Twinmaker by Sean Williams

Clair is pretty sure the offer in the ‘Improvement' meme is just another viral spam, though Libby is determined to give it a try.

But what starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when her friend vanishes.

In her search for answers, Clair seeks out Jesse - a boy whose alternative lifestyle might help to uncover the truth.

What they don't anticipate is intervention from the mysterious contact known only as Q, and being caught up in a conspiracy that will change everything.

This is a future world where everywhere is a step away; d-mats cover the world, allowing people to travel from their front door to the far reaches of the globe within seconds. The only problem is that they are controlled by computer programs and in typical dystopian fashion, we learn that computers can be hacked. The new fad Improvement see's people like Libby try to change the way they look by hacking the system and re-writing themselves.

Clair gets caught up with an underground battle over control of the d-mats, between the possibly-lying government and the radical WHOLE. Just trying to learn the truth and save her friend, Clair finds herself on the run, her only help: a voice in her personal computer, who just so happens to be able to hack everything, and Jesse, one of the radical's son who seems to know more about the truth than Clair even though he doesn't use d-mats or eye pieces. 

I didn't always understand Clair. Firstly, Libby doesn't actually disappear, she just misses school and hides in her room for a while, but still Clair departs on this mission to figure out what's wrong with her and see if there's any truth to Improvement. Secondly, because we didn't see much of them together, I honestly didn't understand why Clair was going to all these lengths to save Libby, I didn't like her that much. And while I could never really keep up with all the conspiracy theories, let alone guess what was going to happen so half the information went over my head, I did enjoy the ride.

Published 7th November 2013 by Electric Monkey.

Mini reviews: The Dagger In The Desk and Marly's Ghost

The Dagger In The Desk by Jonathan Stroud

In London, a mysterious and potentially deadly ghost is stalking the halls of St Simeon’s Academy for Talented Youngsters. It lurks in the shadows, spreading fear and icy cold – and it carries a sharp and very solid dagger . . .

The headmaster wastes no time in enlisting the help of ghost-hunters Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle and George Cubbins.

Can Lockwood & Co. survive the night and save the day?

Short story set after The Screaming Staircase. A far less complicated case than the main books: old school building is being haunted and headmaster being terrorised, they are hired to find out who and why and stop them. The normal rules apply but this time they actually follow them: get in, get out, home in time for toast. Just an extra little case spent with my favourite ghost hunters, still full of charm and quips and mental ghosts. 

Published 9th Feburary 2015 by RHCP Digital. 


Marly's Ghost by David Levithan
A remix of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with a Valentine’s twist

When Ben’s girlfriend, Marly, dies, he feels his life is over and the prospect of Valentine’s day without her fills him with bitterness. But then Marly arrives – or at least, her ghost does – along with three other spirits. Now Ben must take a journey through Valentines past, present and future – and what he learns will change him forever.

Marly doesn't want Ben to spend his life mourning her and said so before she died but Ben isn't strong enough to move on. So when Valentine's comes around, he turns into a bit of a Grinch. Marly is forced to come back and haunt him into realising that life needs to move on.

Some things worked, like the whole idea and Marly coming back to get Ben off his moping ass, but some things were a little too strained to fit the story. Basically a quick and enjoyable read but not my favourite re-telling.

Published 8th January 2015 by Electric Monkey.

Bound By Flames by Jeaniene Frost

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both… 

The third in Night Prince series is finally here! We catch up with Leila and Vlad as they hunt for Vlad's arch nemesis before he finds them.

I've always had a soft spot for Vlad and finally seeing him happy with Leila makes my heart burst. But Vlad's heart has been hardened over the centuries and getting him to admit that he loved Leila has made him vulnerable. The un-pronounceable Szilagyi has taunted and hurt Vlad for centuries and now realises that Vlad's weak spot is his wife. Of course, married life isn't easy but add in kidnapping and running for your life and ancient magic, and you have a taste of what Vlad and Leila has to deal with! 

