is historical fiction, a genre I don’t usually read but it was great. I actually have two favourite quotes from this book and I’ll share one of them over here: ‘Libraries are very magical places.’ It is a very simple quote but it means a lot to somebody who loves books.

Now, let’s nominate 11 other bloggers:

It is totally okay if you decide not to do it but if you do, do tell me, I’ll love to read your answers!

OMG! I nearly forgot to post the questions! Nevermind, here they are!

  1. What is your favourite book read this year? And why?
  2. What is the main thing that attracts you to a book?
  3. Is there a book/series you would like to read again for the first time?
  4. Is there a book that you would recommend to everyone?
  5. What is the thing you love the most about blogging?
  6. Is there a book that you hated when you read it for the first time but loved it when you read it again?
  7. What are the things you search for in a good book?
  8. If you had to go back in time today, where(or rather when) would you go?
  9. Is there something you absolutely love to do, apart from reading books?
  10. If you had to describe yourself in 3 sentences, what would they be?
  11. Last question! Tell us something fun about yourself!

So that’s all for today! Thank you again Kat for nominating me!

It took me almost forever to write this post and sorry if it is too long!

See you next time!

Hermione

Posted on by Hermione · 1 Comment

Beyond The Ruby Veil-A Book Review

Hi guys! How are you all doing? This book, was read and finished by me in a single day and in one sitting. I just wish it was longer. And the cover is just so beautiful and the roses around the yellow frame looks so romantic but with thorns haha. Aww, it is so lovely! Well, let’s not forget about the review. ;D

Title: Beyond the Ruby Veil

Series: Beyond the Ruby Veil #1

Author: Mara Fitzgerald

Genre: YA Fantasy, LGBT

Publication Date/Publisher: October, 13th 2020/ Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Beyond the Ruby Veil (Beyond the Ruby Veil, #1)
Source: Goodreads

Seventeen-year old, Emanuela Ragno is the stubbornest girl you’ll possibly find. She is about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best-friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in the city of Occhia.

Emanuela Ragno is a girl with many secrets and her biggest secret is a small red mark on her hip which she has been hiding ever since she was seven when it first appeared. Her mark is an omen which is the sign to surrender yourself to the watercrea, who creates water for the city using the blood. Marks like that are supposed to spread but Emanuela’s mark hasn’t spread for around a decade and she doesn’t care that it is her duty just like everyone to give herself up to the watercrea because she won’t.

During her wedding, the watercrea exposes Emanuela and the omen on her hip and she is brought to the tower, where people with their omens are drained of their blood which the watercrea then turns into water using her magic.

But not for Emanuela, she escapes the tower and runs to Alessandro thinking that he will help her and to her surprise, she learns that her best friend is now married to Valentina.

The watercrea won’t leave Emanuela alone and when she comes to the House of Morandi Emanuela kills her by pushing her off a balcony which was a very wise and equally stupid thing to do because now, Emanuela has to find a way no matter what it takes to get more water before the whole city perishes out of thirst.

About the Author:

Mara Fitzgerald (Author of Beyond the Ruby Veil)
Source of Picture: Goodreads.com

Mara Fitzgerald writes YA fantasy about female characters who ruin everything. She is also a biologist and likes observing insects under a microscope. She now lives near Graceland and her debut YA fantasy is obviously Beyond The Ruby Veil which was published in October 2020.

My Ratings: 3.9/5

Rating: 4 out of 5.

It was a great book and I really liked it but I had a few problems as well. The plot was just incredible and everything happening in the book immediately catches your interest. I am not sure if it is me or the book but it was like I had that feeling everything was happening a little too fast? Emanuela was a bad-ass character but she was a little too self-centered sometimes. And how many TIMESSSSS does she tell Alessandro that he cannot do anything without her and that he won’t even be able to survive if she wasn’t there. Seriously! I say it again the ideas and the plot of the book are amazing and the author has a great imagination but I had those two little problems I mentioned above.

Sometimes, I just wanted to push Emanuela off a very high balcony because she is occasionally very annoying!

Actually, there is a second book (and stupid me for not checking that out and just came to know about it when I finished this book🤦‍♀️) called Into The Midnight Void which is coming out on January 2022 (and I told myself countless times to check that all the books in a duology or series are out before reading the first book….).

