So many great books read this month! Two new indie authors discovered you can find here as well as a good variety of genres covering fantasy, sci-fi, romance and young adult. I needed a break from some of the large epic fantasy series I’m in the middle of, still ended up reading some huge books but more series finished than started so that’s a win!
What were my highlights?
Empire of the Damned was another brilliant addition to the trilogy. Filled with battles, action, emotion and pain.. Mr Kristoff loves to take his reader’s hearts and crush them, but we soak it up every time. I cannot wait until the final book releases this November. I have my theories on how it’s all going to come together so I’m excited to see what Kristoff does with it!
The Screaming Staircase was a great intro to the Lockwood series. This is a young adult series of ghost hunters with magical abilities. If you’re looking for a different option to Harry Potter, this magical trio are great together. Mystery, humour and some really heavy topics addressed very appropriately and with care. Loved this book and I’ll be reading the rest of the series.
The Book that Held her Heart was a heart-wrenching ending to the The Library Trilogy. One of my favourite trilogies out there is finally wrapped up. When it comes to the final book I can’t believe I’ve waited years for these books. It was worth the wait despite the heartache I felt when it ended. These will live forever on my shelf to be reread again in the future. Emotionally heavy this one but still brilliantly written. Love this world and the messaging behind it all.
Apprentice Gone was a fantastic quest-like story by an indie author I’ve never heard of before. My hidden gem of the month was a great read with lovable characters and high stakes! I’ve immediately downloaded book two so it’s definitely left an impression. Not as detailed as other epic fantasies, it’s easy to digest with simple but imaginative worldbuilding and political intrigue. I really enjoyed it!
My favourite read this month?
The Song of Achilles and The Liar’s Knot 1000%!
The Song of Achilles was a soul crushing love story that I didn’t know I needed to read. I was glued to the pages and could not put it down. Not knowing much about Achilles I felt that was to my benefit as I didn’t know what was coming. The writing was poetic and evocative, the characters were well flushed out and I’ve spiralled into a love of Greek mythology.
The Liar’s Knot was book two in the Rook & Rose series and it was another fantastic book. Smartly written, intricate plot lines and a huge focus on the character development. I was impressed with this book and struggled to put it down. This series is turning into one of my favourites!
Physical TBR Update
Monthly update as usual, the numbers are moving in the right direction and I didn’t buy a single book this month (aside from my monthly The Broken Binding subscription). Pretty chuffed with that, maybe I will get to double digits on my physical tbr! (maybe..)
| Currently Reading | Books Finished | Still To Read | Did Not Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 161 | 117 | 2 |
Upcoming..
Off the top of my head I don’t think there are any May releases that I have on my radar. Saying that, I’m going to spend more time on the books I already own and discovering some more indie authors through Kindle Unlimited. Some books I want to read in May;
- The Floating Hotel – I’ve started this twice and never got passed page 3. Not the book’s fault, It sounds totally up my street but I need to get in the right mood. I definitely want to read this soon!
- Labyrinth’s Heart – The last and final book in the Rook & Rose series. I cannot wait to read this finale yet the sadness of it being over has me putting it off. I can’t wait forever so I’ll be moving to this one soon!
- Riven Earth – This is a series from an indie author I haven’t read yet. Book one sounds brilliant so I’m eager to read on.
- Deadhouse Gates – As my chunky book this month I’d love to read more in the world of Malazan, so this one is a priority!
- Lastly, Hills of Heather and Bone sounds like a charming romantic fantasy. Came across this scrolling and as well as a beautiful cover it sounds really good.