Leila really has to deal with a lot of shit this time around; between Vlad being annoyingly over-protective and Szilagyi using her as bait and horrible revenge, Leila handled it all the best she could. There were a few truly terrifying moments, especially with the once-trusted Maximus. That just made me sick. 

The ending had an amazing twist that I didn't see coming; it was dramatic and a little crazy and wonderfully shocking; a great ending to build up to the last book. I always enjoy Vlad and Leila's relationship and they had some great development with Vlad's old-fashioned nature and Leila's stubbornness. I was holding my breath for most of this book, and I'm beyond happy to see that Vlad and Leila finished this part of their story all the stronger and hopefully more prepared for their final showdown. 

Published 27th January 2015 by Avon.

The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

Grieving, shaken, and feeling very much alone, Rory's life as a member of the Shades of London has changed irrevocably. It's only been a matter of hours since Stephen was taken from her, possibly for ever. Her classmate Charlotte is still missing, kidnapped by the same people who tried to take Rory. Rory is no longer a schoolgirl haplessly involved in the dealings of a secret government unit. She is their weapon in a matter of life and death.

With hardly a moment to think for herself, Rory is back to work. Charlotte must be found -- as must Stephen, if he is even out there. Lines must be drawn and forces rallied. Something is brewing under London, something bigger and much more dangerous than what has come before. The Shadow Cabinet holds the key to everything, and it is up to Rory to unravel its mysteries before time runs out... 

Warning: spoilers for previous books!

Third in Shades of London series, this time catching up with Rory after a hell of a shock and loss. Most of the first few chapters was spent looking for Stephen and trying not to break down and cry. It dragged on just a little bit too long before Rory could snap out of it and do something useful, but as ever Johnson never made it feel like it was wasted space. 

Like I said, a lot of time spent figuring out the next move and playing catch up to Jane's master plan. Once they gain traction, things speed up; new characters crop up to both help and hinder their investigation, we see a new side of Thorpe, and Rory and gang are piecing together clues to finally get one step ahead of Jane and the super creepy Sid and Sadie. Loved new character Freddie, a little chatterbox with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things ghost. She definitely came in handy but was rather annoying, plus was a bit of a sore spot after losing Stephen

Back to Sid and Sadie, there was a lot more spiritualist and pagan sort of approach to ghosts, which was interesting and kind of fun, especially after Callum's "they all suck, let's blast them" attitude. This background gave the book a much different feel, one that was well written but did kind of come out of nowhere, especially concerning the Oswulf Stone. And while I did like the in-depth background, it mostly went over my head! Although with all this, there was this great dramatic sense of a bigger picture. Definitely something to look forward it.

A great book with amazing character development, some of it heartbreaking, and left me wanting more drama, more Rory and Stephen, and more ghost/Side and Sadie-hunting. Bring on the next book!

Published 5th February 2015 by Hot Key Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Highlights: the 'A Lot of Work' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

A bit of a boring week. I've been working a lot, reading a lot and generally going through the motions. The Fiancé and I celebrated Valentine's on Friday evening with TV and pizza - darn work getting in the way of my social life! I hope you all had a nice Valentine's and weekend.

On The Blog

Review of Jessica Cole: Model Spy, Code Red Lipstick and Fashion Assassin by Sarah Sky (4 stars)

Review of Fracture by Megan Miranda (3 stars)

Currently Reading

The Sin Eater's Daughter - I'm flying through this because it is amazing!

On My Bookshelf

The Whisper by Emma Clayton
Mika and Ellie have the ability to hear thoughts. Their mission: listening in on the mind of evil Mal Gorman, who’s determined to use an age-resisting serum to stay forever young. Forced to play along with his plans, the telepathic twins may be the only people able to release his brainwashed army of children.

That’s when they begin to hear The Whisper, which tells them they should be fighting fire with fire. This could mean revolution … or war.