BTW, that’s all for today and I guess I have to march off and finally decide which book to read next…(I’m just imagining myself actually marching off to decide a book…😂)

Well, see ya’ll next time!

Love, Hermione💜

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Burn Our Bodies Down-A Book Review

Hey guys! Hope you are all fine! I finally read this book after so long! Let’s start with the review!

Title: Burn Our Bodies Down

Author: Rory Power

Genre: Horror. YA Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Publication Date/Publisher: July, 7th 2020/Delacorte Press

Burn Our Bodies Down
Source: Goodreads

Margot Nielsen has never known any other life other than living with her single mother. She also has no knowledge of the rest of her family. If there is one thing she longs for the most, is the truth, the truth about her family, her mother, her unknown father and where they all came from. Margot never got any of her questions answered so she learned to live with unanswered questions haunting her mind every single day.

In a stroke of luck when Margot visits the pawn shop, she comes across an old Bible book which belonged to her mother and in that book was an old photograph which should be her family. On the back of the picture was a phone number and Margot believes that she finally has the precious key to unravel all her family secrets.

As she calls the number, she talks with an old lady, Vera Nielsen who is surprisingly her grandmother. Having finally uncovered a part of her family, Margot decides to leave Calhoun and head for Phalene, the place Vera said where she could find her.

When Margot reaches Phalene, she expects to be happy to have found her grandmother and everything would become normal again and she and her mother would get along and there would be no secrets. What she didn’t expect was to discover that Vera isn’t what she really is and her family’s roots in Phalene go way deeper than she thought. Phalene isn’t safe and after a few days, she realizes that her family tree is just too much poison and if she stays here any longer, she might never get out.

About the Author:

Rory Power
Source of picture: goodreads

Rory Power lives in New England and works as a crime fiction editor and story consultant for TV adaptation. She writes mostly Young Adult books and is the New York Times Bestselling author of Wilder Girls and Burn Our Bodies Down.

My ratings: 4.5/5

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

OMG! This book is so full of unexpected twists sometimes you don’t know what’s really coming. I never expected anything as such! Seriously! Ridicine! (I cannot tell more about this word because it would spoil everything and anyways you won’t find it on internet so if you are curious, you have to read this book). Vera looks so nice at the beginning, you almost hate Margot’s mom but then as you progress in the story, you have different thoughts about the whole thing.

Everything starts normally and then it slowly gets interesting and then very interesting and then you end up with your eyes glued to the pages at the end. It is definitely worth reading and you have to try it! Oh and BTW, the cover is beautiful!

Well! That’s all for today!

See you all next time ;D

~Hermione

P.S. I think I will read Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald next! So stay around for more! (Another fantasy book😁) See ya later!🧡

Posted on by Hermione · 2 Comments

The Book of Lost Names- A Book Review

Hi friends! Hope all of you are doing great. This is the first book I have read that is around the genre of War Fiction and I am even surprised I liked it! I had this on my TBR ages ago and I am finally happy I have been able to read it! Well, let’s move on with the review.

Title: The Book of Lost Names

Author: Kristin Harmel

Genre: Historical Fiction, World War 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: July 21st 2020/Gallery Books

The Book of Lost Names
Source of picture: goodreads

Eva Traube is in her eighties already and she works as a librarian. She also has a son, Ben but her husband died years ago. Many people believe that she is just and old lady but Eva knows better, she is a person with a frightening and sad past, a person who’s will to survive was still there even in the midst of despair, in the midst of World War 2 when the Nazis were looting all the Jews and sending them to prison camps just because of their religion. Eva would have been sent away too if she and her mother hadn’t been at their neighbours’ but she was one of the very few lucky people.

As Eva reads the newspaper, she finds an image of somebody with something she recognized instantly; the book, her book, The Book of Lost Names, the book that has been missing for more than six decades, in which she kept all the original names of the Jewish children who had to cross the border to Switzerland, to safety, who had to change their names and become new identities.

This story becomes much more interesting when we learn about Eva’s past and how she meets the handsome forger, Rémy and how both of them work in the secret library in a church forging papers for all the Jewish children who had to flee and how important keeping records of lost names meant to her. Because Eva was a person with hope in her heart and believed that saving children’s lives is one of the best things to do to save humanity.

About the Author:

Home - Kristin Harmel
Source: kristinharmel.com

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife amongst many others. She started writing professionally since the age of 16 and begun her career as a sportswriter. She now lives in Orlando, with her husband and her young son.

My ratings: 4.5/5

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

My favourite quotes:🤍

She doesn’t understand what it means to love books so passionately that you would die without them, that you would simply stop breathing, stop existing.

The book of lost names by kristin harmel

“Libraries are very magical places.”

Eva traube-The book of lost names by kristin harmel

One of the things that made me fall in love with the book is the fact that Eva loves books and believes that books and libraries are magical destinations. It is like a book about books though it isn’t the main focus.

The book goes between the past and the present, when Eva was around 25(the war) and around 80(the present). The book is filled with all sorts of emotions, just like it says on the cover. The book teaches us many things like hope in the darkest of times is one of the most admirable trait in a person; just like Eva, who believed that if she cannot save all the Jewish children from the war, she will be able to save most of them. She was a great character.

Would I recommend this? Definitely. It is a yes. I think it would be a book that could suit anybody who likes historical fiction and most importantly, to all the book lovers in the world who believe that books and libraries are one of the most magical things that can exist💜.

Love y’all!

~Hermione🤍

P.S. I just finished reading Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power so that is definitely going to be the next review.👍

Posted on by Hermione · 1 Comment

Winterwood-A Book Review

Hi everyone! Well, this is the second book I read written by Shea Ernshaw and it hasn’t disappointed me. If you have read The Wicked Deep you definitely have to read this one!

Title: Winterwood

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Genre: YA Fiction, Paranormal, Romance

Publishing Date/Publisher: November 5, 2019/ Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers (I had seriously no idea that this was published on my birthday!😂)

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw
Source of picture: Goodreads (BTW the cover is just so creative!)

Nora Walker is from a family of witches but unfortunately she hasn’t yet discovered her nightshade, that is her special kind of magic and that bothers her. Her mother for example, could work magic with honeybees. She could collect their honey without being stung and could even tame the wildest of them. Nora’s grandmother, for instance, could enter into people’s dreams and calm them to make them feel better.

One snowy full moon night, Nora enters the Wicker Woods, the forest believed to be magical and haunted and which only the Walkers could enter. She finds a boy, Oliver, lying on the ground, freezing to death in the cold. Nora decides to help him and she brings him to her place. Nora soon finds out that Oliver is a strange boy with forest green eyes who smells of the forest and pine but who also holds many secrets just like her.

Nora wants to trust Oliver but she cannot make herself trust him completely. Unless she finds out how Oliver could have survived for two whole weeks in the freezing cold of winter in those magical and cruel woods, she could never trust him because if she is sure of one thing it is that Oliver wasn’t alone that night his memory went blank…

About the Author:

Shea Ernshaw | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

Shea Ernshaw an American author is the New York Times bestselling author of Winterwood, The Wicked Deep and A Wilderness of Stars. Her debut novel, The Wicked Deep was released in 2018 of March. She also has a debut adult fiction novel, A History of Wild Places which will soon be released this December 2021.

Source of picture: simonandschuster.com

My ratings: 4.9/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book made me remember a time when I was little in which I went to Rodrigues and we went to a nature park. I remember about the tortoises (they were so big!) and then we went to visit a cave. Their was a nature guide who was leading us in and my sister and I were in the front and then she and I sang this song, it was a song my mother has downloaded in a CD along with other stories for us to listen in the car. It starts like this but I don’t think I remember it perfectly but here it is:

In the dark, dark woods…there was a dark, dark house…in the dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark room…in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark shelf…in the dark, dark shelf, there was a dark, dark book…in the dark, dark book, there was a GHOST! *creepy boos*

Well, let us be serious now. The thing I love the most about this book is how everything is revealed almost at the end so all along the book you just wonder about Oliver and Nora. The fact that the characters are so well built and so mysterious is lovely but it had some similarities to The Wicked Deep as well, like Oliver had those dark green eyes just like Bo from The Wicked Deep and the fact that both Bo tries to keep Penny save and Oliver also doesn’t want to hurt Nora and vice-versa AND the fact that they fall in love with each other.