A surprise book from Chicken House. This is the second in the series and while it does sound pretty cool, I think I'll be passing it on.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine - despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

This story portrayed a very interesting concept, unfortunately it was not pulled off the way I expected. After Delaney nearly dies from drowning in a frozen lake, her brain seems to have developed the strange ability to tell when people are about to die. Through this, it explored the psychological possibility that our brains have capacity for improvement, which I've always found fascinating but Delaney didn't really explore the unexplainable. She did spend a lot of time worrying about her ability and wanting to help, which made her seem crazy. 

Two things came out of this part miracle, part weirdness: one was her parents not believing her. I can understand worrying when someone thinks their brain has malfunctioned and can tell when people are going to die, but that doesn't excuse trying to drug your daughter with anti-depressants! Two was meeting Troy. Good Lord, Troy freaked me out. Secretive, speaking in hidden meanings, not telling the whole truth, he was bordering on stalker and I really could not understand why Delaney kept seeking him out. She thought he held the answers to their ability but really, he was coping with it any way he could, which differed from how Delaney was. 

Now for the other boy in Delaney's life. I liked Delaney's relationship with best friend Decker, that is until they tried to kiss. For once, I would like a boy/girl best friendship to not end up in some twisted love story, especially since here, it had no impact on the overall story and didn't even seem realistic. Don't get me wrong, Decker was simply adorable and so protective and after the accident, clearly in love with her, but I didn't believe that Delaney felt the same way about him. 

This is the first in a series, which is why it left a lot of unanswered questions. And maybe they would be answered in following books but it annoyed me that nothing was answered here. I had a little too many issues with this to fully enjoy it; I can understand why others would like it, it was an intriguing story with some complex characters, it just wasn't for me. 

Published 17th January 2012 by Bloomsbury.

Jessica Cole Model Spy: Code Red Lipstick and Fashion Assassin

Code Red Lipstick
Models, spies and lipstick gadgets... When Jessica's father, a former spy, vanishes mysteriously, Jessica takes matters into her own hands. She's not just a daddy's girl who's good at striking a pose; she's a trained spook who knows how to take on MI6 and beat them at their own game.

This reminded me of a cross between Geek Girl and Agent Cody Banks. I might have been a bit too old for it, but it was an enjoyable and quite clever story with a really interesting and fun main character. I really liked Jessica from the off; she had just the right balance of not too full of herself or her abilities, stubborn but not reckless. She obviously would do anything to save her dad and she worked with that, as did her enemies.

There were some surprisingly complex characters, from her dad - ex-MI6, recently diagnosed with MS, now in serious trouble - to the MI6 agents sent to protect/distract her in Paris. I never knew where I stood with those agents, which is great writing but also really annoying! With all this talk of an inside job and double agents, I was never sure who to trust. As for the actual story, it was almost James Bond-villain-esque the evil things the bad guys had planned. The nanobot explanation was obviously dumbed down but still appropriately elaborate and well thought-out. 

Ooh, the gadgets! Jessica had some awesome tech to help her break into places, escape by the skin of her teeth and catch the bad guys. From laser lipstick to an x-ray app on her tablet, Jessica gave the impression she knew what she was doing but after dropping them, forgetting how to operate them, it was actually endearing to know she wasn't supergirl! I cheered Jessica on throughout and her bravado was so impressive; I held my breath a couple of times near the end, when things were looking tough, but Jessica was stubborn enough to pull through and save the day. Definitely a girl you want on your team!

Fashion Assassin
Models, spies and lipstick gadgets in this fast-paced teen series. Supermodel Jessica Cole has no intention of ever spying again after she was nearly killed by an embittered ex-model and a rogue MI6 agent. That is until she's blackmailed into posing undercover as bodyguard to a very rich fellow model. What seems like a simple job aboard a luxurious yacht in Monaco soon turns into a deadly mission to stop the most dangerous weapon in the world falling into the wrong hands. Jessica will need every gadget in her make-up bag if she wants to get out of this one alive.