Otherwise, it was great and I really want to try out all those spells and instructions in the spellbook belonging to Nora AND thankfully *sighs out of relief* it doesn’t require a wand and complicated mutterings *phew*.

Would I recommend it? Well, yes! To all people who love Shea Ernshaw’s writing and who have read The Wicked Deep AND to all people who love a little dash of magic in the cauldron!

Happy Saturday! (and weekend)

~Hermione

Posted on by Hermione · 2 Comments

The Princess Will Save You-A Book Review

Hi people! How are all of you? Doing fine I hope🤗

I guess I should start with the review right away but.I actually have one last thing to say: Hemhem, I heard that this book is a retelling of The Princess Bride though I haven’t heard of it or read it yet…oh and well, the cover is beautiful!

Title: The Princess Will Save You

Series: Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #1

Author: Sarah Henning

Genre: YA Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Retellings

Publishing Date/Publisher: July 7, 2020/ Tor Teen

The Princess Will Save You (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky, #1)
Source: Goodreads

Princess Amarande of Ardenia was utterly devastated to hear about the death of her father, King Sendoa but her sadness soon turned to fury when she learns that she has to get married to be able to rule as Queen in Ardenia.

Princes from all nearby kingdoms come in the hope of marrying Princess Amarande but their efforts were mainly useless because Amarande has something else in mind. She refuses to marry because she is sure that those princes don’t want her heart but only her crown and power. She is also suspicious of her father’s death and is determined to prove that he didn’t just drop dead from his horse but he was poisoned.

Another thing that bothers her is why her father didn’t change the law? Why does the rightful heir to the throne needs to marry to become Queen? Why can’t a Queen rule without a King?

With a hundreds questions swirling in her mind, Princess Amarande goes to her best-friend and her love, Luca, the stableboy, one of the only few people she trusts. When she reaches there, she finds no Luca but a note among the mess of the stable and horses. The note is addressed to her but it isn’t a note in Luca’s handwriting but in an unknown handwriting. It didn’t say much but it was a blackmail letter: Marry Prince Renard of Pyrenee or her love will die.

As stubborn and as strong as she is, Princess Amarande won’t marry Prince Renard, but she WILL find Luca no matter what it takes.

About the Author:

Sarah Henning is a recovering journalist who has worked for The Palm Beach Post among others and who is also the author of many books, Sea Witch and Sea Witch Rising just naming a few. When not writing, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two kids.

Source of Picture: goodreads.com

My Ratings: 4.5/5

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

It was a good book, very engaging and Amarande (her name is just so beautiful!) is such a bad-ass and fearless sixteen year old girl a little too perfect sometimes. I did feel like finding Luca was a little too easy but otherwise everything was nice.

I do regret reading this right now not because the book didn’t please me but because I have to wait to read the next book in the series, The Queen Will Betray You and I have to wait even more for the next book and final one, The King Will Kill You which is coming out NEXT YEAR!!

Seriously! I have definitely learned my lesson the hard way; before you read a book too fast, make sure the rest of the series is OUT for smooth reading….

I would recommend this book. DEFINITELY! But if you are like ME, then wait till next year to read the series so you don’t have to wait.

See you next time!

Hermione

Posted on by Hermione · 1 Comment

Namesake-A Book Review

Hi people! I hope all of you are feeling great. I believe that this is going to be a great month because I am almost 100% sure I am going to read more books than last month. I am feeling very much in the mood of reading fantasy books right now and I think I am going to read, Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning next (I have been wanting to read this book for so long now). So let’s finally start with the review.

Title: Namesake

Series: Fable #2

Author: Adrienne Young

Genre: YA Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

Publication Date/Publisher: March, 16, 2021/ Wednesday Books

Amazon.com: Namesake: A Novel (Fable, 2) (9781250254399): Young, Adrienne: Books
Source: Amazon.com

When Fable wakes up, she finds herself on board on The Luna, one of Zola’s ships. Zola promises her that she can return to The Marigold but only when she has finished the job he requests of her.

Fable isn’t very sure of that knowing Zola’s dangerous nature but clings to the hope that she will return to The Marigold one day even if it means escaping The Luna.