Jessica is off on another jet-setting adventure, this time on a millionaire's yacht in Monte Carlo, protecting fellow model, dangerous guy's daughter and most annoying young woman in the world. Good lord, Kat was a horrible person-  spoilt, flashy, loud and incredibly overbearing - but so well-written that I couldn't help but look for something more. As I realised from Sky's first book, characters are rarely as they seem and yes, Kat was awful but much cleverer than everyone gave her credit it for.

Jessica was tasked by one and only bad-guy who tried to kill her in the first book! Let's just say trust was not in large supply. When Kat's father receives death threats and holds a critical position in the up-coming election, Jessica has to protect Kat with her life. However, there seems to be more than meets the eye going on on this yacht and Jessica has to find out the truth before the most dangerous and world-changing weapon is released onto the black market. 

I think this was better than the first: on a bigger scale, a more confident protagonist and more secrets, Sky had definitely gotten into the swing of things with writing this one. As Jessica held a bit more confidence in her abilities, and the stakes were a lot higher, I found this one a much more entertaining read. From a disguised enemy hiding in plain sight to trouble back home with her best friend, Jessica had a lot to deal with in this adventure but she handled it like a pro, I thought, despite cutting a little close sometimes!

Weekly Highlights: the 'It's All Good' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

It hasn't been that long since you heard from me so not a lot to report. I went for a job interview but was turned down - kind of annoying but I've got a lot of overtime coming up at Waterstones so I'm happy. I'm working the next 3 weekends, which is kind of annoying but think of the money, and as The Fiancée said: we don't have to celebrate valentines on the day.

On The Blog

Review of Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (5 stars)

Review of Parallel by Lauren Miller (3 stars)

Currently Reading

Bound By Flames, the third in the Night Prince series - I love me some Vlad! Details below.

On My Bookshelf

Bound By Flames by Jeaniene Frost
Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both… 

It took its time getting to me but I can finally read it! I adore this series so much and am already getting stuck in.

The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson
Grieving, shaken, and feeling very much alone, Rory's life as a member of the Shades of London has changed irrevocably. It's only been a matter of hours since Stephen was taken from her, possibly for ever. Her classmate Charlotte is still missing, kidnapped by the same people who tried to take Rory. Rory is no longer a schoolgirl haplessly involved in the dealings of a secret government unit. She is their weapon in a matter of life and death.

With hardly a moment to think for herself, Rory is back to work. Charlotte must be found -- as must Stephen, if he is even out there. Lines must be drawn and forces rallied. Something is brewing under London, something bigger and much more dangerous than what has come before. The Shadow Cabinet holds the key to everything, and it is up to Rory to unravel its mysteries before time runs out... 

Yes! I requested this as soon as I could, I love these books so much. I've already read it, it was incredible! Thank you Hot Key!

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court. She’s the executioner.

As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.

But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.

However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

This is Waterstones Love this month, so I borrowed the copy from the staff room because it sounds amazing!

Parallel by Lauren Miller

Two worlds. Two separate identities. Two guys. 

A collision of parallel universes leaves 18-year-old Abby Barnes living a new reality - every time her parallel makes a new decision. Never-without-a-plan Abby is forced to cope with the consequences of waking up in a life she has no memory of creating. 

With chapters that alternate between our world (Here) and the parallel one (There), Abby's Here comes complete with a Yale address, a new roomie, and birthday blind date with a super-hot lacrosse player. In the parallel world, Abby's still navigating senior year class schedules, college applications, and her relationship with Astronomy Boy at her high school.

This was a really interesting, if mind-bending, concept for a story; it explores theoretical physics with the possibility of parallel universes occupying the same space, with Abby at the centre. Miller explores the notion that every decision affects our future, even seemingly insignificant ones, which we see as one Abby goes one way and one Abby goes the other. Just by taking one different class, Abby changes the way she see's the world, meets a guy, stays in school rather than jetting off to film a movie and ends up at Yale.

I really liked Abby, although it did take me until half way through to really see the difference between Here and There Abby. Obviously she struggled to make sense of the differing memories and universal paths, if you like, but with the help of her amazing friend Caitlin, she bridges the gap between her original memories and her other half's actions.

It appears that free will seems to have little effect on the grand scheme of things; even on the alternate path, Abby still tries out for a part in the play that got her noticed by big-time director. This plot line was circular and even though it removed the illusion of free will, it was strangely comforting to find that Abby was on a set path and that some things just have to happen. 

However, the whole effect of the book was ruined for me on the very last page, when the world spun back to "normal" and the last few months was a complete waste of thought! I could have done with it ending just two pages before, when Abby realises what was meant to happen and everything seems right with the world because she's found her path. 

Published 6th June 2013 by Scholastic. 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly.
Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

This is the first in series about the top assassin in the kingdom and her fight for freedom. I honestly have no idea why I waited so long to read this, it hooked me from the first page! Set in an amazing magical and traditional fantasy world, with full-length gowns and glass castles and hidden passages, Celaena is competing for her freedom, surrounded by thieves and soldiers, not to mention a old, powerful magic killing off the competition. 

Celaena was an incredible character, surprisingly sweet if a little closed off. She's had a hard life, from being orphaned, raised by the leader of the league of assassins, and finally jailed in the toughest prison around. Considering she was the world's greatest assassin, she was polite and funny, if a little stubborn and proud; I was half expecting her to be a complete ice queen, heartless and ruthless but seeing Celaena giggle over a pretty dress really bought out the other side to her. It was refreshing to see a tough assassin actually have a heart!

Speaking of heart, I really liked how there were two possible love interests but it never felt like a love triangle. Both Prince Dorian and Captain Choal were interesting characters to get to know, although very different; the prince was cheeky and witty, while Choal was very protective and shy. They both wanted the best for Celaena and both bring out the cute and funny side of her. 

I absolutely loved this story, everything about it was amazing and so much fun to read. I don't normally read high fantasy but this world was so elaborate and well thought-out, from the castle to the magical history, I just couldn't resist! I can't wait to see what's in store for Celaena next.

Published 2nd August 2012 by Bloomsbury. 

Weekly Highlights: the 'February TBR' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!

This has been a pretty crappy week. I started with a bad ankle and ended with a gigantic cold. I haven't been able to breathe for most of the week, my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton wool and I had to miss work yesterday. Send me some more virtual hugs please, I could really use them!

On The Blog

Review of The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black (4.5 stars)
Review of Forgotten by Cat Patrick (4 stars)

Currently Reading

Fashion Assassin by Sarah Sky, the second book in Jessica Cole: Model Spy, which is really cool. A little young for me but still entertaining. And on my Kindle I'm reading Why Do Fools Fall In Love? by Louise Marley, a cheap rom-com book set in Bath. 

On My Bookshelf

Marly's Ghost by David Levithan
A remix of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with a Valentine’s twist

When Ben’s girlfriend, Marly, dies, he feels his life is over and the prospect of Valentine’s day without her fills him with bitterness. But then Marly arrives – or at least, her ghost does – along with three other spirits. Now Ben must take a journey through Valentines past, present and future – and what he learns will change him forever.

A hand-me-down from Jess at work; I've heard good things and it has sparked my interest. 

Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky
Models, spies and lipstick gadgets... When Jessica's father, a former spy, vanishes mysteriously, Jessica takes matters into her own hands. She's not just a daddy's girl who's good at striking a pose; she's a trained spook who knows how to take on MI6 and beat them at their own game.

I got this and it's sequel Fashion Assassin from Faye as part of a blog tour, so look out for my review on the 9th!

February TBR

The next few picks from my TBR jar is Twinmaker by Sean Williams and Tape by Steven Camden. I am also awaiting my pre-order of Bound By Flames by Jeaniene Frost, which I will be reading as soon as I get my hands on it!