The Luna drops anchor at Jeval, the place Fable promised to never return. Fable doesn’t see anything interesting in Jeval that a big trader might want to trade but it looks like Zola is recruiting more and more dredgers and to Fable’s horror, Koy, the very person who swore to kill Fable if she ever set foot in Jeval again.

The Luna arrives at Bastian with all the gemstones the dredgers have found in the reefs and Fable, dressed up for a gala. Fable gets to meet Holland a very powerful gem trader and who is Isolde’s mother and realises that Zola brought her here at an attempt to regain his license to trade in Bastian by bringing her to Holland, who didn’t know she has a granddaughter.

Holland, old but powerful will do everything to gain much more power and dominate the whole gem trade not only in Bastian but also in the Narrows and that includes eliminating all of the most powerful traders in the Narrows, Zola and Saint.

Fable will do anything to stop Holland from killing Saint and knows that she isn’t stupid. She strikes an almost impossible deal with Holland: If she finds the lengendary gemstone, Midnight, Holland has to leave Saint alone. Finding a stone that has been missing for decades is an impossible task for Fable because if what Holland says is true and that Isolde really did steal the stone and run away, it should have been for a reason and tricking the person who controls the whole gem trade isn’t easy either.

About the Author:

About – Adrienne Young

Adrienne Young is a young American author who was born and bred in Texas turned California girl. New York Times, Indie and USA Today bestselling author of the Fable duology and The Sky in the Deep duology, she started writing at the age of 24 and only decided to pursue publication at the age of 26.(and is a big foodie and addicted to coffee)

Source of Picture: adrienneyoungbooks.com

My Ratings: 5/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

After finishing this duology, it felt like I had lost something in a manner of speaking because Fable had sort of grown on me and it felt a little sad to finish the book.

If I recommended the first book, it is obvious that I am recommending the second! It is of no disappointment because nothing is left out and you understand Saint, Isolde and West much better. Everyhting goes much in-depth in the book, and it moves at a quite fast-pace and West and Fable’s relationship becomes deeper. It was a marvelous and I am saying it again, this duology has become one of my all-time favourites and I am definitely going to read it all again next year perhaps;).

Love, Hermione.

Posted on by Hermione · 1 Comment

Fable-A Book Review

Hi guys! How are all of you? Well, I hope some of you decide to read this book because this book didn’t disappoint me, not a little bit. This has seriously become one of my favourite books and I cannot wait to read Namesake, the second book in the duology!!!

Title: Fable

Series: Fable #1

Author: Adrienne Young

Genre: YA Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 1, 2020/ Wednesday Books

Fable (Fable, #1) by Adrienne Young
Source: Goodreads

Fable has been dredging for pyre and trading them for coppers to survive ever since her father had abandoned her four years ago when their ship, The Lark sank and her mother drowned. She had been left all to herself on Jeval, one of the toughest places to live in.

Since four years, Fable has been saving every single copper she earns in the hope of returning to her father, Saint, one of the most powerful traders in the Narrows.

Surviving in Jeval was hard for Fable since nothing is free and every copper she earns for herself was equally precious. She mostly lived by her father’s rules:

  1. Keep your knife where you can reach it.
  2. Never, ever owe anyone anything.
  3. Nothing is free.
  4. Always construct a lie from a truth.
  5. Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you.

Finally after saving enough money, she decides to leave Jeval for good and be reunited with her father at her rightful place. She travel’s as a passenger in one of Koy’s ships but soon has to run away after Koy follows her and almost tries to drown her as she dives into the ocean to find pyre. With Koy gravely wounded by her kicks and punches and extremely furious, she screams for West another helmsman to save her.

Having paid for passage to Ceros with all the coins she had left The Marigold, West’s ship embarks with the crew and very relucantly, a passenger, desperate to find her father, Fable.

The sea to Ceros is a long and hard one with fierce storms and winds and Fable, well, she doesn’t know what her father will do when he will see her and if he refuses to take her as one of his crew, Fable doesn’t know what she will do because everyone made it clear on The Marigold, they all want her out of their ship as soon as possible and there is no turning back.

About the Author:

About – Adrienne Young

Adrienne Young is a young American author who was born and bred in Texas turned California girl. New York Times, Indie and USA Today bestselling author of the Fable duology and The Sky in the Deep duology, she started writing at the age of 24 and only decided to pursue publication at the age of 26.

Source of Picture: adrienneyoungbooks.com

My ratings: 5/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I absolutely loved this book and that is why I rated it 5 out of 5. It is a book full of unexpected things that really take you by surprise so I was always like, ‘Whoa. I didn’t even see that coming! Fable is such a lovable character with such a strong and brave personality I don’t think there can be somebody who will hate her even if they didn’t like the book.

Everything gets revealed little by little (for example about Fable’s mother, Isolde who even after the first book, is still so intriguing)so it just keeps you reading and reading because you cannot wait to see what happens next.

There is a cliffhanger at the end so nobody will be able to resist reading Namesake (which I am off to do as soon as I finish this post because the cliffhanger is killing me really!)

I would definitely recommend this book to practically anyone because it isn’t a such fantasy like Game of Thrones (with tons and tons of characters which requires you to memorise all the different places and seas though I am not complaining about it of course!) but a fantasy that is easy to understand with a good amount of characters, not too much and not too little that it isn’t focused only on Fable for example and the scenes happening mainly in Jeval, on the sea and in Ceros so no complicated geography guys!

I would also like to say a big thank you to the amazing author, Adrienne Young to have written this book because it has becme one of my all time favourites!

Thanks for reading!

Hermione.

Posted on by Hermione · 1 Comment

The Wicked Deep-A Book Review

Hi! This post is about one of the books I have just recently read (and finished in one-sitting) and I have to say that this IS one of the best books I have read so far. I am amazed at Shea Ernshaw’s writing skills. Haha.

Well, let’s start.

Title: The Wicked Deep

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Genre: YA Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Publishing Date/Publisher: March, 6, 2018/Simon & Schuster

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
Source: Goodreads

It has already been 200 years since the Swan sisters, Margeurite, Aurora and Hazel Swan were drowned in the sea with stones tied to their ankles, accused of witchcraft by the local people of Sparrow.

But, the legend still lives on and at the start of the Swan festival, which takes place of the 1st of June, every summer, the Swan sisters return to take their revenge. During the course of two weeks, the three sisters inhabit the bodies of three young girls. Things don’t end here either, nobody knows which girl is inhabited by the Swan sisters and and each of the Swan sisters pounce on their prey, boys of equal young age are called to the sea by the charming sisters and are drowned only to find their bodies by the police or the fishermen floating in the sea. Nobody really knows what happens during the night because once a Swan sister has her eyes on you, you certainly won’t live long.

Penny Talbot lives on the island and seems to have accepted the curse of the town. She lives with her mother in a lighthouse ever since her father walked away from them. Penny knows that her father would never leave them alone but he hasn’t returned yet.

Just before the Swan festival, Penny meets Bo, a handsome young boy, a year older than her and an outsider looking for work who clearly doesn’t know anything about the legend of the Swan sisters. Penny is instantly intrigued by Bo, and senses that he is hiding many things from her and Bo is also intrigued by Penny and has the same feeling that she has deep secrets.

Soon, Penny slowly falls for Bo and is determined to do anything to save Bo because she can see the Swan sisters and already saw that Marguerite will not stop at any cost to take Bo from her.

About the Author:

Shea Ernshaw | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

Shea Ernshaw an American author is the New York Times bestselling author of Winterwood, The Wicked Deep and A Wilderness of Stars. Her debut novel, The Wicked Deep was released in 2018 of March. She also has a debut adult fiction novel, A History of Wild Places which will soon be released this December 2021.

Source of picture: simonandschuster.com

My ratings: 4.9/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Definitely one of the most emotional books I have read. Probably the best book I have read in May. I ADORE the cover! I haven’t read many witchy witchy stories before but I absolutely LOVE this book. Penny and Bo’s relationship grew very quickly saying that they have just met each other but otherwise everything was great. The end still makes me smile sometimes and it surely will make you smile too. I definitely recommend this book to all people who like stories about witches, curses and bravery.

~Hermione

P.S. We are the 1st of June today…as a matter of fact.😉